The Independent Film Journal (1954)

FILMS TELEVISED NOV. 27 to DEC. 10 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 Original release date Bulldog Drummond's Peril . ....John Barrymore Para. 3-15-38 Captain Scarface . ...Barton MacLane Gypsy Fury . ....Viveca Lundfors Monog. 3-18-51 Hero From The Hills . ...Bob Livingston I Was An American Spy . ....Ann Dvorak Monog. 4-15-51 Istanbul . ...Virginia Bruce It Happened On Fifth Avenue _ ....Ann Harding Monog. 4-19-47 The Jungle . ... Rod Cameron Lippert Pic. 8-1-52 The Magnificent Doll . ....Ginger Rogers Univ. 11-1-46 Mrs. Fitzerheit . ....Joyce Howard Stratford Pic. 5-10-50 Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. ....Wm. Powell Univ. 8-1-48 Pursuit to Algeria . ...Basil Rathbone Univ. 10-26-45 The River Trail . ... James Newell Run For the Hills . ....Sonny Tufts Realart Pic. 6-1-53 The Sergeant and the Spy . ....Richard Ney Song of the Drifter . ....Jimmy Wakeley Monog. 1-10-48 South of Monterey . ....Gilbert Roland Monog. 7-10-46 Terror By Night . ...Basil Rathbone Univ. 2-1-46 West of El Dorado . ....Johnny Mack Brown Monog. 6-5-49 NEW YORK (cont'd.) Laurence Edward Levine, son of Brandt Theas. exec. Martin Levine and grandson of William Brandt, was celebrated with a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria last Satur¬ day night. PHILADELPHIA Charles Walker is the new owner of the reopened Rex Theatre in Dickson City, Pa. . . . Andalusia drive-in lias gone on a week¬ end policy. . . . Albert Hoffs purchased the Towne Theatre in Allentown and is re¬ modeling it. . . . Exploitation Productions, Inc. has moved to new and larger quarters at 1321 Vine St. . . . Lee Donald Davis, son of Alfred J. Davis, film buyer for City Line Center and Fried Theatrica Ents., engaged to Paula Gates Stabins of Rochester, N. Y. Anthony DeBlase is new owner of the Taft Theatre in Olyphant, with Deluxe Thea¬ tre Service doing the booking and buying. . . . Sol Blumberg, Stiefel Theatres, wel¬ comed his third child, a baby girl. . . . Edward Heiber, Universal branch mgr., celebrated his 32nd wedding anniversary at a Washington, D.C. party. . . UA booker Janet Lewis recently underwent surgery. . . . New Jersey Messenger Service, headed by Meyer Adleman, moved to larger quarters at 235 N. 13th St. William Goldman was named gen. chair¬ man of the Motion Picture Associates din¬ ner committee for the $25-a-plate affair scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Bellevue Strat¬ ford. Vice-chairmen are Lester Krieger, StanleyWarner; George Beattie, Wm. Gold¬ man Theas.; Lou Formato, Loew’s (list, mgr., and Lester Wuertle, Columbia branch mgr. Sam Diamond, 20th-Fox branch mgr. and pres, of MPA, announces that Para¬ mount div. mgr. Howard Minsky was ap¬ pointed co-chairman of the entertainment committee, to serve with Harold Seidenberg of the Fox Theatre. . . . Wm. I. Greenfield reopened the redecorated Riviera Theatre in Manayunk. . . . The 1200-seat Stonehurst Theatre was sold to the A. M. Ellis chain. Variety Tent 13 will hold its annual dinner on Jan. 10, honoring retiring chief barker Norman Silverman and welcoming’ newly elected chief Louis J. Goffman and his crew for 1955. Tent 13 and the Phila. Daily News are again teaming up for a Christmas party Barney Balaban, pres, of Paramount Pictures, re¬ ceives facsimilies of the original Ten Command¬ ments (granite cut from the summit of Mt. Sinai) from Cecil B. DeMille upon his return from Egypt, where he filmed "The Ten Commandments" on location. Shown here (1 to r): DeMille; Charlton Heston, who portrays Moses in the film; Balaban; and Adolph Zukor, Paramount board chairman. Picture wil be completed in Hollywood next year. in the Club’s quarters on Dec. 18. . . . Dave Brodsky’s son Harvey is now handling the Auditorium Theatre in Kennett Square. . . . Rexy Theatre on South St. is to be sold at auction. Art Silbcr is taking over operation of the Wendy Theatre in Darby, Pa. . . . Morton Shapiro of the Merben, Mayfair and Arcadia theatres suffered a broken leg in an auto accident. . . . Exhibitor-publisher Jay Eman¬ uel designated chairman in this area for Brotherhood Week of the National Confer¬ ence of Christians and