The Exhibitor (1966)

Tex. Womens Clubs Talk Movies, Honor "Miguer Producer Radnitz T-L Harrisburg Theatre Bows Aug. With "Zhivago" HARRISBURG, PA. — The newly con¬ structed Trans-Lux Theatre at the Colonial Park Plaza Shopping Center in Harrisburg has been scheduled to open on or about Aug. 10 with MGM’s “Doctor Zhivago,” it was an¬ nounced by Thomas Rodgers, vice-president of Trans-Lux Corporation. The opening will be a gala affaii', Rodgers said, and the event will likely be extended over several days of planned activities. Arrangements are being made by the executive to bring one or more of “Zhivago’s” stars to Harrisburg to promote the film, win¬ ner of five Academy Awards. The 1,000-seat theatre will be most modern in central Pennsylvania, according to Rodgers, and will be equipped for every screen ratio, including Cinerama. The 45-acre shopping center can park 6,000 automobiles and is lo¬ cated at the juncture of several main traffic arteries. Rodgers said that “old fashioned” ballyhoo will be a mainstay of the new theatre’s opera¬ tion, beginning with Colonial dress (wigs in¬ cluded) for ushers and front personnel. “We’ve even planned a ‘Garden of Posterity’ where we will permanently enshrine memen¬ tos, memorabilia, footprints, etc., to commem¬ orate local events of importance and honor local citizens,” Rodgers said. “Shopping cen¬ ters today are more like community centers, and we intend to take the lead in Harrisburg by making our theatre the ‘heart’ of that cen¬ ter,” he concluded. TV For Country House HOLLYWOOD — Directors Guild of Amer¬ ica is donating television sets for each of the 16 new cottages now being built for the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital, David Butler, chairman of the DGA Educational and Benevolent Foundation, and George L. Bagnail, Motion Picture Relief Fund president, announced. MPRF maintains the Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. Tv receivers will be installed in the cottages immediately after the new structures are finished, with completion now scheduled for the second week in June, shortly before MPRF’s annual meeting on June 26. New Names For Polon Fete NEW YORK — Ernest Sands, assistant gen¬ eral sales manager. Paramount Pictures, and Morton Sunshine, executive director. Indepen¬ dent Theatre Owners Association, have been named executive coordinators of the motion picture industry luncheon honoring Matthew Polon, president and general manager of RKO Theatres. The luncheon will be held May 25 at New York’s Americana Hotel. Charles Boasberg, D. J. “Bud” Edele, and Morey “Razz” Gold¬ stein are co-chairmen of the event, which will be attended by members of all divisions of the motion picture industry. Tech. Promotes Buckley HOLLYWOOD — R. G. Buckley, day plant superintendent of Technicolor Corporation’s color motion picture manufacturing plant in Hollywood, has been pi'omoted to assistant plant manager, it was announced by A. P. Lofquist, Jr., vice-president and general man¬ ager of the motion picture and television divi¬ sion. Mary Hughes, featured in American International's "beach" productions, recently sent a life-sized pinup to servicemen when she was unable to accept an invitation from the crew of the U.S.S. Seminole to visit Viet Nam with a U.S.O. troupe. Friedman To Top Post In Para. Ad-PR Dept. NEW YORK — Joseph Friedman has been elected a vice-president of Paramount Film Distributing Corporation, and has also been named director of advertising and public rela¬ tions for Paramount Pictures Corporation, it was announced by George Weltner, president of Paramount Pictures Corporation. “Mr. Friedman’s promotion recognizes his important contributions to Paramount’s mar¬ keting and merchandising activities in recent years,” Weltner said. “We are especially pleased that this is a major advancement from within the company, highlighting our continu¬ ing effort to take maximum advantage of the wealth of young executive strength in all divi¬ sions of our organization.” In his new position, Friedman succeeds Martin Davis, who was recently elected a vicepresident of Paramount Pictures Corporation and executive assistant to Weltner. Friedman was executive assistant to Davis prior to the latter’s promotion. He joined the company in 1958 as exploitation manager. Prior to joining Paramount, he was associated with Warner Brothers Pictures for 12 years. Schine Disposes Of ^^Marginal'" GLOVERSVILLE, N. Y.— J. Myer Schine has disposed of his interests in the Ashland Theatre, Ashland, Ohio, to Harold Nusbaum, Mansfield, Ohio. Disposal of the property is part of the plan which the Schine interests have put into effect concerning marginal theatre properties. Plans call for a tightening of operations to include only profitable operations. At the conclusion of this disposal of marginal properties, the Schine Company will embark upon an expansion plan. ‘‘Lady” Of Spain HOLLYWOOD — The Spanish Film Critics Association Medal, equivalent to Hollywood’s “Oscar,” has been awarded to Jack L. War¬ ner for his production of “My Fair Lady,” voted the best foreign picture of the year by the Spanish press. LUBBOCK, TEX. — Marian Ross, commu¬ nity relations department associate of the Mo¬ tion Picture Association of America, was the luncheon speaker at the annual convention of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs here. Miss Ross discussed the many interesting and stimulating movie projects that the clubs of the Federation have had throughout the United States the past year. In pointing out the variety of club programs available through the specially prepared “Movies and You” ma¬ terials, she commented that in the past year, reasons for having club programs on the movies ranged from parents’ interest in films for their children, to learning how to select motion picture entertainment, and working with exhibitors to get the best films in their communities. Universal Pictures’ “And Now Miguel,” was screened for the entire convention and the producer, Robert B. Radnitz, was the banquet speaker. Radnitz has the rare distinction of having been the recipient of two Venice Film Festival awards. These were for his productions, “A Dog of Flanders” and “Island of the Blue Dolphins.” Believing that motion pictures are most effective when predominantly visual and not overtalkative, Radnitz said: “A child will look at anything you present to him on the screen. Therefore, it behooves us to present him with exciting visual fare — fare that will stimulate his imagination creatively.” Radnitz was again honored when Mrs. J. L. Ginnings, president, presented him with a certificate of appreciation which read: “The Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs presents this certificate of appreciation to Robert Rad¬ nitz for the many hours of enchanting screen entertainment he has provided club members and their families, and for the excellence of his most recent production, ‘And Now Miguel.’ ” Brandt Tribute Planned NEW YORK — Mrs. Anna Roosevelt Halsted. Senator Jacob K. Javits, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and New York’s Mayor John V. Lindsay are serving as honorary chairmen of the Wiltwyck School for Boys dinner tribute to Harry Brandt, president of Brandt Theatres, it was announced by Joseph E. Levine, dinner chairman. Brandt will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for his leadership and guidance to the the growth of Wiltwyck School on June 12 at the Hotel Plaza in New York. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg, United States Representative to the United Nations, will be the principal speaker at the dinner. 7Arts Post To Levy NEW YORK — William Levy has been named foreign sales manager for Seven Arts Productions International, it has been an¬ nounced by Norman Katz, Seven Arts’ execu¬ tive vice-president in charge of foreign opera¬ tions. Levy, who formerly functioned as ex¬ ecutive assistant for sales, will report directly to Katz and will headquarter in London. May 18, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 11