Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

. . Lester
. . 20th-Fox
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BOSTON
TV Harold Klein and Louis Josephs have
taken over the reins of the Bay State
Film Co. and will continue to sell independent
films in the New England territory, retaining
the offices at 36 Melrose St. Klein
is the son of the former president of the
company, Edward Klein, who died in January.
Under the new setup. Josephs will be the
general manager handling the sales and Anita
Counsel will remain as secretary. Klein, who
makes his home in Newbury port, will be a
nonparticipating partner. Louis Josephs, a
veteran film salesman who has been with Bay
State for many years, is leaving for a business
visit to New York for further product
for distribution in this territory.
H. Jeff Forbes has joined WNAC-TV as
.supervisor of special film projects, according
to James A. Pike, station film director . . .
Sam Horenstein, former Manley Popcorn
representative in New England, is a patient
at Waltham Hospital recovering from an attack
of pneumonia . Hughes, former
Paramount salesman who has been operating
the Nordica Theatre, Freeport, Me.,
for the last eight years, has called it a day
and has closed the theatre. He will devote
his entire attention to his real estate business
in that city, which he has been operating
for several years.
Homer E. Robinson, Park Theatre, Southwest
Harbor, Me., was seen in the district
booking with Al Fecke at United Artists. He
has decided to reopen the house which he
closed at the end of the year . . . The Lone
Ranger arrived in town for press interviews
February 15. The date of his arrival was
also the birthday of Ralph Iannuzzi, WB
eastern division manager. Art Moger, Warner
publicist, escorted the Lone Ranger
around town for the press conferences.
The Strand Theatre, Fall River, owned and
operated by Norman Zalkind, was entered and
ransacked after the Sunday night show, with
extensive damage to the manager's office and
basement. The safe in the office was demolished
and opened, with the robbers escaping
with about $1,500. No trace of the culprits
has been found, but police believe that it was
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a professional job. The theft was discovered
by Marshall Roy, theatre custodian, when
he arrived for duty at 7:30 the following
morning . . . Theodore Fleisher, president of
Interstate Theatres Corp., spent a short vacation
at Miami Beach . . . Irving Shapiro, head
of Concession Enterprises, is also a Florida
visitor.
The Brunswick, Me., drive-in has been taken
over by Al Lourie, becoming the fourth
theatre in the new Al Lourie circuit. George
Gould gave title to Lourie February 6. The
corporate name of the theatre is Bowdoin
Associates with Lourie as president and general
manager. This 500-car Brunswick drivein
is situated about eight miles from the
Bowdoin Drive-in, also in Brunswick, which
Lourie has operated for the past four seasons.
He also runs the Kittery-York Drivein
on the New Hampshire line, and the
Adams, Dorchester, Mass., a conventional
theatre. The Brunswick drive-in, equipped
with Cinemascope, will have minor improvements
made in the concession stand and in
the general appearance when Lourie takes
over.
News from the Warner exchange: when
Vergil Jones was transferred to the Albanysales
staff, Walter "Ollie" Almon was promoted
to salesman, handling Maine, Vermont
and New Hampshire. His booking position
was taken by Phil Prager, a shipper.
Succeeding Prager was Robert "Chuggy"
Davis from National Screen. Bill Kumins
and Ralph Iannuzzi took in the eastern division
sales meeting conducted in Philadelphia
by Jules Lapidus .
news:
Three workers, absent from the office for
several weeks for surgery, have returned.
They are Pauline Vallas, contract clerk;
Barbara Brown, maintenance clerk, and Marie
Madalina, bookkeeper. Al Cohen, head shipper,
is on a short vacation in Miami Beach.
The long-closed Fine Arts Theatre, which
is in Loew's State Theatre building and formerly
an art house for films, will be converted
into a legitimate situation. A local
resident theatre company has taken a lease
on the 570-seat house to present as its first
production, "Thieves' Carnival," by Jean
Anouilh, starting March 1. The company calls
itself Lyric Productions, Inc. The theatre
is being prepared for the stage productions,
with a new stage apron, draperies, stage
lights,
etc.
