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L544 Theatres Join
1960 Hospital Drive
NEW YORK—Pledges to make audience
collections and conduct the annual Christmas
Salutes on behalf of the Will Rogers
Memorial Hospital have been received from
1.544 theatres, or about 22 per cent of the
goal of 7.000 theatres. Eugene Picker,
chairman of the fund raising committee,
said the opening weeks of the drive were
encouraging and that if the response continued,
the goal would be reached.
Seventy-one circuits have made their
pledges.
Picker said exchange area distribution
and exhibition chairmen were working on
developing an increased enrollment of independents
and that this segment was expected
to exceed its last year's mark.
A. Montague, president of the hospital,
warned against "letting down on our
efforts because of the good response we are
meeting." He said the di-ive was off to a
good start, but the pressure must be kept
on, pointing out that "we still need some
5,500 more theatre pledges before we can
relax and consider the mission accomplished."
Among the circuits participating are American
Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Bolaban & Katz-
Publix Great Stotes, Buffalo Paramount, Florida State,
Fox Intermountain, Interstate & Texos Consolidated,
Monroe Amusement, Paramount Gulf-Tenarken, Tri-
Stotes, Adelman, Armstrong, Arthur Enterprises, Associated
Drive-ins, Atlantic, Atlas-Atoz, Basil,
Bloomer, John C. Bolte, Brondt, Century, Chakeres,
Cinema Circuit, Cinerama, City Entertainment, Commonwealth,
Dickinson,, Dixie, Durwood, Delft, Frisina,
Harris, Indiana-Illinois, Interboro, Iowa United, J. J.
Theatres, Jamestown, Kallet, Kerasotes, E. M. Loew,
Loew's, Maico, Manos, B. S. Moss, J. McFarland,
J.
Nal-Pac, Fox-Midwest, Neighborhood, RKO, Rand-
Walter Reode, Robins Amusement, Rowley
United, Rugoff & Becker, Schine, Skirball, Skouros,
Smith Management, Springer, Stanley Warner, Stein-
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Steifel, Switow, Trans-Lux, Tri-City Drive-ins,
Artists, Wehrenberg, and Wolfberg.
Henry S. Griffing Missing
With Family of Three
)
CITY—Heniy S. Griffing.
53, president of Video Independent Thea-
(
tres. is reported missing. No word had
received here yet as of Thursday
(25) on the whereabouts of Griffing and
members of his family—his wife, a
Linda, 20, and a son Philip, 25.
was piloting his private plane, a
single engine Cessna 182, on a flight that
left Teterboro, N. J. Airport Tuesday (16).
He had filed no flight plan, but associates
!
said he planned to fly to Oklahoma.
$5,000 reward for information leading
to the discovery of the Griffing family
and the airplane has been offered by
officials of Video Theatres. Video operates
in Oklahoma and West Texas.
is also secretary and a director
the Oklahoma TV Corp., which owns
television station KWTV here.
known for his pioneer work in pay
TV, Griffing conducted the famed Bartlesville
experiment two years ago. He also
was one of the first independent exhibitoi's
to apply for a Telemeter franchise last
spring.
Kreisler on Sales Trip
NEW YORK—B. B. Kreisler, president of
International Film Associates Corp., left
for Em-ope Wednesday (24> to offer 44
independently produced features for
theatrical or television showing in western
Europe. He will return October 11.
Expect Record Turnout
At TOA Convention
LOS ANGELES—With reservations and
registrations running 30 per cent ahead of
the same pre-convention
period last year,
indications are that
the forthcoming Theatre
Owners of America
convention here
next month will be
the largest in the ort^anization's
history.
Total registrations
last year in Chicago
amounted to about
1,000, including wives.
William Zeckendorf
For the first time, a
professional decorating
firm has been engaged to decorate the
main meeting room. Joseph Alterman, administrative
secretary of TOA, is due here
this week from New York to complete arrangements,
having advanced his arrival
time by more than a week because of the
growing scope of convention plans. The
convention dates are September 13-16 at
the Ambassador Hotel. Meetings of the
board of directors and executive committee
will be held for two days prior to the opening
of the sessions.
