Boxoffice-12.1953

'
BOXOFFICE
HART BEATS
By HARRY HART
Q,eorge Carpenter of Colonial Theatres, Valdese,
N.C., is equipping every theatre in
the circuit with wide screens for Cinema-
C. A. Danderlake of the Colonial, Tarboro,
piuchased complete Cinemascope equipment,
including Simplex stereophonic sound. In
addition, Danderlake has installed two 20-ton
W. T. Hancock of Waynesville purchased
complete Simplex sound and projection equipment
for his new 200-car Cedar Point Drivein
at Swansboro. The ozoner will open soon.
Hancock also operates the Waynesville Theatre.
Joe Massie of Waynesville got quite a surprise
recently when he installed. Cole-Spa
Magniflow drink machines in the Ritz at
Sylvia and the Park at Waynesville. Previously,
Massie had been selling drinks for
five cents each. After installation of the
machines, which retail drinks at ten cents,
he suddenly found his volume of sales had
increased, with not one customer complaint
about the higher price.
Cline Bell, Alexander Film Co. division
sales manager, attended the North and South
Carolina Theatre Owners convention. Piedmont
Promotions, headed by Doc Thiemer,
now is representing Filmack Trailer Co. in
Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia
and Flordia. Doc told me that his Fox
Drive-In, Spartanburg, now boasts an 80-footwide
screen. The screen was installed by
MONARCH I
Theatre Supply, Inc,
492 So. Second St.
Memphis, Tenn.
INTERESTED IN
STEREOPHONIC-SOUND
SEE US
TRI-STATE THEATRE SUPPLY
320 So. Second St. Memphis, Tenn.
W. D. Dale Construction Co., an affiliate of
the Piedmont Promotions firm. The ozoner
opened November 29 with "Shane."
I have heard of more wide screens going
into drive-ins in the Charlotte exchange area
than anywhere else.
Hugh Sikes of 3-D Screen Co. said he load
lots of Inquiries about screens for drive-ins
from several areas. He soon will Install a
curved screen at a North Carolina drlve-ln.
Scope. The equipment is being supplied by
National Theatre Supply Co. of Charlotte.
Many other area theatres also have purchased
Panny Cobb and Dean Phillips of Standard
wide screen equipment. Bob Turnbull
of National Theatre Supply these:
Theatre Supply said they had a tremendous
list of wide screen and stereophonic sound
listed
Colonial, Tai-boro; Colony, Raleigh; Womet,
but they were so swamped with
installations,
Bladenboro: Clai-k, Elizabethtown; Richard! inquiries that they hadn't time to make out
Ashoskie: Conway, Conway; Fox, Hendersonville;
the list of installations. At Wil-Kin Theatre
Park, Waynesville, all in North Carolina, Supply, J. C. Tipton also was swamped, but
and the Grand, Greer; Royal, Simpsonville; promised a list of new installations later.
Cheraw, Cheraw; Carolina, Orangeburg; Fiank Strange of Charlotte Theatre Supply
said that the North Walterboro iS.C.t Drive-
Slater, Slater; Center, Hartsville; Carolina,
Anderson; Breeze, Beaufort, and Latta, Latta, ID opened November 19. The 275-car drive-in
in South Carolina.
was Ballantyne equipped. Strange also supplied
Ballantyne equipment for the Bamberg
(S.C.) Drive-In, which opened November
23. Stereophonic sound and Cinemascope
equipment are being installed by Strange at
air conditioning units. He stirred up quite the Gloria Theatre. Charleston, S.C, and
a bit of comment in Tarboro when he was the Dance Theatre, Wallace, N.C.
photographed with the president of the local
bank watching the installation of the anamorphic
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Griffith were well-
lenses used in Cinemascope. The deserving of the praise heaped upon them
local newspaper ran the picture.
at the North and South Carolina Theatre
Owners convention. The Griffiths were celebrating
their 25th anniversary of service to
the association. They did a fine job on this
year's convention, marred only by the fact
that Walter had a slight heart attack during
the testimonial dinner.
Bob Ai-nold, auditor for Warner Bros., died
on November 28. He was a brother of Mrs.
Max Bryant, formerly of the Bryant Theatre
Supply.
Out at the new headquarters of Theatre
Equipment Co. at 1220 East Seventh in Charlotte,
I saw many of my friends. Max Holland
was getting ready to move into his new home,
which has been under construction for the
last year. R. C. Saunders had just returned
from a trip to Augusta and Macon and told
me about the purchase of the Cumberland
Drive-In at FayettevUle. which he and Russ
Henderson, Bob McClure, W. L. Saunders and
M. W. Holland recently pm-chased from Harold
Black. The airer has been remodeled and
increased in size and a new moonlight lighting
system has been installed.
Bob Saunders introduced me to C. H.
Harris of Mount Gilehead, who plans to open
his new 200-car drive-in there early this
month. A contest will be held among patrons
to name the ozoner. Theatre Booking will
book and buy for the drive-in.
Russ Henderson of Theatre Booking said
the company's new location made his work
much easier, since it is much quieter than
the old location uptown. Bob McClure added
that it also helped to have plenty of parking
space for customers.
Hi Holston of 20th-Fox said that exhibitors
in the area were going all out in exploitation
and promotion of "The Robe." He
said the picture is outgrossing anything ever
played in the Carolinas, but added that "How
to Marry a Millionaire" is running a close
second.
Jack ReVille of MGM has been terming
"Mogambo" the 3-G process. He said it stands
for Gable, Gardner and gorillas. He said the
exchange would celebrate its 30th anniver-
NEW CORI'OK.VTION FORMKII— P. C.
Go.ssctt, left, and Krncst Strllin«;