Boxoffice-August.03.1957

AUGUST 3, 19S/ 

/he iuAe e^ ine /P/&to&f^,^_^tuAe yruLAt^ 

THE MODERN THEATRE section in this issue features "Food and Refreshments." Shown here is the 

attractive concessions area at Ray Starito's Bedford Grove Drive-ln Theatre near Manchester, N. H. 

Wood paneling, wrought-iron railings and a timbered ceiling give a note of informality to the setting. It 

is another example of the added attention exhibitors ere paying to the decor of their concessions building. 

IN THIS ISSUE: 

THI 

ift«l o« 

Mo ^ 

Kcond-cloM 

Pubhihcd 

mofur 

»e*kiv 

at 

bv 

lh« Poii 0»«cc« 

Atiociotad 

ol Koruot 

Pubhcolioni 

"•ini Blvcl Komoi City, Mo SubicnoHon roict 

! Iior, 13 00 [i«i year, Nalionni fiMon 17 50 

ATIONAL EXECUTIVE EDITION 

Iniluîni Ikt S«

SUCH 

LOVELY 

LINES!

NEW YORK -Biqges. 

the Music Hall. 

opening in a yeor a 

CHICAGO - First week at Loop Theatre new M-G-M 

house record. 

DETROIT - Opening sets new all-time record at 

Krim Theatre. 

EVERYWHERE -Happy box-offices! 

MUSIC HALL, N.Y. SOCK! SOCK! AROUND THE BLOCK! 

The BIG Summertime HIT! 

M-G-M presents AN ARTHUR FREED PRODUCTION 

FRED ASTAIRE 

°- 

CYD CHARISSE 

"SILK STOCKINGS" 

JANIS PAIgI"- PETER LORRE 

With 

JULES MUNSHIN • GEORGE TOBIAS • JOSEPH BULOFF 

Screen Ploy by LEONARD GERSHE and LEONARD SPIGELGASS 

Suggested by "Ninofchka" by Melchior Lengyel 

Music and Lyrics 

by COLE PORTER 

Book of Original Musicol Play by 

GEORGE S. KAUFMAN • LEUEEN McGRATH and ABE BURROWS 

Produced on the Stoge by Cy Feuer ond Ernest H. Mortin 

In CinemoScope And METROCOLOR 

Directed by ROUBEN MAMOULIAN

Ililtf&l&ÔWiia 

THE WORD 

IS OUT! 

* 

^l^^^ôhy 

• TWENTIETH-FOX has just finished 

a picture with a future-star-studded 

cast of young players that were directed 

by a new young director. We saw the 

results and hasten to report that not 

only IS the company seeking new young 

faces, but they are giving them work 

and opportunity. Something quite rare 

in this effort that usually gets big lip 

service but no concrete action. 

jerry Wald has always advocated the 

use of young talent, and when he went 

to Buddy Adler with the )ohn Mc- 

Partland story. "No Down Payment," 

with the suggestion that they draw on 

their list of young stock players for the 

casting, he got an enthusiastic nod. 

Not only that. Wald wanted a young 

director, Martin Ritt, a former actor 

and stage director, and he got him. 

When you see "No Down Payment" 

you will see four young girls and an 

equal number of boys turning in top 

performances, and when the audiences 

get a look at the picture not only will 

it get their stamp of approval but 

they'll be looking for the return screen 

appearance of each of these players. 

All of these young players have been 

in one or more pictures, but only one 

has been given the acting opportunities 

they get in this show You'll see Joanne 

Woodward in a standout performance. 

Barbara Rush. Sheree North and Patricia 

Owens with proven abilities that 

will move them up the ladder. Cameron 

Mitchell IS the only member of 

this cast that has heretofore been given 

Such important casting; the other boys, 

leff Hunter, Tony Randall and Pat 

Hingle, off of what they contributed in 

this picture, will win the attention of 

every producer on the lot 

"No Down Payment" is the type of 

gambling that will pav off and th'; type 

that continues to make 20th-Fox the 

hottest production lot in town Not 

only did Wald take a chance with this 

story (centered around a new housing 

development! that demanded young 

actors and selected young players on 

the lot for the cast assignments, but he 

went even further with handing the 

directorial assignment to Martin Ritt. 

This picture and its results will win 

Mr. Ritt consideration for the best that 

20th makes. 

The personnel used in this picture are 

given added importance because the 

company did not have to leave the lot 

for a single contributor. 

20th has another 

blockbuster 

in September! 

a No Dowil 

Payment 

is the type of gambling 

that will 

pay off and the 

type that continues to 

make 20th-Fox the 

hottest production 

lot in 

town.^^ 

from 20th Century-Fox 

CinemaScop£ 

and word travels fast... 

so call 20th today— 

set your date now I \

^ciôft^y/ldti(m^ri^t(y(^/ndu^ 

TE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY 

BEN SHLYEN 

ubiishfd In Nine Sectional Editions 

1 itor-in-Chief and Publisher 

vlALD M. MER5EREAU. Associate 

Publisher & General Manager 

NTHAN COHEN. .Executive Editor 

;E SHLYEN. .. .Monaging Editor 

1-^H FRAZE Field Editor 

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vN SPEAR Western Editor 

.. THATCHER. .Equipment Editor 

RRIS 5CHL0ZMAN Business Mgr. 

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ftorial Offices: 45 Rotkefeller Plaza, 

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llwaiikce: Wm. Nicbol, 2251 S. Layton 

Blvd. 

inneapolis; Les Rees. 2123 Freemont Sq. 

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tlahnma City: Joyce Outhler. 1744 mv 

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hiliKlclphia: Norman Shigon, 5363 Berk, 

ittsburgh: R. F. KUngensmith, 516 .leannelte. 

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^ U G U S T 3 

/ol. 71 

19 5 7 

No. 15 

CHANGING PATTERNS 

N AN effort to stem the rising 

tide of distribution costs, film companies are 

considering the recommendations made by a 

firm of management consultants as a result of a 

survey of e.xchange operations. At the same 

time, both e.\hibitors and distributors have been 

weighing existing exhibition practices in their 

probing for a revision of releasing methods in 

order to increase theatre attendance. 

Prior to the survey made on behalf of the 

major distributors, several smaller companies 

proved that they could well serve their customers 

with a lesser number of offices than was hitherto 

deemed as essential. But whether this would 

work out in the instance of those firms that 

handle 26 or more releases annually, is problematical. 

However, it is rather widely held that 

centralizing of physical and clerical operations 

would be feasible; that utilization of electronic 

One of the more interesting facets in this 

planning involves the work of film salesmen as 

envisaged by a home office executive, who sees 

better use made of the time and services of these 

men by reducing their road travel. This could 

be done, he says, by letting them work out of 

com])uting equipment alone would result in substantial 

savings. 

their homes, requiring shorter road trips, utilizing 

the time thus saved in rendering services 

that would be helpful to their exhibitor customers 

in the promotion of pictures and in other 

ways. More frequent contacts with exhibitors 

could be made, whether by telephone or in person. 

As "account executives," which the home 

office man would, then, term the salesmen, they 

would spend a part of their time in the branch 

office, following through on matters of specific 

interest to each of their accounts. As it is, many 

exhibitors, particularly those in the smaller situations, 

have for some time been complaining that 

they are not being called on by salesmen from 

some of the companies. Both the exhibitors and 

the distributors lose thereby. 

Aside from possible saving in the traveling 

costs of salesmen, there would seem to be considerable 

value in their being able to provide 

exhibitors with information and ideas they 

could adapt to iinprove their promotion efforts. 

Salesmen would thus serve as adjuncts to the 

field staffs of exploitation men, who, in 

the main, are able to cover only a comparative 

handful of situations in each territory. While 

this is not a new service for film salesmen to 

render—many have continuously been giving 

it for years— its extension would contribute 

much toward rebuilding theatre attendance. It 

would work hand-in-hand with the over-all industry 

efforts planned in that direction. 

As for changing releasing patterns in order to 

meet the requirements of changed conditions and 

thereby increase attendance, it is patent that 

something needs to be done therefor. But, 

whether the current "experiment" with first run 

multiple openings in neighborhood houses 

whether jointly with downtown runs or not—will 

prove worthy of continuance, remains to be seen. 

However this turns out, it is good to see a 

willingness on the part of both exhibition and 

distribution to test new patterns in the mutual 

interest. 

Checking into reports thus far received on 

various key cities around the country where 

the new policy has been introduced, it is noted 

that, in the majority of instances, pictures of 

somewhat less than top caliber are making up 

the bulk of the product used in the tests. The 

results have ranged from fair to very good. In 

some cases—large cities, such as Chicago and Detroit 

where special conditions are involved—the 

policy appears to be highly successful. In Los 

.\ngeles, where neighborhood houses and some 

drive-ins long have held first run status and 

where the neighborhoods are actually wellpopulated, 

separate communities, the practice 

has long been in vogue. Here, top-quality, not 

secondary, product is used. 

The promotional effort put behind these 

policy changes, doubtless, plays an important 

part in their first appeals to the public. The 

policy does have "sell" value. And it may go 

along on a more or less even pace, perhaps, until 

the novelty wears off, just as was the case with 

some of the recent technological developments. 

Or, if the number of runs becomes too far extended, 

as happened when the day-and-dating 

practice in second and subsequent runs in the 

big cities—initially worthwhile—became too 

widespread. If the new practice is limited to the 

bi" cities, it may work out advantageously for 

the neighborhood theatres in causing earlier release 

of a sufficient volume of pictures to relieve 

the product shortage. At the same time, it 

may cause the introduction of new downtown 

first run policies that would serve as an attendance 

stimulus. Time will tell.

BBl 

LOEWS INTERNAL STRIFE MAY 

GO TO COURTS FOR SOLUTION 

Tomlinson's Group Elects 

L. B. Mayer. Sam Briskin 

To Board of Directors 

NEW YORK — The internal strife at 

Loew's, Inc., appeared to be heading for 

the courts this week as the management 

group headed by Joseph R. Vogel clashed 

with the dissident faction of Joseph Tomlinson. 

Canadian industrialist and heavy 

stockholder of the company. 

WEEK'S RAPID DEVELOPMENTS 

These events took place; 

• Tomlinson on Tuesday

At 3:10 

these representatives 

of the nation's press 

will be in Denver . . . 

on Aug 

Helen Bower 

Len Boyd 

George Christian 

Mike Connelly 

BillDiehl 

Peggy Doyle 

Cyrus Durgin 

Hazel Flynn 

Noel Francis 

Maurice Guillerman 

Bob Hall 

Mel Heimer 

Paul Hochuli 

Emelia Hodel 

Henry Humphreys 

Erskine Johnson 

Sherwin Kane 

Mel Konecoff 

Herbert Larson 

Sam Lesner 

Theresa Loeb-Cone 

Charles McHarry 

Alta Maloney 

Arnold Marks 

Ann Marsters 

Leonard Mendlowitz 

Virgil Miers 

Kaspar Monahan 

Hortense Morton 

Aline Mosby 

Bill 

Mazzocco 

PatO'Haire 

W. A. Payne 

Howard Pearson 

Al Picoult 

Lowell Ridelings 

John Scott 

Joe Schoenfeld 

Fitzgerald Smith 

Jimmy Starr 

Al Steen 

Walter Stevens 

Mildred Stockard 

Mary X. Sullivan 

Bob Sylvester 

John Vorhees 

Danton Walker 

Jack Warfel 

Robert M.Wendlinger 

Richard Williams 

Hye Bossin 

Ken Johnson 

Ron Johnson 

Gerald Pratley 

Lloyd Lockhart 

Clyde Gilmour 

Detroit Free Press 

Valley Times 

Houston Post 

Hollywood Reporter 

St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer 

Boston American 

Boston Globe 

Beverly Hills Citizen 

Cleveland News 

New Orleans Item 

San Francisco Call-Bulletin 

King Features 

Houston Press 

San Francisco News 

Cincinnati Times-Star 

N.E.A. 

Motion Picture Daily 

The Exhibitor 

Portland Oregonian 

Chicago Daily News 

Oakland Tribune 

New York Daily News 

Boston Traveler 

Portland Journal 

Chicago American 

Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph 

Dallas Times-Herald 

Pittsburgh Press 

San Francisco Examiner 

United Press, Hollywood 

Film Bulletin 


Dallas News 

The Salt Lake Desert News 

Harrison's Report 

Hollywood Citizen-News 

Los Angeles Times 

Daily Variety 

N. B.C. Monitor 

Los Angeles Herald Express 

Boxoffice 

Detroit Times 

Houston Chronicle 

Boston Sunday Advertiser 


Seattle Post-Intelligencer 


Cleveland News 

The Independent Film Journal 

Los Angeles Mirror 

Canadian FilmWeekly 

Toronto Sunday Telegram 

Toronto Globe-Mail 

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. 

Toronto Daily Star 

Toronto Telegram

CELEBRATING THE 

fc^ 

te 

Starring 

GLENN 

FORD 

VAN 

HEFLIN 

_ 

FELICIA 

FARR 

Screen Play by HALSTED WELLES 

Based on a story by ELMORE LEONARD 

Directed by DELMER DAVES 

r^ 

Produced by DAVID HEILWEIL 

-->9^ 

.hlights 

of this tremendous junket: 1 

'• Multiple Personal Appearance of Stars of Fill 

and other Hollywood celebrities! • Governoi 

-„,_^^_^^^^^ 

Reception and Dinner for Stars and Key-CI 

-rihcs, Syndicated Cofumnh ,nd TV and Radio Personalities, Followed by Theatrical Presentation 

Famed Central City Opera He .! • Tremendous "3:10 Festival" Launched by All Downtown Denv 

Merchants, Advertised in News oers and on the Air! • "Oldtimers' Day"... Aimed to Attract Crovi

ff Half a Million! • Mammoth Stagecoach Parade of Stars and Celebrities, Culminating in Premiere! 

"Denver Post" Kids Rodeo Contest, Judged by Stars of "3:10 TO YUMA!" • Champagne Supper 

upper at Famed Elitch Summer-Stock Theatre, Where Leora Dana Stars! 

VATCH FOR MORE

I 

quipment 

TûtAA ÊMtd ^^^^ Resumes Blasts at Exhibitors 

Universal Backlog Licensed 

For TV to Screen Gems 

In move of major industry significance, 

pre-1948 library of approximately 600 U-I 

features goes to subsidiary of Columbia Pictures 

for exclusive TV distribution rights in 

domestic territory: agreement calls for Screen 

Gemii to pay minimum guarantee of $20 mil- 

Uon over seven-year period, and provides 

for Screen Gems to receive a graduated scale 

of distribution fees; pact also stipulates that 

all rights other than television are retained 

by Universal. 

• 

Two Loew's Inc. Stockholders 

File Suit Against L. B. Mayer 

Louis and Helen Brandt on Friday (2) instituted 

proceedings in N, Y. Supreme Court 

against one-time production head of LoeWs 

to force repayment to company of approximately 

$3 million he is alleged to have obtained 

under a contract clause Qaat was "illegal 

and unenforceable": this clause, 

plaintiffs contend, was illegal in that it provided 

that Mayer and his heii-s would receive 

percentage from profits of Loew's indefinitely 

as long as corporation existed. 

• 

Gulf States Allied Backs 

Vogel in Loew's Battle 

Board meeting in New Orleans, votes 

unanimously to support Loew's president and 

present management in fight with the TomliJison-Meyer-Mayer 

group to retain control, 

• 

Allied Artists Steps Up 

Its Production Schedule 

Eight pictures will go before cameras at 

the rate of two a month between August 19 

and mid-November. A Bowery Boys comedy 

and "Beast of Budapest" will be fii'st to roll. 

• 

Ad-Publicity Directors Group 

Of MPAA on Jubilee Plan 

New Yorkers enthusiastically endorse industry 

promotional project devised by studio 

committee. Jubilee troupe will visit key cities 

for a month this fall; many film personalities 

to participate in the toiu:. 

* 

MPAA Advertising Directors 

Unit Elect Paul Lazarus 

Columbia vice-president is unanimously 

chosen to head group now busily promoting 

business-building program. He succeeds Roger 

Lewis of United Aitists who is praised for 

his "outstanding leadership" in developing 

all-industry project. 

* 

Feature Booking Record Set 

In United Artists Week 

Total of 20,856 pictures played June 30- 

July 8, according to William Heiiieman, distribution 

vice-president: previous record was 

17,420 in first week of July 1956. 

For Their 

NEW YORK—Producer Mike Todd took 

time out Tuesday (30i to make further comments 

of his antiexhibitor 

attitude and to 

yive a brief account 

111 a process which he 

referred to as a nonrodd-AO 

system. The 

non-Todd-AO process 

( urrently is in use in 

Walter Reade'.s Paramount 

Theatre in Asbury 

Park. N. J., where 

lus "Around the World 

:n 80 Days" is playing. 

Todd said he had no 

name for the medium, 

Mike Todd 

but that it employed a 35mm print, reduced 

li'om a 65mm negative and with magnetic 

.sound. He added that only "minor" additional 

would be needed. It is the "ulti- 

Miate" of a long series of experiments, he said. 

Todd let off steam on showmanship, or 

the alleged lack thereof, at a lunchen for the 

l)ress in the Algonquin Hotel. He said there 

was a time when show business meant the 

l)iesentation of the "strange and unusual." 

Now. everything comes out of a mold or is 

canned." He hit the lack of imagination in 

today's showmanship. It's no longer a case 

(if "lets go to the movies" by the public, he 

Liintended, adding that now "it's a premeditated 

purchase" in buying a ticket. And yet, 

he asserted, little effort is made to get out 

and sell. 

Exhibitors, at least many with whom Todd 

does business, make all sorts of excuses as to 

why busine.ss is bad, blaming everything but 

themselves, he said. The exhibitors' greatest 

Loew's Executive Group 

Headed by Geo. Killion 

HOLLYWOOD—George Killion, president 

of American President Lines, Ltd., was named 

chairman of the ex- 

ecutive committee of 

Loew's, Inc., at a spe- 

r^--,t^ 

Lack of Showmanship 

cial meeting of the 

i- f^ 

committee held Mon- 

day (29 > at the MGM 

j studios in Culver City, 

|| ~^< Joseph R. Vogel, presi- 

^Jt^ —"J^L '^6'^'' of Loew's, an- 

^H ^^^â^^ta 

i^Qunced the next day. 

^H l^^^^^^l 

Killion has been a 

^^B W ^^^^H director of the com- 

^^* A^^^BH pany since December 

George Killion 

^^^^ and a member of 

the executive committee 

since March of this year. He succeeds 

Ogden R. Reid, publisher of the New York 

Herald Tribune, who recently resigned as a 

director, recommending that a special stockholders' 

meeting be called to settle basic differences 

in the board of directors. 

The committee also approved the borrowing 

of Audrey Hepburn from Paramount to 

star in "Green Mansions," being produced 

from the W. H. Hudson classic. It named 

Robert H. O'Brien, former financial vicepresident 

of American Broadcasting-Paramount 

Theatres, as financial vice-president 

of Loew's. 

talent, he added, was their ability to negotiate. 

They are always ready to offer "fantastic" 

deals, he said. Too many theatremen 

believe they are running a business if they 

telephone from Palm Springs or Florida and 

ask the home office how business is, Todd 

stated. He accused many exhibitors of being 

lazy and not knowing how to exploit a "nonpopconn" 

picture. He said he could take over 

any theatre and increase the gross in a week. 

Todd said that one exhibitor who owned a 

string of theatres refused to play "Around 

the World in 80 Days" on his terms. Todd 

then offered to give him the picture for jus'' 

the cost of the print, but the exhibitor slUl 

wanted better terms. Todd said the theatre 

man apparently wasn't interested in giving 

the public a good show and making money at 

the same time. 

Todd said he'd like to quit exploiting "80 

Days" for the theatres and get on to his next 

project, "Don Quixote," but to date he hasn't 

been able to do .so. Instead, he's had to show 

showmen how to be showmen. However, he 

expects to get going on the Cervantes story 

shortly. He has signed Fernandel, the French 

actor, for the title role, but has not selected 

the other players officially. He said he would 

make the picture according to his own concept 

of the story, based on his study not only 

of the book but the life of the author as well. 

A picture should be straight entertainment, 

Todd said. Too many pictures have 

themes which require a patron to take a 

psychiatrist along to explain what's on the 

screen. 

The point Todd wanted to make was that 

theatremen had better get down to work or 

get out of the business. 

Joseph H. Moskowitz 

Added to NTA Board 

NEW YORK—Joseph H. Moskowitz, vicepresident 

of 20th Century-Fox, and Harold 

Kovner, business executive, have been named 

to the board of directors of the NTA Film 

Network, it was reported Friday (2) by Ely A. 

Landau, president. The film company has a 

50 per cent interest in the network. 

The number of directors has been increased 

to ten. Those representing 20th-Fox have 

been Spyros P. Skouras, president; Donald 

Henderson, treasurer; William C. Michel, 

executive vice-president, and Otto Koegel, 

attorney. NTA representation has been Landau, 

who is also president of National Telefilm 

Associates; Oliver A. Unger, e.xecutive 

vice-president; Harold Goldman, vice-president 

in charge of sales, and Edythe Rein, 

vice-president. 

Warners to Distribute 

British-Made Picture 

HOLLYWOOD—United States distribution 

of Associated British Picture Corp.'s "Womar 

in a Dressing Gown" has been acquired by 

Warner Bros., marking the first ABPC picture 

WB has picked up since "The Dambusters." 

"Woman in a Dressing Gown" was one of 

the British films shown at a recent Berlin 

Festival, where its star, Yvonne Mitchell, won 

the award for "best actress." 

10 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

% "%

THE WORD 

IS OUT! 

* 

^X^^^M^^^y 

• TWENTIETH-FOX has ju5t finished 

a picture with a future-star-studded 

cast of young players that were directed 

by a new young director. We saw the 

results and hasten to report that not 

only IS the company seeking new young 

faces, but they are giving them work 

and opportunity Something quite rare 

in this effort that usually gets big lip 

service but no concrete action 

lerry Wald has always advocated the 

use of young talent, and when he went 

to Buddy Adier with the John Mc- 

Partland story, "No Down Payment," 

with the suggestion that they draw on 

their list of young stock players for the 

casting, he got sn enthusiastic nod. 

Not only that, Wald wanted a young 

director. Martin Ritt. a former actor 

and stage director, and he got him. 

When you see "No Down Payment" 

you will see four young girls and an 

equal number of boys turning in top 

performances, and when the audiences 

get a look at the picture not only wilt 

It get their stamp of approval but 

they'll be looking for the return screen 

appearance of each of these players. 

All of these young players have been 

in one or more pictures, but only one 

has been given the acting opportunities 

they gel in this show You'll see )oanne 

Woodward in a standout performance. 

Barbara Rush. Sheree North and Patricia 

Owens with proven abilities that 

will move them up the ladder. Cameron 

Mitchell is the only member of 

this cast that has heretofore been given 

such important casting; the other boys. 

)eff Hunter, Tony Randall and Pat 

Hingle. off of what they contributed in 

this picture, will win the attention of 

every producer on the lot 

"No Down Pay.ment " is the type of 

gambling that will pay off and th? type 

that continues to make 20th-Fox the 

hottest production lot in town Not 

only did Wald take a chance with this 

story (centered around a new housing 

.development) that demanded young 

actors and selected young players on 

the lot for the cast assig-ments. but he 

went even further with handing the 

directorial assignment to Martin Rttt. 

This picture and its results will win 

Mr. Ritt consideration for the best that 

20th makes. 

The personnel used in this picture are 

given added importance because the 

company did not have to leave the lot 

for a single contributor. 

20th has another 

blockbuster 

in September! 

a No Down 

Payment 

is 

the type of gambling 

that will 

pay off and the 

type that continues to 

make 20th-Fox the 

hottest production 

lot in 

town.^^ 

from 20th Century-Fox 

and ivord travels fast., 

so call 20th today— 

set your date now! ^

^^ O^t/ie7?2ction Tîctu^ /ndu4t^ 

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY 

BEN SHLYEN 

Published In Nine Sectional Editions 

Editor-in-Chief and Publisher 

DONALD M. MERSEREAU. Associate 

Publisher & General Manager 

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AUGUST 3, 1957 

Vol. 71 No, 15 

CHANGING PATTERNS 

N AN effort to stem the rising 

tide of distribution costs, film companies are 

considering the recommendations made bv a 

firm of management consuhants as a result of a 

survey of exchange operations. At the same 

time, both exhibitors and distributors have been 

weighing existing exhibition practices in their 

probing for a revision of releasing methods in 

order to increase theatre attendance. 

Prior to the survey made on behalf of the 

major distributors, several smaller companies 

proved that they could well serve their customers 

w ith a lesser number of offices than was hitherto 

deemed as essential. But whether this would 

work out in the instance of those firms that 

handle 26 or more releases annually, is problematical. 

However, it is rather widely held that 

One of the more interesting facets in this 

planning involves the work of film salesmen as 

envisaged by a home office executive, who sees 

better use made of the time and services of these 

men by reducing their road travel. This could 

be done, he says, by letting them work out of 

centralizing of physical and clerical operations 

would be feasible: that utilization of electronic 

computing equipment alone would result in substantial 

savings. 

their homes, requiring shorter road trips, utilizing 

the time thus saved in rendering services 

that would be helpful to their exhibitor customers 

in the promotion of pictures and in other 

wavs. More frequent contacts with exhibitors 

could be made, whether by telephone or in person. 

As "account executives."' which the home 

office man would, then, term the salesmen, they 

would spend a part of their time in the branch 

office, following through on matters of specific 

interest to each of their accounts. As it is. many 

exhibitors, particularly those in the smaller situations, 

have for some time been complaining that 

they are not being called on by salesmen from 

some of the companies. Both the exliibitors and 

the distributors lose thereby. 

Aside from possible saving in the traveling 

costs of salesmen, there would seem to be considerable 

value in their being able to provide 

exhibitors with information and ideas they 

could adapt to improve their promotion efforts. 

Salesmen would thus serve as adjuncts to the 

field staffs of exploitation men. who, in 

the main, are able to cover only a comparative 

handful of situations in each territory. While 

this is not a new service for film salesmen to 

render—many have continuously been giving 

it for years—its extension would contribute 

much toward rebuilding theatre attendance. It 

would work hand-in-haiid with the over-all industry 

efforts planned in that direction. 

As for changing releasing patterns in order to 

meet the requirements of changed conditions and 

thereby increase attendance, it is patent that 

something needs to be done therefor. But, 

whether the current "experiment" with first run 

multiple openings in neighborhood houses 

whether jointly with downtown runs or not—will 

prove worthy of continuance, remains to be seen. 

However this turns out, it is good to see a 

willingness on the part of both exhibition and 

distribution to test new patterns in the mutual 

interest. 

Checking into reports thus far received on 

various key cities around the country where 

the new policy has been introduced, it is noted 

that, in the majority of instances, pictures of 

somewhat less than top caliber are making up 

the bulk of the product used in the tests. The 

results have ranged from fair to very good. In 

some cases—large cities, such as Chicago and Detroit 

where special conditions are involved—the 

policy appears to be highly successful. In Los 

Angeles, where neighborhood houses and some 

drive-ins long have held first run status and 

where the neighborhoods are actually wellpopulated, 

separate communities, the practice 

has long been in vogue. Here, top-quality, not 

secondary, product is used. 

The promotional effort put behind these 

policy changes, doubtless, plays an important 

part in their first appeals to the public. The 

policy does have "sell" value. And it may go 

along on a more or less even pace, perhaps, until 

the novelty wears off, just as was the case with 

some of the recent technological developments. 

Or. if the number of runs becomes too far extended, 

as happened when the day-and-dating 

practice in second and subsequent runs in the 

big cities—initially worthwhile—became too 

widespread. If the new practice is limited to the 

bi'' cities, it may work out advantageously for 

the neighborhood theatres in causing earlier release 

of a sufficient volume of pictures to relieve 

the product shortage. At the same time, it 

may cause the introduction of new downtown 

first run policies that would serve as an attendance 

stimulus. Time will tell. 

\Ji^^ /OnZuftyi^

X 

DIANA DORS 

llWiHl 

READERS OF 

22 NATIONAL 

TTHi T 

WILL FEEL THE 

IMPACT OF THE 

NATIONAL 

MAGAZINES 

I 

CAMPAIGN T 

• 

POTENT 

PRE-SELfi 

WAV! 

THE 

AN RKO RADIO PICTURE starring 

DIANA Dors • rod STEIGERtom Tryon 

BEULAH BONDI with MARIE WINDSOR 

• ARTHUR FRANZ 

TECHNICOLOR. 

OTiiftffljs Julmlnnll LnlllllLri • dmiobs JUrlll rnKKUUU • a universal international rele

UA WARNS: UNITE TO BYPASS 

OUR PICTURES. WE GO TO COURT 

Availabilities Stand by 

Milwaukee Exhibitors 

Challenged 

Is 

MILWAUKEE—The threat of 

exhibitors 

oiicrating 40 neighborhood and drive-in 

theatres to pass up any picture which is 

not made available under regular established 

availabilities was met by threat this 

week. 

1 IKST COMPANY TO REACT 

United Artists was the first distributor to 

react to the recent decision of the Milwaukeeans 

to act in unison when pictures 

fail to come through orderly channels. The 

action was characterized as being "destructive 

to the future of the industry and to be 

illegal," and William J. Heineman, vicepre.sident 

and general sales manager of UA 

warned Ben Mai'cus, president of Wisconsin 

Allied that "we will hold the exhibitors who 

partake in any such joint action accountable 

for any damages that we may suffer 

thereby." 

The threat and counter-threat came as a 

result of a switch in sales policy for UA's 

"Sweet Smell of Success." Last week, the 

company asked for bids from 16 de luxe subsequent 

run theatres, with the proviso that 

playdates would go to theatres submitting 

the top five bids. 

This, the exhibitors charged, was estabUshing 

a new "super availability of 21 days after 

downtown." It was condemned as initiating 

competitive bidding to the de luxe availabilities 

and disrupting the long-established releasing 

system in Milwaukee. 

In a resolution, expressing these protesting 

sentiments, the exhibitors reminded United 

Artists of the vow made by them several weeks 

ago to bypass any picture which is taken out 

of the established availability pattern. 

REPLY FROM HEINEMAN 

Heineman shot back this reply: 

"This company, as an experiment, set up 

for 'Sweet Smell of Success' a new super 

availability of 21 days after the close of the 

first run engagement. Instead of our choosing 

those exhibitors which should play on 

the 21-day availability, we felt it would be 

more equitable to give all theatres an opportunity 

to license this picture on this run and, 

therefore, advised all exhibitors that we 

would accept the five top offers received. It 

was our thought that this new availability, 

which advanced the subrun break in Milwaukee, 

would help the distribution of the 

picture and, consequently, be of aid to subrun 

exhibitors. It should be obvious to all that 

our business only can prosper if distribution 

and exhibition experiment and make changes, 

and experiments can be successful only if 

distribution and exhibition cooperate with 

one another. 

"When we experiment and change our distribution 

pattern, we hope to get the full cooperation 

of exhibition and not be blocked 

by detrimental resolutions such as passed by 

the subrun exhibitors in Milwaukee." 

Kerasotes First Exhibitor 

On Code Appeals Board 

NEW YORK—George Kerasotes, of 

Springfield, 111., chairman of the executive 

committee of Theatre 

Owners of 

America, has become 

the first person 

to serve on the 

appeals board of 

the Production 

Code Administration 

other than 

members of the 

Motion Picture 

Ass'n since the industry 

established 

Code machinery 

its 

George Kerasotes 

nearly a quarter-century ago. 

The MPAA office here this week announced 

that a number of exhibitor leaders 

and independent producers have been 

invited to serve on the appeals board, as 

The action of the Milwaukee exhibitors was 

patterned after similar policies reported in 

such cities as Baltimore, Cleveland and Columbus, 

where Allied leaders have been 

fighting to maintain the status quo on 

the pattern pictures follow in moving from 

downtown first run houses to the late, late 

runs. There have been no instances, at least 

publicized ones, in which exhibitors bypassed 

a picture, or where distributors have taken 

action on concerted action by theatremen. 

19 Theatres Play Pictures 

Exhibitors Vow to Bypass 

BALTIMORE—The idea of bypassing a 

picture if it does not go into established 

availability channels is supposed to have 

originated with Allied Motion Picture 

Theatre Owners of Maryland, but so faino 

pictures have been passed up despite 

some minor difficulties which have arisen 

from time to time. 

In the one instance where subsequent 

theatremen said they would not take a 

picture because it was being withheld by 

the distributor for a subsequent run at 

the theatre where it originally played, 

unity did not prevail. The picture was 

"Giant" and it showed up at at least 19 

neighborhood houses. 

An Allied group headed by Meyer 

Leventhal, of the Lord Baltimore Theatre, 

appears to have the situation well in 

hand, and when difficulties arise they 

are usually adjusted in meetings with the 

distributor. 

a result of the organization's decision to 

expand its membership. Kerasotes was 

the first to accept. 

Eric Johnston, MPAA president, told 

Kerasotes, "All of us welcome you to the 

review board, because we know that you 

will add strength and stature to this important 

undertaking. In serving, too, you 

will assist in a constructive way in carrying 

out the joint responsibility to the 

public to assure decent and moral entertainment 

on the screen." 

George Kerasotes is the eldest son of 

Gus Kerasotes, pioneer exhibitor who 

opened one of the nation's first movie 

theatres, the Royal in Springfield, in 1909. 

Since his graduation from law school he 

has been in active management of the 

circuit's 22 theatres in Illinois and Missouri. 

He has played a leading role in exhibitors 

affairs locally and nationally. 

In Baltimore, "Sweet Smell of Success" was 

spotted into regular clearance channels by 

United Artists, going into subsequent runs 

only two days beyond the regular protection 

period. No effort was made to call for 

bids on a super availability policy as UA has 

instituted in Milwaukee. 

Harold, Walter Mirisch 

Leaving Allied Artists 

HOLL'YWOOD — Harold Mirisch, vicepresident, 

and Walter Mirisch, executive producer, 

of Allied Ai'tists, have tendered their 

resignations, effective August 31, Steve 

Broidy, president, announced this week. All 

of their current projects will be completed 

before they leave. 

Commenting on their departure, the Mirisches 

said: "Naturally, it is with a deep sense 

of regret that we leave Allied Artists after 

many years of pleasant and rewarding associations. 

These not only have been productive 

years, but we honestly count them among the 

happiest of our professional and personal 

lives. We are confident that Allied Artists 

will continue to progress under the guidance 

of Steve Broidy, and wish both him and the 

company the best of luck and success." 

Broidy expressed appreciation on behalf of 

Allied Ai'tists for their contributions to the 

growth and prestige of the company during 

recent years. 

Harold Mirisch had served on the company's 

board of directors since 1952. Prior to 

joining Allied Artists, he was head film buyer 

for the entire RKO Theatre circuit. Walter 

Mirisch joined the company as a producer, 

and in 1951 was appointed to his present 

post as executive producer. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 11

6-MONTH DRIVE-IN INVESTMENT: $11631,250 

62 Theatres Opened or Started Jan. 1 to June 30; Pace Is Leveling Off 

By PHIL HANNUM 

KANSAS CITY—Builders of drive-in tlieatres 

are investing an estimated $11,631,250 in 

62 projects announced or actually placed 

under construction in the first six months of 

this year. The new drive-ins will have a combined 

capacity of 44.358 cais. 

These construction estimates, representing 

the lowest figures reported in a BOXOFFICE 

six-month drive-in survey in recent years, 

indicates that the building of outdoor theatres 

is leveling off, as a saturation point 

apparently is being approached in most municipal 

areas and larger towns. 

47 OPEN OR UNDER WAY 

Forty-seven of the new projects were either 

under construction or had been completed 

shortly before the close of the survey period. 

This group had a combined car capacity of 

32.358 and were costing an estimated $8,378,- 

750. Fifteen other projects announced in the 

six-month survey period were still in the 

blueprint stage July 1. but were scheduled 

for 1957 construction. Building costs for this 

group are expected to be close to $3,252,500. 

Combined capacity of these 15 projected theatres 

will be 12.000 cars. 

Construction activity during the first six 

months of 1957 also included the completion 

of two million-dollar drive-ins and 16 other 

units which had been tabulated as projects 

under construction on previous BOXOFFICE 

drive-in surveys. Total value of these 18 completed 

drive-ins is estimated at $5,704,500. 

Their combined capacity is 17,160 cars. 

One of the million-dollar units is the Route 

27 Drive-In, Babylon, N. Y., equipped with a 

1.300-seat indoor theatre to complement the 

2,000-car capacity and provide year-around. 

all-weather operation. The second milliondollar 

airer completed within the survey 

period was the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Drive- 

In, a 2,000-car unit at Palmyra, N. J. Also 

opening in the period was the mammoth Suffolk 

Dow'ns Drive-In, East Boston, equipped 

with sound facilities for 1,800 cars. 

Giants among the 62 new airers are the 

Viking Twin, Corpus Christi, Tex., 2,000 cars; 

Bel-Aire, Pittsburgh, 1,600 cars; a 1,600-car 

drive-in for Cabart Theatres Corp., Los Angeles; 

the $500,000 Bristol, Pa., drive-in for 

1,500 cars; Circle Drive-In, Richmond, Va., 

1,200 cars, and two 1,100-car drive-ins. one 

at Chelmsford, the other at Foxboro, both 

in Massachusetts. 

TREND TO SMALLER PROJECTS 

Although investments in these super-airers 

represent a large percentage of the construction 

costs for the survey period, a trend 

toward building smaller drive-ins was indicated. 

Fifty of the new 62 drive-ins will have 

a capacity of less than 1,000 cars. The breakdown 

reveals that 15 of the new airers will 

have a capacity of 100-500 cars; 17 will be 

in the 500-750 car class; 18, in the 750-1.000 

car group. 

Eastern states led the field in number of 

projects, beginning or completing 17 of the 

new airers. The Far West was represented by 

nine new drive-ins. while New England, the 

Middle East and North Central sections each 

announced or was at work on seven units. 

The year brought the "All-Weather" 

Drive-In Theatre at Babylon, N. Y., where 

there is a 2,000-car ramp area and a 1,300 

seat indoor theatre. It is the first of its 

kind in the country. Shown here is 

Johnny All-Weather, the gallivanting 

aide-de-camp to the manager and general 

merrymaker for patrons, who is ready 

to lend a helping hand wherever needed 

at the theatre. 

Central states built six new airers in the 

survey period; the Southwest, five, and the 

Southeast, four. 

Following is a state-by-state tabulation of 

drive-in construction activity reported in 

Jan- 

BOXOFFICE during the survey period, 

uary 1-JuIy 1. 1957. Unstarred entries represent 

drive-ins not previously reported in a 

BOXOFFTCE construction survey, being units 

that were actually under construction or completed 

in the first six months of this year. 

* Denotes a drive-in completed in current 

survey period but included in a previous construction 

report as a "project under construction." 

'Denotes a drive-in for which only an 

announcement of construction plans has 

been announced in BOXOFFICE. 

Yuma— 1,000-car drive-in, Wayne Arnold ond Marvin 

Bell" 

CALIFORNIA 

Arcoto— Maribel, 600 cars, Manbel Theatres' 

Big Beor—Loke, 400 cars, Jim Boyd* 

Lakeport— 300-car drive-in tor Bob Reese** 

Long Beoch— 1,600 cars, Cobort Theatres Corp,"* 

Los Angeles— Peter Pan, 300 cars. Earl Strebe 

Mojav— Dnve-in projected by A. J. O'Keefe and associates** 

San Diego—Frontier, Sero Amusement Enterprises* 

Santa Fe Springs— 

1 

,500-car dnve-in plonned** 

Saugus—Corral, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ostrum 

COLORADO 

rand Junction— >nument View, 350 can 

Earnest Carlucci A. B. Moore 

oonia— 288-car d ve-in, Tom Poulos 

Guy and 

CONNECTICUT 

Norwich—Norwich, 700 cars, completed by Ray Stone 

FLORIDA 

Doytona Beach—Ormond Beach, planned for Highway 

AIA, south of Riversbreeze boulevard** 

Key West— Riviera, 1,000 cars and 500 seats, Riviera 

Drive-ln Corp.* 

Palatka— Lindatu, 300 cars, Mrs. Adaline H. Gowthrop* 

GEORGIA 

Indoor-Outdoor, Jefferson—Malay 300 cars, Mr. and 

Mrs. Ben Maloy 

ILLINOIS 

Lawrenceville—Midway, 300 cars. Prisma Amusement 

Co.- 

INDIANA 

Hamilton— Riverview, 600 cars, W. A. Froley sr,, Dick 

Logsdon 

Spencer— 400-500 cars, Charles E, and Charles P. 

Records 

KANSAS 

Elkhort- Tuscan, 300-400 cars, A. D. Smith 

Richmond— Dnve-in 

KENTUCKY 

for Moe, Rita and Joseph Bellante 

Bridgfon— Bridgton, 

MAINE 

Russell Martin, owner 

MARYLAND 

Baltimore— Heirs of the late John J. Carlin will build 

drive-in site of Carlin on Amusement Park, unless 

city wants spot for civic center" * 

MASSACHUSETTS 

Abington— Daniel Murphy jr., opposite Weymouth Air 

Base" 

Chelmsford— Chelmsford, 1,100 cars, Solomon Bros., 

Lowell 

East Boston—Suffolk Downs, 1,800 cars. Northeast 

Dnve-ln Theatres Corp.* 

Foxboro— 1 100-car drive-in for Ernest Worren*" 

Pittsfield— Pittstield, 900 cars, Sylvan Letts* 

Wellfleet— 650-car drive-in for o group of Massochusetts 

institute of Technology instructors 

MICHIGAN 

Detroit— Ploinfield, 800 cars, John D. Loeks 

MINNESOTA 

Coon Creek— 1,000-Car drive-in for Leo Avid* 

Pine City—drive-in recently opened 

Stillwater—drive-in constructed across the river from 

this town, theatre actually being m Wisconsin 

Walker— 300-car drive-in, opened June 14 

MISSOURI 

Rolla— 550-car drive-in planned by R. E. Carney sr. 

and R. E. Carney jr.** 

Ste. Genevieve—300 cars planned for site on Highway 

61, north of town, F. Vol Mercier, L. A. "Bud" 

Mercier** 

Thayer— drive-in built in this vicinity, but across line 

in Arkansas, by Mrs. John A. Beck, operator of the 

Berk, 

Thayer 

MONTANA 

Chinook—Red Rock, 200 cars, opened late in spring 

Laurel— Laurel, Paul Corey** 

NEW JERSEY 

Palmyra—Tocony-Palmyra Bridge, 2,000 cars, Northeast 

Dnve-ln Theatres Corp.* 

Somers Point—$300,000 dnve-in proiected by Samuel 

Shopiro** 

Woodbury— 750-800 cars, M. R. Zio 

NEW YORK 

Babylon—Route 27, 2,000 cars and 1,300 indoor 

seats, Associated Prudential Theatres* 

Ballston Spa—Super 50, 1,000 cars, Joe Worren* 

Bethlehem—400 cars, Morris Klein and associates 

Brunswick— 300-car drive-in planned by Bernard J. 

Carroll** 

Ithaca— drive-in for Mayor Jim Ryon 

Liverpool—Lokeshore, opened April 24 by Sam Slot- 

Ne lick Scotland—Mayfa 700 cars, Robert C. Conan 

built as one-man project. 

Westerlo— 100-car drive 

Bill Furman 

NORTH CAROLINA 

Denton— 109 Dnve-ln, opened in June by Mr, and 

Mrs. E. B, Morris 

NORTH DAKOTA 

Wohpeton— Valley, opened late in June after being 

delayed by adverse weather 

OHIO 

Cincinnati— large drive-in under construction for 

Levin Bros, in North Ridge 

Columbus—Airport, 1,000 cars and 400 indoor seats, 

Frank Yassenoff* 

Dayton— Dixie, 1,200 cars, Som Levin* 

Dayton— Southwind, 1,500 cars, a $350,000 

m planned by Sam, Allen and Louis Levin** 

Hillsboro—Twi-Lite, built by Noel Brinker and 

drive- 

William 

Hitchcock 

Russell's Point—Midway Auto Theatre, 780 cars, Louis 

Wetzel 

Springfield— South Pork, a $200,000 project for 

Chakeres Theatres 

West Richfield—$250,000 deluxer, plonned as part 

of recreational orea that will include o swimming 

pool, baseball diamonds, picnic area and juvenile 

playgrounds by James J. Barton** 

OKLAHOMA 

Okemoh— 250-car unit for Mrs. George Kelly, Henryetta 

PENNSYLVANIA 

Bristol— Borough property leased to Erica Corp. of 

Philadelphia as site for o $500,000 dnve-in** 

(Continued on page 18 

12 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

^Jâmnijr 

U 

"Tammy" 

a smash 

is 

song hit! 

Cmbing higher 

od higher each 

week on 

)\ the nation's 

^Hit Parades.

MORE ON MULTIPLE FIRST 

RUNS 

NEIGHBORHOOD 1ST RUN DATES 

SATISFACTORY POLICY FOR OHIO 

Practice Justified, Says 

Allied Leader, Because 

Of Product Shortage 

By FRED OESTREICHER 

COLUMBUS—Booking of mass day-anddate 

fiist runs into neighborhood and suburban 

theatres is a succesful policy in the 

Ohio territory, and the practice by Allied 

members is justified because of the unavailability 

of sufficient sub run product for both 

neighborhoods and drive-ins. So reports Robert 

Wile, executive director of Independent 

Theatre Owners of Ohio. 

OPPOSED IN THE PAST 

Allied in the past has been opposed to any 

breakdown in the orderly channeling of motion 

pictures, but the combination of a shortage 

product and the clogged downtown situation 

where long-run pictures are tieing up 

theatres which normally send a picture on 

way in a week or two has changed traditional 

its 

practices. 

However, Wile sees an easing of the production 

problem within the next few months. 

He estimates there will be about 100 more 

features available next season than during 

the past year. 

Columbus, Dayton. Cincinnati. Cleveland 

and Toledo neighborhoods have been particularly 

active in booking first runs. These 

bookings, generally, have been profitable, exhibitors 

report, even though rentals go up and 

ad budgets are increased. Distributors have 

been splitting the advertising 50/50 with the 

exhibitors in almost every instance. 

While grosses have been good, they have 

not been "astounding" as some trade reports 

have characterized them. An exception was 

the booking of a horror double bill topped by 

"Monster From Green Hell." With the help 

of a saturation radio and TV campaign which 

emphasized shock value, boxoffice results 

were considerably above normal first runs. 

As for admissions, exhibitors almost always 

hold to the normal scale. Most suburban theatres 

charge 65 cents for adults and 25 cents 

for children. The drive-in admission also is 

65 cents but children are admitted free. This 

is not too much above the downtown first 

runs which have a 60-cent matinee and 75- 

cent evening scale, with an occasional blockbuster 

sending the admissions to 90 cents. 

CLEARANCE IS OBSERVED 

On the matter of clearance, the neighborhood 

first runs are viewed as any other first 

run date. They get the usual 30-day clearance 

over the subkey houses. Playing late as 

a regular practice, the subkey exhibitors apparently 

aren't concerned whether the picture 

they book has just played first run at a 

downtown house, a neighborhood theatre or 

a drive-in. They figure they have their own 

regular audiences who are not in the least 

concerned with any shifts in the order 

through which the picture reaches them. 

FOUR-CITY ROUNDUP 

No Problem in 

Montana Cities; 

There Are No Outlying Houses 

HELENA, MONT.—Multiple first runs in 

neighborhood theatres are of academic interest 

only to exhibitors in Montana. They are 

virtually no neighborhood theatres. The traditional 

setup is a town theatre and a drivein 

as competition. The drive-ins are usually 

located just short of the city limits, or just 

outside the boundary. This is really out in 

the country for Montanans, although it would 

be suburban to big-city residents. 

A typical exhibitor comment is: "It would 

be suicide for downtown or drive-in theatres 

to day-and-date, as downtown theatres 

are fighting for their existence, especially in 

the summer when the drive-ins are open. If 

one picture stayed too long anywhere or at 

too many theatres, there would be no business 

for any of them. Multiple first runs 

were tried in Butte, but the theatres there 

are now closed. Of course, no one can blame 

this practice for that situation, as Butte itself 

is down to one working mine and the 

entire town feels the strain." 

MIAMI—Most exhibitors here think amusement 

pages look too much like the John 

Smith page in the telephone directory as it 

is, without getting even more theatres to 

play day-and-date. Multiple-dating of first 

runs in neighborhoods is not practiced here, 

and theatremen believe it would mean lost 

patronage if prospective patrons looked in 

the paper and saw the same movie spotted 

in almost every situation. It is also believed 

that the prestige of pictures would lessen if 

they played theatres generally identified as 

second and third runs. 

BALTIMORE—In this sixth lai'gest city in 

the U. S., there has been virtually no attempt 

made to send first runs into the outlying 

theatres on a multiple-booking basis. On a 

few of the lesser pictvu-es. from eight to 12 

outlying theatres have joined in a day-anddate 

deal, but in none of the instances was 

there day-and-dating with a downtown 

house. On these occasions, exhibitors elected 

to stay with their regular schedule of prices, 

but the product booked as a rule scarcely 

merited an increase. 

DENVER—The practice of using neighborhoods 

or drive-ins for first run films has 

and is being tried here. So far the plan has 

been used only on films of double bill caliber, 

and that is likely to continue to set the pattern. 

Allied Artists has worked the plan with one 

drive-in and four conventional neighborhoods 

working together, with the drive-in 

in the main being the only theatre that would 

hold the films a week. 

Others selling films to multiple run driveins 

are United Artists. Universal and Rank 

Film Distributors of America. Reports say 

that with some of the films at least, the distributor 

has gotten into the 50 per cent 

bracket, whereas using the film downtown 

first run the pay would be considerably less. 

The plan of first runs at drive-ins could 

not possibly have much effect on the downtown 

first run business here. Most drive-ins 

feel they have a rather steady clientele, who 

go to drive-ins for various reasons, such as 

obviating the need of baby sitters. Many 

families go to drive-ins regularly, some going 

for their evening meal when there is a 

change of film. 

Indianapolis Subruns Prefer Downtown Run Prestige 

By ANN CRAFT 

INDIANAPOLIS—This is not a multiple- 

day-and- 

run town, and there has been little 

date playing. On the whole, subsequent run 

exhibitors don't want it, as they believe a 

downtown first run date adds prestige to a 

picture and first run advertising and promotion 

helps sell the later run dates. 

One distributor is reported to be trying to 

set up the multiple-run policy, tieing in four 

drive-ins or two subruns, but no one is buying 

yet. A similar effort was made last fall, 

but the deal failed to jell because distributors 

and exhibitors failed to agree on the advertising 

split, playing time and the quality of 

the product being offered. 

The key neighborhoods here would like to 

take a crack at multiple dating for good 

product, the kind which is now getting into 

downtown theatres— but, as can be expected, 

the downtown group isn't enthused about the 

idea. As it stands, the better drive-ins have 

the best chance of getting day-and-date first 

run bookings, and Columbia already has taken 

the initiative in getting first runs into Cantor 

Amusement's Shadeland and Lafayette 

Road drive-ins. Playing at these outdoor 

houses this week was "Beyond Mombasa" 

and "Tall T" at upped admissions, with prices 

going from 65 cents to 85 cents. 

While there is no official discussion of the 

matter, some of the distributors are preferring 

the drive-ins for first run on certain 

types of product to the downtown date. And 

this thinking may be setting a new pattern 

of releases in the community. 

14 


Say Outlying First Runs 

Don't Playoff too Soon 

Columbus — Neighborhood and suburban 

theatre owners here don't think multiple 

booking of first run pictures in outlying 

houses sends features in and out 

of town too fast, and before they can 

gain the full boxoffice potential. 

Although a feature which can get a 

week or two at a downtown house is generally 

held only from three to five days 

at a suburban theatre in the summer 

drive-in season and possibly for a week 

in spring and fall, exhibitors still feel 

that the greater capacity of the multiple 

run playdates helps equalize the playing 

time situation. 

First Runs Stay Downtown 

In Minneapolis Pattern 

Bv LES REES 

MINNEAPOLIS—There has been no spotting 

of important pictures into neighborhood 

houses here for their first runs or day-anddating 

of them uptown and downtown and 

it's a virtual certainty, according to local industry 

leaders, that such a development never 

will come to pass. 

The only pictures going into the neighborhood 

houses for their fh'st runs are those that 

the Loop houses pass up. 

This entire matter was threshed out a year 

ago when the Volk Bros, in their anti-trust 

conspiracy suit against major distributors 

and the big circuits sought an earlier run 

for their Terrace, the leading and biggest 

grossing neighborhood theatre here. 

The federal court upheld the distributors' 

contention that the film companies w'ould 

suffer large financial damage if their pictures 

weren't played downtown first and if 

the clearance pattern applecart, providing a 

minimum 28-day protection for the Loop first 

run theatres, was upset. 

In his decision Judge G. H. Nordbye agreed 

with the distributors that the city's physical 

layout, with the downtown located in the 

center of the town, called for the clearance 

system now in vogue and pictures running 

downtown first. 

Generally, it was agreed by the court that 

grossing potential for the downtown houses 

was much greater than the uptown theatres, 

the transients, daily matinees and the various 

attractions other than movies boasted 

by the Loop and attracting people from all 

parts of the city to it offset to a considerable 

degree the fact that shopping centers are 

springing up on the city's outskii'ts. 

One of the things for which the Volks asked 

and were denied was a day-and-date run for 

the Terrace with downtown moveover houses 

even though the Terrace frequently outgrosses 

the latter and contributes higher film 

rental. 

While two downtown houses here are tied 

up indefinitely with Cinerama and "Around 

the World in 80 Days" and likely always will 

be devoted to long runs of roadshows, there 

still are a total of seven other Loop first run 

houses. EX-en though long runs are becoming 

more numerous and extended, there's no 

dearth of theatres to provide a speedy dating 

of product in the light of the amount of 

present or impending Hollywood production, 

it's pointed out. 

The Story in 

Cleveland 

Pictures Going First Run 

Are 'Neighborhood Type 

By ELSIE LOEB 

CLEVELAND—In spite of a growing tendency 

to play some pictures on a multiple 

run in the neighborhoods without first playing 

them downtown, there is no fundamental 

change in the general clearance picture in 

this area. 

In evaluating the first run multiple showing 

in neighborhood houses, several things 

must be noted. In the first place, the downtown 

first run theatres in Cleveland have 

never participated in a multiple first run engagement. 

In the second place, the pictures 

thus handled have generally been of a type 

that have greater appeal to neighborhood 

audiences. This is not always the case. Sometimes 

a distributor prefers to get his pictures 

on the screens in the neighborhoods rather 

than wait indefinitely for a downtown opening 

date. 

ALLIED ARTISTS THE PIONEER 

Allied Artists pioneered in this policy, starting 

it back in 1954 with "Highway Dragnet" 

and "Dragonfly Squadron." Since then it has 

released two or three combinations a year. 

The latest was "The Oklahoman" and "Destination 

60.000." 

A multiple run in Cleveland usually includes 

about ten theatres, scattered in various 

sections of the city. They are presented not 

oftener than once a month, and usually with 

three-month intervals. 

Most popular of the multiple run programs 

are the horror pictures. A week ago Sunday, 

the hottest day of the summer with the thermometer 

registering 94 degrees. 11 indoor 

theatres reported excellent business, way 

above average with DCA's "Monster from 

Green Hell" dualled with "Half Human." 

Columbia has also had successful results playing 

first multiple neighborhood runs, and so 

has Imperial Pictures. Columbia is the only 

major to have participated in this policy. The 

others have maintained the established policy 

of playing a downtown first run, with the 

usual protection of 14 days for first sub runs, 

21 days for first neighborhood runs, 35 days 

and 42 days for late run houses. 

• Results of the multiple booking policy 

vary with the boxoffice strength of the program. 

• Downtown theatres are not at all affected 

by the multiple neighborhood runs, but the 

participating theatres generally increase their 

boxoffice take. 

• Multiple bookings generally pay off for 

participating theatres even though the overhead 

is increased. 

SCALES REMAIN SAME 

When admission prices were lower than 

they are today, exhibitors boosted prices 

slightly for a first run picture, but since the 

neighborhoods raised prices about a year ago 

to a 65-70-75-cent scale, depending upon the 

neighborhood, they no longer advance prices 

when they join in a multiple first run showing. 

Children's prices also remain static at 

the prevailing scale of either 20 cents or 25 

cents. 

Neighborhood admission scales are lower 

than downtown scales, their top being 75 

cents, while the downtown top is 90 cents. 

However, the downtown houses advance theirscale 

for the big pictures like "Giant," "King 

and I" etc. to $1.25 and $1.50. 

The multiple run policy, industry members 

say. does not affect the subruns that follow. 

There is no specified clearance schedule in 

these circumstances. The pictures released 

via the multiple run policy become available 

to the following subruns at the discretion 

of the individual distributor. 

All exhibitors here agree that the distributors 

share generously in the extra multiple 

advertising costs. "And in some instances," 

says an exhibitor, "the distributors spend 

additional money without requiring exhibitor 

participation, for radio and TV announcements." 

Is there a special reason for the growth of 

multiple neighborhood first runs in Cleveland? 

The answer is definitely "yes." Two 

downtown former first run outlets have reduced 

the possibilities of getting a downtown 

run. 

LONG-RUN PICTURES 

The Ohio opened November 1956 with "The 

Ten Commandments" on a reserved-seat 

policy, and after playing 29 week.s made way 

for Todd-AO and "Around the World in 80 

Days." The Palace went out of general picture 

circulation also in November 1956 with 

"This Is Cinerama" and is currently showing 

"Cinerama Holiday" with more Cinerama 

attractions to follow. Extended runs in the 

remaining downtown houses further complicated 

the availability situation for the 

neighborhood houses. With nothing to come 

off the main stem they -had to seek pictures 

through a new outlet. Multiple first runs 

proved to be the answer. 

Participating exhibitors are happy over the 

multiple run situation. Not only does it relieve 

them of playing repeat programs because 

of product shortage, but it also gives 

them an opportunity to display some showmanship 

in selling something special. Nonparticipating 

exhibitors are correspondingly 

unhappy, especially when the multiple run 

engagement has been profitable. 

There are no exhibitor complaints on the 

ground that multiple runs send pictures into 

and out of town too fast on the theory that 

this policy may limit the boxoffice potential. 

As one exhibitor put it. "there aren't so many 

people going to the theatre today that multiple 

runs can in any way affect a picture's 

potential. The policy really benefits the exhibitors 

that follow because they get a better 

break on availabilities." 

Evans Starts "Faces' Tour 

NEW YORK—Robert J. Evans, who appears 

in "Man of a Thousand Faces," began 

a tour of key cities Wednesday (31) in behalf 

of the Universal-International film. His first 

visit was to Cincinnati. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 

J 

15 

wm j^mm

An 

mkûMMif^ 

Exciting H 

THE TEN CON 

The unprecedented perfornnance of I 

proved again and again. Now as sev^^ 

neigiiboriiood showings, it is reachir^ 

would have been incredible. Typical u 

in 

PHILiU 

9 special metropolitan nelghborhcc 

% t 

(MORET 

THAN THE AGGREGATE Gl|< 

PICTURE EVER PLAYED ll 

And now the same precedent-shafi 

Baltimore, Cleveland, Â/ashington ar]i 

sailsl it before and now says it again: 11 

grosses of the industry's new all-tirre 

%T^P^ TECHNICOLOR*

Report on 

I 

kysi 

»eIVIII-I.E'S 

MANDMENTS 

[ION 

I greatest 

of all grossers has been 

cities present it in special citywide 

1^ 

boxoffice figures which heretofore 

LPHIA 

(agements.the first week's gross was 

I 

J3 TIMES!) 

% OF THE TOI 

-lESE SA 

PARAMOUNT 

THEATRES! 

ng results are being registered in 

ther large cities. Paramount has 

re is no end in sight to the runs and 

oxoffice champion!

Jackter Plans Campaign 

For Top Columbia Films 

NEW YORK—A "Fabulous Five" campaign 

for Columbia showcase product was announced 

by Rube Jackter. general sales manager, 

Friday (26 1 as a three-day meeting of 

home office sales executives and division 

managers came to an end. 

Jackter said that never before has a single 

tompany "delivered five motion pictures of 

such magnitude within .so short a time." The 

pictures, to be released from now through 

the end of the year, are "Jeanne Eagels. " "3:10 

to Yuma." "Operation Mad Ball," "The 

Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Pal Joey." 

He told the sales meeting at the Savoy 

Plaza Hotel that the spotlighting of the 

"Fribulous Five" would not only add to their 

boxoffice value but would benefit the remainder 

of the Columbia product and the 

product of the rest of the industry as well. 

"These five films are our showcase product," 

Jackter said. "These are the ones we are 

putting in the window to bring them in off 

the street, the same way a store on Fifth 

Ave. or Main St. uses its most attractive and 

unusual goods as attention-getters for all the 

merchandise." 

"Jeanne Eagels" stars Kim Novak and Jeff 

Chandler, with Agnes Moorehead costarred. 

"3:10 to Yuma." suspense drama, stars Glenn 

Ford. Van Heflin and Felicia Farr. "Operation 

Mad Ball," a comedy about soldiers 

and army nurses, stars Jack Lemmon, Ernie 

Kovacs, Kathryn Grant. Arthur O'Connell 

and Mickey Rooney. "The Bridge on the 

River Kwai" stars William Holden. Alec 

Guinness and Jack Hawkins in an incident 

of World War II. "Pal Joey." film version 

of the Broadway musical play, stars Rita 

Kayworth, Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak 

and features the music of Richard Rodgers 

and Lorenz Hart. 

Harriet Parsons Enters 

TV Film Production 

HOLLYWOOD — Motion picture producer 

Harriet Parsons has announced her entrance 

into independent television production with 

"D.L.O.." a half-hour anthology series about 

the United States Postoffice. based on her 

own format. 

Miss Parsons, contracturally committed to 

produce the 20th Century-Fox series, "How 

to Marry a Millionaire," asked for a release 

from the TCF-TV deal to proceed with her 

own plans on "D.O.L." The release was 

granted with the understanding that she will 

act as consultant on the "Millionaire" series 

in the event it is sold. 

Florida Studio 

Purchases 

Three Van Cort Stories 

WINTER PARK, FLA.—Shamrock Studios 

has bought three stories by Van Cort, action 

fiction writer, for early production, acquiring 

both screen and television rights to them. 

Two of them have been published — "Third 

Barrier" appeared in Collier's and "Blood 

Money" was published in Argosy Magazine 

and later chosen for Luke Short's anthology 

of western novels. The third story is another 

western, "A Gun Is Not All." 

A. Montague (left), Columbia's vicepresident 

in charge of distribution, presents 

Rube Jackter, his successor as general 

sales manager, to the company's division 

managers at the New York sales 

conference. 

Tele-Movies Equipment 

In Place at Bartlesville 

BARTLESVILLE, OKLA, — The complete 

Telemovies equipment for Video Independent 

Theatres has arrived here from the 

Pleasantville, N. Y.. plant of General Precision 

Laboratory. J. W. Servies, vice-president 

of National Theatre Supply Co., has announced. 

It was shipped in a moving van 

with padding to protect the four 35mm PA200 

telecast projectors and related camera equipment. 

Preliminary power supply wiring had 

already been completed in the floor trenches 

of the new Video studio, so that the equipment 

was quickly put in place. Wiring was 

begun by six sound technicians under the direction 

of GPL field engineers. 

Odeon Theatres Organizes 

Its Own Golden Age Club 

TORONTO — Odeon Theatres of Canada 

has organized a Golden Age Club for senior 

citizens which will entitle those receiving 

government old age pensions to reduced 

motion picture admission prices. The reduced 

prices will apply at matinee or evenings 

shows at any Odeon theatre Monday 

through Thursday. 

The Golden Age Club has already been in 

existence about three months in British Columbia 

and has met with considerable success. 

To Direct Faulkner Story 

HOLLYWOOD—Martin Ritt has been assigned 

to direct "The Long Hot Summer." 

by William Faulkner, which Jerry Wald Productions 

will make for 20th-Fox. Ritt previously 

had been set for Wald's other Faulkner 

novel, "The Sound and the Fury," but this 

has been moved back to permit a planned 

summer start on "Summer," 

N. Y. Thealres May Ge! 

Cily Tickel Tax Relief 

NEW YORK—Motion picture theatres here 

are on the verge of getting local admission 

tax relief. Councilman Maurice J. McCarthy 

jr.. Bronx Democrat and chairman of the 

finance committee, Tuesday (30i introduced 

a bill that would remove the city's five per 

cent amusement tax on motion picture admissions 

up to 90 cents. On higher admissions, 

the first 90 cents would be tax-exempt. 

The bill went to the finance committee. 

The present exemption on all amusement 

admissions is ten cents. Other amusements 

would not be affected by the new legislation. 

A committee headed by Francis W. H. 

Adams, former police commissioner, had reported 

to Mayor Wagner in April that the 

motion picture industry here "is sick." The 

blame was put on television, population shifts 

and other factors. 

Tlie city is expected to lose about $4,000,000 

through the new legislation. The five per 

cent tax on all amusements has been netting 

the city about $10,800,000 annually. 

Passage of the bill is considered certain 

since it is backed by the city administration. 

Most of the neighborhood houses would be 

freed from the tax. but not the Broadway 

and first run houses. Tlie theatres benefitting 

from tax elimination are expected to 

retain the saving instead of passing it on to 

the public. 

Merril White to Direct 

HOLLYWOOD—Film editor Merril White 

will make his debut as a director on "Ghost 

Diver," for Regal Films which is set to ro'.l 

August 14 for 20th Century-Fox release. 

Meanwhile, Gene Fowler jr. has been set 

by Regal Films to direct a western tentatively 

titled "Cubit to His Stature," which will be a 

Robert Lippert production. 

Drive-ln Report 

(Continued from page 12 

Meyersdole— Pine, 400 cars, Burnett Bros., opened in 

May 

Osage— Blue Horizon, opened in spring by John and 

Mary De Angelis 

Philadelphia— Site at 80th and Tinicum avenue 

reported to be favored by Claude Schlanger and 

associates for building a drive-in** 

Pittsburgh—Marco Ranalli building a new drive-in of 

rear of former Ronaili's Drive-ln on Route 8; land 

of former dnve-in to be part of a huge shopping 

center project 

Pittsburgh— Bel-Aire, 1,600 cars, Tony Morocco and 

son, Martin, owners 

Wompum—Super 18, 400 cars, John Fontonella and 

L. Joseph Guzzetti 

RHODE ISLAND 

Cranston— Shipyard, large drive-in for the Rifkin 

circuit 

TEXAS 

Athens— Trail, for Cliff Turner jr. and B. L. Hagle 

Corpus Christi— Viking Twin, 2,000 cars, opened recently 

with Ed Farnêr as manager 

El Paso—Ascarte, 700 cars, John Flache, owner* 

Houston— Eagle, opened around January 1 by Lin 

Harrington Enterprises 

San Benito—drive-in projected by Mrs. Esther Ruenes, 

Mrs. Phil Brady ond Ed Brady for showing Lotin- 

American films** 

Victoria— Lone Tree, 1,000 cars, Frels Theatres* 

VERMONT 

Burlington— Burlington, 560 cars, Mr, and Mrs. Ulderic 

Barrett, owners and operators 

WISCONSIN 

Houlton—600-car drive-in built on ten acres formerly 

port of the Lazy L ranch, north of town on Highway 

3-5, by R. J. O'Neil Invesment Co. 

1 

18 


NT's New Thealre Bid 

Turned Down By Court 

NEW YORK—For the time being, at 

least, 

National Theatres has been delayed in building 

one of its much-heralded theatres of the 

future. 

Judge Edward L. Palmieri of federal court 

here Friday i26i turned down an application 

of the major theatre circuit for permission 

to construct a new theatre at Garden 

Grove, Calif. He held that National Theatres 

had not sustained its position that the 

theatre would not unduly restrain competition. 

National Theatres, one-time subsidiary of 

20th Century-Fox. cannot acquire or build 

new theatre properties without court consent 

under provisions of the antitrust decree. This 

is the first instance in which the courts have 

refused to grant permission to a former affiliate 

to acquire a new theatre. Judge Palmieri. 

himself, several months ago gave Loew's 

Inc. permission to buy a theatre at Miami 

Beach. Fla. 

The NT argument to the court was that 

TV and drive-ins were creating serious competition 

and the theatre, with its parking facilities, 

would help meet that competition. 

Opposing the petition was Cecil Vinicoff 

of the California Amusement Co.. which is 

constructing a theatre two and one-half miles 

from the proposed NT site. He argued that 

it would be impossible for him to compete 

with National Theatres which would have 

an "economic advantage." 

20th-Fox Will Release 

'Abominable Snowman' 

HOLLYWOOD — "The Abominable Snowman 

of the Himalayas." a high-budget picture 

made by James Carreras' Exclusive Films 

of London, has been acquii'ed by 20th Century-Fox 

for worldwide release, with the exception 

of the United Kingdom and Japan. 

The deal was set with Robert L. Lippert, 

William Pizor and Carreras, who were associated 

in the Cinemascope production, and 

the Westwood studio is planning a reported 

$500,000 advertising campaign for the film 

which stars Peter Cushing, recently seen in 

"The Curse of Frankenstein." 

The Reade Circuit Offers 

'Fast Change' Service 

New York — Walter Reade Theatres, 

which operates outside of as well as within 

the theatrical field, has come up with a 

new public relations gimmick— "small 

change rooms." They are to be found in 

the four Garden State Parkway restaurants 

the Keade concessions division runs, 

and they have nothing to do with coin 

of the realm. 

The rooms are for infants and their 

mothers. They have been decorated with 

baby pictures, toys and furniture. Within 

them the harassed mother will find 

free baby powder, cleansing oil and disposable 

diapers through tieups with firms 

manufacturing the articles. In a moment 

the deed is done and mother and child 

can return to the restaurant proper at 

peace with the world. 

Rank U.S. Organization 

Reports Swift Progress 

NEW YORK—Rank Film Distributors of 

America has already been in the black during 

certain weeks although it did not begin 

screening its British pictures for American 

exhibitors until the end of April, Kenneth 

Hargreaves, president, told a press conference 

Tuesday (30i. 

He estimated that to show a steady profit 

the company must gross $5,000,000 annually, 

of which $2,000,000 will be returned to the 

producers. However, he said that since the 

company is wholly owned by the Rank Organization, 

the matter of profit is of secondai'y 

importance. 

SOUGHT BY U. S. PKODUCERS 

Hargreaves also revealed that a number of 

independent American producers had approached 

him on the subject of distribution 

of their pictures, but said the company is not 

now equipped to handle other than current 

product. It might be in the future, he added. 

Hargreaves said that only one or two outstanding 

hits will be necessary for the company 

to show a profit at the end of Its first 

fiscal year June 29. 1958. He believed that 

one of them could be "Pursuit of the Graf 

Spee." He regretted that "Reach for the 

Sky," while booked by exhibitors and pleasing 

the public, has not proved the huge 

success it was in England. If it had been, 

he said, the company could be well into the 

black. 

The reason for resort to multiple runs of 

combination programs, Hargreaves said, was 

that the company began releasing at a period 

of time wîen it had to "buck" bookings already 

made by first run exhibitors. He called 

the results more than satisfactory since the 

company was gaining a considerable amount 

of revenue and other than first :-un exhibitors 

were getting needed product. 

Fourteen pictures have been definitely 

scheduled for release before the end of the 

year, but others will be coming along. "Henry 

V" will be revised into a widescreen version 

through Superscope and the hope is to roadshow 

it before Chi-istmas. Release before 

the end of the year is also expected for an 

English version of an Italian film now titled 

"Souvenir of Italy." It presents three girl 

hitchhikers and Vittorio de Sica and is in 

Technirama. There will also be a film of the 

Bolshoi ballet which will i-equlre special sales 

treatment, and two action films. "Across the 

Bridge," starring Rod Steiger, and "Hell 

Drivers." 

HIGH ON 'THIRD KEY' 

Hargreaves predicted a successful playoff 

for "The Third Key" on the basis of its ran 

at the Sutton Theatre here and its playdates 

in Washington. D. C. San Francisco and Dallas. 

He said he had received no complaints 

about British dialog in his films, but had been 

checking dialog for about eight months in 

British preproduction scripts. In some instances 

new sound tracks had been made, he 

said. He also found the American public 

more than willing to accept two British films 

on the same program. 

He repeated a reason given previously for 

not becoming a member company of the Mo- 

Kenneth Hargreaves. president of the 

Rank Film Distributors of America, 

(right) gives Anthony Steel, star of 

"Checkpoint" a rundown on playdates in 

the U. S. Looking on is Geoffrey Martin, 

RFDA advertising-publicity director. 

tion Picture Ass'n of America. It was that 

there would be "little advantage" to membership 

because much of the money contributed 

by member companies is spent abroad. He 

said there are no present plans to sell to 

television. 

Irving Sochin, general sales manager, 

praised the field forces. There are now eight 

regional and three branch offices outside of 

New York. Sochin said they are confident of 

the success of the company, having learned 

that American exhibitors will book British 

pictures and that American audiences accept 

them. Both Hargreaves and Sochin praised 

the cooperation of the tradepress. 

Wormser and Birnbaum 

Promoted by Columbia 

NEW YORK—Mortimer Wormser has been 

elected a vice-president of Columbia Pictures 

and Bernard Birnbaum has been elected assistant 

treasurer by the board of directors. 

The new appointments followed the advancements 

of six other executives in the home 

office. 

Wormser has been with Columbia since 1929 

and was controller before being named assistant 

treasurer in 1943. 

Birnbaum joined the company's accounting 

department in 1930. He was appointed 

assistant controller in 1945 and elected an assistant 

secretary in 1954. 

Correction 

In the biographical sketch outlining the 

career of Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of 

the board of United Artists, in BOXOFFICE, 

issue of July 27, it was erroneously reported 

that United World Pictures, with which 

Benjamin was associated in 1945, was dissolved. 

On the contrary, United World still 

is in business as a subsidiary of Universal 

Pictures and, according to Alfred E. Daff, 

executive vice-president of Universal, "is a 

very healthy, profitable company still expanding." 


