The Exhibitor (1964)

conditioned Times Theatre, has been elected president of the southern Ohio chapter of the National Association of Interior Designers. COLUMBUS, O. RKO Palace and Academy-Neth’s Univer¬ sity will show the two-day booking of Rich¬ ard Burton’s “Hamlet” Sept. 23 and 24. . . . City and county officials and officers of the Franklin County Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society participated in the unveil¬ ing ceremony of the historical marker on the facade of Loew’s Ohio. The plaque com¬ memorates the fact that the old City Hall occupied the theatre site from 1872 to 1921. Manager Sam Shubouf tied in the ceremony with MGM’s “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” . . . Ed McGlone, RKO city manager, has returned after recovery from recent surgery at Will Rogers Hospital. . . . Columbus show business friends of Marmaduke R. “Duke” Clark were saddened at news of his death at 74 in San Mateo, Calif. In the late Twenties and Thirties, Clark was Paramount exchange manager here and a moving spirit in Colum¬ bus Variety Club Tent Two, where he was chief barker for several terms. . . . Danny Deeds, operator of the legitimate Hartman, announced lineup of six Theatre Giuld one week bookings starting in October. The list includes “Any Wednesday,” “Oliver,” “HO in the Shade,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Dear Me, The Sky Is Falling,” and “A Case of Libel.” DALLAS Dial-A-Movie has made its bow here and provides age rating on motion pictures play¬ ing at downtown, neighborhood, and D-I’s. The telephone service rates films morally on a nonsectarian basis. The service is sponsored by the Exchange Bank & Trust Co. There are 12 national agencies active in rating the films. . . . Raymond B. Jones, manager of the downtown Worth, observed his 50th an¬ niversary in show business and 22 years as manager of the Fort Worth theatre. . . . The Will Rogers fund campaign leaders, W. B. Williams, manager of the 20th Century-Fox exchange, and Earl Podolnick, president of Trans-Texas Theatres and president of the Texas Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, have set their sights on a $60,000 goal, $50,000 from theatre audience collections and $10,000 from individual Christmas salute contribu¬ tions by employees of theatres and distribu¬ tion exchanges. The goal doubles the amount collected in Texas last year. . . . During his visit here, Donald O’Connor will receive the Interstate Theatres’ annual Golden Star Award. . . . Jeanne Allan has joined the staff of the Buena Vista film exchange, replacing Norman Jean Thomas, who resigned. DENVER Bus Amato, who has been head booker at MGM, resigned to move to San Francisco. . . . Installation of officers of the Denver chapter of WOMPI was held at a dinner in the Gold Room of the Brown Palace Hotel here. . . . Mary Bayes, publicist for Fox Theatres here, scored a “first” by arranging a special showing of the topless bathing suit to advertise “What a Way to Go” at the Centre. . . . Fred Brown, who retired some years ago after a full life in the film business, stopped along Film Row to renew acquaint¬ ances. Swedish actress Eva Lyrad salutes the “junk-mobile” created as a prop for Jack Lemmon’s role in Colum¬ bia’s “Good Neighbor Sam” at its recent gala showing at the Better Living Center of the New York World’s Fair. HOUSTON Publicist Sid Balkin will move to Hollywood soon to begin a new career as a movie pro¬ ducer. ... In the lobby of the Windsor Cinerama in conjunction with the showing of “Circus World” is the famous collection of circus objects by Mrs. Fred Stand iff. . . . Allison Sanders, author of “In Houston,” a column in a local newspaper, is giving away passes to the showing of “Good Neighbor Sam” at the Metropolitan to those people who are proving to be “good neighbors.” Readers are invited to submit names of their friends who have done some act of good-neighborliness. JACKSONVILLE WOMPI members had an unusually full calendar of events during July, including fund-raising activities, charitable work, and social functions. . . . One new WOMPI mem¬ ber was welcomed into the organization: Betsy Glass, FST home office. Dorothy Edrington, Allied Artists, and Sandra Smoot, MGM, were reinstated. . . . Substantial sums