Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

(Continued from preceding page) el, Bexley suburban house in the Miles circuit. . . . Leo Yassenoff, of the Academy circuit, was re-elected vice-president of the Columbus Boys’ Club. Floyd Gooding, carnival operator and head of Zoo Park, was re-elected president. . . . Loew’s Ohio and Loew’s Broad are selling Christmas gift books for the first time. The books are in two denominations — $5 and S10. The S5 book has $5.50 worth of tickets and the $10 has $11 worth of tickets. The tickets are usable as admissions and are accepted at the Loew candy stands. RKO Theatres are selling similar gift books. . . . Barton Cook, of the Moonlight and Del-Ar Auto theatres, Chillicothe, Ohio, is the newest member of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, secretary Robert Wile announced. . . . Norman Nadel, theatre editor of the Columbus Citizen said he received more letters from readers asking to review Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” than he has received on any subject in some time. Nadel printed an item asking if readers would like to review the picture. Denver Because of noise made by teenagers at “Love Me Tender,” Paul Lyday, Denver manager, has set up two nights a week for “adults only,” when youngsters must be accompanied by an adult in order to get in. . . . Bob Hope was here to give a boost to the St. Anthony hospital building fund campaign. . . . Joe Stone, National Theatre supply branch manager, went to Los Angeles on company business. . . . Jack Scales is building a 275car drive-in, with room to expand, at Drango, Colo. Opening in the spring, the drive-in will be booked and bought for by Clarence Batter. . . . Wayne Ball, Los Angeles, division manager for Columbia, and Lou Astor, N. Y., circuit sales executive, were in calling on accounts and conferring with Robert Hill, branch manager. . . . The Woodlawn Theatre Corporation will open the new 805-seat Woodlawn, Littleton, Colo., on January 15. . . . Thirty-five Variety Tent 37 members made a conducted tour of the Variety Club Child Clinic at the University of Denver. . . . ‘The Mountain” was used at a special Hungarian relief showing, at $2 a ticket, at the Denham, with all receipts being donated by Mrs. Vera Cockrill to the Hungarian relief fund. Ted Halmi, a Hungarian native, now in publicity, handled that end of the show. . . . Laura Haughey, former Film Row booker, now bookkeeper at Wolfberg Theatres. . . . Robert Hazard, United Artists salesman, is father of son born on his birthday. . . . Joan Wallace, new to industry, is now secretary to branch manager at United Artists. She succeeds Dorothy Guiney, temporarily filling the post. Des Moines Police are investigating the theft of $900 from the Varsity theatre here. Bev C. Mahon, owner of the theatre, said the money had been locked inside a filing cabinet and disappeared sometime between 2 P.M. and 8 P.M. Police said they could find no sign of forced entry. . . . Yule movies sponsored by Chambers of Commerce and other business groups are being shown throughout the state this month. Most showings include candy and are free to all youngsters. ... In Des Moines, the city’s Film Council sponsored a free public showing of films suitable for Christmas programs. Films, projectors and screens are loaned without charge to organizations within the city’s school district. . . . Charlene Cannon is the new ledger clerk at Universal. . . . Ralph and Betty Olson (Universal and DCA) entertained Ralph’s sister, nephew and father over the reecnt holiday. . . . Mrs. Myron Blank modeled furs during a telecast from the Des Moines Junior League charity ball recently. . . . “Love Me Tender” brought out throngs of teenagers here, and theatre officials were missing any number of display posters before the first day was over. . . . Film Row is getting ready for Variety’s annual Christmas party on December 17. Detroit Playdate congestion is holding the opening of “Friendly Persuasion” out of Detroit for an undetermined time. . . . William Green’s illness has turned serious again with transfusions needed. . . . Robert Tuttle has taken over the Lenawee Auto theatre in Adrian. . . . The Plaza in Lansing has closed for good. . . . Roy Ruben, Local 199, IATSE, secretary, is out and around again after a long siege. . . . The Trenton theatre, Trenton, lost $66 to a break-in. . . . The Delton in Delton is now a roller rink. . . . The Italian Boys Town will benefit from the opening