The Exhibitor (1964)

theatre to turn the child away when the gesture belongs rightly to the parent and only to the parent. Due care should be exer¬ cised in the home on screen entertainment selection.” . . . It’s a boy for Strand, Hart¬ ford, assistant manager Norman Chasse and Mrs. Chasse. . . . “Late Bonus Shows,” a plan under which a drive-in screens a third, sometimes title -unannounced attraction on Friday night, can be found again in the Hartford territory. Perhaps half a dozen under-skyers have resumed the practice, al¬ though this season doesn’t seem to be over¬ flowing with heavy advertising pointing up the practice. Regular price scale is in effect. !. . . In one of the heaviest out-of-town reser¬ vations programs in Connecticut first-run his¬ tory, Franklin E. Ferguson, general manager, Bailey Theatres, has set up reservations for Whalley, New Haven, engagement of Paramont’s “Becket” through travel agents and the like. Towns represented include Bridge¬ port, Waterbury, New London, Hartford, and West Hartford. . . . Another long-shuttered Connecticut theatre — the Umberto J. Belloowned State, Springdale, suburban Stamford — has resumed operations. Closed for eight years, the house is charging one dollar adult admission and 50 cents for children at all times, with exception of special advancedprice attractions. Bello has installed new seats, sound, screen, and projection. . . . Al¬ bert M. Pickus, owner-operator, Stratford, Stratford, and ex-TOA executive committee chairman, is adding a 300-car parking fa¬ cility on adjacent land. . . . Scorn and deri¬ sion heaped on American films headed over¬ seas by certain domestic interests should be answered emphatically with the assertion that Hollywood -originated entertainment is the best demonstration of democracy-in-ac¬ tion. “It’s unfair to label every picture headed for foreign distribution as unfair to the Amer¬ ican image,” Allen M. Widem, Hartford Times amusements editor, told the Hartford Chap¬ ter, National Council of Jewish Women. “For¬ eign audiences,” he reminded the group, “look upon American movies in quite a different light. For one thing, they see a way -oflife that’s second to none anywhere in the world. For another, they are enjoying entertainment technically superlative. These are the greatest arguments the west can serve up against Communism.” NEW ORLEANS Robert D. Mann, son of Ralph B. Mann, district manager of Fred T. McLendon’s Ala¬ bama theatres, has been appointed manager of the theatre company’s newly acquired Dixieland Drive-In, Opp, Ala. . . . The Dixie Drive-In is the 48th unit of McLendon’s chain of theatre operations in the south in association with M. A. Connett Theatres, Newton, Miss., and Phillip Richardson. The spot was closed for several weeks for in¬ stallation of a new screen, new boxoffice, attraction board, new concession equipment and newest in sound equipment. . . . Gulf States Theatres four-wallers reopening for the summer are the Colonial, New Iberia; {Strand, Vicksburg; and Palms, Ft. Walton. . . . Mat Guidry, Pat, Lafayette, La., in association with Southern Amusement Com¬ pany, Lake Charles, reopened the Nona, Lafayette, formerly owned and managed by Milton Guidry. . . . Mrs. Fern Randell now has her Fern Drive-In, Woodville, Miss., on full time operation. . . . Gerald S. Kennedy, 20th-Fox manager, returned from a company sales meeting in New York City. . . . Shirley Bacques returned to United Artists exchange as cashier, succeeding Janet Markey, who June 10, 1964 John Gilmour, Jr., Mayor of Cherry Hill Township, N. J., recently presented “Best Man” award plaques to Jan Evans, Rutgers College of South Jersey, at the Community, Barclay Farm, N. J., in conjunction with the showing of United Artists’ “The Best Man.” The other students are Irving Gray and Susan Goodman, “Best Man” and “Best Woman” from Glassboro State College, Glassboro. William Kanefsky, manager of the Walter Reade theatre, arranged the public relations event. resigned to await the birth of a child. . . . Grace Hirstel returned to 20th-Fox exchange as billing clerk, replacing Donna Letulle, who also resigned to await a visit from “the big bird.” . . . R. N. Wilkinson, Universal di¬ vision manager, visited the local branch. . . . WOMPI Jan Vallee, secretary to Gus Trog, Warner office manager, was