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BALTIMORE
T ct»ii B. Buck, general manager of Rome
Theatres and president of NATO of
Maryland, announced the permanent shuttering
of the Baltimore Broadway Theatre.
which had been in continuous operation
since 1912. The Broadway's official closing
day was Tuesday (5).
Ira Miller, who had been a salesman for
American International Pictures in Washington.
DC, has left that organization to
join the Schwaber circuit (World-Fare) . . .
Mrs. Kathe Norman, the efficient manager
of the Towson Theatre, was looking forward
to good results from booking "The Eagle
Has Landed.'' starring Michael Cainc. "It
looks as though it might be a good action
picture," Mrs. Norman commented before
the film made its Good Friday (S) debut
at the Towson.
Mrs. Leslie Ciniino, secretary of Tent 19,
Variety Club, and daughter of its chief
barker Phil Harris, is busy with the St.
Charles Players, who will give four dinner
shows of "Anything Goes" at St. Charles
Church. Church Lane, Pikesville, May
6. 7. 13 and 14. Mrs. Cimino will appear in
the chorus and is one of the dancers.
Don Walls' Cinema Scene column in the
weekly Star contained these interesting observations
about Olivia de Havilland, one
of the stars of "Airport '77": "Most of her
peers haven't aged as gracefully as she has
and those who have survived senility rarely
get the chance to appear in major films
anymore. Olivia de Havilland is not only a
survivor but she's also as lovely to look at
today as when she was re-acting to . . .
Errol Flynn ... in the early 1940s ... 'I
could work almost regularly in films produced
for TV if I wanted to do it,' Miss de
Havilland said recently during an interview
E-8
with the entertainment columnist who had
journeyed to Hollywood to meet her and
others who are featured in Universal Pictures'
'Airport '77,' currently at theatres in
the Baltimore-Washington area. She quickly
added. 'But I don't want to work on those
hectic schedules that are necessary for TV
films and frankly, my dear, the scripts that
have been submitted to me aren't interesting."
She said she agreed to appear in 'Airport
'77' because she would be working with
some of the finest talent moviedom has
today; and a few of them, like Jimmy Stewart,
'are the best from the great golden yesterdays.'
"
The New Mechanic Theatre has booked
Katharine Hepburn in "A Matter of Gravity"
May 3-15.
WRO Corporate Offices
In NJ Are Up for Sale
ASBURY PARK. N.J. — The Walter
Reade Organization which once operated
a circuit of 80 motion picture houses in
ten states, no longer is involved in New
Jersey except for its corporate headquarters
here. Now, the mansion housing the corporate
offices of the bankrupt theatre
company has been put up for sale.
Edwin Gage, a former WRO executive
and now a local real estate salesman who
purchased the Mayfair House mansion several
years ago and leased it to the Reade
Organization, declined to give an asking
price for the mansion property. Local tax
records show the house is assessed at $115.-
500 and the land for $92,900, bringing the
total assessment up to $208,400.
Declining profits, a shortage of films
which would attract wide audiences, increased
expenses to operate theatres and
the death of Walter Reade all worked
X-Rated Film Library For Sale
On a Territorial or National Basis
Foreign and Video Rights Available
Soft and Hard Versions
Library consists of 28 Color 35mm 60-minute Features and 8 10-minute 35mm
shorts, all with voice-overs.
Films Come with Press Kits and Trailers
All Negatives are in Excellent Condition
Priced to
Sell.
Call Mr. Rogers 212-324-3539
against the company in the early '70s, when
WRO started selling some of the theatres
it operated in Monmouth and Ocean counties
in this area. Finally, in January 1977,!
the company filed under Chapter XI of the
Bankruptcy Act for a voluntary reorganization
plan.
Albert Floresheimer, corporate secretary,
said the reorganization plan is still being
drawn and that the corporate headquarter!
is still being manned by a "minimal staff
pending a possible transfer to Reade's sale
offices in New York City above the com
pany's 34th Street Theatre.
When the bankruptcy papers were filed
the company said it "operated" more thai
two-dozen movie theatres but that some o
the houses were leased and some owne
by the Reade Organization. While ther
is no available breakdown as yet of th
company's assets and liabilities, the late;
financial statement showed revenues c
$26.2 million and a profit of only $369,00
for the year ended Dec. 31, 1975. A stab.
ment for 1976 is expected to be filed sonr
time this month.
Until the bankruptcy application is su;
plemented with a creditor payment pla
the current assets and liabilities of the th
atre circuit remain unclear. Records of tl
city treasurer's office in Asbury Park shp
the company owes that city more than $5(
000 in back taxes on four theatres it on
owned in the resort community.
Music Makers Operating
Laurelton Circle Twin
LAURELTON, N.J.—Music Mak«
Theatres has taken over operation of t;
local
Circle Twin Cinema. An independa
operation, the Circle Twin was original
opened five years ago and had been opated
by Renato Riva for several years.
'
In another action, Music Makers has sd
its interest in the Beach Cinema, Brady
Beach, to an independent operator. Mi'c
Makers had been in charge of the Brady
Beach house for the past two years, lie
Music Makers circuit now operates me
than 20 screens in New Jersey, mostly n
Monmouth and Ocean counties.
The Monmouth Arts Center in Red B«,
formerly Reade's Carlton Theatre, is iw
being booked by Music Makers Theats,
with a regular admission of 99 cents forill
seats. The Center is run by the Monmctb
County Arts Ass'n. The film policy is itmally
subsequent-run.
Jaycees Want Less Violence
TULSA. OKLA.—Directors of the 3V
000-member Jaycees adopted a resoluon
calling for less violence on TV. The natiial
group is proposing that violence in fy
programing be eliminated wherever psible,
that sponsors demand a reductio in
violent content of programs they sposor
and that viewers use discretion in eir
choice of programs to watch.
Columbia's "Le Point de Mire" wi <
filmed at the Boulogne Studios in tfis
and on locations in Belgium and in Pas.
BOXOFFICE :: April 18. V
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