Boxoffice-August.19.1950

: August
. . . Harry
. . Lois
. . George
. . Frank
. , Charles
. . Earl
. . Jimmy
Ocean Frontage Site
Bought for Drive-In
ORLANDO, FLA.—Bids have been taken
for construction of a drive-in for the Cottage
colony area here, and construction
should start within ten days, according to
John H. Huttig, Orlando, president of the
Southeastern Theatre Co.. which is developing
the new enterprise.
The site is about one mile south of the
new Port Orange bridge in the Lufberry triangle.
The land, running from the Halifax
river to the ocean, has about 400 feet frontage
on the river and 174 on the ocean. It
was purchased recently for $51,000 from
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Shirmer jr.
The new theatre, which will accommodate
600 cars, will straddle the peninsula from
Riverside to Atlantic. The 174-foot strip
from Atlantic to the beach will be held for
future development, Huttig said.
Entrance to the drive-in will be on South
Atlantic and exit will be on Riverside. In
the center of the theatre there will be a
concession booth.
About $100,000 will be invested in construction
and equipment, according to Huttig.
He expects the theatre to be completed
within three months.
The theatre, Huttig said, will have RCA
projection and sound equipment.
Huttig is in the real estate and investment
business here. Officers of the Southeastern
Theatre Co. are Donald T. Randall,
vice-president, and W. H. Huttig, a brother
of John, secretary-treasurer and manager
of the theatre.
All three officers live here and are new
to show business. Huttig said that he had
surveyed the territory on the peninsula and
had decided that a theatre would have wide
appeal there.
The county corrunis.sion adopted a resolution
changing part of the Lufberry tract
from nonconforming use as a trailer park to
permit construction of the theatre. South
Penninsula plans board adopted a similar
resolution.
Gouging of Filmmakers
By Utahans Is Charged
from Western Edition
SALT LAKE CITY—Fear that the state
of Utah is losing much of its filmmaking
business because of overcharging film companies
was expressed in a front-page article
carried in the Deseret News recently. The
article, which was a column long, quoted a
southern Utah businessman, who was in
Salt Lake, as saying that many of the film
companies were bypassing the state. He
declared, according to the article, that one
company had warned businessmen of Kanab
and Cedar City, ba.se of operations for much
of the location work in .southern Utah, that
they would pull out entirely if gouging did
not cease. The businessman said this warning
was given six years ago and then two
years later, and that the company kept its
promise on the second warning and has not
returned.
According to the article, the businessman
claimed that two other companies, which
were scheduled to make pictures in Utah,
had switched over to other states.
BIRMINGHAM
fj H. Waters sr., head of Waters Theatre
Co., is back at his desk after being forced
out by illness for three weeks, during which he
underwent an operation . Spencer
Russell is the new auditor for Waters Theatres,
succeeding the late Joe Ford, who lost
his life in a fire at his home
Collier is new cashier at
.
Waters'
. . Louise
downtown
Newmar, replacing Margie Gallups, who resigned.
Johnny Holcotnb is new manager at Community's
Gary Theatre in Fairfield, replacing
Fritz May, resigned. Holcomb. former
manager at the Woodlawn. has been succeeded
there by Jimmy Harris, former assistant
manager at the Melba . Pike,
Melba projectionist, spent his vacation working
Frances Wilson and
on his house . . . Helen Penny, Melba cashiers, visited in Norfolk.
Va.
Carl Wesler, Five Points manager for Waters,
has been transferred to the Shades
Mountain Drive-In. succeeding H. E. Holmes,
resigned. Wesler has been replaced at Five
Points by Morris Willeford. who has been
manager at the Avon. Willeford. in turn,
has been succeeded by Robert Howard, relief
manager . . . Elise Murphy is new cashier at
Waters' Central Park Theatre.
. . . John
Frank V. Merritt, general manager of Acme
Theatres, and Harry M. Curl, general manager
of Community Theatres, have returned
from a four-day trip to Atlanta
Merritt, manager of the Royal, spent his
vacation in New York . Emerson,
Royal projectionist, vacationed in Tennessee
Dashiell, former Republic salesman
in Alabama, is now associated with
Motion Picture Advertising Co. with headquarters
in the Birmingham office . . .
Waters managers who have returned from
vacations include W. E. Craig. Wylam, who
fished along the Gulf Coast, and George
Stoves, Pratt City, who toured the East . . .
H. M. Powell, Central Park, started on his
vacation,
Joy Theatre, Negro house on the south
side here, was damaged by an early morning
fire which possibly may have started in a
.
cooling system motor. Loss to the interior
was estimated at $1,500, while the projection
equipment was damaged by smoke, heat and
water Howell, extra cashier for
Waters, left on her vacation . Kretzschmar,
of the Hanceville at Hanceville, was
one of the state exhibitors seen in tow'n . . .
Cecil Harwell, Lyric manager, spent his vacation
on the Gulf at Fort Walton, Fla.