Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

( Continued from page 43) Eisenhower to Denver. The cards read “We Like Ike’s Friendly Persuasion”. . . . Wolf berg Theatres are closing four of their Denver drive-ins, with the Valley and Monaco, in their group also, keeping open for the winter. Also open in Denver for the winter will be the Lakeshore and Evans drive-ins. . . . Duke Dunbar, attorney general, formerly secretary of the old film board of trade, is running for his fourth term as attorney general on the Republican ticket. . . . Mrs. F. E. Ricketson Sr., mother of Frank H. Ricketson Jr., general manager of National Theatres, died here after a long illness. . . . Charles Gilmore, president Gibraltar Theatres, and Mrs. Gilmore, to California on vacation. . . . The Vogue, Littleton, Colo., operating three days a week. . . . The Allied Artists exchange won second in their division in the “March of Progress,” meaning $500 to manager and a week’s salary to the salesman and booker. Des Moines Attendance at the Iowa theatre in Jefferson has declined in recent months, Harold Field, owner of the Pioneer Theatre Corp. which operates the Iowa, told a group of business and professional people there. Field, who said small theatres are closing in record numbers throughout the country, invited the Jefferson community to consider ways of assuring the continued operation of the theatre. The group later saw a preview of “The Solid Gold Cadillac” along with a number of Pioneer managers present for the meeting. . . . A. H. Blank, president of Tri-States Theatre Corp., has been honored by the board of directors of Iowa Methodist hospital for “distinguished service.” A plaque was presented him for his gift of the Raymond Blank Memorial Hospital for Children and his many years’ service on the hospital board. . . . Don Allen has been named to succeed Kermit Carr in the Tri-States organization. . . . Eleanor Jackson, former RKO secretary, has a new son. ... A temporary employee at RKO is Bea Burgher. . . . Ann Branco has resigned her post at Universal. . . . Pete Peterson, UA salesman, is on vacation in California and getting a first look at his new grandson. . . . Also on vacation is Lois Ann Latimer of Warners; as is Joe Ancher, office manager and head booker there. Joe spent part of his holiday in Chicago. . . . Jim Ricketts, Columbia office manager and head booker, is back from a vacation spent in Indiana and Illinois. Detroit Forrest Martin, United Film Service salesman, succeeds the late Thomas Allen as division manager with headquarters in Grand Rapids. . . . Allied Theatres of Michigan will try for an injunction against placing daylight saving time on the spring ballot in Detroit. President Milton London maintains that DST is a matter for the entire state and should not be left to local option. . . . Wm. Rice advised stockholders of Film Truck that the service had added drug products, magazines and newspapers to its delivery service, promising additional revenue. . . . George Berger, 74, former Butterfield Theatres comptroller, died in Ft. Lauder dale. He is survived by his wife Celia. . . . A. D. Stanchfield closed the Carleton in Carleton, and McDaniel and Harte have closed the Temple in E. Jordan. . . . The home of Albert Wakeman, owner of the Ken in Frankenmouth, was destroyed by fire. Mrs. Wakeman was severely burned. A benefit show for the Wakemans was held with film provided by Ernie Chrysler of Allied Artists and Fred Bonneman of Columbia. . . . Schuckert and Stafford have dismantled the Orr at Fowlerville and reopened the Janes at Saginaw for week-ends. . . . Don Martin, MGM booker, married Dorothy Conroy. . . . Dean of Detroit musicians, Bill Finzel, has been re-hospitalized due to trouble with the leg he broke last winter. Hartford Stanley Warner theatres in three Connecticut cities have launched Safety Clubs, designed primarily to encourage greater traffic caution by youngsters. Membership cards are being issued by the Capitol, Willimantic; Garde, New London; and Palace, Danbury. Youngsters, charged regular children’s admission, attend sessions every Saturday matinee and receive free cowboy star photos. When youngsters have collected a certain number of star photos, they are eligible for additional prizes. Response has been termed encouraging at all three theatres. . . . Michael Mowchan of the Stanley Warner Strand, New Britain, Conn., and Mrs. Mowchan are parents of a baby boy, their second child. . . . The Stanley Warner Capitol, Willimantic, Conn., has