PG^

'Exorcist' in Philly
Area Hits $1 Million
PHILADELPHIA—In ten weeks The
Exorcist" has grossed over $I,0()0,()()0 ;it
the Stage Door Cinema Theatre in Phihidelphia
and the Westmont Theatre in nearby
Westmont, NJ. The film also opened
four weeks ago at the Milgram Theatre in
downtown Philadelphia to handle the overflow
crowds.
The last motion picture to generate this
type of boxoffice excitement was "The
Godfather" in 1972, which hit the $1,000.-
000 mark (one theatre) after 14 weeks.
Variety 19 Oyster Roast
Nets $980 for Charity
BALTIMORE—Approximately 225 members,
friends and guests of Variety Club
Tent 19 turned out Sunday (10) for the
organization's annual oyster roast at Overlea
Hall, 6809 Belair Rd., an event which
began at 1 p.m. and continued until 6 p.m.
The get-together netted $980 for the Teni
19 fund which will be used for new— and
more—Sunshine Coaches for handicapped
children, ex-chief barker Phil Harris said.
Highlights of the day included various
games and the winning of a clear plastic
umbrella, upon which was pinned $25, by
Joe Pollack, board member of the tent.
This activity cleared $74 for Variety charities,
since there were spirited contributions
and competition for the monetary prize.
Aiding in the success of the day were
committee chairman Philip Weinberg, board
member, ably assisted by dedicated veteran
members Phil Harris, Mrs. Charlotte Snyder
(president of Women of Variety Tent
19 and Joseph Townsley, chief barker of
Tent 19.
The desk near the entrance for collectafternoon's
tickets was manned by
Snyder and Mrs. Frank (Leslie)
(daughter of Phil Harris), with
Irizendine, past chief barker of TenI
executive of Schwaber World-Fare
Frank Cimino, and Mrs. Ellen
ich-hitting when the occasion arose,
reported: "We've gained 12 new
since February 1. I think people
ention in San Francisco."
piece de resistance, as usual, was
a gastronomical lure. The buffet
[continuous basis was created by Lawyer
and his able staff at Overlea
lesy Epidemic Wanted
YORK—A recent issue
of "Loewmanagers'
bulletin issued by Loews
New York, was captioned:
Is Contagious—Let's Have an
at Loews!"
ANNIVKR.SARN CKLKBRA I ION- \ arittv C hih lent 1. Pittsburgh, celebrated
its 47th anniversarj with more than a dozen events at the club in the
William Pcnn Hotel, plus an evening at the Meadows for the races. Conimissioners
of Allegheny County extended best wishes to the club for its 47 years of charitable
work in behalf of handicapped and underprivileged children and noted that
the original Variety Club expanded and that there now are 39 clubs in eight
countries which have dispersed more than $200 million to handicapped children in
20 nations. Variety Week photo shows, left to right, Thomas J. Foep.ter, commissioner;
Nate Kaufman, past chief barker; Nick Lazzaro, chairman of Variety
Week; Leonard C. Stalsey, commissioner; James M. Ecker. chief barker; Bert
Sokol, first assistant chief barker; George Tice. past chief barker and president of
NATO of Western Pennsylvania, and (ieorge Werl, Camp Variety chairman. Not
pictured is Allegheny County Commissioner William R. Hunt. M.D.
Baltimore Trio Financing
Feature Motion Picture
BALTIMORE—Jack Fruchtman of JF
Theatres, Frank Roberts and Howard Owen
will finance a $1 million motion picture to
be filmed here in May, it was disclosed by
R. H. Gardner, movie critic for the Baltimore
Sun. The same three businessmen
took over the operation of the Mechanic
Theatre this season.
In his by-lined article, Gardner said that
the film will be titled "Goldie" and "it
will be a sequel to "The Mack," presenting
actor Max Julien in the same role. Julien
also will direct the movie from a script
by Paul Mooney, a writer for the TV series
"Sanford and Son.' Together with Harvey
Bernhard, producer of the new film and
'The Mack,' both men visited Baltimore
for the purpose of scouting locations.
"In the process of answering questions
as to how he and his associates came to
invest in the project, Fruchtman, operator
of most of the downtown movie houses,
reviewed a series of social developments
dating from the middle '60s. It was then
that attendance at the Hippodrome. May-
ing to realize the work and the
fair, New and Town fell to such an all-time
Variety Clubs all over the world
low, following the mass exodus of white
; forth in helping handicapped
residents to the suburbs, and Fruchtman
with their Sunshine Coach prorealized
he would have to develop a new
Incidentally, the Baltimore Variety
30 members (to date) who have
audience
survive.
for those theatres in order to
for the Variety Clubs Internation-
" 'That was before the day of the socalled
black exploitation film," said Fruchtman,
who dislikes the term C'Kfter all. we
had gangster films in the '30s and nobody
ever called them white exploitation films').
•Starting in August 1968 with a Clint Eastwood
item called "Hang 'Em High," he
began to make a special pitch to blacks
through the media and it paid off.'
"By the the time the exploitation films
began to come along. Fruchtman had
organized the black audience to such a
degree that those films did better in Baltimore
than they did in most of the other
cities in the country. For the first time in
years, distributors began to want to open
their films here. Thus, when 'The Mack'
was ready for release,
Baltimore was chosen
as a test city to see how it would fare . . .
'It was mainly our confidence in Jack's
ability to promote our film that made us
decide upon Baltimore for a location,' said
the producer. Also, it seems that Julien
the people here, whom he describes as
likes
'warm, hospitable and fantastic' "
The plot of "Goldie" was not disclosed.
However, there will be parts in it for
Baltimoreans and Fruchtman already has
it in his contract that he's to appear in
one of these roles. The rest will be filled
through open auditions to be held in Mav.
when shooting is slated to start.
Tahsin Asset Is Director
For UAT Special Events
NEW YORK—Tahsin Assef has been
appointed director of special events for
United Artists Theatres, it was announced
by executive vice-president Salah M. Hassanein.
He will be in charge of non-theatrical
events, such as closed-circuit telecasts,
live stage presentations and special
engagements.
For the past five years, Assef was a film
buyer and booker for United Artists Eastern
Theatres. He will continue to make his
headquarters at UAET offices in Great
Neck, Long Island.
Pa. Income Tax Cut
HARRISBURG, PA.—After a 13-month
battle. Republicans have won their fight
to have the state's personal income tax
cut from 2.3 per cent to 2 per cent. There
are 3,473 bills in the two houses of the
general assembly, dozens of them from the
1973 session having to do with censorshipantipornography.
theatre taxes, theatre
licensing,
etc.
March 25, 1974 E-1