The Exhibitor (1959)

These "creatures" and their "blood bank" for Allied Artists' "The Bat" recently proved an effective street bally for B. J. Bispeck, Senate, Harrisburg, Pa. on Oct. 15. Boys may enter the contest by writing an essay of 100 words or less on “Why I Should Like to Be an FBI Agent.” . . . The Gulf Drive-In and the Twin Palms Drive-In, Corpus Christi, Tex., have adopted a Spanish language film policy several times each week. . . . The Wallace Theatre Circuit has purchased the Littlefield Theatres, Little¬ field, Tex., from William Cheser. . . . Joe Hyams, publicity chief for Batjac Produc¬ tions, arrived in Brackettville, Tex., from New York City to confer with John Wayne on the public relations plan for “The Alamo” now in production. . . . The Regal, Friona, Tex., is scheduled to be reopened by Bill McGlothlin and will feature the showing of Spanish language films. . . . Lacy Oldham, manager, Ritz, Waxahachie, Tex., has in¬ stalled a new screen. . . . The Waco at Waco, Tex., has observed its 30th anniversary with a week of special events. There have been but two managers, J. P. Harrison and the current Claude Stewart. The Texas Drive-In, Beeville, Tex., was recently opened by Hall Industries. . . . The Ramon, Raymondville, Tex, has been reopened with a policy of Spanish language films. . . . Milton R. DuBose, operator of the Majestic, Cotulla, Tex., which has been closed for some time, has announced plans for the reopening for October. . . . The Yank, Austin, Tex., planned a reopening. . . . The Gay 90 Drive-In, Del Rio, Tex, has con¬ structed a new boxoffice. . . . The refresh¬ ment stand at the Killeen Drive-In, Killeen, Tex., was broken into and burglarized. . . . The Screen of the Star-Vue Drive-In, Athens, Tex., was damaged by a windstorm. . . . Foster L. Ramsey, assistant manager, Park Drive-In, Abilene, Tex., has become engaged to Glenda Louise Hopkins. . . . Severe winds hurled over the giant screen at the Chief Drive-In, Cleburne, Tex. Workmen cleared the area so that the 10 year old screen may be rebuilt. Norman and Nell Schwartz, he’s the man¬ ager of the Aztec, are celebrating a 25th wedding anniversary. . . . Bill Lewis, Colum¬ bia Pictures representative, was a visitor here during the past week. . . . According to the results of a recent survey, San Antonio now has more theatres that play Spanish language pictures than any other city in the state. The theatres include the Alameda, Nacional and Guadalupe and the El Capitan, El Charro, Fiesta, Mission Twin and Towne Twin DriveIns. . . . “A Man Called Peter” was given a PROGRESSIVE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO., INC 240 N. 13th STREET • PHILADELPHIA 7, PA • Theatre Installations and Maintenance special preview for a private audience at the Broadway preceding the opening run of the film there. . . . Ignacio Torres, general manager. Zaragosa Amusement Company, operators of the Alameda, Nacional and Guad¬ alupe was honored with a birthday party, which came as a surprise to him from the theatre employees. . . . Some 500 local house¬ wives were surprised to receive letters from George M. Watson, city manager, Intei'state Theatre Circuit, inviting them to c6me to the Aztec for a special Wednesday screening of “The Man Who Understood Women.” Their names were selected at random from the city directory. . . . Mario C. Otwell, general manager of the Empire, reported that his wife’s $1,100 diamond ring was missing from their local hotel apartment. . . . Oscar Narvaez, of the Epsom Drive-In, Houston, Tex., was in on a booking and buying trip. . . . Bill Clothier, director of cinematography for “The Alamo,” at Brackett¬ ville, Tex., was a former resident of this city. . . . Ignacio Luna, owner and operator of the Teatro Luna, Crystal City, Tex., was in on a buying and booking trip at the local Spanish language exchanges. The Texas Drive-In, Fairfield, Tex., was sold by W. R. Woody to Jack DeLo. Woody had operated the drive-in for the past five years. The drive-in has a capacity of 250 cars. Mrs. DeLo will handle the concessions. SAN FRANCISCO Paced by the $250,000 renovation of the United Artists last spring, three other Mar¬ ket