The Exhibitor (1959)

26 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR September 23, 1959 CLEVELAND ( Continued from page 23) to get married and raise a family, is back with the company again as bookers’ secretary. Imperial branch manager, announces he is now releasing “Prince of Peace” in the northern Ohio territory. . . . Announcement is made of the engagement of Alan Mink, son of Max Mink, managing dir ctor of the Palace Theatre, to Gloria Leizlick of Farrell, Pa. . . . The Hippodrome will hold a midwest premiere of “Pillow Talk” on Oct. 9 instead of the previously announced world premiere on Oct. 8. The change was made because Rock Hudson, one of the stars scheduled to attend the world premiere, had a TV commit¬ ment. Two previous Ross Hunter pictures were world premiered in Cleveland — “Magnificent Obsession,” at the Palace Theatre in 1954, and “Imitation of Life,” at the Hippodrome this year. DALLAS Hollywood star Jeanne Crain arrived for a brief visit here. . . . The Herber Equipment Company has installed a Hurley Super-G'.o screen in the new Preston-Royal, the new McLendon Theatres unit here. . . . Bill Lewis, Columbia, was here a few days before going out on another exploitation assignment in New Orleans. . . . Mr. and Mrs. William Wyler attended the sneak preview at the Tower of the four hour long “Ben Hur,” as the special guests of R. J. O’Donnell, vice president and general manager of the Interstate Theatre Circuit. The film was given its first public showing. . . . The home office of the TransTexas Theatres, headed by Harold Novy has been moved to the National Bankers Life Building. . . . R. J. O’Donnell, John Q. Adams, Raymond Willie, W. E. Mitchell, Frank Starz, Conrad Brady, Pat Hudgins, Francis Barr and Art Katzen, of the Interstate Theatres execu¬ tive staff, went to Winter Park, Fla., to attend a three day meeting of officials for the five southern AB-PT circuits to prepare for a unified promotional program on “But Not For Me” and “The FBI Story.” . . . Karl Hoblitzell, head, Interstate Theatre Circuit, has been ap¬ pointed a director of the Texas Power and Light Co. . . . Thelma Jo Bailey, president, Dallas chapter, Women of the Motion Picture Industry, attended the recent convention of the group in Jacksonville, Fla. She presented a public relations award donated by R. J. O'Donnell, vice president and general man¬ ager of Interstate Theatres. An international membership award to the WOMPI who has brought in the most members was donated by Mrs. Mabel Guinan, of Dallas. . . . The Dallas Teenage Review Board of 15 teenagers, spon¬ sored by the Dallas Motion Picture Review Board in cooperation with the Interstate Theatres, will meet again once each month for the third year to look at one of the im¬ portant pictures. They will analyze it, consider whether it is suitable entertainment for young people, and then write reviews for their high school papers. Interstate Theatres has hopes that similar groups may be established in other Texas towns in which they have thea¬ tres. DETROIT Joseph J. Lee, who for 16 years was Detroit branch manager for 20th Century-Fox, has accepted the post of managing director of the Fox theatre, succeeding Robert Bothwell, who is now connected with West Coast interests. HOUSTON Clint Walker, TV star of “Cheyenne,” and Louis Quinn, the Roscoe of TV’s “77 Sunset Strip,” made three personal appearances here to plug “Yellowstone Kelly.” ... A huge This eye-catching street bally was used in the over-all campaign to herald the opening of United Artists' "The Devil's Disciple," Vik¬ ing, Philadelphia. The ancient vehicles were promoted from a local auto dealer, properly adorned with signs, and the attractive models drove the antiques through center city streets. promotional effort for the “Big Circus” at the Metropolitan has resulted in jammed houses. The PR work was handled by the Interstate Theatre Circuit’s Art Kazan, and included newspaper contests, side panels on 500,000 milk cartons good for reduced prices, radio and TV spots, clown costumes for the staff, and soundtrack music to attract passers-by. . . . Several local men interested in starting a small, intimate art house, had the 104-seat theatre in the 20th-Century-Fox distribution office leased from under them. JACKSONVILLE Walt Woodward, genial Florida State Thea¬ tres staff member from Miami, visited here at the home of Col. John Crovo, retired FST exhibitor, and Mrs. Crovo after completing his annual cruise through Caribbean islands. He left here for a brief stay in Philadelphia before returning to his Miami home. . . . Jerry and Louis Gold, who operate the GoldDobrow Theatres in the heart of the agricul¬ tural Everglades area, called along Film Row to book their motion picture programs for the fall season. . . . Jerry Hayes, former St. Johns Theatre staffer, has moved into the assistant’s