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SAN FRANCISCO The first popular priced engagement of "Porgy and Bess," uncut, with full stereophonic sound, opened at the Stage Door in continuous performances on Christmas Day . . . Admission was free at the Esquire Theatre for "Happy Anniversary" during Christmas Week to those who could prove they were married in December . . . "Pillow Talk" was on the screens of ten theatres in San Francisco during the holiday week . . . The Warfield presented a special New Year's Eve showing of "Never So Few." Irving M. Levin and family vacationed in Palm Springs during the holidays . . . The Variety Club mixed bowling league resumed its weekly games January 4 . . . New Year's Eve nearly all first-run theatres and foreign houses offered previews in addition to regular bills. Moving day for Pischoff Sign Co. will be Saturday U6> to 880 Harrison St. Exhibitor works on piay GREAT FALLS, MONT.—Clarence Golder, operator of the Civic Center Theatre, and Dan Cushman are working on plans to present Cushman's play, "Whoop Up," based on the novel "Stay Away Joe," produced by Feuer and Mack on Broadway. Golder said Cushman is at present working on minor changes in the musical. Golder will help produce the production. West Yellowstone is being considered for the stage location. New Bottling Territories Opened by Dr Pepper Co. DALLAS—Two new territories, one in the East and the other in the far Northwest, have been added to Dr Pepper Co.'s national distribution pattern with the recent franchising of the Hazelton, Pa., and Spokane, Wash., areas. Both of the new plants are already in operation and distribution. Their addition brings to 33 the number of new Dr Pepper bottling plants opened since January 1959 and several more are due to open shortly. Wesby R. Parker, Dr Pepper Co. president, said that the company's expansion timetable, calling for complete national distribution in 1960, is well on schedule. A. Ritchie is president and treasurer of the corporation which now owns Dr Pepper bottling plants in Walla Walla and Seattle, as well as the new Spokane plant. The Hazelton, Pa., plant is owned by Edward R. Yuhas, who also serves as general manager, with his brother Joe as sales manager. Nine-Month Net Down Jean Renoir, motion picture director and playwright, has been appointed a regent's professor of English and dramatic art at the University of California at Berkeley, Calif.

Tuesday Family Nights Score in Ashland, Ore. ASHLAND. ORE. — Tuesday family nights, when parents pay 50 cents each and all the youngsters are admitted free, are proving a big hit here at the Varsity Theatre since being introduced recently by Russell Osborn and Roy Carier, the brothers who leased the house from Electro-Vision Corp. Attendance has been increasing each Tuesday night, according to Osborn. Osborn said that the popular "Curtain at Eight-Thirty" program will be reinstated on Wednesday evenings as soon as bookings can be arranged. Children Saturday matinees, with a uniformed matron on duty, have been inaugurated. Sunday matinees are also on the regular schedule. The Varsity is taking on a fresh, attractive new look as the new operators carry on an improvement program without interrupting regular screen schedules. Renovation of restrooms, improvement of the heating plant to provide adequate comfort in the auditorium, installation of new advertising frames for the lobby and outside displays and installation of a new popcorn machine have been made since the new management took over late in December. Improvements are planned in projection and sound. The interior will be refurnished for patron comfort. Osborn served as manager of the Varsity for two years before being transferred to the LaHabra Theatre in Los Angeles. Carier was manager of the Valley Drivein before going to the Buena Park Theatre in southern California. The brothers own their home here at 725 Walker Ave. John Youmatz President Of Laurel Valley Corp. HARTFORD — John Youmatz, pioneer Connecticut Valley drive-in theatre owner and operator, is listed as president of the Laurel Valley corporation, new Connecticut firm, which has filed a certificate of organization with the Secretary of State's office. The company's home base is Barkhamsted. Conn. Other officers are Lawrence T. Goodenough, vice-president; Joseph Dileo, treasurer; Gerald W. Lewis, secretary; and directors, the officers, plus Gordon A. Whyte, Vincent Cappabianca, Leon Tardiff, Louis R. Patch. Michael Dileo, Philip Youmatz. Fred Malone and Joseph Tardiff. To Score 'Crowded Sky' HOLLYWOOD — Leonard Roseman was assigned by Warner Bros, to compose and conduct the musical score for "The Crowded Sky," recently completed Technicolor feature starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, Efrem Zimbalist jr. and John Kerr. Union Chief Finally to Be Member HOLLYWOOD—Norman Lowenstein, 14 years business representative for the Motion Picture Art Directors, will become a member three months before he resigns his post. MPAD goes IATSE on January 7, and IATSE representatives have to be members of the union represented. Children's Film Movement Fails In Tiein With Theatres and Why REGENA—A onetime extensive cooperation between a strong Children's Film Society movement and local theatres has dwindled to a now-and-then