Motion Picture Herald (1953)

( Continued from preceding page ) . . . Mort Lewis closed the Ventnor, Ventnor, N. J., for the winter season. . . . M. 3. Comerford, Comerford Theatres executive, became the father of a son, John, born last week in the Mercy Hospital, Scranton, Pa. PITTSBURGH “How To Marry A Millionaire,” looks like another CinemaScope smash at the Fulton, where it opened to big business. . . . "This Is Cinerama” will hold a special premiere on Dec. 8 for the benefit of the local Children’s Hospital, with the show opening to the public the following day in the Warner theatre. . . . Alec Guinness’ “Captain From Paradise” has been snagged by the Squirrel Hill and will follow that house's “Mr. Potts Goes to Moscow.” . . . “The Robe” rates a seventh week at the Harris, with the end of the run nowhere in sight, according to Harris officials, who predict that 200,000 persons will have seen it at that house. . . . The Art Cinema will drop its second-run policy, and feature foreign-made hits. . . . The local legit house, the Nixon, is huddling with MGM about bringing in “Julius Caesar” over the Christmas and New Year holidays. . . . “Sabre Jet” gets a Penn date, probably prior to the forthcoming opening of MGM’s “Kiss Me Kate.” PORTLAND Business is perking at all first run theatres with raised admission prices no drawback. . . . Lippert’s Holly theatre in Medford, Ore., shuttered this week while his Criterion house goes to a three-time-per-week change. . . . Big films will play the Esquire. . . . Guild manager Marty Foster & Century theatre manager Frank Breal have a hit on their hands with their first “live” attraction, Liberace. . . . Foster & Breal, co-owners of the 20th Century News theatre, have set a first run policy starting Nov. 20 with news as the second feature. . . . United Theatres chain owner, A1 Forman, has also gone into the transient attraction business. He promoted the Spike Jones Show last month in four towns, and now has the Olson & Johnson Show lined up. PROVIDENCE Loew’s drive-in, at the Providence-Pawtucket city line, recently lost the use of a big display which heralded current and forthcoming attractions. Adjoining the entrance of the open-airer, the signboard — approximately 25 feet high and almost 50 feet long — came down when the owner of the property started construction of a group of stores and a bowling alley which occupy considerable land adjacent to the theatre, including that on which the display had been erected. . . . Incidentally, Loew’s drivein is currently operating only 3 nights a week, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. . . . “All The Brothers Were Valiant,” a film inspired by the daring exploits of New England’s own whalers of by-gone days, was premiered in Rhode Island at the Casino, Narragansett Pier, and the Strand, Newport, simultaneously Nov. 4. It opened Nov. 11 in this city at Loew’s State. . . . The Johnston theatre, in Thornton, is featuring a Sea Spray hand-painted dinnerware deal as a patron inducement. SAN FRANCISCO Jerry Zigmond, western division manager, L’nited Paramount, was in town from Los Angeles to buy film November 12-14 and the big news here is the reopening of the 2135-seat State (closed since last December) with first-run pictures. . . . Mary Hennessy will handle publicity of the United Paramount house in addition to the chain’s Paramount and St. Francis. . . . Sherrill C. Corwin, president, North Coast Theatres, now has executive offices at the United Artists theatre here, and, it is reported, he plans to spend most of his time in San Francisco. . . . John Miller, former manager, the Orpheum, will take over management of Cinerama when it opens Christmas Day. . . . Golden State Theatres are closing until Christmas their Rivoli, Berkeley and until January, the Daly City, Daly City. The circuit’s Irving has gone on a 4-day-week, remaining open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. . . . The United Artists theatre has gone on a double-bill policy and the Esquire (both North Coast houses) has gone from grind to first-run with the first program, Nov. 24, “Joe Louis Story” and “The Fake.” . . . Robert Broadbent will continue to manage the Esquire. The service personnel will be increased. TORONTO A portrait plaque in bronze designed by the internationally-famous Canadian sculptor, Emmanuel Hahn, will be presented to John J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., when