Jews under Jack Beresin, who heads up the Pa., Del., Md., 0. and D.C. territories. ST. LOUIS Construction is under way on a new ozoner on Hyway 51 at Fulton, Kv., to ac¬ commodate some 300 cars. Owner is B. B. Stout of Cario, Ill., who hopes to open it next April. . . . Southern Ents. is installing new booth and projection equipment and a wide screen in the New Vernon Theatre at Mt. Vernon, Ind. . . . Clarence M. Turley, one of the owners of the Ambassador and Missouri theatres and office buildings, was appointed to a 16-man financing commis¬ sion to locate and develop projects for local housing needs. . . . Set to close on Nov. 6, the 275-seat Norton Theatre at Mascoutah, Ill., is still going and the local Commercial Club is trying to find a way to assure its continued operation. Charles Beninati installed a 15x26 screen in his Ritz Theatre at Carlyle, 111., believed to be the largest in Clinton County. . . . The 1200-seat Orpheum at Quincy, TIL, managed by Perry Hoefler, closed for an indefinite period. . . . Officers and directors of Na¬ tional Allied will meet in St. Louis two days in advance of the drive-in convention, set for Feb. 8-9 at the Chase Hotel. A. B. Jefferis is in charge of local arrangements. . . . Wehrenberg circuit closed Ronnie’s Drive-In out in the country following open¬ ing of its South Twin Drive-In here. The 66 will continue operating week-ends. Pike Theatre at Griggsville, 111., which was closed early in Nov. by the Richard Wades, is to be reopened by Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Stead, who reportedly leased the building from a group of local business men who purchased the property from the estate of Ed Wade. . . . Cliff: Mantle, veteran the¬ atre operator and exchange owner, has joined the 20th-Fox sales staff and will cover the Mo. territory. . . . Heading com¬ mittees for industry participation in the Red Cross Drive, which opens March 1, are MITO prexy Lester Kropp, first run and circuit theatres; Missouri mgr. Ray Muehlmann, F&M houses; Bill Powell, drive-ins; Nick Karakas, independent theatres, and Jimmy James, colored houses. Myra Stroud, MITO sec’y, was named general chairman of publicity. Frisina Amuse. Co. was named defendant in an anti-trust suit filed by Walter Mullaney, individually and as administrator of the estate of his brother, John W. Mullaney, alleging unfair competition in connection with the plaintiff’s theatre in Mattoon, Ill. . . . Larry Spalding completed a CinemaScope installation in his Town Theatre, Flora, Ill. Also equipped for CS is Bill Jackson’s Rex in Waverly, Ill. . . . Wayne Lindsey, owner of the 475-seat Carol Theatre at Kevil, Ky., recently operated by H. Gilliam of Paducah, is now operating it himself. Bob Lightfoot, former pres, of the Colos¬ seum of M. P. Salesman, Loge 19, was elected 2nd v.p. of the national organization. He is an Allied Artists salesman. . . . The St. L. Board of Aldermen voted against two bills to end racial segregation in theatres, hotels and restaurants. . . . Mr. & Mrs. A. B. Jefferis reopened the Jefferis Theatre at Piedmont. Mo. after extensive remodeling. . . . The Rex at Waverly, Ill., owned by J. Wyman Hart and Wm. Jackson, upped admission pi'iees to 5Cffi for adults, 20</' chil¬ dren, following installation of wide screen and other equipment. SAN FRANCISCO Davis Theatre Co., composed of L. S. Hamm and Walter Preddv, has taken over the Vacaville Theatre, Vacaville, from Phil Zenovitch and Jesse Levin. Roy Cooper will book for the house. . . . Other accounts newly acquired by Cooper are the Uptown, Sonora, and the Calaveras, San Andreas, both owned bv Robert Patton. . . . Maury Schwarz, owner of the Rio, is putting a modernistic front on the theatre. New innovation for a S.F. thea,tre is visibility of the cash booth and theatre from the street. . . . Harry Farris, owner of the El Rev theatre building in Oakland and operator of tin* Portola Theatre there, is negotiating to buy the Portola Theatre build¬ ing also. Earle Williams has been transferred to the Mission Drive-In by Cal-Pac. . . . John Mur¬ ray, new to the industry, is asst, to mgr. Nate 26 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— December 11. 1954