Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

^Jhe ijatlonai SpotiiaLt Albany Unfavorable weather and accompanying poor attendance are hastening weekend operation at drive-ins and may bring an earlier closing by some. . . . Future TOA conventions should be held in hotels “where everything and everyone are under one roof,” commented Harry Lamont upon his return from the assemblage at the Coliseum in New York. . . . Howard Goldstein is back selling for 20th-Fox, succeeding Alvin Kosoff, who resigned. With RKO for years, first as booker and then salesman, Goldstein had recently been supervisor of Jules Perlmutter’s theatres. . . . Ben Smith, onetime branch manager for old BritishGaumont and former salesman here with other companies renewed friendships during a visit from St. John N. B. . . . Callers included: Jim Tobin Stanley Warner district manager; Bill Shirley, ex-Schenectady theatre operator and now an exploiteer; A1 La Flamme, Unadilla drive-in. . . . Warren Schermerhorn is now assistant booker for Columbia. Atlanta The Florida theatre, Sarasota, Fla., is being remodeled. New seats will be installed in the balcony and loge and new restrooms will be put on the first floor. . . . E. D. Strange, Jewell theatre, Gordon, Ga., has entered the hopsital in Macon, Ga., for an operation. . . . Mrs. Laura Kenny, secretary to branch manager Bryan Adams, United Artists Jacksonville, Fla., was in for the WOMPI convention. . . . Bobby Cobb, owner of the Cobb theatre, Fayette, Ala., and his wife are back after vacation spent in Memphis, Chicago and Milwaukee. . . . Scott Lett, Howco manager of branch operations, was in Atlanta on a visit. . . . Johnnie Harwell, buyer, Martin Theatres, checked in at his Atlanta office after visiting Jacksonville. . . . Charlie Touchon, office manager for U. A. in Atlanta, back at his desk after a two-week stay in Jacksonville at the new branch there. . . . Jack Dumestre, Jr., Southeastern Theatre Supply Co., back at his desk after a trip to Florida. Boston William G. Gehring, vice-president of 20th-Fox and assistant to president Spyros Skouras, will address the 25th annual convention of Independent Exhibitors Inc. of New England. ... A $20,000 fire destroyed the Strand theatre, Rockland, Mass., shortly after 10 P.M. Sept. 24. About 60 patrons were in the theatre at the time. The theatre was a complete loss. It is operated by B & Q Theatres. . . . The property housing the Lincoln theatre, Quincy Point, Mass., has been sold to George Abdullah who operates the Tyngsboro drive-in, Tyngsboro, Mass Theatre was owned by A1 Baumiere who was killed in an auto accident early this summer. . . . Harry Kirschgessner, branch manager of National Screen Service, is retiring due to ill health. He’ll move to Florida. Maynard Sickels is replacement. . . . Louis Richmond of the Kenmore theatre, turned over the entire receipts of Thursday night’s benefit performance of “La Strada,” Oct. 4, to Multiple Sclerosis. . . . John Anthony has closed the Modern theatre, Manchester, N. H., due to lack of business. . . . E. M. Loew Theatres has given up their lease on the Center theatre, Pawtuckett, R. I. . . . Loew’s Auburn drive-in, Auburn, Mass., now under construction, will not open this season as anticipated. Dick Rubin is handling the engineering. The circuit has closed its two summer operations, the Casino, Wells Beach, Maine, and the Casina, Falmouth. . . . Joseph G. Cohen, independent buyer and booker, is now handling buying and booking for the two Fitchburg theatres owned by Benjamin Sack, the Saxon and Fitchburg. Nunzio and Sarah Tantillo of Mount Morris have leased the Auditorium theatre in the town hall, Perry, N. Y. The lease follows cancellation of an existing agreement between the town and the Herzberger Amusement Company, Inc. of Gloversville, which had operated the theatre since 1935. About three months ago, the theatre closed its doors and no word was forthcoming from the management as to when, if ever, the doors would be re-opened. The company gladly accepted a