Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

( Continued from opposite page ) . . . Marlene Wright has replaced Jane Breeden, resigned, as contract clerk at Warner Brothers. . . . Dean Brown, manager of the Lyric, reports his new policy of playing a hillbilly stage show in place of the second feature Sundays is paying off. JACKSONVILLE Fred Hull, Metro branch manager, together with Charlie Turner, salesman, and Tommy Harper, exploiteer, journeyed to Miami for the multiple first-run openings of "Easy To Love,” Esther Williams’ newest starring vehicle, filmed at Florida’s watery Cypress Gardens. . . . Sam Strathos, Jefferson theatre owner, Monticello, visited R. Cam Price, RKO branch manager. . . . Roy L. Bangs, new owner of the Florida theatre, Daytona Beach, called on Film Row for bookings. He formerly owned the Municipal theatre in Starke. . . . The resignation of Guy A. Kenimer, general manager, Florida State Theatres, was announced by Leon D. Netter, Sr., company president. Ending an active and distinguished career of 35 years in Florida show business, Mr. Kenimer “will continue to be available in an advisory capacity.” . . . Frank Bell, district manager in St. Petersburg for Florida State Theatres, was here on business. James L. Cartwight, FST district manager in Daytona Beach, was another visitor on Film Row. . . . Herbert Roller, manager, Ritz theatre, Sanford, was seen about town. KANSAS CITY Stanley Durwood, general manager of Durwood Theatres, was elected president of the Motion Picture Association of Greater Kansas City, at the board meeting January 11. Louis Patz, division manager, National Screen, was elected first vice-president ; Robert Shelton, general manager of Commonwealth Theatres, second vice-president. Reelected were William Gaddoni, MGM branch manager, secretary, and Ed Hartman, buying and booking agency owner, treasurer. . . . Elmer C. Rhoden, Jr., for several years film buyer for Commonwealth Theatres, has been given the newly created position of publicity and public relations director with the theatres. Lloyd Morris, long-time Commonwealther, for several years manager of the western division of the circuit, becomes film buyer. . . . “Knights of the Round Table” is in its fourth week at the Midland — and near an all-time record for this theatre. . . . Harold Lyon, manager of the Paramount went to Des Moines for a Tri-State meeting — the Kansas City Paramount is a Tri-State theatre. . . . “Julius Caesar” started at the Kirno January 15. . . . “Captain's Paradise” continues at the Vogue. . . . Two drive-ins continue, weekends— the Boulevard and the Heart, both at the edge of Greater Kansas City — east and west. LOS ANGELES The father of Bill Little, manager of the Examiner Theatre Directory, passed on. . . . Bob Benton, Sero Enterprises, back from a trip to San Francisco. . . . Jack Goldman of the Aero, Santa Monica, and his wife were in Palm Springs enjoying the desert sun. . . . Sid Linden, Rosener Theatres, was on the Row. . . . Harry Kramer, Film Row news vendor for many years, died. . . . The Allied Artists branch has under-gone a cleaning and painting job to start off the new year. . . . Jim Hollis, booker for the Western Amusement Co., was nursing injuries sustained in a traffic accident at Hollywood and Vine. . . . Southland visitors included Ben Stein, owner of the Rockne theatre in Chicago, and Leo Miner of the Miner Amusement Co., of Wisconsin. . . . Phyllis Weeks, Warner Bros, biller, returned to her desk after being ill with the virus infection. . . . The Film Row Club Board of Directors met in the Variety Club Rooms to plan a slate of new officers for the new term. . . . George Tripp, Warner Bros, salesman, off to San Diego on a business jaunt. MEMPHIS Construction work will start immediately on the Variety Club’s Home for Convalescent Children in Memphis, M. H. Brandon, Sr., president of Memphis Variety, announced. The club and Children’s Heart Association, has $62,000 on hand, $16,000 in pledges for the work. The one-story, 20-bed hospital for young rheumatic fever patients will be in operation by early summer. . . . M. A. Lightman, Sr., will be president of the new home. . . . “Miss Sadie Thompson,” banned in Memphis by censors, is enjoying good crowds at Avon theatre and Sunset drive-in, both just across the Mississippi river from Memphis, in Arkansas. The picture opened there last week-end for simultaneous runs. The mayor of West Memphis welcomed the picture to town. Memphis newspapers reviewed it as they do all Memphis first runs. Memphis newspapers advertised it extensively and good business followed. . . . The picture had originally been booked at Malco in Memphis before it was