The Exhibitor (1954)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-3 Hughes, Liberty, Heavener, Okla.; B. J. McKenna, Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.; Bill Slepka, Crystal and Jewel, Okemah, Okla.; Robert McFarland, Corondo, Putman City, Okla.; J. E. Holt, Wigwam and Holt, Coalgate, Okla.; W. T. Kerr, Platt, Sulphur, Okla.; L. E. Brewer, Royal and Folly, Pauls Valley, Okla.; W. E. Jones, Star, Sand Springs Okla.; and Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Duncan, Avalon and Redskin, Wetumka, Okla. Omaha The following is the newly elected crew of Variety Club of Omaha, Tent 16, Bob Hoff, chief barker; Max Rosen¬ blatt, first assistant; Don Hammond, second assistant; Walter Creal, property master ; and Hank McGrath, dough guy. In a recent bulletin. Allied Independent Theati’e Owners of Iowa, Nebraska, Southern South Dakota, and Mid-Central, many current industry topics are dis¬ cussed including percentages and rental deals being asked by the various dis¬ tributors in the territory; a request to Walt Disney not to “go out of this world” on prices for Buena Vista product; an analysis of current product, prices of equipment including anamorphic lens; data on the recent TOAexhibitor meeting at Sioux Falls, South Dakota; playing of “This Is Your Army”; action against an enabling act to allow cities and towns to collect ad¬ mission taxes, etc. Sf. Louis Theatre owners of eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and elsewhere in the area can look forward to good business in 1955, in the opinion of Henry H. Heimann, executive vice-president. Na¬ tional Association of Credit Men. Film Row was saddened to learn of the death in Omaha, of Joseph E. Scott, 20th-Fox manager. Prior to being trans¬ ferred, Scott had been a salesman here. Loew’s Orpheum was closed Dec. 23 and 24 for the installation of new stereo¬ phonic sound and CinemaScope equip¬ ment, plus redecorating and recarpeting to prepare for its new first-run policy. Bess Schulter, owner, Columbia, en¬ tertained 1,385 boys and girls at the theatre’s annual Christmas party. Sol Hankin, veteran film exchange owner, manager, and theatreman, has been transferred from the Jewish Hos¬ pital to a convalescent home. John Karzin, another veteran film man, also is a patient in the same home. Bernie McCarthy has resigned from the Buena Vista sales staff. . . . Mrs. Jim Hill, wife of the Warners salesman, has returned home after visiting with her sister in Los Angeles. . . . Jack Keiler, Columbia Amusement Company, Paducah, Ky., and Mrs. Keiler visited Washington and New York. Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Film Row included Judge Frank G. Reller, Wentzville, Mo.; Joe Goldfarb, Alton, III.; Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill.; For¬ rest Piiile, Jerseyville, Ill.; A. P. Meier, Cuba, Mo.; Charley Weeks, Jr., Dexter, Mo.; Louis Odorizzi, Mount Olive and Staunton, Ill.; Izzy Wienshienk, Publix district manager, Alton, Ill.; Eddie Clark, Metropolis, Ill.; Lee Norton, Sul¬ livan, Ill.; Bob Johnson, Fairfield, Ill.; Bernard Temborious, Breese, Ill., and Charley Beninati, Carlyle, Ill. Clarence M. Turley, co-owner. Am¬ bassador and Missouri buildings, has been appointed chairman of the com¬ mission studying long-range needs for new housing in St. Louis, Mayor Ray¬ mond R. Tucker announced. Leon Hufnagle, booker. Common¬ wealth Amusement Company, Kansas City, was host at a pre-Christmas party in his room at the Sheraton Hotel. John Dugan, who retired from the sales staff of 20th-Fox, last September, entered upon his new duties as the ter¬ ritory representative of Buena Vista. Sol Bank, who has owned theatres in various parts of Missouri and Kansas and is currently owner. Star, Vandalia, Mo., had a six-month sentence and a $5,000 fine imposed on him after he pleaded nolo contendere to one count of a two-count federal indictment that charged him with income tax evasion. In the suit of the Fanchon and Marco Service Corporation against the Moving Picture Operators Union, Local 143, an lATSE affiliate, a stipulation of agree¬ ment was filed and the plaintiff was granted leave to dismiss the cause with¬ out costs to either party. Several weeks