19

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Booker's Plea: Take Us 

Out of the Bull 

Pen 

The Men Who Make the Deals Long for Chance 

To Operate in 

NEW YORK- Now that thp major companies 

have subjected biaiicli office operations 

to the searching analysis of the experts, 

some industry executives are evincing 

additional ideas for improving distribution 

efficiency. One reader of "Film Salesmen 

as Account Executives" in the July 13 

issue of BOXOFFICE commented this week 

that some updating in the handling of branch 

office business within the offices themselves 

might be in order. He was particularly concerned 

with the status of the booker. 

•REALLY 

AN EXECUTIVE' 

"Take a look at the booker in almost any 

big film exchange," the reader said. "Here's 

a man—really an executive—who is charged 

with getting the proper playing time for pictures 

that cost millions, in theatres which 

depend on these pictures to deliver thousands 

of dollars in grosses. Any time a booker sits 

down at his desk he's a pretty important 

component of our business. Many an exhibitor 

with ability enough to control operations 

worth millions asks the advice of his favorite 

exchange bookers before booking pictures. 

This may not be so true in the two 

or three biggest cities where availabilities 

are automatically keyed off one big first run, 

but in hundreds of other important situations, 

large or small throughout the country, 

the distributor's booker is generally considered 

a good man to know, with advice worth 

heeding." 

And yet. this observer noted, bookers labor 

under conditions that make it difficult, to 

put it mildly, for them to do their best work. 

Take the physical setup so long considreed 

standard for the booking department. Each 

booker occupies a place at a long wood or 

metal and glass booking desk. His customer 

sits opposite in a booth which provides a 

minimum of privacy but which can be. and 

is, invaded at will by anyone thoughtless 

enough to butt into the conversation between 

them. The booker, often in shirt sleeves, on 

his side of the desk is not even afforded the 

doubtful privacy of a booth. He's working 

on his mail, answering the telephone and 

serving over-the-counter callers and, to his 

credit, gets a lot of work done to the satisfaction 

of everyone. 

HOW EFFICIENT CAN HE BE? 

But, this question was posed: How efficiently 

might he operate under a modernized 

setup? The answer won't be known until 

somebody tries it and maybe now is the time 

to try. 

According to one exchange man, a booker 

makes a graphic comparision of his environment 

with that of a friend employed at a 

bank where he cashes his salary check. And 

we quote: 

"This guy at the bank rates somewhere in 

the ranks of an assistant to a vice-president. 

He sits at a desk in an enclosed area, 

available to put his okay on checks to be 

a More Business-Like Manner 

At least privacy like this, is a booker's plea. 

cashed by people who aren't known to the 

tellers and to do other chores which add up, 

in a day's time, to nothing approaching the 

importance of booking a lot of million-dollar 

motion pictures, but you'd suppose by 

his desk, rug, etc., that he was pretty big 

potatoes. The bank surrounds him with an 

atmosphere in which he can give a little 

thought to his work and do it well. His customers 

approach him with respect." 

Does the booker want a private, or semiprivate, 

office? The question was put to 

several and. in summary, the answers were 

as follows: "Of course, I'd do a better job 

if I had the kind of quarters my job rates. 

I don't want to be a big shot, personally, 

but I'd like for my customers to come in and 

talk business in surroundings that give me 

half a chance to win my point once in a 

while." 

What happens instead? Well, the following 

may be slightly exaggerated, but it comes 

from a former booker who should know what 

he's talking about. Something like this happens 

often enough to remind good bookers 

that a lot of improvement could be made. The 

ex-booker was speaking as if he were still a 

booker 

"A customer approaches the desk of the 

man in the bank respectfully, states his 

business, gets the proper help and is on his 

way. But my customer comes in wearing his 

hunting clothes and toting a deer rifle. His 

big hunting dog accompanies him, lopes up 

to my booking desk, plants his front paws 

on top and gazes into my eyes. 

"Right behind my exhibitor friend is his 

pretty wife, carrying the baby. Man, wife, 

baby, dog and gun all crowd into the booking 

booth. Thoughtfully, they've brought 

along a box of candy for the girls in the 

office. So, all the girls crowd around my side 

of the desk to sample the candy, smile at 

the baby and make conversation with the 

happy couple. The dog may bark a couple of 

times just for the hell of it and maybe snap 

at the file clerk. 

"Just then my telephone rings and a customer 

300 miles away wants to know where 

tonight's program is. He's been hunting, too. 

and just got back to the theatre to discover 

that the truck didn't drop off his show last 

night. I get the machinery started to trace 

his print and then the shipper comes up front 

to discu.ss an urgent problem with me. And, 

likely enough, the new biller is at my shoulder 

wanting me to help her out with one of her 

problems in connection with an invoice. In 

the midst of all this, the baby is .screaming 

his head off because of wet pants and I'm 

trying to get decent playing time for a picture 

which the exhibitor doesn't want to book 

at all. Meanwhile, my assistant is fooling 

around inspecting the rifle. 

TOO MUCH DISTRACTION 

"Any hope that we might calmly discuss 

the merits of the pictures, or that I may be 

able to sell him a .skipped release which the 

salesman wasn't able to license on his last 

call goes right out the window. It's just the 

matter of doing the best I can and getting 

that guy and his retinue out of sight so I 

can get on with my other work and get the 

office .settled down again. 

"I don't say that an exhibitor would deliberately 

set the stage to do his bookings 

under .such conditions, figuring that in the 

furore he might win concessions he couldn't 

otherwise get. But anyone who ever worked 

in a film exchange can tell you that we work 

mighty informally sometimes." 

From another booker comes this observation: 

"Every clerk in the office, in too many 

exchanges, works in one big bull pen, all in 

public view, although but few of them are 

required to meet the customers in their work. 

Every person who enters or leaves is a distraction. 

Most of us in this business are extroverts 

anyway — always anxious to be 

friendly and to pass the time of day with 

everyone else. The film exchange, as set up 

a generation ago. and as still operated that 

way in most places, is a place where work gets 

accomplished in spite of everything that 

happens to prevent it. Tiaily. the people who 

work in them deserve 'A' for effort. They 

certainly try." 

From what can be learned, the booker 

simply longs for a place where he can operate 

in a more business-like manner. Commenting 

on the salesmen story in the July 

13 issue of BOXOFTICE, a western booker 

writes: "If I only had a head-high partition 

separating me and my customer from the rest 

of the office, I could do better work." 

NEED THAT PRIVACY 

And the ex-booker remarked. "If I could 

have had a private office, no exhibitor would 

perpetrate that hunting dog-wife-baby trick 

for the simple reason that he'd have had no 

audience except me. And in the sanctity of 

a private office, I could eventually educate 

him to better behavior." 

A top sales executive said that more work 

could be accomplished with the available 

manpower—pared to the bone, anyway, in 

the light of industry economics, by the modernization 

of the early 1930-style exchange 

quarters still in vogue. He claimed that too 

many bookers were still working in shirt 

sleeves at counters like those over which the 

supply clerk in a garage passes out automobile 

parts. 

He summed it up as follows: 

"The motion picture in 1957 or 1958 is too 

precious a commodity to be handled in such 

slap-dash fashion. Tlie man who is expected 

to get the right playing time for these big 

attractions deserves at least a modicum of 

1957-58 thinking applied to his environment." 


vmm 

. 

TiJa^îH^toti êfeont 

frHE famous "Movie X." which was kept a 

top secret by the U. S. Information Agency 

during House hearings on the agency's budget 

requests (although several Congressmen 

knew its identity, having seen iti has been 

revealed to be "1984." which was produced 

by a former RKO president, Peter Rathvon for 

Columbia Pictures and released in September, 

1956, with the help of a 3100,000 U. S. subsidy. 

This movie, based on the famous novel by 

George Orwell, the late British novelist, is 

about the dangers of "Big Brother" and 

"thought control." The USIA, giving a touch 

of irony to the "thought control" facets of 

the movie, had marked the entire project 

"classified" and suppressed all information 

about it. It said revelation of its name 

would be "prejudicial to the interests of the 

United States . . . People seeing the film would 

feel they were being propagandized." 

The producer put $500,000 into the picture, 

besides the sum advanced by USIA. Arthur 

Larson, head of USIA, referred to it, in House 

appropriations hearings, as "the most devastating 

anti-Communist film ever produced," 

and complained that USIA was accused of 

"propagandizing the home folks and it was 

said to be a flop." 

0-0-0 

JIMMY DURANTE, the old Schnozzola, recently 

visited the Senate. He was surprised 

to hear himself introduced by Senator 

William E. Knowland iR., Calif, i, the Republican 

majority leader, and the Congressional 

Record notes that there was "applause, 

the Senators rising." 

Jimmy may have a "million of 'em"—woi'ds 

or .something—but he was speechless. That's 

because all visitors to the galleries are cautioned 

not to speak while observing the Senate 

in session. But his smile spoke a great 

big message. 

Senator Knowland paid brief tribute to 

Durante, hei'e for a personal appearance at 

the Carter Bai-ron Amphitheatre, and said 

that California and the nation are proud of 

him. 

JÊMBERS of the Radio-Electronics-Television 

Manufacturers Ass'n have voted 

at a proxy membership meeting here to 

change the name of the 33-year-old organization 

to the Electronics Industries Ass'n. 

This marks the fourth time since its founding 

in 1924 that the association has changed 

its name. It was known then as the Radio 

Manufacturers' Ass'n, but in 1950 the word 

"Television" was added, and in 1953 the word 

"Electronics" was included. 

WTBNDELL B. BARNES, administrator of 

the Small Business Administration, recently 

put out a report, of loans, in which he 

boasted about the number of new loans his 

agency has been granting. 

The report showed that in June. SBA lent 

276 different firms a total of $13,292,000. out 

of 520 applications received. Not a single one 

of the loans was made to a motion picture 

theatre, or, for that matter, anyone in the 

film industry. 

8y LARSTON D. FARRAR 

BUSINESS BRIEFS: The number of households 

in the U. S. has increased by about 

six million in the- past seven year's with the 

total in March 1957 being 49.5 million, as 

compared to 43.6 million in March 1950, the 

U. S. Bureau of the Census has pointed out 

here . . . More than 7.5 million persons sought 

recreation in national wildlife refuges during 

1956 to set a new public-use record, the 

U. S. Fish and Wildhfe Service has reported 

. . . Congress isn't likely to probe the song 

"censorship," which is supposed to be going 

on, but Representative John C. Watt iD., 

Ky.i continues to press for such a probe, in 

connection with several colleagues. It is alleged 

that the netw'orks have agreed to "arbitrary 

censorship" of songs such as "My 

Old Kentucky Home" and "Old Black Joe," 

to keep from offending minority groups. 

Watt's bill said that this "sets a precedent 

which could be extended to cover any object 

w'hich did not happen to suit the social, 

political, economic, or religious views of 

those exercising the censorship ." 

. 

Allied Board Will Meet 

In Pittsburgh Aug. 14 

PITTSBURGH— The .summer meeting of 

the board of directors of Allied States Ass'n 

will be held at the Penn Sheraton Hotel here 

August 14. 15, to be preceded by a session of 

the Emergency Defense Committee August 13. 

An agenda has not been completed, but 

among the subjects to be taken up are Allied's 

position on returning to COMPO membership, 

the current arbitration negotiations, and the 

business-building program of the industry. 

The current Allied bulletin announcing the 

dates expresses satisfaction with the appointment 

of Oscar Doob, one-time Loew's Theatres 

ad-publicity director, as coordinator of 

the promotional campaign for the businessbuilding 

program. Doob assisted A. F. 

Myers. Allied general counsel, in the tax 

campaign in 1950-51. 

3% Disney Dividend 

HOLLYWOOD—Walt Disney Productions 

has declared a three per cent common stock 

dividend, payable November 25 to holders of 

record November 1, in addition to the regular 

10-cent quarterly cash dividend, payable 

October 1 to stockholders of record September 

13. 

Myers Lets Go at Movie Reviewers 

Who Look at Pictures With a Sneer 

WASHINGTON—Abram F. Myers, general 

counsel for Allied States Ass'n, let go at the 

"sneering and contemptuous attitude of some 

reviewers towards motion pictures" in a 

bulletin sent to Allied members this week. 

This attitude, he said, is becoming irk.some 

to exliibitors and, he hopes, will so become 

to all lovers of fair play. 

Without mentioning the name, Myers took 

special exception to the reviewer of "a certain 

weekly publication with a large circulation." 

This reviewer, he said, "is a conspicuous example 

of the .supercilious school of criticism. 

His reviews abound with wise cracks, doubtful 

puns and dirty digs and contain nothing 

to indicate whether the average American 

would enjoy the picture. He plainly writes 

for his own amusement and that of the readers 

who will enjoy neat phrases and a play 

on words for substitutes for information 

and constructive thoughts. 

"Most assuredly, he does not write for the 

iiiformation of the potential moviegoer," said 

Myers. 

This disdainful attitude, he commented, is 

not confined to the critics employed by the 

slick paper periodicals. Too often it seeps 

down into the picture reviews in the daily 

newspapers, he adds. 

"There are notable exceptions, of course, 

but most reviewers nowadays seem to think 

they establish their own superiority by snooting 

the movies." 

Despite the fact that the United States is 

the most literate country in the world, comments 

Myers, "the supercilious and consciously 

high-brow reviewers" are writing for a 

rather small percentage of the total population. 

"Of course, this may bring the retort that 

only the best educated people read our publication,' 

but if that were true other features 

of the publication would be written in the 

same lofty style. Only the reviewers who are 

evaluating other people's properties allow 

themselves such airs. 

"The outraged protests of the authors, playwrights, 

producers and exhibitors have been 

and will continue to be ignored by the publishers. 

Perhaps the only way in which 

reform can come is for the readers to complain 

that they have been unfairly treated because 

the reviewers do not give them the facts 

concerning the movies. That is to say, that 

the reviewers are misrepresenting the movies 

to their readers by commenting only on what 

they deem to be the bad features of a picture 

without mentioning other features which the 

reader might very well enjoy." 

Myers said that many has been the time 

when he has seen a picture which received a 

bad review and enjoyed it immensely. "And 

this in spite of the fact that the reviewer 

probably was right in saying that the plot 

was illogical, that the dialog in some respects 

was corny, or that the star did not make the 

most of his role. The fact was that despite 

these imperfections the picture was highly 

entertaining—a fact which the reviewer did 

not deem worth mentioning." 

Next time that happens. Myers adds, as a 

footnote, he may write a letter to the editor 

and hopes he starts a fad. 

New MGM TV Contract 

NEW YORK—MGM-TV will produce a 13 

quarter-hour telefilm series in color for 

Houbigant Perfimies. according to Charles C. 

Barry, Loew-'s vice-president in charge of 

television. Production will start this month 

at the Culver City studios. 

BOXOFTICE August 3, 1957 23

incomplete 

ôdÛMMd êftont 

By IVAN SPEAR 

Upbeat in Production for August 

As 32 Films Get Ready to Roll 

In a compilation of motion pictures scheduled 

to go before the cameras in August, the 

production scene appears on the upbeat with 

32 films slated to roll for the period as against 

19 offerings reported in July. Twenty-two 

productions were tentatively set to go for the 

parallel month a year ago. 

Of the reported starters, nine are being 

undertaken by the independent film companies, 

most of which product is set for major 

release. Four are holdovers, pictures which 

have been listed as starting in previous 

months, but for various reasons never arrived 

before the cameras. 

Three companies—Republic, Disney and 

RKO—have no starters for the month. 

The planned starters are as follows: 

ALLIED ARTISTS 

"Beast of Budapest," a topical film, with 

Archie Mayo producing from an original 

screenplay by John McGreevey. 

"On the Make," the 47th Bowery Boys comedy. 

Credits not set. 

COLUMBIA 

"The Grasshopper." Based on the true 

story of a courageous housewife who works 

with the narcotics bureau to uncover operations 

of a narcotics syndicate which is selling 

drugs to teenagers. Stars not set. Producer, 

Bryan Foy. Director, Lewis Seller. 

"Rescue at Sea." The story, taken from 

actual facts, of a Pan-American airline crash 

enroute from Honolulu to San Francisco. 

Stars not set. Producer, Sam Katzman (independent!. 

Director, Fred F. Sears. 

"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad." Taken from 

the original Arabian Nights tales, which will 

be brought to the screen with the legendary 

monsters and strange creatures in Technicolor 

and Dynamation process. Stars Torin 

Thatx;her, Kathryn Grant and Kerwin Matthews. 

Producer, Charles Schneer (independent). 

Director not set. 

"Stella." Adapted from Jan de Hartog's 

novel, the film will be shot at the Weymouth 

Naval Base outside London and deals with 

the ships in the British Channel during World 

War II. Stars Sophia Loren and William 

Holden. Producer, Carl Foreman (independent). 

Director, Sir Carol Reed. 

INDEPENDENT 

"Ghost Diver." A mystery tale involving 

skin divers. Stars Nico Minardos. Producer, 

Richard Einfeld, Merrill White. Director, Merrill 

White. 

"Killer's Cage." Initial film of Ararat Productions 

about a writer hiding out in a Mexican 

village while doing exposes on narcotic 

and gambling rings and the search for him 

instigated by the FBI. Stars Terry Becker 

and Jeanne Jonson. Producer, Berg Hagopian. 

Director, Mel We.iies. 

"Monster on the Hill." Set by Howco- 

Marquette as a package deal with "The 

Brain," this is another science-fiction yarn. 

Stars not set. Producer, Jack Marquette. 

Director, not set. 

"Motorcycle Gang." American International 

Pictures is set to release this Golden 

State Productions drama dealing with female 

juvenile delinquents who travel the country 

on motorcycles. Stars Steve Terrell, Lou 

Rusoff (incomplete). Producer, Alex Gordon. 

Director, Edward Cahn. 

"Natchez Trace." A western slated by Panorama 

Pictures. Stars Zachary Scott. Gene 

Nelson, Marcia Henderson. Producers, A. L. 

Royal and Tom Garroway. Director, Alan 

Crosland jr. 

"Ride the West Wind." Co-Ber Productions 

plan to lens this in CinemaScope and 

color. It tells the story of Texas Lee Callen, 

who transported a herd of cattle to Hawaii 

in the 1890s and came into conflict with pineapple 

plantation owners. Stars Dan Dailey 

(incomplete I. Producers, David S. Garber, 

William B. Coates. Director not set. 

"The Ti'ek." A western-mystery. No stars 

set. Producer, Jack Couffer. Director, Marvin 

Weinstein. 

"Viking Woman." AIP release to be made 

by Malibu Productions, this is a special effects 

film. Stars not set. Producer-director, 

Roger Corman. 

"The Young Land." One of C. V. Whitney's 

American series pictures set for Buena 

Vista release, the story is based on a Saturday 

Evening Post yarn about California in the 

1850s. Stars Patrick Wayne (incomplete). 

Producer, Patrick Ford. Director, Ted Tetzlaff. 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

"Gigi." A romantic comedy dealing with 

young love in Paris, based on Colette's book 

( 

and play with the added attraction of music 

and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick 

Loewe. Stars Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, 

Hermione Gingold. Producer, Arthur 

Freed independent i. Director, Vincente 

Minnelli. 

"Cry Terror." A young wife is forced to 

join in an extortion plot to protect her husband 

and child from a gang of ruthless 

killers, with the extortionist finally captured 

in a Manhattan subway. Stars Inger Stevens, 

James Ma,son and Rod Steiger. Producer-director, 

Andrew Stone. 

PARAMOUNT 

"Houseboat." Romantic comedy about a 

widower seeking a mother for his children. 

Stars Cary Grant, Sophia Loren. Producer, 

Jack Rose ( independent i. Director, Mel 

Shavelson. 

"The Matchmaker." A period film about 

a widow who agrees to find a bride for a 

millionaire in whom she is interested herself. 

Stars Shirley Booth, Tony Perkins and 

Shirley MacLaine. Producer, Don Hartman. 

Director, Joseph Anthony. 

CENTURY-FOX 

20th 

"The Hell Bent Kid." A western. Stars 

Don Murray ( i. Producer, Robert 

Buckner. Director not set. 

"Fraulein." An action drama concerning 

the U.S. occupation forces in Germany, slated 

to be shot abroad. Stars Dana Wynter (incomplete). 

Producer, Walter Reisch. Director, 

Henry Koster. 

"The Singin' Idol." Supposed take-off on 

Elvis Presley-type of singer, originally done 

on TV starring Tommy Sands. Stars Tommy 

Sands. Producer, Henry Ephron. Director 

not set. 

"South Pacific." A Todd-AO picturization 

of the now famous Rodgers and Hammerstein 

musical. Stars Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi 

and Juanita Hall. Producer, Buddy Adler. 

Director. Joshua Logan. 

UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL 

"Once Upon a Horse." A comedy western 

about two cattle rustlers who can't get rid 

of the cattle. Stars Dan Rowan and Dick 

Martin, Leif Erikson, Martha Hyer. Producer-director, 

Hal Kanter. 

"Teach Me How to Cry." A high sch(Ml 

girl is shunned by her schoolmates because of 

her mother's peculiarity. Stars Sandra Dee 

(incomplete I. Producer, Ross Hunter. Director, 

Helmut Kautner. 

"There's a Time to Love." Based on Erich 

Remarque's novel, "A Time to Love and a 

Time to Die," about a Nazi soldier and his 

romance with a German girl on a three-week 

furlough from the eastern front in World 

War II. 

"This Day Alone." Story of a man who becomes 

a derelict before he realizes he must 

reconstruct his life if he wants to regain 

his wife's love and respect. Stars Julie London 

and Richard Egan. Producer, Gordon 

Kay. Director, Karry Keller. 

"Hemp Brown." Set in the Arizona territory 

in 1864, this western deals with a young 

prospector who seeks adventure and fortune. 

Stars Rory Calhoun. Producer, Gordon Kay. 

Director, Richard Carlson. 

"The Way Back." A sequel to "To Hell and 

Back," which dealt with the life and wartime 

experiences of Audie Murphy, this covers 

the struggles of a soldier to resume civilian 

life after the conflict. Stars, Audie Murphy. 

Producer, Aaron Rosenberg. Director, Jesse 

Hibbs. 

"Take it Pi-om the Top." A tale of showbusiness. 

Stars not set. Producer, Howie Horwitz. 

Director, Richard English. 

UNITED ARTISTS 

"Cop Hater." About a criminal who winds 

up in double trouble because of his hatred for 

the police. Stars Robert Loggia, Gerald O'- 

Loughlin (incomplete). Producers, Morris Helprin 

and Alfred Crown. Director, William 

Berke. 

"Time is a Memory." An Air Force captain 

falls in love with an Oriental girl amidst the 

chaos of World War II. Stars Victor Mature 

(incomplete). Producer-director, Frank Borzage. 

WARNERS 

"Marjorie Morningstar." A young girl aspires 

to be an actress and renounces her 

family, religious background and friends to 

achieve her ambition, only to find, after attaining 

her goal, that the victory is a hollow 

one. Stars Natalie Wood, Paul Newman, Erin 

O'Brien. Producer, Milton Sperling (independent). 

Director, Irving Rapper. 

Hit Play to Bob Hope 

HOLLYWOOD—Bob Hope has acquired the 

film rights to "Anniversary Waltz," the stage 

play by Joseph Fields, and plans to star in 

the property as an independent production 

for United Artists release. 


This is one fish story that can easily be 

checked! According to the Consumer 

Price Index of the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 

the price of fish, meat and poultry has 

risen 738 per cent since 19401 

This is a whale of a price rise 

when compared to the minnow-sized 

increases, if any, that some of you 

have given N.S.S. for your most reliable 

box office bait... trailers and 

accessories! 

It is no fluke that the Prize Baby 

has held the line without a slackening 

of the services that exhibition 

needs and gets... to reel in bigger 

grosses at little cost!

BETWEEN THE LINES 

By AL STEEN 

Eastern Production 

PVERYBODY talks about eastern production 

but. like the weather, nobody has 

done much about it. But take it from Paddy 

Chayefsky. good pictures can be turned 

out in New York as well as in Hollywood. 

And Paddy should know. He's worked on 

both coasts. Right now. this amiable, fiveby-five 

I but he's on a diet now) fellow is 

working on "The Goddess" which he wrote 

for Columbia Picture.s and which is being 

produced in the Bronx by Milton Perlman 

and directed by John Cromwell. 

The other day. the tradepress boys were 

the guests of Columbia on a junket to the 

Gold Medal Studios in the upper stretches 

of Manhattan. Gold Medal is the site of 

the old Biograph studio which was built 

in 1913. It was here that D. W. Griffith 

turned out many an opus. After a few years 

it wâs shuttered until Republic took it 

over for a while in the 1930s. Then it went 

dark again and was gathering cobwebs until 

a year or so ago when Martin Poll 

took it over. It's been modernized, has two 

huge stages and all the facilities, on a 

smaller scale, perhaps, of a west coast lot. 

And work on it is continuing. 

After a buffet luncheon, Chayefsky and 

Perlman, and also George Justin, the associate 

producer, made themselves available 

for questions. It was brought out that 

in Hollywood "The Goddess" would cost 

$1,500,000 to produce. Nobody would say 

what the New York budget was. but somebody 

said the outlay would be about onethird 

of that amount. The Einsteins 

among the tradepress, with the help of 

a slide rule, were able to figure it out. And 

the technical crew, they said, ranks with 

the best that could be obtained in Hollywood. 

Cromwell, of course, was imported 

from the Coast, as was the cinematographer. 

The funny twist in producing "The Goddess" 

in New York is that the story has a 

Hollywood locale. Some of the background 

shots will be made in the cinema capital. 

It's not a movie story, however, but it is 

about a southern gal who becomes a famous 

actress. The gal is Kim Stanley who, 

according to Chayefsky, is "the greatest 

actress in the world." It's her first picture, 

although she's been in dozens and 

dozens of television plays and starred in 

the Broadway version of "Bus Stop." It's 

a first picture, too. for five of the eight 

leading players in the picture. 

Chayefsky, who had a Hollywood career 

before he became more famous as a television 

writer, having turned out "Marty" 

and "Bachelor Party," both of which became 

screen properties, appears to be completely 

sold on eastern production. Elia 

Kazan, who shot "A Face in the Crowd" at 

Gold Medal, is equally enthusiastic. 

Coming up next at the studio is Producer 

Harold Robbins' "Never Love a Stranger" 

and, according to the present schedule, 

studio space is committed until at least the 

first of the year. 

a 

More Production? 

TARLY this year, the predictions were 

that there would be approximately 100 

more pictures produced in 1957 than there 

were in 1956. By that we mean Hollywood-made 

pictures. An exhibitor friend 

of ours who keeps tabs on production statistics 

told us this week that in 1956 Hollywood 

turned out 268 pictures. Taking an 

average, that would mean 134 in each halfyear 

period. 

Well, according to our friend, the output 

at the mid-year mark this year was just 

about the same as it was this time last year. 

That means that in order to fulfill the predictions. 

100 additional features are going 

to have to be shot between now and January 

1, or 234 pictures. He doubts that this 

can be done. He says that only 20th Century-Pox 

is earnestly trying to offset the 

product slack. He noted that last week 

four studios were completely idle insofar 

as the production of theatrical pictures 

was concerned. 

So. unless the situation changes, there 

are going to be some loud squawks from exhibition 

again on the product situation, 

he said. However, he noted one bright spot 

and that was the increase of the number 

of pictures in color. Last week. 19 pictures 

were before the cameras, of which 13 were 

in color and six in black and white. And 

that ratio has been in evidence since about 

June 1. A year ago it was just about the 

opposite. 

Exhibitors' Mother Goose 

Baa, baa, salesman, 

Have you any f ilium? 

Yes, sir—yes, sir, stuff that'll kill 'em. 

But one's for the sparrows 

And one's for the hen 

Anil a half dozen others 

That you'll see on Channel Ten. 

Sing a song of good films. 

Pocket full of dough. 

But four and 20 films a year 

Are not enough to show. 

But when the doors are open 

With product that can lure. 

There's nothing wrong in Filmdom 

That good pictures cannot cure. 

I Nick Schenck said it first) 

Little Showman Blue, come blow your 

nose. 

But crying won't help the impassc; 

You can't get a crowd 

By crying out loud. 

So get the lead out of your pantaloons and 

exert a little more showmanship. 

N. Y. Station Purchases 

26 Features from UA 

NEW YORK -United Arti.sts has closed another 

deal with television through the sale 

of 26 theatrical films, one-half of its current 

52-feature offering, to WCBS in New York, 

according to John Leo, TV sales director. He 

said negotiations were well advanced for the 

sale of the other half of the program. 

With the closing of the WCBS deal, the 52 

features, chiefly releases of 1954 or later, 

have been sold in 45 TV markets since distribution 

started in June. The first UA sale 

was a package of 39 last fall. 

Among the WCBS films are "The African 

Queen," "Moulin Rouge," "Return to Paradise," 

"Red River," "The Pm-ple Plain," 

•Beachhead" and "Suddenly." 

Fox Schedules Seven Top 

Releases for August 

NEW YORK— Twentieth 

Century-Pox has 

scheduled seven major attractions for release 

during August for what Alex Harrison, 

general sales manager, called a record total 

for that month. He said his company planned 

to provide exhibitors with a continuous flow 

of top product during the peak summer 

months. 

The August releases include: "A Hatful of 

Rain," "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 

"Seawife," "Forty Guns," "The Unknown 

Terror," "Back From the Dead" and "Hell 

on Devil's Island." 

"The Unknown Terror" and "Back From 

the Dead" comprise a Regal science-fiction 

package although each picture may be booked 

separately. 

Preparing New Feature 

On 'Public Enemies' 

NEW YORK—Visual Drama, Inc., a subsidiary 

of RKO Teleradio, is completing 

"Guns Don't Argue," a factual account of 

some of America's "public enemies." Visual 

Drama produced "Gangbusters." 

The new picture will be ready for release in 

September, according to Robert Manby, vicepresident 

of RKO Teleradio. It will have 

a kick-off saturation booking in New England 

and the campaign is being prepared by 

Terry Turner and Don Thompson. 

The public enemies in the picture are John 

Dillinger and the "Lady in Red," Bonnie 

Parker and Clyde Barrow, Homer Van Meter, 

"Ma" Barker and her sons. Doc and Fred; 

Alvin Karpis, Ray and Floyd Hamilton, 

"Baby-Face" Nelson, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, 

Verne Miller and Adam Richetti. 

Rank Short Distribution 

To Start in September 

NEW YORK—"Full Screen Ahead," 20- 

minute. widescreen short .subject of the Rank 

Organization, will be presented to theatres 

for public exhibition starting in September, 

according to Irving Sochin, general sales manager 

of Rank Film Distributors of America. 

It is now being screened for exhibitors . in 

all exchange territories. It describes the 

policy of RFDA in bringing a continuous 

supply of entertainment to American audiences. 

September dates have been set for the film 

in Los Angeles. San Francisco and Denver. 


WB Nine-Month Net 

Shows 46% Increase 

NEW YORK—Warner Bros.' net profit for 

the first nine months of the cm-rent fiscal 

year jumped 46 per cent over the net earnings 

of the corresponding period of the preceding 

year, stockholders were informed this 

week by Jack L. Warner, president. The net 

for the period was $3,174,000, equivalent tx) 

SI 76 per share on the 1,793,996 shares of stock 

outstanding, after deducting the 688,251 shares 

held in the treasury on June 1. 

The net profit for the nine months ended 

May 26, 1956, was $2,165,000, equal to 87 cents 

a share on the 2,482,247 shares of stock outstanding. 

Income from film rentals, sales, etc. for the 

first nine months of the present fiscal year 

amounted to $57,981,000, while the income 

from the same sources for the same period 

last year- was $54,225,000, 

The company's balance sheet at the end of 

the third quarter continued to show "a strong 

financial position," according to the report. 

Net working capital was $40,815,000, including 

cash of $11,006,000, and there was no increase 

in the company's $7,000,000 bank loans 

under a $20,000,000 term bank credit. The 

fiscal year will end August 31. 

Film rentals from the company's international 

subsidiary also were reported ahead of 

the figures for the corresponding nine 

months of last year. A highlight of the company's 

foreign business, according to the 

report, was a 31 per cent increase in the net 

profits of As.'iociated British Pictures Corp., 

in which Warner Bros, has a 37 '2 per cent 

interest. In the fiscal year ended last March 

31. ABPC showed net profits equivalent to 

$2,100,000 as compared with $1,596,000 for the 

previous year. 

"We are optimistic over our prospects for 

the future," Warner said in his message to 

stockholders. Pointing to the forthcoming 

release by Warner Bros, of several major pictures 

and the continuing expansion of the 

company's production program for television, 

Warner said that the construction of a new 

building on the Burbank lot would house the 

"most modern and complete executive, editing 

and projection facilities for television 

films." 

Progress also was reported for the company's 

commercial and industrial films division 

and for its music publishing division, 

which consists of Harms. Inc., Remick Music 

Corp, and M. Witmark & Sons. Commercial 

and industrial films are being produced for 

Eastman Kodak, Lever Bros., RCA, General 

Electric, Gillette Safety Razor, General 

Motors, Pi-octer & Gamble and others. 

Paramount Executives 

At Studio Conference 

NEW YORK—Paramount home office executives 

were in Hollywood this week for a 

series af sales and production conferences 

at the studio. The meetings continued all 

week. Attending the sessions were George 

Weltner, president of Paramount Film Distributing 

Coi-p.; Jeri-y Pickman, vice-president 

in charge of advertising-publicity-exploitation; 

Hugh Owen, vice-president; Sidney 

Deneau, western sales manager; Sid 

Blumenstock, advertising manager, and Russell 

Holman, eastern production manager. 

FEATURE REVIEW 

'Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?' 

20th Century-Fox 

By AL STEEN 

LJERE is delicious satire. The dictionary 

doesn't define the word delicious so that 

it could be applied to cinematic criticism, but 

in this case it's most descriptive. 

This picture not only spoofs the advertising 

agency business, but ribs television to a 

pulp. It has its fun with TV even before the 

story gets under way. While the credits are 

being listed on one side of the Cinemascope 

screen, the other side is taken up with the 

kind of hokum that puts the audience in a 

rollicking state of mind. 'Various products are 

given the TV commercial treatment which, 

because of the burlesque approach, probably 

will cause many a gray-flannel-suiter of 

Madison Avenue to toss in his sleep. And, 

half way through the picture, Tony Randall, 

costar of the picture, steps out from the story 

and reminds the viewers that they probably 

are accustomed to hearing commercials midway 

in a program, so he'll try to accommodate 

them. The screen is narrowed down to 

TV size and the result is sheer wizardry. 

Jayne Mansfield, the credited star, is superb 

in her role as the screen idol who, in 

order to arouse the jealousy of her erstwhile 

Tarzan-like boy friend in Hollywood, comes 

to New York and inadvertently takes up with 

Randall, who needs her endorsement of his 

advertising agency's lipstick account in order 

to keep his job. 

The picture goes far astray of the successful 

stage play of the same name by George 

Axelrod in which Miss Mansfield also starred, 

but that doesn't matter. Regardless of how 

entertaining the stage version was, the screen 

has so much more to offer. Even though the 

story is largely Madison Avenue—Madison 

being the theoretical home of New York's advertising 

agencies—the smallest of theatres 

in the smallest of towns should have no 

trouble in selUng this picture. It deals with 

a subject that is as well known in the corn 

as on Broadway—glamor. 

belt 

Miss Mansfield's ability to personify and 

exaggerate a certain actress whose initials 

are M. M. is a treat to watch. She is a natural 

comedienne in a vehicle that is tailor-made 

for her. And the comedy talent of Tony 

Randall probably never has been appreciated 

20th Century-Fox 

Presents 

"WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?" 

in Cinemascope 

Ratio: 2.55-1 

Running time: 94 minutes 

CREDITS 

Produced and directed by Fronk Tashlin. 

Screen story and screenplay by Frank Tashlin. 

Bosed on the play written by George Axelrod and 

produced on the stage by Jule Styne. Music, 

Cyril J. Mockridge. Director of photography, Joe 

MacDonald, A.S.C. Art direction, Lyie R. Wheeler, 

Leiand Fuller. Set decorations, Walter M. Scott, 

Bertram Granger. Film editor, Hugh S. Fowler. 

Âakeup by Ben Nye, S.M.A. Sound, E. Clayton 

Ward, Frank Moron. 

CAST 

Joyne Mansfield, Tony Randall, Betsy Drake, 

Joan Blondell, John Williams, Henry Jones, Lili 

Gentle, Mickey Hargitoy, Georgio Corr, Dick 

Whittinghill, Ann McCrea, Alberto Morin and 

Lois 

Mercier. 

Tony Randall, Jayne .Mansfield and 

Joan Blondell as they appear in nVill 

Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 

until now, or at least not to such an extent. 

This chap is tops. 

As for the other supporting players and 

costars, each gives a commendable and outstanding 

performance. Joan Blondell, as Miss 

Mansfield's traveling companion, is excellent. 

In a more mature role, she hasn't lost 

any of the charm which she used to put forth 

when she carried a picture by herself. Betsy 

Drake, who plays Randall's real girl friend 

despite his carryings-on with Miss Mansfield, 

is perfect for the role. And all the others 

show hand-picked casting. Near the finale, 

there's a surprise with the introduction of a 

character who isn't even listed on the credits. 

It seems that Miss Mansfield once was in love 

with a man named Georgie Schmidlapp, a 

man whom she never has been able to forget. 

And they find each other again when she 

makes her first television appearance. And 

who is Georgie Schmidlapp? Well, if he 

isn't Groucho Marx, he's his twin brother. 

Directed by Frank Tashlin, who wrote the 

screenplay and also produced, the picture is 

in rich color by De Luxe. Tashlin has taken 

the basic idea of Axelrod's play, but that's 

about all there is insofar as similarity to the 

Broadway play is concerned. He has added, 

expanded and seasoned the successful stage 

comedy to give it the scope to which only the 

screen can do justice. 

Reviewed at a New- York sneak showing, 

there was only one drawback. The hilarious 

laughter often obliterated many of the lines. 

But that can't be helped. It is 94 minutes of 

solid delight. This picture is boxoffice. 

Futter Is President, Levy 

Vido-Sound 

Chairman of 

NEW YORK—Walter A. Putter is president 

of Vido-Sound Corp. and Sol J. Levy is 

board chairman and treasurer. They were 

listed in reverse order in a previously published 

article dealing with a second-story 

drive-in with a new wireless sound system to 

be operated by Walter Reade Theatres in a 

new shopping center in Dover, N. J. 


27

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LETTERS 

Need Producer Assurances 

In your editorial. "This Is Your Fight." I 

am reminded all over again that the exhibitor 

should not have to FIGHT the motion picture 

industry 

That's what it actually boils down to. If 

the producers would, one time, send the exhibitors 

a letter of explanation, that would 

grant assurance that they intend to work 

toward keeping motion picture theatres alive, 

then exhibitors would have incentive to fight 

whatever enemy might be attacking the camp. 

Since November of '56, there have been 167 

black and white films released and only 87 

in color. Yet that is our strongest weapon 

against television. Exhibitors had no ammunition 

against great motion pictures being sold 

to TV and run in competition against mediocre 

product in the theatres. 

Buena Vista used a method on TV that. 

somehow, brought people back in droves to 

see theii' releases on the theatre screen. Producers 

must have the know-how—or is it 

distribution that handles that phase? If they 

were in dead earnest to keep tlieatres open, 

it shouldn't be such an impossible thing. 

Actually, the exhibitors are working overtime 

using every gimmick in the book but, 

even so, an exhibitor cannot reach ALL the 

people ALL the time, as does TV and the 

newspaper medium. They GIVE tremendous 

space advertising TV and expensive tiny 

space toward the movies on theatre screens. 

As an exhibitor, you know how much 

(glorious mess, at that) you receive from the 

industry which you can only drop in the 

wastebasket. This is advertising directed toward 

selling YOU on a picture. Yet, being a 

good exhibitor, you know all about that movie 

before you receive the glorified advertising. 

Haven't you longed for them to direct that 

advertising to your patrons, not yourself? We 

exhibitors depend on our tradepapers to keep 

us informed—and that is as it should be. All 

this mail wastage is a "cussing" shame. 

Yes, we will send our scarce dollars to Theatre 

Owners of America in New York City, 

but they will be empty dollars, IP the producers 

are minded differently. 

MRS. C. J. (VELVA) OTTS 

Wakea Theatre 

Waskom, Texas. 

Hard-HiWng Showmen Will Beat TV 

Radio once was a great threat to this business, 

as well as the record business. Theatres 

ran "Amos and Andy" on radio prior to the 

run of the pictui'e in order to get anyone 

into the theatre—and record-player people 

were run out of business. Today the radio 

is still with us, but no one feels it hurts the 

picture business and the record people are 

helped no end by radio. 

TV has hit its peak— the novelty is over. 

Big picture companies liave given them great 

pictures and they have had their day. We will 

always have TV—but the fact that some programs 

that have had one sponsor now have 

four or five, I believe, proves they have 

troubles also. I feel sure that TV is going 

to do as much for pictures as radio is now 

doing for the record business. 

We need showmen with imagination and 

producers with imagination. We need hardhitting 

people who think nothing but picture 

business day in and day out and half 

One of the Best 

Enclosed you will find a money order 

for $3.00 for my subscription for one year 

for your magazine, BOXOFFICE. 1 desire 

the sectional edition for this territory. 

I have read your publication every week 

for the past five years and I find it is 

one of the best theatre trade magazines. 

I have read it as a projectionist and also 

as a theatre manager. 

Clinton, Tenn. 

JAMES E. 

MESSAMORE 

the night. I know an exhibitor like this and 

he has taken over two drive-ins lately and is 

doing well. He is not a great buyer, but one 

of the best exploiteers in the business. He is 

in the heart of a TV zone. He started his 

first drive-in when TV started—started with 

nothing, taking over a drive-in that could 

not even get by before TV. 

Exhibitors, like the above, and producers 

who can make pictures like "An Affau- to 

Remember," will put show business back 

where it belongs and the deadwood will eliminate 

itself. 

HAL FULLER 

R. T. Pictures, Inc. 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Better Pay for Better Men 

I have just read your article, "Film Salesmen 

of the Future." in the July 13 issue. 

I think the article has a lot of merit and 

there is a lot to be thought about, for the 

film business is certainly in a transitory stage. 

As we all know, the salary of a film salesman 

does not generally compare to that of 

other salaries in the entertainment field. 

Therefore, when a new "account executive" 

lias to spend the majority of his time beliind 

a de.sk, his expense account is going to 

dwindle and the possibility of a companyowned 

car might be taken away from him. 

When I was a salesman on the road for a 

major company, I had to include all of this 

as part of my salary. If I hadn't, I wouldn't 

have been making the salary of an average 

factory worker. 

The idea of the article is good, but people 

don't live on titles. 

If the major distributors are going to revamp 

their distribution setup, they had also 

better revamp their salary setup for personnel 

in the field. 

As a closing thought, the companies should 

take heed, as I don't think they are enticing 

any young blood into their organizations. 

The only way to do that is by changing their 

sights as to salaries. 

Scarsdale, N. Y. 

ROBERT KRAUS 

Branson Sales Drive 

BUENOS AIRES—The four RKO branches 

in Argentina will conduct a sales drive in 

honor of Walter Branson, vice-president in 

charge of worldwide distribution. The Branson 

drive started this week and will continue 

to December 31. 

Technicolor Net Earnings 

For Six Months Are Down 

NEW YORK—Tlie consolidated net earnings 

of Technicolor, Inc.. and wholly owned 

subsidiaries for the first six months of the 

year, amounted to approximately $710,000, or 

35 cents a share on the 2,032,236 .shares of 

stock outstanding. For the corresponding 1956 

period it was $980,692, or 49 cents a share. 

Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president and general 

manager, gave the earnings per share, 

after taxes on income, for the first 1957 

quarter as nine cents. He noted that an operating 

loss of four cents a share in the second 

quarter of 1957 resulted in net earnings 

during the first six months of 1957, after 

taxes on income, of approximately five cents 

a share. 

In addition to the earnings, he said, there 

was a non-recurring profit, after taxes, during 

the second 1957 quarter of approximately 

30 cents a share from the sale of land in Van 

Nuys, Calif. The operating loss during the 

second 1957 quarter, he said, included initial 

losses incurred in connection with Technicolor's 

vigorous diversification program. 

Dr. Kalmus said that the board, which met 

July 25, had decided to forego any dividend 

action at that time. 

Intermission to Be Part 

of 'Raintree County' 

HOLLYWOOD—The three-hour and fiveminute 

production of "Raintree County" will 

be released with an intermission, as part of 

MGM's plan to launch the film as this year's 

"super show." 

A special overture has been recorded by 

the MGM Symphony, with special lighting 

in the theatres before curtains part to reveal 

the main title. Entr'acte music will also precede 

the second part, and de luxe souvenir 

programs are being prepared. The studio's 

present policy calls for ten shows a week on 

a reserved seat basis. Openings scheduled 

will not be simultaneous, but following the 

world premiere two openings per week for a 

three-week period are slated. 

Fox Is Offering Trailers 

On 'Three Faces of Eve' 

NEW YORK—Twentieth Century-Fox is offering 

exhibitors three separate teaser trailers 

and a special production trailer on "The 

Three Paces of Eve." The first two teasers 

are in 35mm for inclusion in newsreels weeks 

in advance of playdate. The third, a fullscale 

Cinemascope production, is to be shown 

two engagements before playdate. The production 

trailer is for showing during the engagement 

immediately before playdate. 

The trailers introduce Joanne Woodward, 

who plays her first major role in the fihu. 

The teasers can be obtained from 20th-Fox. 

The production trailer is being distributed by 

National Screen Service. 

Correction 

NEW YORK—The 23 pictures which J. 

Arthur Rank has in work or preparation will 

be distributed in the United States by both 

Universal and Rank Film Distributors of 

America. A story in the July 20 issue of 

of 

BOXOFFICE gave the impression that all 

the pictures would be channeled through 

RFDA. 


i 

, mount 

: 

years, 

I 

i floor 

' 

Jubilee Plans Receive 

Ad-Publiciiy Okay 

NEW YORK"The motion picture Jubilee 

project devised by the Hollywood Publicity 

Directors Committee was enthusiastically endorsed 

Wednesday (31) by the Advertising 

and Publicity Directors Committee of the 

MPAA. Martin Davis, Allied Artists eastern 

advertising-publicity director, is head of a 

committee to develop it locally. 

The campaign will start in the fall and 

last a month, taking in key cities with the 

aid of exhibitors as well as the coast and 

New York. Many outstanding film personalities 

will take part in the celebrations. 

Reports were made on the Operation 

Moviegoing spot radio tests in Denver and 

Rochester by Si Seadler of MGM, Herb Steinberg 

of Paramount and Rodney Bush of 20th 

Century-Pox. A decision will be reached soon 

on whether to stage a national radio spot 

campaign. 

Twenty-seven promotional ideas were presented 

by Oscar Doob, eastern coordinator of 

the business-building campaign, and Charles 

McCarthy of COMPO. McCarthy made a 

progress report on a two-reel film to show 

the importance of the exhibitor in his community. 

NEWARK 

- 

/^harles Frederick Van Arsdale, Bloomfield, 

a director and production manager in 

the pioneer days of the motion picture industry 

in Fort Lee before World War I, died recently. 

He was 77. Born in Chatham, N. Y., 

Van Arsdale lived in Bloomfield for 43 years. 

His film career spanned the period from 1914 

until the 1930s when he was employed as a 

director and production manager by Para- 

Pictures, Pathe-News and the former 

Biograph studios, all in Fort Lee before the 

) industry moved to California. In recent 

he was employed in the shipping department 

of the Kidde Manufacturing Co. of 

Bloomfield. He leaves his wife Alice; two 

sons, Dr. Allen H. Van Arsdale of Montgomery 

City, Mo., and John, a Montclair, N. J. 

accountant. 

Three men, caught by an off-duty police 

lieutenant shinnying their way into a second 

window at the Hawthorne Theatre here 

early Tuesday, proved to be on a legitimate 

errand to pick up seats for a summer theatre. 

An off-duty cop. seeing the men trying to 

enter the closed theatre building, rushed over 

to them and held them at gunpoint. Later, 

a lawyer for Stanley Warner, which owns the 

theatre, said the men had permission to take 

the seats. 

The Adams Theatre, Newark, formerly oc- 

'! cupied by Min.sky Burlesque, will have an 

' 

exclusive northern New Jersey showing of 

Tax-Anything Increases 

Get Pennsylvania Nod 

PITTSBURGH—Governor Leader signed a 

bill to permit municipalities to raise greater 

amounts in the fringe taxes levied under the 

"tax anything" law, such as amusements, 

wages, per capita, deed transfer, mercantile, 

occupation, pinball, business privilege and 

billboard. Until now, the municipalities were 

restricted in the amount raised to a total, 

from all such levies, equal to 10 per cent of 

the district's real estate assessment. Under 

the new law they can collect half again as 

much, up to 15 per cent. School districts get 

an even greater raise, to 12 per cent of the 

market value mot assessed value) of real 

estate. 

For a decade, political subdivisions of Pennsylvania, 

numbering to 350, have assessed and 

collected a 10 per cent amusement tax; the 

recently adjourned legislature voted to cut 

this special and discriminatory levy from 10 

to 5 per cent, but Governor Leader vetoed 

the measure in which the state's theatre and 

film industry had placed much of its hopes 

for survival, and the 10 per cent amusement 

tax continues available to municipalities and 

school districts. 

Under the new taxes made possible by the 

act, amusement tax increases are permissive. 

Victory for total elimination of the amusement 

tax in the Senate was cut short at the 

last minute in the House when exhibitor representatives, 

feeling it was doomed, compromised 

for a 5 per cent tax. The bill was so 

worded to cut the 10 per cent tax in half 

and was passed, but Pittsburgh's Mayor 

David Lawrence asked for a veto. 

Many theatre owners expressed increased 

aggravation over turn of political events. 

Their campaign to have the amusement tax 

eliminated was quite costly. Now many of 

them probably face an increased amusement 

tax, and this in the face of low boxoffice receipts. 

An official report for 1955 shows that 349 

political subdivisions and school districts in 

Pennsylvania assessed and collected amusement 

taxes. The total amusement taxes col- 

lected in 1955 was $3,687,175, or 6 per cent of 

the "tax anything" revenue for that year. 

The "tax anything" revenue in 1955 zoomed 

to $58 million for Pennsylvania local governmental 

units under authority of Act 481 

of 1947. A 56-page report was issued by the 

bureau of municipal affairs. Department of 

Internal Affairs. Pittsburgh collected 17 per 

cent of the state total. 

Rogers & Cowan, Jacobs 

PR Companies Merge 

NEW YORK—Rogers & Cowan and the 

Arthur P. Jacobs Co., public relations firms, 

have been merged into Rogers, Cowan and 

Jacobs. Corporation papers to be filed soon 

will list Henry C. Rogers as president and 

WaiTcn J. Cowan and Arthur J. Jacobs as 

officers. A full board of directors will be 

named. 

Officers and personnel will be merged. The 

local headquarters are at 3 East 54th St. with 

Joseph Wolhandler in charge. He has been 

Rogers & Cowan vice-president in charge of 

eastern operations. 

Max Shosberg, 85, Dead 

NEW YORK—Services for Max Shosberg, 

85, a pioneer in the theatre concessions business, 

were held July 28. He had died two days 

before after a long illness. While with Paramount 

Theatres from 1929 to 1947 he built 

up the candy counter business and became 

a vice-president of the company. He retired 

in 1947. 

Shosberg joined the company at the urging 

of Adolph Zukor, board chairman, with whom 

he had come from Hungary. Like Zukor, he 

was originally in the fur business. 

"The Pajama Game," a Warner release, 

has been selected by Seventeen Magazine as 

the picture of the month for August. 

. . Stanley 

"The Ten Commandments" on September 25. 

Tliere is an advance sale of tickets. In preparation 

for this engagement, the Adams has 

been remodeled and redecorated, with white 

Corinthian pilasters and coral ceiling. New 

projection equipment is being installed and 

tested to project the VlstaVision epic on a 

new 40-foot Vicralite screen 

Warner theatres in this area 

. 

accept King 

Korn trading stamps, available at King's supermarkets, 

for admission. 


THEY .MADE THE P.ALACE FIRST RUN SHOWCASE— Universal-International 

and RKO Theatres executives inaugurate new policy for New York house by completing 

negotiations for playing of "Man of a Thousand Faces," "Jet Pilot" and "Interlude." 

Left to right: F. J. A. McCarthy, U-I assistant general sales manager; Joseph B. 

Rosen, U-I New York branch manager; Harry Mandel, RKO Theatres' advertisingpublicity 

head; Charles J. Feldman, U-I vice-president and general sales manager; 

Sol Schwartz, circuit president, and Robert Sherman, circuit buying-booking executive. 

E-1

were 

. . . Howard 

. . Calvert 

. . The 

. . 

. . 

B R O A D W Ay 

TT will look like Halloween at the Paramount day night i4i. She'.s in "Darby's Rangers."' • • 

Theatre Tuesday night (6i. All persons Bill Hendricks, studio publicity director for 

appearing in costumes of Frankenstein's WB. here to talk about a quartet of upcoming 

pictiu'es. • • * Anne Baxter anived from 

monster or Dracula or the Wolf Man or any 

other recognized horror chaiacter will be England. 

• • Paramount's Charley Frank 

admitted free to a midnight performance of back from a two-week fishing trip. * * 

" 

Warner Bros.' "The Curse of Frankenstein." Darryl Zanuck will be here for the premiere 

of his "The Sun Also Rises" at the Roxy 

.sometime this month, and then will shove off 

• * * Rouben Mamoulian heads for his California 

home Monday (5> by way of Philadelphia 

and Wa.shington. ' 

on a world tour to scout location sites for his 

* * Morris Frantz of 

MGM's international publicity department is next, "Deluxe Tour." » * 

20th Centuryback 

from a visit to Mexico City and Culver Fox's Alex Harrison headed a group of executives 

City. • • • Van Johnson sailed In on the 

to I. J. Schmertz's testimonial in 

Queen Sizabeth Tuesday (301. * * * 'Vanguard's 

Cleveland. 

"Jamboree" is shooting at the Fox 

if 

Movietone Studios here. The picture is for Joseph Bellfort, general European manager 

Warner Bros, release. " * Speaking of that for RKO Radio, is on the He de France and 

Fi-ankenstein picture. Warners has invited due here Tuesday. He's coming over for a series 

the body guards of the New York City morgue of meetings with RKO home office executives. 

to the midnight show. Should be a happy Bellfort has his headquarters in Paris. * • ' 

group. * ' • Stan Margulies. Bryna's publicity 

TOA's Joe Alterman back after a bout with 

Widmark came from 

representative, has returned to the the flu. * * * Richard in 

coast after huddling here on promotion plans Hollywood with a print of his first independent 

for "The 'Vikings" with United Ai-tists executives. 

production, "Time Limit," which he 

produced for United Artists release. * » * 

Ml 

Tradepress folks to Denver for Columbia's 

The cast and production crew for "Marjorie 

Morningstar" will start location work Patti Alicoate Bergen, Sherry Kane, Mel Kon- 

"3; 10 to Yuma" world premiere; Al Steen, 

at Sacroon Manor at Schroon Lake on August 

19. Meanwhile Director Irving Rapper 

icoff, Al Picault and Bob Wendlinger. * • * 

Leo Jaffe, vice-president and treasurer of Columbia 

Pictures, left Friday (2) for Europe 

and cameraman Harry Stradling have been 

in town to check location sites in New York where he will spend several weeks on company 

Haven MGM's 

and Pennsylvania. * • * Arthur Mayer heading 

business. * * * Falconer, 

for Europe next week. * » * Venetia Stevenson 

will be crowned the "most photogenic 

girl in the world" on the Ed Sullivan show Sun- 

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eastern studio representative, is back on the 

job after a long illness. * * * Mervin Houser, 

director of advertising-publicity for the Selznick 

Company, left for the coast Friday 

after several weeks in Rome and New York 

in connection with "Farewell to Arms." 

n» 

Arthur DeBra. former director of community 

relations for the Motion Picture Ass'n 

of America, is recuperating from a serious 

operation at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie. 

* * * Here from Hollywood is Jayne 

Mansfield who arrived to be on hand for the 

advance promotion of "Will Success SpoU 

Rock Hunter?" * * * And Adrian Awan, 20th- 

Pox's special exploitation representative, is 

setting up arrangements for Miss Mansfield's 

tour in Ti-enton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, 

Baltimore and Washington. * * * William 

Goetz, producer of "Sayonara" for Warner 

Bros., is in town for parleys on release plans. 

* * * 

Louis Berg, former motion picture editor 

of This Week, has been retained by 

Horizon Pictures as special photographic consultant 

for "The Bridge on the River Kwai." 

* * * Joseph Moskowitz, vice-president and 

eastern studio representative of 20th-Fox, 

off to the coast for a thi-ee-week stay. • * * 

Emery Austin, exploitation head of MGM, 

was sporting a sun tan following his vacation. 

9 

Paramount tossed an Oriental dinner at 

the Teheran restaurant for the press Tuesday 

night (30) in advance of the sneak .showing 

of "Omar Khayyam" at Loew's State. 

Authentic Persian dishes (we can't pronounce 

them I served. Persian feminine dancers 

did authentic dances and other gals came 

along with the inevitable "jug of wine." * 

* 

Ben Grimm, advertising manager of RKO 

Radio Pictures, hopped off for Hollywood 

Wednesday (31) to attend meetings on the 

advertising campaign for Howard Hughes' 

"Jet Pilot." * * * Mac St. Johns, publicity di- 

rector of Globe Enterprises, Is conferring 

with 20th-Fox's Charles Einfeld on Samuel 

Fuller's "Forty Guns," which Fox will distribute. 

* Ray • Murray, Columbia's exploitation 

manager, is in Denver to supervise 

' 

preparations for the world premiere of "3:10 

to Yuma." * • • Mort Meyerson, advertising 

art director for Buena 'Vista, is skippering 

his 40-foot schooner along the coast. Vacation, 

natch. 

• • 

J. Arthur Rank's I:-ving 

Sochin arrived from Dallas. 

BALTIMORE 

'LToward Wagonheim, vice-president of the 

Schwaber Theatres, was in New York for 

a party given in honor of Ethel Merman, 

star of "Happy Hunting" . . . Wilbur Brizendine, 

general manager of the Schwaber outfit, 

was in Washington for bookings . . . Joel 

Lewis, manager of the Five West, was to 

leave this weekend on a motor trip vacation 

at Cape Cod. 

Bill Moore, manager of the Senator, returned 

from Atlantic City . . . Roland Broeseker 

of the Hippodrome's staff was vacationing 

at Miami . 

Silverblatt of the 

Hipp's stage crew spent his summer holiday 

at Ocean City . . . Jack 'Whittle, owner of 

the Avenue, returned from a vacation at 

Ocean CMty. 

Jack Fruchtman who operates the Fruchtman 

theatres in Baltimore and southern 

Maryland, spent most of last week in New 

York on business . . . Natt W. Hodgdon, general 

manager for FYuchtman, is vacationing 

aboard his new boat in Maryland waters . 

Miss Ora Donoghue of the Century's staff, 

was home a few days with a virus attack . 

Miss Caryl Hamburger, former publicity director 

for the Film Centre and now in a 

similar capacity with New York's Phoenix 

Theatre, was home for the weekend. 

A bandit reached through the ticket window 

at the Times Theatre and grabbed $150 

from Elizabeth Curren, cashier. He escaped 

Wagonheim, vice-pi'esident of 

the Schwaber Theatres, and Joel Lewis, manager 

of the Five West, went fishing on 

Chesapeake Bay . . . Al Brager has left as 

assistant manager of the Cinema. 

William Remlein of the Garden Theatre was 

in New York for a couple of weeks. En route 

home, he stopped off at Atlantic City . . . 

Carroll Streeks, projectionist at the Uptown 

and William Hewitt jr., manager of the Edgewood 

Theatre, were in New York to purchase 

a special model 16mm projector . . . Robert W. 

Cramblitt of the McHenry and his wife spent 

. a week at Atlantic City Patterson 

Theatre has new seats and the Garden has 

just undergone a redecoration. Ed Herget 

is the Garden's manager. 

John Recher, publicity director for Hicks- 

Baker Theatres, and a captain in the U. S. 

Marine Reserve Corps., is serving his annual 

stint at Camp Lejeune, N. C. . . . 

August 

Buchheit, projectionist at the Mayfair, was 

vacationing in West Virginia . . . Irving Cantor, 

manager of the Hippodrome, returned 

from a vacation in Florida. 

Scheduled for September 

Warners' large-scale film, "Westbound," is 

scheduled to go before the cameras in September. 

E-2 


DOUBLE BOXOFFICE BLOCKBUSTER I NO. 13 

CONTACT YOUR Ji/?zenlaarL. 

fntB/uiatLoruzL EXCHANGE 

iiRGE 

WALDMAN 

FILMS 

«il J. WALDMAN 

iO Ninth Avenue 

jV YORK 36, N. Y. 

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 

PICTURES 

JOHN SCHAEFFER 

235 No. 13th Street 

PHILADELPHIA 7, PENNSYLVANIA 


PICTURES 

JEROME SANDY 

1015 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. 

WASHINGTON 1, D. C. 

SCREEN GUILD 

PRODUCTIONS 

MILTON BRAUMAN 

415 Van Braam Street 

PITTSBURGH 19, PENNSYLVANIA 

GEORGE WALDMAN 

FILMS 

GEORGE J. WALDMAN 

505 P^rl Street 

BUFFALO, N. Y.

. . . Spyros 

. . . Clara 

. . . Madeline 

. . Joe 

. . Booker 

. . Rose 

. . The 

. . MGM 

. . 

Broadway Houses 

Improvement With 

NEW YORK— Cooler weather with some 

rainfall increased attendance along Broadway 

over that of the preceding week when, despite 

toiTid temperatures, the boxoffices did pretty 

well. "Bambi," which was surprisingly strong 

at the Normandie its first w-eek, continued 

very strong though not up to its previous 

figure. 

The leaders were "Silk Stockings" at the 

Radio City Music Hall, "An Affair to Remember" 

at the Roxy. "A Hatful of Rain" at the 

Victoria, "The Pride and the Passion" at the 

Capitol and "Sweet Smell of Success" at 

Loew's State. 

New films registering well were "Night 

Passage" at the Mayfair, "Passionate Summer" 

at the Paris. "Lovers' Net" at the Carnegie 

and "Constant Husband" at the Plaza. 

Out-of-towners continued to patronize 

"Around the World in 80 Days," "Seven 

Wonders of the World" and "The Ten Commandments." 

"Torero!" at the Fine Arts gave way the 

first of the week to "Light Across the Street" 

(UMPOi, and "Doctor at Large" (U-I) succeeded 

"The Third Key" at the Sutton. "Band 

of Angels" iWB) entered its final week at 

the Paramount. "The Curse of Frankenstein" 

iWBi will take over there Wednesday (7). 

(Averoge Is 100) 

Asfor Beau James (Para), 5th wk 110 

Baronet Moid in Poris (Cont'l Dis), 3rd wk...l20 

Ccpifol The Pride ond the Passion (UA), 5th wk 135 

Criienon—The Ten Commondments (Pora), 38th 

wk. of two-a-day 1 50 

wk Fine Arts—Torero! (Col 95 

5fh Avenue 

Int'l), 

The Naked Eye 

0th 

(Films Rep), 15th 

wk.; 12 Angry Men (UA), 2nd wk 110 

55th Street—The Rising of the Moon (V/B), 3rd 

wk 165 

Glcoe A Foce in the Crowd (WB), 9th wk. 

Guild The Green Mon (DCA), 10th wk 120 

Little Cornegie Lover's Net (Times) 1 20 

Loew's State Sweet Smell of Success (UA), 5th 

wk 135 

Mayforr ^Night Passage (U-I) 135 

Normandio Bambi (BV), 2nd wk 155 

Poloce The Young Don't Cry (Col), plus vaudeville 

125 

Paramount Bond of Angels ;WS), 3rd wk 110 

Paris— Possionote Summer (Kingsley) 120 

Beat the Rain— 

with the one-piece, snap-on 

MOV-E-VUE Rain Visor 

Eliminates windshield wiping 

Clips on and off In 20 seconds 

Fits all cars— Rolls up for storage 

90% of all Connecticut Drive-In 

Theatres Sell 'em with Great Success. 

Write: 

We Supply FREE Trailer 

PIONEER SALES CO. 

P.O. 

Bex 899 Woterbury, Conn. 

Continue to Show WASHINGTON 

Weather Aiding 

Plaza—Constonf Husband (Stralfonl) 120 

Radio City Music Hall Silk Stockings (MGM), 

plus stage show, 2nd wk 185 

Kivoli— Around the World in 80 Doys (UA), 

41st wk. ot tw3-a day 200 

Roxy An Affair to Remember (20th-Fox), plus 

stage show, 2nd wk 185 

Sutton— The Third Key (Ronk), 9th wk 105 

Irons-Lux 52nd Lo Stroda (Trans-Lux), 54th wk. 110 

Victono A Hotful of Rain (20th-Fox), 2nd wk. 175 

Warner—Seven Wonders of the World (SW), 68th 

wk. of two-o-doy 130 

World— Stella (Burstyn), 7th wk 110 

'Affair to Remember' 

Remembered in Buffalo 

BUFFALO — "An Affair to Remember" 

topped the boxoffice race last week, turning 

in a healthy 160 at the Center Theatre. 

"Sweet Smell of Success" was good for a 110 

at Shea's Buffalo and "Love in the Afternoon" 

hit 115 in the Lafayette. 

, . 

Buffalo Sweet Smell of Success (UA) 110 

Center An Affair to Remember (20th-Fox) . . 1 60 

Century Around the World in 80 Doys (UA), 

5th mo 125 

Cinema—The Bachelor Party (UA), 2nd wk 105 

Lafoyette Love in the Afternoon (AA) 115 

Paramount ^Bernordine (20th-Fox), 2nd wk., 

6 days 110 

'Night Passage' Scores 

Big 160 in Pittsburgh 

PITTSBURGH — "Night Passage" stood 

alone as an attraction and won a holdover 

hands down. 

. 

Fulton Night Passage (U-I) 160 

Horns Fire Down Below (Col), 2nd wk 50 

Penn Beau James (Para) 70 

75 

Stanley The Prince and the Showgirl (WB) 

'Affair' Draws Patrons 

All Week at Baltimore 

BALTIMORE—The week's busiest boxoffice 

was the New where "An Affair to Remember" 

was showing. The film opened 

strong and played to capacity weekend audiences. 

"Loving You" broke opening day 

records at the Century, then eased off. 

Century— Loving You (Para) 1 50 

Cmemo The Ten Commandments (Pora), 2nd wk. 90 

Film Centre Around the World in 80 Days 

(UA), 32nd wk 120 

Five West Reach for the Sky (RFDA), 2nd wk. . . 95 

Hippodrome The Delicate Delinquent (Para), 

2nd wk 90 

Little High Noon (UA); African Queen (UA) 

85 

Mayfair ^Midnight Story (U-I) 

New—An Affoir to Remember (20th-Fox) .200 

Playhouse The Bachelor Party (UA), 7th wk. .. 90 

Stonley ^Band of Angels ( WB) 1 00 

Town Miles to Earth (Col); 20 Million The 27th 

(Col) Day 90 

Funeral Rites Are Held 

For Albert Gutterman 

NEW YORK—Funeral services were held 

Friday i2) for Albert Gutterman, 66, retired 

veteran Loew's theatre manager, who died 

the day before after a long illness. He Joined 

the company in 1908 as a usher at the old 

Daly Theatre. Later, he managed Loew's Delancey 

Theatre for 30 years before his retirement 

in 1956. 

RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC. 

153 E. 24th Street 

New York 10, New York LExington 2-0928 

The (iordon brothers of Newport News will 

celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 

Palace Tlieatre August 7 with the showing of 

"Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" Star 

Tony Randall will make stage appearances. 

Filmrow was well represented at the sixth 

grand outing of the Allied Motion Picture 

Theatre Owners of Mai-yland Tuesday, July 

30, at the Annapolis Country Club. Abe 

Dickstein, 20th-Fox district manager; Howard 

Minsky. Paramount, and Sidney Cooper, 

UA, came in from their respective home offices 

to attend. Local film folk present: 

Jack Kohler, Sara Young, Al Kane, Luther 

Buchanan, Herb Gillis, Bill Fisher, Jake 

Flax, Eddie Fontaine, Maynard Madden, Ben 

Caplon, Elmer Moore, Harold Saltz, Herb 

Bennin, Ben Bache. Pete Prince, Vince Dougherty, 

John O'Leary, Herb Thompson, H. 

Lowe, Sam Wheeler, Ross Wheeler, Irwin 

Lust, Jack Keegan. Sam Wheeler won the 

golf prize. 

Bill Friedman resigned as manager at 

Buena Vista . . . Independent Theatre Service 

has taken over the buying and booking for 

the Lee Drive-In at Lexington, Va. . . . Capt. 

John Broumas, Broumas circuit, has been 

promoted to major in the Reserves . . . District 

Theatres booker George Wheeler and 

his family were vacationing in Pittsburgh 

... It is reported that the Westport (Md.) 

Tlieatre is being sold and dismantled to make 

room for a bank. It's in the Hicks-Baker 

circuit. 

. 

. . . 

Salesman 

F-13 will hold its annual picnic August 24 

at Bay Ridge Beach ... J. Solenberger and 

Ed Bridgeforth of the Royal Drive-In, Winchester, 

Va., were on Filmrow . . . 20th-Fox 

Manager Ira Sichelman called at the Neighborhood 

Theatre offices in Richmond 

The John O'Learys have moved into their 

new home in Burnt Mills Hills . . Clara 

. 

Taylor, Fox, was vacationing 

Fi'itz Goldschmidt returned from a two-week 

training session with the Reserves in Alabama 

Skouras was a visitor. 

. . . 

Florence Haupert, Allied Artists, vacationed 

in Iowa . Bernard became father of a 

son . . . Salesman Harold Levy and family 

were vacationing in Florida . 

booker 

Herb 

Henry Ajello, started a vacation 

Bennin's secretary, Catherine Murphy, was 

home taking care of daughter Marsha, who 

underwent an appendectomy. 

Mary Arakelian has been promoted from 

the WB switchboard to the cashier's denartment 

and Shirley Watkins has replaced her 

at the pbx . Eli Zuckor was vacationing 

in Cuba . Gleason received 

word that her parents, who live in Mexico 

City, are safe after the recent earthquakes 

Jeeter vacationed in Ocean Grove 

Ackerman of RCA vacationed 

in Long Island . WOMPIs are doing 

an outstanding job assisting in the local theatres' 

Will Rogers Memorial Hospital collections 

Doc Westfall, looking hale and 

. . . hearty again after his recent operation, was 

a Filmrow visitor. 

About Captain and Chinese Girl 

UA's "Time Is a Memory" concerns an 

American Air Force captain who falls in 

love with an Oriental girl in China. 

E-4 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

; August 

in vendin g 

in fountains 

^ 

in theatres 

cu p or g lass 

INCLUDE 

Drfiepfier 

IT PAYS . . AND PAYS . 

.' 

aad PA YSI 

BOXOFFICE : 

3, 1957 E-5

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I 

THEATRICAL 

2310 

. , . Bill 

were 

. . Irwin 

^(McLo^t êfi^^nt 

•THE Rank Organization has entered commercial 

television, having been awarded 

the commercial television contract for Southern 

England. Thus, with Associated British 

Picture Corp., and Granada, the film industry, 

represented by three of the largest cinema 

circuits, moves into the TV camp. The 

news has not come entirely as a surprise to 

the trade. Once the success of commercial 

TV had been established, it was a matter of 

time for the Rank Group to get into the 

act. It can now be revealed that the Group 

could have had any of the commercial TV 

regions they had wished at the beginning of 

the commercial operation. For reasons best 

known to themselves, they turned down the 

most lucrative regions because of caution, 

and to see how the medium was likely to pay 

off. The results of commercial television in 

Great Britain have astounded everyone. Already 

all of the program contractors are out 

of the red and, suddenly. Lord Rank and 

John Davis realized that they were letting 

a gold mine out of their hands. That is why, 

in company with two important newspaper 

groups. Associated Newspapers and Amalgamated 

Press, they will be responsible for providing 

TV entertainment for Southern England 

beginning next summer. 

Meanwhile the Association of Independent 

Cinemas last week, alarmed at the exhibition-TV 

trend, has approached the Motion 

Picture Ass'n of America to enlist the aid of 

American interests "who are concerned that 

the 3,000 independent exhibitors in Britain 

should remain independent." They last week 

contacted Roland Thornton of the MPAA for 

advice and help against commercial television. 

In the words of Denis Walls, one of 

the most important leaders among the AIC, 

"We must look to the interests of America 

who are concerned at seeing that the 3,000 

independents remain independents. There 

will be no help from anybody else now." 

Although the Government has apparently 

said the last word on what it intends to give 

the trade in tax relief this year and probably 

for some years to come (six million 

pounds off), the All-Industry Tax Committee 

has decided to continue its existence and to 

consider new ways in which a tax campaign 

can be presented to the Government and the 

House of Commons next week. At a meeting 

of the full committee representing exhibitors, 

producers and renters, it was unanimously 

agreed that the work of the AITC had 

been thoroughly satisfactory and that Clifford 

Barclay, the chairman, deserves the highest 

congratulations for the manner in which 

he handled the job. The next meeting of this 

joint trade body will be in September. 

PAT BOONE « SAL MINEO 

ELVIS PRESLEY 

FAN 

PHOTOS 

Per Thomand 

• Black and Whltt $1Q00(Minlmura Imura Ordir 1,000 1,0. 

Glassy Stock 

of Elthir Stv) 

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with 

ADVERTISING CO. 

Cou Datrelt 1, Mich. 

By ANTHONY GRUNER 

Although Princess Margaret and a galaxy 

of English nobility were ostensibly the big 

attraction at the British charity premiere 

of Darryl F. Zanuck's "Island in the Sun" 

last week, it was the star who was not there 

who stole the headlines the following day. 

