The Exhibitor (1961)

Hustler,” a holdover at the Albee, together with some good art films, the fall-winter season seemed off to a good start. “King of Kings,” due at the Capitol soon, and the annoucement that “El Cid” is to screen at the Valley in December, is helping to create in¬ terest among movie goers. . . . A1 Boudouris, owner, Scioto Breeze Drive-In, Lucasville, O'., has bought the Columbia, . Portsmouth, O., from Sam Schultz, Cleveland, and TOC is booking and buying for new owner. . . . Mar¬ garet Leach, Shor Theatres receptionist, and Richard Grant were married and honey¬ mooned in Florida. ... A royal reception was given M. K. Murphy, 82, long-time exhibitor, when he was on Film Row to visit his friends. He had driven alone from his home at Bigtone Gap, Va. . . . Ted Hubert, MGM pub¬ licist, was in to arrange regional screenings for “Ben-Hur,” while Lou Marks, MGM cen¬ tral division manager, and P. F. Rosian, U-I regional sales manager, were in for staff meetings. . . . Phil Chakeres, president; Michael Chakeres, general manager, Grant Frazee, assistant general manager; Dick Dickerson, booker; and Bud Grotte, con¬ cession manager, all from the Chakeres cir¬ cuit, Springfield, O., attended the TOA con¬ vention at New Orleans. COLUMBUS, O., NEWS — Ed McGlone, RKO city manager, won third prize in the national RKO Theatres’ President’s Drive contest which honored Harry Mandel, RKO Theatres’ president. A trip to the West Indies is McGlone’s award. . . . Sam Shubouf, man¬ ager, Loew’s Ohio, officiated at the corona¬ tion of the 1961 Queen Isabella, Sue Skeen, at Columbus Day ceremonies. The tiara present¬ ed to the queen was sponsored by Gregory Peck, star of “The Guns of Navarone” at Loew’s Ohio. . . . Lobby of RKO Grand was turned into a Polynesian setting for the open¬ ing of “South Seas Adventure.” Hula girls from the Kahiki Restaurant added to the tropical atmosphere. DALLAS Two of Universal-International’s top offi¬ cials are scheduled to be in Dallas to host special previews of two of the studio’s top motion picture products for theatre owners and exhibitors of this area. The officials are Milton R. Rackmil, president, and Henry H. Maryin, vice-president and general sales man¬ ager. The films are “Flower Drum Song,” starring Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, and Juanita Hall, and “Lover Come Back,” with Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall. Rackmil and Martin will take over the Tower for the previews. . . . Several towns in the north plains of Texas have been taken over by the United Artists exchange in Oklahoma City from the Dallas exchange. Bookings, shippings, etc., will be still handled out of the local exchange. Situations that have been taken over are the independent theatres in Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and Ver¬ non, Tex., and also the independents in Clovis, N.M. Texas towns taken over for sales only are Archer City, Burkbumett, Canyon, Childress, Memphis, and Henrietta. All of the towns in the Texas Panhandle will continue to be served out of the Oklahoma City ex¬ change. . . . The Dallas-Fort Worth section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers were to meet in the Mercantile Na¬ tional Bank auditorium. The program will in¬ clude Pope McDonald of Visual Presentation showing his “Treasures of the Earth,” Gordon Chambers of Eastman Kodak presenting two recently -published papers on rapid process¬ ing of film, and a demonstration of the new Kodak Reflex Special 16-mm camera. DETROIT Manager Julane Shola, Niles, Mich., walked into the office of the Five Mile Drive-In to find the safe standing open. Burglars, unable to knock off the sturdy hinges, searched and found the combination in a desk drawer. Re¬ ported stolen was $200 in cash, 12 signed checks prepared for the employees’ payroll, 15 cartons of cigarettes, 20 boxes of candy, five cartons of gum, half a gallon of soft drinks, ball point pens, and playing records. Local merchants have been advised by police to keep an eye out for the pilfered checks. HOUSTON The Epsom Drive-In has changed its show¬ ing policy, according to Willie Ratcliff. The ozoner will feature the showing of “art” films. . . . Leonard Brunch has returned to the Avalon Art as projectionist. Brunch was previously a projectionist and took time out to establish an electrical neon supply com¬ pany. . . . Former motion picture star John Boles was here in behalf of the latest version, the third, of “Back Street,” a 20th CenturyFox production. Boles played in the first ver¬ sion of the film opposite Irene Dunne. JACKSONVILLE The entire membership of the Motion Pic¬ ture Charity Club will go into action for an 11-day-and-night period beginning Oct. 25 for the group’s biggest money-making project of the year. The club is actively sponsoring the Cetlin and Wilson Midway at the annual Jacksonville Agricultural and Industrial Fair to be staged at the Gator Bowl and environs. Funds accruing from this project are to be used by the