The Exhibitor (1955)

N1'-2 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Nat Wolf, formoi' Wai-ner Ohio zone manager, is now affiliated with TheatreCraft Seating Company, Macedonia, 0., which replaces damaged threatre seats, matching the upholstery of the audi¬ torium. . . . Irving Field, who claims to have developed an all-purpose pro¬ jection lens adaptable to both 2-D and CinemaScoi)e, demonstrated it for the Wollensack Optical Company, Rochestei', N. Y. . . . Practically all local theatres responded to the invitation of manager 1. J. Schmertz, 20th-Fox, to attend a meeting in the 20th-Fox screening room foi' an exposition of the company’s ad¬ vertising program for “A Man Called Peter.” Sol Gordon, 20th-Fox territoiial publicity director, made the presenta¬ tion, exhibiting the six national maga¬ zines each of which will run full pages in color during March and April. Local representatives of Life, the American Weekly and Seventeen supplemented his talk with statistics on circulation and readership of the magazines involved. An invitational screening attended by mem¬ bers of the clergy and representatives of educational institutions was held at the RKO Palace. The West Side Drive-In, threateneil with closing the past two seasons be¬ cause of encroachment of the enlarged Cleveland Hopkins Airport, opened, ami, at the rate the airport constretion is going, it will remain open all this sea¬ son. . . . Salesmen’s Club of Cleveland elected a new slate of officers. They arc' president, Jim Levitt, U-I city salesman; first vice-president, Sol Gordon, Allied .\rtists; second vice-president, Ii'ving Marcus, National Screen Service; secre¬ tary, Robert Blitz, Warners; and trea¬ surer, Sam Lichtei'. Board of directors serving this year are Danny Rosen¬ thal, United Artist branch manager; Nat Barach, NSS branch manager; Ed¬ win R. Bergman, U-I; Justin Spiegle, Republic, and Jack Lewis, RKO. Out going president is M. J. Glick. Wedding bells will ring out on May 29 for Marshall Fine, Associated Thea¬ tres, son of the circuit’s president Meyei' Fine, and Pati’icia Crow, McKeesport, Pa. A six weeks honeymoon trip abroad will follow the ceremony. . . . Bob Bial, Luthi Studios, flew to Florida to drive Paul Gusdanovic’s car home while Paul and his wife make the trip by plane. . . . For whatever it means, employes of the Palace and Marion, Marion, O., have been given two weeks notice. It is rumor¬ ed that threat of closing is to effect elimination of the local admission tax. Both houses are operated by United De¬ troit Theatres. Max Mink, manager, RKO Palace, booked a cartoon program to appeal es¬ pecially to the young fry. Twelve Disney cartoons were shown with “Chief Crazy Horse” as the featui'e attraction. . . . Word was received here that Nat Rosen, former manager. State, Cuyahoga Falls, O. , died in Florida. IFE vice-president Seymour Schussel was in town for one day. . . . Leo Green¬ field, Buena Vista district manager, an¬ nounced the appointment of Ted Levy as sales representative in Deti'oit and Bill Garner as Cincinnati sales represen¬ tative. Both are well known in film circles. Levy was formerly with U-I in Detroit, and Gainer was with 20th-Fox in Cincinnati. Someone walked out of the Palace lobby on a recent Saturday night with a life-size beaverboai'd cutout of Jane liussell clad in a bathing suit. Glued to the bathing suit as props in a guessing-game promotion were TOO pennies. Detroit Ten ai'ea drive-ins opened, including the Dearborn, Westside, Fort, Jolly Roger, Bel-Aire, East Side, Gratiot, Mount Clemens, Grand River, and Town. The Pontiac Drive-In, Pontiac, Mich., also opened with a two column ad pro¬ claiming their leaffiliation with Local 620, Motion Picture Operators Union, with whom they ended last season sipiabbling. The big Michigan, United Detioit chain, was host to a 10 a.m. fashion show every day the week of March 14. . . . A special 9:30 a.m. showing of “A Man Called Peter” was scieened for the Detroit Council of Churches. Piotestant officials from all over the area were invited. ... At a Sheriton-Cadillac lunch, .