Apparently Joan Collins, who appears in the 

Cinemascope picture, should have been on 

hand with Joan Fontaine. Deborali Kerr, 

Murray Silverstone and other 20th-Pox personalities 

to be presented to Princess Margaret. 

According to Miss Collins, she did not 

receive an invitation, but this was hotly denied 

by 20th-Fox's publicity department who 

insisted that invitations had been sent both 

to her address in London and Hollywood. 

Anyway, the following day most of the press 

neglected to use a picture of the premiere, 

preferred to edify theii- readers with shots of 

Miss Collins cavorting in Cannes. It is doubtful 

whether Buckingham Palace was exactly 

pleased with the resultant publicity. 

Belinda Lee. the blue eyed beauty of the 

Rajik Organization, gets her fii-st big break 

to become a major European star when she 

begins filming for a new French Italian production, 

"Aphrodite. Goddess of Love," which 

will be made in Italy and Yugoslavia. The 

story of "Aphrodite" is laid in ancient Greece 

and thousands of extras will be engaged for 

huge battle scenes to be filmed in Yugoslavia. 

The Rank contract star recently completed 

a costume drama. "Dangerous Exile" with 

Louis Jourdan at Pinewood. The decision of 

the Rank Group to loan out one of their 

most valuable actresses is a further sign of 

the importance attached by the organization 

to the European market. 

Carl Foreman's birthday last week resulted 

in a major turnout of stars as well as 

executives from U. S. companies over here. 

Held at the swanky Mayfair Wardroom Club 

the executive producer of "Stella." his first 

British feature, with William Holden, Sophia 

Loren and Ti-evor Howard, got a special visitor, 

Miss Hedda Hopper to join in the greetings. 

As the evening wore on. the reception 

became packed with such film biggies as 

Mike Frankovich of Columbia, producer 

David Rose. Bob Goldstein of 20th-Pox. plus 

such stars as WiUiam Holden, Ti-evor Howard, 

Jack Hawkins, Deborah Kerr, Jeff Hunter, 

Lex Barker, to mention a few names at random. 

Tlie party proved a fitting send-off to 

Foreman and "Stella," which he starts shooting 

under the direction of Sir Carol Reed. 

Juliette Greco, the dai'ling of French existentialists, 

has been selected by Bob Goldstein, 

head of European productions for 20th- 

Fox. to costar with Richard Todd in a new 

British film. "The Naked Earth." to be made 

in Uganda and MGM Elstree studios. Mile. 

Greco has already completed her first fUm 

role—that of Georgette, a Montmartre temptress, 

in Dai'ryl F. Zanuck's film, "The Sun 

Also Rises," while previously she gained stature 

as a dramatic actress in the Paris 1955 

stage production of "Anastasia." "The Naked 

Earth" will be produced by Adrian Worker 

and directed by Vincent Sherman. 

AlBAti^ 

The 1,500-seat Utica in Utica is being reconditioned 

for an opening in August under 

the management of Harold Lewis. The 

theatre, dark for several years, had been operated 

by Warners and Stanley Warner, on 

lease from the Lewis family. Terms of the 

lease are said to provide that the Utica be 

turned back to the owner in the same condition 

it was at the time the renting arrangement 

began. Repainting reportedly is 

one of the steps taken. Lewis, who last operated 

the Lincoln in the Mohawk Valley city, 

has been mulling a first run policy for the 

Utica, according to stories here. The theatre 

is well located in the downtown business 

area, next door to the Avon, a Stanley Warner 

"B" first run. and is kitty-cornered from Kallet's 

first run Olympic. SW's ace Utica house 

is the Stanley. The Lumberg Theatre Co. is 

the operating name of the Lewis project. 

Harry Feinstein, Stanley Warner zone manager, 

on a stopover from New Haven, had a 

"middling" classification for current business. 

Jim Tobin. district manager, called 

it "fair." Feinstein was "high" on "Around 

the World in 80 Days." Fi-om Albany, Feinstein. 

assistant Jim Totman and Jim Bracken 

trekked to Utica. Frank Levitt is temporary 

manager of the SW Avon there. 

Joe Manzella, former usher at the Ritz, 

has moved to the Strand. He holds a daytime 

position with the city . . Tristate Automatic 

. 

Candy Corp. is servicing four area 

drive-ins: Johnny Gardner's Turnpike in 

Westmere. Joe Mu-asola's 9-L Beach at Lake 

George, the Dix at Hudson Falls, and the 

Unadilla at Unadilla. operated by Gardner 

and Al LaFlamme, former Albany indoor 

manager. George Schenck. Tristate manager, 

reported LaFlamme and his wife Betty 

(cashier I well and happy on his last 

visit to Unadilla— 100 miles from Albany. 

With the transfer of Joe Barry to the Ritz 

for the sale of hard tickets to "Around the 

World in 80 Days." AI Swett temporarily advanced 

Willard Gobel from doorman to assistant 

manager at the Strand. Barry, who 

performed his first theatrical service as hai'dticket 

sales chief for "Tlie Ten Commandments" 

in the Ritz. had more recently been 

stationed at the Strand. He succeeded Bill 

O'Brien, who bowed out to devote full time 

to a position with the state division of safety 

With. Palace manager, was on vacation. 

The Delaware, Stanley Warner art house, 

will reopen August 9 with "The Bachelor 

Party" . Ullman, supervisor of 

Fabian's Mohawk and Saratoga drive-ins, 

has aiTanged a Ford giveaway for late August. 

Tlie two ozoners will be linked via 

phone line for the drawing . . . Hollis Hallenbeck. 

projectionist at the Ravena Theatre in 

Ravena and for Don Hallenbeck (no relative) 

at the Indian Ladder Drive-In, Thacher 

Park, is serving in a similar capacity for 

Charles F. Hunter, with 16mm product at 

the Sharon in Sharon Springs. Hunter, who 

started with Friday and Monday evening 

shows and planned to add Saturdays, reported 

good business with "The Traveling 

Saleslady." 

Starring in "Westbound," Randolph Scott 

will begin his eighth year with Warners. 

E-8 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

NEWS AND VIEWS THE PRODUCTION CEMTERL 

(Hollywood Office— Suite 219 at 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Ivan Spear, Western Manager/ 

Story About U-Boats 

Purchased by U-I 

HOLLYWOOD — "Operation Petticoat," 

a 

story about submarine warfare during World 

War II, was purcliased by U-I, and Gordon 

Kay has been assigned to produce the film, 

with Blake Edwards writing the screenplay 

and directing. 

The original story was written by Paul D. 

King and Joseph Stone, former members of 

U-I's reading department who recently were 

elevated to the status of writers. 

Film rights to the story of Col. David 

"Mickey" Marcus, West Point officer, have 

been acquired by Lee Garmes, who recently 

formed Academy Artists Productions. 

Garmes plans to produce the saga of 

Colonel Marcus, the only American buried 

at West Point who was killed fighting for a 

foreign country, on location in Israel where 

the colonel trained the Israeli army to fight 

the Israel battle for independence in 1948 

and was shot shortly before the truce was 

signed. 

Twentieth-Fox has purchased "Bachelor's 

Baby," a novel by Gwen Davenport, and assigned 

it to Henry Ginsberg Productions. 

The film rights to "Babe" and "Roxy 

Valentine," by Robert Patterson, both of 

which appeared originally in Esquire magazine, 

have been bought by Robert Carlisle 

who will make them independently. CarUsIe 

has been a film editor for Hecht-Hill-Lancaster 

and a commercial film producer. 

"Bantu," an original screenplay by Milton 

M. Raison, has been bought by Bahati, Inc., 

for independent production. Johnny Sheffield 

has been set to star in the story of an 

African state that fights for its independence. 

Mori Krushen in Huddle 

With NT-FWC Officials 

HOLLYWOOD—Pi-omotion plans for forthcoming 

UA product were discussed by Mori 

Ki-ushen, national exploitation manager, at 

a meeting with members of National Theatres 

and Fox West Coast advertising and 

publicity executives. Attending the huddle 

were Thornton Sargent and Russ Brown, NT 

and FWC advertising heads, respectively; 

staffers Dean Hyskell, Pete Latsis, Jack Case, 

Jim Hardiman and UA exploitation represensative 

Bill Scholl. 

Preproduction Exchange 

Of Ideas Suggested 

HOLLYWOOD — Producer-exhibitor 

conferences 

to help boost boxoffice potential of 

forthcoming films have been suggested by 

producer-writer Louis Garfinkle, partner with 

Albert Band in Maxim Productions. 

Believing that an exchange of ideas should 

be a preproduction project, not something 

that is done after the film in finished, Garfinkle 

hopes to interest United Artists in a 

campaign under which producers releasing 

through the company would make regular 

trips around the country conferring with exhibitors. 

Garfinkle's theory is that discussions 

with exhibitors can help guide a producer 

and give him the proper insight into 

audience prejudices and preferences before 

he goes into production of a picture. 

Board Denies Todd's Plea 

To Reduce '80 Days' Tax 

HOLLYWOOD—The Los Angeles board 

supervisors, sitting as the board of equalization, 

turned down Mike Todd's plea to reduce 

the 1957 unsecure property tax on the 

assessed residual value of $1,526,900 for the 

negative of "Aj-ound the World in 80 Days." 

The tax amounts to a reported $105,064.46. 

Overriding Todd protests that the firm had 

made the maximum number of prints that 

it intended to make on the film, the board 

held that the valuation was properly based 

on the value inherent in the property, regardless 

of the firm's limitation of the number 

of prints to 60. 

Buys Rights to "Precipice' 

HOLLYWOOD — Producer David Heilweil 

has bought the screen rights to "Precipice," 

a story by Philip MacDonald, and plans it 

for independent production late this fall. 

Rock 'n' Roll Viewed 

As Obscene in 

Spain 

Hollywood — Two American International 

pictures — "Shake, Rattle and 

Rock" and "Rock All Night"—have run 

into censorship 'trouble in Spain, according 

to Vice-President Samuel Z. 

Arkoff, recently returned from Europe. 

Arkoff reported that rock 'n' roll dancing 

is considered "obscene" in Spain and 

therefore the above mentioned films have 

been banned in that country. However, 

rock 'n' roll films continue to find popularity 

in England and other parts of the 

continent, he said. 

of 

'Morningstar' Lead 

Goes to Gene Kelly 

HOLLYWOOD—Warner Bros, has inked 

Gene Kelly for the much sought after part of 

Noel Airman in Milton Sperling's production 

of "Marjorie Morningstar," which Irving 

Rapper directs with Natalie Wood in the 

title role. Production is slated to start in 

New York August 19. 

Victor Mature has been signed to star in a 

romantic-adventure story, "Time is a Memory," 

to be produced and directed by Frank 

Borzage for Batjac Productions for United 

Artists release. The story, scripted by Kitty 

Buhler, concerns an American Air Force captain 

and an Oriental girl who fall in love 

amid the chaos of World War II in China. 

Shooting is scheduled for August 15. 

Betsy Palmer has been assigned to a starring 

role in "The Grasshopper," which Bryan 

Foy will put before the cameras this month 

with Lewis Seller directing. Miss Palmer, 

who recently completed "The Tin Star" on 

loanout to Paramount, will be seen in the 

new film as a housewife and mother who becomes 

an undercover agent to help break up 

a narcotics ring. The screenplay is by John 

Kneubuhl. 

Edward Muhl, U-I head of production, has 

signed John Saxon, one of the studio's upcoming 

young actors, for the lead opposite 

Sandra Dee in "Teach Me How to Cry," 

forthcoming drama based on Patricia Jordy's 

off-Broadway play. Saxon will portray a 

teenage youth who falls in love with Sandra. 

He just completed starring in "Summer Love," 

U-I's sequel to "Rock, Pretty Baby." 

Veteran character actor James Gleason was 

signed by producer-director Hal Kanter for 

a featured role in U-I's comedy, "Once Upon 

a Horse." Gleason will essay the role of the 

town postmaster. 

Jack Okey to Design Sets 

For New Whitney Film 

HOLLYWOOD—Jack Okey, art director for 

the first two C. V. Whitney productions, "The 

Searchers," and "The Missouri Traveler," 

has been inked to design the sets for Whitney's 

next film, "The Young Land," slated 

to start this month. 

Okey, reportedly an authority on old^western 

architecture, will create a complete Mexican 

village in the California of 1848 as one 

of the key sets of the Technicolor production 

starring Patrick Wayne. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 W-1

x^ 

ADMIRE GOLF TROPHY — Variety 

Club members AI Hansen, Ezra Stern and 

Len Srere, left to right, join Carolyn 

Craig, Allied Artists starlet, and Miss 

Variety Club of 1957, in displaying the 

cup emblematic of the Club Golf Tournament, 

which was won by Judy Poynter at 

the Lakeside Golf Club. Calcutta winner 

was Joe Tuohy of Fox West Coast 

Theatres. 

Owen Crump Will Produce 

Series for Bell System 

Warner has signed 

HOLLYWOOD—Jack L. 

Owen Crump to produce a series of four onehour 

color films on science to be made by 

Warners for the Bell Telephone System. The 

series will be produced for television and 

schools. 

Crump, a writer-producer-director who was 

formerly associated with Warner Bros., will 

work under the direction of Warner and with 

Walter Bien of the Warner Bros, television 

commercial and industrial subsidiary. 

Wayde Preston, six-foot, four-inch Warner 

Bros, contract actor, has been assigned the 

starring role in Colt .45, the studio's new 

weekly half-hour western series to be shown 

over ABC-TV, beginning September 6. 

Pi-eston will play the role of Christopher 

Colt, nephew of the famed gun inventor. 

M. Jurow Quits Columbia 

HOLLYWOOD—Martin Jurow, a production 

executive with Columbia Pictures for the 

past six months, has departed the studio, 

his contract having been terminated by mutual 

consent. Prior to affiliating with Columbia. 

Jurow was with the William Morris 

Agency in New York. He has said he expects 

to announce a new connection within the 

next two weeks. 

'Lineup' to Don Siegel 

HOLLYWOOD — Columbia Pictures has 

inked Don Siegel to direct "Lineup," the 

theatrical version of the CBS-TV series dealing 

with the San Francisco police force. 

Frank Cooper will produce the film which 

is slated for a September start. 

'Money Tree' Purchased 

HOLLYWOOD—Film rights to "The Money 

Tree," a magazine story by Ernest K. Gann, 

have been purchased by Robert Welch and 

agent Lester Linsk for independent production. 

Robert Riley Crutcher has adapted the 

screenplay. 

SDG Meeting Elects 

Willis Goldbeck 

HOLLYWOOD—The Screen Directors Guild 

elected Willis Goldbeck chairman at its annual 

meeting. David Butler was elected .second 

vice-president and Delmer Daves, secretary. 

Re-elected were George Sidney, first 

vice-president, and Lesley Selander, treasurer. 

SDG's education and benevolent foundation 

re-elected David Butler, chairman: Willis 

Goldbeck. first vice-chairman; George 

Archainbaud, secretary; Lesley Selander, 

treasurer. Emmett Emerson, president of 

the assistant dii'ectors council, was elected 

vice-president. 

lATSE officials noted an increase of employment 

among film technicians and backlot 

workers, with Herb Aller, cameramen's union 

head, observing that unemployment in his 

craft is down to 10 per cent after being as 

high as 30 per cent in the past. He commented 

that the same applies to sound and 

film editors, and attributed the upswing to 

accelerated telefilming. 

In accordance with Aller is George Flaherty, 

lA international representative in 

Hollywood, who added that shortages are 

being noted among certain top technicians, 

grips, carpenters, laborers and painters. However. 

Flaherty stated that the employment 

increase may be of short duration, adding 

that projectionists are still feeling a dearth 

of jobs. 

The Composers and Lyricists Guild is currently 

negotiating a basic agreement covering 

the craft with the major studios. Tlie 

Guild, recently certified by the NLRB as 

bargaining agent for the writers of film 

music scores, in addition to drafting a standard 

contract for services of members to replace 

the various forms now used, will negotiate 

on television reuse of original scores. 

A new tax reform bill in Congress whereby 

individuals and companies in the entertainment 

business would get a tax break by cutting 

of unfair surtaxes, among other things, 

is being considered for all-out support by 

the industry. 

The Screen Actors Guild already has endorsed 

the objectives of the measure, and the 

Motion Picture Industry Council will take the 

matter up at its meeting next month. In addition, 

the bill will come before the Hollywood 

AFL Film Council. 

Speaking for SAG, John Dales, national 

executive secretary, stated: "We have endorsed 

the objectives of this bill. We are for 

any tax reform which will help production 

instead of causing it to go abroad. A tax reduction 

bill is necessary to encourage business." 

A new scholarship award for film students 

at UCLA and USC has been set up by the 

Screen Directors Guild educational and 

benevolent foundation, according to David 

Butler, chairman of the foundation. 

The foundation will supply tuition each 

year to one graduate student from each of 

the schools, plus, if necessary, up to $1,000 

per year subsistence for each. In addition, 

each award recipient will have the opportunity 

of spending 40 hours on the set with 

a director, these hours to count toward course 

credit. 

C^cecuiUte ^ûhabUÎ 

West: Irving Rapper returned from New 

York after final preparations for "Marjorie 

Morningstar." 

East: U-I production head Edward Muhl 

planed to Gotham for conferences on the 

studio's forthcoming "Bon Voyage." 

West: Director Richard Thorpe returned 

from a Florida vacation. 

East: Sol C. Siegel and George Englund 

left for New York for parleys with MGM 

home office executives on exploitation for 

"Les Girls." 

East: James H. Nicholson, president of 

American International Pictures, and Leon 

Blender, general sales manager, planed to 

Chicago and New York for circuit and independent 

exhibition meetings to outline AIP's 

1958 production plans. 

East: Producer Samuel Fuller flew to 

Gotham for confabs with U-I officials regarding 

promotional activity on "Run of the 

Arrow." 

East: Alfred E. Daft, U-I executive, planed 

to New York for a series of conferences with 

home office toppers. 

West. Four Paramount home office executives. 

Hugh Owen, Sidney Deneau, Sid Bluminstock 

and Russell Holman, arrived to join 

in conferences with studio executives. 

West: Lloyd E. Young, producer of World 

Horizon's "Mark of the Hawk," planed in to 

discuss distribution for the film. 

West: David A. Lipton, U-I vice-president, 

returned to his studio desk from Japan, 

where he was the studio representative at the 

company's far east sales convention. 

Helmut Kautner Works 

On First American Film 

HOLLYWOOD—Helmut Kautner, noted 

German director, is here to start preparation 

for his first American film, Universal-International's 

"Teach Me How to Cry," which he 

will meg as his first a.ssignment under his 

multiple-picture contract with the studio. 

Ross Hunter will produce the picture which 

will star Sandra Dee and is based on Patricia 

Joudry's play. 

Back to Broadway Role 

HOLLYWOOD—Rosalind Russell has returned 

to Broadway to resume her starring 

role in "Auntie Mame" following a five-week 

vacation at her home here. The actress will 

return in January to report to Wai'ner Bros, 

to star in the filmization of the stage play. 

Ross Hunter to 'No Power' 

HOLLYWOOD—Ross Hunter has been set 

by U-I production head Edward Muhl to produce 

"No Power on Earth," a dramatic original 

story by Jay Anthony which previously 

was on Aaron Rosenberg's schedule. 

W-2 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

tL 

New Releasing Deal 

By H-H-L and UA 

HOLLYWOOD— Harold Hecht and Arthur 

B. Krim. president of Hecht-HUl-Lancaster 

Companies and United Artists, respectively, 

have announced completion of a new 

multiple picture releasing deal between H- 

H-L and UA involving a production outlay of 

$26,000,000. 

The agreement calls for H-H-L to deliver 

six additional pictures in 1958 and 1959 in 

addition to the three pictures remaining 

under an earlier contract. The six pictures 

are "The Unforgiven." "The Catbird Seat." 

"Ballad of Cat Ballou." "Kimberley." "Tell 

It on the Drums." "The Rock Cried Out" 

and "The Rabbit Trap." Burt Lancaster will 

star in four of the pictures listed. 

Still to be delivered under the old agreement 

are "Run Silent, Run Deep," "Separate 

Tables" and "The Way West." 

Zabel, Schenck and Koch 

Sign New Warner Deal 

HOLLYWOOD—Producers Edwin P. 

Zabel. 

Aubrey Schenk and Howard Koch, who recently 

completed "Untamed Youth" for 

Warners release, have signed a multiplepicture 

deal with the studio with the films 

to be shot under the banner of Lakeside 

Pictures. The three men also head Bel-Air 

productions, which releases for United Ai'- 

tists. 

The first Lakeside picture, "Hell's Highway," 

will be produced by Schenck and 

directed by Koch, to be followed by "Born 

Reckless." 

Vogel Counts on Support 

Of Industry Toppers 

HOLLYWOOD—In a surprise visit to 

MGM last week, Joseph R. Vogel, president 

of Loew's. Inc., expressed pleasure at the 

support he says he has gained following his 

widely publicized statement regarding the 

Joseph Tomlinson-Stanley Meyer faction. 

According to Vogel, top industry figures 

have offered to serve on Loew's board of 

directors should he win a vote of confidence 

from stockholders at the scheduled September 

12 meeting, which he called to oust 

Tomlinson and Meyer who reportedly have 

been trying to win control of the company. 

Music by Gerald Fried 

HOLLYWOOD—Producer James B. 

Harris, 

who recently completed Bryna's "Paths of 

Glory," arrived from Munich to sign Gerald 

Fried to compose and conduct the music 

for the Kirk Douglas starrer. Fried, who 

gained attention with his score of Harris- 

Kubrick's "The Killing," will return with 

Harris to Munich early next month for his 

assignment. 

Chore to Matty Malneck 

HOLLYWOOD—Matty Malneck has been 

inked by Producer Arthur Hornblow as composer-conductor 

of the musical score for 

"Witness for the Prosecution," for UA relea.se. 

Malneck also will arrange the music 

for "I May Never Go Home Again," a German 

beer garden song which Marlene Dietrich 

will present in the film. 


WHILE 

under existing circumstances 

straw-grasping on the part of the 

nation's exhibitors is entirely understandable, 

there are times when such gestures 

of desperation reflect a penny-wise-poundfoolish 

policy that in the final analysis is 

costing them additional moneys in film rentals. 

One such is the constantly-expanding 

habit among first run theatres of varying 

the day of the week on which new programs 

are debuted. This modus operandi exists 

despite the conclusion—and it is one that 

seems to be becoming ever more generally 

embraced—that theatre operation is developing 

into a weekend business. 

Moreover, available current statistics substantiate 

this opinion. There was a timeprior 

to the growth of television—when the 

average exhibitor could expect that 50 per 

cent of a week's take would result from Saturday 

and Sunday patronage, while the remaining 

50 per cent would come during the 

other five days of the stanza. Now, indications 

are that approximately 70 per cent 

finds its way into theatre tills on Fridays. 

Saturdays and Sundays—which means, of 

course, that a mere 30 per cent comes during 

the remaining four days. 

Parenthetically, there's a paradoxical facet 

to these figures, inasmuch as it is on Saturdays 

and Sundays that video puts forth its 

best foot. The analysts probably can find 

many theories in explanation. One could be 

that it is a paucity of leisure time among 

busy Americans, rather than the competition 

from TV, that is the dominant factor in 

causing midweek business doldrums. 

Be that as it may, and returning to the 

point these paragraphs essay to stress, many 

situations throughout the country are opening 

new bills on Tuesdays. Wednesdays and 

Sundays. A few examples: 

The Broadway Capitol. Detroit. Sundays; 

the State-Lake. Chicago, Tuesdays: while a 

majority of houses—both hardtops and driveins—in 

the Los Angeles area kick off new 

programs on Wednesdays. 

Resultantly, the distributors are confronted 

with the necessity for spending money for 

two so-called opening advertising shotsone 

when the picture debuts and a repeat a 

few days later in order to take every possible 

advantage of the lusher weekend trade. Many 

distribution masterminds opine that this duplication 

adds up to a woeful waste every 

week of thousands of advertising dollars. 

On a recent occasion this evil was circumvented 

by Allied Artists in connection with 

the Los Angeles inauguration of its widelypraised 

"Love in the Afternoon." Originally 

the picture, in its first national pre-release 

engagement, was scheduled to open on a Wednesday 

at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood 

and the RKO Hillstreet in downtown Los 

Angeles. Because the film company realized 

that an above-average expenditure was indicated 

to launch "Love" in its first booking, 

and that it would be required to duplicate 

costly newspaper space to realize the weekend 

potential, it prevailed upon the United Artists 

and RKO circuit managements to push 

back the opening to Friday. 

The theatres agreed to this on the provi- 

sion that AA, in turn, would sacrifice the 

last two days of its last-week run. Because 

the drive-ins in this territory have a firm 

policy of opening only on Wednesdays, the 

Egyptian and RKO Hillstreet had to protect 

a Wednesday opening for themselves for the 

bill that was to follow "Love." 

Now, an exhibitor may feel that it is none 

of his concern when a distributor is confronted 

with a double advertising bite. This 

is fallacious reasoning, because they can rest 

assured that somewhere, somehow along the 

line these dollars wasted in duplicated .space 

expenditures find their way into film rental 

costs. That's unavoidable if the distributor 

wants to stay in business. So, there's an example 

that's well worthy of consideration in 

the deal that AA worked out locally. 

Although the transport of time has gilded 

them with a certain aura of venerability, 

nonetheless unfathomable are the mental 

machinations of Hollywood's title-thinker-uppers. 

Out Burbank way, the Freres Warner 

have been beaver-busy manufacturing a forthcoming 

feature of considerable dimensions 

under the tag, "Lafayette Escadrille." One 

needed no gift of clairvoyance to assume that 

the Tab Hunter-Etchika Choureau starrer 

concerned itself with the widely-acclaimed 

exploits of an honorable flying-fighting group 

from which stemmed one of the most romantic 

and respected facets of World War I. 

During the picture's production period, 

Warners' drum-beaters devoted sizeable 

amounts of brains—you should pardon, 

please, the expression—and bucks to publicizing 

the venture; and because of its appealing 

subject matter succeeded in garnering no 

small amount of space. 

Then, just as the movie was nearing release, 

its title was changed to "With You in 

My Arms," thereby nullifying to a large extent 

the work and wampum that went into 

its advance ballyhoo. 

Yesteryear's pilots were familiar with the 

need for "flying by the seat of their pants," 

but not since Icarus, who tried to fly to the 

sun with wax-fastened wings, have arms been 

so ridiculously employed for soaring into the 

wild blue yonder. 

And another inexplicable contribution to 

the tag-triflers' corner comes from Charles 

Moses, he who tickles the welkin on behalf 

of Bel-Air Pi-oductions. When that independent 

outfit, whose steady flow of product 

is distributed by United Artists, launched a 

li'l number yclept "Dope Ship," Charming 

Chuck made a concerted and reasonably successful 

bid for recognition because, he 

claimed, here was the first picture title that 

employed the word "dope" following the Production 

Code's mitigation of restrictions on 

motion pictures' truck with narcotics. 

Now— — it says here "under pressure of adverse 

comments from exhibitors and film 

trade journalists. Bel-Air Productions has 

changed the title of 'Dope Ship' to 'Cargo X,' 

it was announced by Edwin F. Zabel." 

X, Y, or Z—the switch in handles is dopey 

enough. 

W-3

. . Incidentall.v. 

. . Connie 

. . Ben 

LOS ANGELES 

. Pink and Bob 

. 

TXT'endcll Bjorkman, Pacific coast district 

manauer of Buena Vista, announced that 

his division was first in a recent collections 

drive. All personnel were gifted with four 

weeks pay . Bjorkman is currently 

recuperating at his home after an 

automobile accident 

Siegel have broken 

. . Sid 

ground for their new 

theatre in Covina . Baker, Herald- 

Express theatre guide representative, welcomed 

a baby son July 22 Peskay, 

Aladdin Enterprises executive, was out of the 

hospital after a routine checkup. 

Sam Herman, mother of Jack and Izzy 

INIrs. 

Berman. of Aladdin Enterprises, celebrated 

CORRECTION 

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'80 Days' Gels Better 

With Age in Seattle 

SEATTLE—The big news was still "Around 

the World in 80 Days," which completed a 

terrific 15th week with 400. Like old wine, it 

is drawing better as the weeks go by. "Saint 

Joan" opened at the Music Box with an uninspired 

95. 


Blue Mouse—Around the World in 80 Doys 

(UA), 15th wk 400 

Music Box—Soint Joan iUA) 95 

Music HqII—The Curse of Fronkenstein iWB) 135 

Orpheum— Night Passage (U-l), 2nd wk 100 

'Passage' and Bible Film 

About Tied at Denver 

DENVER— 'Night Pa.ssage," in its second 

week at the Paramount, and "Ten Commandments," 

in a moveover to the Aladdin following 

13 weeks at the Denham, were about tied 

as far as money was concerned. "Passage" 

was to get two days in the third week. 

Aloddin—The Ten Commondmertts (Para), after 

1 3 weeks at the Denham 400 

Centre—Love in the Afternoon (AA), 2nd wk .. . 85 

Denhom—Loving You (Para), 2nd wk 75 

Denver—Giant Claw (Col); Night the World Exploded 

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Eoit ond Lokeshorc Drive- Ins Midnight Story 

(U-l); Joe Dakota (U-l) 110 

Orpheum—Gun Glory (MGM); Seventh Sin (MGM) 95 

Poromount—Night Possage (U-l), 2nd wk 130 

Tabor— Around the World in 80 Doys (UA), 

I Ith wk 100 

Vogue—Green Man iDCA) 150 

'Silk Stockings' Leads 

Angeleno Openers 

LOS ANGELES—"Silk Stockings" led the 

local openers with 165 per cent, followed by 

"Night Passage" which chalked up 115. 

"Seven Wonders of the World" continued to 

rise in it.s eighth stanza, scoring 215, and 

"Aiound the World in 80 Days" skyrocketed 

on to an impressive 390 in its 32nd week. 

"Torero," an art house showing, maintained 

its 200 points in its .second round. 

Beverly Canon—A Town Like Alice (RFDA) ... 75 

Corthay Circle—Around the World in 80 Days 

(UA), 32nd wk 390 

Chinese—An Attoir to Remember (20th-Fox) . I 

Egyptian—Love in the Afternoon (AA), 6th wk. 90 

Fine Arts—The Risina o» the Moon (WB), 2nd wk. 45 

Four 5tar—The Moon is Blue (UA), Barefoot 

Contessa (UA) 65 

Fox Beverly, Hawaii, Hillstreet—The Delicate 

Delinquent (Pora), 2nd wk 75 

Fox Wilshire—The Pride ond the Passion (UA), 

5th wk 165 

Pontages—Silk Stockings (MGM) 165 

Paramount Hollywood—Beau James (Pora), 

4th wk 80 

Paramount Downtown, New Fox, Uptown— I Was 

a Teenage Werewolf (AlP); Invasion of the 

Saucer Men (AlP) 75 

Vagabond—Torero (Col), 2nd wk 200 

VVorners Beverly—The Ten Commandments (Para), 

37th wk 155 

Warners Downtown, Wiltern, Hollywood—Night 

Passage (U-l); The Kettles on Old MacDonold's 

Form (U-l) 110 

Warners Hollywood—Seven Wonders of the World 

(Cineramo), 8th wk 215 

"Pride and Passion' 

Huge 350 in Frisco 

SAN FRANCISCO--Far ahead of its nearest 

competitor "The Pride and the Passion" 

opened at the United Artists Theatre with 

the most spectacular barometer reading Market 

street has seen in too long, a blasting 

350. All first run showings, however, proved 

average or well above it. 

Fox—An Affair to Remember {20thJFox) 170 

Golden Gate— Night Passage (U-l) 100 

Paramount—The Delicate Delinquent (Paro) . . . . 1 50 

St. Francis—Beau Jomes (Paro) 110 

United Artists—The Pride and the Passion (UA) 350 

Warfield—Silk Stockings (MGM) 160 

Business Spurt in Portland; 

"80 Days' Again at 350 

PORTLAND—The theatre business spurted. 

"Around the World in 80 Days" again grossed 

350 with "The Curse of Frankenstein" and 

"Loving You" chalking up to 200 per cent 

each. 

Broadway— Around the World in 80 Days (UA), 

16th wk 350 

Fox—An Affair to Remember (20th-Fox), 2nd wk. 120 

Guild— Rebecca (20th-Fox), 2nd wk 125 

Liberty— Night Passage (U-l), 2nd wk 100 

Orpheum—The Curse of Fronkenstein (WB)....200 

Paramount— Loving You (Paro) 200 

Theatre in Coulee Dam 

Closed by Rod Hartman 

COUl.EE DAM, WASH —Rod Hartman has 

shuttered the Coulee Dam Theatre after 16 

years of continuous operation by members 

of his family. Hartman is operating the 

Roosevelt Theatre in neighboring Grand 

Coulee under lease from R. A. Gardner, and 

opens the Coulee Dam occasionally to show 

tourist movies under arrangements with the 

U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. 

Sherman to Everett Cantrall 

GRASS VALLEY, ORE.—Everett Cantrall, 

who operates the theatre here, has taken over 

the Sherman at Moro from Mr. Hartley. 

SAN FRANCISCO 

TJp from their Los Angeles headquaiters for 

a meeting with local executives were 

Sherrill Corwin, president, and Harold Citron, 

general manager of North Coast Theatres 

Hulling, Allied Artists franchise 

holder, returned from a business trip to Portland, 

Seattle and Los Angeles . Harris, 

UA manager, is serving distributor 

as 

chairman for the northern California Will 

Rogers Memorial Hospital drive. 

Jack Marpole, manager for Motion Picture 

Service, returned from a New York meeting 

with executives of National Screen Service 

Weaverling, local Republic salesman, 

has been transferred to Seattle . . . 

Pi'ank Schiendler, former RKO manager, is 

reported working for N. P. "Red" Jacobs, 

Favorite Films, in Los Angeles . Hackett, 

MGM booker; Betty Gamble, U-I head 

booker, and John Boyle, Paramount Theatre 

manager, returned from vacations . . . Robert 

Mochrie, MGM division manager, and 

Herman L. Ripps, district manager, conferred 

with S. J. Gardner, resident manager 

and John Coyne, assistant. 

Billy Gaxton, who started at the old Central 

Theatre in San Francisco 40 years ago, returned 

to his hometown as a delegate to the 

annual convention of the American Federation 

of Television and Radio Actors. After 

the convention, Gaxton stated, he was going 

to sit around for two weeks and love San 

Francisco to pieces . . . Top officials of the 

union no sooner arrived for their annual 

convention than they condemned pay TV. 

Singled out for special criticism was the attempt 

to get pay TV franchises here and in 

Los Angeles for broadcasting big league baseball 

games. Conoway, executive secretai-y of 

the AFTRA, said he thought the question 

of pay TV is the major issue facing the convention. 

Shirley Temple, who lives in this area, said 

at a press conference that 20 of her old films 

have been released to television. Acting as 

master of ceremonies for the press conference 

was Melvin Helitzer, a director of the Ideal 

Toy Corp., which will sponsor Miss Temple's 

TV appearances. 

MGM Music Dept. Now 

At Peak of Year's Work 

HOLLYWOOD—Peak activity for the year 

was hit by MGM's music department, with 

eight pictures now filming or being readied 

for release in various stages of music preparation. 

Johnny Green, studio music director, 

is completing the scoring on "Raintree 

County," and also near completion are 

"Don't Go Near the Water," by Bronislau 

Kaper; "Until They Sail," by David Raskin; 

"Les Girls," by Adolph Deutsch, and "Jailhouse 

Rock," by Jeff Alexander. 

Ted Taylor to Perlberg 

HOLLYWOOD—Unit publicist Ted Taylor 

has re.signed from the Paramount publicity 

department to join Perlberg-Seaton as executive 

assistant to Producer William Pearlberg 

and writer-director George Seaton. Taylor, 

with Paramount since 1956, will function primarily 

as story editor for the independent 

company. 


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SEATTLE 

The Variety trophy at the annual Variety 

Club Filmrow golf tournament, held Friday 

at the Rainier Golf and Country Club, 

went to Bill Stahl of National Theatre Supply 

with a 72 score. The Ed Lamb trophy was 

won by A. Marion; the Calcutta tournament 

was taken by Bud Saffle with a net of 63. 

and the Josuah Green-J. T. Sheffield trophy 

for oldtimers was won by B. P. Shearer. The 

Herb Sobottka trophy for women's low gross 

went to Mrs. Joliii Hanirick. 

Rev Kniffin. 20th-Fox district manager, 

was here from Los Angeles for local staff 

Following the success of its 

meetings . . . 

recent Sinati-a and Belafonte concerts, 

Northwest Releasing is setting dates for fall 

shows, which will include the Louie Armstrong 

concert, the American Ballet and "Rivalry," 

star-ring Raymond Massey. Brian Donlevy, 

Agnes Moorehead . Barbara Lumbert 

left Sterling's accounting department in anticipation 

of a blessed event. Mary Lou Stewart, 

cashier at the Uptown, filled the vacancy 

at Sterling. 

Sonja Johnson, 20th-Fox staffer, married 

Mike Shepherd . J. Engerman of 

Northwest Releasing returned from a vacation 

on Orcas Island . . . Filmrow visitors included 

Bobby Phillips, Hollywood; Marrie 

Nimmer. Y Drive-In. Spokane; Mr. and Mrs. 

Stanley Groshong. Olympic, Arlington; Al 

Fernandez. Clallam Bay. and Peter Barnes, 

over from Moses Lake and Okanogan. 

N. H. Klaus is the new owner of the Sedro 

Woolley Theatre, Sedro 'Woolley, having purchased 

it recently from Mi's. Emma Ridgeway 

Chilton Robinetts returned well 

tanned from their- Hawaiian vacation. 

Sterling key personnel who will man the 

circuit's new bowling lanes this fall are getting 

ready to take over when the architects, 

contractors ax»d construction crews have completed 

their work. Jack Siegmund. Sterling 

bowling coordinator, and Larry Bishop, bowling 

maintenance supervisor, attended the 

Brunswick automatic pinsetter school in May, 

where they learned to service the equipment 

which will be installed in the Queen Anne, 

Lewis and Clark and Bellevue bowls. 'Vic 

Solum and John Floyed are also attending 

this school in Los Angeles. Jack Siegmund 

and Roy Lowrey recently returned from an 

operators' school in Chicago. Sterling per- 

.sonnel attending a recent instructors' .school 

here included Ralph and Addie Nagley, Jim 

Miller. Roy Lowrey and Jack Siegmund. 

AA Signs Pact With NSS 

To Handle Accessories 

HOLLYWOOD—Allied Artists has signed a 

three-year agreement with National Screen 

Service to handle the manufacture and distribution 

of the film company's posters and 

accessories on a wordwide basis, it wa,s announced 

by President Steve Broidy. 

Negotiations between National Screen and 

AA were conducted by Edward Morey, AA 

vice-president, and George Dembow, National 

Screen president. Production and distribution 

of AA trailers will not be affected by the 

new pact inasmuch as they have been handled 

in the past by National Screen and will 

continue to be handled in the same manner. 

Jeanne Carmen Will Tour 

For 'Legend of the Lost' 

HOLLYWOOD — Actress Jeanne Carmen, 

recently tested by Batjac Productions, has 

been set to act as "Goodwill Ambassadress" 

for Batjac-Panama's "Legend of the 

Lost," UA release starring John Wayne, 

Sophia Loren and Rossano Brazzi. 

Miss Carmen will make a key-ciey promotional 

tour at the time of the film's release, 

visit newspaper editors, UA branch offices 

and avail herself for any other exploitation 

created by the independent company and UA. 

She is slated to fly to London next month to 

attend the initial screening of the picture and 

to be briefed on the history of the film's production 

in North Africa and Rome. 

Keith Pack Is Taking Over 

As Salt Lake WB Manager 

SALT LAKE CITY—Keith Pack, Warner 

Bros, salesman here since 1936, has been appointed 

branch manager by Roy Haines, general 

sales manager. He succeeds William F. 

Gordon, who is retiring after 33 years as 

Warner Salt Lake City branch manager. Gordon 

will continue in an advisory capacity 

for the company. 

Pack joined Warner Bros, in Salt Lake 

City in 1926 as a booker. 

DENVER 

lUearly $4.50 damage was done by vandals 

when they broke into the Vogue Art 

Theatre, according to Dick Packer, manager, 

Packer said the rogues slashed some paintings 

that were on display, some of which had 

already been .sold; couches and chairs were 

ripped, and walls were sprayed by fire extinguishers 

... A committee, named by Mayor 

Will Nicholson, to find new tax sources, has, 

among other things, suggested a 5 per cent 

tax on admissions. However, the mayor and 

the city council seem to favor a 1 per cent 

tax on incomes, which would include persons 

living outside of Denver but earning their 

salaries inside the city. 

The WOMPIs gave a farewell luncheon for 

Mary Ann Hogle, secretary at MGM, and retiring 

president of Chapter 10. She is going 

Carl Peppercorn, vicepresident 

to Oregon to live . . . 

of Continental Pictures, and Hai-ry 

Thomas, Los Angeles, western representative, 

Loretta F. 

were in calling on clients . . . 

Isaak has been added as shorts booker at 

Buena Vista . . . Addie Tracy, 

the MGM exchange, died. 

.secretary at 

Robert Bodie, National Screen Service salesman, 

went to Milwaukee, his former home, 

to spend a vacation . Parsons, manager 

at National Screen Service, went to New 

York for a sales meeting. 

C. L. Canda jr. of the Canda Theatre at 

Westcliffe, Colo., corrects a recent item that 

an MGM crew is shooting "Saddle in the 

Wind" in the vicinity of Canon City. "While 

it is true that most of the personnel were 

living in Canon City," Canda writes, "the 

actual shooting was done in the immediate 

vicinity of Westcliffe. The old ghost town of 

Rosita was used for one set and the Sangre 

de Christo range was used at all times as 

a background. The range is not even visible 

to Canon City residents. Rosita was the 

birthplace of Ralph Carr, one of Colorado's 

great governors." 

Program to Alaska TV 

HOLLYWOOD—The first territorial distribution 

of Gross-Krasne's "O. Henry Playhouse," 

was revealed by the production-distribution 

company with the announcement of 

a sale to KTVA-Anchorage and KTVF-Fairbanks 

in Alaska. Sold on a 52-week programming 

basis, the sale placed the Thomas Mitchell 

starrer in its 210th market. 

TRAILERS 

for SPECIAL SkmvmoHslup J°^® ^'^^' °" ^°^'' 

mOTIBO PICTiE SERVICE Ci. 

125 HYDE ST. SAN FRANCISCO (2), CALIF. 

MORE THAN 

300 ^"^^"^^ 

Northwest Sound Servi;*"!, 

73 Glenwood • MINNEAPOLIS Federal Sloj 94 

' 

I HOLLYWOOD—Jane Greer went to San 

Francisco to start a seven-city tour in connection 

with promotion for "Man of a Thousand 

Faces," in which she stars with James 

Cagney and Dorothy Malone. Prom San Francisco. 

Miss Greer goes to Dallas, Houston, 

New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago and New 

York. She also will attend the world premiere 

of the picture at the RKO Palace Theatre 

in New York August 13. 

Moves to Boise Area 

GRACE. IDA.—Lyle Tuttle, theatre operator 

here the last 15 years, has returned 

the management of the Idan-Ha Theatre back 

to the owners, John Wallace and Jack Lauritson, 

and will move to the Boise area, where 

he hopes to go into stock ranching. 

Goes Back to Alliance 

PASCO, WASH.—Ed Hickey, manager here 

for the Midstate Amusement Corp., has returned 

to Chicago for reassignment by the 

Alliance circuit, Midstate parent organization. 

Herbert Stuart, formerly of Coeur 

d'Alene, took over as manager of the Liberty, 

succeeding Ross Gosney, transferred to the 

River-Vue Drive-In. 

Has Family Discount 

COLUMBLA PALLS, MONT.— Ernie Massman 

has started family discount plan at 

his Park Theatre, under which father and 

mother and all the children are admitted for 

only $1.50. 

The screenplay for Warners' "The Nun's 

Story" will be wi'itten by Robert Anderson. 


',1.. 

Pickup Noted in Films 

Produced in Britain 

CHICAGO—Sam Gorelick district manager 

here for Rank Film Distributors of America, 

Inc., reported a pickup of interest in films produced 

in England. He said exhibitors generally 

express the opinion that since the opening of 

"Around the World in 80 Days" there is a 

keen interest in the British-type wit and 

humor, and that this reaction is proving 

very beneficial to the new crop of films 

which Rank is launching. 

Gorelick just returned from Milwaukee, 

where he booked a combination of "Ti-iple 

Deception" and "Reach for the Sky" for 

early September showing at the Alhambra. 

Kenneth Hargreaves, Rank president, was 

here last week. He said: "We are certain 

that these films will also whet the American 

public's insatiable taste for pictures which 

incorporate new ideas and bold techniques, 

authentic locales, and fresh, new personalities." 

Hargreaves announced that some of the 

forthcoming Rank releases include "The 

Spanish Gardener," based on A. J. Cronin's 

novel and "Giselle"; "A Tale of Two Cities," 

"The Naked Truth," "Checkpoint," "A Town 

Like Ahce," "The Pursuit of the Graf Spee" 

and "An Alligator Named Daisy." 

Supply Creditors to Get 

Five Cents on Dollar 

ST. LOUIS—General creditors of the defunct 

McCarthy Theatre Supply Co. will receive 

slightly more than five cents on the 

dollar under the final ai-rangement of the 

company's creditors held last week. 

At the final meeting there was a healing 

on a reclamation petition presented by 20th- 

Fox, landlord to the theatre supply company, 

seeking to have the rent due placed 

on the same basis as secured claims. The 

film corporation was denied the reclamation 

basis, but its claim was allowed on a general 

claim basis for $450. A hearing was had 

at the gathering on the trustees' petition to 

dispose of the books and records of the Mc- 

Carthy company and the trustees were authorized 

to destroy or otherwise dispose of 

the books and records. Allowances for their 

services were made as follows; $100 to the 

trustee plus $15 for expenses, and $200 to the 

attorneys for the bankrupt. A first and final 

dividend of 5.113 per cent was then declared 

on the unsecured claims. 

To Reopen Frisina 

TA'YT.ORVILLE, ILL.—The Frisina Amusement 

Co. of Springfield, 111., plans to reopen 

the Frisina Theatre August 16 with "An Affair 

to Remember," booked for five days. 

"Johnny Ti-emain" will open August 23. The 

decision to reopen the Pi-isina was made because 

"The Ten Commandments" will open 

at the circuit's Capitol and is expected to hold 

for several weeks. Usually the Frisina is 

closed during the drive-in season. 

'Commandments' in 3rd Week 

QUINCY, ILL.—"The Ten Commandments" 

is in its third big week at Publix's Washington 

Theatre here. Originally it was booked 

for only two weeks but big business resulted 

third week. 

in holding for a 

Kansas City Film Folk Dedicafe 

Bob Withers Memorial Cottage 

KANSAS CITY—One hundred 

and ten men and women of the 

motion picture industry met at 

YMCA Camp Santosage near 

Blue Mills, Wednesday noon (31 

to dedicate the cottage which was 

presented in memory of the late 

Robert F. Withers by his friends 

in the industry. In advance of the 

dedication itself, visitors inspected 

the cottage and greeted Mrs. 

Helen Withers, Bob's widow. The 

cottage has facilities for eight 

boys and a counselor. 

Arthur H. Cole addressed the 

group briefly, pointing out that 

the occasion should be one not 

of mourning but rather of joy 

and spiritual satisfaction in the 

knowledge that Bob Withers lives 

on in the memory of countless 

friends and in a memorial that 

will serve youth—one of Withers' 

greatest interests. Cole recalled 

that no one was ever turned away 

who came knocking on Withers' 

door and added that no memorial 

could please Withers more than 

the one chosen, citing his own 

deep gratitude at being similarly 

honored. He then called on Dick 

Brous to read the words on the 

memorial plaque. The text; 

Itis 

ROBERT F. WITHERS 

This man represented goodwill infallibly to all who 

knew him! He wos a genial man, with a rare sense 

of humor and o sincere love for people. A man by 

the name of Coleridge once said: "Common sense 

in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom." 

This man was o fulfillment of that philosophical 

observation. 

His joys stemmed fron a life-long desire to help 

those thot came to his d( r, finding that door 

open. He gave freely of IS wisdom because 

heved in the greatest of all rules of 

be- 

life—the 

olwoys 

he 

Golden Rule. 

Robert F. Withers was a native Kansas Citian. He 

was a veteran motion picture executive, leaving a 

career which began in 1919 as an independent ex- 

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hibitor after attending Westminster College in Fulton, 

Mo. 

Bob, in addition to being branch manager and 

franchise holder of Republic Pictures Midwest Film 

Distributors, was vice-president of the Crest Investment 

Co., a member of the board of directors of 

Commonwealth Theatres; a charter member of the 

Motion Picture Ass'n of Greater Kansas City; a member 

of Ararat Shrine, the Sweoringen-Lovery Post of 

the American Legion and also held membership in the 

Unity Society of Practical Christianity. He was a 

Navy veteran of World War I. 

His greatest accomplishment, which added immeasurably 

to his zest for living, was his ability 

as a confidant tor an interminable list of friends from 

the long years. He once said: "I love to meet the 

grasp of a hand that gives me a thrill." 

May Bob Withers' grace and goodness inspire all 

who read this plaque, for here was a man who was 

successful in the world of business, but more especially 

Theatre on Auction Block 

TORONTO—The Queen Theatre on Queen 

street in Hespeler has been offered for sale 

by public auction, including projection equipment, 

482 seats, piano, office furniture, confectionery 

dispensers and other items. The 

Queen, the only theatre in Hespeler, has long 

been operated under independent ownership. 

MOBILE—Auto-Sho Drive-In celebrated its 

seventh anniversary with a full program of 

special events, including the launching of 

"flying saucers" from the concession stand. 

There were 200 prizes, including $20, $10, and 

$5 bills. 

W,i 

A,^.Z.,\ 

did he provide wisely that he shall not be wanting in 

all of eternity for the best property of all—friends. 

Those attending the dedication had the 

pleasure of being the first to be served in the 

recently completed dining hall and assembly 

building at the camp. After luncheon, which 

was served by members of the Peacedale Extension 

Club, C. G. Lord, YMCA assistant 

general secretary, expressed gratitude to the 

industry on behalf of the YMCA for the continuing 

interest displayed in the camp. Lord 

then introduced several YMCA officials who 

were present. They were Edwin Elliott, president; 

Mason Thompson, first vice-president; 

Charles McCallister, second vice-president, 

and Humphrey White, treasurer. Lord invited 

the guests to inspect the camp facilities 

at their leisure. 

The Withers cottage, in which the framed 

memorial plaque is a focal point of interest, 

takes its place beside the Arthur H. Cole and 

Sam Abend cottages. All three of the buildings 

stand as symbols of the service to others 

personified by the three men so honored and 

as testimony to the big heart of the motion 

picture industry. 

Converts to Bowling Alley 

TOLEDO—The 800-seat Ivanhoe, oldtimer 

at 3301 Monroe St. here, will be converted 

into a bowling alley by Avalon Lanes. Long 

known as a "hard-luck" house, the Ivanhoe 

had been sold, repossessed and leased many 

times during the past several years, with no 

management able to operate it at a profit. 

Xmas Films All Summer 

JEFFERSON, N. D.—This town botists a 

unique tourist attraction designed to counter 

the dog days' extreme heat. It's the 99-seat 

Jingle Bells Theatre which all summer long 

shows nothing but Christmas movies. 


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INDIANAPOLIS 

The Strand in Marshall. 111., was destroyed 

by fire. The theatre was operated by 

Andrew W. Hall . Linz, former 

salesman for RKO. is now with Allied Artists 

in the same capacity. He replaces Lou Siebert 

in the southern Indiana-Kentucky territory 

. . . Joe W. Aspley resigned from National 

Theatre Supply to take over the operation 

of the Starlite Drive-In at Princeton 

August 4. The theatre was formerly owned 

by J. J. Pfiffner. 

Safer Film Distributors closed . . . National 

Theatre Supply is erecting a Selby screen 

tower at the Westside Drive-In to replace the 

one blown down July 4. Shorty Songer hopes 

to reopen in about two weeks. 

Seen along the Row: Harry VanNoy, Middletown; 

Charles Lane. Remington; J. B. 

Sconce. Sconce Theatres, Edinburg; Vic 

Burkle. Fortville; Floyd Morrow'. Louisville; 

Ai-t Clark. Vonderschmitt Theatres. Bloomington; 

Paul Merryman. Covington; Clyde 

Nihiser. Geneva; Ken Barnard. Oxford . 

Edith Probstein. UA secretary, was vacationing 

in Detroit . . . Margaret Micilli, Columbia, 

was on a vacation. 

Affiliated Theatres is now buying and 

booking for the Idaho Theatre at Terre Haute. 

Ai-thur Ratcliff is the owner . Byrne, 

assistant sales manager, was in the MGM office 

Marc Wolf and Mannie Marcus 

. . . sponsored a two hour open-air show at Victory 

Field (baseball park) July 28, 29. The 

show featured the Lone Ranger and Lassie 

and played to a very good crowd. 

registered" 

Serve Delicious FRIED CHICKEN 

Sizzling Hot in 5 Minutes in your 

Drive-In 

Theatre 

• NO FUSS 

• NO MUSS 

• NO EXPERIENCED COOKS 

• NO DISHES TO WASH 

For complete details write 

C. E. GRANT & SON INC 

616 E. Wostmgton St. 

Indianapolis, ! 

ona 

Mike Todd jr. stopped at municipal airport 

here July 24 long enough to announce that 

Mike Todd -sr. will attend the premiere festivities 

for "Around the World in 80 Days" 

at the Lyric Theatre Wednesday (7). Greater 

Indianapolis group sales for "Around the 

World" reached $24,000 in the first week of 

the campaign. This included six SRO houses 

and several half-houses before the end of 

September. Mail orders and general boxoffice 

sale, which began July 29, are not included. 

The Indianapolis Press Club will 

sponsor the premiere for its scholarship fund. 

Charlie Davis, emcee and band leader at 

the Indiana in the popular era of stage shows, 

was here to visit old friends. He's now in 

business at Oswego. N. Y. Dick Powell was 

vocalist in Davis' band until he was put in 

front of one of his own at the Circle . . . Sam 

Shuboef. manager of Loew's. left on a threeweek 

vacation. He will spend it visiting his 

folks in Connecticut and his wife's family in 

Massachusetts. 

Johnny Stearns, manager of Keiths, was 

taking a week's holiday at the northern Indiana 

lakes . cocktail party and buffet 

supper Dale McFarland, general manager of 

greater Indianapolis, gave for James Stewart 

at the Lincoln-Sheraton drew a large 

and enthusiastic crowd . Schuder. 

manager of the Circle, has booked a stage 

show built around Roy Hamilton for a onenight 

stand August 15. 

Indianapolis will see a lot of "Will Success 

Spoil Rock Hunter?" the Jayne Mansfield 

film edition will be playing the Circle while 

Ann Corio is doing her version in-the-round 

at the Avondale Playhouse, local strawhat 

theatre. 

Stagehand Strike Closes 

Orpheum in Springfield 

SPRINGFIELD—The 2,800-seat Orpheum, 

a B&K-Great States theatre, largest in downstate 

Illinois, is still closed due to a stagehand 

strike which began on Sunday the 14th. 

The stagehands union refused to work without 

a contract during the showing of "The 

Ten Commandments" so the management 

shuttered the house indefinitely. It is understood 

that negotiations had been going 

on between management and the union for 

some ten months relative to the demands of 

the union that two members of the stagehands 

union be continued as maintenance 

men. whereas the owners maintained that 

only one man was necessary. 

There has been no indication from Manager 

George Hitch as to when, or if, the 

house will reopen. A check of the remaining 

three first run houses operated by Frisina, 

Kerasotes and Fox interests reveals no increase 

in attendance that could be attributed 

to the Orpheum closing. 

Reopen at Jonesboro, 111. 

JONESBORO, ILL.—The Lincoln Theatre 

here reopened Sunday i28i night under 

the management of Herschel Smith of Hope, 

Ind., who leased the house and equipment 

from Earl W. Lingle of Anna, 111., former operator. 

Smith contemplates the installation 

of Cinemascope equipment and other improvements 

in the next several weeks. 

Drive-In Nets 2,500 

For Flood Relief 

EAST ST. LOUIS—The relief fund to aid 

the Parkside and Wedgewood subdivisions, 

which were hard hit in the flood on June 

23, will receive at least $2,500 from the July 

22. 23 benefit shows put on by the Shop 

City Drive-In of the Jablonow-Komm circuit. 

Louis Jablonow. general manager of the 

circuit, decided to hold the benefit shows 

when drive-in Manager R. L. Weseman told 

him of the deplorable conditions in the 

flooded areas due to the failure of officials to 

do something about the situation that resulted 

in the floods when torrential rainstorms 

liit the area. 

Weseman came up with a special live talent 

program that included the Don Thompson 

Quintette featuring Ann Marie Moss. Marjorie 

Dell Dancers, Sunny Reed and Her 

Gang, Sunny Shields accordion band, Marilyn 

Champion and her Baton Twirlers, Miss 

Madison of 1957 and her attendants from 

Madison, 111. Bob Farrell, well known radio 

personality, served as master of ceremonies. 

The live talent shows were put on atop the 

concession building prior to the opening of 

the film portion of the program. The pictures 

shown included "Desert Legion." "East 

of Sumatra" and "Kentucky Rifle." 

Weseman also promoted attendance prizes 

from local merchants. Another surprise was 

the appearance of Something Smith, recording 

artist, the night of July 22. 

Immediately after the floods, Weseman and 

Jablonow made available the airer's fogging 

equipment to combat mosquitoes and other 

insects in the two subdivisions. 

Central Illinois News Notes 

"The Crescent Theatre in Pontiac has acquired 

a refrigeration air conditioning 

system from the Linda Theatre. Greenview, 

III., which is now closed. The installation replaced 

a washed aii'-ice system . 66 

Drive-In. Springfield, has installed air conditioning 

in the refreshment stand, had the 

112-foot- wide screen tower plastic-coated, 

added pizza pies, baked on the spot, and acquired 

two new Selmix cold drink dispensers. 

Tom Stewart, manager of the Lory, Highland, 

astounded the residents of this community 

of 4,400 by taxiing an airplane down 

the main street of the town and parking it 

in front of the theatre. He had full permission 

and cooperation of local authorities as 

a promotion for "The Spirit of St. Louis" . . . 

The Producers Dairy is sponsoring a weekly 

Saturday morning kiddie show at the Rialto 

Theatre, Peoria . Val Portwood at 

Canton created some excitment and good 

business by promoting the booking of Elvis 

Pi-essley film at the Capitol Theatre and Pat 

Boone at the Garden. Patrons voted for 

their favorites by deposting ticket stubs. 

THE»*fRE EQUIPMENT 

442 N. ILLINOIS ST., INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 

"Everytliing lor the Theatre" 

C-2 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

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BOXOFFICE :: August 3, 1957 

C-3

KANSAS CITY 

Jûssell. Kas., theatreman Dale H. Danielson 

and Cathryn Schmidt, also of Russell, 

were manied Tuesday, July 23. at Clayton. 

N. M. After a honeymoon trip through the 

northern states and in Canada, they will be 

at home at 819 Main in Russell . . . Delores 

Kneib. secretary to Ralph Adams at PMW, 

will marry William A. Spellman in a ceremony 

at St. James Catholic Church Saturday 

morning, August 10. at 9 o'clock. A wedding 

reception will be held that evening at eight 

at the Johnson County Community Center. 

After a short wedding trip, the couple will 

be at home at 3940 Holmes St. Delores says, 

"everyone is welcome" to the wedding and 

the reception. 

"Never underestimate the power of a 

woman." says 20th-Pox salesman Woody 

Sherrill. The woman in question is Mrs. T. H. 

Slothower of the Twin Meadow Laik Drive-In 

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. . Bev 

Kansas City MPA to Host 

Santa Claus in August' 

KAiNSAS CITY—Santa Claus, in full regalia, 

laden with candy and gifts, will make 

an out-of-season. but very welcome, appearance 

to scores of local youngsters through 

the good offices of the Kansas City Motion 

Pictui-e Ass'n. The event, known as "Santa 

Claus in August." will open at 9:30 at the 

Uptown Theatre Tuesday morning, August 13, 

and will include a special preview of Walt 

Disney's "Bambi " which is to be reissued nationally 

through Buena Vista. 

The MPAs young guests will be boys and 

girls from orphanages and other institutions 

in the greater Kansas City area, as well as 

young shutins. The city welfare department 

is giving full cooperation in the effort to see 

that as many children as possible will attend 

Ed Hartman, MPA president and chairman of 

the entertainment committee for "Santa 

Claus in August." said that the program was 

complete in its broad outlines and only some 

detail work remained, to assure that everything 

will go happily and smoothly. 

Cooperating with MPA in the affair are 

many Filmrow firms and organizations who 

are sponsoring special buses to take the 

youngsters to and from the party. A streamer 

banner carrying the name of the sponsor will 

be attached to each bu.s. Bus sponsors include: 

KANSAS CITY 

(Continued from page 4i 

year and a half. Bud Truog of UA and his 

wife were notified Friday (26> that they 

could pick up their- new daughter in two 

hours. She is a sunny-tempered chubby 6- 

month-old whom they have named Dorothy. 

Bud says she is the 15th grandchild in the 

family and already is the special pet of her 

sister. Caren Truog. who is six and a half 

... At Stebbins Theatre Equipment. Mrs. 

Hildred Naylor was vacationing and C. P. 

Pierce, assistant to Clyde Badger, had returned 

from his vacation ... At UA, Ruth 

Feldman, stenographer, was vacationing. The 

exchange has a new staff member, William 

Rasdall. student booker, who started July 23. 

Al Phillips, stationary engineer for the Uptown 

Theatre building, was resting comfortably 

in St. Mary's Hospital, following a heart 

attack 

. Miller had a recent postcard 

from Stockholm from his traipsing brother 

and sister-in-law, the Herbert Millers, who 

RIO IS YOUR 

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SUPPLIES 

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Eyerything 

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Under One 

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UIO^ J?//) ^nûip Compnjijj 

Dickinson Theatres; the Heart. 50. Clayco. 

63rd St. and Boulevard drive-ins: Imperial 

Productions. L&L Poppers, Elxhibitors Delivery 

Service. Ed Hart Motion Picture Service, 

Regal Poppers Supply. Kansas City 

Bank & Trust. Tommy Thompson. Mis.souri 

Theatre Supply. KMTA. Commonwealth 

Amusement, the local WOMPI chapter, National 

Theatre Supply, Shreve Theatre Supply, 

Stebbins Theatre Equipment, Manley, 

Inc.: Regan's restaurant. Screenland cafe, 

Lou Patz, Durwood Theatres and Colosseum 

Loge 12. 

The men responsible for committee work 

involved in the event are: Entertainment. 

Ed Hartman, chairman; M. B. Smith, Fred 

C. Souttar. Contacts to orphanages. Arthur 

Cole, chairman; Ab Sher. Tom Bailey. Dick 

Brous. Gifts and prizes, Frank Bamford, 

chairman; Gus Kopulos, Woodie Latimer, 

Tommy Thomp.son. Transportation, Senn 

Lawler, chairman; Harry Gaffney, Frank 

Thomas, Howard Thomas, Earl Jameson, Al 

Adler, Joe Neger, Morry Relder, Gene Snitz, 

Bud Truog. Theatre and program. Leon 

Robertson, chairman; Harold Guyett. Publicity. 

Joe Redmond, chairman; Darrell Pressnel. 

Martin Stone. Bill Murphy. 

Hartman said "Santa Claus in August" may 

turn out to be an annual event. 

wrote that they were going on to Bergen and 

that they had heard of the midnight sun, but 

never realized how long midsummer days 

could be until visiting Scandinavia . . . Don 

Walker. WB promotion man, was in Minneapolis 

working on "Band of Angels." WOMPI 

members are still trying to make their calories 

balance after the wonderful buffet meal 

they enjoyed at Chicken Cuisine near Grandview 

following the quarterly evening meeting 

Tuesday (23). 

Janet Crosswhite, remembered by many on 

the Row here from her five years as a secretary 

at Commonwealth Amusement, has 

set August 31 as the date of her marriage to 

William G. McLaughlin. The ceremony will 

be held at 8 p.m. in the Broadway Methodist 

Church and Janet extends a cordial invitation 

to all her old friends to attend. The 

couple will go to Phoenix where they will both 

enroll in the American Institute for Foreign 

Trade. The groom, a Purdue graduate, is 

taking a leave of absence from Dow Chemical 

Co.. where he is a sales engineer. Janet and 

Bill will concentrate on the study of business 

transactions in western Europe, hoping to 

draw an assignment there when they have 

completed the nine-month course. 

Kansas exhibitors on Filmrow included 

Gene Musgrave of Minneapolis and Wamego; 

&nle Block, Civic Theatre, Sabetha; Bill 

Flynn, 50-S Drive-In, Emporia; George 

Nescher, Rio, Valley Falls; Bob Adkins, Linn 

Theatre, Pleasanton; Chet Borg, Fort Scott, 

and Dick Whitley, Lawrence. Missourians on 

the Row included Harley Fryer, Lamar; Glenn 

Jones, Gravois Mills; M. S. Heath of Liberty 

and his son Marvin of the Hillcrest Drive-In 

at Gashland; Howard Spiess of the 40 Drive- 

In here, from St. Louis; Virgil Harbison, 

Tarkio, and Jim Cook of Maryville. 

Mary E. Karches Is Winner 

Of Busch Beer Contest 

ST. LOUIS—Mary E. Karches, sister of Myra 

Stroud, managing secretary of the Missouri- 

Illinois Theatre Owners, won the grand 

prize in the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. 'a 

nation-wide "Where's Harry" contest for its 

Busch Bavarian beer. She is entitled to 

either an all-expenses paid trip for two to 

Bavaria with stopoffs in London and Paris, 

or a new Ford automobile. 

The announcement that Mary was the top 

winner among the 100,000 plus entrants in the 

contest came on the regular radio play-byplay 

account of a baseball game between the 

St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Bums. 

Mary and her husband Emil, a member of 

the accounting department staff of Arthur 

Enterprises, local theatre chain, were to attend 

another game between the Cardinals 

and Bums the following night so that she 

could be introduced. 

Contestants were to determine the number 

of times each of three members of the brewing 

company's radio and television broadcasting 

staff appeared in a photograph of 

stands at Busch stadium packed with spectators. 

The faces in the contest blanks were 

very deceptive, most everyone seeming to 

resemble Harry, Joe or Mr. Buck of the playby-players. 

Mrs. Karches made the best 

guess as to the number of times each appeared. 

Like most other contestants she sent 

in a number of guesses, since there vjz.s no 

limitation in that respect. 

Kerasotes Renovating 

Drive-In at West Quincy 

QUINCY, ILL.—Kerasotes Theatres, which 

took over operation of the West Quincy 

Drive-In July 8. from World Theatrical Enterprises, 

St. Louis, have announced a modernization 

program now in progress. The 

refurbishing plan includes the general cleaning 

up of grounds, particularly the eradication 

of weeds; a scientific fogging operation 

to eliminate mosquitoes; the expansion of the 

screen tower for showing of Cinemascope 

productions; the establishment of a complete 

kiddyland-playground area near the screen 

tower; remodeling of the concession stand, 

and other improvments. 

The physical facelifting will be backed by 

an intense promotional campaign to woo new 

patrons, better serve the current customers, 

and win back those who had attended previously. 

The facelifting project is under the direction 

of A. J. Claesson, maintenance superintendent 

and the promotion is being handled 

by Dave Jones, supervisor and advertising 

director. A new resident manager is now receiving 

specialized training in Decatur and 

Springfield and will assume his duties about 

August 15. 

North Vernon, Ind., Drive-In 

Is Opened by H. L. Black 

INDIANAPOLIS—The new North Vernon 

Drive-In officially opened Friday (26). 

Howard L. Black, owner, reports he had an 

overcapacity attendance all that weekend 

with "Far- Country" and "Johnny Dark." 

The theatre accommodates 360 cars with 

space available for an additional 150. Black, 

a native of North Vernon, is new to the theatre 

business and will operate the drive-in 

along with his two sons. 

C-6 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

THEATRICAL 

2310 

. . The 

I 

Jerry Lewis Opus Gels 

Second Chicago Week 

CHICAGO — "The Delicate Delinquent" did 

so well at the Chicago that it was held for 

an additional week. The film opened with 

holdouts during the two-day period Jerry 

Lewis made stage appearances, and near capacity 

business continued for the balance 

of the week. "An Affair to Remember" at the 

Oriental, and the combination of "Giant 

Claw" plus "The Night the World Exploded" 

opened strong at the Grand. "The French, 

They Are a Funny Race" did well in its midwest 

premiere at the Cinema. 

(Average Is 100) 

Carnegie The Little Hut (MGM) 190 

Chicago The Delicate Delinquent (Para) 235 

Cinema The French, They Are a Funny Roee 

(Cont-i) 190 

Esquire Beou James (Para), 4th wk 195 

Garrick— Bambi (BV), reissue, 2nd wk 225 

Grand—Giant Claw (Col); The Night the World 

Exploded (Col) 215 

Loop Silk Stockings (MGM), 5th wk 205 

McVickers The Ten Commandments (Para), 

35th wk 285 

Monroe The Fire Maidens of Outer Space (SR); 

Bride of the Monster (Teitel), 2nd wk 195 

Oriental—An Affoir to Remember (20th-Fox) 

. . 

21 

Polace Seven Wonders of the World (Cinerama), 

33rd wk 320 

Roosevelt—The Curse of Frankenstein (WB); 

X the Unknown (WB), 2nd wk 215 

State Lake The Pride ond the Passion (UA), 

5th wk 225 

Surf The Green Man (DCA), 6th wk 180 

Todd's Cinestage Around the World in SO Days 

(UA), 16th wk 350 

United Artists The Prince and the Showgirl 

(WB), 2nd wk 235 

Woods Something of Value (MGM), 3rd wk. ..220 

World Playhouse Invitation to the Dance (MGM), 

4th wk 200 

Ziegfeld One Summer of Happiness (Times); 

Devil in the Flesh (AFE), reissues, 2nd wk. ..180 

Top Temperatures Agree 

With Kaycee Theatremen 

KANSAS CITY—First run business continued 

to show strength here, a factor almost 

certainly being the season's highest temperatures 

which have driven numbers of customers 

into refrigerated theatres. The dayand-date 

premiere showing of "Run of the 

Arrow" at four Dickinson situations pulled 

160 per cent, while Fox Midwest was pleased 

at the strength shown by "Joe Butterfly" and 

the second week of "Tammy and the Bachelor." 

Esquire, Fairway and Granada Joe Butterfly 

(U-l) 130 

Glen and Dickinson; Shawnee and Leowood Driveins 

Run of the Arrow (U-l); First Traveling 

Soleslody (U-l) 160 

Kimo—Gold of Noples (DCA), 3rd wk 90 

Midland Tarzon ond the Lost Safari (MGM); 

Decision Against Time (MGM) 90 

Missouri Cinerama Holiday (Cinerama), 20th wk. 225 

Paramount The Delicate Delinquent (Para), 

2nd wk., 6 days 100 

Roxy The Ten Commandments, 24th and final 

wk 300 

Tower Around the World in 80 Days (UA), 9th 

wk 530 

Uptown Tommy ond the Bachelor (U-l), 2nd wk. 140 

'Affair,' "Niglit Passage' 

Strong in Indianapolis 

INDIANAPOLIS—Filmgoers were distributing 

their patronage unevenly at first run theatres 

here the past week. "Night Passage," 

which James Stewart boosted in a personal 

visit to the city, opened well at the Indiana. 

"An Affair to Remember" also was drawing 

strong support at Keith's and "The Ten Commandments" 

was getting a new charge from 

its 27th and last week at the Lyric. 

Circle Let's Be Happy (AA); Destination 60,000 

(AA) 90 

Esquire 00 

Indiana 

The Silent World 

Night Passage 

(Col) 

(U-l) 

1 

125 

Keiths An Affair to Remember 1 50 

Loews Tarzon ond the Lost 

(20th-Fox) 

Sofori 

. 

(MGM); 

Decision Agoinst Time (MGM) 90 

Lyric-^The Ten Commandments (Para), 27th wk. 200 

ST. 

LOUIS 

fjerb Washburn, National Screen manager, 

returned from a two-day sales gathering 

in New York City . . . The 'Will Rogers Hospital 

theatre participation drive runs August 

7-12. The Arthur Enterprises, Loew's 

and Tommy James theatres have announced 

plans for audience collections . . ."Bambi" 

opened at Loew's Orpheum to big business. 

The opening lineup ran around the corner 

and up St. Charles street. 

Marylu Sturhahn, booker in charge of the 

local office of Buena 'Vista, left on a twoweek 

vacation trip to Pittsburgh, Pa., where 

she will attend the wedding of her niece 

Mai-y Ellen Leach, whose father is manager 

of the Roosevelt Hotel there. Marylu plans 

to spend about two weeks in Pittsburgh visiting 

with her brother and his family . . . Exhibitors 

seen along Pilmrow included Bud 

Mercier, Fredericktown, Mo.; Howard Bates, 

lUmo, Mo.; Herman Tanner, 'Vandalia, 111., 

and L. J. Williams, Union, Mo. 

Paramount stagêd its annual picnic for the 

local exchange staff at the Hillcrest Country 

Club, owned and operated by East Ed Macauley, 

famed star of the St. Louis Hawks 

basketball team. It was a very delightful affair. 

Swimming and good picnic eating were 

features of the day . Cape Drive-In at 

Cape Girardeau, Mo., henceforth will be 

closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 

nights, reversing the usual procedure. 

Strangely, this drive-in does its best business 

Tuesday through Friday nights. The 

owners, Howard Bates and Carl Milne, also 

own the Starvue Drive-In between Cape 

Girai'deau and Jackson, Mo., which will continue 

to operate seven nights a week. 

