Boxoffice-May.12.156

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. . Bob
. . Ralph
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. . . Morris
. . Bert
. . Henry
. . . Head
. . Cashier
. . Booker
. . Mr.
. . Joe
. . Joe
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PHILADELPHIA
\irithout rity." an Italian made film distributed
locally by Sieg Horowitz, did a
good first run business at the Vogue Theatre
in its first Philadelphia showing. The
p:i:i:ii> was exploited as the "story of a
Niu:.' CiI" . . . The Dover. Del., chapter of
i!u National Ass'n for Advancement of
Coluifd People called a boycott by Negroes
of two theatres in Dover, a drive-in south of
town, and one each at Middletown and
Smyrna. Bernard F^-isby. a member of the
chapter's integration unit, claimed that the
four theatres were segregated and the drivein
made Negroes park their cars on one side.
A spoke.^iman for the family owning the five
theatres said there was "no segregation at
the
drive-in."
James VV. Ercolani, a 19-year-old South
Philadelphia youth, has been signed to a
seven-year contract by Columbia Pictures on
the strength of his photograph showing his
good looks . . . Frank Colantuono. father of
Lou. the Arcadia Theatre executive, was in
Misericordia Hospital . Swan" at
the Randolph here has taken a swan dive
since opening day from the boxoffice receipts
which had been expected. It is expected
to do a landoffice business at the
Alden Theatre, which is in the princess' home
territory. East Falls. "To Catch a Thief"
caught fire at the boxoffice at the theatre
when it played there.
believes that the city may not be able to
pass such a local law without special enabling
legislation from the state.
Leo Barrett, who has operated the theatre
in Ashley for many years, now is manager of
the New Lyric in South Philadelphia. The
owner is Leo Posel . Garman. local
Paramount sales manager, was recuperating
in Germantown Hospital . . . Severe w'inds
completely demolished the Scavo brothers'
Ideal Drive-In in Newton Lake. Rebuilding
is to start immediately . . . Thi-ee score exhibitors
and exchangemen attended a testimonial
dinner to Frank Sculli at Remington Hotel
in Wilkes-Barre. Sculli, longtime local representative
for MGM. has been elevated to
cover Philadelphia sales.
The Savoy Theatre at Catasqua has been
sold by William Humphries to Jack Green-
bergs Northampton Theatre Co. . . . Perry
Lessy has leased the Strand from Ray
Schwartz Finance Co. is moving
from Vine street to 1901 Market St. .
Jim Forte, manager of Stanley Warner's
Waverly Theatre, sold a goodwill packet of
500 tickets to Sheffield Furniture & Carpet
Co. The store will give away the tickets to
customers . Kessler, manager of the
SW Benn Theatre, has been running Saturday
"Space Helmet Patrol" matinees for the
kiddies.
PLAN WIMIK OPENING—Adolph
Zukor. chairman of the board of Paramount,
and Jack Kruchtnian. ownor of the
New Theatre, Baltimore, which has been
selected as one of the first 12 theatres in
the world to play Cecil B. DeMille's production
of "The Ten Commandments,"
are shown above discussing: this ambitious
undertaking. The picture, DeMille's 70th
production, opens in Baltimore in December.
Fruchtman started his film career
as an office boy for Paramount in 1929.
Today he owns seven Maryland theatres.
The jurj' listening to the Rossman miu'der
trial made a trip to the Viking to see "The Drive-In Is Relocated
Man in the Gray Flannel Suit." The theatre
had to cut out the newsreel for the show.
The bill was sent to quarter sessions court . this political
The city counci: will explore the possibility
of local motion picture censorship. The April injured in a traffic
grand jury expressed a need for the city to
have the power to ban "obscene, immoral and
crime-inciting" films, and the jury said that
the city should have a censorship ordinance.
However, council president James H. J. Tate
EVANSVTLLE. W. VA.—Page Irvin has relocated
his Town and Country Drive-In to
subdivision after being installed
for several years at Cheat Lake. Irvin was
collusion last year and his
outdoor theatre was closed most of the season
following this accident.
BALTIMORE
/^eorge Hendricks, manager of the Mayfair,
leaves soon for a vacation in Connecticut.
