Motion Picture Herald (1953)

( Continued from preceding page ) Sam Levine, back with the company after being in another business for a while, taking over as co-managers of the Roosevelt. . . . Howard Blackwood of Abbott Theatre Equipment is in Passavant Hospital for surgery. . . . Steve Chorba has rejoined the Clark theatre staff as a manager. . . . Rollin Stonebrook, recently-resigned managing director of Ettel’s Palace, has been appointed to head up the theatres division of the ColeSpa vending company. . . . The Clark theatre has scheduled its second annual Fall Film Festival, to run Nov. 1 through Nov. 15. . . . Ansel Winston, long-time manager of the RKO Grand here, has been promoted to city manager for RKO in Dayton, Ohio. Tyrus Anderson takes over as manager of the Grand. . . . Mr. and Mrs. John Balaban are expected back from Europe before the end of October. . . . The Illinois Cerebral Palsy campaign, sponsored by Balaban and Katz, has raised a sum of over $415,000 in the collection campaign so far this year. CINCINNATI Something new in local neighborhood operation and advertising is being projected by the Hyde Park Art theatre, with Laurence Oliver in “The Beggar’s Opera,” set in for an extended run. The newspaper advertising space exceeds in some cases the space used by the downtown first runs. . . . Keith’s theatre, unit of the S. & S. Amusement Co., has been equipped with a giant setreophonic sound system. The majority of downtown first runs have installed similar equipment. . . . Robert B. Frederick, formerly a booker at the Paramount branch here, has been named manager of the Guild, an “art” house owned by Willis Vance in suburban Walnut Hills. . . . Hillsboro, Ohio, has inaugurated a 9 P.M. curfew for juveniles 16 years of age and under, to be effective until October 31, the purpose being to curb vandalism during the Hallowe’en period. . . . The Valley and Monte Vista theatres, suburban units of the Local Louis Wiethe circuit, last week played Walt Disney’s “Melody,” Disney’s first animated cartoon in 3-D. The innovation was given considerable newspaper publicity. . . . Joseph Murdock, who has filled several managerial posts, has been appointed manager of the Ohio theatre, at Mansfield, Ohio, succeeding Robert A. Lytle, resigned. . . . Roy Waller has sold his Roy theatre, at New Concord, Ohio, to Don Richardson and son. who have reopened the house. CLEVELAND Gala opening of “The Robe” at the Hippodrome Wednesday, drew some 5,000 people to three evening performances. Response was enthusiastic and business has been excellent starting with the early bird 8:30 A. M. show through the late 11 P.M. show. . . . Ernest Schwartz, president of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, just back from Boston, said the National Allied convention was “enlightening and very worth while.” . . . Herman Imand, NSS shipper and Shaker theatre assistant manager, reported for army duty. . . . Dave Shia, St. Clairsville, O. theatre owner, and Mrs. Shia announced the adoption of a 3-month baby boy. . . . “Martin Luther,” doing tremendous business at Loew’s Ohio theatre, is holding over a second week. . . . “From Here to Eternity” is in its fourth big week at the RKO Palace. . . . Bernie Rubin of Imperial Pictures is readying the first 3-D midnight horror show for Hallowe’en. . . . RCA stereophonic sound, in preparation for showing “The Robe,” is being installed by M. H. Fritchle of Oliver Theatre Supply Co. in the State theatre, Findlay; State theatre, Sandusky; and Paramount theatre, Youngstown. . . . H. MacManus is opening his Lyceum Theatre, 1800-seat neighborhood house Tuesdays and Wednesday for showing of Italian films, with satisfactory results. COLUMBUS Eighty-six-year old William H. Claspill, who was a member of almost every hotel and theatre orchestra in Columbus during the past half-century, died in White Cross Hospital. He played for the opening of the RKO Palace, the old Empire theatre, the old B. F. Keith’s theatre and the High Street theatre, now the Uptown. He was a life member of the musicians’ union. . . . Harry Simon Jr., former manager of RKO Grand and now sales manager of radio station WFAU, Augusta, Maine, was in town for the Ohio State-Illinois game. . . . Harry Weiss, publicist, accompanied Biff Elliot, the Mike Hammer of “I, The Jury,” on his local visit to publicize the 3-D feature at Loew’s Broad. . . . Test engagement of MGM’s 3-D version of “Kiss Me Kate” has been postponed until October 29 at Loew’s Ohio. . . . “The Beggar’s Opera” is playing the World at $1 top with a students’ price of 70 cents. . . . “From Here To Eternity” went into a third week at Loew’s Ohio, the first feature to rack up three weeks