Boxoffice-October.01.1955

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$125,000 Mullaney Suit
To Be Tried This Fall
CHAKLESTON, ILL.—Judge Robert F.
Cotton of the Coles County circuit court here
recently denied a defense motion for dismissal
m the $125,000 suit filed by the administrator
)f the John Mullaney estate, operator of the
Ricky Tlieatre in Mattoon. against the Frisina
\niusemenl Co., Springfield, which owns the
IJl.irk. Mattoon and Times theatres there. The
aicky went out of business in July 1952.
The suit is to be tried before a circuit court
lury. probably this fall. Motion to dismiss
he .-iuit was argued here in August before
Jud^e Cotton, who said the case may set
egal precedent in Illinois courts.
The petition, filed in November 1954.
illeged that the Frisina company drove the
?icky into bankruptcy by lowering the adnission
prices of the rival theatres, which
he defendant controlled, and by other unfair
jraclices. The complaint charged the deendants
with establishing a monopoly in the
heatre busijiess in Mattoon.
The suit was filed by Walter F. Mullaney
jersonally and as the administrator of the
.'State of his brother, John W. Mullaney. The
:ase reportedly was dismissed in the federal
lourts on a technicality before the state
iction was brought.
5t. Louis Area Drive-ins
Set Their Closing Dates
ST. LOUIS—Owners of a number of driven
theatres in this area have announced
entative dates for closing their theatres for
he season.
The Frisina Amusement Co. has named
)ctober 15 closing dates for these drive-ins:
iki-Hi. Hannibal, Mo.: Little Dixie, Mexico,
lo.: Skylark, Keokuk. Iowa: and in Illinoi.s:
tustic Starlight, Effingham; Charleston,
iharleston; Sky-View, Litchfield; Kay,
helbyville; Frisina, Taylorville, and Gordon,
tobinson.
The Sunset in Houston and Willow- in
Villow Springs. Mo., both owned by R. D.
"isher of the Star, Willow Springs will close
)ctober 8.
Airway, Memphis, Mo., C. W. Locke, Times
"heatre. Memphis. Mo., owner, was to close
)ctober 2.
Pine Hill, Piedmont, Mo., A. B. and Maude
efferis, closed September 29.
I Salem, Salem, lU., Cluster Theatres, Loren
''lu.ster, Salem, was to close October 15.
Sunset Drive-In, Mount Olive 111., Louis
idorizzi of Staunton, 111., owner, suffered
•reen tower damage in a windstorm the
Ight of September 21 and will be closed
idefinitely.
Hi-Y, Fredericktown, Mo., L. A. Mercier,
lercier Theatre, owner, will operate on
aturdays and Sundays only, beginning
'ctol)er 1.
IVest Quincy. Mo., Drive-In
;)losed by Highway Job
WEST QUINCY. MO.—The Quincy Drive-
|i on Route 24 operated under lease by Mayor
ay Parker of Brentwood. Mo., was closed
iunday ii8i because highway construction
|:tlvities in the vicinity made it difficult for
itrons to attend the theatre. The early
.oslng was unfortunate because the drive-in
'Id enjoyed nice business, and weather con-
Uons now are Ideal for
I
drive-in operations.
ST.
LOUIS
Q.ip.iiily audU-nces enjoyed the Mnrdano-
Moore fight via TV at LoeWs State here
.md at the Majestic, East St. Louis, while
the UA motion p.ctures of that brawl were
voted "the best ever" by those who viewed
them at a tradescreening at Ruby S'Renco's
screening room the morning of Saturday (24i.
•Every theatre should book Vm." wa.s the
praise of one rival exchange manager. Others
echoed that sentiment. Loew's State and
Loew's Orpheum keyed off the local runs on
the highlights of the big fight.
The case of Northtown Theatre Corp. vs.
