The Independent Film Journal (1955)

REGIONE WS ALBANY The subsequent-run Lincoln in Utica, shuttered for three years, was relighted by Harry Savett, buyer-booker for the Port in Port Leyden. Changes made by the new operator include installation of wide screen and CinemaScope. . . . George Bodenheim of Poughkeepsie took over the New Theatre, Hoosick Falls, and closed it for three weeks to refurbish and install a wide screen. Upstate Theas. of Albany will buy and book; Larry Nimmins will manage. The New was conducted for years by Mary Graham. . . . Albany Theatre Supply, authorized to do business here, is headed by John A. Bylancik, John E. McGrath and Atty. Herman P. Greene. Variety Club chief barker George H. Schenck reports that $12,250 has been allotted by Tent 9 to provide free two-week vacations for 554 boys. . . . Stanley -Warner theatres of Albany, Troy and Utica are participating in the circuit’s spring promotion drive. . . . The Evangelist, official weekly of the Albany Catholic Diocese, blistered the Grand for playing “Three Forbidden Stories,” condemned by the National Legion of Decency, and called a boycott of the theatre. ATLANTA Independent Theatres are spending $10,000 on remodeling the Riviera Theatre in No. Chattanooga, Tenn. The circuit reopened its Lookout Mt. Drive-In, Chattanooga, which was revamped during winter closing. . . . Georgia Theatres new owner of the Price Ave. Drive-In, Athens, Ga., from Bill Henderson. . . . J. H. Thompson, pres, of TOO of Ga., presided at planning meeting for a Southeastern Movie Festival in Ga., Fla. and Ala., May 16 to June 16, during which time the three states will be blanketed with best new films and personal appearances by top movie stars. . . . M-G-M will contest Atlanta Board of Review’s banning of “Blackboard Jungle.” . . . May 13 has been set for the fifth annual Old Newsboy’s Day, sponsored by Atlanta Variety Club in cooperation with Atlanta newspapers for benefit of Cerebral Palsy Clinics. Two new ozoners, to cost around $500,000, scheduled for Homestead, Fla. by Hoover Ents. — one at the south end of the county and one at the north end. . . . R. C. “Bobby” Cobb, owner of Fayette Theatre, Fayette Ala., opened his Double Spring Drive-In with Floyd Garrison as mgr. . . . Mi's. Ralph Murphy installed CinemaScope in her Park Theatre, Sevierville, Tenn. ... A freak tornado destroyed the huge screen, ticket booth and concession stand of the Victory Drive-In, Savannah, Ga. Andy Sullivan, city mgr. for Dixie Drive-In Theas., estimates damage at $20,000. . . . There are now 472 theatres and ozoners operating in Georgia. . . .Hi-Way Drive-In, La nett, Ala., moved back 15 feet to make room for a new four-lane highway. A 10% gross receipts tax on theatres and other places of amusement in Russellville, Ala., has been proposed in a bill there. . Martin Theas. plan to reopen the Rialto in Columbus, Ga. after extensive remodeling, including CinemaScope installation. C/S installed in the circuit’s Crisp Theatre, Cordele, Ga. . . . Showing of “Garden of Eden” at the Twinair Drive-In, Pensacola, Fla., caused arrest of mgr. Marvin L. Brewton and operator Bill Emerson. Film was confiscated and bonds set at $1,000 for each. . . . Hap Barnes, ABC Theatrical Ents., now booking the Family Drive-In, Clarksville, Tenn., and John Lakeman’s Dixie, Haleyville, Tenn. . . . Berny Sweeney opens his 300-ear Bonnet Drive-In, Louden, Tenn., around 1st of May. . . . Lucas Theatre Co.’s annual award for the most civic minded citizen of Savannah, Ga. went to Jack E. Cay, Jr. this year. Harry Curl and John Douglas of Acme Theas., Bill Courv of the Ritz Theatre and Norris Hadaway of the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, Ala., were judges in the PostHerald’s Oscar-guessing contest, which awarded first prize of $250 to a high school teacher. . . . E. M. Loew Theas. of Boston started construction of a new 598-car ozoner at Hallendale, Fla., to cost $170,000. . . . Lorraine Jackson, mgr. of the Victoria Theatre, New Smyrna, Fla., has been appointed Florida State relief mgr. during summer vacations. . . . 