Motion Picture Herald (1953)

ALBANY The Variety Club is debating a plan to advance the election of the crew and officers (the former selecting the latter), in order that the new group may direct the annual Denial Week drive for the Variety-Albany Boys’ Club Camp Thacher. The latter is scheduled to start Dec. 14. Several hundred needy youngsters were given vacations at the mountain base last summer. . . . The question has been raised whether the failure of a trio of 3-D pictures recently shown here — “Inferno,” “The Moonlighter” and “Second Chance” — to draw well is a sign the novelty appeal of three-dimension has worn thin. . . . The Palace and Strand were the scene of daytime meetings for 6,500 teachers attending the annual eastern zone meeting of N. Y. State Teachers Association, Oct. 16. . . . Sam Davis went to Florida for the winter after transferring the Phoenicia in Phoenicia to Earl Every, son of the theatre building owner, Davis, who previously had disposed of the Woodstock in Woodstock to former manager David Myers, still holds a summer situation in Fleischmanns. . . . Kingsley Ryan, of the Ausable in Ausable Forks, renewed acquaintances during a booking trip here. ATLANTA Roth Hook, owner of theatres in Alabama, and Mrs. Lucile Cobb, also a theatre owner in Alabama, were married recently. . . . Branch manager Leonard Burch of United World Films checked in from a trip to Tennessee. . . . President Ed Stevens, Stevens Pictures, back at his office from New York. . . . Ike Katz, president Kay Exchanges, back in his Atlanta headquarters after visiting his Memphis, Tenn. and New Orleans branch. . . . Floyd Stowe, Stowe Booking Service, Jacksonville, Fla., was in Atlanta visiting friends. . . . Bob Moscow, manager of the Rialto, Atlanta, was named chairman of the theatres’ 1953 Red Feather campaign. . . . The stork passed over the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Anderson (he is manager of the Main Street drive-in, Jacksonville, Fla.) and left a little baby girl. . . . Manager Don Holcomb, of the Palace theatre, Tampa, Fla., has installed a new widescreen at a cost of $25,000. BALTIMORE Orville Crouch, Loew’s eastern division manager, was in town visiting the local Loew house. . . . Edward O’Malley is the new manager of the Centre theatre’ replacing John Alderson, who has resigned. . . . Elsa Berliner, associated with the Howard theatre, has moved back to Baltimore from Washington. . . . Harry Cluster, Rialto projectionist, attended the World Series. . . . Stanley Baker, Hicks Theatres’ general manager, has returned from an auto trip. . . . Grace Fisher has re-purchased the Maryland theatre in Cumberland. The Alleghany Theatre Corporation had been operating the house on lease from Mrs. Fisher. . . . Astor theatre, recently closed by Bob Kantor, has been put up for sale. . . . The Variety Guild, ladies auxiliary of the Variety Club, started it’s fall meetings with a luncheon held at the club rooms last week. BOSTON In its first day at the Keith Memorial theatre, 20th-Fox’s CinemaScope feature, “The Robe” pulled in a $10,000 gross for a new record. Prices were $1.50 top. . . . K. R. Douglass, president of Capitol Theatre Sup WHEN AND WHERE October 3 1 -November 5: TESMA convention and trade show, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago. November 1-5: Theatre Owners of America, annual convention, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago. November 3-4: Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, annual convention, Hotel Lincoln, Indianapolis. November 12: Annual dinner, Motion Picture Pioneers, Hotel Astor, New York City. November 15-17: Annual convention, Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida, Roosevelt Hotel, Jacksonville. November 22-24: Annual convention, Theatre owners of North and South Carolina, Hotel Charlotte, Charlotte, N. C. December 1-2: Kansas-Missouri Theatres Association, annual convention, Kansas City. December 7-8: Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, Inc., annual convention, Biltmore Hotel, Oklahoma City. December 7-9: Annual convention, TriStates Theatre Owners, Hotel Gayoso, Memphis, Tenn. December 14-15: Annual convention, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, Sheraton Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. ply, has appointed Ernest J. Comi, well known in the equipment field in New England, as his general manager. . . . The Rifkin Theatres and Philip Lowe have signed a long term lease on the operation of the Meadow-Glen drive-in, Medford, transferred October 11. This acquisition marks the fifth drive-in under the Rifkin banner. . . . Cyrus Harvey, Jr. and Bryant Haliday, operators of the Brattle theatre, Cambridge, have signed a long term lease on the Copley theatre in Copley Square, Boston. They will show foreign language and art pictures using first run product and re-issues. The first program is “Mr. Potts Goes to Moscow” with the cartoon “The Tell Tale Heart.” . . . Joe Cronan has given up the operation of the Community theatre, Guilford, Maine and has retired. The owners are expected to take over the theatre after putting in 3-D and CinemaScope equipment for the winter season. BUFFALO The Glowmeter Corporation, whose newtype wide screens are being seen by Buffalonians at Shea’s Buffalo and Basil’s Lafayette, has many new products planned. One of these is a projection screen for television viewing, Agis I. Mihalikis, president of Glowmeter, says. . . . J. Robert Hoff, executive vice-president of Ballantyne Company, was in Buffalo the other day for conferences with Carl E. Bell, manager of the Perkins Theatre Supply company, distributors of the Ballantyne products in this area. . . . The annual gin rummy tournament of Tent 7, Variety club, started last Wednesday in the Delaware Avenue headquarters with a goodly crowd of entrants. . . . The crew of the Variety club has announced a general meeting in the club headquarters Oct. 26, when nominations will be made for the crew and delegates and alternates to the international convention in 1954. . . . The Arnett in Rochester has re-opened after being closed for the summer season. The house, operated by Phil Cohn and Maury Slotnick, has been redecorated throughout and equipped with a new wide-screen. . . . Downtown theatres in Buffalo this week are showing a special Community Chest trailer telling all about the local Red Feather campaign. . . . Next week some 50 theatres in the area will show a short Chest trailer, featuring Conrad Nagel. These trailers are being distributed for the Chest by Jack Cinell, manager of the RKO exchange. . . . “The Robe” is doing tremendous business at Shea’s Buffalo. CHICAGO Ed De Leuwy, veteran B. & K. manager, has been transferred from the downtown Roosevelt to the neighborhood State at his own request, with State manager Ken Edgerly and Uptown assistant manager, ( Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 17, 1953 33