The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 25 News. . . . Jack Caplan announced that he has taken over the Variety, Miami Beach, Fla., and will present regular showings of vaudeville and first-run B pictures. The Variety has been remodeled. . . . Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made personal ap¬ pearances at the Variety Children’s Hos¬ pital and were present at a dinner in the Bayfront Auditorium to raise funds for the hospital. . . . Wometco announced it will hold employee Christmas parties in both the WTVJ Studio and at the Mary Elisa¬ beth Hotel. At the latter event, special 20year service awards will be made, as well as the awarding of lapel emblems to Old Guard members by Old Guard president Tim Tyler. Mrs. Mitchell Wolfson, wife of the circuit co-owner, will give her annual Christmas party at the Wolfson home for 225 children of employees. . . Special preview showings of “The Ten Commandments” were given by Florida State Theatres in the Colony and Beach, Miami Beach, Fla. Los Angeles The Belair Drive-In, between Valley Boulevard and San Bernardi \o Freeway on Valley West of Sierra Avenue, Fon¬ tana, Cal., opened last month. The spot has a 1,050 car capacity. . . . Herb Jack, seating equipment salesman, and Bundy Smith, theatre supply representative, moved their offices to 1977 South Vermont Avenue. . . . The Paradise, Westchester, has been acquired by Pacific Drive-In Theatres from Alex Schreiber. . . . Na¬ tional Screen Service salesman Fred Weimer became a grandfather. . . . The Variety Club’s annual Christmas dance is slated for Dec. 22 in the Ambassador Hotel. . . . Wally Wolf, son of Rube Wolf, Fanchon and Marco circuit, was in Mel¬ bourne as a member of the U.S. water polo team competing in the Olympics. Memphis Olin Fletcher Ferrer, 68, died of a heart attack at Summer Drive-In, where he worked as a projectionist. . . . The Ritz, which will reopen shortly, is being com¬ pletely remodeled inside to make it a a more intimate and luxurious art the¬ atre. Seating capacity will be 550, instead of 800, as before the fire. The seats will not be staggered, and the rows are to be wider. Jack Katz, manager, reports the walls will be a soft blue-gray, and that the seats will have gray backs with offwhite bottoms. . . . The WOMPI recently visited Happy Acres, a home for sick children, bringing blankets, sheets, under¬ shirts, and many other garments. WOMPI has made Happy Acres its project for 1956-57. Milwaukee Russell Leddy, who resigned as man¬ ager, Orpheum, Green Bay, Wis., recently, will become Marcus Circuit director in that city when he returns from a vacation. . . . Bennie Benjamin, Screen Guild, at¬ tended a midwest sales meeting in the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, given by American International Pictures Corpora¬ tion. . . . Bob Gross, manager, Smith’s Blue Mound Drive-In, Elm Grove, Wis., was elected president, Blue Mound Road Businessmen’s Association. Dick Grede, former Blue Mound manager, is now with an ozoner at Indianapolis. . . . Universal booker Paul Schober became the father of a son. Former Circuit Executive To OoercUe Five Houses _ MILWAUKEE — Ranee Mason, former district manager, Fox Wisconsin Amusement Corporation, has taken over the operation of five theatres in the upper Michigan peninsula. Mason bought outright the Lode, Houghton, and acquired on lease the Kerredge and Orpheum, Hancock; the Peoples, Laurium; and the Calumet, Calumet. The leased houses are former units of the Martin Thomas Circuit, Iron Mountain, Mich. Minneapolis E. M. Hawkens has closed his Waubay, Waubay, S. D. Other closings in the area are John H. Wright’s Granada, New Prague, Minn., and Henry Larson’s Roxy, Battle Lake, Minn. . . . The Robin, sub¬ urban Robbinsdale, is being converted into a laundry. . . . Contract for the construc¬ tion of the new Herreid, S. D., community theatre has been awarded to a construction firm in Eureka, S. D. . . . The City Coun¬ cil of West St. Paul, Minn., has turned down the plea of W. R. Frank, operator, West Twins, for a reduction from $200 to $100 in its annual license fee. . . . Leo Brabier, whose Jordan, Jordan, Minn., was