Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

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38
. . The
. . Charley
. . William
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Leave Homes io Spend
If the Show Is Right
NEW HAVEN—Residents of this area have
plenty of money for entertainment and will
spend it for the right show. Proof of this
came when 45,000 persons attended an ice
show and a stage musical which played the
city almost simultaneously. During this same
period, motion picture theatres prospered and
several sports events attracted crowds in the
thousands. This surge of "going out" indicated
that the public will leave its TV
sets for theatre and live entertainment provided
the latter is better than that provided
on video boxes.
The 1956 Ice Capades was witnessed by 30,000
persons at ten performances in the New
Haven Arena at $2 to $4.80. At the Shubert.
the road company of "Damn Yankees" played
before 15,000 persons, at nine performances
at $1.80 to $6.
The two shows had their runs here during
a 13-day period. Almost all performances
were sold out and if the Arena and Shubert
seating capacities were greater, meeting
heavy demand for the weekend performances,
the overall attendance figures would have been
even greater.
Plan 1,600-Car Drive-in
Just West of Paterson
NEW YORK—Plans for another New Jersey
drive-in, the third to be announced in recent
weeks, have been drawn for the Browertown
Realty Co., a Paterson enterprise. The theatre
will be on a 30-acre tract with highway
frontage in Little Falls and extending into
West Paterson.
The Browertown company is headed by
Jacob Levine, a real estate dealer, and Joseph
J. Mangeney, pioneer in drive-in operation.
Both live in Paterson.
The estimated cost will be $500,000, with a
capacity of 1,600 cars, and early spring as
the target date for opening. Sherman, Taylor
& Sleeper are the architects. The plans call
for a large refreshment center with a dining
terrace and cafeteria and a playground for
children with motor driven rides.
BOWLING
KANSAS CITY—The Filmrow Bowling
League reports the following standings after
the games Friday (10)
MEN'S
WOMEN'S
Team Won Lost Team Won Lost
Dixie 57 27 Finton Jones 43 23
Shreve's 45 39 Monley Ppprs 39 27
Filmrow > ? . 40 44 Borq & Kim . 28
Monley Ppcrn 40 44 Monley Inc. .36 30
Mode O'Doy 39 45 Hrt Drive-In 34 32
Roadrunners .39 45 Hrtmn's Hrm 28 38
Alley Rats... 38 46 101 Service. 23 43
United Film 38 46 Mode O'Doy 23 43
The RKO Missouri Theatre employes now
bowl every Saturday night after the last
show. They will bowl seven games, the winners
to be given a steak dinner by the losers.
At the present time, Matt Plunkett, manager,
has a score of 162; Ralph Buhimaster,
assistant manager, 158; David Huls, 156;
Glen Smith, 155.
Dallas City House Goes Dark
DALLAS CITY. ILL.—The Dallas Theatre,
owned and operated by C. Justus Garard has
closed temporarily. It is expected to reopen
soon.
ST.
LOUIS
n $15,000 marquee was the final touch in the
improvement program for the recently
remodeled Iowa Theatre, Keokuk, Frisina
Amusement Co. house . A. Guinan
has joined the sales staff of the St. Louis
Supply Co., owned by Mrs. Arch Hosier. Bill
was with McCarty Theatre Supply for the last
four years and also was with National Theatre
Supply for a number of years . . . Salesmen's
Colosseum Loge 19, George A. Cohn,
president, will meet Saturday (25) at the
Melbourne Hotel at 1:30 p. m.
A luncheon meeting was held by the Frisina
Amusement Co. in the Gold Room of the
Leland Hotel, Springfield, 111., Monday (61
for managers of some 50 Frisina theatres and
drive-ins in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.
Among those present were Domenic Frisina,
president; Ciro Pedrucci, vice-president; R.
A. Pedrucci, buyer and booker; Domenic
Giachetto, treasurer; J. B. Giachetto, managing
director and executive secretary; James
Frisina, buyer and booker, and Springfield
managers J. A. Pedrucci, James Reavy and
William P. Giachetto. Others present from
central Illinois included Russell Hogue, Litchfield;
Norman Paul, Carlinville; Earl Cleveland,
Hillsboro; Francis Starr, Greenville;
V. J. Helling, Taylorville; Coy Blythe, Shelbyville,
and Angelo Pellegrini, Decatur.
"Guys and Dolls" entered its eighth week
at the Esquire in Richmond Heights, a suburban
deluxer . case of St. Louis Amusement
Co. vs. Columbia Pictures et al has
been continued to the March term of district
Exhibitors seen in St. Louis included
court . . .
