Boxoffice-March.10.1951

VARIETY LEADERS WILL SPEAK
AT OKLAHOMA TOA SESSION
OKLAHOMA CITY—Marc Wolf of Indianapolis,
cliief barker; R. J. O'Donnell and
W. C. McCraw of Dallas, executives of Variety
International, will be among the speakers
at the annual convention here March 25-
27 of the Theatre Owners of Oklahoma.
Following a directors meeting late Sunday
afternoon (25), Oklahoma Variety Tent 22
will host the exhibitors and other film men
present at a buffet supper.
Speakers at the Monday sessions will include
Herman Levy of New Haven, Conn.,
Theatre Owners of America counsel. C. B.
Akers of Tulsa will be in charge of an afternoon
session for exhibitors only. Wives of
exhibitors and film men at Oklahoma City
will serve as models for a style show which
will be put on by Peyton-Marcus following a
buffet dinner in the Civic room of the Biltmore
hotel. Debbie Reynolds, MGM starlet,
will emcee the show or else appear as a
model.
Later that night a reception will be held
in honor of International Variety Chief
Barker Wolf. Wolf was to be at the convention
prior to going to Tulsa to attend a Salute
to Variety to be given by the Tulsa
Chamber of Commerce March 29 in honor
of the Tulsa club members. R. J. O'Donnell
will speak at the luncheon, following an introduction
by Paul Short, district manager
for National Screen Service.
Marc Wolf R. J. O'Donnell W. C. McCraw C. B. Akers
Robert Coyne, executive counsel of COMPO,
will speak at the Tuesday afternoon session
following which the annual election will be
held. O'Donnell, Wolf, McCraw and the Rev.
W. H. Alexander, Oklahoma City evangelist,
will speak at the banquet that night.
Morris Loewenstein, TOO president who
is spearheading the convention plans, said
tickets are being sent to each theatre owner
affiliated with TOO, together with a note
urging attendance. The tickets are selling
for $10 for men, $5 for women.
Many door prizes are planned for the convention
sessions. Oklahoma Theatre Supply
will give a record player, while Goldfarb
Jewelers will donate a necklace, bracelet and
earrings to match a total value of $45. The
Goldfarb jewelry concern will be located In
the new Harber Theatre when it is completed.
The Liberty is being transformed
into the Harber by Cooper Foundation Theatres.
United Film Service, Inc., will give
$75 in cash door prizes. Manley Popcorn Co.
will give away two $25 merchandise certificates.
To be eligible for a door prize, the
exhibitor must register at the convention.
Many out-of-state convention delegates
plan to go on to Tulsa for the Salute to
Variety. R. V. McGinnis, Tulsa showman,
is helping the Chamber of Commerce there
arrange the affair. Short, who will introduce
O'Donnell at the affair, is the producer of
the film, "Variety Girl."
Planned the night of March 28 in Tulsa
is a reception to be given for the out-of-town
guests by Tulsa Downtown Theatres.
Texas Variety Club
Fetes Its Founders
DALLAS—Special tribute was paid to
charter members of the Variety Club of
Texas at a meeting held Monday (5) at the
Adolphus hotel. Eight of the original founders
who organized the club in 1936 are still
living. They are Buddy Harris, Ed Wilson,
Mike Rice, Jack Underwood, Clare Hilgers,
R. J. O'Donnell, Paul Scott and Wallace
Walthall. Of the original 11 Harold Robb,
Jack Duggar and BiU Underwood have since
died.
Speakers were R. J. O'Donnell and Claude
Ezell, who had brought the organization idea
to the original members. Wallace Walthall,
with high silk hat, pin, frock-tail coat and
large mustache, inducted new members into
the club.
Couple Own Brown-wood Drive-In
BROWNWOOD, TEX.—Former servicemen
so rash as to repay a return visit to the late
site of Camp Bowie here will be happily surprised
to find a $75,000 drive-in located at
what used to be the main entrance. The 400-
car outdoorer is operated by Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Needham and goes under the name of
Camp Bowie Drive-In.
Close Duke, Okla., Theatre
DUKE, OKLA.—The Duke Theatre here
has been closed indefinitely. No reason was
given for the shutdown.
War Scarcity TV Model
Introduced by Philco
WASHINGTON—A new television set designed
to save critical materials was demonstrated
to reporters here recently by Philco
engineers. The model uses a new type of
loudspeaker magnet which eliminates the
need for cobalt, one of the few materials
which is so scarce that it is under complete
allocation by order of NPA. The amount of
copper required is reduced by 26 per cent,
aluminum by 68 per cent, silicon steel by
58, ferrite by 51, and nickel by 15 per cent.
DofJ Not to Appeal
Griffith Lawsuit
WASHINGTON—Acting on recommendations
from the Justice department, the government
will not appeal the adverse decision
of the Oklahoma court in the Griffith antitrust
suit. The decision to drop the fight
against the southwest theatre circuit came
from the Justice department's antitrust division.
Showman Has Typical Face
ALICE, TEX.—Joel Smith, manager of the
Rex and Rialto theatres here, is beginning
to think he has the most typical face in the
world. Smith says "everywhere I go someone
thinks he knows me from somewhere else."
Once his face got him in a fight. On a happier
occasion a man tried to repay him $150
belonging to another Alice resident.
Dudley Tuckers Sell
Two Sun Theatres
OKLAHOMA CITY—Dudley Tucker and
his wife, whose theatre operations used to
keep them apart except for their booking
trips to exchanges here each Monday, now
are together again. Tucker operated the
Sun in Wynnewood and the Sun in Pauls
Valley while his wife managed their Cimarron
in Guthrie.
However, they sold the two Sun theatres
to Paul and Walsie Campbell, brother and
sister of Newkirk, and Tucker has moved
to Guthrie to be with his wife.
Campbell and his sister also have purchased
the Deal Theatre in Wynnewood from
Frank Deal, and have sold their OK in Newkirk.
William O. Kemp Dies
POTEAU, OKLA.—One of Oklahoma's veteran
showmen, William O. Kemp, died here
February 18. In theatre business here for
many years he had been in motion picture
business longer than any other person in
Oklahoma. He was operator of the Waldron
Theatre, Waldron, Ark., before coming to
Oklahoma.
Named to
Defense Job
CULLMAN, ALA.—William Griffin, local
theatre owner and councilman, has been
named chairman of the Cullman committee
on civil defense.
BOXOFFICE March 10, 1951 sw 71