Mickelson, trustee, et al (from Mlnne^ota»
has been submitted on briefs without oral
iirguments to Judges Woodrough. Vogel and
Stone in the U. S. court of appeals here.
be some time before the appellate court
It w'ill
issues its decision . . . J. G. Golladay, longtime
midwest theatre manager, has succeeded
William J. Souttar as manager of the Lincoln,
a unit of Fox Midwest Theatres, in Springfield,
111. Souttar resigned to become an
assistant vice-president of Burton Reid, Inc.
Golladay, with Fox Midwest for 25 years,
recently had been manager of the Kennedy
and Princess theatres in Kirksville.
A baby girl was born September 20 to Mrs.
John Edmundson, owner of the Edmundson
Theatre, Bloomfield, Mo. Her husband is
former county clerk for Stoddard County .
Jim Castle, Paramount publicity and advertising
manager for this territory, was in
Chicago recently for the special .showing at
the State Lake of the 70mm version of
"Desperate Hours," shot with double frame
cameras . Williamson, RKO manager,
was in Springfield, Cairo and Paducah
calling on circuit heads.
Art LaPlant, St. Louis salesman for
Columbia Pictures, was honored September
20 upon completion of 25 years with the company.
Carl Shalit, Detroit, division manager,
was here for this special occasion. Art was
presented with a beautiful wristwatch as a
memento . . . Al O. Bondy, theatrical distributor.
General Electric Films, was a visitor
Granite City city council upheld the
veto of Mayor Leonard R. Davis of the halfcent
sales tax ordinance. Ten votes were
needed to override the veto but proponents
of the tax got only eight. Five voted to
sustain the Mayor.
Stretch Miller, a radio and TV sportscastcr
here for the past nine years, has assumed his
duties as sports director for Radio Station
WIRL at Peoria, III. ... A motion picture
travelog on Soviet Russia was shown by Oliver
Vickery, president. Ferro-Bet Co., San Francisco,
the man who shot this uncensored
documentary, Friday (30i at the St. Loui-
University gymnasium. Vickery took the film
during an 8.000-mile trip behind the Iron
Curtain . St. Louis Community Playhouse
is discontinuing its activities because oi
failure to obtain suitable quarters for lishows.
Tom \V. Bridge of Dallas, recently appointed
Paramount southwest district manager,
wa-s here to confer with Harry H. Haa.'-.
manager, and to meet the local staff. He wa.s
accompanied by Al Fitter from New York.
Vice-President Hugh Owen's assistant. A 26-
year man with Paramount, Bridge was Dallas
branch manager before assuming his new
duties. His pri'ftent territory Include* Dallas.
Kan.sos City, Oklahoma City, St. Loul« niul
a new branch to open .soon In Houxton, Tex«h
AmonK fumlllar faces from Illinois on Filmrow:
Herman Tanner, Vandollu; Bernard
Temborlus. Brecse; Eddie Clark. Metropoll.s:
Charley Bcnlnatl, Carlyle; Tom Bloomer.
Belleville; Joe Goldfnrb. Alton; Izzy Wlciishlenk,
Piibllx Great States, Alton, aecompanled
by PGS Vice-President Duncan
R. Kennedy from Chicago; Rani Pcdruccl,
Frisina Amusement Co.. Springfield; Loren
Cluster. Salem; Dale Moody. Tuscola; Forrest
Plrtle and Paul Horn. Jerseyvllle. and Paul
Missouri Filmrou
Stehman. Winchester . . .
visitors Included: Judge Frank X. Rellcr,
WentzviUe; William Dean Davis. West Plains;
Russell Armentrout. Louisiana, and Bill
Williams, Union.
Open Five Nights a Week
VILLA GROVE. ILL The Clem 'Hieatre.
owned by George Barber, which wa-s reopened
for business September 22 after being dark
since early in June, will be open five nights
a week until the picture booking .schedules
permit nightly operation. The hou.se will be
dark on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
I3J7 S. WAMSH. CHICA0O«6M NINTH AVL.NIW TCMII
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