The Exhibitor (1954)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-3 Ruth “Gi-andma” Cook, Warners, head billing clerk, celebrated a birthday. . . . Doi'is Wishman, representing Eden Dis¬ tributing Company, New York, was in town seeking distribution for their movie, “Garden Of Eden.” She held a screening for owners and their sales staff of independent distributii g ex¬ changes and on the following day for theati’e owners and buying and book¬ ing representatives at the Fox screen¬ ing room. Mississippi exhibitors in to book were William Butterfield, Lake Drive-In, Pas¬ cagoula; Fred Gooch, Mayvel, Sandersville; T. C. “Teddy” Solomon, N. Solo¬ mon Theatres, and Lonnie Davis, book¬ er, Pike Booking Company, McComb; A. L. Royal and Hank Jackson, A. L. Royal Theatres, Meridian; Ed Delaney, Pike, Magnolia; Willard Kaminer, Park, Raymond, and Park, Pelahatchie; Herb Hargroder, Beverly Drive-In, Hatties¬ burg; Ed Ortte, Legion and Gulf, Gulf¬ port; Curtis Matherne, booker, Henry Meyer’s Theatres, Biloxi; Ed Jenner, Laurel; and Tom Watson, Lyric and Varsity, Ellisville. A large crowd of exhibitors, mem¬ bers of the press, radio, television, and film buyers and bookers, and members of the city’s various clubs for women attended the invitational screening of Paramount’s “Bridges at Toko-Ri” at the Imperial, Bob Bixler, Dallas, Para¬ mount’s exploiteer, acted as host in the absence of branch manager William Holiday, who unfortunately was called to Atlanta because of the death of Mrs. Holiday’s mother. Frank Olah, Star, Albany, La., and associate in Skyvue Drive-In, fit as a fiddle again after sevei'al weeks confinment due to a back injury, was making the rounds accompanied by his son. . . . G. E. Wiltse was in from Dallas. With him was his manager, Robert Ricourd, St. Bernard Drive-In. . . . E. W. Ansardi, Buras, La., is back in swing after a siege of illness. . . . Thank you, Mrs. Bertha Foster, Violet, La., joining the large family of Motion Picture Exhibi¬ tor readers, and sincere appreciation to George Pabst, UA district manager, for renewal subscription to Motion Picture Exhibitor. William Zolliner, New York, MGM short subject representative was here on a visit with exchange manager C. J. “Jimmy” Briant and personnel. . . . Visitors at Joy’s Theatres headquarters were Fi'a.nk Mullins, Texarkana, Tex.; Jack O’Quin, Joy-Oke Theatres, Kaplan, La.; and Alec Rosenthal, Joy and Sil¬ ver City, Alexander, La. . . . Van J. Emerson has made arrangements with Transway for the transpoi'tatio.n of all consignments moving between New Or¬ leans and his theatre, the Crystal, Lew¬ isville, Ark. Willard Kaminer, owner. Park, Pela¬ hatchie, Miss., has taken over the operatio.n of the Raymond, Raymond, Miss., which he lenamed the Park. . . . Bernard J. Fonseca, operating the sub¬ urban Ashton, is free of a charge that h(‘ laii a gambling game at the movif' house, luled criminal judge Oser, after his attorney, Bentley Byrnes, contend¬ ed that a Keno game which lead to Fon¬ seca’s arrest a year ago after a state police raid at the theatre was conducted as a stimulus to business. The Chancery Court of the Fii'st Judicial District of Hinds County, Miss., found for the plaintiff in a suit involv¬ ing discriminatory theati'e admission taxes. In 1952, the Mississippi Legisla¬ ture passed a 3 per cent sales tax for all theatres operated within the state, excepting, however, chains of 10 or more, in which case the tax would be 5 per cent. Paramount Gulf Theatres, Inc., having been adversely affected by this order, and having been additionally advised that it was discriminatory, brought suit in the Mississippi Chan¬ cery Court. The court found that the discrimination was arbitrary and un¬ reasonable and in strict violation of the provisions of the Fourteenth Amend¬ ment to the Constitution. They found, further, that the State lacked the au¬ thority to assess, demand, and collect these taxes. At the recent ^luncheon meeting held at the New Orleans Hotel, Mrs. Con¬ nie Aufdemorte, WOMPI