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Theatres m Ky. and W. Va.
Are Hard Hit by Flood
CINCINNATI—Many Kentucky and West
Vii-ginia theatremen this week- were cleaning
mud and debris from their theatres in
the wake of the. disastrous floods of the Big
Sandy and Kentucky rivers, "th^ ' waters
receded rapidly, but the job of cleaning up
the mud remained.
Many theatres in the area had resumed
operations by midweek, but the fact that
hundreds of homes and business establishments
were hard hit by the flood waters was
expected to have its effect on theatre attendance.
Worst flood damage thus far reported in
the theatre industry was at the Auburn
Drive-In, Cumberland, Ky., owned by O. G.
Roaden, who said it would take about $30,000
to put the house back into operation.
The Lycinda Drive-In, Fusonia, Ky., for
which Floyd Morrow of Louisville does the
booking and buying, was damaged greatly. At
least 100 speakers were lost. The Lycinda
had been operating during the winter, but
it is not now known when it will be reopened.
The town of Hazard, Ky., was almost entirely
under water, and the Family and Virginia
theatres, owned by L. O. Davis, have
not yet reopened, but are expected to within
a few weeks. Ii-onically, the Virginia Theatre
marquee advertised "Away All Boats"
when the flood crest reached the bottom
of the mai-quee. The Grandvue Drive-In at
Hazard, owned by Eugene Combs, was
flooded and Davis' Neon Theatre, Neon, Ky.,
also was affected by the floods.
The Weddington Theatre, Pikeville, Ky.,
was under ten feet of water. This house is
owned by Joseph and Sam Isaacs, whose
Corlee Theatre, Cumberland, also was in
the flood water.
The Martin Theatre, Martin, Ky., built
with an entrance to the balcony, was able to
continue to operate as patrons came to the
theatre in boats. The Martin is owned by
Lawrence Keathley.
The Corbin, Ky., Hippodrome, owned by
L. Merenbloom, was not flooded, but the
roads were and it was necessary to deliver
the film by boat.
In Barbourville, Ky., the Knox Drive-In
and Mitchell Theatre, owned by Paul T.
Mitchell, were affected. Tlie Strand, Prestonburg,
Ky., owned by Lawrence Keathley,
and the Abigail Theatre, owned by H. T.
Allen, were in the flood water, but have now
reopened.
In West Virginia, the Matewan Theatre,
Matewan, owned by Fi'ank Allara has not
been reopened, but is expected to open soon.
The Guyan Theatre, Logan, W. Va., owned by
the Nebold-Keesling circuit, was affected,
but has reopened. Also reopened are the
theatres in Williamson, W. Va. The Cinderella
Theatre here is owned by Louis and
Mannie Shor and Hyman Banks. Williamson
was under ten feet of water during the
flood.
TOA Asks Data on Foreign
Films for New Directory
NEW YORK—Theatre Owners of America
has asked all distributors of foreign films to
supply by the weekend exact information
about their product for inclusion in a special
monthly directory TOA will send its members.
The first mailing is set for late in this month.
The data sought follows : Picture title, name
of stars, running time, black-and-white or
color, type of entertainment, language, title
or dubbed, year originally released. Legion of
Decency rating and production code seal.
A list of company exchanges and sub-distributors
with addresses was also requested.
Ernest G. Stellings, president, mailed the
request. He noted that the recent TOA convention
and foreign film fair had proved of
great interest to exhibitors, but that no single
source of information existed for exhibitors
who want data on available foreign and independent
product.
Promoting Plan With Brokerage Firms
To Use Theatres During Idle Hours
SEATTLE—Joe Daniels, veteran Seattle
booking agent with a business extending over
the coast and mountain states, is promoting
a plan under which the nation's motion picture
theatres would be converted during idle
morning hours into stock brokers' board
rooms. Persons interested in following stock
market reports would pay a small admission,
probably 50 cents, to watch the projected
tapes of the New York Stock Exchange, the
American Stock Exchange, and the Dow
Jones Service.
