Variety (April 1953)

tTedncfiflay? April I» 1953 TOA Bid ated a bottleneck in screens, for > f* m n 1 r» which houses now have to wait; Ll06Hlcld€0P6 AflSWCf l* OF anywhere from five to eight weeks. ' * 20th reports that it has a sizeable number of orders for its Cinema Continued from page 5 ,, _ .. Cfarr-TtPflriP ' C0pe aijd clai ™ s lt fits an >’ thea- the Starr Keaae *Thprp i C COTYIQ HieOfTmnmnni j^uid following All Houses: O'Donnell :: Clips From Film Row tre. There is. some disagreement • .After States Assn., mainly re- 5 c .-:.:i;bie for instating the Senate ; cV.* already has indicated that. S i-ders will appear before the, u V;"iw Board chairman-gen- • e-a' counsel Abram F. Myers and | e ;?, x . Wilbur Snaper trail be key \ " * Pair’s testimony will about this among equipment men. Cinemascope on a 21-foot screen who aren’t quite so optimistic. i for Leonard Golden son of United Hollywood, March 31. T ^ a special showing of < ♦ MaM - H I 4 1 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ M - M - M - M ♦ ♦ +♦♦♦♦» » ♦444+ 4 Urge Film Biz Continued from page 2 S Paramount Theatres, John Balaban of Balaban & Katz. Bob O'Donnell 1 NEW YORK | North Central Allied convention ji “ v*. Ddiduau cc duo \j ooBueu s T * Circuit owner Eddie Ruben va- Hof the Interstate Circuit and Bob °L -a \i i; rationing in Florida. “ an ot «■“•**»■*■* ^ > ggg Astor April 16 to iSdge en- Lauren H. Clark. owner of Ar- 5 reaction was enthusiastic. Echoing ^fesin the orea^tion^publicltl* row Theatre, Parkers Prairie, has the sentiments of the other three, s <. torv ani » P in ran- announced that either 20federal With TOA joining uiv rapping«hind-the-scenes and technical de- re^sis and pre-releases, there was partme nts. i screen t ^ ia _5 _ am «l*if i am 4 Kg f 4nn n I * „ ... „ story and photo contest in con-,-™-—— _ . . f'^^ses. Pair's resumony ;«u , the publ i c ’ s point-of-view.interest*° Donnell said. - nection with Variety’s activities, j admission tax goes off in July or ■■•’ie data received from Allied ; ^ ^.j 10 w j]j emerge the winner in? “This is the ultimate proof that. Press rep with best story wins an?'' 111 close and dismantle lus show- \ia a questionnaire which *. any one gj ven catesorv centers Cinemascope is effective for any all-expense trip to Variety’s con- j house, i ihe exhibs to detail instances i arge i v i n the acting award* ami size theatre. It is as intimate and vention in Mexico City next May. Southern Minnesota Exhibitors alleged trade abuses. 1 the Osci? nic and lL to th. « spectacular on a small Winner in the photo end wins a Assn.. North Central Allied affili- c-i„ ™»i»« Mnddl^spene'« a an<t tm-hnii.f h!l I screen as it is on the 65-toot ! S300 cheek. ate members expressed concern at Cinemascope is the an-:. ^public sales manager Walter meetmg here that 3-D develop- j L. Titus, Jr., left Sunday (29i for ment might sound death knell of * Tampa, then to Jacksonville and s many small theatres, especially Atlanta. (those in towns of lesser popula- WB to film 3-D short of National f Hot Rod and Sports Car Show at Palisades Park, N. J., this month. ! exhibitor from Mihvau- Minneapolis, March 31. kee where he attended combined Uncertainty as to whether 3-D ■ convention of drive-in theatres and other new projection develop- i and Allied States unit there. re n»?v,ed trade spec^a^on that the „ Qne immediate difficulty about oii-.anied-aoout ® industry - sponsored Oscar TV TOA ap ; d Allied K £f_ e _ J* finaiiv“ shows ^ that 11 might be difficult J fyyAlIUDC DTTCtI ljPDT C tua*; exhibs soue ht! to °°n vince the studios to come l/ZUflfcKb KUuil M I Lb become a reality. ™A has sought across with the necessary coin. On such a m ^ c n |’ n ? U ^. J^fw to 1 ^e other hand, with RCA having pixec it unless T - in \ se£ the P ace » and the show having ine'ude the questi ^ , , ] proved its entertainment poten-1 t » 4 j°int il * s believed ^ therem-l oui ine Al.ied t^ard .