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WASHINGTON
The VVOMPI Of Washington held its monthly
luncheon meeting in the Commodore
Hotel Tuesday. Robert R. Richmond spoke
on civil defense . . . Jessie Garst, Martinsville,
Va., came in to buy and book for her Roxy
Theatre, Martinsville and Castle drive-ins
. . . John Anderson, formerly with RKO, now
is associated with Allied Artists as bookers
Mrs. Milton Lipsner, wife of the
clerk . . ,
Allied Artists manager, has been ill with
pneumonia . Jimmy Sper is still
m Mount Alto Hospital .
southern
Division Manager Rudolph Berger returned
to his office.
Universal District Manager Joe Gins was
a Washington visitor. He and Branch Manager
Harold Saltz took a trip to Charlotte,
Gus Lynch, Schine ai'ea manager,
N. C. . . .
was in Salisbury, Md. Schine is turning over
operation of the Ritz Theatre, Salisbury, to
Costin Cordery February 15 . . Paul Wise,
.
manager of the Arcade Theatre, Cambridge,
Md., says that wedding bells will ring for him
and his gal this summer.
Teddy ShuII, Peerless Pictures, was struck
by a taxicab at the corner of 2nd and New
Jersey Avenue, N.W. on Tuesday night while
en route from Baltimore to his office. He is
in Casualty Hospital in serious condition.
Catherine Davis, Warner Bros., who was hospitalized
for some time following injuries received
at the same crossing, now is recuperating
at home . Saul is in Sibley
Hospital after undergoing surgery . . . Ben
Bache went to Norfolk and Newport News,
Va.
Nelia Turner, 20th-Fox cashier, who celebrates
a birthday next week was honored at
the weekly Soroptimist Club luncheon on
Wednesday and was given a gift and corsage
. . . Projectionist Frank Blake celebrated a
birthday on Friday . booker
Esther Katzenell Augsburg will soon become
a mother-in-law. Her son Ted, who is attending
Los Angeles City College will maiTy
Donna Thoreson February 22 . . . Reba Le-
Moyne celebrated her fourth wedding anniversary.
.
Clark Davis, District Theatres, reports that
"The Ten Commandments," which is playing
at the Booker T Theatre, is doing capacity
business parking lot in the rear of
the Lincoln Theatre is nearing completion.
It will hold 65 cars . Lucille Brown was
. .
out for several days due to illness in her
family . Fred Beiersdorf, wife of the
former Warner Bros, manager, flew in from
Dallas, Tex., to spend several weeks with
Mr. and Mrs. Clark Davis. She brought
greetings from Fred to all his Washington
friends.
Rent Cut to $20,000
READING, PA.—The rent paid by Loew's
on its Indiana Theatre here has been reduced
by the owners to $20,000 a year.
Three Major Code Changes
Explained by DeBra
WASHINGTON—Three major changes in
the production code of the Motion Picture
Ass'n of America were stressed by Arthur
DeBra, director of Community Relations of
the MPAA, in an address before the Februai-y
ineet.ng of the Washington Motion Picture
Council.
DeBra said that the three major changes
in the code are new safeguards in show'-
ing narcotics addicts on the screen; new
treatment of kidnaping, and complete elimination
of the taboo about screen treatment
of miscegenation.
Otherwi.se, he said, the present code is
virtually unchanged from what it was before
the revisions. He characterized the revised
code as a "liberalization" of the former code
and asserted that the whole area of movie
.subjects has been broadened, making a
brighter prospect for new pictures and the
entire motion picture industry.
He covered, in his speech to the wellattended
meeting, the history of the production
code from the inception and said
that he was very proud to have been among
those who helped to formulate the original
code. He emphasized that the motion pictui'e
industry, from the time sound pictures
began, has maintained a high moral and
ethical guide for its movies, thus making
legal censorship unnecessary.
Mrs. Virginia RoUwage Collier presided at
the meeting.
