Boxoffice-12.1953

:
St. Louis MPTO Program
Covers All Trade Issues
ST. LOUIS—Several hundred theatre owners
and managers and film company representatives
began converging upon St. Louis
this weekend for the 35th annual meeting
of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of
St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern
Illinois at the Sheraton hotel Monday and
Tuesday (14, 15).
Tom Bloomer of Belleville, 111., president of
the MPTO, said at the week's end that the
advance sale of tickets and the hotel reservations
indicate that an alltime record for attendance
will be set this year.
The gathering will get under way Monday
morning with a meeting of officers, directors
and committee chairmen. The general program
opens Monday with a 12:15 luncheon.
TOA LEADERS TO SPEAK
The business sessions will start immediately
after the luncheon. The exact order of
speakers has not been announced, but slated
for talks are Walter Reade jr., president.
Theatre Owners of America, who will discuss
"Organization and Membership"; Alfred
Starr, chairman of the board, TOA, on
"Cinemascope"; Herman M. Levy, general
counsel, on "Industrial Ai'bitration" ; George
Murphy, MGM star, whose subject has not
been announced, but who presumably will
deal with industry relations with respect to
theatregoers.
Walter Wagner, secretary-manager of the
Belleville, 111., Chamber of Commerce, will
discuss "Industrial Public Relations From the
Consumer's Viewpoint," while Mike L. Simons,
sales promotion manager, MGM, will talk
on "Exhibitor-Distributor Relations."
Ben Shlyen, editor-in-chief and publisher
of BOXOPPICE, will discuss "Advertising,
Publicity and Exploitation," W. C. Gehring,
morning meeting. L. J. "Bill" Williams, Union,
Mo., will preside at the Tuesday afternoon
session.
MISSOURIANS ON PROGRAM
Other speakers slated to appear include
Paul Krueger, co-general manager. Fred
executive assistant sales manager for 20th-
Pox, is slated to talk on "Stereophonic
Sound and Cinemascope."
Frank Plumlee of the Edwards & Plumlee
Theatres, Farmington, will preside at the
Monday afternoon business session, and Lou
Ansell, St. Louis, will preside at the Tuesday
Wehrenberg Theatres, St. Louis, whose subject
is "Concessions"; Elmer Rhoden jr.. Commonwealth
Amusement Corp., Kansas City, "Independent
Film Production"; Senn Lawler, public
relations director for Fox Midwest Amusement
Corp., Kansas City, on a phase of advertising
and public relations; Myron N.
Blank, president. Central States Theatre Co.,
Des Moines, whose subject will be announced.
Bob Livingston, Lincoln, Neb., a member of
the executive committee of the TOA, will
speak on "COMPO"; Edward Lachman, Boonton,
N.J., will discuss the Nord system of
3-D projection, and James Shetley, local insurance
man, will speak on the "MPTO Group
Hospitalization Insurance Plan."
The big social event of the meeting will be
the Tuesday evening banquet at which the
speakers probably will include George Murphy,
Walter Reade jr. and Herman Levy. The
invocation will be given by Joseph C. An.sell.
Music for the banquet and the dance to
follow will be supplied by Ben Rader's orchestra.
A number of outstanding professional
entertainers to be provided by the John
Arthur group of St. LouLs Municipal Opera
fame, will furnish special entertainment for
the banquet session. Master of ceremonies
will be Tom Edwards of Farmington, Mo.
Owners of the first run theatres here are
cooperating on the convention by providing
for the delegates and their wives to attend
the theatres as guests of the management.
Special theatre passes are being provided for
entrance at any of city's first run theatres.
Among the exhibitors at the annual tradeshow
held with the convention are St. Louis
Theatre Supply, National Theatre Supply,
McCarty Theatre Supply, Amelung Candy,
Chase Candy, Superior Refrigerator Mfg. Co.,
Select Drink, Prunty Seed & Grain Co., Reavis
Vending, Bowline Screen Frames, H. R.
