The Exhibitor (1955)

NT-2 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Speakers at the recent MG.Al 11th ticket selling workshop held at the Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, which drew the greatest exhibitor attendance of all the meetings held to date, were, left to right, Irving J. dumb, managing director. Riverside, .Milwaukee, a first-run panelist; .\ndrew M. Sullivan, Ji-., citj managei', Dixie Drive-In, Savannah, Ga., the drive-in theatre panelist; Joseph Jarvis, Gilbert Stuart, Riverside, R. I., sub¬ sequent run panelist; Joseph Hugala, general manager, Manos 'i'heatres, Greensburg, Ra., independent circuit operations panelist; Lon Brown, advertising and exploitation director, Loew’s Poli New England, who headquarters in New Haven, Conn.; Joseph A. .\llen, eastern division sales head, .MG.M, with headquarters in Dallas; L. J. Weber, assistant manager, !MGM, Dallas; and LeRoy Bickel, M(i.\I Dallas manager. Indian Scout,” and got neighborhood bookings from the B and K chain. . . . John R. Freuler, Glencoe, Ill., is among the officers of the Atlantic Theatre Corporation, Milwaukee, which filed vol¬ untary bankruptcy proceedings listing liabilities of $49,009 and no assets or exemptions. Frederik Chramer, Kungsholm, was visited by his long-time friend, Jean Hersholt, honored in Hollywood recently on his 50th anniversary in movies. . . . The theatre’s latest powder room gim¬ micks, mechanical “valets” and “maids,” supersized, are dispensing everything from headache powders to nail clips. Matt Plunkett, who started as usher at the Palace 20 years ago rose in RKO ranks until he became manager and treasurer of the house, has been appoint¬ ed manage)', RKO Mainstreet, Kansas City. He formerly managed RKO houses in Dayton, 0., and Detroit. . . . Roman Polys, Filmack staff, has a new son. The 1954 report of the theatre city tax collection bureau reveals the large increase in movies attendance over the past two years. The take last year was $1,203,243', in 1953 it was $1,118,039, and in 1952, $1,044,414. Total amuse¬ ment taxes in 1954 were $1,916,495, $1,800,259 in 1953, and $1,718,752 in 1952. . . . Myron Mandy, Belmont man¬ ager, is back on the job after a surgery seige. Assistant A1 Smith filled in. Hector Bishop, Corontff manager, had a vacation to brag about. He drove down the Florida east coast, deep-sea fished at Key West and came back on the Florida west coast. . . . Lou Mindling, William Morris staff, overcame a flu at¬ tack in the hospital. Mark Salomon, 89, builder of sevei'al pioneer theatres, died. Two sons and a daughter survive. . . . Mrs. Cecelia Rogers, Roosevelt staff, suffered a broken arm and injured shoulder in a fall at home. . . . John Balaban, B and K chieftan, received an okeh at a hospital checkup. The many friends of Ai't Stegall, who for many yeai'S managed the Oi'iental, later the Ziegfeld, and Kay Thompson’s westein dude I'anch, will be interested to know he is now established at Reno, Nev. . . . B and K is paying a dollar dividend on common as of March 30. .... George Heliotes was named Rialto manager, Foit Wayne, Ind. Robert Sherman, Avalon assistant manager, is filling in at the Frolic dui'ing the absence of manager Harry Rouda who took his wife to Los Angeles for convalescence after hei' recent illness. .... Hector Bishop, Coronet manager, Evanston, Ill., and his sistei' are vaca¬ tioning in Miami Beach, Fla. Chief Barker Jack Kirsch is elated over the way new members are poui'ing into Variety Club. Among recent addi¬ tions are Robert Allen, Charles Baron, Max