Boxoffice-October.01.1955

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. . Auto
. .
. . . Alexander
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ALBANY
pilm men viewing the Marciano-Moore fightcast
at the Grand included Norman Jackter,
Columbia manager; Norman Weitman,
U-I manager: Jim Biondo. U-I exploiteer in
town to focus public attention on "To Hell
and Back," opening at the Strand October
5: Burt Toppal, United Artists salesman: Pat
Patterson. Leland manager, who had a day
off; Gene Ganott, assistant manager of the
nearby Palace; George H. Schenck, Tri-State
Automatic Candy Corp. manager; Jack
Hamilton, Berlo Vending Co. chief; Irwin Ullman,
area Fabian drive-in supervisor: Frank
Lynch, Paramount office manager-head
booker, and Al Kellert, head of a local advertising
agency servicing some theatre accounts.
.
George Econome, brother of Irene Econome,
is night assistant to Paul Wallen at the
Grand. The ruggedly handsome Econome
works as a carpenter in the da}i,ime
Paul Leppard, manager of Schine's Rialto,
Amsterdam, conducted a fine exploitation
campaign for the premiere of "To Hell and
Back." This is the word which Jim Biondo,
U-I field representative, brought back from
the premiere of the Audie Murphy picture
in the Rug City. Through the cooperation
of the Army, a tank and other equipment
were displayed. Miss Amvet, an Amsterdam
girl chosen in a national contest, appeared
on the stage with representatives of four
veterans organizations. A short parade also
was staged.
Fabian's Palace used small insertions on
the television pages of Albany dailies to advertise
Hal March's role in "It's Always Fair
Weather." The copy, one-column wide by
3 '-J inches deep, had a cut of March with
the caption, "He's a Riot in His First Important
Movie Role." Below the picture,
March was identified as "Master of Ceremonies
of the Sensational $64,000 Question
TV program" . Festa manages the
Orvis in Massena for hLs brother-in-law,
Joe Agresta. Rocky Carbone directs the
Rialto, Massena, for Agresta. Both men hold
daytime jobs, too.
United Artists has 21 prints working in
the Albany exchange district and 30 in
the Buffalo territory of the Marciano-Moore
heavyweight championship fight . . .
"Female
on the Beach" proved a potent draw with
women at the Strand . Vision Theatre
Corp. maintains an office at 545 Broadway,
where Paramount Film Distributing Corp.
and Perlmutter Theatres also have quarters.
Alan I.selin operates the Auto-Vlsion at East
Greenbush.
Representatives of Fabian and of Stanley
Warner Theatres conferred in the Palace
Theatre building Wednesday with officials of
the stage employes union on a new contract.
The employes have been working without a
formal agreement.
Mary Miles Daugrhters, who as Miss Texas
finished a runnerup In this year's Miss Universe
contest, filled a busy schedule of press,
radio, and television and Army recruiting
dates in the Albany area Monday on behalf of
"To Hell and Back." The 19-year-old beauty,
whom Audie Murphy, a fellow Texan, met at
the U-I studies during the production of the
picture, and whom Gov. Allen Shivers appointed
queen of Texas premiere engagements,
was piloted In this city, Schenectady
and Troy by Jim Biondo, U-I exploiteer.
52
ROSALIND IN ALBANY — Rosalind
Russell, star of "The Girl Rush." was in
Albany a day recently on a promotion
tour. She attended a reception in the
Sheraton-Ten Eyck and appeared on the
stage at Fabian's Palace on opening
night. She is pictured here with Dan
Houlihan, Paramount manager at Albany,
and Fred Brisson, her husband and producer
of the film.
Gerry Schwartz Manages
New L500-Car Drive-In
SPRING VALLEY. N. Y.—The new 1,500-
car Rockland Drive-In here is managed by
Gerry Schwartz, who for some years had
been associated with Harry Lamont in the
operation of automobilers. A Seabee during
World War n, Schwartz is experienced in
construction as well as in management. The
Rockland ozoner, which has a beautiful
cafeteria-type concession stand, is owned by
J. E. Appleman, who also conducts the
Somerville Drive-In at Somerville, N. J. The
Rockland is being serviced by Berlo Vending
Co.. Albany.