at that theatre in many years. DENVER Robt. Tankersley, National Theatre Supply salesman, has been promoted to assistant manager of the Omaha branch. . . . Herman Wobber, western division manager 20thFox, was in to pick up James Dugan, branch manager, with the two heading for the N. Y. sales meeting. . . . Paul Allmeyer, salesman at Paramount, has quit to become associated with Robert Patrick in Preferred Pictures, which handles Realart. Robt. Evans, comanager of the State, has quit to become a salesman for Robert Patrick, owner of the Realart franchises here and Salt Lake City. Charlotte Steuver, State co-manager, has been promoted to manager, and will do the booking and buying. Charlotte started in the theatre business in St. Louis, working for Harry Koplar, uncle of Norman Probstein, owner of the State. . . . Bruce Marshall, Columbia salesman, underwent an eye operation at St. Luke’s hospital. . . . RKO is putting on a short subjects drive in honor of A1 Kolitz, district manager, in December, and Allied Artists will stage an Oct. 31-Jan. 29 drive in honor of C. J. Duer, branch manager. . . . Lester Zooker, district manager for Universal, and Foster Blake, western sales manager, were in for conferences with Mayer Monsky, the company’s branch manager. DES MOINES “The Robe,” first picture made in CinemaScope, has been booked by Tri-States Theatre Corp. for its Des Moines theatre here in an extended run to open Oct. 28. A. H. Blank, Tri-States president, who made the announcement, said the Des Moines engage ment will be the first showing in Iowa. . . The new screen, now being installed at the Des Moines, is 42 feet wide by 17 feet high. . . . Admission prices at the Avery theatre in Garner were raised last week. Adult fares are now 55 cents and children’s admission has been doubled to 20 cents. Children under five must have a ticket unless accompanied by an adult. John Banks, Avery manager, said this was the first increase in tickets in more than five years. . . . The drive-in theatre near Ames was broken into and a 200-pound safe carted away by the thieves. Inside the safe was nearly $350 in cash. . . . Construction of a drive-in theatre at the southeast city limits of Albia has been started by the McClain Theatre Co., which operates the King theatre there. The project will be on a 10-acre plot and will accommodate 300 cars. It is expected the outdoor house will be ready for business in the spring. . . . Fred Armington, MGM salesman, has returned to the office following hospitalization for treatment of an ulcer. . . . Arleta Simpon is a new employee at Republic. DETROIT Showing of “Hannah Lee” in the downtown Broadway Capitol made it the last of the downtown houses to switch to 3-D. . . . United Artists theatre has installed Amplex Sound along with their new CinemaScope screen. According to Dillon Krepps this is the second Amplex in the country. . . . “From Here to Eternity” is still doing stand-out business at the Madison. . . . Fox manager, David Idzal, predicts a six month stand for “The Robe.” . . . Palms theatre staged two of Houdini’s most famous escapes on stage at the opening of “Houdini.” Will Rock, who got out of a straitjacket and a packing case, was formerly with the late Howard Thurston. . . . Hospitalized is Mrs. Ella Bennett of the Broadway Capitol. . . . Eddie Loye is back managing the RKO office after a month of vacation. . . . MGM division manager, John J. Maloney, was in this part of the division a few days. . . . Studio’s Bill Flemion has been in New York looking over foreign product. . . . Harlan Starr leaves his Allied Artists post that position will be assumed by Nathan Levin. HARTFORD Sal Adorno, Sr., 75, general manager of the M&D Theatres, Middletown, Conn., is observing his 45th year in the motion picture industry. M&D operates the Palace, Capitol and Middlesex theatres in that city. . . . Richard Widmark has purchased property, consisting of a large house and 100 acres of land, at South Sandisfield, Mass., just over the Connecticut state line. . . . Atty. Herman M. Levy, general counsel of TOA and executive secretary of MPTO of Connecticut, and secretary, incumbent, of the New Haven County (Conn.) Bar Association, has been renominated for the latter post. . . . T. W. Ferguson, for 15 years with Cadillac and 12 years with the Whitney theatre, New Haven, is now with the Lincoln-Mercurv sales staff in that city. . . . Five theatres operated by the Hartford Theatre Circuit, the Colonial, Central, Lenox, Lyric and Art, have dropped Monday through Friday matinee performances. A similar policy went into effect some weeks ( Continued on opposite page ) 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 17, 1953