The Exhibitor (1959)

18 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR September 30, 1959 ALBANY The 18th annual Variety Club golf tourna¬ ment and dinner at the Shaker Ridge Club drew 106 players and a turnout of 180 banqueteers. . . . Industryites expressed the opin¬ ion that Fabian’s Mohawk Drive-In, a new entry in the field of winter operation, would provide competition to Alan Iselin’s Turn¬ pike and Auto -Vision. . . . Imogene Coca headlined the bill at The Times Union’s fifth annual fashion show staged in Fabian’s Palace, rented for the day. . . . The Cohoes, Cohoes, launched a dish giveaway with a free pre¬ view for women, six to 8.30 p.m., the night before. Ed Stillman, manager, said 70 sets were presented lucky winners at the premiere. ATLANTA James H. Harrison, general manager, Wilby-Kincey Theatres, received a scroll from Charles Jagels for making the Fox available for a full week of grand opera next year. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Ingram, theatre owners in Ashland and Lineville, Ala., have a new baby son at their home. ... A very successful kiddie matinee was held by the Atlanta WOMPI for their charities at a theatre do¬ nated by John Carter. . . . Bids are being accepted by Crescent Amusement, Nashville, Tenn., for a new theatre in Huntsville, Ala. . . . Myrtle H. Wilson and Joe A. Jackson, owners, Clanton Drive-In, Clanton, Ala., were married. . . . Marie Allen, UA secretary, resigned to become an air line stewardess. . . . C. B. Webb, Starlite Drive-In, Crossville, Tenn., is recuperating at home after a hos¬ pital stay. . . . W. B. Zoellner, MGM branch manager, is recuperating at home following surgery at a local hospital. . . . James F. Small is the new owner, Madison, Madison, Ga. BOSTON Michael Redstone, president, Northeast Drive-In Theatres, Inc., has announced the 18th acquisition to his drive-in chain. Oti Sept. 25, the Redstone circuit took over the Queen’s Chapel Drive-In, West Hyattsville, Md., situated 10 miles from the heart of Washington, D. C. The theatre was pur¬ chased outright for an undisclosed sum from the Johnson and Saunders Circuit, Norfolk, Va., who have operated it for the past four years. It has 1400 speakers. Improvements on the property will be handled gradually, ac¬ cording to Edward S. Redstone, vice-presi¬ dent, and the theatre will be managed by Kenneth Booram, former manager for John¬ son and Saunders. . . . Charles E. Kurtzman, who has accepted a national post in New York with Loew’s Theatres, Inc., hosted a luncheon to introduce his replacement, Wil¬ liam Elder, formerly of San Francisco, who has assumed his new duties as northeast division manager. Kurtzman also introduced Lou Brown, formerly of New Haven, who will handle the publicity for Loew’s Or Another 'theatre-wise'' service to theatremen: The OBJECTIVES and the OPERATIONAL RULES of conciliation are featured elsewhere in this issue. (SAVE THEM) pheum as well as theatres in the New Eng¬ land area for Loew’s. . . . The policy at the Donnelly, formerly Loew’s State, will be for one evening performance with matinees on weekends when the owners, the Catholic Diocese of Boston takes over after Oct. 1. The first film is “The Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary” with other religious films to follow. The theatre will be open to the pub¬ lic at a reported admission price of $1, but during the times that the theatre is not open it will be used for graduations, confirma¬ tions, conventions, and a general meeting place. Rev. John Quirk will handle promo¬ tion and publicity of the project, which will be supervised by Monsignor George V. Kerr of the Catholic Pilot. BUFFALO Ralph Buring, Fox field representative in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, was in on “Five Gates To Hell,” current at the Center, and discussing advance promotion plans for “The Best of Everything,” with Arthur Krolick, district manager, AB-PT. . . . The Ontario county sheriff’s department is investigating a $372 burglary at the Parkway Drive-In. . . . A Foreign Film Festival will be staged by the Buffalo State Teachers College Oct. 30 — Nov. 1. The series in the college audi¬ torium is free to the public on a first-comefirst-served basis. . . . Belle Myerson Brown, wife of Mannie A. Brown, former manager, Buffalo Paramount exchange, a former mem¬ ber of the Columbia Film sales staff, and a buyer and booker for the Tip-Top Drive-In Circuit, Buffalo, died. ... A Ni¬ agara Falls lawyer tossed a knotty legal problem into County Court in Lockport the other day in contending that an alleged Bingo operator was not guilty of a crime. George M. Donohue declared that Edward J. Burns, Niagara Falls, could not be charged with violation of the Bingo licensing statute because the game is not legal in Niagara Falls. Burns, president of E. T. Bums, Inc., was indicted by the