Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Columbus “Giant” equalled the year’s long-run record set by “Guys and Dolls” by opening a fifth week here. The film moved to the RKO Grand after three weeks at the RKO Palace. . . .“Love Me Tender” was held for four days at RKO Palace after its first week. . . . Howard Pearl, Detroit exploitation representative for United Artists, was in town for the advance campaign on “The King and Four Queens” which opens Dec. 31 at Loew’s Ohio. . . . Manager Robert Sokol of Loew’s Broad booked “Oklahoma” in the CinemaScope version for the week of Dec. 31. . . . Samuel T. Wilson, theatre editor of the Columbus Dispatch, was the subject of a full-page promotional ad in the Dispatch. Praise from manager Walter Kessler of Loew’s Ohio, RKO city manager Ed McGlone and J. Real Neth, of Neth Theatres, was included in the ad. . . . Loew’s Ohio offered five hours of film entertainment for the regular matinee price on Saturday, Dec. 15 in a special Christmas shoppers’ show. . . . Loew’s Ohio and Loew’s Broad have installed “mechanical valets” in their rest rooms. Items offered at 10 and 25 cents include everything from aspirin and alka seltzer to pocket combs and key cases. Denver The Hungarian relief showing of “The Mountain” at the Denham turned over more than $3,000 to the relief fund. Jim Ricketts, Paramount branch manager, secured the film at no cost, and Mrs. Vera Cockrill, managing director of the Denham, donated the house and the employes for the show, so that all that was taken in, at $2 per ticket, was net, aside from the taxes. ... A change in managers at the Vogue Art Cinema resulted in Jimmy Church being moved to one of the other houses in the circuit, either east or south, and Dick Parker, who has been managing the Crescent Art, Louisville, Ky., was moved to the Vogue. . . . Robt. Hill, Columbia branch manager, was ill with the flu. . . . Exchanges held their usual Christmas parties — Metro at the exchange, Paramount and 20th-Fox at the American Legion building. . . . John Allen, Dallas, Tex., Metro division manager, and R. H. Mochrie, N. Y., in charge of “Guys and Dolls” distribution, in for conferences with Henry Friedel, branch manager. . . . Harry Wood, 20th -Fox auditor, in checking the branch. . . . Reville Kniffin, assistant western division manager, Los Angeles, and Glen Norris, eastern division manager, in for talks with Dick Fulham, branch manager. . . . Robert Hazard, United Artists salesman, was promoted to city salesman at San Francisco. Moving in, also to live in Albuquerque, N. M., is Jay O’Malin, from the Omaha and Des Moines area. Des Moines Eldon Harwood, manager of Commonwealth Theatre operations in Creston for several years, has been named to handle Commonwealth properties in Great Bend, Kan., where he will be in charge of three theatres and two drive-ins. He will also have direction of a theatre and a drive-in elsewhere in the county. John Newcomer of Shenandoah will take over the vacant Creston post. . . . Charles Hes has been elected chief barker of the Des Moines Variety club. lies, a member of the city council, is in the film transportation business. Others elected include Carl Olson, first assistant barker; Robert Dillon, second assistant; Lou Levy, treasurer, and Dave Gold, secretary. . . . The Stage Hands and Motion Picture Operators Local 332 of Clinton has elected the following officers: C. H. Andrews, president; Charles Tintey, vice-president; A. E. Hubbard, secretary treasurer; Paul Nadelhoffer, business agent, and Ronald Dierks, guard. . . . The Lorimer theatre at Lorimer has been closed because of “lack of patronage.” The house had been helped by local merchants but still was unable to make a go of it. Operators were Mr. and Mrs. Donald Williams. . . . United Artists has moved next to Republic at 1207 High in Des Moines in a remodeled and redecorated office. . . . Dick Jensen is new assistant booker at Columbia. . . . Jim Ricketts of Columbia became a grandfather for the seventh time when his son Jack, also of Columbia, became the father of a son. Detroit Morris Weinstein has been promoted to sales manager of United Artists. . . . The old Dale theatre has been converted to a church. . . . Harley Ennis, owner of the Posen in Posen, has a new son to take over the business. . . . Royal Baker, former police censor, and Max Mansfield, projectionist, both died recently. . . . A1 Champagne has been re-elected business agent of IATSE Local F25. . . . Ray Rule took over full ownership of the Alco at Harrisville. . . . The Fuller at Kalamazoo has been changed to commercial