The Exhibitor (1961)

swered quickly, ‘Daddy don’t you remember me? I’m your little girl Kimmie.’ ” CINCINNATI Harry Christopher Chakeres had his dad, Michael Chakeres, vice-president and gen¬ eral manager of Chakeres Theatres, Springfield, O., passing out cigars right and left when he was born, Jan. 13. . . . Harold Hoffert, AA salesman here, is temporarily man¬ aging the Cleveland office during the illness of manager Bud Rose. Also, William Cantor, manager, Starlite Drive-In, Danville, Ky., is temporarily managing the Chakeres circuit’s Regent, Springfield, O. . . . Film Row extends its sympathy to Carl Ferrazza, theatre opera¬ tions manager, Cincinnati Theatres, upon the recent death of his mother. . . . Many old timers in the movie industry here were sorry to learn of the death of Lester (Rosy) Rosenfeld in Miami, Fla. Rosy, a retired RKO salesman and one time operator of houses in Dunbar and Charleston, W. Va., had been ill for a long time. . . . “El Cid,” which is having a very successful engagement at Lou Weithe’s Valley here, is scheduled to follow as the next attraction at Herman Hunt’s CineStage, Columbus, O., and his McCook, Dayton, O., upon the completion of the current run of MGM’s “King of Kings.” DES MOINES The Paris, Afton, la., operated for the past 17 years by L. J. Kessler, has been closed, and the building sold to an oil company. . . . The Commonwealth Theatre Corp. has re¬ opened the State, Shenandoah, la., following the fire which destroyed the Page. The State has been closed by the circuit for some time. Plans were also being made to rebuild the Page house. . . . Dick Glenn, manager, Easttown, Des Moines, recently became engaged to his cashier, Joan Buckingham. . . . E. M. Tracy, 79, former owner, Tracy, Storm Lake, la., died recently. He had been ill for the past three years. He sold the theatre to the Pioneer circuit in 1944. . . . Dale Goldie has sold the American, Cherokee, la., to the Chief Corp., of the Pioneer circuit. The Chief also operates the Arrow, Cherokee. JACKSONVILLE Fred Kent, local attorney and owner, Kent Theatres, a circuit of 20 theatres in nine Florida communities, announced that a 21st theatre will be added to the circuit by mid¬ summer upon completion of a new indoor house at Eau Gallie. Plans for the new struc¬ ture, designed as an 800-seat house, are rapidly being completed by architect C. Ellis Duncan of Vero Beach. Construction will be in charge of Guy Brewster, Eau Gallie build¬ er. .. . The State, Eustis, formerly a unit of MCM Theatres, has been reopened by Thomas Leonard, and Dave Roper of this city is serving as booker. . . . The Bradenton Drive-In, Bradenton, formerly managed by R. R. Combs, is now being managed by Ben Cohen and booked by Dave Roper for the J and B Corp. . . . The Villa, a Negro-patron¬ age house at Winter Haven, has been shut¬ tered for an indefinite period. . . . Thomas P. Tidwell, 20th-Fox manager, sent out per¬ sonal messages to all Florida exhibitors in the interests of the firm’s 20th anniversary drive honoring Spyros P. Skouras, and geared his entire office staff and film shipping station for maximum efforts throughout the drive. . . . Shirley Gordon, Warner Bros., resigned her post as a WOMPI board mem¬ ber in order to become the group’s recording secretary. . . . Mary Ellen Spence, WOMPI at Warner Bros., became Mrs. Charles Boyd in Jean Negulesco, producer of United Artists' "Jessica," left, with UA's vice-president Eugene Picker, in the lobby of the RKO 58th Street theatre. New York, where the music from the film was "sneaked" by a musical group im¬ mediately after a preview of the picture. a formal wedding ceremony at the Riverside Park Methodist Church. Attending was a large contingent of WOMPIs. . . . Special WOMPI January birthdate salutes were ex¬ tended to members Betty Arnold, Jane Davis, Kay Dilena, “Sunny” Greenwood, Edna Nofal, Helen Whaley, Shirley Evans, Jackie Hess, and Flora Walden. . . . Welcomed into WOMPI membership were Carol House, 20th-Fox, and Helen Whaley, Columbia. . . . NEW HAVEN Peter G. (Socky) Perakos, Jr., 38, office manager of Perakos Theatre Associates, in¬ dependent Connecticut circuit, has an¬ nounced his candidacy for Republican nomi¬ nation for New Britain comptroller. Son of industry pioneer and P-T-A president Peter G. Perakos, Sr., young Perakos is making his second try for elective office. In 1956, he ran unsuccessfully for alderman in New Britain, where he maintains official residence. . . . Another long-shuttered Connecticut the¬ atre, the Loew’s Theatres Inc. leased Palace, Meriden, has been reopened, a New York firm, the Z.I.P. Corporation taking over the house on a year-to-year sub-lease basis. John Davis is serving as resident