The Exhibitor (1954)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-1 XliWS OF Tnii Boston Crosstown Samuel Richmond, who for the past two years has been manager, Beacon Hill, has resigned. No replacement has been named as yet. Richmond has planned a Florida vacation for three weeks, after which he will return to announce his new affiliation in the industry. He recently won a substantial settlement in his anti¬ trust suit against the majors in federal court here, which has been under litiga¬ tion for four years since he operated the State, Lawrence, Mass. The Beacon Hill is owned and operated by Benjamin Sack, who spent the holidays in Nassau with his family. Continuing on as assist¬ ant manager is Harry Harding. A fire at the Kenmore routed more than 100 patrons but there was no panic and no one was hurt. The fire started in the ceiling at the stage end of the house during the evening performance. The audience filed out quietly after the assistant manager Allan Philbidck stepped up front and in a calm way asked them to leave. Damages, esti¬ mated at more than $15,000, were caused by water and the roof had to be re¬ paired. A three-alarm fire was rung in with Fire Chief Stapleton responding to the second alarm. He later stated he could not discover the cause of the fire. Louis W. Richmond owns the theatre property and operates the theatre as an art house. He had booked the IFF opera film, “Aida,” as the Christmas day pre¬ sentation. He immediately announced that the theatre will reopen in about 20 days and will present “Aida” at that time. He had planned a press party for Sol Hurok, producer. This event will also be postponed until the theatre is renovated and restoi'ed. The Strand, Pawtucket, R. I., which has had a labor dispute concerning the booth, has reopened its doors after settlement of the problems. It is a New England Theatres house. In dowmtown Providence, the West¬ minster, formerly the Victory, will re¬ open on Jan. 12 under new management and a new policy. The Victory has been closed for a year and a half and at one time was operated by the Snider Circuit. The new lessees are Fred Rogers, Howard Levin, and Joseph G. Cohen, who have taken a long term lease on the property. Rogers and Levin will manage the theatre, while Cohen will handle the buying and booking from his Boston office. The publicity and advertising will be handled by Donis Dondis. Seating 900, the Westminster will be operated on a first-run art policy, with UA’s “Hobson’s Choice” as the initial presentation. At the present time, the theatre is under¬ going renovations in preparation for its gala opening. Eliminations announced by the Bur¬ eau of Sunday Censorship included “Bread, Love, and Dreams,” (Italian), parts 1 to 10 (Deletions: Eliminate English captions and accompanying Italian dialogue, “Loose morals,” in part 1 ; eliminate English captions and ac¬ companying Italian dialogue, “Mar¬ shal, with 5,000 lire dress she’d be a pushover!” in part 5). I.F.E. “Jesse James’ Women,” parts 1 to 9 (Dele¬ tions: eliminate dialogue, “What else do you like? I don’t know but we might talk about it some time,” in part 2; cut down on scene showing Kate and Waco fighting, in part 5). United Art¬ ists “Intimate Relations,” parts 1 to 9 (Deletions: “To think that my son is being kept by a peroxided old woman,” in part 2; eliminate dialogue, “You’ll never marry that slut,” in part 2; eliminate dialogue, “I’m glad that Michael does take money from that woman,” in part 2; eliminate word “Slut,” in part 7 ; eliminate dialogue, “I pictured your young woman as a slut,” in part 7 ; eliminate dialogue, “She was your mistress,” in partS). Re¬ gal. “Paris 1900,” parts 1 to 8, (Dele¬ tions : eliminate dialogue, “—to seduce me,” in part 2; eliminate scene show¬ ing woman in bed receiving lover, in part 2; eliminate scene showing men entering and leaving urinal, in part 4; eliminate scene showing painting of nude women lying down in part 5). Regal. Film District Jack Meyers, Hub Film Company, independent distributor, has added the foreign product of Times Film Corpora¬ tion for the New England territory. . . . Sympathy to Irving Shapiro, head. Con¬ cession Enterprises, in the death of his father. Bessie