Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

(Continued from opposite page) annual Christmas Dance to be held at the Ambassador Hotel Dec. 22. Committee heads and hostesses were appointed by vice-president Milt Frankel, who is chairman of the event. Memphis G. L. Brandon has been reelected chief barker of Memphis Variety, Tent 20 for 1957. Alton Sims was reelected first assistant and Fordyce Kaiser second assistant. Joe Keifer was named dough guy; Jack Lustig, property master, and the following directors: Carl Shorter, G. W. Simpson, E. P. Doherty, Sy Morrell and W. P. Slayton. . . . W. F. Ruffin, Jr., Ruffin Amusements Co., Covington, Tenn., was on a business Trip to Memphis. . . . E. G. Vandiver, Palace, Kennett, Mo.; H. G. Walden, Bay, Red Bay, Ala.; and Lyle Richmond, Richmond, Senath, Mo., were in town on business. Miami Theatre business in the Miami area is beginning to show a real pick-up as the result of cold weather up north which is sending many people to this resort city. . . . Don Tilzer, publicity and advertising director of Claughton Theatres, has resigned to enter into his own business. Tilzer has been connected with the Claughton Circuit for many years. . . . The Florida premiere of Michael Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days” at the Sheridan theatre, for the benefit of the Miami Herald’s “Lend a Hand Fund,” was a sellout at a $15.00 top. Regular showings are scheduled to start around Christmas. . . . Charles Simonelli, publicity director for Universal Pictures, and his bride were at Miami Beach. . . . Jack Winters has been appointed manager of Wometco’s Sunset Art theatre. . . . November is a heavy month of birthday celebrations for Wometco employees. A few of many who are celebrating include district manager Elmer Hecht and F. Stubblefield; Kenneth Hirn of the Center theatre staff; John Taylor, Rosetta theatre; Husen King, Carib theatre; Clarence Silvers, Mayfair Art theatre; Ralph Langevin, Parkway theatre; Wm. Hardman, Strand theatre; Sid Zaretsky, Surf theatre. Milwaukee Bob Gross, district manager for the Smith Management Co., was elected president of the suburban Bluemound Road Businessmen’s Association. ... A boy, Andrew Paul, was born to Paul Schober, booker at Universal, and his wife Jerry, former contract clerk at United Artists. . . . “Giant” is breaking all records at the Warner theatre here. A1 Meskis, manager, said that five times over the weekend they had to stop the box office sale because the lobby and Wisconsin avenue were too crowded. . . . Milton H. Harman, manager of the Fox-Wisconsin theatre, promoted “Love Me Tender,” which opened November 20, by holding a contest on the stage opening night. . . . The United Artists exchange will be visited by A1 Fitter, Western divisional manager, and F. J. Lee, district manager. . . . The Bluemound drive-in now has its 750 Electromode car heaters in operation. Minneapolis A fire damaged the ticket booth in the Jordan theatre at Jordan, Minn., operated by Len Brazier . . . Harry Weiss, RKO Theatres division manager, is back from a business trip to Omaha and Denver . . . Morrison Buell, formerly of RKO, is a new booker at 20th-Fox replacing Cliff Luzar, resigned. . . . Funeral services were held here for Herb Blass, branch manager of Warner Bros, in Des Moines, who passed away following an operation there. He was a salesman at one time for Warner’s in Minneapolis . . . Foster Blake, Universal western division sales manager, and Mike Lee, United Artists district manager, were in on routine business . . . J. T. McBride, Paramount branch manager, attended a divisional branch managers’ meeting in Chicago . . . Sim E. Heller was reelected chief barker of Variety Club of the Northwest. Joseph Podoloff and Tom Burke were named first barker and assistant chief barker, respectively. Gilbert Nathanson was named property master and Ed Schwartz, dough guy. Officers will be installed at a meeting Dec. 3. New Orleans The Royal, Hattiesburg, Miss., installed a brand new screen. . . . The Jet drive-in, Cutoff, La. which has been closed since Hurricane Flossies terrific beating, reopened. . . . Manley, Inc. personnel have taken possession of their new office quarters at 126 LaSalle St., across the street from the Jung Hotel. John Saunders, district manager, S. E. zone was here from Memphis to take charge of the moving in the absence of manager Geo. Y. Harrell, who was