The Exhibitor (1955)

32 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Seattle Film Veteran Mourned By Industry Seattle — Harold Edwin Daigler, 64, long-time theatreman, died last fortnight in a Seattle hospital after a short illness. At the time of his death he was an exec¬ utive, B. F. Shearer Company, operators of theatres in Bremerton and Everett, Wash., and Alaska. Daigler went to Alaska and opened his own theatre in Juneau in 1916. He cameto Seattle in 1917 and went to work for Jensen and Von Herberg as manager. Mission, then on 4th Avenue near Pike Street. He remained at the Mission until 1919, when he joined John Hamrick The¬ atres, with the opening of the Blue Mous;. In 1922, he went to Minnesota, where he managed theatres in Minneapolis and St. Paul and became Twin City manager for Finklestein and Rubin, circuit operators. He returned to Seattle in 1932, rejoining John Hamrick Theatres. He managed the Hamrick Paramount in Portland, Ore., from 1935 to 1937, when he returned here to become Seattle manager for Hamrick. He joined the Shearer Company in 1933. Daigler was a member of Nile Temple, of the Shrine and a charter member of the Variety Club. Surviving are his wife, Ethel Lola, and a brother. Cliff, Ketchikan, Alaska. by Southern Theatres Company. . . . Ro¬ bert L. Howard has replaced M. C. McLarry as east Texas representative, MPAA. McLarry is retiring because of ill health. It cost merchants at Leonard, Tex., be¬ tween $300 to $400 per week for a fourmonth period while the town was without a theatre. Roy and Charles DeViney were given a royal welcome and outstanding cooperation when they opened the Leo¬ nard, which they purchased, remodeled, and then reopened. . . . Harry Hammell has purchased the Port, Port Aransas, Tex., from Buddy Harris, Dallas. Hammell also operates the It, Mathis, Tex. . . . Audrey Cox, Palace, Lamesa, Tex., suf¬ fered a heart attack and was taken to the Baylor Hospital. Dallas. . . Irving Cohn has been promoted from purchasing agent, Jefferson Amusement Company, Beaumont, Tex., to supervisor of driveins. Marty Marks has been promote 'i from assistant to purchasing agent. . . . Kenny Morris has been named manager, Chero Permanent Variety Officers Named By Seattle Tent SEATTLE — In a recent election of the new Variety Club of the North¬ west, Tent 46, the first slate of perma¬ nent officers was elected, including Bud Saffle, chief barker, and Ed Cruea, first assistant chief barker. Other officers include C. B. Gustafson, second assistant chief barker, and Fred Eanz, property manager. Named canvasmen were B. C. John¬ son, Paul McElhinney, Frank Christy, O. Tom Franklin, and Harry Plunkett. Glen Haviland was named an hon¬ orary member. Committee heads ap¬ pointed are Harry Plunkett, chairman, membership; Frank Christy, chairman, house; Zollie Volchok, chairman, en¬ tertainment; and Jack Engerman, publicity chairman. kee Drive-In, Longview, Tex. He was for¬ merly with the Buckner Drive-In. . . . F. W. Zimmerman has sold his Texas, Palace, and King Drive-In, San Marcos, Tex., to Leroy and Company. The part¬ nership includes Bob Ottwell, Leroy Otwell, and Albert A. Doyle. The firm has purchased all local theatre property ex¬ cept the Hays, which the company has leased. The group also owns the San Marcos Drive-In and the Starlite DriveIn, Schertz, Tex. Zimmerman’s sen, Roger, will continue as manager. King Drive-In. Pedro Armendariz cost a photographer a camera when the film star smashed it to the floor in a night club. The star re¬ portedly told the photographer he would pay for the damage. . . . John H. Flache, owner and operator, Charro Drive-In, has announced the opening of the Fiesta Drive-In, Lamesa, Tex. . . . Donald L. Smith was named state director, Knignts of Columbus Catholic Film Distribution Plan, by Leo J. McCarthy, New York, supreme council representative. Eternal Film Corporation. Under the plan, the Josephine presents a K of C film