The Exhibitor (1966)

dent Theatre Owners of Ohio, returned from a 17-day vacation at Coral Garden Villas, Montego Bay, Jamaica. . . . Opening of the General Cinema hardtop Great Western Cine¬ ma marks the return of enclosed theatres to the Columbus West Side. The area has been without hardtops since the closing several years ago of the Academy-Neth Westmont. In the silent film era, there were several West Side neighborhoods, including the Avondale, Ritz, Rivoli, and Dixie. CINCINNATI The Salem Mall Cinema, Dayton, O., owned and operated by Mid-States Theatres, opened with “Fortune Cookie.” All Dayton business enterprises, including theatres, have been operating under a tremendous handicap during the past several weeks caused by a strike at both Dayton morning and evening news¬ papers. The local radio-tv stations have en¬ deavored to give spot news events and extra advertising but they do not replace newspaper coverage. To offset this handicap, Mid-States spread the news of its opening of the Salem Mall Cinema by handbills, letters, and extra radio-tv advertisements. To further spread the news and create interest, the general pub¬ lic was invited to inspect the new house. De¬ spite the strike, Mid-States went ahead with its opening plans, entertaining the press, radio¬ tv personalities, business executives, and city officials at a “construction” cocktail party at the theatre. Salem Mall Cinema will have its formal black-tie opening in mid-December. . . . The eighth annual kiddie show at Chakeres State, Springfield, O., under the sponsorship of the Catholic News Associates, was very successful. However, we wish to correct an error — the featured “Cinderella” film was not Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” as noted in an item appearing in the Nov. 16 issue of Exhibitor. . . . Cincinnati Theatres’ Princeton Cinema ob¬ served its first anniversary presenting “Alfie” as the featured attraction. There was a cake-cut¬ ting ceremony, free birthday cakes, and prizes for patrons. . . . Paramount’s red carpet pre¬ views of “Funeral in Berlin” and “El Do¬ rado” were well received by area exhibitors at the Guild. William A. Meier, branch man¬ ager, was host at the luncheon held at Vernon Manor. . . . Western Woods Cinema, now under construction, has scheduled Universal’s “Gambit” for a Dec. 23 opening. . . .Tri-State Theatre Services has moved to new quarters downtown in the Enquirer Building. . . . Michael S. O’Daniel is new amusement page reporter for Post and Times-Star, succeeding Dale Stevens. A. H. Duren, Warners district manager, attended a company division meet¬ ing in New York. . . . Dotty Herman is new office staffer at Universal. . . . Tri-State The¬ atre Services is booking and buying for Wil¬ liam Goldcamp, operator of Sunset Drive-In, Portsmouth, O. DALLAS Claude Giroux, president of Allied Artists, distributor for “Run for Your Wife,” was in the city for the U. S. premiere of the film at the Park Forest. Others in were Ed Cruea, general sales manager of Allied Artists; actress Cherie Latimer, who has a role in the film; and singer Frankie Randall, who sings “All” from the motion picture sound track. “Run for Your Wife” was filmed in this country two years ago with a number of Dallas locations used. . . . Movie star Walter Slezak appeared in the role of lecturer for Friday Forum at Cinema I NorthPark. His comments on “Show Business Is No Business” included many of his own experiences. . . . Bill Williams was re¬ Director George Sidney, left, was given a surprise birthday party by the cast and crew of Paramount's "Half A Sixpence" now shooting in England. Here he is congratulated by star Tommy Steele, center, and producer Charles H. Schneer. elected to his second term as chief barker of Tent 17 of Dallas Variety. Other officers elected were Walter Morgan, first assistant chief barker; Charles E. Darden, second as¬ sistant chief barker; Meyer Radofsky, dough guy; and Kyle Rorex, property master. Re¬ elected to the crew as canvasmen were Roy Adams, Bernard Brager, Don Grierson, Harry McCartney, and Alfred N. Sack. Bernie H. Palmer is a new member of the crew. . . . J. B. James, president of the moving picture ma¬ chine operators; H. T. Covington, business agent of Local 249; and D. A. Boyd, business agent, and E. A. Potts, secretary of Local 127 of the stage employees, will attend the banquet in New York City on Dec. 3, honoring Richard F. Walsh for his 25 years as IATSE president. . . . James Hendel, vice-president and general manager of Cinema V, was in the city working with A1 Wolf, local distributor. The southwest¬ ern premiere of the company’s latest picture, “The Endless Summer,” will be held at the Fine Arts here on Dec. 21. . . . L. F. McNally, manager of the Wilshire, is searching for vet¬ erans of the U. S. Army’s 4th Division to be his guests at the opening of “Is Paris Burn¬ ing?” McNally is especially seeking veterans of the 4th who were in Paris in August, 1944, and participated