The Exhibitor (1955)

NT-2 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Mitchell Kelloff has bought the Ord, Ordway, Colo., and the Valley, Fowler, Colo., from Schumour Theatres. . . . Flor¬ ence and Paul Allmeyer have bought the Lake, Grand Lake, Colo., from R. D. Ervin. . . . John Wolfberg has taken over the lease on the Vogue, and will continue to operate the house on an art basis. . . . William Dollison has opened his new 450seat Dolly, Billings, Mont. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Dorrance Schmidt have opened their new 250-car ozoner at Bridgeport, Neb., where they also operate in town. Des Moines The Chamber of Commerce at Primghar, Iowa, is aiding in keeping the Primghar operating. A. F. Palmquist has reopened the house and will operate seven nights a week as a result of aid furnished by the Chamber of Commerce. . . . The Everly, Everly, Iowa, will operate on Wed¬ nesday and Saturday nights with the Everly Commercial Club helping with the sponsorship of the movies, enabling the prices to be reduced to 10 cents for chil¬ dren and 25 cents for everyone over 14 years of age. D. W. Oakes has reopened the Colum¬ bus, Columbus Junction, and will show films on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. . . . President Al Myrick, Lake Park, Iowa, Iowa-Nebraska Allied, an¬ nounced the appointment of committees for the next year. Caravan has Charles Jones, Northwood, Iowa; Elmer Hunke, Omaha; A. B. Jefferies, Springfield, Mo.; Jim Watts, Osage, Iowa; and Carl Harriman. Leo Wolcott, Eldora, Iowa, is chair¬ man of the budget committee, and Charles Jones, chairman, publicity com¬ mittee. L os Angeles Back from a business trip to San Diego was George Tripp, Warners salesman. . . . Back at his desk after a lengthy hospital stay was Dick Carnegie, United Artists branch manager. . . . Bill Warner, sales¬ man, United Artists, returned from a trek through his northern California ter¬ ritory, while Andy Heedrick departed for Arizona. . . . B. J. Leavitt returned from Las Vegas after checking the progress there on his new 1200 car drive-in. Leavitt also has the Silver-Dollar, Phoenix, Ariz., and the Cove Theatre, La Jolla, Cal. . . . The John Filbert Company is installing a Cinemascope screen in R. G. Nelson’s BeKay Theatre, Tehachapi, Cal. The Alladin Drive-In Corporation un¬ veiled its latest ozoner at the invitational opening of the Sepuleva Drive-In, Van Nuys, Cal., which has the latest type of snack bar, newly designed high fidelity sound projection, wide screen, and a new type of graduated flooring that gives every car improved vision. Don Cotrall is resident general manager. . . . Warners held a trade screening of their new release, “Mr. Roberts,” at the Boulevard. Many studio officials and exhibitors from Los Angeles, as well as from out of town, were in attendance. . . . Back at his desk after a long illness was Henry Herbel, Warners district manager. . . . Jack Sheriff, Realart salesman, was back in tow-n after a trip to Las Vegas. William Cartlidge, general manager, Asso¬ ciated British Cinemas, Ltd., London, which operates 450 theatres throughout England, and Mrs. Cartlidge were recent visitors to Chicago, where they were guests of James E. Coston, head, Coston Theatre Enterprises, and his wife. They are seen at the airport being greeted by Coston. Minneapolis Arthur W. Anderson, district manager, Warners, who suffered the loss of vision in his right eye in a hunting mishap in 1952, reportedly settled his $42,500 damage suit outside court for $12,000. Defendants were Everett E. Seibel, advertising man¬ ager, Minnesota Amusement Company, and John Whelan, a farmer, Clarks Grove, Minn. Anderson was hit in the eye by a shotgun pellet while hunting with Seibel and Whelan on the latter’s farm. Anderson claimed the defendants discharged shotguns negligently. N. R. Madsen will build a drive-in at Hector, Minn., to replace the conventional Palace, which burned March 20. The drive-in is slated to open the end of June. It will accommodate 350 cars and be equipped for Cinemascope, VistaVision, and other wide screen procesess. Madsen does not plan to erect a con¬ ventional