affair. Relations between the two groups remain cordial, but the parents, teachers, businessmen, etc., who seek to cultivate their children's tastes in entertainment now work mostly alone and with 16mm product in school auditoriums. The reasons for the change are related in a report made by the Regina Junior Film Society, which is published in the holiday issue of the Canadian Film Institute Bulletin. The report follows: ... In the past there have been various attempts to provide suitable programs using the Children's Film Library and the local theatres on Saturday mornings. We might say that at one time we had a tremendous organization of parents, teachers and businessmen that gave freely of their time to make the movement a success. LET DOWN BY EXCHANGES We were let down badly by the film exchanges on so many occasions that the committee reached a stage at which it could not carry on any longer. Although approved children's films were booked well in advance and the confirmations received from the film exchanges in Winnipeg and Toronto, these films were frequently substituted for at the last minute even after our advertising through the press and over the air had been completed. This practice became so common that members of the various groups supporting the movement got fed up and the program gradually died. It was then that the few of us that still believed in the value of this type of entertainment reorganized in the 16mm field, using school auditoria for Children's Film Society. In a sense this has given us wider scope and strangely enough over the years we have maintained the interest and support of the Motion Picture Exhibitors Ass'n in this city, which does not look upon our efforts as being competitive but offered us assistance from time to time. Our experience with children's films has brought many of us to a very firm decision. The greatest care has to be exercised in the adaptation of a Hollywood production for a children's program. Generally speaking, and there are hardly any exceptions, most Hollywood productions are made for adult consumption with boxoffice interest uppermost. DISAGREE ON WIGGLE TEST The various committees with whom I have worked in the last 15 years have disagreed widely with the so-called findings of the wiggle test. There is such great danger of adults thinking they know what children like for entertainment because there is a successful wiggle test associated with the presentation of a particular film—this is no criterion that children are going to get the best entertainment from this film. Our procedure has been to have regular previews of our selected features to which a number of children are invited. We have prepared very simple children's evaluation forms which they fill out in a room completely devoid of adults or their influence. They are given time to discuss amongst themselves the pros and cons of the feature and their rating is given our earnest consideration. Curiously nine times out of ten, their decision is far removed from that of the adult evaluation. With all due respect to those who give their time and labor in this movement, these same people have a lot to learn with regard to what children enjoy and what they do not enjoy. USE MARY FIELD FILMS During the last few years we have concentrated on those films with which Miss Mary Field has been associated and which we have been able to obtain from the Rank Organization of Canada. These are the same films that have been shown to the Odeon clubs in Great Britain. There is no need for us to advertise now on any great scale. The youngsters appreciate and look forward to each season's program. Last season, in competition with us on Saturdays were a children's concert group, a children's theatre group, programs of the YMCA and YWCA; yet our ticket sales were bigger and better than ever—so much so that we have been able to set aside a sinking fund for new 16mm equipment. At the beginning of this 1959-60 season, our reports show that there is a membership in excess of 2,000 youngsters between the ages of 7 and 12. We started with one school auditorium five years ago and today arrange for commissioners, supervising parents and boy and girl projectionists in eight school auditoria every month. Membership fee Is $1 per youngster for the season. We cater to those between the age of 7 and 12 in the hope that when they graduate from this age group they will be discriminating in their choice of entertainment elsewhere. VICE-PRESIDENT IS 12 Our first vice-president is a boy of 12 and our second vice-president for our next season will be an able young lady of 11 who has the opportunity to speak democratically for the youngsters she represents. It is truly said of adult films that the visuals may excite and maintain a child's mind in an active condition but the brain remains passive. The important thing to remember is that the young boy or girl should be able to identify themselves in the characters or among the characters portrayed on the screen. Behind the stories in the series, is a frequently good moral message and sometimes these films present moral conflicts. This is in order as long as the entertainment motive is dominant. Carol Reed produced and directed Columbia's "Our Man in Havana" from a screenplay by Graham Greene. BOXOFFICE January 11, 1960 W-7