post at the suburban Edgewood. . . . Johnny Tomlinson, Warners manager, has invited exhibitors of the area and local VIPs to a morning advance screening of “A Summer Place” at the Florida on Sept. 16. . . . The property of the Oceanway Drive-In, which closed last month, has been purchased by Joe Musleh, owner of the Lake Forest Drive-In, and not by Capt. and Mrs. Hans Vige, owners of the Pinecrest Drive-In, as erroneously reported earlier. Mrs. Vige, who requested a correction, stated that she and Captain Vige are quite happy in operating their one theatre which specializes in whole¬ some entertainment for family groups in the northern end of Duval County. . . . Thomas P. Tidwell, 20th-Fox manager, left for con¬ ferences with executives in the New York office. . . . Roy Smith, local theatre supplier, was also spending a week in New York attending to business interests. . . . Grady Goodwin resigned from Bob Bowers’ staff at Allied Artists to replace Pete Hillman in the local booking office of Carl Floyd Theatres. Hillman has moved to the Floyd home office in Haines City. . . . Judge May and Jack Harris, Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville Journal film writers, praised local first-run theatres for having the “most versatile indoor lineup since early summer” for motion picture patrons over the Labor Day weekend. . . . MIAMI, FLA., NEWS — Sympathy was ex¬ tended to Frank Myers, Wometco purchasing agent, in the passing of his wife, Jane. . . . The North Dade and Boulevard Drive-Ins, featured a special combination dinner-show ticket for Labor Day: For $1.99, patrons were admitted to the theatre and given a ticket to be exchanged at the concession stand which would entitle them to a combination chicken-pizza dinner. . . . Fireworks displays were featured at Wometco’s North Dade, Boulevard, North Andrews, and Davie Blvd. Drive-Ins, for a Labor Day feature. . . . The Carib, Miami, and Miracle held a special screening of “Blue Denim” for press, radio, television, civic leaders, judges from juvenile courts, welfare workers, school principals, PTA officials, juvenile officers, and religious leaders. Following the screening, a forum was held with Ralph Renick, WTVJ news¬ caster, as moderator. NEW HAVEN Morris Rosenthal, retired manager, Loew’s Poli, New Haven, and Mrs. Rosenthal passed through Connecticut, enroute home to Holly¬ wood, Fla., from a Toronto, Canada, vacation trek. . . . Jack Sanson, manager, StanleyWarner Strand, Hartford, has been recuperat¬ ing from surgery. William Shepard, S-W State, Manchester, Conn., was relief manager. . . . Allen M. Widem, Hartford Times theatre edi¬ tor-columnist, interviewed Edward “Kookie” Byrnes, starring in Warners’ “Yellowstone Kelly,” on Hartford-to-Burbank, Calif., phone. . . . Jason Theatrical Enterprises’ first-run Bristol, Bristol, Conn., has discontinued Monday-through-Friday matinees for the winter. Similar policy also went into effect at the J-T-E’s Gem, Willimantic, Conn. . . . The subsequent-run West End, Bridgeport, Conn., has new policy of revival shows Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Programs are ad¬ vertised as “Your Best Entertainment Buy.” NEW ORLEANS With the reopening of schools, Gulf States Theatres, McComb, Miss., as in former years, will curtail its operations from two to one theatre in several Mississippi towns. Among the theatres scheduled to have opera¬ tions suspended are the State, McComb; Dixie, Brookhaven, where the colored patron¬ age Rex will also indefinitely cease operation; the Anne Drive-In, Leland; and the Vicks¬ burg Drive-In, Vicksburg. . . . Emmett Flowers has shuttered the Grovehill, Grovehill, Ala. . . . The Pelican Drive-In, Jenner, La., is going on part time operation. . . . Giddens and Rester Theatres have taken over the Roxy, Mobile, Ala., from Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Olensky. . . . Mrs. Rhea Gonzales, National Screen Service office staffer, re¬ signed to await the arrival of a “bundle from heaven.” . . . J. Roger Lamantia, man¬ ager, Exhibitors’ Coop Service, is able to be about despite the fact he is wrapped in bandages due to three fractured ribs sus¬ tained when he was hit by a public service bus while crossing a street. . . . Fred and Evelyn Goodrow celebrated their 43rd wed¬ ding anniversary. He operates an independ¬ ent film exchange and is territory representa¬ tive for Hal Roach Productions. . . . Ann and Larry Dufour celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary. Mrs. Dufour is UA feature booker. PHILADELPHIA The local Paramount exchange is out to celebrate branch manager Ulrik Smith’s 45th anniversary with the company in November with an avalanche of bookings. In helping them celebrate Smith’s anniversary you will enable the branch to attain the goal of leader¬ ship in this year’s “1959 Achievement Drive,” ( Continued on page 28)