The Exhibitor (1955)

NT-4 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR after a pleasure tour in California. Frank, Jr., and wife held the reins of their Star during their absence. Among the indepedent theatre owners and circuit executives seen at Warners trade showing of “Mister Robers’’ at the Pitt were Gaston J. Dureau, Jr., president; Maurice Barr, secretary in charge of pub¬ licity and public relations; and Jimmy Howell, film buyer and booker, Paramount Gulf; Holland Smith, manager, Saenger; Arthur Bethencourt, general manager. Bijou, Grand, and Houma Drive-In. Houma, La.; C. C. Meyers and Hank Fayard, Myer’s, Biloxi, Miss.; Milton Guidry, Nona, Lafayette, La.; W. E. Limmroth, general manager, Giddens and Rester Theatres, Mobile, Ala.; Earl Perry, general manager, Pittman Theatres; B. J. Keyhan, Gretna Greens Drive-In, Gretna, La.; Rene Brunet, and mother, Mrs. Rene, Sr., Imperial; Phillip Corte, Garden; Frank and Robert deGraauw, F and R Enterprises, Abbeville, and television representatives. E. W. Brundell’s “Temple Of Mystery" stage show played to excellent business at L. J. Brun’s Apex, Lumberton, Miss., and Mrs. Smith’s Smith, Picayune, Miss. . . . On the Row for screenings were John Richards, vice-president, Slidell Theatres; Ernest MacKenna, manager, Joy; Mrs. O. J. Barre, Barre Theatres, Luling, La,; Eldon Briwa, Bri-Mont Buying and Book¬ ing Service; Lefty Cheramie, Rebstock, Golden Meadows, La,; Arthur Bethancourt, Houma, La.; W. E. Limmroth, Gid¬ dens and Rester Theatres, Mobile, Ala., and Mrs. Lillian Lutzer, King Drive-In, Shreveport and Barksdale Drive-In, Bossier City, La. Dave Prince, RKO’s district manager, visited with manager Roger Lamantia and staff. . . . Don Fiske, Oak Grove and Lake Providence, La., theatre owner was elected a member of Louisana Power and Light Company’s board of directors. . Maison Blanche, in conjunction with The Item and Walt Disney’s “Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier,” which opens at the RKO Orpheum on June 8, are bringing Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) to New Orleans. WOMPI entertained the Little Sisters of The Poor with music, square dancing and a magic show. . . . Sympathy goes out to George J. Haas, Transway, Inc., and family in the loss of their 2*4 year old son, Patrick Edgar, who died after a playmate saw him choking while munch¬ ing on a snowball. . . . The Air Force recruiters were at hand early in the morning for an enlistment drive of south Louisiana men to celebrate the opening of United Artists’ “Battle Taxi,” at the Tudor. Robert Senn, operator, Midway DriveIn, Sanford, Ala., is giving the State Highway patrolmen in Geneva County a hearty handshake for helping him to prevent having a dark house on a recent Sunday night. When Senn found that the film had not arrived, he made a series of long distance calls and finally located a reserve at the Hartford, Ala., drive-in, which a patrolman rushed to Samson, MGM’s “Wheel of Fortune” float, which is on tour to bally “The Prodigal,” at¬ tracted desired attention in New Orleans recently as it appeared with its live models in advance of the film’s opening at Loew’s State. where it was relayed by another patrol¬ man to the Midway Drive-In. . . . L. E. Watson, Carol, Denham Spring, La., has filed articles with the office of the secre¬ tary of state at Baton Rouge to increase the theatre’s capital stock of $9,000. . . . Jack Pope, Rayville, La., Joy’s Theatres field representative, was at headquarters pinch hitting for office manager Harold Shambach, who is on jury duty in Jefferson Parish. George Pabst, UA district manager, is back at his office after calling on the manager and staff of Atlanta’s exchange. . . . Fess Parker, starrer in Walt Disney's “Davy Crockett,” will arrive here on June 4 to boost the movie with personal ap¬ pearances in downtown department stores, at civic club meetings, on radio and tele¬ vision, and in the lobby of RKO Orpheum where the movie is dated to open on June 8. . . . The booking and contract department of UA’s exchange took on an accelerated pace right after the