Boxoffice-July.04.1960

. . . Ted
. . . The
. . Blackshere
. . Bernie
. .
. . . Pennsylvania's
. . "Spartacus
. . Bob
. . John
i
PITTSBURGH
Jan Finkel, son of the Morris Finkels. leading
city exhibitors, enrolled at the
University of Pittsburgh for summer classes
and found that his political science teacher
is Carl Poke jr., son of the late city exhibitor
and longtime friend of Jan's father
and family.
.
Indopendence Day fireworks celebrations
were featured at a number of area outdoor
theatres, including the Hickory. Sharon:
Nittany Lion, State College; Brookside,
Sewickley: also in West Virginia at the
Blackshere. Mannington: Dale's, Glenville;
Mount Zion, Grantsville . Hickey,
local Fulton Theatre manager, and family
are vacationing in New Hampshire
Ben (Atlas Theatre Supply* Stahl forwarded
postcards from the west coast
where he and his wife Irene are vacationing
Children at Wheeling who participated
. . . in a parade of safety received
free tickets to th° Court or Capitol theatres.
Some of them also won prizes of
bicycles, flashlights, crayolas. sports almanacs,
family portraits, recap tires and
wheel balancing, etc.
Some months ago Drake Realty at Oil
City purchased the former SW Latonia
Theatre building and darkened the theatre.
About two months ago the owners of the
Drake Theatre reopened the Latonia for
weekend operation, but expenses were not
met and the latter house again is closed
Manos, circuit executive, received
your correspondent at the funeral service
conducted at Ligonier for Alvin Seller . . .
Carl O. Hughes, former Press sportswriter,
is the new manager at Kennywood Park
annual Police Widows' Pension
Fund thrill circus at Forbes Field is cut
this year to two days, July 22, 23, with
three performances.
In former years a number of area exhibitors
found profit and gained goodwill
in photographing and exhibiting hometown
movies, civic, patriotic and school events.
The only theatre owner presently continuing
this practice, to our knowledge, is
Glenn Easter of the Almeda at Mount
Morris . Drive-In, near
Mannington, W. Va., featured a dusk to
dawn six-features show July 3 plus fire-
W
^m^^e^
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE
le gel in the
BIG MONEY
As a screen game,
HOLLYWOOD takes top
honors. As o box-office attraction,
it is without equaL It hai
been a favorite with theatre goers for
over 15 years. Write today for complete details.
Be sure to give seating or cor capacity.
HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO.
3750 Ooklon Si. • Skol.10, Illinois
^
works. On July 4, "for the first time in
the state of West Virginia a 12-foot missile
was launched" from this ozoner. About
ten merchants sponsored the firew'orks
celebrations at the Blackshere ... A northwestern
Pennsylvania outdoor theatre, in
addition to having a regular weekly buck
night, also has been trying a quarter admission
night.
Pittsburgh population in a decade has
dropped from 12th to 16th in the nation
do-nothing Legislature
recessed until September 12 . . . Theodore,
son of the Butler outdoor exhibitors, the
William Geibels, and Rosemary Tarka of
California, Pa., were joined in marriage at
the California Catholic Church ... All
Associated outdoor theatres featured July
4th fireworks, as did the Starlite, Punxsutawney
. . . Skyline, Butler and Palace
Gardens, Indiana, featured all-night July
3 shows.
Mrs. John Kerzan of the Palace Gardens
Drive-In, Indiana, has leased the outdoor
grounds at the ozoner for the J&S
Saddle Club Horse Show- Sunday (17) . . .
Mannie Papas closed the Temple Theatre,
Manos Theatre, Tarentum,
Sheridan . . .
features 2-4-1 every Monday, admission
this day being two adults for the price of
one, 75 cents, and two children for 30
cents, which is the under-adult admission
price for other days.
Leona Theatre, Homestead, was leased
out for two days for the annual Evans
Studio dance revue . . . Mysterious Dr. X
is heard "in person" selling books in conjunction
with the showing of "Life Begins"
at various outdoor theatres in this area.
There are those who say Dr. X is a tape
recording.
