The Independent Film Journal (1954)

SALT LAKE CITY Clark Distributing' Co. on Film Row has been sold to Mountain Film Service, man¬ aged by M. W. Young. . . . The Capitol Thea¬ tre is reopening with a new marquee, CinemaScope, Perspecta Sound and other improve¬ ments. First film will be “Gone With the Wind.’’ Marvin George is mgr. of this Inter¬ mountain house. . . . The Woodland Brothers are continuing an extended run of “Karamoa” and “Halfway to Hell’’ at their Woodland drive-in here. This is the program that required police assistance to handle' the crowds when it first opened and heavy ex¬ ploitation has paid off well. A return engagement of “Little Caesar” and “Public Enemy,” tried out at the Utah Theatre, for many years a first run house, proved only fairly satisfactory, according to mgr. Lou Sorenson. . . . Ralph Roe, former mgr. of the Majestic at Nampa, Idaho, was transferred by Fox Intermountain to manage the chief and Orpheum in Pocatello, whose asst. mgr. Bob Vanderpool was transferred to manage the Majestic at Nampa. . . . Utah Drive-In Corp.’s Airport, Hyland and Autorium drive-ins and the downtown Gem inaugurated “Summer Bargain Days,” with evening adult prices reduced from 85( to 50c, according to mgr. George Zschank. . . . Andy Murdock, who owned and operated the Ideal Theatre since 1925, passed away. Mgr. Phillip A. Speckart of the Tower Theatre has become nationally known for his instigation of “The Golden Rule Club,” which specifically applies to courtesy in driv¬ ing. For the first time on record, Utah boasts of being the only state in the Union to have no accidents over the 4th holiday. . . . Irving Gillman, operator of the Gillman Chain of theatres, has taken on a business to supply drive-ins with a special coffee. . . . Dale Haslam has succeeded Gene Bowles as office mgr. at Universal. . . . United Artists brought Clair Boulet from Butler, Mont, to serve as booker and Earl Peterson was upped from office mgr. to salesman. Robert Braby is new office mgr. SAN FRANCISCO Somewhere in Canada: Igor Gouzenko (wearing hood) meets the producer, director and cast of United Artists' "Operation Manhunt," a film about his life in hiding since he walked out of the Russian Embassy nine years ago with documents that helped smash an international spy ring. Gouzenko himself appears in an epilogue to the feature length film. With him (1. to r.) are actors Will Kuluva, Jacques Aubuchon and Harry Townes, director Jack Alexander and producer Fred Feldkamp. Film rights to Gouzenko's book, "The Fall Of A Titan," were recently purchased by Matthew Fox, who will personally produce the film in Technicolor. at Universal. . . . National Theatres has in¬ vested a million dollars in the A. 0. Todd process. . . . Release of “The Egyptian” Labor Day weekend will be preceded by the biggest national ad campaign ever under¬ taken by 20th-Fox. “Barefoot Battalion,” produced by Peter Bourdoures, restaurateur and leader of the Nathan Blumenthal reports installation of 100-ft. CinemaScope screens in their five N. ( alit. drive-ins with continued use and suc¬ cess of Movie Bank night. . . . Harry King, mgr. of the San Rafael Theatre for 20 years, left to open a hardware store in Los Gatos. . . . Lease on Mary’s Drive-In at Mendota reverted back to Tony Bou, original owner. . . . Two new student bookers, Mel Wasserman and Hans Cermak, have been ajDpointed Greek colony here, will be premiered at the Vogue Theatre. Double features are being of¬ fered as a change of pace for summer view¬ ers at this same spot. . . . The controversial “Salt of the Earth,” is doubled with “Beat the Devil” at the Balboa Theatre, with no repercussions to date. . . . According to Bob Hazard, the N. Calif. Variety Club picnic is scheduled for Aug. 28 at Skipper’s Picnic Grounds near Woodland. . . . Calif Theatres Assn.’s Hulda McGinn was reappointed West Coast liaison for motion pictures of the Gen. Fed. of Women’s Clubs. . . . Rebille Kniffin appointed asst, to