release from its lease which called for an annual rental of $3,600 until termination date in 1963. . . . Dave Rogers is the new managing director of the Teck theatre, home of Cinerama. In show business 40 years, Rogers was associated with Walter Reade circuit in managerial capacities for 10 years. He later handled legitimate shows on the road and managed theatres for the RKO circuit. . . . Robin Hood and Maid Marian, who are Richard Greene and Bernadette O’Farrell in real life, flew into Buffalo the other day to aid the Community Chest-Red Cross Appeal. . . . Lester Pollock, manager of Loew’s, Rochester, again this year is in charge of the program end of the big Firemen’s Benefit Fund in Rochester Oct. 12-14 in the Eastman theatre. . . . Gerald R. George, for 18 years a member of the sales staff, has succeeded the late V. G. Sandford as manager of the Buffalo branch of National Theatre Supply at 500 Pearl street. . . . Michael Martin is the new manager of the Varsity theatre, a Basil circuit community house. Martin, formerly at the Colvin, succeeds Kenneth Mohr, who has returned to college. Charlotte Mrs. Viola Wister, the club president; Mrs. Myrtle Parker, ex-president, and Mrs. Gladys Hawkins, national secretary, head the Charlotte Wompis who were attending the WOMPI convention in Atlanta the weekend of Sept. 29-30. Approximately 25 Wompis, many of them accompanied by their husbands, planned to make the trip. . . . Tom Baldridge, MGM exploiteer, came here to arrange advertising programs on “Tea and Sympathy” and “Opposite Sex.” . . . Screen star Rita Gam came here to attend a fashion show given by the Junior Woman’s Club of Charlotte. She also attended a breakfast given by Capital Airlines celebrating the landing of the first jet-powered Viscounts here. . . . The Plaza theatre held a screening of “Tea and Sympathy” prior to the film’s opening. Chicago The biggest Film Row event here recently was the farewell luncheon given Walter Hyland by his co-workers in the offices of Universal-International. Mr. Hyland, retiring after 42 years with U-I in Chicago, will reside in California right after his retirement. . . . David Lipton, U-I vice-president of advertising and publicity, stopped off here on his return to Hollywood from the East Coast. . . . Ray Axelrod, of Warner Brothers, has been re-elected president of the Coliseum of Motion Picture Salesmen for a second term. . . . When “Giant” opens at the Chicago for an extended run on October 25, the theatre will return to a single feature basis. . . . The Ridge, formerly a Bartelstein property, was sold for $75,000 and on October 6 was to open as the Capri Ballroom. . . . Pat Cascio, head cameraman at Filmack, left for a short vacation. Joe Mack will take over during his absence. Dan Ruffo has joined the Filmack TV sales staff, and on the clerical side, Helen Turner is a newcomer at Filmack. . . . The B&K Lakeside theatre has had its entire interior renovated and equipped with special screen and projection for the showing of all kinds of motion pictures. . . . Adolph Linick, one of the founders of Jones, Linick and Schaeffer, plans to arrive here from Hollywood soon„ to celebrate his 87th birthday and the 51st anniversary of Jones, Linick & Schaeffer. Cleveland “High Society” ended its run at Loew’s Stillman with a record of seven aboveaverage-week grosses. Only picture so far this year with a longer run is “Guys and Dolls”, which played 13 continuous weeks. . . . Death was in bold headlines in the industry this week. Tom Alley, longtime film salesman and more recently booker for Ohio Theatre Management Company, died suddenly of a heart attack. . . . Mrs. Helen Halter Smith Russell, 56, wife of Holmes County Probate Judge Hoy L. Russell owner of the Russell theatre in Millersburg, O., died in St. Thomas Hospital, Akron where she had been a patient for five weeks. She owned the Majestic theatre (now closed) in Akron. ... A third death within the ( Continued on following page ) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 6, 1956 33