The Exhibitor (1955)

24 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Exhibitors Help U-l Open New Exchange Memphis — Universal-International ex¬ ecutives were joined by local exhibitors here last week for the opening cere¬ monies of the new U-I exchange building at 138 Ruling Avenue. Also participating were delegates to the convention of the Tristate Theatre Owners. The new Memphis exchange is part of U-I’s long range program of rebuilding branch offices from coast to coast. The Memphis branch is the 11th new office to be opened since the program was launched in 1948. New exchanges opened are those in Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Kan¬ sas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phila¬ delphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington. Charles J. Feldman, U-I vice-president and general sales manager, headed the list of executives present for the opening. Others were F. J. A. McCarthy, southern and Canadian sales manager; F. T. Mur¬ ray, manager, branch operations and maintenance; and James Frew, district manager. Richard C. Settoon is Memphis branch manager. Detroit William Green, Cinerama midwest pub¬ licity and advertising director who heads the Michigan Showmen’s Association, has signed up the Music Hall projection staff as new members. Included are Gary Lamb, Marius Dufforc, Matt Raskin, Bruce Greenhaw, Harold Blough, Ray Gagnon, H. Owen Gates, and Glenn Hamden. . . . Daniel Bzovi and Thomas Pascu have officially opened them Holiday Drive-In, Trenton, Mich. The airer cost nearly $400,000 and has a capacity of 1200 cars, with room for expansion to handle 2,500. . . . Foreign students at Wayne University were guests of Cinerama at the Music Hall recently. They were selected by the University foreign counselor, who said their only glimpse of America had been from a train window traveling from port of entry to Detroit. . . . The Bureau of Censors cut 8,030 feet of film during August. Of this, 30 feet was cut from an American film. All motion pictures re¬ viewed during September, totalling 390,300 feet, were cleared. . . . George H. Waltensperger, 82, pioneer theatre owner, died recently. He is survived by one son, George, who is still active in the indus¬ try. Wayne Roberts has been elected to suc¬ ceed Clifford Vericker as commander. Theatrical Post, American Legion. Others elected were, senior vice-commander, Lloyd Burrows, Fox; junior vice-com¬ mander, Robert Seeley, Altec Service; adjutant, Robert Juckett, Victory; finance officer, William Bradley, Rivola; historian, Eiarl McGlinnen, Fox. Gil Light, president. Local 199, was the presiding officer. Light was the Post’s commander when the or¬ ganization was founded more than 20 years ago. . . . The Motion Picture Ex¬ hibitors of Michigan honored Joseph J. Lee, branch manager, 20th-Fox, with a testimonial luncheon last fortnight at the Veterans Memorial Building. The occasion marked Lee’s 30th anniversary with 20thFox and his many achievements in the industry. . . . Robert McNamara is now the owner, the Mexico, formerly the Morris Relder, U-I sales manager in Kansas City, has been promoted to the post of branch man¬ ager there, replacing Jack Langan, resigned. Model. . . . Mrs. Sophie Hilke, owner, Perrien, has leased the building to a neighborhood church group. . . . The Your, owned by Fred DeLodder, has also been leased to a church group. . . . Gerry Kaufman, former owner. Flamingo, is now managing the Del-The, succeeding Val Ortman. . . . Henry Mayer has left War¬ ners as office manager. He is succeeded by Harold Morrison, formerly with U-I. . . . Lou Marks, branch manager, MGM, is the father of a boy, Martin Gregg. Like Marks, his son bears the initials “MGM” also. Jacksonville Tom Sawyer has been promoted from his former post as city manager, FST, Tampa, to the booking staff, FST home office here, replacing P. J. Hillman, who resigned to move to New York. Sawyer’s old post has been taken by Norris Mc¬ Collum, who has been the assistant to Bob Harris, FST confection sales department. . . . The Audience Awards Poll is getting through to the public in appeals made by a committee composed of Buford Styles, U-I branch manager; Horace Denning, Dixie Drive-Ins district manager; and LaMar Sarra, FST vice-president. . . . Reported on tour of Martin Theatres in Florida was Mack Grimes, home office, Atlanta. Variety Women^s Unit Reports On Fund Raising MIAMI, FLA.