The Independent Film Journal (1952)

Among the host of leaders from all walks of life who joined in the Adolph Zukor Golden Jubilee celebration at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York were (1 to r): Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox prexy; Bernard Gimble of the Gimble stores, and Alfred W. Schwalberg, pres, of Paramount Film Distrib¬ uting Corp. PROVIDENCE (cont'dJ tlie local first-runs have discarded their TV advertisintr. It is believed the response did not warrant the expense. . . . Local |X)lice recently staged a drive on overtime jiarking violators, sending many theatregoers into parking lots. Lack of ample facilities con¬ stitutes a serious problem in downtown Providence. Neighborhood houses, empha¬ sizing their free parking space, seem to be benefiting. ST. LOUIS Ruby S’Kenco’s Art Theatre in the RKO film exchange bldg., is the first trade screen¬ ing room in the country to be fully equi])i)ed for 3-D screenings. . . . Realart Pictures of St. L. hea<led by Gorelick & Philli])s, has taken over territorial disti'ibution of Astor Pictures and Favorite Films product, for¬ merly handled by Flo-Mar Productions. . . . Robert Earl Brewer, arrested at Murphysboro. Ill. atter a ])istol dxael with a Deputy Sheriff, confessed burglary of $127 from Watch These Dates! March 24-26 : Milwaukee — Allied Indepen¬ dent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin and National Drive-In convention — Schroeder Hotel. April 7-8: Columbus — Independent Thea¬ tre Owners of Ohio convention — DeshlerWallick Hotel. April 14-15: Louisville — Kentucky Ass’n of Theatre Owners convention and trade show — Seelbach Hotel. Apr. 14-15: Dallas — Texas Drive-In Thea¬ tre Owners Assn, convention — Adolphus Hotel. Apr. 27-29: Detroit — Allied Theatre of Michigan convention — Hotel Tuller. Apr. 27-May 1 : Los Angeles — Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers’ 73rd Convention — Hotel Statler. Apr. 28-29: Kansas City — Allied Theatre Owners of Kansas-Missouri convention — Phillips Hotel. May 4-5: Pittsburgh — Allied MPTO of Western Pennsylvania convention — Wil¬ liam Penn Hotel. May 4-5: Minneapolis — North Central Al¬ lied Independent Theatre Owners conven¬ tion — Nicollet Hotel. May 5-6: Little Rock — Independent Thea¬ tre Owners of Arkansas convention — Marion Hotel. May 5-7: Old Point Comfort, Va. — Virginia Motion Picture Theati'e Owners Associa¬ tion convention. May 11-12: Oklahoma City — Theatre Own¬ ers of Oklahoma convention. May 12-13: Des Moines — Allied Thcati’o Owners of Iowa and Nebraska convention. May 18-23: Mexico City — Variety Clubs, International convention. May 31-June 2: Atlanta — Alabama Thea¬ tres Ass’n and Motion Picture Theatre Owners and Operators of Georgia joint convention — Biltmore Hotel. June 9-10: French Lick Springs, Ind. — Al¬ lied Theatre Owners of Indiana conven¬ tion — French Lick Hotel. June 28-30: Edgewater Park, Miss. — Mis¬ sissippi Theatre Owners annual conven¬ tion — Edgewater Gulf Hotel. the Rodgers Theatre, Carbondale, Ill. on Jan. 19. . . . Frank Parker is the new Manley, Inc. mgr. for this area. . . . George M. Peterson of Cleveland has submitted to Bloomer Amuse. Co. the first set of plans for their proposed 800-car and 600-seat twin screen, $150,000 plus drive-in, to be erected east of Belleville, Ill. city limits. . . . Sym¬ pathy to Jimmy Hill, So. Ill. salesman for Warner, on loss of his 14-year-old daughter. Frisina contemplates reopening of the Springfield, Ill. didve-in on By-Pass 66 and Rt. 29, March 20, and nine other ozoners around April 5. . . . Eathel Greenwood, who took over the 190-seat Nu Theatre, Kane, Ill., from W. P. Witt, operated the house Feb. 18, 21, 25 and 28 and then decided that her unfavorable financial experience war¬ ranted closing it again. . . . Fay and Art Madden, who purchased the 211-seat Lyric, made some changes. . . . A. T. Wohlert, Altamount. Ill. contractor and builder, is plan¬ ning to reopen his remodeled 280-seat Main Theatre on April 4. . . . Albert Vetters re¬ opened his Rio', Edinburgh, Ill. . . . The