The Independent Film Journal (1954)

REGIONE WS ALBANY Widespread interest is being whipped up here in COMPO’s Audience Awards Poll. Co-chairman Harry Lamont of Lamont Theas., Louis W. Schine of Schine Circuit, and Raymond Smith, Warner branch mgr., have scheduled a meeting of area showmen for July 11 in the 20th-Fox screening room, to outline plans for lobby balloting Nov. 17-27. . . . Fabian theatres in Troy and Sche¬ nectady, as well as the circuit’s Mohawk and Saratoga drive-ins, held car giveaways in co¬ operation with local merchants. Merchants and townspeople rallied to the support of Roger Livingstone by buying and pledging enough family tickets, at $1 for three admissions, to reopen his Crescent The¬ atre in Philadelphia, N.Y. with a CinemaScope installation. Closing of the house hurt business in the town. . . . Anthony Lombardo is new asst, booker at Universal, succeeding John Capano, now with Upstate Theas., a buying and booking cooperative. Capano also owns the State in Troy. ATLANTA One of Georgia’s largest and most mod¬ ern drive-in, the South Expressway, located at intersection of Kennedy Rd., opened to the public. It accommodates 1000 cars, has an outdoor patio with seating facilities and a drive-in cafeteria concession. Operators are Georgia Theatres. . . . Princess Theatre, Cookeville, Tenn., managed by Ray McCul¬ lough, is undergoing major remodeling, in¬ cluding front being moved forward to pro¬ vide additional lobby space and box office moved from side to center. . . . Frank D. Rubel is new part owner of the Lee Theatre, Ft. Myers, Fla. . . . Felix Lacy, operator of Fairview Drive-In, Montgomery, Ala., who likes to bill himself as “crazy,” offers free admission to a carload on presentation of any Confederate bill. Hugh Thomas, Jr., owner of Siesta DriveIn, Sarasota, Fla., elected to board of direc¬ tors of Makelim Pictures of Hollywood, Fla. ... New owner of the Joy Drive-In, Milton, Fla., is Harold Authenreith. . . .J. B. Bailey bought the Ritz Theatre, Brantley, Ala., from A. L. Morgan. . . . Lou Burnett, UA booker vacationing in Calif., plans to meet with Filmrow girls in L.A. to interest them in forming another WOMPI unit. . . . Flor¬ ida State Theas. appointed Norris McCollum to assist Bob Harris, head of confection sales, in conducting a stepped up merchandising program. McCollum was mgr. of the Matanzas Theatre, St. Augustine. In a merger involving over $1,000,000 in property, Georgia Theas. of Augusta have taken over management of the Skyview, Forest Hills and Bon Air drive-ins there, which they will operate jointly with the Modjeska and Miller theatres. According to pres. John H. Stembler, the Augusta, Bon Air and Cloverlcaf will be closed tempo¬ rarily. . . . Maurice Hensler, owner of the Auburn Theatre, Auburndale, Fla., invited parents of the community to assist him in selecting 12 films for a children’s summer series, for which he will charge $1.00. Mrs. Janice Lindsay is new owner of the Fox, LaFollette, Tenn., taken over from Joe Martin. . . .J. H. Edwards transferred from Scott Drive-In, Decatur, Ga. to the Peach¬ tree, with L. E. Waldrup taking over at the Scott. George Huff succeeds Waldrup as mgr. of the Deeature Theatre. . . . N. E. Savini, Astor’s N.Y. special representative, back home after a spell at the hospital . . . Mr. & Mrs. Robert Andrews are now op¬ erating the Jackson Drive-In at Graceville, Fla. for owner S. K. King. . . . James Reed, former mgr. of the Bell Theatre, Marietta, Ga., now mgr. of the Martin at Attalla, Ala. . . . Wilby’s Walton Theatre, Selma, Ala., installed Carrier air conditioning. C. F. Stuckey appointed mgr. of Florida State’s Lake Theatre, Lakeland. . . . John Davidson resigned as Warner sales rep. to go with WAGA-TV here. . . . After his re¬ cent illness, mgr. Edwin J. Jordan was wheeled into the Belle Meade Theatre, Nash¬ ville, Tenn., for a party by employees, to celebrate his 15 years as mgr. and the oc¬ casion of his birthday. . . . It’s a baby boy for the Norris Stephens of Stephens Booking Office in Savannah, Ga., also for Jimmie Tringas, Florida theatre owner with home base in Ft. Walton Beach. BOSTON A 10-year lease was taken on the Suffolk Theatre, Holoyke, by Bing Theatre Co., a Western Mass. Theas. subsidiary, from Rifkin circuit, which has operated the house since 1936. Mgr. Bill Jordan and the entire staff will remain under new lessees. . . . Film delivery trucks started rolling normally again when Film Exchange Transfer Co., largest of the group, agreed to pay 15^ an hour more, with additional benefits to be ironed out before signing of formal con¬ tracts by all units of the huge Local 25 Teamsters Union. . . . Arthur Lockwood of L&G Enks. and Mrs. Lockwood sailed for a two-month holiday in Europe. A two-day convention of Ind. Exhibitors of New Eng., local unit of National Allied, will be held Oct. 24-25 at Toy Town Tavern, Winchendon, Mass. Units from Pa., N.J. and Conn, will also be represented. The first re¬ gional upstate meeting conducted by IENE was held in Concord, N.H. and Edward Lider, pres., with Carl Goldman, exec, secy., brought members up to date on all vital exhibitor problems. A second meeting will be . held shortly, probably in Vt. . . . Redstone '! Drive-In Theas. applied for license to erect a huge ozoner on 30 acres of undeveloped land at 1375 Bennington St., E. Boston, which Mayor Hynes indicated he will ap¬ prove. . . . The Irving Isaacs, Telepix Thea¬ tre, returned from a prolonged European vacation. Robert Werner took a lease on the State, E. Milton. House has changed hands several times since it was given up by Am. Theas. . . . Mel Davis, head booker at Republic, will marry Glenys Blumenthal of Portland, Me. in the fall _ Boston’s “Call Jimmy Stewart” telephone drive, plugging Columbia’s “Man From Laramie” had 10 machines with 10 separate recordings for an average of 1200 calls an hour. Robert Coyne, gen. counsel of COMPO, j explained to exhibitors here their part in the Audience Award Plan at kick-off meeting arranged by chairman Paul Levi, Arthur Lockwood, Harry Feinstein, Jack Saef, Charles Kurtzman, Edward Lider and Frank Lydon of the publicity committee. . . . Albert Clarke is now managing the Bijou, Springfield, succeeding Ralph Carenza, resigned. BUFFALO Jim Fater got a big welcome at the Uni¬ versal branch when he returned to the sales staff where he had formerly been a salesman for many years. . . . Bill Brett, now man¬ aging both the Skyway Lakeshore and Niagara, reports business good in both spots and the miniature golf course at the latter garnering a lot of extra shekels. . . . When Edward J. Wall, Paramount field rep., was in town conferring with Arthur Krolick and Charlie Taylor on promotion plans for “The Seven Little Foys,” he also passed out stogies A Coca-Cola toast to M-G-M's Ticket Selling Workshop is made by guests of the soft drink manufacturer at a luncheon in Seattle, Wash. Shown (1 to r): George Hickey, west coast div. sales mgr.; Jack Hodgon, Coca-Cola representative; Sam Davis, Seattle branch mgr., and Charles Ramage, branch mgr. for Canada at Vancouver. 24 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— July 9, 1955