The Exhibitor (1959)

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February 18, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15 ALBANY Marked changes in the drive-in picture hereabouts are taking shape for the 1959 sea¬ son. One of them saw the sale by the Lamont interests of Riverview, at Rotterdam (outside Schenectady) to Fabian Theatres. This was followed by the retirement of general man¬ ager Robert Lamont from the organization founded by his late, older brother, Harry, and his affiliation with Alan V. Iselin’s Tri City Drive-In Theatres. Another Lamont drive-in, the Sunset, Kingston, was expected to be purchased by Walter Reade, Jr. At least one more ozoner, which had been operated by partners, is slated for new ownership in the spring. This is not a Lamont unit. . . . The Albany Variety Club’s Camp Thacher fund will be the beneficiary of the premiere which the Times-Union is to sponsor of “South Pacific” in Todd-AO at the Ritz on Feb. 19. Stanley Warner has turned over the 1125-seat house for the occasion. The film will play the Ritz on a 10-performances a week basis. The house has closed for installation of the Todd-AO process. A1 Swett, SW district man¬ ager and Strand house manager, will move to the Ritz for the engagement, with his as¬ sistant, Bill Gobel, taking over at the Strand. Marie Bartley, Strand cashier, switches to the Ritz as treasurer. ATLANTA Lamar Kirks, formerly with MGM, has re¬ signed. . . . James Reynolds, Union Point, Ga., has leased his Madison, Madison, Ga., to Henry Lanham. ... A cyclone which swept through Fayette, Ala., demolished the screen tower of the Dixieland Drive-In. . . . Mrs. Barbara Chupp is the new receptionist at Martin Theatres. . . . Tom Luck, Exhibitor Service Company, is back at his office fol¬ lowing an illness. . . . Ann Morgan, Theatres Service, is back at work following surgery at a local hospital. . . . Charlie Crute, Lyric Amusement Company, Huntsville, Ala., is going to install a new air conditioning system in his Lyric, Huntsville, Ala. . . . Tom Brett, Sr., whose son operates the Arcade, Sandersville, Ga., died at his home. BOSTON Cinema Lodge of B’nai B’rith held a testi¬ monial luncheon in honor of Jimmy Durante at the Hotel Bradford with proceeds benefitting the Jimmy Fund. . . . The Drive-In Theatre Association of New England held its fifth annual day-long meeting and luncheon at the Hotel Bradford on Feb. 17. Julian Rifkin was chairman. Open discussions were held from the floor. . . . Harry Browning has been brought in as temporary general man¬ ager of the new Fenway by operators Lloyd Clark and Winthrop Knox, Jr. He will remain in that spot until the reopening of the Med¬ ford Twin Drive-In. He has appointed Bill Barker as house manager and John Cox, Jr., as assistant. . . . A1 Daytz, Daytz Theatres, has taken a lease on the State, Bridgton, Maine, from owner Mrs. Alberta Millette. He will start operating soon. BUFFALO One of the highlights of the pro¬ motion campaign on “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” current at the Paramount was a search conducted for Buffalo’s largest fam¬ ily by Jack Eno of radio station WEBR. A $50 U.S. Savings Bond went to the winning family, the members of which were driven to the opening in old time autos, similar to those featured in the film. There also was a special invitation screening for teen-agers, for which Warren Michael Kelly, station WGR, acted as host. Phil Engel, 20th -Fox exploitation force, was in town assisting man¬ ager Edward Miller on the advance cam¬ paign. . . . Arthur Krolick, district manager, Buffalo and Rochester, American Broadcast¬ ing-Paramount Theatres, has been appointed Buffalo exchange area exhibitor chairman of this year’s industry participation in Brother¬ hood Week fund raising for the National Conference of Christians and Jews. William Dipson, head, Dipson Circuit, has been named co-exhibitor chairman. . . . Robert Boasberg, prominent Buffalo attorney, and brother of Charlie, Warners national sales manager, was one of the successful candidates for director of the Greater Buffalo Advertising Club. . . . George Mason and Rita Inda, Century, with an assist from Dave Kane, Columbia ex¬ ploiter, got some excellent TV plugs for “Bell, Book and Candle” when they tied in with the WKBW-TV show “For the Ladies,” of which Doris Jones is the hostess. It was a “Kim Novak Look-Alike Contest,” and Mrs. Pat Spector won a week-end trip to New York City. . . . The State Lottery Control Commission will hold a session in Buffalo’s City Hall on Feb. 9 to explain the bingo licensing law and procedures of the com¬ mission. CHARLOTTE North Drive-In, Greensboro, N. C., has ob¬ tained a permit to rebuild at a cost of $11,000 a screen destroyed by fire recently. . . . Steps to prevent adults from molesting young children during matinee hours at downtown theatres have been taken by Charlotte movie house operators in coopera¬ tion with city officials. The plans were mapped at a conference after the City Coun¬ cil received several complaints from parents. Theatre managers gave