o_1997ofqor1r1t4up1q001q301bgea.pdf

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$6,421,416 for 'Annie'
26 Days, 349 Houses
NEW M.)Kk Wood) Mien's widel)
imed comedy, "Annie Hull." has rolled
up .i gross oi $6,421,416 during its firsl
26 d.i\s m 34 l > theatres throughout trie
i s and ( anada, it was announced by Al
Fitter, United Artists senior vice-president
for domestic sales.
In man> theatres, the Woodj Allen-
Diane Keaton starrer has set new house
records, Fitter noted. Among the outstanding
situations singled out bj the UA sales
chiel were the following:
New York. $ l )25. l > l >7. seven theatres. 2d
days (this included house records lor opening
weeks and individual days); Los Angeles.
$628,199, Id theatres, 26 days, house
records; Baltimore. $108,115. six theatres.
I" days; Berkeley, Calif., $63,513. Berkeley
(re.
1
I ' days, house record; Boston.
$199,710. five theatres. 19 days; Chicago,
$198,946. ten theatres, ten days; Dallas
$S2.I14. two theatres. 14 days; Denver,
$65,615. one theatre. 19 days; Detroit,
$188,673. seven theatres, 19 days; Kansas
City, $77,704. three theatres,
19 days; Philadelphia.
$284,011. 11 theatres. 19 days;
San Diego, $65,829, two theatres, ten days;
San Francisco. $86,506, one theatre, house
record; Tucson. $43,834, one theatre, 26
days; Toronto, $138,312, four theatres, 17
days, and Washington. D.C.. $115,008. two
theatres. 19 days.
"Annie Hall" was directed by Woody
Allen, who also co-authored the script with
Marshall Brickman, Charles H. Joffe was
executive producer.
'Lollipop Girls' Is High
Grosser in Philly Area
HOLLYWOOD—"The Lollipop Girls in
Hard Candy," Debonair Films' 3-D adult
comedy, registered an excellent seven-day
gross at the Lincoln Drive-In, Philadelphia.
It was, in fact, the largest gross reported
from any ozoner in the city's area during
the week of May 11-17, according to Jack
Gilbert, national sales manager.
Gilbert lauded the drive-in's "clever promotional
campaign," which included handing
out free lollipops and free 3-D glasses
to each patron.
Strong business also was reported at the
Montrose Drive-in. Akron; Mentor Drivein.
Cleveland; Showboat Drive-In. Springfield.
Ohio, and the Carlisle Drive-In,
Oberlin, Ohio.
"The Lollipop Girls in Hard Candy" is
scheduled for summer underskyer dates in
the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Washington,
D.C., Baltimore. Seattle, Portland and San
Francisco exchange areas.
Daughter for Boracks
CINCINNATI— Phil Borack. president
of Tri-States Services, and his wife Jo announced
an addition to their family. Mr.
and Mrs. Borack have adopted four-and-ahalf-month-old
Jacqueline— from Thailand.
The Boracks have three older children.
v
Star Wars' Hits
Record
$2,556,418 in Six Days
Hollywood— "Star Wars," hitting
all-time record grosses of $2,556,418
in its first six days, has been credited
bj 20th Century-Fox for the heavy
hading and price increases in its stock
during the last weeks of May, according
to Alan I add jr., president of the
feature film division.
"Star Wars" opened in 34 theatres
May 25 and now is playing in 43 theatres.
It broke records in every house in
which it opened and also set cumulative
boxoffice records in most of the cities
where it is showing.
I add said the film will not go into
broad release until the end of June,
when it will be playing in approximately
350 theatres.
NFD Participation Is Set
By 4 Major Companies
NEW YORK—Senior executives of four
major motion picture production companies
have announced that their companies will
participate in National Film Day '77, the
annual fund-raising effort by America's motion
picture industry for the American Film
Institute, scheduled for Monday, August
22. Participating companies and exhibitors
will contribute part of that day's gross theatre
revenues from throughout the country
to support the AFI.