Cohen, booking department, 2Uth-Fox, is engaged to marry Samuel Szathmary, Brookline, Mass. No date has been set for the wedding. In the same office, Richard Young, Washington, has been assigned as an apprentice booker. ... A gay Christmas party for the office staff at Embassy Pictures Corpora¬ tion and theatre managers was tossed by Joseph E. Levine, president, at the Hotel Bradford. Guests enjoyed an evening of cocktails, steak dinners, music, dancing, and gifts. Attending were Joseph Wolf, vice-president, who was toastmaster; George Kraska, publicist; Frances Greenberg, secretary; Harold Levin, booker; Edna Barnet, bookkeeper; Lillian Linder, assistant; Ben Rogers, salesman; Joe Lahey, shipper; Peggy Mahoney, former bookkeeper; Lee MacCarron and Helen Burns, shipping room; and Arthur Stein, manager. Round Hill Drive-In, Springfield, Mass., and Fred Fuda, man¬ ager, Westfield Drive-In, both of whom came to town especially for the occasion. Joe Levine handed out bonuses to his group as a surprise Christmas gesture. . . . Several exchanges this year got together for a gala Christmas party at Hotel Hampton Court in Brookline, Mass., which was ari’anged by Ralph lannuzzi, Warners’ branch manager. Five industry groups gathered for dinner and dancing. These included the office staffs from Warners, U-I, and Metro exchanges, who joined forces with the staffs from National Screen Service and Affiliated Theatres Corporation for a gay and fes¬ tive social evening. James M. Connolly, northeastern divi¬ sion manager, 20th-Fox, has been elected chairman of the examining board of the Boston Public Library System for 1955. He has served for four years on the committee and as chairman will head a group of 50 prominent citizens who examine the policies and practices of the library system. New Haven Crosstown Irving Hillman, manager, Roger Sher¬ man, in competition with 350 other man¬ agers of the nation-wide Stanley Warner Circuit, won first national prize in the promotion and publicity contest and through it earned a trip to England with all expenses for him and his wife. Si Fabian, president, and Sam Rosen, vicepresident, congratulated Hillman in New York recently. . . . The Howard made the front page of the Journal Courier when a boiler exploded in the basement of the building and 100 patrons were evacuated from the theatre. Manager Joe Calechman said that there was no damage to the theatre and the theatre returned to its regular schedule the day after the blast. The big real estate news in the theatre industry was the announcement of the purchase of the Loew Poll Bijou build¬ ing by the First National Bank and Trust Company for $200,000. Proprietors of four stores on the ground floor of the Bijou have been ordered to leave the premises by May 1. However, the bank said that they had no immediate plans for the theatre structure, being pur¬ chased for future development of the bank. The 1500-seat movie house has been closed for two years. The Bijou was the first house in the late Sylvester Z. Poll chain, which grew to 26 major theatres. Frank Braden, who at one time was in charge of publicity and promotion for the Poli New England Theatres, but returned to the Ringling BrothersBarnum and Bailey Circus as press agent, was back in town, this time in the role of publicity representative for “Three Ring Circus” at Jim Darby’s Paramount. The Roger Sherman had a special kiddie show, sponsored by W. T. Grant Company Toyland, with tickets being distributed to the youngsters at Grant’s toy section , . . Crown publicized its pre-Christmas triple horror show in a clever manner. . . . Local theatres closed on Christmas Eve included the Forrest, West Haven; White Way; Capitol, East Haven; Howard and Lawrence; Lincoln; Strand, Hamden; Grand; and Fairmount. . . . Morris Rosenthal, Loew’s Poli, had nice campaign of bally for “Vera Cruz.” . . . When “Hansel and Gretel” played Roger Sherman, a local angle was worked into the theatre ads. It read, “Hear New Haven’s own Helen Boat¬ wright, the voice of the Dew Fairy.” . . . New dinnerware deal started at the Grand. . . . Jim Darby had two special Boy Scout shows at the Paramount, fea¬ turing “Three Ring Circus” and “Jam¬ boree.” January 5, 1955 NEW ENGLAND