club’s Blind Children’s Founda¬ tion. The WOMPI membership will assist MPCC in carrying out the project and a por¬ tion of profits will be earmarked for WOMPI charitable works. . . . Sheldon Mandell, own¬ er, first-run suburban Five Points, made lo¬ cal newspaper headlines when he announced the immediate closing of his theatre in prepa¬ ration for the installation of Cinerama equip¬ ment. Many civic leaders and motion picture fans have already applauded Mandell for his progressive step. It is expected that many thousands of patrons will be drawn to the Five Points from wide areas of Georgia and Florida and that the project will have a bene¬ ficial effect on the city’s economy. In addition to the curved Cinerama screen, which will be the largest indoor screen here, the project in¬ volves doubling the size of the existing pro¬ jection booth. A new marquee for the theatre is to be constructed on Park Street and the theatre’s arcade entrance foyer will be re¬ furbished as part of the alterations which will cost between $150,000 and $200,000, Man¬ dell said. MIAMI, FLA., NEWS — -Managerial shifts in¬ cluded Kay Brandt to be manager, Parkway. Jack Winters appointed manager, NormandieSurf Theatres, Miami Beach, and also to han¬ dle publicity and special promotions for the Parkway and other Wometco art theatres. Cecil Allen was moved from the NormandieSurf to be manager, Rosetta, and Wometco neighborhood and drive-in relief assign¬ ments will be handled by Ken Rockwell and James Maury. Beatrice Eve was appointed manager, Ritz. ... In making its appeal for 1962 for Wometco Employee Plan for Giving, it was noted that in 1961 employees gave $7524 to the Dade County United Fund; $1200 to the Variety Children’s Hospital, and $500 to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. In other communities where Wometco Enter¬ prises, Inc., has theatres, employees gave generously, too, to swell the total giving to $10,985. MEMPHIS Memphis Better film Council selected “The Young Doctors” as the best adult movieof-the-month, and “St. Francis of Assisi” as the best family movie-of-the-month. Both were by unanimous selection, Mrs. Joan Strong, vice-president, presided in the ab¬ sence of Mrs. Dixie Wallace, who is in Metho¬ dist Hospital. . . . Rivervue Drive-In, Morrilton, and Ark-Air Drive In, Clarksville, Ark., have closed for the season. . . . Clark Shively is now operating Skyvue Drive-In, Jackson, Tenn. . . . W. F. Ruffin, Jr., has reopened Halls, Halls, Tenn., on a temporary basis. . . . The local WOMPI latest service project is the Memphis Heart Association. This group re¬ ceived honorable mention for having a mem¬ bership increase of 100 per cent during the past year, and WOMPI president, Katherine Keifer, was dubbed a Duchess of Charlotte, and Lois Evans, past president, was made a Grand Duchess. Evelyn Rushing and Judy Jenkins, Universal, are new members in WOMPI. The Memphis group is proud of Mrs. Margaret Irby, recently elected national vice-president. Mrs. Irby is a charter member of Memphis WOMPI. She is office manager for Howco of Tennessee. . . . Hinz, Walnut, Miss., has reopened on a week-end basis, and Camp Chaffee, Camp Chaffee, Ark., has re¬ opened on a permanent basis. . . . Bardwell Drive-In, Bardwell, Ky., is closed, as is Sunset Drive-In, Martin, Tenn., operated by W. F. Ruffin, Jr. . . . R. J. Mahan has resumed op¬ eration of Tutrovansum, Tutwiler, Mass. . . . Drive-in closings in Arkansas include River¬ side, Little Rock, and Malvern, Malvern. NEW HAVEN The Nutmeg Theatre Circuit (Leonard Sampson, Robert Spodick, and Norman Bialek) has opened its fifth Connecticut art theatre — the 500-seat County Cinema, Bridge¬ port, remodeled at a cost upwards of $175,000, and showing Janus Films’ Swedish import, “Secrets of Women,” an initial attraction at $1.25 top. Sampson, Spodick, and Bialek ac¬ quired the suburban theatre, formerly known as the Brooklawn, from the John Dombi inter¬ ests for an undisclosed sum. . . . Even though American motion pictures are seen because of their entertainment value, they carry an important social and ideological by-product, Hartford Times amusement editor-columnist Allen M. Widem told the West Hartford Rotary Club. “Through film, people of other countries form their ideas, impressions and prejudices of the American way of life. To many portions of the world where the in¬ dividual has almost lost his identity, our hu¬ man stories kindle a new light of hope.” . . . The Connecticut film industry, 50 strong, at¬ tended a testimonial luncheon, marking pro¬ motion of Bennett Goldstein, 20th-Fox Con¬ necticut branch manager for the past six months, to similar post at Cincinnati. Attorney WE WANT THEATRES ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. Will buy Drive-in theatres of at least 600 car capacity. Also interested in leasing art theatres. Write or Wire D&E OPERATING CORP. Adams Theatre Building 735 Adams St., Boston 22, Mass. November I, 1961 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 23