The Exhibitor (1954)

:\T-2 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR . . . Joseph Lenahan and his son, Dennis, have opened their own agency insuring theatres. Lenehan was with Mills Agency, whose business he bought. Every year old newsboys sell papers for Christmas charity. Called the Goodfellows Sale, the annual affair finds prominent Detroiters selling specially printed newspapers on street corners. Alex Schreiber, Associated Theatres chief, passed his usual corner to Max Gealer during his Los Angeles stay. Pittsburgh The Schenley had a free Christmas show for children in conjunction with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. . . . Donna Atwood, wife of Johnny Harris, has taken the Harris children to their new home in Beverly Hills, Cal., for a couple of weeks while the “Ice Capades” show is laying off for the holidays. She’ll rejoin the show in Boston. Jack Deutschmann will spend his Christmas vacation from Harvard here as the house guest of his future in-laws, the M. A. Silvers, whose daughter Barbara is now studying at Wellsley. Silvers, Stanley Warner boss, received a gift from the Warner gang, three beauti¬ ful pearl studs which he will wear for the first time when his daughter, Barbara, becomes a bride in June. The Variety Club honored John Michelose, Pitt’s new football coach, and Dr. Eddie Baker, Carnegie Tech’s grid¬ iron mentor, at a luncheon. . . . Jack Simons, who last managed the Old State, is now in South Norwalk, Conn., where he’s running two houses for a circuit outfit. I. D. Wolfe, Pittsburgh department store head and Variety Club member, who dabbles in Broadway shows, has picked himself a winning show in the new “The Bad Seed.” Retiring Variety Club Chief Barker Norman Mervis’ mother died suddenly. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Herb Walton, he’s the Stanley Warner ad artist, are grand¬ parents for the third time with the birth of a baby boy to Charles and Alberta Walton. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hiller, he being on the Variety Club board, are going to Detroit for the wedding of his niece. . . . Warners Skyline Drive-In, Clarksburg, W. Va., operated here by Dale and Charles Warner for the past seven years, was recently sold to Sam and Evelyn Caputo. The Airport, closed for several months, opened Christmas day. John Sullivan, who holds the lease, said the auditorium has been newly painted and redecorated. Anamorphic lenses and a new wide¬ screen were installed. . . . Mr. and Mrs. John Amoroso, Baden, Baden, Pa., are awaiting the stork for his first visit in April. Carl Guerrein, former outdoor opera¬ tor, Erie, Pa., recently was released from St. Vincent’s Hospital there after serious arterial surgery. . . . Joseph Zeoch has removed seats and equipment from his Vestberg, Pa., house and turned it into a skating rink. . . . Elmer Hasley, Ter¬ race, presented two free kiddy shows during the holiday season. . . . Em¬ porium, Emporium, Pa., has installed a wide-screen and anamorphic lenses. Mike Karolcik is installing anamorphic lenses at his Perry, Perryopolis, Pa. . . . The Bradford, Bradford, Pa., featured Clarabell and Buffalo Vic, Howdy Doody pals, in person at a Christmas party for children. Sport night at the Variety Club fea¬ tured a screening of “The Bob Mathias Stoi’y.” Present was Jim Marks, Kiski coach, who coached Mathias when he attended nearby Kiski Prep. Abe Weiner, local Allied Artists manager, arranged this screening. . . . Durward Coe,Waynesburg. Pa., outdoor theatre operator, has been at the Washington, Pa., hospital for the past several weeks. . . . Max Bloomburg, former Johnstown, Pa., area exhibitor, was recently elected Cambria county civil defense director. Charlie Barron, house manager, War¬ ner Cinerama, entertained 18 usherettes at a Christmas party in his Bigelow apartment. . . . Mr. and Mrs. William Hansmeir, Sun, Altoona, Pa., spent the holidays at his in-laws, the McFaddens, Rialto, Renovo, Pa. . . . Floyd Klingensmith, Columbia salesmen, Erie, Pa., and the Mainline, whose son Jimmie recently broke his ankle, was publicized by the Gazette for delivering newspapers on his son’s paper route. John