The Exhibitor (1966)

Perakos Theatre Associates circuit, which has already spent upwards of $500,000 on Con¬ necticut theatre remodeling and refurbishing, will spend a like amount on other Connecticut situations in the immediate months ahead. Sperie P. Perakos, vice-president and general manager of the independent firm, said the latest move is reflective of upbeat company thinking and belief in a pronouncedly promis¬ ing future of motion picture exhibition. NEW ORLEANS The ladies of the New Orleans Better Film Club plan to entertain the folks of the Protes¬ tant Bethany Home at a pre-Thanksgiving Day party, to be held at the Home, according to May R. Oppenheimer, publicity chairman. The lady residents of St. Anne’s Home, another senior citizen group, were similarly entertained by the WOMPI. Mrs. Marie C. Berglund, WOMPI’s publicity chairman, also announces that the club's Humanitarian Service, which is presently devoting its efforts to a group of mentally retarded and slow learning girls, has been gaining momentum in its project to teach the girls, students of the Dr. Holman Voca¬ tional Rehabilitation Center, deportment and social intercourse. The club is also helping the Tuberculosis Association of Louisiana to pre¬ pare for the mailing of Christmas seals. . . . WOMPI’s international 1967 convention, Mrs. Berglund reports, will be held September of that year at the Jung Hotel, here in New Orleans. . . . The Joy Drive-In Theatre, Shreveport, La., a member of the Gulf States Theatre chain, will be closed for the remainder of the year, it is believed, for repairs necessi¬ tated by violent wind damage. Meanwhile, the Sunset Drive-In, another theatre in that area which has been closed, will begin operat¬ ing. . . . Percy Duplissey’s El-Rancho Drive-In Theatre, it is reported, will be closed until spring. C. C. Duke’s Owl Drive-In, Columbia, La., will close Nov. 27 and reopen on or about Easter. . . . Mr. and Mrs. T. G. Solomon re¬ turned from their tour of the Mediterranean bearing gifts for Gulf States’ employees. Wal¬ lets were given to the men and assorted jewelry to the women. . . . Gulf States Theatres re¬ cently bought an airplane; Bobby Sartin is its pilot. It has thus far flown the chain’s top executives to various meetings, a theatre open¬ ing, and a convention. . . . News concerning the MGM film distributing office’s womenfolk: Pat Hebert has taken leave of absence because of a “blessed event” which is to take place near the end of this month. Booking clerk Anna Claire Leggett flew to Monroe for a visit with her son, a student at Northeast Louisiana State College. . . . Film distributor and public relations man Joe Seiferth is nego¬ tiating with producer-director I. S. Yeaworth for district distribution of the movie, “Way Out,” a film concerning drug addiction, in this territory. PHILADELPHIA Fox Theatres, headed by Mel Fox, currently has under construction the Fox Theatre, Coun¬ try Club Shopping Center, Langhome, Pa. It is expected that the new theatre will open for Easter. The 1500-seat house will cost approxi¬ mately $600,000. It will be equipped to handle all projection techniques. . . . Charles H. Klieman, senior medical student at Jefferson Medi¬ cal College and son of Philadelphia exhibitor Paul Klieman, became engaged to Diane Miller of St. Davids, Pa. A May wedding is planned. . . . Paramount Day attracted a large exhibitor audience to the Boyd Theatre for screenings of “Funeral In Berlin” and “El Dorado” sandwiched around lunch. Para¬ mount’s Hugh Owen was in for the affair. Also screened were effective trailers for upcoming Paramount shows. . . . MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR thanks the many friends of fea¬ ture editor George Nonamaker who have phoned and written their expressions of sym¬ pathy and loss at his sudden death. No one knew more about the industry in this territory or devoted more of himself to its best interests. SAN ANTONIO George M. Watson, city manager for Inter¬ state Theatres, Inc., has set Nov. 23 as the date for the formal opening of the circuit’s fourth theatre in the city, the new Wonder in Wonderland Shopping City, designed to seat 1,000. The screen is a full 50 feet wide, and the projection equipment will accommodate any film up to 70 mm. A canopy is constructed around the entire front and sides of the the¬ atre to provide weather-proof sidewalks be¬ neath. There is both an inside and outside boxoffice and a large refreshment area in the lobby. ... Joe Rodnez, San Pedro Twin D-I, was in apparent good shape after absorbing 13,000 volts of electrical current. He was in¬ jured at the d-i as a light tower was being winched into place by a truck. The light tower twisted into an electrical line, and the youth accidently touched the truck. Rodnez said he shoved himself away from the truck as the current struck, which evidently saved his life. . . . While Andy Prine and Glenn Corbett were visiting here with Big John Hamilton, Corbett did a little movie promotion on a local