Boxoffice-April.07.1958

. . The
. . Max
. . Louis
. . Ross
. . Archie
Three Baltimore Houses
Leased to Fruchtman
BALTIMORE — The Uptown Amusement.
Corp., Associated Theatres Corp. and Sterhng
Amusement Corp.. all headed by Benjamin
Beck, president, have leased the Uptown,
Avalon and Pikes theatres here to the Jack
Fi-uchtman interests, which took over operation
of the houses F^'iday i4).
Beck said that after Friday (4i all obligations
and engagements undertaken in connection
with the theatres would be the responsibility
of the Fruchtman fu-ms. Greenbelt
Theatre Corp. and Avpike Corp.
Beck's companies, including Charter Realty
Corp and Bowmart Properties Corp., are continuing
their offices on the second floor of
the Uptown Theatre building.
PHILADELPHIA
pier Angeli was in town on a promotion tour,
meeting the local press, radio and TV
personalities, to beat the di-um for "Merry
Andrew." which opened at the Goldman for
Easter week . Variety Club auxiliary
members gave former screen actress Vivian
Blaine, currently appearing here in "Say
Darling." a lifetime gold membership card
at a luncheon held at the Bellevue-Stratford
Hotel. The women have raised $10,000
this year for the Variety camp for handicapped
children near Norristown. Jack Beresin
accepted the contribution.
The Andalusia Drive-In on the Bristol
Pike was reopened by new owner Neill Hellman
of Albany, who also operates the Lin-
. . .
coln Drive-In on the Roosevelt boulevard . . .
Charles Kasselman, MGM office manager,
has resigned Charley and Ben Goldfine
have sold their South City Drive-In to Michael
Redstone, owner of the Tacony-Palmyra
Drive-In and 15 other open-air theatres
throughout the east.
. . .
Tiny Goldsmith has returned as manager
of the Stanley Warner Terminal Theatre.
Upper Darby, after a two-month sick leave
Joe Martin is the new manager of the
Stanley Warner Strand Theatre in North
Ray Meyers went from
Philadelphia . . .
Stanley Warner's Midway to manager of the
reopened Boyd.
Italy Ceases Issuance
Of U. S. Film Licenses
NETW YORK—In a gesture of hritation over
the discharge of Italian employes as U. S.
branches close in Italy, the Italian government
has stopped issuing American film licenses.
The action was taken on the eve of
a meeting with Fi-ank Gei-vasi. MPEA Mediterranean
manager. A U. S. major company
export executive called the Italian action a
violation of the current U. S.-Italian pact.
Drive-In to Ex-Laskey Aides
MANNINGTON, W. VA.—The Blackshere
Drive-In. operated since its constinaction six
years ago by Dr. and Mrs. C. P. Church, has
been acquu-ed by two former employes of
Ted Laskey outdoor theatres. Joe C. Carunchia
and O. S. Caipenter. The Chm-ches continue
operation of the Mannington Theatre
here.
PITTSBURGH
Day U'oodiird, indoor and outdoor exhibitor
who will graduate from the Pitt law .school
in two month.s. .said after a trip to the hospital,
that no .surgery is contemplated at this
time . Arnold, who holds an interest in
the Maple Drive-In on Route 30. resumed
active management when his brother-in-law
Jack Judd. who headed the ozoner. departed
for Texas and the .southwest as Columbia
district manager. Since leaving exhibition
some years ago Arnold has been in the fui'niture
busine.ss at Pitcaii-n . . . Speer MarousLs,
retired exhibitor at New Castle, can be found
where
almost daily at the Ahepa Club there,
he has many friends.
Rose Leibhart, retii-ed WB exchange booker,
said hello to friends at a recent tradescreening.
Another oldtimer to turn up was retired
exhibitor Morris Akselrad ... At Franklin.
Dean Houghton, manager of the Ski-Hi Drive-
In. was shot in the hip by a gunman who
stole $498 last Saturday at 10 p.m. Houghton
had closed the boxoffice and had got into his
car to di-ive to the refreshment stand in the
rear of the outdoor theatre when the gunman,
estimated to be aged 18, leaped from behind
a line of cars and demanded the theatre receipts.
The frightened manager thj-ew him
the bag containing the money and stepped
on the accelerator, and the much more
frightened bandit fii-ed at the car.