Cap¬ itol on N. 6th St. has been closed temporarily. . . . O new marquee is being installed at Frisina ’s Effingham Theatre, Effingham, Ill. According to Wesley Bloomer, the first night of the ‘‘donate as you leave” policy at the Rex, Belleville, Ill., grossed better than the normal admission. . . . The St. Louis Showcase i)resented its first produc¬ tion on March 5 at the Artist Guild Theatre on a no-fixed admission basis. Contributions amounted to $200, with an average $1.00 donation — not subject to Federal admissions tax. . . . Bill Ford, owner-mgr. of the Bland Theatre, Blandinsville, 111., will manage the 66 Drive-In for Kerasotes. . . . Two new ozoners scheduled for Charleston, Ill. are a 500-car project for Tomey Falk, .Tack Taylor and Win. Zurheide on Route 130 south, and one to cost upwards of $80,000 for Bianchi-Frisina on Route 16, east, with a tower constructed for conversion to 3-D. Kerasotes are constructing two 400-car ozoners to serve Havana and Rantoul, 111., with provisions for expansion to 600 cars. . . . The 400-seat Town Hall at Ilai’din, Ill., operated by Mrs. George Varble, has been closed indefinitely. . . . State Senator Ed¬ ward V. Long, new owner of the 400-seat Orplieum at Elsberry, Mo., ])lans to reo])en the house April 2, after extensive remod¬ eling. . . . The Shubert, formerly oper¬ ated under lease by Ray Parker, Mayor of Brentwood, Mo., may reopen on Easter Day under new management. . . . Paul McCarty, head of McCarty Theatre Supjily Co., re])orts the sale of 3-D eciuipment to the Cajie Drive-In at Illino, IMo. The new Stae View Drive-In, owned" also by Howard Bates, et al, between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo. is being similarly ecpiipped. . . . George Dunn was named mgr. of the Turner-Farrar theatres in Albion, Ill. Leo A. Smugai, local agent for the Secret Service, reports a new type of counterfeit $10 bill being circulated in this general area. A tip-off is that the passers crumple them to conceal the fact that they are printed on heavier ixaper than good cur¬ rency. . . . Herman Kuehner, Waterloo, Ill. realtor who serves as projectionist at the Capital Theatre in that city and also drives a school bus, has announced his candidacy to the Board of Alderman for that city. . . . St. L. Theatre Supply, headed by Arch Hosier, became local distributor for Supurdisplay, Inc.’s ‘‘Butter 0-Mat” dispenser. SALT LAKE CITY The Crest Theatre here, which opened with fanfare three years ago, has been sold for a supermarket. With everything ap¬ parently in its favor, it was unable to draw enough patrons to keep going. It was in the Consolidated chain. . . . Gov. Lee vetoed the blue law and pressure stopped it from coming up again. SAN FRANCISCO Loew’s Warfield had to go along with the deal made between AFL Bldg. Service Employees Union and the American Bldg. Maintenance Co., which provides for wage and pension plan increases for 400 No. Calif, theatre janitors. . . . James Sims, formerly of Nasser Bros., has been named night mgr. of the Stage Door Theatre. . . . Edward Sullivan moved from the Peninsula Dist. to Vallejo city mgr. for FWC Theas., replacing Phil Garber, resigned. . . . Jack Frazier, former FWC booker, is now with Westland Theas. at the Laurel, San Carlos. . . . Bob Broadbent was named mgr. of the E'sfiuire and George Brand, temporary mgr., returned to his former post as asst, at the Orpheum. . . . First showing here of “The Little World of Don Camillo” will be April 10 at Ackerman Rosner’s Larkin Theatre. B. F. Shearer Co. installed 3-D equipment at the Vogue, Salinas; Centex-, Watsonville, for New Salinas Theas.; Ray Syufy’s Rita, Vallejo, and Westland’s Rivoli, Fresno. . . . Theatj-e changes include Russell Osborn and Roy Carier taking over the Peralta, Oak¬ land, from Robert Wells, and Blumenfeld Theas. taking over the Kayvon Drive-In, Napa, from E. M. Graves. . . . Sol Lesser’s 3-D Box Office Attractions distribution out¬ let here will be handled by Al Grubstick. 26 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— March 21, 1953