The Exhibitor (1954)

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NT-4 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Tom Bloomer, Belleville, Ill., is the MITO member on the TOA executive committee, while the MITO members on the TOA board of directors are Lester R. Ki’opp, Tommy James and Paul Krueger, all of St. Louis. At the January meeting of the MITO officers and directors, it was voted to make honorary members of Arnold Gould, resident manager, Jeffer¬ son City, Mo., Durwood Theatres; Jim Castle and Frances Lohmeyer, Para¬ mount publicity staff; and David F. Barret, St. Louis correspondent for trade publications. The meeting went on record as recommending to the membership of MITO their attendance at the second annual convention of the National Allied Drive-In Theatre Association at the Chase Hotel here on Feb. 8, 9, and 10. It was decided to have the February meeting of the MITO officers and boai'd held in the new headquarters of the St. Louis Variety Club. Participation by MITO members in the annual G.I. Pal Dinner of Belleville, Ill., to be staged at the Scott Air Force Base, also was brought up. Edward B. Arthur, im¬ mediate past chief barker, St. Louis Variety Club, announced that the Variety Club in cooperation with MITO was spon¬ soring a buffet dinner, dancing, and entertainment in the new quarters of the Variety Club that would also be a cele¬ bration of the 50th wedding anniversary of Joseph and Esther Ansell, Ansell Brothers Theatres. President Kropp named a special committee to work on the Red Cross annual membership enroll¬ ment campaign. This committee includes Frank Henson, Lou Ansell, Bill Kaiman, Tommy James, and Kropp. The Reverend Daniel A. Lord, S.J., who wrote the Production Code of the Motion Picture Producers Association in 1929, and national director, Eucharistic Crusade of Knights and Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament, died of cancer at St. John’s Hospital. He was 66 years old. Mrs. Hannah Tobin, who died at her home recently, was the owner of the Capitol, Waterloo, Ill., which had been operated by Charles Goldman. She was the widow of the late James J. Tobin and the mother of the late Thomas C. Tobin, prominent as a film exchange man¬ ager and salesman and, later, a theatre owner, an associate of the Frisina inter¬ ests and Goldman. She is survived by a daughter and two grandchildren. In Jacksonville, Ill., Howard F. Busey recently sold his stock interest in the El Fran Theatres, Inc., owner. Times; Plaza, Marion, Ill.; and Star, Benton, Ill., to his business associate in that company, Benjamin M. Montee. Montee will continue to operate the three thea¬ tres. Busey and one of his partners in the Central Amusement Company, oper¬ ator, 67 Drive-In, Elmore Suter, have purchased the stock intei’est in the drivein from their partner, Edwai'd Bonascorsi, who is retiring from the theatre field to devote his entire time to the Corner Drug Store. In Highland, Ill., it has been learned that Oliver Winet, owner. Air Park Drive-In, 3()0-car project, may resume operations of that project on his own account. The diive-in has been operated by Adolph P. List, Carlyle, Ill. David Arthur, head booker, Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amusement Com¬ pany circuit, was installed as the 1955 chief barker. Tent 4, Variety Clubs Inter¬ national, along with the other officers at a luncheon meeting that marked the formal opening of the club’s new head¬ quarters in the Chase Hotel. Other officers are first assistant chief barker, A1 Poos; second assistant, Gordon Halloran; dough guy, Joseph Ansell; and property master, Jim Goldsmith. The members of the 1955 crew in addition to the officers are Lester R. Kropp, Tommy James, Harold Kophu', John Meiniardo, Tony Blust, and James H. Arthur. Wayne W. Stephenson, Paramount salesman, as president, St. Louis Loge 19, Colosseum of Motion Picture Sales¬ men of America, has announced the appointment of the following 1955 stand¬ ing committees, executive. Bob Lightfoot, Allied Artists, and Hugh Nesbitt, Universal-International, to serve with Stephenson, vice-president Jim Hill, Warners, and Lou Ratz, RKO; grievance, William W. Sharpe, Paramount, chair¬ man, and Arthur McManus, 2()th-Fox, and Edward J. Stevens, United Artists. The January meeting of the Better Films Council of Greater St. Louis, Inc., was held in the Scruggs-VandervoortBarney Auditorium. This was the fourth of a series of meetings on the general theme, “Motion Pictures — New Hori¬ zons,’’ and was open to the general public. Mrs. Gustav F. Goetsch, Council pi'esident, presided. Robert Lippert, Lippert Pictures, was the guest of honor at a luncheon meet¬ ing at the Sheraton Hotel, arranged by Herman Gorelick and George Phillips, co-owners, Realart Pictures of St. Louis, Inc., which handles Lippert films in the territory. Prior to the luncheon there was a special screening of Liqpert’s “They Were So Young’’ in Ruby S’Renco’s Art. A numbe] of exhibitors were invited to attend, including Tom Bloomer, Belle¬ ville, Ill.; Izzy Wienshienk, district man¬ ager, Publix Great States, Alton, Ill.; Edward B. Arthur and David Arthur, Fanchon and Marco-St. Louis Amuse¬ ment Company; Andy Dietz, general manager. Cooperative Theatres; John Meinardi, district manager; and Russell Mortenson, chief bookei-. Fox Midwest Theatres; and Lester R. Kropp, co¬ general manager, Fred Wehrenberg Theatres Circuit, and president, Missouri111 inois Theatre Owners. It has been learned that the JablonowKomm Theatres contemplate an extensive modernization for their New Shenandoah. . . . Tom Bloomer, Bloomer Amusement Company, Belleville, Ill., has revealed that the circuit plans ihe installation of larger screens at the Starlight Drive-In, Alton, Ill.; Skyview Drive-In, Belleville, Ill.; and the Cent)'alia Diive-In, Centralia. Ill. . . . Other CinemaScope instal¬ lations included the Ritz, Van Buren, Mo.; Winona Drive-In, Winona, Mo.; Times, Memphis, Mo.; and Okaw, Find¬ lay, Ill. Ray McCaft'ery, manager. Republic, was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital foi' an emei'genc.v appendectomy. He has made an excellent recovery. San Antonio Burl Lovelace, Allied Artists’ sales¬ man, was a recent visitor to the city calling on the local exhibitors from the Dallas exchange. . . . Keven Genther and George Nichols, public relations officials, MGM, out of Hollywood, were in for a brief visit. Kenneth Holmes, advance man. Re¬ public, was in en route to Brackettville, Tex., where his studio shortly will begin building the replica of the Alamo, shrine of Texas liberty, for a new film. The Granada, Plainview, Tex., man¬ aged by C. E. McSwain, has installed CinemaScope equipment. . . . Carl Henderson, manager, Aztec, Henderson, Tex., has announced that the project of installing CinemaScope has been com¬ pleted. ... A luncheon reception was being planned to honor Leroy Bickel, MGM exchange manager, and Louis Weber, manager operations, on their visit to Houston, Tex. . . . CinemaScope has been installed at the Texas, Haskell, Tex., according to B. L. Haley, manager. Seattle Paramount held a special preview showing of “The Bridges At Toko-Ri” at the Varsity. It was well-attended by exhibitors, air force and naval officials, radio and TV personnel. . . . Celia Blatt, 2()th-Fox booker, returned from her Hawaiian vacation; but stopped at the studios enroute home long enough to see the forthcoming “Soldiers of Fortune,’’ starring Susan Hayward and Clark Gable. . . . J. M. Hone, executive seci'etar.v. Theatre Owners of Washington, Northein Idaho, and Alaska, is attend¬ ing the state legislative sessions that are relevant to legislation affecting theatres and the motion picture industry as a whole. Hone has attended evex'y session of the legislature since 1923. Reville Kniffin, 2()th-Fox assistant division manager from Los Angeles, left after visiting the local office. . . . Theatre Owners of Washington, Northern Idaho, and Alaska held a closed membership meeting at the Jewel Box Preview Thea¬ tre of B. F. Shearer Company. . . . Zollie Volchok, Northwest Releasing Corporation, has returned from a trip to Portland, and salesman A1 Larpenteur is back from an eastern Washington tour. . . . Republic alesman Dave Dunkle made a trip north to Bellingham and Blaine, Wash. . . . W. R. (Bill) Tomlin¬ son, formerly salesman, Republic, in San Francisco, has moved his family to Seattle, where he will now reside. As Northwest representative for Walt Dis¬ ney’s Buena Vista organization, he is establishing local headquarters. Film Row visitors included Florence Benson, Island, Friday Harbo]’. Wash.; Paul A. Volkman, Liberty and Dickon, Wapato, Wash.; and Mike Powers, 2()thFox eastern Washington salesman. The recent opening of the new Uni¬ versity branch of the Washington Mutual Savings Bank was highlighted with a bank-sponsored free children’s matinee in both the Egyptian and Neptune. The show for the youngsters was presented as part of the bank’s opeii house celebi-ation. January 26, 1955