Street houses are undergoing face-lifting plans, all to be completed before the year is out. New marquees are in the works before New Year’s by the Paramount, Strand, and St. Francis. It probably will cost up¬ wards of $100,000 before the three showplaces get that new look. ... As predicted in this space recently, Fred Dixon, film buyer for the Naify Circuit, won the 13th annual Variety Club golf tournament at Lake Merced Country Club and accepted the prize unblushingly in spite of the fact he was Tent 32’s tournament chairman. Dark horse ©f the tee tourney was Frank Harr, UA film salesman, who emerged runner-up. . . . Paul Speegle, former film critic for the daily Chronicle and now a general columnist on the News-Call Bulletin, was elected prexy of the Press Club. ... Walt Kessler, successor to Bill Elder as managing director of the Warfield, was spending the first weeks of his regime “casing” his Market Street rival houses. . . . The World Series baseball games murdered a.m. first-run box offices and, additionally, the Bethlehem shipyard strike is hurting nabes in the Hunter’s Point district. . . . Ned Moss, veteran former pub-ad maestro for UA, Warners, and the Jack Benny movie and TV enterprises, was in town for the upcoming opening of the new Jack Tar Hotel. . . . Msgr. Vincent F. McCarthy, chaplain of Variety Club’s Tent 32 and also the Northern California Guild of Catholic Showmen, is on a two-months survey of South Pacific and Africa missions. . . . Rotus Harvey, second assistant inter¬ national chief barker, Variety Clubs Inter¬ national and operator of a circuit of theatres, celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary on Oct. 4. SEATTLE John Danz, Sterling president, returned from a combined business and pleasure trip to Los Angeles. . . . Loren Sackrider is back managing the Palomar, after spending the summer at the Sunset Drive-In. . . . E. Jack Wade has been named new accounting de¬ partment manager at Sterling, replacing Robert Weston was recently appointed assist¬ ant advertising manager at United Artists, where he will work with advertising manager Joseph Gould. He comes to UA from Donahue and Coe, where he was an assistant account executive on the Columbia Pictures account. Dallas “Tex” Walderon, who is now in the midst of an extended cross country tour by trailer. In other news from Sterling, Jane Dill has been added to the accounts payable staff. . . . Metro’s new address is 2405 Second Avenue. Alex Harrison, 20th -Fox general sales manager from New York, visited the Seattle exchange and held a meeting for the new Spyros Skouras Drive. He hosted a dinner for exhibitors at the Olympic Hotel. . . . Bob Parnell, Allied Artists salesman, re¬ turned from an eastern Washington sales trip. WASHINGTON, D.C. The Shore Drive-In, Ocean City, Md., closed, as did the Centre, Rehoboth Beach, Del., and the Jefferson, Charlestown, West Virginia. . . . The Globe, Berlin, Md., re¬ opened. . . The Pitts’ Charles Washington, Ranson, West Virginia, reopened. Aaron Seidler, popular Baltimore, Md., exhibitor, resigned from the New Albert. He remains on temporarily in an advisory capacity. Seidler has also been buying and booking, offering counsel and supervisory services to local independent exhibitors and intends to expand his buying and booking operation. . . . Closing were the Hanover Di'ive-In, Hanover, Va.; Hager Drive-In, Wil¬ liamsport, Md.; Warsaw, Warsaw, Va.; Craig Drive-In, Craigsville, Va.; Super 113 DriveIn, Milford, Del.; and Diamond State DriveIn, Felton, Del. Contracts were signed recently whereby U-I's "Operation Petticoat" will be the Christmas picture at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. Seen seated are Russell V. Downing, right, president. Radio City Music Hall, and F. J. A. McCarthy, assistant general sales man¬ ager, U-l. Standing are Charles Simonelli, left, eastern ad-publicity manager; and Joseph B. Rosen, U-l regional sales manager. This marks the first time a Universal picture has played the Music Hall at Christmas; and the first Uni¬ versal release to play the theatre in more than 10 years. 26 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR October 21, 1959