Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

( Continued from preceding page ) Vadis” returned to Loew’s State on their new “Wide-Vision Screen,” while the RKO x\lbee offered a holiday bill that included Jane Powell in “3 Sailors and a Girl,” with six of the year’s outstanding cartoons in color. . . . The Metropolitan, long-shuttered except for an occasional roadshow stage attraction, usually for a single evening performance, re-opened with ‘‘Escape From Fort Bravo,” and “Trent’s Last Case.” . . . Despite the fine films featured for the holidays, tariffs were not greatly increased by any of the downtown first-runs. SAN FRANCISCO James Cox, 50, assistant manager, Fox California, Stockton, died following a heart attack at his home in Stockton, the last week of December. He had been on the staff of the theatre for the past 27 years. . . . Alvin Hatch announced he will soon reopen the Half Moon Bay theatre he closed several months ago. . . . Jacquelyn Stevens resigned as cashier, Sea Vue, to remain home as a housewife. . . . William Strange is assistant manager, Sea Vue. . . .Theatres here are cooperating with Variety’s Blind Babies fund by theatre collections during January. . . . Irving Levin, divisional director, San Francisco Theatres, Inc. has inaugurated “a bonus night” for Friday’s at his neighborhood Balboa. TORONTO Alterations and refurbishing of the Capitol, Middleton, N. S., including new seats and heating and air-conditioning systems, has been completed. . . . R. Babcock has been re-elected president of the IATSE local in Sudbury and district. All other officers were returned with the exception of L. Fox, who was named vice-president. . . . Paul E. Viau has acquired J. L. Murphy’s Garry theatre in Alexandria, Ont. . . . Medicine Hat’s Empress theatre has been re-opened and will show a double bill on Fridays and Saturdays for the time being. . . . Dr. Paul Kowalishin and C. Hochman have purchased Regal Amusement Company’s Roxy in Canora, Sask., in a deal that involved the proposed drive-in. . . . Management of the Stanley theatre, Stouffville, Ont., Sid Schmidt and his daughter, Mrs. Margaret Wagg, recently celebrated their 30th anniversary in showbusiness. VANCOUVER Bob Billings, 20th-Fox office manager, resigned and will return to his former job as shipper at United Artists, replacing Stan Richardson. . . . Dot Graham, manager of 16mm at JARO, reports a record year’s business in the narrow gauge market in B. C. . . . 2 B. C. drive-in theatres are up for sale and the asking prices are out of this world. . . . Eva Spill, of the Capitol staff, is rated as the top jitterbug in local show business. . . . “The Robe” opened at the Royal Victoria on New Year’s Day SCREEN TOWERS and ADDITIONS Pre-fab steel. Engineered for 90 M.P.H. wind load plus 50% safety factor. With or without horizontal wood nailers. Also additions for existing towers. Call us! firsi -American jpWucfo ,'unc. 1717 Wyandotte St., Kansas City 8, Mo. and “How To Marry A Millionaire” is playing the Capitol, Vancouver. . . . Owen Bird, of the Toffy-Bird circuit, and Washington Thorn, of the Steva, Steveston, were on film row for the Christmas parties. . . . Perry Wright, Empire-Universal manager, took his staff to the Barn Supper Club for their annual party. . . . Bob Lightstone, Paramount manager, enjoyed his first green Christmas for many years, having moved here from frigid Winnipeg recently. . . . One of British Columbia’s motion picture pioneers, Fred Bannister, who opened the first theatre at Mission City in the Fraser Valley 40 years ago, died in his 78th year at his West Vancouver home. WASHINGTON International chief barker Jack Beresin was in Washington January 4 for the Variety Club of Washington’s installation of officers for 1954. Sworn in were : chief barker, Jack Fruchtman; 1st assist., Alvin Q. Ehrlich; 2nd assistant, Joseph Gins; property master, Phil Isaacs, and dough guy, Sam Galanty. . . . The White House Correspondents Association will serve as hosts for a special Washington showing on February 3 of “The Best Years of Our Lives” at RKO Keith’s. . . . The National Boy Scouts 1953 Jamboree film was premiered at the Johnston office. . . . Friends of Alvin L. Newmyer, Variety Club counsel and prominent Washington attorney, were to pay tribute to him January 8 at the Mayflower Hotel, on the occasion of his 70th birthday celebration. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sapperstein are the parents of a baby daughter, Robin Lynn. Sapperstein is office manager for Columbia Pictures. Altec Offers New Device Through 20th Century-Fox, Altec Service Corporation is making available to the motion picture industry its new Altec Demagnetizer Kit as well as all information concerning the ways of demagnetizing parts in theatre film machines. E. S. Seeley, Altec chief engineer, said that action was being taken “in the interest of the entire industry as a contribution to the successful use of magnetic sound tracks in theatres.” He explained that in November “kits containing several types of demagnetizers of improved form, as well as instruments to indicate magnetic fields, all designed expressly for the use of specially trained technicians, were issued to each member of Altec’s technical field personnel. Analysis of subsequent experience on the part of Altec’s field staff has now confirmed the effectiveness of this tool and the general procedure.” Tom H. Boland Dies Tom H. Boland, 75, former manager of the Empress theatre, Oklahoma City, and executive in the Powell-Croak Amusement Company and the Midwest Enterprise Company, died in Los Angeles December 23. He had been retired and living in that city. He leaves a daughter and two sons. Fiberglass Heels. Cans Save Casts Fiberglass film cans and reels are here. Years of research and experiment have yielded results. The results to the industry will be savings in weight and cost of transportation. The news comes this week from the U. S. Fiberglass Industrial Plastics, Inc. A spokesman in New York declared the cans and reels will be on the market the middle of this year. He added his company is now preparing its manufacturing tools, and that the scale of production will be large. Fiberglass standard three-reel cases will each weigh between five and six pounds. Metal cases weigh from 16 to 18 pounds. A fiberglass case with three fiberglass reels and film will weigh less than 39 pounds. Ordinarily, weight would be 53 pounds. The company says its product will last 25 per cent longer than product of metal, and be as strong or stronger. It adds fiberglass is buoyant, resistant to heat, cold, and fire ; unstretchable, unshrinkable, inabsorbent, weatherproof and shatterproof. Harry Greenman, managing director of the Capitol Theatre, New York, heads Industrial Plastics. Philadelphia Variety Annual Dinner Features Fabian, Skouras Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, and S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Theatres, were to be principal speakers at the 20th annual dinner, Monday evening, of the Variety Club of Philadelphia, Tent 13, at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, in that city. The new crew, headed by Norman Silverman, Republic branch manager, was to be inducted. The evening also was to close the current welfare drive, funds from which go to the club’s principal charity, a camp for handicapped children. Industry Helps Scouts' "Dawn Patrol" Breakfast The annual Dawn Patrol Breakfast, signalling start of the New York Boy Scouts Fund Raising Campaign, was aided early Wednesday morning, as it has been in the past, by a large turnout from the industry. The breakfast was at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York. Among industry personalities scheduled for attendance at special tables sponsored by the campaign’s amusement divsion were Spyros Skouras, Harold Rinzler, Leon Bamberger, Richard Walsh. SDG Voting TV "Bests" Balloting Friday in Hollywood by members of the Screen Directors Guild was to determine the first annual award of that unit for best direction in television. Six directors and assistants were nominated. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 9, 1954