use. . . . Ernie Ziegler has taken over the Saginaw territory for U-I. . . . Bert Holmes is back at the Republic office after an operation. . . . The Colonial is now the Park in Holland. . . . Christmas week will see a stage show again at the Fox. Recording artists will be presented with a disk jockey at the helm Hartford Promotion of William Dougherty to district manager status, effective immediately, has been announced by Doug Amos, general manager, Lockwood & Gordon Theatres. Dougherty, with the circuit since 1946, will supervise L&G situations in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. His most recent assignment had been as manager of the Norwalk drive-in, Norwalk. Replacement at the latter theatre has not been named as yet. . . . Stanley Warner Theatres’ zone office lobby is undergoing extensive remodelingas aftermath of $40,000 fire last St. Patrick’s Day. . . . Franklin Ferguson, promotion manager for the Bailey theatres, is Christmas Seal Campaign chairman for New Haven. . . . Francis O’Neill, formerly with New England Theatres Inc. in Vermont, has joined the Smith Management Company. His initial assignment is working with Chet Philbrook, manager of the Meadows drive-in, Hartford. . . . Jean DuBarry, Bridgeport, Conn., city manager for Stanley Warner Theatres, and Mrs. DuBarry are marking their 22nd wedding anniversary. . . . Hartford visitors: Floyd Fitzsimmons, field press representative, MGM; Lou Brown, advertising-publicity department, Loew’s Poli-New England Theatres Inc.; Sperie Perak os, general manager, Perakos Theatre Associates, New Britain, Conn. Indianapolis The Variety Club will hold its New Year’s party Saturday, Dec. 29, with Ted Mendelssohn in charge of arrangements. . . . Dale McFarland announced that Greater Indianapolis will hold “Oklahoma” at the Lyric until Jan. 30, then switch to “The Ten Commandments.” It will mean a run of five months for the Todd-AO film. . . . Dr. Marvin Sandorf, owner of the Twin drive-in, and William Rosenthal, owner of the Irving, have variance requests for new drive-ins before the Marion County Plan Commission this month. . . . Marc Wolf, Trueman Rembusch and Wm. A. Carroll have been appointed members of the Indiana Allied legislative committee to following proceedings of the Indiana General Assembly next month by president Roy Kalver. . . . R. O. Clark has closed the Star, Indianapolis neighborhood theatre. . . . Paul Thomas, manager of the Muncie drive-in, is now managing the Rivoli theatre there for the winter months this year. Jacksonville Bill Beck, managing director of the Five Points theatre, had Sal Mineo scheduled for two days of public appearances here prior to his Florida premiere of “Rock, Pretty Baby!” in which Mineo stars for Universal. . . . Florida State Theatres employees were conducting a Will Rogers Hospital Christmas drive in honor of the late Jim Cartwright, who led similar drives among Florida exhibitors for many years. . . . Johnny Tomlinson’s Warner Bros, staff staged a gay Christmas party with many outside film workers attending. . . . Irving Mack wrote a letter of appreciation concerning the recent annual convention of the Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida, saying that it was exceptional for “excitement and gimmicks.” . . . Norm Levinson, MGM exploiteer, has come out with a novel suggestion to exhibitors. Stating that TV shows often plug other programs having opposition sponsors, Norm suggests that exhibitors do the same for opposition houses with crossplug trailettes on the screen and lobby set pieces as a help for increasing the movie-going habit. . . . B. B. Garner, head of Talgar Theatres, came in from Lakeland for a few days. Kansas City “Rock, Rock, Rock” at Loew’s Midland in Kansas City was promoted on a local TV show, “Teen Town,” a half-hour dancing party for students from high schools in the area. Passes for the film were given to winners of dancing contests. . . . The Government-owned theatre at Sunflower, Kans., was damaged by vandals, who broke seats, windows and doors and tore the curtains. The theatre, near the ordinance works at Sunflower, has not been in regular use. . . . Committee members planning the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Owners’ Convention in Kansas City at the Phillips Hotel, Jan. 29-30, include these chairmen: Glen Hall, nominations; J. Leo Hayob and Tom Edwards, co-chairmen of the program committee; Elmer Rhoden, Jr., and Earl Jameson, Jr., co-chairmen of entertainment. ( Continued on opposite page ) 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 22, 1956