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PROVIDENCE
Dhode Islanders of Italian descent were
particularly interested in recent programs
at the Johnston Theatre, Thornton,
where "The Ten Commandments" was presented
with all-Italian dialoR. and at the
Leroy in Pawtucket, where "Buongiorna
'
Prima Amore "Guai Al Vinti" were
shown for a single night.
The Art Cinema held "Carry On, Constable"
for a second week . and
His Brothers" earned three weeks at the
Avon Cinema . RKO Albee previewed
a new comedy hit the night of
January 26 while "Flower Drum Song" was
in its sixth and final week . Elmwood
announced that January 30 "would
positively" be the final day for "The Roman
Spring of Mrs. Stone." which would give it
a run of five weeks.
Crescenzo Calise, proprietor of Christy's
Spaghetti Place, a well-known downtown
restaurant, has asked the state supreme
court to affirm his right to show movies for
his customers without a city license. In his
court petition, Calise said he showed educational
and other 16mm films with standard
equipment during December, but the
Providence Bureau of Licenses informed
him he would be prosecuted if he presented
films again without a license.
Interviewed by Ted Holmberg, Providence
Journal-Bulletin entertainment editor.
Dina Merrill, movie and television
actress, recalled that she started her career
in Rhode Island. She appeared in "Here
Today" and "Mrs. January and Mr. X" at
the Casino Theatre in Newport while still
a teenager. She told Holmberg that she
still prefers motion pictures to television
and would like to do a stage role.
Elvis Presley made such a big hit in "Blue
Hawaii" at the Shipyard Drive-In that the
establishment brought the picture back for
a three-day lom, with Nat King Cole in "St.
Louis Blues" as the other screen attraction.
Darby's Son Cited by Army
For 'Outstanding Courage'
NEW YORK—An Amiy Commendation
Medal has been awarded to Pfc. John H.
Darby, 20-year-old paratrooper son of
James Darby, manager of the Paramount
Theatre in New Haven.
When the chute of a fellow-paratrooper
became fouled, leaving him dangling from
the plane while flying over South Carolina,
Darby and a sergeant leaned out from the
open hatchway and hauled the jumper to
safety. Darby and Sgt. Norman Marcus of
Los Angeles were cited for "an act of outstanding
courage."
Alex Gordon to Start
'Red Death' in March
HOLLYWOOD — In association with
Ruth Alexander and Jack Cash, Alex Gordon
will make four features at Producers
Studios, teeing off with "Mask of the Red
Death" in March, from a script written by
Mildred and Gordon Gordon,
"Passage Through the Ocean Floor," by
Gordon and Ruth Alexander will follow,
plus "Architect of Crime," by Mildi'ed and
Gordon Gordon, and an untitled film.
Foreign Films on TV Add
To Boston Competition
BOSTON—More television competition
for the motion picture industry is seen here
with the introduction by WNAC-TV of foreign
films, including several that have
never played this area. The station announced
it has just purchased the Englishdubbed
package, all released in the middle
and late fifties.
Billed as a "Foreign Film Festival," the
pictures are being shown in the station's
Late Show slot at 11:15. The films include
The Lure of the Sila, a 1953 Italian production,
starring Silvano Magnano: The
Smallest Show on Earth. British. 1957.
Margaret Rutherford and Peter Sellers;
Bread, Love and Dreams, Italian, 1954, Gina
Lollobrigida and Vittorio De Sica: Gate of
Hell, Japanese. 1954, Isao Yamagata.
Machiko Kyo; Man in the Raincoat. 1958,
Fernandel.
It marks the first time that a complete
television programming of foreign films
has been run here.
HARTFORD
Industry pioneer Mike Alperin and his
wife Kitty drove to Miami Beach for
a few weeks of Florida sun . . . Paramount's
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "The Pleasure
of His Company." on a double bill at Lockwood
& Gordon's 1.000-seat Central, West
Hartford, has displayed amazing resiliency.
