Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

( Continued from opposite page) L. Frankel, vice-president of the Film Row Club. ... At a general membership meeting of Variety Tent 25, the date was set for next year’s international convention which is to be held in New Orleans. Arrangements were also completed for the all-star baseball game to be held at Wrigley Field. . . . After being shuttered for a long period of time, the Maynard theatre was re-opened by George Barton. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Burton Jones (he operates theatres in Reseda and San Diego) flew to Manhattan to have a belated honeymoon. . . . MGM Pacific Coast sales manager George Hickey is making a trip through his territory. . . . Bob Henderson, formerly of the Knoll theatre, is operating the Boulevard theatre in East Los Angeles. . . . Fred Bower of the Ojai theatre in Ojai, paid one of his rare visits to the Row, when he came to town on a buying and booking expedition. Memphis E. B. Taylor, Parkin, Ark., purchased the Strand theatre, Earle, Ark., and Ritz theatre, Parkin, Ark., from Strand Enterprises of Memphis. . . . W. N. Jamerson and Grover Pratt, owners, have finished and opened their new 25 drive-in, Fulton, Miss. . . . Edward E. Storey, Jr., Hollendale, Miss., has bought the Booth and Roosevelt theatres at Hollendale from A. A. Orr and B. F. Jackson. . . . M. A. Lightman, Sr., president of Malco Theatres, Inc., has rented the Memphian theatre, Memphis, to Jack Katz, who operates the Ritz theatre under lease from David Flexer, owner. The Ritz burned last week and will be closed 60 to 90 days. Katz will show the foreign films he had booked for Ritz at the Memphian. . . . Mrs. Ruth E. Morris, owner, has resumed operation of the Mojac, Regent and Honey theatres, which have been operated some time under a lease to B F. Jackson. The lease has terminated and Mrs. Morris announces Earl Hartzog will do booking and buying. Miami The Caplan clan is excited over the leasing of their Roosevelt theatre on Miami Beach to the Stanley-Warner Cinrama Corp. which will remodel the house with Cinerama equipment. Alterations will cost about $100,000 and start early in November with the December 5 opening date for “This is Cinerama” sponsored by the University of Miami. . . . Sympathies were extended to Lee Ruwitch, general manager of TV station WTVJ, when his father died recently. . . . Mack Herbert, manager of the Bard, is very pleased with reception to his Thursday and Friday night stage shows. . . . Robert Nashick of WCKT reports the TV station will have special movie treats for viewers with the recent acquisition of 39 films from United Artists. ... A difference of opinion between the United Cerebral Palsy Association and television station WTVJ resulted in an announcement by WTVJ president, Mitchell Wolfson that the station will have a “Crusade for Children” telethon March 2 and 3, 1957. Franklin F. Saunders, administrator of UCPA in Miami, announced TV station WCKY, would have the annual CP telethon Jan. 19-20, 1957. TROPHY WINNER NOW IT'S PERMANENT. Mrs. Jacqueline Coward, Atlanta WOMPI president, holds the Verlin Osborne publicity trophy, which the club won the third decisive year, during the recent national convention. Publicity chairman during 1956 was Martha Chandler. Milwaukee A committee, to rewrite the constitution of the Better Films Council of Milwaukee County, met at the home of Mrs. Simon Malver recently. . . . The Parkway theatre, managed by Don Perlewitz, is getting a new front. Also, 500 of the 850 seats have been replaced by pushback chairs and modern furniture has been purchased for the inner lobby. . . . Wisconsin Variety Club, Tent 14, will have a membership meeting at the Schroeder Hotel October 29. Dinner and cocktails will be held for the membership. . . . Harry Olshan, branch manager at Columbia, held a luncheon, October 23 at the Athletic Club, for Rube Jackter, assistant general sales manager. . . . Local 164, Motion Picture Projectionists’ Union, is holding a stag beer party for fellow projectionists and exhibitors November 14 at Machinist’s Hall. New Orleans Mr. and Mrs. Perry McCown, proprietors of the indoor Rialto, West Point, Miss., acquired the West Point drive-in, located south of town, by purchase from Mr. and Mrs. McGahey, Ackerman, Miss. The drive-in is currently in the process of reconditioning. . . . Pat Wagner, formerly with Theatres Service Company, who went to California for a few weeks vacation, wired her family that she liked it so much she had decided to stay. . . . Mary Morris, Paramount, has replaced Della Jean Favre as chairman of the WOMPI Service Committee. ! . . Harold Gains is the new counter clerk at Southeastern Theatre Equipment Company. . . . WOMPI Social Committee announces that a big dance is in store. It will be held November 9 in the Arrow Room in Wm. Castay’s Arrow Theatre Building. . . . E. G. Perry, general manager Pittman Theatres, returned after a round of area theatre visits in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Sulphur, La. . . . Tommy Dunn, prior to his recent promotion as branch manager of Universal’s exchange in St. Louis, was a member of the company’s sales staff here for a great number of years. . . . Harold Wyckoff, Paramount salesman, is back home from Baptist Hospital recuperating from an operation. . . . Russell A. Bovim, Loew’s Theatres western division manager, was here from his home base in St. Louis visiting with local manager Rodney Toups and staff. Oklahoma City The Villa theatre will have two Halloween parties — one for children and one a special midnight spook party. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Robert Busch spent last weekend in Tulsa. Mr. Busch is manager of the Villa. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Harold Combs and sons Hal and Kim have gone to Los Angeles for a week. Mr. Combs is concessions manager for Barton Theatres. . . . Gloria and Maurice Farris, son and daughter of Charles Farris, owner of the Villa theatre, spent last week in Dallas. . . . Ed. Williamson, district manager for Warner Brothers, has been promoted to southern sales chief. Mr. Williamson, formerly of Dallas will move to New York City. . . . “Oklahoma!” is now in its 10th week at the State theatre. Attendance continues to be very good, it is reported. Philadelphia The local Variety Club sponsored a special Sunday matinee and evening performance for the “Ice Capades of 1957” ice revue at the Philadelphia Arena for the benefit of the Variety Club’s Camp for Handicapped Children. . . . Warner Brothers exchange is conducting a special Roy Haines sales drive, while at Paramount, the staff is pushing their Oscar Morgan shorts drive. ... Ed McGovern, manager of the Comerford, Scranton, Pa., arranged with the Superintendent of Public Schools in that city and with the University of Scranton for the distribution of coupons throughout all the schools permitting student admission to “War and Peace” at a special rate. . . . With MGM moving exchange headquarters into the building formerly occupied by R.K.O., the Little Theatre Screening Room, which had been closed by R.K.O. for some time, will be reopened and utilized by MGM. . . . Bert Allen, formerly manager of Comerford’s Globe, Scranton, Pa., has been named assistant manager of the Comerford, replacing John Mulkerin. Also, Jim Bingham, formerly of the Comerford, has returned to the circuit’s West Side in the same city as assistant to manager Phil Duffy. . . . University Museum has announced a program of free Sunday afternoon movie programs, offering nontheatrical and educational subjects. Pittsburgh The Penn has set “The Opposite Sex,” “Power and the Prize” and “Friendly Persuasion” to follow “War and Peace” in that order. . . . “Seven Wonders of the ( Continued on following page ) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 27, 1956 39