The Exhibitor (1952)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Robert Selig, executive assistant to the' president, Fox Intermountain Thea¬ tres, visited all the circuit’s theatres in the Salt Lake City area in company with district manager Jack McGee. . . . Ralph Batschelet, manager, Paramount, for a number of years for Fox Inter¬ mountain Theatres, prior to its being taken over by Wolf berg Theatres, has been moved to the Tabor as manager, where he succeeds Gene Manzanares, who moves to the Webber, which has been managed for a time on temporary assignment by Harry Wilhelm, assistant manager, Denver. Tom Walsh, recently general man¬ ager, Comerford Theatres, Binghamton, N. Y., and formerly branch manager for RKO, Salt Lake City, was visiting. Delbert Stewart has bought the Hill Top Drive-In, Torrington, Wyo., from James B. Nolan. . . . Denver is getting two new drive-ins, each for about 1,000 cars, and both deluxe installations. They will be southeast of the city, and one will be the fifth for Wolf berg Theatres in Denver, while the other marks the first for Atoz Amusement Company here. Buz Jay bought the Pine, Beuna Vista, Colo. . . . M. R. Austin, branch manager, United Artists; George McCool, head booker-office manager, and salesmen William Sombar and A1 Brandon attended the San Francisco sales meeting. Des Moines The Iowa, Winterset, la., reopened after being closed for extensive altera¬ tion. . . . R. M. Phillips, who recently sold his interest in the Empress, Rock¬ well City, la., will serve as manager, Algona, la., theatre for Central States. . . . Robert S. Flauher, Albion, Neb., has been named manager, Strand and the drive-in at Mason City, la., for Central States. The interior of the Varsity, Dubuque, la., was heavily damaged by a fire which broke out several hours after the house had been closed for the evening. C. J. O’Rourke, manager, said the theatre would be shut down for at least three weeks for repairs. . . . Morrie Friedman, salesman, U-I, resigned. . . . Mack John¬ son, second booker, U-I, also resigned. . . . A. H. Blank, head, Tri-States Theatre Corporation, was in New York on a business trip. . . . Lou Kravitz, salesman, National Screen Service, re¬ signed to join Filmack in Chicago. Kansas City George Minor Purcell, 52, formerly of Kansas City, died recently of a heart attack in Greensburg, Pa. He was in the business here about five years before he moved 20 years ago to Greensburg, where he was a film buyer for a circuit. The Kansas-Missouri Theatre Asso¬ ciation indicated that its spring con¬ vention may be held on a train en route V1 Hutchinson, Kans., for the world premiere of 20th-Fox’s “Wait ’Til The Sun Shines Nellie” on May 14. Senn Lawler was chairman of a committee investigating the feasibility of the idea. If the plan is carried out there may also be included a stop-off at Larned, Kans., where the semi-centennial of John Schnack as an exhibitor is scheduled for May 15. Los Angeles Sonny Thompson, FWC head recep¬ tionist, was back from a vacation. . . . Harry Laseff, former buyer-booker, Minor Theatres, Glendale, Cal., and more recently operator of the Washington, died suddenly. . . . John C. Landers is the new owner, Star, Lincoln Acres, Cal. . . . Film Row extends sympathy to Bert Pirosh, FWC film buyer, whose father, Dr. Sigmar Pirosh, died in Cedars Of Lebanon Hospital. . . . Jack Katz resigned from his sales post at Republic. . . . The RKO exchange is getting a spring face-lifting. . . . William Foy, FWC purchasing department head, was married to Mary Cox. District managers Stan Brown and Fred Glass, FWC, are proud owners of a new Olds and Cadillac, respectively. . . . Jeanne Evans, wife of Roy Evans, FWC booker, has made four commer¬ cials for TV, and was taking screen tests on the 20th-Fox lot. . . . The wife of Johnny Hall, FWC engineer, presented him with a baby girl. . . . Alice Tetsell, former