Boxoffice-October.02.1978

DALLAS
^astj' Italian food, Mexican music and good
friends were the ingredients which
made the WOMPI luncheon September 20
a success. Dorothy Barbosa, LaVerne Gordon
and Mary Lou Sutton of ABC Interstate
Theatres are to be complimented on
the food and arrangements. Dorothy, chairman
of the program, was beautifully dressed
in a Spanish costume and served pecan
pralines she made using WOMPI pecans
and the recipe from the WOMPI cookbook.
Juan Alvarado and his wife entertained
the gathering which was held at
Femando"s Mexican Restaurant. Club
members took advantage of the opportunity
to sell tote bags, cookbooks, rain hats and
WOMPI souvenir rock paperweights. They
had their hands in their purses about as
often as they did to their mouths, making
for a fun-filled and nourishing hour of fimdraising.
Fran Jenkins is a new member of
WOMPI and the luncheon meeting was her
first. She and her husband operate the Twin
and Seymour drive-ins in Wichita Falls for
Martin Theatres.
C.E. Davidson, former office manager at
20th Century-Fox. is in Presbyterian Hospital
here, having suffered a stroke. We suggest
sending cards to him at 8200 Walnut
Hill Lane, Dallas 75230. It would be helpful
to use his home address. 1315 South
Marsalis. Dallas 75216 as the return address.
This would help to get the card to
him more quickly should he be released
before it reaches the hospital.
Shirley Hobbs, secretary to Southern division
manager Bill Williams of 20fh-Fox,
also is in the hospital having undergone
surgery. She is expected to be released soon.
Her address is 712 Purnell, Lewisville
75067.
Vernon Watkins has moved his booking
office to his home at 1000 West Spring
Valley Rd., Apt. 136, Richardson 75080.
His phone is 235-4218 ... Jo Nelle Bain,
secretary in the publicity department at
American International Pictures, is vacationing
in Italy touring several cities before
returning to a full fall schedule.
Our sympathy is extended to Verlin Osborne,
branch and division secretary at
Paramount for many years, whose mother
died Friday, September 22 at age 93. The
elder lady had been in St. Paul Hospital for
some time.
. . . Robert Edwards,
Fred Munsell's Texas Theatre in Jasper
burned to the ground September 12. The
cause is unknown
regional accounting manager for Universal,
spent the week of September 11-15 in Des
Moines working with the office there.
Other recent deaths include Henry Smith,
brother of Lillian Umphress of the Universal
exchange here, and Jay Moore, father
of Kathy Christian of Martin Theatres. Our
sincere condolences go to
"Go Modern...For All Your Theatre Needs"
the survivors.
A welcome back to United Artists Theatres
is extended to Carrol Watley . . . We
learned only the other day that Hal Moore,
retired National Theatre Supply veteran of
40 years, has been in the hospital for surgery.
Cards from his many friends in the
industry would do much to brighten his
days at his home at 3808 Rockford, Dallas
75211.
Mall Merchants Show Free
Films to Boost Business
From North Central Edition
GRAND ISLAND, NEB.—Since September
5 Conestoga Mall merchants here
have been providing free films at 10 a.m.
Tuesdays. The reason, they announced in a
recent issue of the Heartland Advertiser,
was to say "thank you" to their customers.
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SALES & SERVICE. fNC.
-Go MoJtrm . . . Equipmail, Supflia & Strrkt"
2200 YOUNG STREET • DALLAS, TEXAS, 75201 • TELEPHONE 747-3191
Loews Theatres Will Build
2,800-Seater in N. Dallas
DALLAS—Loews Theatres, the oldest
movie theatre circuit in the U.S., will build
a 2.800-seat multiplex theatre in far North
Dallas, Don Baker, Loews vice-president in
charge of advertising, announced recently.
The theatre, which is scheduled to open
around Christmas 1979, will be located at
the corner of Beltline Road and Forest
Bluff, directly across from Prestonwood
Mall, which at 1,000,000 square feet, is the
largest regional mall in the Southwest,
Although Baker said the total seating
would be 2,800, he said Loews had not
decided how many auditoriums will be constructed.
The theatre will be part of an office
complex that will also include restaurants
and racquetball courts.
Loews made its first appearance in North
Dallas last Christmas with the Loews Quad
Park Central. It has become one of the most
prominent theatres in the city, establishing
boxoffice records with showings of "Grease"
and "Saturday Night Fever."
UA Theatre Circuit Plans
Three June 79 Openings
DALLAS—The United Artists Theatre
Circuit will open four theatres in Texas
June 1. 1979. it has been announced. Jerry
Brand, film buyer for UA Theatres, has
sent out requests for negotiations and bids
to all
film companies and film delivery services.
The UA Movies 4 in Sherman will have
a seating capacity of 1,400. The UA Cinema
4. in Denton, located in the new Simon
Mall among 120 stores, also will have 1,400
seats.
The UA Permian Cinema 4 in Odessa,
in West Texas, will contain 1,250 seats. It
will be located in the Permian Mall which
will
have 125 retail outlets.
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