Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1952)

ALBANY “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’’ was moved from “A” houses to “B,” in Albany, Kingston and several other cities where circuits operate two theatres. . . . Harry Lamont reopened the Vail Mills drive-in, after two postponements caused by rainy weather. Most of the drive-ins are now operating. . . . The 1952 premiere of Fred Kleemeir’s Starlight, Watertown, was delayed because it suffered a screen blowdown recently. . . . Lewis A. Sumberg, counsel for Albany TOA unit, hailed the modifying amendment on new drive-in screens which the State Board of Standards and Appeals wrote into the proposed revisions for the places of public assembly code. The original section would have banned drive-in screens, on future construction, if they were “visible” from a highway. . . . Martin Moscowitz, Twentieth Century-Fox district manager, and Lou J. Kaufman, Warner Theatres home office booker, huddled with Charles A. Smakwitz, Warner zone manager, Lawrence Lapidus, buyerbooker in the zone office, and Nat Rosen, Fox manager. . . . George Snyder, manager of Schine’s Strand, Carthage, arranged the appearance of the “Movietime U. S. A.” unit at ground breaking ceremonies for a twinvillages swimming pool in Carthage and for a reception by the local Chamber of Commerce. ATLANTA The Roxy theatre, St. Petersburg, Fla., has changed partnership again, this time at a sale price of $125,000. The buyer is W. R. Parsley. . . . The Marshall drive-in, Guntersville, Ala., has opened for the season. . . . George Krevo appointed as manager of the Empire theatre, Daytona Beach, Fla. He succeeds H. M. Addison. . . . George J. Wilson is the new owner of the Iona theatre, Wewahitchka, Fla. . . . On the row were W. W. Fincher, Chattanooga, Tenn. ; Jimmy Aaron, Anniston, Ala. ; Dave Hamilton and son Mack, Fort Payne. Ala. ; Dick Kennedy, Milt Moore, Jacksonville, Fla.; Sidney Laird and L. J. Duncan, West Point, Ga. ; A. L. Bishop, Columbus, Ga. ; and R. H. Brannon, from Dahlonega, Ga. . . . Jimmy Bellows, former manager Strand theatre, Birmingham, Ala., has resigned. He has been replaced by Arlie Miller, former usher at the Melba. . . . Lester M. Neely, Jr., of the Neely theatres in Alabama, is a candidate for the Perry County Board of Education in the May 6 primary. . . . R. C. Saunders of Charlotte, N. C., and J. N. Wallace are the new owners of the 260-car drive-in, Columbus, Ga. BALTIMORE Mrs. Robert Gruver, wife of the New Glen theatre owner, is in St. Agnes Hospital. . . . Mike Leventhal, Lord Baltimore theatre, and Charles Denma, Apex theatre, seen along film row. Leon Back, president, presided over the first meeting of the new officers of the Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Maryland. . . . George Rommel has resigned from the Belnord theatre as manager after 19 years. He has been replacetl by Thomas Rosen who moves over from the Northway. Andrew Ruppold has been transferred from the Linwood to the Northway and William Liebig, assistant manager at the Patterson, has been promoted to the managership of the Linwood. All are Durkee theatres. ... Joe Basson, lATSE representative, attended a meeting between officers of Local 181 and some members of the defunct Independent projectionists union Local 1. . . . Bill Allen, Towson and Belair theatres, an exhibitor for many years, died suddenly of a heart attack. . . . Alan Holdcraft has resigned as manager of the Little theatre to become manager of the Del-Mar drive-in. . . . John Grauling, projectionist at the New Glen theatre, has been released from the hospital. . . . William Whitmore, projectionist, Plaza theatre, is in Mercy Hospital with a stomach ailment. . . . Prank Hornig, owner of the Horn theatre, is back from Virginia. . . . Rodney Collier, delegate, Lauritz Garman, Chief Barker Barry Goldman and past Chief Barker Bill Myers are flying to the Variety Club convention in Las V egas. BOSTON Herbert Philbrick, former secret agent for the FBI, spoke at a Sunday breakfast at Temple Emeth, South Brookline, at the request of Stanton Davis, RKO booker, his former business friend. . . . Backed by a strong campaign, the Pilgrim theatre. Hag WHEN AND WHERE April 28-May I: Variety International convention, Las Vegas, Kiev. May I, 2: Annual convention, North Central Allied Independent Theatre Owners, Nicollet Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn. May 3, 4: Meeting, Board of Directors, Allied States Association, Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colo. May 6, 7: Convention, Allied Rocky Mountain Independent Theatres, Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colo. May 8-10: “Seeing Is Believing," MGM project to fly some 100 exhibitors to Hollywood to view coming product and study merchandising. May 19-21: Annual convention. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, Hotel Hollenden, Oleveland, O. May 19-21: Oonvention, Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Marion Hotel, Little Rock, Ark. May 28. 29: Annual convention, Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners, Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky. ship of the American Theatres chain, broke a Sunday record on Easter Sunday with “My Six Convicts.” . . . Singer Johnny Ray has been booked for one week at the Metropolitan theatre for a stage appearance starting Friday, July 18. . . . On May first Ralpli Banghart RKO publicist here, will exchange places with Hugh McKenzie in Philadelphia. . . . Theatre Equipment Dealers Association have sent letters of commendation to Joe Cifre and to Kenneth Douglass of Capitol Theatre Supply for their excellent work in collecting copper drippings. Both men, official depot centers for the scarce material, have been pleading with all theatres in this area to return to them their left-over drippings for the Government. . . . Nick Russo is handling the local publicity for “Never Take No for an Answer,” the Souvaine film now playing the Majestic theatre. BUFFALO The Movietime U. S. A. Hollywood personality unit to visit Buffalo will include Vera-Ellen, Sally Eorrest, Sterling Hayden, Richard Carlson, William Demarest and Manny Seff, according to an announcement by George H. Mackenna, manager, Basil’s Lafayette and co-chairman with William Dipson of the Movietime, U. S. A. campaign here. The stars will arrive April 27, visit Niagara Falls and Batavia on Monday and be in Buffalo Tuesday with an Ad Club appearance as the highlight of the day. William Brereton is chairman of the publicity committee. . . . Mark L. Sanders has reopened the Starlite drive-in near Seneca Falls. . . . Murray Briskin has re-opened the Riviera in Syracuse. . . . The Embassy-Vernon corporation of New York has taken a 21 -year lease on the Astor, Syracuse, involving about $1,000,000 Harry Brandt, president of the operating company, executed the lease on the house which has just re-opened. . . . The North, Kallet and DeWitt drive-ins have opened in the Syracuse area. . . . Rudolph Valentino in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” was shown on the Dryden theatre screen, in George Eastman House, Rochester. . . . With four hold-overs downtown, the Paramount really got a break for “With a Song In My Heart,” which did great business. CHICAGO “Singin’ In the Rain” is reported to have turned in a first-week gross of $25,000 at Eitel’s Palace as the opening attraction under the owner-management of Otto K. Eitel, considerably above the house average. . . . Gus Coston took over the Castle Theatre, Bloomington, 111., from B, & K. . . . National Screen is preparing "How Science Serves You,” latest Chesterfield short, for local release. . . . The Homewood, Homewood, 111., managed by Ray Harrington, and Sam Meyers’ suburban houses — the Glencoe, Stadium, and Teatro Del Lago — have joined (Continued on opposite page) 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. APRIL 26. 1952