The Exhibitor (1952)

EXHIBITOR NT-1 PTKWS OF THE Chicago Oscar Bloom, Columbia sales manager, took off for Florida as Ben Laurie, ex¬ change manager, returned. . . . Robert L. Hudson leased his Indiana, Richmond, Ind., to the Richmond Civic Theatre for a week. . . . A1 Golden, formerly on the Republic sales staff, joined the MGM exchange at Milwaukee. Sam Lesner, showman for 15 years and until recently with B and K, is the new night manager at the Astor, suc¬ ceeding Charles Lemansky, named Ziegfeld assistant manager. . . . Elmer Bills and F. G. Weary are building an out¬ door on Highway 36, Brookfield, Mo. . . . Joseph Emma, Deerpath owner, subur¬ ban Lake Forest, Ill., is using one-act stage plays along with pictures. Edna Frank, MGM office manager, vacationed in the South. . . . Lee Norton is preparing to build a drive-in on Route 33-121, Sullivan, Ill. David Wallerstein, B and K general manager, and his wife enjoyed a couple of weeks at Sun Valley, Idaho. . . . Johnson and Nooner bought the Ply¬ mouth, Plymouth, Ill., from the Ply¬ mouth Theatre Company. . . . The Turner-Farrar Circuit i s planning to build a drive-in between Eldorado, Ill., and Harrisburg, Ill. The engagement of Beverly Wolk to Dr. Richard Rosen was announced by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Wolk. Wolk is a theatre equipment and parts dealer. ... A. Schwartz is erecting the Grande Drive-In on Highway 66 near Sullivan, Mo. . . . Roger Glover was made assistant manager, Tivoli. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn J. Geyer sold the Hull, Hull, Ill., to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gates, Gem, Canton, Ill. ... Sam Abend and Earl Jameson are building a drive-in at Lees Summit, Mo. City tax assessor John S. Clark gave a break to the owners of theatre build¬ ings where attendance declined. He has recommended to the board of tax appeals that 1951 assessments on such buildings be reduced as follows: For the 100 of Chicago and Cook County’s 400 theatres that have closed since 1949, an 80 per cent cut; for those that operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 40 per cent; for those that have closed balconies, 20 per cent, and for those that have removed seats and equipment, 90 per cent. The board indicated it will accept the assessor’s recommendations. Property owners have until June 1 to appeal the 1951 assessments on which taxes are being paid this year. Thus far, 110 theatre building owners have asked relief on the ground that TV is cutting into business. Dallas In Lufkin, Tex., “lucky auto license number” drawings at drive-ins were ordered discontinued by District Judge H. T. Brown, who, at the request of County Attorney James Moore, issued a restraining order stopping the drawings, which, the county attorney argued, violated the gambling laws of the state. The drawings had been held for about three months. Named were East Texas Theatres, Inc., and Pierre de Renouard, manager, Redlands Drive-In. A new drive-in to be located one and one-half miles on the Shreveport High¬ way out of Atlanta, Tex., will open within five weeks. A unit of Tri-State Theatres, the spot is being built by Barton R. McLendon at a cost of $75,000. It will be called the Rancho, and will accommodate between 300 to 400 cars. In Houston, Tex., Loew’s State, the Metropolitan, and the Kirby all have extensive remodelling and improvement programs in prospect. The announce¬ ments came from the respective manage¬ ments, following renewal of the lease contracts with the Jesse H. Jones inter¬ ests for a period of about 25 years. Loew’s State has already begun improvements, including new projection equipment and installation of new seats. The Metropolitan and Kirby, owned by Interstate Theatres, Inc., will start a series of improvements soon, A1 Lever, city manager, said. The Majestic recently was extensively remodeled with a new front. The Texas COMPO Speakers’ Bureau has been augmented by Charles Stark, who will handle speaking assignments in universities and schools. An accom¬ plished speaker and student of merchan¬ dising and advertising at Southern Methodist University, he is the son of J. W. Stark, president, J. W. Stark Enterprises, Wichita, Kans. Among the guests planning to attend the Texas COMPO Conference on June 9-10-11 are the following guild presi¬ dents: William Perlberg, Screen Pro¬ ducers’ Guild; George Sidney, Screen Directors’ Guild; Ronald Reagan, Screen Actors’ Guild; Miss Mary McCall, Jr., Screen Writers’ Guild, and Adrian McCalman, Artists’ Managers Guild. Walter Penn, sales manager, Tower, wants to remind exhibitors that the nationwide exploitation contest “Frank¬ enstein” and “Dracula” does not end until Aug. 15. Denver Atlas Theatres bought the Unique, Gunnison, Colo., from Ben Snyder, and installed Fay Boyd as manager, moving him from the company’s Kar-Vue DriveIn, Lamar, Colo. The purchase was made while C. U. Yaeger, president, and Dave Davis, general manager, were on an inspection tour of the Atlas theatres. Yaeger has also named John Thomas as manager, Kar-Vue Drive-In, Brighton, Colo. Jack Kelly, shorts and newsreel department, Metro, was in for confer¬ ences with Henry Friedel, branch man¬ ager, and others of the local staff. . . . Jack Allender, 20th-Fox salesman, re¬ turned from St. Anthony’s Hospital, where he underwent treatment for two weeks. Mrs. Allender also underwent two operations at the same hospital. J. R. Grainger, Republic genei’al sales manager, and Francis Bateman, district manager, were in conferring with Gene Gerbase, branch manager. . . . Charles DeCastro bought the Moon, Stratton, Colo., from Irving H. Jeppe. . . . Barney Rose, U-I district manager, was in calling on the circuits and conferring with Mayer Monsky, branch manager. Bernie Wolf, western division man¬ ager, National Screen Service, and Jack Jackson, public relations department, were in conferring with Jim Parsons, branch manager. Fox Intermountain Theatres will hold its summer convention on June 17-18 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, with Frank H. Ricketson, Jr., presiding. Charles P. Skouras, president, National Theatres, is expected to attend. Ray Davis, northern district manager, is in charge of arrangements. Seen on Film Row were: Delbert Stewart, Torrington, Wyo. ; Jack Brand¬ enburg and Floyd Beutler, Taos, N. M.; Robert Smith, Steamboat Springs, Colo.; James Peterson, Littleton, Colo.; Mr. and Mrs. Owen Anderson, Bayard, Neb.; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hall, Akron, Colo.; Lloyd Greve, Eagle, Colo., and Harry Mc¬ Donald, Torrington, Wyo. Des Moines Cecil B. DeMille spent a busy day serving as honored guest at the annual Veishea celebration at Iowa State College, Ames, la., and addressing the Des Moines Dinner Club. Closing of the fourth theatre in the Quad-city area at Davenport, la., Rock Island, 111., and Moline, Ill., was an¬ nounced by Carpentier brothers, Strand and Majestic, East Moline, Ill. . . . Jean Peters, Huge Marlowe, and Helene Stanley attended the opening of “Wait ’Til the Sun Shines, Nellie” at the Quad-City theatres. The Des Moines industry is opposing the plan of City Council to put Des Moines on daylight saving time fi-om June 16 until Sept. 27. Sixteen exchange and theatre managers presented Council with a petition while Film Row em¬ ployees sent in cards opposing the move. Kansas City Under a change in the 20th-Fox con¬ sent decree, with the statutory court approving the order, an amendment pro¬ vides that the Lynwood must take a product limitation if a competing inde¬ pendent cannot get pictures on the same availability as the Lynwood. The Lyn May 28, 1952 MIDWESTWESTERN