The Exhibitor (1955)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-1 iMiWS or rnr: QRANCHES Cincinnati New officers of Theatre Owners Corp¬ oration are Herman H. Hunt, president; Willis Vance, first vice-president; Gor¬ don C. Pape, second vice-president; S. W. Huss, Jr., secretary; Maurice Chase, treasurer, and James W. McDonald, as¬ sistant secretary; treasurer and general manager. Mrs. Herman H. Hunt, newly-elected president of the Ladies Auxiliary, Tent Three, Variety Clubs, has oppointed the following committee chairmen: Heart, Mrs. Arthur Van Gelder; membership, Mrs. Jack Finberg and Mrs. Vance Schwartz; telephone, Mrs. Harry Pollins and Mrs. A. Straus; publicity, Mrs. Sam Weiss; hospitality, Mrs. Abe Maius and Mrs. Stuart Jacobson; programs for afternoon meetings, Mrs. M. M. Dennis and Mrs. James S. Abrose; programs for evening meetings, Mrs. Max Marcus and Mrs. Robert Jacobs; food, Mrs. Allan Moritz and Mrs. Sol Greenberg; and fund raising, Mrs. Robert McNab. When the RKO five-year lease on the Shubert runs out in a few months, it was reported the downtown house will revert to live-presentations, while the next-door Cox, where many legitimate shows have been booked, may be leased by a local television station for its au¬ dience telecasts. No information is cur¬ rently available as to whether live shows will be booked into the Emery and Taft Auditorium, as in the past. . . . Robert C. McNab, 20th-Fox branch manager, and newly installed chief barker, Tent Three, Variety Clubs, announced that the club’s charitable activities this year will continue to be centered around its Foundation for Retarded Children. . . . In on business were Morris Lefko, RKO district manager; Ben Fish, New York, Goldwyn representative; Richard Yates, Republic executive, and F. J. McCarthy, U-I Canadian and southern sales manager. Exhibitors in were Chalmers Bach, Eaton, O.; Harold Raives and Joe Gold¬ stein, Cleveland, O.; James Herb, Dayton, 0.; Bob Harrell, Cleves, 0.; Wil¬ liam Settos, Springfield, O.; Harry Wheeler, Gallipolis, O.; William Goldcamp, Portsmouth, O.; G. Pekras and Frank Yassenoff, Columbus, 0.; H. E. Bennett, Circleville, O.; Hank Davidson, Lynchburg, O.; Charles Scott, Vevay, Ind. ; Guy Greathouse, Aurora, Ind.; Charles Behlen, Lexington, Ky. ; J. W. Smith, Warshaw, Ky. ; Harold Moore, Charleston, W. Va.; Frank Mandros, Cabin Creek, W. Va., and Joe Joseph, Parkersburg, W. Va. The Ladies Auxiliary, Tent 3, Variety Clubs, were hostesses for Variety mem¬ bers and guests at a party in the clubrooms in Hotel Netherland Plaza honor Present at the recent opening of 20thFox’s “Prince Of Players,” Allen, Cleve¬ land, were, left to right, Glenn Norris, eastern sales manager; Howard Highley, manager, Allen; T. O. McCleaster, central division manager; and Dick Wright, dis¬ trict manager, Stanley Warner Theatres. ing Deborah Kerr and others in the cast of “Tea and Sympathy” at the conclusion of the successful run at the Taft. . . . TOC is booking and buying for the Belpre Drive-In, Belpre, 0., Kenneth Leach, owner, Marvin Leach, operator; .and for the Gauley, Gauley Bridge, W. Va., Stanley Clemmens, owner. Exhibitors seen on Film Row were George Reef, Hippodrome, Sheridan, Ind.; William T. Studebaker, Logan, Logansport, Ind.; V. E. Burkle, Rialto, Fortville, Ind.; J. P. Griffis, Boswell, Boswell, Ind.; Earl Payne, Switow Cir¬ cuit, Louisville, K.; and E. E. Smith, Devon, Francisville, Ind. William A. H.ammel, 61, former treas¬ urer, Cox, died last fortnight. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Cecelia Wintering Hammel; his mother; a sis¬ ter; and a brother. . . . Herman H. Hunt was elected president. Theatre Owners Corporation. Others elected were Willis Vance, first vice-president; Gordon C. Pape,, second vice-president; Maurice Chase, treasurer; S. W. Huss, Jr., sec¬ retary; and James W. McDonald, as¬ sistant secretary-treasurer and general manager. Cleveland Effective Feb. 11, Republic Pictures is discontinuing its back room operations, and all inspection and shipping will be done with State Films. This is part of an economy move which will also include a move to smaller quarters for the ex¬ change. A. E. Schiller, in charge of chain operations, is now in Cleveland looking over various locations. It is understood that the company’s inspectresses, Selma Porterfield and Bernice Copelan with 36 and 11 years respectively, will be re¬ tained by State Films. The farewell party to Howard Spiess, who is moving to St. Louis, was attend¬ ed by some 90 industry members in¬ cluding district managers, branch man¬ agers, bookers and friends. Spiess, a Co-op booker for the past 12 years re¬ signed to join the Smith Management Corporation, and will buy and book for midwest theatres in the St. Louis area. Horace Adams, president. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, as toastmaster. City Council Lines Up Favoring Censorship CLEVELAND — A resolution favoring the enactment of state cen¬ sorship of motion pictures workable under the Supreme Court ruling was passed by the Cleveland City Coun¬ cil. The vote was 30 to 2. The reso¬ lution had previously been unani¬ mously passed by the council wel¬ fare committee. The two opponents called for defeat of the measure as an infringement of freedom of democracy and freedom of free enterprise,” and pointed out that present laws provided for the arrest and fair trial of offenders of de¬ cency. They were overwhelmingly voted down to the applause of some 300 people, mostly women, present in the council chamber. Although there was no debate on the measure, several proponents of movie censor¬ ship explained their vote proclaim¬ ing film censorship a “protection against shock and vulger entertain¬ ment” while another regretted the resolution did not include television. presented Spiess with a gold wrist watch. Bill Twigg was formally installed as local Warners branch manager. He succeeds Ernest Sands, promoted to manage the company’s New York City branch. . . . Irving Ludwig, Buena Vista domestic sales manager, and his assist¬ ant Jesse Chinich, were in town confer¬ ring with area sales manager Leo Green¬ field. . . . Rhoda Koret moved back into the Columbia exchange, but in a new position. Recently she resigned as sec¬ retary. She returns as a booker. . . . Mark Goldman, IFE district sales man¬ ager, announced the appointment of Larry Liens as salesman in Detroit. , . . James Hihacek, Tivoli, Toledo, 0., has been elected president of the Young Democrats Club of Lucas County. Newest member of the Film Row colony is Mary Gelfand, appointed IFE cashier. . . . Harry Rice, Columbia home office exploitation representative, has been in Cleveland laying the ground¬ work for a campaign on “The Long Gray Line.” . . . An all-steel fabricated screen tower is being erected at the Belvedere Drive-In, Painesvill, O. When completed the theatre will be equipped to show all the new pictures including CinemaScope. . . . National Theatre Supply has promoted Bob Ullman from office manager to salesman, and has appointed James Kubis to succeed him. . . . Nat Barach, National Screen Service branch manager, and Mrs. Barach cele¬ brated their 35th wedding anniversary. Barach also accepted birthday congratu¬ lations. Nate and Sam Schultz, Selected Thea¬ tre circuit, last week added the Maple Drive-In, Zanesville, 0., to their chain of 11 indoor and five outdoor theatres. . . . Nate Schultz is vacationing in Florida. . . . E. L. Staup, Capitol, Delphos, 0., was accompanied on the Film Row visit to exchange by his son, Gary, just out of service after four years in the Fehriinryi 16, 1955 MIDKAST