started an art film policy on Tuesdays for fall and winter. . . . Warner Berdick has replaced Robert Carrano, resigned, as assistant manager, Strand. . . . Robert Dorfman of the Buena Vista Distributing interests came through ahead of the revival run of “Fantasia”. . . . Abe Bernstein, UA exploitation staff, visited key southern New England cities in conjunction with Christmas release, “The King and Four Queens.” Indianapolis Rube Jackter, Columbia district manager, gave a luncheon for exhibitors at the Columbia Club Thursday. . . . Tommy McCleaster, 20th-Fox district manager, also was in the city last week and attended the ATOI convention. . . . William A. Carroll, ATOI secretary, reports Harry Coleman, Evansville, and Shuler Baird and Merritt Wilkins, New Albany, have joined the organization. . . . Marc Wolf has secured George DeWitt to emcee the Variety-sponsored Cerebral Palsy telephone Dec. 1-2. . . . Dick Frank and Abe Gelman of Paramount, Foster Gawker of MGM, Ray Thomas and Bill Brenner of Universal, Sam Geisman of Columbia, Jack Meadow of RKO and George Landis, exhibitor, all attended the Notre DameMichigan State football game. . . . A. J. Kalberer, Washington exhibitor, reports getting down early enough for a morning coffee break with other business men on the street has facilitated merchant tieups for his theatre. Jacksonville Col. John Crovo, retired exhibitor of this city, has accepted a public relations post with the Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida. . . . Robert Cornwall, former house manager at the Florida theatre, is now managing the San Marco, leading art theatre of the area. . . . Tim Crawford succeeded William Korenbrot as manager of the downtown Arcade when the latter took over management of the first run Imperial theatre. . . . George Krevo joined the Florida State Theatres booking department, replacing Tom Gerard who left the industry. . . . Rippen Gale, MGM auditor, was stationed temporarily at the local branch office. . . . J. Elmer Levine, Florida theatre promotion manager, attracted wide attention while driving a gold-painted Cadillac during his run of “The Solid Gold Cadillac.” . . . Visitors were Bill Byrne, assistant at the Florida theatre, Miami; Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Goodyear, Warner theatre, Ft. Lauderdale; Ray Mackes, Madison drive-in, Madison; and Jerry Fender, Brunswick, Ga. Kansas City Barnes Purdue is the new city manager for Mid-Central Theatres in Manhattan, Kans. . . . Beverly Miller’s Fort drive-in at Leavenworth, Kans., and Frontier drive-in at Atchison, Kans., are on weekend operations and the Cowtown at St. Joe, Mo., and the Jefferson City, Mo., drive-ins are offering two shows a week. . . . The 63rd St. drive-in, Kansas City, owned by B & S Enterprises, has new incar heaters. . . . Eddie Landau, operator of the Sunset drive-in at Lawrence, Kans., was recently married to Bernice Lathrom. . . . Klock theatre, Neodasha, Kans., opened its Fall Festival of Big Hits with “I’ll Cry Tomorrow.” . . . Homer Eldridge returned as manager of the Trail at Olathe, Kans., from the Dickinson at Topeka. . . . The Bob Withers memorial drive, which began Oct. 1, will extend until Nov. 15 with Ed Hartman in charge of contributions. . . . Senn Lawler, division manager for Fox-Midwest until his resignation, is chairman of the March of Dimes in Jackson County. Los Angeles Ronnie Lefton, son of theatre operator Milton Lefton, was married to the former Barbara Broude in Las Vegas. . . . Cyral M. Hutchinson, president and business agent for Film Row local B-61 of IATSE, passed away October 12. Succeeding Hutchinson as president is Murray Pearlstein. . . . Ned Calvi, partner in the new Belair drive-in, and his wife were back from a European tour . . . Manny Feldstein of the Dietrich and Feldstein circuit, flew to New York for a vacation. . . . Sydney Linden, executive of the Rosener Theatre chain, will depart for Europe to look over foreign product for future exhibition and also for distribution through Rosener’s Mayfair Co. . . . Bill Dumes of the Park theatre in Tucson, made one of his rare visits to the Row for the purpose of lining up new releases for his theatre. . . . Jim Velde, UA general sales manager, and A1 Fitter, UA division manager, visited the local exchange. Memphis Arthur Groom, manager of Loew’s State, who once fired Elvis Presley as an usher, announced that Presley’s first pic( Continued on opposite page ) 46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 3, 1956