Boxoffice-September.04.1978

. . The
Eric Morley Salute
Set by Variety 4
ST. I.OLIS— trie D. Morlc>. prcsideni.
Variety Clubs International, has included
BVariety Club Tent 4
in his schedule of visits
to major American
cities this month.
John H. I.ondoff.
president of Tent 4
announced. Accompanied
by Mrs. Morley
and Morion Sunshine,
executive director of
VCI. Morley will arrive
in St. Louis Tues-
Eric Morley j.,^, corning (12)
from Washington. D. C.
Mr. and Mrs. Morley will be guests of
honor at a Media Club luncheon hosted by
members of the Variety Club crew and
board members of the Variety Club Women.
The highlight of the lun;heon will be
the presentation of a Variety Club Sunshine
Coach in their honor to Central Institute
for the Deaf. The bus. the 122nd
vehicle donated to area children's agencies
by the St. Louis Variety Club, will be inscribed
with the names of Julia and Eric
Morley.
Now in the second year of his term as
president of Variety Clubs International.
Morley supervises the activities of more
than 10.000 members from London where
he is chairman and managing director of
Britain's largest entertainment and catering
enterprise. He is the originator of the Miss
World Contest, the proceeds of which are
contributed to Variety Club charities.
A self-made man who was orphaned at
the age of 11. Morley 's corporation, Mecca,
Ltd., embraces every type of leisure activity
including dancing, betting shops, billiards,
ice rinks, bowling, cinemas and one
of the world's largest band booking agencies.
He also originated one of the United
Kingdom's longest-running TV series,
"Come Dancing." now in its 27th year.
Director of Cirand Metropolitan, one of
the lop 20 companies in the United Kingdom,
which embraces Mecca, Watneys,
Trumans, Express Dairies, Herni Inns, Chef
and Brewer and International Distillers \
Vintners, who produce J&B scotch. Morle\
is either chairman or president of most of
the major trade associations in his field.
Eric and Julia Morley. the parents of
five children, became interested in handicapped
children when their daughter developed
a degenerative disease of the nervous
system for which there is no known
cure.
Since joining the Variety Club in 1961,
the Morleys have raised more than S5,-
000,000 for children's charities, the major
portion resulting from proceeds of the Miss
World Contest. In \915. Morley. through
his corporation Mecca, Ltd.. and through
the Miss World Contest, sponsored 2.'^ Sunshine
Coaches to be distributed to 2.5 different
countries in celebration of the 25th
anniversary of the start of Miss World in
1951.
Chief Barker in 1973
Morley became chief barker of Great
Britain Tent 36 in 1973 and the same year
received an appointment as an international
ambassador. He was elected vice-president
of VCI in 1974 serving for three years.
At the 50th anniversary convention of
Variety Clubs International last year in
Monte Carlo. Morley was elected president,
succeeding Monty Hall,
In addition to the 25 Sunshine Coaches
made possible through Morley's Miss
World Contest, a bone marrow bank was
established at Westminster Hospital in
London using a $90,000 tissue-typing machine—contributed
by Morley—as its nucleus.
Julia Morley is active in her husband's
various business and entertainment enterprises
and is producer/ director of the annual
Miss World Pageant.
Tent 4. which has raised more than $3,-
500,000 for children's charities in the
Greater St. Louis area during the past 12
years, has the largest fleet of Sunshine
buses in the world. The local organization's
main fund-raising activity is the annual
telethon "The Crusade for Forgotten Children"
on KSD-TV.
Funds raised in the 1978 telethon will
be distributed in November to 164 agencies
serving emotionally and physically
handicapped children and 44 day care centers.
ST. LOUIS
J^merican InlemalionaPs release of "Mean
Dog Blues." .1 Bing Crosb\ Productions
film, begins a wide multiple Wednesday
(20). Gregg Henry appears as a composer-musician
on his way to Nashville
when he accepts a lift from a drunken politician,
played by William Windom. and his
wife Tina Louise. When a child is hit by
the car. Henr>' is accused and sentenced to
a prison farm where vicious dogs prevent
escape. The action evolves around incidents
at the camp and Henry's attempted escape.
Others in the cast are George Kennedy.
Scatman Crothers. Kay Lenz and James
Wainwright.
Sidney Sheldon's thriller "The Other Side
of Midnight" begins a multiple release Wednesday
(13) and Friday (15) in a sub-run
break . Crcve Cocur is enjoying an
e.xclusive sub-run of the 20th-Fox success,
"An Unmarried Woman." through Thursday
(21). Starred are Jill Clayburgh and
Alan Bates.
"Star Wars." which concluded a sevenweek
run Thursday (7) prior to being withdrawn
from release, proved highly successful
at the bo.xoffice. Now we all can look
forward to
the sequel!
Hailed as the most successful film to play
in Brazil. "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands"
is on the screen at Wehrenberg's
suburban Shady Oak. Filmed in Bahia. the
setting of the novel by Jorge .Amado is
circa 1943 and the main theme is that a
woman never can be completely happy with
one man. Sonia Braga in the title role loses
husband No. 1 . who was a perfect lover,
although lecherous and a gambler, when he
drops dead from a lifetime of dissipation.
She later marries an older man who is a
perfect gentleman—but dull! Then, in her
well-ordered life. Jose Wilker. her first husband,
returns as a lustful spirit whom only
she can see and she happily settles down
with both mates. The Portuguese-language
comedy is in color with English subtitles.
Loews Mid-City Theatre Building on
North Grand Boulevard, once a landmark
of the city's amusement area, soon will be
(Continued on page C-4)
• ^mBM^^
•
• • •
• •• ^c^K' • *
ILMACR STUDIOS,INC.
7;. S,, WABASH AVE. CHICAGO IL. 60605 (312) 427-3395
HADDEN r-<
THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY
Making Fllmj Sound taUei
nm f^^
DOLBY SYSTEM
Noijo ReOuclion High Fidalily ^**^
THE ONLY DEALER
WITH EXPERIENCED,
24 HOUR MAINTENANCE IN THE
KENTUCKY INDIANA AREA
(502) 896-9578
3709 HUGHES ROAD, LOUISVILLE, KY. 40207