The Exhibitor (1950)

NT-4 EXHIBITOR Jewel Truex, manager, Azteca, was recent first place winner in the San Antonio Sweepstakes Golf Association Tournament. . . . Robert A. May has been named manager, Rigsby Drive-In, owned and operated by the Statewide Drive-In Circuit. . . . Gordon B. Dunlap returned to his desk in Clasa-Mohme following a business trip in west Texas. Tom Sumners, Josephine, was making a periodic booking trip to Dallas. . . . Out-of-town exhibitors recently visiting LatinAmerican film exchanges included: Lloyd Munler, Yolande, Eagle Pass, Tex.; Hiram Parks, Llanos, Lubbock, Tex.; Dave and Jake Lutzer, Lutzer Circuit, Dallas; Dave Young, Jr., Mex¬ ico, Brownville, Tex.; Mr. and Mrs. E. Flores, Rio, Mission, Tex., and Mrs. Ruth Likens, Broadway, Abilene, Tex. . . . Clasa-Mohme is now on a summer schedule. . . . Ramiro Cortes, Cactus Films, returned from a trip into the Rio Grande Valley. Marshall C. Nichols, former assistant manager of a theatre at Austin, Tex., has been named manager, Charro DriveIn, Brownsville, Tex., replacing J. M. Richie, resigned. . . . The South Park Drive-In, Beaumont, Tex., has been opened, according to an announcement made by Julius Gordon, president, South Park Drive-In, Inc., a subsidiary of the Jefferson Amusement Company. . . . Interstate Theatres purchased a 30-acre tract just outside the city limits of Ama¬ rillo, Tex., where a new drive-in will be built, according to Jack King, Interstate city manager. . . . S. M. Fox announced plans for the construction of a 1,000-car drive-in at Houston, Tex., for Negro patrons, to be built on a 12-acre site near the new Pleasantville addition. Sam Tanner, district manager, Jeffer¬ son Amusement Company, was relieving M. C. Clemmons as city manager at Port Arthur, Tex. Clemmons was on the sick list. . . . Sid Levy is the new manager, Lincoln, Port Arthur, Tex., owned and operated by the Bijou Amusement Com¬ pany, replacing Emil George. . . . The Star has been opened at Snyder, Tex., by E. P. Price and H. F. Donalson. Price will be manager. Donalson oper¬ ates the Palace, Sterling City, Tex. . . . Miguel Benitez, Benitez Circuit, with headquarters at Weslaco, Tex., opened the 400-seat Palace at Donna, Tex. A house was built at a cost of $40,000, and will feature a Spanish language motion picture policy. Claude Ezell announced that the new 700-car capacity Burnet Road Drive-In at Austin, Tex., will be opened soon. One of the features of the drive-in will be a special electric traffic control system devised by Albert H. Reynolds, general manager. By means of an indi¬ cator at the head of each ramp, the patron can tell at a glance if there are any speaker vacancies, how many, and where they are. . . . H. C. Stadele is building a new 300-car capacity drivein at Marlin, Tex. . . . The Royai DriveIn has been opened at Marlin by E. L. Williamson and Associates. Harlan H. Dunlap was to open the 432-car capacity Mount Pleasant DriveIn, Mount Pleasant, Tex. . . . Dave and Jake Lutzer will soon open a 350-car capacity drive-in to be known as the Bowie Drive-In, Bowie, Tex. . . . Tom Ireland has been named personnel direc¬ tor, Preston E. Smith Theatres Circuit, Lubbock, Tex. This was due to the increased responsibilities given to B. T. Formby, assistant manager, by Smith. The circuit has four houses and a new 1,000-seater under construction. Smith is planning to concentrate his time on the campaign for Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. W. F. Rolleston, vice-president, Marine Studios, Marinelake, Fla., announced plans for the construction of a 125-seat theatre at Springlake near San Marcos, Tex. The theatre would go up and down in water like a submarine. San Francisco The North Coast Theatres, Inc., “Round Robin” idea of a “double double-bill” died suddenly. After a onenight stand of presenting four first-run features at the Orpheum, protests from various circles immediately arose. “It, at least, stirred the boys up,” a North Coast official stated. . . . The date of the Pacific Coast Conference of Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners convention is tentatively set for Sept. 15-7 at the CalNeva Lodge, Lake Tahoe section. Regis¬ tration of delegates will start on Sept. 