ago the owners and operators entered into a new wage scale and working agreement that apparently resolved the issues of the dispute. In Granite City, Ill., the Bel-Air Drive-In, owned and operated by Komm Circuit, has recently put into service 200 new Radiant type in-a-car heaters pur¬ chased through the St. Louis branch of National Theatre Supply. In Greenville, Ill., the Bond, Frisina Amusement Company, has installed Cin¬ emaScope projection and a Walker wide¬ screen purchased through National Theatre Supply. National Theatre Supply, William C. Earle, manager, has recently installed CinemaScope with optical sound systems and Walker wide-screens in the following theatres of the Frisina Amusement Company, Spring-field, Ill.; Roxy, Shelbyville. Ill.; Bond, Greenville, Ill.; Avalon, Lawrenceville, Ill.; and the Varsity, Decatur, Ill.. It has also recently in¬ stalled CinemaScope equipment in the Will Rogers, owned by Southern Enterprises. A number of drive-ins have closed, including Parkade, Columbia, Mo., op¬ erated by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Jeane; Family, Dexter, Mo., under management of Mrs. Vernon Godwin and owned by the Yewell Lawrence Estate; Sky-Hi, Lebanon, Mo., owned and operated by Earl Hargis; Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Ill., owned by J. D. and H. H. Barter; and the Centralia, near Centralia, Ill., a unit of the Bloomer Amusement Company, Belleville, Ill. In Vermont, Ill., the Vermont was closed for an indefinite period. The house has been owned and managed by Robert and Mary Brinton. General Hobart R. Gay, Mrs. Gay, and a group of other top officers from the Fifth Army headquarters in Chicago came in to attend the midwest premiere of the color documentary, “This Is Your Army” at Fanchon and Marco’s Fox. An extra attraction was a salute to the army featuring the Fort Leonard Wood Post band and the Fifth Army Food Service 40-piece choral group. General Gay, Mrs. Gay, and the other officers were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Arthur. Ray G. Colvin, executive director, Theatre Epuipment Dealers Association, will speak on “What The Motion Pic¬ ture Theatre Means to Your Town” at a meeting of the Jerseyville, Ill., Lions Club tonight (Jan. 5). The Missouri-Illinois Theatre Owners, under arimgements made by Myra Stroud, managing secretary, again dis¬ tributed gifts boxes to members of the armed forces who spent Christmas day here. Herman Gorelick, co-owner, Realart, was in Chicago for a Filmakers meeting at the Blackstone Hotel. Harry H. Haas, manager. Paramount, has returned from Dallas, where he attended a conference of Paramount exchange managers at the Baker Hotel. . . . Bud Edele, United Artists manager, was in Springfield, Ill., on a business trip . Jim Castle, Paramount ad¬ vertising and publicity man, just return¬ ed from Hollywood with the latest in¬ formation about VistaVision. . . . F. J. Lee, United Artists district manager, was in Minneapolis. Funeral services for J. Clifford Austin, former St. Louisian, who died in Salt Lake City, were held in St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church. For 15 years prior to 1949, Austin was division manager iir St. Louis for the Curtis Candy Company. A. B. Jefferis, Piedmont, Mo.; Paul Stehman, Winchester, Ill.; Hugh Graham, St. Louis; and other members of the planning committee for the second annual convention of the National Allied Drive-In Theatre Association to be staged at Hotel Chase here on Feb. 8, 9, and 10, 1955, were in to confer with various persons interested in ex¬ hibits of equipment, supplies, etc., and other phases of the big gathering. Salt Lake City Variety Club of Salt Lake City, Tent 38, announced the election of the follow¬ ing officers for 1955, Dick Stafford, chief barker; K. 0. Lloyd, first assistant; Charles Walker, second assistant; Ed Montague, dough guy; and Howard Pearson, property master. San Antonio The Interstate Theatre Circuit folks as a Chi’istmas gift to the town’s or¬ phans held two special showings at the Majestic and Texas. . . . Jeannie Johnson was in town to promote the forthcoming showing of “Sign of the Pagan,” to play Interstate houses. Following her January 5, 1955