radio station, offering a free steak dinner to the first 10 persons who came up with the correct answers to a question. When the 10 winners showed up at the Steakhouse for their prizes, Corbett paid the bill out of his own pocket. ... For the first time in many weeks, eight new films have opened at local theatres, both downtown and suburban, and all are first run features. They include “Return of the Seven” at the Aztec; a double bill of “One Way Wahine” and “Secret Agent Super Dragon” at the Texas; Walt Disney’s latest, “The Fighting Prince of Donegal,” at the Josephine; “The Poppy Is Also a Flower” at the Woodlawn; at the Olmos, “Hotel Paradiso” opened; and at Cinema I it was “The Liquidator.” . . . E. J. Olivarri, Jr., owner of Texas Theatre Supply and Equipo Sales, can easily be identified coming down the street with his Texas personalized license plates bear¬ ing the legend “Equipo.” ... In conjunction with the showing of Walt Disney’s “The Fight¬ ing Prince of Donegal” at the Josephine, H.E.B. Food Stores is conducting a contest for youngsters under 12 years of age. A prize of $50 in cash is being offered for the winner of the coloring contest. Blanks are obtainable at the chain of food stores free of charge, and in addition, the entry blank serves as a 50 per cent reduction in the price of admission. SEATTLE “The Sound of Music” passed the $1 mil¬ lion mark in its Seattle run, an all time record for a motion picture in Seattle. “Sound of Music” opened on March 31, 1965, and is cur¬ rently in its 86th week at the 2,367 seat Fifth Avenue Theatre. No replacement is antici¬ pated before the spring of 1967. . . . Peter Tollins has been added to the staff of Para¬ mount as a new booker. . . . Canadian films were shown as part of the motion picture pro¬ gram at the Pacific Science Center. Color films included “Canoeing the Big Country,” “Marine Holiday,” and “Saskatchewan Jubi¬ lee.” The “Stars of the Universe” slide show continues to attract patronage in the Boeing Spacearium. Rocky Mountain Industry Plans May Convention DENVER — The Broadmoor Resort Hotel in Colorado Springs will be the site for the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Motion Picture Association, according to Association president Robert W. Tankersley. May 2, 3 and 4 are the dates picked for the gathering, which will have as its theme “For¬ ward Look — ’67.” RMMPA members will get an advance look at some of the major motion pictures coming for the year, with notables from the film world in attendance. New furnishings, equipment, and products for theatres will be displayed, and new ideas for successful management will be explored. The Broadmoor’s recreation facilities and the attractions of the Colorado Springs area will fill any free time. Tentatively scheduled, Tankersley said, is a tour through NORAD, nerve center of continental defense. Guiding the preliminary planning are the officers of RMMPA. They are Tankersley, Western Service and Supply; vice-president Jack McGee, Fox Intermountain Theatres; L. J. Albertini, Wolberg Theatres, secretary; and Chick Lloyd, American International Pictures, treasurer. Tankersley also announced that Fred Knill, Denver, was named general campaign chair¬ man for the ’67 conclave. MCA Net Income Dips UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF.— Lew R. Wasserman, president of MCA, Inc., an¬ nounced the company’s nine month earnings. The unaudited consolidated net income for the nine months ending Sept. 30 was $10,368,000, and after preferred dividends, amounted to $2.10 per share on the 4,703,001 average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. For the corresponding nine-month period of 1965, consolidated net income was $11,593,000, and after preferred dividends, was equal to $2.36 per share on the 4,687,107 average num¬ ber of shares of common stock then outstand¬ ing. Peterson Heads SW Subsidiary NEW YORK— The Stanley Warner Cor¬ poration has elected Alph B. Peterson as presi¬ dent and chief executive officer of a newlyestablished subsidiary, International Playtex Corporation. Peterson joined Stanley Warner in 1954. Before that, he was vice-president¬ marketing of Lever Brothers Company. The new corporation will handle Stanley Warner’s world-wide consumer products busi¬ ness which totalled $130,000,000 last year. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of girdles and bras, and also markets a line of drug sun¬ dry products. ISLAND IN THE SUN We are seeking an experienced manager to operate our theatre in the Caribbean. The ideal individual is married, has no de¬ pendent children, and is a non-drinker. This person is mature, stable, and has the ability to deal diplomatically with employees and patrons of mixed nationalities. Position of¬ fers good starting salary, and working con¬ ditions. If qualified, forward resume and salary requirements to BOX 303, c/o M. P. EXHIBITOR, 317 N. Brood St., Philo., Pa. 19107. November 23, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17