Boxoffice-August.21.1954

. . Tom
. . The
. . Jack
. . Ben
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. . Leo
. . Larry
. . Joe
PITTSBURGH Disney Appeals Culs
At a large garden party at their home in
Solway street last Satui-day evening. Mr.
and Mrs. Maui-ice A. Silver announced the
engagement of their- daughter Barbara to
Jacob H. Deutschmann, Newton Highlands,
Mass. No date has been set for the marriage,
according to the Stanley Warner zone manager
. . . Ai't Manson, Cinerama promotion
manager here, and his wife Florence Sando,
radio and TV director and commenator. vacationed
in Canada . Cine Club of
DLxonville opened the Dixon Tlieatre there
for one special free show last Saturday.
Keith Reeve, Altoona disk jockey of WVAM,
hosted 100 teenagers at the State Theatre
there Wednesday morning il8) for a screening
of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" .
Saul I. Perilman, Warner salesman, vacationed
. . . Local radio station WPGH has
been sold by the Pittsbm-gh Broadcasting
The first Pittsbm-gh showing of "The French
Line" was at 11 outdoor theatres. Milton Gibson
of Atlas Theatre Supply checked into
Columbia hospital, WUkinsburg, for a rest
and checkup . Gilbert, retired exhibitor,
tui-ned up on the film market looking
much slimmer. He has remodeled his Oakland
Theatre into storerooms Ellstrom,
Wai-ner exchange booker, was involved
in an auto collision near his home last Sunday
night after his car skidded 85 feet. His
mother was thrown against the windshield
and was shaken up but she was not injured.
Local projectionists and other members of
the industry kicked in several thousand dollars
in the unsuccessful bid of Local 171
business agent Jim Sipe for the lATSE general
secretary-treasurer position . . . Paul
Reith, RKO office manager, vacationed . . .
The Beacon Theatre in Squirrel Hill will
close for renovation and will resume operations
the first week in September with an
art house policy. The neai-by SW Squirrel
Hill Theatre has operated successfuly with
an art policy for fom- years . Miller,
dock foreman for Exhibitors Service Co. for
about 40 years, suffered a paralytic stroke a
week ago. At midweek he had regained most
of his faculties and could speak. He had a
slight heart attack several weeks ago.
Altoona Reopening Aug. 27
ALTOONA. PA.—Jack Day, Fabian circuit
manager, announced the Strand Theatre will
be reopened August 27. It was closed during
the summer.
New Exhibitor at Austin, Pa.
AUSTIN, PA.—The Community Theatre
here now is known as the Bennett, according
to Lee Bennett, who took over from Mrs.
William Zearfoss, now employed by the local
Sylvania plant.
SAM FINEBERG
TOM McCLEARY
JIM ALEXANDER
84 Van Broom Street
PITTSBURGH 19, PA.
Phone Express 1-0777 I
Vlo»ies Are Better Than Ever • How't Your Equipment?;
By Maryland Board
BALTIMORE—The Maryland board of
motion pictm-e censors has requested the
elimination of a sequence showing the birth
of a buffalo from "The Vanishing Praii-ie"
and Albert Margoleis of New York, representative
for the Walt Disney organization, has
appealed the board's decision.
But Sidney R. Traub, chairman of the
board, insisted the picture was still under
consideration and that "the Disney representatives
are quite aware of the fact." To
this Margoleis countered that "the board certainly
made a decision, because we were asked
to file an appeal." He added that Disney
would prefer not to show the pictm-e in Maryland
rather than give up the right to appeal
the board's decision to cut the birth scene.
Traub said the board asked the cutting of
27 feet of film lasting about 20 seconds on
the screen. A similar cut was asked by the
New York state censors but the ruling was
recently reversed by Dr. Hugh M. Flick, head
of the board. The film has received full approval
of the Legion of Decency and the General
Federation of Women's Clubs, according
to Margoleis.
Sidney Jacobs Services;
Stanley Warner Manager
PITTSBURGH—Funeral services for Sidney
Jacobs, 60, veteran district manager for
Stanley Warner Theatres in the Pittsburgh
zone, were held Friday (20). Jacobs died
August 17 at his home after an extended
illness.
