The Exhibitor (1956)

24 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Robert K. Shapiro, manager, New York's Para¬ mount, is seen with some of the "Moroccan" lovelies and the young couple look-alikes for James Stewart and Doris Day, who were used Chicago — Elaborate preparations are being made for the 10th anniversary cele¬ bration and dinner dance of Chicago Cinema Lodge, B’nai B'rith, honoring Jack Kirsch, founder and first president, on June 30 at the Covenant Club. M. M. Gottlieb is general chairman for the affair, with Bob Frisch as secretary. The general committee includes Louis L. Abramson, Harry Balaban, James Booth, Sam Chernoff, Sylvan Goldfinger, Alex Halperin, Irving Mack, Nat Nathanson, Arthur Schoenstadt, Mannie Smerling, and David S. Wallerstein. Other chairmen are Jack Rose, arrange¬ ments; Marvin Nudelman, Cinema Bowl¬ ers; Paul Marr, entertainment; Dr. Rob¬ ert Gilbert, finance; Aaron Cushman, publicity; Norman Silverman, reception; Cincinnati Lee J. Heidingsfeld, RKO city salesman, was named branch manager, replacing Lloyd Krauss, transferred to Detroit as branch manager. Krauss’ wife, Barbara, was replaced as general clerk, Allied Artists, by Joyce Hillmanis. . . . New area drive-ins opened recently include the Ranch, Greenfield, O., J. H. Davidson, owner, and the Marysville, Marysville, O., Dale Fllerman, owner. . . . Area houses reported closed are Delyn, New Straitsville, O., Jack Needham, owner; Columbia, Coldwater, O., S. V. Moorman, owner, Audito¬ rium, Richwood, W. Va., Kenova, Kenova, W. Va.; and Kentucky, South Shore, Ky. . . . The Eastland, Portsmouth, O., C. A. Metro, owner, which was gutted by fire, will be dismantled. . . . John Mitchell, Jefferson¬ ville, O., exhibitor, is now doing his own booking and buying. . . . Bert Fiala, owner, Alhambra, Dayton, O., is back on the job after a long illness. . . . The downtown Palace was sued for $30,000 by a patron who charged she suffered permanent dis¬ ability when a broken seat gave way, hriuring her severely. . . . Variety Club Ladies Auxiliary hosted a dinner party in the Hotel Metropole clubrooms. . . . Joan Scholle, daughter of Mae Scholle, office manager, States Film Service, will be married June 23 to Thomas McElfresh. . . . A severe fire recently caused heavy damage to the Eastland, Portsmouth, O., operated by C. A. Metro. . . . J. A. Sloan’s Elkhorn, Praise, Ky., is operating week¬ ends only, for the time being. Lucky S. Squire, famed Macy's Santa Claus, who is doing promotion on U-I's "Toy Tiger," recently received a summons from the New York Police Department for participating in this stunt with a "toy tiger" and "tigeress" Betty Clingman in Central Park without a permit. Maurice Abrams, reservation; Ben Lourie, ticket sales; Ralph Smitha, Variety Club; and Mrs. Penelope Nomikos, Women’s Variety Club. Assisting are Sam Levinsohn, Charles Cooper, Irving Davis, Lester Grand, Jos¬ eph Berenson, Victor Bernstein, Herman Busch, Max B. Garlin, Harry Greben, Daniel Kirsch, Philip Koenig, Edward Kramer, Kermit Russell, Morris Russell, A1 Spector, Charles Waters, William Zimmerman, Larry Zukernick, Grant Nathanson, Ben Banowitz, Isadore Baskin, Herman Cohen, Sidney Epstein, Peter Filerman, E. L. Goldberg, Arthur S. Kaplan, Fred F. Lang, Dr. Fred Madenberg, Harry D. Plotnick, Marvin A. Raffel, Albert J. Simon, Maurice O. Wells, and Murray Weltman. COLUMBUS, O., NEWS— Wally Jones, white hunter who served as guide and technical advisor for Columbia’s “Safari” in Kenya, and Sheldon Reynolds, writer, producer and director of United Artists’ “Foreign Intrigue,” were visitors and were kept busy with press, radio and tele¬ vision interviews. They visited Johnny Jones, Dispatch columnist, who is recov¬ ering from a serious auto accident. The latter had visited Kenya and was particu¬ larly interested in meeting the visitors. . . . City officials of Jackson, O., are