The Exhibitor (1954)

.s^T-1 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR visit, she left for Houston, Tex., and other Texas cities. . . . Edward J. Swerk is planning to build a $1,000,000 pleasure pier at Corpus Christi, Tex., on Corpus Christi Bay. Included in the plans are a theatre. A local youth who argued it was his constitutional right to talk in a theatre and curse the manager learned that his rights were costly. He was fined $50 in Coi'poration Court. The theatre manager told that he asked the boy to tone down his language while in the theatre, but the boy responded by cursing him and claiming constitutional rights of freedom of speech. The judge suspended $40 of the fine, but warned the teen-ager he would have to pay it if he is brought up again upon a sim¬ ilar complaint. Ann Francis is expected to make a state wide tour in behalf of her new picture, “Bad Day at Black Rock.” She will open at Austin on Jan. 11; here, Jan. 12; Dallas, Jan. 13; Fort Worth, Jan. 14; El Paso, Jan. 15; Amarillo, Jan. 17; Lubbock, Jan. 18; and then to Denver on Jan, 19. More than 550 Texas theatres obser¬ ved Christmas week by showing a spec¬ ial film, “Victory Springs,” starring Greer Garson and dedicated to the crippled children of Texas. It will be the fifth annual Texas Theatres Crip¬ pled Children’s Fund for Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation, with collections taken up following each showing. The film is directed by Mervyn LeRoy and was produced at Warners, Wayne Long, Corall Drive-In, Monohans, Tex., has installed a Manco-Vision screen, said to be the first of its kind in this part of the country. . . , Film star Gary Cooper was a two day visitor at Houston, Tex., in behalf of his latest United Artists film, “Vera Cruz.” He then went to Dallas for a press, radio, and TV interview. . . . For the 19th consecutive year, the Interstate Thea¬ tre Circuit staged a special benefit show for the Bluebird Circle Hospital fund. Two showings were held at the Almeda and Garden Oaks. One each was held at the Eastwood, Tower, Alabama, Yale, River Oaks, Wayside, and Santa Rosa. A pi'ogram of shorts and comedies were shown. Cinemascope was recently installed at C. M. Anding’s Halton and D. A. Dickinson’s Varsity, Fort Worth, Tex. . . . Bob Euler, manager, Bonham Thea¬ tres, has announced that the Best will remain open here on a full seven day per week schedule. This was done be¬ cause of the closing of the Bonham Drive-In for the season. ... It was a baby girl to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sheffield, Abilene, Tex. Father is assis¬ tant manager. Paramount. . . . Gene Hughes has succeeded Gwen Mulkey as manager, Texas, Denton, Tex. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Caywood have install¬ ed a new wide-screen at their Texas, Brady, Tex. The Tex Drive-In, Port Arthur, Tex., has been purchased by Capri Theatres, Inc., Dallas, headed by Charles W. Weisenburg. Name will be changed to Manager Lynn Krueger, Majestic, San Antonio, Texas, recently mounted a miniature 'stage on the sidewalk and pulled pedestrians with a shoeless “mystery girl” as a stunt for UA’s “The Barefoot Cnntessa.” Texans were tipped to the exploitation by stenciled footprints that led through downtown streets to the theatre. the Capri. Charles Donaldson will be manager, replacing Howard Arthur, who managed for the Tex Drive-In Theatre Company. A six week remodeling pro¬ gram is being started which will include widening of the screen for CinemaScope, new driveway lighting mai'quee improvements, additional speakers, in¬ stallation of a fountain in the stack bar, and cafeteria system in the concession stand. Paul Klatt, manager, Lobo Drive-In, Monahans, Tex. has announced the com¬ pletion of the installation of equipment to show the new wide-screen processes. . . . The Milam, Cameron, Tex., managed by Dean White, has been reopened and will operate on a full time basis. New seating, carpeting, and equipment for wide-screen films has been installed. . . . A six months pass to the Village, Port Arthur, Tex., was awarded a young boy by manager T. L. Dickey for staying all night in an antiquated old horse drawn hearse in front of the Village as a stunt for a midnight horror show. Seattle Walter Hoffman, Paramount’s regional publicity director, returned from a 10day meeting in Los Angeles where he saw all Paramount product for the com¬ ing year and also met top producers, writers, and stars on the Paramount lot. . . . Leo Lantz is leaving for Miami, Fla., to look over the talent and hotel situation. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Michael, he’s a local theatre supplier, are leaving for a trip south to include San Francisco, a visit to Hollywood studios, and Las Vegas, Nev. . . . Peter Barnes, who headquarters in Toronto, was on the Row. . . . Jack Engerman, Northwest Releasing, returned from a trip to Chic¬ ago, Denver, and Salt Lake City and reports he has completed negotiations to reissue two more David Selznick films, “Notorious” and “The Farmer’s Daugh¬ ter.” Lois Toncheck, Northwest Releasing, went to Timberline for New Year’s Eve. . . . Marlene Holman, former Seafair piincess now attending the University of Washington, was working full time during Christmas vacation at North¬ west Releasing as assistant cashier. The Seattle City Council license committe recommended renewal of the mu¬ nicipal license of the American, operated by Arthur Fox, after reviewing a new report from the Board Theatre Super¬ visors. Frank A. Ursino, board chair¬ man, previously had asked the Council not to renew the license until Fox had promised to cooperate with the board. The board had reported that the theatre operator had been “uncooperative” when asked to limit the showing of “The French Line” to adults only. Buck Smith reopened the Tenino, Tenino, Wash., which has been closed for quite some time. . . . Recent installations reported by Modern Thea¬ tre Supply include Hilex Val anamorphic lenses and CinemaScope equipment at the C-raigmont, Craigmont, Idaho, owned by Henry Philpott, and a new RCA Dynalite screen, Hilex Val anamorphic lenses and CinemaScope instal¬ lation at the Mode, Cottonwood, Idaho, owned by Cletus Uhlorn. Paramount held their annual dinner dance at the Sorrento Top ’O the Town. . . . National Theatre Supply’s open house was well-attended by exhibitors and Film Row pei’sonnel. ... A gala event for Film Row youngsters was the annual Christmas children’s party in Modern Theatre Supply’s preview room. The program featured cartoons, favors, and refreshments. . . . 20th-Fox had its annual dinner party at Hewitt’s Cafe. A new Walker screen and an Altec Voice of the Theatre speaker system has been installed in the Neptune by National Theatre Supply. The firm has also completed installation in the Grand of a new Walker screen, anamorphic lenses, complete stereophonic sound system, plus new drapes supplied through Theatre Drapery Supply. . . . Regarding the recent reopening of the Tokay, Ray¬ mond, Wash., Dwight Spracher, in a letter of appreciation to A1 Mushkin, Theatre Drapery Supply, expressed his satisfaction for the superb job of re¬ modeling that his firm accomplished. Spracher stated that patrons were “amazed, startled, delighted, and pleased with the appearance of the new stage and auditorium as well as the new sound system and screen. Sammy Siegel, Columbia fieldman, is in Salt Lake City. . . . Zollie Volchok’s son Gary was confirmed in a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. The event was celebrated with a party in the Volchock home at¬ tended by over 125 guests. . . . Three Puget Sound youngsters returned last week from a trip to Hollywood. They made the trip as winners of the Roy Rogers Back-To-School contest conducted by Sears Roebuck and Company. The prize winners were Marlene Paulson, 12, and Kim Furney, 7, Seattle and Michael Endicott, 11, Tacoma, Wash. The Neptune and Egyptian presented a “Cartoonoscope,” 21 color cartoons, as a special children’s Christmas program. Januai'y 5, 1955