The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 As the date drew near for the annual convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners and Operators of Georgia at the Biltmore Hotel, Atlanta, on May 21-22-23, convention committee members recently met at a luncheon in Atlanta to complete plans for the affair, and seen at upper left, from left, are: MPTOOG President J. H. Thompson, E. D. Martin and O. C. Lam, while at right are nominating committee members Ebb Duncan and W. M. Snelson. At lower left are exhibits committeemen “Dusty” Rhodes and Bill Wooten, both of Atlanta, and at right are Mrs. W. M. Osman, Covington, Ga.; Mrs. John Carter, Brookhaven, Ga., and Mrs. Bill Wooten, Atlanta, of the ladies’ activities committee. NEWS OF THE BRANCHES Atlanta Irving Mandel, Monogram, Chicago, was in visiting Arthur C. Bromberg, Mono¬ gram. . . . Branch manager William Holi¬ day, Paramount, Jacksonville, Fla., re¬ turned there after a visit. . . . W. Lee started work on his new 150-car drive-in at Keystone Heights, Fla. . . . Allen Craw¬ ford, Warners, has been transferred to the Cincinnati branch from Jacksonville, Fla. . . . The Athens, Deland, Fla., closed for remodeling. . . . Carl Bamford, presi¬ dent, Publix-Bamford, Asheville, N. C., announced plans for 1,200-seat house to cost around $350,000. . . . The Ritz, now owned by J. Oberlin in Natchez, Miss., reopened after being closed for several weeks. . . . The Barn Theatre, Inc., Abbe¬ ville, S. C., has been granted a charter. C. E. Peeler is president. Bert Ram, theatre owner in South Caro¬ lina and Georgia, was in. . . . Robert In¬ gram, southern district manager, Colum¬ bia. was back after a trip to Charlotte. . . . The Palmetto Drive-In Theatre Cor¬ poration was granted a charter. Roy Prewitt, sales manager, American Desk Company, Temple, Tex., moved into 187 Walton Street. . . . New owner of the Skyway, Hapeville, Ga., is E. W. Pitman. Bill Eidson, manager, was formerly with the Lam Amusement Company, Rome, Ga. . . . N. G. Johnson, announced the closing of his Valley, Falkville, Ala. An¬ other theatre which closed is the Grand, Elizabethton, Tenn. The Dekalb Planning Commission post¬ poned action on petitions for a drive-in in the county. Action was deferred three months, Planning Commission member Dan Shadburn said, so possible sites can be studied. He indicated the Commission is not opposing the outdoor theatres. The Commission was faced with a large group of citizens when a petition came up ask¬ ing that property at the intersection of Columbus Drive, Memorial Drive, and Midway Drive be rezoned for use as a theatre. The petition had been entered by R. T. Hill, who stated he plans to sell the property to an Indiana firm for de¬ velopment. G. R., J. T., and H. D. Coburn opened their new $75,000 Pratt-Mont Drive-In, Prattsville, Ala. Wil-Kin Theatre Supply furnished Motiograph speakers, projectors, and Ashcraft lamps. Gus Coats, formerly of the Tiger, Auburn, Ala., is manager. . . . Fred McLendon announced that work started on a new 400-car drive-in near Robertsdale, Ala. . . . The New Skyway Drive-In, Nashville, Tenn., was recently opened. . . . The 500-car Joy-Lan DriveIn, near Florence, Ala., was opened under the managership of Dan W. Davis. . . . C. A. Williams started work on his new drive-in seven miles from Hawkinsville, Ga. . . . The new Hamilton Drive-In, 400-car drive-in near Fort Payne, Ala., is near completion. The theatre is owned by Dave Hamilton and his son. The Movie Garden Drive-In, near Eustis, Fla., recently installed new projectors. James Dickson is manager. . . . Emil Bernstecker, district manager, Paramount, and Jimmy Redd returned from Birmingham, Ala., after a business trip. . . . The stork passed over the house of Mr. and Mrs. N. H. Waters, Jr., and left a little baby son. . . . G. L. Hawkins, assistant manager, Roebuck Drive-In, Birmingham, Ala., re¬ signed. . . . Fred Moon, was on The Row visiting. . . . Herman “Dusty” Rhodes, gen¬ eral manager, Dixie Drive-In Theatres, returned from a business trip. Cliff Wilson, head booker, Moody The¬ atres, Georgia, was in booking. . . . Clyde Sampler, Duncan Theatres, Georgia, and P. L. Taylor, Bishop’s Theatres, Colum¬ bus, Ga., were in. . . . Miss Ruth Robert, head, accounting department, Monogram Southern Exchanges, entertained for R. V. Graber, Jr., special representative, Mono¬ gram, New York, at a chicken fry at her country home. L. C. Montgomery, Joy Theatres, New Orleans, celebrated his 25th wedding an¬ niversary recently. We wish him and the Mrs. many more. . . . The new drive-in in Century, Fla., was recently opened for 350 cars. . . . Neal Robinson has a new partner in his drive-in in Niceville, Fla., his son. . . . Spence Pierce, former pub¬ licity chief in Atlanta for 20th-Fox, now manager, Knoxville Drive-In, Knoxville, Tenn., was recently robbed. . . . The Skyvue, Little Rock, Ark., owned by Rob¬ ert Lowery, reopened for the season. New owner of the New Bern Drive-In, Kinston, N. C., is E. S. Holland. . . . Martin Theatres, Columbus, Ga., opened the new 381-car drive-in at Phenix City, Ala. . . . Another Martin drive-in opened in Bainbridge, Ga., the Azalea Drive-In. . . . M. E. Rice is building a 500-car drive-in at Dyersburg, Tenn. Wallace Film Exchange made a distri¬ bution deal with Murray O’Hanlon, Spalter International Pictures, Inc., for “Gigi,” “Between Eleven And Midnight,” “The Wench,” “The Barber Of Seville,” “The Eternal Conflict,” and “The Red Angel.” Wallace is handling these French features in the Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, and New Orleans territories, plus Virginia. . . . Charlie Clark was back in his office after a business trip to Tennessee. May 18 was designated “G-Day” for a Hollywood invasion. Director Henry May 17, 1950 SOUTHERN