Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1955)

{Continued from prccedi)ig page) division. . . . Miles North High drive-in has started a weekly series of autiience participation radio programs broadcast over W’RFD each Friday with Fred Gage as master of ceremonies. Prizes are awarded in the programs. . . . Majority of those who answered Norman Nadel’s query about double feature bills in tbe Columbus Citizen, favored single bills. . . . Robert Wile, secretary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, announced the following new members of the association: Airs. Russell Alitchell. Jefferson, Jeffersonville and Air. and Airs. Paul Orebaugh, Avon, New A’ienna. . . . Samuel T. Wilson. Dispatch theatre editor, is in New York until June 23 catching Broadway shows. . . . Robert ^^'ile has scheduled talks before the following service clubs: June 23, Kiwanis Club, Bucyrus; June 27, Lions Club of Dillonvale; July 6, Exchange Club of Cincinnati and July 13, Exchange Club of Ashtabula. DENVER Paul Lyday, publicity director for Eox Intermountain Theatres, went to the coast on lengthy assignment, his spot in Denver being filled by Alberta Pike. . . . Prank Jenkins, Metro publicity man, to Santa Pe for Aletro workshop. . . . George (Scotty) Allan, North Platte, Neb., theatre man, to Santa Ee for Aletro workshop, then to Salt Lake city for golf before returning home. . . . Air. and Airs. Ted Knox, Denver, and Mr. and Airs. Pay Gardner, Curtis, Neb., to western Colorado on fishing trip. . . . Paul Campbell resigns as manager of Know drive-in, Durango, Colo., then goes to a theatre job in Texas. Elsie Knox is managing until son Rod can take over. . . . The Knox conventional theatre, Durango, Colo., closed for remodeling and adding of CinemaScope. . . . Robert Walker, Pruita, Colo., returned from St. Louis where he was on the panel of the Aletro workshop. . . . Geo. Weltner, Paramount president, and Hugh Owen, western sales manager, and H. Neal East, western division manager, were in for a day. . . . Local WOAIPI to be organized at luncheon at Brown Palace June 25, with Grace Folson, Dallas, Tex., national extension chairman, to be present. Election of officers and board. All women actively working in the industry invited to join. DES MOINES Mrs. Vera Greene, who has been operating the State theatre in Hedrick, has closed the house. She said decreasing receipts was the reason for her decision to shutter. Future plans for the theatre are indefinite. . . . Harry Hiersteiner, 67, owner of the Familv theatre in Des Moines for many years, died at low’a Alethodist Hospital. He had been hospitalized since becoming ill in Alarch at Miami Beach, Fla. . . . The Vogue at Remsen has narrowed its showings to four nights a week for the summer. The house is open on Sunday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. . . . Ralph Pratt, of Washington, la., who operated the Fox anti State theatres there with his brother, Clyde, is dead. Air. Pratt died in a St. Louis, AIo., hospital, where he had been a patient since suffering a heart attack several days before. The Pratt brothers had operated the Fox since 1914 and the State since 1931. Ralph Pratt is survived by his widow and one daughter. . . . Mrs. Anaceta Anderson has sold her MACKENNA HEADS BUFFALO ASSOCIATION BUFFALO: For the first time in its long history, the Buffalo Main Street Association has selected a theatre man as its president. At the meeting of the board of directors June 1 5, George H. Mackenna, managing director of Basil's Lafayette, was named to the post. The organization includes in its membership most of Buffalo's top business executives. Mr. Mackenna recently signed a new long term contract with Basil Enterprises, Inc., which will continue him until i960 as managing director of the Lafayette, Basil circuit flagship. He has been associated with the circuit since 1943. He was appointed manager of the Lafayette in 1930 by the late A. C. Hayman. He came to Buffalo at that time from the management of the Victory in Salt Lake City and prior to that had managed the Strand, Cataract and Bellevue theatres in Niagara Falls. Mr. Mackenna has been In exhibition for 40 years. In company with Constantine J. Basil, president of the Basil circuit, he recently returned from a tour of the coast studios. interest in the King theatre at Ida Grove to Robert Fridley of Des Aloines. Jerry Crawford of Des Aloines