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movie marathon featuring four anj
CINCINNATI
gpringfield-based Chakeres Theatres reopened
its 21 Ohio and Kentucky outdoor
screens with a first-run engagement of
•Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and
•The Great Train Robbery." Good weather
brought •sunshine"" to the boxoffice. according
to spokesman Jack Oberleitner. Meanwhile,
same company has initiated a giant
Pepsi and popcorn campaign using "The
Bigger, the Better'" as their slogan. Top
managers and concessionists
uses for increased sales.
cash bon-
Showcase Cinemas recently held a midnight
prevuc of "'Dawn of the Dead," the
sequel to the cult favorite "•Night of the
Living Dead." In conjunction with WEBN-
FM. the promotion included nurses on duty
in the lobby and ambulances stationed in
front of the complex . . . just in case a
patron became overcome by the gory goiings-on.
New additions to the Chakeres Theatre
family are Mike Glass, Bill Canton, Raymond
Barrett, Noah Penix, Gregg Scott,
and Tim Ahern. Sally Morgan is the new
co-op advertising secretary in the Springfield
main office.
AI's "Love at First Bite" opened to "near
blockbuster"' business at Cincy's two Showcase
houses.
1978's Best Foreign Film, "Get Out Your
Handkerchiefs." debuted recently at 20th
Century, while Visconti"s "The Innocent"
was on tap at Carousel and Studio.
Regent and State Theatres, Springfield.
Ohio, have now completed the installation
of new heating and air conditioning systems.
The Enquirer's Tom McEl fresh labeled
••Dawn of the Dead" "an obscenity of violence
designed in rank greed to prey for
profit on the most flaccid of televisionlobotomized
minds." The plot' "Just rancid,
relentless, repulsive killings." Performances
"You have to have actors before you can
have performances."
Screenings: UA's new Woody Allen comedy,
"Manhattan."
A new trial date has been set for the landmurk
challenge to Ohio's anti-blind bidding
law, The case is now set to open July 2.
Mid America Theatre Service moved to
new quarters, effective April 30. Their new
address is: P.O. Box 11047. 6020 Harrison
Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45211. Telephone
513-574-1550. Bennett Goldstein asks that
the correct box number be used on mail in
order to insuic delivery.
E-4
Writer Alleges Abuse
Of Children at 'Davra'
LEXINGTON, KY. — Wood Simpson
writing m the Lexington Herald discussed
••Dawn of the Dead," a movie sans rating
which is being enforced as an R. Critic
Simpson's complaint with management of
the Crossroads Cinema is that parents are
being allowed to bring their children to see
"Dawn of the Dead."
••Sitting in the audience the other night
at
the Crossroads Cinema was a serious test
of my faith in the First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution and the film rating code,
which jointly confer the privilege of exhibiting
a film like 'Dawn of the Dead' in the
presence of young children," Simpson said.
" -Dawn of the Dead' features gross,
hardcore, repetitive acts of cannibalism. It
is easily the sickest film I have ever seen.
But hearing the horrified screams of small
children in the audience, mixed in with the
nervous laughter of their parents sent a chill
up my spine. These parents, to put it bluntly,
are abusing their children, abusing their
mimds in ways that may, years from now,
have awful consequences for them.
"Well, I protest. I protest on behalf of
these youngsters. And I call on the management
of this theatre to—at the very leastwarm
parents at the door of the unsuitability
of this film for childron or—^better
still
prohibit their attendance."
voluntarity
Concluding. Simpson asked for theatre
owners to "accept the responsibility for ensuring
that children are not exposed to
harml'ul films," adding that "parents should
be very careful about taking their children
to R-rated films and should inquire of the
theatre management before doing so.
'•The sad truth is that too may children
are being given the impression too soon that
violence is the way to solve problems,"
Simpson said.
Akron Vice Squad Starts
Crackdown on Porn Films
AKRON, OHIO—Akron vice detectives
have launched a new crackdown on allegedly
pornographic films, after a recent Ohio
Supreme Court decisions overturned an earlier
one that held the city's pandering obscenity
ordinance unconstitutional. Until the
high court ruled on this measure, there had
been no enforcement for the past several
months.
On April 9, detectives confiscated a film,
"Debbie Does Dallas," at the Art Theatre.
Lee Kramer, manager, said the house closed
down that evening after the film was seized.
The next night six films were confiscated
from two theatres, the Astor on 131 S. Main
and the Main at 278 S. Main. Six employees
at the three theatres were issued summonses
and charged with
pandering obscenity.
Woman Vents Anger on D-I
FALL RIVER, MASS.—A Somerset.
Wilbur Eckard Dies at 73
ASHLAND, OHIO- Wilbur S. Eckard.
73. owner and operatoi- of the Ashland Mass., woman who has been opposing ihc
Bernice. X-ratcd policy at the Family Drive-In 1 he
died April 8. His wife,
Drive-In,
two sons and a daughter survive.
was charged with attempted arson, nia
aire,
licious mischief and breaking and entering
at the underskyer. She was due to appear
in
Fall River Disrtict Court. Police reported
that an employee of the drive-in (whose lij
cense Frances Robidoux, 38, was petitioning
the selectmen to revoke) found a door
damaged and a flammable liquid splashed
on a building.
Attacks in Theatre Areas
Cause Film Cancellations
PHILADELPHIA—After watching an;
all-night
ti-establishment and martial arts films at the
midtown Milgram Theatre, some of
^
the'
movie patrons went on a crime spree resulting
in
the cancellation of a repeat of the allnight
program on a second night. Not only
were five persons injured early Saturday
morning (April 21) in four beatings and robberies
following the all-night film festival,
but the Milgram Theatre itself was reportedly
left in shambles.
Starting at midnight and continuing until
6 a.m., four features were offered, including
Richard Pryor's "Which Way Is Up". "Exit
the Dragon. Enter the Dragon," "The
Human Tornado" and Fred Williamson in
"Boss Nigger."
The next day a man standing in line to
attend the screening of "Phantasm" at Budco's
Golman Theatre, just a few blocks away
in center city, was attacked and robbed byj
four youths.
PHILADELPHIA
(Continued from previous page)
Philadelphia premiere for "The Opium
War," the first film out of Red China, was
the weekend viewing at the Walnut Street
Theatre Film Center.
Desmond Ryan of the Philadelphia Inquirer
finds •Love at First Bite" as being
"neither funny nor frightening. It is merely
frightful."
City representative and director of commerce
Joseph A. LaSala has announced thai
the world premiere of "•Rocky 11"' here or
June 8 will be followed by a sparkling gak
at the Philadelphia Art Museum for th(
picture's stars and the select audience. Pro
ceeds of the gala will benefit the Polia
Athletic League (PAL). Mayor Frank S
Rizzo expressed his pleasure with thi
planned premiere for which arrangement
were made by Carl Ferrazza, executive di
rector of promotion for United Artists
Robert Arnold, advertising director of Bud
CO Theatres; Lewis Klein, chairman of PAL
and the staff of the city representative'
office and the Art Museum.
The J. I. Rodale Theatre in Allentowr
which features a repertory company fc
Broadway stage productions throughout th
year, will convert the playhouse to a movi
house for a spring film series at the end c
the month.
BOXOmCE :: May 7, 197