Harry B. Ashton Named Manager of Villa Theater

HARRY B. ASHTON - a theater manager who has spent nearly his entire life in [missing text] - Monday was named manager of the new Villa Theater at 3000 Highland Drive.

In addition to his new assignment in the Joseph L. Lawrence - David K. Edwards organization, Ashton will supervise operations of the Uptown Theater which he has managed for the past seven and one-half years, and continue to have charge of all advertising for the theater circuit.

Harry was born in Woodruff, Utah, a son of Mrs. John B. Asthon, who resides today at 13 East South Temple St., Salt [missing text] and the late John B. [missing text] Harry 's father was one of the [missing text] showmen of Utah, owning some of the first nickelodeon house in the state and also manageing theater [missing text] Provo. He also built the Paramount in Provo, Utah.

AFTER WORKING for his father's theaters for several years, Harry became associated with the L. Marcus Enterprises of Ogden and Provo and worked in several capacities in their theaters. He then joined Fox Theaters and went to Denver with them in managerial capacities. Thirteen years later, he returned to Salt Lake as manager of the Uptown.

Mr. and Mrs. Ashton have two daughters, Mr.s Ernest Andrasik and Mrs. Homer McDonald, both of Denver, and two grandchildren.

Harry is familiar to Salt Lake showgoers as one of the first theater managers of Utah to wear a tuxedo, which is sometimes set off with a flower in the lapel.