The Exhibitor (1960)

ALBANY The SW Avon, local “B” first run in Utica, will have its front redone, a new booth in¬ stalled, and 70mm screen hung. Total cost of the project, which will require the theatre’s closing for a time, may run into six figures. John Scheideman manages the house. . . . The SW Strand, Albany, has started its mod¬ ernizing and refurbishing job which calls for a new lobby, new marquee, new screen, new upholstering, new seats which call for more leg room and elimination of 300 down¬ stairs seats. The present lobby will be closed off or rented as a store. The house will go dark until Easter. . . . Local F-43, lATSE, exchange front office workers, elected offi¬ cers for the coming year. . . . Samuel E. Rosenblatt, ex-chief barker, Albany Variety Club, announced he will reopen the modern 600-seat New Catskill, dark for three years, and will refurbish it at a cost of around $15,000. Community, 1,000 seater built by the late William W. Farley, Albany, and recently acquired by Mrs. Clara Thornton, wife of Saugerties exhibitor George Thornton, is the resort village’s only currently operated film house. Mrs. Thornton bought it from Greene County Amusement, which also held a 10year lease on New Catskill. W. W. Farley, Jr., had conducted the Community for some months before Mrs. Thornton’s buy. The New Catskill, located on Highway 9-W, within the city limits, will contain four stores, plus a parking lot and be a first run. ATLANTA The local WOMPI held its Christmas party at the home of past international president Mrs. Stella Poulnot. She was hostess to more than 50 members. . . . The WOMPI’s dressed 150 dolls for underprivileged girls for Christ¬ mas. They also held a party and offered gifts for the elderly patients at Battle Hill Haven; and another party for the kiddies at Hillside College and at the Bellwood Center of the Salvation Army. . . . J. M. Tune, owner. Princess, Shelbyville, Tenn., is up and around after a stay in the hospital there. . . . Sym¬ pathy is extended to Mrs. Louise Bramblett, 1^11 “Hin, on the death of her brother. Mrs. Leonard Allen, wife of Leonard Allen, Paramount southern exploitation director, was a patient in a local hospital. . . . D. P. Nesbit, Liberty, Columbus, Ga., was confined to a hospital there. ... Sid Cooper, who re¬ signed as UA central and southern division manager here, accompanied his successor D. J. Ederle, at a sales meeting. This was Cooper s final trip here before taking over the post of domestic sales manager for Cinerama. . . . The Princess, Jacksonville, Fla., has closed. ... Mr. and Mrs. Robert Douglas, Rex, Cowan, Tenn., has taken the theatre back from Robin Cass. . . . Clyde Overmire has closed his Family Drive-In Clarksville, Ky U-I’s “Spartacus” opened foi an extended run at the Roxy as a road¬ show. . . . Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-born costar of Paramount’s “The World Of Suzie Wong” was in on behalf of the film. . . . Mrs. Milton Brockett, wife of the Crescent Amuse¬ ment Company booker, Memphis, Tenn., was hospitalized there. . . . Sympathy is extended to Robert Curtis, Curtis, Hayesville, N. C. upon the death of his father. . . . Storey The¬ atres, Inc., is remodeling the Decatur. The Variety Club of Atlanta held a New Year’s Eve party at the Atlantian Hotel. BOSTON Joe Levine, Embassy Pictures president, recently honored as Motion Picture Pioneer of the Year, after convalescing in Peter Bent Brigham Hospital after minor surgery, was on a cruise for the Christmas holidays with his family. Esquire magazine is on its way to the news stands with an article, “Joe Levine Unchained,” a switch on his film title, “Hercules Unchained.” Although he’s “the most talked about movie man since the late Mike Todd,” according to the article, Joe would prefer comparison with P. T. Barnum or Sam Goldwyn. . . . Max Michaels, well known theatre man, formerly with the Bos¬ ton Theatre, Cinerama, and manager of the Wilbur legit theatre, has been engaged by Bob Ungerfeld, Universal, New York, to han¬ dle exploitation and public relations on “The Grass Is Greener” in Boston, Providence, and Hartford. The film opened at the Keith Memorial in Boston, Dec. 23, and was set for Providence, Dec. 28, and Hartford and New Haven, Dec. 30. . . . Sal Mineo and Jill Ha¬ worth were in for press rounds on “Exodus,” at the Saxon. . . . Ben Sack has erected a six foot neon letter sign for “Ben-Hur,” flashing off and on at his Capri for moveover of the roadshow from the Saxon. . . . Variety Club of New England members had an outing as guests of Judge Dooley at Narragansett. . . . Buena Vista held an exhibitors’ luncheon for “101 Dalmatians”. . . . William Elder, who replaced Charles Kurtzman, who was trans¬ ferred to New York some months ago by Loew’s, Inc., after many years here as north¬ eastern division chief, has the new title of eastern division manager with headquarters here and supervision of the theatres in Bos¬ ton, Worcester, Springfield, Providence, Hart¬ ford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Wilmington, Del., Reading, Pa., and Norfolk and Richmond. BUFFALO Saber Motion Picture Productions, Inc., which last year filmed a feature based partly on operations of the Buffalo