The Exhibitor (1966)

Left to right, John Martina, Jo-Mor Enterprises, Inc.; Sidney Cohen, Movie Month cnairman tor the New York State district outside New York City and president of Allied Theatres of New York State, Inc.; and Frank Bassett, Rochester, N.Y., city manager for Panther Theatres (formerly Schine), confer in Rochester on the extensive campaign they developed for National Movie Month. It was featured by extensive radio and tv cooperation. BUFFALO Carl E. Schaner, manager director, Century, downtown Buffalo, deserves a showmanship Oscar for the way he introduced “Texas Across the River,” the Universal production, to Buffalo. The campaign for the opening started with a spectacular parade on the main stem, featuring a herd of cattle, cowboys and girls, open cars loaded with city officials, tv and radio and newspaper celebrities. On the side¬ walk in front of the theatre were about 30 square dancers and a snappy announcer calling the action. Inside the lobby were Indians and native dances. There were tie-ups with local companies that put in displays resembling an old western barroom, a saddle and harness display, bar-room gals singing atop a piano, a distribution of steerburgers, and entrants galore in a costume contest put on by a local radio station. There were interviews of local celebri¬ ties by local radio personalities. Salah M. Hessanein, president of Skouras Theatres and vicepresident of the Ehmed Artists circuit, came to Buffalo from New York to see the excitement, and so did Joe Rosen, eastern sales manager for Universal Pictures. Both heaped praises on Schaner, as did Ike Erhlichman, Buffalo branch for Universal. Radio and tv stations covered the premiere activities, and so did the news¬ papers. It was a very successful promotion, and the picture now is hanging up records at the Century boxoffice. . . . Lew Lieser, representa¬ tive for Embassy Pictures in the Buffalo ex¬ change area, put on an intitational screening of “Where the Bullets Fly.” Lieser is greatly satisfied with the showing of “Romeo and Juliet” in the Regent, Rochester. . . . Sidney J. Cohen, president, Allied Theatres of N. Y. State, Inc., has been named by Sherrill C. Corwin, NATO head representative of NATO ot serve on the COMPO executive committee. Cohen will attend the next meeting of the NATO board of directors to be held the week starting Jan. 8, 1967, at the Hotel Americana in San Juan, Puerto Rico. . . . Film Row friends of B. J. Dargush, former managing director of the Center, downtown Buffalo, hear that Ben now is managing the Essex Green Cinema, West Orange, N. J. The theatre is located on the property of the Essex Green Shopping Plaza in the town. . . . William Dipson, president, Dipson Theatres, with head¬ quarters in Batavia, confirms the fact that his company has expercised its option to purchase the Colvin and the Apollo from the Basil estate. The day after the Apollo was pur¬ chased, there was a fire in the theatre. It has been closed since, but is now being refurbished. The Colvin is a first-run de luxe community operation. Emil Noah is now the managing director, and Paramount’s “Alfie” is the attrac¬ tion there. . . . Dan Holiban, manager of the Buffalo branch, presided at the local celebra¬ tion of Paramount Pictures Day on Nov. 15. Exhibitors througout the exchange area were invited to “Red Carpet” preview screening of “Funeral inBerlin,, and “El Dorado.,, Para¬ mount office manager Tony Mercurio aided in preparations for the celebration. Charles V. Martina, president of Martina Theatres, an¬ nounced that the main offices, which have been in Albion, N. Y., will be moved on Nov. 26, to the Paramount Theatre Building, Rochester. Martina houses in Kodak Town are the Rialto, Waring, Lyell, Regent, Paramount, and Starlite. . . . Jerry Westergren, Buffalo district ad¬ vertising-publicity director for the Dipson the¬ atres in the area as well as managing director of the Amherst, is already starting to work on Paramount’s “Is Paris Burning?,” which will open Jan. 18, at the Colvinn in Kenmore. . . . The Variety Club of Buffalo held a Monte Carlo-Las Vegas Night Party in the Tent 7 clubrooms. Dick Aaron was chairman. . . . CHARLOTTE Lonnie DeWitt Floyd, 59, projectionist for the Fine Arts at Asheville, N. C., died. A native of Mississippi, he had been in Asheville for