Boxoffice-July.04.1960

. . . W.
. Gene
. . Ralph
. . Thelma
. . Roland
. . The
. . T.
. . Sam
Jacksonville WOMPI
Installs Officers
JACKSONVILLE — Philomena "Phil"
Eckert, Columbia office worker, was installed
as the eighth president of the local
Women of the Motion Picture Industry
at formal ceremonies in the Town House.
The annual installation was preceded by a
cocktail party and banquet, with "Buck"
Robuck, United Artists salesman, serving
as master of ceremonies. The installing
officer was foiTner president Sarah Keller.
Present were the full WOMPI memberehip,
escorts and many invited Filmrow executives.
In the past few years,
WOMPI has developed
into one of the city's most active
civic groups and has made an envied name
for itself and its members for the wide
number and variety of useful philanthropic
efforts it contributes to community life.
WOMPI has also made many friends here
for the motion picture industry and has
strengthened the industry's ties with the
public.
Other new officers installed were: first
vice-president, Flora Walden, Rigg Booking
Service; second vice-president, June
Faircloth, Pinecrest Drive-In; recording
secretary, Shirley Gordon, Warner Bros.;
corresponding secretary, Mamie Newman,
Columbia, and treasurer, Ida Belle Levey,
United Artists.
New board members are Enidzell "Easy"
Raulerson, Iva Lowe, Dorothy Zeitlinger,
Jane Davis and outgoing president MaiT
Hart, all of Florida State Theatres; Virginia
Merritt, Jax Film, and Marie De-
Nazarie, United Artists.
The speaker of the evening was Fred
Mathis, Paramount manager, who lauded
WOMPI on its emergence as an agency for
community service, and for its loyalty and
dedication to the motion picture industry.
President Eckert announced a full slate
of WOMPI social activities and charitable
works for the coming year, and treasurer
Levey's report revealed a sound financial
condition.
'Alamo' Invitation on Way
To President of Peru
SAN ANTONIO—The president of Peru
will get an invitation to the world premiere
of "The Alamo," but he will have to wait
a while for the letter to arrive.
The invitation from Walter Corrigan,
president of the Chamber of Commerce, is
en route to Peru by truck.
Walter Meyer, who makes a living trading
Peruvian horses, began a return trip to
his adopted country via the Pan American
highway. Meyer also carried an Alcalde of
La Villita scroll to Peru Pi'esident Dr.
Manuel Prado y Ugarteche sent along by
Mayor J. Edwin Kuykendall.
Corrigan's letter pointed out the premiere
might be of more than normal
interest to Dr. Prado since producer-star
John Wayne's wife. Pilar Pilette, is from
Lima.
Dolores Hart
HOLLYWOOD—Dolores Hart gets the
Boys' Role to
starring role in MGM's "Where the Boys
Are," Joe Pasternak production which
Henry Levin helms.
Colorful 'Ben-Hur' Debut
At New Orleans Civic
NEW ORLEANS — "Ben-Hur"
opened
Thursday night (23> at the newly renovated
Civic Theatre in grand style.
Mayor Chep deLesseps S. Morrison was
the first official guest to step through the
beribboned gates into the theatre's "Allee
Elegante," the long refurbished arcade
leading to the theatre, after Kathleen
Brauer, a 10-year-old youngster, and
Linda Brauer. age 7, untied the large ribbon
tacked to the theatre's gates.
f'oUowing Morrison were Theodore Dendinger,
president of the Civic Theatre,
and John Roberts, Civic manager.
Crowds of eager first-nighters then
made their way into Allee Elegante in
which a receiving lineup of New Orleans
civic and business leaders welcomed the
guests, who walked on a red carpet provided
for the occasion. Prior to the ribbon-cutting
ceremony, Mayor Morrison
presented a proclamation directed to Robert
Mochrie, vice-president and general
sales manager of MGM, which was accepted
by Louis Formato of Washington,
MGM southern division sales manager.
Mochrie was scheduled to attend the premiere,
but was detained in New York.
The proclamation thanked Mochrie and
his associates for the engagement of "Ben-
Hur," which was termed "the year's best
picture."
H. E. McCarrell Acquires
Bedford, Ind., Von Ritz
BEDFORD, IND.—The Von Ritz and
Indiana theatres are being operated under
single management as a result of a recent
sale of the Von Ritz to H. E. McCarrell's
Enterprises. With the acquisition of the
Von Ritz, McCaiTell's Enterprises now
owns three local theatres. The third one
is the Bedford Drive-In.