assurance that pre¬ cautions have been taken to prevent recur¬ rence of such incidents. These include better lighting and assignment of a person to patrol the aisles. It also was urged that children be instructed to report any incident immedi¬ ately to the manager, usher, or ticket seller. It also was recommended that children should be permitted to remain for one show only. It was pointed out that mothers often use movie houses for baby sitting purposes, leaving their youngsters for several hours. CHICAGO For the 10th consecutive year Jack Kirsch, president, Allied Theatres of Illinois, was ap¬ pointed by the Chicago Council, Boy Scouts of America, to head the 1959 campaign in the amusement and theatre division of the drive. . . . The new round screen process, Cinetarium, has appointed William Rebane as American representative. He will work from offices just opened locally. The process will be presented at the Chicago Trade Fair in July. It is the invention of a German scientist and is reported to have done well in Paris. . . . Everett Olson is now heading the publicity department at the Paramount exchange. . . . Mrs. David Wallerstein, wife of the B & K president, received a citation from the Lower North Center Boys Club for her untiring work for the group. . . . J. Grossman was named Roosevelt co-manager. . . . Lou Philon’s Liberty, Michigan City, Ind., was destroyed with other buildings in a half million dollar fire. . . . Donald D. Walden was named B & K insurance division manager succeeding William Holden, re¬ signed. . . . The Hebron, Hebron, Ill., re¬ opened. . . . Herb Con, manager, and Ann Smalley, chief inspectress, Paramount ex¬ change, received inscribed watches for 25 years of service. . . . The Lincoln, Homewood, Ill., has been renovated throughout. . . . B & K is installing Todd-AO' at the Valencia, Evanston, Ill. . . . Unanimous endorsement of ACE was given by a meeting of area theatre owners called by James Coston, Jack Kirsch, and Dave Wallerstein, Chicago area exhibitor co-chairmen of ACE. It was erroneously reported recently that Jack Springer, former Jackson Park man¬ ager, was named by Smith Corporation to supervise its 66 Drive-In and the Ridge, Griffith, Ind. CINCINNATI Considerable local interest has been aroused by an eight-week “Silent Film Fes¬ tival” in the Evening College, University of Cincinnati. The rare old masterpieces, fur¬ nished by Audio Film Center, Chicago, trace the history of silent films from its two-reeler days 50 years ago to the 1920’s. . . . The Golden Age Movie Club, composed of per¬ sons 60 or older, now has more than 5,000 members here. Sponsored by the Post and Times-Star, it provides lower admissions for oldsters at four downtown movie houses. . . . Robert Laws, president, and other offi¬ cers of IATSE, Local F-37, were reelected. . . . Harold Moore, Charleston, W. Va., ex¬ hibitor, is now booking and buying for the Gauley, Gauley Bridge, W. Va., and Frank Weitzel, local independent, is booking and buying for Starlight Drive-In, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. . . . Reopened recently were the Gallagher, Gallagher, W. Va., and the Pioneer, Glenville, W. Va. CLEVELAND “South Pacific” holds the run record here. . . . The Variety Club testimonial to outgoing chief barker David Rosenthal, UA branch manager, and installation of new officers headed by chief barker Jim Levitt, Buena Vista branch manager, has been postponed until March 2. . . . Cloverleaf Drive-In suf¬ fered flood damage when water rose to the top of speaker posts. . . . The State, Barnesville, Ohio, closed, leaving the town without a movie theatre. . . . Variety Club Auxiliary members attended a farewell luncheon in honor of Mrs. Fay Weiss, former president, who is leaving to join her husband, Sam, now in Cincinnati. ... A group of Variety Club members and their wives have formed a dancing class and take lessons once weekly. . . . Condolences to Dolores Smith, secretary to Universal branch manager Norman Weitman, upon the death of her mother. . . . The ACE story was told to area exhibitors at a meeting held in the 20th-Fox screening room. . . . The Jewel and the Norwood, both oldtimers, ceased operation. . . . The Diana, Rittman, Ohio, and the Pauling, Pauling, Ohio, also closed. . . . Local F-Five, IATSE, met and reelected all officers for a two year term. . . . It’s practically set that Warners and Universal will move from their separate present buildings into the Film Building, which they occupied some 20 or more years ago. DALLAS Fellow employees of the 20th Century -Fox southwestern district headquarters turned out at the Variety Club to pay tribute to W. S. (Sebe) Miller on his last day of service with the company. Miller, sales manager for the district office here, has been with 20th Century -Fox for 41 years, all in Dallas. The fellow workers presented Miller with a fishing rod and reel. Also at the luncheon were Miller’s wife and son, W. S. Miller, Jr., who is in the film business as assistant branch manager here for Walt Disney Productions. . . . Eric A. Johnston,