Boxoffice-August.19.1950

Fourth Drive-In Begun
At San Angelo,. Tex.
SAN ANGELO, TEX.—Construction work
on San Angelo's fourth drive-in has been
started by Bob Hem-ick, Lee Williams and
W. L. Anderson.
To be named the Bellvue. the airer will
accommodate 500 cars and will be built at
an estimated cost of $75,000. The owners
also operate the Stardust Drive-In on North
Randolph. The ozoner is to be located between
Upton and Sewell on the Ballinger
highway, and is expected to be completed in
about 60 days.
Henrick, Andei'son and Slim Starling built
the first drive-in theatre here, the Twilite.
The pair later sold out to Sterling, and
joined in a partnership with Williams, who
owns and operates the North Concho airport.
The screen will be built in the southeast
corner of the lot, with parking rows going
diagonally back toward the northwest corner.
The lot occupies 550 feet in frontage on Bell
street, and is 525 feet deep. The screen tower
will be 55 feet high and will have side wings.
Plans for the drive-iii, which is located inside
the east city limits, were drawn up by
Harold Adams and Franklin Jones.
Two Openings in Texas
SAN ANTONIO—Owners Kirkeby and
Erickson of Abilene plan to open their Scenic
Drive-In at Brady about September 1. Wenzel
projection and sound will be installed
m the 300-car theatre.
R. C. Karris of Raymondville has opened
his new Tropics Theatre in Elsa. The 734-
seater cost $150,000. The front is faced with
Texaf granite from Marble Falls.
Rotan Airer Progressing
ROTAN. TEX.—Work is progressing on the
new drive-in under w-ay here for the Rotan
Theatre Co. Lance M. Davis, manager of the
firm, said the theatre is one mile south of
town on the east side of Roby highway. It
will have a 690-foot frontage, and will be
encircled with 500 feet of eight-foot fencing.
It will accommodate 350 cars. The airer will
be located on an eight-acre site.
Boothman Is Stricken
As 'Death' Film Runs
Mission. Tex.—Fiction became fact at
the Rex Theatre here Sunday night (30)
when as a film titled "Date With Death"
was being shown, Antonio Orozco, 49, the
projectionist, collapsed and died following
a heart attack.
Felipe Gonzales, former projectionist at
the Rex. was walking along the opposite
side of the street and as he glanced upward
toward a small window in the front
of the theatre he saw Orozco beckoning to
him as the latter collapsed into a chair.
A doctor who was called said that Orozco
had died immediately.
Orozco had lived here about 14 years.
He was a pressman at the Mission Times,
and had been night projectionist at the
Rex several years. Survivors include his
wife, three daughters and a son.
Preston Smith Opens Arnett-Benson
LOOO-Seat Lubbock Neighborhood
LUBBOCK, TEX. — The Arnett - Benson
Theatre was dedicated with appropriate
ceremony here this week. Enthusiastic participants
were capacity audiences at the first
night performances in this $150,000 addition
to the Preston E. Smith circuit.
Starting with a borrowed $500 when he
graduated from Texas Technological college
here during the depression. Smith now operates
the Tech, his first acquisition, the State.
Plains and Five Points Drive-In.
The Arnett-Benson is his most ambitious
venture. Located about two miles from the
central business district on heavily traveled
North College avenue, within a few blocks
of Texas Tech. the original design called
for a 500-seat house. Before the first dirt
was turned, the plans were revised to increase
the capacity to 1,000 seats.
The theatre is centered on approximately
a square block of land which provides parking
for 300 cars. The Arnett-Benson is the
first Lubbock neighborhood theatre to include
offstreet parking as part of the basic
planning.
Landscaping of the tract is in progress,
with speedy development of the site into a
spot of park-like beauty scheduled.
The interior decorations are of subdued
beauty. Projection equipment is RCA. New
Ambassador chairs, cushioned with foam rubber,
were manufactured by the Americaii
Desk Mfg. Co.
Harley Sadler of Abilene, veteran west
Texas showman, was master of ceremonies
at the inaugural. Lubbock Mayor Clarence
Whiteside clipped the ribbon which marked
the formal opening and was the first of
P. E. Smith in Third Place
In Texas Primary Election
LUBBOCK, TEX.—The official canvas of
votes in the recent Texas Democratic primary
election moved Preston E. Smith of
Lubbock into third place in a 12-man race
for the nomination for lieutenant-governor.
Earlier unofficial tabulations put Smith in
fifth place. But the official count, made by
the state Democratic executive committee,
moved him up a couple of notches, crediting
him with a total of 111,304 votes.
However, the gain wasn't enough to put
the Lubbock showman in the runoff primary
August 26 for the nomination which, in
Texas, is tantamount to election. The contenders
in that two-man event will be Pierce
Brooks of Dallas and Ben Ramsey, former
secretary of state.
John Browning Elected
GALVESTON—John Browning, Interstate
city manager, was re-elected chairman of
the Galveston county chapter of the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
Good Comment on 'Voice'
HOUSTON—Preview showing of "The Next
Pictured above is the new Arnett-Benson
Theatre, the fifth of the Preston E.
Smith circuit in Lubbock. The theatre
opened recently to capacity audiences following
an estimated $150,000 construction
job.
the several hundred invited guests to enter
the theatre. Other guests included city and
county officials, civic leaders and motion
picture operators from many parts of Texas
and nearby New Mexico.
Congratulatory bouquets and telegram were
received from all parts of the nation. Among
the well-wishers was Gov. Allan Shivers.
"The Capture" was the first feature at the
Arnett-Benson. It drew well and business
since the opening has continued above his
expectations. Smith said.
John Barrymore Jr. Visits
Oklahoma on 'Lonesome'
OKLAHOMA CITY—John Barrymore jr..
star of "High Lonesome," was here Tuesday
(15) w-orking on advance publicity for his
new film. The young actor made several
appearances on radio and television and at
noon. Claude York, Eagle Lion manager, and
Howard Federer, general manager of the
Center and State, were hosts at a luncheon
in the Skirvin hotel. The affair was for the
."
. at Loew's State met
Voice You Hear .
with enthusiastic public and editorial comment.
press, radio and a few exhibitors.
With Barrymore here were Claude E. Morris.
New York, who is with Rathvon Productions,
and Leo Bioidy, also of New York
and with the same company.
Morris has been with young Barrymore
on an advance tour to El Paso, San Antonio,
Fort Worth. Houston and Dallas. He will
return to Fort Worth to work on the campaign
now in progress for the world premiere
of the film. Broidy will accompany Barrymore
on the balance of the tour, which will
include Amarillo. Tulsa. St. Louis. Kansas
City. Omaha. Des Moines, Charlotte, Atlanta,
Chicago and a few more cities.
"High Lonesome" is set to premiere in Fort
Worth August 24. It will play the Center
here September 13. Alan LeMay and George
Templeton produced the film which will be
distributed by EL.
BOXOFFICE :: August 19, 1950 sw 67