Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

THE WINNERS CIRCLE Pictures which were reported as doing above average business in key theatres of the cities of the nation for the week ending November 24 were: Film Leaders At Services For Sears Many prominent industry members attended funeral services in New Rochelle for Gradwell L. Sears, former president of United Artists, who died Thanksgiving Day at his home in Harrison, N. Y. Mr. Sears headed United Artists from 1946 to 1950, and at the time of his death was a vice-president of the corporation. Mr. Sears began his career in the industry as salesman for the World Film Company in New York, after which he was associated with various distributing companies. In 1920 he joined First National Pictures and was southern and western division sales manager for Warner Brothers from 1931 to 1937. He was a vicepresident of Vitagraph (Warner) from 1935, and general sales manager from 1937 to 1941, and president of Vitagraph from 1938. He joined United Artists in 1941 and was elected to the board of directors of the company in 1944. He had been with the film industry actually since his school days in Hannibal, Mo. where he was born in 1897. There he worked as a film projectionist while attending high school. Later he studied for a year at the University of Missouri, worked briefly for the Wells Fargo Express Company, then saw active service in France as a first lieutenant in the Army in World War I. A member of the Westchester Country Club and the Philadelphia Gun Club, he had won many prizes in trap and skeet shooting. He was also a member of the Motion Picture Pioneers Club. Mr. Sears is survived by his widow, a son, a daughter, his mother, a half-brother, and six grandchildren. Larry Golob Dies at 52 Larry Golob, 52, national publicity director of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., died in New York November 25. He died in his sleep. He joined First National Pictures in 1923, at the age of 19. When that company merged with Warner Brothers, Mr. Golob joined the latter company Albany: Giant (W.B.). Atlanta: Giant (W.B.); Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); The Opposite Sex (MGM); You Can’t Run Away From It (Col.). Boston: Curucu and The Mole People (Univ.) (double bill); Giant (W.B.) third week: Oklahoma! (Magna) 10th week; Rififi (UMPO) 2nd week; Richard III (Lopert) 2nd week. Buffalo: Friendly Persuasion (A. A.) 2nd week; Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); The Opposite Sex (MGM); War and Peace (Para.) 4th week. Chicago: Attack (U.A.); Bullfight (Janus) 4th week; Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! (Col.) 2nd week; Friendly Persuasion (A. A.) 5th week; Giant (W.B.) 5th week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); Secrets of Life (B.V.) 3rd week; The Sharkfighters (U.A.); The Teahouse of the August Moon (MGM). Cleveland: Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Oklahoma! (20th-Fox) 3rd week; The Opposite Sex (MGM); The Ten Commandments (Para.) 2nd week. Columbus: Giant (W.B.); You Can’t Run Away From It (Col.). Denver: Friendly Persuasion (A. A.); Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Oklahoma! (Magna) 5th week; Secrets of Life (B.V.) 2nd week; War and Peace (Par.) 4th week. Des Moines: Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); Oklahoma! (Magna). Detroit: Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; The Opposite Sex (MGM); You Can’t Run Away From It (Col.). Hartford: Friendly Persuasion (A. A.); Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Love Me Tender (20thFox); Lust for Life (MGM); Reprisal! (Col.); Rififi (UMPO); Secrets of Life (B.V.). Indianapolis: Friendly Persuasion (A. A.) 2nd week; Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); Oklahoma! (Magna) 13th week; The Opposite Sex (MGM). Jacksonville: Everything But the Truth (Univ.); Friendly Persuasion (A. A.) 2nd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); The Sharkfighters (U.A.). Kansas City: Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Julie (MGM) 2nd week; 1984 (Col.) 2nd week; Oklahoma! (Magna) 6th week; Secrets of Life (B.V.) 2nd week. where he worked for 28 years as successively, director of fan magazine publicity, director of field exploitation, eastern publicity director and, recently, national publicity director. Surviving are his widow, Henrietta; his mother, Fannie, both of New York City, and a sister, Rose Golob, of Washington, D.C. Harry N. Stone TACOMA, WASH.: Harry N. Stone, manager of John Hamrick’s Temple theatre and for many years a familiar figure in the theatre business here, died November 13 at his home. In 1928, after several years doing contract work for local thea Memphis: Giant (W.B.); Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); Teenage Rebel (20th-Fox). Milwaukee: Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Julie (MGM). Minneapolis: Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Lust for Life (MGM); Runaway Daughters (AIP) and Shake, Rattle and Rock (AIP). New Orleans: Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Huk (U.A.); Oklahoma! (Magna); The Opposite Sex (MGM); You Can’t Run Away From It (Col.). Oklahoma City: Friendly Persuasion (A. A.); Giant (W.B.) 2nd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Foxj; Oklahoma! (Magna) 15th week; Teenage Rebel (20th-Fox) 2nd week. Philadelphia: Between Heaven and Hell (20th-Fox); Giant (W.B.); The Opposite Sex (MGM) 2nd week. Pittsburgh: Fantasia (B.V.) (Reissue); Friendly Persuasion (A.A.) 2nd week; Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox); Samurai (Fine Arts); Wages of Fear (DCA) 2nd week. Portland: Friendly Persuasion (A.A.); The Girl He Left Behind (W.B.); Giant (W.B.); Oklahoma! (Magna) 2nd week; War and Peace (Par.) 4th week. Providence: Giant (W.B.); Runaway Daughters (AIP) and Shake, Rattle and Rock (AIP). San Francisco: Friendly Persuasion (A.A.) 3rd week; Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Love Me Tender (20th-Fox) ; The Opposite Sex (MGM) 2nd week; You Can’t Run Away From It (Col.). Toronto: Lust for Life ((MGM) 3rd week; Oklahoma! (Magna) 31st week; The Opposite Sex (MGM); The Ten Commandments (Par.). Vancouver: The Bad Seed (W.B.) 2nd week; Giant (W.B.); The Gold Rush (U.A.) (Reissue). Washington: Fantasia (B.V.) (Reissue); Friendly Persuasion (A.A.) 2nd week; Giant (W.B.) 3rd week; Oklahoma! (Magna) 3rd week; The Opposite Sex (MGM); The Power and the Prize (MGM); Secrets of Life (B.V.) 2nd week; The Sharkfighters (U.A.); The Solid Gold Cadillac (Col.) 6th week. tres, he became district manager for Fox Intermountain theatres. Later he moved to California and the employ of National Screen Service Corporation, most recently in the Los Angeles branch. John Howard Grainger NEW ORLEANS: John Howard Grainger, 56, assistant manager for Columbia Pictures here since 1944, died November 21 at Baptist Hospital following several years of poor health. He had been in the business since 1920, and served with the old Goldwyn company, Metro-GoldwynMayer and Monogram Southern Exchange, all in New Orleans. 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER I. 1956