14. . . . An expert on television as it relates to the motion picture industry will address both distributors and exhib¬ itors in San Francisco on June 27 at the Northern California Variety Club. Robert O’Brien, New York, and cochairman, TOA coordinating committee on television, will bring all the latest word and developments of video. Jerry Zigmond, district manager, and Ben Levin, are in charge of bringing the O’Brien address to the industry. Mrs. John R. Schroth, housewife, won the “Movie Month” prize contest with her essay on why she likes the films. The contest triumph featured a luncheon for Mrs. Schroth at the Variety Club and a trip to Hollywood. . . Jack Brit¬ tain, manager, Metro, made a highly successful drive to capture the Italian population for “Black Hand.” The Better Movie committee headed by Graham Kislingbury, district mana¬ ger, North Coast Theatres, decided that it would continue to operate as a coor¬ dinating group for the industry even though the “Movie Month” activity is terminated. . . . Edwin Scheeline, man¬ ager, Coliseum, for “Rocketship XM,” mounted a sensational lobby-display of rockets, moon topography facsimiles, and lighting effects. Hulda McGinn, public relations and legislative representative, CTA, has been selected to serve on the state-wide Centennial Committee for fall activities. . . . Albert Levin, manager, Alexandria, for “The Damned Don’t Cry,” honored the former aide at the theatre, Richard Eagen, cast in a featured role. Film Colony Girl’s Club recently turned over $250 to the Northern Cal¬ ifornia Variety Club Heart Fund, which conducts a project for blind babies. . . . Mickey MacDonald, former advertising manager, Fox West Coast, is now head, engraving department, Poor Richard’s Photo Engraving Company. Seattle Ray Ackles died in Sacred Heart Hos¬ pital, Spokane, Wash. The greater part of his career was spent in Seattle as a salesman with Warners, Universal, Co¬ lumbia, and 20th Century-Fox. He was salesman for the latter company in Eastern Washington when he retired several months ago because of ill health. Funeral services were held in Spokane. . . . Henry Haustein, Paramount branch manager, accompanied by Larry Pulis and John Kent, salesmen, and Ralph Hayden, office manager, flew out for Hollywood to attend the western sales meeting. Walter Hoffman, who arrived from Minneapolis to take charge of Paramount exploitation, accompanied them. Hoffman, for the past eight years has been with 20th Century-fox in Minneapolis. His wife and daughter will join him there in July. Honoring William Ferguson, Seattle attorney, who returned from a sixmonth world tour, and Benny Rubin, comedian, John Danz, president, Ster¬ ling Theatres, hosted 40 guests at a luncheon in the Washington Athletic Club. Branch managers and banker and attorney associates were among the guests. . . . Seattle’s Northwest Film Club set the date for its annual golf tournament for July 21 at the Rainier Golf Club. . . . Extensive remodeling and redecorating of the Evergreen Theatres offices on the sixth floor, the Skinner building, have been completed. Bill Blake, Eagle Lion publicity de¬ partment, was here from California set¬ ting the campaign for “The Jackie Rob¬ inson Story,” and Bill Scholl, United Artists, was doing the same for “The Iroquois Trail.” Bob and Marie Rosenberg were away on a fishing trip into the Caribou coun¬ try in British Columbia. . . . Bill Gallo¬ way, office manager, U-I, and Mrs. Galloway, left on vacation. . . . Oscar Chiniquy, National Theatre Supply, and Mrs. Chiniquy left for two weeks in Montana. . . . Sharon Andrews is the new receptionist at 20th Century-Fox, succeeding Virginia Jungmeyer, ad¬ vanced to the cashier’s department. . . . Fred Gamble, Rex and Lakeside, Ta¬ coma, Wash., left for the east to attend the graduation of his brother from Brown University, and will tour the New England States before returning. . . . Herman Wobber, western district manager, 20th Century-Fox, was here from California. . . . Cecil Farns, a booker and salesman in Seattle more than 20 years ago, was on The Row from Salem, Ore., greeting old friends. . . . Lou Pressler, manager for Warners on Grays Harbor, Wash., was here from Aberdeen, Wash. June 21, 1950