of “Around the World in 80 Days” at the United Artists. Hopes are that a new boys town can be established near Rome after the money is counted. Henry Ford II and Walter Reuther are ticket chairmen. . . . Schoolteacher Lily Zitomer is now Mrs. Irving Belinsky. . . . Milton Jacobson is back in the motion picture business with the acquisition of the Bijou. . . . Fred Zimmerman, 83, died. He was the father of Columbia manager, Milton. Hartford State Motor Vehicles Commissioner Tynan has launched a two-part, statewide campaign against defective automotive exhaust system such as that which recently caused the carbon monoxide death of a baby boy in a closed car at the Pike drive-in theatre, Newington. Initial phase has Commissioner Tynan sending official letters to the state’s licensed 7,000 automobile dealers, repairers and service stations, urging their co-operation in making certain that any cars they sell or service are free from leaks or defects in exhaust systems. . . . The Art theatre, first run art situation, has resumed Monday through Friday matinees. . . . Hartford visitors: James M. Totman, assistant zone manager, Stanley Warner Theatres; Sal Adorno, Jr., Middletown drive-in, Middletown, Conn. Indianapolis Ray Schmertz, 20th-Fox branch manager, has been elected chief barker of Indianapolis Variety for 1957. William Carroll will be first assistant; Ted Mendelssohn, second assistant; B. N. Peterson, dough guy, and Abe Gelman, property master. . . . The second annual all-Film Row Christmas party is scheduled for the Variety Club at 3 P.M. Dec. 12. . . . Greater Indianapolis now plans to hold “Oklahoma!”, currently in its 14th week at the Lyric, through the holiday. A1 Hendricks, manager of the Indiana, expect “Giant,” now in its third week, to hold until Christmas. . . . Truman Lamarr has resigned as manager of the Pendleton Pike drive-in. He has been succeeded by Dick Grade, who came here from Milwaukee. . . . Jim Kornblum is operating the Rosedale at Evansville weekends only. . . . Dr. Marvin Sandorf’s Twin drive-in staff will have a Christmas party at the Variety Club Dec. 10. Jacksonville Officers of Variety’s Tent 44 for 1957 are the following: Ted Chapeau, chief barker; Horace Denning, first assistant; Johnny Tomlinson, second assistant; Bill Beck, dough guy; and John Crovo, property master. . . . Maurice Magnan, Lake Shore theatre, boosts his attendance and income with Saturday night “country-style” stage shows that supplement his film fare. . . . John Spearing, IATSE leader, returned from a Miami business trip. . . . Approaching completion is the new H. B. Meiselman theatre in suburban Arlington. . . . Lucille Brazelton, 20th-Fox, returned from a vacation spent in Anchorage, Alaska. . . . Dolores Burnette, Howco Exchange, is the new editor of the WOMPI monthly bulletin. .. . The Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida has officially endorsed the efforts of the Florida Congress of Parents and Teachers in seeing that theatres present only those motion pictures which meet Code requirements. . . . Walter McCurdy, AB-PT confection sales chief from New York, was spending several weeks in Florida with a crew of sales experts. . . . Employees of the mammoth St. Regis Paper Company mill will hold their annual Christmas party in the Florida theatre. . . . Thirty San Marco merchants are sponsoring an all-day children’s matinee at the San Marco theatre December 21 so mothers of the suburb can have an uninterrupted “shopping spree.” Kansas City In the immediate Kansas City area, these drive-ins are open: the Heart, Blvd.. Shawnee, Highway 40, 63rd Street, Riverside and Crest. Advertising promotes such features as “in-car heaters at no extra cost” and “free coffee after ten.” . . . The Vogue theatre, 3444 Broadway, Kansas City, closed after the December 2 performance. Ed Golden of Golden’s Booking Agency has been operating the Vogue as an art theatre. . . . The Larned, Kans., State Hospital has new equipment for screening films. . . . Robert E. Carnie retired from Allied Artists’ sales staff. Frank Westbrook succeeds him. . . . Linn theatre, Pleasanton, Kans., was reopened by Bob Adkins. . . . The North Town Theatre Corporation was recently organized to take over the management of the Claco drive-in near North Kansas City, Mo. Eugene F. Stanton is president; Thayer Carmichael, vice-preisdent, and George S. Baker, secretary-treasurer. (Continued on opposite page) 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 8, 1956