The Exhibitor (1964)

North England. . . . The Rio, Wall Lake, is being renovated by the Commercial Club of Wall Lake. . . . The newly constructed 20 Drive-In, Dubuque, is scheduled to be opened May 1 by Nick and Jim Yiannias. . . The Carlisle, Carlisle, has reopened with all Satur¬ day matinees merchant-sponsored and free for the children under 14. . . . The Laurens Community Theatre, Laurens, Iowa, has been opened with about 300 families purchasing stock in the community theatre corporation and volunteering help in the operation. . . . Jon McNutt is the new manager of the Strand', Waterloo, Iowa. He formerly was as¬ sistant manager, Omaha Orpheum, Omaha, and succeeds Bob Dudley, who has taken over the Capitol, Grand Island, Neb . Walter Allen, Maquoketa, has purchased the BelAir Drive-In, Davenport, from George Dinelli, Peru, Ill. Allen, who also operates the Corral Drive-In, Moline, Ill., plans some renovating at the Davenport Drive-In. DETROIT I Beloved retired Detroit Free Press movie writer Helen Bower, who was struck by an I automobile Feb. 28, is still in a state of coma at the Henry Ford Hospital, although the hospital reports she seems stronger physically. She sustained head and internal injuries and one leg was broken. The institution has been and is deluged with phone calls; enough flowers and plants to stock a good-sized greenhouse have been received, along with fruit and card's. There are many callers, un¬ aware she is still unconscious. While doctors are hopeful, they cannot tell how long the state of coma will endure. She remains on the “critical” list. . . . The Miracle Mile, Pon¬ tiac, Mich., has really been plugging its shows. In January, it staged a $49,000 give-away in connection with “Charade.” In February, it held a giant kiddie contest giving away elec¬ tronic helmets to exploit “The Misadventures of Merlin Jones.” The March contest includes as prizes two automobiles, two motorcycles, a riding tractor lawn mower, and 25 other valuable prizes. All dealers in the merchan¬ dise concerned tied in in their show rooms and otherwise. Thousands of entry blanks were distributed by participants, including a large supermarket which placed them in the bags of all customers. To top it, the vehicles paraded to shopping centers and all over town. The beneficiary of all this was “Seven Days in May,” which produced extremely satisfactory results at the boxoffice. HOUSTON The King Center Drive-In west screen of¬ fered a special of fried chicken with all the trimmings for only 70 cents. . . . Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Children of the Damned” was given a saturation booking in the city opening at two indoor and 10 outdoor theatres. . . . Basil Rathbone, English born star of the American screen, gave readings at Rice Uni¬ versity. He appeared at a student-faculty as¬ sembly and at a formal dinner for Rice Uni¬ versity Associates. . . . “Carnival,” the Broad¬ way musical based' on the motion picture “Lili,” opened at the Houston Theatre Center Playhouse. . . . Hollywood film actor Zachary Scott was a brief visitor here and was honored with a party. . . . Art Katzen, publicity di¬ rector for the local Interstate Theatres, is out of the hospital following a periodic checkup. . . . Gene Tierney, movie star, now the wife of local oilman Howard Lee, said she has no movie-making projects in the mill at the present time. . . . Two dance films by Martha Graham and her troupe were shown at the Prudential Auditorium. They are “A Dancer’s World,” which explains the dancer’s art, and' “Appalachian Spring,” the only full length Graham ballet on film. . . . The short¬ ened version of “Cleopatra” has opened a return engagement at the Santa Rosa and Village, at popular prices. JACKSONVILLE A brave theatre usher, Dean Hoy, down¬ town Florida, chased and caught a thief who had robbed Mrs. Claudia Fortwengler, Florida cashier. Dean, however, released the winded robber after catching him several blocks from the theatre when the felon brandished a weapon which later proved to be a toy pistol. Police caught the thief a few minutes later and recovered the money. He also confessed the robbry of $300 from the Florida, Talla¬ hassee, on Feb. 19. . . . J. H. “Jay” Parkerson, formerly an interim manager, Imperial and Edgewood theatres, married Miss DeLores Smith in a local church ceremony the night of March 14. Jerry Hayes, former Edgewood assistant, served as an usher. . . . Rodney Derbonne, former Imperial usher, has won a place in the State Science Fair to be held here in April. His winning science project is entitled “The Study of Suborder Orthognatha,” a species of spiders commonly called taran¬ tulas. Rodney recently captured a rare trap¬ door spider which is now on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. ... It is reported that a May 15 grand opening date has been scheduled for the new Boca Raton Theatre, Boca Raton, by Wometco Enterprises. . . . Pete Dawson, United The¬ atres, Miami, is now booking the group of Florida theatres controlled by the Smith Management Co. . . . Mack Clark is the new owner, Jones Theatre, Graceville, which was formerly operated by H. W. Stewart. . . . William Bennett has taken over booking duties for three Negro-patronage theatres, the Star, Sanford; Washington, DeLand; and Lincoln, Bradenton. . . . Don P. White, At¬ lanta, came in for a tour of Florida theatres. He has succeeded to the Union Carbide Corp. post formerly occupied by George Mayer. . . . Bill Means, Jacksonville Journal entertain¬ ment editor, gave on unusually fine sendoff to “America, America” in advance of its firstrun opening at the suburban Edgewood. Bill told his readers that it is “filled with action and tremendous human interest” and “one of the most moving this viewer has ever seen and one which the audiences will talk about for some time to come.” . . . Judge May, Florida Times-Union critic, also had strong praise for “America, America,” calling it “more than just an outstanding film. Elia Kazan has turned out something here that is a tribute to the land that his forefather strived' so hard to reach.” Week in and week out and year in and year out, both May and Means are the joy of local exhibitors and a large following of newspaper readers. Due to their knowledge, insight, and love for motion pictures, and their understanding of the many facets of motion picture production, they invariably give fair and decent treatment to new screen offerings without, at the same time, making any false claims for any type of screen entertainment. ... A new screen short subject in color, which presents the many and varied' attractions of two of Florida’s major tourist attractions — Silver Springs and Weeki Wachee — has found its way to the screens of the 52 Florida motion picture houses operated by Florida State Theatres. FST also operates Silver Springs and Weeki Wachee. ... A countdown has finally begun on “Cleopatra” at Meiselman’s Cedar Hills Theatre which had its opening last Christmas Day. March 25 will be its final day as a road show. MIAMI, FLA. Tom Rayfield, Carib, was first-prize win¬ ner in the monthly Wometco Thrif-Tik-It sales contest, earning $80 for selling 400 books. Cecil Allen, Mayfair, was next, with sales of 300 books, and Howard DeBold, 163rd St., came in third with sales of 244 books. . . . Members of the Wometco family were saddened, at the untimely death of 22-yearold Beryl Gillespie, accounting dept, clerk and sister-in-law of the late Herman Silverman, Wometco booker, who passed away just four years ago. She was a patient at Vari¬ ety Children’s Hospital, to which institutions her family asked donations be sent in her memory, as well as to the Jewish Home for CLARK TRANSFER INC. 829 N. 29th St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19130 CEnter 2-3100 1638 Third St., N.E. Washington, D. C. 20002 DUpont 7-7200 David E. BRODSKY Associates THEATRICAL INTERIOR DECORATOR 242 N. 13th St. LO 4-1188-89 Phila. 7, Po. PAINTING • DRAPERIES • MURALS STAGE SETTINGS • WALL COVERINGS PROGRESSIVE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO. INC. 240 N. 13th ST. • PHILADELPHIA 7, PA. Theatre Installations and Maintenance March 25, 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17