president, wel¬ comed two new members, Mrs. Patricia Smith and Miss Judy Badeaux, Pittman Theatres. She also announced the apfiointment of Miss Ida Kloss, Para¬ mount-Gulf, as local extension chair¬ man, and Mrs. Vivian Marlborough, Motion Picture Advertising, as choral director. The ways and means commit¬ tee sponsored a showing of “Picnic” at the Gallery Circle Theatre, and a dem¬ onstration on the art of cookery under the auspices of the New’ Orleans Public Service. From the national headquarters in Dallas, via national publicity chair¬ man Claire Tremorel, United Artists, the follow’ing appointments were made to serve on the committee for the elec¬ tion of regional director, Mi-s. Hazel Schwartz, Theatre Service, chairman, e’ections committee; Miss Nathalee Odom, MGM, nominating committee; Mrs. Valerie Steudlein, Paramount Film Distributing Corporation, and Mrs. Anne Dufour, United Artists, tell¬ ers committee. Bob Kelly returned to the Row for a visit. Kelly, former manager, Dixie Films, said that he is feeling much better These two child models helped in Florida State Theatres, Miami, Fla., recent cam¬ paign on Michael Myerberg’s RKO release, “Hansel and Gref el.” They appeared in grocery stores, etc. after tw'o years in confinement in hospi¬ tal and at home. Arkansas Little Rock Twm former owners of theatres at Monticello, Ark., w’ere sued in Federal District Court by eight motion picture companies and distributors, w'ho claim misrepresentation of gross receipts on films shown since 1945. The defendants are B. V. McDougald and Zula La Floe McDougald, identified as the former ow’ners, Drewq destroyed by fire in July, 1953, and the Amuse-U. The petitions state that the woman now ow’ns the Dixie, Monticello. The suits w’ere brought by Columbia, Paramount, MGM, U-I, UA, RKO, Warners, and 2()th-Fox. The court is asked to determine how’ much they lost in renting or leasing product to the McDougalds, and they claim it wdll be over $3,000 each. Florida Miami Florida State Theatres had a power¬ ful campaign on “Hansel and Gretel,” which opened in the Florida, Sheridan, and Coral. In cooperation with the Na¬ tional Biscuit Company, free samples of a “Hansel and Gretel” cooky were distributed and the Miami distributor had posters on delivery trucks and point-of-sale tieins. A young boy and girl were outfitted in the Hansel and Gretel costumes and made television and radio appearances, plugging the dates of the picture at the theatres. A professional puppeteer. Tommy Trent, gave two performances a day at each of six supermarkets in the Tanner chain. These shows were advertised in the Tanner newspaper ads, as well as on their radio and TV spots. Michael Myerberg, producer, made a surprise appearance at a special sci-eening of the picture for members of the Dade County Council PTA, and spoke to the group and answered questions. Myer¬ berg later spoke to a press and radio luncheon about the problems, aims, and artistic challenge he and his group had encountered in making the film. Lead¬ ers of the PTA group strongly en¬ dorsed the film before the representa¬ tive press of Miami. Interviews with Myerberg and picture breaks appeared in all leading Miami papers, as w’ell as on radio. After being presented wdth the ke.v to Miami Beach by Mayor Har¬ old Shapiro, Myerberg made a round of visits to radio and television stations. Tent 33, Variety Club, issued Volume I, Number 1, of the “Variety Barker”, featuring messages by new Chief Bark¬ er Maurey Ashmann; past Chief Bark¬ er Bill bock; Chief Barker, Variety Clubs International, George Hoover, etc. Mayor Abe .4ronovitz w’as honored guest at the club’s first celebrity lunch¬ eon in the New Orleans dining room of the new’ club quarters. Sonny Shep¬ herd and A1 Weiss are co-chaiimen, annual variety show to be held on Feb. 12 at the Miami Beach auditorium, for benefit of Variety Children’s Hospital. The Lauderdale Drive-In, Fort Lau¬ derdale, Fla., celebrated its seventh an¬ niversary, with priz<!s, cak<*, ice cre.ani January 26, 1955