Eileen O'Connell, secretary-stenographer for 

Realart Pictures of St. Louis, was married 

July 27 in the Holy Ghost Catholic Church 

in Berkeley to Elmo Bernhoester jr., a lineman 

for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. 

They are honeymooning in Daytona Beach. 

Fla. The bride will continue her work for 

Realart. The couple will make their home in 

St. Charles. Mo. . . . J. R. Brown of Kansas 

City, representative for Altec Service, and 

F. E. Riggs of the Coca-Cola company, while 

in town, made arrangements with Myra 

Stroud, managing secretary, MITO, and Buzz 

Magarian of East St. Louis, head of the trade 

show committee for that organization's annual 

meeting, for their participation in the 

gathering. A terrific program is being worked 

out for the two-day meeting on September 

9, 10. 

The arrest of a 16-year-old boy inside a 

burglarized service station in East St. Louis, 

111., according to the police, resulted in his 

confessing to pai'ticipation in a number of 

other burglaries, including one at the Cahokia 

Drive-In of the Bloomer Amusement 

Co. in which a record player, records and 


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some money were stolen. The police later 

recovered the record player and 87 records, 

a microphone, two radios and two carving 

sets taken in various burglaries . . . Hughey 

Nesbitt, Universal film salesman, is making 

a nice recovery from his illness that started 

July 12 when he collapsed in the exchange 

office. 

$40,000 Tax Cut Granted 

On Roxy Theatre Bldg. 

KANSAS CITY—Durwood Theatres, Inc., 

owners of the Roxy Theatre building, 1104 

Main, last week obtained a $40,000 reduction 

in the assessed valuation from the Jackson 

county board of equalization. 

David Skeer, attorney for the circuit, reminded 

board members that an adjustment 

was in order because reductions had been 

granted on the Yoew's Midland (last week) 

and the Tower theatre buildings (last year). 

Skeer said the property is not returning as 

much as in former years. The Roxy was adjusted 

from $205,000 to $165,000. 

DRIVE-IN 

Practically 

Yearly 

THEATRES! 

DOUBLE 

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IN-THE-CAR 

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Telephone JEfferson 3-7974 

RCA Theatre Supply Dealer 

"SELECT" FOUNTAIN SYRUPS 

DRINK DISPENSERS 

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BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 C-7

Doug Helgeson Boys Pass 4th Year 

Of Herding in Cinerama Patrons 

CHICAGO—Cinerama passed its fourth anniversary 

at the Palace July 29. There wasn't 

any fanfare to mark the date, but based on 

the tremendous business which has been 

done by "Seven Wonders of the World" and 

its two predecessors. "This Is Cinerama" 

and "Cinerama Holiday," the celebration could 

be loud and long. 

The first Cinerama production ran its 

course here with capacity audiences, and 

"Cinerama Holiday" was still packing people 

into the Palace when room was made for 

"Seven Wonders of the World." Grosses for 

the latter have been averaging between $35.- 

and $47,500 a week, and according to booked 

reservations, it will continue to do top business 

for the next two months. At present 

no date has been set for the opening of the 

fourth attraction. 

WORK AS VfilT 

Credit and recognition to Douglas J. Helgeson. 

managing director of the Palace, and 

the members of the Palace staff mark this, 

the fourth anniversary. These staff members 

have worked together as a unit which 

made the Palace a hub of activity for business 

large enough to warrant additional morning 

shows, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Helgeson and his staff aren't looking for 

credit. They feel the Cinerama productions 

speak for themselves. Nevertheless, after 33 

weeks of "Seven Wonders of the World," 

there are lines of people at the boxoffice 

waiting to buy tickets, and every day finds 

busloads of people who are here for conventions, 

or who have made the trip solely 

to see the attraction, entering the Palace 

doors. The members of the Palace staff have 

been in the theatre business in one capacity 

or another for a long time. They realize that 

the public is always looking for something 

new, and will accept something new, but this 

hasn't curbed their energy or activity. 

30 YEARS IN BUSINESS 

Helgeson is a veteran of some 30 years. He 

started in the motion picture industry when 

he was only a freshman at New York University 

as a student of business administration. 

He jumped at the chance when he was 

offered a parttime job as assistant manager 

with Loew's. Eventually he was offered a job 

as assistant manager on a permanent basis 

at the old American Theatre on West 42nd 

street. After spending 20 years with Loew's 

managing theatres, he moved his family to 

the west coast. For two years he was division 

manager of four drive-ins in southern 

California. Then he transferred to Warner 

Theatres, spending two years there. 

When the Chicago Cinerama operation began 

to take shape, Lester Issac, as national 

director of exhibition for Cinerama, selected 

Helgeson to take over at the Palace as managing 

director.

'Sun' in New Orleans 

In Spite oi Threats 

NEW ORLEANS—Threats from a White 

Citizens Council chapter and an American 

Legion committee failed to halt the showing 

of "Island in the Sun." which deals with 

interracial romance. 

The film opened at the white Tudor Theatre 

and the Negro Clabon Tlieatre. 

Louis P. Davis jr., president of the Gentilly 

Citizens Council, threatened to file criminal 

charges against the theatre for showing the 

film which he called "immoral and indecent" 

and "grossly scandalous." 

The Americanism Committee of the First 

District (Greater New Orleans) American 

Legion asked that the picture be suppressed 

because it "contributed to the Communist 

party aim of creating friction between the 

races." 

But Mike Lion, manager of the Tudor, said 

the film w'ould be shown. 

"We don't expect any trouble," he said. 

"We hope it's a good movie and will drawgood 

crowds." 

"It is a lewd, filthy, sexually indecent and 

immoral performance of a white woman making 

love to and marrying a Negro and of a 

white man making love to and marrying a 

mulatress," Davis said. 

Memphis Is Basking 

In Sunny Grosses 

MEMPHIS—First runs here have gone into 

a fourth week of big midsummer business. All 

reported well above average attendance for 

a third week. "Loving You" at the Strand 

did four times average business in Elvis 

Presley's hometown during its third week. 

The first week of the film did 700 per cent 

and scored 600 per cent in its second week. 

The Warner Bros, horror duo scored 225 per 

cent here. 


Maico Fire Down Below (Col) 155 

Palace Gun Glory (MGM) 120 

State Silk Stockings (MGM) 150 

Strand Loving You (Para), 3rd wk 400 

Warner The Curse of Frankenstein (WB); X the 

Unknown (WB) 225 

Warren Schaeffer Dies; 

Gainesville, Fla., Owner 

GAINESVILLE. FLA.—Warren Ray Shaeffer, 

50. owner and operator of the Suburbia 

Drive-In, died from a kidney ailment while 

visiting relatives in Burlington, N. C. The 

funeral was held in Lexington, Ky. with 

burial in Broadhead, Ky. Survivors include 

his wife and two daughters. He had operated 

theatres in Kentucky and in several Florida 

towns before coming to Gainesville from Daytona 

Beach three years ago. 

No 'Sun' at Fort Myers 

FORT MYERS. FLA.—"Island in the Sun" 

will not be shown at the Lee Theatre according 

to Bob Blotcky, manager. A group of 

local public officials, following a preview, disapproved 

of the relationships between whites 

and Negroes in the 20th-Fox film. Mrs. 

Therese Kellum. manager of the Grand, theatre 

for Negroes, commented that banning 

the film may cause more controversy than 

showing it. 

INDUSTRY 

PROFILE 

Mother, Son and Brother Team 

Carries on at Claughton Helm 

MIAMI—The late Edward N. Claughton, 

who had just lost a fortune in Atlanta, 

arrived in Miami in 1918 "with just 

enough money for a ham sandwich," with 

- his wife and two children. Mrs. Claughton, 

daughter of a St. Augustine businessman 

and several times mayor, pitched in to 

help him rebuild the family fortune. 

"I knew nothing except how to play 

bridge," she recalls, "so I gave bridge 

-, lessons." 

She enrolled in a secretarial school, and 

^ before long was working full time. 

Claughton became something of a sensation 

on the Miami scene, writes Lawrence 

Thompson in a father-son—this time 

a mother-son—article in the Miami Herald. 

He became an influential man in the 

growing city, developing various enterprises. 

And Lillian Claughton is still pitching. 

*' 

The heart of the Claughton enterprises 

* ranging from a railroad to a hotel, an 

island to a restaurant, theatres to a mortgage 

company— is in a small office on the 

third floor of the Urmey Hotel. 

On a wall of that office is a large por- 

"^ 

trait of Edward Claughton, who died May 

10, 1955. And the late Ed Claughton remains 

the heart of the enterprises now 

carried on by his family. 

It is a family business, certainly, run 

in complete compatibility and with designation 

of authority to the individual 

members, by Mrs. Lillian Claughton, Edward 

N. Claughton jr.. and Amos W. 

Corbett. 

> Mrs. Claughton is president of the parent 

Claughton Company in the diverse 

Claughton interests that include many 

corporations. It is in her office that Ed 

Claughton's portrait hangs. 

Their son Edward jr. has been active 

in the family business since he graduated 

from law school in 1953. and has assumed 

more important roles in its direction since 

his father's death. 

Corbett is Mrs. Claughton's brother. 

So close is the family relationship that 

Ed jr. calls Corbett "Brother," just as 

g;; does his mother, simply because he seems 

Sij more like a brother to him than an uncle. 

The late Mr. Claughton left his imprint 

;;:| on the growing city in many ways, such 

II as developing downtown property. Edison 

S:; 

Center and Allapattah business areas, and 

isj a circuit of motion picture theatres. 

II 

There was some speculation about the 

Operates Health Center 

CORAL GABLES, FLA.-Jack Ray. the original 

Fi-eckles of Our Gang movies who went 

blind when he was 40 years old, has started 

a new career. Undaunted by the loss of his 

eyesight, the former film and stage performer 

attended classes for more than a half year 

at the Lindsey Hopkins Vocational School, 

learning to be a masseur and physical therapist. 

He now operates the GiraJda Health 

Center, Coral Gables, and is living here with 

his wife and four children. 

effect his death would have on his farflung 

interests. But his widow, son and p 

brother-in-law have proved equal to the ^ 

task as they direct the business from their % 

adjoining offices in the Urmey Hotel. 

From there they direct a dozen or 

% 

% 

more businesses, with about 200 employes. || 

Mrs. Claughton was born in St. Augus- jt 

tine, as was her brother. Their father, f 

A. W. Corbett, was a real estate man and ^ 

merchant, several times mayor of that ^ 

venerable city. The family moved to 

Miami in 1918. and she attended Miami 

Senior High School. She went to Atlanta 

on her marriage to Claughton. There '; 

their children Ed jr. and a daughter, now 

Mrs. Jerome Matthews, were born, and she 

found time to complete journalism studies ,' 

at Oglethorpe University. L 

On Dec. 6, 1941, the day before the at- E 

tack on Pearl Harbor, Claughton opened ^ 

the Royal Theatre, since demolished, and p 

Installed his wife as assistant manager. % 

She has been an important member of the % 

Claughton business since. % 

Brother Amos also attended Miami Sen- 

ior High, then went to work for the Florida 

j 

1 

National Bank. After ten years in the 

banking business, he accepted an invita- 

% 

M 

tion to help his sister run the new Claugh- ^ 

ton theatre. Like her. he never left the M 

Claughton business family. j 

Ed jr.. now 29. had his first job as a 1 

water boy for a construction company V 

Every summer until he finished college 

he worked, in the later years as an usher 

and candy salesman in the family theatres 

He was graduated from Miami Senior 

, 

High, got his BA from Duke in 1950, and , 

his law degree from the 

' 

University of 

Florida in 1953. He served with the Navy, ' 

on a minesweeper, in 1945 and 1946 As -^ 

soon as he finished law school, Ed joined 

his father, mother and uncle and he's 

still a member of the team. i 

Mrs. Claughton is president of the ; 

Claughton Co. Ed is vice-president Corbett 

is secretai-j-treasiu-er and general i; 

manager. All three are partners in the '. 

Seven Seas restaurant, which they have % 

on a 99-year lease. ** 

Mrs. Claughton and Ed are vice-presi- Ij 

dents of the Dade Commonwealth Mort- J 

gage Co., and Corbett is treasurer. '% 

Ed is a director and on the finance % 

committee of the Chicago & Eastern Illi- % 

nois Railroad Co., in which the family % 

is a major stockholder 

^ 

'Island in Sun' Will Open 

In West Memphis Houses 

MEMPHIS—"Island in the Sun," recently 

banned from local screens by censors as being 

"too frank a treatment of miscegenation." 

will be shown simultaneously in the 

Avon Theatre and Sunset Drive-In at West 

Memphis, just across the Mississippi river in 

Arkansas. It will open between August 10 

and 15, M. A. Lightman sr.. Malco Theatres, 

announced. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 SE-1 

j

ATLANTA 

Cal Mineo was imported by Columbia for 

personal appearances with his new Savannah-locationed 

picture. "The Young Don't 

Cry." The tour kicked off August 2 in Savannah, 

where the Weis Theatre world premiered 

the film. Mineo will appear in Atlanta 

next Thursday (8) at the Paramount opening, 

then go on to Birmingham. Chattanooga 

and other key cities . . . Sadie Vinson has 

turned over her PBX board at U-I to Celia 

Mislow. Sadie has been boosted to secretary 

to office manager Bob Burnette. 

Buena Vista has been looking for a short 

-subjects booker. The company soon will start 

Martha Carter 

booking its own shorts . . . 

left Dixie Drive-ins July 19. No replacement 

Carl Button 

has been named yet . . . shuttered his Melody Theatre. Jefferson City, 

Sno Cone Machines 

Popcorn Machines 

Hot Dog Machines 

ALSO 

Complete Line of Concession Supplies 

li

DOUBLE BOXOFFICE BLOCKBUSTERI Ni« 

CONTACT YOUR yimenuuzM, 

'nXanjiado/iaL EXCHANGE 

:apitol releasing corp. 

W. M. RICHARDSON 

164 Walton Street, N.W. 

ATLANTA 3, GEORGIA 

AMERICAN mSTOR PICTURES 

R. F. PINSON 

215 West 4th Street 

NORTH CAROLINA 

CHARLOTTE 1, 

COLONIAL PICTURES 

R. V. REAGAN 

492 So. Second Street 

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 

CAPITOL RELEASING CORP. 

R. C. PRICE 

137 Forsythe Street 

JACKSONVILLE 2, FLORIDA 

HAROLD F. COHEN ENT. 

HAROLD F. COHEN 

150 So. Liberty Street 

NEW ORLEANS 12, LOUISIANA

JACKSONVILLE 

TJIike Todd jr. was here for a few days preparing 

for the opening of "Around the 

World in 80 Days" in Todd-AO at the five 

Points Theatre in suburban Riverside on 

August 14. Todd's engaging personality 

established good press relations with local 

newspapers and brought good advance publicity 

for the Academy Award winning film. 

After he had appeared at the downtown 

Tourist and Convention Bureau lugging a 

big carpetbag, Todd was described as the 

"first carpetbagger to come here since reconstruction 

days" after the Civil War. Bill 

Beck, director of the Five Points, ran big 

advance ads for "Around the World" which 

St. Petersburg Plaza Site 

Now Is Car Parking Lot 

GENTLEMEN 

fhe solution to 

our problem ! 

No' It 

isn't 

hotter pop-com or 

better dishes that'll perk 

up ottcndonce tor you Ever get 

a good gander at your seats' 

Bet you 

wouldn't patronize a house with such 

moth eoten upholstery' And the remedy 

IS easier than getting a hoir-cut 

Just phone us, then forget all about 

It, 'til you look and rove about our 

quick, smart and ECONOMICAL rehabilitation 

of your seating ills 

MANUFACTURERS 

Do It right now' 

DISTRIBUTORS 

h 1 m Rubber U p h o i b t e r j 

s 

h

in vendin g 

in fountains 

^ 

in theatres 

,w«r^ 

INCLUDE 

IT PAYS . . AND 

PAYS '. Qui PA YS! 

BOXOFFICE :: August 3, 1957 SE-5

. . . W. 

. . Mrs. 

. . Roland 

MEMPHIS 

pivis Presley's picture, 'Loving You," is not 

only doing a record hometown business 

at the Strand here, but is creating a sensation 

throughout the trade territory. Howard 

Nicholson, manager for Paramount, has been 

receiving glowing statements from the 66 

theatres in thi.s area which have shown or are 

Here's 

Your Chance 

to get in the 

BIG 

MONEY 

Be Sure 

to Play 

As a screen 

game, Hollywood takes 

top honors. As a boxoffice at- 

Iraction, it is without equal. It has 

been a favorite with theatregoers for 

15 years. 

Write today br complete details! 

Be sure to give seating or car 

capacity. 

HOLLYWOOD 

AMUSEMENT 

COMPANY 

3750 Oaklon St. 

Skokie, Illinois 

JonricUvt^ 

BOONTON, N. J. 

still showing the film. Jackson, Tenn.; Little 

Rock, Ark., and Tupelo. Miss. (Elvis birthplace), 

and Trenton, Tenn., have had the 

best business. 

Mrs. Helen Beck has closed for the summer 

her Arkansa.s Theatre at Mammoth Springs, 

and is devoting fuUtime to her nearby drivein 

.. . Closed for about two years, the Ritz 

at Magnolia, Ark., has been reopened by 

William Marks, owner . 

Adams, 

Rebel Drive-In, Oxford, and C. N. Eudy, 

Houston, Houston, were in town from Mississippi. 

Employes of 20th-Fox and theii- families 

enjoyed a weekend outing at Paris on Kentucky 

Lake . Sara Pretz, former employe, 

and widow of the late Bob Bandy, who 

was ad salesman for the exchange, visited 

friends on Filmrow from Corpus Christi. Tex. 

H. Gray, Rutherford, Rutherford; J. 

A. Petty, Wayne, Waynesboro, and Louise 

Mask, Luez, Bolivar, were in from Tennessee. 

From Arkansas came C. F. Bonner and his 

son Robert, Community, Pine Bluff; Gordon 

Hutchins, 64 Drive-In, Russellville; Moses 

Sliman, Lux. Luxora; William Elias. Murr. 

Osceola, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Sanders, 

Ken. Marshall. 

Old Sunset in Oak Cliff 

Swept by $25,000 Fire 

DALLAS—The old Sunset Theatre in Oak 

Cliff, closed for some time, suffered an estimated 

$25,000 damage from a blaze that apparently 

smouldered several hours inside the 

building before it leaked through the roof 

on a recent Sunday. Before the eight 

fire companies extinguished the fire early 

Monday morning the building was almost 

completely destroyed. 

The Sunset, located some three blocks south 

of Hardin Theatre Supply on Hampton Road, 

was owned by Mrs. Raymond Dillard of 

Mexia. It was still completely equipped for 

showings at the time of the blaze but plans 

to convert the theatre into a bowling alley 

had been in the making. The loss was about 

70 per cent covered by insurance. Roof repairs 

costing $800 had recently been completed. 

Since there were no openings in the building, 

it was necessary for firemen to cut holes 

in the walls and roof to make entrance with 

their hoses. Investigator D. G. Dabbs reported 

that the fire probably started between 

the ceiling and balcony inside the theatre. 

New CS at Ogunquit, Me. 

PORTSMOUTH, N. H.—Joseph Rattee of 

New England Theatre Supply has completed 

installation of Cinemascope equipment m a 

theatre at Ogunquit, Me. 

Large Core 

Greater Crater Area 

meam- 

MAXIMUM LIGHT 

Deal tor '80 Days' Fans 

Memphis Booth Fuss 

MEMPHI.S— An effort of M. A. Lightman 

sr., president of Malco Theatres, to settle the 

strike of union projectionists at the Crosstown 

Theatre resulted in a week or rapidfire 

statements from both sides in the local 

newspapers. It all came about when the 

Crosstown closed a deal to show Mike Todd's 

"Around the World in 80 Days" in August. 

The Todd spokesmen got around the question 

of whether they would cross a union 

picket line by saying they had never crossed 

one. 

A strike started February 4 and is still in 

progress against a group of neighborhood 

houses, including the Crosstown. The union 

walked out after managers insisted they 

take a 28-cent hourly cut in pay. All theatres 

are open, some operated by owners and 

some by managers who have obtained city 

licenses to operate projection machine.s. 

Lightman first said he made a "very liberal 

offer" to Local 144. "But if they don't accept 

it we will go right ahead and show the picture 

anyway." He did not say how. 

Albert Shelton. business agent, said the 

union was holding — out for four operators to 

show the film "standard procedure in other 

cities where Todd-AO movies have been 

shown." Lightman replied; "This is an issue 

of salary. They are asking $500 a week for 

four men to work 15 hours each." 

Lightman said he offered the operators $8 

an hour to run the show with one or two 

men at their option. "The projectionists are 

asking for $16.67 an hour, with four men to 

work 15 hours apiece each week," Lightman 

said. 

Then came the question of Lightman agreeing 

with other theatres not to settle the strike 

against his neighborhood houses separately. 

Several theatre owners spoke up, saying this 

was a special case and they were in no way 

resentful of a private settlement by the 

Crosstown. 

Asked how the film was shown in Little 

Rock, Alton Sims, Arkansas division manager 

for Rowley United Theatres, said; "Since you 

ask me, we never used more than two operators 

at one time—although we used four 

daily, two in the morning and two in the 

evening." 

Schedules Fight TV 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—The Gateway 

is scheduled to show a closed-circuit telecast 

of the Basilio-Robinson boxing match September 

29. 

COMPLETE LINE 

THEATRE EQUIPMENT and 

CONCESSION SUPPLIES 

TRI-STATE THEATRE SUPPLY 

320 So. Second %t. Memphis, Tenn. 

in Georgia—Dixie Theatre Service & Supply Co., Albony—Hemlock 2-2846 

Dixie Theotre Service & Supply Co., Atlonta—Wolnut 4118 

Roy Smith Company, Atlonta—Jackson 5-2644 

Rhodes Sound & Projector Service, Sovonnoh—Savannoh 

3-8788 

Even/y Diiiributed .' 

SE-6 


. . Burton 

. . 

. , 

. . . The 

, 

u 

I 

I 

I 

RESEARCH BUREAU 

for 

MODERN THEATRE PLANNERS 

ENROLLMENT FORM FOR FREE INFORMATION 

The MODERN THEATRE 

PLANNING INSTITUTE 

825 Van Brunt Blvd. 

Kansas City 24, Mo. 

Gentlemen: 

Please enroll us in your RESEARCH BUREAU 

to receive information regularly, as released, on 

the following subjects for Theatre Planning: 

Acoustics 

Air Conditioning 

n Architectural Service 

"Black" Lighting 

n Building Material 

D Carpets 

G Coin Machines 

D Complete Remodeling 

D Decorating 

n Lighting Fixtures 

n Plumbing Fixtures 

n Projectors 

n Projection Lamps 

Seating 

n Signs and Ilarquees 

Sound Equipment 

Television 

D Drink Dispensers D Theatre Fronts 

n Drive-In Equipment D Vending Equipment 

D Other Subjects 

Theatre 

Seating Capacity, 

Address 

City 

State 

Signed 

Postage-paid reply cards for your further convenience 

ID obtoinlng information are provided in The MODERN 

THEATRE Section, published with the first issue of 

each month. 

MIAMI 

TUo children's or student's tickets are being 

sold at the Cameo. Mayfair and Sunset 

theatres for the run of the current "Lady 

Chatterley's Lover" ... A patron trying to 

find out where the first theatre in Florida 

opened learned via newspaper channels that 

it was in Pensacola. Earliest mention of a 

theatre in Florida dates back to 1821. In 

1869. Fay Templeton, 6-year-old actress, appeared 

with her father's company in a makeshift 

Pensacola theatre composed of rough 

planks laid among cotton bales and coffee 

sacks in an old warehouse. Thomas and Lawrence 

Keene and Fanny Davenport played 

Pensacola in 1878 in a remodeled one-story 

building. The Opera House, a large theatre, 

was begun in 1882 and completed a year later. 

Acoustics were described as "admirable," and 

the interior as "modern" in every way. A 

second or peanut gallery was provided for 

Negroes, and a section of 15 seats was reserved 

for the demimondaine of the town. 

The Sunset Art Theatre is lending lobby 

wall space to an exhibit of 12 paintings by 

Elmo Gideon, local painter and decorator 

who has achieved considerable success. 

Mrs. Nicholas Schenck is sponsoring Shirley 

Cowell, also of Miami Beach, who is a song 

composer, and who has had some demonstration 

recordings made by a topflight jazz 

pianist. These include her "If I Passed By," 

"Dreamers' Waltz" and "Talk to Me" . 

No summer doldrums anymore so far as important 

picture openings go in greater Miami. 

Midsummer sees such openings as "Beau 

James." "Loving You." "Silk Stockings," 

"Night Passage," "Bernardine." "Band of 

Angels," "Hatful of Rain" and the soon due 

"The Pride and the Passion." 

George Bourke, Herald amusement editor, 

is quaking for fear his "back of the head" 

emoting scene in "Teacher's Pet," the film 

in which a number of the nation's newsmen 

took part, will wind up on the cutting room 

floor. The completed picture runs a half 

hour too long and scissoring is in order , 

Localites, who remember months of struggling 

in adjacent waters to film "Old Man 

and the Sea," read with interest of the resumed 

shooting in Hawaii. Due to turbulent 

seas, only some 15 minutes of film were ever 

completed here, though nine locations were 

tried and so much money spent that the 

picture is never expected to pay off. 

Floridians are taking a good look at the 

huge Mississippi steamer which plays an important 

background part in "Band of Angels," 

currently playing. It is to become a permanent 

museum of memorabilia about the picture 

and is now located for good in Bradenton as 

an amusement park attraction. The 236-foot 

Gordon Green, largest packet steamer ever 

built, is to contain photographs of Clark 

Gable and Yvonne DeCarlo, as well as props 

and many items connected w-ith the Civil 

War drama . Clark booked another 

Sunday evening square dance feature at the 

Boulevard Drive-In, A special orchestra 

played for patrons who wished to shake a 

foot. 

The FCC made it official by authorizing 

the sale of WMTV in Madison, Wis., to 

Mitchell Wolfson, head of a purchasing corporation. 

Sale price reportedly was $350,000. 

Besides WTVJ in Miami, Wolfson has interests 

also in WFGA-TV in Jacksonville . 

For a one-performance-only, and at an additional 

admission to those who paid for 

only the regular show, the Paramount and 

Cinema, accommodating Miami and Miami 

Beach, put on a midnight showiiig of "Loving 

You." "Bernardine" was the regular feature 

Essex, Tower and Parkway neighborhoods 

were next in line on the Popeye Fun 

Party, which has Skipper Chuck in person 

from the WTVJ Popeye Playhouse. The show 

(Continued on next page) 

Massey Seating Company, Inc. 

160 Hermitage Avenue Nashville, Tenn. 

Phone: ALpine 5-8459 ... or 

International Seat Division 

Union City Body Company, Inc. 

Union City, Indiana 

SERVICE 

and 

COURTESY 

for over 20 years 

OUR WATCH WORD 

CENTURY I'uV^^.To STRONG laTps 

CONCESSION EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES 

STANDARD THEATRE SUPPLY CO 

219 So. Church St. 

CHARLOTTE, N C 

HOOKING SERVICED 

135 Brevard Court, Charlofte, N. C. 

FRANK LOWRY — JOHN WOOD 

PHONE FR. 5-7787 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 SE-7

95 

Phone: 

. 

. 

MIAMI 

(Continued from preceding page) 

was in addition to the usual Saturday double 

bill, this time including Popeye cartoons. 

Jack Caplan expects considerable interest 

to be shown in his booking of "The Birth of 

a Nation." the 1915 epic. Florida state rights 

to it are held by the family of Henry B. Walthall, 

one of the principals in the picture, 

along with Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh . 

The Roosevelt, showing "Cinerama Holiday." 

has been making a series of tie-ins with 

various businesses and groups in Miami and 

Miami Beach, airanging family theatre parties 

for matinee performances. The Aerodex 

Corp. sent a group at the arranged admission; 

nearly every airline company—Eastern, National. 

Pan Am. etc.— will take advantage of 

a matinee date. A nice tie-in has been made 

with the Miami and Miami Beach Public 

Playgrounds, bulletins sent out to the various 

diiectors. blanks to be filled in by interested 

children, who then are eligible for a special 

matinee rate. 

Herb Kelly, News amusements editor, did 

a little research on Moses vs. Elvis Presley in 

the teenage world. The Presley rage, augmented 

by the current "Loving You" film. 

resulted locally in the following typical 

NOW yrith TWO convenient locathm for 

BETTER than EVER seiyice to you 

DIXIE 

theatre service 

€l supply company 

YOUR BALLANTYNE DEALER 

i 

1 

1010 North Slappey Drive Walton Street. N.W. 

0. P Box 771 P. 0. Boi tSS 

Albany. Georgia Atlanta. Georgia 

Phone: HEmlock 2-2846 WAInut 4118 

COMPLETE THEATRE EQdIPMENT & SUPPLIES 

Prompt. Courteous Service 'Round the Clocl(

New Stadium Drive-In 

Opened at Garland 

Bill Slepka Opens 

Drive-In at Okemah 

OKEMAH, OKLA.—Bill 

Slepka opened his 

new Jewel Drive-In here last Thursday c25i. 

The 250-car operation concentrates the boxoffice, 

concession and restroom facilities in 

one building. The predominant color is pink. 

Among exhibitors on hand for the opening 

were Seibert Worley, Shamrock; Jep Holman, 

Lindsay; Frank Love and son, Wewoka; 

Johnny Jones and son, Shawnee, and Mr. and 

Mrs. E. R. Slocum, executive secretary of the 

United Theatre Owners of Oklahoma; Jake 

Guiles. Republic; Jack Whelihan, 20th-Fox; 

Jack Box. Universal, and Dudley Tucker, Columbia, 

all of Oklahoma City. 

HENRYETTA, OKLA.—Mrs. Georgia Kelly 

opened her new Bar-T Drive-In at Weleetka 

Sunday (28). 

Warner Toppers Plan 

Filming 'Auntie Mame' 

HOLLYWOOD—Top level studio conferences 

were being held at Warners on preparations 

for filming of "Auntie Mame," attended 

by Jack L. Warner, Steve Trilling, Director 

Morton DaCosta, Producer Alex March, 

screenplay writers Betty Comden and Adolph 

Green and Rosalind Russell. 

The theatrical production of the Broadway 

play is slated for an early 1958 start, with 

Miss Russell again essaying the starring role 

which she created on the stage. 

Texas Vandalism Law 

Effective August 22 

GARLAND, TEX.—The new Stadium Drive. 

In opened liere Fi-iday i26) witli a double feature 

of "The Wings of Eagles" and "The 

7th Cavalry." It is located near the local 

high school football stadium on Belt Line DALLAS—The Texas vandalism law, which 

goes into effect August 22, gives exhibitors 

road at Buckingham. The owner is Bill 

Boren, who owned theatres in Fort Worth a and other types of business owners the right 

few years ago. The 566-car Stadium marks to recover civil damages from parents due 

the 19th theatre opening in which Boren has to the malicious damage to or destruction 

of property by minors. The amount of recovery 

is limited to $300 with the liable age 

had an active part. 

Modern Sales and Service sold and installed 

bracket under 18 and over 10. 

the projection and snack bar equipment, including 

Century projectors, Strong Super 135 

Exhibitors in the state are elated over the 

law, which was sponsored by Rep. Marshall 

lamps, RCA Photophone soundheads with 

Bell of San Antonio and passed during the 

amplifiers constructed by the Modern technicians 

and Baush & Lomb anamorphics. The 

last session of the Texas Legislature. 

Texas COMPO in a letter to exhibitors 

concession section is a 90-foot combination 

listed the following provisions of the law: 

brick-and-board, tinted in blue. The cafeteria-style 

counter is in mahogany matching 

Section 1. Any property owner, including 

any municipal corporation, county, school 

the doors. The deep freeze and refrigerators 

district, or other political subdivision of the 

have been inset in the wall for an added 

state of Texas, or any person, partnership, 

convenience. 

corporation or association, or any religious 

The speakers on the posts have been alternated 

with black and yellow sets. 

corporated, shall be entitled to recover dam- 

organization whether incorporated or unin- 

Among those who attended the opening, ages in an amount not to exceed S300 from 

and party at the Boren home celebrating the parents of any minor under the age of 18 

the event, were Boren's father HoUis, veteran yeai-s and over the age of 10, who maUciously 

Memphis, Tex., showman; Jake Elder, Duke and wilfully damages or destroys property, 

Clark, Charles Weisenburg, Mack McKinney, real, personal or mixed, belonging to such 

Bob Compton, Harvey Hill, J. C. Sklimer, 

Debbs Reynolds, H. R. Bisby and Boren's 

bookers, Connelly Cox and Doolin Russell. 

Burglars at Highway 26 Airer 

JANESVILLE, WIS.—Robert Higgins, manager, 

reported burglars at the Highway 26 

Drive-In stole about $100. 

New Tent 34 Members 

Sought by 15 Teams 

HOUSTON—The membership drive of 

Variety 

Tent 34, which began July 22. will continue 

until Wednesday C7). Board members 

are serving as chairmen of the drive teams, 

each chau-man aided by seven members. The 

15 drive teams, with the chairman named 

first in each group, are: 

Chief Barker Paul Boesch, Tom Lund, Sid 

Balkin, Wayne Duddleston, Norman Clark, 

John Pay Dester. W. T. "Bill" Jones and Art 

Routzong. 

Mitch Lewis, Harold Wells, Rex Van, John 

Andrew. Robert Lewis, E. J. Miller, T. M. 

"Buster" Dees and Murray Getz. 

Morris G. Rosenthal, Frank D. Wilke, John 

E. Williams, W. E. Walbridge, Art Warwick, 

Gerald S. Gordon, George I. Weiman jr. and 

G. A. White. 

Augie Schmitt, A. L. Lawson, Alex Mc- 

Kenzie, W. H. Mason III, Fred Much, Robert 

A. O'Rourke, A. A. Sage and A. M. Shackeroff 

jr. 

John D. Carpenter. Lloyd Gregory, Charles 

J. Giezendanner, H. A. Franz, Dan W. Goodwin, 

John L. Healey, O. W. Hungerford and 

Bob Bailey. 

Dick Gottlieb, Nathan Z. Zehkow, Ray Wilson, 

David WilUams. James A. Simon, "Rex" 

Braun, Robert Dundas jr. and L. Cecil Gill. 

Jack Groves, Jeri-y Kirby. Frank Coogler. 

E. M. Dellinger, James Dobson jr., M. R. Hart, 

Alvin Guggenheim and Ray Hay. 

Lester Hunt, A. S. Black. Alston Cameron, 

Robert Lahr, Charles Lewis, Bobby Tinterow, 

owner. However, this Act shall not apply to 

parents whose parental custody and control 

of such child has been removed by court 

order, decree or judgment. 

Section 2. The suit may be brought in any 

court of competent jurisdiction, and venue 

thereof shall be governed by the statutes 

regulating venue in actions based upon trespass. 

Section 3. The action authorized in this 

act shall be in addition to all other actions 

which the owner is entitled to maintain and 

nothing in this act shall preclude recovery 

in a greater amount from the minor or from 

any other person, including the parents, for 

damages to which such minor or other person 

would otherwise be liable, it being the purpose 

of this act to authorize recovery from 

parents, and to limit the amount of the recovery, 

in situations where they would not 

otherwise be liable. 

A trailer has been produced which announces 

the new law to the public. The trailer 

is available for the actual production cost 

price of $1.75 and can be ordered from Texas 

COMPO. 2013-A Young St.. Suite 208. Dallas 1. 

H. Carlton Storey and A. T. Hughes. 

Les Kamin. B. L. Blumberg. Harry Levitt, 

Louis C. Gordon, Leon Green, C. L. "Buddy" 

Brock, Charles Coneway and Lou Simon. 

Fred Nahas, A. C. Buckner, Al Lever, J. O. 

Berlowitz, Elmer N. Castle, Robert M. Derden, 

Fred Drew and John S. Dunn, 

Francis Deering, Warren Fleming. Fisher 

Dorsey. Blocker Martin. G. A. Mabry, Leslie 

O. West. Ronald Johnson and James H. 

Ki'ohn. 

Mack Howard. Al Parker, Homer Jordan, 

Adie Marks, Harry Martin, Al Mortensen, Joe 

Scalise and Sam Slusky. 

Bruce Layer. Pat Flaherty, Fred Gibbons, 

Richard McGarr jr., John Edwards jr., Jack 

Lutey. Gus Mancuso and Ted Roggen. 

Felix Tijerina. R. E. "Bob" Smith. Tom 

Johnson. George Strake, A. W. Westerhaus, 

Jack Perry, George P. Kelley and Selwyn 

Flowers. 

Pat Foley. Sterling Germany, Lewis Lowenstein. 

Robert Newkirk. Bert Wheeler, Howard 

Phiffer. I. J. Saccomanno and V. W. Penny. 

Remember, it isn't necessary to be part of 

the entertainment world to join Variety! 

Spanish-Language Films 

Move Up in Chicago Area 

CHICAGO—Louis Hess, manager for Clasa- 

Mohme operations in this area, said Mexican 

film business out of the local offices has increased 

about 25 per cent since June of this 

year, with theatres in the rural areas where 

migrant workers from Mexico are currently 

employed for the harvest season featuring 

Spanish-language pictures. This business will 

extend through September at least. 

BUFFALO COOLING EQUIPMENT 

3409 Oak Lown, Room 107 BUFFALO ENGINEERING CO., INC Dollot, Tan 

BOXOFTICE August 3, 1957 SW-1

. . . Fred 

I 

2310 

DALLAS 

Tack E. LeMay, southwestern district man- 

* ager (or the National Carbon Co., has 

been transferred to Pittsburgh. Pa., as mideastern 

manager of the carbon products and 

railroad sales division. Henceforth, there will 

be no district manager here for carbon sales. 

All other departments will function as before 

Stovenour returned from a vacation-business 

trip to Chicago. 

CORRECTION: The recent story concerning 

the Cinemascope installation at the Dallas 

Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children 

should have read that Projection Opfor 

SPECIAL Skowitumsldp 

TRAILERS 

ESEiyiCECi. 

125 HYDE ST. SAN FRANCISCO (2), CALIF. 


ELVIS PRESLEY pôros 

rxlO" 

Black anil While 

Glossy 

Stock 

>|||UU(Minimum Order 1,000 • 

'*' — of Either Stirl 

ch..k with 

Ordtrl I 

THEATRICAL ADVERTISING CO. 

Cau Oatrelt 1, Mich.

1" 

CONTACT YOUR ./b?ianlaaju 

fntBnnaiianaL 

EMPIRE 

PICTURES 

HERMAN BEIERSDORF 

BOB O'DONNELL 

2011 Jackson Street DALLAS 1, TEXAS 

SCREEN GUILD PRODUCTIONS 

LOIS SCOTT 

H. E. McKENNA 

708 West Grand Avenue OKLAHOMA CITY 2, OKLA.

. . . Connie 

. . Variety 

. . Loew's 

. . Loew's 

. . Variety 

Rueiic ' 

Mission 

Circuit Buys 

Tex., Airer 

MISSION, TEX.—The Buckhom Drive-In. 

located between this city and McAllen, has 

been purchased by the Ruenes Theatre cli-- 

cuit 01" the Rio Grande Valley, according to 

Ramon Ruenes jr. and Eduardo Izaguirre 

Ruenes. 

The Ruenes circuit owns several Valley 

theatres including the Victoria and Capitol 

in Brownsville, the Ruenes in San Benito. 

Azteca in Harlingen. Rex in Rio Hondo, El 

Rey in Raymondville. Mexico in McAllen. Rex 

in Mission and now the Buclchorn. 

Founder of the Ruenes circuit was the late 

Ramon Ruenes sr., who came to the Valley 

in 1900 from Spain and established his first 

theatre in San Benito 50 years ago. The 

Ruenes family has been in the entertainment 

business ever since then, catering to more 

than 50.000 patrons weekly. 

The transaction putting the Buckhorn into 

the Ruenes circuit was handled by Ramon jr., 

and Edurado Ruenes. Eduardo will manage 

the new addition. He is a graduate of Mc- 

Allen High School and attended A&M last 

year. 

Within the next couple weeks, the Buckhorn 

will be the only area drive-in with an 

18-foot soda fountain under the stars. 

The Buckhorn will also be equipped with 

fumigation facilities which will eliminate 

insect trouble. The children's playground will 

also be expanded. 

Booking for the Buckhorn will be done 

through Jefferson Amusement of Dallas to 

show first run films. 

OKLAHOMA CITY 

•The car that Variety Club will give as prize 

in its charity money-raising event is a 

1958 Ford Country sedan, not a 1948 model 

as was reported incorrectly in an item last 

week . members staged a surprise 

party for Sol Davis, Variety Club manager, 

on his birthday last Saturday (27) to honor 

him for his many contributions to the club. 

A charter member, Davis was one of Tent 

22s first directors and its first property manager. 

He has been club manager for the past 

year. Club members presented Davis a $100 

merchandise certificate from Sirs, local 

men's clothing store. 

There will be no UTOO board meeting in 

August, E. R. "Red" Slocum, executive di- 

. . . Bill 

rector, announced. Next board meeting will 

be Monday, September 9, since the first Monday 

in September is Labor Day 

Slepka's mother, Mrs. Atchison, has returned 

home to Okemah after a stay in an Oklahoma 

Also home from a hospital 

City hospital . . . following surgery is Mrs. Bob Browning. 

Browning is in the Video Theatres office 

Carpou, salesman for MGM, flew 

to New York for the funeral of his father, who 

OKLAHOMA THEATRE^ „,,„, ,„„^^,^ 

SUPPLY COMPANY Equipment House" 

Supplies • Equipment • Concession Supplies 

A Fully Equipped Repair Deportment 

• • RCA Dealer • • 

628 West Grond Oklahoma City 

died of a heart attack July 25. The funeral 

was held in St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church 

in Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y. 

Everett Mahaney joined Republic in Oklahoma 

City to succeed Wesley Hodges, who 

resigned after the death of Mrs. Hodges to 

take back operation of his theatre in 

Weatherford. Mahaney is a former office 

manager for Republic and also worked as 

salesman for Allied Artists. 

Vacationers on Filmrow included Nina 

Ehivis, Warner Bros, cashier, who's spending 

two weeks in New York and New Jersey; 

Vi Skelton, Wai-ner contract clerk: Betty 

McDonald. Columbia clerk, who'll spend her 

vacation at home in Custer City; Jo Talley, 

MGM secretary, just back from vacation on 

Mexican border, and James Peacock, MGM 

salesman, just returned from vacation. 

Exhibitors seen on Filmrow included H. D. 

Cox, Binger; Kay Miller, Arnett; Cliff Lance, 

Ringling; Jep Holman, Lindsay; A. R. 

Walker, Broken Aitow; Truman EUerd, 

Blanchard; Bill Cleverdon, El Dorado; Fred 

Hudson, Ardmore; Dana Ryan, Pawnee; E, B. 

Anderson, Norman; Hank Robb and Alex 

Blue, Tulsa, and R. M. Downing, Collinsville. 

HOUSTON 

John Arnold has been promoted from man- 

* ager of the Majestic Theatre to assistant 

city manager of Interstate Theatres. He succeeded 

Russell Rindy, who died a few weeks 

ago. Other changes are in the making among 

Interstate Theatres here but no confirmation 

of any appointment has been given. 

The Alabama Theatre has held over "Gunfight 

at the O.K. Corral" State 

. 

was keeping "Tammy and the Bachelor" for 

a second week manager Homer 

. 

McCallon spent a week in New York visiting 

shows and friends. He made a stop in 

Tennessee to see his mother . . . Pfc. Harold 

D. Gibbon, better luiown around these parts 

as Dean, has a new address in Germany. Now 

it is US54178048, Headquarters Battery, 2nd 

Battalion, 9th Artillery. APO 36, N. Y. Dean 

used to shuttle back and forth between 20th 

Century-Fox exchange and the Boulevard 

Theatre. He expects to resume that practice 

when he leaves the service next spring. 

Harry McHaffie, Avalon Theatre operator, 

was top man in Class C, scenics and wild life, 

of the Post's snapshot contest. Harry's shot 

was a picture of Cypress Gardens. Fla., where 

he went to see a water-skiing show last fall. 

Harry has been a shutterbug for about eight 

years and has won several national snapshot 

contests. Harry also paints . 

barker 

Earl Stonecipher has been in Georgia visiting 

his mother. 

"Oklahoma!" and "The Ten Commandments," 

back at the River Oaks and Village 

theatres respectively, were being shown at 

popular prices and no reserved seats . . . The 

first issue of Entertainment, Houston-published 

paper, carried a profile story of Alvln 

Guggenheim, manager of the Yale and Broadway 

theatres. 

Screenplay by Paul Osbom 

The screenplay for WB's "Sayonara" was 

written by Paul Osbom from James A. 

Michener's novel. 


for 




PLANNING INSTFTUTE 



Gentlemen: 


lo receive information regularly, as released, on 

the following subjects lor Theatre Planning: 

D Acoustics 

n Air Conditioning 

n Architectural Serrica 

n "Black" Lighting 

D Building Material 

n Carpets 

n Coin Machines 

n Complete Remodeling 

n Decorating 

D Drink Dispensers 

Drive-In Equipment 

Other Subjects 

Theatre 

Seating Capacity. 

Addiess 

City 

State 

Signed 


Plumbing Fixluroa 

n Projectors 


Seating 

n Signs and Marquees 

D Sound Equipment 

n Television 

n Theatre Fronts 

Vending Equipment 


in obtaining information are provided in The MODERN 


each month. 

SW-4 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

: August 

•y^m 

in vendin g 

ss>BmissMiixJimi:.A 

in fountains 

^ 

in 

theatres 

cu p or glass^ 

INCLUDE 

DrPepner 

IT PATS . . AND 

PAYS . . ati PA YS! 

BOXOFTICE 

: 

3, 1957 

SW.5

; August 

Decause they like 

light refreshment, 

people are saying: "Pepsi, Please"! 

Good news for theatre operators— because 

Pepsi means more drinks per gallonmore 

profit per drink, too! 

SW-6 BOXOFFICE : 

3, 1957

'Sun' in New Orleans 

In Spite of Threats 

NEW ORLEANS—Threats from a White 

Citizens Council chapter and an American 

Legion committee failed to halt the showing 

of "Island in the Sun," which deals with 

interracial romance. 

The film opened at the white Tudor Theatre 

and the Negro Clabon Theatre. 

Louis P. Davis jr., president of the Gentilly 

Citizens Council, threatened to file criminal 

charges against the theatre for showing the 

film which he called "immoral and indecent" 

and "grossly scandalous." 

The Americanism Committee of the First 

District (Greater New Orleans) American 

Legion asked that the picture be suppressed 

because it "contributed to the Communist 

party aim of creating friction between the 

races." 

But Mike Lion, manager of the Tudor, said 

the film would be shown. 

"We don't expect any trouble," he said. 

"We hope it's a good movie and will draw 

good crowds." 

"It is a lewd, filthy, sexually indecent and 

immoral performance of a white woman making 

kive to and marrying a Negro and of a 

white man making love to and marrying a 

mulatress," Davis said. 

Memphis Is Basking 

In Sunny Grosses 

MEMPHIS—First runs here have gone into 

a fourth week of big midsummer business. All 

reported well above average attendance for 

a third week. "Loving You" at the Strand 

did four times average business in Elvis 

Presley's hometown during its third week. 

The first week of the film did 700 per cent 

and scored 600 per cent in its second week. 

The Warner Bros, horror duo scored 225 per 

cent here. 


Moico ^Fire Down Below (Col) 155 

Palace Gun Glory (MGM) 120 

State Silk Stockings (MGM) 150 

Strand— Loving You (Para), 3rd wk 400 

Warner The Curse o* Frankenstein (WB); X the 

Unknown (WB) 225 

Warren Schaeffer Dies; 

Gainesville, Fla., Owner 

GAINESVILLE, FLA.—Warren Ray Shaeffer, 

50, owner and operator of the Suburbia 

Drive-In, died from a kidney ailment while 

visiting relatives in Burlington, N. C. The 

funeral was held in Lexington, Ky. with 

burial in Broadhead, Ky. Survivors include 

his wife and two daughters. He had operated 

theatres in Kentucky and in several Florida 

towns before coming to Gainesville from Daytona 

Beach three years ago. 

No 'Sun' at Fort Myers 

PORT MYERS, FLA.—"Island in the Sun" 

will not be shown at the Lee Theatre according 

to Bob Blotcky, manager. A group of 

local public officials, following a preview, disapproved 

of the relationships between whites 

and Negroes in the 20th-Fox film, Mrs. 

Therese Kellum, manager of the Grand, theatre 

for Negroes, commented that banning 

the film may cause more controversy than 

showing it. 

:::^^mm:. INDUSTRY PROFILE .=^^m^£:s^; 

Mother, Son and Brother Team 

Carries on at CIaughton Helm 

i MIAMI—The late Edward N. Claughton, 

^ who had just lost a fortune in Atlanta, 

fi arrived in Miami in 1918 "with just 

^ enough money for a ham sandwich," with 

^ his wife and two children. Mrs. Claughton, 

5< daughter of a St. Augustine businessman 

and several times mayor, pitched in to 

1^ help him rebuild the family fortune. 

g "I knew nothing except how to play 

bridge," she recalls, "so I gave bridge 

"' 

lessons." 

"•! 

She enrolled in a secretarial school, and 

' 

before long was working full time. 

Claughton became something of a sen- 

' 

sation on the Miami scene, writes Lawlence 

Thompson in a father-son—this time 

a mother-son—article in the Miami Herald. 

He became an influential man in the 

growing city, developing various enterprises. 

And Lillian Claughton is still pitching. 

The heart of the Claughton enterprisesranging 

from a railroad to a hotel, an 

island to a restaurant, theatres to a morti;age 

company— is in a small office on the 

third floor of the Urmey Hotel. 

On a wall of that office is a large portrait 

of Edward Claughton, who died May 

10, 1955. And the late Ed Claughton remains 

the heart of the enterprises now 

Lirried on by his family. 

It is a family business, certainly, run 

111 complete compatibility and with desmnation 

of authority to the individual 

members, by Mrs. Lillian Claughton, Edward 

N. Claughton jr., and Amos W. 

Corbett. 

Mrs. Claughton is president of the parent 

Claughton Company in the diverse 

Claughton interests that include many 

corporations. It is in her office that Ed 

Claughton's portrait hangs. 

Their son Edward jr. has been active 

m the family business since he graduated 

liom law school in 1953, and has assumed 

more important roles in its du-ection since 

his father's death. 

Corbett is Mrs. Claughton's brother. 

So close is the family relationship that 

Ld jr. calls Corbett "Brother," just as 

does his mother, simply because he seems 

more like a brother to him than an uncle. 

The late Mr. Claughton left his imprint 

on the growing city in many ways, such 

,is developing downtown property, Edison 

Center and AUapattah business areas, and 

a circuit of motion picture theatres. 

There was some speculation about the 

Operates Health Center 

CORAL GABLES, FLA.—Jack Ray, the original 

Freckles of Our Gang movies who went 

blind when he was 40 years old, has started 

a new career. Undaunted by the loss of his 

eyesight, the former film and stage performer 

attended classes for more than a half year 

at the Lindsey Hopkins Vocational School, 

learning to be a masseur and physical therapist. 

He now operates the Giralda Health 

Center, Coral Gables, and is living here with 

his wife and four children. 

effect his death would have on his far- ', 

flung interests. But his widow, son and J 

brother-in-law have proved equal to the ^ 

task as they direct the business from their g 

adjoining offices in the Urmey Hotel. ^ 

From there they direct a dozen or 

more businesses, with about 200 employes 

Mrs. Claughton was born in St. Augus- , 

tine, as was her brother. Their father, - 

A. W. Corbett, was a real estate man and '/' 

merchant, several times mayor of that 

venerable city. The family moved to 

Miami in 1918, and she attended Miami , 

Senior High School. She went to Atlanta ' 

on her marriage to Claughton. There 

their children Ed jr. and a daughter, now ' 

Mrs. Jerome Matthews, were born, and she 

found time to complete journalism studies 

at Oglethorpe University. 

^ 

On Dec. 6, 1941, the day before the at- M 

tack on Pearl Harbor, Claughton opened ' 

the Royal Theatre, since demolished, and 

Installed his wife as assistant manager 

She has been an important member of the ^ 

,"' 

Claughton business since. 

Brother Amos also attended Miami Sen- ^' 

ior High, then went to work for the Florida | 

National Bank. After ten years in the *' 

banking business, he accepted an invita- 

, 

tion to help his sister run the new Claughton 

theatre. Like her, he never left the 

Claughton business family. 

Ed jr., now 29, had his first job as a \ 

water boy for a construction company 

Every summer until he finished college 

he worked, in the later years as an usher 

and candy salesman in the family theatres 

He was graduated from Miami Senior 

High, got his BA from Duke in 1950, and 

his law degree from the University of ' 

Florida in 1953. He served with the Navy, ~ 

on a minesweeper, in 1945 and 1946 As 

soon as he finished law school, Ed joined 

his father, mother and uncle and he's ' 

still a member of the team. 

Mrs. Claughton is president of the 

Claughton Co. Ed is vice-president. Cor- ^ 

bett is secretary-treasurer and general g 

manager. All three are partners in the M 

Seven Seas restaurant, which they have g 

on a 99-year lease. 

P 

Mrs. Claughton and Ed are vice-piesi- ^ 

dents of the Dade Commonwealth Mortgage 

Co., and Corbett is treasurer. 

Ed is a director and on the finance 

committee of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois 

Railroad Co., in which the family 

is a major stockholder 

'S.-'^', '^ - . X.' 

'Island in Sun' Will Open 

In West Memphis Houses 

MEMPHIS—"Island in the Sun," recently 

banned from local screens by censors as being 

"too frank a treatment of miscegenation," 

will be shown simultaneously in the 

Avon Theatre and Sunset Drive-In at West 

Memphis, just across the Mississippi river in 

Arkansas. It will open between August 10 

and 15, M. A. Lightman sr., Malco Tlieatres, 

announced. 

BOXOFFICE :: August 3, 1951 SW-7

: 

August 

Sell . . and Sell 

Scores of busy little messages 

go out every week to a tremendous 

audience— and they get a tremendous 

response! 

Every exhibitor is 

busy— buying, 

selling, renting, hiring. All this is 

made easier and more profitable 

with the classified ads in Clearing 

House each week. 

READ • USE • PROFIT BY— 

Classified Ads 

in 

BOXOFFICE 

Greatest Coverage in the Field —^Most Readers for Your Money 

Four Insertions for Price of Three 

SW-8 BOXOFFICE : 

3, 1957

New United Exchange 

Is Opened at Omaha 

OMAHA—The United Artists exchange held 

a formal opening at its new location at 309 

North Sixteenth St. August 1 and invited 

members of various branches of the industry, 

civic figures and members of the press, 

radio and television. 

Jim Velde, general sales manager, and Al 

Fitter, western division manager, were here 

from New York to participate in the occasion 

with D. V. McLucas, manager and one 

of the veteran figures in the industry here. 

McLucas said the change to newer and 

larger quarters was significant in that, while 

many companies had consolidated their 

Omaha branches with Des Moines exchanges, 

United Artists had confidence in the Omaha 

area potential. 

The exchange held open house from 12 to 

2:30 p.m. and served cocktails and a dutch 

lunch. 

First 100 Free at 'Loving'. 

Line Starts Forming at 6 

MINNEAPOLIS—"Loving You" was helped 

to a fast start at the State Theatre here by 

an unusual opening day stunt. The theatre 

doors were opened at 8;30 a.m., three and a 

half hours earlier than customarily and the 

first hundred people in line were admitted 

free as star Elvis Presley's guests. 

After the newspaper ads telling about the 

free admissions, the boxoffice line on the 

opening day started to form at 6 a.m. It was 

a long line and the fact that there were 

more than a hundred in front of them didn't 

stop many others from remaining and paying 

their way. Starting at 9 a.m., the early mornmg 

show pulled 375 payees—very big for 

Minneapolis. 

One young girl told State Manager Francis 

Wiggins she had gone home from the Aquatennial 

parade the night before and slept sitting 

up in a chair all night so that she 

wouldn't have to put up her hair and could 

reach the theatre earlier. The early line was 

all youngsters, except for a pair of slxtyish 

women, Wiggins said. 

When the theatre lights went down a voice 

from behind the stage curtains said, "Hiya, 

folks!" and, reported Minneapolis Tribune 

columnist Will Jones, "the hair trigger audience 

let out a scream." The scream trailed 

off into groans of disappointment when 

everybody realized that the greeting hadn't 

come from Presley, but was Bill Slater's at a 

sport reel's opening. 

Would-Be Thieves Foiled 

OELWEIN, IOWA—No damage and nothing 

missing was reported by drive-in theatre 

Manager Horace Spencer after a break-in 

last week. It was believed to be the work of 

young "punks" who were looking for some 

loose change, cigarets or candy. Spencer reported 

that the cash register drawer, which 

is left open, had been closed. No money is 

left in it and the management does not sell 

cigarets. Entry was gained by opening the 

screen doors on the west side of the building 

and then taking out the screws of the 

locks on the big doors and forcing the bolts 

open. 

Film Commissioners and Film Folk 

Make Friends at Milwaukee Party 

By BILL NICHOL 

MILWAUKEE—For the first time in the 

mayor's motion picture commission's history, 

an old-fashioned get together party was held 

at the Schlitz Brown Bottle to bring members 

of the commission and exhibitors and 

distributors together in an effort to "cement 

a bond of friendship between us," as Val 

Wells, executive secretary of the commission 

put it. 

Asked how the party came about. Wells 

said he discussed the subject with Ben Marcus, 

head of the circuit bearing his name. As 

usual, Marcus was all for any arrangement 

which would bring about something in the 

nature of better understanding between both 

factions. Marcus broke bread with his old 

friend Sol Abrams, a vice-president of the 

Schlitz Brewery here. And, you guessed it. 

The next day. Invitations were sent out: 

"Mr. Henry Rozga, president of the Mayor's 

Motion Picture Commission announces that 

the Schlitz Brewery has invited the members 

of the commission, their families and friends, 

to an evening of hospitality at the Schlitz 

Brown Bottle Hall on Tuesday, etc." The announcement 

went on to elaborate on the 

festivities, which were to include a delicious 

buffet luncheon, with entertainment to be 

added as a final gesture. 

As one of the exhibitors jokingly remarked 

at the party: "That was a sneaky way to put 

that announcement, but I guess it served its 

purpose." And it did, for strangely enough, 

over 100 registered in, with perhaps another 

100 who passed in while others were "signing 

in." 

Once the gettogether was under w'ay, any 

thought of possible barriers between the opposing 

factions was lost in the shuffle. Said 

Wells: "This is the sort of thing we've been 

lioping for. We should gather in this manner 

more frequently, for I feel certain that 

much of the so-called misunderstanding involving 

questionable pictures could be ironed 

out before becoming a public issue." 

Marcus commented: "The main purpose of 

this gathering, is primarily, to inject the 

spirit of friendliness between commission, exhibitor 

and distributor. Tonight, we're meet- 

New Goodwill Trial Grant 

By R. I. Supreme Court 

PRO'VTDENCE—The state Supreme Court 

recently granted the Goodwill Advertising Co. 

of Boston a new trial of its suit to collect a 

balance of $3,150 it claims is owed by the 

Elmwood Amusement Corp., operators of the 

Hollywood in East Providence, for licensing 

the theatre to conduct bank night starting 

in March, 1941. (The Hollywood is now shuttered 

and up for sale.) 

Judge Patrick P. Curran in superior court 

had directed a verdict for the theatre corporation. 

He held that the contract to conduct 

bank night could not be enforced because the 

scheme was a lottery and violated state law. 

The state Supreme Court, in an opinion 

written by Associate Justice Thomas J. Paolino, 

held that under the strict wording of 

the contract, bank night was not a lottery because 

participants were not to be required to 

purchase theatre tickets. Anyone wanting to 

ing on common ground ... no bones to pick, 

no arguments to settle. Many of us, have 

never met one another before. An evening 

such as this, can do all of us a world of 

good." 

Mrs. Ralph Koenig, both a commissioner 

and official of the Milwaukee County Better 

Films Council, had this to say regarding the 

affair: "I am actually surprised at the 

'turnout' here this evening. I feel that meeting 

in this manner will go a long ways towards 

affecting future policies in connection 

with certain pictures." 

Harry Olshan, manager for Columbia Pictures 

here, said the evening wâs a success, 

as far as he could judge. 

Other distributors. Ward Pennington, of 

Paramount, and Pat Halloran, Universal, for 

example, were loud in their praise over the 

affair. Andy Spheeris, radio station WEMP 

and the Towne Theatre, asserted that this 

manner of getting together offered numerous 

opportunities for the commission as well as 

the exhibitor-distributor. 

For years, the commission has stoutly 

maintained that it does not wish to be 

labeled a group of censors, pointing out it 

lacks the legal powers of an outright censorship 

board. However, during the past year, 

despite actual censorship power, several pictures 

came mighty near being "pulled" as 

a direct result of the pressure the commission 

brought to bear. And in one instance, one 

of the local theatres did pull the picture, 

which necessitated closing the house for the 

balance of the day, since it was impossible to 

get prints of another film on such short 

notice. 

As one commissioner at the party remarked, 

"The w-ay that situation was handled, was 

certainly due to too hasty action on the part 

of both the commission and the police. I 

think gatherings of this sort will correct any 

repetition." 

Among those attending, were: 

Vol J. Wells, executive secretary for the commission; 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Druecker, commissioner; 

R. W. Taylor, aide; Mr. and Mrs. Morrie 

Anderson, Screen Guild; Mr. and Mrs. Irwin CinotI, 

Cinema, Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Pearson, Allied 

executive secretory; Eddie Johnson, commissioner arKl 

(Continued on following page) 

participate was supposed to be allowed to 

register and winners of drawings were supposed 

to be announced outside as well as inside 

the theatre. The decision added that 

instead of directing a verdict, the trial judge 

should have allowed the jury to decide from 

the evidence whether the parties had varied 

the terms of the contract so that it was actually 

run as a lottery. 

The Hollywood, which allegedly refused to 

pay license charges between 1943 and 1949, 

contended that it ran the plan so that only 

paying patrons could take part. Judge Paolino 

said this amounted to an admission by 

the theatre that it had been conducting an 

illegal lottery. But he said that there was 

no credible evidence that the Goodwill Advertising 

Co., which owned the bank night 

plan, knew or consented to any variance by 

the theatre management. 

Starred in the title role of United Artists" 

"Baby Pace Nelson" is Mickey Rooney. 

BOXOFTICE August 3, 1957 NC-1

Commissioners Make 

Friends at Party 

(Continued from preceding pagei 

Roosevelt Theatre; Mrs. G. Elenor Meyer, commissioner; 

Mr and Mrs. Ed. Geigcr, aide; Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph 

Miller police department; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kocnig, 

commissioner; A. M. Spheeris, WEMP, ond Towne 

Theatre; Tom Shanahon, onnouncer, WEMP. 

Also Gerry Fronzen, general manager, Cinemo, 

Inc Mr. ond Mrs. Roy J. Moe, commissioner; Mr. ond 

commissioner; J. M. Wcchsler, 

mayor's office; Mr. and 

Mr. ond Mrs. Horry Mintz, 

Holloran, 

ond 

Mrs. Henry Rozgo, 

Worner Bros.; 

A/rs. 

Al M. 

A. 

Dovis, 

Mrs. Word Pennington, Paramount; Mr. ond Mrs. Pot 

Universal; 

J. 

Harry Olshon, Columbia; Mr. 

Mrs. 

M. Chudnow, 

Rodoft, 

commissioner; Mr. ond 

aide; 

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Kone, on aide; 

Stanley Warner; 

Mr. ond Mrs. A. Soltzstein, mayor's office; Mr. ond 

1. Mrs. Mortier, alderman; Mr. and Mrs. Eugene 

Einem, commissioner; Mr. ond Mrs. Joseph Strother, 

Marcus Theatres, 

Also Mr. ond Mrs. Louis Giuntoli, aide; Jack Frockman 

Republic; Mrb, Evelyn Gutenberg, Grond Theotre; 

Mr. ond Mrs. "Bill" Nichol, BOXOFFICE; Mrs. 

B Newman, Mr. and Mrs. E. Mushack, Mr. ond Mrs. 

H. F. Schmitt, Chas. C. Kohn, Robert Meyer, Mr. 

and Mrs. A. Fogelson, Mr. and Mrs, J, Schumacher, 

Stonlev Budny, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Heyse, Mr. and 

Mrs. Fronk Dcrfus, R. W. Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Ben 

Trimborn, Mr. and Mrs. Horry Kramer, Mr. and Mrs. E. 

Froiling, Robert W. Mueller, Mrs. A. Neuendorf, Eunice 

Niemi, Dons Owens, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Zoffronn, 

Mr, ond Mrs. A. Franklin, Glodys Heyse, Mr. ond Mrs. 

Henry Peck, George Devine ond Truman Schroeder, 

Serve Delicious FRIED CHICKEN 


Drive-In 

Theatre 

• NO FUSS 

• NO MUSS 

• NO EXPERIENCED COOKS 

• NO DISHES TO WASH 

For complete details write 

C E. GRANT & SON INC. 

616 E. Washington St. 

Indionopolis, 

Indiana 

Change by Fox on Bidding 

Alone So Far in Mill City 

MINNEAPOLIS—So far no other distributor 

has followed 20th-Fox in announcing that 

it no longer will accept competitive bids but 

will sell again to local downtown first run 

accounts—Minnesota Amusement Co., BKO 

Theatres, Ted Mann and Ben Berger— by 

negotiation. 

After many years of product splitting, competitive 

bidding took over in the Loop when 

RKO Theatres demanded it of all companies 

for its two downtown houses here. 

In a short period many important pictiu-es 

were awarded to the two local RKO theatres 

by such companies as MGM and United Artists 

from which, along with 20th-Fox and 

Paramount, they had been shut off from during 

the years of product splitting. Among 

these pictures are "Silk Stockings," "The 

Sweet Smell of Success" and "The Pride and 

the Passion." Recently 20th-Fox awarded 

RKO Theatres "A Hatful of Rain," but when 

the circuit was unable to date it until September, 

20th-Fox took the picture back and 

turned it over to Mann who is playing it currently 

at the World Theatre. 

In recent weeks 20th-Fox awarded "Bernardine" 

and "Will Success Spoil Rock 

Hunter?" to the Minnesota Amusement Co. 

which also has been awarded Warner Bros. 

"The D.I.," Universal's "Tammy and the 

Bachelor" and Paramount's "The Delicate 

Delinquent," "Beau James" and "Loving You." 

Triple Payoff Received 

In Conscience Money 

OMAHA—Receipts at the downtown RKO 

Brandeis, Orpheum and State theatres took 

a spurt last week—thanks to a patron's nagging 

conscience. 

Ed Force, manager of the Brandeis; Don 

Shane of the Tri-States Orpheum and Kermit 

Carr, general manager of the Goldberg 

Theatres all received U. S. money orders 

through the mail. Unsigned notes enclosed 

with the orders, all neatly typed, read: 

"Do not return the enclosed money order 

as this is a false name and address This is 

for restitution. When I was over 12, I used 

to claim my age as being under 12 for a few 

times." 

There is considerable reduction in admission 

prices—both afternoon and evening 

under 12. The money order was made out as 

purchased by "Ernest Ambler, 3317 Vaughn, 

Council Bluffs, Iowa." 

Belafonte $5.50 Top 

MINNEAPOLIS — 'When Harry Belafonte 

brings his show into the 4,100-seat Radio 

City here for three nights and a matinee, 

August 15-17, the theatre will be scaled at 

$5.50 top or 50 cents higher than the top for 

Victor Borge at the same showhouse recently. 

There will be no film offering. 

Horror Package Does 

200 at Milwaukee 

MILWAUKEE—The Warner Bros, horror 

dual. "The Curse of Frankenstein" and "The 

Unknown" opened at a resounding 200 at the 

Warner Theatre. 

1 80 


Alhambro The Block Tent (RFDA), Checkpoint 

(RFDA) 60 

Poloce Night Passage (U-l); The Young Stranger 

{U-D 200 

Riverside The Delicate Delinquent (Para) 180 

Strand Around the World in 80 Days (UA), 3rd 

wk 300 

Towne The Ten Commandments (Para), 25th wk, 160 

Warner The Curse of Frankenstein (WB); The 

Unknown ( WB) 200 

Wisconsin Bernardine (20th-Fox); Spoilers of 

the Forest (Rep), 2nd wk 

Omaha Grosses Stay 

Well Over Average 

OMAHA—Downtown theatres 

continued to 

chalk up plus average grosses. Best showing 

was made by "Man on Fire." with a couple 

of others close behind. The weather, after 

a few cool days, swung back into the heat 

pattern which may have been reflected at 

the boxoffice. 

Brandeis- Loving You (Para) 130 

Omaha Kronos (20th-Fox); She Devil (20th-Fox) 90 

Orpheum The D.l. (WB) 145 

State-Man on Fire (MGM) 125 

Mill City First Runs 

Draw Loop Crowds 

MINNEAPOLIS — Strong newcomers were 

much in evidence, bringing good crowds to 

the Loop. However, despite Jayne Mansfield's 

presence in town and the tremendous amount 

of free newspaper and air coverage obtained, 

her picture "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" 

failed to click. 

Gopher Man on Fire (MGM), 2nd wk 90 

Lyric The Delicate Delinquent (Poro), 2nd wk. 125 

Orpheum Silk Stockings (MGM), 2nd wk 90 

Pan— Trooper Hook (UA); Hidden Fear (UA)—^Split 

with The Peacemaker (UA); Buckskin Lady (UA) 100 

Radio City—Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? 

(20th-Fox) 70 

State Loving You (Para) 150 

'Commandments' to Open 

In Four Sub Run Houses 

MINNEAPOLIS—The Terrace, Hollywood, 

Edina and Riverview theatres here turned in 

the successful competitive bids for day-anddate 

special engagements of "The Ten Commandments." 

This fu-st outlying presentation 

of the film at advanced admissions 

starts August 21. Two of the theatres, the 

Terrace and Riverview, are Volk Bros, operations. 

The winning bids call for a minimum 

run of two weeks. 

"The Ten Commandments" ran 13 weeks 

at the Lyric here with all seats reserved, two 

showings a day and a $2.25 top. This was 

an exclusive territory engagement. Last week 

the picture was released in the territory for 

nonreserved seat special engagements at advanced 

admission. 

/f^/l/td^'^^^^ 

Greater Crater Area

DOUBLE BOXOFFICE BLOCKBUSTERI Nt 

CONTACT YOUR yh?zanIaarL, mZa/znatia/iaL E) 

INDEPENDENT FILM DISTRIBUTORS 

DONALD E. SWARTZ 

lOU Currie Avenue, North 

MINNEAPOLIS 3, MINNESOTA 

INDEPENDENT FILM DISTRIBUTORS 

MOREY ANDERSON 

706 West State Street 

MILWAUKEE 3, WISCONSIN 

HOLLYWOOD PICTURES, 

MEYER L STERN 

1508 Davenport Street 

OMAHA, NEBRASKA 

INC

D E S 

MOINES 

pilmrowers e-: "inded their sympathy to 

EjTon S-iapiro, Columbia manager, whose 

father, Saniuel Shapiro. 79, of Minneapolis 

died of a heart ailment . . A. H. Blank, re- 

. 

tired president of Tri-States Theatres Corp., 

celebrated his 78th birthday July 20. Among 

the celebrations was the one held at Raymond 

Blank Memorial Hospital, where children 

who were able were wheeled into the 

recreation room to feast on ice cream and 

birthday cake with the honored guest. This 

is the tenth year Blank Hospital personnel 

has honored Mr. Blank, who donated the 

children's hospital in memory of his son. 

The audience at the Corral Outdoor Theatre 

in Cherokee sat through a heavy storm 

recently to see the movie. When the storm 

broke at 10:15 p.m.. the show continued, with 

the help of several dozen pairs of windshield 

wipers. Manager Rollin Stonebrook revealed 

that damage estimated at $1,500 was sustained 

by the lower part of the screen, the 

fence surrounding the Corral and buildings 

behind the screen. 

Jimmy Stewart was in town for four hours 

last week, promoting his newest movie "Night 

Passage." In his interview with the press, 

• 

• Our Sound Service is under the 

direction of H. L. Jepson. 

• 

Our Sales Department is under the 

• direction of Dick Sutton. 

• 

• Our Modem Repair Shop will repair 

your Standard and Super Simplex, 

Century and Motiograph Projectors. 

John McCallum in charge 

OWNER A.E. THIELE 

Stewart said the "Do-It-Yourself" boys were 

movies' fiercest competition—not television. 

He said he thought more men were working 

on things in their basement workshops, keeping 

them home from the motion picture theatres 

. . . Earl Kerr was on the Row booking 

for his Iowa theatres. W. Grossman, Nevada 

exhibitor, was another visitor on the Row. 

Blaze Knocks Out Theatre; 

Smoke Damage Extensive 

DES MOINES — Fire broke out in the 

Eastown Theatre, 1536 East Grand Ave., a 

half-liour before show time. No one was in 

the building. 

Lt. Jacques O'Brien of engine station No. 9 

said the fire was confined to a small storeroom 

beside the projection booth. He estimated 

damage at between $4,000 and $5,000. 

O'Brien said the fire apparently was started 

by a .short in the electrical wiring. He said 

the theatre probably will have to be redecorated 

because of extensive smoke damage. 

Kermit Hyler, 17, an usher in the theatre, 

said the room where the fire started was used 

to store popcorn, boxes, extra seats and advertising 

posters. Gus Simon, manager of 

the theatre, was out of the city. 

Three Nebraska Theatres 

Are Reported Reopened 

OMAHA—A number of reopenings were reported 

in towns in the Nebraska territory 

la.st week. 

At Greeley, the Idyl Hour, which had been 

closed, has been taken over and will be operated 

by Maurice W. Curran. It formerly 

had been operated by Ben Juracek. 

At Humphrey, John Preston reopened the 

Coronado on a once-a-week basis. 

