The Exhibitor (1965)

SW Promotes Burger To Ad-Publicity Director NEW YORK — S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Corporation, announced the promotion of Henry Burger, midwest zone manager, as national director of advertising and publicity for Stanley Warner Theatres. Burger started his career with Warner Bros. Theatres, the predecessor company of Stan¬ ley Warner, in 1934 in the Pittsburgh zone, and has been with the company ever since. He has had broad theatre operating experi¬ ence and also extensive practical duties in the advertising and publicity department. He started as an usher and has been doorman, chief of service, assistant manager, and knows the industry from the ground up through managing theatres in various neighborhoods and suburbs. In 1942, he became assistant advertising manager of the Pittsburgh zone. His career was interrupted by a hitch in the Infantry in World War II. He was named advertising and publicity manager for the zone in 1948, where he remained for five years. Subsequently, he went back into opera¬ tion, becoming the district manager for 19 theatres in the Erie, Pa. diviison and then returned in 1953 to head the zone advertising department as well as supervise the com¬ pany’s downtown Pittsburgh and suburban theatres. In 1962, Burger was named zone manager for Stanley Warner’s midwest theatres with headquarters in Milwaukee. He operated this zone until his current assignment as a chief executive of the advertising department in New York. "War Lord" Bows In Detroit NEW YORK — Universal’s “The War Lord,” the Court Production in Technicolor and Panavision starring Charlton Heston and Richard Boone, will have its world premiere as a multi-theatre opening in Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 10, it has been announced by Henry H. “Hi” Martin, vice-president and general sales manager. The Detroit premiere will serve to launch a series of Butterfield openings in the Detroit territory and will be followed by key city openings from coast to coast. “The War Lord” is scheduled for Thanksgiving release by Universal. Theatres participating in the multipletheatre premiere in Detroit include the Grand Circus, Mai Kai, Cinema, Calven, and one other theatre to be announced later. Costumers Fete Wallis HOLLYWOOD — Hal Wallis will be saluted as Hollywood’s “Man of the Year” by the Motion Picture Costumers at their annual Adam ‘n’ Eve Ball Oct. 9. Costumers’ president Bert Henrikson an¬ nounced that the independent producer was a unanimous choice to receive the award be¬ stowed in other years on such industry leaders as Samuel Goldwyn and John Ford. “The Costumers have always admired Mr. Wallis’ insistence on authenticity of costumes as evidenced in such pictures as ‘Becket’ and ‘The Sons of Katie Elder,’ ” Henrikson said. “His long and fruitful activity, particularly during his 23 years at Paramount, speaks for itself. His use and appreciation of costumes have consistently been of the highest stand¬ ard.” Battle For CATV Ohio Franchise Brings New Plea For Regulation COMPO Warns Of Rise In Real Estate Taxes NEW YORK — Charles E. McCarthy, ex¬ ecutive vice-president, Council of Motion Picture Organizations, advised exhibitors that “one of the speakers at a recent meet¬ ing of the COMPO executive committee sounded a warning that real estate valua¬ tions and taxes have recently mounted at a truly alarming rate. He suggested that all theatre owners should be alerted to this danger and should enadavor to unite with other local businessment to combat this increase in taxation. “Proof that the problem is a national one is given in a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal. While the problem is national in scope, its solution is entirely local and can be brought about only by exhibitors uniting with other businessment to combat this evil.” Lapid us To Join Loew's Landau-Unger Active Abroad NEW YORK — Further evidence of the mounting film making activities of The LandauUnger Company was forthcoming in an an¬ nouncement that executive vice-president Oliver A. Unger and executive producer Henry T. Weinstein had left for Europe for a series of discussions on upcoming produc¬ tions. In Madrid, Unger and Weinstein will go over plans for “Cervantes,” slated to go be¬ fore the cameras in February or March. Meet¬ ings also will be held in Spain with Alexan¬ der Ramati, who will direct “Beyond The Mountain.” Weinstein will supervise the pro¬ duction, which is set for for spring shooting. Unger and Weinstein also will look in on the production of “Marrakesh,” which already is underway in Morocco, with Tony Randall, Senta Berger, and Terry Thomas in lead roles. Sydney L. Gross, public relations specialist and film industry veteran, has joined The Landau-Unger Company as its director of public relations, it was announced by Paul N. Lazarus, executive officer and partner. COLUMBUS. O.— City Utilities Director Wilham H. Brooks urged City Council to be careful before it passes legislation allowing the operation of community antenna televi¬ sion systems in Columbus. Brooks made the plea in a letter to Charles R. Petree, chairman of the judiciary commit¬ tee of the council. He suggested changes in legislation before the lawmakers which would regulate CATV. Brooks recommended the legislation be changed to: 1. Provide a time limit for which a license to operate a CATV system be issued. 2. Make the operators pay for securing rights of way and administrative costs in addition to the license fee of three per cent of the gross. 3. Provide for permit cancellation in the event of failing to comply with the law. 4. Require maps of the pole line system. 5. Increase the idemnification required to operate. Brooks said it “appears this type of oneration would not be considered a public utility.” Proponents and opponents of the CATV ordinances were to report to the judiciary committee Oct. 4 with any suggested changes in the pending legislation. At the first public hearing, held Sept. 20, the committee heard initial arguments. Ken Prickett, executive secretary, Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners of Ohio, led the opponents. Others included George Schmidt, attorney for WRFD, and James Gorrell, at¬ torney for WTVN-TV and WTVN radio. Prickett pointed out that the theatre busi¬ ness in Ohio has sought no special use of streets, alleys, and other public facilities and is in good economic health. He pointed to the boom in theatre construction in Columbus and elsewhere. Schmidt said approval of any cable system would have a serious economic impact on the UHF station WRFD is planning for Columbus. Prickett, Schmidt, and Gorrell agreed that CATV is a first step toward pay tv. Multi-Channel Cable Co., Portsmouth, Ohio, and Capitol Cablevision, Inc., Colum¬ bus, are seeking Columbus CATV franchises. There are reports that the two companies might agree to splitting the city in half, with Multi-Channel getting cable rights in the eastern section and Capitol taking the west¬ ern. Richard Borel, general manager, WBNSTV, and an official of Capitol Cablevision, disputed the contention that CATV is an entering wedge for pay tv. He said it is “an added dimension in television.” Edward Glockner, president of Multi-Channel, sail that opponents have an economic reason for opposition. “They want to keep a competitor out,” he said. McManus Joins Embassy NEW YORK — Arthur McManus has been named manager of Embassy Pictures’ newlyformed St. Louis-Kansas City sales exchange, effective immediately, it was announced by D. J. Edele, vice-president and general sales manager. McManus will alternate weekly between the two cities. He resigned as St. Louis branch manager for 20th-Fox, a company with which he was affiliated for 30 years, to join Embassy. NEW YORK — With Loew’s embarked on a major expansion program involving the con¬ struction of 30 new theatres in the next few years, Bernard Meyerson, executive vice-pres¬ ident of Loew’s Theatres, Inc., announced that on Nov. 1, Larry Lapidus will join Lowe’s as his executive assistant. “The new post was created,” said Myerson, “to keep pace with the rapid expansion of our circuit.” Myerson empha¬ sized that Ben Joel will continue as chief film buyer. An industry veteran of 16 years, Lapidus was an executive of the General Cinema Corporation of Boston prior to joining Loew’s. LAPIDUS October 6, 1965 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 9