The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 31 New Minimum Wage Scale Debated In N. Y. Albany — The minimum wage for em¬ ployees of concession stands in theatres would be one dollar an hour in New York state communities having 10,000 or more population and 90 cents elsewhere under the terms of a proposed wage order for retail trade workers, on which In¬ dustrial Commissioner Isador Lubin held four public hearings upstate and a final one in New York City recently. The dollar floor would also prevail in Nassau, Westchester, and Suffolk Counties. Cur¬ rent minimum rates are 75 cents in New York City; 70 cents in Nassau and West¬ chester Counties, as well as in com¬ munities with 10,000 or more persons; and 65 cents elsewhere. The increased scale was attacked by industry spokesmen and defended by labor and consumer organization spokes¬ men at a hearing in Assembly Chamber here. Clifford Alanson, representing the State Council of Retail Merchants, esti¬ mated the new order would cost mer¬ chants a total of $41 million. Commis¬ sioner Lubin challenged this, saying the cost would be less than half that amount. Lubin, a statistician by profession, said no exact computation had been made. The higher rates were supported by George Surtes, Local 305, Retail and Whole¬ sale Employees Union, AFL-CIO, and by Mrs. Alfred Yankauer, Consumers League of New York for Fair Labor Standards. Both expressed the opinion the minimum should be $1.25 an hour. Concession concerns had no official representation at the hearing here and in the other cities, so far as could be ascer¬ tained. Many retail trade workers are new paid more than the minimum rates set forth in the new schedules. Albany Fabian’s Palace wound up the celebra¬ tion of its 25th anniversary with a Show¬ er of Gifts Night. Manager Bill With promoted giveaways worth $700 in tieups with merchants. The house will promote Christmas business with a Chevrolet draw on Dec. 19. . . . Harry Lamont started work on expansion of concession stands at the Riverview Drive-In, Rot¬ terdam, N. Y., and Vail Mills Drive-In, Vail Mills, N. Y., for cafeteria-style oper¬ ation in 1957. . . . Variety Club launched the Big Brother phase of the annual Denial Drive for Camp Thatcher with a meeting of team captains. . . . Albany will have an indoor-outdoor theatre setup within the city limits if the application of Erly Realty Development, Inc., for per¬ mission to build the twins is approved. Donald L. Lynch, county clerk, and Julian B. Erway, former district attorney, as associates in the realty firm, told Mayor Erastus Corning they proposed to con¬ struct the theatres on land the company owns on Upper Washington Avenue near the State Thruway entrance. Atlanta The new Starlight Drive-In on More¬ land Avenue is the only twin ozoner in the state and one of the largest in the south, representing an investment of $500,000 and capable of exhibiting to more NEWS OF THE TERRITORIES . . . Plans for the world premiere of Gina Lollobrigida's "Beautiful But Dangerous," 20th-Fox release, at the Memorial, Boston, were recently made in New York. Seen viewing ads and pos¬ ters on the film are Charles Einfeld, 20th-Fox vice-president, second from right, and Sol A. Schwartz, seated, president, RKO Theatres. Look¬ ing on, left to right, are Harry Mandel, ad-pub director, RKO Theatres; Blanche Livingston, Mandel's assistant; Jay Golden, hidden, RKO division manager; and Rodney Bush, 20th-Fox exploitation manager. The Italian film star will attend the premiere in person. than 6,000 persons at one time. . . . Ben Jordan and Jimmy Campbell, Allied Art¬ ists, were in for a sales meeting with manager James Hobbs. . . . The Crescent Amusement Company, Nashville, Tenn., closed its Bohemia, Cleveland, Tenn., and the State, Nashville. . . . Whit Carson was named manager, Belmont Hill, Smyrna, Ga., by president Ed Stevens, Stevens Pictures. Boston Irving Farber has closed the Church Street offices of Royal Pictures Corpora¬ tion and will announce his new plans shortly. ... A boy was born to the wife of Abe Garbose, owner, York, Athol, Mass., at the Richardson House, Boston, on Nov. 19. . . . The Disabled Veterans of America sponsored a party at the Rialto, Lowell, Mass., which attracted about 1100 children. Owner Norman Glassman donated the candy and popcorn for the kiddies. . . . Members of Inde¬ pendent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England attending the Allied annual convention in Dallas included Nathan Yamins, who is national delegate, Julian Rifkin, Henry Gaudet, and Leslie Bendslev. It was announced last week that Gina Publishing Executive Sees Censors End Albany — Members of Albany Section, National Council of Jewish Women, heard Dan Lacey, American Book Publishers Council executive, predict that the United States Supreme Court would eventually eliminate all prior-restraint powers now exercised by state film censorship boards. Lacey, who spoke on “Censorship and the Freedom to Read,” said that tribunal had clipped the authority of the censors in its decision on “The Miracle” and had broadened the scissoring in subsequent rulings. Before “The Miracle” litigation, in which the Supreme Court reversed the New York State Board of Regents’ find¬ ing that the Italian-made picture could not be licensed because it was “sacriler gious,” motion pictures had been conisidered a “form of entertainment, rather than of communication,” Lacey pointed out. This viewpoint was tunnelled by the high court in “The Miracle” case. Only “obscenity” then remained as a ground for denying a state license, Lacey re¬ marked. In some future case, state censorship prior to public exhibition of motion pic¬ tures, will be wiped out by the Supreme Court, he predicted. Lollobrigida, star of “Beautiful But Dangerous,” which was formerly “The Most Beautiful Woman In The World,” being released in this country by 20thFox, will make a personal appearance at the premiere of the picture in the Me¬ morial on Dec. 7 to launch the Italian star’s world-wide charity tour to raise money for Hungarian refugee children. It will be one of the most elaborate openings ever staged here. PROVIDENCE, R. I., NEWS— Another in a series of bomb scares, which have plagued Rhode Island and nearby Massa¬ chusetts theatre managers over a period of months, recently caused the evacuation of some 200 patrons from the Palace, Cranston, R. I. After an anonymous tele¬ phone call, the patrons filed out in orderly fashion. Mrs. Anne Harte, cashier, re¬ ceived the call. James Randall, manager, walked along the aisles asking the patrons to leave. In order to avoid confusion, he ordered the booth operator to continue running the screening of the film in progress. A search of the theatre by police and the management disclosed no trace of a bomb. TEASERETTES are catching on fast J * George G. Gallantz was recently appointed gen¬ eral counsel for Schine Enterprises by J. Myer Schine, chairman of the board. Use 'em for • P R E VU E TRAILERS S PLUGS • ADVANCE These short, snappy talking trailerettes are just what you've been waiting far. No contracts, no returns. Writ* for information! FILMACK 1321 S. WilASH CHICAGO, m. December 5, 1956