Bill McCarrell, who has been in the theatre
business for some 35 years, is managing
both the Indiana and Von Ritz. He said
tentative plans call for closing the Von
Ritz during the summer months.
The Scherer Realty Co. built the theatre
where the Von Ritz stands in 1927. That
same year the Vonderschmidtt Realty Co.
bought it. The theatre burned about 1930,
but was rebuilt by Vonderschmidtt.
The sale was concluded with Mrs. November
E. Vonderschmidtt of Bloomington.
Tristates Convention
In Memphis Oct. 4, 5
Memphis—Tristate Theatre Owners
Ass'n directors have scheduled October
4, 5 as the 1960 convention dates. The
sessions will be held in Hotel Claridge
here, Gordon Hutchins, president, announced.
The convention dates were selected
at a board meeting.
The meeting was held in an atmosphere
of optimism—local exchanges
are reporting lively business and their
salesmen report improved summer
business in the territory, and exhibitors
report improved business in their theatres.
NEW ORLEANS
Wacationers—Hazen McNulty, Film Inspection,
was using her first driver's certificate
and a recently acquired car on
short trips . . . Ruth Retes. NTS, and husband
plan a trip to Tampa and Miami,
starting July 9 . . . Joe Manning. Hodges
porter; Val Steudlein. Paramount, who has
guests from Hialeah Park, Fla.; Eddie
Fitzgerald, Warner salesman, and family,
on a motor trip to Connecticut: Beverly
Blocker, United Theatres . and
Annie King. United Theatres managers, to
Pass Christian . France, U-I;
Mildred Kloor, Columbia, and Roslyn Ducote.
Transway . Hoffman, UT,
back from a week at the seashore.
Sympathy to Lillian Sherick, MPA staffer,
on the death in California of her mother
. Reid, buyer-booker, went
to Grand Island for a weekend of fishing
and line up for the big annual tarpon
rodeo there July 14-16 . G. Solomon
of Golf States Theatres and Don Stafford
of Dixie Theatres returned from New York
state where they visited the Will Rogers
Hospital at Saranac Lake.
Calling at the Gulf States offices in Mc-
Comb were Sol Sachs, Lopert Pictures,
Dallas; John Winberry, Columbia: Ben
Jordan. AA; Floyd Harvey jr.. BV, and
James W.
Joseph Silver, 20th-Fox . .
Bradford has taken over and reopened the
Ann at Baton Rouge and the Rex at Chauvin.
Jack Harris, producer of "Dinosaurus,"
the Joy Theatre attraction, offered to give
anyone who asked a hunting license to
hunt at Vernal. Utah, the dinosaurus land
M. Richardson, president of Capitol
Releasing Corp. and Astor Pictui-es of Atlanta,
and wife celebrated their 45th wedding
anniversary with a group of friends
here. He was Universal manager here 20
years ago.
Filmrow callers included H. J. Labat,
Cub Drive-In, Raceland. who is now doing
his own buying and booking; John Parker.
Gordon at Westwego; Mr. and Mrs. George
Edwards, Dome at Hattiesburg; Mrs. Vernon
Capdeville and her mother Mrs. Ed
Thomasie. Royal in Marrero; John Elzey,
King at New Roads and Pat at Vadalia;
Joe Barcelona, Baton Rouge: A. L. Royal
Charles Waterall
sr. and jr.. Meridian. Miss.:
sr.,
Chatham, Ala.; Ed Jenner,
Mar-
.
rero. Westlake (La.> and Laurel iMiss.)
drive-in theatres, and Sol Sachs. Lopert
Pictures, Dallas.
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Houck have moved
back to New Orleans after residing in
Kaplan several years, where they operate
the Joy Theatre Rebstock at
Golden Meadows will be closed for a while
Barnette. Joy Theatre secretary,
her husband Jimmy and daughter Carol
Gene and a girl friend left on a motor trip
to Mexico.
Robert Anderson to Script Mcnulis Film
HOLLYWOOD—Playwright Robert Anderson
has been set by producer Martin
Manulis to script "The Night They Burned
the Mountain," Thomas Dooley biographical
film which Manulis will film independently
for 20th-Fox release.
BOXOFFICE July 4. 1960 SE-3