Boxoffice-Janury11.1965

. . The
. . Actress
. . Tlie
Aspen Skiers Get Plenty
Of Film Entertainment
ASPEN, COLO.—It apparently would be
deliberate folly to schedule movies or any
other on-stage presentatioiis during daylight
hours at this U.S. skiing center in
the Rockies. But once the lifts close down
at about 4 p.m., skis cleaned off and put
aside until the next day, the ruddy-faced
folks who look like moving ants on the
mountain slopes ai-e ready for some sitdowni
entertainment.
Growing-by-leaps-and-bounds Aspen in
its big valley setting certainly saw that
some estimated 7,000 holiday visitors this
year had variety in entertainment. It was
topnotch, too.
The Isis' claim to being the ski center's
only honest-to-goodness theatre didn't
limit the film fare by any means. Illuminated
and filled most nights was the old
Wheeler Opera House, and the Paepcke
Auditorium put its movie screen into use
the nights of December 26-28. The Isis
put up a good show to meet any and old
competition, including such films as the
hilarious "Tom Jones" for the Christmas
holiday-patrons.
The Opera House and Paepcke Auditorium
featured some film extremes in time
during the holidays. The latter presented
a December 26-28 showing of "Goldfinger,"
which only the Monday previous premiered
in New York City.
Back in the center of town the Opera
House audiences were roaiing with
laughter at one of the nation's oldest films,
Charlie Chaplin's "Gold Rush."
Live piano accompaniment by Bruce
Berger and some clever lantern slides made
it an evening even todays' sophisticated
teenagei-s enjoyed beyond expectations.
ALBUQUERQUE
.
. .
T ouis Gasparini, manager of the Fox Winrock
Theatre here, is scoring high in
the public relations and goodwill departments.
He aided the pastor of Our Lady of
Fatima Church in publicizing an open
house at the chuixh. During the campaign,
all three television stations here
began publicizing the event, as did the two
newspapers second Electronovision
film, "The T.A.M.I. Show," was presented at
the Kimo Theatre . "It's a Mad, Mad,
Mad, Mad World" opened in 70mm process
. at the Cinema East Linda Darnell
is due in town January 29 through
February 7 to star in "Janus" at the Albuquerque
Little Theatre . . . Cowboy star
Tex Hitter was in town January 4 with the
Johnny Cash Western music show in Civic
Auditorium.
Albuquerque Exhibitor Skipper Nizzi
Is
a Novelist, Speaks 5 Languages
ALBUQUERQUE—A longtime New Mexico
theatreman has an avocation which
he considers not only fun, but it's also
starting to bear fruit. He is Guido "Skipper"
Nizzi, a manager with Albuquerque
Theatres for many years, who also is an
author. His latest novel, a science-fiction
stoiT titled "The Paralyzing Rays vs. the
Nuclears," is on the book stands. The book,
published by Vantage Press, was released
in December.
Nizzi, called "Skipper" by everyone who
knows him, is something of an institution
in the theatre business here. He has been
associated with Albuquerque Theatres and
its predecessors since he started in the
business in 1932. Currently, he manages
the El Rey Theatre, which operates only
on weekends. During the week, he's an assistant
at the downtown Kimo Theatre.
He has worked in all of the theatres in
town at one time or another, during his
33 years in the business.
Born in Piumalbo, Italy, he moved to
this country as a boy with his parents,
and grew up in Raton, N.M., where he
Theatre Has Been 'Life'
To New Evergreen Head
DENVER—Ray W. Davis, promoted from
area supervisor for Fox Intermountain
Theatres to head of Evergreen Theatres in
the Pacific northwest, with headquarters
in Seattle, has spent all his working life in
the theatre business. He started as doorman
at the Grand in Rocky Ford. Colo.,
where he had moved with his family from
Illinois.
Moving to Denver in 1924, Davis was an
usher at the old America, later at the
Rialto and Princess, all now closed. At 18.
Davis opened the Park Theatre in Denver
for Frank H. Ricketson, with whom Davis
was associated until Ricketson entered
production.
