Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

( Continued from preceding page ) industry this week was that of 84-year-old James A. Beidler of Toledo, one of the founders of the Smith and Beidler circuit. Inactive many years, his son, James A. Beidler. Jr., took over operation of the theatres in association with his partner, Martin G. Smith. . . . Henry Hellriegel, theatre building contractor, and Mrs. Hellriegel this week celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. . . . Sam Schultz, local Allied Artists branch manager, has been named a member of the board of directors of the American Cancer Society in appreciation of his efforts in behalf of the Society. Columbus William Petrakis has re-opened the Rivoli, West Side neighborhood, after extensiive repair and remodeling. The Rivoli was heavily damaged by vandals earlier this year. . . . Workmen are completing remodeling the entrance of the Hartman legitimate theatre. New illuminated attraction boards will be installed. . . . Bob Hope attending the wedding of his niece, Avis Hope, at Mt. Gilead, Ohio, to William Truska at Trinity Methodist Church. Hope’s five brothers, two from Columbus, also attended the nuptials. . . . Robert Zanger, exploitation representative of Columbia Pictures, was in town in advance of “Port Afrique” and “The Solid Gold Cadillac”. . . . Sam Hart, Columbia exploitation representative, passed through Columbus on his way to Minneapolis for a campaign on “The Solid Gold Cadillac.” Hart brought his son Donald here to enter Ohio State University graduate school. . . . Governor Lausche has proclaimed “Doris Day Week” in honor of the star of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer’s “Julie” which will have its world premiere at RKO Albee in Cincinnati Oct. 10. Plans are under way for a big opening. Denver Ed Nelson, city manager for Fox InterMountain Theatres, Montrose, Colo., for many years, has resigned to become manager of the Montrose Chamber of Commerce. Nelson was mayor of the city for two terms. Succeeding him is Melvin McLean, city manager at Delta, Colo. McLean has just been released from General Rose hospital, Denver, following two operations. Getting the Delta city managership is John Mazanis, assistant city manager at Great Falls, Mont. . . . Jack Pattison, Allied Artists shipper, father to new son, Paul. . . . Henry Friedel, MGM branch manager, recuperating from minor surgery. . . . James Ellis, manager of the West, Gunnison, Colo., resigning to go into air force. No replacement as yet. . . . The Tabor closes Oct. 8 for intensive booth and other alterations necessary for showing of “Oklahoma!” in Todd-AO starting Oct. 17. . . . Harold Rice, Fox Inter-Mountain district manager, and wife Lucile, went east as far as Boston on vacation. . . . Chick Lloyd, Apex Films, flies to Los Angeles on business. . . . Kar-Vu drive-in, Brighton, Colo., closing Tuesday and Wednesdays. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Smith, of the Chief, Steamboat Springs, Colo., travelled to Milwaukee and Indiana on their recent vacation. Des Moines Harry O. Huddleston, 66, widely-known former Iowa exhibitor, is dead. Services were in Des Moines, burial was at Monroe. Mr. Huddleston, who had not been ill long, once owned and operated theatres at Dows, Jewell, Gilmore City and Earlham. He was born at Monroe and had lived in Des Moines 51 years. . . . W. J. Towey of Des Moines has been named manager of the Strand theatre in Waterloo. Towey, a Tri-States employee for about 5 years, has been manager of the Des Moines Ingersoll. He succeeds Bill Gardner at Waterloo. . . . Ken Prickett of Omaha has become manager of the Waterloo theatre at Waterloo. In Omaha, he managed the State. . . . Simultaneous showings at theatres in both Council Bluffs and Omaha have been tried and found to be successful, according to Darrell Shelton, manager of the Strand in Council Bluffs, which has embraced the idea. Universal-International is co-operating in the simultaneous showing plan which is still in the testing stage, according to Shelton, who said Fox also will join in. Simultaneous showings have been the goal of theatre operators in the two cities for years. . . . Variety women are hard at work on plans for their Oct. 9 rummage sale. Iola West is chairman. The ladies announced that their recent style show brought in more than $300 for the heart fund. Detroit Theatre Equipment Co., Toledo, Ohio, has closed their Detroit office in the Film Exchange Building. All