\llied Artists president Steve Bi'oidy and vice-president Morey Gold¬ stein discussed forthcoming productions with the trade. .4 Communion breakfast is })lanned for Catholic members of the industry sometime in Apiil. The original yearly series of breakfasts, started in Windsor, Ontario, will with this event jump the river to include Detroit. Planning com¬ mittee includes Frank P. Henneberger, Jam Handy; Patrick J. Blaney, United Film Service; Andy Farkas, Equitable Life Assurance Society; Mat Dennis, Windsor Star; Giles McMann, CKLW ; and Bud Lynch, TV announcer. Heading the committee aie Edgai' Lamoureaux, Palace, Windsor, and Thomas P. Allen, United Film Service, chairmen; Ernest Conlon, Allied Theatres of Michigan, program; James T. Hooper, Centre, Windsor, tickets; and William Rabe, University of Detroit, publicity. Tbe Music Hall has resumed student showings of “Cinerama Holiday” Satur¬ day mornings and is booked through thinext six weeks. 300 carriers fiom The Toledo Blade bussed to Detioit and so enjoyed the bobsled run that manager George Sander reran it for them. Frank Upton, regional manager, has been to Cincinnati and St. Louis where he re¬ placed Ambassador managing director Ray Connor with William Levine. . . . The Detroit Variety Club’s first annual Easter party will be held April 15 at the Veterans Memorial Building. A fam¬ ily party, it will feature Soupy Sales and Auntie Dee, popular youngster TV fare. Jack Zide is ticket chairman. The club has 100 tickets for the opening game of the baseball season. Limit is two per member, with Carl Bueimele handling. Milt Zimmerman is already planning the annual golf pai’ty to be held at Tam ’O Shanter Count ly Club again this year. . . . United Detroit Theatres will give a staff party at the Variety Club headquarters on April 30. William 15. Z/tellner, head, MGM shorts and newsreel sales, wms in at the local hranch. Indianapolis Ed Bigley has returned to his managei'ial post at United Ai'tists after a few days sick leave. . . . Don Mott, former assistant manager, Esquire and Rivoli, succeeds Max Shaefer, who was transferred to the Shadeland Drive-In, as manager. . . . The biggest Shrine Circus in its 10-ycar history was pre¬ sented in a colorful event in the State F airgrounds. Dean Brown has levamped his Sunday stage show policy at the Lyric, I'unning two night performances without inter¬ ruption. . . . Paramount and 20th-Fox have booked three Christmas parties at the new Vai iety Club, which will be open about December 1. The decoration is being done by volunteer members on weekends. . . . Abe Gelman has re¬ signed his position as field representa¬ tive, Buena Vista, and joined the Pai-amount sales group. . . . Realart of this city signed a distribution deal for Selznick releases, “The Farmer’s Daughter” and “Notorious,” and two Edward Small pro¬ ductions, “Davy Crockett” and “The Iriquois Tiail.” Pittsburgh Attilo Stefanon will succeed his brother Jacob as manager, Altoona Drive-In, for Blatt Brothers. . . . Jay D. Frankenboy, assistant to Ken Wooward, Uniontown, I’a., city manager, Manos Circuit, has six brothers now in the armed services. . . . Ray Woodard, head buyer and bookei’, Kayton and Orpehum, Franklin, Pa., and the Cranberiy DriveIn, Cranberry, Pa., and the Freeport Drive-In, Freeport, Pa., and also thea¬ tres in West Vii-ginia and Delaware, left for sea duty with the Navy as a resei've officer. Marsha, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. V. L. “Doc” Wadkins, booker, Manos Circuit, is well on the road to lecovejy from rheumatic fever. Recently she accompanied her Dad just to assist him in booking cartoons. . . . Mary Civitarese, will continue operating the Strand, Pitcairn, Pa. . . . Liberty, Con¬ fluence, Pa., is installing a wide-screen and anamorphic lenses. . . . Connie Valentini. Allied Artists secretary, an¬ nounced her engagement to James Cali¬ fornia, Vandei'grift, Pa. Lee (Mrs. Mattew) Concar, Para¬ mount switchboard operator, is resigning to await the arrival of a baby. . . . Leonard Mintz, former local UA man¬ ager and now a Walt Disney Buena Vista representative, was heie on busi¬ ness at the Carlton House. . . . Dick Cvetic, son of Matt “I Was a Communist for the FBI” Cvetic, recently returned to the Stanley Warner Circuit fold from Fargo, N. D. . . . Pete Wellman, former Farrell, Pa., exhibitor and now a circuit operator in the Youngstown, O., area attended the first congress of the Sixth Diocese, which covers the Penii.syl\ani;i, Ohio, and West Virginia area. March So, 1955