Two plans for the stepping up of production
and soui-ces of more product will be
presented to the delegates. William Zeckendorf,
prominent realtor and director of
the America Corp.. will explain the production
program being undertaken by Pathe
Laboratories, a subsidiary of America. S.
H. Fabian, chairman of the American
Congress of Exhibitors, will report on the
ACE production plan.
TO OUTLINE PATHE PROJECT
Pathe has proposed to TOA that Pathe
completely finance the production of additional
pictures to help theatres in the
present product shortage, on the condition
that TOA obtain playdate pledges for the
films from its members. It is expected
that Zeckendorf, in the course of his
address, will outline details of Pathe's
project and might even present some of the
first film packages which Pathe would be
prepared to undertake. Pathe has set up
separate production and distribution companies
to handle the program.
Zeckendorf is president of Webb &
Knapp, Inc.. one of the world's largest real
estate developing companies, which currently
plans to develop 20th-century Pox's
studio property as Century City.
Albert Pickus, TOA president, said
Zeckendorf was invited to speak by TOA
not only because of his direct association
with the America Corp. and its Pathe program,
but because his real estate and
financial ventures had often encompassed
such a degree of showmanship that TOA
felt that he could authoritatively advise
theatre owners of this faculty.
Meanwhile, plans are going forward for
special attention to be directed to 70mm
projection equipment at the tradeshow
which will be held in connection with the
convention. Strong Electric Corp. will show
its 35 /70mm projectors in its booths, along
with its Jet Arc, UHT and Magnarc carbon
arc lamps. The Strong booths will be
manned by Arthur J. Hatch, Bill White
and C. Callender.
Another trade show exhibitor will be
National Vendors. Inc., which will exhibit
its Series 222 cigaret merchandiser as well
as candy machines. This booth will be
conducted by H. J. "Pete" Poster, M. L,
Pierson and Charles Kaplan.
TEDA, TESMA COSPONSORS
TOA has been joined in the cosponsorship
of the tradeshow by Theatre Equipment
Dealers Ass'n and Theatre Equipment
Supply Manufacturers Ass'n. The
tradeshow booths will be opened daily at
2 o'clock. There will be no convention
meetings during the afternoons, except on
Wednesday, September 14.
A "treasure chest" will be established in
the tradeshow, with major prizes to be
awarded during tradeshow hours. To encom-age
tradeshow attendance, the chest
will be placed in the center of the exhibit
area and conventioneers will have to be in
the tradeshow at the time the prizes are
awarded in order to win them.
Warner Nine-Month Gross
Rises But Earnings Drop
NEW YORK—Warner Bros, revenues for
the nine months ended May 28 increased
but earnings declined. Film rentals, including
television, amounted to $66,392,000,
dividends from foreign subsidiaries not
consolidated were $881,000 and profits on
sales of capital assets was $430,000, compared
with $62,084,000, $1,126,000 and
$797,000, respectively, for the 1959 period.
Net profit was $4,577,000, equal to $3.05
a common share. There were 1,499,000
shares outstanding after deducting 343,396
shares held in treasury. Net profit, not
including the profit of $6,500,000 on the
sale of the company's ranch, for the corresponding
period last year amounted to
$7,249,000, equal to $4.57 a shai-e on
1,585.196 shares after deducting 897,051
shares held in treasury.
Net current assets May 28 last were
$43,718,000, including $18,154,000 cash and
U. S. government securities, and debt
maturing after one year was $4,754,000
compared with $43,071,000, including
$15,814,000 cash and government secui'ities,
and $4,663,000 respectively February
27 last.
Gandall Takes U-I National Post
ST. LOUIS—William Gandall. who has
been in St. Louis on assignment for
United Artists publicity department, resigned
his position with UA Thursday (18t
to become the national director of group
sales for Universal. Gandall. 52, has been
in the industry for 15 years. He will work
out of Universal's New York office.
BOXOFFICE August 29. 1960