The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT.3 300 children, some of them underprivi¬ leged, were the guests at another party at the Fox in cooperation with the Sol¬ diers Memorial Unit 3770, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. Paul Stehman, owner, Lyric, Win¬ chester, Ill., was elected secretary-treas¬ urer of Mid-central Allied Independent Theatre Owners, Inc., to fill the un¬ expired term of Hugh M. Graham, who resigned because of other pressing busi¬ ness interests. Tilden Dickson, Crystal City, Mo., exhibitor, went to Phoenix, Ariz., to spend the Christmas season with his wife. . . . MGM’s Christmas party for the office personnel was held on Dec. 20. The Warner office organization had a party at the Sheraton Hotel on Dec. 16. Paramount stages its party in the ex¬ change club room. Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Film Row included: Theodore Coleman, Mount Carmel, Ill.; Herman Tanner, Vandalia, Ill.; Grover Brinkman, Okawville. Ill.; Mrs. George Wells, Clarks¬ ville, Mo. ; Russell Armentrout, Louisi¬ ana, Mo.; Forrest Pirtle, Jerseyville, Ill.; Bill Collins, DeSoto, Mo.; Ollie Lessing, St. Charles, Mo.; Loren Cluster, Salem, Ill.; Wayne Smith, Egyptian Drive-In, Herrin, Ill.; Howard Bates, Illmo, Mo., Cape Drive-In; Leon Jarodsky, Paris, Ill. ; Paul Schroeder, Leba¬ non, Ill. ; Bernard Temborius, Breese, Ill.; Frank X. Reller, Wentzville, Mo.; Rani Pedrucci, Frisina Amusement Com¬ pany, Springfield, Ill.; Paul Stehman, Winchester, Ill.; A. B. Jeffries, Pied¬ mont, Mo.; Charles Beninati, Caryle, II. ; Frank Finger, Marissa, Ill.; Ed Clarke, Mattoon, Ill.; Earl Vandiver, Kennett, Mo., and Gus Boemler, North Alton, Ill. The Kindly, Kinmundy, Ill., closed. . . . Some 15 local houses were scheduled to resume operations on Christmas Day. Garry Bahner, Edna Boyne, and Wil¬ bert Jenkins Paramount’s booking staff, were in Chicago to attend a conference. . . . John E. Dugan, father of John E. Dugan, Jr., 20th Century-Fox salesman, died at his home in Wooster, 0. . . . C. C. Crooks, Crooks and Crooks, Quincy, III. , was ill. Salt Lake City A free Saturday morning motion pic¬ ture show was held at Lyric to raise food contributions for needy families in the Salt Lake County area at Christmas¬ time. Admission cost each person a food donation. For the 18th year, Dan Kostopulos opened his Broadway to all-comers in a two-day Christmas party on Dec. 26 and 27. A candy handout was part of the treat for Kostopulos says, “Christ¬ mas is for children.” Besides the party, Kostopulos delivers toys to homes where he knows, through his wife’s acquaint¬ ance among children of the city, that Santa may not stop with his sleigh. In Bountiful, Utah, Santa was es¬ corted by the Bountiful jeep posse. A free film was scheduled after his ar¬ rival at the Bountiful theatre. Bounti¬ ful’s Santa is unique inasmuch as he has been played by Seth Williams for the past 35 years. Sidney Cohen, Intermountain Theatres, has been named TOA co-chairman for “Brotherhood Week.’’ San Antonio Eph Charninsky, head. Southern Thea¬ tres Company, announced that he will soon place television receivers in all his theatres. . . . Sylvan Barry, formerly manager. Varsity Drive-In, has been named manager. Fiesta Drive-In, Apollo Amusement Company. . . . Jerry O’Don¬ nell, projectionist, Broadway, is also operating the Southern Art Service for the Interstate Circuit. He is a nephew of R. J. O’Donnell, current vice-presi¬ dent and general manager. In to book were Mrs. Marie Burkhalter, Marine, Fort Worth, Tex., and the Blankenships, Lubbock, Tex., Mrs. Wallace Blankenship, Wallace Jr., and Wesley. . . . Admission at the Zaragoza has been raised to 50 cents for adults. Work is progressing at Angleton, Tex., according to Bob Dexter, local manager. Long Theatre Circuit, on the construc¬ tion of a new $90,000 drive-in on High¬ way 288. . . . Dale W. Ison, El-Tex, Elgin, Tex., died. . . . Police arrested a man charged with the burglary of the Carver, Austin, Tex. Every school child in Corpus Christi, Tex., who purchased a Tuberculosis As¬ sociation bangle during the current TB drive was to be treated to a free movie show by the Corpus Christi Theatres, Inc., at the Tower, Ritz, and Haidem. For the second consecutive year, all Texas theatremen cooperated in the theatre campaign for polio-stricken Texans. The funds go to Texas’ own polio treatment center, the Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation. A special trailer again ran in each theatre. Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Ottas, Royse City, Tex., purchased the Wakea, Waskom, Tex., from W. P. Dowling. . . . T. H. Townsend, manager. Fain, Newton, Tex., announced that the house is being re¬ modeled. ... A new screen has been installed in the Midlo, Midlothian, Tex. . . . Slyde Allen has been named manager, 1,500-seat Ridglea, Fort Worth, Tex. Eight corporations of 18 Wallace Blankenship theatres were chartered recently with capitalizations totaling $157,000. The properties, incorporated separately, and the capitalization of each are: Spade, $36,000; Andrews, $29,000; Crosbyton, $25,000; Levelland, $45,000; Lorenzo, $7,000, and Morton, Ralls, and Sundown, $5,000 each. Wallace Blanken¬ ship is president of each unit. His two sons Wesley and Royce, are associated with him as incorporators. S. J. Neyland, named general manager, has been office manager. Theatres in Tahoka and Peters¬ burg will continue to operate under the partnership operational arrangements. The partnership’s investment in new properties and improvements during the past two years has exceeded $250,000. Gustav Mohme and son, G. Jon, Los Angeles, were visitors at Clasa-Mohme. . . . Dan Galvan announced that he has shuttered the Regis, which will be turned into a garage. Norman Lawhead, advertising mana¬ ger, Video Theatres, Lubbock, Tex., was married recently to Beth Coaly. . . . Benito Silvas, Sr., 71, father of Benito, Jr., Silvas, Asherton, Tex., died recently. Another son, Anthony, is managerowner, Mexico, Carrizo Springs, Tex. . . . The 500-car capacity Belvue Drive-In was opened at San Angelo, Tex., by Lee Williams, Wilbur Anderson, and Bob Hendricks. . . . Jenson Theatre Corpora¬ tion purchased the Queen, Houston, Tex., for $125,000 from Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Groves. The Majestic, Stephenville, Tex., has been reopened after a $12,000 remodel¬ ing project. Jack Arthur is owner. Majestic and Palace, which has also been remodeled. . . . Mrs. J. G. Spurlock has been named manager. New, Joaquin, Tex. . . . Lynn Smith opened the new 500-car capacity Twi-Light Drive-In, Gonzales, Tex. . . . Bill J. Jones has been named manager, Skyway Drive-In, Bry¬ an, Tex. He was formerly manager, Avalon, Houston, Tex., both owned and operated by the Farr Amusement Company. Mrs. Morris Schulman, manager. Queen, Bryan, Tex., announced the re¬ opening after a complete remodeling and redecorating. The Queen is owned by the Bryan Amusement Company, which also owns and operates the Palace and Dixie. . . . Arch Boardman has been named manager, newly opened Skyway Drive-In, Amarillo, Tex. . . . Billy Clayborne has been named manager, Texas, Cleveland, Tex., succeeding H. J. Thomas. A 300-car drive-in has been announced for Cleveland for the Long Theatre Circuit, which also owns and operates the Texas. San Francisco Members of the industry went all out this year with Christmas parties and time off to employes. ... At Warners, luncheon was served to friends of the industry and employes, with office man¬ ager William Handley and contract clerk Gladys Paul hovering over the merry¬ makers. MGM’s Jane Fritze was hostess at the party put on by the employes. From their fund, they also presented gifts to the Salvation Army. One of the most brilliant parties was that hosted by George Mann, Affiliated Theatre Ser¬ vice. Held in his executive offices, buffet luncheon was served with Mann doing the carving. Just before the festivities began, Robert Lippert, as a jovial Santa Claus, presented Christmas bonus checks in the amount of $24,000, gifts of Mann, to the employes. Richard Mann, a stu¬ dent at Stanford University, was in for the occasion, and announced it is his plan to follow in his father’s footsteps. January S, 1951