called to Hot Springs, Ark. to the bedside of his mother. . . . The management of the Panorama have bowed to the public’s demand in holding over “Oklahoma,” which was slated to close its five-month engagement November 19. Admission price for adults remains the same, but student and children’s prices have been reduced to 95c for all shows. . . . The Citronelle, Citronelle, Ala., a unit of Charles Waterall’s theatres, closed. . . . The Debra at Henderson, La., which Curley Robin opened not so long ago, closed. . . . Fred T. McLendon Theatres reopened the Frisco, Frisco City, Ala. . . . Billy Fox Johnson reopened the Fox drive-in, Alexandria, La. . . . New WOMPI members are Mrs. Martha L. Barkoff, Paramount Gulf; Mrs. Hilda Marchand and Miss Elizabeth Moore, both of Richards Center. Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Thomas, managers of the NE 66th drive-in theatre, spent a few days last week in eastern Oklahoma where Mr. Thomas expected to get in some deer hunting. . . . R. Lewis Barton, theatre owner, spent a few days in Tulsa last week on a business trip. . . . Student groups from Meeker and Midwest City have taken advantage of the reduced admission price to see “Oklahoma!” at the State theatre. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Robert Busch are planning to attend the Allied convention in Dallas, Nov. 28-29. Mr. Busch is manager to the Villa theatre. . . . The first screening of “Love Me Tender” was held this week. It was well attended by exhibitors. . . . The Variety Club will meet in early December at the Biltmore for the election of officers for the coming year. Philadelphia Bob Sidman, formerly manager for Jay Emanuel Theatres in upstate Pennsylvania, returned to the local scene handling exploitation for “Friendly Persuasion.” . . . Harry Romain, theatre supplies executive and active in the local Variety Club, Tent No. 13, announced the engagement of his daughter, Joan Barbara Romain, to Phil Kamen. . . . Triangle Stations, which includes WFIL-TV here; WNBG-TV, Binghampton, N.Y.; WFBGTV, Altoona, Pa., and WNHC-TV, New Haven-Hartford, Conn., announced the sale of more than $1,000,000 in feature film programs. ... It is reported that the management of the Frackville drivein, Frackville, Pa., has taken over the operation of the Pottsville drive-in, Pottsville, Pa. . . . Dave Glickman, who operates the Garden, Trenton, N.J., is building a 600-car drive-in near there. . . . Screen Guild’s Harry Brillman, branch head, returned from the hospital. . . . The husband of Phyllis Breen, of Columbia’s cashier department, passed his Pennsylvania State Bar examinations. Pittsburgh “Baby Doll” will be the Stanley Christmas offering. The “Giant” business in this house is the current talk of Film Row . . . Joe E. Brown, here for the Pitt-Army game, was honored by the Saints and Sinners at its banquet in the Ankara nightclub. . . . Bob O’Hara replaced Jack Kieffer as manager of the Studio theatre, the art house in neighboring Bellevue. . . . The re-issue of “Rebecca” at the Harris was replaced after four days by “Lisbon”. . . . “Oklahoma” finally closed a sixmonth run in the Nixon, with the house returning to legitimate stage shows for the Fall and Winter seasons . . . “Sharkfighters” has been set to follow “Friendly Persuasion” in the Penn. That house has set “The Mountain” for an early December date. . . . “Wages of Fear” is doing well in the Guild on the strength of rave reviews. . . . Win Fanning, assistant PostGazette drama critic, and his wife, Vicki, changed their minds about a four-week European trip due to the situation there, and went to the Caribbean instead. . . . “Samurai” won the Thanksgiving Day playdate in the Studio. Portland Film business is doing fine here. “War and Peace,” “Oklahoma!,” “Giant,” “Friendly Persuasion,” and “Lust For Life” are knocking out anything that tries to get in their way. . . . Rex Hopkins, manager of Evergreen’s Hollywood theatre, married Ruth McBride last week. . . . Darlene Bally has now become Mrs. Darlene Throckmorton and returns to her position as secretary to Mrs. J. J. Parker. . . . Dick Goldsworthy, manager of Evergreen’s Fox theatre, Eugene, Ore., is doing a recordbreaking business with “War and Peace.” The film is in its third week and going strong. . . . Evergreen’s Oriental theatre has relit with “Day of Triumph.” ( Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 24, 1956 35