The Exhibitor (1954)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-1 XIsWS OF THK BRANCHES Cincinnati The Christmas weekend was spent by Robert McNab, 2()th-Fox branch man¬ ager, and his wife, with relatives in Baton Rouge, La.; Robert Laws, Colum¬ bia booker, and his wife, with her rela¬ tives in Lancaster, O.; Margaret Wood¬ ruff, Columbia head booker, with relatives in Bellefontaine, 0.; and J. E. Watson, MGM exploiteer, and his wife in Columbus, 0. The MGM Club had a second Christmas party in the office, with a luncheon, tree, gift exchange, and screening of “Deep In My Heart.” Realart and Lippert held its annual luncheon at the Union Terminal Restaurant. . . . “Underwater” was screened at the RKO Christmas office party. . . . Announcements of Christmas engagements were made by Ceil Hessling, Paramount contract department, to William Runyan, and Geraldine Wakeman, Paramount account¬ ing department, to Willard Boone. In town Christmas week were William Shirley, UA New York office, for ex¬ ploitation of “Vera Cruz,” and Jerry Shinback, RKO’s Chicago office. Exhibitors in were William Settos, Walter Allen and Ben Hathaway, Springfield, O.; Richard Tumbelson, Winchester, O.; C. S. Babalis and Roy Wells, Dayton, O.; Harry Wheeler, Gallipolis, O.; Fred Donahue, New Boston, O.; Charles Williams, Oxford, O.; J. C. Shanklin, Ronceverte, W. Va.; Joe Joseph, Parkersburg, W. Va.; and Walter Wyrick, Carlisle, Ky. Cookies and a fruit drink were given children attending the downtown Grand to see “Hansel and Gretel.” . . . Philip Glib, Allied Artists Chicago exchange, was transferred to the local exchange, replacing Walter Watson, who joined the S and S Amusement Company. . . . Exhibitors J. C. Shanklin, Ronceverte, W. Va., and Lester Rosenfeld, St. Albans, W. Va., have returned from Florida vacations. National Theatre Supply reports Cinemascope installations in the Long¬ view State Hospital here; Wayne, Green¬ ville, 0., Made brothers, owners; Classic, Dayton, O., P. W. Suell, owner; Mitchell and Magic, Barberville, Ky., Charles Mitchell, owner; and Kentuckian, Liberty, Ky., Ralph Cundiff, owner. N. N. Andres, recreational director. United States Hospital, Lexington, Ky., visited on Film Row, and exhibitors in were Charles Scott, Vevay, Ind.; Carl Pfistei', Troy, O.; Jack Needham, Frank Yassenoff, Harry Schwartz, and Frank Marzetti, Columbus, 0.; John Gregory and Floyd Williamson, Dayton, 0.; Lawrence Davis, Coldwater, 0.; Harry McHaffie, Marmet, W. Va.; James B. Howe, Carrollton, Ky.; B. F. Wright, Whitesburg, Ky.; and William B. Cain, Paintsville, Ky. Florence Hermann, MGM cashier, has returned from a Florida vacation. . . . Marie Donelson, Screen Classics, spent Christmas with relatives in Nashville, Tenn. . . . Garry Novack, son of Edward Novack, assistant manager. National Theatre Supply, is convalescing from bronchial pneumonia and Film Row hopes for his speedy recovery. The Ronnie Drive-In, London, Ky., has been sold by James Minnix to Harold Ball, Corbin, Ky. . . . Bennett Goldstein, former Indianapolis salesman, has been promoted to sales manager at the local 20th-Fox branch. . . . Bonnie McNeely is a new receptionist at UA. . . . Agnes Doppe, UA biller, and Ruth Listerman, U-I booker’s clerk, have resigned. . . . David Stenger, Columbia salesman, Columbus, O., is the proud father of a baby girl. Cleveland The Detroit, owned and operated by Leonard Mishkind and S. P. Gorrel, re¬ opened Christmas day after a complete remodeling job that puts it into the deluxe neighborhood class. Howard Higley, manager, SW Allen, for the past 21 years, received a dramatic Christmas present. It was notification, with check enclosed, that he was the winner of the first prize in the national “Caine Mutiny” contest as part of the Fabian Fabulous Forty Drive. As a re¬ sult of Higley’s campaign the picture rolled up a house record run of six weeks. Jimmy Sammons, manager. Sixth Street, Coshocton, O., also in Dick Wright’s district, copped first place nationally with his campaign on “Car¬ nival Story.” Mollye Davis, MGM cashier, is spend¬ ing the holidays in Florida as guest of Marie Mack Hentges, a former member of the MGM family. . . . All exchanges were closed Friday before Christmas and New Years. Columbia’s loss is Buena Vista’s gain. Rhoda Koret resigned from Columbia to join the new BV organization, whose local head is Leo Greenfield. . . . Mrs. J. M. Cogan, mother of the wife of Joe Weinstein, SW district theatre booker, died at the age of 82. . . . M. M. Dorsey is installing CinemaScope equipment with optical sound and a new, wide William screen in his 225-seat Dorsey, Johnstown, O. Installation is being made by Ohio Theatre Supply Co. Horace Adams, attorney, president of Industrial Advisors, Inc., and president. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, has announced the purchase of Ascot Park, in the Cleveland-Akron area for $1,3()(),000. This three-quarter-mile plant, under the operation of Ohio Sports Enterprises, Inc., has been one of the most successful of the county’s smaller race tracks. Adams purchased it from William J. Griffith, Barberton, 0., and Basil Kinney, Cuyahoga Falls, 0. Ben L. Ogron, head, Ohio Theatre Supply Company, is establishing a re¬ cord, of sorts, for ploughing new CinemaScope fields. His installation of CinemaScope with complete stereophonic sound in Hiram College, Hiram, 0., was the first college installation in this area. This week he installed CinemaScope with opitcal sound in Collinwood High School, first high school in the area to get the new type equipment. Detroit Variety Club of Grand Rapids, Tent 27, elected the following crew for 1955, Martin Giaimo, chief barker; Bill Freck, first assistant; Phil Osterhouse, second assistant; Joe Busic, dough guy; Clive R. Waxman, property master; and Fred J. Barr, Jr., international canvassman. Giaimo and Osterhouse are delegates to the 1955 annual convention. Fae Davis, MGM secretary, died re¬ cently. She is survived by her husband Robert and sister Dorothy Harrison, Allied Film Exchange office manager. . . . Local F-25, Exchange Office Em¬ ployees, reelected A1 Champagne business manager for his eighth year. Charles Simonelli, U-I’s eastern advertising and publicity department manager, on left at head of table, recently discussed the company’s promotion plans for the Charles J. Feldman Annual Sales Drive at the district manager’s meeting in Cleve¬ land presided over by P. T. Dana, eastern division manager, center at head of table, and P. F. Rosian, district manager, and attended by, seated clockwise, left to right, M. Silverberg, Francis Guehl, and Pete Quiter, Pittsburgh; Leo Goldsmith, Bill Waldholz, J. P. Rosen, and Ted Levy, Detroit; Ed Heiber, Sig Horowitz, Ed Potasch, Harold Coltun, and Dick Melvin, Philadelphia; and Eddie Bergman, Cleveland; and, standing, left to right, Carl Reardon, Jim Levitt, William Lissner, Cleveland; and Milton Ripp, Pittsburgh. Januarif 5, 1955 MIDKAST