The Exhibitor (1956)

22 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR NEWS OF THE TERRITORIES . . . Seen at the recent presentation of the Great Heart Award by Variety Club of New England, Tent 23, to the Archbishop of Boston, Richard J. Cushing, were, left to right, Edward Fay, Providence, R. I., exhibitor; Arthur Lockwood, president, Lockwood and Gordon Enterprises; Philip Smith, Chief Barker, Tent 23; Dr. Sidney Farber, presenting the plaque to Archbishop Cushing; and James Cagney, toastmaster. Albany Checks totaling more than $1,100 were presented to Harry Lamont, chairman. Variety Club Heart Fund, by Albert J. Bearup, managing editor, The TimesUnion. The money represented contribu¬ tions from the paper’s centennial celebra¬ tion luncheon honoring William Randolph Hearst, Jr., and from other activities on behalf of Tent 9’s Camp Thatcher. . . . The closing of Schine’s Avon, Watertown, N. Y., from June 1-21 was announced. The circuit’s Olympic, also a first-run, remains open there. . . . A1 Hastings, who man¬ aged the old Victoria, Watertown, now directs the nearby Starlit Drive-In for Jules Perlmutter, who refurbished the ozoner when he acquired the lease. . . . Charles Hart will relight the New, Hoosick Falls, N. Y., on Aug. 1. He recently leased the theatre, dark since January. George Boderheim, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., had operated the New for a year. . . . Neil Sorensen moved up at the Ritz from door¬ man to assistant manager. Judith Wilks resigned to take another position. . . . Philip Harling, Fabian home office attor¬ ney, conferred with division manager Elias Schlenger. Atlanta H. L. Holbrook is the new owner of the Oxford, Oxford, Ala. . . . Charlie Myers is buying and booking for the Pompano DriveIn, Pompano Beach, Fla., and Gold Coast Drive-In, Deerfield, Fla. . . . Curley Burns, Columbia booker, was promoted to sales¬ man. . . . Joyce Cochran is now in the Wil-Kin Theatre Supply office. . . . Bailey Theatres, with headquarters here, ac¬ quired the Twinkle Star Drive-In and the Roxy, both at Lakeland, Fla. . . . Georgia Theatres shuttered the Ritz, Macon, Ga., and reopened the Rialto there. . . . The Center, Huntsville, Ala., installed Cinema V SPEED y/ QUALITY / SH0W V MANSHJP Let us make YOUR next trailer! GOOD REASONS FOR ORDERING YOUR SPECIAL TRAILERS FROM FILMACK CHICAGO, ILL 1327 S. WABASH NEW YORK, N.Y. 341 W. 44th ST. New Indie Distributor Sets Product Sources BOSTON — Edward Ruff Film Asso¬ ciates, Inc., has opened new offices at 713 Metropolitan Building, with Ar¬ thur Fraser, who came over from Screen Guild, as head booker and salesman. The new independent distributing company is set to handle all the Astor Pictures releases and those from Kingsley International-Union Film Productions. In addition, Ruff will handle films from the Trans Lux Corporation, Edward Harrison Films, and Janus Corporation for the New England territory. The company is the New England representative for releases from the British Information Service, also. Edward Ruff, president, was formerly a partner in Regal Pictures Corpora¬ tion of New England, now dissolved. Scope. . . . T. A. McDougald was named manager, Stein, Ashburn, Ga., replacing Tommy Brantley, transferred to Nashville, Tenn. . . . W. H. Stevenson, 61, Park man¬ ager, Marysville, Tenn., succumbed to a heart attack. The Lyric, Gainesville, Fla., closed per¬ manently. . . . Steve Barber leased the Ritz, Clearwater, Fla., from Mrs. Millie B. Lewis. He will reopen it following im¬ provements. . . . H. M. Abbott, Chatta¬ nooga, Tenn., was appointed manager, John G. Corbett, manager, Schine's Glove, Gloversville, N. Y., recently had the above cute lobby display on 20th-Fox's "Carousel." Variety Boxing Show Expects Huge Crowd Albany — Reports on the Eastern Olym¬ pic Boxing Finals, to be staged at Hawkins Stadium, Menands, N. Y., Aug. 22-23, were received at a Variety Club meeting. Adirondack AAU district president Ben Becker, who staged a similar affair at the park of the Albany eastern league base¬ ball club in 1952, stated prospects are bright for lai'ge crowds and substantial receipts. Variety members are working on the sale of ringside tickets, the first five rows scaled at five dollars, and the remainder at three dollars. The Stadium will accom¬ modate 8,000. Bernard Mealey has charge of the promotion of a souvenir booklet, which is expected to net Tent 9 and its Camp Thatcher a substantial sum. Mealey handled space sales for several previous AAU ring shows which Variety co¬ sponsored. The general chairman of the event is Charles W. Ryan. Committee heads in¬ clude Jules Perlmutter, Samuel E. Ros¬ enblatt, and A1 Kellert. Chief barker Harold Gabrilove serves as ex-officio chairman. Family Drive-In, Johnson City Tenn. . . . The Al-Dun Amusement Company closed the Riviera, West Point, Ga., because of poor attendance. . . . Olin Evans closed the Avon, Geneva, Ala. . . . Martin Theatres closed the Ritz, Opelika, Ala. Boston The Oxford Drive-In, Oxford, Mass., American Theatres Corporation flagship, has added an 18-hole miniature golf course and a new Kiddieland Playground. Dick Gallant is in charge of the new sector, which is situated in front of the theatre. . . . Lewis S. Ginsburg, New Haven, is the new branch manager, Screen Guild Productions of New England, replacing the late Albert Swerdlove. Gins¬ burg leaves his buying and booking service, Amalgamated Buying Service of New Haven, to take over the post. Doro¬ thy Blumenthal is resigning July 1 as office manager, and Arthur Fraser, booker, has resigned to join Edward Ruff Film Associates, Inc., as head booker and salesman. . . . Jeffrey Hunter and Virginia Leith met the press at a breakfast in the Ritz Carlton Hotel for interviews on United Artists’ “Kiss Before Dying,” which is having its world premiere in Loew’s State and Orpheum. ... A new lease has been signed on the Jamestown, R. I., theatre by William E. Dailey and the house, closed last December, has reopened. The E. M. Loew’s circuit announced that Worcester, Mass., now has an art house. The circuit took its Olympia, closed it for a month for renovations, and reopened it with a new policy, renaming it the Fine Arts. . . . Jack Francis is filling in as temporary manager, Riverdale Drive-In, West Springfield, Mass. The circuit’s Sanford, Maine, Drive-In opened for business. . . . The Wells Beach, Maine, Casino, a summer’s situation in¬ cluding a theatre, bowling alley, dance hall, and concession stand, is set to re¬ open June 23. . . . Paul Canty has been named manager, Strand, Asheville, N. C. June 13, 1956