police depart¬ ment, has filed a petition for bankruptcy in Federal Court in Buffalo. The petition was filed for the company by its president, Robert R. Kleinknecht, also is known as Robert R. Barron. The bankruptcy petition listed debts of $65,411, including wages earned last year by several employes. Other debts included rental of equipment used in filming the com¬ pany’s pictures. . . . The Song Shop, Chip¬ pewa, established more than a quarter of a century ago by the late Murray Whiteman, long prominent in show business and at one time chief barker of Tent 7, Variety Club of Buffalo, has folded. The entire stock of the store has been purchased by Sattler’s, big east side department store. Gene Murphy, a former employee of the local Warner Bros, ex¬ change, had been managing the Song Shop since the death of Whiteman. Gene is a brother of the late Robert Murphy, former manager of several Shea theatres. . . . Earl L. Hubbard, Sr., who was ad-pub manager at the Teck during its Cinerama regime, is the new western New York field representative for Universal -International. His first concern is “The Grass Is Greener.” . . . Frank Murphy, who supervises the Buffalo division of the Loew-Shea theatres from Cleveland, was in town the other day to say that Loew’s is in an optimistic and constructive frame of mind, despite any calamity howling you may have heard in cinematic circles. The circuit recent¬ ly has built new theatres in Florida and Texas and is pushing a program to improve properties like Shea’s Buffalo. According to Murphy, film theatres of the future will halve the capacity of current big ones while offer¬ ing the individual customer much more space and comfort. . . . Sale of the West End theatre property, Rochester, for $15,000 has been disclosed. The purchaser is the 555 Thurston Road Corp., of which Martin M. Mills is president. The seller is the Schine Theatre Corp. The West End, vacant for sev¬ eral years, was purchased for investment purposes. It will be completely remodeled. . . . Mike Martin and the Mrs. have been presented with a swell Christmas present in the form of a baby boy. Mike is treasurer at the Paramount. CHICAGO The annual Variety Club Christmas party for children was held at the Pick Congress Hotel following a showing of Columbia’s “The 3 Worlds Of Gulliver” at the Loop. . . . The installation dinner meeting for the new officers of Variety Club has been postponed to January 16. . . . Ann Gray, former execu¬ tive secretary. Midwest office, American Na¬ tional Theatre and Academy, has been placed in charge of the Studebaker, which is to be organized as an arts center. . . . The B & K Garrick demolition case was reversed by the Appellate Court of Illinois. The City, which had ordered demolition, now has 15 days to appeal to the Supreme Court of Illinois. . . . Jerry Lewis was in for Paramount’s “Cinderfella”. Woods, and brought $25,000 in to the Muscular Dystrophy Fund. Lewis ap¬ peared in person and sold tickets in the Woods boxoffice for the first hour. . . . Phil Hill, Belleville, Ill., tied for the honor in the Fox Midwest division “showman of the year” plaques and $350 each awarded to top man¬ agers in its four divisions based on points earned during 1959-60. . . . Joan Davidson, wife of Charles Davidson, B & K, is better after hospitalization at Highland Park Hos¬ pital. . . . Richard Salkin, formerly at the Piccadilly, is now managing the Empress. . . . U-I’s “Exodus” is reported to have a $100,000 advance sale, Cinestage. . . . The Paramount, Wyoming, Ill., has closed. . . . The suit of Wenger Company against B & K Circuit has been set for hearing in Federal District Court on Jan. 16. . . . Veteran lATSE projectionists Ray Corder and A1 Weinstein died. . . . Clasa-Mohme is now handling midwest dis¬ tribution of Azteca Film Company. . . . Morris B. Lang, 70, Skokie, Ill., exhibitor, who until his retirement in 1952 operated the Harrison, Chicago, died. . . . The Rivoli Mishawaka, Ind., closed for three years, was renovated and reopened by Gloanna Enterprises. . . . The State, Oquawka, Ill., reopened. . . . Bill Keen has taken over city management of the Mount Carmel, Ill., theatres for the Frisina Circuit. . . . Walter Dorff is new head booker for MGM exchange succeeding Lawrence Maloney, now coimtry salesman. . . . Herb Ellisburg retired as manager of the Levin Circuit’s Sheridan Drive-In. CINCINNATI Recent changes in ownership of area houses include Paramount, Ashland, Ky., from Mrs. Richard Martin to Mid -States Theatres; Regal, Dayton, O., from Floyd Williamson to Frieda Bass; and the Hunter, Greenup, Ky., from Jack Hoffman to George Gordon. Harry Lane is now operating the Haven, New Haven, W. Va. . . . During the winter season. Twin Drive-In, owned by Shor The¬ atres, is open only on weekends on the Nor¬ wood side, but nightly on the 1,324-car Read¬ ing Road side. . . . Tri-State Theatre Service is now booking and buying for Salem DriveIn, Dayton, O., owned by Levin Brothers. . . . Betty Sontag, secretary for M. M. Berger, MGM office manager, is driving a new Buick convertible. . . . With a local radio station broadcasting all local and away bas January II, 1961 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15