Boxoffice-October.02.1978

. .
"The
NEW HAVEN
gob Spodiek of the Sampson & Spodick
Theatres and Connecticut Ass'n of Theatre
Owners got back from an enormously
interesting and informative study of cinemas
in London. Dorset. Wales and Scotland,
meeting with leading independent exhibitors,
some sessions arranged by R.C. Camplin
(England's Joe Alterman) of the Cinematograph
Exhibitors' Ass'n and some by
CATO's own legal counsel. Herman M.
Levy, the latter an old hand on the British
cinema scene. Once Bob gets squared away
with varied and sundry business details, he
promises to sit down with this Boxoffice
paragrapher for remarks on Bingo and food
operations—including full bars—in cinemas.
David Brown, who operates the Town
Hall in Theatre Newtown for that downstate
community, played a rare R attraction—United
Artists' "Coming Home"—
with advertising emphasizing, "R—Under
17 not admitted without parent present at
boxoffice." Such terminology rarely is spelled
out, ad-wise, in the region. The Hoffman
Brothers' Capitol Theatre in Milford has
used the words. "R—Over 17 please!"
There are some quarters in exhibition who
commend the Brown touch. They tell us
that it's past time for an exhibitor to call
a spade a spade, rather than adhere to lukewarm
recognition of the Motion Picture
Ass'n of America code and simply list R
without further qualifications.
The late exhibition pioneer Sylvester Z.
Poll's legendary domicile, the Villa Rosa, a
27-room mansion in the Woodmont section
of Milford. is being restored to its original
(1912) grandeur by the present owner. Anthony
Yagovane. Poll's wife. Rosa, was the
source of the name. Yagovane bought the
property, which had been subjected to some
vandalism, in 1976. He gradually is infusing
the Poll touch through considerable
time and effort. The basement screening
room, in which many an industry "name"
watched films 50 and 60 years ago, was
long ago converted to a music recording
studio. The fabled underground passage to
the boat dock has long been bolted— again
because of fear of vandalism. At its peak,
the Poll theatre circuit totaled 18 situations
in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Loews
Theatres took over the properties in the
mid- 1930s.
The dinner theatre in Higganum. at one
point operated by former Jerry Lewis Cinemas
district franchiseman Ray Kavarsky.
has been taken over by other interests and
renamed the Camelot Dinner Theatre.
"Spellbound," United Artists
Nationwide
1945 release
Sound and
Projection Service
brands.
on all
RCA Service Company, A Division of RCA
43 Edward J Harl Rd . Liberly Industrial Park.
Jersey City. 07305 Phone (201) 451-2222
NE-2
co-starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman
and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was
shown as a free attraction at the Chapel
Library Center here.
RHODE ISLAND
rjnited Artists' "Who'll Stop The Rain"
had its regional bow at the Redstone
Showcase 6, Seekonk, while S.J. International's
"The Inheritance" premiered, dayand-date,
at the SBC Management Corp.'s
Cinerama 2, in-town Providence, and General
Cinema Corp.'s Garden City 2 and
Lincoln Mall 4. American International
opened "Mean Dog Blues" at the Four Seasons
4 in East Providence. SBC Castle 2
in Providence. Elmwood in Providence and
Seekonk Twin Drive-In.
The sizable holdover roster included Buena
Vista's "Hot Land and Cold Feet,"
Quartet Films' "Cat and Mouse," Warner
Bros.' "Hooper." Universal's "National
Lampoon's Animal House." United Artists'
"Revenge of the Pink Panther" plus the
reprise of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest." Paramount's "Grease" plus "Foul
Play" plus "Heaven Can Wait" and Lone
Star International's "Secrets."
Mann Theatres' Warwick Cinema. Warwick
Plaza, with the reprise of "One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest," charged $1.50
1 for p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday
matinees.
