Boxoffice-January.03.1966

. .
JACKSONVILLE
• Continued from preceding page)
Wachee in the Christmas issue of his
Concessionaire, a weekly news organ covering
merchandising, promotions, news of
theatre personnel, kiddies show, advertising
and related topics. The Concessionaire
pictured Santa being propelled
through the crystal-clear depths of Weeki
Wachee as part of the seasonal presenta-
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ing or car capacity.
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3750 Ookton Sf. • Skokle. Illlnolj
tion at the giant spring's underwater million
dollar theatre. Santa rode a propellerdriven
underwater scooter through Florida's
"subterranean Grand Canyon" and
was preceded on his rounds by two human
mermaids riding giant plastic seahorses.
After a year replete with self-sacrificing
work and good deeds on behalf of more
than a score of local charitable groups
(several homes for the aged, hospitals,
juvenile shelters, shut-ins, impoverished
families, the Tuberculosis Ass'n, the Cancer
Ass'n, the Multiple Sclerosis Ass'n, the
March of Dimes, Will Rogers Hospital, etc. >
members of WOMPI gathered together
for an evening of relaxation and fun at
a combined Christmas and New Year's
party held at the Thunderbird Restaurant.
Myrtice Williams was chairman for the
event.
Walt Disney's plans for a mammoth
entertainment complex on the 30,000 acres
of Florida land recently purchased by Walt
Disney Enterprises in the area southwest
of Orlando has received close attention
and cooperation from Gov. Haydon Burns
and his staff. State controller Fred O.
"Bud" Dickinson has returned from California,
where he had a series of meetings
with Disney and his staff to discuss taxation
in Florida and other problems that
must be met before the entertainment project
gets started. Dickinson said engineers
are slated to start a study of water resources
on the property early in 1966 and
he said Disney indicated that much of the
area would remain in its natural state, preserving
the lakes, streams and wildlife,
making room for campers and providing a
buffer zone against other development in
the area. He said Disney indicated that he
planned to build hotels to take care of the
crowds who would visit the Florida attraction
and also indicated interest in creating
a huge convention center.
FST Circuit
Plaza in
Opens
Sarasota
.
Bill Williams is Bob Pollard's new booker
SARASOTA, FLA.—LaMar Sarra, general
in the Buena Vista office . . . George K.
counsel and vice-president of Florida State
Friedel. 20th-Fox salesman, visited friends
and relatives in Des Moines and Oklahoma
Theatres, officiated at the formal opening
of the circuit's newest de luxe theatre, the
City during the Christmas holidays .
Anita Racine, branch manager's secretary
Plaza in the Azar Shopping Center, when
it opened with the Florida premiere of
at 20th-Fox, spent Christmas in Evansville,
"Thunderball" December 21. The showing
. . is a Ind. Rosalie Martin new
.
booker's secretary at Paramount . . Barbara
was a benefit performance to help finance
a 1966 European summer tour - for the nationally
"Sunny" Greenwood. Universal book-
famous Riverview High School Kilties
er, visited her mother and son in Gainesville.
band of Sarasota.
Ga., during the year-end holiday
FST's new luxury house, managed by
season.
Carlton Bowden. has two auditoriums with
staggered opening times for the same main
feature in order to permit more convenience
to patrons who wish to view screen programs
from the beginning.
An attractive souvenir program for the
opening contained 24 cooperative ads placed
by merchants who welcomed the theatre
to the Azar center.
Wolfberg Seeks County OK
To Build Airer at Denver
From Eastern Edition
DENVER—The commissioners of Jefferson
County, just west of here, are considering
the request of the Bear Valley
Drive-In, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
of Wolfberg Theatres, to build an airer just
outside of Denver.
Wolfberg is seeking approval to build a
1,000-car drive-in. In its petition for a
zoning change, the firm pointed out the
drive-in would pay around $9,000 annually
in property taxes and would provide employment
for 50 persons.
Opposing the zoning change are five
civic groups, the Colorado Academy. Loretto
College, Mount View School for
Girls and more than 400 property owners.
At a hearing, the commissioners were told
the traffic at the intersection near the area
was too heavy to make the land suitable
for residential use. Persons living next to
the West and East drive-ins, which have
been in operation a number of years, explained
the outdoor theatres did not devaluate
their property.
The commissioners are not expected to
make a decision for a few weeks.
Embassy Pictures' "Village of the
Giants," a science -fiction satire, stars
Tommy Kirk. Johnny Crawford and Ronny
Howard
BOXOFFICE :: January 3. 1966