married to Rich¬ ard O’Brien and is on a honeymoon in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. . . . Kathy Keeler, Film Inspection Service steno and biller, resigned to await arrival of a “bundle from Heaven.” . . . Grace Wiegand, Columbia booker, and a group of relatives motored to Kerryville, Mo., for the ordination of her nephew. . . . Paul Beck, Buena Vista sales manager, visited the New York World’s Fair while attending Walt Disney’s recent national sales meeting in New York. . . . Two daughters of Eileen Kaiser, Columbia head booker, were in recent school graduations. . . . Charles Bazzell, of the Varsity, Baton Rouge, La., and Denham Springs, La., four-waller, acquired the complete operation of the Trio, Zachary, La. . . . Vera Lions is back at Film Inspec¬ tion Service pinch-hitting for film inspectors on vacation. . . . Gulf States Theatres have taken over complete operation of Loew’s State, Memphis, Term. PHILADELPHIA That recent dinner at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel honoring United Artists’ A1 Glaubinger, promoted to central division man¬ ager; and welcoming his successor Bob Fried¬ man as branch manager, was a huge success with $600 profit poing to Variety Club Tent 13’s Heart Fund. Jay Emanuel was chairman of the affair and many UA executives from New York were among the 162 attending. . . . Variety Club Tent 13’s Old Newsboys’ Day is June 19. If you have not sent in your pledge card, please do so now. . . . Para¬ mount’s “The Fall Of The Roman Empire” went on a new summer policy of continuous performances at poular prices at the SW Stanley. . . . Variety Club Tent 13 and the Theatre Owners of Pennsylvania is holding a “Showmanship Award luncheon” at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel on June 12 in honor of Joseph E. Levine. David E. Milgram is chairman of the affair. . . . Benny Harris gave his American Film exchange front a new coat of paint. SAN ANTONIO George Watson, city manager of Interstate Theatres, has announced three major book¬ ings for July. They include “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” booked for showing at the Broadway; “The Carpetbaggers,” for the Aztec; and “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” for the Majestic. . . . John Santikos, manager, Olmos, booked Universal’s “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” opening on June 11. Santikos reports that plans are being made for the young star, Celia Kaye, to visit the city in advance of the picture. . . . Emil Kupka, assistant manager, Aztec, was Secret Agent 007 and was discovered by Gidney Talley, a student, who received $100 in cash. The promotion was in behalf of “From Russia With Love” at the Aztec. The contest was held by the Evening News and Interstate Theatres, Inc. Talley’s parents own theatres in Mathis and Devine, Tex. . . . Jose Inez Cano, new consul general of Mexico, has ex¬ tended an invitation to all members of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to at¬ tend a showing of the unique color film, “Mexico Before the World,” at 10 a.m. at the Alameda. The 20 minute film in English tells the story of Mexico’s Diez y Seis cele¬ bration as it is held in Mexico City, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. According to Cano, there are a number of scenes featuring San Antonio in the film. . . . A group of 13 Hollywood film and tele¬ vision stars arrived here to participate in the opening of the Hi Way House Hotel, which is headed by Mrs. Ricky du Pont, also a motion picture producer. The stars included Chill Wills, Big John Hamilton, Jim Mitchum, Barbara Nichols, Stephanie Powers, Eloise Hart, Gale Robbins, Allyson Ames, Madelyn Rhue, Tony Young, Skip Ward, Ryan O’Neill, Joanna Moore, and Michael Dante. . . . Linda Darnell, screen star, will play a leading role in the Peninsula Theatre’s first 1964 play, “Janus,” which opens at the theatre in Landa Park in New Braunfels, Tex., on June 16 and continues until June 28. . . . The H. E. B. Food Stores of San Antonio are conducting a coloring contest in conjunction with the showing of “Rhino” at the Laurel. . . . Ignacio Torres, manager of the Alameda, has booked another stage show featuring a number of Mexico City screen artists. MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 21