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Final Dance Slated
At Texas Conclave
DALLAS — Plans neared completion this
week for the Texas Drive-In Theatre Ass'n
convention at the Adolphus Hotel here
Februai-y 25-27. The planning committee announced
that instead ol the banquet usually
held on the final night of the convention,
this year a dance would be held on the roof
of the Adolphus.
With Eddie Josephs, association president,
presiding at a committee meeting here, E. L.
Pack, activities chairman, and his committee
also decided that the officers of the association
would be presented at the dance. The
dance is not planned as a formal affair, but
women are encouraged to attend in evening
dress if they like.
A fur stole will be awarded as a door prize
to one of the women, and a Polaroid land
camera will be the door prize for one of the
men, a gift from Southwestern Theatre
Equipment Co.
Additional activities also are promised at
the convention for the women. A bridge room
will be set up in the Adolphus and Mrs. Tim
Ferguson will act as hostess. On Wednesday
,(271, Interstate Theatres will play host to
the women at a matinee performance of
-Around the World in 80 Days."
Registration will begin Monday (25) at
1 p.m.. and a cocktail paily, sponsored by
MPA and others, will be held at 7:30 that
evening.
On Tuesday, social events will include a
luncheon sponsored by Coca-Cola, a 2:30
screening by 20th-Fox for the women and a
7 p.m. cocktail party hosted by Pepsi-Cola.
East Texas Co. Session
Hosted by Sam Turner
NACOGDOCHES. TEX.—T. C, Collins of
Los Angeles, field man for the Victor Cornelius
Advertising Co.: William T. Strother of
Dallas, National Theatre Supply; Robert
Martin, sound and projection engineer for the
circuit, and Harry O'Neal, refrigeration engineer,
addressed the semiannual meeting of
managers of East Texas Theatres here recently.
The host was Sam E. Turner, East
Texas Theatres and Jefferson Amusement
Co., of Nacogdoches.
Attending managers and city managers
were Emil Coldewey of Yoakum, O. Z. Horton
of Conroe. J. R. Preddy and John Labosky of
Lufkin, Stockton Thompson af Nacogdoches,
T. W. Horton of Henderson, W. L. Gelling of
Marshall, W. G. Rike of Gladewater. Robert
Lugenbuhl of Jacksonville, James Pryor of
Rusk, Knox Lamb of Kilgore, and A. M. Avery,
T. L. Dickey and B. E. Bazer, all of Longview.
Jim O'Donnell Sells Share
In A&O Co. to Roy Avey
OKLAHOMA CITY—Jim O'Donnell has
sold his interest in A&O Booking Service
and Theatre Calendar Service to Roy Avey.
A&O Booking Service has been renamed the
Theatre Booking Service and will stay in the
same location. Theatre Calendar Service will
continue under its same name at its same location.
O'Donnell has set up the Jim O'Donnell
Booking & Theatre Service at 708 West
Grand, phone REgent 6-0911. He is now
booking for the theatre at Booker, Tex., and
for
the Time Theatre at Wetumka.
BOXOFFICE
:
: February
16, 1957
Long Service a New/ Job Handicap
\ last get-together of employes of KKO Pictures southwestern division office was
at this farewell luncheon on February 1 in the private M&M Club in the Merchandise
Mart in Dallas. All but two of the employes attended (somebody had to keep the store
and thev kept the office open). Last day for salesmen was February 1; others left
the 8th" when the office clo.sed. Sol M. Sachs, southwestern division manager, is
standing at left in the photo.
DALLAS—A local landmark among film
exchanges tor more than a quarter of a
century, RKO Pictures, clo.sed its southwestern
division office Friday (8i. Only two
employes. E. K. Dalton, head booker and office
manager, and Adeline Franklin, cashier,
will be retained temporarily on the RKO payroll
to liquidate RKO's interests before U-I
assumes bookings on a percentage basis.
Sol M. Sachs. RKO district manager and a
30-year RKO employe in the distribution end,
has accepted a post as manager for Allied
Artists, succeeding W. E. Finch who resigned.
Rosa Browning came along with
Sachs as secretary. Sachs' endeavors lately
have been to secure employment for his 26
employes, and he happily reported that more
than one-half of them had been placed elsewhere.
The last day for the exchange's five
film salesmen was Friday (1), when 25 of
the local office's personnel had a farewell
luncheon together in the private M&M Club
in the Merchandise Mart, which houses the
RKO offices.
Sachs said his staff enjoyed the last group
get-together and that his "very loyal employes
felt very optimistic about being placed
elsewhere." Despite the placement of 15
RKO workers in new jobs, there was an
undercurrent of bitterness and heartbreak
among the staffers over the "sellout." Many
of the local exchange's employes had more
than 25 years of service with the distribution
outlet. Adeline Franklin, cashier, had 33
years service: Miss Browning, 31 years, and
Clara Sawyer, 29 years.
Adding salt to the wounds, prospective employers
calling to inquire about absorbing
RKO employes to their payroll would fir.5t
ask "How old is she (or he)?" With a full
background in film distribution, one veteran
woman worker for RKO said prospective employers
say, "We could certainly use a person
with your experience, but we don't hire
women over 45."
So what good is experience? She bitterly
remarked; "What are these people to do?
They can't shoot themselves, but one would
think they were like horses after they reach
a certain age. They, and their experience in
film booking, should be forgotten?"
Former RKO employes and their new affiliations:
Tom Luce, Dominant Pictures: Rosalie
Ponce, Southwestern Equipment Co.:
Kathleen Heath and Virginia Jones, National
Screen Service: Carol Weir. U-I; Lou Stone
and Charlie Bridges, MGM; Leslie Hancock,
Warner Bros.; Sarah Quinn, 20th-Fox; Vickie
Nelson, Paramount; Mable Guinan, Exhibitor
Pictures Co.; Marion Stilwell, Cinema Arts
Iheatres; Bernice Moore, Ted Lewis Booking
Agency; Muriel Helms, Chance-Vought Aircraft
Corp., and Peggy Harris, who'll join a
wholesale clothing outlet in the Merchandise
Mart here.
Vandalism Liability
On Parents to Solons
OKLAHOMA CITY—Full 100' i
support
by Oklahoma exhibitors of a new measure to
recommended by Red Slo-
curb vandalism is
cum, executive director of United Theatre
owners of Oklahoma, in a bulletin dispatched
to members after the February board
meeting.
The measure, senate bill 85, would make
parents liable for damages caused by juveniles,
with a $100 limit on the liability. Slocum
said the limit should be $300.
"This is the most favorable bill to private
industry and business and should be supported
100 per cent by every theatre owner
and manager in Oklahoma," he said. "While
we do not concur in the $100 amount of liability,
since from our experiences we feel that
$300 is certainly not an um-easonable amount
for wilful destruction, we do feel there is a
great need for this law."
Enclosed with the bulletin were maps .showing
the names of the senators and state representatives
and the districts they represent.
Exhibitors were asked to write their senators
and representatives, giving facts and
figures on local vandalism, and asking for a
favorable vote on the measure, with a $300
liability limit.
Jim Barton Shifted
LAWTON, OKLA.—Jim Barton, assistant
manager of the Video-Wilbern Theatres in
Duncan, Okla., has been transferred to Lawton
as assistant manager of the five Lawton
theatres of the Video company.
SW-1