The Exhibitor (1965)

ALBANY The big electrical blackout smothered business at most of the theatres striving to operate; brought passes for a future show to those “in” at the time the lights went out with only a few persons demanding refunds. Several area houses did not open their doors. Most drive-ins still running on week¬ end schedules, thus escaped the lights-erasing. . . . The outstanding success registered by Childhood Productions’ “Hansel and Gretel” and “The Bremen Town Musicians” has led the management of area houses to expect a solid response to their next release, “Sleeping Beauty.” The pair of films drew and pleased children, many of them accom¬ panied by parents, and concession trade zoomed. The films played matiness only on a recent week-end at Fabian’s State, Schenec¬ tady; Proctor’s, Troy; Fabian’s Cohoes, Cohoes; and Kallet, Schine and other theatres in the district. ... A zone meeting of Schine managers was held in Glens Falls. . . . The Rialto and Paramount, of the Paramount chain, donated six months’ tickets as two prizes for the annual Pumpkin Ball of Con¬ gregation Beth El, Glens Falls. . . . Andrew Antoinette, president, Projectionists’ Local 324, IATSE, returned to the Palace booth after an illness. BUFFALO There was an area Schine Theatres meeting in Rochester at which the managers from a number of Schine theatres in western New York assembled to discuss future product and sales. The all-day pow-wow was held in the Monroe. Among those attending were Joseph Garvey, manager, Granada, Buffalo; Harry Unterfort, Harry Goldsmith, Bill Cramer, Pat Long, Frank Bassett, Lynn Smeal, Toby Ross, James Macris, Bill Copley, and several others. The men also discussed plans for the promotion of “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” which will open in a number of Schine cities during the Yuletide season. It comes to the Granada, Buffalo, on Dec. 23, and Garvey al¬ ready has lined up a number of sponsored nights as well as a big promotion campaign. Garvey has completed arrangements with Monsignor Hammerl, superintendent of paro¬ chial schools, to present a series of special student performances at 10 a.m. on certain days in February. The Catholic Film News¬ letter has given the filmplay a big boost, especially its educational value. . . . “With the television industry increasingly failing to live up to its responsibilities in original quali¬ ty programming, feature motion pictures are assuming a larger role than ever on tv,” said Jack Allen, radio and tv editor of the CourierExpress, and continued, “There will be more movies shown this season than ever before, and on each night they are scheduled they outdraw their opposition program.” . . . Dan R. Houlihan, manager, Buffalo Paramount ex¬ change journeyed to New York to attend the national sales meeting when the company’s product for 1966 was discussed. Tony Mer¬ curic, office manager at Paramount, is back at his desk after a brief vacation. . . .Harry Alt¬ man, Buffalo’s “Mr. Showbiz,” was to be host again this year to about 400 blind persons in the Glen Park Casino on Nov. 23, acting in cooperation with the Buffalo Lions Host Club. Harry has been host for this event for the past 17 years. Harry is picking up the tab for the 400 Thanksgiving dinners from soup to nuts. . . . The Variety Club of Buffalo has elected 11 new directors from among 23 nom¬ inations. The new directors are Alfred E. Anscombe, Broadcast Properties, Inc.; Marvin Atlas, Broadway Drive-In; Peter G. Becker, Dipson Theatres, Batavia; Harold Bennett, WADV-FM; Harry L. Berkson, B & D Enter¬ prises; Melvyn Berman, Tri-State Refresh¬ ments; Myron Gross, Co-Operative Theatres; Robert King, WKBW-TV; Francis Maxwell, United Artists Distributing Corporation; G. Patrick Mendola, Delavan Drive-In; and Al¬ bert J. Petrella, councilman-at-large. . . . My¬ ron Gross, manager, Buffalo office of Co Op¬ erative Theatres, and Marvin Atlas, Broad¬ way Drive-In, will be among those industryites from the Buffalo area attending the annual Pioneers dinner Nov. 21 in the Americana Hotel, New York. Both men are veterans in the industry in Buffalo. Minna G. Zackem, Pan-World Film Exchange, is happy to report the arrival of a third daughter at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Bernard Schiffman. The baby’s name is Amy Beth. Jack Chinell, man¬ ager, Buffalo exchange of Buena Vista, is working hard on promotion plans with the managers of the Cinema and Amherst on “That Dam Cat,” which is booked in those houses at Christmas time. CHARLOTTE Four members of the cast of “Red Line 7000,” Norman Alden, Laura Devon, Marianna Hill, and James Wall, attended the premiere of the film at the Plaza, Charlotte. They were in the theatre lobby to sign autographs, and later visited Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Dur¬ ham, Greenville, N. C., and Columbia and other towns to promote the film, which in¬ cludes sequences taken at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and at the race track at Darlington, S. C. . . . In front of the Plaza for the pre¬ miere was racing driver Paul Norris with his racing car. . . . E. Carrington Smith, manager, Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C., who has