Some weeks ago, the program opened for
what was anticipated to be a four-day
stand, only to be held for a full week and
then ten days. Now the company has
brought the same double bUl back—and the
SRO sign was up over the concluding
weekend of a seven-day engagement! This
is indeed staying power!
Al Montefalco, who managed the Roxy.
New Britain, for the late Nick. Kounaris
and has now turned to entertainment performances
as a featured clown, has been
booked extensively throughout this region
of late—Majestic, West Springfield; Regent,
Arlington, Mass.; Somerville, Somerville,
Mass.; Warner. Lynn; Ellis. Springfield,
Vt.; Port, Newburyport, Mass,; Warner.
Worcester; Academy, Fall River, and
Palace, Lawrence.
. .
George E. Landers, E. M. Loew's Theatres,
was in Boston for several days of home office
conferences with ciixuit owner-president
E. M. Loew . Alan M. Brunner. vacationing
Cine Webb manager, postcarded
greetings from the warm Puerto Rican
climes. The postscript noted he had conversed
on motion picture topics with some
fellow holidayers.
Worcester Opera Series
WORCESTER — The Warner Theatre
will screen opera films on four Tuesday
evenings, beginning with "Tosca" March
6. Subsequent attractions include "Madame
Butterfly," March 13; "Don Giovanni,"
March 20, and "Aida." March 27.
Audubon Retitles Film
NEW YORK — "Sweet Violence" will be
the American release title of Audubon
Films' "Douce Violence," the foreign picture
in Cinemascope starring Elke Sommer,
according to Ava Leighton, director of
sales.
BOSTON
gen Rogers, Pathe-America. Boston office,
reports that their newest release, "The
Unstoppable Man," has been booked into
the Paramount Theatre, opening February
7 . . . John Markle, Columbia's press representative,
just back from Hartford, where
he got out all the scuba divers in the city
for promotions on "Underwater City" . . .
Two sneaks were run. one at the Kenmore,
a British comedy in the "Doctor" tradition;
and one at the Memorial, a threestar
comedy in color spoofing one of America's
largest businesses, marking the first
sneaks in Boston since before the holidays.
The Fine Arts Theatre, the only theatre
in Boston that is upstairs, has gone first
run again, the first time in perhaps two
decades for the historic art house, with
"Call Me Genius," new English comedy , . .
"One. Two. Three" is setting records in its
Beacon Hill engagement. Ben Sack reports
From the Bridge," set for the
Kenmore opening February 7. was screened
for the Boston critics at the Universal
screening room. Monday, January 29.
The Three Stooges came in for a personal
appearance for their picture. "The Three
Stooges Meet Hercules," going into the
Pilgrim, and met the Boston press at a
luncheon at the Statler Hilton, arranged
by John Markle. Columbia.
NEWHAMPSHIRE
The Strand in Manchester announced a
holdover for "Exodus." with two complete
shows for the benefit of the newcomers to
the show. Later the film was moved to the
Palace for a thi-ee-day run.
Editing Awards Feb. 21
HOLLYWOOD—The Crystal room of the
Beverly Hills Hotel will be the site of the
H theatre drive, sponsored over two weekends
by the teenage division, netted
$81.74 for the March of Dimes bread sale
in Claremont. it was reported by Mrs.
Robert Love, teen advisor in the fund campaign.
American Cinema Editors 12th annual
editing awards program February 21. Editing
nominations have been completed for
films in the feature picture, television and
documentary categories shown in this area
during 1961. Winners in the final voting
by active members will be presented ACE
trophies at the awards dinner next month.
Caswell L. Haskell Dies
ESSEX, CONN.—Caswell L. Haskell. 62.
one of the oldest licensed projectionists in
Connecticut, died at Grace-New Haven
Hospital, New Haven. In recent years he
was employed by Pratt, Read & Co., an
Ivoryton concern.
RCA SERVICE COMPANY
A Division of Radio Corporation of America
48 North Beacon St
Boston 34, Mass. ALGonquin 4-2654
BOXOFFICE February 5, 1962 NE-3