were realized by dint of hard work at a rummage sale at the Brentwood Housing Project; day-to-day sales of old newspapers, new hosiery and greeting cards; and a Tupperware sale and swim party chairmanned by Anne Dillon at the home of Vivian Ganas. . . . A WOMPI-sponsored Saturday mid¬ night twin horror show has been planned for the downtown Imperial the night of Aug. 15 as a repeat of the successful WOMPI bene¬ fit show staged at the Imperial in August, 1963. KANSAS CITY “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” turned in one of the best benefit performances in the history of motion pictures here with its pre¬ miere a the Capri. Robert Zimmerman, citi¬ zen-president of the YMCA, announced that nearly $130,000 has been added to the Y’s Second Century expansion fund as a result of the “Molly Brown” affair here. The Y had virtually ended its spring fund-raising cam¬ paign, aiming at a $1,000,000 goal, when Harve Presnell came to town for personal appear¬ ances June 3-5. One of his personals was be¬ fore Y campaign captains. Since that time, the cause has experienced rising new interest, and this carried through the premiere bally¬ hoo period to result in the sharp uptake. Zimmerman was overjoyed to receive the funds in $10,000 “gold bricks” tossed at him by industry leaders and others who sparked the campaign, including Stanley Durwocd, president of the circuit which donated the theatre and inspired the campaign. Edwin Dennis, KMBC-TV; and David Croninger, KMBC-AM-FM, who contributed on-the-air promotion in depth; and Jack Webb, repre¬ senting Kansas City Restaurant Association. MEMPHIS George Hale, National Theatre Supply, gives the information that Sunset Drive-In, Hot Springs, Ark., suffered severe damage to its screen and tower. It is concluded the drive-in will have resumed operation by the time this report is printed. . . . C. W. Tipton has opened the New Theatre, Caraway, Ark., and Rowley United opened Twin City Drive-In (two screens), North Little Rock, Ark. . . . Belmont Theatre, Belmont, Miss., has closed perma¬ nently. . . . B. F. Jackson reports that Jack Lemaster is now operating Delta, Ruleville, Miss. . . . W, R. Ruffin has temporarily closed the Halls, Halls, Tenn. . . . There is no Cinerama in Memphis now. The Cinerama installation at Loew’s Palace lasted nearly three years. Memphis movie patrons enjoyed all the old Cinerama travel films, a digest of highlights from these films, and MGM’s two recent three-projector Cinerama storyfilms, “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” and “How the West Was Won.” When it appeared likely that the so-called single¬ lens Cinerama would replace the original three-panel system, the decision was made to remove the three-panel system. Since then, producer-director George Stevens has an¬ nounced that his “The Greatest Story Ever Told” will be released in three-panel Cin¬ erama. If this happens, “Story” cannot be shown in Memphis as well as many other cities where Cinerama installations have been removed, without costly re-installations. Charles O’Dell, manager, Loew’s Palace, re¬ opened the non-Cinerama house with “The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao.” NEW HAVEN-HARTFORD WDRC-radio, Hartford, has arranged an Aug. 21 preview of UA’s “A Hard Day’s Night” (marking The Beatles’ screen debut) at the downtown Loew’s Palace and sub¬ urban East Hartford Drive-In, preview guests to receive a souvenir ticket and Beatles identification tag. WDRC disk jockeys will greet guests. Regular price is in effect. Picture opens extended engagement at both theatres following day. . . . Sam Horowitz, former Loew’s Poli. Hartford, assistant, now in Brook¬ lyn, N. Y., independent exhibition (two the¬ atres), was a visitor. . . . Barney Tarantul, Burnside, East Hartford, partner, addressed the Windsor Locks Rotary Club on invitation of industry pioneer Mike Alperin. . . . Allied Artists booked Connecticut bow of “Never Put It In Writing” into the Parkway IndoorOutdoor Theatre, Plainfield. . . . Lou Cohen, retired Loew’s Palace, Hartford, manager, will be honored at a testimonial dinner Sept. 28 in the Statler Hilton’s Capitol Ballroom. Bill Decker, Stanley Warner Strand, is lining up August 5, 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17