Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

( Continued from page 30) of Charles Sugarman, who operates the art World. Jarvis formerly was general manager of Miles drive-ins here and was associated with United Paramount Theatres. . . . Ralph L. F. McCombs, former music editor and assistant theatre editor of the Columbus Citizen, has been named manager of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. . . . Carl Erickson, glass craftsman and owner-manager of the nationally-famous Erickson Glass Works at Bremen, Ohio, is the principal actor in Walt Disney’s “True Life” film made at Williamsburg, Virginia for nationwide television showings next February. . . . RKO Palace held a special Saturday morning teen-agers showing of “Love Me Tender.” Denver Robert Selig, Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres division manager, has been placed in charge of theatre projects for Hungarian refugees. Two Hungarian families have already been brought here, are located and have jobs. Ted Halmi, born in Hungary, a U.S. citizen, long time in theatre publicity, is also active in the relief work. . . . Duke Dunbar, Colorado attorney general formerly secretary of the old Film Board of Trade, was operated on for kidney stone — recuperating satisfactorily. . . . Bill Lay, former booker at Bailey Dist. Co., is now office manager at Apex Films. . . . Fred Hall has closed the Variety, Akron, Colo., leaving the town theatreless. . . . Hal Fuller, Dimension Pictures owner, was in from his Salt Lake City headquarters, making the trip with his son, Forrest, in the son’s plane. ... Ed Shulman, Cleveland theatre owner, was in for conferences with Jimmie Church, manager of the Vogue. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Kelloff have taken over the Uptown, Pueblo, Colo., which has been operated by the Cooper Foundation Theatres for 25 years. . . . The Monaco drive-in, Denver, cancelled bookings except for weekends. Des Moines Pearl Robbins, veteran of 32 years with the Paramount exchange on Film Row, has announced his retirement and plans to spend his time traveling with Mrs. Robbins. He was honored with a luncheon at Paramount which was attended by Phil Isaacs, division manager from Denver, and M. E. Anderson, Omaha branch manager. His fellow workers gave Pearl a suede jacket. . . . A. H. Blank, Tri-States chief, was one of five men presented recently with a Silver Beaver award from the Tall Corn council of the Boy Scouts. Blank has been in scouting for the past 11 years and active on the Tall Corn council. . . . The former Princess theatre at Humeston has been selected as the home of a new community center to be established for entertainment of young and old. It will be operated by the Humeston Community Development Committee. ... A trade-athome program spurred by a series of seven free movies at the Rose theatre has been set up at Audubon, according to theatreman John Renfelt. Thirty-one merchants are participating. . . . The Iowa theatre at Hopkinton has been reopened after being dark for nearly a year. The house is under supervision of John Loop, assisted by Duane Billings. It will show four days a week. . . . Don Beal, Warner shipper, has resigned to become editor of the Iowa Federationist, A.F.L. paper in Polk county. Taking over Don’s duties at Warners is Verne Stevens, former assistant shipper. Roy Howser, formerly of NSS, is now assistant shipper. . . . Bill Bell, Columbia assistant booker, has left to become head booker for Fox. Detroit Unusual booking setup caused by long running first runs forced “Friendly Persuasion” to make its first Michigan appearance at the Majestic in Grand Rapids. . . . The Kingston and Ritz in Cheboygan will pack in the kids for a December 15 Christmas party hosted by Carl Johns and his wife. . . . Robert Buermele’s daughter has undergone a second eye operation. . . . Plans for Allied’s national board meeting in May were snagged temporarily when it was found that the city’s two top hotels were booked solid. Plans are working to get into the Whittier for the May 7, 8 and 9 meetings. . . . Michigan Allied voted to increase dues and a schedule of the new rates has been sent to members. . . . David Morgan has switched from Columbia to RKO’s selling staff. George Sampson, Jr. has left that organization for Philco. . . . The small son of Richard Spangle, Brooklyn owner, was injured seriously by a hit-and-run driver. . . . Murray Schlanger has come in from Des Moines to 