• | panies may view* the problem in a ‘ ture at last week s board meeting ^ i£fereQt il ght p a 3 in Milwaukee. He indicated Mon-| j sv * . 30f that the board's decision! A Part from other considerations, «ouid be conveyed directly to Starr S * Bad been one of the studio con- uonn latter's return from Europe.; ientions^ Uiat stars might not show Meanwhile, the monopoly sub- U P advantage in sponta- r ,; n!U ee of the Senate Small six i “«>>“ u TV appearances. Exhibs Coamiltee opened hearings in Los T eel *Ba? argument has now Anseles vesterday (Tues.) withjBeeu *° rest.^ Last weeks Cof-> exhibs airing their com- show also has intei^ified m- c ‘ 1 terest in the proposed half-hour _ Palisades Park, IS. J., thi VS. FROST, SNOW & 3-D ;re “ Co plaints Exhibs’ Gamble Con tinned from page 3 promotional TV show* w’hich the Motion Picture Assn, of America iihas blueprinted and which is un- j der active consideration. The 'filmed stanza would plug the in- fdustry and would be sponsored. ments will be adaptable for drive- in theatre operation apparently isn’t putting a damper on new ozoner construction in this terri- DALLAS Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Sterbenz sold their Follett Theatre, Follett, to torv. Rush to enter this field, pre- j An ® atre * viously unaffected by TV inroads 3 Trout, merchant Oldies Continued from page 3 of 3-D and large screens in thea- tres that may wish to show one! of the current three-dimensional j pix now and switch to Cinema-3 S:-ope or one of the other pano- ramic screen systems later. There < _ .. x v„il also be millions spent in the-i|L33 proportion, for compare*® .•re, reconstruction and dressing. 5 punmses, measures 16 feet • ax additional projectors, labor, etc. ! mches ln hel «Bt and 22-foot base, Lively Interest ! 2 r an ““ of , 363 square feet. A.-. RCA announcement Jas t ] Screens van. of cowse. in accord- v- -sk said several large theatres ance wi5 h the sizeofeach theatre would install two additional pro -1 far system has a 1.66 ratio so that lector?, bringing the total in their * he . 16 ! a-foot high screen wxmid to four. Purpose is to eli;ni- bate a base of 2t 2 feet and an r.ite intermissions and oversized area of 454 s ^ uare £eet * r.m reels now required when there 1 Par execs feel that a screen de- £re two inter-locked projectors. veloped by Stableford Screens. Co't o£ converting a theatre to „ London outfit, is best suited for the 3-D varies slights* and ranges be- ij sj stem. Distribution rights to the tween SI.000 and $1,500. Main ’ screen have been acquired by pro- •items' are. the screen, which runs ! ducer Sol Lesser and manufactur- on conventional theatr e patronage, seemingly is continuing undimin- ished, as additional projects con- tinue to be announced. In the Twin Cities area, construc- tion is being rushed on "another new ozoner that will bring the sec- tion’s total of outdoor theatres to nine. Other new outdoor theatres have just been planned or are in the construction stage in Bismarck, Devils Lake and Langdon, N. D.; Capby, Jackson, New Ulm and Montevideo. Minn., and in a num- ber of South Dakota towns. Many of the ozoners also are p lanning record early openings during the ensuing few weeks, al- tion. Minneapolis Federal Reserve bank's, current report states Upper Midwest business activity was even with a year ago for first two 1953 months, but internal revenue department's