Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Portland J. H. MacIntyre, West Coast district sales manager for RKO, was here from Hollywood to work with branch manager Dick Lange. . . . M. M. Mesher and A1 Foreman are enthusiastic about film business since returning from the TOA meet. . . . Evergreen’s Oregon district manager Oscar Nyberg also spreading the word about the big things that are happening for the movie industry since returning from the National Theatres meet in Phoenix. . . . Mel Melvin has left the film business and become a partner to local producer A1 Learman forming LearmanMelvyn Productions. . . . U.A. branch manager Jack O’Bryan and Broadway theatre manager Herb Royster continue their work for the Navy League. Both are scheduled to take a two day cruise with a few civic leaders aboard the USS Gilligan. . . . Dean Barrett was in town working his bicycle promotions with merchants to hypo business for neighborhood houses. Providence Bill Trambukis, Loew’s State manager, is planning a “monster” midnight Hallowe’en show. . . . Jacques Kammerer, of nearby Rehoboth, died recently in Taunton Hospital after a long illness. He was known in the theatre world as Jack Cameron, and was for many years on the Keith circuit as a comedian, dancer and singer. . . . The Hope, Eastside neighborhood house, is promoting an Ekco sevenpiece kitchen tool set. A different gift is distributed each week at Monday and Tuesday performances. . . . The proposed open-air theatre at the Shipyard Shopping Center, for which permits have already been granted by the city councils of both Providence and Cranston, is due for considerable opposition. Propertyowners and x-esidents, immediately adjoining the shopping center, are uniting in an effort to get the permits revoked. San Francisco Warners invited critics Paine Knickerbocker, Hortense Morton, Bob Hall and Emilia Hodel to Los Angeles for the West Coast premiere of “Giant” Oct. 17. . . . Harold Borreson, former manager of the Paramount, has left show business to try his hand at advertising. He is succeeded by John Doyle, former assistant manager at the St. Francis. . . . “The best box office in ten years,” says Irving Ackerman of MGM’s “Lust for Life,” playing to capacity crowds at the Stage Door. . . . S. Hurok was in town preparing for the opening of the Russian “Romeo and Juliet” at the Bridge Oct. 18. . . . The top award for low gross at the Variety Club’s recent golf tournament at Merced Country Club was awarded to Herb Blueschel, Times Theatres, with George Mitchell, Republic manager, shooting the low net. . . . James Beaty has been advanced from student assistant to assistant manager at Loew’s Warfield. St . Louis Burglars recently stole a safe, containing an undetermined amount of money from the Twin City drive-in at Cham paign-Urbana, 111. Ray Watts, concession stand manager, said the safe contained at least several hundred dollars. . . . The Mainstreet theatre at Paris, Mo., owned by Mrs. Edith Major, opened for the season October 14. The drive-in theatre, operated during the summer months by Mrs. Major, closed October 12. . . . The Center Drive-In Theatre Company, which operates theatres at Lincoln, Neb., and Omaha, Neb., has purchased a 700-car drive-in at Corpus Christi, Texas. Owners of the purchasing company are Russell Brehm of Lincoln, a Lancaster county commissioner; Senator Roman Hruska of Omaha and H. S. Gould of Omaha. . . . Richard Davis of Des Moines, la., has leased the Time and Air-Way drive-in theatres, in Memphis, Mo., and will install CinemaScope. Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Ross, who only recently succeeded Clarence Locke as managers of the Air-Way drivein, will manage the two theatres. Vancouver Topping the town last week was “Reach for the Sky.” “Canyon River” and “The King and I,” now on its 10th week, also were good. . . . Ivan Ackery, Orpheum manager, is in charge of exploitation for “War and Peace” for Famous Players units in British Columbia. . . . Harry Woolfe, UA manager, is a happy man. His daughter made him a grandfather recently. . . . Benjamin Anderson, 84, fatherin-law of Art Graburn, Paradise manager, died in the hospital here. . . . Doug Gow, of Famous Players, is back from his California honeymoon. . . . Jim Webster is pinch-hitting for Roy McLeod, Plaza manager, who is on vacation. . . . The Surrey drive-in near White Rock closed for the season after a poor year’s business. . . . Gordon Wilson, film editor of the Vancouver Herald, resigned and joined Bowell-McLean motors, who handle Cadillac cars, as advertising manager. . . . Darrell Prezeau, formerly with the Odeon theatre, Victoria, is the assistant at the Vogue, Vancouver. He was replaced in Victoria by Brian Wright, who moved over from the Odeon-Plaza. ... No successor has been appointed yet for Jack McNicol who resigned as manager of the Columbia New Westminster to move to Hollywood. Washington The Variety Club will have a Hallowe’en party and dance in the club rooms on Saturday, October 27. Charles Demma, Ralph Deckelbaum, Hirsh de La Viez, Joel Margolis, Phil Mason, Nathan Shor, Roger Squitero and Duke Zeibert are on the committee. ... A special invitational preview of “The Ten Commandments” was held in RKO Keith’s theatre October 11. . . . The Dupont theatre brought back “The Killers” for an engagement. . . . John Horton, of Universal-International, was a recent Washington visitor. . . . Virginia Mayo and her husband, Michael O’Shea, were Washington visitors at the Treasui'y Dept’s Freedom Fair. . . . Linda Darnell was a guest at the United Givers Fund repoi't luncheon. . . . The Variety Club of Washington will have its annual elections Monday, November 5, at the Willard Hotel. . . . Col. Willard Webb gave a report of the Edinburgh Film Festival to the Washington Film Council. ARE YOU A COUPON CLI PPER? Most coupon clippers are far-seeing. They can recognize a good investment at less than 20 paces. There are various types of coupons. The one below suggests a good investment, too. Smart showmen who clip this particular coupon are taking a short-cut to an investment that pays dividends in perfect sound, satisfied patrons, and vanishing service worries. Mail it today and join 6,000 service-happy exhibitors. SPECIALISTS IN MOTION PICTURE SOUND a Division of ALTEC COMPANIES. INC. 1S1 Sixth Avenue New York 13. N. Y. ALTEC SERVICE CORPORATION 161 Sixth Avenue • New York 13, N.Y. Please have an ALTEC representative call, without obligation, to inform me about your service contract. Also please mail copy of booklet — THE ALTEC SERVICE STORY. Theatre City and State 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 20, 1956