The Exhibitor (1959)

6 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR January 14, 1959 NEWS CAPSULES Tent 13 Installs Beresin PHILADELPHIA — Variety Club Tent 13 completed arrangements for the annual in¬ stallation of new officers and dinner in honor ol outgoing chief barker Sam Diamond and in-coming chief barker Leo B. Beresin to be held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel on Janu¬ ary 19. A prominent guest speaker and visit¬ ing film stars are to attend. BROADWAY GROSSES Broadway Houses Back To Normal NEW YORK — Post holiday business in the Broadway first runs finally got back to aver¬ age over the weekend with Radio City Music Hall, however, continuing at a merry pace. A lack of new product was evidently a factor. According to usually reliable sources reach¬ ing MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, the breakdown was as follows: “THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS" (20th-Fox). Paramount ($33,403)*— The fifth week was reported as $30,000. “AUNTIE MAME” (Warners). Radio City Music Hall ($142,115) — Thursday through Sunday accounted for $98,000, with the sixth week sure of $150,000. Stage show. “THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD” (Co¬ lumbia). Roxy, with stage show, claimed $45,000 for Wednesday through Sunday, with the fourth week expected to tally $52,000. “THE BUCCANEER" (Paramount). Capitol ($41,926)— The third session was claimed as $32,000. “THE GEISHA BOY" (Paramount). Mayfair anticipated the fourth week at $25,000. “I WANT TO LIVE” (UA). Victoria ($19,292) — The eighth and last week was said to be $14,000. “SEPARATE TABLES" (UA). Astor ($19,115) — The fourth week was reported as $28,000. “BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE” (Colum¬ bia). Odeon expected the third session to hit $16,000. “A NIGHT TO REMEMBER” (Rank). Cri¬ terion announced the fourth week as $22,000. “RALLY ROUND THE FLAG BOYS" (20th -Fox). RKO Palace anticipated the third week at $18,000. *Figures in parentheses reveal 1958 averages as compiled by MOTION PICTURE EXHIBI¬ TOR. Industry's Most Complete Saveable Review Section IN THIS ISSUE 1. City Of Fear (Col.) 2. The Girl In The Bikini (Atlantis) 3. The Gypsy and The Gentleman (Rank) 4. Happy Is The Bride (Kassler) 5. I Mobster (Fox) 6. The Last Mile (UA) 7. A Love Story (Casino) 8. Mad Little Island (Rank) 9. Rally ’Round The Flag Boys (Fox)N 10. Stranger In My Arms (U-I) 11. Tia Juana After Midnight (Alan) A Quick Summary of All Important Industry News . . . condensed for the Busy Executive. FORMS FOR THIS PAGE CLOSED AT 2 P.M. ON MON., JAN. 12 NT Acquisition Of NTA Approved By Holders LO'S ANGELES — Shareholders of National Theatres, Inc., at a special meeting last week at the company’s headquarters voted over¬ whelmingly in favor of a proposal that Na¬ tional Theatres make an offer to acquire a controlling interest in National Telefilm As¬ sociates. The vote of the shareholders authorizes Na¬ tional Theatres to make an offer to the stock¬ holders of National Telefilm Associates to acquire their common stock on the basis of exchanging $11 principal amount of National Theatres’ 5x/z per cent sinking fund subordi¬ nated debentures due March 1, 1974, plus a warrant for the purchase of one-quarter share of National’s common stock for each share of National Telefilm stock exchanged. Included in the proposal is National Theatres’ offer to exchange warrants expiring in 1962 for out¬ standing warrants of National Telefilm also expiring in that year. National Theatres’ president John B. Bertero pointed out that “since National Telefilm owns and operates two television stations and a radio station, the approval of the Federal Communications Commission must be ob¬ tained prior to the acquisition of control of National Telefilm by National Theatres. An application seeking the Commission’s approval of the transfer of control is now on file. We view the vote as a firm endorsement of the management’s proposal,” said Bertero. At a meeting of the board of directors of National Theatres a quarterly dividend of 121/;; cents per share on the outstanding common stock of the corporation was declared. The dividend is payable February 5 to stockhold¬ ers or record at the close of business on Jan¬ uary 22. Seen at the recent Broadway premiere of 20thFox's "Rally Round The Flag, Boys!" at the RKO Palace were, left to right, Sol A. Schwartz, head, RKO Circuit; stars Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; and 20th-Fox vice-presi¬ dent Charles Einfeld. Tomlinson Quits Loew’s Board NEW YORK — Joseph Tomlinson, leading dissenter, last week resigned from Loew’s Inc. board of directors; and the way was thus paved for “peace and harmony” in the com¬ pany. He was succeeded by Nathan Cum¬ mings. The Board was reduced from 19 to 15 mem¬ bers; and cumulative voting for directors was dropped. Stockholders must now approve the latter action at a meeting set for Feb. 26. Removed were two other dissidents in the Tomlinson camp — Louis A. Green and Jerome A. Newman. Francis W. Hatch and Charles Braunstein voluntarily withdrew from re-election to bring the management’s slate down to 15 members. List Acquires Leather Firm NEW YORK— Albert A. List, president and chairman of the board of List Industries Cor¬ poration, announced that Gera Corporation, a subsidiary of List, has acquired all of the outstanding common stock of E. Hubschman and Sons, Inc., of Philadelphia, primarily for cash with a portion of the aggregate price payable out of future earnings. The Hubschman Company holds a preemi¬ nent position in the field of manufacture of fine calf leather used in the production of the highest quality shoes and ladies hand¬ bags. Drive-In Convention Set PITTSBURGH — Preparations for Allied’s sixth national drive-in theatre convention on Jan. 26-27, at the Penn-Sheraton Hotel, were rapidly nearing completion last week. Ap¬ proximately 70 exhibits have been contracted for, and a record number of registrations have been received. Foremost on the agenda are a business building workshop, film clinics, equipment forums, sales of films to TV and panel discus¬ sions of interest to every owner. X? FILM FAMILY 7\ ALBUM Obituaries Norbert Stem, 66, president, Drive-In The¬ atre Association and the Associated Theatres, a drive-in theatre circuit, died Dec. 31 in Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa. He built the first drive-in in the Pittsburgh district. Herman Wile, 94, pioneer Buffalo, N. Y., ex¬ hibitor, who opened the first movie there in 1894, and who in recent years was a clothing manufacturer, died. Samuel C. Mack, 62, brother of Irving Mack, president, Filmack Trailer Company, Chicago, died in Weiss Memorial Hospital. He is sur¬ vived by his widow and a daughter, two grandchildren, two brothers and three sisters. Matthew M. Konczakowski, 69, veteran Buffalo exhibitor, died at the Millard Fillmore Hospital, Buffalo, of a heart attack. He was owner of the Circle, Marlowe and Senate. At one time he owned a chain of six or seven theatres, including the Regent. He was a member of Tent Seven, Variety Club. Surviv¬ ing are his wife, three sons and eight grand¬ children.