Boxoffice-June.15.1959

. . Jim
. . Nate
. . Lou
. .
Hancock,
DES MOINES
.
.
J^aymond Langfitt has joined the staff of
Central States Theatres Corp. and will
operate the Palace. Strand and the drivein
at Mason City and Clear Lake. Langfitt
has been with RKO and Paramount Corp.
theatres for 30 years Merlz. formerly
associated with Pioneer Theatre
Corp. in Webster City, has taken over as
manager of the Corral Outdoor Theatre in
Perry, succeeding George O'Brien, who was
transferred to Atlantic Sandler
of Nathan Sandler Theatre Enterprises
has been doing double duty recently. He
has been serving on the jury in addition
to his regular duties in his own business.
Myron Blank, Larry Day, Don Allen and
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—
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Standard and Super Simplex, Century
and Motiograph Projectors. Modern
repair shop with John McCallum in
charge. Sales department under direction
of Dick Sutton.
Our slaff oj experts ami all our
juciliiies are at your service.
Call us anylime!
A. E, THIELE, Owner
Des Moines
theatre supply co.
1121-23 Hiqh St • Dcs Moines, Iowa
Don Knight, all of Central and Ti-i-States
Theatres Corp.. recently took an air tornover
St. Joseph. Mo., to see the results of
the May 18 flood . Ijevy, Universal
sales manager, is spending his free hours
fishing at Avon Lake again this year.
Three deaths were reported among theatremen
during the past couple of weeks.
Eli Vance Smith, 66. owner of the Orpheum
Theatre in North English, died suddenly
May 28 . . . F*uneral services for
Louis Henry Ireland were held in Boulder,
Colo. Ireland had owned and operated
several theatres in Iowa over a period of
25 years. He owned and operated the Logan
Theatre in Logan about 20 years .
Ray Baltzley, 52, theatre operator at Biassey,
died in an Oskaloosa hospital after
an illness of several months.
Hull Brothers Acquire
Two in Purcell, Okla.
OKLAHOMA CITY—The Canadian Theatre
and the Skyvue Drive-In at Purcell
changed management recently. Levi
Metcalf, former owner and operator,
turned the theatres over to Jimmie and
Jack Hull of Theatre Associates Booking
Agency here, and O. L. Smith of Marlow.
Metcalf, recently elected as mayor of
Pmxell, said he did not have time for both
jobs.
The Canadian Theatre will be completely
renovated. New carpeting is being
New Fiesta Drive-In Open
Near Chillicothe, Ohio
CHILLICOTHE. OHIO—Ed Payne's new
600-car Fiesta Drive-In, on Route 23 north,
held its grand opening recently, featuring
Bory Calhoun in "Apache Ten-itory" and
Huntz Hall and the Bowery Boys in "Spook
Chasers."
The theatre occupies a 23-acre site and
is rated one of the finest in the territoiT-
Payne, former Centralia and Chillicothe
high school teacher, has a background of
11 years in exhibition as a pai-tner in tlie
Moonlight Auto Theatre.
Twenty-one prizes were offei'ed in conjunction
with the grand opening, the
prizes going to the persons coming closest
to guessing correctly the date, hour and
minute of the theatres opening.
Payne is operating the theatre every
night, with Thursday as buck night. He
has heaters ready for fall and winter use
and plarus to in.stall playground equipment
.soon. A midget auto race track for boys
and girls from 5 to 11 is to be added as
soon as iwssible.
MILWAUKEE
Q,regory Peck, in town for a few hours to
plug his latest film, "Pork Chop Hill,"
now appearing at the Pox-Palace, was the
first screen star to put up at the recently
opened Milwaukee Inn hotel. Strong on
preparation before his visit with the press,
he asked his aides to hand out copies of
his biography, "to avoid a lot of silly questions."
Might be well for others in the industry
to do likewise, rather than have
the press practically stand in line, or give
out to the group sitting or standing around.
Perhaps one of the reasons things ran so
smoothly, is because Peck's wife was formerly
a reporter on a French newspaper
and knows the ropes.
Something new has been added in showmanship
approaches. Members of the Silver
Star Riding club of South Milwaukee and
Oak Creek gave demonstrations of horsemanship
at the Twin-41 Drive-In . . . The
57-year-old Kerredge Theatre, once considered
the finest theatre north of Milwaukee
Mich.), was destroyed
I
by fire Friday, May 29. Only the front
shell of the 1,250-seat house was left
standing, the loss is close to $250,000. The
heat exploded the glass in parking meters
at the curb and some of the posts were
bent.
William Kerredge, a former hardware
store operator, built the theatre in 1902.
put in the place and the entire building is
being repainted. The front was completely
The Better Films Council of Milwaukee
County held its spring luncheon following
overhauled some time ago and new seats, the 9:30 a.m. business session Monday il>
sound equipment, screen, etc., were installed.
at the Elks club. A report on the national
The policy, generally, will be three convention of the Federated Motion Picture
changes a week for both operations.
The Hulls now operate the Alamo and
Mar theatres and the Long Horn Drive-In
in Marlow, and also with Smith as a partner
Councils was given by Mrs. Irvin J. Haus,
president of the local council. A skit. "Nickelodeon
Days," was presented by members.
Mrs. Carl A. Meyer, preview chairman, an-
reopened the VA Drive-In at Velma nounced these film ratings. FAMILY:
recently. Said Jack Hull: "We believe in Watusi. fair: YOUNG PEOPLE: Hell Ship
the future of motion picture theatres, else Mutiny, fair: ADULTS and YOUNG PEOwe
would not be expanding. We have other PLE: Count Your Blessings, very good;
projects in mind, which we are not ready The World, the Flesh and the Devil, very
to announce at the present."
good; The Law Is the Law. very good: The
In addition to Velma and Puixell, Smith Mistress, very good; The Bandit of Zhobe,
operates a theatre in Alto, Tex.
good; Gunmen From Laredo, good; The
Hangman, good; Nowhere to Go, good;
Hour of Decision, good; Westbound, fair;
Hot Angel, fair; My World Dies Screaming,
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE
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HOILTWOOD AMUflMINT CO.
3750 Oakton St. • Skokle. Illinoii