he is honored as Pioneer of the Year, Nov. 25. . . . David Gordon has taken over an executive sales position with Cardinal Films. He was formerly with Biltmore Theatres Ltd. . . . A former member of the film industry is to be appointed Film Procurement Officer for the CBC-TV National Film Service to be operated under the jurisdiction of O. C. Wilson. . . . Six films are in production in Canada by Canadian film producers. . . . Jimmy Cameron, Famous Players Lakehead supervisor, was a speaker at a Port Arthur meeting of the Thunder Bay Life Underwriters. His subject, “No Axe to Grind.” . . . Radio, television, press and film leaders will form a panel to discuss mass communications at the Unitarian Church. . . . C. Richard Stilwell, in 1951 managing director of Audio Pictures Ltd., has instituted an action against that company. VANCOUVER A new 300-seat quonset-type theatre, the Avalon, was opened at Spirit River, Alberta. Owner is Mike Zenink and it’s the farming community’s first 35-mm house. . . . Henry Gnam opened his 400-seat Gem theatre at Coaldale in Southern Alberta. . . . Marvin Proudlock, of Empire-Universal, has replaced Roy Clauston as shipper at MGM. ... A former theatre owner, A. Pearson of Merritt, B. C., is a new member of EmpireUniversal staff. . . . Sylvia Donnelly is back in the OdeonVogue box office after a two-year absence. . . . Sammy Swartz, of the Lougheed drive-in, has left for Moose Jaw, Sask., where he will look after the Phillit circuit houses. . . . Phil Sherman of Audio Pictures home office here, conferring with B. C. manager, Howard Boothe. . . . Wendy Cox, Orpheum usherette, is over in Korea with the Vancouver Concert Party entertaining Canadian troops. . . . Doris Walls is the new secretary at the Orpheum, replacing Joan Edworthy, resigned. . . . Glenn Ireton, former WB publicity head in Canada, is now running a film trade paper in Tokyo. WASHINGTON Jack Foxe, publicity director for Loew’s Theatres in Washington, received a $250 award for his promotional campaign on “Torch Song.” . . . RKO Keith’s brought back “Peter Pan” and two Disney short subjects for a very successful run. . . . Local F-13 elected George Sullivan, RKO, business agent ; Max Rutledge, Columbia, president ; Lillian Lee, Paramount, treasurer ; and Judy Cohen, Allied Artists, secretary. Balloting for other offices will be held in December. . . . The Thanksgiving Day Football Game at Griffith Stadium sponsored by the Variety Club of Washington and the Armed Services, and featuring the Fort Belvoir Engineers vs. the Quantico Marines, will have all the military bands in a pageant, the WAVE Choral Group of Patuxent, and a big half-time show. High Court WilLXotHeur Chicago Suit WASHINGTON : The Supreme Court Monday refused to review a lower court decision which said that the RKO divorcement had changed the legal situation of RKO theatres in Chicago under the Jackson Park decree. The appeal, brought by Florence B. Bigelow, grew out of the Jackson Park case. At the time the Jackson Park decree was entered, the Winston Theatre Corp. owned and operated the Grand theatre in Chicago. Winston was a wholly-owned subsidiary of RKO Theatres, which also owned the Palace theatre in Chicago. In January, 1948, Mrs. Bigelow filed a petition charging RKO with contempt because of the way RKO pictures were being exhibited at the Palace. The District Court and the Court of Appeals upheld the charge. In that proceeding, an attorney representing Winston said the outcome of the Palace case would also bind the Grand. In June, 1952, Winston asked the District Court to make a new ruling that the Jackson Park decree no longer covered it because of the later RKO divorcement. The District Court rejected this, but the Seventh Court of Appeals said that the RKO divorcement did change the situation. It held that the burden of proof was now on the Jackson Park to show that the conditions necessitating the original injunction still remained. Without such a showing, the decree should be modified, the Circuit Court held. The Jackson Park appealed this ruling to the High Court, but the justices Monday refused to review the lower court decision. They gave no reason for their action. Presumably the case now goes back to the District Court, where the Jackson Park can offer evidence to show that the injunction should not be changed. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 21, 1953