The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT3 series of live talent shows. The city will receive 15 per cent of gross ticket sales, confections items, and programs up to $1,750 a week. A contract was recom¬ mended by members of the Park Com¬ mission following a public hearing in which theatre owners protested vigor¬ ously. Gloria Swanson, here for “Sunset Boulevard,” talked to 8,000 Tinker air¬ force base employees. Exhibitors saw the film at the Tower. Omaha A. C. Smith, McPherson, Ivans., opened a new drive-in at Beatrice, Neb. . . . Irving Good, 20th Century-Fox salesman, and his bride returned from their honey¬ moon. . . . MGM branch employees gathered for their annual picnic. . . . A contest will be held in the Osceola, Neb., vicinity to pick a name for the 300-car drive-in opened by John Waller, Osceola. Robert E. Hutte, manager, Lyric, Osceola, will be in charge. . . . The front of the RKO-Brandeis has been repainted. . . . Walter Yaunche, Lincoln, Neb., manager, Dent Circuit, suffered from the mumps. Among Film Row visitors were: Frank Baker, David City, Neb.; Arnold Meierdierks, Pender, Neb.; Edward Kugel, Holstein and Mapleton, la.; D. C. Camp¬ bell, Central City, Neb.; Marvin Jones, Red Cloud, Neb.; Oliver Schneider, Osce¬ ola, Neb.; Ralph Martin, Moorhead, la. . . . Ferd Reuter, MGM booker, attended his fraternity reunion at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. . . . Iz M. Weiner, U-I manager, was named Omaha district manager, Cerebral Palsy Drive. . . . Five boys were fined $5 each when caught sneaking into the RKO-Brandeis without paying. Portland Eddie Cruea, formerly branch mana¬ ger, Monogram, has been promoted to head the larger and more important Seattle branch, it was announced last week by Harold Wirthwein, Monogram’s western sales manager. Cruea replaces George Abbett, who died two weeks ago. The new branch manager at Portland will be William Grant, who has been sales manager for Monogram in the Philadelphia branch and prior to that branch manager for Republic in Minne¬ apolis. St. Louis The Airway Drive-In, operated under a lease by the Midwest Drive-In Thea¬ tres Corporation, controlled by Phil Smith, Boston, has made several impor¬ tant additions to its “Kiddieland.” . . . In Annapolis, Mo., a 200-seat theatre showing 16mm. films with portable equipment was opened in a building re¬ cently remodeled into a motion picture house by Dr. O. W. Appel. Annapolis has been without a theatre for many months. ... In Arcadia, Mo., The Killarney Drive-In was the name selected for the 300-car ozoner being built on Route 70 by William Basden and Irwin Degonia. ... In East St. Louis, Ill., the Majestic, a unit of the Publix Great States circuit, was working with the United Cerebral Palsy Association, Inc., in soliciting contributions. . . . Members of Tent 4, Variety Clubs International heard interesting reports of the recent national convention held in New Or¬ leans from Chief Barker Joseph Ansell and Tom Canavan. . . . Some 25 mem¬ bers of the tent were in attendance, and had lunch in the Lindell Room. A. J. O’Keefe, assistant general sales manager, and F. J. A. McCarthy, southern division manager, U-I, were the principal speakers at a regional sales conference. The exchange mana¬ gers from Dallas, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Kansas City, and St. Louis were in attendance. Henry Steffen, head booker, Film Classics, was elected business agent Local FI, representing front office workers of film exchanges, to succeed Ray McCafferty, who recently joined Republic. Steffen has been with Film Classics. The annual boat excursion of Local FI will be on the Admiral on July 7. . . . Jimmy Frisina, buyer, Frisina Amusement Company, returned to Springfield. Ill., after golfing in Texas and South Carolina. . . . Tilden Dickson, Crystal City, Mo., exhibitor, was in Phoenix. Ariz., with Mrs. Dickson. . . . J. M. Ennis, who operates the State, Quincy, Ill., and the Forest, a subse¬ quent run house in the Des Moines area, worked out a schedule for the conven¬ ience of film salesmen and others with whom he does business in operating the theatre. . . . Mrs. Bernice Montgomery, who owns and operates the Horstman, Chaffee, Mo., is building a new resi¬ dence. . . . Chester H. Frobase, owner, Frobase, Benton, Mo., was working dur¬ ing the daytime in the Scott County Re¬ corder of Deeds office because of an emergency. Judge George Carey, Caruthersville, Mo., owner, Stadium, there, and the Strand, Poplar Bluff, Mo., attended the Kiwanis International gathering in Miami, Fla. . . . The mother of Ted R. DeField, East Prairie, Mo., exhibitor, suffered a fractured hip in a fall. . . . The son of Mrs. E. J. Long, Avalon, Avon, Ill., had a narrow escape from serious injury when a train wrecked his automobile. . . . Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Long, owners, Avalon, Avon, Ill., pur¬ chased a 50-acre farm near Havana, Ill. . . . Ben Shearer, Jr., Seattle, B. F. Shearer Company and Starke Cycloramic screen, was in. Ray Parker resigned from the adver¬ tising staff of Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amusement Company, and is now manager of the 600-car drive-in at Natural Bridge and Ashby Roads, adja¬ cent to the Lambert-St. Louis Municipal Airport in St. Louis County. His brother, Norman Parker, an attorney, is among the stockholders in the drivein company. A1 Wheeler, former manager, Am¬ bassador, is in charge of the Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amusement Com¬ pany’s golf club in the Overland district of St. Louis County. Roy Muehleman, former manager, Missouri, is in charge of the Ambassador. Joe Ansell, Mrs. Ansell, their daugh¬ ter, Mrs. Marion Scissors, and her daughters, Iris and Sandy, were to leave for a motor trip to the west coast. A few weeks later, Mr. and Mrs. Lou An¬ sell are to head for California. A number of the smaller neighbor¬ hood and suburban houses are expected to be closed for the summer months due to the falling off in business. . . . C. Frank Harris, factory representative, Wagner Sign Service, Inc., was a visi¬ tor, calling on Arch Hosier, St. Louis Theatre Supply Company. “Red Ryder” Jim Bannon was avail¬ able for personal appearances at various spots. . . . Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Film Row included: John Rees, Wellesville, Mo.; Irving Dubinsky, Dubinsky Brothers, St. Joseph, Mo., who own the Esquire, Cape Girardeau, Mo., and the Altwood Drive-In near Woodriver, Ill.; Ed Clarke, Mattoon, Ill.; Dick Wade, Griggsville, Ill.; Frank X. Reller, Wentzville, Mo.; Dean Davis, West Plains, Mo.; Elvin H. Wiecks, Staunton, Ill.; Tom Baker, Bunker Hill, Ill.; Frank Plumlee, Mrs. Plumlee and Frank, Jr., Farmington, Mo.; Bob Marchbank, Washington, Mo., district manager, Commonwealth Amusement Company, Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill.; Harry Miller, Festus, Mo.; Charles Weeks, Jr., Dexter, Mo.; Russell Armentrout, Louisiana, Mo.; Barney Tembourius, Breese, Ill.; Charles Beninati, Carlyle, Ill.; Mrs. Regina Steinberg, Madison, Ill.; and Roger Moyer, Armentrout Circuit, Louisiana, Mo. San Antonio Lackland Air Force Base personnel who participated in the Berlin airlift were invited by the Interstate Theatre Circuit to see the film version at the Majestic at an advance showing of “The Big Lift.” Lynn Krueger, manager, Majestic, was taking his first real vacation in three years. . . . Martha Davis, Interstate city office, was flying to New Yoi’k City for her summer vacation. . . . The Agudas Achim Synagogue Brotherhood sponsored a special showing of “Sword in the Desert” at the Uptown. Proceeds go to the synagogue building fund. Eph Charninsky, head, Southern Theatre Company, donated the film, theatre, and staff. . . . Conley Cox, former manager, Trail Drive-In, has been promoted to a district managership by Claude Ezell, Dallas. ... A small fire recently broke out in the film vaults at the Azteca Film exchange. Among the out-of-town exhibitors and film men calling were: E. J. Haubner, city manager, Jack Pickens Theatres, Uvalde, Tex.; Walter Weins, Eagle Lion, Dallas; Genaro Trevino, Alta Vista, Beeville, Tex.; Bernard Bragger, Re¬ public, Dallas, and C. H. Weaver, Para¬ mount exchange manager, Oklahoma City, enroute to Corpus Christi, Tex., where he plans to vacation several weeks while recuperating from injuries. Woodrow Weidner has taken over duties as city manager, Robb and Howley Circuit, Taylor Tex. The circuit operates three houses at Taylor. Weidner was formerly assistant city manager, Hills¬ boro, Tex., for five years. . . . The Liberty, Beaumont, Tex., closed for the past several months, has been reopened June Ilf, 1950