The Exhibitor (1954)

NT-2 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR stein-Mellinkoff Circuit, disclosed plans for the chain to build their first ozoner on a site in Torrance, Cal., which will have a capacity of 1500 cars. The thea¬ tre will be known as the Torrance and will be part of an operation controlling the conventional houses in Torrance, Stadium and Torrance, and also the Park and Gardena, Gardena, Cal. Seymour Borde, RKO manager, check¬ ed in from a business trip to Phonenix, Ariz. . . . Booking and buying visitors included two San Diego, Cal., exhibitors, Sid Weider, Preferred Theatres, and Ed Shamberg, Spreckles, as well as Roy Wolf and Joe Sinay, Southside Circuit. . . . Harold Withwein, western division sales chief. Allied Artists, checked in from a trip to Denver and Salt Lake City. A total of $65,858 was passed out in Christmas bonus and drive awards to em¬ ployees of the southern California divi¬ sion of Fox West Coast Theatres, sub¬ sidiary of National Theatres, Inc. The checks were distributed by Edwin F. Zabel, FWC general manager, at the annual get-together of 180 theatre man¬ agers, district managers, department heads, and home office executives in the Gold Room at the Ambassador Hotel and followed with a luncheon in the Embassy Room. Elmer C. Rhoden, NT president, made his first appearance before the theatre managers since he assumed the top executive post last Oc¬ tober and declared that “the number one man in our organization is the theatre managers.” He also announced details of a proposed incentive plan, called for increased showmanship efforts, and an increase in advei'tising budgets. Other speakers included Alan May, NT treas¬ urer, who told of the new annual stock¬ holders report; Bert Pirosh, FWC film buyer, who spoke on the new product; and M. Spencer Leve, new FWC south¬ ern division manager. Guest speakers included Frank Whitbeck, MGM ad chief, and actor Keefe Brasselle. Milwaukee Federal Judge Robert E. Tehan approved the sale of the Century for $92,500 to L. F. Gran, president. Gran Enterprises. The Century Theatre Com¬ pany, which operates the theatre, is in bankruptcy reorganization in the Federal Court. The theatre has been closed since last August. Money from the sale will go to company creditors. Gran is former manager. Standard Theatres Manage¬ ment, and has television and other thea¬ tre interests. Articles of incorporation for a new drive-in in the area were filed with the Secretary of State’s office, Madison, Wis., but promoters of the project declined to give details. Known as Starlight Outdoor Theatres, Inc., the corporation lists Ben Marcus as its agent and Harvey C. Hartwig as its attorney. Minneapolis W. H. Workman, MGM branch man¬ ager who has resigned, left for his home in Florida where he will live. . . . Howell Owens, MGM office manager, vacationed in Tennessee over the Christmas holi¬ days. . . . Saul Malisow, 20th-Fox branch manager, is back from a Florida vacation. Part of the recent program for Yvonne De Carlo, co-star, Allied Artists’ “To¬ night’s The Night,” during her appear¬ ance in Minneapolis and St. Paul for the northwest premiere of the film was a guest appearance, at IMinneapolis’ lead¬ ing department store, Dayton’s. Her appearance was heralded by 40 posters on the main floor of the store and nearly 1,000 persons attended the fashion show in which she was presented. The film was at Radio City, Minneapolis, and Paramount, St. Paul. Recent out-of-town exhibitors on the Row were Thomas Ward, Willow Lake, S. D.; Charles Pryce, Alma, Wis.; Arvid Olson, Pine Island, Minn.; Clarence Kaake, Duluth, Minn.; and Lauren Garnant, LeRoy, Minn. . . . Sally Allen, office manager’s secretary. Paramount, left the exchange to move to California. She expects to join the staff of one of the studios. Stephan Barutio was named manag¬ ing director of “This Is Cinerama” at the Century, replacing Albert H. Rosen, resigned. He came here from Atlanta where he was associated with another business. . . . CinemaScope equipment will be installed in the Vogue at Ar¬ cadia, Wis., it was announced by John Leland, owner. . . . The Roxy, Mitchell, S. D., had a kiddie revue on its stage before Christmas. Ditto