in the liberation. Present mem¬ bers of the division who are in Viet Nam and have returned are also invited to the premiere showing. Variety Club 17 will sponsor the premiere showing. . . . Michael Caine was a visitor on a promotional tour in behalf of “Funeral in Berlin,” which will open at the Palace on Dec. 23. . . . The local run of “Cinerama’s Russian Adventure” set a new world record for a Cinerama production, one that no one wants to beat. The one week local run is the shortest run anywhere of any Cine¬ rama production. . . . The theme song of “Bonnie and Clyde,” which is being shot in the local area by Warren Beatty for Warner Bros., is titled “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde.” . . . E. IT Rowley, one of the co¬ founders of the Rowley United Theatres Cir¬ cuit, who now lives in Beverly Hills, Calif., was here for the closing of the circuit’s Golden Jubilee Celebration. DENVER The Denver Rocky Mountain News is hold¬ ing its 17th annual Golden Wedding party, and Ralph Batschelet, genial manager of the Fox Centre Theatre here, is to be master of ceremonies of the event for the 17th time. The party, which is a special treat for the oldsters who have been married 50 years or longer, is held in the Silver Glade Room of the Cosmo¬ politan Hotel, and couples, 7,000 of them dur¬ ing the past 17 years, come from all over as guests of the newspaper. Besides cake, refresh¬ ments, candy, and flowers, the Golden Agers are offered prizes — for those married longest, the oldest couple, etc. The aggregate years of all the guests attending since 1949 total more than one million. . . . Harold McCormick, partner with his brother George in the owner¬ ship of the Skyline, Canon City, Colo., has re¬ gained his old seat in the Colorado House of Representatives. Harold, a Republican, was unseated in the 1964 Democratic landslide. II f )l :: I . . . Daylight Savings Time, with which Colo ■ rado has been experiencing on a trial basis the | past two years, will be continued indefinitely, < according to a referendum approved by the j voters in the last election. . . . The Aragon, 1 Magdalena, New Mexico, recently opened by the Latasa Brothers, will be operated on a j basis of one change a. week. ... J. C. West is j rebuilding the Lux, Grants, New Mexico, and !; plans to have it in operation by Christmas, j He also runs the West and Trails Drive-In in the same city. . . . Albert Petry, owner of the j Mesa, Pagosa Springs, Colo., was in an auto * mobile accident while in Denver recently and narrowly escaped serious injury. DETROIT Actor Rock Hudson was guest of honor at j the United Foundation luncheon when the i Chrysler Motor Co. gave their checks to the United Fund in the sum of $3,627,108. Hud¬ son’s appearance was arranged by the Young |] and Rubicam advertising agency. . . . Michael Zide, assistant national sales manager of Amer¬ ican International Pictures, was honored at an I' exhibitor luncheon here. Jack Zide is the local distributor for American International and arranged the luncheon with his other son Martin, who is the sales manager in Detroit. Over 50 exhibitors, film buyers, and repre¬ sentatives turned out for the occasion. . . . George Rossman, former office manager with Warner Bros, here, now holds the same posi¬ tion with United Artists Corp. . . . Jerry Gross, producer and distributor of “Girl On A Chain Gang,” was in Detroit to promote the mid¬ west premiere of his picture at the Fox. Max Gurman is handling the local promotions for the picture. HOUSTON Hollywood star Janet Blair will star in the musical play, “Peter Pan,” which will open a two week engagement on Dec. 17 at the Hous¬ ton Music Theatre. . . . Francis Barr, Inter¬ state Circuit executive, is off on a business trip to Chicago to view scenes from “Ulysses,” the Joseph Strick version of James Joyce’s novel. Interstate hasn’t booked the film for showing as yet. . . . Because of the wide interest in the motion picture “Alfie,” the management of the Cinema II at Meyerland Plaza added a special showing on Saturday with the late showing starting at 11:30 p.m. . . . “The Sound of Music” continues to hold the record here as the longest running film in the history of the city, establishing a run of 86 weeks at the Alabama, where it continues to play to capacity houses. “Dr. Zhivago” is now in its 34th week at the Windsor Cinerama for the second longest current run of a film. . . . Char¬ lotte Phelan, Houston Post, and Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle, attended a press reception recently at New York’s Warwick Hotel for film star Virna Lisa in conjunction with her latest film, “Not With My Wife, You Don’t,” which has opened at the three Cinema I’s, in Gulfgate Shopping City, Meyerland Plaza, and Northline Shopping City, and the Memorial. . . . Nicolai Gedda, Metropolitan Opera tenor, during his recent visit here, revealed that he 24 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR November 30, 1966