The Exhibitor (1953)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR Walter Houser, owner LaFay, LaFayette, Colo., and Carmen Romano, owner, Rex, Louisville, Colo., have opened their new L and L Drive-In, located halfway between the two cities. The latest to equip for 3-D in the area include the Santa Fe, Santa Fe, N. M., owned by Don Beers, and the Vita, Spearfish, S. D., owned by Wally O’Neill. Tom Bailey, Lippert franchise owner, went to Missoula, Mont., to attend the exhibitors’ organization meeting. . . . Mrs. George Allan, Sr., wife of the owner of the State, North Platte, Neb., died at her home there. Seen on Film Row were John and Selma Sawaya, Trinidad, Colo.; Tom Knight, Riverton, Wya.; Neal Beezley, Burling¬ ton, Colo.; Merle Gwinn, Benkelman, Neb.; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Heeney, Kremmling, Colo.; Wally O’Neill, Spearfish, S. D.; C. E. McLaughlin, Las Animas, Colo., and R, D. Ervin, Kremmling, Colo. Des Moines William Z. Porter, Allied Artists’ home office field representative, was in for conferences with Howard Ross, man¬ ager. Mike Simmons, assistant to H. M. Richey at MGM, was in. A. H. Blank, head, Tri-States Thea¬ tre Corporation, was married to Miss Theo Redwood, Darlington, S. C., in New York. Myron Blank, son of A. H., and head of Central States Theatre Corporation, was one of the attendants. The couple will take a wedding trip to Mexico. Tim J. Evans, Clinton, purchased the Niles, Anamosa, la., from Clifford L. Niles and his son, Charles. Evans is the owner of the Lyons, Clinton, and is a foi'mer secretary of Iowa and Nebraska Allied. Charles Niles is a former National Allied officer. . . . The Luna, Battle Creek, la., was sold to H. F. Van Boxtel, Alton, la. . . . Harold Parrott has been named as a salesman for U-I here, replacing Ralph Olson, resigned. . . . Clarence A. Neylan, Elkader, was named manager, Hardacre, Tipton, la. Los Angeles The shuttered Globe, San Pedro, formerly operated by the deceasd Lou Goldberg, was reopened by Dave Irvine, local exhibitor. . . . Film Row Was sorry to hear of the passing of Regina Hol¬ lander, wife of Harry Hollander, associ¬ ate of Finkler Theatres. . . . The latest proud father seen passing out cigars on the Row was Jack Goldman, Aero, Santa Monica. . . . Upped to assistant city manager for the Western Amusement Company in Victorville, was Chester Jordan, former manager for that cir¬ cuit’s Fillmore, Fillmore. . . . Rebecca Carillo, who operates the El Rancho, Moor Park, joined the Azteca Film organization, where she was formerly employed for 10 years. . . . Ralph Wil shin, formerly of National Screen Service, is now with the Pacific Title and Art Studios. . . . Bill Katsky is the new manager of the Big Sky Drive-In, Monrovia, where he succeeds Jack Drum, resigned. . . . Vacationing in the South¬ land was A. West Johnson, who dis¬ posed of his theatre holdings in Oregon to the Ted Jones Enterprises. . . . Saul Mahler, Vinnicof Theatres, and his wife, returned from a week’s vacation in San Francisco. . . . Charlene Parham, Warner’s cashier department, middleaisled it with Frank Gaxiola, who took his bride to Las Vegas for their honey¬ moon. . . . Henry Slater, former Warners salesman, and now operating thea¬ tres in Chula Vista, came into town on a buying and booking stint. . . . Also seen on the Row were Harold Stein, Sierra Madre; George Diamos, Douglas, Ariz. ; Ernie Harper, Fontana, and Joe Markowitz, Encinitas. Wayne Berk has taken the Vista from Milton Lefton, with Jack Jacobs man¬ aging. