The Exhibitor (1959)

20 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR January 7, 1959 ATLANTA Marie Pinkston, former Capital Releasing booker, joined Universal in the same capac¬ ity. . . . Grant L. Howard closed the Sunset Drive-In, Knoxville, Tenn., for the winter. . . . Georgia Theatres closed the Ritz, Gaines¬ ville, Ga., one of the oldest theatres in the state. The circuit opened its new East Point, Ga., theatre which replaces the house de¬ stroyed by fire. BOSTON Lloyd Clark and Winthrop Knox, Jr., have taken over the operation of the Fenway on a managerial basis. The lease on this 1365seater was relinquished by New England Theatres, Inc., as of today (Jan. 7). In midJanuary, the new group will assume the reins and although the policy is not established, it is expected to be on a sub-run basis with an occasional first-run feature. Under the NET banner, the Fenway had been a first run house on a day and date policy with the Paramount. Clark and Knox also operate the Medford Twin Drive-In. . . . Richard Boone, manager, Sky High Drive-In, Boscawen, N.H., won first prize in the managerial contest con¬ ducted by Lockwood and Gordon Enterprises, it was announced by Douglass Amos, general manager. Second and third prizes went to Robert Duffy, Norwalk, Conn., Drive-In, and Wilfred Howard, Danbury, Conn., Drive-In. . . . The Suffolk Theatre Building, Holyoke, Mass., owned by the Majestic Realty Com¬ pany of Boston, Herman Rifkin, president, has been sold to a New York firm. Rifkin Theatres formerly operated the Suffolk, which is now under the management of the Bing Circuit, Sam Goldstein, president. John A. Glazier and Thomas F. Fermoyle joined forces with Arthur Howard to operate Affiliated Theatres Corporation, an independ¬ ent film buying and booking organization. Arthur Howard remains as president; Tom Fermoyle is vice-president and Johnny Gla¬ zier is treasurer, with headquarters remain¬ ing at 1103 Park Square Building. Seth H. Field, former vice-president of Affiliated has resigned as officer and director to devote his full time to the management of the Univer¬ sity, Cambridge. . . . George Markell has given up the lease on the Hudson, Hudson, Mass., after many years of management, and the owners are now operating it. Affiliated Thea¬ tres is handling the buying and booking. BUFFALO Variety chief barker Francis Maxwell an¬ nounced that the annual installation dinner will be held in the Statler-Hilton Hotel on Jan. 11. Myron Gross is arranging the pro¬ gram. . . . Basil Enterprises, Inc., marked its 35th anniversary with ceremonies in the Strand. The first house in the circuit, the Strand was opened in December, 1923. . . . William Brereton, for many years director of advertising and publicity at Basil’s Lafay¬ ette, has retired. . . . Variety Club’s annual fund drive for the Rehabilitation Center and FILMACK ^THE NAME TO REMEMBER 1327 So. Wabash Chicago 5, WHEN YOU NEED 630 Ninth Ave. New York the Crippled Children’s Guild netted upwards of $46,000. Campaign chairman Marvin Jac¬ obs said contributions placed the drive “well within reach of our $50,000 goal.” . . . Harold Bennett, National Screen Service branch man¬ ager, will retire Jan. 15, when the NSS front office will be closed at 505 Pearl Street. CHICAGO Mrs. Jack Kirsch, wife of the Allied Thea¬ tres of Illinois president, will be installed as president of the Variety Womens Auxiliary at a luncheon on Jan. 13 in the Ambassador East Hotel. . . . The suit of the Villa against Azteca Films was dismissed by Judge Walter LaBuy in Federal Court. He entered a judg¬ ment of $6,066 against Abraham Gomez, Villa owner. . . . Mike Todd, Jr., held open house ceremonies in the Harris to mark the chang¬ ing of its name to the Michael Todd, in honor of his late father. . . . Balaban and Katz paid a 75-cent last quarter dividend, bring¬ ing total dividends for 1958 to $2.50 per share. . . . Howard Lambert took over management of the Adelphi. . . . Variety chief barker Bill Margolis named Irving Mack to head a large local delegation to the Las Vegas con¬ vention in the spring. Mack also is chairman of arrangements. ... A testimonial dinner was accorded retiring 20th-Fox branch man¬ ager Tom Gilliam, a veteran of 45 years in the industry. Jack Kirsch was general chair¬ man and toastmaster. Gilliam is moving with his family to California. CINCINNATI The Sunset, in suburban Price Hill, has been sold by H. A. Ackerman to Mother Seton Council, Knights of Columbus, for its new home. . . . Inger Stevens was here to promote Paramount’s “Buccaneer” for Christ¬ mas screening in the Grand. . . . The Capitol announced seven extra screenings of Cine¬ rama’s “South Seas Adventure” for the holi¬ days. . . . Started for the first time, all Chakeres houses were