The Exhibitor (1953)

mws OF THK Chicago The suit of the Civil Liberties Union which seeks to have the city lift the ban on “The Miracle” will be heard by Judge Harry Fisher on June 5. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Edward Samet bought the Princess, Cullom, Ill. . . . Theatre tax collections of $83,767 in April were slightly behind those of the same month last year, $85,815. Total amusement collections were $142,676 and a year ago, $149,674. Alliance Theatres is equipping 10 houses for 3-D. . . . Joseph Lyman, 63, Princess owner, Whitehall, Ill., passed on. . . . Stanley Levine was transferred here by National Screen Service after nine years in the New York sales de¬ partment. The Olney Drive-In, Olney, Ill., con¬ tinued operations despite a fire which damaged the concessions stand. Stella Biagone, who had been leasing her Rex, De Pue, Ill., took it over. Charles W. Chambers, 79, retired pro¬ jectionist, passed on at San Gabriel, Cal., where he had lived for the past ll years. . . . Joseph Lawler, drive-in operator at Galesburg and Peoria, Ill., and Lake Geneva, Wis., is rushing com¬ pletion of his new Starlite, Kankakee, Ill. Harry Sears was named field exploita¬ tion man for Metro. . . . John Walker Neal, 73, State assistant manager, Lafayette, Inch, passed on. . . . Tom Danner and Paul Stehman, Lyric owner, Winchester, Ill., held a grand opening of the new drive-in. Bill Ford, Bland owner, Blandinsville, Ill., is to manage the 666 Drive-In, Springfield, Ill. Following the resignation of Harry Brown as Oriental manager, these were appointed: Jack Ryan, day manager, with Carl Wood, assistant, and Harry Williams, night manager, with John De Balts, assistant. Robert Spurlock bought the Kay, Karnack, Ill., from Earl and D. B. Stout, Cairo, Ill., who will concentrate on their drive-ins. The censor board had a busy April with the review of 12,0 pictures totaling 604,000 feet. Four were labelled for adults and one foreign film was re¬ jected. . . . Notice of appeal in the Devon, Lasker, Pioneer, and Sun anti¬ trust cases was filed by attorney Seymour Simon. . . . Frank Glenn put in a concessions building double the size of the former one at his Melody Drive-In, Tamaroa, Ill. Joe Kaufman, former Chicagoan who directed Cinerama theatre operations, re¬ signed to return to picture producing. EXHIBITOR He was successful in opening Cinerama in Detroit and Los Angeles and effecting settlements to bring the new process to the Palace. . . . Yvette Martel, wife of Marvin Simon, Chicago, was fatally in¬ jured in an auto accident in Florida. . . . James B. Estes, Rantoul, Ill., and Raymond W. and Wilmer O. Smith, Ludlow, Ill., were granted a charter to operate a drive-in near Ludlow. Thomas McConnell, attorney for the Jackson Park, filed a brief in the Court cf Appeals opposing the move of the Winston Theatre Corporation for modi¬ fication of the Jackson Park decree limiting first-runs at the RKO Grand to two weeks. The brief states that there has been no chage in the Chicago situ¬ ation since the decree was entered. George Siegel, Winston attorney, claims the Grand operation has now been separated from the old management. Dallas Thirty-one Texas theatres of the Interstate Circuit will shortly be equipped with complete RCA 3-D stereophonic sound systems. The houses include the Metropolitan, Village, Alabama, Tower, Almeda, North Main, Eastwood, and Garden Oaks, all in Houston; Aztec and Broadway, San Antonio; Paramount, Austin; Waco, Waco; State, Galveston; Tyler, Tyler; Wichita, Wichita Falls; Paramount, Amarillo; Paramount, Abilene; Plaza, El Paso; Vernon, Vernon; Majestic, Brownsville; Arcadia; Harlingen; Palace, McAllen; Campus, Denton; Arlington, Arlington, the Village, In¬ wood, and Lakewood, all in Dallas, and the Parkway, Bowie, and Tower, Fort Worth. Recent personnel changes at