the State, here. Worth Stocker purchased the Palace, Gettysburg, S. D., from Mrs. Jane Hoover. . . . C. N. Munger leased the Little America, Carthage, S. D., to Lyle Hendrix. . . . Preliminai’y work has been started on the new Northern Hills drive-in located between Deadwood and Lead, S. D. Owner is Leonard Steele, Spearfish, S. D. . . . Harold Kramer, Algona, Iowa, purchased the Ringsted, Ringsted, Iowa. The twin cities premiere of Allied Artists, “Tonight’s The Night” in Min¬ neapolis and St. Paul at Radio City and Paramount theatres were backed with a big’ scale ad, promotion and publicity program with Yvonne DeCarlo, one of the stars, making a two day visit and a series of personal appearances. The pro¬ motion program was organized through the facilities of Minnesota Amusement Corporation with Ev Seibel, publicity and advertising director, working in coordination with Allied Artists’ field I’epi’esentative Irving Shiffrin. Miss DeCarlo was accompanied by AA publi¬ city and advertising director, John C. Flinn. Prior to the arrivial of the star, the campaign involved a heavy penetra¬ tion of radio promotion using five local stations. Besides using special transcrip¬ tion spots featuring the voice of the popular “Lonesome Gal” of national radio fame. Radio City held a special preview tied in with WTCM. Two days before the preview the station’s disc jockeys went into an around the clock series of plugs for the preview, offering the first five prsons to phone immedi¬ ately after the announcement of the mystery, preview tickets. Radio station WTON launched a search for three couples celebrating their wedding an¬ niversaries during Miss DeCarlo’s visit. This promotion offered a dinner date and guest at the opening of the film. The dinner party was recorded with Miss DeCarlo interviewing the three winning couples, and also received newspaper coverage plus WTON-TV newsreel plugs. The dinner was held at the Hotel Radisson with a leading bakery contributing a huge anniversary cake. Other appear¬ ances by Miss DeCarlo were at the radio, television station, newspaper offices, a students convocation open forum at the Universary of Minnesota, at Minneapolis’ leading department store, where she was guest of honor during a fashion show. The store carried ads announcing the event with store posters heralding the event. She also appeared at the St. Paul’s Women’s City Club; and made a tour of historic mansions as part of a fund raising drive, whereby tours were sold to the public. Miss DeCarlo rode an old fashioned surrey for the benefit of news¬ paper and television photographers. The Minneapolis Star saluted the star with a four-column color shot used on opening day. While making personal appear¬ ances at two theatres, she was inter¬ viewed by disc jockeys in the lobbies. In addition to all of her other appearances, she appeared as surprise guest before an audience of 3,000 people at the Prom Ballroom finals of a month’s long talent search. Starting two weeks prior to the opening the Radio City used a spectacu¬ lar lobby display built around a turn¬ table slide machine, illuminated with 12 color scenes from the film, 12 inches by 12 inches in size. Advance trailers and announcement of the appearance of Miss DeCarlo was featured in downtown and suburban Minnesota Amusement Theatres. Oklahoma City Mr. Linford Pitts, Paramount sales¬ man from Omaha, and his wife, Shirley, and children visited on Film Row on their way to Dallas. . . . W. D. Ferguson, husband of Edna Ferguson, inspectress. Paramount, passed away. Blanche Camp, cashier, Paramount, spent Christmas with her parents in Oscaloosa, Iowa. . . . Gladys Wilds, in¬ spectress, Paramount, flew to Albuquer¬ que, N.M., to spend Christmas with her daughter, Betty. . . . Fran Johnson, con¬ tract clerk. Paramount, spent the Christ¬ mas holidays with her mother in Minco, Okla. . . . Tom McKean, salesman. Para¬ mount, is vacationing in Florida. Out-of-town exhibitors in town this week were Henry Simpson, Princess and Walmur, Bristow, Okla.; M. T. Sands, Kiamichi, Clayton, Okla.; Mrs. Bess Wilkie, State, Harrah, Okla.; E. M. Freiburger, Dewey, Dewey, Okla.; Ger¬ ald Bullard, Star, Morris, Okla.; Ray Jamiary 5, 1955