20th-Fox, replacing George Goodman who will work the western Michigan territory. . . . I. J. London died of a heart attack. The former circuit operator was the uncle of Milton London, Michigan Allied president. Hartford George LeWitt, pioneer Connecticut theatre owner, is finally getting the green light for his long-projected Berlin, Conn., outdoor theatre project. Superior Court Judge John P. Cotter has issued a permanent injunction restraining the suburban town of Berlin and its Zoning Commission from enforcing an ordinance banning outdoor or drive-in theatres. . . . Allen C. Morrison, veteran Hartford theatre owner, who figured in a $1,000,000 film suit in 1932, is dead at Palm Beach, Fla. Morrison formerly owned the Majestic (now the E. M. Loew’s) and Princess theatres. In 1932, he was plaintiff in a damage suit for $1,000,000 against four film companies and distributing firms, claiming the defendants illegally withheld films from the Majestic. . . . Morris Rosenthal, manager of Loew’s Poli, New Haven, has returned to his desk following sick leave in Miami. Sidney H. Kleper was relief manager. Indianapolis Zaring’s Egyptian, the city’s oldest de luxe neighborhood theatre, was closed Saturday by the Levitt Bros., who acquired it this year from the A. C. Zaring estate. ... A survey to determine the public acceptance to the proposed credit plan test in Marion County resulted in a negative report, Joe Cantor, chairman of the exhibitor committee cooperating on the project, announced. ... Ed Bigley, UA branch manager, gave a luncheon at the Marott Monday to enable exhibitors to meet James Velde, general sales manager. . . . Paramount will hold a Christmas party at the Variety Club Dec. 17 and Universal Dec. 20. . . . Pete Fortune has redecorated the Cinema and will switch to a single feature policy. . . . George Marks closed the Palace at Montpelier Dec. 1. . . . A1 Hendricks, manager of the Indiana, reports “Giant” has done more business than any film since “The Robe.” It will hold for a fifth week, through Dec. 20. Jacksonville Sheldon Mandell, co-owner and manager of the downtown, first run St. Johns theatre, publicized the house’s closing until December 21 for a $45,000 remodeling job, including new seats, TV lounge, lobby redecoration and exterior refurbishing. . . . Fred Hull’s MGM staff staged a gay pre-Christmas party in the MGM Building on Saturday afternoon. . . . FST city manager Robert Heekin and Jim Levine, Florida theatre manager, journeyed to Miami to attend a ticket-selling forum conducted by Paramount’s Jerry Pickman in connection with the opening of “The Ten Commandments.”. . . Phil Longdon, Fox salesman, returned to his duties after a stay in a Daytona Beach hospital. . . . Norm Levinson, local MGM publicist, and Judson Moses, MGM representative in Atlanta, returned from Miami where they set up exploitation plans with Harry Botwick and Howard Pettengill, FST officials, for the Florida premiere of “Teahouse of the August Moon.”. . . Arv Rothschild had a large Christmas matinee and party at the Roosevelt theatre for the Negro children whose parents are employed by the St. Regis Paper Company. Kansas City Roxy theatre, located in the heart of the downtown shopping center of Kansas City, offers young patrons a Saturday special providing for admission of two children on one ticket before noon with a TV show on the mezzanine in addition to the regular program. . . . Thursday dinner patrons at the Hotel Cody in Leavenworth, Kans. receive passes to the Hollywood theatre in that city. . . . The Hollywood gave pictures of Elvis Presley to weekend viewers of “Love Me Tender.” . . . Drive-ins in Greater Kansas City remaining open for the winter are offering three-in-one programs with extras like four cartoons or a fourth film. . . . The Rockhill, Kansas City art theatre, presenting “Stars of Russian Ballet,” is giving all profits on the film to the Hungarian refugee relief fund. . . . Dickinson Theatres has transferred Leo Kolvin from the Kaw theatre at Marion, Kans. to the 81 drive-in at Salina. LeRoy Palmer from Joplin, Mo., is now at the Kaw in Marion, and has been succeeded at the Glen theatre in Joplin by Galen Stewart from Salina. Los Angeles The Theatron Corp. has taken over the operation of the Empire and Adams theatres from Dave Irvine. They recently acquired the Maynard theatre here. . . . Morris Safier has been named western (Continued on page 34) 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 15, 1956