Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

Atlanta Peachtree
Now New Theatre
ATLANTA—The Peachtree Art Theatre
here has completed a vast remodeling project
which has converted the sophisticated showcase
into one of the most modern theatres
in this area.
The Art management started at the boxoffice
and renovated the theatre straight
through to the stage curtain and screen, with
a new air conditioning-heating unit installed
at the cost of $50,000 listed as the major addition.
A new boxoffice which will accommodate
both reserved-seat sales and conventional
ticket sales at two windows was constructed,
replacing the old boxoffice which was situated
in the center of the foyer.
The lounge was redecorated to accommodate
a small art exhibition to be furnished
by local galleries and changed each three
weeks. The lobby was done in a beige motif
with the walls hung with Texalite, a new,
light-weight plastic material, which gives the
appearance of marble. The interior auditorium
was done in Velvetex, another plastic.
This time a pattern of red, brown and chocolate
was used on the walls.
New furnishings were especially built for
the lobby and lounges and new lighting was
installed.
A new Cinemascope screen was installed
and a new fire-resistant, silk stage curtain
on a circular track was put in.
The air conditioning plant consists of two
15-ton units for the auditorium and a fiveton
unit for the lobby and restrooms. This
plant incorporates heating facilities. It is
a blower type manufactured by Governaire.
All equipment was purchased through National
Theatre Supply Co., according to Mel
Brown, owner, and Walter Munroe, manager.
E. S. Gullett, Theatreman
And Engineer, Is Dead
BENOIT, MISS.—Edward Sidney Gullett,
54. owner and operator of the Benoit Theatre
for several years, died at his home here
after a sudden heart seizure. He had not
been ill.
A civil engineer, Gullett had been active
in the building of several drive-in theatres
around the state. Survivors include his wife,
his mother and three sons. Burial was at
Shaw, Miss.
X-Ray Effort Gets a Lift
ST. PETERSBURG—An all-out drive by
the Pinellas County Tuberculosis Ass'n to get
100 per cent participation in the free chest
X-ray program got a valuable assist from the
State and Florida Theatres here. Managers
at the two houses offered to aid by taking
over the job of baby sitting while the parents
were canvassing or being X-rayed. Free
children's shows were offered during the
survey.
Make Use of Closed Season
JAMESTOWN, TENN.—Lyman Hinds, manager
of the Twi-Light Drive-In here, said he
and his staff have been taking advantage of
the closed season to do some work at the
drive-in. Approximately 100 additional parking
spaces are being added, and the concessions
stand is being enlarged and improved.
George Krevo Takes Bow
For Fine Miss J Contest
JACKSONVILLE—A packed house of wildly
applauding fans attested to the success of
the annual Miss Jacksonville beauty pageant
George Krevo, manager of the Palace
Theatre, Jacksonville, was too modest to
take a public bow during his masterly
staging of the Jaycee-sponsored Miss
Jacksonville beauty pageant at his theatre,
so several of the contest lovelies
flocked around him for a backstage picture
with "Mr. Jacksonville," a title he
had won the day before at a Junior
Chamber of Commerce meeting. Betty
Repoff, right, was voted "Miss Jacksonville."
held at the Palace Theatre with Manager
George Krevo acting as impresario for the
Jaycee-sponsored event. The winning contestant
among 15 finalists on stage was a
blue-eyed blonde, Betty Repoff, a local girl
and former June Taylor dancer on the Jackie
Gleason Show.
Veteran showmen here said the contest
brought out the finest display of beauty and
amateur stage talent ever seen behind local
footlights. Among the judges were Judson
Moses, MGM publicity man from Atlanta;
Bob Dow, managing editor of the Jacksonville
Journal, and Dr. Paul Johnson, president
of Jacksonville Junior College.
Krevo staged the entire event, with assists
from Bill Beck, manager of the Five Points
Theatre who served as publicity chairman,
and other members of the Junior Chamber of
Commerce. In conducting the contest, Krevo
adhered strictly to the rules of the Miss
America contest, of which this was one of
the first 1956 preliminaries. Dick Fellows,
WPDQ announcer, served as emcee.
New Manager at Dawson
DAWSON, GA.—James C. Sanders of
Etowah, Term., has been named manager of
the Martin Theatre here and already assumed
his new duties. Sanders suceeeds Jerry Evans,
who was transferred to Brewton, Ala., as
manager of the Martin Theatre there.
Palatka Airer Screen Enlarged
PALATKA, FLA.—Work is under way on
enlarging the screen at the Linda Drive-In.
Arkansas ITO to Meet
At Hot Springs Apr. 2
HOT SPRINGS, ARK.—The 37th annual
convention of the Independent Theatre
Owners of Arkansas will be held at the Velda
Rose Motel here on April 2, 3, and Jim
Carbery, president of the organization, said
some excellent entertainment and some fine
speakers had been lined up for the event.
Myron Blank of Des Moines, president of
Theatre Owners of America, will be one of
the headline speakers, Carbery said.
At a recent board of directors meeting in
Little Rock, Carbery appointed J. Fred Brown
of Fort Smith as convention general chairman,
with Nona White, Little Rock, to serve
as assistant. Convention committee members
are Mrs. Jessie Howe Anderson, Mrs. Violet
Martin, Clarence Duvall, all of Hot Springs;
Carl Burton, Fort Smith, and Cecil Cupp,
Arkadelphia.
This will be the first time in some 20 years
that the ITO of Arkansas convention has
been held in Hot Springs.
The famed Arkansas Derby will be held at
the Oaklawn Race Track on the Saturday
preceding opening of the convention.
All industry folk have been invited to plan
to attend the convention.
'Osceola Story' Starts
Shooting in Florida
ORLANDO, FLA.—John Hugh, president
of Empire Studios, said here that a fiveweek
shooting schedule for the widescreen
Eastman Color feature, "The Osceola Story,"
has been started. The picture is the second
full-length feature production of the Florida
company. The script, written by Frank G.
Slaughter, noted historical novelist, sticks
close to history in telling the story of the
Seminole Indian chieftain and his wars with
the U. S. Government from the Indians'
viewpoint.
James Craig, Hollywood film star, is already
on the scene, as are co-stars Barton Mac-
Lane and Lita Milan. A replica of Ft. King
has been set up between Kissimmee and St.
Cloud, and much of the shooting will take
place in that area. Osceola County ranch
owners Mrs. Pat Johnson and Senator Irlo
Bronson are allowing the use of their land in
the picture's sequences.
Republic is budgeting the picture as one
of its major productions, and is expecting
a minimum boxoffice return of $1,000,000.
Fail to Produce Evidence
That Anyone Saw Film
CHARLESTON, S. O—An obscene film
charge was thrown out of court in Mount
Pleasant because no one would admit having
seen the alleged "shocker." Magistrate Paul
A. Foster dismissed W. F. Harris, manager of
the Seabreeze Drive-In Theatre charged with
showing an obscene film on grounds of insufficient
evidence.
There was no proof, the magistrate said,
that the film ("Untamed Mistress") was ever
shown publicly and therefore no proof Harrb
violated the law as charged in the warrant
for his arrest.
Jeannette Nolan has been assigned one of
the femme leads in Columbia's "The Seventh
Cavalry."
BOXOFFICE :
: February
18, 1956 67