Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

. . Gene
. . Harry
LOS ANGELES
Chelby Bourne, winner of the Audience
Awards managers contest conducted by
the Commonwealth Amusement circuit,
headquartering in Kansas City, and wife
were here on a trip he won as the prize for
the best promotional job in the circuit during
the recent COMPO-sponsored poll. He
is the Commonwealth manager in Garden
City, Kas. . Arthur jr., head of
Fanchon & Marco and board chairman of
the Southern California Theatre Owners
Ass'n, returned from a business trip to St.
Louis.
VISITS SEATTLE TENT—When Al Grubstick of San Francisco, International
Variety representative, was in town recently he met with the officers of the newly
formed Variety Club of the Pacific Northwest Tent 46. In the gToup, left to right, are
Chief Barker M. "Bud" Saffle; Frank X. Christie, canvasman; Art Greenfield, second
assistant chief barker: Grubstick; canvasmen B. C. Johnson, Doug Forbes, Paul Mc-
Elhinney, Harry Plunkett; Ed Cruea, first assistant chief barker; C. B. Gustafson,
dough guy, and Fred Danz, property master.
Edward Hyman to Speak
At Meeting of SCTOA
LOS ANGELES—What the
Southern California
Theatre Owners Ass'n terms the "feast
or famine" practices of producers and distributors
will be discussed by Edward L.
Hyman. vice-president of American Broadcasting-Paramount
Theatres, at a Tuesday
1 21) SCTOA meeting at the Ambassador
Hotel.
In urging the SCTOA membership to attend,
board chairman Harry C. Arthur jr.
reminded that Hyman and Leonard H.
Goldenson. ABC-Paramount president, have
been discussing with major company sales
heads the possibility of establishing an "orderly"
release schedule to give showmen an
"even flow of top-grade features throughout
the 12 months."
William Forman Is Named
Heart Fund Drive Head
LOS ANGELES—Appointed chairman of
the exhibitors segment of the motion picture
industry division for the annual Los
5724 S.E. Monroe St
Portland 22, Oregon
WEST COAST THEATRES
FOR SALE
Write for
list.
THEATRE EXCHANGE
260 Kearny Street
San Francisco 8. Calif.
Angeles County Heart Fund campaign was
William C. Forman, president of Pacific
Drive-in Theatres. Committee members include
Sherrill C. Corwin, Metropolitan Theatres;
Spencer Leve. Fox West Coast; Fred
Greenberg, Warner manager; Wayne Hanson,
South-Lyn Theatres; Ezra Stern, chief
barker. Variety Tent 25. and Ida Schreiber,
secretary, Southern California Theatre
Owners Ass'n.
Paul Frees to Be Voice
Of Mule in New Series
HOLLYWOOD—Paul Frees, who does the
talking for Tom and Jerry in MGM's cartoon
series, will be the "voice" of Francis,
the "talking mule," in U-I's "Francis in the
Haunted House," seventh in the series. Frees
succeeds Chill Wills, who handled the dialog
for Francis in the preceding six features.
The new "Francis," a Robert Arthur production,
stars Mickey Rooney and is being
directed by Charles Lamont.
Press Group Goes to Sea
To View Filming of Fire
HOLLYWOOD—For one of the climactic
scenes in "Around the World in 80 Days,"
Producer Mike Todd shepherded 40 trade
and general press representatives and columnists
to sea on Wednesday (15) aboard a
chartered boat to witness the burning of a
yacht offshore from the Balboa-Newport
area. The firing and sinking of the vessel
was captured by Todd-AO cameras for the
offering, which United Artists will distribute
as a roadshow.
To Discuss Code Revision
HOLLYWOOD—Chosen panelists for the
Sunday 1 19) Motion Picture Industry Council
forum discussion on "Should the Production
Code Be Revised?" were Jerry Wald, Leonard
Spigelgass, Dick Powell, F. Hugh Herbert and
Robert Aldrich, with Kenneth MacGowan,
former film producer and now attached to
the UCLA faculty, as moderator.
Edward Cassidy will enact the role of President
Theodore Roosevelt in RKO'.s "The First
Traveling Saleslady."
Harry Novak, RKO booker, and Dan Rochin,
who manages the United
Artists Theatre
downtown, both became poppas of baby
girls, while Bill Swanson. onetime exhibitor
. . . After
who now owns Paradise Cove, a fishing resort,
was presented a grandchild
three years in the post, Alex Cooperman
resigned as western division sales head for
IFE. He plans to go into the independent
distribution field . . . Mel Evidon of Favorite
Films was hospitalized for a medical checkup.
. . .
Gordon West and Johnny Hatcher have
taken over a former Fox West Coast house,
the Tower, in Santa Paula Merle Cavanaugh,
booker-buyer for the Edwards circuit,
was on the Row as were Dick Ettinger
of the Metzger-Srere chain, and D. and E.
Mitterling, who operate the Mission in Fallbrook
. Wilbur, owner of the Palm in
Palm City, is recuperating in Chula Vista Hospital
after being kicked over a fence by a
horse . . . Herb Turpie. the Manley popcorn
man, headed for Kansas City for home office
huddles.
Resigning as an RKO salesman was Leo
Jensen . . . Fred Stein, head of Fred Stein
Enterprises, returned from a business trip to
New York . . . Millie and Lou LaMell, operators
of the Patio restaurant on the Row.
were given a dinner by their daughter and
son-in-law. celebrating the LaMells' 27th
anniversary . . . Joe Horn arrived from
Gotham to join the local Buena Vista staff
as auditor. He at one time was a U-I salesman
in New York . . . Open only a week under
management of P. B. Hackley jr.. the
Kiva Theatre on South Broadway has been
shuttered again. Among its previous operators
were Dave Rector, Moses Hernandez
and the late Sunday Monday.
U-I Signs Onslow Stevens
HOLLYWOOD—Veteran character actor
Onslow Stevens has been signed to a multiple-picture
contract by U-I. where his first
assignment will be a lead in "Kelly and Me,"
Technicolor-CinemaScope musical starring
Van Johnson and Piper Laurie. It rolls Monday
(27 1 as a Robert Arthur production,
with Robert Z. Leonard megging.
Domino Firm Is Formed
HOLLYWOOD — Domino Productions has
been formed by Ruben A. Calderon, distributor-exhibitor
of Latin American films, with
an initial slate of four features designed
for consumption in the American market.
They will be lensed at the Azteca studios in
Mexico City, with "Black Moon" as the first
to hit the cameras.
60 BOXOFFICE :
: February
18, 1956