Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

( Continued from page 30) Scope equipment at the Tiffin theatre. . . . Jim Stewart of the Clark theatre visited in Chicago while on sick leave from Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. He will return to the hospital for a few more months, after which he expects to be discharged permanently to return to work. CINCINNATI CinemaScope is moving into the suburbans here, with “The Robe” currently being shown at the Hollywood, Twentieth Century, Valley and Westwood theatres. . . . The RKO Capitol is currently showing “M,” but persons under 18 years are not admitted. . . . The local Screen Classics branch has acquired distribution rights for “Little Fugitive” and “King of Kings,” it was announced by Edward B. Salzberg, Screen Classics manager. . . . Mr. Salzberg, chief barker of the Cincinnati Variety Club, Tent No. 3, together with Vance Schwartz, past chief barker and Rube Shor, the club’s dough guy, attended the installation of Robert Gump, as chief barker of the Dayton, Ohio, Variety Club. William Clegg, Dayton exhibitor, was host to the club’s members at the installation dinner. CLEVELAND J. Stuart Cangney thanked patrons leaving his Jewel theatre on a recent night of very bad weather and presented each with a pass to attend a future show with his compliments. Reaction was so favorable that he will inaugurate it as a regular policy on bad mid-week nights to build business on these nights. . . . Harry Callahan, manager of the Clinton theatre, Port Clinton, is back in the hospital with a second heart attack. . . . Peter Wellman, Girard theatre owner, is back home after six weeks in the Sewickly Valley Hospital with injuries sustained in an automobile accident. . . . Ben L. Ogron, Ohio Theatre Supply Co., has installed full Altec Motiograph CinemaScope equipment in the Belmont, Youngstown and Wellman, Girard. . . . Ten city-wide theatres playing “Kiss Me Kate” on 3-D and three are playing it on 2-D. . . . Girls of the Warner exchange staged a baby shower for bookers’ secretary Dreme Hoisinton, who is leaving this week, . . . Mother of Warner booker Norma Rose is in Doctors’ Hospital with a heart ailment. . . . Shea Chain, according to rumor, will build a drive-in on recently acquired property between New Philadelphia and Dover. . . . Dorothy Gaspar, Film Transit secretary, is vacationing in the west. COLUMBUS Local theatremen were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Michael J. Cullen, Loew’s western division manager, while vacationing in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Cullen, known to everyone as “Mike,” was Loew’s central division manager from 1938 to 1942 with headquarters in the Loew’s Broad building here. . . . Frank Marzetti has installed a new all-purpose panoramic screen in the Linden suburban. Marzetti said this is the first step in preparing for CinemaScope. Contracts have been let for stereophonic sound equipment. The Linden is the third local neighborhood to install a wide screen. Fred Rowland’s Livingston and Main are the other two. . . . Walter Kessler, manager of Loew’s Ohio, and Mrs. Kessler have just moved into their new house at TOP EXECUTIVE OF CIRCUIT AT 26 PORTLAND: Keith Petzold, 26-year-old theatre executive, has just been appointed general manager of the Jesse Jones Circuit with headquarters here. The young man has been in the motion picture business for nearly half of his life, working his way up from an usher's position. For the past three and a half years he has been manager of the J. J. Parker's ace Broadway theatre and publicity director for that important circuit. The Jones group of houses includes the Roseway and St. Johns theatres in Portland; Family drive-in at Tigard; and two in Sweet Home. Mr. Petzold has been extremely active in civic affairs and has made a name for himself among theatre people and along the Neon Canyon on Broadway. He took over his new duties with the Jones circuit January I. 154 S. Chesterfield Road, Eastmoor. . . . Charles Sugarman, in closing the Little, run under the donations policy since November, 1952, said that in recent months the plan had not been profitable. . . . “Knights of the Round Table” displayed box office strength in holding for a second week at Loew’s Ohio. This is the first CinemaScope feature to play the Ohio. DES MOINES Lippert Pictures, Inc., has closed its doors in