Millard Rethwisch is reopening his Victory 

at Tilden. 

Things are looking up at North Bend, 

where Nick Wackel had planned to close the 

Joy. Merchants are cooperating to keep the 

theatre in operation. 

Vandals Steal Four Reels 

Of 'Dolphin' From Theatre 

OMAHA—Ralph Falkenburg Jr. reported 

that "Boy on a Dolphin" was so attractive 

in his town that someone stole four reels of 

the film. 

Falkenburg said that previous to the playdate 

of the picture, a person or persons 

broke into his Majestic Theatre and cut out 

sections of a trailer in which Sophia Loren 

appeared. 

Came the date for playing and someone 

broke in a side door of the theatre in the 

daytime and stole reels 2, 4, 5 and 6. The No. 

1 reel was in the machine at the time and 

Palkpnburg is at loss why the thief left 

No. 7. 

"Tender Fury," a Wamer release, was 

written for the screen by associate producer 

Sally Stubblefield. 

M^ 

DES MOINES THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 

1121-23 High Street Des Moines, Iowa Phone CHerry 3-6520

Twin City ETA Fights 

Clearance Jockeying 

MINNEAPOLIS—So fai' Warner Bros, has 

made no reply to the demand served on it 

by the Twin Cities group of Exhibitors Trade 

Ass'n (formerly North Central Allied) to release 

"The D.I." to Minneapolis and St. Paul 

neighborhood houses in accordance with the 

established clearance schedule or face not 

having it played at all by ETA members. 

"The D.I." would go to Minneapolis neighborhood 

houses in the earliest 28-day clearance 

slot on August 7 if Warner Bros, adheres 

to the regular clearance. Martin Lebedoff, 

ETA chairman, said the neighborhood 

exhibitors will fight to re-establish clearance. 

He claimed the neighborhood exhibitors 

have suffered because of the increasing failure 

of distributors to deliver product to them 

on the clearance breaks. It is becoming a 

virtual custom to hold back pictures when 

several important ones break at the same 

time, he said. 

By holding back so as not to be in competition 

with another company or for the reason 

that the time is not considered the most 

favorable from a neighborhood boxoffice 

standpoint, the distributor is able later to 

exact stiffer terms, Lebedoff pointed out. By 

the same token, he said, the exhibitor is more 

at the distributor's mercy and more neighborhood 

houses have to play the same picture 

day and date to their boxoffice disadvantage. 

Shortage of prints is sometimes given as 

a reason for not releasing a picture according 

to the clearance schedule. Lebedoff feels 

this shortage is artificially created to enable 

the distributor to impose stiffer terms. 

No Downtown Situations 

For 'B' Film in Mill City 

MINNEAPOLIS—With "An Affair to Remember" 

and "Night Passage" booked into 

the downtown Minnesota Amusement Co. 

Lyric and RKO Theatres' Pan, respectively, 

there's no place to go here except the neighborhood 

houses for "B" and lesser fare. And 

the outlying theatres steer as far clear from 

the minor films as they can, much preferring 

the more important fare second run. 

Previously the Lyric and Pan have been 

largely devoted to twin bills of "B" and 

lesser grade pictures. All other Loop first run 

theatres have striven to play "A" product 

exclusively. 

The minimum four-week downtown engagements, 

now becoming a regular thing for 

the bigger pictures, is one of the developments 

resulting from the recent inauguration 

of Loop competitive bidding. The longer 

runs go with the 

competitive bids and practically 

require MAC and RKO Theatres to 

utilize all of their downtown theatres for top 

product. 

WB's film version of Kathryn Hulme's best 

selling novel, "The Nun's Story," will star 

Audrey Hepburn. 

NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY 

W. M. "BILL" ALLISON 

307 No. 16th St. Omaha, Neb. 

OMAHA 

JJerman Hallberg, manager for 20th-Fox a 

number of years, last week took over the 

reins of the Omaha exchange in a three-way 

move. Omaha exchange chief George Regan, 

formerly of Kansas City, is being transferred 

to Kansas City and Howard Kinser of Kansas 

City will go to Indianapolis to take over 

that branch. M. E. Levy, district manager, 

was here from Minneapolis to supervise the 

change. Regan is sporting a beautiful new 

wrist watch, gift of the Variety Club at a 

farewell stag. 

Bob Fridley, former Ida Grove exhibitor, is 

taking over the king Theatre from R. M. Bernau 

. . . Bill Harmann, former Pilmrow 

booker, was on the Row booking dates for 

Jim Liska's theatre at Niobrara . . . Dorothy 

Weaver, 20th-Fox assistant cashier, plans to 

take in the races at Columbus this week on 

her vacation ... Ed Force, manager of the 

Brandeis Theatre, spent a week of his vacation 

at home last week while his mother was 

visiting from New York for her first acquaintance 

with her new grandchild. 

Jack Andrews, salesman in the lowa-Nebraska-South 

Dakota territory and formerly 

with Pai-amount, Columbia and Selznick, 

visited Filmrow and said how much he missed 

exhibitors. Jack was known as a salesman 

who drove a hard, honest bargain . . Leonard 

. 

Leise of Randolph tried his fishing luck 

at the new Gavins Point reservoir . . . Mrs. 

Frank Gannon of the Sky Theatre at Schuyler 

is vacationing in California. 

Norm Nielsen, Universal salesman, reported 

the first casualty in the 14 years the Nielsens 

have had a swimming pool in theii- back yard. 

The Nielsens have a group from Hanscom 

Park Methodist Church Sunday school out 

nearly every week. A boy in one of the groups 

ignored a warning and dove into the shallow 

end. It took about ten stitches to fix him 

up. Norman's younger son Larry now at the 

YMCA Camp Sheldon near Columbus, will 

leave in about two weeks fo. a Black Hills 

trip with a youth fellowship group. The 

youngsters earned the money to hire a chartered 

bus and they expect to take part in the 

Passion play at Spearfish Canyon . . . Virginia 

Moser, secretary to city Tri-States Manager 

Don Shane, is vacationing in the Ozarks, 

I 

Seen on Filmrow were these exhibitors: Mr, 

and Mrs. Fred Schuler, Humboldt; Slim 

Frasier and his son Paul, Havelock; Walter 

Austin, Plainview; Sid Metcalf, Nebraska 

City he's feeling better after an illness); 

lowans Bob Kruger, Sioux City, and Dick 

Johnson, Red Oak, and South Dakotan Eskel 

Lund, Viborg. 

Cut in Eau Claire Fee 

On Theatre Debated 

EAU CLAIRE, WIS.—The request of F. G. 

Nutting, manager of the State Theatre, for 

a reduction in the present theatre Ucense 

fee of $200 a year was discussed recently 

before the city council. The State, and the 

Hollywood Theatre, owned by S. M. Srengs, 

made the request jointly, Grengs also was 

present. 

Nutting told the council that television 

among other things had hurt the business 

of motion picture theatres. He pointed out 

that only a few years ago the Minnesota 

Amusement Co., which operates the State, 

had four theatres running in Eau Claire. 

"Today," he said, "we operate only the one, 

the State. Three of our four theatres have 

been closed due to poor business in the last 

few years." 

Ray L. Niles, district manager for MAC, 

was quoted as saying that television has 

caused many theatres to close in numerous 

towns surrounding Eau Claire. The Niles 

statement listed license fees in other towns 

where MAC operates, and concluded that 

he thought $50 would be an equitable fee. 

Problems? 

Sound and 

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BOXOFnCE Auglist 3, 1957 

NC-5

. . . Warner 

I 

. . Harry 

. . . 

The 

. . Bob 

. . "East 

. . Don 

MINNEAPOLIS 

pounding out a full year. Cineramas "Seven 

Wonders of the World" continues to play 

to profitable grosses at the Century here. 

Another reserved seat attraction. "Around 

the World in 80 Days," in its third week at 

Ted Mann"s Academy, is packing 'em in practically 

Theatre reopenings 

every night . . . occurred at Mellen. Wis., and Regale, S. D., 

but at North Branch and Clinton. Minn., the 

sliowhouses shuttered. Robert Voshell, the 

North Branch exhibitor, attributes the poor 

businejis resulting in the closing "to a great 

extent to daylight saving time" . H. 

Weiss. RKO Tlieatres division manager, returned 

from a trip through his territory. 

wliich extends to Denver. 

LeRoy J. Miller, U-I manager, was vacationing 

at a northern Minnesota lake resort 

exploiteer Don Walker was in 

from Kansas City to handle the campaign 

for "The Curse of F^-ankenstein"-"X the 

Unknow-n." booked at the Gopher. 

Local branch and district managers met 

Monday in the Minnesota Amusement Co. 

offices to set up the annual fall money-raising 

campaign for the Variety Club's University 

of Minnesota campus heart disease 

20ih-Fox booker Ann Griffin 

hospital . . . 

vacationed in northern Minnesota . . . Bob 

Favaro has enlisted the local Star-Tribune 

newspapers in a carrier contest involving 

"Gun Glory." slated for the Gopher here 

August 10. Every carrier who turns in two 

PAT BOONE«SAL MINEO 

ELVIS PRESLEY 

• Black and White )]nOO(Mii 

FAN 

PHOTOS 

Per Thoinao^ 

mum Order 1,000 • 

of Either Star) 

Check with 

THEATRICAL ADVERTISING CO. 

Order! 2310 Cass Dtfrolt 1, Mich. 

| 

new subscriptions will receive a pair of passes 

to a preview of the picture. 

.\ gale wrecked the ticket booth and entrance 

of the Huron, S. D., drive-in theatre, 

but temporary repairs were made immediately 

The 

and no shows were missed Minnesota Amusement Co. received a full 

column from Mankato Free Press columnist 

Franklin Rogers for the beautifying job it did 

to its Grand Theatre tliere. The columnist 

declared "this is the day that Mankato's 

theatres start fighting back after Hollywood's 

strategic retreat before TV's onrushes." 

Rogers feels that "movie moguls have been 

acting like a bunch of pantywaists," but, he 

pointed out, "the rehabilation of the Grand 

indicates a new lease of life and is indicative 

of what the industry has in mind for the 

future." 

Bill Frank, who has the theatre in West St. 

Paul, is happy because the city council voted 

for strict enforcement of the bingo law. causing 

the three principal operators to withdraw 

their applications for the renewal of 

their licenses, which had been suspended. 

An investigation had shown that the state 

laws had been violated by operators who were 

grossing nearly $2,000,000 a year and hurting 

the local showhouse. 

. 

Jack Alexander, Republic division manager, 

was in Ruben, Paramount Pi-esident 

Barney Balaban's assistant, was here . . . 

U-I hosted a press, TV and radio cocktail 

party for Jimmy Stewart, here for the Aquatennial 

and to plug his "Night Passage," current 

at the RKO Pan . of Eden" is 

being revived at local neighborhood houses 

. . . Tlie British "John and Julie" opened at 

George Granstrom's Grandview in St. Paul 

Westgate brought back "Brigadoon" 

and "Guys and Dolls" singly . . . The 

MGM 

staff held its annual summer picnic at Excelsior 

on Lake Minnetonka . Swartz's 

"Children of Love" was booked into the 

neighborhood Avalon after having played 

the 7-Hi and 100 Twin drive-ins giving the 

ozoners by far their season's biggest grosses. 

MORE THAN 

300 ^"^'^"^ 

Northwest Sound Service, Inc. 

(PMJi FOR ALL SYSTCMS) 

I • MINNEAPOLIS • Federal 5-01 94 

Jimmie H. Davis Injured 

SHREVEPORT, LA.—Former Gov. Jimmie 

H. Davis, singer and star of "Louisiana." produced 

several years ago, suffered a broken 

leg recently while he and his son Jim, 12, 

were setting a trot line on Yucatan Lake near 

the Davis farm home in Tensas parish. 

HANDY

Air Force Recommendation 

Pleases Jimmy Stewart 

MILWAUKEE—Col. James Stewart, center 

of a promotion controversy that has aroused 

national interest, arriving here to plug his 

most recent Universal picture. "Night Passage." 

said. "The Air Force made the nomination 

and I'm proud of it." 

Stewai-t was recommended for advancement 

to brigadier general by the Air Force 

but the promotion was sharply challenged by 

Margaret Chase Smith. Republican senator 

from Maine. Senator Smith has stated that 

Stewart's reserve training activities since 

World War II have been too limited to qualify 

him for responsibilities that would be his as 

a general officer in event of a sudden outbreak 

of war. 

Stewart, who entered the Air Force as a 

private in World War II, rose to high rank 

and his combat honors included the Distinguished 

Flying Cross. 

Stewart met 100 representatives of press, 

radio and television at Hotel Schroeder and 

was guest of Norman R. Klug. president of 

the Miller Brewing Co., at a Milwaukee Braves 

baseball game. 

Another feature of Stewart's rapid-fire 

visit here was a reunion with Milan Mlakar, 

a local businessman who had served as a 

captain with Stewart in the 445th heavy 

bomber group during World War II. Stewart 

also met local Air Force officers as part of 

the publicity buildup arranged by Benny 

Katz, Universal press representative in this 

area. Katz was assisted in organizing Stewart's 

fast-paced activities here by Jack Diamond 

of Universal's Hollj-wood staff and Milt 

Harman, manager of the Palace Theatre, 

where the star made personal appearances. 

Queried as to the competition of television 

with motion pictures, Stewart said: "Television 

has boosted the qualities of movies, although 

I have no personal plans for the new 

medium. I'm not against it. I've done three 

General Electric plays on film and a couple 

of live spots as a guest. Still, when you are 

busy making movies, and go into television, 

too, it seems to me you end up competing 

with yourself." 

Stewart said his next picture will be an 

Alfred Hitchcock thriller, and after that, a 

picture based on the play, "Bell, Book and 

Candle." 

Moved 

Joseph Miklos Is 

To New Britain Strand 

NEW HAVEN—Harry Feinstein, zone manager 

for Stanley Warner Theatres, has announced 

these promotions, effective immediately: 

Joseph Miklos, manager of the Embassy, 

New Britain, moves to the Strand, that city, 

succeeding the late Joseph S. Borenstein. 

At the same time, Michael Mowchin, formerly 

Borenstein's assistant;, becomes manager of 

the Einbassy, and Edward McClosky, ex-Embassy 

assistant, moves over to the A-house. 

the Strand, in a similar post. His replacement 

is Kenneth Savage, promoted from the 

Embassy chief of staff. 

WiUiam McGrath. State manager. Manchester, 

shifted to the Palace, Danbury, succeeding 

the late Jack Harvey. William Sheppard, 

former State assistant, moves up to 

managership of that situation. 

Showman Defies Klan; 

Says He'll Use Shotgun 

GRAY. GA.—A theatre owner who reported 

he had been threatened with a "visit" 

from the Ku Klux Klan says he will "shoot 

the robes" off any Klansmen who attempt to 

"take over" his theatre. 

James Balkcom commented: "The way to 

meet a threat is to make one. If they bother 

me, they are going to have to do it through 

the barrel of a shotgim." 

Earlier, he reported to Jones County 

Sheriff Holmes. Hawkins that he received the 

threat because the theatre permits Negroes 

to sit in the balcony on a segregated basis. 

Balkcom said a man one night at the theatre 

showed him what he thought were Klan 

credentials and made the threat. Balkcom 

said he was approached by a Klan official 

eight years ago and asked to join the organization 

and distribute literature at the theatre. 

"I ran him off then." Balkcom said, "and 

I'll keep on running them off every time they 

come." 

Bibb County Klansmen rode through Gray 

one night recently, some in full regalia. An 

official of the group said that the incident 

had nothing to do with the threats received 

by Balkcom. The Klansman, who was not 

identified by name, denied any knowledge of 

the threat. 

Balkcom has been in the theatre business 

here 14 years. 

Drive-Ins at Columbia, S. C. 

Combat Gatecrashing 

COLUMBIA, S. C—Loca;l drive-in theatre 

operators are combatting a teenage gatecrashing 

craze. They watch especially close 

when a lone youth drives up for a ticket. 

They have found that the youth, who purchases 

a single ticket, often drives on in to 

a parking spot, jumps out of the car, releases 

the trunk and lets three, four or five 

more youths out of the compartment. 

To discourage the practice, attendants follow 

suspected cars and watch the offenders. 

Either they are unwary and are caught, or 

they see the attendant and finally have to 

leave to keep their friends from smothering 

in the crowded trunk. 

Conservatives Promise 

Magazine Tax Change 

OTTAWA—The new Conservative 

government, 

elected June 10, has promised that the 

special excise tax on foreign magazines and 

other periodicals which went into effect last 

January may be revised or replaced when 

the budget is brought down next October at 

the first session of the new Parliament. 

The present levy, adopted by the previous 

government, consists of a 20 per cent excise 

tax on all advertising revenue in publications 

entering Canada which publish what is known 

as Canadian editions. It is expected that the 

special impost, apparently designed to protect 

Canadian periodicals, will be replaced 

bv a customs tax of more moderate rate. 

Based on Prize--wTnning Novel 

Warners' "The Old Man and the Sea" is 

based on Ernest Hemingway's Nobel and 

Pulitzer Pi-ize novel. 


for 




PLANNING INSTITUTE 



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to receive information regularly, as released, on 

the following subjects for Theatrp Planning: 

D Acoustics 

^ Air Conditioning 

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n Building Material 

Carpets 

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D Complete Remodeling 

Decorating 

Drink Dispensers 

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Other Subjects . 

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Sound Equipment 

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in obtaining information are provided in The MODERN 


each month. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 NC-7

T. S. PETERSEN 

"Investing in America has made our country great" 

The American competitive enterprise system was 

founded on the work and savings of the people and 

has produced the highest standard of hving in history. 

"Our people of their own free will have made all 

forms of investment from Go\'ernment Savings Bonds 

to venture capital for new enterprise. Competitive enterprise 

is dependent on the continued supply of these 

funds, which benefit consumers, workers, and the 

national interest. 

"Investing in America through Savings Bonds and 

venture capital has helped make our country great and 

this idea needs to be brought home to all the people." 

T. S. PETERSEN, President, 

Standard Oil Company of California, 

If your employees do not enjoy the advantages of 

the Payroll Savings Plan— or if participation is less than 

50% — act right now. A letter to Savings Bonds Division, 

U.S. Treasury Department, will bring prompt assistance 

from your State Director. He will help you put an 

application blank into the hands of every employee. It 

requires a minimum of effort— and it is a gesture that 

will win the approval of the people in your company. 

TTie United States Government does not pay for this advertising. The Treasury Department 

thanks, for their patriotic donation, the Advertising Council and 

BOXOFFICE 

NC-8 BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957

. . Bernie 

: 

Serve 

Cincinnati Variety 

Plans Golf Roundup 

CINCINNATI—Chief Barker William Onie 

and his committee are energetically preparing 

for the annual Variety Golf Roundup 

Monday ilQi at the Summit Hills Country 

All proceeds will 

Club for barkers and guests. 

be devoted to the Variety Opportunity Workshop. 

Robert C. McNabb, former chief barker, 

is in charge of general admission tickets. 

Jim Joseph is chairman of the golf prizes 

committee, while the chief barker himself has 

arranged for the grand prize—a 1957 Cadillac. 

The program will include lunch, dinner, 

cards, swimming and golf. The registration 

fee of $10 includes everything and resei-vations 

may be made directly to the Variety 

Club or with one of the chairmen. 

Industry Heads Praise 

I. J. Schmertz at Dinner 

CLEVELAND — More than 275 industry 

notables gathered here Monday (29i night at 

the Statler Hotel to attend the Variety Club's 

testimonial dinner for I. J. "Izzy" Schmertz, 

who is retiring after 31 years as 20th-Pox 

manager here. 

One of the senior branch managers of the 

entire industry, Schmertz was feted for his 

52 years of devotion to the motion picture 

business and his countless services to the 

community. Schmertz entered the industry 

with the original Fox Film Co. at the age of 

13. 

With George Hoover, chief barker of 

Variety International, who flew in from Miami 

Beach, serving as toastmaster, the 

special dinner featured an array of industry 

and civic leaders who lauded Schmertz for 

his many contributions to the industry. 

Principal speakers included 20th-Fox General 

Sales Manager Alex Harrison, who gave 

Schmertz a gift from the company: Glenn 

Norris, central-Canadian division sales manager, 

and Jack Silverthorne, managing director 

of the Hippodrome Theatre here, who 

presented a color television set to Schmertz 

from his exhibitor friends in the Cleveland 

area. Also on hand to add his personal 

praise to Schmertz was Cleveland Plain 

Dealer's Ward Marsh, dean of American 

motion picture critics and editors. 

Mayor Anthony Calabrese commemorated 

the event by designating Monday as Izzy 

Schmertz Day as a token of the city's esteem 

for the 20th-Fox executive's contributions to 

the community. 

Edgar Henneman Dies 

GEORGETOWN, KY.—Edgar G. "Pete" 

Henneman, 60, manager of the Glenn Theatre 

here and former manager of the Sipp 

in Paintsville, died at his home here recently. 

Henneman's body was found in the bath 

tub at his home late on Sunday night. Funeral 

services were held at Ashland, Ky. Henneman 

is survived by his wife Ruth, two sisters 

and a brother. 

Benton, Ky., Airer Is 4 

BENTON, KY.—Paul Harrington celebrated 

the fourth anniversary of his Calvert Drivein 

here recently. 

COLUMBUS 

"The $5,000,000 underground parking garage 

for 1,050 cars at the State House in the 

heart of the downtown theatre district will 

be under construction by the spring of 1958, 

it was predicted following approval of issuance 

of bonds for the structure . . . Al Cincione, 

a member of the Majestic Theatre 

orchestra in the Twenties, died at his home 

following a heart attack. He was 73. He 

was a life member of the Columbus Federation 

of Musicians and a trustee of the 

federation for 25 years. 

Fred Oestrelcher, Loew's publicist, is vacationing 

in Canada, where he planned to see 

the new Shakespeare Festival theatre at 

Stratford, Ont. . 

Young, United 

Artists exploitation representative, was here 

in advance of the opening of "The Pride and 

ihe Passion" August 9 at Loew's Broad, 

James Stewart, star of "Night Passage," 

was given an oversized key to the city by 

Mayor M. E. Sensenbrenner during his twohour 

stopover at Port Columbus. Clyde 

Moore, theatre editor of the Ohio State 

Journal; William Moore, relief theatre editor 

of the Columbus Citizen, and Robert Waldron 

of the Columbus Dispatch editorial staff 

flew to Indianapolis to meet the Stewart 

party and flew back with the star. 

John McDonald Stricken; 

Boothman at Fisher 

DETROIT—The funeral of John McDonald, 

commander-elect of the theatrical post of 

the American Legion and operator at the 

Fisher Theatre for 30 years, was attended 

by a representative turnout of showmen. 

Pallbearers were all past commanders of theatrical 

post—Lloyd Bui-rows, Gilbert E. Light, 

Max Kolin, Owen Blough, Clifford Vericker 

and Bob Seeley. 

Among those attending were past commanders 

Morrie Katz, Carl Rush and Wayne 

Roberts and post members William Fouchey, 

Roy Rubem, Earl J. McGlinnen, Russell 

Rubem, Sam Cinquemani and Ralph Ruben. 

Representatives of projectionists Local 199 

were on hand in force. 

Mannie Shor. 65, Dies; 

West Virginia Exhibitor 

CINCINNATI—Mannie Shor, 65, Williamson, 

Va., exhibitor, died July 17 following a 

heart attack. He had undergone .several 

major operations in recent years but had 

recovered. When he was more active in exhibition, 

he was a well-known figure on 

Filmrow here. 

He was a brother of Louis Shor and brother-in-law 

of Hyman Banks, with both of 

whom he had been affiliated in the operation 

of theatres in Williamson. Mannie was also 

a cousin of Ruben Shor, Cincinnati. Other 

survivors include a brother, Belman, War, 

W. Va.; two sisters, Mrs. Beatrice Misrach, 

San Francisco, and Mrs. Ida Banks, Williamson. 

Greenville Palace Improves 

GREENVILLE, KY.—The Palace Theatre, 

managed by W. H. Lutrell, recently completed 

a remodeling which included new 

seats, new ceiliJig, new insulation and air 

conditioning, a new screen and new lighting. 

180 in Second Week 

CLEVELAND—"The Dfli ate Delinquent" 

marched on to its second week of success 

on a moveover to the Stillman, where it 

registered a healthy 180 per cent after a good 

opening week at the State. 


Allen ^The Prince and the Showgirl (WB) 105 

Hippodrome Fire Down Below (Col) 85 

Heights Art—The Grand Maueuver (UMPO) 130 

Lower Mall The Great Betrayal (Pic Films) ....120 

Ohio Around the World in 80 Doys (UA), 6th wk 275 

State— Loving You (Para) 75 

Stillman The Delicate Delinquent (Para), 2nd 

CINCINNATI—With the exception of "The 

Delicate Delinquent," all downtown attractions 

were new. The Jerry Lewis film finished 

a third downtown week with nice attendance. 

Albee— Beau James (Para) 120 

Grond The Delicate Delinquent (Para), 3rd d.t. 

wk 100 

Keith's, Twin Passage (U-l) Drive- In—Night ....110 

Palace The Curse of Frankenstein (WB); X the 

Unknown (WB) 1 30 

DETROIT—Business was generally just soso 

locally, marking the midsummer doldrums. 

Adams Man on Fire (MGM), 2nd wk 70 

Broadway Capitol Dino (AA); The Bodge of 

Marshal Brennan (AA) 100 

Fox— Loving You (Para); Edge of Hell (U-l) ... .110 

Madison The Ten Commandments (Poro), 35th 

wk 160 

Michigan Love in the Afternoon (AA); Dragoon 

Wells Mossocrc (AA) 110 

Palms Fire Down Below (Col); The Counterfeit 

Plan (WB) 100 

United Artists—Around the World in 80 Days 

(UA), 30th wk 225 

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DETROIT 

. . James H. Parks, 

projection booth notes—Traveler John O'- 

Toole, Jot Poresta, formerly of the 

vanished Midway in Dearborn, and Ellsworth 

Miller, formerly of the Belle, are dividing 

duties at the Regent . 

pioneer operator at the Vogue, has retired, 

with Louis Ramsey moving from the Punch 

and Judy ni Grosse Pointe to succeed him 

Friese, veteran at the downtown 

Family, moved to the Punch and Judy, and 

Nicholas Tsoukalas, who was at the Highland 

Park in the suburb of that name, 

succeeded him . Roberts, former 

commander of Theatrical Post, is at the 

ERNIE 

. . . Henry is out at 

Stratford, succeeding Vivan 

Moore 

Aumock, now 

at the Melody 

tlie Duke in Ferndale for the summer, following 

Bill Napier, who went to the Holiday 

Drive-In . L. McBath, jurist-operator, 

has succeeded Hans Larsen of the 

Cinderella, who has retired. 

H. J. Daley, manager of the Croswell Theatre 

in Adrian, made the columns of the 

Detroit Free Press for his adventure with a 

hungry 4-year-old who watched him fill the 

candy machine Milatz, who pinch 

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at the big Eastland 

opening included Fred Sweet, managing editor 

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Lloyd Turel jr. is pinch-hitting for operator 

Jack Susami at the Mexico Theatre. Susami 

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filled by Bob McNamara . Robin, 

who recently took over the oldtime East Side 

Theatre after over 40 years of operation by 

the Ackerman family, reports business is 

picking up . . . Irving Belinsky of the Eastwood 

Theatre is vacationing in California for 

a month with his wife and two youngsters 

Bill" Brandt is away on a 

month's vacation, including a health checkup. 

Vacation notes—Alice Gorham, UDT direc- 

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. . . Jack 

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week off Kanipe, president 

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her first trip to New York, "a really great 

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back from two weeks in northern Michigan, 

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David Gonda. Universal booker, was stricken 

by illness on a trip to the Appalachians and 

Smokies, returning ahead of time . . . Gertrude 

Applebaum of Allied Artists was off 

for the Northwest and Canada 

Susami of United Artists stayed right around 

home . Martin, MGM booker, 

got back after two weeks caring for his 

month-old offspring . . . Clarence Berthiaume, 

MGM booker is leaving for the 

upper peninsula . Zuelch, MGM office 

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vacation . . . Joseph Ellul of the Empress 

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ME-2 

BOXOFFICE : 

: August 3, 1957

, . Roy 

and his family will leave the end of August 

for Hollywood, Fla. 

Theatrical Post doings—Owen Blough and 

Max Kolin are heading a special drive for 

dues collection . . . George Frederick, former 

theatre manager, will be installed as Detroit 

district commander September 7 . . . Junior 

Past Commander Lloyd Burrows of the Fox 

is assembling the post news efficiently. 

Herman Cohen, former local theatre manager 

and salesman, is producer of "I Was a 

Teenage Werewolf," which Jack Zide has 

booked for the Broadway Capitol . . . 

Harold 

Brown, Jack Haynes, Joe Ellul and Jack 

Zide headed for Cleveland for the Izzy 

Schmertz farewell dinner . Ruben of 

the Fox has been on the sicklist . . . Gerald 

Herlihy of the Stone has returned to his post 

after a slight heart attack . . . Vacationing 

veteran Walter Norris took his daughter and 

her son to Cleveland for the big Civic Day 

cmise on the Aquarama and plans a little 

family trip to Niagara Falls. 

Cinerama-Baseball Tieup 

Pleases Cincinnati Fans 

CINCINNATI—The Capitol Cinerama Theatre 

has been sold out during the current 

home stand of the Cincinnati Reds baseball 

team as the result of a "red carpet" promotion 

linking the theatre and the pennantchasing 

Reds. 

The promotion offers out-of-town patrons 

a package deal that includes ball games, 

"Seven Wonders of the World" at the Capitol 

and hotel lodgings. The offer extends over a 

200-mile radius from Cincinnati, bringing in 

customers from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and 

West Virginia. 

"Seven Wonders" is now in its 14th month 

and has been viewed by approximately 750,000 

patrons. Attendance has exceeded that of 

the two previous Cinerama attractions and 

William C. Rush, manager of the Capitol, 

expects the picture will continue at his theatre 

until late October. 

Howard Barber Elected 

NORTH MANCHESTER, IND.—Howard 

Barber of Wilmette, 111., has been elected 

president of the Peabody Seating Co., North 

Manchester, succeeding Otto Parmerlee, who 

retired after many years of service with the 

firm. The new president was named by the 

Newcastle Products Co., which recently 

purchased controlling interest in the Peabody 

firm. 

Howard C. Holah Dies 

DETROIT—Howard C. Holah, 72, manager 

for many years of the Birmingham Theatre 

in Birmingham for United Detroit Theatres 

until his retirement, died July 23 at the 

Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He is 

survived by his wife Francis. Interment was 

in Cleveland, his native city. 

Fail to Open Safe 

HOPKINSVILLE. KY.—Thieves who broke 

into the Skyway Drive-In on U. S. 41A recently 

made a futile attempt to open the 

safe in the office of Manager John McCoy. 

The vandals caused much damage in the 

place but got away with only some food, 

candy and cigarets. 

Union Dispute Ties 

'Commandments' 

exit march. Union terms have been met in 

other cities where the film has played, he 

said. 

Harold Brown, vice-president and general 

manager for Northio in Detroit, said that the 

"demands of the union made the Middletown 

showing too expensive." He said he did not 

consider the film a "roadshow" because seats 

were not being reserved, even though prices 

were increased. 

Mammoth Pink Nightgown 

To Herald Star's Visit 

DETROIT—Unusual public impact was 

planned by Howard Pearl, exnioiteer for United 

Artists, for the personal v.' sit of Jane Russell, 

star and producer of The Fuzzy Pink 

MIDDLETOWN, OHIO — The scheduled 

showing of "The Ten Commandments" at the 

Strand Theatre, one of the Northio Theatres Nightgown" on August 5. A 20-foot-long pink 

Corp. houses, was canceled because of a disagreement 

between the theatre and Local out the window of her room at the Sheratonnightgown 

was secured and was to be hung 

Cadillac Hotel, a high traffic point, with a 

282, lATSE. 

The union demanded an extra projectionist placard, "Jane Russell Slept Here in Her 

in the booth dui-ing the film's showing. Les Fuzzy Pink Nightgown." 

Francis, business agent for the union, said the A press luncheon features everything pink, 

union asked for one extra man; theatre officials 

said the' union had demanded two, and pagne, "pink-ladies" and coffee, with waiters 

including grapefruit, steaks, potatoes, cham- 

in 

possibly three, extra men be hired. Francis 

pink aprons and pink wigs. A pink Lincoln 

was secured for personal transport, with 

said the union considered the film a "roadshow" 

because of the special $1.50 admis- 

a Pinkerton detective as guard for the suite. 

sion, an intermission, plus an overture and A personal appearance tieing in with the 

pink theme was scheduled for the Kern 

department store. 

Fulton, Ky„ Theatre Fire 

FULTON, KY. — Manager Slim Weldon 

turned on the Orpheum Theatre lights and 

asked the audience, which included 40 children, 

to leave the house a few minutes recently 

when a projectionist, Don Swearingen, 

noticed flames shooting from the floor of 

the balcony. Firemen chopped a hole in the 

ceiling and put out the fire, caused by an 

electrical short circuit. The customers then 

returned to the theatre. 

Floods Delay Opening 

CYNTHIANA, KY.—The opening of the 

Rohs Theatre here was delayed for two weeks 

recently because of the floods in Texas. Recent 

heavy storms in that state resulted in 

flooding of the manufacturing plant which 

had made new seatings for the theatre here. 

The seats were ready for shipment, but were 

so severely damaged by floodwaters that shipment 

had to be delayed while repairs were 

made. 

DCA Horror Bill Booked 

In Six Detroit Houses 

DETTROIT-The most significant Detroit 

area booking reported by DCA since the opening 

of the new office here by Manager Arthur 

Levy has been the setting of dates for a combination 

horror bill, "The Monster From 

Green Hell" and "Half Human," for six 

major theatres, playing day-and-date on a 

first run basis. Theatres, well scattered 

around the city and suburban area, include 

the Roxy, Hollywood, Van Dyke, Washington 

and Riviera and the Hollywood Drive-In. 

The booking fits into the new pattern indicated 

by some other distributors of selling 

attractions to outlying houses rather than 

downtown on a first run basis. 

Ten Windows Are Broken 

By Vandals at Theatre 

YOUNGSTOWN—Vandals broke ten windows 

valued at a total of $68 in the Foster 

Theatre here over a recent weekend, reported 

Herman Heller, manager. He said the windows 

were intact when he closed at 11:30 

p.m. Saturday, but broken when he opened 

at 6 p.m. Sunday. 

Two men who admittedly tried to break into 

the Regent Theatre in downtown Youngstown 

were nabbed about 4 a.m. on Saturday morning 

by police. 

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BOXOFFICE :: August 3, 1957 

ME-3

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, . . Bert 

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CLEVELAND 

Tn a wedding ceremony Saturday i27) in 

Piout chapel of Bowling Green University, 

Jack Armstrong, theatre circuit owner, 

gave his daughter Carol in marriage to Lt. 

Gregory Hatch. USAF. of Portsmouth. Ohio, 

currently stationed in Texas. A reception 

in the Bowling Green Women's Club followed 

the ceremony. The bride will return to 

Miami University in the fall to complete her 

final semester for a degree in physical education 

Mrs. Mary Ann Andrews, former 

. . . 

MGM inspector and wife of MGM head 

shipper Stephen Andrews, died. Also surviving 

is a daughter. Mrs. Phyllis Crail . . . Joe 

Rembrandt of the Center-Mayfield Theatre 

in Cleveland and the Ellet in Akron, loaded 

up the old faithful with gasoline and hit 

the trail for Phoenix, Ariz., for a visit with 

his mother. 

Art Goldsmith and Otto Braeunig of the 

newly opened DCA exchange are wearing 

those smiles for a good reason. Their 11 

theatre multiple first run of "Monster From 

Green Hell" and "Half Human" did excellent 

business in spite of record high temperature. 

The dual combination is playing 66 

theatres in this area, including the Warner, 

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Watson, 

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and now with Paramount on special handling 

of "The Ten Commandments." is in town 

for the opening of the production on August 

7 at the Lake. Colony and Fairview theatres, 

first subrun engagements in Cleveland. 

Carl Reardon, U-I manager, and his family 

are leaving the shores of Lake Erie for the 

shores of New Jersey for a couple of weeks 

vacation . . . Nat Wolf, former Warner Ohio 

zone manager, is building a 20,000 .square foot 

warehouse in the southeast part of town 

which he has leased to the Mills-Wolf Steel 

Co. of which his son Donald is a partner 

Schoonmaker of the World Theatre. 

Toledo, is following the movie trend 

for bigger and better things in his avocation. 

He sold the boat he acquired the beginning 

of the season and bought a bigger one. 

The Sandy Leavitts of the Washington 

circuit and the Al Sunshines of Advanads 

are back from a successful Georgian Bay 

fishing trip. Irwin Shenker of Berlo Vending 

also spent a couple of weeks up there 

cliasing the elusive black bass . lure 

of the motion picture industry has reached 

down into the thii-d generation here with 

Marilyn Leavitt, daughter of Sandy Leavitt 

and granddaughter of M. B. Horwitz. handing 

the billing at Republic and Roger Miller, 

one of Horwitz' grandsons working as MGM 

a.ssistant shipper until he returns in the fall 

to University School. 

M. H. Fritchle of Oliver Theatre Supply 

Co. has sold and installed Cinemascope 

equipment to Joseph L. Frankie for his Super 

45 Drive-In at Warren and for the Lansing 

Drive-In, Lansing . Columbia exchange, 

in the throes of remodeling, gets 

worse and worse before it gets better. With 

one group putting up new partitions and 

another group tearing down old partitions, 

confusion reigns supreme. But Manager Jerry 

Safron says the end will justify the means. 

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'Success' Scores 125 

In Boston Opening 

BOSTON—"Sweet Smell of Success" was 

strong enough to warrant a holdover despite 

the hottest weekend of the year. "Around 

the World" continued its steady pattern of 

near-capacity each evening but matinees 

dropped off slightly. 

. 90 


Astor—The Ten Commandments (Para), 35th wk. 70 

Beacon Hill—Mono (Times), 2nd wk 120 

Boston Seven Wonders ot the World (SW), 47th 

wk 70 

Exefer Street The French They Are o Funny 

Race iConfl Dis), 3rd wk 85 

Kenmore ^The Monte Corlo Story (UA), 3rd wk. 90 

Memorial Island in the Sun (20th-Fox), 3rd wk. . .90 

Metropolitan Love in the Afternoon (AA); 

Dragoon Wells Mossacre (AA), 2nd wk 75 

Paramount and Fenway The Curse of Frankenstein 

. 

(WB), X the Unknown {\^/B), 2nd wk. 

Saxon Around the World in 80 Days (UA), 

14th wk 250 

State and Orpheum Sweet Smell of Success (UA); 

The Big Caper (UA) 125 

'Night Passage' Still High 

Second Week in Hartford 

HARTFORD—There were three holdovers 

—Columbia's "Fire Down Below," in its third 

week: Continental's "The French They Are 

a Funny Race," and TJ-I's "Night Passage," 

playing a second week. The Stanley 'Warner 

Strand was closed July 21 to prepare for its 

opening of "Around the 'World in 80 Days." 

Allyn Loving You (Poro), Bermuda Affair (DCA) 120 

Art—The French They Are a Funny Race 

(Cont'l Dis ), 2nd wk 85 

E. M Loew Fire Down Below (Col); Heart of 

Show Business ICol), 3rd wk 105 

Palace Rebel Girls (SR), Gun Girls (SR) 90 

Poll An Affair to Remember (20th-Fox); Apache 

Warrior (20th-Fox) 1 40 

Meadows Night Passage (U-l); The Abductors 

(20th-Fox), 2nd wk 130 

Webb The Green Man (DCA) 115 

Large Ne'w Haven Turnouts 

For "Angels,' 'Passion' 

NEW HA'VEN—The double booking of 

"Band of Angels" and "Crime of Passion" attracted 

good trade at the Roger Sherman. 

College Monster That Challenged the World 

(UA), The Vampire (UA) 80 

Poramount— Loving You (Para); Footsteps in 

the Nioht (AA) 100 

Poll An Affair to Remember (20th-Fox); 

Lure of the Swomp ;20th-Fox) 130 

Roger Sherman— Bond of Angels (WB); Crime 

of Passion UA) 150 

NEWHAMPSHIRE 

The Strand in Manchester announced a third 

week holdover for "The Ten Commandments." 

There was no advance sale of tickets 

for this e.xtended run, with 90 cents for matinees. 

$1.50 and $1.25 for evenings, and 75 cents 

for children anytime. The management said 

'capacity crowds are acclaiming 'The Ten 

Commandments,' the one great film you 

should not miss." 

An unusual film show was held at the Colonial 

Theatre. Laconia, recently by the 

Chamber of Commerce, with the cooperation 

of Ralph Morris, theatre manager. The program 

included a 20-minute film showing 

events in Laconia including oldtime sled dog 

races, ski jumping, toboggan runs, trolley 

cars and other scenes dating back to 1915 . . . 

Two employes of North Country theatres have 

become engaged but no date announced. Pearl 

Merna Jones, who is on the Gorham Theatre 

staff, will become the bride of Walter Edward 

Bilodeau, projectionist at the Pi-incess Theatre, 

Berlin. 

95-Cent Minimum Wage 

Recommended in Mass. 

BOSTON—A hearing held at the State 

House July 23 by the minimum wage commis- 

.sion on the wage increase recommendations 

of the amusement and recreation occupations 

board drew a large representation from the 

top circuits and independents. The new 

recommendations accepted by the commission 

are: 95 cents an hour for all employes except 

ticket-takers and cashiers, who would draw 

90 cents per hour, and ushers, pegged at 85 

cents per hour. The present scale is 80 cents 

an hour for all employes. 

Boston attorney James J. Gahan jr., a 

spokesman for Allied Theatres of New England, 

made a strong plea for the rejection 

of the recommendations, claiming that theatres 

could not stand the increase at this 

time. He cited the increase in -wages since 

1952, when the scale was 62 'i cents an hour. 

He attempted to prove that the increase in 

wages far exceeded the rise in the cost of 

living. 

Gahan also questioned the legality of the 

new order in view of the fact that Frank C. 

Lydon, executive secretary of Allied Theatres 

of New England, was not a member of the 

board. This board was illegally foiTned, he 

said, and violates the statute. He pointed out 

that Lydon had been nominated by 279 of 

the existing 330 theatres in the commonwealth 

to serve on the board and also had the 

endorsement of the Boston Gai'den and the 

Foxboro racetrack. Yet these nominations 

were ignored with careless disregard when 

the minimum wage commission appointed the 

nine-panel board. Furthermore. Gahan 

pointed out, the individual appointed to represent 

the theatre interests by the commission 

had only one nomination. 

A representative of the AFL ushers union 

also opposed the new wage order and claimed 

that his nomination to the amusement and 

recreation occupations board had been ignored 

by the commission. 

An acceptance or rejection of the new wage 

order must be exercised within ten days of 

the hearing, according to the statute. Exhibitors 

in the commonwealth are awaiting 

the commission decision with great interest. 

Among those representing the motion picture 

industry at the hearing were Edward W. 

Lider, president of Independent Exhibitors of 

New England: Carl Goldman, executive secretary 

of the same group: Lydon, and managers 

and executives from the large theatre 

circuits. 

HARTFORD 

Day McNamara, Allyn. his wife Helen and 

son Paul, 7, returned from a Cape Cod 

vacation. Ray reported catching a 41-pound 

fish, considered something of a regional record 

for this time of year. "We went out so 

far in the Atlantic," he told us, "that we 

couldn't see any theatre marquees!" . . . The 

O'Connor interests have put the long-shuttered 

Strand. Sound 'View, on the sales block. 

The theatre at one time was operated for 

many years by the Glackin and LeWitt Theatres, 

New Britain. It is on Hartford avenue, 

the beach community's main stem. 

Carroll J. Lawler, ex-general manager of 

the Hartford Theatre circuit, now- handling 

industrial and home sales for the Carroll T. 

Pugh office in the Statler Hotel, reported negotiations 

for an Irish castle, in behalf of a 

Hartford client, no less! . . . MGM's "Something 

of 'Value" was held for four days at 

Loew's Palace, Meriden . Grogan, 

Perakos Strand, Thompsonville, advertised: 

"You See the Best for Less at the Alr-Conditioned 

Thompsonville Strand!" . . . M&D 

Theatres, Middletown, has extended its advertising 

budget to include Hartford dailies, 

some 16 miles to the north . LeRoy, 

Blue Hills Drive-In, Bloomfield, booked a revival 

run of 20th-Fox's "Pickup on South 

Street." 

OFFICIATES AT RIBBON-CUTTING—Joseph B. Hanify, administrative assistant 

to Mayor John F. Kane of Fall River, Mass., presided at the formal opening of the 

Ponta Delgada Drive-In, North Tiverton, R. I. Left to right are Richard B. Rubin, 

designer and engineer; Norman Zalkind, Fall River, one of the owners; Henry Hart, 

chairman of the board of selectmen, Tiverton; Hanify; Hyman E. Lepes, the other 

owner; Morris Lepes and David Kaufman, contractors. 

BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 NE-1

. . . Louis 

. . Ernest 

. . Larry 

. . Norman 

. . 

BOSTON 

lîlton Schwsberg of Pennsylvania is now 

the manager of the Post Drive-In, East 

Haven, Conn. . Warren has closed 

the Strand, Haverhill, for the summer months 

Richmond, Kenmore Theatre owner, 

a summer resident of Marblehead, is leading 

in the annual fishing competition in that 

area. He caught a 40-pound striped bass, the 

biggest entrj' in the contest this season . 

Phil Bloomberg of the Orpheum in Danvers 

has joined Independent Exhibitors of New 

England. 

Harvey Appell, Columbia salesman, returned 

from a vacation in New London, 

Conn., with his family . Davee, Century 

Equipment official, and his wife spent 

a brief vacation at Sebec Lake, Me., and 

dropped in at the Massachusetts Theatre 

Equipment Co. to pay a visit to P. Edward 

Comi on their way home . Glassman, 

Lowell exhibitor, has purchased an 

acre in the Highlands section overlooking 

the Mount Pleasant Golf club. He is building 

a ranch-type house. 

The Astor Theatre has reseated the balcony

DOUBLE BOXOFFICE BLOCKBUSTER I N6. 13 

CONTACT YOUR yimanlaaru 

/nXannaiianaL EXCHANGE 

EMBASSY PICTURES CORP. 

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. . The 

. . The 

. . Jim 

. , Bill 

ATC Managers in Brainstorm Sessions 

Jim Dimpscy. left. Massaihusetts district manager for the American Theatres 

fuifs drive-ins. Pictured with Dempsey are managers who contributed ideas to the session 

held at the Oxford Drive-ln. Left to right from Dempsey are Larry Capillo, Oxford; 

Pop Henderson. Reading; Maurice Streletsky, Weymouth; Bob Desmond, Saugtis; 

Dick Lapointe, Shrewsbury, and Ben Conviser. maintenance and purchasing department. 

BOSTON—The second of a series of operational 

conferences lor drive-in managers 

under the American Theatres Corp. banner 

was called by District Manager Jim Dempsey 

at the Oxford Drive-In. Oxford. Attending 

were "Pop" Henderson. Reading Drive-In; 

Larry Capillo. Oxford; Diclc LaPolnte, 

Shrewsbury: Maurice Streletsky. Weymouth; 

Bob Desmond. Saugus. and Ben Conviser. 

maintenance and purchasing department. 

Featured was the discussion of promotions, 

along with an interchange of ideas on vending 

and exploitation activities for August. 

Part of the conference was devoted to a 

"brainstorming" session in which new stunts 

were explored and old ideas embellished with 

new twists. Subjects taken up included improvements 

on bumper club nights, name 

Ask today for on INTERNATIONAL 

Seating Engineer for all the facts. 

Write, wire or phone — 

International Seat Division 

Union City Body Company, Inc. 

Union City, Indiana 

automobile nights, record hops from the radio 

stations, kiddies contests, such as doll carriage 

parades, freckle face contests, etc. 

Reports from the Dinny Drive-In Safety 

Club, now in its third year, were posted. A 

total of 3,500 children is registered in this 

club in the five drive-ins supervised by 

Dempsey. Membership cards are is.sued to 

signed applicants and card numbers posted 

weekly for prizes. Special envelopes imprinted 

with a Dinny illustration, poster 

cards, trailers and heralds are directed at 

the kiddies trade, which in turn stimulates 

the family trade. Reaction to the Dinny 

Drive-In Safety Club has exceeded all expectations. 

Also pointed out at the meeting was that 

per capita sales at the concessions has increased 

due to changes made in the cafeteria 

displays in which hot foods are given more 

prominent position in the line-up. 

Dempsey says that the most important part 

of a theatre manager's work is constant 

supervision, both in theatre operation and 

in the concessions. 

"It's all well and good to train employes 

to handle patrons in all phases of our operation." 

he said. "But the follow-through 

rests with each individual manager. If 

proper controls are to be kept, management 

supervision must be maintained to prevent 

waste and spoilage in the food departments. 

Sufficient food items must be displayed, attractively 

and at the proper temperatures. 

The best way to increase per capita sales 

and to keep those sales up is to have the 

hot and cold displays filled during the peak 

sales periods. Impulse buying is assured by 

these displays and drive-ins that capitalize 

on this fact will show a pi-ofit. Drive-in managers 

can learn a valuable lesson by visiting 

local supermarkets where impulse buying, 

attractive displays and sparkling cleanliness 

are making this type of merchandising a 

must." 

Mondays Are Car Nights 

HARTFORD — Eddie O'Neill. Connecticut 

district manager for Brandt Drive-In Theatres, 

has been designating Mondays as "Car 

Night" at the Portland Drive-In, with the 

driver of a certain vehicle admitted free 

each week. One week the car singled out 

may be a Chevrolet, a Ford the next. 

NEW H AV E N 

•The new Norwich Drive-In is billing itself as 

"your backyard theatre." The unit, which 

is owned by Ray Stone of Webster, Mass.. is 

the first outdoor theatre within Norwich city 

Prank Ferguson. Baily Theatres, 

limits . . . 

has lined up an Albertus Magnus College 

benefit performance for the Tuesday i6) bow 

of Michael Todd's "Around the World in 80 

Days" at the suburban Whalley. Todd flew 

in here July 25 for press interviews at the 

Quinnii)iac Club. Todd's trip from New York 

to New Haven was via helicopter . . . The 

first releases under the Rank Film Distributors 

of America banner are getting admirable 

play throughout Connecticut. Both circuit 

and independent showcases are coming 

through with bookings and stressing quality 

attractions via stepped-up newspaper ad layouts, 

Frank Lynch, Salem Playhouse. Naugatuck, 

labeled "Smiley," the 20th-Fox Australian 

import, as adventurous as Tom Sawyer and 

Huckleberry combined . Darby. Paramount, 

reported that his son stationed at 

Ft. Gordon, Ga.. is completing military police 

training and expects assignment elsewhere 

soon first Connecticut showing of 

. 

"Band of Angels" was at the Palace. Stamford 

. . . UA's "The Bachelor Party" is 

bringing a satisfied smile to Irving Mendelsohn, 

exchange manager here. The Hecht- 

Hill-Lancaster melodrama has been holding 

over throughout Connecticut. 

Ed Fessler, president. Do Drive-In Theatres, 

Mobile, Ala., and a producer of UA's 

'Bayou." visited Harry F. Shaw, division 

manager, and Lou Brown, ad-publicity, 

Loew's Poli-New England Theatres, ahead of 

Connecticut openings . Daugherty distributed 

comic books to the first 100 youngsters 

the other Friday night at L&G's Waterford 

Drive-In . Sampson-Spodick- 

Bialek Lincoln played a one-day revival run 

of 20th-Fox's "The Grapes of Wrath" and 

"Tobacco Road." 

Beat the Rain— 

with the one-piece, snap-on 

MOV-E-VUE Rain Visor 

Eliminates windshield wiping 

Clips on and off in 20 seconds 

Fits all cars— Rolls up for storage 

90% of all Connecticut Drive-In 

Theatres Sell 'em with Great Success. 

Write: 

We Supply FREE Trailer 

PIONEER SALES CO. 

P.O. 

Box 899 Woterbury, Conn. 

NE-4 


. . Mrs. 

'Afternoon' Grosses 

130 Top in Toronto 

TORONTO—The strongest of the first 

. . 

run 

offerings for the week was "Love in the 

Afternoon" at the Imperial, but there was 

also a good go for "Night Passage" at the 

Uptown and "Scandal in Sorrento" at the 

Towne. Six attractions were in the holdover 

category. 


Eglinton, University Bombr (BV), reissue 100 

Hollywood The Prince and the Showgirl (WB), 

2nd wk 115 

95 

Hylond Doctor ot Large (JARO), 7th wk. 

Imperial ^Love in the Afternoon (AA) 135 

Lcew's Sweet Smell ot Success iUA), 2nd v/k. 100 

Nortown A Face in the Crowd (WB) 105 

Odeon Island in the Sun (20th-Fox), 4th wk. ..100 

Tivoli Oklahoma! (Magna), 66th wk 100 

Towne Scondol in Sorrento (DCA) 115 

Uptown— Night Passage (U-l) 120 

'Delicate Delinquent' 

Hits 130 in Winnipeg 

WINNIPEG— Continued hot weather here 

was reflected in below-average business at 

most indoor situations, the exception being 

"The Delicate Delinquent" at the Metropolitan. 

Drive-in business was good. 

Copitol Bernardine {20th-Fox), 2nd wk 90 

Gaiety The Little Hut (MGM); This Could Be the 

Night (MGM) 90 

Garnck—Joe Butterfly (U-l); Edge of Hell (U-l).. 90 

Grand, Paloce, Rose, Plaza, Pembina Drive-ln 

20 Million Miles to Earth (Col), The 27th Day 

(Col) 

Lyceum—China Gote (20th-Fox); Break in the 

90 

Circle (20th-Fox) 95 

Metropolitan The Delicate Delinquent (Para). . . . 1 30 

Odeon—Doctor at Large (Rank), 3rd wk 100 

Valour— It's Great to Be Young (IFD) 95 

Fine New Entries 

Boost Vancouver 

VANCOUVER—The town is loaded with 

strong new entries that should score at the 

boxoffice despite a new heat spell. A tourist 

influx is also helping most houses. Leading 

grossers were "Island in the Sun," "Something 

of Value" and a twin bill, "Attack of 

the Crab Monsters" and "Not of This Earth." 

Capitol Beau James (Para), 2nd wk Fair 

Cinema Duel at Apache Wells (Rep); Accused of 

Murder (Rep) Fair 

Orpheum Something of Value (MGM) Good 

Paradise The Girl in the Kremlin (U-l); Undercover 

Girl (U-l) Moderate 

Plaza—The Jolson Story (Col); Town on Trial 

(SR) 

Fair 

Strand—Attock of the Crab Monsters (AA); Not 

of This Earth (AA) 

Good 

Studio— It's Never Too Late (IFD) Moderate 

Vogue— Islond In the Sun (20th-Fox) Good 

Five Toronto Area Houses 

Closed for Vacations 

TORONTO—Five area theatres have closed 

for two weeks for staff vacations. The Lincoln 

at St. Catharines, a link in the Famous 

Players chain managed by Roy Miller, is one 

of the five. The other four are the Strand. 

Kenilworth, Kenmore and Avalon at Hamilton, 

all operated by United Amusement Theatres 

in partnership with Famous Players. 

The Avalon has long been teamed with the 

Downtown at Hamilton, but the latter has 

been playing reissues during the time that its 

sister theatre has been temporarily closed. 

Edwin Haugen in States 

KANSAS CITY—Edwin Haugen, sound 

engineer for J. M. Rice & Co., Ltd., at the 

Edmonton branch, was a visitor here during 

the week. He has been touring the midwest 

section of the country and visited at the 

home office of BOXOFFICE here. 

He established 

the Edmonton branch six years ago.' 

TORONTO 

n welcome by many friends has been accorded 

Ernest M. Rawley, well-known 

theatre manager who has returned to Toronto 

for keeps after filling a post in New York 

City for seven months. A member of the 

crew of Toronto Variety Tent and a winner 

of the club's 1951 Heart Award, he again will 

manage the Royal Alexandra . Jack 

Diamond, wife of the U-I publicity director. 

Hollywood, is on a month's visit in Toronto 

and Hamilton while her husband is on a 

lengthy business tour. Her parents are Mr. 

and Mrs. Reg Williams, 43 Binkley Crescent, 

Hamilton. Incidentally, Virginia Mayo, wellknown 

actress, is the godmother of the two 

Diamond children. 

After a lapse of two years, the promise is 

made that the Melody Fair type of tent theatre 

will return to Toronto in 1958. The nearest 

unit is operating at Tonawanda, N. Y., 

near Niagara Falls . . . Len Peterson of Toronto 

is scouting location in Alberta for filming 

of "Cassie Thompson," based on a Lewis 

Stevens novel, for which Milton E. Pickman 

of Hollywood will be the producer and Fletcher 

Markle, formerly of Toronto, will direct. 

Leonid Kipnis is reported to be planning 

to produce "Twelfth Night" for the screen 

with Tyrone Guthrie directing, using the 

company which is presenting it at the Stratford 

Shakespearean Festival . . . For the second 

time in four months James Stewart, 

Hollywood star, was a visitor in Toronto when 

he renewed pleasant relations with the press 

gang for the promotion of "Night Passage." 

On the previous occasion he was working up 

interest in "The Spirit of St. Louis." 

Toronto film reviewers and Columnists are 

looking forward to the Toronto visit August 

12 of Jane Russell for two reasons. First, 

there's Jane in person and, second, they want 

to hear her tell about "The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown." 

Harvey Romberg Acquires 

Theatre Poster Control 

CALGARY—Harvey Komberg, for 

the last 

year general manager of the Theatre Poster 

Service here, has acquired controlling interest 

in the company. Kornberg has been connected 

with the film Industry for the last seven 

years, starting with the J. Arthur Rank poster 

department in 'Winnipeg. Then he became assistant 

manager and salesman with Theatre 

Poster of Winnipeg. 

Kornberg later moved here, where he was 

salesman for United Artists. Three years 

after that he joined the local poster exchange, 

then operated by Frank Kettner. 

Kornberg said that he would streamline 

the company operation with the aim of giving 

exhibitors the finest advertising service at 

the lowest possible cost. 

Win in UA Date Drive 

NEW YORK—Two Montreal United Artists 

staff members were winners in the fourth 

lap of the company's Prize 12 Playdate contest, 

according to James R. Velde, general 

sales manager. Morris Hamat, UA salesman 

in Montreal, won a top cash prize, and firstplace 

prize for bookers in the playdate and 

playoff contest went to Ken Rosenberg, also 

of Montreal. 

Winnipeg Industry 

Holds 12th Picnic 

WINNIPEG—The 12th an.iual motion picture 

picnic, sponsored by the Motion Picture 

Pioneers, was held at the Maple Grove 

Beach July 21. Excellent weather encouraged 

a nice turnout of industry employes, their 

families and friends. 

The highlight of the picnic was the beauty 

contest under the chairmanship of Harold 

Bishop, Famous Players Manito'oa supervisor. 

Joan McDonald of the Tribune, Merle Pelcher 

of the Hudson Bay Co. and Warren Davis of 

CBWT were judges. 

Odette Magney of the Tivoli Theatre was 

the winner of the contest. Second prize went 

to Mrs. Sherry Pechet of the Lockport Driveln 

and third place to Elaine Freestone of the 

Garry Theatre. 

Committee in charge of the picnic included 

Bishop, Sam Swartz of the Garry Theatre, 

Charlie Krupp of Associated Theatres, Abe 

Feinstein of United Artists, John Ferguson 

of Famous Players, Jack Swartz of the Regent, 

Hy Swartz of Rothstein circuit, John Lypka 

of Odeon Theatre and Bob Hurwitz of the 

Main Street Pool. 

Safety Shows for Kids 

TORONTO—A summer safety program 

brought crowds of juveniles to the Odeons 

at Hamilton and London to the morning show 

last Saturday under the au.spices of the Ontario 

Safety League and local police departments. 

Each child received a cutout safety 

game through the courtesy of the AUis-Chalmers 

company. At the London Odeon, Manager 

Ken Davies featured a safety quiz by 

police Sgt. Fred Bruce for prizes donated by 

Madden's Youth Center. 

Lower Price for Aged 

TORONTO— In order to 

ease the financial 

strain for the senior citizens of Hamilton, 

Tivoli Manager Don Edwards is admitting 

aged patrons tor the reduced price of a student's 

ticket to any performance on presentation 

of their old-age security identification 

cards which otherwise entitle them to 

a government allowance of $46 per month. 

FOR SALE ^ 

YES! 10,000 LATE MODEL 

USED OR RECONDITIONED 

Also new British-Luxury Chairs available 

THEATRE 

CHAIRS 

Spring edge steel bottom sect cushions end 

fully upholstered backs—spring back types olso. 

Carpeting, asphalt, rubber, Vinyl tiles and 

linoleum. 

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^ 945 GRANVILLE ST., VANCOUVER 

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BOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 K-1

. . . "War 

. . George 

SCHEDULE 1 

FOR SALE 

The building formerly known and operotcd os 

Bedford Thcotre, Bedford, N. S. including the 

lot of land, opproximotely 176x60. 

This building is of modern construction and 

is ready for use immediately as a theatre. 

SCHEDULE 2 

6 

6 

50 

1 

10 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

260 

260 

260 

35 

20 

7 

24 

Screen 

Pr. Super Ponotor Lenses 

Pr. Lenses 

4" 

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Pr. Lenses Vi" 

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Pr. Aperture Plates 

Century Conversion Kit dense) 

Conversion Kit Soundheads 

Sound 

System 

Spcokcrs 

R 9 Reproducers 

Amplifier 

Monitor Amplifier No. A 336 

1 Monitor Speaker No. 625 

6 Aud. Speakers 

Aud. Cabinets 

Adopters 

Ft. wire 

Neumade Splicer 

Aluminum Reels 

Magnetomcr (compass) 

Coil - 

flat 

Coil - round 

Thumb curtain machine 

Curtain Track 

Chair backs 

Chair 

seats 

Armrests - Centres 

Armrests - 

SCHEDULE 3 

Left 

Armrests -right 

Aisle Standard Lefts 

Centre Standards 

Pop Corn Machine 

"Coke" Cooler 

Pop Corn Machine - less kettle 

Notional Cash Register 

Automatic Curtain Machine 

Pr. Drapes, fireproofed 

Pr. Century Model C. Projectors 

Pr. Strong 1 KW Lamps 

Pr. 

220V Rectifiers 

Pr. Dom. Sound Pedestals 

Pr. Century 18" Lower Magazines 

Pr. Simplex Upper Magazines 

Pr. Strong Zipper Changeovers 

Golde Automatic Rewinds 

Metal Booth Table 

Pr. Wenzel Hand Rewinds 

1-10 Section File Cabinet 

2 Settees Imitation leather 

120 Seat Bottoms (reconditioned) 

Various miscellaneous equipment 

OTTAWA 

TV/Tanager T. R. Tubman of the Capitol was 

host to a large number of children from 

St. Jo-seph's Orphange for a matinee performance 

of "The Ten Commandments" in 

the fifth week of its local engagement. Robert 

Taylor, assistant manager, handed out ice 

cream and soft drinks to the children . . . 

The 

O'Brien at Pembroke, Ont., managed by William 

Parrent, secured a full combination page 

in the Pembroke Observer with the cooperation 

of 16 local merchants for the engagement 

of "Giant." 

Jim Chalmers, manager of the Odeon, 

has completed installation of improved air 

conditioning equipment in the 1,530-seat theatre 

Louis Gauthier. manager of the 

. . . Cartler in Hull, arranged two stage performances 

Saturday night (27i of the touring horror 

show, "House of the Living Dead." On the 

previous night the same attraction was 

featured at the Famous Players Regent in 

Brockville, Ont., following an engagement at 

the Famous Players Capitol at Cornwall. 

Ernie Warren entertained the press and 

radio people with a special screening of "Love 

in the Afternoon" at the Little Elgin where 

"The Gold of Naples" is in its third week 

and Peace" played a special engagement 

of one week, plus a Sunday midnight 

show, at the Aladdin Drive-In. which is 

operated by R. E. Maynard. 

Harry K. Low, 50, president of the Ottawa 

Theatre Foundation, which is planning the 

erection of a $400,000 theatre in the Canadian 

capital, died after a brief illness . . . Manager 

BoD Hollister of the Cornwall Drive-In had 

a unique giveaway for a horror film bill one 

night last week. Each patron received a cutout 

skeleton. 

VANCOUVER 

pPC has closed the 450-seat Capitol in Roseland, 

which is seven miles from Trail . . . 

Ranch Drive-In, Ltd.. is constructing an outdoor 

theatre at Telkwa, an Indian settlement 

in northern British Columbia . . . J. F. Hawk 

opened his new 480-seat Cardium at Edgerton, 

Alta. . . . Fred Dubelt is building a 300-car 

drive-in at Preeceville, Sask, . Watson 

has opened his 250-seat Roxy at McLennan 

in the Peace River district of Alberta. 

A daughter of Jimmy Davie, office manager 

at IFD. won a year's free course at the art 

school in the Vancouver parks board painting 

Dave Fairleigh, manager of the 

contest . . . 

Hollywood, is building a big Saturday matinee 

business. He arranges shows carefully 

selected for youngsters, and has as many as 

800 at his Saturday programs. 

relief manager, also works in the Harland 

& Fairbanks Co. office, which supplies popcorn 

and soft drinks to theatres . . . The 

Metro Twin Drive-In near Melbourne, Australia, 

operated by MGM, was planned by 

Ben Checkik. who was with the Mayer Enterprises, 

operator of theatres and drive-ins 

here and in Victoria, several years. 

Golden Age Club Started 

At 16 Winnipeg Houses 

WINNIPEG—A Golden Age Movie Club, 

offering special discount admi-ssion prices to 

persons 65 years old and over, went into effect 

here last week. 

H. A. Bishop, district manager for Famous 

Players Canadian, said the club is designed to 

make life more pleasant and enjoyable for 

those who are 65 or over. 

"As soon as sufficient membership is 

reached," he said, "we plan to organize 

special events such as get-acquainted socials 

and showings of request films from bygone 

days on a sneak preview basis, and several 

showings in theatre lobbies of art and hobby 

work by members." 

The only requirement for membership is 

that oldsters fill out application cards and 

furnish proof of eligibility. Theatres participating 

include the Capitol, Metropolitan, 

Gaiety, Tivoli, Uptown. Lyceum, Grand, Fox, 

College, Pembina and Airport drive-ins. 

Palace, Roxy, Tower, Rose and Plaza. 

Enlarge Airer Screen 

TORONTO—One of the older drive-in theatres, 

the Clappison at Waterdown. operated 

by J. Dydzak, has completed the installation 

of a big screen which is three times larger 

than the previous surface. The new measurements 

are 120x60 feet, compared with 60x40 

feet. 

The first program with the new equipment 

consisted of "Guys and Dolls" and "The Last 

Hunt." 

'80 Days' to Open Aug. 7 

TORONTO—The Famous Players Tivoli 

will be dark Tuesday (6) to prepare for the 

Wednesday opening of "Around the World in 

80 Days," second Todd-AO feature to play 

here. The record run of "Oklahoma!" 67 

weeks, will close Monday (5). Manager Fred 

Trebilcock said it is expected that Mike Todd 

jr. will be here for the "80 Days" opening. 

To Open in September 

VANCOUVER — Carlsonia Theatres, 

Ltd., 

will open its new 500-seat, $100,000 theatre in 

Fort St. John in the Peace River area of 

British Columbia in September. It will be 

competition for the 300-seat Fort Theatre. 

The population of the town is only 900, but 

it is growing fast. 

TENDERS may be submitted for any single or 

combination of schedules. 

CANADIAN CREDIT MEN'S 

TRUST ASSOCIATION 

LIMITED 

100 Sockville St. Halifax, N. S. 

Al Jenkins of the vogue made a nice tieup 

with a local drugstore chain on "Island in 

the Sun," and obtained window displays in 

35 stores . . . Ivan Ackery resumed his Friday 

night Personality Parade stage series 

following his return from a vacation at Rainbow 

lodge in the Cariboo district. He had 

the Lions professional football team on the 

stage, with a question-and-answer period. 

Ray Gehrman, now with the CBC television 

division, is helping out at the Strand during 

the vacation season . . . Marie Aime, Odeon 

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K-2 


. . The 

. . The 

IB 

» 

Crosland Will Direct 

Panorama's 'Natchez' 

HOLLYWOOD—Alan Crosland jr. will follow 

up his film editing job on Hecht-Hill- 

Lancaster's "Sweet Smell of Success" by 

making his debut as a director. Crosland 

was signed by Panorama Pictures to helm 

their first film, "Natchez Trace," with a cast 

headed by Zachary Scott, Gene Nelson, Marcia 

Henderson and Irene James. His previous 

directorial experience was on TV films. 

Theatre owners A. L. Royal and Tom Garroway 

of Meridian, Miss., who head Panorama, 

have scheduled the picture to start 

shooting August 7 on location at Natural 

Bridge, Tenn." 

B & H Earnings Reduced 

By New Product Costs 

CHICAGO — Bell & Howell Corp. reported 

earnings for the first six months were 

adversely affected by preproduction expenses 

of new products but predicted 1957 net would 

exceed that of 1956. Net income for the half 

year was $454,733, equivalent to 63 cents a 

share on the common stock now outstanding, 

increased 100,000 shares last April. This 

compares with a return of $559,661 for the 

corresponding period last year, a return of 

91 cents a share on fewer shares then outstanding. 

Sales were $19,329,116, against $19,243,765 in 

the first half of 1956. Second-quarter profit 

was $260,447, or 35 cents a share, compared 

with $317,791 and 53 cents a share last year. 

Charles H. Percy, president, said the slight 

sales increase for the half year was achieved 

despite a $1,500,000 decline in military sales, 

with commercial volume for June setting a 

new record for the month. 

Tower Theatre at Wichita 

Is Being Dismantled 

WICHITA—The Tower Theatre, Central 

and Oliver, ceased operations after the final 

show July 14 and the theatre equipment, including 

some 900 seats, will be offered for 

sale. The building and its property have been 

leased by Mr. and Mrs. O. F. Sullivan, owners 

of Sullivan Independent Theatres, to Frank 

T. Priest jr. 

"It has become evident that the land value 

of this location is far too high to justify the 

operation of a theatre," Sullivan was quoted 

as saying. He added that he will continue 

to operate the Crest Theatre. 

Priest will retain the front part of the building 

which will be remodeled for a flower and 

decorations shop and has sublet the other 

part of the building to the Sauder Furniture 

Co. of Madison, Kas. 

WINNIPEG 

"Theatrenien in Regina are watching with 

interest the recently inaugurated policy 

of all day Monday store closings. Theatremen 

have a special interest in changing store 

times and the effect such policies have on 

the recreation habits of the public. So far 

no clear pattern has developed in Regina. 

The Monday closing plan eliminates the 

Wednesday half-day operation and is being 

studied by merchant groups throughout 

Saskatchewan. The Wednesday half day 

closing policy in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton 

and Vancouver has been rescinded, leaving 

the stores with the choice of all day closing 

on that day or on Monday. Fi'iday evening 

shopping, permitted in Winnipeg, Toronto, 

Calgary and Vancouver, has been of considerable 

help to theatre attendance. At 

present, Regina is the only city in Canada 

with compulsory closings on Monday. 

George MacDougall has resigned as Winnipeg 

territory salesman for Empire-Universal. 

MacDougall has decided to take up residence 

in Vancouver. No replacement has been 

named . Met Theatre in Regina now 

is on a two-change-per-week, double-bill 

policy, unusual for the de luxe Famous Players 

house. However, the theatre probably 

will return to its old policy of playing top 

product the first of September. 

The Rex Theatre at Flin Flon, Man., has 

lined up a stage show to be headlined by 

Mr. G., England's master hypnotist. Mr. G. 

a professional hypnotist and an expert on 

is 

the subject. The show is booked for midnight 

August 18 and the following three days. 

Admission will be $1 . . .. The local FPC 

office has booked a special stage show, "The 

House of the Living Dead," into 12 area 

theatres. The show is fully backed with a 

complete advertising setup of window' cards, 

mats, pressbooks and trailers. First engagement 

will be at the end of August. 

David Kaufman and Harold Bishop are 

making special arrangements for a midnight 

show August 11 at the Northmain and Airport 

drive-ins, with the proceeds going to 

the Fargo Disaster Relief Fund. Winnipeggers 

are giving this fund all-out support 

because of the great amount of help given 

by the citizens of Fargo during the Winnipeg 

floodrin 1950 . Paramount Theatre 

in Kenora, Ont., is sponsoring a float for 

the city's 75th anniversary celebration 

parade. 

David Griesdorf, vice-president of International 

Film Distributors, with headquarters in 

Toronto, visited the local IPD branch and 

Manager Max Schnier. Griesdorf also is inspecting 

operation of the Valour Theatre, 

recently taken over by IFD as a first run art 

policy house. Griesdorf and Schnier acted 

as hosts with F. Beswick, manager of the 

Pepsi-Cola Co., at a cocktail party and 

screening of "Love in the Afternoon" July 

25 at the Fort Garry Hotel. 

P. C. Young, Todd-AO engineer, was in 

town .surveying theatres for the possible installation 

of the Todd-AO system. Among 

houses he visited were the Garry Theatre, 

Fort Garry; King's, St. James; Gaiety on 

Portage avenue, Garrick, Lyceum, Metrpolican, 

Odeon and Grand, all in downtown 

Winnipeg. 

The Colonial Theatre on Winnipeg's Main 

street is gradually building up its children's 

matinee business from almost nothing to a 

substantial figure, with the use of comic 

books. The new manager, Eddy Halpern, is 

revitalizing the whole policy of this grind 

house and is introducing new promotions. 

J. M. RICE and CO. LTD. 

"Everything for the Theatre" 

Sound Systems. 

IBallantyne 

Hilux Anamorphic Lenses. 

Williams Silver Screens. 

New & Rebuilt Theatre Chairs. 