manager for the Z.I.P. interests. A group of Meriden investors built the downtown theatre in 1921, pledging to bring live performances to the local scene in a day when vaudeville was beginning to show signs of decline. Loew’s Theatres, Inc., which had operated the theatre for many years, closed the first-run in June, 1960. UA’s “X-15” was reopening attraction for Z.I.P. . . . Robert L. Howell, Stanley Warner Palace, Norwich, Conn., sent an aide through downtown section of that eastern Connecticut city one evening during run of M-G-M’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” the aide wearing a dark topcoat with bache¬ lor button in his lapel. Persons walking up to him and saying, “Are you the mystery ‘Bachelor in Paradise’?” received guest tick¬ ets. . . . The Central, Pawcatuck, R. I., has been sold by Joseph F. and Albert J. Romanella and Angelo J. Tasca to the Higgins brothers of that city— J. Leo, John H., and William J. — for $24,000. The new owners in¬ tend to have the structure razed for even¬ tual use as a parking lot for the pharmacy they own in an adjacent building. The Cen¬ tral was built by the late Max Novagroski in 1913. PHILADELPHIA The trade was shocked to learn of the death of Abe Sundberg, New Strand, Phila¬ delphia, last fortnight. . . . Condolences to Hank Goldman, Fanfare, upon the death of his stepfather. . . . As of April 1, Highway Express Lines, is discontinuing its intercom¬ munication lines between the various film exchanges and other industryites in the Vine Street area. PITTSBURGH James M. Brennan, Stanley Warner home office, and an officer of the corporation, was in conferring with contact manager Ray Ayrey on personnel changes in the accounting department that followed the promotion of Paul Rich to Milwaukee. Harry McCartney succeeded Rich as office manager and assist¬ ant contact manager. New staff members are John McCasky and Don Allen. Rich, a vet¬ eran of over 30 years service with the com¬ pany and predecessor, Warner Bros. Theatres, is now Milwaukee contact manager, replacing ailing I. M. Barron. . . . Jane Patterson, United Artists office manager, was hospitalized. . . . A big delegation from Tent 1, Pittsburgh, is expected to fly by jet to the Variety Club’s 35th international convention in Dublin on May 12. About 60 already have signed up, including district attorney Ed Boyle and club steward Joe Ferris. Pittsburgh Press dramascreen editor Kaspar Monahan also hopes to make the trip. . . . Dave Kane, Universal fieldman, was in ahead of “Lover Come Back,” due at Associated’s Gateway in mid-Febru¬ ary. A contest is being held to select a “Miss VIP,” with Pittsburgh’s winner to compete with those from nine other cities, the prize being an all-expense-paid trip to Miami Beach for the world premiere on Feb. 8. . . . Allied Artists’ spectacle “El Cid” is scheduled for a Feb. 28 opening at Associated’s Fulton, where it will play on a roadshow basis. The¬ atre, managed by Tony Coutsoombis, will close for a complete remodelling job, including new seats, before the “El Cid” opening. . . . Frankie Avalon was in for a day on a dual¬ plugging role, one for his newest record, the other for Columbia’s “Sail A Crooked Ship” at the Fulton, where he held a lobby auto¬ graph session, besides making the media rounds. . . . Barker Morris Finkel is chair¬ man of Variety Week activities, starting Feb. 11, and is planning a busy schedule. . . . MGM’s release of Samuel Bronston’s “King of Kings” closes its Pittsburgh roadshow en¬ gagement at the Warner on Feb. 11, with UA’s “Judgment at Nuremberg,” produced by Stanley Kramer, following on Feb. 14. PORTLAND William H. Thedford, Pacific Coast divi¬ sion manager for National Theatres, was here to confer with Rex Hopkins, city man¬ ager. He is on a tour of the circuit’s Ever¬ green theatres in the northwest. . . . Martin Foster flew in from San Francisco to consult with Nancy Allen on remodeling details for his 21st Avenue, acquired formally on Jan. 19. The house will be renamed Cinema 21 and will feature top domestic and foreign art products. The Fine Arts will be renovated shortly and will be devoted to top grade for¬ eign films. . . . Earl Keate was in town work¬ ing on “One, Two, Three” and other United Artists product. The picture opened just as the Coca Cola management meeting was scheduled for the Portland Sheraton. ST. LOUIS More than 200 exhibitors and members of the press attended a gala premiere of “Ten¬ der Is The Night” at the Pageant. The film opens Feb. 2 at the Fox. In another promo¬ tion for “Tender Is The Night,” Jerry Berger, 20th-Fox-exploiteer, is working with the St. ( Continued on page 18) 16 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR January 3 I, 1962