Buster Bonoff had to schedule an extra
night's performance to accomodate the
crush of demands for tickets to see Liberace
at the Warwick Musical Theatre. Seats
were scaled at $9.50 to $10.50—somewhat
above going admissions— for the entire
booking. And there are some exhibitors in
the Plantation State asking now just why.
in light of the enormous turnout for Liberace
in summer appearances for years in
Rhode Island. Hollywood has not seen fit
to cast the veteran "name" in films any-
Campus cinema: Paramount's recent
"Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (1977, Diane
Keaton and Richard Kiley), Columbia's
"Easy Rider" (1969. Peter Fonda. Dennis
Hopper and Jack Nicholson) and Warner
Bros.' more recent "The Goodbye Girl"
(Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason)
were screened at the University of Rhode
Island's Edwards Auditorium.
Musical headliner Bob Dylan was booked
into the Providence Civic Center for
Thursday (7) with tickets scaled at $7. $8.50
and $10 on a "first-come, first-served"
basis.
Charles Petit, vice-president of FitzGerald-Toole,
Inc., the Providence advertising
agency, has been elected president of the
Rhode Island Advertising Club. He succeeds
Jeff Holmes, vice-president and management
supervisor. Horton. Church &
Goff, another Providence agency, who will
continue as a RIAC director.
MAINE
JJew titles spotted on marquees across the
Pine Tree State: EMC Films' "At Last.
At Last." Columbia's "The Buddy Holly
Story" and AIP's "Mean Dog Blues."
In the holdover bloc were such attractions
as Universal's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band." "National Lampoon's Animal
House" plus the reprise of "Smokey and the
Bandit," Paramount's "Heaven Can Wait."
"Grease" and "Foul Play," Warner Bros.'
"Hooper." United Artists' "Revenge of the
Pink Panther," Columbia's "Eyes of Laura
Mars" and others.
A sizable number of Maine underskyers.
going along with regional traditions once
the cooler weather arrived, eliminated performance
schedules early part of the week
... The E.M. Loew's Fine Arts Twin,
in-town Portland, has a new fall policy in
effect, with 1:30 p.m. matinees only on
Saturdays and Sundays ... The Bangor
Twin Drive-In. playing "Smokey and the
Bandit." advertised: "Sound available thru
your AM radio only." Screen one featured
"Mean Dog Blues."
The touring "Bugs Bunny Follies" troupe
played the Cumberland County Civic Center.
Portland, and the Bangor Auditorium,
with tickets scaled at $4 and $5. A tieup
with all Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food
outlets across the state provided free $1
discount off any seat for any child aged
1 2 and under for any reserved performance.
Talking to the Maine press, veteran thespian
Fred MacMurray recalled that he starred
in seven motion pictures at Walt Disney
Studios—six before Disney died. "It was a
wonderful place to work." MacMurray
mused. "He (Walt Disney) ran a very wonderful
ship, and the food was good!"
Bob Hope was slotted for September 28
at the Bangor Civic Center. It marked his
first appearance in that city . . .
Best-selling
novelist Stephen King (his literary output
has included "Carrie." which was filmed
for United Artists release) is back at his
alma mater, the University of Maine, to
teach creative writing. He is a 1970 alumnus,
U-M, Orono campus Little
.
Fo.xcs." RKO 1941 release co-starring Bette
Davis. Herbert Marshall and Teresa Wright,
was screened at the Hancock County Auditorium
in Ellsworth. Warner Bros.' "A
Clockwork Orange." 1971 release with Malcolm
DcDowell and Patrick Magee. was
shown at the U-M, Presque Isle campus.
Richard Welch, projectionist at the Strand
Theatre in Rockland, had a busy three weeks
in August directing traffic as a special police
officer with the local department. Dick
was stationed at two of the city's busiest
intersections. He recently resigned as a
school-crossing guide, a part-time position
he had held for 18 years Incidentally,
. . .
he and his wife Cora recently celebrated
their 41st wedding anniversary.
BOXOFFICE :; October 2. 1978