Sam DeFazio, for four decades a showman,
now is manager of the South Hills
Theatre, Dormont. his old stand, and the
Denis Theatre, Mount Lebanon, both now
under the Associated Theatres banner.
John P. Harris, nephew of John H. Harris,
who had managed the Denis, resigned.
Grounds of the Palace Gardens Drive-In
near Indiana, Pa., featured a two-day
rodeo June 25, 26. presenting 11 different
classes ... A dozen in-car speakers were
stripped by vandals from the Blatt-Star
Drive-In, Erie. Police found four of the
speakers abandoned on East 38th near
McClelland. Millcreek police blamed the
vandalism on several teenagers who had
been caught hiding in trunks of cars as
the vehicles drove into the theatre. Star
management says that other speakers have
been stolen previously and that they cost
$7 each.
The largest multiple opening ever held
in Penn.sylvania will occur Wednesday
il3i, when 66 indoor and outdoor theatres
will feature a UA combination, Steve
Reeves in "The Last Days of Pompeii" and
"The Boy and the Pirates."
. . . Associated circuit has
George Tice of the Woodland Drive-In
near Homestead uses a line of wisdom or
a cute saying weekly in his ADV program.
Recently he forgot to insert such a line
and he got complaints from outdoor theatre
patrons
opened a free playground at the Ardmore
Drive-In, w^hich was built last year in de
luxe style . . . Frank J. "Bud" Thomas has
taken on the Valley Drive-In, Indian Head,
for licensing and booking.
Lou Lampros' Kenmawr Drive-In near
McKecs Rocks has installed new Motiograph
lamps from Atlas Theatre Supply
. . . Paul
"
will open its local roadshow
engagement here at the Nixon Theatre
sometime in December
Fuehrer, former assistant manager at the
Fulton Theatre here, next week becomes
manager of the South Hills Theatre, Dormont
. Higgins, Beaver Falls theatre
manager, is back on the job after an
absence due to surgery.
John E. Stahl, retired Homestead theatre
owner, now resides with his daughter
in the Pocono Mountains . Notopoulos,
formerly of the industry, turned up
at the Monroeville Drive-In the other day
while we looked over the ozoner, which is
near the opening stage. Now with Equitable
Life Assurance. John said that his late
father, the pioneer exhibitor, A. N. Notopoulos,
was anywhere between 87 and 90
when he died recently. There is no accurate
record of his birth in Greece .
Mr. and Mrs. Wi'Jlam Finkel have
moved back home—hojie being Pittsburgh.
Bill, who retired from exhibition a few
years ago after about 40 years in the
industry, having started in film distribution
with the late John P. Harris and the
late Ike Libson, and Mrs. Finkel made
their home in Florida and California. However,
the hometown must have proved
best, for they're back. Their son Bob is a
noted TV producer-director.
Civic Light Opera opened its 15th summer
season June 23 and w-ill present
nightly shows, except Sundays, in Melody
Tent, lower hill. The 16th season's inaugural,
next year at this time, will featui-e
the opening of the civic-sports arena
. . . Millvale High School teachers are
remembering former students who lost
their lives in recent wars with "living me>morials"—
that is the establishment of
scholarship funds for present pupils. One
of those who gave his life in Korea was
Francis "Bobby" Thomas, honored on
Filmrow with a fine memorial stone. His
father is projectionist Francis Thomas and
his brother is Ronald Thomas of National
Theatre Supply.
Alfred Panza, former Springdale and
Russelton exhibitor, has been named Plum
Junior High School principal, being unanimously
elected from a field of ten applicants.
Mrs. Panza is the former Aurora
Dattola, daughter of the Elmer Dattolas,
former Springdale theatre owners, whose
family now owns and operates the Ches-A-
Rena at Cheswick.
Pittsburgh's $22,000,000 civic-sports arena
has progressed to the point where hot
dogs, popcorn and soft drinks are about
to move on to center stage. The public
auditorium authority is receiving bids for
fabrication and installation of food service
equipment in the new facility, which opens
one year from this month. In all, ten concession
areas at various levels will be outfitted
to cater to audiences attending
sports and other events.
E-8 BOXOFTICE July 4, 1960