Mitchell Co. of Hartselle, Ala,, Cole Products,
Rio Syrup, American Red Cross. St. Louis
Globe-Democrat safety pledge plan. Dr. Pepper,
Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Star Mfg. Co.,
Krey Packing Co., Fi-eund Baking Co., Altec
Service, Alexander Film Co.. United Film Co..
Theatrical Pi-inting Co., C. R. Frank and film
haulers of the area.
THE COMMITTEES
Various committees appointed some weeks
ago by Bloomer have been working hard on
the convention details. These committees
include
Celebrities and guests—Louis and Joseph
Ansell. St. Louis, chairmen; Loren Cluster,
Salem; Caesai- Berutt, Rolla; Joseph Dowdy,
Cairo; William Wandel, Lebanon, and Ann
Ballman, St. Louis.
Transportation — Demitrlous "Jimmie"
James and Nick Karakas, St. Louts, chairmen;
Harry Nash, California, and Sid Sayetta,
Bill Speros, Gregory Zotos and Bill Zotos,
Louis.
St.
Decorations—Paul Krueger and Spero
Karides, St. Louis, chairmen; Bill Griffin,
Cairo; Otto Ingrwerson, Montgomery City;
David Litvag, St. Louis; Kenneth Hirth,
Pacific; Joe Faith, Linn, and J. M. Ennis,
Quincy.
Program-agenda—Tom Bloomer, Belleville,
and Tom Edwards, Farmington, chairmen;
Senator Edward H. Long, Bowling Green, and
Philip Nanos, St. Louis.
Tradeshow and exposition—A. B. Magarian,
East St. Louis, and Russell Armen trout,
Louisiana, chairmen; Carson W. Rodgers,
Cairo; Pete Gloriod, Poplar Bluff; Eddie
Clark, Metropolis; Pete Medley, Sikeston. and
Chai-les Goldman, St. Louis.
Entertainment—Paul Krueger and Russell
Bovim, St. Louis, chairmen: Jesse Bizzel,
Dongola; Rowe Carney, Rolla; Frank Bloomer,
Belleville, and Charles Goldman, St. Louis.
Reception—William Kaimann, St. Louis,
and Bob Johnson, Fairfield, chairmen; Val
Mercier, Perry ville; Bob Marchbank, Washington;
Tom Edwards jr., Farmington; Dean
Bill Davis, West Plains; Forrest Pirtle, Jerseyville;
Mrs. Regina Steinberg, Madison;
Mrs. Ora Redford, Auburn, and Keith Cole-
Fronk Plumlee
Livingston
Tom Bloomer
man. Mount Carmel.
Ticket sales—Tommy James and Frank
Speros, St. Louis, chairmen: Joe Goldfarb,
Alton; Bill Collins, DeSoto; Henry Wendt,
Kirkwood; Tom Price. Oblong; Bob Strauss,
Benton: P. B. Beck, Ziegler; Ted Lending.
Kirkw-ood; Richard Fisher, Willow Springs:
Floyd Lowe, Lebanon; Earl Vandiver. Kennett,
and Andy Zotos, Julius Leventhal and
Louis Davis, all of St. Louis.
Reservations and registration—Bess Schulter,
St. Louis, chairman; Millie LaTour, Mary
Karches, Myra Stroud, Kay Bovim.
Banquet seating—Bill Waring jr., Cobden.
and Charles Weeks jr.. Dexter, chairmen;
Eddie Clark, Metropolis: Harry Miller, Festus,
and William Kaimann and Christ Efthim,
St.
Louis.
Publicity—Bill Powell, St. Louis, chairman;
Frank Plumlee, Farmington: Wesley Bloomer,
Belleville: W. H. Eichhorn, Mounds, and Myra
Stroud, Russell Bovim, Harry Wold, and
David F. Barrett, all of St. Louis.
11 BOXOFFICE :
: December 12, 1953
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