The Exhibitor (1955)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NT-1 Miws or rnr "RANCHES Cincinnati Herbert J. Gilles, Paramount branch manager, attended a company meeting in Philadelphia. . . . Selma Blachschleger, Realart and Lippert, was at a Lippert regional sales meeting in Chicago. . . . William Blum, U-I salesman, Colum¬ bus, 0., has resigned to become president of a local cabana club. Stuart Jacobson, Kentucky salesman, was transferred to Columbus, and Robert Doppes, former booker, is now Kentucky salesman. Vacationing were Charles Scully, Para¬ mount shipper, and Don Benning, Para¬ mount booker, in New York City. . . . Marie Donelson, Screen Classics, and her niece, Barbara Bennett, who has been her house guest for several weeks, motored to Nashville, Tenn., over the Memorial Day weekend. Bob Little and Lou Sher, Columbus, 0., exhibitors, purchased the Little, Yellow Springs, 0., from Vernon Berg. . . . Sunset Drive-In, Beattysville, Ky., J. M. Mahassey, owner, opened Memorial Day weekend. . . . Exhibitors viewed Warners’ “The Sea Chase” at the Palace screening room. . . . At their May meeting, members of the MGM Club completed plans for the annual club picnic in July. . . . Cecila Hessling, Paramount contract clerk, and William Runyan recently announced their midMarch marriage. Cleveland When Sam Barck sold his interest in the Park Auto Drive-In, Alliance, to his brother Maurice several years ago, he said that some day he would be back in the movie business. Now he has made that prophecy come true, having ac¬ quired the Lincoln, Lisbon, a house that has been closed the past two years. . . . Frank Murphy, Loew theatre divi¬ sion manager, and his wife, Joan, re¬ turned this week from Ireland, where they adopted a three year-old daughter as a playmate to their son Michael. Sam Galanty, Columbia eastern divi¬ sion, was here combining business with the pleasure of attending the Marshall Fine bachelor dinner, preceding his mar¬ riage to Patricia Krow. . . . Harry Rice, Columbia field publicity representative, is in the area for a couple of weeks to promote “End Of An Affair” and “Prize Of Gold.” . . . Charles Mack, one of the last small town exhibitors to fall in line with new type equipment, bought a new wide Walker screen, lenses, and other required equipment for his 600seat Strand, Sebring, 0., from National Theatre Supply Co. . . . Frank Masek, NTS branch manager, left for a vaca¬ tion in Tucson, Ariz. Anne Walker, Columbia booker, and Virgil Jones, Warner booker, will be married on June 26th. . . . George Manos, George Murphy, MGM studio public relations director, was recently awarded a special scroll by Mrs. Herman Hunt, president, Ladies’ Auxiliary, Cincinnati Variety Club, Tent Three, for lending a helping hand to humanity. The presenta¬ tion was made at the recent “Spectacular of 1955” celebration at the Netherlands Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. president, Manos Amusement Company, opened the newest link in his chain this week, the Elm Land Drive-In, Coshoc¬ ton. . . . Also opening this week is John Dempsey’s new Starlite Drive-In, Toledo. . . . Word comes that the Marion and Palace, Marion, 0., are still closed in protest to the local admission tax. The Ohio and State, reportedly, are the only theatres open in this town of almost 35,000 population. . . . Jack Lewis, RKO salesman, had a bout with poison ivy. Caught it on the farm of Carl Coffey, Kenton theatre owner. . . . James Ochs, Ochs drive-in circuit, this week became the father of 7-pound twin daughters named Kim and Karen. Their arrival marks up 16 grandchildren for the Herb Ochses. Irwin Shenker, Berio Vending Com¬ pany, and Leonard Greenberger, man¬ ager, Fairmount, were named co-chair¬ men of the planning committee to put Exhibitors Name MGM Best Warners Called Worst COLUMBUS, O. — Ohio exhibitors voting in the Allied “box score” of “best” and “worst” film companies in their treatment of theatre owners nominated MGM as the “best” and Warners as the “worst.” Results of the poll were announced in a bulletin issued by Robert Wile, secretary, Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio. Fifty-two Ohio exhibitors, representing about double that num¬ ber of theatres, participated. Three points were allocated for first posi¬ tion, two for second, and one for third. MGM scored with 128 points, fol¬ lowed by Universal-International with 53 and 20th-Fox with 38. Runnersup in the “best” category were Columbia, 34; RKO, 12; Paramount, 10; United Artists, 7; Allied Artists, 5; Republic, 3; and Warners, 3. Warners had 104 in the "worst” classification, with Paramount in second place with 76, and Fox with 45. Runnersup were U-I, 27; UA, 17; Columbia, 12; RKO, 10; MGM, 6; Allied Artists, 4; Buena Vista, 3; and Republic, 0. into action a new continuous fund-raising plan by the Variety Club for the support of the Cerebral Palsy School of Cleve¬ land. Chief barker Jack Silverthorne presented the plan at an invitational membership and school representative luncheon held in the Theatrical Grill. Th plan, following the general outline of the one used in Memphis, provided for the placement of boxes in 100 or more establishments to contain paper safety matches, and a container for voluntary contributions to the school. Merchants selling cigarettes welcome it because it frees them of the obligation of supply¬ ing free matches. The Variety Club matches are free, and the contribution is voluntary. Volunteers will service these boxes, reporting regularly to district heads who, in turn, will turn the col¬ lected money over to the Variety Club. It is anticipated that the plan wall raise about $50,000 a year in greater Cleve¬ land. Shown at the luncheon was a single reel film of the Cerebral Palsy School of the treatment used for chil¬ dren. Film was photographed by RKO salesman Jack Lewis, who was a combat photographer in the war. Ed Prinsen closed his State, Youngs¬ town, for the summer, concentrating on the Palace. . . . Two other area closings have been announced. They are the Ross, Rossford, and the Grafton, Grafton. . . . William Tallman bought a new Walker large-size screen for the Ceramic, East Liverpool, from Frank Masek, National Theatre Supply Company. . . . Milton Wehmeyer, currently manager, Royal, Toledo, and formerly manager, Eastwood, and Mrs. Wehmeyer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner and reception at their home. . . . Skirball’s Rivoli, Toledo, was turned over to the Valley of Toledo, Ancient Ac¬ cepted Scottish Rites, for a 75th reunion of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in north¬ western Ohio. Loew’s Esquire has switched from conventional to art and foreign films, with Abe Ludacer continuing as man¬ ager of both the Esquire and Valentine theatres. . . . The Cleveland Cinema Club, which recently celebrated its 39th birthday, announces the following newly elected officers: president, Mrs. E. P. Swisher; 1st vice-president, Mrs. A. A. Kaiser; 2nd vice-president, Mrs. R. C. Strong; recording secretary, Mrs. E. J. Carey; treasurer, Miss Gertrude Robert¬ son, and chaplain, Mrs. A. C. Gilchrist. Installation of the new officers will be held June 15 in the Higbee Lounge. An affidavit claiming contract viola¬ tion has been signed by Jack L. Gertz, John M. Urbansky, and J. Stuart Cangney, who claim they have a prior contract with James J. Barton to build a drive-in on a Barton’s Pearl Road property, where the Pearl Road Drive-In is now under construction. The affidavit states that they entered into a contract with Barton in 1949 to form a corporation in which each of the participating parties would own 25 per cent of the shares, with Barton’s property representing his in¬ vestment while the other three members would supply the construction financing. Barton was assigned to obtain a re-zon June 8, 1955 MIDEAST