admission tax collec- tions. derived almost entirely from film theatres, show’s a considerable drop for film exhibition. Vet Columbia booker Joe Behan resigned. Charles W. Perrine. Minnesota Amus. Co. veepee, elected a vee- pee of Civic & Commerce Assn. th&re are occasional snowstorms yet. and temperatures drop to 15 or lower. Several have announced April 9 teeoffs, two weeks earlier than ever before. BL Allied Head Pleads Caution in Stereo Mores Chicago, March 31. Jack Kirsch. head of Allied The- atres of Illinois, at the 23d annual C. C. Hamm, owner of the Queen, Quitaque and Harry Barn- hill, owner of the Gem at Turkey, combined to construct a new 100- ! PHILADELPHIA The Star, Hillsboro,'undergoing! facelifting according to Ed Brin. ! Goldman Thea^^am off on five- one of owners of building housing; weelc European vacation. tbe theatre j Warner Circuit’s first-run Stan- E. T. Simpson, of McKinney, 1 ton, Philly’s oldest first deluxer, named general manager of the \ is to get a facelift this summer. Walmur Amus. Co., operators of i: Mastbaum will play WB’s 3-D the Walmur and Princess, Bristow. \ “House of Wax" later this month, Okla. I with equipment borrowed from Charles Weisenburg, prez of j Aldine, also a Stanley operation. Texas Drive-In Theatre Owner s j j ac B{?resin, international presi- Assn., announced the annual meet- j ( j ent 0 j y a riety Clubs, will be mg of the group wiU be held here« j ete £| w ilh testimonial dinner a * 44 T £o * ! April 20. with coin going to Phila- C. W. Moss, manager of Inter -} transferred to Tyler in similar ca- \ ^Imperial. West Philly nabe. pwr- pacity: will be succeeded by Tru- 5 chased bj Jimmy Toppi, local man Riley of Denison. Jimmy ^ Promoter, who wiU convert it into Neinast named to succeed as city ; 3 Purchase price was 340,000, manager at Denison. \ ' vlth remodeling to cost $100,000. Harry Gaines, assistant manager i Melvin Fox. indie chain operator, at Denison, being transferred to reopened three of his New’ Jersey Brownwood as manager. ; drive-ins—Bridgeton, Vineland and Paul W. Gay took over as man-: Burlington, ager of the Oasis. Kermit. Lariat ’; w. C. Smith interests, which op- and Tower Drive-Ins and the ij crate several ozoners in this area, Kermit and the Rig at Wink; he i are building new drive-in at De- replaces Frank Love, Jr. ? y on . Pa., on Phillv’s Main Line. S. L. Oakley, veepee of East New* Egypt Theatre, New Egypt, though frost is still m the ground, j ^ £ea“^’ a “S^staVmLI J^*L“ former Warner Jersey, now* full Cumberland , _ , . .. (Bridgeton), Jersey’s shape, can ‘ warned exhibs not to go overboard ■ change here, replacing Roy Sacb, - se cond largest state fair. ;ize and is ’ until some standardization could be j moved to sales division. jj eirher mechanical or electric. i designed to meet the needs of vari- established with the various svs-f The Capitan, operated by Albert j mTTCDDoriJ Expense o( installing Cinema- 0 us projection developments, in- terns. In his report he also urged j Sussman and M. M. Lewis is now 5 rl I 1 jDUKbn cope is still undetermined and is ‘ eluding stereo, wide-vision and the- continued action against the 20^ j operating here under a first-run i Morris Finkel converting Hill- excise tax and favorable going, policy top Theatre on Warrington Ave- along with COMPO for at least an-J James Neelj* took over as man-. nue j nto a storeroom, which will other year. | ager of the Cuero Drive-in and. ^ occupied by the Wartington He rehashed the old arguments I assistant manager of the Rialto at; variety Store. Finkel has another lt U re"e 0 ?e jS'SI Kmingswortl, oireer of |» Z* ^>f“ ““ ne,ghb ° r ' .rhitr^i^biKuit of theatres m Athens .J Murphy, manager of the ia.erlocks w*hich ssmehronize \ Screen is concave in tr.e two projectors and can be be reproduced in any size and is ] ~ 5 - - d to meet the needs of vari - i ajection developments, in- . eluding stereo, wide-vision and the- l:ke’y vary* from theatre to the-^atre television. Average installa- ble. It s been quoted by 20th-Fox ; tion for theatremen is figured at a: anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000, ’ $5,000. v:tn the stereophonic sound the • rr.o.