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CHICAGO
Joseph Fuelner of H&E Balaban found his
desk piled high upon returning from a vacation
. . . N. J. Sonday, Kansas City representative
for Filmack Ti-ailer Co., spent a
week in the home base studios.
Gloom felt at RKO when the office closed
February 8 was alleviated by the numerous
job offers made to members of the local exchange
by several companies within the industry
and organizations unrelated to the
theatre. Florence Lipschitz, RKO receptionist
and switchboard operator for 20 years,
said that two weeks prior to closing she was
busy recording positions to be considered by
members of the staff. Florence decided to
accept a position with the American College
of Chest Physicians. Ralph Banghart, midwest
field representative and exploiteer.
joined the publicity staff at United Artists.
Melba McCauley went with the Teitel Film
Corp., and Charlotte Tornau is now associated
with Buena Vista. Wally Dorff plans to take
a trip to Hawaii before settling on plans for
the future. Martha Stengle will spend a
couple of weeks in Las Vegas, and Juanita
Andrews will vacation in Florida before making
a job decision.
Hand in hand with good business, visiting
stars added a spark to the films showing in
Loop theatres. One of the most popular
visitors was Rock Hudson, who appeared in
two of the highest grossers in recent weeks,
"Giant" and "Written on the Wind." While
here, Hudson crowned Sandra Lee as Miss
Illinois Air Power of 1957. He then went to
Marietta, Ohio, College to receive an honorary
degree for his portrayal of Col. Dean
Hess in "Battle Hymn." (Hess once taught at
the college.) "Battle Hymn" opens at the
Chicago Theatre February 21. Barbara Rush,
on tour in behalf of "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!"
did a sizable amount of plugging for this film,
which opens at the Oriental February 22.
Another visitor was Al Morgan, author of
"The Great Man," which is doing big busii
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ness at the Esquire Theatre. Robert Ryan
and Aldo Ray were to arrive here the
18th to publicize "Men in War," which was
previewed at the Glenview naval air station.
Just paying friendly calls were Yul Brynner
and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Cooper.
Twelve of the country's outstanding rhythm
and blues and rock and roll entertainers will
headline the first stage show of the year here
at the Regal Theatre, operated by B&K. The
show opens February 22 for one week, with
such record stars as Joe Turner, Ai-thur Pi-ysock,
Screamin' Jay Hawki:is and Tab Smith
and his orchestra. The Regal stage show will
be presented on continuous daily and evening
performances in conjunction with "Drango."
Just as outdoor theatres are making preparations
to reopen for the 1957 season, Filmack
Trailer Co. President Irving Mack announced
that a new 1957 promotion catalog soon will
be mailed to all drive-in theatres in the
country. Mack said the catalog is a 16-page
booklet covering the field of drive-in merchandising
and exploitation from opening to
closing "and everything in between." He
added that included in the ticket-selling
ideas designed to stimulate drive-in business
are season-opening welcome trailers, holiday
fireworks displays, institutional buildups,
giveaways, refreshment promotions, anniversary
suggestions, suggestions to young
parents, and the potential money-making
merchant's intermission clock trailer which
has proved its helpfulness to drive-ins in the
past. Also included are several exploitation
stunts.
First drive-in to announce reopening in
the Chicagoland area was the Sunset. It resumed
1957 operations on February 15 with a
double bill of "Hollywood or Bust" and
"Drango." Others are adding new innovations
and polishing up, but will hold back
until it is quite safe to assume there will be
no more snowfall . January, the
censor board reviewed 80 films, of which 19
were foreign pictures. One was rejected.
There were none placed in the "adults only"
category, but 13 cuts were ordered.
Charles Bourdelais jr. of the Coca-Cola Co.
visited the Filmack Studios between planes
McVickers Theatre, continuing to do
a "landslide" business with "The Ten Commandments,"
scheduled 9:30 a.m., 2:30 and
8 p.m. showings for Lincoln's Birthday. The
same program will be carried out for Washington's
Birthday.
The Ziegfeld Theatre will stage the midwest
premiere of "The Miracle of Marcelino"
for the benefit of St. Joseph's Home for the
Friendless. Tom Dowd of the management
set up arrangements for the affair . . . When
Eddie Cantor passed through the city on his
way to Miami Beach and the February 16
birthday tribute to him, he attended an
Israel bond luncheon party in his honor.
Opera House February 26 and March 5. Six
nationally known sales executives will be
featured each night in this series, launched
by Walter Wanger, Arthur H. Motley, president
of Parade Publications, and Jamison
Handy of Jam Handy Studios.
Kansas City MPA Chief
Names Committees
KANSAS CITY—Ed Hartman, president of
the Motion Picture Ass'n of Greater Kansas
City, has announced his committee appointments
for the year and called a meeting of
committee men for March 4 in the clubroom
of Columbia Pictures. The business session
will be at 11 a.m., followed by a buffet luncheon
served in the clubroom.
Committee appointments include six major
committees. They are:
Entertainment: Harry Gaffney, chairman:
Ab Sher, Ralph Adams, Howard Thomas.
Public Relations: Joe Redmond, and Don
Walker, Harold Lyon, Tom Baldwin.
Charity and Welfare: Arthur Cole, and Russ
Borg, Dick Orear.
Membership: Dick Durwood. and Gene
Snitz, Don Foster, Bud Truog.
Legislation: Dick Brous. and Jesse Shlyen,
George Baker.
Promotion and Planning: Fred Souttar, and
Joe Neger, Tom Bailey. Winston Brown, B. J.
McKenna.
'Delinquents' Premiere
At Kansas City on 19th
KANSAS CITY—A red-carpet
premiere of
Kansas City-made "The Delinquents" is
scheduled for the Uptown Theatre Tuesday
(19). Elmer Rhoden jr., who heads Imperial
Productions, produced the picture, using 22
locations in the greater Kansas City area and
local talent, except for three imports from
Hollywood; Tommy Laughlin, Peter Miller
and Dick Bakalyan. Rosemary Howard, a
local high school gu-1, played the feminine
lead.
Monday morning's Kansas City Star carried
a feature story, with photograph, of
young Rhoden in conference with 20 school
editors of high school and college papers at
the Catholic Community Service. The picture,
which was banned in Memphis, is being
released through United Artists.
'Commandments' at KC
KANSAS CITY—A Hollywood type of premiere
was held at the Roxy Theatre of "The
Ten Commandments" Thursday (14) night.
The women of B'nai Jehudah sponsored the
event to raise funds to furnish the congregation's
quarters in a new building containing
a religious hall, social hall and chapel.
Seats were not reserved but the loge area
tickets sold for $10 and others for $5. "The
Ten Commandments" opened an indefinite
engagement on Friday (15 1 at the theatre.
It started showing at the Electric Theatre
in Kansas City, Kas., on Thursday night.
i
630 Ninth *v«. NEW YORK, N.Y.
1327 S. Wabash CHICAGO, ILL.
Lester Stcpner, manager of the Evanston,
said that new booth equipment just installed
gives patrons better, brighter and sharper
pictures. The theatre is also getting new
seats. And, a further feature to lure patrons
is the addition of free parking facilities. The
Evanston now has space for 3,000 cars . . .
The Sales Executives Club is sponsoring the
closed circuit Tell-Sell productions at the
Former Moose Secretary
FORT WAYNE, IND.—Harold Bridge, recently
appointed manager of the Paramount
Theatre by Frank J. Benedict, vice-president
of Quimby Theatres, was secretary for the
Moose lodge here six years and then served
more than a year as manager of the Little
Cinema Theatre.
C-4 BOXOFFICE February 16. 1957