Boxoffice-August.11.1975

. . The
. . Bob
BUFFALO
J^l Anscombe, president of Amherst Cabls-
Vision. has applied to the Federal
Communications Commission for permission
to carry the CATV signals in Tonawanda
and Kenmore (which the company now
services) of WGR-TV. WBEN-TV. WKBW-
TV. WUTV and WNED-TV. all of this
city, as well as several stations in Toronto.
Canada . . . While his boss Daniel Lesniak
of WADV-FM is on vacation, account
executive Jerry Edelstein is taking over at
the location atop the Rand Building. Both
are members of Variety Club Tent 7.
The corporation that owns and operates
this city's Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen St.,
has been fined $5,000 in city court after
pleading guilty to a charge of exhibiting an
obscene film. City Court Judge Samuel L.
Green levied the fine after the attorney for
the theatre firm entered a plea of guilty.
Judge Green ordered the fine paid within
30 days and said he would dismiss another
obscenity charge pending against the theatre
if payment was made within that time.
Dick Atlas, a former chief barker of Tent
7 and present manager of the Broadway
Drive-In, now is press guy of Variety Club
Tent 7. This added job will keep him busy
when the fall season begi.ns.
Sidney J. Cohen, president of NATO of
New York State, and exhibitors and distributors
gathered in the Concord on Lake
Kiamesha Sunday (3) through Thursday (7)
to enjoy the association's annual fumrin-thesun
convention.
"Give yourself a great time with these
genuine film-music classics on United Artists
reco-rds," said John Dwyer in the Evening
News the other day. "They are new
performances, with classy engineering, of
the original scores. He mentioned "King
Kong." "A Star Is Born." "Prisoner of
Zenda" and a few others . Canadian
National Exhibition opens Wednesday (13)
in Toronto. Ont.. and many Buffalonians
are motoring to the .spot to enjoy the many
attractions, especially the Big Band Pavilion,
where the shows arc free every night.
Gary Meyers, head projectionist at Che
Transit Drive-In on Transit Road near Lockport,
will marry Deborah Allen Saturday
(16). Deborah is employed at the Niagara
Falls Airport. .She is a graduate of a Syracuse
college.
A letter from the Rev. James Connelly
published in the Evening News said: "Having
enjoyed a hit play at the Studio Arena
Theatre and hearing murmurings that soon
they will be in need of a larger theatre. I
suggest looking across Main Street to the
former Shea's Buffalo. Some of us fortunate
enough to have exiperionced the
Michael Shea era feel that this building
could be adapted to fill a need for continued
and growing good theatre in this city; also,
think what this would mean towards renovation
of the downtown area."
Hoh'day Theatres general manager Joseph
P. Garvey urged in his ad for the Holiday
4. Cheektowaga. "to avoid being disappointed,
see "Jaws" at 12 noon at only
$1.25." The film is doing tumaway business
here, just as it is in other cities . . . WGR
Radio in this city and WXRL Radio in
Lancaster have had their licenses renewed
by the FCC in Washington. D.C.
Michael L. McCarthy, councilman-atlarge.
has asked the common council to
question executives of Courier-Cable Co.
about reports that residents of our town
can't get C./\TV service installed in their
homes. The common council has called a
meeting, when questions about reports that
installations can't be made are to be
answered Curran. Evening News
columnist, has received the American
Legion national commander's public relations
citation "in recognition of outstanding
writing in his column."
The Lockport Drive-In on Route 3 I near
Gasport is attracting crowds with "Race
With the Devil" and "M*A*S*H" as a
second feature. Excellent weather is helping
at
the boxoffice.
David Cohen is helping his dad Macey
Cohen, operator of the Transit Drive-In.
while home for the summer from the University
of Miami in Florida . . . Residents
of Orleans County have been instructed to
enjoy themselves and ipartake of nostalgia
or face "Keystone Cops" and "Kangaroo
Courts." The orders were issued at Albion
on the occasion of the county's 159th anniversary.
Screenings and discussions by prominent
filmmakers were planned by the Summer
Institute on the Making and Undertaking of
Films and Media at the State University of
Buffalo. The institute started Wednesday
(6) and continues through Wednesday (20).
Jim Lavorato of National Theatre Supply,
496 Pearl St.. and formerly head of the
same company's film service office at the
same address, is one busy man these days
as he hops about western New York visiting
exhibitors to learn about their theatre needs.
Jake Stefanon of the Silver Lake Drive-
In at Perry is enjoying a busy .season this
summer as he entertains thousands of patrons
at his popular ozoner, which he has
modernized tihroiighout.
Fire Destroys Closed Theatre
ATLANTIC CITY. N.J. — The vacant
Townc Cinema here was destroyed rccenlly
in a general-alarm fire that officials believe
was set by an arsonist. No one was injured
in the blaze which firefighters managed to
prevent from spreading to .several adjacent
factories. Shuttered many months, the
Towne during the past several years had
been o|x-raled by a number of exhibitors.
"Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" is
being lilnied on locations in
Spain.
Pa. Legislative Actions
Observed by Industry
PITTSBURGH—The 159th session of the
Pennsylvania General Assembly is keeping
the film industry alert with the many and
varied proposals before the legislative body,
nearly all adverse to business practices and
logic. Probably foremost is the bill which,
if approved, would create censorship and
regulate the industry's personnel.
HBI243, entered by Rep. Frank A. Salvatore
and nine others, would register all persons
"showing films" and create a State
Board of Motion Picture Control, imposing
certain political powers and duties and making
an appropriation of a large sum of the
taxpayers' money. This bill is before the
professional licensure committee of the
House.
Among a dozen or more local political
subdivision tax-enabling proposals is one to
permit local communities—city, borough,
township and school district) to enact and
collect an amusement admission tax
(HB732). Another proposal would remove
the ten-year-old act which gives the city of
Pittsburgh the exclusive power (in this state)
to enact and collect an "emergency" amusement
admission tax via legislation of the
General Assembly. this "terminating"
measure being HB959.
Pennsylvania consolidated statutes regarding
crimes and offenses would be an amendment
to Title 18 under terms of HB1270.
"clarifying the offense" of obscenity in
motion pictures and holding liable not only
exhibitors but film producers and distributors
of so-called obscene films. Other bills
which would prohibit obscenity, not defined
by federal or commonwealth law. include
HB353, providing for injunctions, and
HB823 and HB833. and proposals to shield
drive-in screens from the eyes of those outside
the ozoner (HB629. HB831 and
HB1006). These proposals now are outlawed
by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on
airer nudity.
Also in the legislative hoppers are
measures to legalize bingo, regulate C.\TV
systems, permit Sunday sales and trade via
dropping of the ancient blue laws, various
attempts to legalize lotteries other than the
commonwealth's, new harness-horse-dogdrag
racing bills, minimum wage measures
and exemptions, prohibition of X-rated
films at drive-ins, a plan to permit liquor
sales on Sunday at Philadelphia art museums
and one to approve liquor sales at
Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall.
Via legislative action, minors 16 to IS
years of age are denied employment in
restaurants, bars and lounges in capacities
other than or in serving or dispensing alcoholic
beverages in the defeat of HB.3b7.
Greenwood Theatre Reopened
TRENTON, N.J.— Heywood Burch. nc«
owner of the Greenwood Theatre, locakJ
at the corner of Greenwood and Cusler
avenues, announced the reopening of ilv
showhousc. Inaugural attractions \\ei\-
"Cornbread. Earl and Me" and "Johnny
lough," with admission $1 for chiklren
and $2 for adults.
BOXOFFICE Au.ausi 11, 975