Boxoffice-Septemeber.19.1953

. . . Julius
. . With
S
. . Sam
CINCINNATI
fl rthur Fine of the Empire is recovering at
the Jewish hospital from a recent heart
ailment. He is expected to be released soon . . .
Louie Shore of the Cinderella, Williamson.
W.Va.. was a visitor on the Row. Shore is one
of the pioneer exhibitors in this area . .
James McDonald, general manager of Theatre
Owners Corp., flew to Gloversville, N.Y.,
for a conference with the Schine home office.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ackerman, Overlook
and Covedale theatres. Price Hill, Cincinnati,
canceled their contemplated visit to the west
coast because of the .sickness of Mrs. Ackerman's
mother. However, the two took off to
New York for a few weeks' stay. They intend
to see some of the outstanding legitimate
plays on Broadway . the founding of
a new daily newspaper in Ironton, exhibitor
A. J. Sexton jr. is busy in his spare time
increasing the circulation. Sexton operates
theatres in Ironton and in Ashland, Ky.
Lucille Schmolt, office manager. Midwest
Theatre Supply Co., is enjoying a vacation
at home . . , Bert Fiala, Alhambra, Dayton.
is back on the job after a siege of the flu . . .
Exhibitors visiting the Row were Malcolm
Loew. F>arkersburg. W.'Va.; Foster Lane. Williamsbui-R.
Ky.: Ray Law. Lebanon: Harry
Wheeler. Gallipolis: J. S. Joseph. Parkersburg,
W.Va.: Jack Needham. Columbus, and
Roy Waller. New Concord.
Bob Brown, assistant .shipper. 20th-Fox,
enlisted in the Marines, and is now in San
Diego, Calif. He was replaced by Walter
Mergenthal. Ruth Huelsman, secretary to
Manager Stanley Jacques, RKO, has resigned
Brown, head .shipper. States Film
Service Co., resigned and has been replaced
by John Wooten. A.ssistant .shipper at States
Film is Frank Kelly jr., who recently came
to Cincinnati from Philadelphia, where his
father is booker at 20th-Fox.
F. J. A. McCarthy, Canadian and southern
division manager, U-I, and James Frew, district
manager, were in the office, where they
held a meeting with the sales staff and conferred
with Manager Frank Schreiber.
Filmrow gals will be more wary in the future
about crossing Central Parkway at the
proper cro.ssing! Last week, four of National
Screen's lovelies were handed tickets for
jaywalking when they crossed over for their
ANYWHERE
UPHOLSTERING, REPAIRING
THEATRE SEATS
Promp», Reliable Service. 15 Ycon Know-How.
SERVICE SEATING CO.
JOHN HEIDT
1507 W. KIrby Dotrolt «, Mich.
Phone TYIer 7-801
visit to Hey Hey. Louise Holthaus, Madge
Stull, Dorothy Hoff and Marge Wissell will
watch their steps! And so will Walter Partner.
Waldo Projecting Co., who also was cited.
Variety members enjoyed their first fall
party and celebration night Saturday (12).
Films of the Mexico City convention were
shown, and dancing and dining were highlights
of the evening. Herman Hunt reports
that members have been working hard to
insure a big success of Old Newspaper Boys
day September 22, which is being held in
collaboration with the Cincinnati Times
Star. Many newsboys and newsgirls of former
years have already responded to the appeal
to go out and sell the special edition on September
22.
Willis Vance's Guild Theatre, an art house,
has a new lobby. In reviewing the current
attraction at the theatre. "Tonight at 8:30,"
not only did the picture get "A" mention,
but the critic gave special mention to the
new lobby . Galanty, district manager,
Columbia, is expected in town . . . Helen
Fitzwater, secretary to Columbia Manager
Phil Fox, is on vacation. Others of the Row
who are enjoying late vacations are MGM
booker Bob Camery and Eli Kalisch, Kentucky
salesman, MGM; Edna Ossege, branch
managers secretary, MGM, who with a friend
plans to visit Mount Clemens, Mich., and
some Canadian towns; Jane Everett, secretary
to District Manager William Bein of
National Screen, spent a week at Spring Mill,
Ind., together with Lucy Oelschlager, accessory
shipper at NSS. Lucy hasn't returned Ix)
work yet. On her return home from Spring
Mill, she fell down some steps in her home,
injuring her ankle and hand.
Elstun Dodg-e, owner of the Elstun Theatre.