destroyed by fire last month, is studying plans to rebuild the house. . . . Lloyd Maynard has installed new booth equipment and a CinemaScope screen in his Roxy, Kelliher, Minn. Walter Johnson, Hinckley, Minn., pur¬ chased the Sanshor, McGregor, Minn., from B. B. Maddy. . . . Raymond Fairley leased the Olin, Olin, la. . . . Kenneth Thompson resumed management of the Bell, Belgrade, Minn., cancelling out the sale last summer to Tom Casey, Bowdle, S. D. . . . Robert Moe, Brooten, Minn., has succeeded his father-in-law, W. L. Lakie, as manager, Bijou, Barnesville, Minn. . . . Milton Ask has been named manager, Saturn, Pierpont, S. D., succeeding Clare Lidel. . . . Officers have been reelected by local F-31, IATSE, composing film ex¬ change personnel. They are William Burke, MGM, president and business agent; Dick Kolling, Columbia, vice-presi¬ dent; Alice Kuhlmann, Warners, treas¬ urer; Charlotte Silverman, MGM, secre¬ tary; and Orville Anderson, Paramount, sergeant-at-arms. This was the recent scene in the outer lobby of Radio City, Minneapolis, at a special "working girls' early morning breakfast matinee" of MGM's "The Opposite Sex." Standing behind the coffee counter, left ot right, are Tommy Martin, theatre manager; Al Paulson, WTCN radio disc jockey; and Bob Stone, MGM press representative. Minn. Poll Shows Most For Censorship Minnneapolis — Seven out of 10 Minne¬ sotans are in favor of municipal motion picture censorship laws, according to a statewide survey taken by the Minneap¬ olis Tribune’s Minnesota Poll. The poll showed widespread support for censorship ranging from 66 per cent among men to 77 per cent among women. Greatest objection came from collegeeducated men and women: 39 per cent said they disapprove. Most disapproval comments were of this nature: “It’s not necessary,” “it’s undemocratic,” and “there’s already adequate censorship.” Two-thirds of the sample reported they have been to a film within the past year with average attendance by adults at four to six pictures during that period. About one-tenth of the movie-going adults (seven per cent of the total sample) an¬ swered yes to the question, “Have you seen any movies in the last year which you think should have been censored?” But the large majority said they had not seen any which they think needed censoring. New Haven Handicapped Boy Scouts were the guests of Sid Kleper to see a double bill in the Loew Poli College. . . . Most driveins were shuttered by last fortnight. . . . Regulations to govern the construction of drive-ins in Hamden, Conn., were to be considered at a public hearing of the Town Plan and Zoning Commission this week. . . . Division manager Harry F. Shaw reports that the Loew Poli New England Circuit has gone 100 per cent for getting Christmas sponsored shows. Shaw was given an autographed football by members of the Yale championship Ivy League team, which was the guest of the Loew Poli every Friday night during the football season. ... In New York at the Pioneers Dinner recently were Harry F. Shaw, John Pavone, Mike Tomasino, Lou Brown, Herman M. Levy, and Phil Schwartz. . . . Jimmy Boyle, MGM, was in Bridgeport and New Haven on exploitation for “Lust For Life.” . . . Co¬ lumbia personnel planned a Christmas party at Donat’s, on Dec. 13. . . . Univer¬ sal tentatively planned a holiday party for Dec. 19. HARTFORD, CONN., NEWS — Peter Perakos, Jr., assistant general manager, Perakos Theatre Associates, held a first anniversary party at the Arch Street, New Britain, Conn., to mark the theatre’s first year under the Perakos banner. . . . Paul Amadeo, Pike Drive-In, has returned to his desk, following a stay at St. Francis Hospital. . . . The Art resumed Monday through Friday matinee. . . . State Motor Vehicles Commissioner Tynan has started a two-part, state-wide campaign against defective automotive exhaust systems such as that which recently caused the carbon monoxide death of a baby boy in a closed car at the Pike Drive-In. New Orleans Don Kaye, Joel Bluestone and associates have formed Prestige Productions to spe¬ cialize in the national distribution of Elvis Presley statuettes, operating from Blue December 12, 1956