Boxoffice-March.10.1951

I 201
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SALT LAKE Garfield Anderson DENVER
Phe case of the Arcade Theatre against distributors
and circuits was continued in
federal district court here until March 30
. . . Case of the distributors against Sam
Gillette and Associated Amusements was continued
to the same date in the same court
. . . Pretrial in the case of the Camark Theatre
against distributors and circuits was set
for some time in March.
George A. Smith, western division manager
for Paramount, was here to conduct a meeting
with Frank H. Smith, branch manager,
and his staff. The local manager spent last
week in Montana calling on several accounts
and lining up deals on the regular release of
"Samson and Delilah" . . . Bob Quinn of
Paramount was here from Denver to set up
the campaign on "Samson and Delilah" . . .
Harry Gwonson, Idaho salesman, has a new
Ford sedan in which he is covering the
territory.
Henry S. Ungerleider, . accountant for Durwood
Theatres in Kansas City and former
chief barker for Variety Tent 38 of Salt Lake
City, was here to confer on plans for appeal
of the adverse decision against Snooproof
tickets . . . Frank Jenkins, the perennial
good-humor man of the theatre industry,
was here en route from New York to California
. . . Bill F>rass of MOM was in Salt
Lake to set up campaigns on several pictures.
Due to expected drafting of ushers and
probable shortage of manpower, Charles M.
Pincus of the Centre is replacing ushers
with usherettes. Previously, the Lyric was
the only first run here with girl ushers . . .
Funeral services were held here for Mrs.
Charles E. Huish, widow of the veteran Utah
theatreman. Mrs. Huish was the mother-inlaw
of Vincent A. Gilhool, who has been operating
the Huish theatres.
Seen on Filmrow: J. Rodger Mendenhall of
Boise, Mrs. M. G. Price of the Novelty Theatre
at Paris, Ida., and Johnny Rowberry of
Cedar City . . . G, E. Callaway, United Artists
district manager, was here for a sales meeting
with the local staff under Clare Trowbridge
. . . Mr. and Mrs. Jose Montes, who operate
the Bonneville at Helper, have taken over the
Strand in the same town from Vincent A.
Gilhool of the Huish circuit.
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Sells Airer Stock
PHOENIX—Garfield Anderson has sold his
stock in three Arizona drive-ins to the Harry
L. Nace interests for a reported price of
$200,000. The deal involves the Pioneer, the
Phoenix, and the Indian, which have a combined
capacity of 2,000 cars.
Stock in the open airers was purchased
in the name of Harry L. Nace jr., who will
operate in partnership with his father Harry
sr. The elder Nace and Anderson had formed
the previous partnership.
The Phoenix Drive-In, built here by Anderson
in 1941, was the tenth outdoorer in the
country and the first in Arizona. Nace sr.
joined forces with Anderson in the building
of the Pioneer on the Mesa-Tempe highway,
and the Indian, located in Phoenix.
PORTLAND
Tames Hommel, U-I manager, attended a
company sales meeting in San Francisco
with Charles Feldman and Al Daff . . .
Jack Matlack, J. J. Parker executive, spent
part of the week in Astoria checking on interests
in the coastal town . . . Lou Amacher,
MGM manager, guest-soloed at a recent concert
for the Shriners Crippled Children's
hospital in Portland.
"Bom Yesterday" broke records here, by
staying a third week at the Orpheum . . .
M. M. Mesher, district manager for Evergreen
Theatres, visited circuit interests in Eugene
. . . "Cyrano de Bergerac" held a second week
at the Theatre Guild, only local art house.
Brings Suit for Injuries
BOISE, IDA.—The father of a 16-year-old
Boise girl has filed a $5,000 damage suit
against the Menmar Theatre Co., operator of
the Ada Theatre here. Rex Jackson claims
his daughter Loretta was injured last May 28
during an audience participation "spook
show" at the Ada.