Herman Wobber, replac¬ ing Bryan Stoner, who left to become central div. sales mgr. in Paramount’s Chicago office. Management changes in Market St. firstruns include the appointment of Paul Mc¬ Allister, formerly with General Theatrical, to asst, at the St. Francis, replacing Lynn Von Goltz; promotion of Joseph Pitruzzello from usher to asst, at Loew’s Warfield, tak¬ ing over duties of Don Young, transferred to a Loew house in New Haven, Conn. Changes along the row include Wm. Mac¬ Donald, upped from contract clerk to booker at Paramount: “Mel” Melgren, former UA booker, is now booking for RKO and was replaced at UA by Tom Smith. Ray Richman, salesman for National Screen, transferred from the Sacramento Valley to the San Joaquin Valley territory, Editor’s Note: The films listed below have been shown gratis on different television networks in the New York area and have not been previously used. A complete listing of titles of films already shown is available to our readers upon request. Title Cast Black Magic . . . Orson Welles Diamond Row Murder . . . Edmund Lowe Emergency . . . Dorothy Patrick Original release date UA 8-22-49 Fence Riders . . Whip Wilson The Five-Pound Man . Judy Gunn Gunsight Law . . . -Johnny Mack Brown Land of the Lawless — . Johnny Mack Brown Paris 1900 . Narrated by Monty Woolley Range Law . . . Whip Wilson Return of the Stranger . . . Griffith Jones Riding The California Trail . Gilbert Roland Robin Hood of Monterey . Gilbert Roland Strange Voyage . . . Eddie Albert Whispering Smith of Scotland Yard . . . . . . Greta Gynt Monogram 1-29-50 Monogram 5-9-47 Monogram 12-25-49 Monogram 1-11-47 Monogram 9-3-47 Monogram 12-20-45 RKO 3-21-52 with Harry Woaverling taking over Sacra¬ mento Valley. . . . Lippert Pictures of No Calif, moves to 276 Golden Gate Ave. on July 31. . . . Charles Moorehead has assumed full management of Blumenfeld theatres in Pittsburg. . . . Joseph Myers, for¬ mer owner of the Port Chicago theatre, will take over the Sunset at Riverdale on Aug. 8. . . . Otto V. Smith will book and buy for Orland Theatre at Orland. . . . Bill Peters closed the Rio at Ripon and the Del Mar at Solidad. . . . KBID-TV, Fresno, has sus¬ pended operations until further notice. Reade’s Money Prizes Boost Summer Receipts In Circuit Competition The staff of Walter Reade Theatres will honor their president, Walter Reade, Jr., with a five week “President’s Month Drive” from August 5th through September 8th. Designed to increase grosses and nets dur¬ ing the Summer, the drive will carry a mini¬ mum of $2,500 in weekly and series prizes for the managers of the nearly 40 competing drive-in and conventional theatres in the in¬ dependent circuit. Drive leaders and judges will be Edwin Gage, vice-president; Jack P. Harris, film buyer; Albert Floersheimer, advertising and publicity director; Nick Sehermerhorn, gen¬ eral manager; and Paul Petersen, assistant general manager. $2,500 Award Kitty Circuit officials said that prizes from film companies and suppliers are expected to con¬ siderably swell the $2,500 award kitty. Mini¬ mum prizes of $100 and $50 will be given each weeek to the two managers who achieve the greatest percentage increases in grosses. Minimum prizes of $500, $300, and $200 will be given to the managers showing the great¬ est improvements in net over the five week period. Each of the 40 theatres has been assigned a “Drive Quota” based on the difference be¬ tween average grosses and average expenses. A separate “quota” has been established for gross concession business. The drive will be conducted on a point basis, with each theatre earning 100 points weekly for achieving its drive quota ; 25 points for achieving its con¬ cession quota; 15 points for proficiency in promotion, advertising and exploitation, and 10 points for efficiency in theatre manage¬ ment. Additional points over this 150 point “normal” will be awarded each week. 28 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— July 24. 1954