A new assistant at the Mayfair is Jon Hall,
formerly of the U. S Marines . Jones,
manager of the Town, had Bill Sparks in
Baltimore for a day, to provide advance promotion
for "Cockleshell Heroes." Sparks was
technical advisor during the picture's filming.
Chief Barker Earl Lewis of the Baltimore
Variety Club attended Variety's annual convention
in New York. Other delegates from
here included Mike Rendelman and Harry
Goldberg, both of Berlo Vending; Jack Whittle,
ex-chief barker and owner of the Avenue
Mechanic, retired Baltimore theatre
owner, and his wife entertained with a
party Monday night (7i for the opening of
"Can-Can" at Ford's Theatre. A supper for
the guests and several members of the cast
followed at the Sheraton Belvedere.
Hal Talmadge Colley, publicist for the Century
and New. had TV comedian George
Gobel in town Wednesday to meet the press,
radio and TV. Colley invited the group to
a breakfast party, after which Gobel went
on to Washington . Cremers is a new
assistant manager to Jimmy Richards at the
Little Theatre. He is a University of Baltimore
student, majoring in public relations.
WASHINGTON
w
O.Ml'I of WashinKton elected Madeline
Ackerman, Elmer Bncnt Co.. president;
Mary Agnes Sweeney, Louis Bernheimer Theatres,
and Mary Jane Wlnebrenner, Warner
Bros., vice-presidents; Florence Carden. Allied
Artists, recording secretary; Ethel Curtis,
20th-Fox, recording secretary; Nelia Turner.
RKO, treasurer, and Clara Lust of Ben Lust
Theatre Supply, ElUeen Oliver of 20th-Fox,
Sally Myers of Columbia to the executive
board. Past president Lucille Traband was
elected to serve as delegate to the WOMPI
convention in Atlanta September 28-30 with
Eilleen Oliver as alternate.
Dr. Harley W. Davidson Jr., son of the
Independent Theatre Service head, has been
appointed captain in the Air Force, and assigned
to study pathology at the Medical
College of Virginia in Richmond and the Johns
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore . Victor
Orsingers, Villa Theatre. Rockville, became
parents of a baby son. They now have three
daughters and four sons Arganzio,
manager of the Governor Ritchie Drive-In,
Glenburnie, Md. and the Mount Vernon
Drive-In, Alexandria, suffered a heart attack
and is in the Kenmore Hospital at Boston.
The Dale Theatre at South Norfolk has
been renamed the Glen . . . Independent
Theatres Service advises that the Diamond
Theatre. Selbyville. Del., will close June 2 . . .
Rudolph Berger, MGM division manager, and
wife were vacationing in Florida . . . Esther
Blendman celebrated a birthday Thursday
and Sid Eckman celebrated one Friday .
Local F-13 voted to change its meeting night
from Monday to the first Tuesday of each
month.
.
.
John Garst came in from Martinsville to
buy and book and Mrs. Robert
Smelzer. Warner exchange, were vacationing
in Florida . Sadie Bowles celebrated
a birthday Sunday . Oulahan is back
in town, selling for Warner Bros. and
Mrs. Albert Landgraf. Republic office manager,
celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary
. Joyce Kriso was vacationing
shipper Billy Wilson is breaking in
as a Republic salesman, which makes Stanley
Cotrill head shipper.
Actor George Murphy will be honored by
the Motion Picture and Television Council of
the District of Columbia at its annual
luncheon on Tuesday (15) in the Sheraton-
Carlton Hotel.
William Goldman Adds
Two Reading Theatres
PHILADELPHIA—William Goldman, president
of William Goldman Theatres, Inc., has
acquired two Reading theatres from Harry
J. Schad of Schad Theatres. One is the Astor
at 734 Penn St. and the other is the Strand
at 9th and Spring streets. He will take over
operation May 30.
Renovation now is in progress on the 2,150-
seat Astor. New seats, a new marquee, a new
facade with herculitc doors; new lobby and
boxoffice, and complete air conditioning are
part of the improvements. David Supowitz of
Philadelphia is the architect.
The Strand will continue its present policy
until plans for changes have been completed.
J. Lester Stallman of Reading will be city
district supervisor and Clayton Evans of
Reading will manage the Strand.
BOXOFFICE May 12. 1956 43