EXPERT REPAIR DEPARTMENT 

710 Broadwoy Ave. 

Winnipeg, Man. 

Ph. SP5-8219 

10029 Jasper Ave. 

Edmonton, Alto. 

Pli. 28502 

HANDY SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM 

Guild Plays Booked 

MINNEAPOLIS—Ben Berger's Lyceum, the 

legitimate's home here, so far has only four 

attractions definitely dated for the coming 

season. All are New York Theatre Guild sub- 

.scription offerings, and to complete its promise 

to subscribers the guild will supply a 

fifth. Already set are "No Time for Sergeants" 

October 17; "Waltz of the Toreadors," 

November 25; "The Happiest Millionaire," 

January 14, and "Separate Tables," 

February 17.

Take advantage of the tremendous buying power of BOXOFFICE readers. 

Reach this wonderful market at a cost you can afford. Tell and sell to the 

many buyers in your own territory who are always in the market for 

something. Practically every exhibitor you know reads BOXOFFICE. If 

you need help in wording your message, ask us. No charge. 

BOXOFFICE 

Published Weekly in 9 Sectional Editions 

K-4 BOXOFFICE : 

: August 3, 1957

CUnjtûo&9K, • Gauutmant • CenceMtatti. - ^(LuutUioAiat 

M©P 

AUGUST 

3, 1957 

SECTION OF BOXOFFICE 

W/icn first introduced at the Nortown Theatre, Toronto, large-size drinks did not go (oo well. Manager Michael King then 

set up this attractive backbar display and now sells five times as many 20-cent drinks as he formerly did in a week. 

featuring: 

i ôoa ana nCefrednmentd _

THEY GO FOR A TOP-QUALITY SHOW. . 

THEY EXPECT TOP-QUALITY REFRESHMENT! 

Movie-goers today are quality-minded folk. 

They flock to a top-quality picture . . . with 

the same good taste, they know and prefer 

Coca-Cola as top quality among beverages. 

More of them pause more often for the good 

taste of Coca-Cola. And every pause means 

extra profit for you 

SIGN OF GOOD TASTE 

4 STAR FEATURE • QUALITY • PREFERENCE • PROFIT • SERVICE

SELL MOREÎ^HIKS . 

CANDY. . . CIGARETTES 

. 

C A Fiowg Excmsiv 

/v\aTcnea venaors wiin rne mosT laiKeu uuuui icuiui 

in vending today . . . the Rowe showcase. Attracts more 

people to make more sales. The finest merchandisers 

ever developed for theatres. 

Write for deta 

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC. 

SALES OFFICE: 31 E. 17th St., New York 3, N. Y. Tel.; Algonquin 4-7350 

Division Soles Offices: 2024 26 S. Wabash Ave. , C h i cogo, 

1 1 1 

441 Armour Drive, N.E., Alionto, Go. 

5435 West Woshington Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 

America's F/RST Automatic Meichandising Family - From A Single Unit To A Foil Line Vending Installation;

* 

Colonial Theatre studied them all, 

then chose Bodiform® Chairs! 

\ N \ V V ^ 

, A \ \ \ \ \ 

Colonial Amusement Company, Inc., Philadelphia, 

made a careful study of theatre chairs 

before remodeling the 1,034-seat Colonial 

Theatre. Their choice: American Seating 

BooiFORM Chairs, on the basis of quality and 

backed Ijy American Seating's 

comfort . . . 

outstanding record and long exj)erience in 

theatre seating. 

The Colonial Theatre is one of thousands 

of theatres throughout the nation that have 

selected the inviting, luxurious comfort of new 

American Seating Rodiform Chairs. They all 

a])plaud the spring-arch seats, upholstered with 

ull-rubber pad and an extra thickness along 

ront and rear edges for added softness; the 

backs, designed to fit the body contours perfectly; 

the automatic, silent, .s4-safetyfold seat 

action that allows more room for ])assing and 

easier housekeeping; the wide selection of 

chair styles, aisle standards, and upholstery 

fabrics that fit their decorating schemes. 

For full information on Bodiform Chairs 

for your theatre, contact an American Seating 

representative today. 

AMERIOAN 

SEATING 

WORLD'S LEADER IN PUBLIC SEATING 

Grand Rapids 2, Michigan. Rrantli OfTices and Distributors in 

Principal Cities. iManiifactuicrs ol Theatre, School, Church. Auditorium, 

Stacliiuii, Transportation Seating, and Folding Chairs. 

ALSO DISTRIBUTED BY NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY 

The MODERN THEATRE SECTION

. . RCA's 

^ 

J 

Guess how little cash you need for all this 

RCA equipment on RCA's Budget- Ease Plan 

Name the piece of RCA Equipmenl your drive-in needs 

to stav first in favor in your area. Name it . . . and 

install it . . . on RCA's Budget-Ease Plan. It may take 

only a very small cash outlay. You keep operating 

capital at the comfortable level you like. Your RCA 

Equipment starts earning right away. You pay out of 

rising future receipts on sensible RCA Budget- 

Ease terms. 

For instance, RCA Dyna-Heat In-Car Heaters. Now is 

installation time ... to make sure your patrons and 

box office receipts stay warm when the weather's 

cool. These Dyna-Heat units are engineered with ad- 

vantages patrons really appreciate. They're light and 

compact. Aluminum fins added to the Calrod element 

spread heat evenly. There's no dangerous hot spot at 

the port opening. 

Whether it's RCA Dyna-Heat In-Car Heaters or Impac 

Speakers, RCA Sound Systems, or RCA Super Cinex 

projection systems . . . you can afford it now on RCA 

Budget-Ease terms. Your RCA Theatre Supply Dealer 

can fill you in on exact figures as soon as you call him 

to come out and look over your layout. Plan on doing 

it right away . Budget-Ease Plan is right up 

your admission lane! 

Tmk(5| 

RADIO CORPORATION 

of AMERICA 

THEATRE EQUIPMENT SALES 

CAMDEN, N. J. 

In Canada: RCA VICTOR Company timited, Montreal 

THEATRE EQUIPMENT SALES 

Radio Corporation of America, Camden, N.J. 

Please put me in touch with the RCA Theatre Equipment 

Dealer. I want more information ahout RCA'.-; Budget-Ease 

Plan—without uliligaticm. of course. 

Name 

Address. 

CItv 

-Zone 


AUGUST 3, 1957 

o n I n t 

M>lOVlE FANS are surprising 

drive-in exhibitors these days with the 

kind of off-beat food they like to consume 

while watching a picture. 

Fried clams, frank-and-bean rolls, 

pizzdburgers, pepper steaks, hot tamoles—they're 

all making a successful 

bow on drive-in menus across the 

country. And, the surprising angle is 

that many foods, which once were only 

regional in appeal, have now gone national 

in tastes. 

Pizza was once an east 

coast exclusive, with the main sell in 

areas where the Italian population was 

large. Now, tall Texans and rural Midwesterners 

are stepping up to concessions 

counters and ordering the familysize 

pizza. Chuck wagon steaks first 

were served in drive-ins out where the 

West begins. Now, outdoor theatres, 

North, South and East are selling them. 

This breakdown of geographical barriers, 

foodwise, has come about as the 

result of the interchange of ideas by 

theatre concessions men at their national 

exhibitor association conventions 

and at merchandising conferences 

staged by the National Ass'n of Concessionaires. 

New taste treats add variety to the 

concessions menu and, while a specific 

item may not go over in every situation, 

it is worthwhile to give a new 

item a careful trial. That is the reasoning 

of concessionaires who, having 

heard of the success of their fellows in 

a different part of the country with a 

particular item, especially in the food 

category, hasten home to try it out with 

their own patronage. More often than 

not they find they hove a winner. 

It 

is a certainty that the present flourishing 

condition of the food and refreshment 

business in both drive-in and 

indoor theatres stems from the pooled 

knowledge and experience of exhibitors 

and concessionaires. To the end 

that still further progress be made, it 

is time now to make reservations for 

the big industry convention at Miami 

in November. 

FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS: 

Concessions Tips From Concessionaires I. L. Thatcher 8 

Circuit Earns Added Income by Servicing Nearby 

Parks Sumner Smith 10 

12 Theatres Tie In with Beverage Firm on Bottle Cap Auction 14 

Profits From Popcorn Phyllis Haeger 17 

New Idea in Concessions Trailer Delights Patrons, Steps Up Sales... 18 

GENERAL ARTICLES: 

Arc Lamp Maintenance and Servicing Guide: Excelite "135" 

and Constellation "170" Wesley Trout 24 

Careful Planning Key to Traffic Control Haviland F. Reves 34 

New German Carbon-Less Arc Lamp Creates British 

Exhibitor Interest F. C. Livingstone 37 

DEPARTMENTS: 

Theatre Maintenance Ques- Advertising Index at 34 

tions and Answers 22 ., _ . 

^ , 

New Equipment and 

Projection and Sound 24 Developments 39 

Drive-In Theatres 34 Literature 41 

Reoders' Service Bureau at 34 About People and Product 42 

ON THE COVER 

TKe attractive backbar sign with its /rost-capped letters announcing 

"Thirst Aid Statioii" ivas kept up about five weeks in the 

Nortotim Theatre lobby in Toronto, and was a big help in getting 

large drinks off to a good start. The entire stand is a model with 

its 

good exhibit of advertising material and merchandise, including 

the open display of bar and cello bag candies and, particularly 

. 

glass-front cabinet for ice cream novelties in the center of the 

counter. 

I. L. THATCHER, Manoging Editor 

The MODERN THEATRE Section of BOXOFFICE is included in the first issue of each month. 

Editorial or general business correspondence should be addressed to Associated Publications, 

825 Von Brunt Blvd., Kansas City 24, Mo. Eastern Representative: Carl Mos, 45 Rockefeller 

Plaza, New York 20, N.Y.; Central Representative: Ewing Hutchison and E. E. Yeck, 

35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago 1, III.; Western Representative: Bob Wettstein & Associates, 

672 South Lofayette Park Place, Los Angeles 5, Calif. 

the

" ? 

Everywhere they GO people bring their thirst for 

CANADA DRY 

their 

pleasure can be your profit! 

Canada Dry is the ouhj national 

quality brand with a 

flavor for every taste . . . 

your patrons can get them 

in a multi-drink cup machine. 

Canada Dry Ginger Ale, 

famous for over 50 years is 

the original pale dry, refreshing 

ginger drink. NOW^ 

you can serve this same delectable 

flavor from a cup 

machine . . . it's a profit 

maker and sales leader everywhere. 

Canada Dry beverage 

syrups are available in a 

variety of flavors at the lift 

of your phone. 

There's a Canada Dry 

salesman in your area with 

profit stories that will leave 

you pop-eyed. 

Call today and ask him. 


FOOD AND 

REFRESHMENTS 

CONCESSIONS TIPS 

FROM CONCESSIONAIRES 

Merchandising Ideas Flow Freely When the Men Who Know Get Together 

By I. L. THATCHER 

Keep the concessions stand open 

until the theatre is closed, if you want to 

add a tidy sum to the over-all concessions 

take. This simple expedient, recently experimented 

with by one circuit with surprising 

success, is just one of the bright 

ideas for increasing sales in neighborhood 

theatres discussed at an open forum session 

in the May Midwest regional conference 

of the National Ass'n of Concessionaires 

at Chicago. 

The circuit which has experimented with 

the idea of keeping the concessions stand 

open had formerly closed the stand at 

10:30 p.m. While it takes several months 

to build up the idea that the stand is open 

through the last show, in just a month one 

theatre which instituted the new policy 

was averaging $80 a week after 10:30 at 

night: certainly, an indication that the 

system should be given a good try. 

TAKE CASH REGISTER READING 

In order to know what is actually taken 

in during the late hours, a reading is taken 

on the cash register at the time the concessions 

would fonnerly have closed. One 

manager reported that at first it was discouraging 

to just stand and watch the 

patrons who visited the concessions, but 

in two hours the cash register showed an 

additional $50. 

It was pretty generally agreed at the NAC 

meeting that the concessions stand in indoor 

theatres should be located in a headon 

position, set right where patrons 

"stumble" onto it. It is just as important 

that vending machines be well located. 

Cited, was the case of one small, 1.500- 

seat neighborhood house that plays to capacity. 

It has a vei-y small foyer and lobby; 

and drink, ice cream, cigaret and candy 

machines were located in various points 

around the lobby, with the candy counter 

head-on from the entrance doors. This 

proved a very bad situation for. with the 

machines off to one side, they did not do 

very well. Further, the ticket-taker was 

confused, standing out in center of the 

lobby, because it was hard to tell whether 

patrons belonged inside or out. 

The solution was to remove one row of 

seats across four aisles at the rear of the 

auditorium, and to locate all of the vending 

machines in the alcove which this 

space permitted to be constructed. It cost 

the management a little, but vending machine 

sales were greatly increased. 

Coin-operated vending machines should 

never be overlooked or underplayed for 

they have proved that they can produce a 

high percentage of profit. There are a 

number of reasons for this. For one thing, 

many people would rather buy from vendors 

offering ice cream, candy, drinks, cigarets, 

etc. Some people are shy, others 

won't wait in line at the stand, some like 

to operate the machines. 

Another reason why coin-operated machines 

are a necessity is, the counter can't 

always take care of the trade If the theatre 

is playing to an extra thousand people. 

Machines step in and care for those extra 

persons. 

ICE CREAM VENDORS USED 

So successful have the ice cream vendors 

been in theatre operation that some neighborhood 

houses, it was reported at the 

Chicago meeting, use two 140-unit capacity 

machines. Theatres with vending machines 

reported sales on ice cream and beverages 

about equally divided between the 

counter and the vendors. 

One theatreman at the concessions meeting 

told of boosting his sales by placing 

emphasis on the stand, even though he had 

a problem to solve in order to do so. The 

concessions stand was located in the lobby, 

but since the theatre faced west it had been 

A record attendance of ISO theatre, concessions and vending operators attended the recent midwest regional 

sales conference of (he National Ass'n of Concessionaires at Hotel Sherman, Chicago. This view 

shows the interested and attentive group listening to one of the speakers. Brief tall

getting at least 16 to 18 cents per patron 

had better look into the operation. Per 

capita sales at some of the theatres reporting 

at the meeting have been as low 

as ten cents and as high as 30 cents. 

7. The surface has only been scratched 

on potential sales in neighborhood theatres. 

An aggressive program will result in increased 

per capita sales. 

MORE ICE CREAM SALES 

When the concessionaires turned their 

attention to the matter of increasing sales 

of ice cream in theatres, they were told 

by Burton Olin. Goldenrod Ice Cream Co.. 

Chicago, that, '// you let your patrons 

knoiv you have ice cream, you will sell three 

ice cream items to one that you ivould 

otherwise. 

"We know ice cream sells when displayed 

in glass front cabinets . . . just like popcorn." 

Olin said. "In spite of the price of 

this type of cabinet, it's the coming thing, 

and it is to be hoped that manufacturers 

interested in this type of merchandising 

answer in an economical fashion. 

"Cabinets vary, however, for everyone 

has a different idea as to how ice cream 

should be merchandised. There are glasstopped, 

open front and back-filling cabinets 

available also." Olin said. 

"Other things besides equipment can help 

you sell, however. Take concessions stands 

built before display cabinets were available. 

Since ice cream is an impulse item 

and in these stands it is hidden behind 

the counter, you liave to tell your patrons 

you have it. Have an illuminated backbar 

fign. Have your attendants talking ice 

cream and wearing hats imprinted w-ith ice 

cream advertising. Use ice cream signs at 

the backbar and at the boxoffice. They are 

available with Kleenstick on the back. 

Hanging signs are available. Your displays 

need be limited only by your imagination 

and desire to sell ice cream. 

TRAILERS ARE HELPFUL 

"Trailers are excellent if not used too 

often and may be obtained at very reasonable 

price. We have a stock trailer which 

Vie adapted for our use. We have added 15 

seconds on ice cream in color and sound 

that matches the original. Talk to your 

suppliers. You may be able to obtain 

something like this at reasonable cost." 

The concessionaires were urged to buy 

quality. 

"You don't buy off-brand candy bars. 

You use good pxjpcorn. real butter. Buy 

quality ice cream, keep it well refrigerated. 

The public is willing to pay for it. If the 

product goes bad for any of a hundred reasons 

you will kill off sales. Keep your 

prices right. Prices are more or less pegged 

in theatres. If you go up on price, you're 

only defeating yourself." Olin cautioned. 

On the subject of price. Harold Chesler, 

Theatre Candy Distributing Co.. Salt Lake 

City, commented: "You can't sell a Milk 

Nickel for a dime in a theatre without incurring 

ill will. We have a special ice 

cream bar made up under our own name 

Snow Cones Roll Up Profits 

For Drive-ins and Hardtops ^ 

No Problem in Indoor Houses 

The snow cone was not even on 

the program at the Chicago concessions 

meeting, but the frosty treat is such a hot 

item in both drive-in and indoor theatres 

it was bound to pop up for discussion. 

Here are some of the interesting comments 

made from the floor: 

• Use very deep red and very bright 

green syrup. It's color rather than flavor 

that sells. 

• As for flavor, different communities 

will have different tastes. The concessions 

manager can determine flavors to 

sell by trial. Grape is good, especially 

where there is a Mexican or Porto Rican 

population. Some exhibitors have been successful 

using any beverage syrup, including 

Coke. 

USE STRAIGHT SYRUP 

• The regular snow cone syrup which is 

thicker than beverage syinip is considered 

best, however. It should not be watered, 

but used straight. It's wrong to cheat on 

this when the profit is so high anyway. 

«• 

Speaking of profit, snow cones cost 

only 1'2 cents, sell for a dime, making 8',2 

cents profit! 

o A variation is the snow sundae reported 

by Augie Schmitt, Houston Popcorn 

and Supply Co. This is a nine-ounce 

cup of snow, flavored with a good wild 

cherry syrup, topped with a w'hole or half 

cheiTy, served with a sfxson. It costs two 

cents, sells for 15. Schmitt gets four snow 

sundaes from a pound of ice. 

• Weather doesn't affect snow cones. 

They are good anytime. 

• Snow cones don't offset soft drink 

called Reel Creme Bar. Same size as a 

Milk Nickel, higher butterfat content, sells 

for ten cents. We also have a sandwich at 

15 cents, slightly different than the tencent 

product. 

"The novelty items patrons can get only 

in theatres are the ones that will sell. 

Have special theatre items in ice cream 

and sales will go up and profits will be 

greater." said Chesler. 

The specialty Item presents a problem, 

however. Olin said, that from the manufacturer's 

viewpoint it is murder, because 

even in an absolutely efficient plant a small 

run of an item makes the cost prohibitive. 

He felt that if theatre concessions men 

would check with their ice cream manufacturers 

they would find they could get 

a product that would fill the bill. 

sales. They appeal to an entirely different 

kind of patron. 

• It requires only 20x20 inches of counter 

space for snow cones in an indoor house. 

• One exhibitor made a counter unit by 

drilling holes in a block of wood with a 

brace and bit. The pointed, paper snow 

cones can be set in the holes, filled with 

ice. It takes just a few seconds to add the 

patron's desired synip. 

• Syrup can be handled two ways, either 

by just pouring out of the bottle or. the 

better wây. with a measure attached to 

the bottle. Measure costs $1. 

• If the concessions is already making 

ice, as in the case of most drive-ins, ice 

presents no problem. However, one exhibitor 

reported buying ice already snowed 

from an ice company for 70 cents for 50 lbs. 

Not a bad deal, but the consensus is that 

it is best to have an ice making machine 

which serves for drinks also. 

GRIND ICE BACK STAGE 

• Ice grinding need present no problem 

in an indoor house. Harold Chesler, Theatre 

Candy Distributing Co.. Salt Lake 

City, reported a theatre grinding the ice 

back stage, and using a regular snow cone 

cabinet in the stand. The ice keeps several 

hours. 

• No carpet problem in indoor theatres if 

you serve snow cones with straws; patrons 

will drink from the bottom rather than eating 

from the top. 

• Nine out of 16 major league ball parks 

have been selling snow cones for several 

years. Ball parks are always a good tipoff 

for a good item. 

A Chicago exhibitor said that Popsicles 

and Fudgsicles sell for 11 cents in Chicago 

theatres during the hot weather with no 

objection from the children. 

It was brought out that the ice cream 

makers had reams of sales and display material 

available and that exhibitors should 

make use of these merchandising tools to 

the fullest extent. 

"If you're thinking about adding soft 

ice cream to your theatre concessions, seek 

out a man who knows the business and 

find out if the investment is worthwhile 

for you. The anticipated volume would be 

the basis of youi- decision." 

This advice was given to the concessionaires 

by Mr. Strand of Sweden Freezer 

Continued on page 17 


EARNS ADDED INCOME 

BY SERVICING NEARBY PARKS 

CIRCUIT 

Concessions Setup Is Ready-Made to Handle Business 

By 

SUMNER SMITH 

Circuits operating their own concessions 

business at their drive-ins are 

missing a big bet by not going after the 

concessions business at nearby amusement 

parks, kiddies' parks and stock car racing 

tracks, according to Albert Floersheimer jr., 

head of the concessions division of Walter 

Reade Theatres of New York and New 

Jersey. 

With Floer.sheimer in charge, Reade, 

president, and Edwin Gage, executive vicepresident, 

have built up what they describe 

as a "multimillion-dollar" business. Besides 

amusement parks and one New Jersey 

racetrack, they have food and drink concessions 

rights to restaurants on New Jersey 

thoroughfares, and they are constantly expanding 

the business. 

Principal 

concessions 

business at Storylond 

Village, a 50 acre 

children's park in 

Neptune, N. J., is 

in 

the building called 

"King 

Arthur's 

Court." This view 

shows the counters 

for outdoor serving. 

They open off the 

large inside concessions 

room. Storyland 

Village also 

has a milk bar 

located 

building 

elsewhere in the 

park. The entire 

concessions operation 

is managed by the 

concessions 

division 

of Walter Reade 

Theatres. 

sions, 50 of which are theatrical in nature. 

To see a typical Reade operation, this reporter 

visited Storyland Village, a 50-acre 

project for juveniles at Neptune, N. J. Its 

owner is Max Kolmer, a New York ladies' 

coat and suit manufacturer, who got the 

idea in 1954 of a kiddie park based on fables. 

For example, there are King Arthur's 

Court, the House That Jack Built and similar 

structures reached by a miniature railroad. 

There is also a theatre showing 

"Hansel and Gretel." located in the park. 

The project was opened in June 1955, 

with Reade the food and drink concessionaire. 

At first there were three operations; 

now there are two. It was found that there 

was a limit to the number of sales-perperson 

in the captive audience. 'Wliere 

drive-ins are patronized for periods of three 

to four hours a day. by more adults and at 

different times of the day and bring in 

an average revenue of 35 to 40 cents per 

person, this kiddie park is patronized for 

briefer periods per child during daylight, 

with children the main customers, resulting 

in an average income per person of 20 

to 25 cents. It takes the average child from 

one and one-half to two hours to "do" the 

park. 

A FLEXIBLE SERVICE 

Another discovery concerned the circular 

milk bar building. It was found highly impractical 

to try to serve all around the 

circle, so one-half of it was turned into 

storage. The other half consists of two stations. 

When business is dull, only one station 

is open. 

King Arthur's Court is the gateway to 

Storyland Village. There Reade has his 

main concessions, though much that is 

there can also be purchased at the milk 

bar. The former opens well in advance of 

the park opening, supplying waiting room 

for customers and, of course, the opportunity 

to buy food and drink. 

Some of the personnel wear special uniforms 

similar to those in theatres. Originally, 

Reade tried Robin Hood and Little 

Miss Muffit uniforms, but they were abandoned 

because of personnel turnover and 

difficulty in fitting employes with the right 

sizes. 

Well-known brands in food and drink are 

served. They are purchased because, while 

they mean that food costs go up, sales do. 

REASONS ARE GIVEN 

Floersheimer supplied a number of reasons 

why circuits should take his advice. 

The menus are very similar to those in 

drive-ins. trained drive-in supervisory personnel 

is at hand and overhead can be 

spread to get added income "without many 

headaches." He warned, however, that a 

situation must be studied carefully and 

contracts signed to serve it only if it is 

apparent there will be enough gross to 

make the operation pay. 

Under Floersheimer there is a supervisor 

in charge of each type of operation and 

there are managers at each station, noersheimer 

called the supervisor the key man. 

During the summer season. Walter Reade 

Theatres operates about 100 food conces- 

The attractive interior of the King Arthur's Court concessions is decorated with heraldic shields above the 

cafeteria counter and wall figures, such as the knight on prancing steed shown at far right. The display 

board at left of the knight advertises billings at Walter Reade theatres in the area. Counter cords near 

center of snack bar advertise "Storyland Preserves" for take home, and suggest seeing doughnuts made in 

"The House That Jack Built." 

10 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION

King Arthur's Court is the entrance building 

and main concessions at Storyland 

Village. The building is a gleaming white, 

topped by coral roof and towers. Woodwork 

at windows is bright blue. Gaily colored 

heraldic flags fly in front of the 

entrance beneath Old Glory. The Village 

is characterized as "a 50-acre, Hying 

storybook, a 'Child's Garden of Verse' 

and stories come to life." 

too. In Floersheimers words, there is also 

no "cheating" on equipment. Only the best 

is used to "give employes the right tools to 

work with." 

Here is a percentage record of Reade 

sales: 

Soft drinks 25 % 

Frankfurters 25 7o 

Hamburgers 8 '"r 

Novelty ice cream mo bulki 7 Co 

Coffee and tea 6 % 

Gingerbread 6 % 

French fries 3 % 

Tobacco 2 % 

Popcorn 

iy2% 

Doughnuts and novelty candy 16'2'~r 

These prices are in effect: 

Hot chocolate 

Ice cream 

15c 

10 and 15c 

y> •hi:^^jh)jm 

Hamburgers 

35c 

Cheeseburgers 

45c 

Frankfurters 

25c 

"Long dogs" 40c 

Pink lemonade 25c 

Pepsi-Cola, root beer, etc 10 and 20c 

Coffee, tea and milk 15c 

French fries 

25 and 40c 

Doughnuts two for 15c 

Small bags popcorn 

15c 

Gingerbread men 

15c 

Gingerbread with a book about Storyland 

25c 

Lollipops 

15c 

Pail of salt water taffy 95c 

COTTON CANDY AND SNOW CONES 

Additional items sold at the milk bar 

are cotton candy, 15 cents, and snow cones, 

15 cents. 

The concessionaire also has vending machines 

in front of the animal houses. For 

instance, for a nickel a child can feed corn 

to the "three little pigs." 

Electricity is generally used for cooking 

and heating by the Reade projects. One 

reason for that is that there is no charge 

for the power. 

As for equipment, the Hot Point line is 

used pretty generally. Among the heavy 

duty machines are Carbonic, Sodamaster 

and Perlick dispensei-s. For dispensing pulp 

drinks Majestic and Jet Spray are used. 

There are Hot Point bun warmers and Norris 

milk dispensers. 

The latest Reade circuit concessions 

project is Pioneer Town near Atlantic City. 

It opened Memorial Day. It relies on wild 

west appeal. The Reade menu there is 

about the same as at Storyland. Employes, 

however, wear cowboy outfits. 

PLAN FURTHER EXPANSION 

It was said earlier that Reade and Gage. 

through Floersheimer, have made concessions 

a "multimillion-dollar" business and 

that they plan continued expansion. 

Among their targets are the restaurants 

along New Jersey's teeming highways. 

Howard Johnson operates a number of 

them. The time isn't far off when Reade 

will begin filing bids. 

get the 

PLUS 

•••••••• 

that only 

iii§i 

pii 

liquid popping oil 

offers! 

rich 

butterlike 

/ for your 

• 

flavor. 

popcorn! ' 

PLUS 

all these other advantages: 

• golden color 

• appetizing aroma 

• fewer duds 

• less cost per bag 

• all-weatlier pouring 

• meosuresaccurotely— no waste 

• stores easily-no fire hazard 

To sell a product well, you must know 

as much as possible about it. Few people 

know the true story about the products 

I hey sell. 

by tiie Popping Oil Specialists 

To The Nation 

Simonin, Philadelphia 34, Pa. 

BOXOFTICE August 3, 1957 11

Decause they like 

light refreshment 

people are saying 

"Pepsi, Please"! 

Good news for theatre 

operators— because Pepsi 

means more drinks per gallonmore 

profit per drink, too!

I 

12 Theatres Tie In With a Beverage Firm 

On Bottle Cap Auction to Increase Sales 

ffeMjGdi! 

Brini Iht «C BOTTLE CAPS Tiii'o Betii Si>io| l> 

RC AUCTION i^^^ 

tomorrow 

TIME: 

PLACE: 

WIN A . . . 

/ku n e{a.h.JxLn.ci- lIa-. 

SPORTS CAR 

hot you con ocluaiiy 

-—j^j' 

OTHER PRIZES YOU CAN WIN! 

BrCYCLE .BASKETBALL 

FOOTBALL • R OL LER SKATES 

AIR RIFLE -BADMINTON SET 

AND MORE! 

Quarter-page newspaper ads announced the auction. 

Youngsters in Waycross, Go., thrilled at the very sight of the handsome new Thunderbird jr. sports car, one 

of twelve auctioned for RC bottle caps in twelve South Georgia towns in a theatre-beverage firm promotion. 

Upon announcement of the auction the cars were taken on tours of schools, parks and other spots to 

build 

interest. 

Bottle cap auction parties sponsored 

by 12 South Georgia Royal Crown- 

Nehi bottling plants proved highly successful 

for all concerned, including the theatres 

where auctions were held. 

Top target of youthful bidding in each of 

the areas was a bright new Thunderbird jr. 

sports car, an authentically Ford-styled, 

electrically powered automobile. Like the 

big Thunderbird it has forward, neutral 

and reverse shifts. Equipped with brilliant, 

sealed-beam lights, it has an electric horn 

and puncture-proof tires. Safety is its 

Continued on page 76 

'RoU-(Sni(le 

HOTDOG BROILERS 

G'vâU IMPULSE BUYING 

r/ie Difference is the Amazing Rotisserie Action 

Sewettc POPCORN WARMERS 

SERVEMASTER 

New. 9*n^l04Aed ANIMATOR 

W/t/i Exciting New Action! 

The 

popco 

design 

114 WEST 18TH ST. 

KANSAS CITY 8, MO. 

PHONE HARRISON 1-6856

-rmzMZ^ 

\@'^BW^^M ICE MACHINES run 12 hours a day, 

all year long! produce 'Perfect' ice! 

Newark Drive-In, Newark, N. J.—The daytime scene 

above is quiet, but by show time there'll be as many as 

2,400 cars! Food Concession business is fast and demanding, 

and the Newark will serve up to 5,000 iced beverages 

per night! With this volume, according to manager Manuel 

Lima, the ice machines are vitally important major appliances 

. . . and they're Scotsman! 

Two dependable Scotsman Super Flakers produce 

crushed ice of perfect size and consistency for rapid beverage 

service. A storage bin is used, and they fill portable 

carts direct from the bin. A cart stands at each beverage 

station, supplying Scotsman ice for the beverage containers. 

When empty, the cart is wheeled away and replaced 

by a filled one. 

The manager states that his Scotsman Ice Machines are 

operated 12 hours a day, 365 days a year! That's the kind 

of dependability you can count on when your ice supply 

goes Scotsman! 

Select from a broad line of 8 cube making machines and 

24 crushed ice models. Scotsman has a type and capacity 

for every ice need! 

CAtl your local Scotsman ice specialisf now 

for details or send coupon for illustrated 44 

page brochure: "How To Use An Ice Machine". 

Mail to: American Gas Machine Co., Division Queen Stove Works, 

Inc., 28 Front Street, Albert Lea, Minnesota. 


. . then 

BOTTLE CAP AUCTION UPS SALES 

Continued from page 14 

most inipo: taut feature. Other merchandise 

vvhich younssters bought with Royal Crown 

bottle caps as money included bicycles, air 

rifles, roller skates, football, basketball, 

badminton sets, etc. 

A fall promotion, the auction parties 

were announced in early September, with 

quarter-page newspaper advertisements, 

colorful posterettes, radio and television 

At the same time, the 12 new Thunderbird 

.spot.s. 

jr. sport cars were delivered to 

sponsoring bottlers to begin a tour of exhibitions 

at public schools, parks and dealer 

outlets to build interest in the auctions. 

Radio and TV scripts were supplied by the 

liome office of Nehi in Columbus, Ga., with 

posterettes and ad mats at cost. 

Auctions were held simultaneously in the 

12 areas late in October, allowing approximately 

six weeks to build up interest and 

sales. 

According to Sam Moore, Nehi district 

representative, "the campaigns caught the 

imagination of children and their parents. 

Youngstei-s literally turned South Georgia 

upside down looking for RC caps. Some 

swapped bubble gum for crowns, but most 

THE BUTTERMATIC WARMER FOR QUICK SALES 

'.ft»K 

OTHER "BEST SELLERS": BUTTERCUPS— COLDISPLAY— JUNIOR COLDISPLAY— 

BUTTERMAT - BUTTER SERVER— FRONT & REAR SERVICE CANDY CASES— BUTTER CONSOLE— DISPLAY STAGE 

SUPURDiSPLAY, INC* 1324 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee 3, Wis. 

flavor simmered in 

Smithfield Ham Stock ! 

Genuine 

lAMES RIVER îtU^/ifieU 

PORK BARBEQUE 

The quickest-to-prepare hot sandwich ... no cooking 

. . just heat and 

any other barbeque 

by actual test! 

serve! 

on the 

More lean 

American 

meat than 

market - 

PRE-ACCEPTED . . 

300 yr. REPUTATION 

SOLID PACKED... 

ASSURES FULL PROFIT 

RAISES CHECK AVER- 

CAN'T BE BEAT TO SERVE OR EAT! " ^^^' ^'^^^S PROFIT 

(Sandwiches cost opprox. 13c 

Disfributorship Open m Some Areas 

complete—Sell for 30c to 35c) 

W The Smithfield Ham and Products Co., Inc 

SMITHFIELD, VIRGINIA 

important of all, .sales went up in every 

market." 

Prime objectives of the bottlers, reached 

as a result of these twelve test promotions, 

were 99 per cent point-of-purchase displays, 

bigger Royal Crown displays in traffic 

hot spots, special Royal Crown sales in 

many markets, new accounts and increased 

sales, according to Calvin Pratt of Nehi's 

public relations department. To be eligible 

to bid in the auction a youngster had to be 

a resident of the franchised county. A panel 

of judges screened bottle caps that were 

filtered for identification and counted by 

weight. 

RC auction parties were sponsored by 

Georgia RC-Nehi plants in Albany, Bainbridge, 

Brunswick, Carrollton, Cordele. 

Dawson, LaGrange, Moultrie, Thomasville, 

Tifton, Valdosta and Waycross. 

Participating theatres where auctions 

were held benefited by the attendant publicity 

and increased attendance on the day 

of the auction as well as by an increase in 

conce.ssions sales. 

Cup Firm in Expansion 

The Dixie Cup Co. has acquired the 

Kleen Products Division of the Modena 

Paper Mills, North Wales, Pa,, as a subsidiary 

that will provide an assured source 

for all sizes, styles and finishes of Dixie 

plates. Under the new name of Kleen 

Products, Inc.. the subsidiary will continue 

to manufacture and sell Kleen brand products, 

including hot dog holders, packaged 

and bulk aluminum foil plates, ice cream 

dishes and fiber and plastic spoons, knives 

and forks. Kleen 's management, personnel 

and policies will be retained. 


PKOFITS froiii 

FO^dftRHl 

-By 

PHYLLIS HAEGER* 

Helow MUCH DO you know about the 

nutritive values of the foods which you 

serve at your concessions stand? For example, 

when someone says, "Oh, I'd love 

some popcorn, but it's too fattening," can 

you tell him how mistaken that notion is? 

Or are you sui'prised to hear that it just 

isn't so? 

When your patrons load themselves with 

popcorn. Coke and such things as hamburgers 

and hot dogs, they don't have to 

feel guilty about it. They are receiving 

some very nutritious foods! If you will 

glance at the chart below, you will see 

that many of your concessions foods don't 

have to take a back seat at all so far as 

wholesomeness is concerned! 

Take a look at the food values of your 

highest profit Item, popcorn. Two things 

will jump right out at you: 

• Popcorn is lowest in calories, having 

only 54 calories in a full cup of popped 

corn. 

• Popcorn ranks at or near the top in 

protein, phosphorus and iron content, 

as well as being rich in the other basic 

nutrients. 

SURPRISING POPCORN FACTS 

There are a few other facts about popcorn 

that may also surprise you: 

• Popcorn contains more food energy 

than 96 per cent of all edible foods! 

• Popcorn has been rated as a top food 

snack by many dentists and dental 

societies across the nation. 

• Popcorn is extremely low in the type 

of calories which produce fat. Only 

six of the 54 calories in one cup ( 1 

per cent) are of the type which are 

converted by the body into fat. 

'The Popcorn Institute. 

Now let's take an average portion of each 

of the listed foods and see just how many 

calories are in a .serving of each: 

Cola Drink leight oz.i 104 calories 

Hamburger & Bun (bun is 

equal to about 126 cal.) 442 calories 

Hot Dog & Bun 250 calories 

Ice Cream (1 slice, plain* 167 calories 

Popcorn (average bag) 108 calories 

Potato Chips (average bag) ....216 calories 

It should be pointed out, of course, that 

the figure for popcorn does not include 

buttered corn, and when you add butter, 

you add plenty of calories. One tablespoon 

of butter contains 100 calories, 99 of which 

are fat calories. This, in itself can be a 

boon to young customers because they need 

plenty of calories to provide energy, but 

to many people it may mean the difference 

between eating and not eating popcorn. 

Many theatres offer both plain and 

buttered corn, so either desire can be satisfied. 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CALORIES 

As you know, much emphasis is placed 

today on low calorie foods. You are lucky 

in that you have a food to offer which is 

actually lower in calorie content than 

many fruits and vegetables which are normally 

associated with dieting! In fact, 

there are increasing numbers of people who 

eat popcorn as part of their diets because 

it is vei-y filling, yet is not fattening. 

If your customer is like the average person, 

he thinks and worries a lot about his 

calorie intake, but does almost nothing 

about controlling it. If he likes fattening 

drinks, for example, he'll drink the brand 

which advertises that it's lower in calories 

than most and he will feel virtuous about 

it—even though he knows very well that it 

still has too many calories for him! However, 

he has eased his conscience by paying 

lip service to his weight-watching "program." 

You can capitalize on this tendency by 

relieving his mind with soothing information 

on popcorn. He can munch popcorn 

all through the show and never have a 

twinge of guilt! 

PROMOTION OF THE MONTH-The ways 

in which you can use the information above 

are limited only by your own imagination. 

You know the best approach to your own 

NUTRITION CHART 

U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Handbook No. 8

New Idea in Concessions Trailer Delights Patrons, Steps Up Sales 

. . 

"Well, il you're feelin' kinda' "And you'd like to have a tasty "Swing on down to the snock "Hot dogs and ice cream "And here's o 

treat 

quenchin' treat . 

." bar, wonderful things to eat ." popcorn, candy and nuts 

." hungry and thirsty . . 

Clips and Dialog From Animated Color Cartoon Designed to Push Big Ticket Items 

real 

thrist- 

. Ah! Frosty!" 

An unconventional, new. cai'toonanimat*cl 

snack bar film trailer is receiving 

rave notices from both exhibitors and 

patrons throughout 45 states. 

Produced for the Dr. Pepper Co., the 

unique 90-second. color cartoon trailer is 

increasing exhibitors' concessions stand 

sales by three to five per cent, according 

to Bill Rautenberg. regional sales manager 

for Dr. Pepper's Fountain Division. 

Of primary importance to the theatre 

manager is the fact that the widescreen 

color production delightfully and skilfully 

pushes such high-profit snack bar items as 

popcorn, hot dogs, nuts and ice cream. 

According to Mortie Marks, concessions 

manager of Jefferson Amusement Co., 

which operates approximately 74 theatres, 

"Not only has the film increased Dr. Pepper 

sales, but it has also increased our concessions 

stand gross considerably. Its entertaiimient 

value is as high as its commercial 

value." 

"That trailer actually opens the car doors 

and brings them into the snack bar." a 

Temiessee drive-in operator reported. 

One Alabama theatre manager told a Dr. 

Pepper zone manager: "I've been forced 

to run that film for five straight months 

because people keep calling up and asking 

for it to be shown." 

The film employs modern, highly stylized 

art, combined with brilliant changes of 

color. A lively 18-piece jazz band and vocal 

group provide the lyrics and music, an 

original score composed exclusively for 

the trailer. 

The entire film was written and produced 

by Keitz & Herndon of Dallas, specialists 

in animated commercials for regional and 

national television advertisers. A staff of 

30 animation artists, photographers, composers, 

and musicians created the film. 

Color film processing was accomplished in 

California. 

The first Dr. Pepper film, produced in 

1956 by the same company, was tested by 

the beverage company in a limited number 

of ozoners. So enthusiastic was the response 

from drive-in theatre operators that 

the company's original order for 500 prints 

was increased to 800 prints within a 12- 

month period. 

"Our scripts and storyboards were ere- 

FAMOUS 

MAKER... 

MOVER.. 

Here's a top profit combination for you. . . . the famous 

Heide trade-mark pZus the taste appeal of all-ways popular 

Jujyfruits. Now backed by increased television advertising 

and continuing national magazine ads, Jujyfruits 

belong on the cotinter of every outlet you service. Push 

them for all they're worth . . . they're worth plenty to you! 

HEIMK T rIEIDEy incorporated 

New York 13, New York 

As nationally advertised in 

Lookl 

AMERICAN m\ 

Boys Life 


I 

I 

ated with the drive-ins in mind," says 

Film Producer Larry Herndon. "However, 

the conventional theatres soon began clamoring 

for prints." 

With approximately 2.000 prints of this 

year's snack bar film in circulation, 25 

per cent go to conventional houses; the remaining 

75 per cent are shown in drive-ins. 

While approximately the first 70 seconds 

of the film sell "snack bar." only the last 

20 seconds are devoted to Dr. Pepper, with 

a bouncy treatment of the "Friendly Peper-Upper" 

jingle. Yet. Dr. Pepper sales increases 

have been, in some markets, nothing 

short of spectacular. 

AIDS PROFITABLE ITEMS 

"Our principal objective," according to 

Bautenberg. "was to create a trailer that 

would push the exhibitor's most profitable 

snack bar items, including Dr. Pepper. 

With the rapid growth of concessions stand 

rotisseries, the animated, appetizing hot 

dog, for instance, plays an important role 

in the cartoon production." 

Showings are arranged on a year-round 

basis by Dr. Pepper zone managers. For 

those theatres using Dr. Pepper fountain 

syrup, prints may be requested from the 

Dr. Pepper Fountain Division, P.O. Box 

5086. Dallas. Tex. 

Refrigerated showcases pay for themselves 

in merchandising chocolate candies, 

fancy packages and nut confections. 

7 BOUGHT 

A DEAL" 

Old Popcorn Expansion Terms Should be Abandoned 

The Weight Volume Tester, recently 

adopted by the Popcorn Processors Ass'n 

as the organization's official popcorn volume 

tester, was designed by Cretors. manufacturers 

of popping equipment since 1885. 

H. E. Chrisman, a Cretors official, said 

that the new tester will be especially valuable 

for assuring the processor and buyer 

of a uniform method of testing popcorn 

expansion. 

The new W.V.T. replaced the original 

O.V.T. (official volume tester) also manufactured 

by Cretors. Chrisman advises that 

it is particularly important that the industry 

discontinue the old terms of 35-to-one, 

etc., expansion, as there can be a variance 

Serve beverages in 

the grand manner. 

mimm^ 

H '^5 j "^BbP^^ ^^^^ l\ 

If 

"I ge* d real charge 

out of this." 

in the expansion quoted raw corn buyers. 

The old .system used an arbitrary volume 

ratio in expressing expansion of popped 

corn which was not satisfactoi-y in view of 

the greater expansion ratios of recently 

developed hybrid corn. The new tester 

measures the expansion of corn in cubic 

inches of popped corn per pound of raw 

corn and became official last October 1. 

A conversion chart, comparing the old 

method with the new, is definitely not 

recommended by Chrisman for several 

reasons, chief of which is the fact that the 

amount of raw corn used under the old 

method was too frequently incorrect and as 

a result the expansion was not correct. 

iVi 

7^ 

AND DO IT AT A FRACTION 

OF YOUR PRESENT COSTS 

I" '^^ nation's famous eating places and 

cocktail lounges ... in luxury liners on the 

high seas ... at major league ballparks, 

drive-in restaurants and theatres, neighborhood 

taverns and corner drugstores, in hospitals, 

clubs, other institutions large and 

small . . . wherever 

are dispensed . . there 

soft drinks 

you will 

or mixers 

find SODA- 

. 

MASTER, product of the world's largest manufacturer of multi-flavor beverage 

dispensing equipment. There is no more modern, refreshing, sanitary method. 

SODAMASTER'S leading popularity results both from this preferred manner 

of serving AND the fact that no other method is so economical. Costs of club 

soda and flavors are cut to a fraction. Profits multiply. 

CHECK THESE SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES 

• The identicol beverages obtoined frotr 

higher. 

• As much as 65°» savings on bottled fl^ 

• Choice of models to serve 2, 3 or 4 high 

soda stream, or can be installed to se 

ottles 'ith al 

jonated flo 

still drinks ell 

including plain drinking water. 

• Variety of flavors, instantaneously, at the finger tips 

• Unmatched service speed, avoiding dissatisfaction and 

club 

sodc 

aikouts" of rush 

• Elimination of costly, troublesome, time-consuming bottle handling. 

• Uniform coldness and perfect proportions of beverages, automatically. 

SEIF-CONTAINED SODAMASTER MODELS INCLUDE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM, 

CARBONATOR, SYRUP TANKS, AUTOMATIC CONTROLS, EVERYTHING IN A 

SINGLE CABINET SODAMASTER REMOTE MODELS MAY BE INSTALLED IN SEPA- 

RATE ROOM OR BASEMENT WITH ONLY THE FAUCETS IN THE SERVICE AREA. 

. . . But next time I'll MAKE 

SURE it's Castleberry's 

Pit Cooked Barbecue for 

Sandwiches]" 

I 

I 

D Mi 

Super 

Fi. 

Addri 

MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY 

facts on the J Sodamosler 

send me full 

Monitor Foucel Q 100 gollon-per-hour 

horger corbonotors. 

West Coast Plant: UOM S. Marquardt Av.., P.O. Box '^'Norwalk Calif. 

IN CANADA; GENERAL EQUIPMENT CORP., LTD., TORONTO, ONT. 

SOXOFFICE August 3, 1957 

19

Concessionaires Ass'n Adds 13 New Members Tie-In Concessions Banner 

TTiirteen firms recently have been accepted 

for membership in the National 

Ass'n of Concessionaires, according to Philip 

L. Lowe. Theatre Candy Co.. NAC chairman 

of the membership drive. 

The new members include Robert Mittman. 

Berlo Vending Co.. Washington. D. C: 

Milton Rcsenblum. Drive-In Foods. Inc., 

Paterson. N. J.: Kenneth Progin, Lovitt 

Enterprises. Pitchburg. Mass.; L. D. Mc- 

Kenzie jr.. L. D. McKenzie. Danville, III.; 

John B. Mortenson sr.. John B. Mortenson 

Co.. Chicago; Gus Kopulos. Regal Poppers 

Supply Co.. Kansas City. Mo.; Melvyn Berman. 

Ti'i-State Automatic Candy Co.. Buffalo. 

N. y.; Gurslon Rosenfeld. Carlton 

Automatic Vendors, Ltd.. Toronto; G. R 

Edgar. Hollywood Brands. Inc.. Centralis 

111.; Louis Lipman. Mansfield Drive-In 

Theatre, Willimantic, Conn.; Alfred 

Olander. Moiitebello Theatres. Inc., Montebello, 

Calif.; T. A. Fowler. Nestle's Co., 

Inc.. White Plains. N. Y., and E. L. Gennaro. 

Rebel Corp.. Hazelton, Penn. 

The real impetus given to sales is supplied 

by enthusiastic, personable, clean and 

"active" sales help. 

SAVON COMPANY 

SPECIALISTS IN EQUIPPING DRIVE-IN 

THEATRE CAFETERIA CONCESSIONS 

A promotional streamer to aid theatres selling two 

long- profit items, Orange-CRUSH and popcorn, is 

displayed by Thomas J. Sullivan, left, and C. L. 

Keefer at the recent regional meeting of the National 

Ass'n of Concessionaires in Chicago. Keefer, 

national fountain sales manager of the Orange- 

CRUSH Co., was a featured speaker at the meeting. 

Sullivan is NAC executive vice-president, secretary 

and general counsel. 

THE SAVON-STAR DE LUXE '57 CAFETERIA 

UNIT. Accepted standard for food warmers 

in drive-in theatres. Other models also avoiloble. 

SAVON-STAR COUNTER STYLE OVERHEAD 

RADIANT HEATING UNIT. Made in 4-foot, 

3-foot, 2-foot lengths. All stainless steel ond 

thermostatically 

controlled. 

National distributors in the drive-in 

field for Hotpoint, Toastmoster, Scotsman 

Ice Machines, SelMix Dispensers 

Plan Operation Automation' 

For MAMA Convention-Exhibit 

The 1957 convention-exhibit of National 

Automatic Merchandising Ass'n is being 

planned around the theme "Operation 

Automation," according to Frank Bradley, 

Automatic Equipment Co.. general 

chairman for the event which will be held 

in Philadelphia October 13-16. 

"Automation of manufacturing is a 

reality," said Bradley, "and the rapid expansion 

of vending has made automation 

of distribution possible, too. The 1957 

convention-exhibit is being planned to 

point up the real potential of vending to 

the public and to people within the industry." 

The convention committee, meeting in 

New York under the chairmanship of 

James Wanink, Automatic Merchandising 

Co., planned workshop sessions devoted to 

record keeping, coffee vending and personnel 

problems in vending operations. 

"The sessions will emphasize what is 

necessary for sound growth and expansion," 

Wanink said. 

A repeat from last year's convention will 

be presentation of a training film with a 

take-home feature for use in the operator's 

own shop, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Co. 

Wide o^ fiUoê 

and many other outstanding lines. 

SAVON COMPANY 

286 Pennsylvania Ave. * Paterson, N. J. * MUlberry 4-6033 

An intermission should be followed by 

a newsreel to give your concessions customers 

ample time to satisfy their demands. 

Pew patrons will leave a snack bar to view 

a newsreel. A feature picture should never 

directly follow a break. The ideal setup 

is; intermission, newsreel, trailer, feature. 


Concessions Stand Needs 

Continual 

Improvement 

To Up Sales-Per-Person 

Don't we know that once a concessions 

stand gets under way that it needs continual 

improvement? Some managers go 

through long periods of "a lousy case of 

inattention." 

Don't we know that a frequent change in 

trailers on the screen is necessary? Some 

managers drive the poor patron "nuts" 

with the same old stuff! 

Don't we knoiv. for instance, that mass 

display of merchandise on top of the 

counter will jump those impulse sales? 

Don't we know that frequently the patron 

will pick up that item and buy it if 

it is on top of the counter? Some managers 

have never promoted a "handy mass 

display" on top of the counter! 

Don't we know that specific trailers on 

the screen will sell specific items? Many 

managers just buy trailers that sell everything—and 

seldom, if at all do they concentrate 

on just one item—such as POP- 

CORN! Specific selling can boost a weakness 

in an item in your stand! 

Don't we knoiv that speed means everything 

in making lots of sales that will not 

wait? Yet many managers give very little 

thought to arrangement. Ai-rangement is 

very important—if it can save steps and 

time! 

Don't we knoxo that the concessions stand 

deserves continual and concentrated attention? 

Yet many managers just take 

"the danged thing" for granted! 

Don't we know that we've got to "push 

those sales if we want that sales-per-person 

to climb?" Yes we do! 

LET'S DO IT! LET'S DO IT RIGHT! 

LET'S DO IT RIGHT NOW! 

—The Commonwealth Messenger. 

Only Hollywood Offers Such A 

Balanced 10c Candy Bor Line"^ 

TO SATISFY EVERY TASTE! 

*Availoble with or without 10c 

p.-ice on wrappers, packed \n 24's 

and 60's All these bars also are 

available in 5c sizes except Spot 

Pecan; packed in 24's and 120's. 

Stock up now' 

Norman Wasser Promoted 

IÔRMAN Wasser 

has been promoted 

to the post of 

national theatre sales 

manager for the 

Pepsi-Cola Co. He 

formerly was regional 

manager in the Chicago 

area for syrup 

sales. A graduate of 

Norman Wasser 

the University of Illinois, 

Wasser became 

associated with Pepsi- 

Cola in 1949 in the syrup division. Three 

years ago he became Chicago regional manager. 

He served two and a half years in the 

U. S. Navy and is national collegiate shotput 

champion. John Crawford is assistant 

theatre sales manager. Allen Pinley. former 

theatre sales manager, has been promoted 

to a new post in the advertising department. 

HOLLYWOOD CANDY DIV. 

HOLLYWOOD BRANDS, INC. - CENTRALIA, ILL. 

The NEW Patented SPEED-SCOOP 

Three times more efficient. Scoop and pour o 

bagful of popcorn in one single easy motion. 

Made of light, stainless oluminum. Cool hardwood 

hondte. Perfectly balanced for maximum 

efficiency and speed. Only $2.50 at your Theatre 

Supply or Popcorn Supply Deoler. 

SPEED-SCOOP 

109 Tliornton Ave., San Francisco 24, Calif. 

PROFITS with "SNOW 

All Equipment Patented, Guaranteed 

and Backed by 37 Years' 

Experience 

SAMUEL BERT MFG. CO. 

Fair Park Station 

Box 7803, DALLAS, TEXAS 

MAGIC 

THE NEW SNOW 

CONE MACHINE 

50 cones 

Capacity: 

every 30 seconds. 

Bert's The "SNOW 

MAGIC" machine 

combines eye-appealinn 

beauty with perfect 

mechanical performance 

aHd targe 

"Snow 

capacity. 

Masic" is easy to 

operate and is Fully 

Automatic. A Snow 

Cone costs I'/i to 

ll^c and usually 

sells tor 10c .. . 

that's 

F.O.B. 

profit! 

Dallas 

only $270.00 


. . , Questions 

and Answer| 

This regular Modern Theatre feature is conducted by Dave E. Smolley, contributor to many 

important magazines on mointenonce and editor of Better Maintenance Magazine. Questions from 

exhibitors ore welcomed. Address them to Theatre Maintenance, The Modern Theatre, 825 Von 

Brunt Blvd., Kansas City 24, Mo. Enclose stamped, self-addressed envelope for personal reply. 

22 

Give ice cream quality . . . 

make li on 

lOd sales. Cash in on the demand for 

delicious soft-served cones, shakes. 

Serve a 10c cone in 2 seconds . . . 

your food cost less than it. Serve a 

2 5(f shake in 5 seconds . . . your food 

cost only 6f. Win new fans, make big 

profits with a compact Sweden freezer. 

Easily run by untrained help. 

Model IÔO-tulomallc contlniiDiis 

treeier. Ample relrlseraled mil 

slotjje. Hl8êsl capacil* macMne 

in llie maikel lor »out "lireak" 

luslness. "Hanils liee" loot con- 

:tol. 

Manaeement-sel porllons. 

Olhei models lor every need. 

SWEDEN FREEZER MFG. CO. 

Dept. T-4 

SeaHle 99, Wash. 

"JRUU A 

MAGNIFICENT 

TIP, 

SIR' 

"... But nearly everyone 

in the know has ALREADY 

switche -^ to Castleberry's 

Pit 

- Cook d Barbecue for 

Sandwiche,;!" 

?T0 REMEDY DUSTING MARBLE necessary. Then turn the runner on edge 

so it will drain completely. If you have to 

. We have a long marble floor leading 

-^'ean 

/ro7n our eiUrance to the foyer. It is dustthe 

runner.s on the lobby loor and 

.. ^> J . -7 .„ i.„„„ r, .„nf ri/«7,pr where a hose cannot be used, a stiff brush 

ing badly and while we have a mat runner, 

, ,, j , * ^ , „ 

\, , , , „ „ if „„w thi, on a long handle and a pail of water, cleanpatrons 

do not alivays keep on it and the & 

,., , v, i-i , ~ * i,„ 

, ... „,„„*;„ +,.„î-„w ,nith mg the runner block by block, seems to be 

oyer carpeting is constantly tracked with " ' 

" 

' 

, ,„, K7 Waxing the walls 

concerned, but even such finishes can be makes the removal of lipstick easier but 

slippery. There are emulsified resin floor pre.sents a problem if the walls are to be 

finishes which seem better adapted as they repainted, 

are not as brittle as the alcohol products. 

Have you tried the "nonskid" floor waxes 

q FLOOR MACHINE BLOWS FUSES 

containing "Ludox," an anti-slip material r 

j^^^^^^^^y ^^^ purchased an electric 

developed by the Du Pont Co.? 

^^^,. po^jj/jj^^ machine. Ever so often 

lohen we use the machine we blow out a 

Q RUBBER MATTING TURNS GRAY fuse. The people we bought the machine 

m We have rubber runners from the street from tell us we should use higher amp 

across the terrazzo lobby to the foyer, fuses, but we cannot do this and comply 

These runners are designed in corrugated ivith the law. Have you any suggestions? 

squares which make them harder to clean jt 

^ jg lively you are overloading your line 

because the corrugations of the separate 

unnecessarily. Turn off all lights exblocks 

run in opjiosite directions. These 

^.^p^ ^j^^gg where you are working. If any 

runners, which were originally black, are 

^^^^^, jôtors or electrical devices are opnow 

of a grayish cast. What is the best 

grating at the same time, shut them off. 

way to clean them and is tfvere any way to 

p^nj^g only its own load and with a minirestore 

the color? j^^^ qj lights, the machine should easily 

a If you have a suitable space available, function on 30 amp fuses. However, always 

turn the hose on the runners, using as connect to a wall socket and never to a 

much force as you can. There may be light socket. Then if a fuse blows out the 

accumulations where a wire brush may be machine itself should be checked. 


PROJECTION 

LAMP 

THE WORLD'S FINEST and MOST POWERFUL 

PREPARE YOURSELF NOW 

FOR THE FUTURE! 

Do not make the mistake of buying Projection Lamps which 

may not be adequate for your future requirements. 

There are no standards now. Film widths vary from 35mm to 70mm. 

The equipment you buy should be capable of projecting both of these 

and anything in between, with equal perfection—with no further expense. 

There is only one lamp that will do this— 

THE ASHCRAFT SUPER CINEX 

*1. The only projection lamp using one reflector for all film widths 35- 

55-65-70mm (No relay lenses whatever are necessary). 

*2. The only lamp using a heat transmitting reflector for both 35mm 

and 70 mm. 

*3. The only lamp producing maximum light and maximum screen light 

coverage simultaneously— no hot spot under any circumstances. 

Maximum light and Distribution are obtained regardless of film 

width or height. 

These are the four principal aperture sizes now being used and contemplated for the near future. By the simple, instantaneous 

process of moving the positive carbon crater toward or away from the reflector a fraction of an inch the aperture 

spot size will be enlarged from the smallest spot shown (1-1/16" diameter) to the largest (2-1/4" dia.) and the selected 

position will be constantly maintained. Isn't this much better than changing reflectors and relay lenses every time the 

aperture spot size is varied? 

These are the possible aperture sizes your lamps should cover and the sizes of 

the aperture light spot SUPER CINEX will give you. ,•-' ~-^ 

This is the approximate screen light with excellent distribution you will ,' ^^^ ~-~^ ^,, 

obtain* with all four aperture sizes: ' ^ ^ ^ ^^ 

.825 X .600 Small Aperture 35mm

' 

PROJECTION 

AKD SOUND 

Fifth of a New Series 

ARC LAMP MAINTENANCE 

AND SERVICING GUIDE 

5. Care of Excelite "135" and Constellation "170' 

By WESLEY TROUT 

W ITU THE AD- 

VENT of drive-in theaties 

and vvidescreens 

a considerable increase 

in screen illumination 

has been 

_, ^ absolutely necessary. 

, 

'" 

^ 

• 

The light source is 

^B ^ 

cf 

jg^^ extreme impor- 

tance. because pro- 

Â J^ ^^^^k 

HK4AJHi^HJ 

Wesley 

Trout 

iection of colored and 

black and white prints 

must have sufficient 

light to bring out all the beauty of good 

photography. We understand, of course, 

good projection can only be had when a 

high quality objective lens, and screen 

surface with a good reflectivity, is used in 

conjunction with the newly designed projection 

arc lamps. 

OUTSTANDING FEATURES 

We want to point out a few of the excellent 

features built into both the new 

Constellation \10" and Excelite "135" projection 

arc lamps. These lamps will accommodate 

the newly available, full 20- 

inch carbon trim; both lamps employ an 

automatic crater-positioning system which 

maintains the tip of the burning carbon 

at the exact focal point of the 18-inch BALcold 

reflector. Change of light color at 

the screen, caused by variation in carbon 

burning rates, is absolutely eliminated, and 

spot focusing is simplified in both lamps. 

Another very outstanding feature—in 

the writer's opinion—the entire burner assembly 

can be moved so that the position 

of the arc can be easily shifted for best 

screen light without disturbing the relative 

carbon positions or equilibrium of the arc. 

Once the arc is struck and properly positioned, 

and correct arc gap is obtained, no 

further attention is needed, on the projectionist's 

part, in the operation of the 

lamp. It automatically maintains a good 

screen light. It should be understood, however, 

if there is an occasional fluctuation 

in the power supply or a defective carbon, 

the lamp will then require some adjustment. 

VENTILATION IS IMPORTANT 

One should give very careful consideration 

to the proper ventilation of these 

lamphouses. The ventilation 'exhaust) system 

should be capable of removing all the 

heat, carbon .soot and fumes, but it must 

be designed to do this job without disturbing 

the sensitive high intensity arc 

flame. Our recommended exhaust system, 

described and illustrated in Modern Theatre, 

page 48, May 4, 1957, will do a first 

class job, and should be the type used for 

all makes of high intensity lamps. There 

are some rare situations where a modified 

type, using only one damper, is used at the 

end of the duct system, but we do recommend 

the installation of a damper at each 

end of the duct, and not less than an 

eight-inch exhaust pipe. Do not u.se a 

damper in the lamphouse. 

The Constellation lamp is equipped with 

a heavy duty, quiet-running centrifugal 

exhaust fan. built in as part of the equipment, 

to assist in removing heat and carbon 

scot, and keeping the interior of the 

lamphouse and arc mechanism cool. 

Let us pause here for just a moment and 

make a few pointed remarks. When a 

brand new lamp is placed on the market, 

with increased light output, the question 

immediately pops up in the purchaser's 

mind, will this new lamp use more power 

to operate? Will the cost of operation be 

too expensive? Honestly, our answer is no. 

The slight increase in power and carbon 

consumption is very insignificant when 

compared with the increase in screen illumination, 

the higher quality of the pro- 

The newly designed Constellation "170," high intensity, 

rotating positive carbon, projection arc with 

a Light Booster lens, used with 13.6 carbon trim. 

The new lamp will supply sufficient illumination for 

any size screen area now in use, indoor or outdoor 

theatre. It is powered to deliver a brilliant, evenly 

lighted picture for either 35mm or 70mm films. It 

delivers illumination evenly distributed from center 

to edge of projected image, provided the lamp is 

correctly installed and properly adjusted. 

jected image over the older types of Suprex 

lamps, etc. 

The new Light Booster lens patterns the 

spot to the size and shape of the aperture 

so as to efficiently utilize all the useful 

light. It is manufactured from the very 

highest quality optical glass, eliminating 

any loss of light entering and leaving 

glass. It increases the light output and 

brings the spot doimi to the "right" size at 

the aperture. 

The new National lamps are equipped 

with a "cold" reflector which removes approximately 

50 per cent of the heat from 

the light beam before it reaches the aperture, 

thereby helping to eliminate buckling 

of film due to heat. 

THE "COLD" REFLECTOR 

Let us, briefly, tell you about the new 

"cold" reflector. Bausch and Lomb engineers 

have done considerable experimenting 

with coatings for arc lamp reflectors, 

and have drawn on their extensive experience 

to develop a reflector coating that 

differentiates between visible light and 

heat. The result of these very extensive 

experiments is the new reflector termed 

"BALcold." It is elliptical in shape, its 

second surface is coated with a combination 

of low and high index materials 

visible light is reflected back to the film 

gate, heat passes through. More light output, 

minus the use of heat filters, is obtained 

with the new reflectors. The lower 

temperature achieved by the use of the 

new reflector assures longer life for projector 

parts, by cutting down the heat at 

the baffle plate, and permits easy handling 

of the aperture plate for changes in 

aspect ratio. It practically eliminates 

buckling of film, particularly, of course, 

"green" film. It is another step in the advancement 

of better projection. 

Before we present some important 

maintenance instructions on the Excelite 

"135" and the Constellation "170" lamps, 

we do want to bring to your attention that 

the power supply for sensitive high intensity 

lamps is of paramount importance. 

If the lamp is to operate at peak performance, 

the power supply must be exactly 

the "right kind" or it will not function correctly 

and deliver maximum light output. 

So, one should give careful consideration 

in the selection of either a motor generator 

set or rectifier built for high intensity arcs. 

THREE-PHASE 

RECTIFIERS 

National Theatre Supply distributes a 

special selenium rectifier with four capacities: 

65 to 100. 90 to 135 amperes and 

120 to 180 amperes, three-phase: and 90 

to 135 amperes, single-phasel We recommend 

three-phase operation for higher efficiency. 

Amperage can be adjusted while 

lamp is operating; there is adjustment to 

compensate for line-phase unbalance. The 

rectifier is equipped with heavy duty fan. 

It is built so it will be dampproof in damp 

climates. Requires practically no maintenance 

except an occasional cleaning. The 

Excelenium selenium rectifier is built to 


deliver steady DC power to any make of 

new high Intensity arc lamp. 

The selenium rectifier is now manufactured 

with sufficient power-handling capacity 

to operate any of the most powerful 

high intensity arcs on the market, with 

ample reserve power. It is ruggedly built 

and has a long life—the approximate life 

of between 45,000 and over 50.000 hours of 

continuous service. Units can be replaced 

when they become defective, or worn due 

to long service. They have about the same 

high efficiency as a motor generator set, 

approximately 80 to 90 per cent, according 

to our records from out in the field 

under various operating conditions. This 

is very good. 

BALLAST RHEOSTAT ADVISED 

We advise the installation, when using 

motor generator set, of special ballast rheostats 

designed for these lamps. It is poor 

economy to try to use old rheostats, or 

those made for other high intensity lamps, 

because the results, in most cases, are not 

satisfactory. Generators deliver a "pure" 

DC supply without any ripples, provided a 

well-known make is purchased and the line 

voltage is fairly constant. Tlie over-all 

efficiency is about 80 to 90 per cent for 

most of the leading makes of generator 

sets for projection arcs. There are some 

rare situations, due to power supply fluctuations, 

where it Is absolutely necessary 

to install a motor generator set in order 

to obtain a good power supply for the sensitive 

high intensity arc. 

All electrical connections should be kept 

tight and clean; corroded and poor electrical 

contacts will cause trouble and faulty 

lamp operation. It is a very good idea to 

renew the connections in the lamp, cutting 

away about two or three inches of 

the asbestos wire, making a brand new connection. 

Connections at the switches should 

be checked at least every six months. If 

you do not use circuit-breakers, be sure to 

check your fuses for good condition and 

firm contact. A poor connection will cause 

a fuse to heat if it passes high amperage. 

Keep extra supply of fuses on hand. 

FLUCTUATING POWER SUPPLY 

Erratic feeding of the carbons is often 

caused by fluctuating power supply. 

Most of the modern makes of projectors 

are cleared for an f, 2 light beam, and a 

full Cinemascope aperture. Simplex XL 

mechanisms have clearance for all the 

newly designed arc lamps so the light beam 

will not be obstructed, but any mechanism 

not cleared to project the light beam fully 

can be modified via special modification 

kit. 

Water-cooled contacts for 9. 

operation can be furnished, and the life of 

your contacts will be greatly increased over 

air-cooled type. With high amperages, we 

recommend the installation of watercooled 

contacts. We also strongly recommend 

a water i-e-circulator for each lamp, 

and the water kept at room temperature 

for best results; we have never favored, 

from long experience, water connected di-' 

10 or 11mm 

Developments In new motion picture techniques have 

teen progressing so fast the last couple of years 

that more light was absolutely necessary In order 

to Illuminate the larger screens sufficiently. It 

therefore was necessary to develop a new lamp 

capable of furnishing light intensities which have 

been recommended by the Academy of Arts and 

Sciences. The National Excellte lamp is a complete, 

new departure from any previous lamp design 

and has unlimited possibilities— the reserve 

power (light output) will be adequate for almost 

any screen area. The Excellte Is equipped with 18- 

Inch reflectors, and If this lamp Is optically aligned 

correctly with the projector aperture, a very fine 

picture will be obtained with any of the new high 

speed lenses. The lamp can be modified to use 

any of the standard four carbon trims by installing 

roller kits, carbon contacts, and motors, depending 

on the amperage necessary to Illuminate the picture 

satisfactorily. Heat filters can be easily installed, 

and removed when running colored prints. 

rect to the contacts from the city water 

supply. Keep the tanks clean and covered; 

at regular intervals, check the lines and 

see that the water flows freely and there is 

no obstruction in the line. We suggest you 

use only distilled water, maybe it costs a 

little more but will save you trouble from 

deposits in the lines and water jackets. 

A very excellent feature of the new 

lamps is a feed control calibration and 

operation instruction panel plate. On this 

new instruction panel, the feed control is 

Arc 

Recommended Carbon Trims for 

Ampere 

Range 

calibrated in inches per hour the positive 

carbon will burn for either ratio motor 

and for any carbon trim. This new instruction 

side panel plate has been devised to 

replace the panel that was calibrated in 

amperes. We are sure this new added feature 

will help the projectionist to eliminate 

carbon waste. 

By the way. a cleaning brush is furnished 

with each lamp and it should be used daily 

on the silver contacts to keep them clean 

and free of carbon dust. One can also 

use Bon Ami on a dampened cloth to remove 

the stain from silver carbon contacts. 

The operation of keeping the contacts clean 

is so simple, and it takes so little time, there 

is absolutely no excuse for not cleaning 

these contacts every day. The contacts 

must be kept in immaculate condition for 

best results. 

CAN MODIFY PRESENT LAMP 

NOTE; May we bring to your attention 

that if you have an Excelite built since 

April 1955 and it is equipped with the smaller 

16' 2-inch reflector, it can be easily modified 

to use the large 18-inch reflector, increasing 

your light up to approximately 20 

per cent. If you need more light, we suggest 

you make the change, provided you 

use high quality, anti-reflection coated objective 

lens in order to obtain the full benefit 

of the change and secure maximum illimiination. 

(16' 2-inch or 18-inch Reflector) 

We would also like to point out the importance 

of using the correct carbon sizes 

and combinations for the amperage at the 

arc. We are presenting a table of carbon 

combinations, arc voltages and amperages 

for best results. Keep your carbons properly 

positioned as per instructions and 

drawings elsewhere in this article. The 

negative flame must be so positioned that 

it flattens the positive flame over the 

crator face, thereby creating maximum illumination 

from your arc. This is very important 

with any type of projection arc, 

Continued on following page 

Excelite -Constellation


Continued from preceding page 

bui 11 IS more so with rotating positive 

arcs, we have found via tests. 

On many inspection trips, we have found 

many projectionists neglected to check the 

heat shield in the Excelite lamp at least 

every two months. When the hole in the 

shield becomes too large idue to burning 

outi it should be immediately replaced to 

protect the silver contacts. 

There are some rare cases where this procedure 

to cure a bind will not clear the 

trouble in the negative head, then it may 

be best to dip the head in a bath of kerosene 

just far enough to completely cover 

the lead screw and the two guide rods. Do 

not let the kerosene come in contact with 

the white insulating plate. The negative 

head should be cleaned and wiped thoroughly 

with a lintle.ss rag and relubricated. 

Never, never use graphite on either 

of these lamps, use only the high temperature 

lubricant supplied by the manufacturer. 

Using graphite may cause trouble 

in tills modern lamp, so we strongly advise 

you to keep a supply of the recommended 

lubricants, listed in the parts catalog. 

In all the later models of Excelite lamps 

you will find three large oil holes located 

in the center of the guide casting so that 

lubrication can reach the lead .screw and 

guide rods. By using the "right kind" of 

CONTROL TUBE 

MOUNTING ASSY 

CARE OF BRUSHES 

The motors on the feed mechanism should 

be inspected at least every two weeks. If 

the brushes do not make good contact on 

the commutator they will not operate correctly: 

check the commutator to see that 

it is wearing evenly. Use only brushes supplied 

by the manufacturer as substitution 

of other types of brushes is not advised for 

serious trouble may be encountered, such as 

rapid wear of the commutator, short brush 

life. 

etc. 

It is a smart idea to keep an extra set 

of brushes and a few of the major parts on 

hand for emergency use—a few gears, one 

set of contacts, and one extra reflector. 

NOTE: The maintenance instructions 

presented in this article apply to servicing 

both the Excelite and Constellation models. 

If you have any service problems, tell us 

about them and we will try to help you. 

Of paramount importance is the proper 

care of the feed mechanism in order to 

avoid damage to gears. On many installations 

we have had to replace several fiber 

gears, due to the teeth being damaged. In 

some cases the teeth had been completely 

broken off. simply bcause the projectionist 

forced them to turn when there was apparently 

a bind in the negative head. If 

you feel a bind in the feed when using the 

manual feed handle, do not force the feed 

until you check the feed to see where the 

bind or obstruction is causing the trouble. 

