The Exhibitor (1953)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 press representatives from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Western New York, Peru, and Canada, in addition to Michigan. PTA, religiuos, library, educational, and patriotic organi¬ zations ncluding the Greater Motion Picture Council of Detroit, the Detroit Library Commission, art museums, and the DAR were heavily represented. The recent gathering of independent film buyers in closed session saw attendance estimated at more than 50, including Colonel H. A. Cole, COMPO, and Wilbur Snaper, Allied president. Midwest Theatres, headed by Raymond Schreiber, is reopening the Palmer Park, Highland Park, as an art house. This gives the suburb two art stands, the Krim also operating regularly on this policy. Indianapolis Jesse Fine, Fine Circuit, Evansville, Ind., was in New York. . . . William Mc¬ Govern, exhibitor, Loogootee, Ind., was on a fishing trip. He operates the Ritz. . . . Dr. M. Sandorf, Twin-Air, reports his attendance excellent. Claude McKean, Warner manager, reports the “House Of Wax” breaking records. . . . Mrs. Claude McKean, re¬ turned from Florida, where she suffered a heart attack. Her condition is improved. . . . William Kalafat and wife were visiting. They operate the York, Cherebusco, Ind. While in Chicago, manager W. T. Keith, 20th-Fox, attended the showing of CinemaScope. . . . Twilight Theatres, Inc., leased the Noblesville Drive-In, Noblesville, Ind. Ellen Ackron will do the buying. . . . The Tri-Hi Open Air, Garrett, Ind., is now operated by Alliance Theatres. AA’s “Roar of the Crowd” will have its world premiere in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois starting on May 23, promoted by heavy newspaper and radio advertising. Pittsburgh Phil Katz, assistant to Henry Burger, Stanley Warner zone office publicity department, had two birthday parties within three weeks as his two offspring were born in the same month. . . . “The Range Rider,” Dick West, and Jim Eskew, Jr., all appearing in the rodeo at the Gardens, made an appearance at the Aspinwall Veterans Hospital, and also were guests at the Television and Radio Club luncheon at the Roosevelt Hotel. George Harrison was honored by the Harrison Amusement Company on the occasion of his 50th year with the company coincidental with his retire¬ ment. A luncheon was held in the Royal York Hotel. The annual telethon to raise funds for the Variety Club’s charities has been set for June 5. WDTV and manager Harold Lund give the time gratis and many well-known stars are expected to appear on the five-hour show. This time, instead of using the TV studio, which is small, the Nixon will be the scene of the telecast. Paramount and the Stanley have a big budget to plug “Shane.” Ann Wilmerding, 18-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wilmerding, Dormont, Pa., was the winner of the “Miss 3-D” contest staged by the Stanley Warner Circuit in connection with “House Of Wax.” i Bert Stearn installed an electric sign in front of the Screen Guild building to advertise the fact that the company handles Hallmark. . . . George Eby, former comptroller for the Harris Enter¬ prises and now on his own, was made president of a non-profit organization known as the Catherine Variety Fund, Inc. It will handle funds for a wing for the Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital raised by the Variety Club. At present, there are five sex hygiene pictures being released in the territory. Lee Conrad, Park, Meadville, Pa., rented the theatre to the high school on June 3 as the school auditorium was too small for the 250 members of the graduation class. District Attorney Sherman Levine, New Castle, Pa., seized 1500 books being sold in connection with “Bob and Sally” at the Super Castle Drive-In. Levine said although the picture was advertised for adults only, many teen-agers were in the theatre. “Sins of the Fathers” opened at the Skyline later, but books were not sold. Lou Fordan, manager, Memorial, Mc¬ Keesport, Pa., for many years, is in the hospital with a slight heart attack. . . . Some of the barkers of the Variety Club, Tent 1, gave steward Joe Ferris a nice birthday present to pay his expenses to the Mexico City convention. John Osborne, head, Dipson, Wheeling, W. Va., Theatres, and a popular show¬ man locally, filed for a TV station on Channel 9 for the Wheeling-Steubenville, O., area. Exhibitors came back from the 20thFox showing of CinemaScope in Phila¬ delphia with enthusiastic reports. Sylvia Goldman was back from New York and a visit to the Ben Kalmensons. She works in the Stanley Warner zone office. “House Of Wax” wound up with a terrific $40,000 for its first week at the Stanley. . . . Harry McCartney, Jr., who succeeded Danny McKenna, now in the army, may follow McKenna in the army soon. Kentucky Harlan The cooking school which Tom Wil¬ liams engineered at Schine’s Margie Grand wTas a demonstration of ap¬ pliances, sponsored by the Cumberland Valley Music Company. All wholesale grocers and a wholesale meat packing house were contacted, and almost a full page of co-op. advertising was obtained. Newspaper publicity on the event and radio advertising, which hit the air a week in advance of the cooking school, also aided a great deal. Michigan Flint The application of W. S. Butterfield Theatres, Inc., for a television station here was turned down by Federal Com¬ munications Commission hearing ex¬ aminer Benito Gaguine. The examiner recommended that the commission give the channel to Trebit Corporation on the grounds that its proposed location would serve the city better, and because the public service programs outlined by Trebit were better than those of any other group competing for the channel. The decision could be appealed. Gaguine said all applicants were about equal in other respects. He could not make any finding against Butterfield on the ground of alleged anti-trust violations, and also indicated he had not ruled against Butterfield because it owned theatres, stating that, at the present time, he could see no conflict between owning theatres and TV interests. Ohio Bellefonfaine Lewis Thompson, Schine’s Holland, sent personal letters to county schools inviting junior prom groups and juniorsenior banquet leaders to arrange for parties. Columbus If repeal of the Ohio censor law is successful, “fringe” producers “can be expected to flood the market with un¬ wholesome and undesirable films,” said The Columbus Dispatch in an editorial printed after the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the Ohio law in rejecting an appeal by the distributors of “M.” Clarence Lanthorn, student assistant, Loew’s Ohio, has been promoted to assis¬ tant manager. He succeeds Dudley Lacey, transferred to Loew’s Dayton, O. . . . John R. Rugg, former manager, Uptown, returned to that post after a year’s absence. . . . Word has been received of the death of Lloyd Goad, former local manager, of a heart attack at his home in Bakersfield, Cal. Goad was a member of the Variety Club. Mayor Robert T. Oestreicher, brother of Fred Oestreicher, publicity manager, Loew’s will again run for that office in the August primaries. Lee Hofheimer and Charles Sugarman, World, invited patrons to see “The Magnet” free when a print of the scheduled feature, “The Importance Of Being Earnest,” was accidentally des¬ troyed. Bob Wile, secretary, Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, addressed the Round Table Club, Dayton, O., on May 7. Wile spoke recently to the Lions Club, Grandview and Upper Arlington, O., Rotary Club, Montpelier, O.; Lions Club, Delaware, O., and the Rotary Club, Hudson, O. May 13, 1953