directed the March of Dimes campaign in Orange County, N. C., since its beginning 28 years ago, again has been named to head the 1966 drive. DALLAS The new Park Forest, luxury theatre, has been opened with ceremonies featuring the KLIF bandwagon broadcast from in front of the theatre with Ken Dow, Granny, Toppo the Clown, free gifts, and disc jockeys from the station from 4 to 7 p.m. New admission price is 50 cents for kiddies and $1 for adults. . . . Claudine Auger, who appears as James Bond’s leading lady in “Thunderball,” was to be in Dallas on Monday, Nov. 22, on a promotional tour in behalf of the fourth Ian Fleming British Agent 007 film. The film is scheduled to open on Dec. 23 at the Majestic. . . . The Dallas Alumnae chapter of Sigma Delta Tau sorority, for the benefit of the Wadley Blood Center, will sponsor the Dallas premiere of “The Agony and the Ecstasy” at the Tower on Jan 27. James O. Cherry, city manager here for Interstate Theatres, purchased the first ticket. Forrest Thompson, manager of the Tower, said that the film would be shown on a road show basis with reserved seats and 10 showings each week. . . . For the third consecutive year Interstate Theatres Circuit is conducting a contest among the football fans of Southern Methodist University to find the favorite player. Fans are asked to write their favorite player’s jersey number on the back of their ticket stubs and deposit them at any local Interstate theatre. At the end of the football season, the votes are tabulated and a trophy awarded to the most popular football player. . . . The Dallas made film, “The Black Cat,” based on the Edgar Allen Poe mystery, which has been updated was to be shown at the Festival before a special invitational audi¬ ence at midnight on Friday. . . . Television station WFAA-TV is sponsoring a Doris Day “Look Alike Contest.” A winner from Dallas will be chosen in the national contest. One of the prizes will be a trip to Hollywood for the “Do Not Disturb” premiere. The film will be shown at Cinema I and II as the Christmas attraction. . . . Pianist Peter Nero who is making a personal appearance here has signed to do the musical score and appear in “Bare¬ foot in the Park” and “The Odd Couple” when the films are made. . . . Stuart Whitman is being featured in two local films, “The Sands of Kalahari” and “Signpost to Murder.” Whit¬ man appeared here on a promotional tour in behalf of “Sands of Kalahari.” . . . The film version of the late Boris Pasternak’s famous novel, “Dr. Zhivago,” will open a roadshow engagement at the Inwood on March 31. DETROIT Variety Club of Detroit, Tent 5, officials elected by the general membership for 1966 have in turn elected the crew. They will be chief barker, Irving Belinsky; first assistant chief barker, Jerome B. Levy; second assistant chief barker, Louis J. Mitchell; dough guy, William E. Wood; and property master, Ed¬ ward Susse. Canvasmen are to be William E. Brown, Zan Gilbert, Milton H. London, Martin Shafer, Alden W. Smith, and Fred P. Sweet. Retiring chief barker Jack Zide be¬ comes international canvasman. . . . The De¬ troit News reports that during the recent blackout a New York movie distributor ma¬ rooned in an office high over the darkened city and unable to find out what was going on, call¬ ed the News long distance. He was told. Then he added sadly that the machines dispensing coffee and sandwiches weren’t working. Two hours later, states the News, he called again with a rollicking background to say “thank you.” All was well. They had found candles and two bottles of scotch. . . . Clark Theatre Service, film buyers and bookers, has moved into larger quarters. The new office address is 1005 Fox Building. HOUSTON Gaston Santos, Mexican motion picture star, is currently a visitor here with his par¬ ents, Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalo Santos. Mrs. San¬ tos is hospitalized in the Saint Joseph hospital for treatment of a complicated broken leg. . . . Associated Popcorn Distributors of Dallas have opened a new warehouse here. The new building provides about 35,000 square feet of working space and storage. There is a com¬ plete section for roasting peanuts and for the company’s Minomac department, which is stocked with prepackaged popcorn which con¬ tains the correct amount of popcorn, popping oil, and salt in each package, ready for use. A1 Lawson is manager of the local warehouse. Here for the opening was Lee Parish, vicepresident from Dallas. . . . The Houston Post is conducting a Doris-For-a-Day Look Alike Contest in conjunction with 20th Century -Fox and Cinema I and II. Top prizes in the local contest is an all expense paid five day jet trip to Hollywood to attend the premiere of Doris Day’s new film, “Do Not Disturb”; a stay at the Continental Hotel; a part in the world premiere activities; plus an opportunity to compete in the international elimination for the grand prizes, which include an ap¬ pearance in a forthcoming Doris Day film and a wardrobe by Bardley Country Clothes. The winner of the Houston contest will receive a three piece woolen travel ensemble, a hair wig, a two diamond wrist watch, luggage, November 24, 1965 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15