0. C. Alexander, Wil-Kin Thea. Supply sales rep., sold Karagheusian carpeting to the Weis Theatre, Savannah, Ga. The company also furnished equipment for the Blue Sky Drive-In, LaFayette, Ga., opened by J. P. Edge and Dr. T. A. Cochran. . . . Atlanta WOMPIS welcomed two new members — Patsy Prince, Rialto Theatre, and Mrs. Jo Ann Blake, United Artists. The group is planning to lend a helping hand on the Old Newsboy Day drive on May 13. BOSTON J. G. Halpenny’s application to the Town Fathers for license to build a drive-in on Clement Perry (left) and Donald Rugoff, executives of Rugoff & Becker Theatres, greet Jose Perez, child star of 20th-Fox's "A Life In The Balance." a Panoramic Production, at the Neighbors United Second Annual Benefit held at R&B’s Beekman Theatre in New York. Hull Street, Cohasset, has been handed over to the legal branch of the building dept, for an opinion. This town, which is the setting for the highly successful Music Circus, summer theatre-in-the-round, has no drive-in or motion picture theatre. . . . Michael Bruno, owner of the Tilton Theatre, Tilton, N.H., was recently installed as Exalted Ruler of the Franklin Lodge of Elks. . . . Larry Laskey, a partner of E. M. Loew, was discharged from Beth Israel Hospital and returned to his Newton home for a complete rest. . . . Louis Josephs, salesman for Bay State Film Co., and his wife are both patients at Haines Memorial Hospital. At request of both parties, the full bench of seven judges of the Supreme Judicial Court will hear the censorship acton brought by Times Film in May, along with a previous action brought by Brattle Theatre, Cambridge. Involved is the censoring of “Game of Love” and “One Summer of Happiness by the Commissioner of Public Safety, and the Sunday banning of “Miss Julie” at the Brattle. Attorneys for Times are Albert, Albert & Typer, and Peabody, Koffman and Brewer for Brattle. . . . The true horizontal VistaVision will not be shown when “Strategic Air Command” opens at the 4,000-seat Metropolitan Theatre, Boston. Officials of New England Theas. decided against the installation, which would have involved enlargement of the booth for two new projectors. The second annual industry golf outing and dinner will be held June 13 at Woodland Golf Club, Auburndale. Tickets are $10 and may be obtained from the committee, consisting of Jim Mahoney, chairman, Joe Cohen, Dick Dobbyn, Ken Douglass, Mai Green, Larry Herman and Ralph Iannuzzi. . . . E. M. Loew has purchased the land and buildings of Indian Line Farm Restaurant in Canton from Tobe-Deutschmann and will operate the restaurant under leadership of Larry Wallace of the theatre concessions Dept, and Phil Fine. . . . The industry was saddened by the death of John W. Brown, Paramount branch mgr., who died suddenly while working in the garden of his Readinghome. BUFFALO Safety clubs have been organized in both the Seneca and Niagara, UPT community theatres. The children are presented with numbered membership cards at Saturday matinees, which figure in prizes awarded the members Safety films are also shown. . . . Arthur Krolick, UPT dist. mgr., returned from the N.Y. premiere of “Strategic Air Command” enthusiastic over its prospects at the local Paramount the middle of May. . . . Jack Tishkoff installed CinemaScope equipment in his Central Drive-In on Long Pond Rd. near Rochester, also enlarged and refurnished the ladies’ rest rooms. . . . Buffalo’s own F. W. (Bill) Durkee Jr.’s latest teleplay, “Watch Me Die,” performed on NBCTV Playhouse, has been purchased bv Lou Walters, owner of the Latin Quarter in N. Y., 28 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— April 30. 1955