secretary to Ben Ashe, National Screen Service, is now taking dictation from A1 O’Keefe, district supervisor to Ted Gamble. . . . Visitors from out of town were Sam Stiefel, who operates houses in Taft, Arroyo Grande, and Riverside, Cal.; Roy Hunt, Riverside, Cal.; A1 Brinham, Monrovia, Cal., and Bill Sorenson, Long Beach, Cal. Other visitors were Tom Dalby, Jack Mingus, Jack Chazen, Ned Calvi, Harry Wein¬ berger, Ernie Harper, and Dick Ettinger. Don Fedderson, KLAC general man¬ ager, revealed an agreement under which the station’s disc jockey programs will be plugged at 14 Pacific Drive-In theatres in return for regular mentions on the station’s television and radio programs. Pacific will use 15-minute recordings by KLAC’s five disc jockeys prior to the first feature each evening and a 10minute recording during intermissions. Each jockey will run a week at each theatre, requiring new transcriptions only once every five weeks. Programs carry a station plug for the jockey’s show. Pacific, in return, is set for TV plugs on “Hollywood on Television” in the evening, as well as mentions on the evening and afternoon AM news spots. Milwaukee Mrs. Adele V. Holtz was guest speaker at the Better Films Council meeting, YWCA. Mesdames Ralph Koenig and Charles Berenger were in charge. lrv Clumb, manager, Towne, for “Singin’ in the Rain,” managed to wangle some free Nylonair raincoats as giveaways. In addition, over WMAW, WEMP, and WOKY, he had the boys running a continuous line of patter in connection with a contest. A picture of the Royal appeared in The Milwaukee Sentinel, with lights blazing “Too Good Features.” National Screen Service’s Johnny Mednikow and MGM’s exploitation genius Lou Orlove are preparing to issue a joint release of particular inter¬ est to theatre owners. The Orpheum, Green Bay, Wis., was robbed of $700 by a holdup man. FoxWisconsin is experimenting with a new approach in newspaper ads, using a descriptive term such as “western,” “drama,” “spectacle,” and “romance.” Patrons were heard to remark that “at least we can tell what sort of a picture it is when we read the ads.” Paramount’s Eddie Gavin, salesman, will have a daughter-in-law soon as son Ned walks the aisle on May 10. . . . Ben Marcus, S and M Theatres, drew exceptional turnouts at his Oshkosh, Wis., and Appleton, Wis., drive-ins. He entered into an arrangement with the 'Clark Gasoline Company whereby each patron of his drive-ins receive certifi¬ cates good for two gallons of gas when presented at any of Clark’s gas stations. U-I booker Bill McFadzen returned from a short vacation spent along the Wolf River. He says he wound up with some of the largest catches he ever made. Minneapolis Don DeLaria has been named new president, Minnesota Drive-in Owners and Operators Association, formerly known as the Upper Midwest Drive-In Owners and Operators Association. Other officers are Don Schroeder, Austin, vicepresident; Earl Nelson, St. Paul, treas¬ urer, and William Roesner, Minneapolis, secretary. Oklahoma City State exhibitors seen on Film Row in¬ cluded: Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Henderson, Medford; Mr. and Mrs. William Cope¬ land, Geary; Bob McFarland, Putnam City; Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Zimmerman, Leedy; B. J. McKenna, Tulsa; W. A. Labarthe, and Kenneth Labarthe, Pond Creek; Mrs. C. W. Duncan, Wetumka; Garland Wilson, Shattuck; Bill Wilson, Mooreland; John Terry, Perry; Jack Hankins, Lawton; R. V. McGinnis, Tulsa; R. Busch, Uptown and Villa; Reece Warren, Westen; Les Nordean, Konowa; H. T. Burns, Apache; W. T. Kerr, Sulphur; L. E. Brewer, Pauls Valley; Ruby Jones, Shawnee; Dana Ryan, Pawnee, and E. B. Anderson, Norman. New owner of the Vogue, Skellytown, Tex., is David Preston. . . . The Sam Stones are the proud parents of an infant son. Stone is employed in the accounting department of Video Theatres. May 7, 1952