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Ned Calvix, Plaza, Hawthorne, Cal., came back from a vacation. . . . James Merry is now office manager at Paramount. . . . The former Fox West Coast Carlton was reopened by Fred DePiano and Jack Schwartz. U-I will score another “first” in the current industry developments in 3-D, wide screen and directional sound, when it presents its first 3-D film, “It Came From Outer Space,” at the RKO Hillstreet and Pantages, starting May 27, and marking the first time a 3-D picture will be shown to the public on a wide screen with stereophonic sound. The U-I screen, which is curved on a 90-foot radius, and is made of a textile sprayed with an aluminum solution, has a light magnifying factor of four to one, making it possible to show 3-D pictures as effectively as 2-D films, yet providing a panoramic effect for 3-D heretofore un¬ obtainable. The stars of “It Came From Outer Space,” headed by Richard Carl¬ son, will participate in the world pre¬ miere at both theatres. Milwaukee Gerald D. Luedke, for 11 years man¬ ager, Milwaukee, was honored at a fare¬ well party given by the Teutonia Avenue Advancement Association. Luedke went to Marshfield, Wis., to manage seven theatres. The Downer, which has centered on outstanding foreign films for several years, announced that henceforth it will play American made films almost en¬ tirely. The house is reducing its ad¬ mission price and will have special rates for children, but will continue on a single feature policy. The corporate name of the Mid-City Amusement Company has been changed to Atlantic Theatre Corporation. Minneapolis Alice Kuhlman, cashier, Warners, re¬ turned from a vacation. . . . Bill Brooker, Columbia exploiteer, was in for “Salome,” RKO Orpheum. . . . Burtis Bishop, Jr., MGM midwest sales manager, was in. . . . Ralph Pielow, Quad-States Theatre Service, had the flu. . . . Carol Smith, bookkeeper, NSS, vacationed in northern Minnesota. The Nile, neighborhood house, in¬ augurated a “gift night.” . . . “Martin Luther,” filmed by Louis de Rochemont productions, had its world premiere showing. . . . Servicemen on leave are admitted free at the Eskin and Richland, Richland Center, Wis., according to Wayne Berkeley, manager. An explosion rocked the neighborhood Empress and forced patrons to leave the house. A night watchman had attempted to relight a pilot light in the gas furnace after it had gone out. No fire resulted, and the theatre resumed oper¬ ations a half hour later. . . . David E. Feinberg, St. Paul, has been elected a director of the U. S. Air Conditioning Corporation. Harry Weiss, division manager, RKO Theatres, was in New York for the annual stock holders meeting. . . . “Fort Ti,” Columbia’s 3-D film, has been set for the RKO Orpheum. . . . Some of the film salesmen working out of Minneapolis are now equipped with stereoscopic viewers so that they can show still shots from upcoming 3-D pictures. . . . An Austin, Minn., house¬ wife was killed in a four-car pile-up not far from her home as she was leaving a drive-in theatre in a car driven by her husband. Five other persons were injured in the accident, none seriously. Irving Pichel, director of “Martin Luther,” who also has a part in the film, was in for the world premiere of the film at the Lyceum. , . . Northwest Variety Club was hustling to get members to attend the Variety Inter¬ national convention at Mexico City and plug for Minneapolis as a site for next year s conclave. . . . The Washburn, Washburn, Wis., has resumed its Satur¬ day midnight show. . . . Work has been started on a fireproof projection booth at the Roslyn, S. D., auditorium, where B. A. Bengtsson, Pierpont, S. D., will operate a theatre. Bengtsson’s Saturn, Pierpont, damaged by fire during the winter, opened recently. The Comfrey, Comfrey, Minn., is in¬ stalling additional rest room facilities. . . . A new sound system has been installed in the Lakeland Drive-In, Spirit Lake, Iowa. . . . Non-denominational church services will be resumed at the Gull Drive-In, Gull Lake, Minn., and the 7-Hi Drive-In, west of here. . . . Harold Boyd, co-owner, East Park Drive-In, Sioux Falls, S. D., will manage his own outdoor house and the Starlite, Edmund Ruben-Joe Floyd ozoner, west of Sioux Falls. Oklahoma City In Barnsdall, Okla., Roy Tidwell, partowner, Roxy, saved the lives of two tenants when an early-morning fire destroyed the building at a loss estimated at $100,000. Tidwell, who lives oil the third floor of the building, was awakened May 20, 1953