The Exhibitor (1960)

CHICAGO Lawrence Whittaker, manager, Valencia, Evanston, Ill., recently became a grand¬ father with the birth of a baby boy to his daughter and son-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Brown. Whittaker was formerly manager of the Tivoli and Howard here. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ramage, owners. Gem, Villa Grove, Ill., announced the recent birth of a girl. They have two other children. . . . Charles Einfeld, vice president, 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox, and his wife were in town cele¬ brating the birth of a granddaughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Hirsch. . . . Jean Macdonald, local correspondent. Motion Picture Exhi¬ bitor, and her husband, James M. Macdonald, announced the marriage of their daughter, Jeanette, to Edward Raymond Frye at Cal¬ vary Baptist Church, Evanston, Ill. . . . James R. Blumenfield, son-in-law of Charlie Gold¬ man, well known exhibitor, died. His wife and two children survive. . . . James Joban, veteran film distributor and owner of the Monroe, celebrated his 40th anniversary in the industry. . . . Al Weinstein, local pro¬ jectionist, died. . . . Warners’ “Sunrise At Campobello”, State-Lake is playing on a con¬ tinuous run basis although Warners re¬ quested B and K to clear the house after each performance. . . . Alliance Amusement Company closed a half dozen drive-ins for the winter. . . . Mrs. Harry Pitner, owner. Strand, Fairfield, Ill., was in the Fairfield Hospital for a checkup. . . . J. and J. Cooney are the new owners of the Biograph. . . . The Kimbark and the Ogden have closed. . . . Y and W Management Corporation have re¬ opened the Tivoli, Gary, Ind. . . . The Convent on North Clark Street is being torn down and will become a parking lot. . . . Clark Film Service was reported negotiating for distri¬ bution for Paramoimt. . . . Arthur B. Schaefer has been named general manager of Consolidated Foods Corporation’s institu¬ tion sales. The company also includes thea¬ tres. He was former manager of the Kansas City branch and in his new appointment suc¬ ceeds Arthur G. Ender, retired. CINCINNATI Valiant Films Corp. and Continental Dis¬ tributing have moved to larger quarters at 1716 Logan st. New secretaries are Marcella Ollis at Valiant, and Bertha Lauter at Conti¬ nental. , . . Grant Frazee, southwestern Ohio district manager, Chakeres Circuit, Springfield, O., has been promoted to assistant gen¬ eral manager, and William Canter, manager. Starlight Drive-In, Danville, Ky., now closed for the winter, is managing the Fairborn, Fairborn, O., a Chakeres House. . . . TOC is now booking and buying for the Price, High Hat, Ky., Helen Tackett, owner, and Tri-State Theatre Service is booking and buying for R. A. Boley new owner. Grand, War, W. Va., formerly owned by Newbold-Keesling Cir¬ cuit, Bramwell, W. Va. . . . Recent Cincinnati deaths have included Carroll Vic Coffel, for¬ mer manager, art Esquire; Mrs. Willis H. Vance, wife of an exhibitor; and the fathers of Ann Gray, UA booker’s secretary, and Rebecca Greer, secretary to Don Wirtz, man¬ aging director, Capitol. . . . National Theatre Supply is installing In-A-Kar heaters at Ramona Drive-In, Hamilton, O., Shor Cir¬ cuit, owner. . . . George C. Porter, owner, Beckley, and New Lyric, Beckley, W. Va., was elected a representative in the State’s House of Delegates in the recent election. . . . Branch manager William A. Meier, observed his 25th anniversary with Paramount. . . . James Neff, dean of Film Row bookers, recently retired, was honor guest at a dinner in the Variety clubrooms. CLEVELAND Warner Bros, moved their offices to room 815 of the Film Building. . . . Julian Wolf, father-in-law of Ray Schertz, branch manager of Fox, died suddenly while visiting with friends. . . . Jerry Lipow was honored by film salesmen on his recent appointment to the post of district manager of Valiant Films Corp. . . . Jack McGuire has been hired by Para¬ mount as salesman. . . . Perry Carter was re¬ elected as business agent of the Operators Union. . . . The Little Flower Drive-In, Ottowa, O., has installed heaters and is resuming operations for the winter season. . . . Manny Stutz and Aaron Moses reopened the Astor (formerly the Allen) in Akron. . . . Paul Vogel owner, Midway Drive-In, Canton-Ravenna, reopened the Liberty, Wells ville. . . . U-I’s Duke Hickey and Leo Zabelin are handling publicity campaigns for “Spartacus” which opens at the Palace on Dec. 22. The film will play 10 performances per week, matinees scheduled for Wednesday, Saturday, and Sun¬ day. I. J. Mitnick is handling group sales for the area. . . . The annual Leonard Greenberger Memorial Dinner, where the Show¬ man of the Year will be announced, will be held on Jan. 24, 1961. The Variety Club’s entertainment committee is in the process of selecting quarters for the event. . . . Eddie Modie, well known exhibitor, reopened his State in Barnsville on Nov. 21, after a six month closing. DALLAS Dallas