The Exhibitor (1950)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR Chapel Hill The Carolina was host to all members of the senior class of the University of North Carolina at a preview, arranged by manager E. Carrington Smith in con¬ junction with Senior Week at the uni¬ versity. Clinton James Austin, Clinton and Gem, an¬ nounced that he will close the Gem. He is currently building another new theatre to replace it. Durham The new Sky-Vue Drive-In, Wake Forest Road, was to open. This new 300-car theatre is owned and operated by E. L. Bost, James Wallace, and R. S. Saunders. It is completely equipped with DeVry projec¬ tors and speakers, and will have moon¬ light floods. The Saunders Booking agency, Charlotte, will handle the booking. Edenton A new drive-in, located on Highway 17, opened on May 2. The theatre is owned by Jimmy Earnhardt, who also operates con¬ ventional houses in Edenton and Gatesville, N. C. The Edenton Drive-In was fully equipped with Ballantyne Soundmaster projection equipment and speak¬ ers, furnished by Charlotte Theatre Supply. Fayetteville Fire destroyed the old Opera House which housed both the Strand and the Ritz. The structure was built in 1908, was owned by Burt and Richard Breece, and was under lease to Meiselman Theatres, Charlotte, which recently had remodeled the interior and was operating the Ritz Strand for white patrons in the front por¬ tion of the building and the Ritz for colored patrons on the side of the building. J. W. Cashion, manager, and an assistant were getting ready to close the theatre when the alarm was sounded. Goldsboro J. S. Horton, former Wilby-Kincey man¬ ager, took over the Wayne. The house was formerly owned by the Kincey organ¬ ization. Leaksville John P. Dineen, who owns and oper¬ ates a number of theatres, has been ap¬ pointed general campaign manager of Archie Daniels, Draper, N. C., in the lat¬ ter’s race for the Democratic nomination for Congress from the Fifth North Caro¬ lina District. King Theatres, Inc., Leaksville, N. C., has obtained a certificate of incorporation from the Secretary of State. The firm has authorized capital stock of $100,000, with the incorporators being Douglas Craddock, D. E. Gwynn, and D. F. Os¬ borne, all of Leaksville. Lexington John Callahan, owner, Lexington DriveIn, recently became the father of a bouncing baby boy, the third son for the Callahans. Oxford The Carolina and Orpheum recently conducted a baby contest in cooperation wiih the Girl Scouts. Entries were made by filling out entry blanks in the theatre lobbies, and several valuable prizes were offered, with pictures of the winning babies being shown on the theatres’ screens. The theatres bore all of the costs, and, in addition, allowed the Girl Scouts to profit from the ticket sales on the night the winning pictures were dis¬ played in connection with the regular screen attractions. Raleigh H. D. Hearn announced that he has acquired a long-term lease on a 750-seat house to be included in a $13,000,000 de¬ velopment known as Cameron Village. The theatre will have parking facilities for 550 cars, and will open in the fall. Red Springs A. C. McSwain, owner, Red Springs and Center, has taken over the Red Springs Drive-In as of April 26, and will operate it henceforth. He closed the Center for the summer months. Southern Pines In connection with “Exercise Swarmer” maneuvers participated in by 60,000 troops from all parts of the nation, 20th CenturyFox presented the premiere of “The Big Lift” at the Carolina. Attending as special guests of the premiere at the Carolina, ar¬ ranged by Dick Wingart, 20th CenturyFox, were Generals Norstad and Tunner, 50 veterans of the Berlin Airlift, repre¬ sentatives of numerous metropolitan dailies, press services, syndicates, news magazines, news reels, and radio men; George Seaton, author and director of “The Big Lift” and a number of repre¬ sentatives of 20th Century-Fox; and mayors and newspapermen from sur¬ rounding cities and towns. Wadesboro Extensive improvements are being made to the Ansonia, which, according to man¬ ager Ernest Guthrie, include remodeling both men’s and women’s lounges, installa¬ tion of a new heating plant, and redecora¬ tion of the interior. Wilmington City Council, which has allowed the¬ atres to operate on Sundays for several years, withdrew an order to police to en¬ force an ordinance requiring grocers to close on Sunday, because it was found that if it was enforced as to grocers it would have to be enforced as to other types of business, too, as it makes no provision for exempting them. Yadkinville The new 200-car Yadkinville Drive-In opened. The theatre is operated by R. E. Zachry, equipped with Wenzel projectors and Co-Op. speakers. South Carolina Greenville A new 518-car drive-in located on Highway 23 was opened here by S. J. Toni Lee Little, veteran Camden, S. C., exhibitor, who recently celebrated his 35th anniversary as a theatreman, is seen at the affair staged in his honor by Para¬ mount with Camden’s Mayor Savage, cen¬ ter, and State Senator R. M. Kennedy. Workman on May 8. This new open-airer is fully equipped by RCA. Workman also operates the Hollywood, Woodruff, S. C. The Valley Drive-In opened under the ownership of R. O. Tarlton, who also oper¬ ates the Orangeburg, S. C., Drive-In. This new outdoor theatre is equipped with 305 Ballantyne Sound-master Speakers. Tarl¬ ton also announced that he has bought out his partner, F. W. Free. Greer The Greer Drive-In, owned by Wade McManus, was due to open here on or about May 12. McManus also operates thg Scenic Drive-In, Spartansburg, S. C. Tennessee Bristol Eighty-three families, having from 12 to 20 children, came swarming down upon the Paramount and State within 24 hours after a newspaper ad, inserted by Wilfred Gillenwater, executive manager, appeared calling for “large” families to help pro¬ mote 20th Century-Fox’s “Cheaper By The Dozen.” The Keelings, with 20 chil¬ dren, were given special prizes by local merchants after a fleet of taxicabs escorted them from their valley home to a special screening of the picture. Highlighting their safari was a broadcast over WFHG, with assorted members of the bountiful clan participating. W. D. Jennings, mayor, Augusta, Ga., left, welcomed Henry Wilcoxon, right, when he visited the city recently in ballyhoo for Paramount’s “Samson And Delilah,” arranged by P. E. McCoy, Imperial, while district manager T. O. Tabor looks on. May 17, 1950