Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

: February
. .
.
—
JACKSONVILLE
T aMar Sarra, PST vice-president and general
counsel, was the only Florida lawyer
singled out for a page of praise in the 1956
Florida Governmental Guide by its editor for
his widely recognized quality in the fields of
"home and civic life, his thinking, spirituality
and business conduct." The editor wrote that
"his greatest quality is humility." A former
University of Florida football star, Sarra,
before entering the theatre field, served as an
athletic coach, high school principal, an
attorney in private practice, member of the
state advisory council on education, Army
officer in World War II, and president of the
university's alumni association. He is currently
chairman of MPEOF's legislative committee
and co-chairman of the TOA legislative
committee.
Jack Courtnay, dean of British theatre
organists, died here at his Southside home
February 8. He was well-known in manycities
along the Atlantic seaboard and
throughout the British Isles. Courtnay first
came here in the late 1920's to play the
Florida Theatre's Wurlitzer. He later moved
to London and returned to the console at
the Florida in 1948, leaving it in 1950 to open
a music store and to direct choirs at local
churches. He is survived by his wife and a
son Jack jr., a local banker.
R. C. Mullis fell from a ladder in front of
his High Springs theatre and suffered a
broken hip. Despite the accident, he made
his regular weekly call at the Roy Smith
Co. office supporting himself on crutches.
Arthur Davis of Gold Coast Pictures, the
only distributor which has chosen Miami for
office quarters, was here to transact business
with circuits and independent booking
agencies. He reported that his theatre accounts
have increased recently in the Tampa-
St. Petersburg and central Florida areas. His
offerings are mostly British films and other
European imports of high quality suitable for
houses with art policies. A one-hour condensation
of "Red Shoes" on TV has helped
theatres showing the uncut version of the
picture, Davis said.
Bookings for George Hoover's super-duper
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Golden Glades Drive-In near Miami are being
handled by C. H. Deaver of this city . . . Dave
Williams came down from Atlanta to present
film wares of the IFE Releasing Corp. . . .
"Buck" Robuck. UA salesman for Florida,
was accompanied by Byron Adams, his district
manager for Atlanta, when calling at booking
Judson Moses, MGM's southeastern
offices . . .
press representative, declared that
the Miss Jacksonville Pageant, in which he
was a judge, provided fine entertainment and
was conducted in extremely good taste at the
Palace Theatre the night of February 8.
. . . Phil Berler. booker for
Bender S. Cawthon, local film technician,
has produced and photographed an 18-minute
documentary, "Your Sheriff's Office," which
effectively pictures the drama of law enforcement
in a metropolitan area. Directed by
Glen Lambert, the film is a product of Public
Service Films
E. M. Loew's Theatres and a resident of
Boston, visited local film exchanges .
Exhibitors in town were Mayor J. M. Wells of
Kingsland, Ga., who operates theatres there
and at Folkston, Ga.; Kay Porter, Temple
Theatre, Perry; Eddie Myerson. Miami Drive-
In, Miami; George Norman, Famous Theatre,
Winter Park; Bob Daugherty, Floyd Theatres,
Haines City, and Bill Lee, Community Drive-
In. Keystone.
Ray O. Colvin of Chicago, a director of
COMPO, member of the Society of Motion
Picture Engineers and executive director of
the Theatre Equipment Dealers Ass'n, axrived
in Florida to make a series of addresses
before civic groups and clubs on the subject
of "What the Movie Theatre Means to Your
Community." Among his first talks was the
one at the local Optimist Club, with Bob
Anderson, Main Street Drive-In manager,
making arrangements. The industry needs
many goodwill ambassadors of Colvin's caliber
to show exhibitors how to improve their relations
with the communities in which they
live.
NEW ORLEANS
ITigh winds and rain hurt boxoffice receipts
all through the territory. Many drive-ins
were forced to close and conventional theatres
found patrons were far and few between.
W. Turner of
the Citronelle Drive-in,
Citronelle, Ala., said his screen tower was
down and asked that Transway suspend
service until damage has been repaired.
Sammy Wright of the Algiers Drive-in,
Algiers, said that part of the fence was torn
down by the high winds.
. . .
Patsy Mahoney, formerly secretary at
Transway, resigned to assume a similar job
with the New Orleans Baseball Club . . . Jean
Rabalais, clerk at Paramount, reported back
to work after an appendicitis operation
Johnny Harrell, Martin Theatres, Atlanta,
was in town buying and booking.
Exhibitors were scarce on Filmrow due to
the fact that hotel and motel accomodations
were at a premium due to the influx of the
carnival season visitors here . . . Dorothy
Lamour, born and raised in New Orleans is
a visitor for the carnival season.
Ray Teal will play the role of a ruthless
land baron in Warners' "The Burning Hills."
Pity the
Poor
Woiking^
She sits on her . .
office chair all day.
When she goes to the
movies at night, she wonts
real relaxation and comfort
or she simply doesn't go! To attract
the working girl—and her boy
friend and mother and father and
sister and brother— let us repair or
replace worn, uncomfortable seats.
We'll do it in a jiffy ... for a pittance
. . . without interrupting your
show. Wanna know how much?
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BOXOFFICE :
18. 1956 69