-: expensive item. Nothing is • Whifecollarifes ; Contmucd from pa;e 7 known of the cost of the Para- mount and other widescreen sys-* ten:*. 20th hopes to equip about j 1.0'V} houses with Cinemascope by } °after’that h 500 ^ m0nth j ditions for the exchange employees in%rv Jas those received by other home- special screen, costs will go up. In j o£fice whlte co£lar e “^?° yees ’ . discussing the screen to be used * Before granting strike permis- L'*r tne unve ilin g of the new Magna! sion, it is the policy of the LA. to IJV. _ . . W _ ° A - I •_!. XI j ter for discussjon, that arbitration ^ a c hain of houses in the 5 strand, a WB'nab^ in Oakland, j J ras £ulde * He admonished the pro-1 Rio Grande Valley from R. N. j promoted to manager of circuit’s ducers, especially Republic, for j Snlith> 3 bis Columbia in rfie. selling films to teevee. Getting About 12,000 attended the preem Alpine and Star in Wellsburg, down to the state and local level. 5 0 f “Oil Tow*n,” a film with a Hous- \ w. Va.. acquired under long-term he w*arned against a proposal in; ton locale wrhlch was produced by j leases, with purchase options, by me legislative hoppers which* Billy Graham. Pic was shown at:Camiilo Cionni from the Jur cotics count Kirsch, objecting to the bill, said if it passed it would Tneaire Corp.’s widescreen system step into the negotiations, with at ihe Rivoli, N. Y., Joseph AL either prexy Walsh Or a top-level Schenck. Magna board’ chairman, I union exec taking part in the talks. ^ ^ ^ put i*s cost at $20,000. Decision on approach will be made g ve ^ industry a black eye bv S»ereo sound, for which consid-! following the outcome of the meet- - erab’.e rewiring is necessary at the j inff with the Government labor representative. Film Exchange Employees, rep- ping backroom staffers such as would bar actors from appearing ] the Sam Houston Coliseum, Hous in films or on tbe stage wbo had • ton, with 500 turned away, been convicted of a state or nar- tneb.re, costs exhibs between $11,- C»>0 and $12,000. Three-dimensional ?;^ e .Earner Bros.’ “House of W ax, will come in two versions, three added sound channels cn tape and also with sound pho- tographed on film for standard use. . another consideration press- jj plans. N. Y. talks are part of local exchange negotiati throughout the co • „ ■*- wv ww via uvu^ CAW j film company reps r * : §.nt, aollowing close of the last (ering with unionites for about d?t 1 three monthSi j, ut not a single con- tract has been finalized to date. MINNEAPOLIS Century* tied in on TV news- implying that Hollywood employ’s»paper ad for “Toast of Tow*n” an- such people. j nouncing “I Love Melvin’ due ~ — - - _ - j a t }jouse. chain. Cionni opened Blue Moon Dri%*c-In three years ago and just a few months ago entered stand- ard theatre field when he acquired the Avella. Pa„ theatre. Joe Mazzei, owner of Grant The- atre, Millvale. and formerly house manager of downtown Art Cinema, revealed here last week as having H t ADie4 <ta? e i makpu' D artist Frank West- be™ an undereover man for the much in obtaining a reductionmakeup,an^^rai^ w^ m jn the Communist party for county real estate taxes and that \ °“i, ,. R.nSth ihe 1 the last 10 years. . Sid Jacobs, WB city district manag er, out of hospital and ^ ex- pms wuuwm 1QU rauuc _ - Mi * M fn “Pitv Beneath the shippers and examiners, also re- m0 nies raised for La Sabida Sani- ^^^h^rTheaSe^dlrLer ceived a turndown from the com-?