POS. CROSS SHAFT 

..HELICAL GEAR 

_NEG. CROSS SHAFT 

DIAGRAMS SHOW LOCATION OF ALL IMPORTANT LAMP COMPONENTS 

These drawings show the location of all the important components of the Excelite "135" high intensity arc 

mechanism. Note the location of the air noizle. Note also the horizontal drive shaft location, and 

read in the text about the shear pins. Also observe the location of the bimetal control tube and read 

about its adjustment for perfect operation of this very important component. The drawings are a guide to 

disassembling and reassembling various parts for cleaning or replacement. Before making any adjustments 

or replacements, carefully read instructions and study these two drawings so you will thoroughly understand 

the operation and maintenance of this lamp. 

CURING BIND IN FEED HANDLE 

We recommend, if the negative manual 

feed handle becomes too hard to crank, 

that you immediately remove the negative 

head from the base pan. turn it upside 

dowTi and place a few drops of high-temperature 

lubricant iPart No. 23066) on the 

two guide rods and on the lead screw. Now 

run the carbon carriage back and forth a 

few times to make sure the above-mentioned 

parts are thoroughly lubricated and 

re-install to the base pan. As a matter 

of fact, this lubricant procedure should be 

done once in awhile anyway and the handle 

will operate much better. 

CARBON 5T0P- 

NEGATIVE CARBON 

INSULATING PLATE 

NSULATING PLATE 

2£ The MODERN THEATRE SECTION

I I 

Send 

lubrication on the various parts of the 

lamps, they will work smoothly and you will 

avoid unnecessary binds caused by insufficient 

lubrication and dirt. Keep the parts 

clean. We might point out here that lubrication 

of the positive and negative head 

feed mechanism requires just a drop or 

two of the special heat resistant lubricant 

once a week. 

LOCATION OF OIL HOLES 

The positive head and drive roller assembly 

contains a total of ten drilled oil 

holes. One oil hole is located at each end 

of every horizontal shaft bearing in the 

drive roller assembly. One oil hole is located 

in the idler gear hub on the shaft 

which does not turn and one oil hole is 

located in the top bearing of the vertical 

drive shaft. 

The negative head assembly contains a 

total of five drilled holes. The negative 

idler gear bearing located at the extreme 

lower rear end of the negative carbon carriage 

guide casting should be lubricated 

occasionally. 

The motor gearbox and the ball bearings 

in the motors are factory-lubricated, 

then sealed to retain the grease and keep 

the dirt out. The lubricant should be 

changed about every two years: a special 

grease is used and should be obtained from 

the factory. If you have not changed this 

grease and it has been in the gearbox and 

motor ball bearings over two years, we advise 

you to immediately do so, as it will 

gradually lose its lubricating qualities. 

Note: Be sure to thoroughly shake the 

special, high temperature lubricant before 

using as it contains a heavy metallic 

powder which tends to settle out of the 

solution while standing. 

NO OIL FOR GEARS AND SHAFTS 

The steel gears which run against the 

Bakelite gears and the crank shafts which 

run in ball bearings require no lubrication. 

Oiling these would only cause trouble 

by accumulating dirt which would adhere 

to the oil and serve no particular purpose. 

Any accumulation of dirt will cause wear. 

If you are operating an Excelite lamp 

equipped with a heat filter, be sure to have 

the spot properly focused before placing 

the filter in its holder. If you try to adjust 

your over-all screen illumination with the 

heat filter in place, you may damage it 

a hot spot on the filter may result in damage 

to the coating. Brush the filter glass 

very carefully with a piece of dry cotton. 

Use new cotton each time you clean the filter. 

We strongly urge the installation of 

the new "cold" reflector, eliminating the 

use of heat filters. 

Let us pause here to tell you it is advisable 

to install the new curved gate when 

using high amperages. You will obtain 

better definition with a film that has a 

tendency to buckle. Any competent projectionist 

can install the new gate, if manufacturer's 

instruction sheet is carefully 

read and the installation procedure is fol- 

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me Data Brochure E123 





lowed. If you are having film buckling 

trouble, we recommend the immediate in- 

.stallation of the new gate. No special tools 

are necessary. 

These lamps (Excelite and Constellation 

models' are equipped with shear pins, 

therefore we suggest you keep at least six 

extra pins in your parts cabinet, within 

easy reach in case one is sheared off. The 

shear pin is used in securing the horizontal 

drive shaft gear to the horizontal drive 

shaft of the positive head. A broken shear 

pin can be removed easily with a pair of 

pliers and a new pin quickly and easily inserted 

in its place. The shear pin protects 

your drive in case of a bind. In most cases, 

broken shear pins can be avoided by keeping 

the mechanism parts free of carbon 

dust and by properly lubricating the moving 

parts. 

Do not drop carbon butts in the lamphouse, 

place them in a carbon waste can. 

Never allow accumulation of carbon soot 

and carbon particles to settle on the feed 

mechanism, nor let carbon .soot settle all 

over the interior of the lamphouse. It takes 

only a few minutes each day to clean your 

lamp. Ai'Oid trouble by dojnci a cleaning job 

daily. 

Adjustment of the Bi-Metal Tube— 

This tube plays a very important part in 

tlie operation of your lamp. One should 

occasionally check the indicator to see 

that it works correctly. If the crater positioning 

indicator light does not flash on 

and off when the edge of the positive 

crater is approximately 1 fa inch from the 

silver contacts, it is possible, we have found, 

the Bi-Metal tube is not adjusted correctly. 

Briefly, to adjust this tube, remove 

the cover panel from motor side of the 

lamp. Turn adjusting screw, while arc is 

burning, so that tip of positive carbon 

image is at slot in Bi-Metal tube when the 

positive carbon protrudes 1 '4 inch from 

the silver contact. This is a very important 

adjustment and should be checked often 

in order to obtain con-ect operation. 

We want to call your attention to the 

fact that the negative head must be perfectly 

aligned in relation with the positive 

carbon so that the carbons will burn cor- 

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• The WORLD'S LARGEST Producer of Carbon Savers 

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OUR VACATION TIME 

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^HeAfCiê^ MIRRORS? 

tiEYER-sHULTz UNBREAKABLE 

METAL REFLECTORS 

5 YEAR &UARANTEE 'iMamtum SCREEN ILLUMINATION 

SEE YOUR THEATRE SUPPLY DEALER • M.n.i«i.~J b, uiY[R-SHum.ii«:,Ciiri;«,K.x 

rectly and you will secure maximum light 

output from your lamp. If the carbons 

are not perfectly aligned you will not obtain 

a good crater, resulting in poor screen 

illumination. The negative head, when in 

correct .sidewise alignment should direct 

the negative carbon to the exact center of 

the positive. If, by carelessness, the head 

is misaligned sidewise, it should immediately 

be carefully realigned to prevent the 

positive and negative flames from separating. 

This should always be given careful 

check with all rotating positive carbon 

lamps. 

CAUSE OF YELLOW TINT 

If your picture has a yellow or brownish 

over-all cast, it indicates that the position 

of the arc is too close to the reflector. 

A steel blue tint to the projected picture 

indicates the arc is too far from the reflector. 

In other words, when the light is projected 

on the screen without any film in 

the projector, the screen illumination 

should be clear and brilliant all over the 

area, and there should not be any dark 

corners, etc. After you once get the lamp 

correctly aligned and properly adjusted, the 

light will remain even, unless you run into 

a defective carbon once in awhile. 

If your screen illumination is discolored 

or not bright and clear over the entire projected 

area, it may be caused by improper 

adjustment and incorrect alignment for 

maximum results. There is no need for 

poor light output with either one of these 

lamps, provided you follow the instructions 

in this article, and use the correct carbon 

trim as per our table. 

USE OF ALIGNMENT KIT 

Moreover, the only correct procedure in 

securing correct optical alignment of your 

lamphouse, in relation to the aperture and 

the objective lens, is by using the alignment 

kit furnished free with each lamp. 

After you once obtain the correct alignment, 

there is little probability it will 

change, but we find it is a good idea to occasionally 

check the alignment to make 

sure it is still okay. 

Note: The 18-inch Excelite reflector 

lamps are factory equipped with a SVi-inch 

diameter heat filter which reflects unwanted 

portions of energy back into the 

lamphouse instead of letting this energy 

pass through to heat the projector parts 

and buckle the film. If you are using above 

95 amperes to project black and white 

prints, the filter must be used and a watercooled 

trap. Bear in mind that black and 

white film is considerably more sensitive 

to overheating ( buckling) than color film. 

Therefore, one must use this heat filter or 

install the new "cold" reflector which 

eliminates the unwanted heat at the aperture. 

May we call your attention to the arc 

imager wire mounted on the negative jaw 

for indicating the approximate position of 

the positive crater. If. for any reason, it 

has been bent or pushed out of correct position, 

it should be readjusted as follows: 

The wire is in proper position when the 


shadow of the wire, as projected on the 

arc imager screen, is just at the tip of the 

positive carbon when the automatic crater 

positioning control light is flashing ON and 

OFF. The position of the wire then should 

be about I's inch from the silver contacts 

of the positive jaw. Please note this information; 

This wire has no effect whatsoever 

on the automatic positioning system 

and is used only as a reference guide for 

setting the positive carbon when the arc is 

The lamp should be set up so that the 

center of the reflector is approximately 

35 '2 inches to 36 '2 inches from the frame 

line (projector aperture plate 1. In some 

cases, when using 11mm regular or 10mm 

Hitex carbons it is possible to move the 

distance to 35 inches. In this case it may 

be necessary to remove the light entrance 

cone from the projector in order to move 

the lamphouse closer. The manufacturer 

can supply a special light cone on request. 

We have found, after many years of experimenting, 

each lamphouse installation 

has to be worked out carefully, by the in- 

:— Ifndercuttijig 

R^LECTOa LAW—ROIATINO POSITTTB CARSOT 

NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CARBON 

ALIGNMENT 

The importance of keeping the negative carbon in 

perfect alignment with the positive cannot be overemphasized. 

Too, it is of paramount importance 

to use the correct sizes in negative and positive 

carbons for the amperage you are using at the arc. 

For brightest screen light possible, keep your light 

intensity near the recommended maximum, and at 

all times, maintain the recommended amperage, 

voltage and proper arc gap. For lamps with a 

rotating positive ( Excel ite or Constellation "170"), 

the proper alignment, impact point and angle of 

the negative carbon to the positive should be maintained 

so that the flame does not lick too far under 

the positive carbon; the flame from the negative 

should always lick 

only the lower edge of the crater. 

Failure to maintain this setup will not only reduce 

the volume of usable light, but will also result in 

faster burning of the positive. In addition, it may 

cause the unburnt particles of the core to bombard 

the reflector, thereby causing pitting of same. 

staller, in order to obtain the desired results. 

The closer the reflector works, in 

most cases, to the frame line, the better 

light will result. 

VENTILATING KITS AVAILABLE 

It is recommended that the special ventilating 

kit, known as part No. 90853, be 

installed on all lamps that were not factory 

equipped with this device and which 

have raised their current to over 100 amperes. 

These kits are available from any 

struck. Therefore, if this reference wire 

becomes bent it will indicate, of course, a 

National Theatre Supply branch office for 

false setting of the positive carbon, resulting 

in a poor light until the arc is ad- 

Excelite lamps. Simply follow the instruction 

sheet and the installation is easy. The 

justed manually. 

installation of this device results in better 

stabilization of the arc, blending the 

We want to pause here for a few moments 

to tell you about the importance of "learning" 

about the various adjustment knobs 

negative and positive flames. 

One of the many outstanding features of 

on your lamp and what part each knob 

the Constellation "170" lamphouse is the 

plays in adjusting the lamp mechanism. 

carbon feed rate which can be adjusted to 

You should become familiar with all the accommodate the length of the reels being 

adjustments so you will get the "feel" of 

projected. The carbon feed control can 

just how far you should turn the knob in 

be set to burn any desired number of 

order to obtain the desired results. One 

inches of carbon per hour. For instance, 

should learn to operate any projection 

the 13.6mm carbon can be burned at any 

arc lamp so that the adjustments can become 

second nature to him—there should 

rate between 7 and 20 inches per hour. 

Sizes 9mm through 11mm can be burned 

be absolutely no guesswork in the manipulation 

of these controls. 

at from 14 to 30 inches per hour. There is 

no excuse for the projectionist to run out 

of carbon before the reel is completely 

run. 

Retrimming of the carbons, or cleaning 

of the reflector, is made easy for the projectionist 

because the reflector, integrated 

with the rear lamphouse door, swings completely 

out of the way. With two large doors 

on each side of the lamphouse. and the 

large rear door, the projectionist can easily 

clean the interior of the lamphouse and 

the feed mechanism. 

QUALITY FEATURES IN LAMP 

The manufacturer of the new Constellation 

"170" projection lamp built high 

quality and dependability into the lamp. 

The famous Bodine gear head motor is 

used, one for the positive drive and one for 

the negative drive. Constant lubrication 

and protection from abrasive damage is 

provided by self -inclosing the gear reduction 

with the motors. 

Extra heavy duty, long life, solid silver, 

water-cooled contacts are used for 13.6 

carbon trim: air or water-cooled c07itacts 

may be used for any of the smaller carbon 

sizes for the positive carbon contacts. 

The special Light Beam Booster lens, 

which is provided for use with 13.6mm carbon 

trim, gives the ultimate in good over-all 

screen illumination, because the spot is 

patterned to fit the particular size and 

shape of the aperture. Using a 13.6mm 

carbon (positive) trim, the over-all optical 

speed is equivalent to f/1.5 when f,'1.5/1.6 

projection lenses are used and your projector 

mechanism is cleared for f/1.5 speed. 

Using a high quality projection lens, the 

illumination will be evenly distributed from 

center to edge of the screen. 

Both models. Excelite "135" and Constellation 

"170," will produce a brilliant 


ITS A HIT! 

in San Francisco 

BUT...willitbe 

a hit in your house? 

It went over big in the Golden 

Gate . . . but before any show can 

be a success in your house, your 

equipment must be in condition to 

roll it perfectly. Any show can be 

a better show when equipment 

performs properly. That's where 

RCA Theatre Service comes in. 

Protect your equipment and picture 

investment with RCA Theatre 

Service. RCA engineers have an 

average of 13 years of servicing experience. 

Let them keep your 

equipment operating in top-notch 

condition. 

It will pay you to write now for 

complete information! 

Technical Products Department 

RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC. 

A Radio Corporation of 

America Subsidiary 

Camden 8, New Jersey 

ETHYLOID FILM CEME^ 

RAPIDLY BECOMING THE AC- 

CEPTED STANDARD IN THE MO- I 

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FROM STUDIO LABORATORIES 

TO THE PROJECTION ROOM. 

FSHER 

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THEATRE SUmY DEALERS 11*5 Mt. Umi IM. 

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COMPLETE PROJECTION 

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FOR THEATRES & DRIVE-INS 

;UPEII SIMPLEX. BRENKERT RC«. MOIIOGRtPH AA- 

Sond lor quotation staling proloronco in equipment—or 

give projection distance and picture 

siê— so wo can recommend your BEST BUY. 

ARC LAMPS-AU in good condition 

Peerless Magnarcs S395 pr. 

Othe rom 

S200 pr. 

Can bo rebuilt lo look nd operale like new 

lor S200 per pair. 

STRONG 6 TUBE RECTIFIERS 

85 Amp 220 volt Single Phase S595 pr. 

80 Amp 220 volt 3 phase S495 pr. 

70 Amp 220 volt 3 phase $495 pr. 

NEW ROTH CENTURY GENERATORS 

With control panels and rheostats: 

100/200 Amp, S395 — 150/150 Amp. S1.095 

SPECIAL OFFERING!. 

ASHCRAFT HYDRO-ARCS 85 Amp Lamphouses 

(15" reflectors). 

The Constellation "170" was selected for installation in the Fox Wllshire Theatre, Beverly Hills, Calif., 

lor the world premiere of Stanley Kramer's "The Pride and the Passion" The ultra high intensity projection 

arc lamps burn 13.6mm carbons at IS5 amperes and project a brilliant picture to the 26x50-foot 

screen. The Wilshire which seats 2,350 is the flagship house of Fox West Coast. It was closed eight days 

prior to the showing for general refurbishing and installation of new equipment. Shown with the three new 

lamps are, from left, Ed Slocombe and E. C. Borden, projectionists, and John Denny, service engineer for 

Notional Tfieatre Supply in Los Angeles. 

ASHCRAFT 85 Amp Selenium Rectifiers excellent 

condition. 

ALL FOR $1,575 

• Tin 

Deals Available 

S.O.S. CINEMA SUPPLY CORP. 

Dept. C. 602 WEST 52 ST., N, Y. 19 

- Cable: SOSOUNO 

OF PROJECTION LENSES 

Prime Lenses 

F1:0 Light Collecting Speed 

Thiluxh 

Anamorphic Lenses 

World's Finest! 

PROJECTION 

OPTICS 

PROJECTION OPTICS CO., INC. 

330 Lyell Ave.. Rochester 6, N. Y. 



screen illumination with various carbon 

trims, provided the correct sizes are used 

for the amperage used at the arc. As most 

of you probably know, the new 10mm and 

11mm high intensity projector carbons 

have been developed for rotating positive 

carbon arcs for motion pictui-e projection. 

In the field, we made several tests land we 

have contacted several field engineers who 

have likewise made tests) and found that 

these carbons, designed for 95-110 and 

110-120 amperes, respectively, give very 

substantial gain in light and higher efficiency. 

They operate, under most conditions, 

with greater stability and better 

performance than former carbons of the 

same size. Of course, these lamps handle 

carbon size from 9mm through 13.6mm, 

the larger size positive for widefilm presentation. 

National Carbon Co. developed the 

new 10mm and 11mm carbons. Lorraine 

DITMCO 

SPEAKER 

"The 

GRBAJESJ 

SPEAKBR" 

Designed to give you 

the lotest improved 

quolity in high and 

low frequencies in 

keeping with the new 

methods of reproduction 

of sound today. 

Beautiful Finish • Quality Sound 

Write or Wire for Full 

Details. Prices on 

all 

Items 

and Diamond carbons also have special 

combinations for rotating arcs. 

We recommend the installation of a 

"white type" screen sm-face, manufactured 

by most leading screen companies, 

in conjunction with the new powerful rotating 

arc lamps. A semivietalUc surjace 

may be used if the auditorium is not too 

unde. Too. the type of screen and surface 

depends on two things: The angle of projection 

and the auditorium width. Likewise, 

the selection of the screen finish, metallic 

or semimetallic finish, for drive-in theatre 

depends on the viewing angle. If the 

view angle is wide, it is best to install a 

"white" finish surface. If you already employ 

a screen with a good flat white finish, 

we recommend that it should be repainted 

every year, regardless of the type 

of high powered lamp you may use. For 

maximum reflection, greatest light distribution 

and good picture resolution, the 

"right" type of screen surface must be used 

with these fine lamps in order to secure 

perfect projection for indoor or under-thesky 

theatres. 

New DIT-MCO 

STANDEE SPEAKERS 

for Concession, Patio, 

Playground, Back Ramp 

and Overflow Areas 

Most Advanced 

in 

DRIVE-IN THEATRE MFG. CO. 

Electronic 

and 

Mechanical Design 


11 I |M 

I 

Hi 

; fiE2 I m w I urn i 

(. ..^Êf,'^ 

«^' « THE LOWEST PRICED' 

IiL- 

PlPllNPA 

. 

rf— 

I—II 

ill—I 

rr-r 

SELENIUM TYPE 

RECTIFIER 

— for efficient use wiff) angle or coaxial Ulm 

high intensity projection arc lamps. 

Full sized, damp-proofed stocks assure trouble-free 

operation in damp climates. 

Amperage output easily controlled while lamp is operating. 

Adjustment to compensate for line phase unbalance. 

Glass-type transformer insulation withstands much higher operating 

temperatures and permits emergency operation of 

two lamps on one rectifier. 

Heavy duty fan. Line control relay. 

aranle^ 

J-l*^" 

FOUR 

MODELS; 

65 fo 100 Ampere, 

90 fo 1 35 Ampere and 

120 to 180 Ampere three-phase, and 

70 to 90 Ampere and 

90 fo 1 35 Ampere single phase. 

A 

SUBSIDIARY OF 

01 

BOXOFFICE August 3. 1957 

31

A Five-Story Marquee for Old Boston Theatre 

Both Picture and Sound 

Recorded by Video Tape 

Now Used by Networks 

New name and a bright new front 

Remodeled and re-equipped at a cost of 

$250,000. the Gary Theatre, Boston, is 

scheduled to reopen August 7. The theatre, 

formerly the Shubert-owned Plymouth, was 

taken over in June by Benjamin Sack, and 

will be his second Todd-AO house. 

Remodeling included air conditioning. 

for a former Shubert house. 

installation of 1,350 foam rubber seats, new 

draperies, mosaics and murals, new carpeting 

and plumbing. Most outstanding of all 

is the spectacular, masive marquee which 

stands five stories high and can be seen for 

miles around. The new name is in honor 

of Sack's youngest son. 

Video tape recording, the technique by 

A hich both picture and sound from a tele- 

\ i.sion camera are recorded and stored electronically 

on "Scotch" brand video recording 

tape rather than on motion picture film 

is now being used by the major TV networks. 

The networks began using the tape 

April 28, with the changeover to daylight 

saving time. 

This first, commercially available, video 

recording tape was developed and is being 

made by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing 

Co. This company had previously 

mude several thousand rolls of magiietic 

instrumentation tape applicable for use on 

previous video recording systems, but the 

new No. 179 video tape is the only magnetic 

tape that will work on the Ampex 

video recorders used by the networks. 

The new tape has a useful life of more 

than 200 playbacks on the present machines, 

and it can be electronically "erased" 

in seconds by special degaussing equipment. 

Tops! 

I>^ single cone 

In-A-Car Speakers 

Ballantyne's NEW "E" Series 

An Unbelievably LOW Price 

The Ballantyne "E" Series uses 

the same fine, durable, die-cast, 

aluminum case—same high quality 

volume control, cords, parts, 

and the same tough water-proof, 

heavy magnetic speaker unit — 

as the famous Ballantyne Dub'l- 

Cone. The only difference is the 

elimination of the second or outer 

cone. Write today for full information 

before you buy an) 

other speaker. 

>»vo/(ob/e With or Wilhoul Perforated 

Speaker Guards 

'^ Ballantiine^ 

1712 Jackson Street 

(mpcui(|. 

Omaha, Nebraska 

Extensive video tape evaluations programs set up 

by ABC, CBS and NBC were essential to the development 

of the new video recording tape for Ampex 

recorders, according to the manufacturer, Minnesota 

Mining and Manufacturing Co., since experimental 

tapes could only be tested at the studios where the 

recorders were installed. Here, S. M. Adier, sales 

representative of the manufacturer, right, consults 

with viedo recorder operator at CBS Television City 

in Hollywood on performance of latest tape. 

so that new material can be recorded upon 

it. The tape requires no processing, and 

can be played back immediately. 

Termed "a tape that was almost impossible 

to make." the new video recording 

tape involves coating tolerances to 30 millionths 

of an inch, the manufacturer said. 

It is said to have fewer drop-outs (signal 

losses which may be caused by imperfections 

in the magnetic coating', longer life, 

higher signal-to-noise ratio and a smoother 

siu-face than any tape made previously. 

It is capable of recording either color or 

black and white TV programs, but its use 

to date is restricted to black and white by 

the video recorders which do not yet record 

color signals. 


"Successful Sam the drive-in man is as stubborn as they come 

Only Simplex Speakers will he use-and say, he's not so dumb 

They're weatherproof and tamper proof and will, 

without exception 

Deliver to each patron's car the finest sound reception!" 

••^^{^^^•>. A 

IN*A*CAR 

SPEAKERS 

Economically Priced! 

Manufactured by 

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTOR 

DIVISION OF SIMPLEX EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 

Distributed by 

NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY 

SUBSIDIARIES OF GENERAL PRECISION EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 

H 

BOXOFFICE ;: August 3, 1957 33

Holding lanes for 300 cars intervene 

between the entrance to the 

Commerce Drive-ln, Walled Lake, 

Mich., and the twin boxoffices. 

Floor level of the boxoffices is below 

level of the driveways, giving 

cashiers full view into each car for 

quick customer-count, thus speeding 

admission of each vehicle. The 

permanent canopy connects the 

cashiers' stations with two-story 

office building, the manager's private 

office occupying the upper 

floor. The lower floor is a general 

service 

office. 

CAREFUL PLANNING KEY TO TRAFFIC CONTROL 

Michigan Drive-ln Features Six Holding Lanes, Full-Vision 

Boxoffices 

By HAVILAND F. REVES 

Although the cashiers in the twin 

boxoffice are the only staff members regularly 

on duty near the entrance of the 

new Commerce Drive-ln, Walled Lake. 

Mich., customer traffic entering the theatre 

grounds is easily and safely controlled. 

This control, with a minimum of theatre 

personnel, is the result of careful layout 

of the holding lanes and an unusual feature 

in the boxoffice construction. 

HOLDOUT FOR 300 CARS 

Six holding lanes lead from the highway 

toward the boxoffices. narrowing to four 

lanes before reaching the cashiers' stations. 

Total capacity of the six-lane area is 200 

cars, while an additional 100 cars may be 

held in the four lanes passing the boxoffices. 

Since motorists may immediately 

enter any one of the six holding lanes upon 

leaving the highway, the problem of long 

lines of slow moving or halted cars waiting 

their turn to enter the theatre grounds 

is solved automatically. This immediate 

turnoff into the theatre grounds thus eliminates 

possibility of a theatre patron's car 

being exposed to speeding cars, as it waits 

to enter the theatre driveway, or becoming 

a hazard to highway traffic by obstructing 

the road. 

Admissions traffic flow also is speeded 

up by the boxoffice construction plan. The 

floor of each of the twin boxoffices is below 

the ground level of the two driveways it 

serves. This places a cashier on eye level 

with each paying driver and provides full, 

clear view of the entire interior of each 

car, enabling her to count accurately and 

quickly the customers in each car. In 

addition to helping the cashiers do their 

work accurately and fast, this boxoffice 

planning does away with need for carhops 

to assist the cashiers. 

The two boxoffices are of attractive, 

modernistic design, the lower half of each 

constructed of simulated limestone, the upper 

half of glass and concrete blocks. The 

upper walls, which angle outward as they 

rise, are of yellow, orange and deep blue, 

with green trim—the color scheme used 

throughout the theatre. Walls of the boxoffices 

also serve as supports for a permanent 

canopy which extends over all four 

admissions lanes and is connected to a 

two-story office building in line with the 

boxoffices. 

OFFICES AT ENTRANCE 

Lower half of this office building is of 

simulated limestone, the upper portion 

finished in cement board painted yellow, 

striped with vertical batten boards painted 

dark green and spaced on one-foot centers. 

Lighting controls for entrance and exits 

are housed in the general .service office 

on the first floor. The upper floor is the 

manager's private office. Each floor provides 

an excellent view of the theatre 

screen. 

COLORED JUNCTION BOXES 

Lanes passing the boxoffices and twostory 

office building enter the theatre ramp 

area near the 11th of 14 ramps. Red, blue, 

green and amber junction boxes help guide 

patrons to favorite or available rows. The 

14 ramps ai-e of standard construction, 

spaced 40 feet apart, with speaker posts 

20 feet apart. Posts are provided for 1.100 

cars. The Commerce, which is 25 miles 

northwest of downtown Detroit and serves 

clientele from small towns, rural areas and 

resort centers, also provides seating for 

100 walk-in customers. 

These seats are near the patio that fronts 

the 72x60-foot concessions building at the 

center of the ramp area. The building 

exterior is of simulated limestone to the 

36-inch level, with tan painted concrete 

block above that level. The canopy of the 

concessions building is lighted by white 

fluorescent tubing, identification signs being 

a contrasting blue. 

The concessions area occupies the center 

of the building, and is equipped with both 

Ten square tables and 40 chairs for diners occupy the patio beside the pro- Constantly supervised, the Commerce playground is immediately behind the 

jection booth. The popular hot food bar is just inside the doors leading from concessions building, which is near the center of the ramp area. A cower 

the patio, and is well patronized by patrons using the tables. merry-go round is one of the most popular rides. 

34 


FOR MORE INFORMATION 

USE THE FREE RETURN CARD 

The postcard at the bottom of this page is designed to help you get more information 

on products and services advertised in this issue of The Modern Theatre Section, 

or listed in the "New Equipment and Development" and "Literature" departments. 

An alphabetical Index of Advertisers appears below; on the back of this card is a 

G>ndensed Index of Products. In both, FIGURES in the Key Number shown for each 

advertiser indicate the page on which the firm's advertisement appears. The postcard 

below carries numbers corresponding to the page numbers—with letters added. 

Grcle the Whok Key Number, including the letter, corresponding to the page numbers 

of the advertisements on which you want more information. Then: fill in your name, 

address, etc., in the spoce provided, tear out card and mail. For more information 

on listings in "New Equipment and Developments" and "Literature" departments, 

circle number corresponding to Key Numbers published with each item below. 

ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF 

Abbey Chemical Co 40b 

ADVERTISERS' KEY NUMBERS 

Heyer-Shultz, Inc 28b 

American Gas Machine Co 15a 

Hollywood Brands, Inc .21a 

a full double line of patrons the full 35-foot length of each 

American Seating Co 

4a 

Hollywood Servemaster 14o 

'enance tasks are made easier by the white tile floor and half 

inters. 

C. S. Ashcraft Mfg. Co 23a 

Ballantyne Co. 32a 

Bousch & Lomb Optical Co .27a 

Samuel Bert Mfg. Co .21c 

Brulin & Co 36rive-ln Theatre Mfg. Co 30c, 37a, 38a, 42o 

)ura Engraving Corp 42c 

Indiana Cash Drawer Co 42e 

International Projector Corp 33« 

Notional Excelite 31a 

National Theatre Supply 42b 

Pepsi-Colo Co 12o, 13a 

Phillips Electro Extensions 42f 

Pic Corp 4la 

Projection Optics Co., Inc 30b 

RCA (Service) 

29a 

RCA (Thea. Equip.) 5a 

Rowe Mfg. Co 3a 

C. F. Simonin's Sons, Inc 11a 

Savon Co 

20a 

iterior decorated with broad horizontal stripes of 

ng or orange, yellow and dark blue, illuminated 

;d for with colored floodlights. 

The ramp area is protected against highplay- 

way traffic lights by about 800 feet of 

Dnces- aluminum-covered wood fencing, eight 

i-ound, feet high. 

3 with Attention of highway traffic is drawn 

picnic to the theatre by an attractions board 32- 

ttrac- feet high, positioned at an angle so it is 

super- visible from two roads. Red and green 

ponsi- plastic ten and 17-inch letters are employed 

on the 32-foot-long board, which pro- 

0-foot vides space for ten lines of copy. Sign 

except lighting is controlled by a time clock. The 

:e was word. "Commerce," siu-mounts the sign in 

linum cleep red block letters three feet high. 

;. The The entire Commerce area has a sand 

3r are Continued on following page 

•PRAD 

41c 

Smithfield Horn & Products Co 16b 

:lectric-Alre Eng. Corp 40a 

=isher Mfg. Co 29h 

^lavo-Rite Foods Co., Inc lib 

larwald Company 40c 

CONDENSED INDEX OF PRODUCTS 

CAREFUL 

PLANNIN 

Michigan Drive-In Featur 

By HAVILAND F. REVES 

Although the cashiers in the twin 

boxoffice are the only staff members regularly 

on duty near the entrance of the 

new Commerce Drive-In, Walled Lake. 

Mich., customer traffic entering the theatre 

grounds is easily and safely controlled. 

This control, with a minimum of theatre 

personnel, is the result of careful layout 

of the holding lanes and an unusual feature 

in the boxoffice construction. 

HOLDOUT FOR 300 CARS 

Six holding lanes lead from the highway 

toward the boxoffices, narrowing to four 

lanes before reaching the cashiers' stations. 

Total capacity of the six-lane area is 200 

cars, while an additional 100 cars may be 

held in the four lanes passing the boxoffices. 

Since motorists may immediately 

enter any one of the six holding lanes upon 

leaving the highway, the problem of long 

lines of slow moving or halted cars waiting 

their tm-n to enter the theatre grounds 

is solved automatically. This immediate 

turnoff into the theatre grounds thus eliminates 

possibility of a theatre patron's car 

being exposed to speeding cars, as it waits 

to enter the theatre driveway, or becoming 

a hazard to highway traffic by obstructing 

the road. 

Adn 

up by 

floor ( 

the gi 

serves 

with ( 

clear 

car. e 

quickl 

additd 

work 

plann 

to ass 

The 

model 

consti 

per hi 

upper 

rise, £ 

with 

throu! 

office; 

manei 

admis 

two-s( 

boxof; 

Low 

simul; 

finish 

stripe 

dark i

gallon water tank to supply pressure. 

Water is supplied from the theatre's own 

well by an electric pump. 

a cafeteria counter and a hot food counter, 

which occupy opposite sides of the area. 

The hot food counter, across the front of 

the room, i.s 30 feet long. Cafeteria service 

is provided at two 35-foot counters. 

The entire concessions is operated by the 

Berlo Vending Co., under management of 

Burt Howe, who has a staff of ten employes. 

Equipment includes two soft drink dispensers; 

popcorn popper; one popcorn 

warmer: four deep fat friers: two grills; 

two pizza ovens; two six-seotion self-service 

warmers for hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgers, 

etc.; two self-service refrigerated 

drink cabinets; two automatic coffee urns; 

a 600-pound deep-freeze; two ovens; two 

automatic butter machines; two ice cream 

coolers; a walk-in cooler, 8x8xl0-feet; an 

eight-section ice cream cabinet; one warmer: 

a three-section cooler, and a 1,000- 

Specialty of the hot food bar is chickenin-a-basket 

at $1.15. Also highly popular 

are pizza pies for 65 cents. Other hot bar 

items include barbecue, shrimp rolls, 

cheeseburgers, hamburgers and French 

tflMM£RC€ 

Although single-faced, this 32x30-foot attractions 

board is positioned so it may be read from two approaching 

roads. Sign lighting is controlled by a 

time clock. Space is available for ten lines of copy 

with ten and 1 7 -inch letters. 

fries. These go especially well with patrons 

using the open air patio nearby. 

Sharing the front of the concessions 

building with the dining patio is the projection 

room. The booth has an all-glass 

tilted front, in several panels. Conduits 

installed in the floor provide for eventual 

use of four projectors. 

Toward the rear of the concessions 

building are two large restrooms. Both 

the men's and women's rooms include a 

Bright yellow railings are positioned to allow a full double line of patrons the full 35-foot length of each 

twin self-service concessions counter. Maintenance tasks are made easier by the white tile floor and half 

wall behind the green and coral Formica counters. 

small size fixture for children. Interior 

walls are treated to prevent writing or 

marking. Fan ventilation is provided for 

each restroom. 

The free, constantly supervised playground 

is immediately behind the concessions 

building. A power merry-go-round, 

two whirls, two double sets of swings with 

hobby horses, an elephant slide and picnic 

tables for parents are among the attractive 

features of the kiddyland. The supervisor 

is especially trained for the responsibility 

of playground activities. 

The tilted, slightly curved 50xl20-foot 

screen is of all-steel construction, except 

the marine plywood face. The surface was 

treated with a first layer of aluminum 

paint, then coated with a vinyl white. The 

highway side of the screen and tower are 

decorated with broad horizontal stripes of 

orange, yellow and dark blue, illuminated 

with colored floodlights. 

The ramp ai'ea is protected against highway 

traffic lights by about 800 feet of 

aluminum-covered wood fencing, eight 

feet high. 

Attention of highway traffic is drawn 

to the theatre by an attractions board 32- 

feet high, positioned at an angle so it is 

visible from two roads. Red and green 

plastic ten and 17-inch letters are employed 

on the 32-foot-long board, which provides 

space for ten lines of copy. Sign 

lighting is controlled by a time clock. The 

word, "Commerce," surmounts the sign in 

deep red block letters three feet high. 

The entire Commerce area has a sand 


CREDITS: Attractions board: Long Sign Co. • 

Booth equipment: Century projectors, pedestols, 

400-watt sound system; Goldberg rewind; Hi-Lux 

Vol onamorphic lenses; Kollmorgen widescreen and 

basic lenses for CinemaScope; Neumade film cabinets, 

tables; Strong Super 135 lamps, selenium rectifiers. 

• Concessions equipment: Buttermats, E-Z 

Way automatic coffee urns, Griswold deep fat friers, 

grills; Manley Model 49 popcorn popper; Peerless 

pizza ovens; Pronto popcorn warmer; Savon-Star 

self-service warmers, refrigerated drink cabinets; 

Selmix soft drink dispensers; Toastmaster ovens; 

Victor deep freeze, walk-in cooler. • Junction 

boxes: Glo-Top. • Playground equipment: Miracle 

rides and swings * Signs, entrance and exit: Dit- 

Mco. • Speakers: Eprad. 

Facing the two self-service counters in the Commerce concessions building is a hot food bar, specializing in 

chicken-in-the-basket and pizza pies, two big ticket items popular with patio diners. 


PLANNING KEY TO TRAFFIC CONTROL 


base, providing such ideal drainage conditions 

that no special drains were necessai-y- 

Since the land is relatively level, no major 

grading problem was encountered. The 

entrance road for 100 feet in front of and 

125 beyond the boxoffices is asphalt paved. 

All other portions of the driveways, as well 

as the ramps, are oiled. Generous use of 

several types of pines and floral beds have 

added to the attractiveness of the landscaping. 

William "Bud" Harris, his son William 

H. Harris and their associates are owners 

of the Commerce Drive-In. 

Automatic Shutoff Device 

Silences 

In-Car Speakers 

INSECTICIDES 

and WEED KILLERS 

Brulin's insect and weed controls can materially 

reduce your drive-in maintenance problems. 

FOR INSECTS—Brulin has 2 effective, fast acting 

insecticides—Brulin's Liquid No-Tox for 

use around food concessions and Brulin's Insecto- 

Fog for quick knock-down and rapid kill of flying 

insects. 

Both of these insecticides may be used more 

effectively when dispersed with the Dyna-Fog, 

Jr. insecticide fogging unit available through 

your Brulin representative. Ask for a demonstration. 

FOR WEEDS—A produa proven by years of 

use by drive-in operators is Brulin's Non-Selective 

Weed Killer. Completely destroys imwanted 

plant growth on ramps and drives. Supplied 

in economical, liquid concentrate form. 

Plan now for proper and eflfective control of 

weeds and insects with Brulin's chemical killers. 

36 

BRULIN THEATRE 

MAINTENANCE 

PRODUCTS 

Brulin makes a complete 

line of maintenance products 

for indoor theatres. 

Bakespar, Brulin Coat and 

Brulin Bright for floors • 

Octo-Solve, liquid cleaning 

concentrate . Disinfectant, 

Antiseptics • Deodorizers • 

Bowlene in the new, throwaway 

botde, other rest room 

products. 

There's a Brulin representative 

near you. He'll be 

happy to show you how to 

reduce your cleaning and 

maintenance problems. Write 

today for further information. 

BRULIN & COMPANY, INC. 

2939 COLUMBIA AVENUE . INDIANAPOLIS 7, INDIANA 

1793 12TH STREET . OAKLAND 7, CALIFORNIA 

With renewal of interest at many drivein 

theatres in methods of silencing a 

speaker when it is hanging on a post, 

Eprad Co. is again making available a shutoff 

device which first appeared on its list 

three years ago but was later dropped because 

no calls were received for it at that 

time. 

"This switch is installed in series with 

the speaker," said Al Boudouris, Eprad 

president, "and when the speaker is hung 

up, the switch is depressed and the speaker 

is disconnnected from the circuit. This, of 

course, removes the load from the amplifier 

and makes more power available to 

the speakers remaining on the lot." 

Boudouris said that another means of 

silencing the speaker is to short it out 

when it hangs on the junction box. 

"F^-om a strictly engineering and efficiency 

point of view, we do not recommend 

this," he commented. "However, some customers 

having difficulty with sound disturbing 

the neighborhood obviously have 

no choice," 

MODIFICATION IS FEASIBLE 

Such a modification of existing installations 

can be accomplished by buying two 

dropping resistors, a short piece of wire 

and a shorting plate that fastens to the 

top of the junction box so that the hanger 

plate contacts it. 

"This system is feasible if the theatre is 

adequately powered, or if more amplifiers 

are added in the projection room," Boudouris 

said. "A one-half power loss is exactly 

a three decibel loss in the level. We 

have always claimed that practically 95 

per cent of the drive-in theatres throughout 

the United States were inadequately 

powered. You should have available, for 

really excellent sound, two watts peak 

power per speaker. Most theatres have installed 

only one-quarter watt per speaker. 

These theatres, with a dropping resistor, 

will have serious trouble. Theatres which 

do have a two watt installed power could 

probably use this system without too much 

difficulty in any case, additional amplifiers 

would make up for the power loss." 


I 

. Guaranteed 

1 

SMlM 

Broadside view of the interior of the new Bauer Xenon lamp sfiowing arrangement of bulb, main mirror 

and auxilliary mirror. The lamp is a product of Germany. 

A New German Carbon-Less Arc Lamp 

Creates British Exhibitor Interest 

By F. C. LIVINGSTONE 

London 

A NEW TYPE of cinematograph 

projector lamp has been perfected in Germany 

and has created considerable interest 

among exhibitors here, although it is 

still not in use in English cinemas. 

The great advantages claimed for it are 

that, once installed, it operates free of attention 

for long periods, has simple pressbutton 

operation, eliminates all moving 

parts in the lamphouse and produces 

constant and uniformly good standard of 

screen illumination with color, black-andwhite, 

or Cinemascope pictures. There is 

also no mirror deterioration because no carbon 

or copper spatter occurs. 

MINIMUM LIFE OF 1,000 HOURS 

Known as the Bauer Xenon* lamp BL9X, 

it has a guaranteed minimum life of 1,000 

hours. With the first installation in England, 

where it is used by the Army Kinematograph 

Corp. (which provides film 

shows in military posts, etc.) the estimated 

life of a Xenon lamp is given at 1,600 

hours. This long life puts the new lamp in 

favorable economic operating comparison 

with carbon lighting, despite its high initial 

costs. The cost of a Bauer lamphouse 

is about $1,100 and that of a lamp about 

$210. 

Using the experience of the British AKC. 

the following comparative running costs 

are obtained: If the Bauer lamp has only 

its minimum life of 1,000 hours, the cost 

per hour works out at 22.4 cents, which decreases 

to 14 cents if the lamp has 1,600 

hours' life. Current consumption is approximately 

1.81 kw per hour. These figures 

compare with 31.78 cents per hour 

using 9mm positive and 7.5mm negative 

carbons, plus power which would bring 

the total to about 36 cents an hour. Using 

smaller carbons (8mm positive and 7mm 

negative) the cost of carbon lighting is 

32.1 cents an hour. 

SPECIAL OPTICAL SYSTEM 

The high degree of light-exploitation obtained 

with the Bauer Xenon lamp arises 

from a very carefully designed optical system. 

This system is comprised of a main 

mirror with a diameter of 14 inches and a 

light-reception angle of 180' and an auxiliary 

mirror with a diameter of four inches 

' 

likewise with a 180" reception angle. 

For special high requirements, a cylindrical-lens 

system composed of two cylindrical 

lenses with their curved surfaces 

mounted in cross-opposition can be fitted. 

The whole of the light symmetrically emitted 

by the Xenon tube at a radial angle of 

360" is therefore gathered in by the two 

mirrors, so that projection with the Xenon 

lamp results in a pure white and uniformly 

brilliant light over the whole of the screen 

area. 

The light output, even for the maximum 

picture widths, can be kept constant over 

the total life of the Xenon bulb. This is 

possible because of an initial bulb-loading 

of 60 amps. The unavoidable blackening 

of the bulb interior which takes place during 

its working life can be counterbalanced 

by gradually increasing the current load, 

and hence the light intensity, as time goes 

on, until the maximum 70-amp loading is 

reached. 

The powerful 2.000-W Xenon lamp employed 

in conjunction with a cone-shutter 

projector will supply sufficient light for 

widths of standard film pictures up to 26 

feet and Cinemascope pictures up to 38 

feet in width. Using a normal white plastic 

.screen, these picture widths can be 

SIMPLE TO OPERATE 

projected at the standard illumination intensity 

prescribed for large cinemas. With 

silver or beaded screens, of coui'se, these 

widths of picture can be considerably exceeded. 

The operation of the Xenon lamp is surprisingly 

simple. When the initial and 

only adjustment required is carried out, 

the auxiliary mirror and the main mirror 

are so set that an optimum image of the 

Xenon arc results at the aperture plate. 

This primary adjustment then requires no 

alteration at all during the whole burning 

life of the lamp. 

The igniting unit contained in the lamphouse 

performs the striking operation in 

the Xenon bulb by a momentary impactvoltage 

of 20-30,000 volts. The rectifier 

regulating control enables the lamp current 

to be continuously adjusted over wide 

limits, with a consequent wide control 

over the light output from the lamp. The 


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Write Wire for Full Ut'tdU. Prices 

DRIVE-IN 

THEATRE MFG. CO. 

World's Largest Manufacturer of Drive-lQ Tlieatre 

Equipment" 

505 W. 9tlt Street. HArrison 1-S006—1-8007, K. C, Mo. 

I 


Tlir Lcpl iliigli': 

Is 

An Employer Liable 

For Acts of Employes? 

By NORMAN SHIGON' 

What is an exhibitor's liability when a 

patron is assaulted by one of the theatre's 

ushers? 

In an interesting decision, recently decided 

by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania 

in the matter of Straiton vs. Rosinsky, 

the court held that a verdict in favor 

of the injured party would be permitted to 

stand. 

USHER WARNED CHILD 

The facts in the case show that on Aug. 

15. 1952. Richard Straiton. who was then 

twelve years old, was attending a matinee 

motion picture performance at the Broadway 

Theatre in Philadelphia. While viewing 

the performance, the child propped his 

knees against the back of the seat in front 

of him. An usher employed by the manager, 

tapped the youngster on the knees 

with a flashlight and instructed him: "Put 

your knees down." The minor complied 

wuth the request but. a short time later, 

had his knees up in the same position again. 

'Member, Philadelphia Bar. 

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Simply plug in to your ordinary 115/120 volt 

light source and you'll witness the most amazing 

display you ever saw. Every ^4 of a second, 

OS the revolving table turns, you'll see a powerful 

flash of successive colors that draws the 

ottention of passers-by like flame draws a moth. 

Heavy, clear plostic dome. Beautifully plated 

body. Continuous duty motor. Powerful bulb 

with exceptionally long life. A gleaming ball, 

91 2 inches in diameter. 

Write for Prices or See Your Dealer 

DRIVE-IN 

THEATRE MFG. CO. 

505 W. 9tti Street. HA. 1-8006—1-8007, Kansas City, Mo. 

Again the usher instructed the youngster 

to remove his knees or he would have to 

take the child up to see the manager. 

Straiton replied. "You don't have to 

take me up to see the manager. I will go 

by myself. ' The child testified that the 

usher held him by the arm. and that he 

jerked his arm away from the usher and 

started up the aisle. In any event, at some 

point in the sequence, the usher struck 

Straiton over the head with the flashlight. 

The minor was subsequently taken to the 

hospital, where it was found that he had 

suffered a laceration of the scalp, which 

was cleansed, sutured and dressed. As a 

result of an infection, several subsequent 

visits were made to the hospital. The boy 

missed two weeks from school. 

The usher had no personal hatred nor 

animosity towards Straiton. and the evidence 

showed that there had been no previous 

ill feeling between the participants. 

The testimony in the case showed that the 

entire incident occurred because the minor 

had placed his knees against the seat in 

violation of the rules of the theatre. 

The defendant contended, in his motion 

for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, 

that the usher was acting outside the scope 

of his employment, and therefore the manager 

of the theatre could not be held liable. 

EMPLOYER GENERALLY LIABLE 

The Superior Court stated that there are 

many cases involving grossly excessive assaults, 

that conduct of an employe, in 

such cases, may, as a matter of law, be so 

unreasonable as to insulate the employer 

from liability. However, the court pointed 

out that generally a master is liable for the 

tortious of his servant done in the course 

of his employment and within the general 

scope of his authority. It stated that 

whether the particular act is within the 

scope of employment ordinarily presents 

a question of fact for a jury. The court 

stated that the usher's conduct in the 

present case was not so "shocking and a 

gross abuse of all authority," nor was his 

use of force "so excessive and dangerous, 

totally without responsibility or reason" so 

as to absolve the principal from liability. 

Therefore, the court held that a verdict 

in favor of the minor plaintiff should be 

allowed to stand. 

LAMP ELIMINATES CARBONS 


current and voltage measuring instruments 

for this purpose are arranged in prominent 

positions on the rear lamphouse wall. 

With some photo-track and magnetictrack 

sound systems the ignition procedure 

is marked by a crackle in the loudspeakers. 

Both the Xenon lamps of a projection 

equipment can be ignited before the show 

starts and then run on just sufficient current 

to maintain the arc. Only the particular 

lamp required for projection pui'- 

poses need be loaded to the full-workingcurrent 

value. 

An image of the Xenon arc is projected 

by an arc-reflector onto a ground-glass 

disc. The image on this di.sc can be utilized 

to set, once and for all, the correct positioning 

of the mirrors with relation to the 

Xenon arc. This arc-image then remains 

as a useful guide for checking the correct 

adjustment of the lamp. 

All auxiliary equipment necessary for 

Xenon lamp working is accommodated in 

the lamphouse. This includes the ignition 

apparatus with moment-contact relays 

The main mirror and the auxiliary mirror surround 

the Xenon bulb in the new Bauer Xenon lamp. 

which ignite the lamp by supplying a 

momentary impact-voltage when the DC 

rectifier supply is switched through, ammeter 

and voltmeter for adjusting lamp 

current and lamp voltage, adjustment controls 

such as side and height adjustment 

of the auxiliary mirror, horizontal and 

vertical coverage of the main mirror, and 

a control for moving the auxilary mirror 

along the optical axis, and the arc reflector 

with ground-glass disc. 

Causes of Sound Trouble 

"Buzz" or hum in reproduction may be 

caused by improper adjustment of lateral 

guide rollers—sprocket holes are "riding" 

in scanning beam. Hum in sound reproduction, 

when projector is not running, 

may be caused by defective filter condenser 

(capacitor), poor ground connection or defective 

tube. Low volume is sometimes due 

to incorrect positioning of exciter lamp, 

dirty or defective photocell, obstruction 

in the scanning beam, defective tubes or 

component in the pre-amplifier or power 

amplifier; or it may be low recording in 

the print. Bad sound reproduction at 

changeover may be caused by the rotary 

stabilizer becoming loose on its shaft (retighten 

securely). 


Popcorn Warmer Keeps 54 Cups P-1617 

Ready for Instant Service 

FOR MORE 

INFORMATION 

clusters of floodlights may be set up where 

desired in the drive-in area without excess 

equipment or wasted light spillage. Illumination 

with these facilities may range 

from a wide-angle sweep of light to extra 

USE Convenient 

Readers* Bureau Coupons 

CIF^ 

'J 

The Buttermatic warmer, which keeps 

54 pre-filled, heated Buttercups heaped 

with popcorn ready to serve at peak periods, 

has been designed for theatre concessions 

requiring a single station, all-exclusive 

popcorn dispenser. The unit is now 

available from Supurdisplay, Inc. The 

warmer has an engineered space on the top 

arrangement for the installation of a Butter-Mat, 

a butter-server. In addition to the 

54 full Buttercups ready for instant service, 

the machine provides an additional pop-up 

display of 150 Buttercups ready for fast 

service. Effectiveness of a large illuminated 

sign calling attention to the product is 

augmented by behind-the-glass display of 

sufficient loose corn to fill 180 Buttercups. 

The steel cabinet is available in wheat, 

bleached or mahogany grained finish with 

stainless steel trim. The unit utilizes a 

double blower system of 140° to permit 

dispensing hot corn at all times. 

Remote-Controlled Neon Letters P-1618 

Permit Daily Changes in Signs 

Radalite, a system by which neon letters, 

2y2 inches high, ai-e lighted by remote electronic 

control, is now in production by 

Radalite Corp., offering many interesting 

applications for indoor and outdoor theatres. 

The system consists of a transmitter, 

two letter racks for holding the message 

formed by the neon letters, a stock of individual 

neon letters and a 12 -foot cable. 

The transmitter broadcasts a beam up to 

20 feet, so the letter rack may be displayed 

to the public anywhere within 20 feet of 

the place chosen to conceal the transmitter. 

On the back of the rack is an antenna. 

which picks up the transmitted energy. 

The letters, set in the rack to form a sales 

message or announce coming attractions, 

light up the moment the antenna picks up 

the transmitted beam. There is no connection 

between the individual neon letters 

in this system, so they may be moved about 

to change the advertising message as frequently 

as desired. The letter rack permits 

the use of 12 lineal feet of movable letters, 

which may be broken up either into four 

rows three feet long or two rows six feet 

long. The fluorescent letters are available 

(MOW PLAYIf 

ROCK 

LOVE 

JOHIMSOi?^ 

CONQUERS ALL^ 

in red, orange, green or blue—so the theatreman 

may spell out his advertising message 

in any mixture of these coloi's he desires. 

At present the system is only for 

indoor use, but as production continues, 

the size of the letters will vary from IV2 

inches up to 18 inches, with applications 

ranging from indoor shadow boxes up to 

the largest size marquee announcements 

and roadside attractions boards. The Radalite 

system of transmission is approved by 

the Federal Communications Commission. 

Wiring Trough, Splice Boxes P-1619 

For 'Tailored' Floodlighting 

Weatherproof wiring troughs and splice 

boxes which permit a drive-in theatre manager 

to "tailor" floodlighting to provide the 

exact illumination needed have been introduced 

by Stonco Electric Pi'oducts Co. 

With these troughs and splices, unlimited 

Claims made for products described editorially 

on this and other pages ore taken from the 

manufacturers' statements. 

^ 

long, high intensity pencil beams. Troughs, 

available in sizes from nine to 22 inches, 

hold up to 12 lampholders individually. 

The splice boxes are made in square, round 

and hexagon shapes, equipped with locking 

set screws at each hole to fix permanently 

the floodlighting focus once it is set. 

Troughs and splice boxes are made of 

tough aluminum alloys, with precision cast 

aluminum covers which are made fuU 

length to expose the entire trough interior 

for quick, easy splicing. 

Automatic Coffeemaker Unit P-1620 

For Small Theatre Operation 

The 3-A automatic 

E-Z Way coffeemaker, 

which will 

produce 80 to 100 

cups of coffee an 

hour on a cold water 

line and higher capacity 

on a hot water 

line, is being introduced 

to smaller theatre 

concessions operations 

by Steel Products Co. The unit 

can also be used for serving hot or iced 

tea, as well as iced coffee. For serving 

coffee, hot or iced, the E-Z Way has a 

concentrate capacity of one pint, using 

restaurant and institutional type soluble 

or instant coffee. There is said to be no 

waste, no stale or throw-away coffee; nor 

are there any urn bags, filters or coffee 

grounds to clean up. A three-gaUon water 

tank, automatic temperature control and 

simple-to-fill concentrate holder are other 

features. The only installation connections 

needed for the counter coffeemaker 

are a 115-volt electric outlet and water line. 

The unit is adjustable for coffee strength, 

and requires less than 11 inches of concessions 

counter space. 


Convertible Electric Unit Serves P-1621 

As Bun Warmer, Tomale Steamer 

A steam uiiit which may be converted 

easily from bun warmer to tamale steamer 

has been introduced to theatre concessions 

by the Star Manufacturing Co. Designated 

as Model 174 bun warmer, the electric 

steam unit will keep rolls or buns ready to 

Neat Reslrooms 

bring 

patrons back 

•f* 

Electric-AIre 

Hand Drying Service 

...eliminates paper towel fire hazard! 

Eliminate paper towels and all their mess, 

nuisance and expense. Keep washrooms 

neat and clean with far less labor cost. 

Tamper-proof—always ready to serve. Recessed 

or surface mounted types, engineered 

for years of trouble-free operation. Write 

for name of near by representative. 

ENGINEERING 

CORP. 

3138 W. CHICAGO AVE. • CHICAGO 22, 111. 

ELECTRIC- AIRE of Conodo. 669Talbol SI . 51. Thomoi, Onl. 

TANK- 

SEPTIC 

OUTDOOR TOILET 

- CESSPOOL 

Save expensive digging and 

pumping. Simply pour enzyme 

concentrate Sept-0-Solve into 

tank or toilet. Deodorizes 

and creates waste-consuming 

bacteria. Makes tanks, etc. 

work like new. No lye, lime. 

Harmless to humans, animals, 

plumbing. Postcard brings 

free 

literature. 

M. T. ABBEY CHEMICAL CO. 

646 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, III. 

SPLICE-0-FILM 

seconds o perfect pe 

in 1/10,000 of on inch 

AUTOMATICALLY 

The HARWAID Company 

1216 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 

Pt^. 

serve for hours. Conversion to tamale 

steamer is accomplished by simple removal 

of the central control panel, allowing full 

passage of steam. Capacity is 50 to 60 

buns and 60 to 70 tamales, which are inserted 

and removed through two stainless 

^ 

steel sliding doors. Stainless steel also is 

used for the body, water reservoir, racks 

and liner of the unit. Thermostat and 

humidity are regulated by adjustable controls. 

The unit is portable, weighing only 

30 pounds, and may be plugged in anywhere. 

To aid in easy cleaning, the cover 

had been made removable. 

Simple Self-Service Operation P-1622 

For Ice Cream, Milk Shakes 

Automatic soft-serve and milk shake dispensing 

equipment for customer self-service 

at theatre concessions has been developed 

by the Sweden Freezer Manufacturing 

Co. The equipment is so simple to 

operate that it is said that a customer may 

draw a dish of ice cream or a milk shake 

as easily as though drawing a glass of 

water, since the only operation required is 

to lift a handle on the soft-serve freezer or 

milk shake machine. The self-service operation 

cuts down on concessions labor costs 

while speeding up service at rush periods. 

In connection with the self-service operation, 

a customer may purchase a plastic 

portion cup of topping with which to make 

his own sundae. Noncoin-operated, the machine 

could be placed in the cafeteria line, 

with the patron paying cashier at end of 

the line. 

Automatic Unit Produces 

Uniform Cups of Coffee 

\ 

P-1623 

An automatic coffeemaker that electronically 

turns out a uniform cup of coffee 

every time is being produced by Best Products. 

The machine is simple to operate. 

When the push-button is pressed, a signal 

light goes on and the coffeemaker automatically 

delivers coffee that is kept within 

five degrees of brewed temperature at all 

times. Features claimed for the unit include 

no water to pour, no valves to turn, 

no evaporation of brew, no time lost waiting, 

no grounds in brew, no pres.sure to 

collapse or cause explosions. The manufacturer 

claims that the automatic coffeemaker 

saves 90 per cent of the attention 

required by some other devices, 55 to 70 

per cent of the labor required by some manually 

operated urns. Ease of cleaning is 

another feature of the unit, which contains 

a complete power pack. All controls 

are accessible from the front. 

An Ice-Making 

Machine 

For Drive-In Theatres 

P-1624 

The Chip-Freeze, an automatic ice making 

machine, capable of making 560 pounds 

daily is introduced to theatre concessions 

operators by Cold Corp. of America. The 

flaked ice is stored in a two-section, sanitary 

stainless steel cabinet, the ice being 

removed from the lower, waist-high section. 

As ice is scooped from this section, new 

ice forms in the top of the storage bin. 

The manufacturer claims this positioning 

of the storage bin not only has the advantage 

of convenience for the user but 

also prevents dirt, bacteria and scum accumulating 

in the cabinet. Cost of icemaking 

with the unit is said to be six cents 

per 100 pounds, with practically no waste, 

since the machine turns itself on and makes 

additional ice only as ice is used from the 

bin. The units may be used with any type 

of water system and are equipped with lowpressure 

cut-out protection in case the 

water supply is interrupted temporarily. 

Remodeling a theatre pays off at the 

boxoffice. For instance, before being remodeled, 

the Egyptian Theatre in San 

Diego was averaging $600 a week. Transformed 

and renamed the Capri, the house 

has grossed as much as $10,000 the opening 

week of a hit show. 


The following concerns have recently 

tiled copies of interesting descriptive literature 

with the Modern Theatre Information 

Bureau. Readers who wish copies may 

obtain them promptly by using the Readers' 

Bureau postcard in tliis issue of The Modern 

Theatre. 

L-1813 — "Plexiglas Backgrounds for 

Changeable Copy Signs," a four-page color 

booklet issued by Rohm & Haas Co., pictures 

several theatre applications for marquees 

and attractions boards. Such Plexiglas 

backgrounds may be formed easily on 

the job to follow the contour of curved 

marquees. High resistance to breakage, 

light weight and ease of handling are other 

important advantages. 

GUARANTEES 

NO MORE 

WILL ELIMINATE YOUR MOSQUITO COMPETITORS. 

WITH PIC YOU CAN BETTER YOUR BUSINESS 

AND MAKE MONEY BESIDES! 

L-1814 Laminated magnetic tracks for 

motion picture film are discussed in 

"Sound Talk" bulletin 33, issued by the 

Minnesota Mining and Manufactui'ing Co. 

Illustrations show ten standard magnetic 

recording films in 16, 17 ',2 and 35mm 

widths and standard track widths and 

positions applicable to 8 and 16mm motion 

picture film using the Scotch magnetic 

laminate system. 

L-1815—A BOOKLET explaining applications 

of mercury and mercury-xenon lamps 

to projection and photography has been issued 

by Westinghouse Electric Corp. The 

manual, "Westinghouse Short-Aic Lamps," 

points up the value of mercury-xenon 

lamps for projection of motion pictures in 

true life colors. Diagrams, graphs, technical 

data and operating instructions for 

short-arc lamps are provided in the booklet. 

L-1816 "All-Star Theatre Seating," a 

12-page catalog of chair models for both 

indoor and outdoor theatres, has been published 

by the Griggs Equipment Co. Each 

of the standard Griggs models is presented 

in several variations, offering a theatreman 

an opportunity for selecting seating 

adapted to his budget, situation and longrange 

plans. 

L-1817—Bulletin AL-54, "C & C Arc 

Lamp Rectifier for Standard and Widescreen 

Projection," has been made available 

by the McColpin-Christie Corp. The 

firm's "H" and "M" series of arc lamp rectifiers 

are pictured and their specifications 

tabulated. Another feature of the bulletin 

is diagrammed instruction for installation 

of a transfer switch box. 

L-1818 Of special interest to projectionists 

is a booklet issued by National 

Carbon Co. to publicize activities at its 

new Parma, Ohio, research laboratories. 

Carbon arc research, a principal field of 

inquiry at Parma, is subject of interesting 

photos and descriptive material detailing 

objectives and problems of investigations 

in that field. 

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5 

• ALPHABETICAL INDEX 

• ADLINES & EXPLOITIPS 

• BOXOFFICE BAROMETER 

• EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY 

• FEATURE RELEASE CHART 

• FEATURE REVIEW DIGEST 

• REVIEWS OF FEATURES 

• SHORTS RELEASE CHART 

• SHORT SUBJECT REVIEWS 

• SHOWMANDISING IDEAS 

JRK 

'ew y 

Tabloid Section Sells 

A New Movie Season 

Jack Mitchell, manager for the Schine 

circuit in Watertown, N. Y., recently received 

the congratulations of Seymour Morris, 

ad-publicity director, on the Schine 

Theatres Movie Section which he put over 

in the local Eteily Times. 

The eight-page tabloid size section starts 

with this headline, "Schine Tlieatres Special 

Section . . . It's A Brand New Movie 

$51,000,000 Worth of Hollywood's 

Season . . . 

Best Are Coming to You One After 

Another." 

On the front page were scene mats from 

seven upcoming films, and a boxed explanation 

of how to "win free movie tickets" 

by guessing the names of star head 

photos inserted in merchants ads throughout 

the section. The stars were from these 

pictures: Silk Stockings, Something of 

Value. Pajama Game, An Affair to Remember, 

A Hatful of Rain, Beau James. The 

Prince and the Showgirl and Fire Down 

Below. 

The contest ran from the date of the 

special section, July 16, to August 1. 

The section contained ten ads, one by 

the Avon and Olympic theatres in Watertown, 

and another by Schine theatres in 

six nearby upper New York towns; Ogdensburg, 

Massena, Malone, Saranac Lake, 

Tupper Lake and Carthage. 

Morris sent copies of the section to all 

Schine managers, suggesting that those 

who are trying to land similar sections 

show the Mitchell layout to their local 

newspapers. 

Nice 'Bernardine' Deal 

The Music Center of Newark, Ohio, went 

for 1,000 fan photos of Pat Boone for a 

giveaway at the store a few days before 

the opening, and at the theatre on opening 

day of "Bernardine." Paul Pearson, manager, 

also got a window in the center displaying 

Boone records, stills from the pictuie 

with credits. He plugged the photo 

giveaway in the regular ads. 

A 1 for 3 Admission 

In an effort to improve midweek attendance, 

Paul W. Amadeo. Pike Drive-In, advertised 

a Wednesday offer recently of free 

admission to the driver of any car containing 

three or more adults. 

Extensive Retail Merchant Tieups 

Back 

Value for Money' Openings 

The initial campaigns for 

"Value for Money," starting with 

the world premiere at the Du- 

Pont Theatre in Washington, have 

demonstrated the great value of 

the title words in retail merchant 

tieups. 

The capital city promotion 

reached near-saturation volume 

through this angle alone, in co 

operation with representatives 

of the advertising-publicity department 

of the Rank FUm Distributors 

of America office. There 

the large Hecht Co. department 

store and the BOAC resulted in a 

record volume of ad space for a 

film co-op. 

As the full page Hecht ad reproduced 

herewith shows, the 

catchline in all Hecht sales and 

ads is "Value for Money." This 

extends through most of July. In 

addition Hecht in conjunction 

with BOAC, sponsored — "Value 

for Money" Honeymoon Contest 

for a trip via a BOAC jet prop Vicount airliner 

to Bermuda and a five-day stay at 

the Castle Harbor Hotel there. 

The Hecht stores distributed 50,000 

coupons. All a contestant had to do was to 

fill out a coupon and deposit it in the Official 

Contest Box in the Better Dress departments 

of Hecht's three stores—downtown 

Washington, Silver Spring or Parkington. 

BOAC had special window displays on 

the contest. 

The co-op marked the introduction in 

U.S. advertising of the Rank emblem, the 

Man with the Gong. 

Tlie Rank ad-publicity department, 

headed by Steve Edwards, also completed 

the "Value for Money" co-op with the 80 

merchants in the Ci-oss County shopping 

center at Yonkers, N. Y., where the week of 

July 22-29 was designated "Value for 

Money" Week with the stores featuring 

the provocative title in displays and ads. 

Mayor Kristen Kristensen and a "Value 

for Money Girl" formally initiated the 

week at a noon ceremony. 

The film was given a saturation opening 

in the New York City area July 31. The 

Rank publicists had the retail tieup set 

with the Vim chain of 58 stores, Russek's 

and others. 

Preview for Women Aicis 

'Designing' in Englandi 

Designers of the two fashion stores, 

women newspaper reporters, nurses from 

the local hospitals and "the mayoresses" 

of three Medway towns (we don't know if 

a mayoress is the wife of a mayor or is 

actually the elected official) were invited 

to a screening of "Designing Woman" at 

the Regent Theatre in Chatham Theatre 

in Kent, England. Manager G. Williams 

reports the local Chatham Observer ran 

a four-column photo of the group. 

A blowup-of Alan Ladd and his son with 

copy, "Like Father . . . Like Son," appeared 

in a window display in Phillip's, "gents' 

outfitters," in advance of "Stampede," in 

which Ladd appears with his son, at the 

Regent. A Ladd blowup was placed in the 

doorway. 

Manager Wilhams also got several tieups 

on cowboy outfits. 

BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: August 3, 1957 183 — I

Shower of Gold Ping Pong Balls^ Some 

With Prizes^ Heads Tammy Campaign 

John Denman's Salt Lake City campaign 

for "Tammy and the Bachelor" is typical 

of the allout promotional effort extended 

pictures in this relatively new Fox Intermountain 

area, reports a recent issue of 

National Theatres' Showman. 

As detailed by Denman. "Tammy" exploitation 

included the "usual" items, such 

as short ID'S on radio and some standard 

newspaper campaign but the added efforts 

made this campaign a surefire success for 

"Tammy" at the boxoffice. 

The Deseret-News cooperated with the 

Uptown and Villa in a newspaper contest 

in which contestants were asked to fill in 

the last line of the "Tammy" song. First 

prize in this contest was $100 with 25 pairs 

of guest ticket-s as additional prizes. 

co>rrEST ON radio 

A free radio tie-in consisted of a mystery 

tune contest on stations KNAK and KALL. 

Prizes included Decca, RCA and Coral 

(free) record albums and theatre guest 

tickets. Music stores felt the magic Denman 

touch and featured window and inside displays 

of albums, single records, picture stills 

and window cards for "Tammy and the 

Bachelor." 

The visit to Salt Lake City by Bill 

Thomas, head designer for U-I, proved an 

excellent break for the campaign. He was 

interviewed on three TV stations and five 

radio stations in Salt Lake, and appeared in 

person and lectured at a Style Show presented 

by ZCMI, the city's leading department 

store. 

Resultant publicity hit the newspapers 

city pages, women's pages and the ZCMI 

additionally carried a full-page notice in 

the Sunday paper advertising the fashion 

show and lecture. 

SEVERAL SCREENINGS 

Keeping the momentum of the campaign 

rolling, Denman and his Villa and Uptown 

managers. Dick Frisbey and Ted Kirkmeyer, 

planned a series of sneak previews 

and private screenings for word-of-mouth. 

Denman says a selected group of persons 

from all age brackets was invited. According 

to comment cards, this picture is a 

"natural" for such special treatment. There 

were no adverse comments, according to 

Denman. For the "Tammy" campaign, 

Denman experimented with the use of offamusement 

page advertising. The ads, carrying 

a new catchline, as furnished by U-I 

were used on page two of Salt Lake papers. 

As the outline was written to appeal particularly 

to those persons who seldom attend 

the movies, this important page two 

placement was vital to the success of the 

ad. 

The highlight of the entire campaign, 

however, was a promotional tie-in with the 

Downtown Merchant's Ass'n and the Chamber 

of Commerce. Denman arranged for 

Pox Theatres in Salt Lake to have the exclusive 

tie-in on the promotion of a downtown 

day of values. 

The plan was to drop 1,500 ping pong 

balls (painted gold) by helicopter over the 

downtown area between the Rialto and 

Uptown theatres. 

Various prizes had been 

inserted in the decorated balls. Fox managers 

provided 200 guest tieckets to theatres 

playing "Tammy and the Bachelor" 

and two single annual passes to any Fox 

Theatre for the coming year. 

Looking back at his big plan, Denman 

cautions persons using this stunt to plan 

to use at least 5,000 prize-filled ping pong 

balls. As shown in photos appearing on the 

front page of the Salt Lake papers, over 

30,000 persons turned out for the event. 

Artist Makes 'Hoppers' 

Big as 'End' Monsters 

A "grasshopper invasion" of Paris, Tex., 

was pictured in a three-column illustration 

in the local Daily News prepared by 

an artist as a promotion for "The Beginning 

of the End" and "The Unearthly" at 

the Grand Theatre. The artist drew twostory 

tall grasshoppers crawling up the 

side of the Paris First National Bank building. 

The Grand is an Interstate circuit operation. 

Vic Nowe, manoger of the Odeon Carleton in 

Toronto, Ont., gave the Columbia package, 

"The 27th Day"-"20 Million Miles to Earth," 

special lobby treatment as the above illustration 

shows. This one is 14x9 feet with the 

heading in bold, black lettering and the monster 

painted in luminous colors. The display was 

used at the base of the marquee during the 

run. Some 20,000 heralds were distributed on 

the streets, beginning three days in advance, 

by a man dressed up in a monster costume and 

two 

boy escorts. 

'Dear Reverend' Notes 

Give Epic Third Week 

When M. K. Chakeres, vice-president of 

the Chakeres Theatres circuit, decided to 

hold "The Ten Commandments" for a 

third week at the circuit's Regent Theatre 

in Springfield, Ohio, he inmiediately ,'^' 

mailed the following notice to each clergyman 

in town: 

"Many of your parishioners have not 

seen The Greatest Story Of All Times, 

'The Ten Commandments.' Therefore we 

are holding it an additional week at our 

Regent Theatre through July 11, in order 

that everyone may see it. Would you please 

bring it to their attention by announcing 

from the pulpit or through your Sunday 

it 

Bulletin? Thank you for your cooperation." 

The printed notes, in the form of a memorandum 

"from the desk of" M. K. Chakeres 

and addresed to "Dear Reverend," 

were mailed on Friday to give the clergymen 

an opportunity to cooperate by making 

announcements at their Sunday services. 

Each of the clergymen had been 

guests of the theatre for a special showing 

prior to the regular opening, and all coop>erated 

with the management in bringing 

the third week showing to the attention 

of their congregations. 

As a result of this effort and other 

promotional projects worked out by Chakeres, 

who invested $2,000 in newspaper 

advertising in Springfield alone for the 

DeMille feature, "The Ten Commandments" 

was the first picture in the circuit J- 

executive's memory to run three weeks in 

Springfield. Grosses amounted to much 

more than those accumulated by "Gone 

With the Wind," and many former motion 

picture fans were brought back to the 

theatre for the first time in years. 

Many patrons came from suiTounding 

towns, too, in response to Chakeres advertising 

in newspapers in Urbana, Yellow 

Springs, Paris, South Charleston and 

Mechanicsburg and both Springfield radio 

stations. 

Within a short time after the Bible epic 

completed the long Springfield showing, 

Chakeres reported that he already had 

received more than 125 queries as to when 

the picture would retm-n. These queries 

came from persons who said that they had 

been unable to see the picture during the 

first booking but regretted having missed 

it. 

'Wet' Stunt on Rainmaker 

A lot of laughter around town and good 

business on "The Rainmaker" were stirred 

up with a "wet" stunt put on by Casey 

Jenkins, manager of the Shadyside Drivein 

in Albertville, Ala. Jenkins had a projectionist. 

