Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

ALBANY Freezing weather and heavy snow adversely affected grosses in the northern New York zone and in the more immediate Albany area. However, there were exceptions. The Strand, for instance, did surprising business with “His Majesty O’Keefe,’’ after enjoying such a big week with "Hondo” that the 3-D release was moved to the Ritz. . . . There are now 22 CinemaScope installations in the exchange territory. . . . Fabian, which equipped one house each in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, may add the Cohoes in Cohoes to the list. Total for that circuit is approximately 18. . . . The chain's Grand in Albany is to have a new wide screen. . . . Visitors included: Martin Moskowitz, Empire State division manager for 20th Century-Fox; Louis W. Schine, Schine Circuit; Gus Lampe and William Graham, Schine Hotels; Sid Kulick, Bell Film Exchange, New York. . . . Unfavorable weather held the attendance to approximately 1450 for the two nights of the Eastern Intersectional AAU boxing championships, but the V ariety Club made a profit for its Camp Thacher. ATLANTA Jim Wilbanks, formerly with major exchanges in Atlanta, was in for a visit with friends. . . . Jack Lancaster, son of Mrs. Rose Lancaster, Astor Pictures, is back home after four years in the Marine Corps in Florida. . . . It’s a happy birthday to President Arthur C. Bromberg of Monogram Southern Exchanges. . . . Jack Covel, president, Crown Pictures, Hollywood, was in for a visit with President Ed Stevens, Stevens Pictures. . . . R. G. Kranze, United Artists general manager, is back in the home office after a vacation spent in Florida. . . . The Varsity drive-in, Tuscaloosa, Ala., will only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday until spring. . . . Walter Morris, theatre owner, Knoxville, Tenn., is back there after spending a vacation in Charlotte, N. C., where he was formerly manager of the Broadway theatre. . . . Wallace Smith, former manager of the Brookhaven theatre, Brookhaven, Ga., was in with friends. . . . Sam and Morris Gaspin have purchased several lots in Savannah, Ga., for a new drive-in. BOSTON Despite the worst snowstorm of the season, with drifts piled high on the city streets, “His Majesty O’Keefe,” playing the only new first run program downtown, did a fabulous business at the twin Paramount and Fenway theatres. It played two weeks. . . . Joan Fontaine and her husband Collier Young, star and producer, respectively, of “The Bigamist,” arrived in town for press and radio interviews. The film opened January 22 at the Paramount and Fenway theatres. . . . Harold Wiesenthal of Arlan Pictures made a rush visit from New York to huddle with his New England representative, Joe Levine, of Embassy Pictures. . . . The Boston Globe is sponsoring its own promotion on “Hamlet,” set for a return engagement at the Kenmore theatre. The daily paper has set up a screening for 450 high school editors in Greater Boston and is offering cash prizes for the best reviews of the film. BUFFALO Welden Waters has been transferred from the Wheeling, W. Va. office of the Dipson Theatres circuit to the home office in Batavia, N. Y. to assist in buying and booking. . . . Richard T. Kemper, zone manager, Dipson Theatres and resident manager, Erlanger, Buffalo, has been elected vicecommodore of the Buffalo Launch Club. . . . The FCC has refused to let WBUF-TV intervene in hearings on proposed assignment of Channel 2 in Buffalo. WBUF-TV had claimed that it faced serious economic harm from early action on Channel 2. . . . In spite of the fact that both are over 20 years old, the dual bill at the Paramount — “Public Enemy” and “Little Caesar” — attracted the first long line at the box office in many, WHEN AMD WHERE January 27: Mid-winter convention and board meeting, Virginia Motion Picture Theatre Association, Jefferson Hotel, Richmond. February 2-4: National Allied Drive-in Theatre Association convention, NetherlandsPlaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio February 2-4: Annual meeting, Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, NetherlandsPlaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 5-6: National Allied board meeting, Netherlands-Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. March 9-10: Annual convention, Allied Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, Biltmore Hotel, Oklahoma City. 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, Statler Hotel, Washington, D. C. June 15-16: Annual spring meeting, Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, South Shore Hotel, Lake Wawasee, Ind. many moons — on opening day and continued to do outstanding business all week. . . . The next CinemaScope attraction in the Buffalo Center will be “The Command,” the first WB production in the new projection process. . . . Sylvania Electric Products, Inc., intends to place a sampling of color television sets produced in Buffalo in the hands of distributors by March. . . . George Jessel made a big hit as MC at the annual March of Dimes sports dinner in the Hotel Statler the other evening. CHICAGO Tom Sullivan, executive vice-president of the International Popcorn Association, became the father of his fifth child, and fourth girl, last week. . . . Van A. Nomikos, Chicago exhibitor and vice-president of Allied Theatres of Illinois, will act as chairman of the Panegyous, a Greek celebration, at the Civic Opera House Jan. 26. The event is sponsored by Queen Frederika of Greece. . . . Ben Levy, formerly on the staff at Eitel’s Palace, has moved to the B. & K. State Lake. . . . Charles H. Percy, Bell and Howell vice-president, has been chosen state chairman of Brotherhood Week under the auspices of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. . . . Chicago will be the hub of motion picture publicity and public relations during the next few weeks, with James Stewart, Guy Madison, and other film personalities here to plug their latest pictures. CINCINNATI First run showings continue to be the rule in the local suburbans, with MGM’s “Julius Caesar” in its third consecutive week at the Hyde Park Art theatre, operated by Vance Schwartz of Distinctive Theatres, Inc. On occasion, some of the newspaper advertising by suburban theatres equals, if not exceeds, the display lineage used by the first runs. . . . Eugene Tunick, until recently operating the Tunick Releasing Co. and formerly manager for the Lippert and other branches, has given up the motion picture industry and now is associated with a local travel service organization. . . . Charles Bower, manager of the Chakeres Fairbanks, in Springfield, Ohio, has been named assistant to Jack Frazer, manager of the Gloria theatre, in Urbana, Ohio, a Chakeres unit. Perry Shinas, of the Fairbanks, has been appointed manager of that house to fill the vacancy caused by the transfer. . . . M. K. Murphy, of Cumberland, Ky., has taken over the operation of the Corlee theatre there, formerly operated by L. P. Corder, who will continue with the Cumberland Drive-in theatre. CLEVELAND Irwin Pollard, Republic branch manager here the past five years, has resigned and is succeeded by Jules Livingston, former {Continued on following page ) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 23, 1954 27