the past 10 years and was a member of Local 278 of IATSE. Surviving are his wife, two daugh¬ ters, a son, three sisters, and three grandchil¬ dren. . . . The concession stand of the Starlite Drive-In, Durham, N. C., was broken into, and $40 in change stolen from cigarette machines. CINCINNATI A two-day heavy snow storm closed drive-ins and a number of roofed houses, causing atten¬ dance to drop in theatres throughout the TriState area. The weather finished off its freak performance with a dense fog during the week¬ end bringing traffic to a halt. Exhibitors were consoled by realizing all other merchants were in the same situation. . . . Mid-States Theatres’ new Salem Mall Cinema, Dayton, O., will open during Thanksgiving week. . . . Because of bad weather conditions and the shortage of skilled labor, the openings of Western Woods Cinema and the Kenwood Mall Cinema, now under construction, will be delayed. . . . Ed Parker, operator of the North Star, Dayton, O., is recuperating from injuries received in a traffic accident caused by dense fog. ... A. W. Kenschler is new operator of the Royal The¬ atre, Carrollton, Ky. . . . Joe Alexander, Albee manager, has scheduled five morning matinees especially for Golden Age Club members. . . . Murray Baker, Continental division, reports “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” is drawing very well throughout the area. . . . Milton Gurian, AI branch manager has set a multiple for 10 local house for “Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs,” opening Thanksgiving Day. . . . “Cast a Giant Shadow” opens at the Valley Nov. 23 following a 34-week run of “Doctor Zhivago.” DALLAS Sack Amusement Enterprises has acquired world wide distribution of the new Stephen Apostolot adult exploitation picture, “Suburbia Confidential.” Sack is distributing Apostolof’s earlier production, “Orgy of the Dead,” in several of the domestic markets. . . . M. K. Mc¬ Daniel, president, Texas D-I Theatre Owners Association, called an important board meeting on Nov. 9 at the Statler Llilon Hotel here. . . . Maryon Hudgins, who recently took over as managing director of Interstate Circuit’s Palace and Majestic, has named Bill Bleakney house manager of the Palace and Bill Beck assistant manager of the Majestic. . . . Frank J. Baskin and John Gilliant of San Antonio have taken over the operation of three theatres from Stan¬ ley Warner Theatres of Texas with head¬ quarters here. The theatres include the Border, Mission, Tex.; Pioneer, Falfurrias, and Texas, Raymondville. Baskin and Gilliant also own the Meadowbrook D-I at Fort Worth, Tex. L. M. Weldon, who has been operating the Meadowbrook, will buy and book for all four theatres. . . . The world premiere in America of “Run for Your Wife,” which was partially filmed in Dallas, was held at the Park Forest. Stars of the film include Ugo Tognazzi, Rhonda Fleming, Juliet Prowse, and Marina Vlady. The film was partially shot at the Gordon McLendon ranch which was the reason for the selection of the Park Forest, which is operated by McLendon and his father, B. R. McLendon. . . . R. B. Allport, manager of the Granada, 68, died here. He had been manager of the theatre for the past 20 years, He is survived by his wife. . . . C. B. Landrum, man¬ ager, Irving, Irving, Tex., announced the re¬ opening of the theatre to mark the completion of a remodeling project. During the 10 days, the entire building was repainted, woodwork revarnished, floors bleached, and tile replaced in the lobby. Restroom curtains were replaced and new plumbing fixtures installed. The nearly 900 theatre chairs on the main floor and in the balcony were repainted, reuphostered, and made secure to the floor. New aluminum doors were installed near the boxoffice. Later, Landrum plans to lay new carpets and install new lighting. . . . Tomothy Blake has been transferred to the booking department at the Universal exchange. He started out in the shiDoing department. . . . “Grand Prix,” newest Cinerama film, has been dated to open Jan. 25 here at the Capri, local Cinerama film house. E. L. Walden, Crest, Seagoville, Tex., is con¬ fined to his home, where he has been quite ill. DENVER The Black Hills Amusement Co. will oper¬ ate the State hardtop and the Soui Drive-In, November 23, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15