actress Anne Neyland, who recently appeared on “Ocean’s 11”, was married here to Steve Ede, real estate operator in Los Angeles. . . . Mrs. Margaret Raney Sachs, wife of Sol M. Sachs, died here in a local hospital following a lengthy illness. He is manager of Lopert Films here and was man¬ ager of the RKO film exchange. ... Fay Branton has been named new office manager of Don Kay Enterprises. Mrs. Branton will re¬ place Bobby Wilkes, who has held the post of office manager for the past two years and is planning on going into business for him¬ self. . . . Services were held here for the wife of Leroy Bickle. Mrs. Bickle was head of the MGM contract department for many years. He was manager of the exchange at the time of his retirement several years ago. . . . Carl Sims, a booker at the Warner Bros, ex¬ change, was married here to Mary Jenkins, employed at the United Artists exchange. DES MOINES Roy Metcalfe has opened the new World Playhouse, foi'merly the State, as a first-run house at Cedar Rapids, la. The house, com¬ pletely remodeled, was opened with MGM’s “Ben-Hur.” Metcalfe also operated the sub¬ urban Times. Tri-States, former operator of the theatre, closed the house in April 1959 . . . The Eastown theatre, closed in Des Moines since 1958, has been reopened by Richard W. Glenn, Jr. The Glenn family also operates theatres in Madrid and Onawa, la. . . . The Paramount and Iowa, Cedar Rapids, la., have started a ticket-discount plan which will be in effect on shopping nights. Downtown stores will issue coupons on Monday and Friday nights providing for a reduced rate at the theatres after 9 p.m. DETROIT Weighing six pounds and eight ounces, Scott Norman is being proudly presented by his parents, Norman Ladouceur, managing direct¬ or of the Family, and Mrs. Ladouceur, man¬ aging director of the family. . . . Brightening the Michigan scene are the reopenings of the Kent, Cedar Springs, and the Kearsley, Flint. The former is being operated by owner Dale Franks, the latter by a new lessee. An¬ other Amusement Co., of which George Daly is both president and manager. . . . The Gem, St. Louis, Mich., operated by Russell J. Kortes is now being serviced by Clark Theatre Ser¬ vice, buyers and bookers, which likewise handles the reopened houses. . . . The Palms, Lansing, has been renamed the Paradise. HOUSTON Transformation of the Delman, Houston’s first neighborhood movie house, into a ToddAO theatre for the Texas premiere of the $12, 000,000 spectacular production, “Spartacus,” on Dec. 22, was announced by owner I. B. Adelman of Dallas. The Delman closed on Nov. 20, according to Ellis Ford, manager, to permit remodeling. A 45 foot deeply curved Todd-AO screen will be installed, along with new sound equipment and projectors. The Delman will be given a complete face lifting. . . . The Al-Ray Theatres have announced plans to reopen the Rainbow, which has been closed for a year, and the South Houston, which has been closed for seven months. Al¬ bert Zarana, one of the co-owners, revealed that the 550 seat Rainbow would be opened on Christmas Day following remodeling. It will play continuous rim performances seven days a week. It previously played to a mixed Negro-Latin American audience. The South Houston, also a 550 seater, will be operated weekends only, as are the circuit’s Venus and Galena Park. JACKSONVILLE WOMPI members were highly elated over winning the $100 first place prize for Novem¬ ber in the Community Clubs Awards contest sponsored by Radio Station WMBR. The Film Row ladies bested 29 other women’s organi¬ zations in winning the prize which has been earmarked for WOMPI charity activities. . . . “Bud” Paxon has been selected to replace Ed Tanney as head of the Paramount shipping department when the latter retires. . . . Dave Harris, formerly on R. Cam Price’s staff at Capitol Releasing, is now working under Fred Mathis, Paramount branch manager. Charley King, an independent booker here for many years, is now booking at Capitol. NEW HAVEN Attorney Steven E. Perakos, counsel for Perakos Theatre Associates, has been unani¬ mously elected president of Elpis Chapter 117, Order of AHEPA, Greek organization. . . . Robert L. Howell, resident manager for Stan¬ ley Warner at the first-run Palace, Norwich, Conn., has been experimenting with a Ladies Night plan on Wednesdays, offering lady pat¬ rons free admission when accompanied by a ticket-buying adult. . . . James Tobin, Stan¬ ley Warner western Connecticut district man¬ ager, has announced appointment of Mrs. Heleena Kopper as acting manager of the first-run Warner, Torrington, Conn., succeed¬ ing Leonard Kupstas, who resigned to become manager of Perakos Theatre Associates’ State, Jewett City, Conn. Jack Hoddy, who has been managing the latter house, has left the circuit. PROGRESSIVE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. • 140 N. 13th STREET • PHILADELPHIA 7, PA. Theatre Installattons and Maintenance December 14, I960 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 19