Rigas, Coudersport, Coudersport, Pa., spent the holidays with his parents in Wellsville, N. Y. . . . John Hickey is back at Shea’s Fulton after spending several weeks in New York at the Shea home office. . . . Robert Caskey, veteran Paramount salesman, was released from the St. Francis Hospital. Theodore Grance, operator*, Grance Circuit of outdoor theatres, was in an auto accident and suffered a broken leg. . . . Jimmy Spear, UA salesman of the West Virginia territory, is spending the holidays with his family in Rochester, N. Y. . . . Pete Dana, eastern division sales manager, Universal-International, is spending the holidays here with his family. Lee Conrad, Park, Meadville, Pa., tied up with leading music stores plugging the theme song, “We’ll Meet Again,” for his presentation of “Desiree.” . . . Among the state visitors were Tommy Bello, Capitol, Nanty Glo; Valoris Hayes, Regent, Linesville; Adolph Farkas, Lyric and Rialto, Johnstown; Mrs. Charles Trozzi, Central, Hermine; Herman Stahl, Drake, Oil City; Cuba Walker, Ideal Amusement Company, Johnstown; Bert Redfoot, Opera House, Winder; John and Frank Oglietti, Palace, Leechburg; Ralph Edleman, Mars, Mars; Harry Meyers, Gamble, Seward; and Emma Fry, Wampum, Wampum. The local Stanley Warner Club recently held elections and new officers are Charles Comar, president; Ben Steerman, Paul Rich, and Sidney Newman, vice-presi¬ dents; Mildred White, secretary; Harry McCartney, treasurer; and Ray Avery, chairman, guidance committee. Kathy Darlyn, who appears in the water-skiing scenes of Cinerama at the SW Warner, made a personal appear¬ ance in conjunction with the first anni¬ versary of Cinerama. Sam Rosen, vicepresident, Stanley Warner Corporation, also was present. Ohio Columbus The board of Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio sent a protest to Warners on the plan to release the cut version of “A Star Is Born” to small towns and subsequent runs. The Board said both full and cut versions should be made available “at least in Cleveland and Cincinnati territories” so exhibitors could have a choice. Robert Wile, secretary. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, reported the resignation of Horace E. Shock, Lima, O., second vice-president. Shock is out of the theatre business. Vacancy will not be filled until regular elections at the state convention next year. . . . Lee Hofheimer, former partner, H and S Theatres, was guest at the meeting of the board of Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio. Hofheimer, former treasurer, is moving about Jan. 1 to Norfolk, Va., his home town, where he will reenter theatre business. The board extended its appreciation to Hofheimer for his service to the organization. Mrs. Ethel Miles has worked out a 13-weeks’ Saturday matinee series for children at the Drexel, suburban Bexley, O. A committee of mothers selects the pictures from lists approved for chil¬ dren by Parents’ magazine and the Motion Picture Association of America. The matinees will start on Jan. 8 and continue through March 26. Albert Dolder, 76, stage manager. Masonic Temple, was seriously injured in a 20-foot fall at the temple. Dolder has worked at several local theatres during his more than 50 years as a stagehand. . . . James M. Carroll, division manager. Quality Imports, Inc., was named the Beau Brummell of Columbus by the American Society of Beau Brummells. Robert Sokol, manager, Loew’s Broad, presented him with the Brummell statuette. The latest bulletin issued by the Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners of Ohio covers the current no-censorship in the state; bidding; low price screens; the pos¬ sibility of small theatres showing Cinemascope at 2 to 1; poor trailers; “This Is Your Army” showings; a form of “Bingo,” which has turned up in TV; and other interesting topics. Mrs. Millicent Easter, who was pub¬ licity writer for the old B. F. Keith here in the twenties, was hospitalized with pneumonia. In recent years she has been publicity manager. Southern Hotel. . . . Harrold C. Eckert, assistant city editor and former theatre editor, Ohio State Journal, was hospitalized for observation. January 5, 1955