with its regular feature. A 1,200 car drive-in will be constructed on a 20-acre plot at Harlington, Tex., ac¬ cording to Lew Bray, owner and operator. Lew Bray Valley Theatres. William O’Donnell, Dallas, formerly with Inter¬ state and Trans-Texas, will be associated with Bray. . . . Bill Clayborn has been named manager. Galena, Houston. Seen at the recent gala premiere or "Cinerama Holiaay," \..it.iiner, Vvash.ngton, wnich was in the nature of a benefit for the Variety Club's Welfare Fund for Children's Hospital, were, left to right, Lester B. Isaac, national director of exhibition. Cinerama; Nate Golden, Department of Commerce, Film Division; Harry Kalmine, vice-president and general manager, Stanley Warner Corporation; Alvin Q. Ehrlich, Chief Barker, Washington Variety Club; and Jack Fruchtman, chairman of committee for the premiere. Seattle A local girl, Jackie Lee McDonald, 21, will head for Hollywood in January for lengthy and exhaustive tests conducted by Paramount. One of two top winners in the country. Miss McDonald was selected from 7,000 entries who participated in Paramount’s screen test competition in connection with the promotion of the pic¬ ture “Lucy Gallant.” . . . H. N. Elast, Para¬ mount western division sales manager, left after a week of meetings with the Para¬ mount staff, including Henry Haustein, branch manager; salesman John Kent; and Walter Lange, eastern Washington salesman. . . . G. N. Torgerson purchased the Chief, Tonasket, Wash., from T. P. Smith. . . . Frances Mola has left the U-I office for the billing desk, Columbia. . . . Eugene D. Saunders, 53, producer. World Cavalcade, died in his Seattle home of a heart attack. The popular film series, which he started nine years ago, increased from six showings a year to sixty. Each film is accompanied by the personal nar¬ ration of the explorer or adventurer who filmed the picture. Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth, two sons, and a daughter. The Variety Club of the Northwest, Tent 46, elected officers for 1956, with Bud Saffie, chief barker; Ed Cruea, first as¬ sistant chief barker; Art Greenfield, sec¬ ond assistant chief barker; C. B. Gustaphson, doughguy; Fred Danz, property master; and Frank Christie, Doug Forbes, B. C. Johnson, Paul McElhenney, Harry Plunkett, and C. Tom Franklin, canvasmen. . . . Bill Stahl, NTS salesman, reports the sale of Ultra Panatar lenses to the Star, Fairfield, Mont., owned by Adam Lesmeister, and the Roosevelt, Grand Coulee, Wash., R. A. Gardiner owner. Washington For the 33rd consecutive year, A. Julian Brylawski was returned to office last week as president. Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Metropolitan Washington. Bry¬ lawski, local Stanley Warner real estate department head and a TOA vice-presi¬ dent, announced that the exhibitor asso¬ ciation recently concluded a new, fouryear contract with projectionists, for an average increase of seven and one half cents an hour. Other officers re-elected for the 1858 year were Marvin Goodman, first vice-president; Joseph Bernheimer, second vice-president; Harry Bachman, secretary; and Lloyd Wineland, Sr., treas¬ urer. BALTIMORE, MD., NEWS— Jack Fruchtman, operator. New and Keiths, was in town to consolidate those theatres with his latest acquisition, the Century. Nat W. Hodgdon will be general manager of all three houses. . . . Mrs. Eleanor V. Watson, secretary, Fruchtman Theatres, has moved her offices from Keiths to the Century. . . . Among the Baltimore ex¬ hibitors who made reservations to attend the National Allied convention in Chi¬ cago were J. Stanley Baker, head, HicksEaker Theatres; Maurice Hendricks, booker, Hicks -Baker circuit; Meyer Leventhal, head. Lord Baltimore; Jacob Levin, owner, Irvington; Jack Whittle, owner, Avenue, and secretary. Allied Motion Pic¬ ture Theatre Owners of Maryland; Miss Alice Garman; and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Tunick. Nov~mher 9, 1955