in the process of easing a hardship on the Markey, principal source of income from the city’s three per cent admissions tax. After hearing a report that the Markey might curtail its operation to three days a week because of the tax burden, the city council authorized the preparation of repeal legislation. Circuit Executive Mourned; Exhib Pioneer Was 67 CHICAGO — Harry Schoenstadt, 67, pioneer exhibitor and general man¬ ager, H. Schoenstadt and Sons, opera¬ tors of eight theatres, died. He was a cousin of Arthur Schoenstadt, circuit president. A veteran of World War I, Schoen¬ stadt was an active member of Hyde Park Post, American Legion. Sur¬ vivors are his widow, Goldie, three sisters, and a brother, Reuben. Burial was in Isaiah Israel cemetery. Credit Card Plan May Be Boxoffice Aid Cleveland — Interviewed by W. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer film critic, during his visit here to address the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Eric Johnston, Motion Picture Association of America president, discussed the subject of credit cards to spur theatre admissions. He was quoted by Marsh as saying that the credit plan is being explored by ex¬ hibitors to determine whether it can help declining boxoffice “at this time.” He added that the possibilities of a United States Film Festival, similar to the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice events, are under consideration also. Johnston went on to say that most of the major problems confronting the MPAA currently originate overseas. “They include how many pictures we can get admitted to each country and how we can get our money out,” Johnston stated, disclosing that his plans call for a trip to Spain this month to deal with the situation there. Later, he is to travel to the Berlin Film Festival and to Scan¬ dinavia. Commenting on the report that Mike Tcdd has concluded an agreement to make six films in Russia with the cooperation of the Soviets, Johnston was quoted as saying that “the announcement was quite unofficial,” and that nothing definite had been negotiated. Cleveland A veteran projectionist and member of Local 160, IATSE, Alexander Weiss, 86, died after a prolonged illness. A son, Arnold, is projectionist, Cedar-Lee. . . . Nat Levy, RKO eastern division sales manager, held a sales meeting of branch managers here. It was the first official appearance of Hatton Taylor, newly ap¬ pointed district manager succeeding Mor¬ ris Lefko, who resigned to join Paramount as special sales representative. Also pres¬ ent to participate in discussions on forth¬ coming RKO product were Lloyd Kraus, successor to Otto Ebert in Detroit; Lee J. Heidingsfeld, Kraus’ successor in Cin¬ cinnati; Russ Brentlinger, Indianapolis; and Frank Belles, Cleveland. ... Joe Shagrin, Sr., owner, Foster, Youngstown, O., became a grandfather. . . . Sylvester Pierce, manager, Berea, Berea, O., in recognition of his outstanding cooperation in civic events, was elected to serve a 2-year term as a member of the board of directors, Berea Chamber of Commerce. . . . Tiffin Drive-In, Tiffin, O., operated by Selected Theatres, was dark Memorial Day evening because of power damage from an electrical storm. . . . Loew’s Esquire, Toledo, O., closed for the sum¬ mer. . . . Tom Gregory has cut the opera¬ tion of the State, Shelby, O., to week¬ ends for the rest of the summer. . . . Nick Calabria shuttered his Ohio, Yorkville, O., only movie house in the town of about 2,000 population, for the summer. . . . The Bell, Campbell, O., is closed for an in¬ definite period. George Hartnett, new manager, 40th Street Drive-In, Tampa, Fla., returned here with his family to visit friends on Film Row. He had been active in this terri¬ tory prior to his association in Florida. to exploit the opening of Paramount's "The Man Who Knew Too Much." B'nai B'rith Affair Will Honor Kirsch June 13, 1956