The Exhibitor (1964)

ALBANY Salem i, Mass., Exhibitor Loses Plea For Moveup In Federal Trust Suit Strand district manager Martin Burnett re¬ served accommodations at nearby New Kenmore Hotel for the young men on the staff who remained in the theatre until one a.m. the night of a blizzard with some of the public stranded there until that time. ... Jim Fisher continues week-end operation of Hollywood Drive-In, at Averill Park, during the winter months. . . . H. L. Gaines is Warners local branch manager, and not “Games” as mis¬ spelled in a recent EXHIBITOR directory listing. . . . A1 Golden is no longer associated with 20th-Fox, although he has remained in this city. . . . Fabian district manager Adrian Ettelson was on the committee that arranged the testimonial dinner at Hotel Astor, New York City, for George Trilling, who recently retired as Fabian buyer-booker after 25 years service. ATLANTA The accounting department of the 20th Fox Memphis exchange is moving to the New Orleans office. . . . Douglas Cooper, assistant manager, Bailey, Wilmington, N. C., has been appointed manager of the Center, Rocky Mount, N. C. . . . Carroll Ogbum, former manager, Warner Brothers, is making prepara¬ tions to move to Jacksonville to take over the exchange there. . . . Lilliam Anglin and Leroy Steede are on the sick list at Benton Brothers Film Express. . . . R. C. Cobb, of Fayette, has purchased the equipment and right to do business at the Druid from Druid, Inc., owner and operator of the theatre in Tusca¬ loosa, Ala. . . . Ralph B. Mann, manager, Martin Theatre and Fendley Drive-In, Anda¬ lusia, Ala., won first prize in the recent twomonths boxoffice business drive. . . . Pauline Dennis, accounting department, and Varolyn Walker, Universal, back at work after illness. ... A new screen and other improvements have been made at the Elba, Elba, Ala., since the house reopened. BALTIMORE, MD. “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” will mark the last legitimate show to play at Ford’s Theatre before the old playhouse is razed to make way for a garage. . . . Eugene Gordon replaces James Airey as manager of the Waverly. Airey goes to the Boulevard to assist Carroll E. Free¬ land, manager. . . . Mike Budzinski is as¬ sistant at the Uptown. . . . Mrs. Verona M. Rubin, cashier, Uptown, is off the sick list and has returned to duty. . . . Gilda Ramer, former cashier, Norwood, is now employed in the admitting record office of the Sinai Hospital. . . . Bessie Brown, concessions girl at the Rialto, is to graduate as a nurse this coming March. . . The Maryland State Board of Motion Picture Censors reviewed 1,313 films in its 1963 fiscal year; ordered cuts in 45; and banned 13, mostly nudie films. BOSTON A bill has been filed in the state legislature to create a state arts council, which would provide for a two year term for a committee to study the needs of Massachusetts in sup¬ port of the performing arts, including films, and an analysis of how it should be done. The bill, filed by Rep. Michael Dukakis of Brookline (D.), is patterned he said, “after similar legislation which has been enacted in New York, Connecticut, California, and a number of other states.” The Dukakis bill has been endorsed by the New England The¬ William McCormick, president, Yankee Network of New England, and Herman Ripps, assistant sales manager for MGM, are seen at the recent Boston business luncheon on MGM's plans for the New England saturation of “Children Of The Damned” and “Gladiators 7.” atre Conference, and leaders in the performing arts field in the state, and has been reported favorably on by the committee on state ad¬ ministration. . . . The Astor has booked “Seven Days in May” to open Feb. 14. . . . “Cleopatra” winds up at the Gary on Feb. 6 to make way for “The Victors.” . . . Ben Sack, president of Sack Theatres, announced that “Becket” will open at his Gary in March. . . . Alain Delon, co-star with Jean Gabin in “Any Number Can Win,” current at the Exeter, came to Boston for press interviews at the Ritz Carlton, with Karl Fasick handling the press radio and tv interviews for MGM. . . . Exhibitors here hailed disclosure that more than half a million persons from throughout the nation will spend $65,000,000 at 376 conventions already booked for Boston through 1973,. The Hub’s mush¬ rooming convention business will mean more audiences by the thousands for every motion picture