The Exhibitor (1959)

32 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR July 15, 1959 . . . The old Missouri is being razed. . . . Mrs. Georgia Pitner, Fairfield, Ill., has taken over the buying and booking for the Strand there. Her son, Bob, who formerly handled these duties, has accepted a position outside the industry. . . . The Thunderbird Drive-In, with accommodations for almost 900 cars, opened. . . . The Roxy, Ramsey, Ill., was reopened by Raymond Williams. . . . The Roxy, Coulterville, Ill., reopened under new management. . . . The Laclede, owned and operated by Phil Nanos and associates, closed permanently due to a redevelopment project. . . . The Melba and Michigan and the Savoy, Ferguson, units of the Fred Wehrenberg Theatres circuit, have gone on weekend op¬ eration for the balance of the summer sea¬ son. . . . The recent newspaper strike pro PROGRESSI VE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. 240 N. 13th STREET • PHILADELPHIA 7, PA. Theatre Installations and Maintenance COMING TO NEW YORK? Stay at this modern 25-story hotel. Large, beautifully furnished rooms with kitchenette, private bath, from $7.00 daily, double from $10.25. Two room suites from $12.50. LOWER RATES BY THE MONTH NO CHARGE for chil¬ dren under 14 sharing room with parent. Air-conditioning & television available ^ BEACON Broadway at 75th St., New York Oscar Winlr ob, Managing Director vided a fine opportunity for theatre owners and managers to properly evaluate newspa¬ per advertising and other media and the lessons learned will doubtless be reflected in their future advertising policies. The strike certainly adversely affected theatre attend¬ ance. . . . Fred Zinneman, producer, Warners’ “The Nun’s Story” was in in connection with film and met the local film folk at a luncheon at the Park-Plaza Hotel. . . . Patrick Dwyer, an employee of the Fox, was shot and seriously wounded by a prowler he sur¬ prised in the driveway of his home. SALT LAKE CITY Art effective tie-in with the local Cloverleaf Dairy has been in operation whereby four de luxe bicycles were presented to the youngsters who brought the most empty cartons to Fox Lntermountains’s Uptown, Southeast, Murray and Academy, Provo, Utah. . . . Norman Wilson from California is the new manager at the Centre. Bill O’Brien, former manager, Centre, is now in charge at the Capitol. . . . Gene Walkingshaw is the new manager at the Murray replacing Tom Schneider, who has been transferred to Las Vegas, Nevada. . . . Mrs. Sue McDonald is the new secretary to Intermountain Theatres general manager John Krier, replacing Mrs. Mary Carter, resigned. Mrs. McDonald was formerly secretary to C. J. Icona, Intermoun¬ tain Theatres publicity depai'tment. Her place in this capacity has been filled by Cherry Washburn. . . . Bill Weight is now house manager at the Gem for Utah Drive-In Corporation. . . . Cindy Robbins was in in advance of U-I’s “This Earth Is Mine,” Tower and Park-Vu. . . . “The Sound and The Fury” was just too much for two brothers who fell asleep and were locked in the Richie after the theatre closed for the night. They were “rescued” by their mother, a police officer and the theatre operator. SAN ANTONIO The Towne Twin Drive-In has inaugurated a new screen policy showing both Spanish language films and Hollywood pictures on their double bill program. . . . Eunice Me Daniel, exploiteer for United Artists, was in on behalf of “The Hounds of the Basker MORE PROFITS 9 PER CAPITA FOR YOU! berlo vending company Div. of A.B.C. Vending Corp., 333 S. Broad St., Phila. 7, Pa. • Offices in All Principal Cities Address Inquiries to 333 S. Broad St., Phila. 7, Pa. villes” opening at the Aztec. . . . W. H. “Bill” Baker has been named assistant man¬ ager of the Josephine during the summer. He is to enter his second year as a pre-law student this fall at the University of Texas. . . . Seniors of the Timpson, Tenaha, Gary, Garrison, Mount Enterprise and Joaquin high schools were the guests of the Fox, Timpson, Tex., on a recent Friday evening. The special showing was a gift to the graduates from the management of the Fox in appreciation for their patronage through the school year. . . . Violet Finlay-Grant, 71 widow of Ken Finlay Sr., pioneer showman in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and later a theatre owner in Virginia and North Caro¬ lina, where he met his death in an auto¬ mobile accident in 1928, died in Texas City Tex. . . . R. D. Leatherman has been ap¬ pointed manager of the Bonham, Tex., the atres recently purchased by Phil Isley The¬ atres from the Cole Estate. Leatherman has been with the Interstate Theatre circuit for some 20 years. The Isley purchase included the American indoor and the Bonham DriveIn and the Elite indoor which is closed. Purchase price was said to be $150,000. . . . The Yale, Cleburne, Tex., has been shutter¬ ed and will not be reopened. . . . Dora Elia Zamora, on the staff of the Azteca film ex¬ change, became the bride of Eduardo Villar¬ real. They went to Mexico City for their honeymoon. . . . Sam Schwartz, owner of the Aztec and Yolanda at Eagle Pass, Tex., j in at the Nix Hospital for an operation, is now recuperating in his home. . . . The San Antonio Evening News conducted a novel contest on behalf of “The Big Circus.” One day for five days, pictures of prominent men were run. Each was made up as a circus clown. Prizes are to be awarded to those guessing the correct identity of the men. . . . Jeanette Yvonne Knoche and Michael Krehel Jr., were married recently. The bride is the daughter of Walter Knoche, well known theatre owner and operator at Fredericks¬ burg, Tex. The bridegroom is from San Antonio. . . . The roof of the Rio, Mercedes, Tex., was damaged by a fire that destroyed a building adjoining the theatre. . . . W. C. Gustafson has been named manager of the Rialto, Alice, Tex. He succeeds Scotty Danie who will enter private business in San Antonio. This is Gustafson’s first entry into the business. . . . Charles Albert and Bill Rau, of San Antonio, operating as the Al-Ra Theatres, have purchased the 62nd and Lex¬ ington Drive In, Corpus Christi. They pres¬ ently operate the Circle 81 Drive In, San Antonio. Sam Kellogg will remain on as manager. The new owners have announced a summer admission policy of $1 per car. SEATTLE Warner Bros, reopened their Portland office, which has been closed the past yearand-a-half. A1 Oxtoby, who formerly served as branch manager of the Portland operation, returned to the same capacity. Edna Moore went down from Seattle as cashier. . . . Fred Danz, vice-president of Sterling Theatres, is entering his “Ralt” in the Pacific Interna¬ tional Yacht Association Regatta. . . . Loren Sackrider, of Sterling’s Advertising depart¬ ment, and his wife, Peggy, became parents of a seven pound three ounce baby girl. WASHINGTON, D. C. Sheldon Tromberg announced the opening of Continental Distributing Inc.’s office serv¬ ing the Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati territories at 1034 Warner Building, 13th and E Streets, N.W.