The Exhibitor (1957)

20 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Attendance Drive Set By Reade Theatres Oakhurst, N. J. — In an effort to capital¬ ize on the recent attendance increase, Walter Reade Theatres will conduct an Attendance Drive, with more than $1,000 in cash prizes to be awarded. The drive, which will run through May 15, will be based on the percentage attendance in¬ crease in each theatre for a comparable period in 1956. In making the announcement, circuit president Walter Reade, Jr., stated that increasing attendance is the primary task of every exhibitor. “Despite the tremend¬ ous population growth of the country, attendance figures for the past several years have been decreasing. This down¬ ward trend must be arrested and revei'sed,” Reade said. New Orleans A spectacular blaze completely de¬ stroyed Rene Brunet’s neighborhood Im¬ perial. Loss was estimated at $100,000. . . . Pioneer salesman H. M. Anderson is handling exploitation, advertising, and public relations for “Around The World In 80 Days” in the Panorama. . . . Grady Wilson assumed management of the Pan, formerly the Elizabeth, Elizabeth, La., and L. J. Guidry now manages the New, the former Nabor, Oberlin, La. The lat¬ ter was operated by John Harvey for many years. . . . Wilhelmine Gaudet, with Paramount Gulf for 35 years and aunt of Louis J. Boyer, National Screen branch manager, died. . . . Myrna Mae Posey, 46, National Theatre Supply office manager, also died. . . . R. L. Johnson closed his Johnson Theatre Supply Company to be¬ come engineer and maintenance direc¬ tor, the M. A. Connett circuit, Newton, Miss. . . . The retirement of Cy Bridges, MGM salesman, was to be marked by a testimonial dinner at the Variety Club this week. The Fox Drive-In, Alexandria, La., was closed temporarily for extensive re¬ modeling. It is the property of W. D. Johnson. . . . Frieda Zinser, former RKO cashier, now is with Warners as bid clerk. She succeeds Mrs. Fay Gonzales. . . . T. G. Solomon, head. Pike Booking and Sales Company, has taken over man¬ agement of the Beach Drive-In, Biloxh Miss., a former E. V. Landaiche situation. Landaiche’s operations now are confine 1 to the Carver, Prichard, Ala., and the Buck, Biloxi, Miss. . . . Producer Lewis Blumberg was in to boost his “The B’g Boodle,” accompanied by United Artists district manager George Pabst and branch manager Alex Maillho. . . . William Locke Bolen, pioneer circuit onerator in south¬ west Alabama, and John Caldwell, Sr., another veteran who at one time operate 1 theatres in Louisiana, of which he dis posed with the exception of the Royal, Bernice, La., both died suddenly last month. . . . G. J. Broussard closed the Youngsville, Youngsville, La., leaving the town without a theatre. New York Three of Prudential’s Long Island drive-ins have gone on full week-long schedules, according to district manager Harry Birkmier. They are the Bay Shore Sunrise, the Commack, and Massapequa Rock Hudson, who made personal appearances at the recent premiere of U-I's "Battle Hymn," Capitol, New York, is seen with Milton R. Rackmil, president of the film company. Drive-Ins. New playground equipment has been added to the Commack, and Massa¬ pequa. . . . Gus Serale, manager, Skouras Bayside, was recently honored by the Bayside Council of Churches and Syna¬ gogues with this year’s Brotherhood Award. He received the award for the outstanding position he took in the com¬ munity and for his leadership in the re¬ cently completed Brotherhood Drive. . . . Albert Cornfield, supervisor of Great Britain, Continental Europe, and the Near and Middle East for 20th-Fox In¬ ternational Corporation, arrived for conferences. NEWARK, N. J., NEWS— The Play¬ house, Passaic, N. J., has been leased by Stanley Warner to an entrepreneur for use as a roller skating rink. . . . The Chancellor, Irvington, N. J., reopened under the ownership and management of Morris Steinberg. New sound and projec¬ tion were installed. . . . Ross Crawford, former assistant. Union, Union, N. J., now is in the Stanley Warner office here. . . . Joseph Frankel resigned from the San¬ ford, Irvington, to become manager. Paramount here. Philadelphia Charles Zagrans, former branch man¬ ager, RKO, is now out of town booker with Stanley Warner Theatres. He suc¬ ceeded Hank Goldman, who is now with Dipson Theatres in the West Virginia Barbara Rush, star, 20th-Fox's "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!," recently lent a hand with Hungarian refugee clothing collection in the lobby of the Roxy, New York, as Robert C. Rothafel, Roxy managing director, and donor Kathleen Russell, Brooklynite, look on. People making donations were admitted to the theatre as guests of the management. Police Seize Film, Arrest Exhibitors Reading, Pa. — Acting on orders of Mayor Daniel F. McDevitt, police wit¬ nessed a showing of “Paris After Mid¬ night” in the Plaza and, after a confer¬ ence with the Mayor, seized four reels of the movie on a charge that it is “immoral and suggestive.” The theatre operators, Claude G. Finch and Walter S. Finch, were arrested on charges of exhibiting a film of “indecent and immoral character.” In a report to police captain John H. Feltman, the group that saw the film said it was “very sexy, leaving very little to the imagination, with several scenes showing woman scantily clad and sug¬ gestive advances made by striptease dancers.” Although the theatre adver¬ tises its shows “for adults only,” there were three young people who could have been considered juveniles in the house, the police report said. The Finches, brothers, were ordered to appear before the alderman to post $250 bail each, for a hearing later. territory. . . . Ely Epstein, former RKO sales manager, is now selling electric lights and fixtures. . . . Martha Clarke, former RKO booker, is now with Screen Guild. . . . Mrs. Rose Gold, Republic biller, is off on a Florida vacation. . . . Condolences are extended to 20th-Fox branch manager Samuel Diamond on the death of his mother, Eva, at Atlantic City, N. J. Four married daughters also survive. HARRISBURG, PA., NEWS — Henry Shindler, former doorman, has been ad¬ vanced to assistant manager, Loew’s. With the theatre over four years, he replaced Gary Chohany, who left to study engi¬ neering. ... A severe snow storm not¬ withstanding, the State did very weU with Little Richard’s Rock and Roll Revue, manager E. G. Wollaston re¬ ported. . . . Mrs. Irene Fleck, former Council Reverses Decision On Drive-In Land Lease BRISTOL, PA. — The Borough Coun¬ cil of Bristol, Pa., last fortnight reversed its earlier decision to lease borough-owned land adjacent to the Lower Bucks County Hospital to the Eric Corporation of America for the construction of a drive-in and con¬ ventional theatre. The proposed lease had met with opposition from the Hospital board and other local inter¬ ests, as well as from Melvin J. Fox, Philadelphia theatre operator, who contended that he had bid higher for the lease than Eric. At the same time, the Council voted to throw open to bids another tract of land near the intersection of Routes 13 and 413 which had the advantage of being approved by district sani¬ tary engineers who had contended the earlier site was unsatisfactory. Law¬ rence A. Monroe, attorney for Fox, thanked the Council for its action on behalf of his client. March 13, 1957