theatre. . . . The Paris Cinema, art house, is to be the newest addition to Bos¬ ton’s theatre scene, located opposite the new Prudential Building, now going up. A Feb. 4 opening is planned for the new house with “Billy Liar” (Continental) as the opening picture. Paris Cinema brings the number of new theatres in Boston to six in the past year and a half. BUFFALO A second trial of a claim by the Sheridan Drive-In, Inc., against the state for land taken for the Niagara Thru way has resulted in a $110,000 award by Court of Claims Judge H. Cooke. The corporation’s original suit for $824,000, which was dismissed, was ordered retried by the Appellate Division. The state had' offered $325,000 to the out-doorer, but when it was found that it could be recon¬ structed on adjoining land, the owners ac¬ cepted $215,000. Is his decision, Judge Cooke said the claimant failed to prove fraud' and rejected that portion of the claim, but in ac¬ cordance with the Appellate Division ruling, he awarded the difference between what the state once admitted the drive-in was worth and what it paid. . . . Citizens from all over western New York banded together to help the Variety Club Telethon on channel 7 (WKBW-TV) Feb. 1-2. WKBW-TV donated its time and facilities as well as all station technical and performing personnel. . . . BOSTON — The Naumkeag Theatres lost their suit before Federal Judge John Ford when he decided in favor of the defendants, which comprised all the major distributors, except Columbia; the New England The¬ atres; and the Stanley Warner Management Corp. The decision of the judge granted the defendants’ motion for a directed verdict against the Naumkeag Theatres. Naumkeag operates the Paramount, Salem, Mass. This exhibitor sued all defendants on the ground that they had conspired to pre¬ vent his Paramount from enjoying the same non as the first-run theatres in Lynn oper¬ ated by the New England Theatres and Stan¬ ley Warner, respectively. The Naumkeag Theatre is 5V2 miles away from the first-run theatres in Lynn. Previous to today’s ruling, Federal Judge Ford had thrown out that part of the case relating to an alleged conspiracy of the down¬ town first-run theatres in Boston, which en¬ joy 21 days clearance over the entire Metro¬ politan Boston area. Naumkeag was represented by Bradley Ryan of Boston. The distributor defendants and the New England Theatres were repre¬ sented by Robert Meserve of Boston. Stanley Warner was represented by Stuart H. Aarons of its New York Legal staff, with Richard Brickley of Boston as counsel of record. Annette Funicello of Disney tv and movie fame visited Buffalo to do some tub-thumping in behalf of the new Disney film, "The Mis¬ adventures of Merlin Jones,” scheduled to open Feb. 11 at Schine’s Granada in north Buffalo. . . . A1 Petrella, councilman and an officer of Tent 7, Variety Club of Buffalo, was on the list of candidates for the post of direc¬ tor in the Greatest Buffalo Advertising Club. . . . Fred Keller, managing director, CircleArt, is putting on a Humphrey Bogart Film Festival. It started Jan. 29 and 30 with "The Maltese Falcon.” . . . The story of motion pic¬ tures will be told on an outdoor screen at the World’s Fair in New York in a sevenminute color film at the Eastman Kodak Pavilion. The film will be produced by MGM and will consist of one segment that depicts the skills involved in making films and the part Eastman Kodak of Roches¬ ter, has played in movie-making, and another segment that deals with upcoming pictures of a number of studios. Kodak also will have two theatres within its pavilion. The outside movie will be projected from the pavilion onto a shadow box screen, according to the plan. . . . That giant organ in Shea’s Buffalo, which has not been used in public recital in some 20 years and which used to be an important part of the big show in the late Mike Shea’s flag¬ ship, was used in a public recital at 11:30 p.m., Jan. 31, when two members of the Niagara Frontier Chapter, American Theatre Organ Enthusiasts, which restored the organ played duets. . . . “Tom Jones,” originally an¬ nounced for a Feb. 14 opening at the Cinema SHELDON TROMBERG presents BOXOFFICE ATTRACTIONS, INC. Independent Film Distribution Phone: Code 215 MA 7-2919 1323 VINE ST., PHILA., PA. 19107 Phone: Code 202 347-2221 or 347-3151 606 WARNER BUILDING, WASH., D. C. 20004 February 5, 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15