Des Moines and Hollywood Pictures of Omaha has bought the franchise for this territory. Hal King, who took over management of the branch upon retirement of his father Julian several months ago, is now associated with a lumber concern. . . . Byron Shapiro, Columbia branch manager, escaped injury when he skidded into the ditch while on a trip out in the state. Roads were very slippery due to an ice storm. . . . Ann O’Connor Vernon, employee of several exchanges in Des Moines over a period of many years, died in Glendale, Cal., of a heart attack. . . . Mary Ellen Brown is the new contract clerk at RKO. . . . Jim Stone, RKO assistant shipper, has resigned to become assistant shipper at Paramount. . . . Dick DeVries and Charles Nielsen have taken over the operation of the Marland theatre at Marcus after purchasing the interests of Earl Wilson. . . . Three more houses in the state have installed new wide screens. They are : the Ritz at Correctionville ; the Northwood at Northwood and the Town at Waukon. . . . Paul F. Scholer has announced his resignation as manager of the Oelwein theatre at Oelwein effective March 1. Mr. Scholer who is a captain in the Iowa National Guard, will go to Fort Benning, Georgia, to take a four-month advanced officers training course. DETROIT “The Command” opened at the Michigan marking the first of the extensive United Detroit Theatres to operate on a CinemaScope installation. Other houses to get the Altec Sound Service treatment include the Fisher and Woods, de luxe second run theatres. Other plans are still formulating for the rest of the chain. . . . “The Actress” and “The Story of Three Loves” are playing the Coronet, marking a break from straight art films policy. . . . “Martin Luther” will definitely leave the Krim at the end of 12 weeks. . . . Ish-Ti-Opi, Choctaw Indian, was around to the papers before lecturing at the Palms in connection with “Taza Son of Cochise.” . . . Gene Autry was touring the papers in full uniform. . . . Five foot nine Howard Pearl of United Artists will escort five feet nine in stocking feet Beverly Michaels around town to meet people as promotion for the “Wicked Woman” opening. HARTFORD Yma Sumac, featured in Paramount’s “Legend of the Incas,” will headline a South American stage revue at the Bushnell Memorial, 3300-seat Hartford theatre, Feb. 11. . . . Irving Hillman, manager of the Sherman theatre, New Haven, has been named top man in the managers exploitation competition conducted by Stanley Warner Theatres’ New England Zone last November. Other winners: Murray B. Howard, Warner theatre, Worcester, Mass.; and Robert L. Howell, Port Theatre, Newburyport, Mass. . . . Truman Ferguson, manager of the Whitney theatre, Hamden, Conn., has been a New Haven hospital patient. . . . Robert Schwartz of the Park theatre, Thomaston, Conn., and family are back from a cruise. . . . Joe Mansfield of the UA exploitation staff, has returned to Boston from Hartford. . . . Paul Kessler, manager of the Suffolk theatre, Holyoke, Mass., has been promoted to manager of the 1,078-car Medford Glen drive-in, Medford, Mass., newlyacquired by Rifkin Theatres. Albert Desautels, manager of the company’s Majestic, Holyoke, moves to city manager, with Rena Joyal, formerly Majestic assistant, becoming house manager of the Suffolk, in the series of management changes. INDIANAPOLIS Variety Club committee chairmen for 1954 include Sam Caplan, membership; Marc Wolf, heart fund; Dale McFarland, entertainment ; Pete Peterson, house ; Claude McKean, golf and bowling. . . . McKean, motion picture chairman for Brotherhood Week, called an exhibitor-distributor meeting at the World War Memorial Auditorium Feb. 1. . . . Jack Meadows was elected president of the Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen ; Ray Thomas, vice-president ; Kenneth Dotterer, secretary, and J. Smith, treasurer. . . . Jesse Fine, Evansville exhibitor, is vacationing in Florida. . . . “The Moon Is Blue” is now in its 16th week at the Esquire. It’s a 550-seat house running nights only except on Saturday and Sunday. . . . Holdovers continue to dominate the downtown scene, with “Knights of the Round Table” in a fourth week at Loew’s and “King of the Ivhyber Rifles” in a second at the Indiana. Four pictures at first run theatres have played 11 weeks since Jan. 1. ( Continued on opposite page ) 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 6, 1954