Mount Washington. Ohio, who received publicity
in the local press when he provided
pickets of Local 327. who had been walking
in front of his theatre, with rocking chairs,
says his projectionist is back on the job. There
was no further need for pickets or the rocking
chairs, he added.
Construction has been under way for two
months on the West Union Drive-In in Adams
county. West Union, Ohio, on the site of the
county baseball park. William Hitchcock,
owner, has set the formal opening date as
September 27. This is a 400-car drive-in,
and equipment wa,s furnished by National
Theatre Supply Co. Hitchcock also is constructing
a motel on the site . . . John Eifert,
sales manager for WB, was in Bramwell,
W.Va., combining business with a Labor day
holiday trip.
. . . Phil Fox, Columbia
Ben Cohen, assistant to Mark Cummins'
Drive-In Theatre circuit, is on his way to
record golf achievements, having broken 90
in his last games
manager, was toastmaster at the West Virginia
Theatre Owners convention banquet in
Bluefield recently . . . Frank Collins, Chakeres
Theatres, Springfield, took his two youngsters
on a fishing trip in Wisconsin.
Murray Baker, local sales manager for Italian
Films Export Co., attended the recent
sales meeting in Cleveland. Baker said the
first release. "Amia," has set a number of
records in the territory . . . Ross Williams.
UA city salesman, represented Manager Jack
Flnberg at the luncheon in Dayton Friday
'4 1 honoring film stars Coleen Gray and
Robert Stack, who were there for personal
appearances at the world premiere of "Sabre
Jet" at Loew's Theatre. The premiere was
held during the celebration of the 50th annivserary
of the Wright brothers first flight in
1903 and the National Air show. Lige Brien
of the UA publicity department was in town
to arrange the premiere.
Foster Lane, Dixie and Lane theatres, Williamsburg,
Ky., will resume personal handling
of booking and buying for his theatres . . .
Leo Schear. assistant general manager. Theatre
Candy Co., and Mrs. Schear are parents
of a baby boy, their second . . . Murray Baker,
IFE sales manager, and his wife Marjorie.
secretary at Tri-State Theatre Service, have
moved into their new home in Covedale.
Frank Weitzel has assumed the booking and
buying for the Palace Theatre, Charleston,
W.Va., owned by W. B. Urling . . Dick Breslin,
.
Dayton salesman for 20th-Fox, is on
vacation. He and Mrs. BresUn are attending
a wedding in Toledo . . . T. O. McCleester,
division manager, 20th-Fox, was in conferring
with Manager Robert McNabb.
3-D Is Film's Shot-in-Arm,
Says Cleveland Manager
CLEVELAND—"Three-dimension was the
best shot-in-the-arm theatre business has had
in all the slump years," said Frank Cost,
manager of the Lake and Shore theatres for
the A.ssociated circuit. "While it is true that
the public's enthusiasm for 3-D seems to be
waning in favor of wide-screen presentations,
3-D put the theatres back in business and we
should credit it for making the public film
conscious once again.
"The publicity attendant upon the introduction
of 3-D focused the public's attention
on the theatres and brought people out of
their homes and away from their TV sets out
ot curiosity. It gave the theatres an opportunity
to show the contrast of large theatre
screens as opposed to small TV screens. It
brought the people back to the theatre in
droves. Even though they did not like the
product shown on 3-D their interest in theatre
screen presentation was stimulated and
now they are coming back as regular patrons.
"Our public definitely likes the large screen
pictm-es, and this medium is making friends
for the theatres. The publicity about 3-D.
large-screen and new presentation methods of
all kinds has given our business just what
it needed. Proof is the boxoffice."
3-D Will Be Discussed
Before Optical Group
DETROIT—Local television and theatre officials,
with the manager of the Cinerama
Productions, will participate in a panel discussion
on "3-D Movies and How It Affects
the Eyes" at a state optical convention scheduled
here in September.
The officials will be guests at the concluding
event September 22 of the Michigan
Optometric A.ss'n's 57th annual convention to
be held September 20-22 at the Hotel Statler.
The discussion will be opened in the morning
by a lecture by Dr. T. R. Murroughs of
the Northern Illinois college of optometry.
The Wayne county Society of Optometrists
is in charge of the three-day convention.
Audie Murphy will star in the Technicolor
western, "Drums Along the River," being
produced by Melville Tucker for Universal.
96 BoxorncE September 19, 1953