Marciano-Cockell heavyweight champion¬ ship bout dating the movie which the majority of theatre owners throughout the territory clamored for. A packed audi¬ ence viewed the bout at Loew’s State, where the closed-circuit telecast was presented. Clara Cote observed her 13th year as Paramount Gulf’s “Hello Girl.” . . . Mrs. Ruth Bohne, buyer and booker J. T. Howell’s secretary at Paramount Gulf, accompanied members and friends of Louisiana’s Beautician League on a motor trip to Baton Rouge, La., for the League’s annual state session. . . . Thank you, M. J. Price, DesAllemands, La., for joining the large family of Motion I'ictiri. Exhibitor readers. Vernon Rhodes, MGM’s contract de¬ partment, flew to San Francisco for a vacation. . . . Fay Boyd, an old timer at MGM, was granted an extended holiday and is joyfully looking forward to her second Blessed Event. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Frank Olah, Star, Albany, La., and asso¬ ciate in the local Skyvue Drive-In, are on a pleasure tour in California. . . . Thank you, Louis Chateau, for your re¬ newal subscription to Motion Pirn ri; Exhibitor. Tom Neely, Sr., manager, NTS, at¬ tended the opening of the rebuilt Siieff, Poplarville. Miss Neely handled the sale of projection and stereophonic sound, which is all the newest by Simplex. . . . Thank you Anna Molzon, Royal, Labadieville, La., for the extension of subscription to Motion Picturk Exhibitor. . . . Mrs. Gene Barnett, Bri-Mont’s secretary, is back at trme from Baptist Hospital, recuperating from surgery. W. W. Limmroth, Giddens and Rester Theatres, Mobile, Ala., was in on a three day buying and booking trek. . . . Joy N. Houck, president, Joy’s Theatres, and co-head, Howco Productions, planed to Hollywood on business. . . . Exhibitors visiting with their buyer and booker, J. G. Broggi, were Louis Gallo, Gallo; Eugene Calongne, Bell; and Herb Hargroder, Beverly Drive-In, Hattiesburg, Miss. . . . Floyd Murphy, Exhibitors’ Advertis¬ ing Service, Alexandria, La., was on the Row, as was Fred Houck, Joy Theatres, Ringgold and Melville, La. Elais Berenson, former Bogalusa, La., theatre owner, now a resident of Miami Beach, Fla., stopped to visit with his son Abe and family before continuing his extended combined business and pleas¬ ure trip to Michigan, British Vancouver, and California. . . . W. C. Boutwell shuttered the Grand, Stonewall, Miss. . . . B. V. Sheffield opened the rebuilt Shell, Poplarville, Miss., in grand style, with the mayor, heads of civic and social clubs, and members of PTA participating in the pre-opening ceremonies, and with prac¬ tically all of the town people attending. A great number of fellow exhibitors from neighboring towns heaped praises on Sheffield for providing the townspeople with top motion picture entertainment in the modernistic showcase, the New Sheff, which was rebuilt from ground up and equipped with the latest techniques in projection and sound. Poplarville was without a theatre since last fall, when fire destroyed the old Sheff. . . . Because of a downpour of rain, Paramount ex¬ change personnel postponed their excur¬ sion to Star Route Farm picnic grounds, Bay St. Louis, Miss., to June 10. Berio Vending Company is now located at 3101 Pocahantos Street, Baton Rouge, La., with Charles Gasho in charge. Florida Miami Vacationing managers included Mel Haber, Carib, Miami Beach, Fla., and Bob Jacques, concession manager, Boule¬ vard Drive-In, North Miami Beach, Fla. . . . Part of the exploitation on “Strategic Air Command” in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., consisted of civic leaders and Florida State Theatres local manager William Russell making a trip in a hugh KC-97 aerial refueling tanker, from Fort Lauder¬ dale to the Pine Castle, Fla., Air Force Base. Also going along on the trip were Larry Higgins, radio station WFTL; Ted Gore, assistant general manager. Fort Lauderdale Daily News, and John V. Russell, city commissioner and son of the theatre manager. The trip accrued publicity in The Fort Lauderdale Daily News, including a photograph, and was excellent bally for the film. June 8, 1955