Boxoffice-08.01.1960

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ST. LOUIS Two Famous Wehrenberg Bears Escape
navid Hedison, star of the 20th-Pox production,
"The Lost World," was in the
city July 26 giving interviews and promoting
the new film which opened here
July 29.
An exhibitor screening was given July 22
to approximately 25 area exhibitors by
Harry H. Haas, Paramount manager. Haas
spent part of a week in Dallas at one of
five regional merchandising conferences
learning the new showmanship techniques
created for the promotion of Alfred
}\ Hitchcock's "Psycho." Haas brought to
area exhibitors the material given him in
Dallas on enforcement of the "no one
admitted after the start of the picture"
presentation policy, special newspaper ads,
radio spot commercials and TV trailers.
"On2-Eyed Jacks" was viewed at a special
sneak preview July 21. Audience reaction
was called "very good," "most enand
"excellent" by Paramount
executives here.
. . . Also
Frank X. Reller, manager of the American
Theatre, Wentzville, who attended the
Democratic National Convention, was seen
on Filmrow this week
were Albert Smith, State, Nashville.
111.; Eddie Clark, Metropolis, 111.; Mr.
Mrs. Monroe Glenn, Fulton; Bernard
Lebanon, 111.; Herman Tan-
Vandalia, 111.; Bill Waring, Carbon-
111.; Charlie Beninati, Carlyle, 111.,
Vic Klarsfeld, Cape Girardeau, who is
looking good again and reports recovery
a recent heart attack.
Mount Vernon i Indiana) Drive-In,
( which has been closed for some time, is to
opined the second week in August .
Hildebrand, booker's clerk at Uniis
moving to Detroit . J.
who has handled sales for
United Ai'tists, is moving to Dallas soon to
go into the insurance business.
j
Ken Siem, office manager of United
'Artists in Milwaukee, visited St. Louis for
;a few days. Those on vocation include
'Barbara Cuddy. United Artists, who will
visit Marissa, and Joe Howard, Allied
Artists, visiting his daughter in New York
.City . . . Returning vacationists include
(Jackie Marcallini and Barbara Horowitz,
United Artists, who both spent their holi-
;day in New York City, and Marge Collins,
Artists, who vacationed in Chicago.
planning vacations are Jackie
JAubershon, Allied Artists, who is expect-
'ing a visit from her sister and family; and
JHermine Burgdorf, Columbia . . . Herman
iGorelick, manager Realart, is in Louisville,
;Ky., selling to the Ornstein Booking Servlice
. MITO board of directors held
ja luncheon meeting at the Chase to discuss
plans for speakers and entertainment
'for the convention August 29 to which
are expected . officers
conduct their first meeting in office
July. 27.
Columbia Film Scheduled
YORK—Hall Bartletfs "All the
Young Men" will open August 18 at the
Theatre in Chicago, according
to Rube Jackter, Columbia vice-president.
Becoming Rugs; Find New Zoo Homes
Santa in August to Greet
Record Number of Kids
KANSAS CITY — Local youngsters—
about 2.000 of them this year—will get an
exclusive preview of Christmas holiday
spirit when Santa Claus in August comes
along Tuesday (
9 This outing is an an-
> .
nual event sponsored by the men of the
Motion Picture Ass'n of Greater Kansas
City. Ab Sher, MPA president, said "No
program ever undertaken by the motion
picture industry here has had the wonderful
public i-elations value of this simple
idea. The kids love it and the city loves us
for doing it—and we love to do it, so
everybody wins."
Chairman Ed Hartman has been receiving
strong assistance from committee
members Gene Snitz, Bill Kelly, Dick
Orear, Martin Stone, Prank Thomas, Joe
Redmond, Leon Robertson and particularly
from Arthur Cole, acting as contact
man with the city welfare department,
and L. J. Kimbriel, who has the exacting
job of getting the buses pledged.
The Uptown Theatre will be the site of
the party and "Raymie," Allied Artists
film starring young David Ladd, will be
the feature. Bill Kelly, last year's wonderfur
Santa, again will do the honors—but
would appreciate a few "keep cool" tips,
having been temporarily overcome with
heat in his costume last year. Kimbriel
and Sher estimated that the larger number
of children to be entertained this year
would boost the total of needed buses up
from 21 to 27, making this year's task the
biggest yet.
UA Delays Shooting Start
On 'The Hoodlum Priest'
ST. LOUIS—Shooting on the production
"The Hoodlum Priest," which was scheduled
to begin here July 18, was postponed
until July 28 and possibly until after
August 1 by United Artists.
Don Mui-ray, who will star in the title
role, and is interested financially in the
production, has taken the stoiy from the
work on behalf of ex-convicts by Charles
Dismas Clark, SJ, who operates Dismas
House, known also as Halfway House. It is
used for the rehabilitation of men recently
released from prison.
Both Mun-ay and his partner, Walter
Wood, in the Murray-Wood Co., were in
St. Louis a month ago to confer with Father
Clark and MoiTis Shenker, widely
known criminal lawyer, who has aided the
priest in his work during the past 15
years.
The entire picture will be shot on location
in St. Louis, using as nearly as possible
original settings.
No explanations were given for the delay
in beginning production which is
scheduled to take 18 days.
'Alaska' Added to Title
NEW YORK—"North to Alaska" has
been chosen as the final title for "Go
North," starring John Wayne, which will
be a 20th Centui-y-Fox November release.
ST. LOUIS—Herein lies the tale of three
black bear.s—and how they became two
white elephants.
After almost a year of futile attempts,
Edward Spradlin, manager of the South-
Twin Drive-In, contrived to find a proper
home for Louie and Suzy, the two surviving
black bears. The third member of
the trio, Blackie, the largest bear, died
of distemper in Februai-y.
Paul L. Krueger, president and general
manager of the Fred Wehrenberg circuit,
acquired the cubs shortly after the mother
bear was shot in the fall of 1955. He
named them and began exhibiting them at
his three drive-in theatres, South-Twin,
Ronnies' and 66 Park-In.
For several months the bears were quite
a novelty in South St. Louis. But, finally,
most of the children became acquainted
with each theatre's bear and their exhibition
value diminished.
But Blackie. Louie and Suzy stayed on.
After Blackie died, Spradlin was asked
to find some way of dispossessing the
bears. But who wants a gi-owing, common
variety black bear?
Undaunted by refusals Spradlin took his
unbearable problem to the newspapers,
wire services, radio and TV. And found
sympathetic, if laughing, eai-s and good
publicity for the Wehrenberg ciixuit and
current films playing at South-Tu'in.
Even the large St. Louis Zoo and eminent
George Vierheller listened— and said
an emphatic NO!
Just as Spradlin had exhausted all
possibilities and decided to let the Humane
Society handle the animals, his
children boycotted him. His family pleaded
with him to try again.
Finally an ideal home was found in a
small zoo in Hayti, a small community in
the boot heel of Missouri.
And the bear facts were summed up by
Spradlin's daughter who spoke for all
the childish customers when she said, "Oh,
goody! Now no one will make a rug out of
Louie."
ABBOTT THEA. EQPT. CO.. Chicajo, 111.
MISSOURI THEA. SPLY. CO., Kansas City. Mo.
STEBBINS THEA. EQPT. CO., Kansas City. Mo.
HURLEY SCREEN COMPANY, INC.
96-17 Norfhern Blvd. Corono 68, N. Y.
"SELECT" FOUNTAIN SYRUPS
DRINK DISPENSERS
Select Drink Inc.
4210 W. Florissonf Ave. Phone
St. Louis 15, Mo. Everaren S-S93S
BOXOFFICE August 1, 1960
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