September grand jury for violation, a misdemeanor. But when the sealed indictment was opened and Burns was arraigned in Lockport before Acting Niagara County Judge Philip J. Weiss, Don¬ ahue filed a motion to dismiss the indict¬ ment. Donahue said that the entire law “is inoperative” in a municipality where Bingo is not licensed. Falls voters turned down legal Bingo in 1958. CHICAGO Eddie Seguin, publicity and advertising director, B and K, announced that Barry Freed had been named to succeed David Arlen, veteran of the staff, who resigned in the handling of the North Side and Evanston duties. Jerry Silvers was appointed to pro¬ motion and exploitation of coming Loop attractions. . . . Ben Geller, automobile dealer whose hobby is performing charitable deeds, bought out the Oriental for two show¬ ings as a treat for 1,500 children taken to and from the theatre in 20 buses. . . . The FBI arrested Alexander T. Miller, film rental service owner and saloon operator, and charged him with handling stolen prints of Hollywood films. . . . Owners of small cars were greeted with lower prices at the open¬ ing of the new Sheridan 1,600 car drive-in. Portions of four ramps are designed for them. . . . Under a new set up the Police Censor Board no longer gives any of the films it examines an adult rating. Turndowns of pictures deemed objectionable by the board is still in effect. Twenty-one cuts were made in 50 films examined in August. . . . The marriage of Everet M. Olsen, Para¬ mount publicist, and Libby Marcase, Char¬ lotte, N.C., was announced. . . . Paul H. Cooper 81, veteran showman, died in a hos¬ pital after a lingering illness. . . . The Melbro Amusement Corporation suit against UA and B and K, which had been pending in Federal Judge William Campbell’s court, was settled out of court without prejudice. Attorney Seymour Simon represented Melbro. . . . Howard Lubliner, Clark co-owner, is better after surgery. . . . The Windsor, a landmark owned by H. and E. Balaban, will be saved in the Fort Dearborn area improve¬ ment. The owners will modernize the struc¬ ture. . . . Modern seats were installed at the Du Page. . . . The Civic will reopen on Nov. 10. . . . Alliance Amusement Company is reopening the Liberty, Terre Haute, Ind., and will rename it the Grand. . . . Herman Marks, 53, Loew’s, Inc., sales staff, died in a hospital. . . . Sam Levinsohn installed new seats at the Capitol, Madison, Wis., and at the Appleton, Appleton, Wis. . . . Frank A. P. Gassola, 85, operator, Studebaker, died. . . . Stanley Pratt, manager, Theatro del Lago, Wilmette, Ill., and Joan Castro were wed. . . . Paul D. Johnson leased from Walter Scott and reopened the Circle, Golconda, Ill., closed since June. CINCINNATI Numerous area exhibitors, in for the Allied Ohio Valley Indoor and Outdoor Theatres convention, visited Film Row of¬ fices. Also on the Row were Sam Galanty, Washington, D. C., Columbia division man¬ ager; Rube Jackter, vice-president and gen¬ eral sales manager; film starlets Carol Douglas and Evy Morlund, and James Darien, all of Columbia: Ted Levy, Cleveland, Buena Vista division manager; Sid Cooper, Cleveland, UA division manager, and Peter Rosian, Cleveland, U-I regional sales man¬ ager. . . . John Alexander, Buena Vista branch manager for the last year and a half, has resigned. . . . Millers Grove Drive-In, Frederick, O., is closing for the season in late September. COLUMBUS, O. NEWS — Robert Gates, manager, RKO Grand, won the national prize of $50 for having the biggest per capita concessions business in the past several weeks among RKO theatres, exclusive of New York. The Grand business for “Her¬ cules” topped all other RKO theatres in that period. ... Ed McGlone, RKO city manager, has been appointed COMPO representative for the Central Ohio area. . . . Seven hun¬ dred youngsters from 14 community houses and recreation centers will be guests of Her¬ man Hunt at Hunt’s CineStage Oct. 24 for a showing of “The Big Fisherman.” Commit¬ tee in charge includes A1 Rosen, president of the Dutch Uncles, local charitable group; Marion Fitch, CineStage manager; John Brown, Bob Sheehan, and Lou Viereck. . . . CLEVELAND Irving Reinhart, who has been out of the movie business for many years, returns at the end of September. He has leased the Town, Canton. His father, the late Harry Reinhart, owned the Mozart, Canton. . . . The Carma, Bluffton, which has been closed all summer, is opening, owner George Carmack has notified the exchanges. . . . Funeral ser¬ vices were held this week for Mrs. Therea Andrews, mother of Stephen, MGM shipper and William, Paramount shipper. . . . The Motion Picture Council of Greater Cleve¬ land opened its fall season with a meeting with newly elected president, Prof. Millard Jordan of Fenn College, in the chair. Main business was to introduce to the member¬ ship the committee chairmen. The group also