Boxoffice-February.26.1973

NEW ORLEANS
two corrections
ATLANTA
pred Schwartz of the Will Rogers Hospital
was in town and hosted a luncheon at
Kolb's Restaurant attended by Jerry Kennedy.
20th Century-Fox: Lou Dwyer. Gulf
States Theatres: Bernice Bicknell, Joe Sacco:
Marchell Perrin and John Vath. WSMB radio.
Irene Me.xic represented the television
and radio media and Gulf States Theatres.
The following day, Irene accompanied the
New Orleans visitor on a tour of the city's
TV stations.
Irene also was on hand for the welcoming
of Jan-Michael Vincent, star of "The
World's Greatest Athlete" and to greet
Fiona Fullerton. star of "Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland." Paul Bach. Buena
Vista, hosted a hello party for Vincent at
the Royal Sonesta Hotel, an affair attended
by Bob Beebo. Lakeside Cinema, and Frank
Petraglia, Buena Vista. New York. Mike
Bila hosted the luncheon for Miss Fullerton:
it was attended by Joseph DiRosa, New
Orleans councilman, who presented Fiona
with a key to the city.
Sam Hart, American International Pictures.
Atlanta, visited with Irene Mexic to
discuss the publicity for the New Orleans
break of "Black Caesar" . . Doris Stevens.
.
Warner Bros, booker, returned to work
after a week's bout wtih a virus . Filmrow
. .
visitors included Aubrey Lasseigne and
his daughter Abby of Morgan City and Mrs.
Ferdinand Guidroz of Lockport.
Speaking of Jan-Michael Vincent, as we
were earlier in this column, he became an
actor in a strange way. he informed James
Perry of the States-Item. Vincent wanted
to be an artist and a friend of his father's
told him to try to get work through the International
Famous Artists Agency. Vincent
walked into the wrong room on the agency's
headquarters floor and made a date with a
talent scout for Universal Studios. While
Vincent was waiting for developments, word
came to the Universal scout that Bob Conrad
was looking for a young fellow for a
part in a movie. The agent took Vincent
to the set and a week later the latter was in
Mexico co-starring in a movie. Vincent told
Perry that he wants to become a better actor
and plans to attend school to study acting
and hopes to continue working while doing
so. "The World's Greatest Athlete" is to
open March 2 at the Lakeside and Oakwood
Cinema twins and the Kenilwork.
Again the South was hit by snow and
sleet and grosses tumbled at indoor and
(Continued on page SE-4)
JACKSONVILLE—The Easter week promotion
being set up in the Florida area for
Crown International Pictures new release.
"Little Laura, Big John." is being handled
by the Clark Film Releasing Co. of this
city,
headed by Harry Clark, Crown's representative
in Florida. Crown is planning a
saturation exploitation campaign for the
film in its Florida state-wide world premiere.
It was previously stated in error that
Easter release dates had been set up by
Marvin Skinner of Horizon Films, but
neither Skinner nor Horizon has any connection
with "Little Laura. Big John," starring
Karen Black and Fabian Forte.
Harry Clark is arranging for Crown a
full-scale newspaper, radio and television
campaign to be backed by star appearances
with Crown top executives in attendance.
A second error in the Jacksonville column
of February 12 mentioned a motion picture
title of "The Ashley Gang." No such picture
exists; "Little Laura, Big John" concerns
an Ashley gang that terrorized Florida
citizens for years in the early part of the
century. The film was made entirely in
Florida in
the actual locales.
New Orleans Media Honors
Irene Mexic of GST, Star
NEW ORLEANS—Irene Mexic, Gulf
States Theatres and Star Advertising, has
been honored by the city's radio, television
and newspaper representatives as the
"Movie Personality of New Orleans."
At a party given for her by the various
media, she was cited for her interest in
movie promotion for the entire New Orleans
area.
Present at the party were Otto Goessl,
WTIX; Joe Castello. WRNO: Sal Gingassro,
KGLA; John Curren. WVUE: Willie
Jefferson. WBOK: John Patterson. WNOE;
Don Woods. Gulf States Theatres; Rob
Rintz, Figaro newspaper, and Walter Huntsberry.
Memphis Studio Going Out
Of 'Skinflick' Business
MEMPHIS—Scratch one "adult" theatre
from Memphis—the Studio.
The Studio is giving up skinflicks, which
were very profitable at first and then "sort
of faded away," according to Gene Kent
Nitz. general manager of the Art Theatre
Guild, the circuit that operates the Studio.
The new policy: "old pictures, fairly recent
ones and some new foreign films."
Larry Sher. son of Art Theatre Guild
president Louis K. Sher, was in Memphis
to complete plans for reconversion of the
Studio.
^A7hen Mother Nature coated Atlanta and
north Georgia with ice in January and
left 90 per cent of this city's homes and
businesses without power, the lower half of
Georgia was left practically untouched. This
month it was a different story: February's
big storm deposited snow across a 200-mile
strip of middle Georgia and dumped 15
inches of the fleecy stuff on Macon, Savannah,
Augusta and Columbus and points between.
Not a single flake fluttered down
into Atlanta but localities within 25 miles
of the city were snowbound by the heaviest
snowfall in the records of central Georgia,
all the way down to the Florida line. Pensacoia,
Fla., even got 1'2 inch of the fluffy
flakes. Highway and intracity traffic came
to a halt in the snow belt, while the Georgia
National Guard, civil defense and highway
patrol organized the "dig-out" under the
direction of Gov. Jimmy Carter, who
scouted the stricken region by helicopter.
Fanfare marked the opening of the roadshow
engagement of Warner Bros.' "Man
of La Mancha" at Walter Reade's Atlanta
Theatre Wednesday, sponsored by the Atlanta
Humane Society. (An invitational preview
screening was set up by Ken Book, the
Atlanta's managing director. Tuesday evening,
preceded by a champagne cocktail
party for more than 500 guests. Walter
Reade jr., head of the circuit bearing his
name, made a personal appearance on this
occasion and pledged that the Atlanta Theatre,
which has been shuttered during a refurbishing
period, will follow "Man of La
Mancha" with the very best film product
available.) On premiere night, activities
(Continued on next page)
THIS SUMMERJT'S 'BUMMER'
THE Drive In Picture For '73
D...d F. F.,.dm.. i
FAR OUT TRIP THRU
A HARD ROCK TUNNEL...
From Entertainment Ventures.Inc. COLOR
CARBONS, Inc. I— " Box K, Cedar Knolls, NJ. ^^
In Florida—Joe Hornstein, Inc., MiomI, (30S) 373-0676
In Georgio—Capitol City Supply Co., Atlonto, (404) 873-2545
In Louisiana—Southern Theatre Supply Co., Metairie, (504) 831-1001
In N. Corolina—Americon Theatre Supply Co., Chorlottc, (704) 333-5076
Charlotte Theatre Supply Co., ChorloMe, (704) 333-9651
In Tennessee—Tri-Stote Theatre Supply Co., Memphis, (901) 525-8249
Nationol Theatre Supply Co., Memphis, (901) 525-6616
BOXOFFICE :: February 26, 1973 SE-1