Boxoffice-08.01.1960

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Mark
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HARTFORD—Of
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"Huckleberry
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place to go, just occasional lolling in local
parks and beaches; Davis Richeaux, booker,
and Bill Chauvin, booker's assistant, all
set for a motor joui-ney in separate cars to
Memphis to visit with former coworkers.
Eddie Kaffenberger, and Travis Carr, now
bookers at the Memphis branch . . . Beverly
Laiche has a dashing new Chevrolet
Impala . Suarez, ledger clerk, is
set for two weeks of a three-week vacation,
starting August 8. on the Gulf Coast with
temporary abode at the Trade Wind
hostelry in Biloxi . about herself,
Jane said she would be observing her
22nd year with Paramount August 17 and
In September her 23rd year as a Filmrow
staffer, beginning with Republic Pictures.
Ernest A. Grecula Joins
Tolis Theatres Circuit
HARTFORD—Ernest A. Grecula, veteran
industry executive, has resigned, effective
immediately, as advertising-publicity-exploitation
director of the five -unit
Community Theatres Inc. to join the Tolis
Theatres as manager of the Newington
Theatre and assist Charles Tolis on promotional
activity.
Lou Arone, Newington Theatre manager,
has resigned, his future industry affiliation
undisclosed at the moment.
While Grecula's replacement in the promotion
post at Community Theatres is
yet to be selected, it is understood that
circuit general manager Murray Lipson is
temporarily supervising advertising and
publicity and also managing the Central,
West Hartford, which had also been under
Grecula's administration.
Old Connecticut Theatre
Taken for Unpaid Taxes
STAFFORD SPRINGS, CONN.—A forecertificate
has been filed at the
clerk's office, conveying real estate
;
the Markoff Realty Co. to the town
Stafford and borough of Stafford
Springs.
The property consists of a two-story
brick building on Main street, the former
Palace Theatre. The action was brought
to unpaid taxes to the town and
borough. The two departments have taken
ownership. It is estimated that taxes due
amount to between $8,000 and $10,000.
The property will be up for sale at a future
date.
The theatre was closed in May 1959 due
to lack of patronage, after 60 years of
operation.
Will Observe
Twain Anniversary
interest to all Connectheatres
planning to play MGM's
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is
the news that both Governor Ribicoff and
James Kinsella of Hartford have
issued proclamations designating 1960 as
Mark Twain Anniversary Year.
Nineteen-sixty marks the 125th anniversary
of Twain's birth and the 50th
anniversary of his death.
Twain, whose real name was Samuel
Langhorne Clemens, wrote "Tom Sawyer,"
Finn," "The Prince and the
Pauper," "A Connecticut Yankee" and
other works while living here.
Boxoffice in New
Under Impetus of
'Can-Can' Regional Bow
Gala Shreveport Event
SHREVEPORT— "Can-Can" opened recently
here at the Saenger Theatre amid
flaring photographic bulbs, music, kleig
lights, the attendance of city and state
officials and socially prominent Shreveport
people. The event marked the Louisiana,
Arkansas and Texas sectional debut for the
20th Century-Fox musical.
Prior to show time, 15 models representing
style shops and stores rode in a parade
in individual Renault convertibles bannered
with the names of "Can-Can" cast
members. Merchants within a 150-mile
who represents the New Orleans and
radius of the city cooperated in promoting
the film. Prom major stores on down the
line, they displayed window advertising,
banners, cards, cutout standees, etc. In
addition to paid newspaper display space
for the film, all of the newspapers within
a 150-mile radius of the city ran feature
advances and gave prominence in reporting
the opening.
The picture has been doing outstanding
business since its initial showing, according
to Frank Jenkins, 20th Century-Fox publicist
Memphis distribution areas. The musical
is' on a roadshow policy, with matinees on
Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and
is expected to have a long run here.
Harry Homeniuk Returns
To Ontario Exhibition
PRESTON, ONT.—Harry Homeniuk has
bought the Park Theatre and reopened it
after the house had been closed for a
month. Prior to its closing, the Park had
been operated only on weekends for the
last two years. Homeniuk has returned the
Park to a policy of operating six nights a
week and with matinees on Wednesday
and Saturday, during the school holidays.
Homeniuk, who formerly operated theatres
in Ontario for Odeon and others, has
been out of exhibition for two years.
sendfne
Orleans Humming
Appealing Films
NEW ORLEANS — Theatre business
soared during the past weeks similar to
the peak summer patronage during the
past few years, following a steady rise
since the beginning of school vacation.
However, during the intervening weeks
several theatres had done top business, as
Loew's State did with "The Apartment."
This film had patrons .standing in long
lines during its first week and four weeks
later was still ringing up good boxoffice
results.
The Joy several weeks ago did voluminous
business with "Dinosaurus," with
mostly young patronage. It picked up nice
holdover trade, with more and more adults
turning out to see it the longer it stayed,
due to word-of-mouth advertising by the
young patrons.
Of course, "Ben-Hur" has been going
fantastically at the Civic since its opening
around six weeks ago. Manager John Roberts
said "Ben-Hur" grossed nearly as
much in the first two weeks as "Around
the World in 80 days" did in three weeks.
Patrons are even being turned away at
"Ben-Hur" Wednesday matinees and the
spectacular is expected to be showing at
the Civic for many months to come.
Another picture which lined patrons two
abreast and half a block around the corner
was "Portrait in Black." one of the
more recent openers. Other boxoffice delights
here have been "Pollyanna" at the
RKO Orpheum and "The Lost World" at
the Saenger.
Theatre managers are predicting, considering
the line-up of quality pictures already
booked, that business will keep up
at a terrific clip for the remainder of the
school vacation, perhaps even surpassing
attendance for the same period last year.
Interviews Hitchcock
HARTFORD—Allen M. Widem, Hartford
Times theatre editor and columnist, interviewed
producer-director Alfred Hitchcock
of Paramount's "Psycho" via long-distance
phone.
n 2 years for $5 D
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THEATRE
STREET ADDRESS
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TOWN ZONE STATE
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THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY
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BOXOFFICE August 1, 1960 SE-5