Refurbishing by Proctor
Is Nearly Completed
TROY, N. Y.—Tri-State Automatic Candy
Corp. will install modernistic concession
stands at Proctor's Fabian, and in the Troy,
Stanley Warner, here according to Manager
George H. Schenck. The one for Proctor's
will be larger than the present stand. When
the job is fini.shed, the refurbishing and
modernizing of the 2,350-seater—begun last
spring—will be complete. Fabian construction
engineer Fred Haas directed the job: House
Chief Dick Murphy cooperated. Sid Sommers
manages the Troy.
Shapiro Is Executive V-P
For Cinema Lodge Work
NEW YORK—To insure
the smooth functioning
of the New York Cinema lodge of
B'nai B'rith during the frequent absences of
Max E. Youngstein. president, a new jxist of
executive vice-president has been created, and
Robert K. Shapiro, managing director of
the Paramount Theatre, has been named to
fill it.
Shapiro is chairman of the fund-raising
project of Cinema lodge on behalf of the
B'nal B'rith agencies, the sale of 500 contribution
share certificates at $25 each.
VOTE NOW IN AUDIENCE AWARDS.
NEWARK
A 12-week run of "Doctor in the House" set
a record at the Bellevue Theatre In Montclair.
For the last two years, this theatre
has shown a steady run of foreign films and
special American pictures like Disney's True
Life Adventure series . . . Richard Bracken,
assistant at the Bellevue for five years, has
been promoted to manager . is a
new manager at the Center in Bloomfield
Frederick B. Dressel. He was with the Warner
circuit for 12 years before coming to this
area in January.
At the Elmbassy in East Orange, Manager
Adolph Finkelstein and Casper Gabriele, assistant,
arranged a "Going Back to School
Party." "We're always promoting here." said
Finkelstein, and he mentioned a turkey giveaway
show already planned for Thanksgiving,
the Christmas show sponsored by local merchants,
and the Halloween show for kiddies
Davidson, projectionist at the
Embassy and president of Local 244 is going
on a Florida vacation with his wife in November.
. . . William
Robert Phillips, manager of the Hollywood
in East Orange, enjoyed a siunmer vacation at
Miami. He has a new assistant, David Lawrie.
Harold Flannery has been at the Newsreel
in Newark for the last eight months as
assistant manager. He formerly was with the
Skouras chain . Weiss is the newmanager
at the Capitol here
Beattie, manager of the Capitol in Belleville,
arranged a Saturday Pencil Box matinee,
a special kiddy show of cartoons lasting about
31= hours. A local radio and TV store sponsored
this show and everyone admitted got
a free pencil box.
Gabriel Zvenia is the new assistant manager
at Loew's State in Newark. He came
here from Loew's 72nd Street, New York.
Dorothy Gorski. cashier for about four or
five years, is now being broken in as a student
assistant to Murray Sharf, manager.
Redstone Airer Circuit
Installs Kiddy Rides
BUFFALO—Redstone Drive-In Theatres,
operating len drive-ins between Virginia and
Massachusetts, is going in for kiddy rides in a
big way. As a starter, two Allan Herschell
rides have been bought and more will bei
purchased next season, according to Edward:
Redstone, vice-president.
The two rides are for Redstone's 2,500-carj
drive-in at the intersection of U. S. 1 and the|
New Jersey Turnpike, said to be the largeslj
drive-in in the country. The rides are
tank and a sky fighter.
"Free rides will be given to children befon
the show and during the intermission," Red-|
stone explained. "We are certain our play^
grounds not only keep the children happ;
while they are at the drive-in but a
motivate the parent-s to choose our drive-ii
in the fir.sl place."
Emanuel Gets 'Wiretapper'
NEW YORK—Dave Emanuel of Phoeni
Films hiis at-quired distribution rights L
"Wiretappers." life story of Jim Vaus. fdj
metropolitan New York. Buffalo, AlbanJ
Philadelphia. Pittsburgh. Cleveland and Ciij
'
cmnati.
BOXOFFICE :; October 1, 19 'j