James Velde, senior vice-president of
United Artists Corp. and chairman of this
year's event, disclosed the announcements
by Jerry Gruenberg, vice-president and general
sales manager of Allied Artists; Leon
P. Blender, executive vice-president/distribution
of American International Pictures;
Phil Isaacs, vice-president/general
sales manager of Avco Embassy Pictures,
and Irving Ludwig, president of Buena Vista
Distribution Co.
They join five other companies already
announced—Columbia Pictures, Paramount
Pictures, 20th Century-Fox, United Artists
Corp. and Warner Bros.—who also have
agreed to make available their releases for
National Film Day. The board of directors
of NATO also has endorsed National Film
Day and the participation of its member
exhibitors.
The general sales
manager of each of the
first five participating major distributors
has been named a regional captain and the
co-captains have been drawn from the
NATO organization in each region.
This year's captains and co-captains are respectively:
South— Al Fitter, senior vice-president, sales,
United Artists Corp., and Stanley L. Stern, senior
vice-president, entertainment division, Wometco Enterprises,
Miami; Midwest—Frank Mancuso, vice-president,
domestic distribution, Paramount Pictures Corp ,
and Roy White, president, Mid-State Theatres,
Cincinnati; West—Peter Myers, vice-president, domestic
distribution, 20th Century-Fox, and William
Kartozian, president, NATO of Northern California,
San Francisco; East—Norman Levy executive
vice-president, marketing, Columbia Pictures, and
Richard A Fox, president, Theatre Owners of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and North Central—Terry
Semel, executive vice-president, general sales manager,
Warner Bros., and John Rowley, vice-president
and manager. United Artists Theatre Circuit,
Dallas.
'Exorcist II' to Open
June 17 in 725 Units
HOLLYWOOD—"Exorcist II: the He
ret'c" will open in 725 theatres in the U.
and Canada Friday (17) in the largest da
and-date launching of a picture in Warn
Bros, history, according to Terry Semi
executive vice-president in charge of
mestic distribution.
Surveys of exhibitors and audiences in
both countries have shown that the fil
"has the greatest want-to-see of any
have released in recent years." Semel sail
In New York the film will open in aboi
75 flagship theatres, including the Criterioi
Beekman and Cinema II in Manhattan. Ii
Los Angeles, the picture will bow at the
Village in Westwood, Pacific in Hollywood
and other selected theatres.
The John Boorman film is a Richari
Lederer production starring Linda Bl
Richard Burton. Louise Fletcher and Ma;
von Sydow.
Arthur Manson Discusses
Marketing at NSS Confab
PONTE VEDRA BEACH.
FLA.—Arthur
Manson. founder and president ol
Cinemax Marketing & Distribution Corp.
as a guest speaker May 23 at Nationa'
Screen Service's "Session at Sawgrass,'
stressed "an entire new world of point-ofsale
marketing through the comprehensive
use of teaser/cross-plug trailers."
The extensive monitored teaser/crossplug
program was pioneered recently b>
Manson and his associate Norman Delaney
together with NSS, "with considerable success,
pointing the way to an extended cam
paign in the immediate future."
Until recently vice-president in chargt
of worldwide advertising and publicity foi
Warner Bros., Manson spoke to the mem
bers of the NSS sales force about the com
plex relationships between producers, dist
tributors and exhibitors and emphasized tht,
need for working with all concerned to fine
new approaches, new methods and nev'
items of exploitation to bring more patron:
into the theatre.
Avco Embassy Acquires
Rights to 'Sidewinder'
HOLLYWOOD—Avco Embassy Pictured
has acquired the U.S. and Canadian dis
tribution rights to "Sidewinder One." th
first feature film on motocross racing, i:
was announced by Milton Goldstein, execu
tive vice-president of Avco Embassy.
"Sidewinder One," which is the nam>
president
elhi
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i Ids,
Eik
ififseni
Jen Lit
ilic Re
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*b and r
of the new motorcycle being developet
by the film's stars, Marjoe Gortner an«;| Ityjg*'
Michael Parks, takes a look at one of th'
fastest-growing and most dangerous sport,
in the U.S. today.
"Sidewinder One," produced by Elmi
Williams and directed by Earl Bellam;
from a screenplay by Thomas A. Mc
Mahon and Nancy Voyles Crawford alsi
stars Susan Howard and Alex Cord.
EOXOFFICE :: June 6.