Ted Charak is the new manager of the ABC
Drive-In at Baden which reopened last weekend
. . . Davy, son of former Filmrowites
Russ and Dotty Zebra, has recuperated after
serious leg injuries suffered in a sledding accident
in February . . . We caught up with
Bob Munn the other day, the first time in a
number of years. Munn has been operating
theatres at Moundsville. W. Va.. since leaving
the film industi-y here ... A teenage gunman
staged a $200 stickup at the Star Drive-
In in Millcreek. Erie. Regis Burns, manager,
and relief cashier Mary Lou Lewis, had
closed the boxoffice and were leaving for the
office when the robber approached and made
his demand for the "box" wliich contained
the money. He made his getaway on foot
. . . Jess Lund of the Alpenn Theatre Corp.,
Aliquippa, was back on the job following a
month's vacation in Florida.
Loretta Guehl, secretai-y to N. C. Rosen.
20th-Fox manager, is recuperating at home
after surgery . Gasparini, formerly
of Crafton and now an Albuquerque theatre
executive, was the last person to pose before
a camera with Mike Todd. He had greeted
the producer at the Albuquerque au-port just
before his fatal flight north . Atchi.son
states that the Lincoln Theatre at
Rimersburg is expected to reopen under new
management next week. The house has been
dark since last November. Frank J. "Budd"
Thomas, theatre booker, was in Chicago.
Robert D. Christie, diiector of the Historical
Society of Western Pennsylvania,
states that there's a mystery about a marker
that -was put up on a utility pole at Forbes
avenue and Smithfield street honoring the
site of the world's first Nickelodeon, forerunner
of the modern motion picture theatre.
The marker listed the first two movies exhibited
at the Harry Davis-John P. HaiTLs
Nickelodeon as "The Great Train Robbery"
and "The Baffled Burglar." The spelling.
"
however, came out "The Battled BurglaJ
uid tlif i>laque was taken down. "Nobody
knows where it is," states ChrLstie, who hopes
that it might turn up in time for Pittsburgh's
bicentennial which gets under way in November.
Another plaque was placed on the Frank
& Seder building to mark the site of the
Nickelodeon but It's not the original.
Bill Lange is the new salesman at the local
Warner exchange. He was a salesman at the
Milwaukee branch which has been cut to a
skeleton crew under former Pittsburgh film
executive Jerry Wech.sler .
Fineman,
area exhibitor and a well-known bridge
player, is acquiring the Regent Square Theatre,
Edgewood, under lease from PrancLs H.
McKnight. former local banker, real estate
broker and investor. In recent years this
theatre had been held under lease to the
Han-y Flei.shman family and operated by
Norman and Samuel Fleishman, Recent
months found the house open only for a
weekend change with no Sunday showing.
George R. Herrington, VFW department
and .state leader, again has been re-elected
chairman of the Veterans Hospital Committee
of Allegheny County. He is a son of
the pioneer theatre owner of this city who
had been an independent exhibitor organization
executive for two score years, the late beloved
Fred J. Herrington.
Harry Kuffner, projectionist who had been
identified for many years at the Sewickley
Theatre, suffered a stroke last Sunday . . .
Bob Caskey was back at his film sales post
after a month's illness . . . Chris Lampros
jr., son of the Sharon theatreman, was home
for the Easter holidays from Georgetown
University law school. He tom-ed Europe last
summer with his father . . . John Laskey of
the Basle-Laskey circuit reportedly was
"more than roughed up" by a teamster, or
teamsters, on Filmi-ow while picking up film.
The body of Clarence E. Gavin, 60, East
End projectionist, was found lying in a parking
lot in the 3900 block of Fifth Avenue
in the early morning April 2. He was pronounced
dead of a heart attack.
Ralph Felton inaugurated another season
at the Spotlight 88 Drive-In in the Beaver
Valley where he suffered considerable losses
last summer when a tornado toppled his
giant screen.
A Break-In But No Loss
WTIEELING, W. VA.—The Mayfalr Theatre
on National road was broken into the other
night but apparently nothing was stolen, according
to Albert Clatterbuck, assistant manager.
Dominick Lopez Takes Over
CLARKSBURG, W. VA.^Snyder's Drive-In
near here has been renamed the Park Drive-
In by Dominick Lopez, the new proprietor.
Gray Barker books the account.