Davis was moved to the Queen, now the
Mayan Theatre in Denver, as manager and
progressively managed theatres for Ricketson
and Fox Intermountain in Sidney, Alliance
and North Piatt, Neb., and in Sterling
and Boulder, Colo., and Cheyenne.
Later he became manager of the northern
district for Fox Intermountain.
Returning from two years' service in the
Merchant Marine, he again was named
manager of the northern district, then was
Denver city manager and later became
manager of the northern and southern
graduated from high school. His latest
book, "Paralyzing Rays vs. the Nuclears,"
took him about two years to write. It is
his third published work. The two previous
were "The Paralyzed Kingdom and Other
Stories," published in 1947, and "The Victors,"
published in 1946,
Skipper likes to write, and apparently
the talent is a family one, since he claims
his ancestors as far back as the 15th century
were authors. But, book writing isn't
his only hobby. Skipper attended night
school at the University of New Mexico,
where he specialized in languages, and
now speaks English, Italian. Spanish,
French and Greek.
Other hobbies are stamp collecting,
photography and collecting autographs of
famous people. Among his treasured items
are autographed photos of the late President
John Kennedy and the late Pope
John XXni.
And. now that his latest book is published,
he hopes a film company may get
interested in using it as the background
for a film.
. .
DENVER
Meil Ross has taken over operation of the
Bluebird Theatre, a subsequent run
formerly operated by Fox Intermountain
Theatres. Ross was fonnerly a manager
for Fox in several posts and was most
recently with Atlas Theatres in Denver
. United Artists screened "Kiss Me,
Stupid" in the CentuiT screeningroom . . ,
Mitchell Kelloff, Uptown Theatre, Pueblo,
held a special screening with the admission
charge being a can of food to be distributed
. .
MGM
to the poor over the holidays .
salesmen Bates Farley and Claude Newell
were winter vacationing . . . Dick Klein reports
that a 16 -foot fence surrounding his
Star Vu Drive-In. Longmont, was completely
destroyed in a recent heavy windstorm.
Visiting the Row were Mi', and Mrs. Paul
McCalmon. Paul's Drive-In. Powell. Wyo.;
Mitchell Kelloff, Uptown. Pueblo; Howard
Campbell, Westland Theatres, Colorado
Springs; R. L. Stanger. Evans Drive-In,
Denver; Frank Childs. Stariite Drive-In,
Sterling; Carman Romano, Rex, Louisville,
and Art Goldstein, Roxy. Denver,
Fred Knill, president of the Rocky Mountain
Motion Picture Ass'n. announced that
Forward Look m will be held at the Brown
Albuquerque theatreman Carl Halberg has
Palace Hotel April 20, 21. Tlie program
districts.
been named a chief deputy to Bernalillo
committee is making arrangements for the
County sheriff Joe Wilson, and is heading When Robert Selig became vice-president
entire program, which will be announced
the civic division. Halberg is owner and of the National General Corp., Davis was later. Exhibitors are requested to make a
operator of the Route 25 Drive-In Theatre. advanced to area supervisor in addition to note of the dates and ai-range their schedule
accordingly .
Until a few months ago. he also operated his other duties.
Colosseum of Motion
Pictm-e Salesmen elected Claude
the Tri-C Drive-In . . . Evelj-n Pinley, Miss In making the announcement of the
Albuquerque of 1935, now a movie stunt Davis promotion, Selig said that Davis in Newell of MGM president, Dominic Linza
woman, was in town visiting friends. She addition to heading the Evergreen Theatres
would also play an important part in Marshall of Columbia as secretary-
of United Ai'tists vice-president and Bruce
career in 1940 and had
She later became the future expansion of National General's treasurer.
a double and stunt woman. Her most recent
work was as Kim Novak's double in Seattle, Spokane and Bremerton, Wash., Columbia's "The Curse of the Mummy's
operations. Evergreen operates theatres in
the new Billy Wilder film, "Kiss Me, Portland and Eugene, Ore., and in other Tomb" was produced and directed by
Stupid."
northwest communities.
Michael Carreras.
started her film
pai-ts in many westerns.
BOXOFHCE January 11, 1965