The Exhibitor (1955)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR jST-:i The RKO exchanj^e projection room screen has been enlarged a’.id it is ex¬ pected to have anamorphic lenses in¬ stalled. . . . Paul Hronder, (Jrandvi('\v, has leased the Glade, Mount Washington, Pa., which has been dark for three ye 'rs. Theatre will be converted probably to a store room. Film salesmen, exhibitors, and branch managers attended a fare¬ well luncheon at the Variety Club for veteran National Screen Service Frie and Mainline salesman Pill Mack, who is retiring and will go to Syracuse', N. Y., to make his home. Lee Coniad, Park, Meadville, Pa., will arrange a skin-diving equipment show with his showing of “Undei'water.” Included in the display will be a number of types of fins and masks manufactured by the Voit Rubber Company. Extra large blow-ups of the underwater scenes from the Superscope-Technicolor pi-oduction will be pait of the lobby display. Closed for about six months, the Aris, Erie, Pa., reopened under the new man¬ agement of Charles Dilly and Dennis Backus. . . Frank Fairgraves, Regent, Erie, Pa., whose son Bill is now with the army band in Japan, received a letter whereby his son has been chosen to appear in a Columbia feature now being filmed over there. Bill plays first trumpet and will probably be seen play¬ ing a solo. Gray Barker, Clarksburg, Pa., has taken over the licensing and booking duties for the Alpine, Salem, and the Lido, Phillipi, Pa. . . . Pianist Arthur Rubenstein was featured with the Wheel¬ ing Symphony orchestia at the Virginia, Wheeling, W. Va. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Charles Warner, Clarksburg, Pa., area exhibitors, vacationed at Fort Pierce, Fla. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Joe W. Mercer, Warwood, Pa., observed their 5()th wed¬ ding anniversary at a family dinner. A retired pioneei exhibitor, Mercer started in the motion picture business in 1907 at Middlebourne, Pa., and for many years owned and operated the Lincoln, Warwood, Pa. The Mercers have two sons. Variet.v Tent One will sponsor a ])erformance of Mae West and her troupe .\pril 17 at the Twin Coaches night club where Miss West will appear for a full week. The dinner and flooi show receipts will go to the Variety Clubs charity fund. Perry Nathan, branch manage)'. National Screen Sowice, will b(' th(' chaii'inan foi this affaii'. . . . John Ih'oy, Parke)', Pa)'ke)', Pa., suffei'ed a vi)'us i)'fection for S('veral days, as did Joe .Avari, State, Vintondjile, I’a. . . . Knute Boyle, Theatie Candy Compa)).v, )eports considerable interest in the Swede)) fully autoniatic co))ti))uous flow milkshaki' )nachi)ie. . . . IjOU Hanna and Bill IB'ooks. Cooperative Theat)'e Booking Se)'vice, we)'e in Cla)'ion, Pa., visiting with tlu'ii' account, the Orpheuni. . . . Max Blooniberg, fo]')ne)' Johnstown, Pa. area ex¬ hibitor, was )'eelected chai))))an, Re¬ development Authority of Joh)is)own. In o)'der to hypo business, Williani Zen>, Lake, Erie, Pa., presented a th)'ee hour all Polish show, which did a fi)ie business. .Admissions we)'e )'aised to $1.25 toi all. . . . Mr'S. John .A)iio)'oso, Baden. Bade)), I’a., is awaiti)ig the aoival of the sto)'k. . . . Joe Sfe)'a, Liberty, Midhind, Pa. sojou)))ed to Columbus, O. The borough council last week adopti'd a budget fo)' 1955 at lndia)ia, I’a., whei'e th(' M:u)os ci)cuit operated two theat)'es, and gave the theati-es a)id bowling alleys a cut in the amusement tax I'ate of f)'oni 19 p(')' cent to seve)i, effective i)) Ma)'ch. Th(' counci hnen we)e told that the thi'atres )ieeded I'elief to make their ovei head. Last yea)', ovei' $11,900 was taken in f)'om the local 19 pe)' ci'))! amusement tax. . . . Mrs. Elizabeth Mae Ci'oniwell. wife of the late John C)'omwell, who had been an exhibito) in Bi'dfoi'd, I’a., a numbe)' of yea)'s, died in the Ge))))e)' convalescent home, Erie, Pa. John J. Maloney, MGM cent)'al sales manage)', who headquarters he)'e, has been named genei'al chai)'ma)). Boy Scout convention. May 1 in Saint Pauls Cathe¬ dral. Among the Scouts will be the total¬ ly deaf lads f)'om DePaul Listitute. The veteran film executive is mie of the nations leaders i)i scouting and scout direction. Foinie)' Judge Ralph T. Bell, a cousin of Fayette City, Pa., exhibitor Joe Bell, took out petitions for a Republic ))omi))ation for Allegheny cou)ity commissione)'. . . . The son of A. J. Mayer, local MGM cashier, was na)ned to the Associated P)'ess AllAtlantic Confe)ence basketball team. . . . The Pittsburgh Press is stag¬ ing its second