Interstate houses include the following: Cornelius Webb, Majestic, manager, resigned to join the real estate firm of A. B. Cass, Jr., and Van Roberts, manager, Village, replaced him; O. V. Burreson, former Village treasurer, replaced Alex Barr, Majestic treasurer, who now manages the Wilshire; Roberts was replaced at the Village by Carl Cullum, formerly manager, Lakewood, and James Reynolds changed from the Wilshire to the Lakewood. E. C. Leeves, E. C. Leeves and Com¬ pany, left for a trip in connection with Concession-Bar Drive-In equipment. He and Mrs. Leeves attended the opening of the new bar at Dickson’s Drive-In, Mt. Pleasant, la. Leeves intends to establish distributors of the equipment in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and Des Moines. Mr. and Mrs. William J. “Bill” Rau, Alamo Booking Service, reported the San Antonio, Tex., area suffered great storm damage. . . . Partners in the Weisenburg Theatres Circuit in for a couple of days were John Fagan, Borger, Tex., and Harold Wilson, Amarillo, Tex. The Palace sponsored a “legs contest” in connection with “Moulin Rouge.” . . . II. C. Graham, auditor, Southwestern Theatre Equipment Company, spent several days here. NT-1 Leta Rorex, wife of Kyle Rorex, executive director, Texas COMPO Show¬ men, was made associate editor, Cage’s Pages, monthly organ for the Insurance Company of Texas. Mrs. Rorex is claims examiner for the company. In Sulphur Springs, Tex., controlling interests in the Carnation and Mission were purchased by Bob Thomas Lilly. The son of the late John E. Lilly, Veteran East Texas theatreman, he purchased the interests of two Commerce, Tex., theatremen, A. W. “Jack” Lilly and J. O. Wheeler. American Poster and Printing Com¬ pany’s Harry Kaplan worked up a clever time-saver for Stormy Meadows, an ordinary postcard with Miss Meadows’ picture in the upper lefthand comer. She types her messages in red, and it presents an unusual appearance. Miss Meadows is popcorn broker for Central Popocorn Company, Schaller, la and Filmack rep¬ resentative in this territory. In Houston, Tex., the Alley’s safe frustrated burglars when it refused to yield to hammering and crow bars. The prowlers picked up $30 from a desk drawer. . . . Funeral services were held in Pleasant Grove, Tex., First Baptist Church for P. G. Cameron, 81, pioneer exhibitor. Mr. and Mrs. W. D. “Doyle” Mount, Capada Drive-In, were visitors from Floydada, Tex. . . . G. “Sonny” Martini, owner, Martini, Galveston, Tex., flew in. Wallace Walthall, special represent¬ ative, National Screen Service, advised postponement of the Coronet showing of “The Birth of a Nation” until arrival of his niece, Mrs. Mario Cueta, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mrs. Cueta is the daughter of the late Henry B. Walthall, and had never seen her father’s most famous picture. Her uncle arranged the special booking to be shown during her visit. Jacinto City, Tex., residents will see free outdoor movies after June 15. The Jacinto recreation board has set into motion aP outdoor movie plan. The park and school grounds are under consider¬ ation for the activity. Variety Club gave an “on to the con¬ vention” party before delegates left for Mexico City and the I VC conclave. Com¬ mittee members were C. A. “Pappy” Dolsen, Chief Barker; John H. Rowley, Rowley United Theatres, and Don C. Douglas, Rowley United. Variety Club, Tent 17 held a special dinner in honor of Sophie Tucker for her gracious and generous interest in the Boys’ Ranch. The affair was held at the Boys Ranch, Bedford, Tex. Denver Edmund Grainger, producer of “Split Second,” Dick Powell, director, and stars Stephen McNally, Alexis Smith, and Arthur Hunnicutt, attended the pre¬ miere at the Kimo and Sunshine, Albuquerque, N. M., where the quartet made a total of three stage appearances. May 20 1953 MIDWESTWESTERN