Brokerage houses would be encouraged to
set up branch offices in the same theatres
to handle purchases by direct telephone with
main offices. Daniels has sent literature to
1,850 corporations and 600 brokerage offices
in the U. S. and is preparing a fuller
exposition of his plan to be sent to 200
financial editors and writers.
Locally, he is negotiating for the use of
the Music Box Theatre and he is also negotiating
for houses elsewhere in Washington
and Oregon. He would operate Washington
and Oregon houses personally and would
sell copyright on his idea to other operators
to whatever extent such a copyright is
salable. The copyright has been applied for.
Daniels plans to publish a full-page ad in
Seattle newspapers February 25 to announce
the "Grand Opening, Wednesday, February
27th" at the Music Box Theatre of "The
Stock Market Theatre." Hours would be from
6:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Neva Patterson Is Signed
HOLLYWOOD—Neva Patterson has been
signed by 20th-Fox for featured roles in both
"The Desk Set" and "An Affair- to Remember."
Edward W. Lider Asks
Ban of 'Delinquents'
BOSTON—A second trade screening of
"The Delinquents," United Artists release,
was scheduled by Independent Exhibitors,
Inc., of New England and the New England
Drive-In Ass'n, following receipt of a telegram
from Max Youngstein, UA vice-president,
advising Edward W. Lider, president
of both New England groups, that UA will
go ahead with release plans for the picture.
Lider earlier had sent a wire to Arthur B.
Krim, United Ai-tists president, requesting
that the Imperial Productions film be withdrawn
from release. Lider, admitting that
he had not seen the picture and was basing
his objections on trade screening reports, declared
that the film "has many objectionable
scenes; particularly one scene, in which violence
and vandalism at a drive-in theatre
is shown."
Decision for a second screening this week
of "The Delinquents" was reached at a Tuesday
morning (12> meeting of the drive-in
association board and an afternoon meeting
the same day of lENE members. Lider, circuit
heads and drive-in theatre operators
who had not viewed the first screening were
to attend the second showing.
The text of the wire from Youngstein to
Lider: "Your wire re 'The Delinquents' has
been turned over to me. This picture was
produced by Elmer Rhoden jr., an exhibitor
and operator of a most important circuit of
regular theatres as well as 35 drive-ins. This
picture also has the approval of Elmer
Rhoden sr., president of National Theatres.
"This picture also has a Motion Picture
Ass'n Code Seal as well as an acceptable
rating by the Legion of Decency. I spoke
to Rhoden. He wants you to communicate
directly with him at Imperial Productions,
Kansas City, Mo. We are, of course, proceeding
with the release of the picture."
Elmer Rhoden Jr. Comments
On Lider Film Protest
KANSAS CITY—Elmer C. Rhoden jr., advised
of Lider's request for the withdrawal
of "The Delinquents," expressed regret that
the lENE president had taken such action
without personally viewing the film. Rhoden
added that he intended to show the picture
in all drive-in situations of the Commonwealth
circuit, of which he is president.
"While I will admit that 'The Delinquents'
is probably extremely brutal," Rhoden said,
"it must be remembered that this is an exploitation
picture, the type people are paying
to see today.
"I am surprised that Mr. Lider would make
such a statement without seeing the picture.
It is very seldom that a true showman can
book a picture he can go out and exploit,
without it being, to the audience, a nambypamby
picture. If theatres are to exist today
they must have programs which cannot be
seen on television. Evidently everything
Mr. Lider wishes in a picture can be seen
by any of his patrons free today on TV."
"As for my own theatre company," Rhoden
continued, "it will play and properly exploit
this picture to get the most from the boxoffice
dollar. We have 35 drive-ins, including
two of over 1,000-car capacity and on
down to 200 and 300-car drive-ins in small
towns. I don't expect any opposition from
my independent drive-in friends in the Kansas-Missouri
teiTitory."
IG BOXOFFICE February 16, 1957