annual Oscar contest. Nominations, ballots, prize awards are offei'ed to those who pi'edict the seven top wi)ine)'s of Acadony Awards. Barbara Rush made a personal appeara)ice at the Joh)i P. Harris a)id was featured in two lobby autograph parties to exploit “Captain Lightfoot” which was booked with “Ja)nboree.” . . . The Squi)')'el Hill, Stanley Wa)ner art housi', is featiD'ing the oil paintings of Co))stantine G. Kosak in its lobby. . . . Charley Boasberg, for)ner geno'al sales manager, RKO, was in with the opening of “Lo)ig Joh)i Silver” at the Fulton. . . . John H. Harris, Jr., son of the local show)na)), was inducted into the army at Fort Jackso)), S. C. Susan Anderson, daughter of W. E. Andei'son, circuit operatoi', is in the Kane Su)nmit Hospital, Kane, Pa., with a severe attack of strep th)oat. This is the seco)id time that Miss Andei'so)i has been bospitalized in the past two mo)iths. . . . Louis Stuler and Dui'ward Coe, pa)tners in several theatres and diive-ins, have leased the Lu)id, Carmichales. Pa., from John and Fuzzy Lund. The Lunds have withdrawn fro)n the business and at one ti)ne opei'ated eight theatres. Steve Bi'oidy, Allied Ai'tists presidoit, will be in Pittsbuigh tbe second day of the Allied exhibitors convention, when he will screen “Shotgun” and “Annapolis Story” at the SW Schenley with a lunch¬ eon following. . . . W. E. A)iderson, veteia)! exhibitoi' fro)n Mou)it Jewett, has acquired the Huntington, Pa., Di iveIn and will )nake this one the second in his )iew chain of ozo)ie) s. Ralph M. Felton is l)usy eidaigiiig the scree)) at his Spotlight 22 l)iive-ln near Beaver Falls, Pa., to about 90 feet. . . . Andy Biordi, Majestic, Ellwood City, Pa., was I'eelected venei-able of tbe Sons of Italy lodge foi his sixth two year tei in. Last year the lodge p) esented him with a new Buick. Joseph Ba)ati, a coal stiippe)-, will build a d rive-i)i on the old Brownsville Road beyond Bill Green’s, at Bruceton, Pa. . . . Paul Brondei', G]'andview, Pa., has leased the Glade and the McKee and is I'enovating both theatres. Both theati'es are scheduled foi an Eastei' Sunday opening. . . . Jack DeWaal, RKO ho)ne office I'epresentative, is now in Pittsburgh. He recently returned fio)n a tour of England, France, a)id Gei'ma)iy, whei'e he established new systems of operations for RKO. The Mai'ine I'eci'uiting office at Altoona helped exploit “Battle Cry” with pub¬ licity photos showing Sergeant A. Tucci delivering the print to Jack Day, man¬ ager, Fabian, Altoona, Pa. . . . Alice Zeigler, Vai'iet.v Club secretai'y foi' moi'e than a dozen yeais, is vacationing in Texas. . . . Chief Baiker 1. Elmer Ecker is vacationing at Hot Springs, Ark. Gi'ance Outdoor Theatres, Inc., headed by Tbeodoi'e Grance, is not with Co-op anymoi'e. Vince Corso will represent thiee drive-in units, and F. D. Moore, Mooi'e Theatre Service, the others. . . . At a meeting of the Tri-State Drive-In Theatres at the Carlton House, the Jack Willia)ns agency again was named to handle the newpaper advertising season. Sy)npathy went out to Fihn Row mail¬ man Lou Bi'ill and son Jeiry, National Theati'e Supply, on the death of son and bi'other Louis Brill. . . . Harris Circuit has made the following shifts here, Tony Coutsoumbus, assistant, J. P. Harris, pi'0)noted to the Dennis, Mount Lebanon, Pa., as manager, succeeding John Harris, who tiansferred to the Pery, Peri-ysville. Pa., district: Mort Henderson wetit from the Perry to the Liberty, East Lib¬ erty, Pa., and Bob Taylor returns down¬ town to the J. P. Harris; Bill Zeiloi' will continue as the supervisory man¬ ager, J. P. Harris and Penn, owned by the Skouras organization; operated by the Harris Theatre Circuit. A lecent all-out exploitations cam¬ paign, which started to roll when Leo)) Uris, author, Warnei's’ “Battle Cry,” ca)ne to town for a one-day personal appea)ance, snow-balled into such pro¬ portions foi' the SW Stanley, that by the ti)ne the ballyhoo was finished the city had seen one of its mast complete satui'ation efl'oi'ts in a long while, and one successful enough to put the film i)ito hold-over, I'ecord-breaking business. Uris was )net at the airpoit by a unifoi')ned guard, who biought him to town foi' newspaper inteiviews. The Pittsbui'gh Sun-Telegraph went all out, with the executive editoi', himself, inviting Ui'is into his office for a discussion. The othei' two local dailies. Press and PostGazette, also covered fully. Highlight of Ui'is’ busy day was a special afternoon meeting with important newspapei' per (( oiilniiitil nil iif.rl ixii/f) March 30, 1955