Joe Rapalus, owner of the Majestic,
Easthampton. Mass., suffered a bad
accident when he fell off a ladder while
changing the letters on the marquee. As a
result his leg is in a cast and he will be laid
up for several weeks.
MOD Commitment Takes
'Suit' Premiere to NY
HARTFORD—Connecticut won't be getting
the March world premiere of 20th-Fox's
newly completed "Man in the Gray Flannel
Suit."
Plans to stage the premiere at Sampson-
Spodick-Bialek's Fine Arts Theatre, Westport,
next month have been canceled because of
a prior commitment by 20th-Fox to stage
the debut in New York for the benefit of the
March of Dimes,
'Golden Arm 7
Grosses
220 to Pace Boston
BOSTON—"The Man With the Golden
Arm" at Loew's State and Orpheum, set the
pace for a standout week, including the best
business registered at the State in many
months. This controversial film was upheld
in the Boston press by Sunday editorials m
the Herald and Post. The program was
followed in grosses by "The Benny Goodman
Story" at the Keith Memorial. "The Trouble
With Harry" at the Paramount and Fenway,
in for six days, was below average. "Helen of
Troy" registered so well at the Metropolitan
in its second stanza that it was held for a
third.
(Average Is 100)
Astor Guys and Dolls (MGM), 13th wk.... 85
Beacon Hill Othello (UA) 80
Boston Cinerama Holiday (Cinerama), 23rd wk .110
Exeter Street The Prisoner (Col), 3rd wk 115
Kenmore I Am a Camera (DCA), 6th wk...
Memorial The Benny Goodman Story (U-l).. . 170
Metropolitan Helen of Troy (WB), 2nd wk. .
Paramount and Fenway
—The Trouble With Harry
(Para); The Forty Miners (LP), 6 days 85
State and Orpheum The Man With the Golden
Arm (UA) 220
'Bed' Rates 140 Per Cent
In 11th Hartford Week
HARTFORD—Brightest attractions on the
local scene were Getz-Kingsley's "The Bed."
in its 11th week at the Art, and "Guys and
Dolls," held for an eight week at the Parsons.
Freezing rain hurt receipts over the weekend,
but trade resumed near normal proportions
within a few days.
Allyn The Court Jester (Para); Track the Man
Down (Rep)
) 20
Art The Bed (Getz-Kingsley). 11th wk 140
E. M. Loew Lease of Life (IFE)
Palace East of Eden (WB); Bottle Cry (WB), reissues
75
Parsons Guys and Dolls (MGM); 8th wk.. ...... 105
Poli Three Bad Sisters (UA); Guilt Is My
Shadow (Stratford) 90
Strand Helen of Troy (WB), 2nd wk 130
'Helen of Troy' Grosses
225 in New Haven
NEW HAVEN—Extraordinary business was
recorded by "Helen of Troy" and "The Man
With the Golden Arm." They brought receipts
of 225 per cent and 200 per cent,
respectively, to the Roger Sherman and
Loew's Poli.
Both were held over.
College East of Eden (WB); Bottle Cry (WB),
reissues, 2nd wk 95
Paramount There's Always Tomorrow (U-l); The
Vanishing American (Rep) 85
Poli The Man With the Golden Arm (UA); The
Man Who Loved Redheads [UA) 200
Roger Sherman Helen of Troy (WB) 225
500 Persons View CS 55
At New Haven Showing
NEW HAVEN—One of the largest crowds
ever to witness a motion picture technical
demonstration in this territory watched
scenes in Cinemascope 55 at a 10 a.m. show
in Loew's Poli Theatre Tuesday (7). Over
500 persons attended. They included exhibitors,
20th-Fox stockholders, distributors and
representatives of the press and radio.
Harry Shaw\ division manager of Loews
Poli-New England Theatres, opened the program
and introduced Al Levy, northeastern
division manager for 20th-Fox, who explained
the new process.
Favor Efforts of Retailers
HARTFORD—Downtown first run houses
plan to participate in the annual downtown
shopping days later this month, a traditional
sales promotional effort by retailers.
92
BOXOFFICE :
: February
18, 1956