The Exhibitor (1955)

NT-1 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Stone appeared before the managers with some ideas about how tape I'ecording-s can be used to improve drive-in operations and concession sales. A luncheon was held for all managers, home office personnel in charge of de¬ partments, bookers, and the film buying staff. Dick Orear spoke about the main¬ tenance problems. Dale Stewart, River¬ side Drive-In, deliveied an address about “Concession Stand Operations,’’ M. B. Smith spoke to the managers about “The Power of Newspaper Ads,’’ “Your Opening Newspaper Campaign — DriveIn Style.’’ Managers were given a layout of proofs for a nine-day buildup for the opening of all drive-ins in their local newspaper. Those having weekly papers were shown how to split the ads and scatter them in prior issues to the open¬ ing date. Milwaukee Exhibitor panelists for MGM’s Ticket Selling Workshop at the Schroeder Hotel, set by Mike Simons, customer relations director and moderator at the meetings, were headed by J. P. Harrison, veteran manager. Interstate’s Campus, Denton, Tex. A speaker of renown and winner of many exploitation contests over the years, Harrison is celebrating his 5()th anniversary in show business. The Mil¬ waukee Workshop kicked off a two-day meeting of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin. Sig Goldberg, Wausau, Wis., president, and Hai’old Pearson, executive secretary. Allied unit, are cooperating with MGM. Emery Aus¬ tin, MGM exploitation director, was to start the panel discussion with a detailed exposition of MGM’s 83 exhibitoi' aids. Ralph Batschelet, representing Tele¬ vision Theatres of Colorado, with head¬ quarters at Denver, was to be the drivein panelist. Ivan D. Anderson, Liberty, North Wilkesboro, N. C., who served previously as a panelist at Jackson, Miss., Memphis, and Columbus, was to partici])ate for the fourth time. Rounding out the panel was to be Ted Irwin; Electric Lamed, Kans. The Coca-Cola Company was again to be luncheon host. Co-hosts were branch manager John G. Kemptgen and midwest division manager Burtis Bishop, Jr. Chicago branch manager Wil¬ liam J. Devaney has invited noithern Illinois exhibitors to attend. Bill Ainsworth, Shawano, Shawano, Wis., was in and advised that owing to lu’essing business he was unable to take his Florida vacation as planned. . . . Russ Leddy, Orpheum, Green Bay, Wis., was visitor on Film Row. . . . Blue Mound Drive-In, Elm Grove, Wis., opened. This is the first drive-in to open in this territory. Bob Gross, gen¬ eral mana.ger, advises that they have installed pizza pie in their concession stands. Minneapolis A new three-yeai' contract has been signed by Minneapolis drive-in operators and. the projectionists, membeis of .•XFL Local 12, winding up all negotiations between the independents and the union. According to the new contract, the pro¬ jectionists will get no pay increase the first year, five cents the second year, and five cents the third year. Five driveins employing 10 projectionists were covered by the agreement. Earliei' a threatened strike by projectionists at 40 neighborhood and two loop theatres was averted when the union accepted a com¬ promise recommended by William Don¬ nelly, international vice-resident, lATSE. The conti’act called for no pay increase this yeai', an eight-cent increase in 1950 ;md another eight-cent inci-ease in 1957. Ted Mann, operator. World and Subur¬ ban World, was chairman, employer ne¬ gotiating committee. Irving Marks, Allied Artists bianch manager, and Joe Loeffler, Republic branch managei', were in Fargo, N. D., calling on accounts. . . . Joan Clemente, stenographer, Warners, was honored by office associates at a bridal shower. She will be married May 28. . . . Harry French, president, Minnesota Amuse¬ ment Company, was in New York on routine business. . . . Joe Rivkin, lepresentative. Allied Artists, was in to make arrangements for the luncheon for AA president Steve Broidy and vice-presi¬ dent Morey R. Goldstein at the Nicollet Hotel. They will discuss forthcoming pro¬ duct and tell the story of the new Allied .Artists and its transition to major studio status. . . . Fail Lorentz, salesman, 20thFox, retired after being with the com¬ pany for 25 years. .Annabelle Weaver, receptionist, Co¬ lumbia, is hospitalized. . . . Margai'et Skelly is the new biller at Columbia replacing Joan Grussing, who moved to California. . . . Roger Dietz, booker, Columbia, bought a new home in subur¬ ban St. Louis Park and is moving in .April. . . . Charles Good, MGM check¬ ing supervisoi', was in from Chicago. . . . Recent out-of-town exhibitors on the Row were Frank Kinas, Thorp, Wis.; Paul Perrizo, Blue Earth and Winnebago, Minn.; L. H. Clark, Parkers Prairie, Minn.; Harvey Gifford, Kiester, Minn.; Donald Stern, Prairie Farm, Wis.; Sid Heath, Wells, Minn.; Goi'don Spiess, Glenwood City, Wis.; and A. Steffen, .Alexandria, Minn. Don Swartz, opei-ator. Independent Film Distributors, was in Chicago and Milwaukee on business. . . . Irma Brown, MGM assistant cashier, is taking a threemonth leave of absence to be with her family in Texas. The premiere of Allied Artists’ “The Big Combo,’’ Gopher, was handled in big league style by .A.A publicist Irving Shiffrin, from the home office, and man¬ ager Ed Lindei'. A private screening for all Twin Cities disc jockeys and news¬ paper men paid off in many radio and TV plugs and reams of added newspaper space. In the downtown district, 105 window displays were garnei'ed. Film Dispatch trucks were bannered for two weeks and the Suburban Cab Company used special bumper banners on their entire cab fleet. In advance of opening, 15,000 heralds were distributed, and for street bally, a sandwich sign man was used. Viigil Mannie, Jr., assistant manager. Gopher, resigned and has been replaced by Sam Saposnik, recently discharged from the armed .services. Saposnik was assistant managei', Bergers Palace, be¬ fore he went into service. The Palace was demolished some time ago. Theatre architect Seeman Kaplan and his wife returned from Lima, Pei'U, where they had been vacationing at a resort for a month. . . . John Wright has installed CinemaScope in his Gra¬ nada, New Prague, Minn., and plans to ledecorate the stage, lobby, and foyer. . . . Ida Shartin, district manager’s secretary, Warners, vacationed in Miami Beach, Fla. Burtis Bishop, Jr., MGM midwest sales manager, and Eli Kalisch, homo office assistant to Bishop, were in. . . . Sam Gorelick, RKO district manager, was in, as was Ben Marcus, Columbia midwest district manager. . . . G. P. Qualey, operator. State, Lanesboro, Minn., is back from Florida where he had been vacationing since January. . . . A heavy radio and television campaign preceded the opening of “Gangbusters’’ at the Lyric, here, and the Riviera, St. Paul, Minn. Picture is being handled by Don Swartz’ independent film distribu¬ tor in the territoiy. M. .A. Levy, 20th-I<’o.\ midwest disti iot manager, is vacationing in Florida. . . . Chick Evens, 20th-Fo.x e.xiiloitt'er, was in for “.A Man Called Peter.’’ . . . Recent out-of-town e.xhibitors on thi' low were Fred Lentz, Wilmot, S. D.; E. .A. Reynolds, Princeton, Minn.; Roy McMinn.. Superior, Wis.; and Howard Gould, Glencoe, Minn. . . . Radio City carried the two-hour show for the benefit of CARE on March 28. The 4,0()()se'it house was priced at $5 a seat. A heavy snowfall whioh aocumulalcd on the canopy of the Lyiic, Le Center, 'riie above is a general view of the Commonwealth Drive-In Theatres meeting held recently at the President Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. March 30, 1955