Berenson, Iz Bernstein, Oscar Bernstein, James Booth, Sam Chei'iioff, Harry E. Eller, Fred M. Friedlob, Dave Friedman, Alex Halperin, Charles Ho¬ gan, Arthur M. Holland, George Lefko, Earl F. Newbei'ry, Ray Nolan, R. Rich¬ ard Pitts, Rubin Raff, Milton Schuster, Sam Seplowin, Duke Shumow, Bryan Stoner, and Israel Zatkin. Past chief baj'ker Irving Mack is chairman of the membership committee. Lester Grand, division manage)-. Con¬ fection Cabinet Company, and his biide, nee Vii'ginia Evans, ai'e back from their honeymoo)) trip to Acapulco, Mexico. . . . Mrs. Ethel Stonei', wife of Buck Stoner, Paiamount centi al <livision man¬ ager, flew to San Fi-ancisco to attend her mother, who was ill. Sylvan Goldfingei', director of Today and other newsreel houses in various sections, sojoui'jied in his fabulous haci¬ enda, Enchilada Acres, Tuscon, Ariz. . . . Variety clubber Manny Gottlieb is counting on a Euiopean trip. Vai'iety Club boai'd of dii'ectors an¬ nounced the following connnittee chair¬ men for 1955, Jack Rose, budget and finance; Ii'ving Mack, membership; Lou Goldbei'g, house; John Semedalas, decoi'ation; Harry Lustgai'ten and Paul Mari', co-chairman, eiiteitainment and pi'ogiam; Chai'les Cooper, i-eception and fellowship; Nat Nathanson, banciuet; Dave Fi'iedman, trade papei's; William Margolis, newspapers; Josejih Bci'ensoii, ticket; Dave Wallei'stein, Lou Reiiiheimer, and Ralph Smitha, heai't fundspeakers-celebi'ity guests; Hariy Bala¬ ban and Elmei' Balaban, co-chaii'men, spoi'ts and pastimes; Aai-on L. Stein, law; and Sam Levinsohn, welfare. Theati'e owner Van A. Nomikos, who went to Billings hospital for a checkup, undei'went suigery. Just befoi'e enter¬ ing the hospital he had helped raise $50,000 for the St. Co))stanti)ie Hellenic Oi'thodox chuich. . . . Abe Platt, B and K Noi'thside division manage)-, came down with a severe lumbago attack on his retuin from a West Indies va¬ cation. He had encountered the coldest weather in 20 yeai's in portions of his ti'ip. Dave Tubekis, Indiana manager. Alliance Amusement Company, took a Florida vacation. ... A patron at the V/oi'ld Playhouse, whei'e “Aida” is show¬ ing, complained to owner Abe Teitel, “Some woman is in thei'e singing along with the film.” It was Rosa Raisa who stari'ed in “Aida” at the Met Opera a couple of decades ago. . . . Hari-y and Elmer Balaban pased out cigai's on the 17th annivei'sary of their Esquire. Enthusiastic good fellowship p)'ev;iiled at the installation of the 1955 officei's and crew of Variety Club at the Con¬ gress Hotel, attended by more than 250 theatremen and their guests. A cocktail hour preceded the dinner. Nat Nathan¬ son, Allied Artists regional manager, onceeing, inti'oduced Johnny Jones, \’ai'iety International representative. “Variety has 40 Tents throughout the world,” said Jones, “which donate $3,000,000 a year for humanitarian purposes.” Guest speaker Leo Fischer, Chicago American sports editor, gave intei'esting highlights and predictions on the 1955 baseball season. He stressed the great work being accomplished at the L:i Rabida sanitariuni through Variety’s large contributions. Abe Saperstein of the Harlem Globetrotters also spoke. Judge Henry L. Berman paid warm trib¬ utes to Jack Kirsch who was accorded an overwhelming ovation upon being in¬ stalled as chief barker for the third year. Nat Nathanson acted in conferriiig upon Leo Fischer an honorary associate )ne)))bership in Variety. The Essaness Ha)'le)n Outdoo)-, which boasts a Ci)ie)muScope screen 120 feet wide, opened for the season with a spe March 30, 1955