The Exhibitor (1966)

lives with his prompt action in resuscitating victims of a recent gas escape, is putting out a plea for members in the industry living in the area of Wynnefield, Overbrook, and Balwynne Park to join the association and give a few hours of their time as driver-first aiders. . . . i Norman Weitman, Nick Schermerhorn, and John Balmer, of the Walter Reade Organiza¬ tion, were in town to ogle several situations for the James Joyce “Ulysses” engagement. . . . Sam and Mert Shapiro are getting ready for their latest showplace, the Eric in Wynnewood, and an early March opening. It will be located in the Wynmore Shopping Center on the main line in Wynnewood and will be a plush 900 seat art-type house with an adjacent parking area for 1,000 cars. The theatre is the seventh to be built and operated by Sameric Theatres in the last three years. Their opening gun will be “Marat/Sade,” and the Shapiro ! clan will go along with United Artists’ inten¬ tion of advertising the film in its multi-worded title, “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direc¬ tion of the Marquis De Sade.” The marquee letter sign-changer has plenty of headaches now. . . . Benny Harris, one of the pioneers of Vine Street film rowers, has added antiques and furniture pieces to his American Film exchange and is becoming an antique maven. Incidentally, he is one of the few remaining exchange owners on Vine Street as many of his cronies have moved out of the area, mostly to David E. Milgram’s Fox Building in down¬ town Market street. ... We hope David E. Milgram brings back some of the Florida, sun¬ shine when he returns from vacation at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach. Phila. MPA Honors Hicks PHILADELPHIA — At a special executive board meeting of the Motion Picture Asso; dates of Philadelphia, Don R. Hicks, Para¬ mount, was honored “for his untiring efforts and devotion on behalf of the organization.” During Hicks’ tenure as president of M.P.A. for two successive years, the only time in the Association’s 26 year history that an individual hsa served more than one term, the organiza¬ tion attained “new heights” and “greatly added to its prestige and stature.” In appreciation for Hicks’ distinctive service, Milton Young, Columbia, current president of M.P.A. , made the special award. The Motion Picture Associates is the charity arm of the distribution end of the motion pic¬ ture industry in Philadelphia. SALT LAKE CITY Several areas around Salt Lake City have been chosen for a $4 million motion picture to be made early this spring. It is entitled “The Devil’s Brigade” and will star William Holden. It is reported that about 200 performers, tech¬ nicians, publicists, and others will be brought from Hollywood to Utah, and 400 to 500 extras will be hired locally. Scenes from other films, such as “Army Brat” and “Wake Island,” have been shot in this area, but nearly all of “Devil's Brigade ’ will be shot within an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City. . . . Two roadshow films that have enjoyed long runs in local theatres wound up their engagements. They are “The Blue Max,” which ran for nearly six months at the Studio Theatre, and “Is Paris Burning?” at the Villa Cinerama. “Funeral in Berlin” is supplanting the former, while “Grand Prix” is replacing the latter. SAN ANTONIO Gene Raymond, star of the silver screen and husband of the late Jeanette MacDonald, will Richard Walsh, IATSE president, and Frank J. Hauss (right), business representative of Local 418, Cam¬ den, N.J., both marking 25 years in these posts, exchange anniversary congratulations at a recent dinner in Walsh's honor. be master of ceremonies for the Kelly Man¬ agement Club’s 50th Anniversary Coronation Ball on Feb. 24 at Villita Assembly Hall. This will be a return trip for Raymond to San Antonio. He was assigned to Randolph Field in April 1943 as a student officer, where he began training to acquire a military pilot’s rating. He holds a reserve commission as a Colonel. . . . The Federal Pavilion at HemisFair 1968 will now have three theatres instead of four as in the original plans. The theatre building, a circular arcade building 195 feet high featuring a. glass facade, will be a perma¬ nent structure, while a second building, hous¬ ing artifacts and other exhibits, will not. These theatres will feature the theme, “Legacy, Har¬ vest and Promise,” and will seat 1,200 persons for viewing of a 20 minute film. In the first phase of the film, three separate, partitioned audiences wall see the same film on a 300 square foot screen. Walls then will slide away to provide viewing from a wide area, and in the third phase all walls will disappear to join the three audiences, who will see film pro¬ jected in the same screen, measuring about 150 ft high and totaling about one fifth of an acre. . . . Alvin Krueger, manager of the sub¬ urban Laurel, has booked the film version of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” for showing. To acquaint his audiences with the booking, ush¬ ers are passing out to patrons a four page “A Guide to the Enjoyment of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly” written by Howard L. Hurwitz, Jamaica High School, N.Y. . . . Herman Sollock, manager of the Aztec, has announced that the return engagement of “The Sound of Music” is now in its last week at the Aztec. It will close on Feb. 15 to be replaced by the first run engagement of “A Funny Thing Hap¬ pened On The Way To The Forum.” “Sound of Music” holds the record as the longest run¬ ning film in the city with a total of 88 weeks at Cinema II. . . . Sylvan K. Berry, has been reelected a vice president of the Texas D-I Theatres Owners Association at its recent 15th annual convention held in Dallas. Bill Rau, San Antonio, was named to the board of direc¬ tors of TDITOA. . . . Services were held at Dilley, Tex., for Gustavo Lavenant, 50, who was owner of the Haydee there. SEATTLE A gala opening night benefit and four addi¬ tional benefit performances of “Hawaii"’ are planned this month at the Blue Mouse. The opening night festivities, Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day), were to be sponsored by the SeattleKing County Chapter of the March of Dimes. Following performances have been taken over by the HARC Guild of Seattle Area Guilds :or Retarded Children, the American Field Service Scholarship program of the Helen Bush-Parkside School, Seattle Milk Fund, and the Schola ship fund of the Seattle Alumnae of Delta T 'lta Delta Sorority and the 1 th Defects Cli ic at the University Plospital. Salley Dunstan has been named Editor of t a Year for 1966 for her work with Merlin ; s house organ caller* the “Spotlite. ’ The aware given for e litoria excellence, was presented at a meeting of the PNIEA held at the Holiday Inn. ”he organization includes 90 editors of company publications in the northwest. . . . “Dr. Zhivago” will celebrate its first birthday at the Music Box with a special showing to be sponsored by the David Foundation. . . . Pam Friesc returned to United Artists as a biller, replacing Shirley Fischer, who retired to keep house. . . . Russia’s famed Bolshoi Ballet Com¬ pany will be seen in “Bolshoi Ballet ’67,” which will play a limited three-day engagement at the Neptune in Seattle’s University District. The opening night, Feb. 28, has been com¬ pletely sponsored by the Seattle Symphony Women’s Committee for the benefit of its sus¬ taining fund. CLARK TRANSFER , INC. Terminals: • BOSTON, MASS. 100 Gibson Street, Dorchester 61 7-282-2099 • NEW YORK, N. Y. 610 W. 47th Street 212-246 0815 • NORFOLK, VA. 316 South Main Street 703-545-3832 • PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Executive Offices) 829 North 29th Street 215-232-3100 • RICHMOND, VA. 312 South 17th Street 703-648-6083 • TAMAQUA (Hometown), PA. RD #2 717-668-1727 • WASHINGTON, D. C. 3194 Bladensburg Road, N.E. 202-526-4800 PROGRESSIVE ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION CO. INC. 240 N. 13th St. • PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19107 35 Years of Theatre Construction and Maintenance BLUmBERG BROS., Inc. Co&uftltUuj Ian the 'fheabie WALNUT 5-7240-41 1305-07 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA. PA. 19107 February 15, 1967 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17