Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

JACKSONVILLE Jimmy Langston, former assistant to John Crovo at the Arcade, is now George Krevo’s assistant at the Palace, replacing John Henry Mims. . . . Small nuisance fires on three successive days, apparently the work of an arsonist, have plagued the Florida theatre management. . . . Sheldon Mandell, manager of the first run St. Johns, has booked “The Command” to christen his new CinemaScope screen. . . . Cliff Hardin, Fox head booker, said his staff is very busy setting up February openings for Fox’s newest Florida-made feature, “Beneath the 12-Mile Reef,” in CinemaScope, which was filmed at Tarpon Springs. . . . L. D. Netter Jr., of New York, general sales manager of the Altec Service Corp., visited his father, Leon D. Netter Sr., president of Florida State Theatres, prior to a vacation trip to Miami. . . . New manager of the Lake theatre, Lakeland, is Richard Leonard, who replaced D. C. Hull. . . . M. A. Shaaber, Wil-Kin Theatre Supply technician, revealed that the Polk theatre, Lakeland, and the Florida theatre, Sarasota, will be equipped for CinemaScope in the near future. KANSAS CITY Committee chairmen named by the board of directors for the Motion Picture Association of Greater Kansas City are : Entertainment and activities, Woody Sherrill, chairman, and Ralph Amacher and Sid Levy, co-chairmen ; Membership, Ed Hartman, chairman, and Finton Jones and Russell Borg, co-chairmen ; Legislation, Richard Brous, chairman, and Dick Biechele, cochairman; Charity and welfare, Arthur Cole, chairman, and Howard Thomas and Vernon Skorey, co-chairmen ; Public relations, Senn Lawler, chairman, and Don Walker and Harold Lyon, co-chairmen. These will serve under the recently elected officers, Stanley Durwood, president. . . . The Vogue continues to have good attendance, in the sixth week of “Captain’s Paradise.” . . . “Julius Caesar” is in its third week at the Kimo. . . . The Heart and the Boulevard drive-ins continue weekend schedules, their managements have announced. LOS ANGELES Pat Harmon, Universal-International clerk, has been ailing at home. . . . The new manager of the Monterey theatre, Monterey Park, is A1 Williams. ... In town on business was “Red” Jacobs, franchise holder of Favorite Films in San Francisco and Los Angeles. . . . The El Miro and Majestic theatres have merged their interests, with the following officers heading the newly formed corporation : Sam Decker, pres. ; Reeves Espy, vice-pres. ; and sec-treas., Sam DeGroot. . . . Exhibitors Service has assumed the buying and booking for the Studio theatre, San Bernardino. . . . Ronald Orden is the new owner of the Temple, Glendale. . . . Ruth Doyle, 60, secretary to Charles P. Skouras, National Theatres prexy, passed on. With the circuit for 17 years, and prior to that a Film Board of Trade secretary, Miss Doyle succumbed at Queen of Angels Hospital after a heart attack. . . . After setting traps throughout his Peoria theatre, Peoria, A. L. Geyer succeeded in capturing a ring-tailed cat in the projection room. The animal, similar to a raccoon, had eluded capture for three weeks, and had consumed a quantity of candy bars, pop-corn and milk from a baby-bottle left behind by a theatre patron. MEMPHIS Two more CinemaScope installations are announced in major Memphis theatres. Loew’s Palace unfurled its first film on its new CinemaScope screen, “King of the Khyber Rifles.” Crosstown installed CinemaScope and will open with “The Robe” Feb. 12. . . . W. B. McFarland sold his Missouri theatre at Hornersville, Mo., to John Harper. . . . B. F. Jackson bought Honey and Regent theatres at Indianola, Miss., from Mrs. Pete Morris. . . . Manager Arthur Groom of Loew’s State announced a Feb. 25 world premiere of “Tennessee Champ” at the State. . . . Lloyd T. Binford, 88 year old chairmen of Memphis and Shelby County Censor Board, said he does not believe the Supreme Court’s recent decision against banning of two movies has any effect on state laws. . . . More than 200 employees of theatres and film exchanges gathered at Strand theatre to take part in the industry’s celebration of Brotherhood Week. Louis Ingram headed the distributors committee, Alton Sims the exhibitors and Dick Lightman the publicity campaign. MIAMI In his fifth annual report on Wometco’s TV station, WTVJ, president Mitchell Wolfson summarized the station’s many and varied programs which included those cooperating with civic, educational, religious and fraternal groups. These public service organizations were given free time which had