screening “Kiddies New Year’s Eve Matinees.” Chakeres officials feel that children often are deprived of partici¬ pation in New Years Eve celebrations, and that having their own program would be a welcome activity. COLUMBUS, O. NEWS — Samuel T. Wilson, theatre editor, Columbus Dispatch, was re¬ cuperating at home following an operation at University Hospital. ... Ed McGlone, RKO city manager for the past three years, was named “Mainstemmer-of-the-Week” by the Columbus Star. . . . Charles Dillon, veteran Loew’s Ohio stagehand who cele¬ brated his 75th birthday last month, was seriously ill. . . . C. G. Littler has been named manager of RKO Grand, succeeding Don Hooten, resigned. Littler, native of Athens, Ohio, has managed theatres for the Academy circuit, J. Real Neth, Schine, and Mid-States. He was the last manager of the Majestic, downtown house, before it was razed in 1949. CLEVELAND Retiring chief barker Danny Rosenthal an¬ nounced Feb. 21 as the date of the installation dinner for new officers, including James Levitt, chief barker; Irwin Shenker, first assistant; Ted Levy, second assistant; Irving Marcus, property master; and Lewis Horwitz, dough guy. . . . Jules Livingston has suc¬ ceeded Sam Weiss as Columbia branch man¬ ager. . . . John Mattey, operator of the Amherst, Amherst, Ohio, is building a new 400-seat theatre there, the first to go up in the Greater Cleveland area since 1952. Reason for the venture is that Mattey’s lease on his present theatre expires next year and it is understood that the owners plan to convert the property to other uses. . . . The benefit premiere of “South Seas Adventure” in the Palace netted about $4,500 for the YMCA World Service Program. . . . Ronald Sturgess, Mount Vernon, Ohio, exhibitor, has circulated petitions as a candidate for Mayor of that city on the Democratic ticket in the May primaries. DALLAS The Ministerial Alliance in a nearby East Texas city brought up the subject of show¬ ing a film biography of Dr. Albert Schweitzer the other day but ran into unexpected objec¬ tion. Two members said Dr. Schweitzer wasn’t a Christian, but another was more curt. “Never heard of him,” he said. . . . The Maple has been closed and will present a series of stage productions in mid-January. Edmund G. Peterson, owner, will serve as executive producer. . . . The Texas Film Carriers Association has asked Texas COMPO to initiate negotiations with the exhibitors for an increase in film transportation rates. Kyle Rorex, executive director of Texas COMPO, reported the proposed new rate schedule is being studied by the COMPO transportation committee. . . . Raymond Willie, assistant general manager of the Inter¬ state Theatre Circuit, was featured as “Man of the Week” on KLIF recently. . . . The Hoblitzelle Foundation, headed by Karl Hoblitzelle, president of the Interstate Thea¬ tre Circuit, has given a $20,000 grant to Dallas’ proposed educational television sta¬ tion, KERA-TV. . . . Theatre owners attending the Texas Drive-In Theatre Owners Associa¬ tion convention, Feb. 16-18, will select an “Exchange Manager of the Year,” according to Tim Ferguson, general convention chair¬ man. At the time of registration, each mem¬ ber will cast a vote. The contest has become a convention tradition, each year honoring a different group of industry workers. DES MOINES Kenneth Claypool, Warners salesman, has been transferred to Omaha and is serving as office manager there. . . . Mort Ives has joined the Columbia exchange as a salesman. He formerly was with United Artists at Omaha. . . . Retiring chief barker Lloyd Hirstine presided at the Variety Club meeting which elected new officers. To be installed at a Jan. 17 event in the Standard Club are W. R. Praught, chief barker; Larry Day, first assistant; Ralph Olson, second assistant; Lou Levy, dough guy; and Dave Gold, property master. DETROIT Last August, Film Truck Service filed with the Michigan Public Service Commission to increase rates, initiating a progressive rise in minimum from $1.68 to $3.56. This would have ultimately constituted an increase amounting to 20 per cent. President Milton H. London of Michigan Allied has informed members that Allied protested and the Commission suspended the increase until Nov. 17, when hearings were held in Lansing and attended by London and public utility attorney Harold Goodman, representing Allied. Subsequent to the hearings Mrs. Gladys Pike, president of Film Truck, agreed to withdraw the re¬ quested increase substituting a flat minimum of $1 per shipment. London states the new minimum will be virtually meaningless to most theatre operators, but suggests if it does become anything of a factor that trailers and advertising material be delivered only with regular film shipment. Appreciation to Mrs.