house. . . . Erling Utoft has opened his new Lincoln Drive-In at Tyler, Minn. . . . Joan Clemente, stenographer, Warners, was married to Don Swanson. . . . Nancy Lee Seibel, daughter of Ev Seibel, was married to Robert E. Culligan. . . . Donna Taplin, Seibel’s secretary, was married to Robert Kaye, assistant man¬ ager, Orpheum, St. Paul. . . . New at Warners is Natalie Hanson, stenographer. . . . Baree Sampson, cashier, Republic, spent her vacation moving into her new home. Bob Baral, Columbia exploiteer, was in for “Prize Of Gold,” Orpheum. . . . Arnold Shartin, office-booking manager. Para¬ mount, was transferred to Los Angeles as sales representative. Joe Rosen, booker, will be promoted to booking manager. . . . Don Swartz, operator, IndependentLippert exchange, attended the conven¬ tion in Washington of the National Asso¬ ciation of Radio and Television Broad¬ casters. . . . LeRoy Miller, U-I branch manager, was in Chicago for a special sales meeting. . . . Chick Evens, 20th-Fox midwest exploiteer, was in for “Soldier Of Fortune,” Gopher. . . . Plum City, Wis., businessmen are helping to keep the local theatre open under a sponsorship ar¬ rangement with the management. . . . The Roxy, Linton, N. D.. has reopened for the summer months. . . . R. N. Nolop gave a free show at the Grand, Dawson, Minn., on observance of his fourth anni¬ versary as owner of the house. Purchase of business property at Huron, S. D., for the eventual building of a new theatre was announced by Harry French, president, Minnesota Amusement Company. It is rumored that the pro¬ posed new project may cost $300,000 and have 1,200 seats. It also was disclosed by French that the State, Madison, S. D., has been sold by the circuit to Duane A. Becker. Paul Good reopened his Arlington, Arlington, Iowa. . . . Arthur Bean and H. L. Stolzman sold their Town, Minot, N. D., to Melvin Wykoff. . . . Gerald Hill bought the Ritz, Veblen, S. D., from Sherman Halvorson and John Doyle. . . . Ben Sieve closed his Mark, Ellsworth, Wis., because of poor business. . . . E. R. Ruben, president, Welworth Theatres cir¬ cuit, returned from a trip around the world by air. Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Hogland, Wolf, Lone Wolf, Okla., have moved into their new home which was built from brick of the dismantled water plant. . . . Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Burns, Cozy, Granite, Okla., have just returned from a trip through Texas. . . . Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Leathers, Palace, Paducah, Tex., were in Dallas. Mr. and Mrs. Watt Long, Lavista, Hollis, Okla., have been in Mineral Wells, Tex., where they went through the clinic. In addition to his theatre, Long also owns a skating rink and every Wednesday afternoon he gives a free party for the children as a gesture of good-will. . . . Bill Cleverdon, Ritz, Eldorado, Okla., has accepted a position with the Altus Air Base, Atlus, Okla., working at the base during the day, and running his theatre at night. Volney Hamm, Mt. Scott Drive-In, Lawton, Okla., returned from a business trip to Dallas. Hamm is president of the Art Club, Lawton, and he was recently se¬ lected the entertainer for the Lion’s Club, Lawton, at which time he put on a satire of making a motion picture. . . . The Town Hall, Gotebo, Okla., which is operated by the local merchants, has reduced playing time to one change per week. . . . J. Rudolph Smith, Royal, Mt. View, Okla., has installed Cinemascope. Opal Gray, Esquire, Chickasha, Okla., is visiting friends in St. Louis. . . . The Taloga, Taloga, Okla., has reopened, run¬ ning two changes a week. R. H. Duckett, owner, has accepted a position with the highway commission, and the theatre will be operated by Mrs. Duckett. . . . Jess Jones, Ritz, Crescent, Okla., was made scout master and is very busy arranging hikes, picnics, and camping trips for the boy scouts. . . . Bill Edmonston, Rex, Covington, Okla., has accepted a position as salesman for a stationery company out of Enid, Okla. His sister will operate the theatre during the week, and he will operate it weekends. . . . James Henigman, Jr., manager, Rialto, Carmen, Okla., June 8, 1955