Motion Picture Herald (1954)

QUIGLEY AWARD TO DOCTOR AT FAMOUS PLAYERS DINNER Charles E. Doctor, left, receives his plaque from John J. Fitzgibbons at Famous Players dinner held in Vancouver for Quigley Award winner and 25-Year Club members. RKO Circuit May Drop A. it Units in West The first phase of a possible eventual liquidation of all RKO Theatres operations west of the Mississippi was reportedly in an advanced stage, with Sol Schwartz, president, conferring with prospective buyers. It was reported that Mr. Schwartz, on a swing of the Western operations, would discuss bids for the properties, about 17 in number in seven Western states. Proposals will be taken to Albert List, RKO Theatres board chairman in New York, for further study and possible eventual submission to the company’s board of directors. Company officials indicated that all offers will be weighed by management for the information they could provide on the current liquidation value of the properties. It was implied that any preponderance of acceptable offers could speed up the liquidating process, whereas any considerable number of proposals deemed by management to be out of line with their ideas of the true values of the properties concerned could have exactly the opposite effect. The properties west of the Mississippi include the local Orpheum, and houses in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, Marshalltown, Sioux City and Waterloo, la.; the Hillstreet and Pantages, Los Angeles; Golden Gate, San Francisco; Brandeis, Omaha ; Missouri, Kansas City, and the Minneapolis, St. Paul and New Orleans houses. Disposition of all the properties would reduce RKO. Theatres to about 70 theatres, half of which are in New York City and suburbs and the remainder in Ohio, New Jeisey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Rhode Island and District of Columbia. Pi ior to divorcement the circuit numbered well over 100. Jacon Will Tour IFE District Offices Bernard Jacon, I.F.E. Releasing Corp. sales vice-president, departed on a 14-week nationwide tour of all the company’s district offices Monday. The trip, which comes at the midway point in the Bernard Jacon testimonial sales drive, will permit him to meet with members of the I.F.E. sales organization as well as key exhibitors. Manitoba Exhibitors Plan Rally on Amusement Tax The Manitoba Motion Picture Exhibitors Association is calling all theatre owners of the province to a big anti-amusement tax rally in Winnipeg the morning of November 1. Ben Somers, owner of the State theatre, Winnipeg, has announced that the exhibitors will meet at the Marlborough Hotel and then march together to the office VANCOUVER, B. C.: Charles E. Doctor was presented the Quigley Grand Award at the Hotel Vancouver here September 20 at the 25-Year Club dinner, in the presence of his fellow managers, Famous Players executives and industry representatives. J. J. Fitzgibbons, managing director of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Ltd., presented the plaque to Mr. Doctor. Present also to honor Mr. Doctor, who won the Grand Award for the second time, were R. W. Bolstad, vice-president of Famous Players; Robert Eves, western division general manager; Ben Geldsaler, chief booker and buyer; Frank Gow and Maynard Joiner, British Columbia supervisors; James R. Nairn, director of advertising and public relations, and Ivan Ackery of the Orpheum theatre, Vancouver. of Ronald D. Turner, Provincial Treasurer, to argue for the elimination of the amusement tax on all tickets costing 50 cents and under. The association will be host at luncheon for the exhibitors afterward and at a trade screening of Paramount’s “White Christmas’’ in the afternoon. Open New U.A. Branch PHILADELPHIA : Formal opening was held this week of the new United Artists branch office at 1322 Vine Street. The new fireproof and air conditioned structure is in the center of Film Row, containing 3,348 square feet of floor space. It will house the offices of John Turner, eastern district manager, Mort Magill, Philadelphia branch manager, and representative Max Miller, mideastern exploitation, and their staffs. In making the presentation, Mr. Fitzgibbons said: "Once again you have brought great honor to our company and yourself and we bask in the reflected glory of you and your colleague, Ivan Ackery, as two-time winners of this award. You are an inspiration to our other managers." Mr. Nairn, before calling on Mr. Fitzgibbons to present the award, said: "We fake particular pride in the fact that every time this Award has come to Canada it has been won by a Famous Players' manager. . . "Martin Quigley," he continued, "has rendered a great service to our industry by establishing the annual Quigley Awards. No theatre manager can win greater honor than being named winner of the Quigley plaque." New Type Lens Will Be Marketed in U. S. A new type of anamorphic lens, known as Delrama, and developed in Holland, will be marketed in this country shortly, it was reported in New York last week following a series of private demonstrations for technical people. The lens is said to be not variable and is designed to show pictures in any aspect ratio of 2.55 to 1. It is neither cylindrical nor prismatic, but has its basis on a two-quartz fused reflector surface. Cost of the lens is reported to be less than those currently on the market. Distribution channels are now being negotiated and an announcement is expected to be made shortly regarding sales outlet. Only a “tool room” model is in this country now. The lens was invented by a Doctor Bauer of Holland. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 16, 1954 29