— The Variety Club women’s committee held a joint meet¬ ing of the fund raising group and the hospital service committee and re¬ ported that the women’s division raised over $9,461 for the Conmiittee of 1,000 Drive. There are a total of 360 paid up members of the women’s committee. The hospital service committee has over 50 volunteer workers devoting their time to the patients at Variety Children’s Hospital, with 870 hours having been given in the last quar¬ ter. The committee will have its an¬ nual hat show on Nov. 7, a popular fund-raising event. The Variety Club’s Agricultural and In¬ dustrial Fair at the Gator Bowl Nov. 10-19 will receive an assist from WOMPI mem¬ bers, who will serve as ticket takers. . . . A large gathering of exhibitors and dis¬ tributors attended a drive meeting for the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Buford Styles’ office at U-I. . . . Florida’s senior U. S. Senator, Spessard L. Holland, has accepted an invitation to address the Mo¬ tion Picture Exhibitors of Florida con¬ vention here at the Hotel Roosevelt, Nov. 6-8. . . . Jimmy Frew, U-I, and Paul Wil¬ son, 20th-Fox, were here to visit branch offices and call on circuit leaders. . . M. C. Moore, who formerly operated the Lake Shore, now has the Coose, Gads¬ den, Ala. MIAMI, FLA., NEWS — Wometco launched its fourth annual Showmanship Contest with a breakfast meeting for all managers and assistants at the Biscayne Terrace Hotel. The contest has the theme of “It’s Teamwork That Counts,” with the houses divided into groups of either four, five, or six theatres. Each team will com¬ pete as a group against the others, to achieve the highest combined gross per¬ centage, compared to the same period in 1954. Each man on the winning team will win $250; each man on the second high¬ est team will wm $150; and each on the third highest team will win $75. Also there will be a $100 prize to the individual showman who achieves the best attend¬ ance showing against last year. . . . Sig Eisenberg was elected chief barker. Tent 33, Variety Club. He will take over from present chief barker Maurey Ashmann on Jan. 2. Other 1956 officers elected were George Storer, first assistant chief barker; Victor Levine, second assistant chiet barker; A1 Murcur, doughguy; and Frank Maury, property master. Other members of the crew are Carl Gardner, Richard Wolfson, George MacLean, Albert J. Hirsch, Woodrow Giordano and Abe Gurivitz. . . . Paul Grosso, Wometco maintenance chief. Ft. Lauderdale theatres, became the father of an eight-pound boy, Marty Anthony. ... A “substantial con¬ tribution” was added by Mitchell Wolfson and Sidney Meyer, Wometco coowners, to the H. H. Hyman Memorial student loan fund for individual needs of students in the University of Miami medical school. The amount of the contribution was not revealed. Los Angeles Lou Morgan, independent film distri¬ butor, is resting at home after suffering a heart attack. . . . Succeeding Harold Wyatt as booker. Fox West Coast, is Earl Peterson. . . . Jerry Schwartz, associated with attorney Ezra Stern, was celebrating the arrival of a new baby boy by giving out boxes of the traditional cigars. . . . Stan Cohen, who resigned his post as salesman, Manhattan Films, has joined the Kranz-Levin office as booker. . . . Lloyd McCullough has resigned as office man¬ ager, RKO, with no successor having been named for the post. . . . Resting at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital after surgery, was Jeanette Banks, secretary, 20th-Fox branch manager Morrie Sudman. . . . The Sero Enterprises have taken over the Lyric, Salt Lake City. ... At a recent meeting of the officers of the Film Row Club, plans were made for the annual Christmas Dance, to be held Dec. 10. Also November 2, 1955