The Independent Film Journal (1954)

REGIONE WS Commander Ian Murray, who is touring the country on behalf of M-G-M's "Brigadoon," on which he acted as technical advisor, is greeted in Philadelphia by Lou Formato, M-G-M dist. mgr., and Bill Madden, recently upped to branch mgr. of the exchange. Shown here (1 to r): Wesley Watson of the Weiland-Lewis Circuit in Atlantic City; Madden; John Turner, UA eastern div. mgr.; Jay Wren, Paramount div. mgr.; Murray; Formato; George Beatty, Goldman Theatres' exec., and Ed Herber, Universal branch mgr. ALBANY Jack Sussman is a new Columbia sales¬ man here, succeeding Harvey Appell, trans¬ ferred to Boston. Sussman had been with the company for a year in Des Moines, la. . . . The Variety Club will elect a new crew Oct. 18, and the crew will select officers Oct. 23. Details of the annual Denial Week Drive for Camp Thatcher will be arranged by the new officers and crew and a kickoff dinner will be held sometimes in Nov. Chief Barker Jules Perlmutter and Gene Teper comprise a committee to inspect possible new locations for club quarters. . . . Paul V. Wallen, new lessee of the Grand, got a bad break when a giant tube went out of commission during telecast of the Marciano-Charles bout and picture was lost from midway in Round 1 to Round 7. A near-riot was prevented by announcement from Wallen that refunds would be made. About 1,400 paid to see the performance. ATLANTA Control of the Rialto Theatre in Atlanta has been acquired by a group of Chatta¬ nooga, Tenn. theatre execs, according to Moses Lebovitz, pres, of Independent Thea¬ tres, Inc. Lebovitz also revealed that man¬ agement control of the Central in downtown Atlanta has been acquired pending comple¬ tion of negotiations for its purchase. No changes in policy or personnel are planned. Bob Moscow, who has been mgr. of the two Atlanta theatres, is slated to become treas. and gen. mgr. of the newly organized Inde¬ pendent Theatres of Georgia, Inc, . . . MgT. Pete Flontek opened his $70,000, 260-car drive-in at Naples, Fla. . . . Nelson Towler, 42-vear-old RIvO sales mgr., died at his home in Decatur, Ga. after a second heart attack. Stockholders of Crescent Amuse. Co., Nashville, Tenn., approved changes in the firm’s charter to enable it to operate as a real estate business and holding company, as well as a theatre circuit. Kermit C. Sten¬ gel was reelected pres. . . . Following are changes in Florida Theatre Circuit: Wallace Colby from Matanzas at St. Augustine to Beaehman, Orlando; Lorraine Jackson from the Roxy to the Victoria at New Smyrna Beach; Norris McCollom from the Empire, Daytona Beach, to Matanzas, St. Augustine; and Lynn Goodyear from the Beaehman to the Empire at Daytona Beach. . . . Cecil Cohan has taken over the Dixie Theatre, Jacksonville, Fla., from its former owner. . . . C. R. Wells took over the Calera, Calera, Ala., from Jack Ycrby. Walter Griswald resigned as booker for Republic to become office mgr. for JIowco Film Exchange, and County Clark resigned as ABC booker to go with Howco as Geor¬ gia sales representative. . . . Community Theatre, St. Augustine, Fla., closed for lack of business. . . . Drive-In at Oak Ridge, Tenn., closed because of fire in booth, will not reopen this season. . . . Win. (Snake) Richardson, pres, of Astor and Capital Ex¬ changes, a new grandfather to little Pamela Jane. Gulf Theatres, operators of the Tampa in Tampa, Fla., have asked the Circuit Court there to determine whether terms of their lease on the theatre building from Tampa Amusement Co. requires installation of CinemaScope, as requested by the latter. . . . Crew Pitts of the River View Theatre appointed asst. mgr. of the new Valley Drive-In, Lanett, Ala., owned by L. J. Dun¬ can. . . . The state supreme court ended a five-year property zoning controversy by upholding the right of Tampa theatre owner S. E. Britton to build a drive-in along Dale Mabry Hyway near Tampa. . . . N. W. Waters, pres, of Waters Theatres in Birm¬ ingham, Ala., reports that CinemaScope will be in operation by Nov. 1 at his Starlite, Roebuck, Fair Park and Shades Mountain drive-ins. . . . Biney Mareantel’s Pelican Drive-In at Jennings, La., has been equipped with a large screen, new lenses and new sound equipment. Wm. R. Griffin reopened his Ritz Theatre in Cullman, Ala., after redecorating and installation of new seats, CinemaScope and stereo sound, plus a 50-ton refrigeration system. . . . Mrs. F. C. Thompson placed a CinemaScope order for her Ramon Theatre, Frostproof, Fla. . . . Thomas A. Mote, Paramount booker, has joined A1 Rook’s Film Booking Office. Rook has agreed to handle two large ozoners now under con¬ struction in Florida and contemplates open¬ ing an office in Jacksonville by Jan. 1. . . . George Felder was appointed mgr. of the Delray Theatre, Delray Beach, Fla., replac¬ ing Thomas Ryan. . . . George C. Thornton and R. J. Horn, owners of six theatres in Ala. and the THC Drive-In at Adamsville, Ala., started work on a new 350-car ozoner at Winfield, Ala., to be equipped with Cine¬ maScope and wide screen. CHARLOTTE Paramount, Loew’s, 20th-Fox, Warners, RIvO and Universal each filed a percentage action in Federal Court, Columbia, S. C., against Kathleen H. Dobson Garber, owner of the Ritz Theatre, Starlite and Sweetwater drive-ins, Barnwell, S.C.; Williston and New Era Drive-In, Williston, S. C., and Black ville Theatre, Blaekville, S. C. . . . Essantee Theatres, Charlotte, added five more houses to its chain, sold by C. E. and D. E. Cash. They are the Dixie and Joy, Kings Moun¬ tain; Gaston and Mt. Holly, Mt. Holly, and tho Victory in Cramerton. . . . N. J. Kellum completed wide screen installation and re¬ modeling of concession stand at his Jackson¬ ville, N. C. Drive-In. The 21 Drive-In, Columbia, S. C., and Skyview D-I, Burlington, N. C., installed CinemaScope. . . . Mrs. Victor Venters, owner of the River Drive-In, Jacksonville, N. C., reports that Hurricane Carol blew the screen down. . . . E. C. Sanderson, owner of the Wallace Drive-In, Wallace, N. C., reports that his booth was completely destroyed by fire. . . . Mgr. Wm. Broadwell, Jr. ordered Super Panatar lenses for the Sharon Drive-In at Abbeville, S. C. . . . The stork left a baby girl at the home of Joe Eudy of the Rock-Ham Drive-In, Rock¬ ingham, N. C. Jack L. Gertz moved his Jack L. Gertz Enterprises here from Cleveland, 0. . . . Royal Drive-In at Beaufort, S. C. installing wide screen. . . . E. L. Carroll, owner of the Roxie and Buddy theatres, Bessemer City, N. C., passed away. . . . New owner of the Fox in Spartanburg, S. C. is Robie Rumley. . . . Mack Weeks opened his Center Theatre, Clayton, N. C. . . . Annual con¬ vention of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina will be held at the Charlotte Hotel Nov. 14-15. CHICAGO B&K put 5,000 walkin seats in the North Ave. Drive-In for the fight broadcast and also required each auto to buy a minimum of four tickets at $3.30 each. . . . Bob Kroeschel of Kroeschel Engineering Co. reports installation of complete air-conditioning in the Eighth St. Theatre, B&Iv’s Marbro and Century, Oriental Theatre, and a moderniza¬ tion job at the York, Elmhurst, Ill. . . . Variety’s chief barker, Emanuel Smerling, has been named a trustee of Levi Memorial Hospital, Hot Springs, Ark. . . . Mrs. Charles Miller is retiring as short subjects booker at Alliance Circuit after 18 vears of 24 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— October 2. 1954