a commercial value of $235,000. The televised Orange Bowl game reached a national audience estimated at 55,000,000. . . . Joe Hornstein reports his theatre supply company is installing CinemaScope equipment for the Flamingo, Miami Beach; Surf, West Palm Beach; Lee, Ft. Myers and the Strand in Key West. . . . Sympathy went to Wometco purchasing agent Frank Myers, on the recent death of his dad, Oscar William Myers. ... In the Florida State Theatres’ Manager’s Drive for 1953, honoring Louis J. Finske, the southeastern district came up with two winners. Fred Lee, manager of the Florida in Hollywood, took top billing with the first prize entitling him to an all expense paid trip for two, to Hollywood, California ! Robert Battin, manager of the Beach, Miami Beach, earned an all expense paid trip to Nassau or Cuba for coming in third. MINNEAPOLIS . The Terrace, Riverview and St. Louis Park, neighborhood and suburban houses, opened Feb. 3 with “The Robe” in CinemaScope and with stereophonic sound. Another neighborhood house, the Nile, is scheduled to open with “The Robe” next week. Previous to the Nile opening, the city will be blanketed with a mailing plugging the film and other CinemaScope pictures. . . . Ben Berger, retiring chief barker, will be honored by the Northwest Variety Club at a testimonial dinner at the Nicollet hotel Feb. 15. Sim Heller, new first assistant chief barker, is chairman of the arrangements committee. . . . Don Pyle is new assistant in the advertising-publicity department of Minnesota Amusement Co., replacing Bob Kaye, who resigned to become manager of the suburban Richfield. . . . John Krieps has closed the Time at Kenyon, Minn. — poor business. J. T. McBride, Paramount branch manager, was in Chicago for a meeting with Jim Donohue, division manager. . . . George Gould, operator of the Crystal at Glencoe, Minn., is back from a vacation in Florida. Baree Sampson is the new cashier at Republic. NEW ORLEANS T. M. Miller of the Elizabeth, Elizabeth, La., advised that effective Feb. 1 he resumed operations. The theatre has opened and closed off and on during the extended mill strike. . . . Winn theatre, Winfield, La., as advised by John Luster, general manager of W. W. Page Amusement Company, is closed temporarily. . . . The Marion, Marion, La., is closed for an indefinite period, advised owner John Doles. . . . Frank Glick asks all to disregard the notice of closing the Utica, Utica, Miss. He will continue to operate on Friday and Saturday but with only one change. . . . WOMPI’s reservation chairman, Ruth Toubman, issued notices that the February luncheon meet will be at Arnaud’s Restaurant, February 10. Father Digby will sit at the speaker’s table. . . . M. H. Brandon and son Gilbert, George Simpson and Morris Townsend, Transit, Inc., executives of Memphis, Tenn., were in town for Transway, Inc. annual meet. . . . The Webb, Cut Off, La., shuttered as advised by co-owner, J. Alarie on his round of calls. OKLAHOMA CITY “The Grand Concert” is being shown at the Frontier theatre this week as a special treat for their 5th Anniversary. . . . “Forever Female” is now in its third week at the Tower theatre. . . . Each Monday night both the Criterion and Harber theatres reduce their admission prices at 8:30 after the downtown stores close to 50c for adults and 20c for children. This provides ample time to see a complete show after Monday night shopping is finished. . . . The drive-in theatres here report a considerable slowdown in the past few weeks due to the extreme cold weather. . . . Barton theatres will open their Tinker, Bomber and “77” drive-in theatres Mar. 1. They have been closed for the winter. . . . “The Boy From Oklahoma” which opened Jan. 29 at the Midwest theatre here, will be shown at 62 theatres in Oklahoma and 6 theatres in Texas in February. OMAHA Bill Heath, salesman with Republic 10 years, has resigned. Also gone are Donna Nielsen, biller, and Joan Smith Weitl, cashier, who was married last week. . . . Ground clearing and leveling has started at Lynch for a quonset building which will house a new theatre, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Johnson announced, with the opening scheduled in June. The Johnsons for several years have ( Continued on following page) Tops in IN-CAR SPEAKERS! Super Chief 4" and Chief V/i" . For new or replacement. Baked enamel 2-tone finish matches rfiany existing drive-ins. Insulated volume control, weatherproof. firsi •American imc. 1717 Wyandotte St., Kansas City 8, Mo. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 6, 1954 33