Jacobs began his theatre career in Philadelphia,
where he was a manager and later
a district manager for the Stanley Co. of
America. Later, he was a manager in Pittsburgh
and was West Virginia district manager
for Warner Brothers Theatres from
1936 until promoted to district manager of
the circuit's Pittsburgh metropolitan and
neighborhood first run theatres in 1952. He
is survived by his wife Helen; a daughter,
Mrs. Jay Reich; two sons, Leonard and Robert;
his parents, O. and Mrs. Jacobs of
Middletown, Pa., and five brothers.
Aaron R. Hopkins
PITTSBURGH—Aaron R. Hopkins, 62, of
Brookline and a film projectionist for 40
years, died recently in his home here. He
was a member of the projectionists Local 171
and stagehands Local 3. Surviving are his
wife Katherine, five daughters and three
sons, including William Hopkins, a St. Louis
Cardinals player at present with Allentown
in the Eastern league.
Picket 'French Line'
NEW KENSINGTON. PA.—The Knights
of Columbus council here picketed the Family
Drive-In during the showing of "The French
Line" and purchased several 42-inch ads in
the Daily Di.spatch which urged "fellow citizens"
not to patronize any theatre showing
this "indecent film." Among the picket signs
were "This Picture Condemned" and "A Paid
Admission is a Vote for Filth." A spokesman
for the theatre said the picketing "did not
hurt business." The picture is approved by
the state board of censors.
BALTIMORE
T eon Back, president of the Allied Motion
Picture Theatre Owners of Maryland, attended
the Allied meeting at White Sulphur
Springs. Also there were Hamilton Durkee
and C. Elmer Nolte jr.. both of the Dmkee
Enterprises . McGree\'y, manager of
the Apollo, has returned from a vacation at
Ocean City . . . Mi-s. Eleanor V. Watson, secretary
at Keiths, was on a vacation.
Mrs. Eva Holland, member of the Mar.
board of motion picture censors, retu:;,f.,
from a New York visit . . . William Buck o:
the Sun Theati-e, Rising Sun. was in Washington
on business . Brecheen. RKO
manager, was here from Washington
Hari-y Welch is resigning as publici.-;t fo.-
the Hicks Theatres and, with his family, i-
moving to the west coast.
Jack Sidney, manager for Loew's Cei.: .: v
is visiting in Florida . . . Morris Mech..i„.
owner of the New. is planning an unprece-,
dented Baltimore premiere for "The Egyptian"
August 25 . . . Lou Gaertner's nev
drive-in near Glenbumie tm-ned away htindreds
of would-be patrons at the opening.
Morris Mechanic, owner of the New Theatw
entertained the press, radio and TV in bono
of Bert Lytell who stopped off for promotio;
in behalf of "The Egyptian." A luncheon a
the Sheraton Belvedere was followed by Ly
tell's appearances on TV, radio interview
and a visit to Hilltop Theatre of the straw,
hat circuit . . . Bill Moore, manager of th'
State, returned from a vacation in Ocea
City . . . Carroll Bayne, business agent, an
Sam Isaacson, chief projectionist at the Star;
ley, attended the lATSE convention in Cii'
cinnati . . . The Arade at Crisfield has ii!
stalled stereophonic sound.
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Robert Marhenke, manager of the Govemij
Ritchie Drive-In, Glenbumie, now provld.jj
church services at his theatre for pep
en route early Sunday mornings to
along Maryland's waterfront. They
gained substantial attendance . . .
Tabor, State's projectionist, returned frc|
the amiual encampment with the Ma
National Guard . Hyatt is the
manager of the Little, replacing Caryl
burger who moved up to the Film
Hyatt is a Schine man and comes here &tj
Cumberland and the Eastern Shore
lard Shaffar is the new assistant at
Film Center.
Exhibitor Mazzei Identii
Reds for McCarthy Grou|
PITTSBURGH—Jo.seph D. Mazzei. pp
tor of the Grant Theatre in Millvale
served the FBI a dozen years as an
cover agent, identified additional
munists last week before Senator Jc
McCarthy's subcommittee.
Mazzei's wife, who assists him in op
of the theatre, served FBI with her hij
as undercover agent.
Identified by Mazzei as Communisti
Louis Passikoff, a General Electric
who came to Pittsburgh in 1948, a
clerk in a downtowi; Pittsburgh army
I
lation and an AUegheney coimty politU
Passikoff called Mazzei "a despicable f
pigeon." McCarthy told the theatrem8n|
to be distiubed "to hear this Comnii;|
danui you."
BOXOFFICE : : August 21,