Freeman Pankey, dress up in 

galoshes and slickers, then walk about 

town with an umbrella, with appropriate 

signs, a strange sight in the bright sunlight. 

— 184 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: August 3, 1957

Staffers Offer Ideas 

For 'Man On Fire' 

"A campaign which would do any pictui-e 

proud was conducted by Sonny Shepherd 

to acquaint all Wometco personnel in 

Miami, Fla., with the employe contest on 

_j 'Man on Mre' and to stimulate interest 

"' in it." The company house organ, Contact, 

thus summed up the event. 

Two announcements were mailed to every 

employe's home, besides the reminders enclosed 

in pay envelopes. James Loomis in 

the art department got out some colorful 

posters which were displayed where employes 

would be apt to see them. They went 

to theatres, offices, WTVJ, Reela art shop 

and the confections, upholstery and advertising 

sections. Lee Ruwitch volunteered 

a plug on two of the TV station's closedcircuit 

telecast meetings. 

Four special screenings were held at different 

places and times to accommodate aU 

employes and their families. With such a 

thorough "briefing" of Wometco staffers, 

all south Florida, it was stated, should 

have been aware, via this spreading grapevine, 

of the picture's opening at the Carib, 

Miami and Miracle. 

There was an enthusiastic response to 

the employe contest which included important 

prizes for the best ideas on ways to exploit 

the picture. 

Jan VanHeam of Reela won an all-expense 

vacation for two to his choice of 

Havana or Nassau. Norman Feaster, same 

department, also won a Caribbean holiday. 

•^°^ Campbell, projectionist at the 27th 

;RI\ 

-^ Avenue Drive-In, copped a $100 savings 

bond. Campbell, incidentaUy, first became 

associated with Mitchell Wolfson and Sidney 

Meyer prior to the establishment of 

Wometco, when they headed a real estate 

office. 

Mrs. Elaine Herman won a $50 bond 

secretary in the main office. Another $50 

bond was awarded to Arline Perry, secretary 

in the public service department of 

WTVJ. 

Ideas submitted ran the gamut from 

"play up the title" to "play down the title," 

with novel variations on selling Crosby, 

the cast, the song, the story, the problem 

posed and the happiness found. 

Likes His Office Bible 

Jack Thorson was away on his vacation 

and unable to send in a photograph for 

publication with the 

announcement of the 

BOXOFTTCE Citation 

of Honor winners for 

June, but sent along 

1 picture, even though 

tardy, he writes, because 

"I couldn't resist 

the opportunity 

of having my story 

and photo in BOX- 

OFFICE, because to 

me BOXOFFICE is 

my office bible." Thorson directs the Manor 

Theatre in San Mateo, Calif. 

24-Hour 'Frankenstein' 

Horror-A-Thon 

Sets Opening Day Mark at San Diego 

'rMf^--^ 

Here's a fright front offering the new Frankenstein success as a new concept in horror pictures. It was 

at the California Theotre in San Diego, which featured a Horror-A-Thon premiere of the Warner Bros, 

twin chiller. 

An opening day record gross for any picture 

except "The Robe" was rolled up by 

an around-the-clock HoiTor-A-Thon premiere 

of "The Curse of Frankenstein" at 

San Diego recently. The Warner Bros, whodunit 

was coupled with "X the Unknown" 

in the 24-hour showing at the California 

Theatre. 

All the old gimmicks and some new ones 

were employed by Ben Williams, manager 

of the California, and Max Bercutt, Warner 

publicist, in a campaign with most of the 

budget going for radio and TV. 

The HoiTor-A-Thon started on the stroke 

of midnight with the showing of "Frankenstein." 

The continuous showing was 

scheduled on the stroke of midnight with 

the showing of "Frankenstein." The continuous 

showing was scheduled into eight 

"premieres" via the ads, with each sold 

as a specialty: at 12, Midnite Scream Premiere; 

3 a.m., Swingshifter's Premiere; 6 

a.m.. Breakfast Premiere; 9 a.m.. Housewife's 

Jamboree; 12 noon, Shopper's Premiere; 

3 p.m.. Servicemen's; 6 p.m.. Elbow 

Bender's, and 9 p.m.. the Dater's Premiere. 

The ads are available at National Screen. 

The sock front reproduced here was made 

up with special blowups following the theme 

of English theatre front and lobby. Sign 

above the boxoffice read, "Children under 

12 not permitted unless accompanied by 

a parent." 

TV time was concentrated around teenage 

programs. A contest promoted on 

Lucky Dance Team program cost 100 passes 

as prizes, and resulted in 100 gratis plugs. 

The purchased radio time was early 

morning, up to 9, and again from 5 to midnight, 

afternoons skipped. 

A screening was held in advance for 

press, radio and TV contacts. 

Williams and Bercutt arranged with ambulance 

service to station ambulance outside 

theatre and receive aU calls there during 

day. Radio was kept going full blast 

so everyone near theatre could hear calls 

ana every time ambulance left or returned, 

siren blared. 

For gag picture, a girl who fainted in 

theatre during showing was carried out to 

ambulance. This broke space. 

A "faint" or "pass-out" ticket was given 

to everyone entering theatre. 

A smelling salts package was available to 

patrons alongside sign which read, "For 

those with nervous disposition, etc." 

Ushers wore stethoscopes, a nurse was 

in attendance. 

Big Lobby Display Sells 

Stay-at-Home Vacations 

"SEE THE WORLD THIS SUMMER . 

. . 

Cruise in the Air Conditioned Luxury of 

Your Seat in the Miller!" 

These giant lines in an overhead display 

preempted attention in the outer lobby of 

the Miller Theatre in Wichita. The display 

sells coming attractions in a background 

of world vacation spots, some of 

which the Miller's "summer cruise" wiU 

make in pictures. 

A large half globe of the western hemisphere, 

in three-dimension buUt up from 

the flat surface, appears in the center. An 

ocean liner dips up and down on the painted 

waves at the bottom. 

Recently featured in the display were 

"Take a trip to Paris with (star names) 

in 'Love in the Afternoon' . . See the good 

. 

old USA with the new recording sensation 

. . . Pat Boone in 'Bernardine.' " 

Manager Buddy Brown says the piece 

has attracted a great deal of comment. 

Portraying Ernest Hemingway's famous 

Cuban fisherman, Spencer Tracy fights off 

sharks near Honolulu in WB's "The Old Man 

and the Sea." 

BOXOFnCE Showmandiser : : August 3, 1957 — 185 3

Baby Park, Financed by Merchants 

Profitable in Theatre Foyer 

The foyer and lounge facilities of the Fox Theatre in Taft, Calif., have for years 

been just as vacant and empty as in any theatre with a week-night and weekend 

FKJiicy. 

In those years, untold thousands have passed by the theatre in the mornings 

and early afternoons—untold thousands who may have thought to themselves how 

nice it would be just to go inside and rest for a few minutes in the theatre they 

a.ssociated with comfort and relaxation. 

Now ifs going to be different. Manager Bob Dye, with a merchant tieup blessed 

by the Chamber of Commerce, is opening the front of the house as a Baby Park for 

busy shoppers. 

Merchant-furnished swings, slides, toys and TV will be ready for parked toddlers 

in the Pox Theatre during the daytime nonoperating hours. A reliable baby-sitter 

will be on hand. 

Admission tickets are furnished by the merchants themselves, who have long since 

disca\ered tlie percentage operating against housewife shoppers, encumbered or 

distracted by small fry. 

Costs of early opening, maintenance, and baby-sitting is defrayed by the merchants 

on a monthly subscription basis through the Chamber of Commerce which is 

quite happy about the whole thing. 

And it all serves to keep the theatre happy and functioning, keep the merchants 

happy, keep the housewives happy, keep the kids happy, and make a few extra bucks 

for the theatre (into the several hundreds weekly) as well. 

Saturday A.M. Teenage Parties Emceed 

By Disc Jockey, Pack B.C. Theatre 

Capitalizing on the popularity of "Red" 

Robinson, Vancouver, B.C.. teenage disc 

jockey. Manager Ivan Ackery of the Orpheum 

Theatre has built up a house-packing, 

once-a-month teenage Saturday morning 

show. Robinson emcees the fast-paced 

shows that consist of jitterbug contests, 

Elvis Presley imitating contests, teenage 

fashion shows, jive bands from local 

schools and screen programs tailored for 

an overflow teenage audience. 

"The kids behave themselves wonderfully." 

said Ackery. "Of course, they keep 

in time witli their hands and feet to the 

jive tunes. This is the reason we open 

an hour before our regular Saturday performance 

times—so they won't disturb our 

regular patrons." 

Advertising costs for these teenage 

parties are almost nonexistent as far as 

Ackei-y's theatre is concerned. The radio 

station runs a large newspaper ad before 

each program to build up its broadcast of 

the stage show, and the disc jockey himself 

plugs the party continually. 

"We get all the prizes we want for the 

contestants by just giving the merchants 

a plug from the stage and over the radio," 

Ackei-y noted. "The record companies get 

in the act by supplying plenty of records 

for prizes. We also give away slacks, lipsticks, 

bathing suits and many other 

items prized by teenagers." 

While doing top business with his first 

four parties, Ackery already is experimenting 

with a way to provide more room for 

his steadily growing audience by scheduling 

the next party at a drive-in theatre. 

Left, a stage scene with Manager Ackety, Red Robinson and a teenage performer. Right, an audience shot. 

Stores Give Lavishly 

For Miss Cinderella 

When Alfred F. Cerankowski presented 

"Cinderella" at the Strand in Buffalo, he 

got a lot of publicity for the attraction by 

staging a Cinderella contest. ,as. 

Patrons of the Strand were invited to^ss. 

vote for any gii'l between the ages of 16 

and 21 whom they would hke to have be 

their theatre's Cinderella. Entry blanks 

were printed in all the theatre's programs. 

The contest ran for two weeks, during 

which 2,000 programs were distributed, and 

790 were returned with Cinderella votes. 

Merchants of the Strand neighboi-hood 

cooperated 100 per cent with the theatre 

in this interesting community event. Some 

of the prizes promoted by Cerankowski included 

a diamond ring, a gown, crown, 

slippers, roses, a trophy, portable phonograph, 

camera, portable radio, etc. The 

winner was picked up at her home, with 

her parents, in a specially decorated convertible 

and escorted to the theatre for 

her personal appearance by a sheriff's department 

motor patrol. 

The crowning was held on the Strand 

stage, with the councilman-at-large taking 

part in the presentation ceremonies. After 

the ceremony, the winner, her parents and 

Cerankowski were escorted by the sheriffs 

patrol to the Glen Casino in Williamsville, 

where the young woman was introduced 

from stage during the floor show. 

A photo of the winner, Miss Lorraine A. 

Horbett, 17, with details of the contest, 

were used in the Buffalo Evening News. "It j. 

was a day that long will be remembered in 

this neighborhood," said Cerankowski. 

Africa Angle Stressed 

In Ads on 'Something' 

Aided by the local travel agency, James 

Speed, manager, and John Reed, publicist, 

constructed a lobby display suggestive of 

Africa for "Something of Value" at the 

Palms Theatre in Homestead, Fla. The 

same idea was carried out in displays at 

bookstores. 

"Filmed in Africa Under MilitaiT Protection 

MGM's Most Shocking Pic- 

. . . 

tui-e," used as a topline in ads added interest. 

Speed reports the picture did well in a 

four-day run which included the Fourth 

of July program at the ballpark. 

"Everybody Goes for . . . Something of 

Value ... Go See MGM's 'Something of 

Value' Now at Loew's Theatre." This copy 

headed a double-truck co-op Manager 

Lester Pollock promoted for the film in 

Rochester, N. Y. Eight major retailers divided 

the space. 

Pollock made a deal with the local Co- 

Op drugstore chain for a Loew's Gift Book 

giveaway. Each book contains $5.50 worth 

of theatre tickets. The drugstore advertises 

a giveaway of nine Gift Ticket Books 

every other week, based on numbers displayed 

at each Co-Op store. 

— 18G BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : August 3, 1957

Masterpiece Week 

Good if 

Sponsored 

J. William Mullin, winner of a recent 

BOXOFFICE Citation of Honor, is a hard 

worker who avers that promotion is the 

Jifeblood of his theatre, the small Citrus 

>i-ive-In at Hernando, Pla. He is always 

busy with some promotional idea or other, 

cultivating the friendship and support of 

civic clubs, schools, churches, etc., and 

running his shows. The Citrus is a yeararound 

operation. 

In addition he is a teacher in the schools 

at Wildwood, and is serving his second 

year as president of the Lions Club. With 

all this, he is a family man, father of three 

girls and one boy, all under 7. 

In operating a small drive-in in a sparsely 

populated area, Mullins finds he has to 

work twice as hard because "I have to cover 

such a wide area with my advertising." 

"Our people like lots of action pictures, 

but will go for a real good drama," he 

says. "Musicals are rough unless they have 

Elviry and the Weaver brothers." 

Mullins recently offered "Six Masterpiece 

Productions," one each night, Sunday 

through Friday, at $1 a ticket, good for 

all shows. He reports this is a sure thing 

if "you can get a good, active civic club to 

go along . . . concessions do terrific." 

A combination fish fry with "The Silent 

World" and an oldie, "Crosswinds," was 

offered one night for $1 adults, 35 cents 

children—all the fish and hush-puppies 

:!5I) anyone could eat. Result, 200 adults and 

''*' 

about 30 children. And says Mullin, it 

didn't hurt the concession total take a bit. 

He planned a barbecue next. 

"I've watched the New York Yankees a 

long time," Mullins sums up- "I firmly believe 

a person must give a little, and spend 

a little in order to make a little." 

A GUIDE TO ANALYZING YOUR DRIVE-IN 

You do not need special analytical training 

to analyze your own situation. 

If the job is to be done properly, however, 

you must be willing to be and do certain 

things. 

1. Objective and Open-minded 

You must approach each subject or area 

of investigation in the same manner as if 

you were starting all over from the beginning. 

Your greatest difficulty will be in taking 

things for granted. 

2. Sincere in Purpose 

You must truly have the desire to do the 

job. To approach this in a half-hearted 

manner will give the analysis little worth. 

3. Work with Diligence 

Analyzing a drive-in systematically in each 

of its phases is a difficult, time-consuming 

job. It can be done only through hard work. 

/ 4. Review and Follow-up 

It is essential that you review your conclusions 

and follow up on them to determine 

their validity. This is a continuous job, but 

one that makes an analysis effective or ineffective. 

Pretty Women^ and Men^ in Film Display 

If a picture is as good as a thousand 

words, then the real thing (or person) is as 

good as at least two thousand words! Here 

are displays on four pictures built around 

young women (always "attractive") and 

men! Top, left: Loew's Orpheum in New 

York was one of several of Loew's houses 

which offered an Elvis Presley haircut to 

the first ten girls on opening day of "Loving 

You." Age was no qualification 

they could be 16 to 80—in the tieup with 

local barber shops. Top, right: Customers 

in a restaurant near the Paramount Theater 

in Long Branch, N. J., were surprised 

when they found the waitresses all decked 

out as harem beauties. Bernard Depa. 

manager, arranged the promotion for 

A Dallas 'Holiday' Tieup 

A tieup with the Nieman-Marcus department 

store of Dallas has been arranged 

for "Paris Holiday." During the store's 

annual "Paris Fortnight," a citywide camlaaign 

to be launched in mid-October, sequences 

from the film will be shown. 

Money Back Guaranteed 

Playing the revival of "The Teahouse of 

the August Moon," Roger Livingston, Art 

Theatre, Hartford, advertised: "For those 

who have yet to see this picture we guarantee 

a treat or your money back!" 

Norman Taurog, a leading comedy director, 

was chosen by Warners to direct "Onionhead." 

BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : August 3, 1957 — 187 — 

"Barak." The restaurateur was so well 

pleased that he kept the "Ekberg Special" 

on his menu. 

Lower photo at left shows a live baby 

doll in a window display at a department 

store in Buenos Aires for a ll-theatre, 

day-and-date showing of "Baby Doll." The 

Argentineans, no doubt, are on the excitable 

side, for the photo caption says that 

police had to be called to handle the 

crowds which turned out to witness the 

display. 

Bottom, right: Manager Paul Johnson 

of the Mayfair Theatre in Asbury Park, 

N. J., is shown interviewing a pretty 

"patient" on a couch in the lobby in behalf 

of his showing of "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!" 

'Monte Carlo' Shoe Tieup 

United Artists concluded a tieup with 

Wohl Shoes that will spothght "The Monte 

Carlo Story" in 17,000 stores across the 

country. The co-op involves big space ads 

and display pieces featuring a still of 

Natalie Trundy who makes her screen debut 

in the comedy. Wohl will use tieup ads 

in TV Star Parade, Movie Life, Movie Star 

Parade, Intimate Romance and Personal 

Romances. 

Kit on 'Curse of Frankenstein' 

A comprehensive merchandising kit on 

"The Curse of Pi-ankenstein" is being distributed 

by Warner Bros, to leading exhibitors 

and WB field exploitation representatives.

^^1 

BOXOFFICE BAROMETER 

This chart records the performance of current attractions in the opening week of their first runs in 

the 20 key cities checked. Pictures with fewer than five engagements ore not listed. As new runs 

are reported, ratings are added and avarages revised. Computation is in terms of percentage in 

relation to normal grosses as determined by the theatre managers. With 100 per cent as "normal," 

the figures show the gross rating above or below that mark.

Feature production! by company In order of release. Number In squore Is national release date. Running 

time is In parentheses. © is for CinemoScope; ® VistoVlsion; 8) Superscope; ® Noturamo; ® RegalScope; 

Technirama. Symbol ^J denotes BOXOFFICE Blue Ribbon Award; © color photogrophy. LeHers ond combi- 

Cf) 

nations thereof Indicate story type—(Complete key on next, page.) For review dotes and Picture Guide 

page numbers, see Review Digest, 

ÊATURE CHART

FEATURE 

CHART 

story type: (Ad) Adventure Drama; (Ac) Action 

Comedy-Droma; (Cr) Crime Drama; (DM) Dramo 

The key 

Drama; 

to tetters 

(An) 

ond combinations 

Animated-Action; (C) 

thereof 

Comedy; 

indicating 

(CD) 

with Music; (Doc) Documentary; (D) Dromo; (F) Fontosy; (FC) Force-Comedy; (Ho) Horror Drama; (Hi) 

Historical Drama; (M) Musical; (My) Mystery; (OD) Outdoor Drama; (SF) Science-Fiction; (W) Western.

I 

Baby 

il 

BOXOFFICE BookinGuide : : August 3, 1957 

. 

I 

.W. 

. D . . 

Nov 

.Ad. 

. D 

Mar 

jRiy 

story type: (Ad) Adventure Drama; (Ac) Action 

Comedy-Drama; (Cr) Crime Drama; (DM) Drama 

The key 

Dramo; 

to retters 

(An) 

and combinotlons 

Animated-Action; (C) 

thereof 

Comedy; 

indlcotrng 

(CD) 

with Music; (Doe) Documentary; (D) Drama; (F) Fantasy; (FC) Farce-Comedy; (Ho) Horror Droma; (Hi) 

Historical Drama; (M) Musical; (My) Mystery; (OD) Outdoor Drama; (SF) Science-Fiction; (W) Western. 

WARNER BROS. 

Ili The Girl He Left Behind 

(103) C. 

rub Hunter, Natalie Wood 

a ©Giant (201) D..606 

Bilzabi'th Taylor, Hudson, 

Rock 

James Deaii. Jane Withers 

ED CSChasing the Sun 

(31) Featurette. .4911 

riclure essay on Florida 

The Wrong Man (105) 

. 

Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, 

Antliony 

IJuayle 

SI Top Secret Affair (100) .CD. .609 

Susan Ilayward, Kirk Douglas 

j©The Big Land (93).. W.. 610 

Alan Ladd, Virginia Mayo 

(a ©Paris Does Strange Things 

(86) CD.. 611 

Ingrid Bergman, Mel Ferrer 

y©The Spirit of SL Louis 

I 

(135) © D .614 

James 

Stewart 

g) Shoot-Out at Medicine 

Bend (87) W..615 

Randolph Scott, James Craig 

(n) The Counterfeit Plan 

(80) D..612 

Peggie Castle 

Zaohary 

a Untamed 

Scott, 

Youth (80) 0..613 

Mamie Van Doren, John Russell 

H ©Deep Adventure 

(46) Featurette 4912 

S\ A Face in the Crowd 

(126) D..S16 

Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony 

Franclosa, Lee Remlck 

a The D.I. (106) D..617 

Jack Webb, Monica Lewis 

m OThe Princa and the Showgirl 

(117) CD. 618 

Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier 

ga X the Unknown (80) SF 619 

Dean Jaeger, Eilward Chapman 

M ©The Curse of Frankenstein 

(S3) Ho.. 620 

Peter (Mshlng, Hazel Court 

[iI©Band of Angels (127) D..621 

Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo 

Rising of the Moon (81) D..622 

S^ 

Frank Lawton, Denis IVDea 

[Ul The James Dean Story 

(82) Doc. 623 

Jar 

©The Pajama Game 

(101) 

Doris Day. John Hailt, 

Wlllaril Parker, Mara Corday, B. 

MacLane 

ASTOR 

Passport to Treason (70) Md. .Jun 56 

Doll (114) CD. 607 

Paige 

Karl Maiden. Carroll Baker. 

BUENA VISTA 

Ell Wallach, Mildred Dunnock 

MISCELLANEOUS 

. 

. 

ASSOCIATED FILM 

Forbidden Cargo (83) . .Ac. .Sep 56 

Nici'l Patrick, 

Frontier Gambtcr (70) .VK. .Jul 56 

Elizabeth Sellars 

JANUS 

Juhn lirnnifleld, Cnlccn Gray 

. 56 Bullfight (76) Doc. Jul 56 

The Naked Gun (70) 

Hod tUiraeron, Lois Maxwell 

©Men of Sherwood Forest 

(77) Ad. .Sep 56 

Dim Taylor, Eileen Moore 

Hour of Decision (70) . Jan 57 

Jtff Morrow, Hazel Court 

Stranger in Town (74) . . D. .May 57 

Alex Nicol, Colin Tapley, Anne 

©Davy Crockett and the River 

Pirates (81) Ad.. Jul 56 

Fess Parker, Buddy Bbsen 

of Life 

. . . . ©Secrets (70) Doc Nov 56 

©Westward Ho, The Wagons 

(86) © 0D..Dec56 

Fess Parker, Kathleen Crowley 

If All the Guys in the World 

(95) Ad. .Jun 57 

Andre Valmy, Jean Gaven. Georges 

Poujouly (French-language: Eng 

titles) 

©Johnny Tremain (80) ..Ad. .Jul 57 

Hal Stalmaster. Luana Patten 

CONTINENTAL 

Ship That Died of Shame 

(79) D.. Sep 56 

Richard Attenborough, George 

Baker 

©Secrets of the Reef 

(72) Doc. Oct 56 

Undersea chronicle 

©The Love Lottery (82) C. Feb 57 

David Nlven. Peggy Cummins 

©Raising a Riot (91) . .C. .May 57 

Kenneth More, Mandy Miller 

The French They Are a Funny 

Race (83) C. .Jun 57 

Marline Carol, Jack Buchanan, 

Noel-Noel (English-language) 

A Novel Affair (S3) D.Jul 57 

Ralph Richardson, Margaret 

Leighton 

in Maid Paris (88') C. .Aug 57 

Dany Robin, Daniel Gelin 

(French-iangUiige; Eng. titles) 

DCA 

(99) C. Sep Private's Progress . . . 56 

Richard Attenborough. Dennis 

Price 

Woman of Rome (93) 0.. Sep 56 

Gina LoUobrigida. Daniel Gelin 

Rock, Rock, Rock (85) . . M . . Dec 56 

Alan Freed, Frankle Lymon & 

Teenagers 

©John and Julie (82) C. Feb 57 

Constance Cumniings, Wilfred 

Hyde- White 

Colditz Story (97) D.. Feb 57 

John Mills, Eric Portman 

Unnatural (90) 0.. Feb 57 

Hildegarde Neff, Eric Von Strohelm 

The Widow (87) D . . Feb 57 

Patricia Roc, Aklm Tamlroff 

Gold of Naples 

(107) Episode Dr Mar 57 

Vittorlo de Slca, Sllvana Mangano, 

Sophia Loren (Italian-language; 

Eng. titles). 

©Baby and the Battleship 

(96) C..Mar57 

John Mills, Richard Attenborough 

Bermuda Affair (87) ..0.. Mar 57 

Kim Hunter, Gary Merrill 

©Loser Takes All 

(88) © CO.. Mar 57 

Glynis Johns, Rossano Brazzl 

in Hell Korea (82) D.. Apr 57 

Stanley Baker, George Baker 

©Don Giovanni 

(157) Opera Film Apr 57 

Cesare Slept. Lisa Delia Casa 

Battle Hell (112) ....D.. May 57 

(Formerly "Yangtze Incident") 

Richard Todd, Aklm Tamlroff 

Monster From (ireen Hell 

(71) Ac. May 57 

.lim Daii.s, Barbara Turner 

©The Miller's Beautiful Wife 

(92) C. May 57 

Vittorio de Sica. Sophia Loren 

The Green Man (SO) 

. . My/C. .Jun 57 

Alastalr Sim, George Cole, Jll 

Adams 

©Scandal Sorrento 

in 

(92) © C. Jun 56 

Vittorio de Sophia Loren 

Slca, 

The Devil's General (120) D. Aug 57 

Drrt Jurgens, Marlaane Cook 

(German-language; Eng. titles) 

JACON 

Rosanna (72) D. .Jun 56 

Rossana Podesta, Crox Alvarado 

(Dubbed In English) 

Midnight Episode (78) ..C. Aug 56 

Stanley Holloway. Leslie Dwyer 

. 

KngUsh narration 

JOSEPH BRENNER ASSOC. 

Drew Pearson Reports on the Holy 

Land (60) Doc 57 

Narrated by Drew I'l-arson 

LOUIS deROCHEMONT 

©Albert Schweitzer 

(SO) Doc. Mar 57 

(I'roiluced by Hill and ,Vnderson) 

MOTION PICTURE DIST'RS 

©Oedipus Rex (88) D.. Jan 57 

(Stratford. Ont., Festival players) 

TOP PICTURES 

Fr-oniticr Woman (813) . .W. .Jul 56 

Cindy Carson. Lance Fuller, Ann 

Kelly 

TRANS-LUX 

©Dance Little Lady (87) D.. Mar 56 

Mai ZetterUng. Terence Morgan 

Lovers and Lilllpops (85) CO. Apr 56 

Lori March, Gerald O'Laughlin 

REISSUES 

BUENA VISTA 

©Cinderella (75) An. .Feb 57 

COLUMBIA 

©Ten Tall Men (97) . . Nov 56 

Bint Lancaster. Jody Lawrance 

Rogues of Sherwood Forest 

(80) Ad.. Nov 56 

John Derek, Diana Lynn, Alan Hale 

MGM 

Tale of Two Cities (128) D.. Nov 56 

Ronald Coleman, Elizabeth Allan 

Mutiny on the Bounty 

(133) D.. Dec 56 

Charles Gable 

Laughton, Clark 

Green Dolphin Street 

(141) D.. Jan 57 

Lana Turner, Heflln, Donna 

Van 

Reed 

Boys Town (96) D.. Jan 57 

Spencer Tracy. Mickey Rooney 

Gaslight (114) D.. Apr 57 

Ingrid Bergir>an, Charles Eoyer 

The Postman Alvrays Rings 

Twice (114) D. Apr 57 

Lana Turner, John Garfield 

The Bride Goes Wild (9S) C. Jun 57 

June Allyson, Van Johnson 

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes 

(106) D.. Jun 57 

Edward G. Robinson, Margaret 

O'Brien 

PARAMOUNT 

©For W/hom the Bell Tolls 

(130) D.. May 57 

Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergm.'ui, A, 

Tamlroff 

REPUBLIC 

The Red Pony (89) D. Apr 57 

Robert Mltchum, Myrna Loy. L. 

Calhcrn 

The Woman They Almost Lynched 

(90) D.. Apr 57 

John Lund, Audrey Totter, B. 

DonlevT 

©The Quiet Man (129) CD..J»lay57 

John Wayne. Maureen O'Hara, 

Ward Bond 

20th-FOX 

Rebecca (127) D . . Oct 56 

Laurence Olhler, Joan Fontaine 

UNIVERSAL-INT'L 

The Killers, (102) D.. Sep 56 

Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, 

Edraond O'Brien 

The Sleeping City (85) My.. Sep 56 

Richard Conte, Coleen Gray, Alex 

Nicol 

WARNER BROS. 

©East of Eden (115) D . . Mar 57 

James Dean, Julie Harris, Jo Van 

Fleet 

©Rebel Without a Cause 

(111) D . 

Mar 57 

James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal 

(105) D . . 

. 

Mlneo 

Jim Thorpe, All-American 

May 57 

Burt Lancaster, (Carles Bickford 

The Winning Team (98) . . May 57 

Doris Day, Ronald Reagan, F. 

Lovejoy 

Bright Leaf (110) D.. May 57 

Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall 

The West Point Story 

(107) D. May 57 

James Cagney. V. Mayo, Doris Day 

Stranger on a Train 

(101) D.. May 57 

I'arley Granger, Ruth Roman 

Young Man With a Horn 

(101) D.. May 57 

Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall. Doris 

Day 


Looking For Danger C. 

Iluntz Hall, Stanley Clements 

(^Hunchback of Notre Dame ©,.D.. 

Gtoa LoUobrigida. Anthony Qulnn 

©The Rifle © W.. 

Joel McCrca, Virginia Mayo 

The Fever Tree D.. 

,lolin Cassavetes, Raymond Burr 

Man From Monterey W. 

StcrlinR Hayden, Duncan 

Pamela 

Doll Teenage Ac. 

June Kennev, Fay Spain 

FEATURE 

COMING 

Undersea Girl Ac . 

Mara Corday, Pat Conway 

©Naked in the Sun Ad.. 

James Craig, Lita Milan 

Hongkong Story Ad . 

Jack Kelly, Lill Hwa 

©Sabu and the Magic Ring.... Ac. 

Salni, William .Marshall 


The Amazing Colossal Man....SF.. 

Glenn Langan, Cathy Downs 

The Cat Girl Ho.. 

Lynn Tracey, Shelley 

Barbara 

Sorority Girl D. . 

SusiiTi Cabot, Barhoura O'Neill 

COLUMBIA 

The Brothers Rico D.. 

Richard Conte, Dltna Foster 

©This Bitter Earth (B D. 

S. .Mangano, A. Perkins, ValU 

Bridge on the River Kwai D.. 

Wllliaiti Holden, Jack Hawkins, 

Alec Guinness 

The Golden Virgin D. 

Juan Crawford, Brazzl 

Uossano 

3:10 to Yuma W. 

Van Heflin 

Glenn Ford, 

How to Murder a Rich Uncle. CD.. 

Charles Cohurn. Wendy Hiller 

The Long Haul D . 

Victor Mature. Diana Dors 

Operation Mad Ball C. . 

Jack Lemmon, Grant, 

Kathryn 

Mickey Kooney, Artlnii' O'Connell 

©Decision at Sundown W.. 

Randolph Scott, Valerie 

©The Hard Man © 

French 

W. 

Valerie Cnv 

©Pal 

Madison. 

Joey © 

French 

D/M.. 

Rita Hayworth. Frank Sinatra, 

Kim Novak 

©High Flight © D.. 

Ray Milland. Sean Kelly 

The Admirable Crichton CO . 

Kcnnelh More, Sally Ann Howes 

She Played With Fire D.. 

.\rlene Dalil. Jack Hawkins 

MGM 

©Raintree County ®65 D. 

Elizabeth Taylor. Montgomery nift 

The House of Numbers D.. 

lack Palance, Barbara Lang 

Happy Road The C. 

Barbara Laage 

Gene Kelly, 

©Les Girls © MC. 

Gene Kelly, Mltzl Oaynor 

©Don't Go Near the Water ©..C. 

Glenn Ford. Anne Francis 

Action of the Tiger . 

Van Johnson. Marline (^rol 

©The Living Idol © Ad. 

Steve Forrest, Llllane Montevecchl 

©Merry Andrew © C. 

Danny Kaye, Pier Angell 

©Gigi 

C/M.. 

Leslie Caron. Maurice Chevalier 

©The Brother Karamazov D.. 

Yul Brenner, Maria Schell, Oaire 

J. Blum. Lee Cobb 

Jailhouse Rock C/M. . 

Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey 

Shaughnessy 

PARAMOUNT 

©The Joker (8 CD.. 

Crain 

Frank Sinatra, Jeanne 

©Spanish Affair ® Ad . 

Richard Kiley, Sevllla 

Carmen 

Hot Spell (2) D. . 

Shirley Booth, Anthony Qulnn 

The Tin Star (g) W.. 

Henry Fonda. Anthony Perkins 

Short Cut to Hell ® Cr. 

Robert Ivers. Georgann Johnson 

A Woman Obsessed ® D . 

Anna MagnanI, Anthony Qulnn 

©The Devil's Hairpin ® Ac. 

Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace 

Teacher's Pet ® C. . 

Clark (Jable, Doris Day 

Desire Under the Elms ® D. 

Tnny Perkins. Sophia Loren 

Zero Hour Ac. 

Dana .\ndrews. Sterling Hayden 

Sack ® C. 

Sad 

Jerry Lewis, PhyllLs Kirk 

Manuela D. 

Trevor Howard, Blsa Martinelli 

REPUBLIC 

©In Old Vienna M . 

Heinz Roetthiger, lUllick 

Robert 

. 

The Lawless Eighties D 

Buster Oabbe, John Smith 

CHART 

©Taming Sutton's Gal . 

John Luston. Olorla Talbott 

Wayward Girl D.. 

.Marcla Henderson, Peter Walker 

Panama Sal D. 

ICli-na Vi-rdngo. Carlos llivas 

RANK FILM DIST'RS OF AMER. 

©Pursuit of the Graf Spee ® D. .Sep 

.lohn Gregson. Anthony Quayle 

©Spanish Gardener © D..Sep 

Dirk Bogarde, Jon Wbltdey 

©An Alligator Named 

Daisy ® C.Sep 

Donald Sinden, Diana Dors 

Hell Drivers ® Ac... 

Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom 

Across the Bridge D.. 

licirl Stiiger. David Knight 

The Secret Place D 

Belinda Lee. Ronald Lewis 

Woman for Joe ® The D.. 

liiane Cilento, George Baker 

20th-FOX 

No Down Payment © D.. 

Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North, 

Tnny Randall, Joanne Woodward 

©The Sun Also Rises © D.. 

Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner 

The 3 Faces of Eve © D, 

David Wayne, Joanne Woodward 

©A Farewell to Arms © D.. 

Rock Hudson. Jennifer Jooes, 

Vittorio de Slca 

©Peyton Place © 0.. 

Lana Turner, Lloyd NoUa 

©Kiss Them for Me © D.. 

Gary Grant, Jayne Mansfield 

©Stopover Tokyo © D,. 

Robert Wagner, Joan Collins 

Forty Guns © W. 

Barbara Stanwyck, 

© Enemy Below © 

Barry Sullivan 

D . 

Kohert Mltchum, Kurd Jurgens 

The Young Lions © D.. 

Marlon Brando, Montgomery (311ft 

April Love © M.. 

Jones 

Pat Boone. Shirley 

©The Deerslayer © CO.. 

Lex Barker, Elta Moreno 


Gunsight Ridge W.. 

Joel McCrea, Mark Stevens 

©Legend of the Lost ® A*.. 

John Wayne, Sophia Loren 

©Paris Holiday C 

Bob Hope, Femandel, A, Etttrg 

Enemy From Space SF., 

Brian Donlevy. Sidney James 

Girl in Black Stockings My.. 

Mamie Van Doren, Lex Barker 

The Quiet American D.. 

.Vndie Murphy, Michael Redgrave 

Paths of Glory D.. 

Kiik Douglas, R:ilph Meeker 

Time Limit D.. 

liicliard Wldmark, R. Basehart 

Hell Bound Ac . 

,luhn RusseU, June Blair 

Careless The Years D , 

Dean Stockwell, Natalie Truody 

Jungle Heat Ac. 

Lex Barker. Marl Blanchard 

Street of Sinners D.. 

Geo. Montgomery, G. Brooks 

UNIVERSAL-INT'L 

©Quantcz © W.. 

Fred .MacMurray. Dorothy Malone 

©Interlude © D.. 

June Allyson, Rossano Brazzl 

Pylon © D.. 

Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone 

Badge of Evil D.. 

Charlton Heston, Welles 

Orson 

Man of a Thousand Faces D,. 

James Cagney, Dorothy 

©Doctor at Large ® 

Malone 

C. 

Dirk Bogarde. Muriel 

©Lady Takes a Flyer 

Pavlow 

© CD.. 

Lana Turner. Jeff Chandler 

The Female Animal © D.. 

Hedy Lamarr. Jane Powell 

Summer Love M.. 

.lohn 

©My 

Saxon. 

Man 

Judy Meredith 

Godfrey © C. 

June Allyson. David Nlven 

That Night (RKO) D.. 

John Real, Augusta Dabney 

The Violators (RKO) D.. 

.Vrthur O'Coraiell, Nancy Malone 

WARNER BROS. 

©With You in My Armt O-.D-- 

Tab Hunter, Etchlka 

©No Sleep Till Dawn © 

Choureau 

D,. 

Karl Maiden, Natalie ^Wood 

©Sayonara ® 

Marlon Brando, Red Buttons 

The Black Scorpion Ac . 

Richard Dennhig, Uta Milan 

The Helen Morgan Story © D.. 

Ann Blyth, Paul Newman 

Johnny Trouble D . 

Ethel Barrymore, Carolyn Jones 

Deep Six D. . 

The 

Alan Ladd. William Bendlx 

Time for Sergeants No C. 

Andy Griffith, Myron McCormick

^HORTS CHART 

Short subjects, listed by company. In order of releose. Running time follows title. First Is national release 

month, second the dote of review In BOXOFFICE. Symbol between dotes is rating from BOXOFFICE 

review. -R Very Good. + Good. ± Fair. — Poor. = Very Poor. Photography: Co)or and process as specified. 

tea tc so 

BUENA VISTA 

FEATURETTES 

LIVE-ACTION 

(In Color) 

0068W«lbock Hound (20) . 

.Jun 57 H 

0069 The Story of Anyburj, 

USA. (10) 

00J9 Samoa (31) (4-re«l) 

WALT DISNEY CLASSICS 

(Tectmicolor Reissues) 

7-1101 Hocliey Chamo (7).. Aug 56 

>4102 Pluto at the Zoo (S) Aug 56 

74103 Donalds Tire Trouble 

(7) Sep 56 

74104 Purloined Pup (7) 

. . 

Oct 56 

Billuosters C8) ;4105 Oct 56 

Pluto's 4106 Playmate (8) Mo* 56 

74107 DoiKild's Snow Fioht 

(7) Dec 56 

Society 74108 Dog Show 

(8) 0« 56 

74109 Donald's Gold Mine 

(7) Jan 57 

74110 T-Boiie lor Two {7)..F«k57 

74111 Dumbell of the Yulion 

(7) Mir 57 

74112 Bone Trouble (9). Mar 57 

74113 Window Cleaners (8

. 

, 

Kemmer. 


Calypso Joe (AA)—Herb Jeffries, 

Angie Dickinson, Edward 

Attendance was poor. 

'!^'''-S We did not get even our regular 

•lar- group of teenagers on this one. 

We did a big snack bar business 

as the picture held little interest 

for my customers. Etoubled with 

"Hot Rod Rumble" and, if this 

good entertainment and worth 

is 

the price of admission, then I'm 

nuts. You'd better steer clear of 

this one. Played Sat. Weather: 

Clear and hot.—W. R. Woody, 

Texas Drive-In Theatre, Pairfield, 

Texas. Pop. 1,742. 

Crime in the Streets (AA1— 

James Whitmore, John Cassavetes, 

Sal Mineo. This is a picture 

that has a lot of action and 

is good and true. I thought because 

of some of the actors in it 

we might have good business, but 

I was wrong. Certainly was no 

fault of the picture. Played Sat., 

Sun. Weather: Warm.—Harry 

Hawkinson, Orpheum Theatre, 

Marietta, Minn. Pop. 380. 

Hot Rod Kiunble (AA)—Leigh 

Snowden, Richard Hartunian, 

Wright King. This was a surprise 

to everyone—showed with 

"Cah-pso Joe" to above average 

business. Many good comments 

on the picture. A small picture, 

but it still did the business. They 

walked out on "Caljrpso Joe" but 

enjoyed every minute of this. 

Played Tues., Wed., Thurs. 

Weather: Hot.—Mickey and PenjRI\ 

ny Harris, Wakea Theatre, New 

~:^ Boston, Texas. Pop. 2,688. 

No Place to Hide (AA)—David 

Brian, Marsha Hunt, Hugh Corcoran. 

A good story about kids 

and marbles. The color is very 

nice and it is a good show with a 

happy ending. However, our ending 

wasn't so happy. No business. 

Played Wed. Weather: Warm. 

Harry Hawkinson, Orpheum Theatre, 


Oklahoman, The (AA) — Joel 

McCrea, Barbara Hale, Brad Dexter. 

A good western in color—but 

not worth the terms AA asked 

us for it. If westerns go over in 

your town, this will do as well as 

the next. Played Tues., Wed., 

Thurs. Weather: Stormy and hot. 

—Mickey and Penny Harris, 

Wakea Theatre, New Boston, 

Texas. Pop 2,688. 

Screaming: Eagles (AA)—Tom 

Tryon, Jan Merlin, Alvy Moore. 

This was a very good show with 

a good story and cast. I wished 

'J'- 

that it had been made in color 

it would have been even better. 

Business was much better. Played 

Sat., Sun. Weather: Rainy. — 



AMERICAN INTERNAT'L 

Shalie, Rattle and Rock (AIP) — 

Touch Connors, Lisa Gaye, Stersw 

J 

ling Holloway. This was my first 

picture from an independent 

company and I must say I like 

doing business with someone who 

isn't always begging me for play 

dates. This is a wonderful rock 

and roll show. But I was very 

disappointed in business. Played 

Thurs., Fri. Weather: Cool. 



BUENA VISTA 

Littlest Outlaw, The (BV) — 

Pedro Armendariz, Joseph Calleia, 

Rodolfo Acosta. Played this 

with "Johnny Appleseed." Both 

are very good. I made up some 

extra advertising and it paid off. 

However "Desert" and "Prairie" 

grossed more. Played Fri., Sat., 

Sun. — Frank Sabin, Majestic 

Theatre, Eureka, Mont. Pop. 929. 

Lost Patron Lure 

"The Brave One" is a very 

fine family picture. It did a little 

above averagre business and 

—what's more important— 

think it convinced people that 

movies are better than TV. 

More like tliis and we might 

get back our lost patrons. 

VICTOR WEBER 

Center Theatre 

Kensett, Ark. 

COLUMBIA 

FuU of Life (Col)—Judy Holhday, 

Richard Ckjnte, Salvatore 

Baccaloni. This show was good 

and brought many laughs. Business 

was a little stronger than 

usual. I think that it may have 

been just a little too strong for 

kids. Played Sat., Sun. Weather: 

Warm.—Harry Haw-kinson, Orpheum 

Theatre, Marietta, Minn. 

Pop. 380. 

Giant Claw, The (Col)—Jeff 

Morrow, Mara Corday, Morris 

Anknim. Played this with "The 

Night the World Exploded." Did 

above average but even some 

youngsters were disappointed. 

Some walked oiit. The big bird 

looked so artificial and when it 

picked up a whole train there 

was ridiculing laughter. Played 

:5. 

Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Good. 

—Leonard J. Leise, Roxy Theatre, 

Randolph, Neb. Pop. 1,029. 

Sierra Stranger (Col)—Howard 

Duff, Gloria McGh«e, Dick Foran. 

Doubled with "Bigger Than 

Life" (20th-Fox) for a very disappointing 

draw. Played Wed., 

Thurs.—R. B. Tuttle and Don 

S"wenk, Lenawee Auto Theatre, 

Adrian, Mich. Pop. 18,393. 

Solid Gold Cadillac, The (Col) 

—Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, 

John Williams. Doubled with 

"The Naked Hills." Even the lovely 

word "naked" in the title 

didn't help Monday or Tuesday, 

but a little better than average 

Sunday business pulled us 

through. Besides, we put on a 

team of hillbilly musicians on the 

roof for a preshow attraction, 

and did pick up an early crowd 

that upped concession business, 

too. Played Sun., Mon., Tues. 

R. B. Tuttle and Don Swenk, 

Lenawee Auto Theatre, Adi-ian, 

Mich. Pop. 18,393. 

Zarak (Col) —Victor Mature, 

Michael Wilding, Anita Ekberg. 

Rain and wind the first day and 

rain the third day gave us a 

very low gross. Percentage terms 

in this case held the rental down, 

but S'tiU left no margin. Played 

Wed., Thurs., Fri.—R. B. Tuttle 

and Don Swenk, Lenawee Auto 

Theatre, Adrian, Mich. Pop. 18,- 

393. 

XHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY 

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER 

Great American Pastime, The 

(MGM)—Tom Ewell, Anne Fran- 

cis. Aim Miller. Didn't even pay 

for film rental on this one. It is 

a good sliow and those who came 

commented on how funny it was 

and said they enjoyed it. However, 

every Wednesday we get 

stiff competition from a band 

cert held on Main Street. 

Played Wed. Weather: Cool.— 



Ransom (MGM)—Glenn Ford, 

Domia Reed, Robert Keith. A 

well made suspenseful movie that 

did not draw at all. I cannot 

make out why, as both Ford and 

Reed are drawing cards here. 

Only reason I can find is perhaps 

the weak trailer. It showed nothing 

and meant vei-y little else. 

Perhaps the theme did not appeal 

to them either. Who knows 

in this business? Surely not us! 

Played Wed. -Sat. Weather: Cool. 

—Dave S. Klein, Astra Theatre, 

Kitwe-Nkana, Northern Rhodesia, 

Africa. Government, mining and 

business patronage. 

Teahouse of the August Moon, 

The (MGM) — Marlon Brando, 

Glenn Ford, Machiko Kyo. A 

good all around picture which 

barely hit average attendance. 

We need more like it. We played 

it very late due to excessive demands 

in rental. It's the same 

old story of the pinch. Trying to 

play good pictures at livable terms 

and on proper playdates. Played 

Sun., Mon. Weather: Good.— 

Leonard J. Leise, Roxy Theatre, 

Randolph, Neb. Pop. 1,029. 

Ten Thousand Bedrooms 

(MGM) — Dean Martin, Anna 

Maria Alberghetti, Eva Bartok. 

Very entertaining feature that 

just made average boxoffice. 

Maybe it's the title—this didn't 

appeal. With Jerry Lewis this 

could have geen * top bellringer. 

Here is one comment heard 

yesterday, "Dean Martin is a 

good singer, but who cares for 

singing in a picture—you hear it 

all day long on television, radios 

and juke boxes!" Played Sun., 

Mon. Weather: Good.—Leonard 

J. Leise, Roxy Theatre, Randolph, 

Neb. Pop. 1,029. 

These WUder Years (MGM)— 

James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, 

Walter Pidgeon. A good 

teenage picture. Would be fine 

in color. A good lesson for both 

young and old. The smallfry 

seemed pleased. All in all, a 

good action picture in black and 

white. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: 

Fair.—W. M. Finley, Lyric 

Theatre, Norfork, Ark. Pop. 500. 

PARAMOUNT 

Buster Keaton Story, The 

(Para)—Donald O'Connor, Ann 

Blyth, Rhonda Fleming. This 

movie is okay but it did low busi- 

Hess. Mom and Dad might have 

remembered who Buster Keaton 

was, but the kids never heard of 

him—and what's more, they don't 

care about starting at this late 

date. The little children got a 

laugh, but the middle-of-theway 

group, who pay for the pictures 

these days, stayed away. 

Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Hot. 

—Mickey and Penny Harris, Wa- 

lABOUT PICTURESi 

• 

kea Theatre, New Boston, Texas. 

Pop. 2,688. 

Girl Rush, The (Para)—Rosalind 

Russell, Fernando Lamas, 

Eddie Albert. I had put off playing 

this picture because I had 

read that it wasn't rnuch to brag 

about. But business was much 

better and the show was very 

good—and beautiful, too. Played 

Wed. Weather: Hot.—Harry 



Pardners (Para)—Dean Martin, 

Jerry Lewis, Lori Nelson. Jerry 

Lewis garnered a lotta laughs. 

His partner could have skipped 

his singing for all of me. Business 

was good. VistaVision superb! 

Played Fri., Sat., Sun.—Frank 

Sabin, Majestic Theatre, Eureka, 

Mont. Pop. 929. 

Business Recipe 

At a time when we need big 

family comedies and films with 

greater entertainment value, 

we see that of about the last 

36 releases only sis are recommended 

family pictures by the 

National Board. Too many 

have violence or downbeat 

themes that simply don't appeal. 

Give us a good tearjerker, 

clean comedy or drama and we 

wiU get a lot of old patrons 

back. .\nd by all means, give us 

a solid story in every picture. . 

LEONARD J. LEISE 

Roxy Theatre 

Randolph, Neb. 

Proud and Profane, The iPara) 

—William Holden, Debora Kerr, 

Thelma Ritter. Excellent adult 

fare. Held their interest. Thelma 

Ritter was outstanding—but then 

that's routine for Thelma. Balance 

of the cast was fine. Played 

Fri., Sat., Sun.—Frank Sabin, 

Majestic Theatre, Eureka, Mont. 

Pop. 929. 

Unconquered (Para)—Reissue. 

Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, 

Boris Karloff. Good reissue. Ten 

years old. They liked it and business 

held up well. Good print, 

color and sound. Played Fri., Sat., 

Sun. — Frank Sabin, Majestic 

Theatre, Eureka, Mont. Pop. 929. 

REPUBLIC 

Pawnee (Rep)—George Montgomery, 

Lola Albright. BUI Williams. 

Good western, good color 

and action that takes place on 

a grand scale, even if it was cut 

from the old Fox pictui'e "Buffalo 

Bill." But no one but I knew it, 

so it didn't make any difference. 

It did good business for me and 

that's more than a lot of them 

will do these days. Played Fri., 

Sat. Weather: Fair and hot.—Victor 

Weber, Center Theatre, Kensett, 

Ark. Pop. 1,000. 

CENTURY-FOX 

20th 

Nightmare AUey (20th-Fox) — 

Reissue. Tyrone Power, Joan 

Blondell, Coleen Gray. Doubled 

with "Dakota Incident" (Rep) for 

a feeble par, but blame the fact 

that it rained both nights. Played 

Wed., Thurs.— R. B. Tuttle 

and Don Swenk, Lenawee Auto 

Theatre, Adrian, Mic'n. 

(Continued on following page) 

BOXOFFICE BookinGuide August 3, 1957 

II

Manson 

^'^^ 

EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY 

(Continued from preceding page) 

True Story of Jesse James, The 

(20th-Pox)—Robert Wagner, Jefrey 

Hunter, Agnes Moorehead. 

Okay, but why make it, HoUywood? 

It's not as good as the old 

one with Tyrone Power. It's bad, 

I think, for people to see the old 

one and then to turn one out like 

this. Are movies getting better? 

Oh, well, back to the TV set. 

Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Fair 

and Hot.—Victor Weber, Center 

Theatre, Kensett, Ark. Pop. 1,000. 


Apache (UA>—Burt Lancaster, 

Jean Peters, John Mclntyre. We 

hear so many exhibitors say their 

patrons do not go for pictures 

with a lot of Indians. Our situation 

is different, give us a good 

cowboy and Indian picture and 

we do satisfactory business as we 

did with this one. And everyone 

had played it before us. Burt Lancaster 

was great—so everyone 

said. The farmers came in Fourth 

of July evening to see him so we 

did all right. This made it a 

United Artist week 100 per cent. 

We would rather play the good 

ones later than the mediocre ones 

red hot. So, everyone is happy. 

Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: 

Wonderful. This is the garden 

spot of the world.—Bob and Joyce 

Alexander, Park Theatre, Braham, 

Minn. Pop. 960. 

Trapeze (UA)—Burt Lancaster, 

Gina Lollobrigida, Tony Curtis. 

No doubt most exhibitors have 

played this one by this time. We 

play UA after everyone else, but 

as the week of June 30th was UA 

week, we gave them two dates 

and they received many nice 

comments. We did all right at 

the boxoffice, so we're happy. 

Played Sun., Mon., Tues.—Bob 

and Joyce Alexander, Park Theatre, 

Braham, Minn. (Correction 

on the population of our town. 

It's now 960—we've grown since 

the last census!) 

Vera Cruz (UA)—Gary Cooper, 

Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel. 

Personally, I hated this show and 

comments were not very good. 

There is too much slaughter and 

I don't believe it is a family picture, 

either. Business was just 

like the picture—rotten. Played 

Sat., Sun. Weather: Hot.—Harry 



UNIVERSAL-INTERNAT'L 

Bundle of Joy (U-D—Debbie 

Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Adolph 

Menjou. Fine movie, but no business 

at all. The music in it just 

killed it for me. Musicals just 

don't go over at my theatre, and 

if I hadn't been stuck for a picture. 

I never would have played 

it. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: 

Pair and hot.—Victor Weber, 

Center Theatre, Kensett, Ark. 

WARNER BROS. 

Giant (WB) — Rock Hudson, 

Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean. 

Most pictures go through the 

cutting room, but not "Giant." I 

don't believe they intended for it 

to be so long, but after Dean got 

killed they decided to make it 

long and big. A lot of it could 

have been left out and the picture 

would have been a little less boring. 

It did a little above average 

business and I was hoping for 

much more. Played Sun., Mon., 

Quotes on Letters 

You recently published three 

excellent articles. We enjoyed 

and feel we should conunent on 

them, because people who think 

and take the time to put 

their thoughts down on paper, 

so the rest of us will know there 

are others who share our problems, 

and that each situation 

has its own particular little 

•griefs," The three articles, in 

the July 6 issue, are too good to 

read just once and forget. 

Beginning with "Where Are 

All the Showmen?" by Stewart 

Sheldon. This letter should be 

read again and again. It applies 

to many of us, and expresses 

exactly how we feel and think, 

and there is a lot of encouragement, 

too, for the exhibitor 

as it 

recalls other days of crisis 

in the industry, as bad or worse 

than these days. 

Then there was the article by 

Edith Lindeman of the Richmond, 

Va., Times-Dispatch. 

More truths. "Mass audience" 

taste in pictures has not 

changed. There is nothing anyone 

could add to what Miss 

Lindeman says, wish the "boys" 

in Hollywood would STOP, 

LOOK and LISTEN to this very 

good advice, as to what the people 

really want, and then DO 

something about it. Here is one 

"critic" with which we agree 

wholeheartedly. Third — what 

Elsie Loeb of Cleveland has to 

say. Another "So True" article 

which ends with, "By the time 

we get a good picture, which has 

been given a lot of expensive 

publicity, it is so old the producer 

has forgotten all about it 

and is going all out selling his 

next release." Again how very 

true. Now, maybe, if more thinking 

people take the time to write 

"facts" as expressed in these 

articles and BOXOFFICE 

prints them, and more of us 

"little fellows" each make a 

little more noise about what 

we need—there are so many of 

us—just maybe the producers 

might listen to our cries for 

help out here in the wide open 

spaces all over America, and 

go back to first principles and, 

give us more easy-to-enjoy pictures 

of romance, action and 

adventure to entertain the 

masses, and that is what the 

United States has the most of. 

Give us comedy and don't forget 

to "holler" for more color, 

that is what the movie patron 

asks for, (too many prepositions) 

must end this right now. 

BOB & JOYCE ALEXANDER 

Park Theatre 

Braham, Minn. 

Tues. Weather: Fair and hot.— 

Victor Weber, Center Theatre, 

Kensett, Ark. Pop. 1,000. 

Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend 

(WB)—Randolph Scott, James 

Craig, Angle Dickinson. Randy 

Scott is still one of the best western 

stars that Hollywood has. He 

may be old, but over the years 

he seems to be getting better. 

Most fans know that his pictures 

are good, and business was the 

same way. Played Fri., Sat. 

Weather: Fair and Hot.—Victor 

Weber, Center, Kensett, Ark. 

FOREIGN FEATURES DIGEST. 

An alphabetical index by country of origin and by title of current 

foreign-made product, together with an interpretative analysis of loy and 

tradepress reviews. Symbols ond terminology are the some as those 

employed in REVIEW DIGEST. Except where specified, foreign-longuoga 

films carry English titles. 

. ^ „ I 

.1 

I .« E fa s| i I 

ARGENTINA 

Dark River (90) Melodrama Times 4-28-56 :t H 3+1— 

AUSTRIA 

©Don Juan (85) Opera film Times 7-7-56+ ± + +4+ 6+1— 

BRITAIN 

Anoel Who Pawned Her Harp (73) Com...Dom'nt 4-28-56+ ± + ± 4+2- 

Court Martial (105) Drama Kingsley 10- 1-55 + -1+ + H R+ 

©Dance Little Udy (87) Melodr Trans- Lux 12-24-55 + it 

++ 

+ + tt 6+1- 

His Excellency (84) Drama Brenner 4-28-56 ± ± + 3+2— 

©John and Julie (82) Comedy-Dr Dominant 12- 8-56 + + H +- 5+ 

©Kid for Two Farthings, A (91) C-D Lopert 4-28-56 + ff 4+ + H # 10+ 

©Makc Me an Offer (88) Comedy Dominant 4-7-56+ ± ± + tt 6+2— 

©Richard III (162) (8 Shakes. Drama Lopert 3-17-56++ + +f tt ++ #11+ 

©Wee Geordie (94) Comedy Times 11-10-56 + + + +- tt 4+ 8+ 

FRANCE 

6+2— 

Adorable Creatures (108) Comedy Cont'l Dis 1-14-56+ ± tt ± + 

Diabolique (107) Horror-Drama UMPO 3-3-56++ ± ++ + ++ 101+ 

++ 

Doctors, The (92) Drama Kingsley 1- 5-57 ± ± + ++ 5+2— 

French They Are a Funny Race ..Confl Dis. ++ 3+ 

(S3) + 

Fruits of Summer (102) Comedy Ellis + ± 5+3— 

8-11-56+ ± — + 

©Grand Maneuver, The (107) Rom. Comedy UMPO 12- 8-56 + + + ++ ++ 7+ 

Heartbreak Ridge (86) Documentary- Dr Tudor 6-11-55+ + ++ ++ + 7+ 

If All the Guys in the World (95) Adv BV 6-22-57+ -|- 

+ +f f+ 7+ 

Girls Inside a Dormitory (100) Mystery Ellis 11-17-56 ± ++ 3+1— 

La Sorciere (97) Drama Ellis 3- 9-57 + + 6+ + 

Lady Chatterlcy's Lover (102) ..Kingsley 

+ 

± 

++ 

2+2— 

Drama ± 

Letters From My Windmill (116) Comedy.. Tohan ft + 9+ 

4-21-56+ + 4+ H 

. 6-23-56 ± + + ©My 7 Little Sins (98) Comedy/Songs. 

©Nana (122) the Emile Zola novel 

Kingsley 

Times 

+ 

+ 

+ 

++ 

++ 

+ 

7+1— 

"+ 

One Step to Eternity (94) Drama Ellis 1-28-56+ ± + + 4+1— 

8- ©Only the French Can (93) Cos. Musical. .UMPO 4-56 + f+ ± + +f 7+1- 

©Pantaloons (93) Comedy Satire UMPO 5-4-57+ ++ + ++6+ 

Papa, Mama, the Maid & I (94) Com.. Col. Infl 11-10-56 + + ++ 6+ 

++ 

Proud and the Beautiful (94) Drama Kingsley 9- 1-56 ++ + + ++ 9+1— 

++ ± 

Rififi (119) Crime-Suspense Drama UMPO 9-22-56++ ++ + ++ ++ 9+ 

©Royal Affairs in Versailles 

(152) Historical Drama Times 5-4-57-+ + + + 4+- 

Shecp Has 5 Legs (93) Farce-Comedy UMPO 11-26-55+ + + +1+6+ 

Snow Was Black, The (105) Drama Cont'l Dis 1-12-57 +f + + + + 6+ 

We Are All Murderers (118) Drama Kingsley 2-16-57 ++ ± +f ++ 7+1- 

GERMANY 

+ Dairy of a Lover (96) Comedy..- Grand Prize ++ 3+ 

Emperor's Waltz (107) Comedy/Songs. .. .Casino + + + 3+ 

Ust 10 Days, The (lU) Drama Col. Infl 5-12-56+ ++ + + + + 7+ 

GREECE 

Barefoot Battalion (63) Drama 20th-Fox 5-6-54+ + + + H + 7+ 

INDIA 

Awara (The Vagabond) (lOO) Drama Hoffberg ± — 1+2— 

1^ (90) Drama URO ± + 2+1- 

ITALY 

Bed, The (101) Episodes Getz-Kingsley 8-13-55+ + ± ± 4+2— 

Gold of Naples (107) Episode Drama DCA 4-13-57 ++ ++ ++ +f 9+ 

+ 

©House of Ricordi (117) Drama/Music. . 6-30-56+ + + rf tt +4 9+ 

Trans- Lux 11- 3-56 f+ +4 +r + + 44 ll>+ 

La Strada (115) Drama 

©Madame Butterfly (114) Opera Film IFE 5-26-56+ + + +- + 44 7+ 

©Maddalena (90) Drama IFE 10- 8-55 + ± ± + 44 6+2— 

Return of Don Camillo (115) Comedy IFE 7-7-56+ 44 + + + + 7+ 

©Riviera (8S) Drama IFE 11-10-56 ± + + 3+1— 

Too Bad She's Bad (95) .Getz-Kingsley 1-21-56+ ± + 6+2- 

Comedy. +4 ± 

Umberto D. (89) Drama Harrison 12-31-55 4+ 4+ + ± 7+1— 

Vitelloni (103) Satire Janus-API 2-9-57+ 

+ 

+4 — 7+1— 

Drama ff -1+ 

White Sheik, The (86) Farce-Comedy. .Janus-API 12- 1-56 ± 4+ 4+2— 

± 

JAPAN 

©Gate of Hell (89) Drama. . Harrison & Davidson 1- 8-55 +4 ft 4+ 4+ ++ ++ 12+ 

©Golden Demon 

Hiroshima (85) 

(95) 

Documentary-Drama. 

Drama Harrison 

.Cont'l Dis 

6-23-56+ 

7-30-55+ 

++ 

± 

+ +4 

+ 

4+ 

+ 

8+ 

4+2— 

— 

Imposter, The (89) Cost. -Drama Brandon 11-26-55 ± — ± 2+3— 

Magnificent Seven, The (155) Dr Col. Infl 1-5-57+ + +4 8+ 

+4 4+ 

©Phantom Horse, The (90) Drama Harrison 8-4-56+ + f+ ft 44 8+ 

©Samurai (100) Drama Jacon 11-19-56 + +4 + + + ft 8+ 

©Yang Kwei Fei (95) Costume Dr..Buena Vista 11-17-56 ± + + + + 5+1- 

RUSSIA 

©Boris Godunov (105) Opera Film Artkino + it 2+1— 

©Romeo & Juliet Ballet (96) Tohan 9-1-56+ +4 + ++4 7+ 

SPAIN 

Marcellno (90) Drama UMPO ft ft ft +4 8+ 

SWEDEN 

Naked Night, The (82) Drama Timet 7-21-56+ + + ± + 5+1— 

YUGOSUVIA 

Legends of Anika (85) Fantasy Grand Prize ± + 2+1— 

I 

12 BOXOFFICE BookinGuide : : August 3, 1957

lay end trodepress An Interpretive anolysis of reviews, ^h» plus and minus signs indicate 

degree of merit. reviews, Listings cover current updated regularly. This department serves 

olso OS an ALPHABETICAL INDEX to feature releoses. Symbol ij denotes BOXOFFICE 

Blue Ribbon Award Winner. Photogrophy: © Color; © CinemoScope; ® VistaVision; ®Superscope; 

® Noturama. For listings by company, in the order of release, see Feature Chart. 

Review digest 

AND ALPHABETICAL INDEX 

++ Very Good; + Good; - Fair; - Poor; = Very Poor. In the summary -ff is rated 2 pluses, — as 2 minuses. 

±^ 

2074 Abandon Ship! (100) Sea Drama Col 4- 6-57 ff + + + ± + ± 8+2- 

2111 Abductors, The (80) .H) Susp. Dr. 20-Fox 7-20-57 ± ± ± ± 4+4- 

2041 Abme Us the Waves (92) Sea Drama Rep 12-20-56 + +f + + +f ± 8+1- 

2065©Accused of Murder (74) ® Crime.. Rep 3- 9-57 ± + + 3+1- 

2110 ©Affair to Remember, An 

(114) © Comedy-Drama, ,. .2Qth.Fox 7-13-57 ++ ff +f ++ tt +1- +f 14+ 

2066 ©Albert Schweitzer 

(SO) Documentary DeRochemont 3- 9-57 + + + 

2044 ©Anastasia (105) © Drama 20th-Fox 12-29-56 ++ +f H ++ 

2089 Angels of Darlcness (84) Dr ExcefSior 5-18-57 ± 

2115ADache Warrior (73) Ri Western. .20-Fox 7-27-57 ± + 

2024 ©Around the World in SO Days 

(170) T-AO Fantasy-Adv U A 10-27-56 ++ +f +f ++ 

2071 Attack of the Crab Monsters 

(64) Horror Drama AA 3-30-57— it + 

—B— 

2035 Baby Doll (114) Drama WB 

2063 Bachelor Party, The (94) Drama UA 

20S9 Badlands of Montana (75) ® W'n 20-Fox 

20S2 Bailout at 43,000 (78) Action UA 

2112 0Band of Angels (127) Drama WB 

2048 ©Barretts of Wimpole Street. The 

(106) © Drama MGM 

2096 Battle Hell (112) War Drama DCA 

2043 ©Battle Hymn (108) © Drama U-l 

2099 Bayou (88) Outdoor Drama UA 

2097 ©Beau James (105) ® CD Para 

2108 Beginning of the End (73) Sc-F. ..Rep 

2103 ©Beinardine (95) © Com/Songs. .20-Fox 

2094 ©Beyond Mombasa (90) Adv. Dr...Col 

2054 Big Boodle, The (83) Adventure UA 

2074 Big Caper, The (84) Crime Dr UA 

2049 Big Fun Carnival, The (90) Juvenile 

Variety Film. .Artists Producers Ass'n 

2054 ©Big Land, The (93) Western WB 

2066 ©Bitter Spears (70) Adv. Doc. .. Brenner 

2108 ©Black Tent. The (93) (J) Adv RFDA 

2040 Black Whip, The (77) ® Wn. .20th-Fox 

2038 Blonde Sinner (74) Drama AA 

2112 Bop Girl Goes Calypso (79) Mus UA 

2078 0©Boy on a Dolphin (111) © Dr. 20-Fox 

2037 Brass Legend, The (79) Western UA 

2013 ©Brave One, The (100) © Dr, RKO-U-I 

2085 Break in the Circle (69) Action 20th-Fox 

2111 Buckskin Lady (66) Western U A 

2026 Bullfight (76) Doc, ... Pacemaker-Janus 

2037 ©Bundle of Joy (98) Comedy RKO-U-I 

2085 Burgler, The (90) Crime Drama Col 

2080 Buster Keaton Story, Thi 

(91) (S) Comedy-Drama Para 

12 

4+4+7+ 

+f +f 14+- 

±L 2+2- 

3+2- 

++ ++ 14+- 

- 3+4-

REVIEW DIGEST- Very Good; -r Good; — Fair; - Poor; - Very Poor. In the summary t+ is roted 2 pluses, — oi 2 minuses. 

^ i^-s >

Opinions on Current Productions 

Feature reviews 

Symbol © denotes color photography; © ClnemoScope; ® VistoVlslon; ® Superscope; W Noturomo. For story synopsis on eoeh picture, see reverse side. 

Omar Khayyam F 't^ .T\ 

Paramount ( ) 100 Minutes Rel. Aug. '57 

1"'_4 It is to be expected that the discriminating and the 

iiif sophisticated will—and, with considerable justification 

lampoon this Arabian-Night's-ish spectacular as unadulterated 

corn. But, given smart and intensive exploitation, it can 

, 

well develop into corn of the golden variety, as concerns the 

cash drawers of the theatres into which the picture is booked. 

And there are plenty of pegs upon which such business-building 

ballyhoo can be hung. There are the lavish mountings with 

which producer Frank Freeman jr., endowed the feature: 

VistaVision; Technicolor; breath-taking sets; startling 

special effects; daring and beautiful costumes; scantily-clad 

femmes; vast scope; to name but a few. Then there is the 

name-freighted stellar cast, the combined marquee weight 

of which is not to be overlooked. True, the screen story 

utilized to meld these opulent and physical accoutrements 

is circuitously confusing and, in spots, as talky as a filibuster. 

It fails to afford the troupers' proven talents much 

chance to display themselves. Nor does the dated direction 

of William Dieterle. Nonetheless, those ticket buyers who 

are prepared to settle for unstinting munificence will feel 

that they have been richly repaid for their investment and 

they should be sufficiently plentiful to insure profits. 

Cornel Wilde, Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, John Derek, 

Raymond Massey, Yma Sumac, Margaret Hayes. 

,,;,, 

^

. . Meet 

FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploitips; Adiines for Newspaper and Programs 

THE STORY: "The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown" (UA) 

Jane Russell, movie star, is kidnaped before the premiere 

of her latest film by Ralph Meeker, just released from 

prison where he has been serving time for a murder he 

did not commit, and Keenan Wynn. too kindly to make a 

convincing thug. Jane soon discovers there is no criminal g_ 

intent but the hope of being paid by her studio for resulting l^^publicity. 

Her producer, her agent, and a columnist—even 

the police refuse to believe it is anything but a hoax. Jane 

kidnaping can harm her career, they decide to make it real 

by demanding ransom. At the last moment Jane sacrifices 

her career by claiming she has hired the men to kidnap 

her, thus clearing the way for her romance with Meeker. 

EXPLOITIPS: 

Play up the movie star kidnaping angle, similar to the sensational 

one of recent date, to attract action fans. Publicize 

the star's sex appeal and past successful performances. Emphasize 

the comedy which points up the drama. 

C.\TCHLINES: 

Was this Sensational Kidnaping of a Movie Star a Hoax? 

—Ifs the Old Story of a Star's Choice Between Her Career 

and Ti-ue Love . Two of the Softest-Hearted Kidnapers 

Who E\er Made a Snatch.

I iiiirliiae. 

lis. 

Hill 

lilr 

RATES: 15c per word, minimum S1.50. cash with copy. Four consecutive insertions for price 

ol three. CLOSING DATE: Monday noon preceding publication date. Send copy and 

• answers to Box Numbers to BOXOFFICE, 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City 24, Mo. • 

GUeRinG 

POSITIONS WANTED 

Road man, experienced in booking, exploitation 

and advance, boiidable. Wants connection witll 

responsible stage, exploitation film or road sliou. 

BoôffliT. 7536, 

Manatjer 30 years one comiiany. Married, sober. 

Biiylnii. biKikine. top exploitation and ad man, 

prefer Okialiom.i. Texas or central stales. Best 

of rcfciciices. lioxoffice, 7550. 

HELP WANTED 

Wanted manaDer for d. ive-in tliealrc in middle 

west. Send photoijrapii and references, ileply Boxnfice, 

7543. 

VJanted, theatre manaoer, experienced, conscientious 

and sober. Give inliMnnitioii and 

all 

salary re'i'iired in first letter. Itenlies strictly 

confidential. Location, subn ban lictroit. Itciily 

to BoMoffice, 7551. 

Wanted, operator for drive-ln theatre. Most 

clean grounds and concessions. No drinkers or 

drifters. $00.00 a week. Boxoffice, 7553. 

Wanted manager, college town. Apply Arn 

long arenit. Inc., Bowling Ci'een 1, Ohio. 

EQUIPMENT WANTED 

Wanted pipe organ. Wuilitzer, 3 or 4 manual. 

Complete \Vill pay cash and remove at my expense. 

Boxoffice. 7537. 

Wanted, used theatre booth equipment. We dismantle. 

I,eon .iarodsky, Lincoln Tlieatre, I'aris, 111. 

Wanted, ten drive-in X L projectors, bases, sound 

systems. X L or M X mighty ninety or exeeliite 

lamps, drink machine, pupcorn. Will buy if price 

is right. Write Box 66 or call 22W after 6 p.m... 

Laurel Montana. 

DRIVE-IN THEATRE EQUIPMENT 

Antitheft device for speakers! Complete protection 

for only 64 cents per streaker! Secure 

yours now ag.iinst costly and repeated losses. 

Our customers from coast to coast are happy! 

Speaker Security Company, Dept. 42, Willow Ave. 

at 17tli St., llnboken. N. J. 

4" RCA replacement speakers with dust covers. 

Begu'ar list, $3.95. now only S>9e in lots of 60 

or moic! Cash with order only, sent piepjid. 

Metro. Cramer Itoad. rouglikeepsie. New York. 

improve your light! Ashcraft Hydro-arcs 85A 

lamphouses (15" reflectors) w/85 ami) selenium 

reclifiers, all excellent condition, $1,575. Liberal 

trades. Time deals available. Dept. cc. S O.S. 

Cinema Suiiply Corp., 602 W. 52nd St.. New 

York 19. 

Mil. 

Drive-in speakers reconed. We buy used frames. 

Speaker Bepair, 3312 Jopiin St., Joplin, 

Your sprockets rcground tor Cinemascope. $3 00 

eacli. Good used sprockets for 'îile in'^vTuiMpnt 

, 

^ 

$5.00. U!)per and lower and sonir .m;':| \:i 

ground for Cinemascope. Lnii w K.i.ni 

Service, 8548 San Fernando W.ii, |i

,N A SERIES OF IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS 

with 

the 

industry's 

biggest 

talents . 

STANLEY 

KRAMER 

SOON TO GO 

mo PRODOCTIOH 

INHERIT THE WIND 

Produced and Directed by Stunlo,

Boxoffice-August.03.1957

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