Bob Johnson, Fairfield: Bill Jackson,
Waverly; Tom Baker, Bunker Hill; Leo F.
Keiler, president; H. B. Palmer, buyerbooker,
and Glenn D. Schrader, maintenance
and personnel, Columbia Amusement Co.,
Paducah, Ky.; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Miller,
Festus; John Rees, Wellsville; Dody Stout,
Cairo; Herschell Webster. Steelville; Ben
Kramer, Nameoki; Otto Ingwersen, Montgomery
City.
Irving Sochin, Universal short subjects
sales manager, was a local visitor . . Chick
.
Evans, 20th-Fox publicist was here for the
Cinemascope 55 demonstrations in St. Louis
and Springfield, 111. . . . Paul L. Krueger,
president and co-general manager, Fred
Wehrenberg Theatres, St. Louis, recently was
appointed marshal for Moolah Temple of the
Mystic Shrine. Paul, as chairman of the St.
Louis County housing authority, is planning
to erect three $l,000,000-plus public housing
projects in the county. This is in addition
. . .
.
to his duties in connection with the circuit's
operations and as convention chairman for
the 1956 annual meeting of the Missouri-
Illinois Theatre Owners The Birdland
Stars of 1956 were on the stage of the Missouri
Friday (17) Goldman and
Jules Leventhal are installing Cinemascope
equipment in their Lyric Theatre on Sixth
street.
Carver Closes in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, MO—The Carver Theatre at
1310 Franklin Ave., operated by Charley Goldman
and Jules Leventhal, has been closed
for an indefinite period.
Columbia's "The Return of Custer" has
been retitled "The Seventh Cavalry."
Warner Field Forces Hold
Two-Day Chicago Meeting
CHICAGO—John F. Kirby. Warner Bros,
midwest division sales manager, opened a twoday
meeting of district and branch managers
at the Blackstone Hotel Tuesday 1
<
for a discussion of product scheduled for release
during the summer.
Those present were Robert H. Dunbar, midwest
district manager; George Lefko, Chicago:
Joe Baringhaus, Detroit, and Frank
Reimer, Milwaukee, managers; Art W. Anderson,
north prairie district manager, and
H. T. Blass, Des Moines; M. B. Adcock,
Minneapolis, and F. J. Hannon, managers;
Hall Walsh, south prairie district manager,
and R. C. Borg, Kansas City, and Lester
Bona, St. Louis, branch managers.
Home office executives present were Bernard
R. Goodman, coordinator of field sales
activities; Robert A. McGuire, auditor of exchanges,
and Charles Baily, assistant to Norman
H. Moray, short subject sales manager.
Charles A. Bull, 76, Dies;
Wichita Area Exhibitor
WICHITA—One of the area's veteran
showmen, Charles A. Bull, died Sunday (12)
in a local hospital. Services were held Tuesday
for the 76-year-old theatre operator who
had resided in Wichita for 39 years. He
came here from Tonkaw'a, Okla., owning
and operating the Novelty Theatre from 1917
until 1946. At one time he was a partner
with the late W. D. Fite of El Dorado in
theatre enterprises and they publicized their
activities as "Fite an' Bull." Until Bull's
retirement in 1946 he had interests in the
81 and 54 Drive-ins, now operated by Consolidated
Agencies. He is survived by his
wife, three sisters and two brothers.
20th-Fox Demonstration
Of CS 55 Draws 550
KANSAS CITY—M. A. Levy, 20th-Fox
division manager, spoke at the demonstration
of the new dimension Cinemascope 55 at
the Orpheum Theatre last Thursday (9)
morning. There were 550 industry representatives
at the demonstration, including all the
20th-Fox salesmen and those of several of
the other exchanges. An unusual number of
out-of-town exhibitors were there and were
impressed by the continuing strides which
are being made in motion picture production.
Joe Neger, exchange manager, went to
Wichita to conduct the demonstration there
at the Miller Theatre.
"SELECT" FOUNTAIN SYRUPS
DRINK DISPENSERS
Select Drink Inc.
4210 W. Florissant Ave. Phone
St. Louis 15, Mo. Evergreen 5-5935
EVERYTHING FOR THE THEATRE
St. Louis Theatre Supply Company
Mrs. Arch Hosier
3310 Olive Street, St. Louis 3, Mo.
Tclophone JEfferaon 3-7974
BOXOFFICE :
: February
18, 1956 6G-C