Boxoffice-May.21.1979

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mST RUN
REPORT
Marie Berglund, first vice president; Eariinc
Dupuis, second vice president; Doris Stevens,
rccoiding secretary; Sandy Staub. corresponding
secretary; and Georgette Lcto,
treasurer. The installation banquet will be
held in
June.
PALM REACH
New Orleans
The Champ (MGM). Plaza. 4th wk. . . .225 ' r^t-l^* *^ '" -^ ^ ' '
The Deer Hunter (Univ), Robert E.
^'"'**' ^'^^^ "^^" ^'^^'' nianagemcnt and
Lee Plaza, 10th wk 340 H^'"''
Firepower (SR). Loews, 1st wk 275 operation of the Carefree Theatre April
Halloween (Compass). Loews, 2. The Carefree is a 900-seat theatre with
7th wk 250 admissions 99 cents at all times. According
Love at First Bite (AI), Lakeside, to Smith, the 99-ccnt ticket is attracting
Plaza, 1st wk 550 large audiences. Roy Allison, Carefree pro-
The Real Bruce Lee (SR), Orphcum, jectionist, celebrated his 30th year as pro-
2nd wk 500 jectionist at that moviehouse on May 8.
Same Time, Next Year (Univ),
..^^^^^ ^^ p.^^^ g.^^ ,. ^^^^ American In-
Lakeside 12thwk.
. .^ Cross
tcrnational, opened at Cinema 70,
The Silent Partner (EMC). Plaza.
^^^^^^^ g ^^^ ^^.^ ^.^^ ^-^^^^^ ^^ y^^^
•
1st wk. ^^^
. -
lg turnout is expected to see native
NEW ORLEANS
p^egarding "Wifemistress", critic Richard
Dodds said it is "a wry and original
comedy hailing from Italy. It is also a bit
lascivious. It is not for those who don't like
sexuality in their entertainment but its story
goes beyond this one aspect, creating a
stylish satire with a contemporary twist."
"Harper Valley P.T.A.," a big grosser last
summer, opened this week at various local
theatres and surrounding towns.
Gulf States Theatres has announced ihai
they have closed the theatre in Yazoo Cii\.
Miss., permanently.
^'^-
(WB) Lakeside 14.h wk. ... 150
^^^ ^J ^^^^.,^^^ j; ^.^ ^^^^^, ^.^^
^ Wifemistress (SR), Sena Mall,
^^^ "Firepower" opened for a multiple screening
on the same day at Cross County 8.
'^'
The Joy Theatre on Canal Street, recently
reopened, is now a Twin. Joy 1. which
is on the main floor, has 550 seats and Joy
2, which is upstairs, has 350 seats. Both
arc equipped with Dolby Sound as well as
conventional optical sound.
The first order of business conducted al
the WOMPI April meeting held April 24
was the election of officers for the 1979-80
term. Those elected to serve were: Anna
Clare Leggitt, second term as president;
DRIVE-IN
THEATRE
SCREENS
'The Quality Tower that never
has had to be replaced."
* • •
GENE TAYLOR
D & D Fabrication
and Erection
Co.
Post Office Box 3524
Shawnee, Kansas 66203
913-631-9695
Cinema 70 and Delray Square.
Palm Beach County has been selected
the setting for a movie that will begin filming
later this month starring Frank Converse
and Broderick Crawford. The feature,
"Dead in the Water." is based on a true
story and much of the filming will be done
at the Port of Palm Beach. According to
county commissioner Peggy Evatt, this
county was selected because Bob Helmi.
owner of Helmi Productions, lives in nearby
Manalapan. Producers originally had considered
filming in Fort Lauderdale.
MIAMI
John Huddy, Miami Herald entertainment
editor, tells his readers to prepare for
a new wave of science fiction films. Some
of the big science fiction movies coming up
are "Alie^n"; "The Black Hole," Walt Disney's
attempt to regain the 15-to-35 age
as
market; "Star Trek—The Motion Picture."
Paramount's picture with an $18 million
budget and climbing; "The Empire Strikes
Back." the "Star Wars" sequel with a
budget of more than $20 million, and
George Lucas directina; "Battlestar Galactica,"
due to open in Miami May 25; "Close
Encounters of the Third Kind," reworked
version of the 1977 movie of the same
name; and "The Day the World Ended,"
part science fiction, part disaster that is
scheduled for release in mid- 1980.
"A Little Romance" is playing in South
Florida to full theatres, with people waiting
outside to gel in. Full page advertisements
in local newspapers proclaimed the arrival
of the film, which has played to standingroom-only
screenings across the country.
"Boulevard Nights" has just opened a run
in a striing of South Florida theatres. The
controversial movie debuted in Los Angeles
and New York filmmaker Bill Bcrenson says
he started the movie as a documentary more
than two years ago. According to Miami
critics, the film is doing fair business in suburban
theatres, but is strong with Latins
living im the area. Berenson came to Miami
for the opening of the film. He says it's onethird
a gang movie; it was made in East Los
Angeles with a $2.5 million budget. Berenson
has said he researched the Chicano culture
for months before he started filming.
When he came to Miami he was taken on
a tour of the Latin areas of the city, and
he told reviewers he was astonished at Ihe
affluence and the success of the Cubans
who have moved to Miami.
DALLAS
TJniversal Film Exchanges held a national
sales meeting in New Orleans the first
week in May. Those attending from the
Dallas branch were: Bob Bowers. Dan
Snide. Ed Harris, Bob Lee. John Williams,
and John Trickett. Bob Wilkerson, formerly
fiom Dallas but now of the Los Angeles
executive offices, presided over the meeting.
Paramount Pictures had a sales meeting
in the Sheraton Inn at the Atlanta Airport
Hotel on May 10-11. Those from Dallas in
attendance were: Wayne Lewellen. Terry
Kierzek. Floyd Carter. Paul Rozenburg.
Ethel Hodge and Willard Cunningham.
James Prichard of New World Pictures
of Dallas reports "Halloween" is still doing
terrific business in Dallas and they are looking
forward to a very successful summer
business.
BOXOFFICE :: May S-1