Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

BUFFALO ALBANY Strong product release schedules for the first several months of 1954 make executives of several circuits optimistic about the New Year, but some of the smaller theatre owners are worried about the possible shortage of good pictures which will be available to them and the installation cost problem posed by CinemaScope. . . . Drive-in operators seem to think next season will be a profitable one. . . . The Palace had “Miss Sadie Thompson’’ as its New Year’s Eve attraction, while the Strand showed “Hondo” — both at advanced scales for the day. . . . Visitors here included: Louis W. Schine, Gloversville ; Louis J. Lieser, Buffalo. . . . Jules Perlmutter, president of Perlmutter Theatres, became the first man in Albany Variety Club history to be elected for a second consecutive term as chief barker. . . . Neil Heilman was in town for groundbreaking on a 20-room addition to the Mt. Vernon Motel which he opened last spring adjacent to Auto-Vision theatre in East Greenbush. ATLANTA Bill Knight, formerly with Florida State Theatres, Tampa, Fla., has resigned to go as branch manager of Roy Smith Concession Co. there. . . . The Pal Amusement Co., Vidalia, Ga., has opened its new 400car Glen drive-in, Glenville, Ga. . . .The Alamo theatre, Alamo, Ga., has a new owner : Harold Robinson, also owner of the Brox, Broxton, Ga. . . . Martin Theatres, Columbus, Ga., has taken over the Morris Road drive-in there. . . . Rube Joiner, Joiner Booking Service, was in booking. . . . Sydia Knight, for the past 30 years with RKO, has resigned. . . . Gault Brown, former manager of the Hollywood theatre, Madisonville, Tenn., was in visiting with friends. . . . The State theatre, Bradenton, Fla., was destroyed by fire. ... In for a visit with J. E. Hobbs, branch manager, Monogram, was John Derbin, Stafford Pictures, on his way to Miami, Fla. . . . L. H. Howell and R. C. Corsey are the new owners of the Piedmont drive-in, Piedmont, Ala. . . .Ted Mendellssohn, of Concordia Pictures, was a visitor here. . . . John Jarvis, of the Dixie Printing Co., has moved into his new offices at 160 Walton St. BALTIMORE Boots Wagonheim and Mrs. Wagonheim, executive for Schwaber Theatres, celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. . . . M. Robert Rappaport, Town theatre, is spending a week in Miami. . . . Chauncey Wolfe, Uptown theatre, is recuperating at home after leaving John Hopkins Johns Hospital. . . . Rodney Collier, Stanley manager, has been elected chief barker of the Variety Club for the third time, although not consecutively. ... 49 managers and owners completed the Civil Defense instruction course for theatres. They represented 90 theaetrs in the area. . . . Jack Sidney, Loew manager, in cooperation with the Baltimore News Post and Sunday American, the Advertising Club of Baltimore and Radio Station WCAO, held the 23rd annual Christmas party for underprivileged children at the Century theatre. Entertained were 3,500 children. . . . J. Lawrence and Fred Schanberger, in cooperation with the News Post, held their 25th annual Christmas party for crippled children at Keith’s theatre. BOSTON A special midnight screening of “This Is Cinerama” for local projectionists, electricians and stage hands was held at the Boston theatre the evening preceding the public opening. The Stanley Warner Cinerama Corp. hosted the affair with each member of the Locals of IATSE given two tickets. Rudolph F. Kuehn who has had managerial experience in New Jersey Theatres was brought on to become the managing director of the Boston for the run of the Cinerama films. . . . Lockwood & Gordon Enterprises and Sam Rosen of New Haven have taken a long term lease on the East Windsor (Conn.) drive-in and will operate it in the spring. . . . The engagement has been announced of Adeline Struzziero, secretary at Independent Exhibitors, Inc. to Paul A. Carter of Braintree, with the wedding set for Feb. 13. . . . Richard B. Rubin, exhibitor and drive-in designer and engineer, was married December 27 to Mrs. Edith Saturn of Washington, D. C. They will live in Newton Center and spend the summer at Falmouth, Mass., where Rubin is building the Falmouth drive-in. WHEN AND WHERE January 27: Annual convention and board meeting, Virginia Motion Picture Theatre Association, Jefferson Hotel, Richmond. February 2-4: National Allied Drive-in Theatre Association convention, Netherlands-Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 2-4: Annual meeting, Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, NetherlandsPlaza Hotel, Cincinnati. February 5-6: National Allied board meeting, Netherlands-Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. March 28-30: Annual convention, Allied Theatre Owners of Gulf States, Edgewater Gulf Hotel, Edgewater Park, Miss. April 6-8 : Annual convention, Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, Hotel Shroeder, Milwaukee. May 2-7: Semi-annual convention, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Staffer Hotel, Washington, D. C. Dalton Burgett has added the Wintergarden theatre in Fredonia, N. Y. to his circuit and not the Wintergarden in Jamestown. . . . Howard McPherson, for fifteen years a member of the Monogram local sales staff, covering Buffalo and Rochester, has been engaged by Jack Chinell, RKO branch manager, to cover the Syracuse territory, where he succeeds Ed Smith, who has retired and is going to Florida to reside. . . . It is reported that the Hayman interests in Niagara Falls will build a new drive-in within the city limits and that it will be ready for next season. . . . Rumor has it that the interests behind the Transit drivein on the Transit Road near Lockport, in association with others, are going to build an outdoorer in the vicinity of the Transit road-Middleport cut-off. . . . Basil’s LaSalle closed two days in advance of Christmas to permit employes to prepare for the big Yuletide show which opened Xmas Day. . . . Charlie McKernan of the Seneca and Bill Colson of the Niagara put on special holiday matinee performances on Wednesday. . . . The Paramount and Center, downtown UPT first-runs, started their New Year’s Eve midnight show at 2 P. M. Thursday and ran through the midnight shows. The Paramount had a preview presentation of Martin & Lewis in “Money From Home” and the Center, “His Majesty O’Keefe.” CHICAGO Ed Wolk, projection equipment dealer, will head for Florida on January 2 with Mrs. Wolk. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lubliner of the Clark and Four Star theatres, entertained her sister, Jan Sterling, and brother-in-law, Paul Douglas, over the Christmas holiday. . . . Marcia Koerner, daughter of G. W. Koerner, of Koerner Motor Express, downstate film delivery service, was married to Robert Raymond Dec. 19, in a ceremony at the Methodist Church, Park Ridge, 111. Mr. Raymond is attending Elmhurst College. . . . Cinema Lodge, B’nai B’rith, entertained 60 patients and ten staff members of the U. S. Marine Hospital the day before Christmas at Paramount Pictures’ Recreation Room. . . . B. & K. advertising publicity chief, William K. Hollander, and his wife became grandparents for the second time as their son and daughter-inlaw, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Hollander, announced the birth of their second child, a girl. . . .The Colony, operated by Joe Stern and his sons Mike and Arnold, has been completely renovated and is being equipped for CinemaScope. CINCINNATI Shifting road show-policy entertainment from downtown to the outlying districts, the Hyde Park Art theatre, operated by ( Continued on following page ) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 2, 1954 29