The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 21 Variety To Solicit Public For Camp Fund Albany — The Variety Club, which launched its 14th annual Denial Drive on behalf of Camp Thatcher with a meeting of Big Brother cochairmen and a canvass¬ ing of possibilities, will make a public solicitation for funds in January. Officers hope to wind up the campaign in March. By then, they will know the budgetary requirements of the VarietyAlbany Boys’ Club summer base at Thompson’s Lake. The Times-Union, which cooperates with Tent Nine in publicizing the yearly pro¬ motion, printed three articles about the Boys’ Club, which has been expanded with two new clubhouses, the result of a $500,000 drive conducted by Variety. A1 Kellert, as chief barker, is exofficio chairman of the Denial Drive. At¬ torney and crewman Lewis A. Sumberg coordinates the Big Brother end. Albany The Universal Pep Club paid its re¬ spects to Erie Ziegler, salesman trans¬ ferred to Detroit. Branch manager Nor¬ man Weitman presented Ziegler with luggage on behalf of the club. Ziegler be¬ gan here as an assistant booker in 1950 and later worked as a traveling auditor, returning here a year ago as salesman. His local position will not be filled, which leaves Universal with one salesman, the veteran Eugene Lowe. . . . Bill Graham, one-time Altec engineer serving the Schine Circuit and now a Schine execu¬ tive, visited WPTR, local radio station owned by the Schine interests and man¬ aged by Duncan Mounsey, former film documentary producer. Graham’s official title is chief construction engineer for Schine Hotels. . . . Without fanfare, a preliminary survey has been started of possible replacements for the New York State motion picture licensing law in the event that the Court of Appeals or I he United States Supreme Court completely invalidated it. The state’s highest tribunal is scheduled to hear arguments at the January term in the appeal brought by State Department of Education and Re¬ gents from the recent unanimous de¬ cision of Appellate Division, Third De¬ partment, reversing the Board on “Garden Of Eden.” Atlanta Colonel T. E. Orr, former Enterprises owner, returned to his Atalla, Ala., home fofiowing a stay in the Ponce de Leon Hospital here. . . . Mary Bridges, Mar¬ tin’s booker, was recuperating from surgery in the Georgia Baptist Hospital. . . . Mitchell Little, formerly of Char¬ lotte, was appointed as Kay Exchange sales representative by president Ike Katz. . . . The Piedmont Drive-In, Pied¬ mont, Ala., switched to a weekend sched¬ ule for the winter. . . . R. L. McWilliams, Howco, and his wife became the parents of a son. ... Joe Hart took over buying and booking for the Bel-Air, Colonial, Donelson, and Warner Park Drive-In, Nashville, Tenn. . . . James Reynolds, Union Point, Ga., exhibitor, has recovered from an illness. . . . R. N. Thomas, formerly of Blackshear, Ga., and Nash NEWS OF THE TERRITORIES . . . This is the new crew of the Albany Variety Club, Tent Nine. Front row, left to right, Aaron Winig, property master; Norman Weitman, first assistant chief barker; Al Kellert, chief barker; Irwin Ullman, second assistant; Max Zuckerman, dough guy; and rear row, left to right, Lewis A. Sumberg, Eugene Teper, Dr. A. I. Milstein, and Arthur Green. Not shown are Jack Hamilton and Simon Backer. ville has been appointed city manager, Stein circuit, Ashburn, Ga., replacing T. A. McDougal, now Jacksonville man¬ ager. Thomas will handle the Turner and Joy Drive-In at Ashburn. . . . The WOMPI luncheon for November was held in the Variety Club, presided over by president Jackie Cowart. Service chairman Lois Cone was in charge of the program. Boston Independent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England, a unit of National Allied, was to hold a regional meeting in the Narragansett Hotel, Providence, R. I., for all Rhode Island exhibitors today (Dec. 12) at noon. Edward Lider, president, will re¬ port on the results of the Allied conven¬ tion in Dallas, to be followed by a ques¬ tion and answer period. Attending with Lider from Boston are Carl Goldman, executive secretary, and Norman Glassman, chairman of the board. Ted Rosen¬ blatt and Melvin Safner are chairmen from Rhode Island. . . . Miss Alice Tanzman, partner with Norman Poretsky, Wholesome Film Center, died suddenly. Funeral services were held at Stanetsky’s Funeral Chapel. . . . Manny Youngerman, United Artists’ new sales manager, has arrived at his desk. He replaces Al Glaubinger, who was promoted to branch man¬ ager, Buffalo. . . . Eddie Comi, Massachu¬ setts Theatre Equipment Company, has installed new Century projectors, and Robbin-Arc rectifiers in the Kenmore for the showing of MGM’s “Lust For Life.” Karl Fasick, Loew's, Boston, used this bally re¬ cently for Columbia's "You Can't Run Away From It," State and Orpheum. The girl was clad in pajamas and carried a wedding gown. Wilby Feted At Dinner To Mark Retirement Atlanta — R. B. Wilby, president, WilbyKincey Theatres, and a director, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, was honored by a dinner at the Capital City Country Club last week on the occasion of his retirement on Jan. 1. Leonard Goldenson, AB-PT president; Sidney Markley, AB-PT vice-president; Mike Kincey, Wilby-Kincey, Charlotte; E. V. Richards, New Orleans, and many other friends and business associates were in attendance. Wilby was graduated from Georgia Tech in 1908 and shortly thereafter found¬ ed his own theatre company. In 1911, he became first in the industry to show mo¬ tion pictures continuously without stop¬ ping to change reels. From a small be¬ ginning in Selma, Ala., the circuit has continued to grow and now operates throughout this state, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee with more than 100 theatres. In 1935, the Wilby-Kincey organization was sold to United-Paramount Theatres, Inc., but Wilby has continued to direct the circuit’s operations up to the present time. Buena Vista sent out invitations to a “Cinderella” luncheon in the Sheraton Plaza this week to announce showman¬ ship plans for the launching of the re¬ issue Walt Disney film throughout New England in February. Herbert Schaefer, New England manager, was to be at the head table. TEASERETTES are catching on fast f Use 'em for • P R E VU E TRAILERS These short, snappy talking trailerettes are just what you've been waiting for. No contracts, no returns. Write for information! PLUGS • ADVANCE FILMACK 1327 S. WABASH C H I C A G 0. ILL, December 12, 1956