BALTIMORE
n bill has been introduced in the state legislature
at Annapolis calling for a $1
minimum wage law for all employes, including
ushers, doormen, cashiers and all theatre
help. The Allied Motion Picture Theatre
Owners of Maryland has instructed its representative
at Annapolis to ask for an exemption
for the theatre industry. Jack L. Whittle,
is chairman of the legislative committee
for the Allied group.
Two local subsequent run houses have refused
to show "Baby Doll." Vernon Currier,
manager of the Aiu-ora, and Sol Goodman,
owner of the Ideal, stated they were willing
to cooperate with a Holy Name Society request
. . . Rodney Collier, manager of the
Stanley, and wife celebrated theii' 31st wedding
anniversary . Wagonheim,
vice-president of the Schwaber Theatres, was
in New York last weekend . . . John Mentzle
returned to the Cinema Theatre staff after
a seige of grippe.
Walter Gettinger, film booker and part
owner of the Howard, and wife were in New
York seeing latest Broadway shows . .
.
Maurice Hendricks of the Hicks-Baker Theatres
was in Washington on business.
PHILADELPHIA
Tn addition to the regular feature, .i. .
Doll," Sley's Viking sneak previewea "'.?:-.
Secret Affair." Audience comment was very
good . Zimmerman, former managtr
of William Greenfield's Carmen Theatre,
now closed, is performing the same chores
for Gerson & Fertel's Overbrook Theatre . . .
Members of the industry who are hospitalized
are Ralph Gorman jr., Stanley Warner
booker; Ferd Furtunato, Universal booker;
Robert Hanover, former lessee of Byrd Theatre,
and Pete Maguzzu, Williamsport exhibitor.
A pretty Philadelphia girl named Marion
Randall, who did not have the slightest idea
she would ever be going to Hollywood less
than a month ago, is all set now for her
film debut. Miss Randall started work last
week at the 20th-Fox Studios in the film
production of the Broadway play, "Desk Set,"
which will star Spencer Tracy and Katharine
Hepburn. All of it happened for Miss
Randall since January 2 and the Hollywood
offer came as a complete surprise for her.
On that night she appeared on Television's
Kraft Theatre show and was summoned for
a screen test right after the program. She
boai'ded a plane the next morning, had the
test two days later and was chosen for the
role two days after that. She is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Roland R. Randall of the
Alden Park Manor Her acting career began
in summer stock and she has been doing
television parts for two years.
Rep. Louis Amarando's bill in the state
legislature to limit first run showings to no
more than six weeks threw a jolt into the
smaller first run picture houses. Under the
cm-rent setup they have to bid so high for
pictures that it would be impossible to get
their money out of them without a long run.
Due to the closing of the local RKO exchange,
salesman Jack McFadden has joined
the forces of Columbia and will handle its
upstate territory. Pat Beck, also formerly
of RKO, will handle the upstate territory
for United Artists.
Cashing in on the present rock and roll
craze, Warner Bros, booked into the Liberty
Theatre in North Philadelphia an "in-person"
rock and roll review, giving three performances
a day on its stage. The unit
featured many well known rock and roll
musicians, comedians, singers and dancers.
It was originally booked for Monday and
Tuesday, but business was so big the show
was held over several other days. The same
outfit plays Warner Bros. Stanley Theatre,
Chester, Saturday . . . Paramount's comedy
star George Gobel, along with 12 others,
was honored by the Philadelphia Golden
Slipper Square Club, for accomplishments in
diverse fields, at a dinner at the Sheraton
Hotel. Gov. George M. Leader was the
principal speaker. The awards covered virtually
every activity in the nation. Gobel
won the award in the TV field.
JonnAfMC
BOONTON, N. J.
Large Core
Greater Crater Area
means
.MAXIMUM LIGHT
^ven\y Distributed
in Pennsylvonio—Blumberg Brothers Inc., Philadelphia—Lombard 3-7240
Notional Theatre Supply, Philadelphia—Locust 7-61 56
Superior Theatre Equipment Company, Philadelphia
Rittenhouse 6-1420
Projector Carbon Company, Torentum—Acodemy
4-3343
BOXOFFICE :: February 16, 1957 E-7