The Exhibitor (1955)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 33 Audie /Vturphy, star, U-I's "To Hell And back," recently visited Portland tor the annual reunion of the Third Division Society in which he served. The visit was tied in with a special invitational screenng of the film with Governor Patterson and other civic and military dignitaries participating. Murphy is seen here with some of the local exhibitors. From left to right are Jesse Jones; Tom Walsh, general manager, J. J. Parker Theatres; his son, Tom; Murphy; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Anderson, United Theatres; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Partin; and Mr. and Mrs. William Roisum. Northwest Industryites Attend 'Hours' Debut Seattle — Northwest newspaper, radio, and television personnel from Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C., were flown to Los Angeles to attend Paramount’s press preview of William Wyler’s “The Desperate Hours.” In addition to the preview, they were entertained at a dinner hosted by Don Hartman, Paramount executive producer. Tlie visiters were also treated to a buffet supper hosted by Wyler. Guests from Seattle included John Vorhees, Seattle P.I.; Bill Corcoran, KINGTV; Peggy Carpenter, KINT; and Keith Jackson, KOMO-TV. In addition to four Canadians, representatives from Portland attending included Arnold Marks, Jour¬ nal; Phylis Lauritz and Herbert Larson, Oregonian; and Jeanne Brendler, KPiV. The group was accompanied by Walter Hoffman, Paramount northwest publicity director. owned by Southern Theatres Company, is now open all week. It has been taken over by Lordertown Theatres, Inc. . . . San Pedro Outdoor Theatres Corporation is named defendant in a $20,000 damage suit filed here in District Court. The plaintiff, suing on behalf of her son, Dan¬ iel, is Mrs. Liddie M. Howell. She al¬ leges he suffered serious injuries and a fractured leg while playing on a hand operated merry-go-round at the San Pedro Outdoor. The purchase cf all of the Class A stock of Rowley United Theatres, Inc., from members of the Rowley family by the United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc., was announced. Rowley Theatres owns and operates about 150 theatres and drive-ins in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. United Artists owned 50 per cent of the Rowley stock prior to the transaction. Members of the Rowley family received common stock in United Iheatres in return for their stock. . . . Mike Miluck will premiere the first in a series of Texas Ranger shorts here. Filmed at the Mayan Ranch, Bandera, lex., the casts feature Phil Medlin, sheriff of Seguin, Tex., Spud Goodale, Armida, Rex Ross, Emilio Caceras, and Curley Williams. Miluck has announced that he will shoot 25 more in the series to be released for TV stations. There are plans for additional films for regular the¬ atre distribution. One series will be shot in Spanish language and another in Eng¬ lish. . . . H. Ford Taylor has sold his Ford and an uncompleted drive-in at Rankin, Tex., to L. D. Sipes and Vernon Black. Work is to go ahead on comple¬ tion of the drive-in by the new owners, it was announced. ... A new 850-car capacity drive-in is nearing completion at Port Lavaca, Tex. The deluxe Tidwell Drive-In, Houston, has been opened by H. D. Griffith and H. N. Mitchamore and Associates. Griffith will be manager. Mamie Griffith is cash¬ ier and assistant manager. Other key personnel includes Mary Simpson, con¬ cession manager; Dorothy Romosei', con¬ cession assistant manager; Red Leamons, kitchen chief; Tommy Oliver, boothman; A. L. Williams, policeman; Skipper Wil¬ liams, ticket-taker, and Ada Ruth Hall, candy girl. . . . The Joy, Roscoe, Tex., is scheduled to be reopened in the near future, according to Mr. and Mrs. Joy Weatherhogg, owners and operators. . . . John Boosey, assistant manager. Shep¬ herd, has announced the arrival of his first child, a son, John Jr. Washington BALTIMORE, MD., NEWS— The Pen¬ nington will open under new management on Sept. 29 with an Oldtime Nickleodeon Movie Show, which is part of the film library of the new owner of the house, who is Robert Marhenke. He plans to offer a two-and-a-half hour show, all silent, with Nickleodeon music. The ad¬ mission, in keeping with the “period,” will be 10 cents. The owner believes that with crowds at ten-cent admissions, and doing his own projection, he can operate at a substantial profit. Some of his fea¬ tures star George Sidney, Larry Semen, and the original Our Gang. Milton Schwaber, owner, Schwaber Theatres, was among those who went to Washington for the testimonial dinner to Phil Isaacs, Paramount. Wilbur Brizendine and Howard Wagonheim, Schwaber executives, also attended. . . . Variety Club called a general meeting for Oct. 4, which will include initiation of new mem¬ bers and dinner on the house. The club, according to chief barker Jack Whittle, has established a $40,000 trust fund for a Vaz'iety Club Children’s Clinic. It is be¬ ing arranged by Frank H Durkee, Sr., head, Durkee Enterprises, and chairman. Things Are Tough A report is current about a buying and booking sei*vice whose proprietor apparently found it difficult to live in the manner to which he was accus¬ tomed, so he booked advertising reels into his customer’s theatres. The fact that he pocketed the revenue from the advertising agency might have gone unnoticed, but it seems he got too greedy and also billed the theatres for the advertising reels at their regular short subject prices. The matter came to a head when one of the customers inadvertently complained to the distributor about the “free” ads. Lame excuse: Christmas presents must be given to exchange personnel, and this was his means of raising their cost. welfare committee. . . . Oscar Coblenz, Jr., owner. Alpha, Catonsville, Md., is entering Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, for eye surgery. Seattle The new Evergreen house in Eugene, Ore., whose name was changed from the Rex to the Fox, recently re-opened with new equipment and decorating. Those at¬ tending included William Thedford, Ever¬ green head; Pat Paterson, accounting de¬ partment; John Beall, purchasing agent; R. H. McCullough and Walter Bantau, Fox West Coast, Los Angeles; and Harry Plunkett, branch manager. National The¬ atre Supply. . . . The W. D. Gross Coli¬ seum Theatres, at Skagway and Sitka, Wash., recently opened. , , , The NEW BCA BN-CAR HEATER WITH NEW LONG LIFE FEATURES THAT WILL GIVE MAXIMUM RESULTS AT LOWEST UPKEEP CALROD FIN TYPE HEATING ELEMENT ★ LONG LIFE OFF AND ON SWITCH ★ EFFICIENT HEAT SHUT-OFF SWITCH ★ 11 -FOOT COILED CORD ★ UNDERWRITERS' APPROVED AT LAST . . . A QUALITY HEATER FOR TROUBLE-FREE LONG TIME SERVICE ELMER H. BRIENT & SONS, INC. 925 NEW JERSEY AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D. C. September 28, 1955