*--.— VnrJoh, r>i,.K ! P® 3 , uopner lneaire unueriiner. Gopher Theatre imderliner, dem- . tt - v .toium .the Variety. Club project, l^ite S mod5 to . — . . . . . . . pany negotiators. Union, however, exceeded the previous year by oictr a te various steps in makeup. P ecls to be back at his desk in a hasn't indicated what action \ ^O e^roitrer ^ T^mpson \ few days. He collapsed early last psr.vrmance. This automatically, ys union scales. Example is thel Pdrimount Theatre, N. Y., where of Wax” will preem April ■**’• bouse is likely to spend in 550,000 to get ready for tr.e 3-D show*. 1* c —t E^ipment manufacturers report!series of three regional meetings L-L-y interest in 3-D and wide-*beeinning April 21 in Zanesville, t-'lir." amon S the first-runs but a .*r.cy to “watch-and-wait” when • s * to_ man Y of the smaller 5 Saroyan Sues Ex-Biz Manager in Tax Mixiip * Hollywood, March 31. As a result of an income tax mixup, William Saroyan filed suit . & ™er S I mouth and ahaU^e hadpr^ co r Uug,plusW^™ ? h^ r^an«drreuI^f d S * S* “ -Sf Other later spoU. p-iL'jRs. Key chains are natural- jj New Hampshire and M assachusetts. ^ snipping up the novelty and are Second palaver is set for Youngs- “ s t0 ca sh in on it. Feeling 1 town, O., on April 23, with third jni r.^ the little guys is that it’s meeting for managers in the New Shea Circuit’s Meets Shea Theatre circuit will hold a charges. Stem neglected to pay on beginning April 21 in Zanesville, j t ; me O. Confabs will cover sales and plaintiff declares Stem refused promotion for all Shea theatres in J an accounting of $13,654 Ohio, Pennsylvania, New iork,] lie handled during a six-month period from Jan. 1 to June 30, AUA.X/ j - ^st^Tude^Mcb 1 Loioneriiibi, “Peter Pan” into the RKO-Or- ?/i job again after checkup at Bat- Only one local house, Alhambra,! Johnny Zomnir, UA salesman, indie nabe theatre, rushed in * “Greatest Show on Earth,” follow- ing Academy Award as “best pic- ture,” having had Jt booked for a be £r> in Florida Universal exploiteer Ed Borgen here to plan campaign for “City 1952. 1 Beneath Sea.” United Artists had trade screen- 3Iae Marsh, former D. W. Gxif-jing of “Moulin Rouge” and in- gauge reaction to the ^England area slated for a later 4 gjj, star, drew a role in “The vited bids. _ - - -- ’ ’ * Robe” at 20th-Fox.. .Steve For-! Wilbur Snaper and A. F. Myers. *‘ A ’o or three 3-D pix before n date. Gerald Shea, Richard p 2 jump. } Harper and Ray Smith will re of orders already has ere- i sent the homeofBce. A. repre- returaed to work following _ ips convalescence from an operation. Don Hayman' left Uniontown, Pa., to Hollywood to handle, for the sixth straight year, special press, radio and TV exploitation for Coast opening of Clyde Beatty's circus. Hayman owns the Mannie Youngerman, 20th-Fox | ?p D fv. a ^ Tunnelton theatres in Utility- salesman, covering city for 1 n v SSi rmu Up-id iT^ri , ii t?ay vrbfilstfpp 1 ^ Ivc?ri Ho^lf fornicr sd puo D03& Hany^Fox while latter vacations j for Harris qo.. and now with Norman Burk ad agency. handling campaigns around here for twin bills Col bas been first- running in nabe and suburban houses. _ Bryan Foy entering indie pren 1 renTwill do~a twowedk tour of ac-j national Allied States president j duetion with “The Mad Magician ” live army duty when he completes ' and general counsel, to attend 1 to be filmed in Natural \ ision.