im

. . . John
'
. . . Joan
. . Arlene
. . Bert
. . Tom
. . Dave
. . Marie
. .
. .
. . The
;
DETROIT
Diehard Sklucki, manager of the Broadway
Capitol Theatre, chased and
caught a bandit who held up a candy store
as well as the theatre within minutes. He
was said to be on bond awaiting trial for
a suburban theatre holdup . . . Norman
Meyers, manager at the Adams, had one of
his rare double bills cui-rently . . . Walter
L. Rickens. projectionist at the Adams, left
on a vacation in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Gladys L. Smukler, widow of the
late Jack Smukler who for many years
headed the sick committee of lATSE Local
199 and handled many other charity
activities, has bought a home at Lake
Helen. Pla.. near his family. She reports
their son Dwight is doing fine in school
Dembek of Cooperative Theatres
just turned out a supermeticulous mimeographing
job—a 25-page book on involved
heart research by a doctor, for distribution
in Japan. Vera Phillips of Schulte
Theatres has become John's special sales
representative.
Bob Fredley, manager of the North Flint
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE
to gel in the
BIG MONEY
?^5^^% Be Sure to Play
i a screen game,
HOLLYWOOD fakes top
honors. As a box-office aftractlon,
it is without equal. It has
been a favorite with theotre goers for
er 15 years. Write today for complete details.
Be sure to give seating or ear capacity.
HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO. ,
3750 Ooklon St. * Skokic, Illinois
OUTSTANDING CRArrSMANSHIP ISHIP
AND ENGINEERING
PAUL E. FIELD
Soles
Counselor
PARK N/W CO.
14000 W. 7 Mile Rd.
Detroit
Diomond 1-8000
COMET
MERCURY
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
Service Ports Rcpoln
DETROIT POPCORN CO.
READY-TO-EAT POPPED CORN
Corn - Seasoning - Soxes - Salt
DISTIllltliTtHa UK CIIBKIU.S IMllCOKN MACIIINBS
5633 Grond River Ave. Phone TYIer 4-«912
Detroit Micti. Nigtits-UN 3-1468
8,
Drive-In. was in town with some fine pictures,
including color shots, of his theatres
and promotions . . . Pat Conlon. formerly
with the Grosse Pointe Park police department,
is now manager of the Esquire
Theatre, succeeding William Guensche,
industry veteran w'ho still takes a regular
turn as relief manager.
.
. . .
Jack J. Brown is incorporating the Gulf
Theatre on Michigan avenue, long known
as the Loop . . . Arthur Herzog jr., screen
publicist, is the author of a new song
titled "God Bless." sung by Pearl Bailey in
the forthcoming MGM release. "All the
Fine Young Cannibals." It has also been
recorded by Frankie Laine. Harry Belafonte.
Bea Wain, and several others
Tony Cicci. Schulte Theatres supervisor,
made a series of three upstate trips—to
Nate
Bad Axe. Howell, and Grayling
Levin. Allied Artists manager, vacationed
parts undisclosed.
in
Mable Brown of AA motored to Mackinac
Island for a week's vacation with her
family .
Mechanic, newcomer to
the film business, is the new Allied Artists
cashier, succeeding Ursula Davis, who left
to become bookkeeper for a car dealer .
Milton London has set the next Allied board
meeting for August 24 .
McGuire.
20th-Fox publicist, was away on vacation
Yagloski of Theatre Equipment
Co. was rushed to Women's Hospital for
treatment of a kidney stone, just before
her scheduled vacation. She is convalescing
in fine shape.
. . . Barbara
Frank Jones has scheduled the Buena
Vista move for August 26
Salzman and Connie Simans planned a
weekend at Cedar Point . Kaplan.
Theatrical Advertising, warmed up the
barber chair for this scribe . . James
.
Hendel. UA district manager, was in from
Pittsburgh . Holmes, UA booker,
motored to Banff on a vacation . . . Richard
R. Graff. Universal manager, chose
Doris Tousciuk of the
Chicago for his . . .
Film building was back from a six-week
vacation with her five brothers in
Alberta province.
Art Zuelch, MGM office manager, plans
to use his "second" vacation to paint his
home—weather permitting . D.
. .
Meyer. UDT publicist, was back from
Her
a
.short vacation at Harbor Beach .
chief. Woodrow R. Fraught, returned to his
desk despite his broken leg . . . Clyde
Wixom. former manager of the old Columbia
Theatre, rode in the Christiani
Bros, circus parade down Woodward avenue
in the calliope wagon. Clyde owned a
calliope until a few months ago. The late
Mrs. Wixom was the player . . Nicholas
.
Tsoukalas. veteran theatre projectionist,
is announcing a course in Greek classic
dancing at his north end studio . . . William
Todd is reopening the Dawn Theatre
at Flushing, formerly operated by Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Walker. Floyd Chrysler will be
the film buyer.
Eddie Fisher will record the theme song
of MGM's "Butterfield 8" as a feature of
the picture's promotion.
Detroit Saturation
For 'Bellboy' Debut
DETROIT — Paramount's
saturationtype
first inn booking of "The Bellboy"
won the engaging headline of "Silly? Yes,
Sir!" from Helen Bower, film editor of
the Detroit Free Press.
The film is opening at the Broadway
Capitol Theatre, United Detroit Theatres
first run, and day and date at 30 other
theatres in the area, including a dozen
drive-ins, with waves of subsequent run
bookings due to follow. The idea was welcomed
as an experiment, not necessarily to
be repeated, by Woodrow R. Fraught, UDT
president.
The idea was considered quite suitable to
the picture selected for this experiment by
the Free Press critic. "This is a smart
move, considering the season and the nature
of the picture . Lewis antics
put no strain on those in search of summer
diversion," she wrote.
Three-Day Operation
In Mountain Village
CINCINNATI—When you own and operate
a motion picture theatre deep in the
mountains of poverty-stricken West Virginia,
where coal mining is the only industiT—if
and when the mines are being
operated-—you've got problems considerably
more acute than those confronting
i
an operator in a busy and prosperous
farming or industrial community.
The principal problem, of course, is the
financial ability of the residents to justify
even a limited operation.
That was the .situation facing Frank
Weitzel. longtime Cincinnati operator,
when he purchased the 600-seat Alpine in
East Rainelle early this year. Soon thereafter,
spring floods descended on the village
of 1.500 making it necessary to replace
most of the seats and considerable
other house equipment.
But Weitzel had the flood debris mopped
up. found a sufficient number of secondhand
seats to replace those damaged beyond
repair by the flood, and he was in
business again.
Since then, he had turned on the
house lights only on weekends: that is,
until early in July, when he also opened
the house on Wednesday nights for "bargain"
screenings, with an admission
charge of 25 cents for adults and 10 cents
for children. Furthermore. Weitzel didn't
skimp on his film entertainment. Instead,
he provided a full two-hour program with
a feature film being supplemented with a
cartoon and several shorts.
Because residents of East Rainelle and
its enviix)ns see very little professional entertainment,
they have been delighted
with the midweek screenings—and Weitzel
has been equally delighted with the boxoffice
response.
Now he is awaiting the cold winter
months when so many of the mountain
roads become impassable for long periods.
But Weitzel is confident that even the
deep snows will not keep too many patrons
at home, because he is convinced that the
mountain folks are just as hungry for
screen entertainment as are those living
in more prosperous communities everywhere.
ME-2 BOXOFFICE August 29, 1960