The Exhibitor (1953)

NT-2 EXHIBITOR A series of “Julius Caesar” screenings for school heads were being held at the Center by manager Eddie Marks. MGM branch manager Jack ReVille was removed to Memorial Hospital to await surgery. . . . Everett Olsen, Para¬ mount promotion representative, was attending a series of press conferencs in Atlanta. Theatres felt the competition of Jose Greco and his company of Spanish dancers when they played to good attend¬ ance at the Armory Auditorium. Although theatre operators generally contend that theatre grosses are down, it is pointed out by Federal Bank Research Department that Charlotte is far ahead of all other North Carolina cities in the total building permits issued in 1963. Jacksonville Sam Strathos, owner, Jefferson, Monticello, Fla., called on George Andrews in the RKO booking office. Roy L. Bangs, who recently acquired the Flor¬ ida, Daytona Beach, Fla., was here on a booking trip. O. O. Ray Jr., UA branch manager, returned from a trip. . . . Fred Hull, Metro branch manager, and Charlie Turner, salesman, went to Miama, Fla., in connection with openings for “Easy To Love.” They were later joined by Tommy Harper, Metro exploiteer, after he returned here from Nashville, Tenn. Bill Beck, manager, first-run Five Points, made an excellent tie-in with a large supermarket chain. During the run of “Walking My Baby Back Home,” 41 prizes were given to contestants who wrote the best slogans connecting the name of the picture with the supermar¬ kets. . . . Sheldon Mandell, St. Johns manager, changed his opening time fiiom 11:45 a. m. to 9:30 a. m. for “Miss Sadie Thompson.” . . . One of a gang of high school boys slugged Don Barton, Edgewood aide, when he asked them to be quiet in the lobby. . . . Mrs. Mabel Leventhal said that Charley Holcomb, former North Carolina exhibitor, would succeed her as manager, suburban San Marco. She announced her impending retirement. Florida State Theatres Notes — Harry Botwick left for calls at the Hillsboro Drive-In, Tampa, Fla., on the H. H. Everett, chairman of the board, Stewart and Everett Theatres, Char¬ lotte, was recently on the committee for the selection of “The Man Of The Year” in The Charlotte News. When William Holiday, branch mana¬ ger, Paramount’s New Orleans exchange, left, recently presented to Calvin “Johnny” Johnson, head, shipping de¬ partment, a certificate of membership in the company’s 25-year club, an engraved wrist watch and diamond engraved pin, in recognition of his loyal services. Lil¬ lian Flick, head inspectress; Irma Rogers, booker; and E. E. Shinn, salesman, other 25-year members, are also shown. west coast, and the Florida, Fort Lauderdale, on the east coast. He was accompanied by Walter McCurdy, Ameri¬ can Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres executive from New York City. . . . Following the retirement of Guy A. Kenimer, general manager, many of his former duties were divided among Bot¬ wick, who now supervises maintenance and supplies in addition to confection sales ; Kenneth Barrett, manager, Florida building; and LaMar Sarra, general counsel. . . . Herbert Roller, manager, Ritz, Sanford, Fla., called on Bob Harris, assistant general manager of confection sales. . . . District manager James L. Cartwright, Daytona Beach, Fla., called at the home office, as did district manager Frank Bell, St. Petersburg, Fla. ... Joe J. Deitch, booking depart¬ ment chief, was in New York City. . . . Managers of the circuit awarded gold wrist watches to the company bookers in appreciation for the bookings they received during the eight weeks of their “Managers Drive In Honor Of Lou Finske.” George Foreman with his son, Sher¬ man, just returned from Korea, signed a distribution franchise with Hallmark Productions to handle its product here on a franchise basis. Four films are now ready, “Mom and Dad,” “Prince Of Peace,” “She Shoulda Said No,” and “Halfway To Hell.” Memphis Clifford E. Wallace, Colonial, will sell “Martin Luther” in this territory. M. A. Lightman, Sr., who returned from Europe, spoke to the Lion’s Club on “Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment.” . . . Malco closed the Starvue Drive-In, Stuttgart, Ark. . . . During the cold and bad weather, officials of four drive-ins, the Summer, Bellevue, Lamar, and Skyvue, decided to close on Wednesday night and reopen on Thursday night. . . . The Warner in¬ stalled a temporary wide-screen. How¬ ever, this theatre, according to manager James McCaithy, will remodel within FST Competition Most Successful Jacksonville — The successful drive of eight weeks by competing managers of the Florida State Theatres Circuit ended on a “note of high optimism for company officials and managers alike,” announced Howard Pettengill, drive coordinator. Named in honor of Louis J. Finske, com¬ pany vice-president, the drive was con¬ ducted solely by managers, bookers, and advertising’ men, with company executives in a sideline position. Rules of the contest were set up by managers, which resulted in them collect¬ ing nearly $5,000 in cash awards alone, plus an even greater amount in merchan¬ dise awards for themselves and their wives. The drive had three purposes, bettering of showmanship practices, reduction of controllable expenses, and increasing boxoffice profits. The grand prize winner, Fred Lee, manager, Florida, Hollywood, Fla., obtained for himself and Mrs. Lee a week’s vacation in Hollywood, with pleasure costs and expenses paid by the company. Second prize winner Walter Colby, Matanzas, St. Augustine, Fla., received a 12-foot deep freeze. Robert Battin, Beach, Miami Beach, Fla., third prize winner, won an all-expense trip to Nassau aboard a luxury liner. French Harvey, manager, Howell, Palatka, Fla., was awarded a large cash prize and named “Florida’s champion showman” for the high calibre of his exploitation work. Other cash prizes for showmanship went to Robert Skaggs Sr., Capitol, here; James Barnett, Olympia, Miami, Fla. ; Ted Chapin, Marion, Ocala, Fla,; Mark DuPree, Daytona, Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Harry Vincent, Florida, Sarasota, Fla. James L. Cartwright’s theatre mana¬ gers in Central Florida captured first place among the company’s districts. Other districts finished in the following order: Frank Bell’s west coast, second; George Hoover’s east coast, third; and Robert Heekin’s north distnct, fourth. In closing the drive, Pettengill told the managers : “We have all been bound together by a common cause, a cause which we have elected to follow throughout our lives and one which for many years has supported us and our families. It is therefore deserving of our loyalty and this loyalty has been forthcoming in great quantity during the eight weeks of this drive. “It is now time to adjust ourselves to the task of attaining new heights, realiz¬ ing that showmanship must go on, for this business cannot survive wii,hout it.” the next month for a CinemaScope screen. It will be necessary to rip out the boxes and about five rows of seats. . . . The New Daisy is said to be the first exclusively Negro theatre to install CinemaScope. I The Variety Club will begin construc¬ tion immediately of the Home for Con¬ valescent Children. The one-story, 20bed hospital is to be erected at Manassas January 27, 1954