banned. Malco Theatres, Inc., own Avon in West Memphis. MIAMI The death, on the eve of her 93d birthday of Mrs. Emma Meyer, brought the community’s sympathy to her son, Sidney Meyer, co-owner of Wometco and WTVJ. The family requested memoriam contributions to charity in place of floral offerings. Pall hearers were Mitchell Wolfson, Sonny Shepherd, Stanley Stern, Mayer Spencer, O. Phillip Wolfson and Frank Rubel. . . . Ralph Puckhaber, manager of the Florida, where a fire of undetermined origin felled three firemen, had high praise for his staff and the fire department. The alacrity of his assistant, David Payne, and staff in reporting the blaze and the use of fire department auxiliary exhaust equipment, in removing the dense smoke, kept all but a few of the patrons unaware of the fire. As the theatre is • on the main thoroughfare, a crowd of about 3000 gathered in the street during the excitement. . . . The Lord Tarleton Hotel was almost an annex of Hollywood recently, when the VIP’s, in town for the world premiere of “The Glenn Miller Story,” stopped there. MILWAUKEE The Oriental and Tower, owned by the Orto Theatres, are installing CinemaScope. Their booths will be completely reinstalled with the new equipment leaving nothing left of the old equipment. “The Robe” is booked for their first CinemaScope picture. . . . The Avalon and Fox Bay theatres are also installing CinemaScope, as are the Garfield, Majestic, Uptown and Paradise theatres. These eight neighborhood houses are the first to put in CinemaScope here. All eight were to play “The Robe” January 22. . . . F. J. McWilliams, Portage, left for his winter vacation in Florida in December. . . . Jack Lorentz is recuperating nicely after minor surgery. . . . Larry Seidelman, salesman at Republic Pictures here, has been promoted to branch manager in Omaha. . . . Oliver Trampe visited Iron Mountain, Mich., this week at the Martin Thomas Theatres. MINNEAPOLIS Herbert Blass, former salesman in southern Minnesota for Warners, has been promoted to Warner branch manager in Des Moines. . . . Mayme Navratil, operator of the theatre at New Effington, S. D., is closing the house for the month of February and will vacation in California. . . . The benefit telecast for cerebral palsy at the State theatre, originally scheduled for Feb. 13, has been postponed until March 6. . . . Sidney Deneau, home office representative, conducted a Paramount branch sales meeting. Harold Stevens, Paramount branch manager in Chicago, represented Jim Donohue, Central division manager, at the meeting. Future releases and general sales policies were discussed. . . . CinemaScope equipment and stereophonic sound have been installed in the Star at Jamestown, N. D. operated by Burr Cline, and the Dakota at Bismarck, N. I)., operated by the Welworth circuit. . . . Police are investigating a break-in at the Rochester drive-in, Rochester, Minn., believed to have been committed by juveniles. NEW ORLEANS Rev. Father Digby will be the guest speaker at the WOMPI’s February luncheon meet, advised the recently named publicity chairman, Abby M. Coguenham. . . . Floyd Murphy, owner of the Strand, Vicksburg, said they expect to resume operations in about 30 days. The damages by the tornado were not as bad as first believed. The walls weren’t affected. However, debris from other buildings plummeted through the roof in many places. . . . A. L. Royal’s Royal, Meridian, Miss., is being equipped for CinemaScope. The initial presentation will be "The Robe” Feb. 10. Tri-State of Memphis handled the sales. . . . Lucas Conner, Warner manager, was appointed regional chairman of “Brotherhood Week” Fund division. C. J. Briant, MGM, branch manager, was elected president of the Community Chest at a recent local Chest board meeting. . . . Rod Armand, Hollywood producer, was here to confer with Joy N. Houck, president Joy’s Theatres. Howco Productions and Western Adventure Pictures, Inc. . . . Claude Bourgeois, U. A. salesman, is back in swing again after two weeks’ spinal ailment. OKLAHOMA CITY “The Robe” is now in the third week at the Vaska theatre, in Lawton, Oklahoma. . . . The Lakeside theatre, a suburban theatre in Oklahoma City, has installed a new CinemaScope screen. . . . The Plaza theatre is now showing "Hamlet.” Regular admission price is 75 cents, with special discounts for students. . . . “King of the Khyber Rifles” starts Saturday at the Criterion theatre. . . . Morris Loewenstein, president of Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, spokesman for Oklahoma movie exhibitors, thinks State Rep. Glen C. Collins’ suggestion for state cen( Continued on following page ) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 23, 1954 29