has been named manager. . . . Pleas from residents of Exira have caused Mr. and Airs. C. A. Tuey to reconsider their plans to close the Exira theatre there. They will keep the house open as long as business warrants. . . . .A1 Ungerman, Universal booker, is on vacation. DETROIT Opening of the Eord Tractor Research Center in Birmingham, Michigan brought need for a hall for meetings in the small suburb of Detroit. United Detroit Theatres’ Birmingham theatre was closed two days and rented to Eord Tractor for the meetings. . . . Alembers of the Swiss Society of Detroit, The Swiss Ladies’ Eederation and the Erench Swiss Club attended a “Swiss Night’’ at the Alusic Hall for “Cinerama Holiday.’’ . . . Oscar Doob, retiring from Loew’s in New York, is remembered here as the former head of the King Circuit. . . . Advance push brings Eess Parker to the marquee of Hudson’s department store. Parker will be a day ahead of the annual showing of the World’s largest flag. . . . Henry Carley, a Butterfield partner, is taking on the Starlight drive-in, Holland. . . . The Astor was closed by Mitchell Victor and the Arcade is being closed by Louis Spann, Jr. . . . WJRT, Elint’s new TV station, has finished negotiations with lATSE. . . . The Pavillion in Saugatuck is joining Cooperative bookings. . . . Ron Cook has taken over publicity chores for Warner Bros. HARTFORD Superior Court Judge James C. Shannon will hold a hearing June 24 on his appointment of Atty. Michael Radin as temporary receiver for the Turnpike Theatre Corp., operators of the Pike drive-in, Newington, Conn. . . . Nick Brickates, Connecticut district manager, Stanley Warner Theatres, and Airs. Brickates are marking their 11th wedding anniversary. . . . John Petroski of the Garde theatre. New London, Conn., and Airs. Petroski have returned to that city from a New England vacation. . . . Airs. Alarjorie Alineau has been named manager of the Plainfield theatre, Plainfield, Conn. . . . William Hobach has joined the booking department at the Warner Bros. Connecticut exchange. ... A Berlin (Conn.) resident, Howard AI. Culver, has started action in the Court of Common Pleas appealing from a Berlin Zoning Commission decision authorizing construction of a drive-in theatre in that community by George LeWitt, New Britain, Conn., theatre owner. INDIANAPOLIS Jerry Allen has resigned as AIGAI field representative here. J. E. Watson will double between here and Cincinnati again. . . . Claude AIcKean and Barney Brager are the committee for the Variety Club’s golf tournament at Broadmoor July 25. . . . J. E. Caprous will build a drive-in theatre at the intersection of US 6 and Ind. 49 near Valparaiso. . . . Abe Baker is now buying and booking for the Westlake drive-in here. . . . Ken Dotterel', 20th-Eox salesman, is vacationing in New Orleans. ... Ted Parvu has closed the Virginia at Terre Haute. . . . Joe Cantor has dropped Saturday matinees at his art film house, the Esquire, for the summer. . . . \AYt, unseasonably cola weather gave the indoor theatres here a boost the past week. JACKSONVILLE H. M. “Addy” Addison, Jr., UA exploiteer, was back in town after journeying to Rome, Zurich and London on promotional assignments. . . . Distributors here included Jack Slafer of Dallas, in connection with “Gangbusters” bookings ; John Jarvis, IFE, and Byron Adams, UA, both of Atlanta. . . . Exhibitors in were Harry Gordon, Carver theatre, Orlando ; William Lee, Community drive-in, Keystone Heights ; George Stonaris, Dreka theatre, DeLand ; and Roy Bang. Elorida theatre, St. Augustine. . . . Pete Hillman, Elorida State Theatres booker, left with his family for a vacation with relatives in New York State. . . . Pat Tufano, UA head booker and a daughter of Carmine Tufano, former manager of the Imperial, was on a honeymoon in the British West Indies with her husband, L. C. Thomas, after a formal church wedding here. . . . Carol AIcCutcheon, EST staffer, vacationed at Daytona Beach. . . . Harry Clarke. EST accessories manager, left for a Georgia encampment of the Air National Guard. KANSAS CITY The Hillcrest drive-in, hit by the severe storm that approached Kansas City and did severe damage farther away in Kansas and Missouri, is closed for repairs. . . . “Davy Crockett, Indian Scout.’’ shown day-and-date at four drive-ins, was held over at the (Continued on opposite page) 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JUNE 18. 1955