Stars to Phoenix Benefit
HOLLYWOOD—The film colony will be
represented by George Murphy, MGM player,
and actor Brian Aherne at a benefit to be
staged in Phoenix May 3 under sponsorship
of the Phoenix Symphony Guild. Murphy
and Aherne will assist in the selection of a
"Miss Symphony" and the affair will be
broadcast via NBC. Among the guests will
be ex-Ambassador and Mrs. Lewis Douglas
and Mr. Eind Mrs. Hal Roach.
Weiser, Ida., Manager Advanced
WEISER, IDA.—R. G. W. Pri.sbey, manager
of the Star and Mayfair theatres here,
has been transferred to a Salt Lake City
house, where he will also handle publicity
and advertising for the Lawrence circuit,
which operates the Weiser houses. The new
manager here is Jack Heigh of Salt Lake.
Reopen in Emmett, Ida.
EMMETT, IDA.—Virgil Odell, owner of the
Emmett Drive-In here, has reopened his
.showcase after extensive remodeling of the
tower.
jDalph Batschelet, Paramount manager, was
named by the mayor as a member of a
committee to decide what pay top city officials
should get. Such pay was set in 1915
and has not been raised since . . . Hall Baetz,
Fox Intermountain Theatres city manager,
was given an award for his work in the
recent intensive marine recruiting drive.
E. J, Ward, longtime theatre manager here
and more recently assistant manager at the
Jewel, is in St. Luke's hospital resting after
a stroke . . . The Monaco drive-in has opened
and others will follow in quick succession .
Elmer Martel, Billings, Mont., has received an
okay to build a drive-in at Loveland, Colo.
Milas Hurley, owner of theatres in Tucumcari,
N. M., is putting the finishing touches
on his Canal Drive-In there. It will open
with an Easter sunrise service. The drive-in
is a de luxe 550-car situation and cost about
$125,000. A feature is the new five-room
bungalow built at the back of the drive-in for
the manager. A stone wall surrounds the
area. Simplex equipment, bought from National
Theatre Supply, is
used throughout.
J. C. Parker is readying his new 350-car
$65,000 drive-in, Dalhart, Tex., for a spring
opening . . . Jack Henry, manager of the
Northside Drive-In, Colorado Springs, has
moved to Greeley, where he will manage the
Motorena Drive-In . . . Floyd Brethour,
Eagle Lion Classics booker, and Bobby
Spahn, secretary at Monogram, will be married
March 17 at St. James church. Miss
Spahn is the daughter of Robert Spahn, freelance
film buyer and booker.
. . Filmrow visitors
Betty Spicer, Eagle Lion Classics manager's
secretary, returned to work after a two-week
siege with the mumps .
included C. E. McLaughlin, Las Animas;
Leon Coulter, Loveland; Neal Beezley,
Burlington; Elden Menagh, FortLupton;
Sam Rosenthal, Buffalo, Wyo.; Mr. and Mrs.
Lloyd Kerby, Worland, Wyo.; Mrs. Delpha
Moreland, Simla; R. H. Phillips, Indianola,
Neb.; Ed and Russell Schulte, Casper, Wyo.;
William Ostenberg III, Scottsbluff, Neb.;
Tom Murphy, Raton, N. M., and E. J. Ward,
Silver City, N. M.
Milkmen Are Guests
HELENA, MONT.—Helena milkmen and
their families were special guests at the
showing of "The Milkman" at the Marlow
Theatre here. Friday afternoon at 2:30 the
milkmen parade down Main street attracting
many onlookers, despite cold weather.
Booking Agency to Alaska
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Pictures, Inc.,
Alaskan distributor for MGM and Columbia
16mm motion pictures, has opened a distributing
office in Anchorage under the managership
of Robert Renkert.
Lensic Theatre Closes Contest
SANTA PE, N. M.—The Lensic Theatre
here closed its Child of the Year contest
with the selection of Jimmy Sanchez, 5-
month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Sanchez,
as winner. Tom PlUsbury Is assistant manager.
54-B
BOXOFFICE March 10, 1951
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