shipments and inquiries are to be sent to the main office, 1206 Cherry Streets, Toledo. . . . Jam Handy’s AI Light has suffered a heart attack and is recovering in Ford Hospital. . . . Charles Lenenschmidt, Cheboygan, has sold the Cheboygan drive-in to John McClelland. . . . Because “continued existence of an all-inclusive top-level organization could accomplish much for our industry,” the board of directors of Michigan Allied voted to continue to support COMPO. The board is against the collection of COMPO dues by film salesmen and requested exhibitors to turn dues over to Allied. One third is hoped to be retained in this area to combat daylight savings movements and in addition taxes. The post of executive secretary has been abolished and Ernest Conlon’s many years of service ended September 30. Conlon will continue in an advisory capacity as needed. Hartford Construction of Connecticut’s new film center building has been started at a site at Dixwell Ave. and Benham St., Hamden, by the All-State Realty Corporation, New York. Completion date is slated for Jan. 1. Samuel H. Faiman of the Faiman Agency, serving as renting and leasing agent, said that most of the major film distributors — about 11 concerns — will be tenants. They will occupy first floor of the two-story structure. Many of them are presently located in the Meadow St. area of downtown New Haven, which has been earmarked for demolishment as part of a huge highway development program. . . . Walter Dinsmore has been named assistant manager, E. M. Loew’s theatre, Hartford, replacing George Hudak, resigned. . . . Henry L. Needles, formerly Hartford district manager, Warner Bros. Theatres, and a half-century veteran in the industry, has been recuperating at his Wethersfield, Conn., home from his third Hartford Hospital surgical visit of 1956. . . . Smith Management Company has dropped first run policy at the 2,070-car capacity Meadows drive-in, apparently for Fall and Winter. At the same time, the theatre has dropped admission charge from 80 to 75 cents. Indianapolis Spiro Papas, vice-president of Alliance, will lead a panel discussion on theatre concessions at the Indiana Allied state convention here Oct. 23-24. . . . Mrs. Robert V. Jones, Mrs. Dale McFarland, Mrs. Ted Mendelssohn and Mrs. Manny Marcus, all wives of leading exhibitors, are the ladies’ committee for the annual meeting. . . . Projectionist Joe Smith greeted Adlai E. Stevenson at municipal airport when he arrived for a speech Friday. “I’ve been looking for you,” said Stevenson, playing on the name of the fictitious Joe Smith presented for nomination at the GOP national convention. . . . Johnny Stearns, manager of Keith’s will leave Wednesday for two weeks in Florida. “The Bad Seed” gave Keith’s its biggest opening since “Moby Dick” last week. . . . Margie Richter, head booker, has succeeded Val Klaiber as office manager at MGM. Jacksonville Carl Carter bolstered his screen fare at the Ribault drive-in with the added attraction of a horseman riding his mount through a wall of fire. . . . The Florida premiere of Warner’s “Toward the Unknown” is set for Sheldon Mandell’s St. Johns theatre. . . . J. H. Robinson’s Arlington theatre has the only local children’s matinee policy on Saturday mornings. . . . The following FST officials were in New York for business sessions at Paramount offices: president Louis J. Finske, Mark DuPree, Bob Harris and Harvey Garland. . . . FST vice-president LaMar Sarra has been named a director of the newly-organized Northside Bank. . . . Thirty-nine French owners, headed by Thierry Delafon, general delegate of the La Federation Nationale des Cinemas Francais, visited here, Tampa and Miami. Kansas City Edward V. Long, owner of the Orpheum theatre, Elsberry, Mo., and the Trojan at Troy, is a candidate for state senator of Missouri, and Hank Doering, Kansas theatre owner, is a candidate for Senator from the eighth district in Kansas. . . . Brooks Noah and Dick Wiles, owner of the Heart drive-in at 6400 East-U. S. 40 near Kansas City, installed a 90-by-145-feet screen to replace the old one, which was damaged by a June storm. It is being advertised as a half acre of screen as high as an eightstory building. . . . The Nelson Gallery of Art in Kansas City will sponsor its annual showing of famous films. This year’s series was selected for their value in interpretation of the cultures of various peoples. (Continued on opposite page ) 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 6, 1956