Boxoffice-May.21.1979

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presents award-winning films from among
top national and international black filmmakers
as well as special lectures by the
filmmakers.
In order to dramatize its sympathy with
the nationwide union-led boycott of I.P.
Stevens products, one of the largest nonunion
companies in the United States, the
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers
Union here took over the 584-seat Eric's
a center-city Sameric theatre, for an
evening screening of "Norma Rae," the
theatre's current film attraction. Union officials
hailed the popular reception of "Norma
Rae" as an authentic and inspiring rendering
of the union's real-life struggle to
unionize the Stevens plant in Roanoke
Rapids, N. C.
Lee Starkey, account executive at Elkman
Advertising, which handles the advertising
and publicity for Buena Vista held a preview
at the Top of the Fox Screening Room
for "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides
Again."
Desmond Ryan, reviewing "Last Embrace"
in the Inquirer, says it "abounds in
flashes of technique that are entertaining
and impressive in themselves, but contrived
impediments to the progress of the movie."
PITTSBURGH
^he Senate Business and Commerce Comi
mittee unanimously passed NAIO's
anli-blind bidding bill May 21 and sent il lo
the full Pennsylvania Senate. The eighi
members all gave approval lo the measuie
following a hearing wilh George Tice. pies
ident of NATO of Western Pennsylvania
Senate Bill 702 is sponsored by 26 Keystone
State senators, more than enough for iinal
approval. Tice will discuss this subject and
other important trade topics at the general
membership meeting of the exhibitor association
at the Marriott in Greentree, June 11.
This is the final week for 20th-Fox'.'.
branch office here, wilh all business for this
film territory to be handled out of Philadelphia.
The Fulton Building office goes oul of
business Jime 8. George Ball remains for a
few weeks to handle account bookings, elc,
Ihen he retires after
here.
.'>2 years in the induslry
George Anderson writes in his review:
"Adolescents have been portrayed as demonic
or debauched in most recent films.
Now along comes a "A Little Romance' lo
make innocence believable again."
Release dates for films opening hereabouls
include .June 1 for the return of "Semi-
Tough"; June 8 for "Players" and a reissue
of "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"; June 15
for "The In-Laws," "Butch and Sundance:
the Early Years," "The i'rophecy" aiul
"C.H.O.M.P.S."; June 22 for "Lost aiul
Found," "The Main Event" and "Escape
From Alcatraz"; and June 29 for "Bknidline."
"Moonraker" and a reissue of "101
Dalmations "
BOXOmCE :: May 28, 1979
Spotlight on New England
By ALLEN M. WIDEM
Re0onal Correspondent
JJow much emphasis is being accordeil ratings
on a daily advertising level by exhibition
in the si.x-state New England region
To a man—and a woman—exhibition cannot
be faulted for ever seeking to ignore,
sidestep or downgrade the careful calculations
of the Motion Picture Assn. of Ameiica.
Monitoring the press across the si,x-stalo
area finds excellent compliance as far as
incorporating ratings with advertised films.
The Edmond Town Hall Theatre, in Connecticut's
downstatc Fairfield county, has a
continuing, exemplary policy manifested by
manager Dave Brown. Newtown is home
base and audience draw is regional.
Playing sub-nm booking of 20th-Fox's
"The Boys From Brazil." Dave adverlisiil:
"R—Under 17 not admitted without parent
present at boxofficc." And the question before
the house is: How many more cinemas
adhere to such wordage when playing R
product in an atmosphere encompassing a
sizable "family" turnout regularly
In Vermont Merrill G. Jarvis, presidenl
of South Burlington-based Merrill Theatre
Corp., had a drive-in theatre first for 1979,
hosting "Buck Night" at the Burlington ami
Mt. View underskyers. Admission was $1-
per-person. with children under age 5 admitted
free.
In Rhode Island, regional drive-in ihca
tres resumed full-time operations for ihe
The Warham Drive-In, now
season . . .
helmed by Randy Ellis (formerly with TMS
interests at the Brockton Sky-Vue Drive-
In), has installed radio sound for paticns
by The NewsPaper if he has ever
worked in films he later regretted taking ou.
Gene Hackman said, "No. I have done woik
in films that turned out to be less than expected
or did less than well at the boxoffice,
but that was beyond my control. It alwa\s
is. It is a fact of life about film that an
actor lives with. Now a director has con
trol."
Around Worcester, $5 a carload seems to
be the prevailing "bargain price" figure in
effect at the bulk of drive-in theatres providing
such a policy this season.
General Cinema Corp.'s Worcester Ceiilei
Cinemas 3, normally on a price policy ol
$1.25 to 2 p.m.. with the admission going lo
$2.50 for remainder of afternoon and evening,
maintained a $1.25 price for two auditorium
showings of Compass International's
"Halloween."
In Hartford, Independent exhibitors Leon
aid Paul and associates, operating a weekend
teenage disco policy at the Central
Theatre, West Hartford, re-applied for pro
posed building changes to the town's Plan
and Zoning Commission after the laller
voiced feeling that the original application
was not specific enough. The Paul group
wants to allow smoking in the lobby, install
electronic games in the disco, increase Ihe
number of persons permitted in the ihealre
and change the hours of operation for disco.
In New Haven, Inteistate Theatres ol
New England's Clinton Drive-In has expanded
the flea market concept, wilh an
aulomobilc flea market operational Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The plan is lo
bring mobile buyer and seller together. The
underskyer continues its regular flea market
Sundays, starting at 8 a.m., in a plan similar
to that in effect at the Redstone Milford
Drive-In. Dealer space Sunday costs $8 at
Clinton, carloads are admitted for 99 cents
and walk-ins for 50 cents. The same Sunday
money policy is in effect at Milford. The
auto flea market has no admission charge
for buyers; sellers are charged a "nominal
fee."
In Enosburg Falls, Vt., the first new drivein
theatre construction project in Ihe sixstate
New England region to date in 1979
has been disclosed. Lise and Lindsey Gales
have proposed construction at the Dairy
Center in North Enosburg.
Agawani, Mass., a
major Springfield sub
urb, will not be getting another multipleauditorium
cinema complex. Real estate developers
John J. Beltrandi and Leon Charkoudian.
who some months ago announced
plans for a $50,000,000 self-contained "village"
in Feeding Hills district decided to
withdraw their petition hours before a Town
Council vote on the project. "We just can't
get the 12 votes we need in the council,"
Beltrandi conceded. "We can't even get ten.
The more we talked about it, the more we
decided that we just couldn't get the vote."
The complex would have been part of the
large-scale commercial/ residential development.
TOLEDO
Pecause a search warrant used to confiscate
a film last October at the Westwood
Theatre in West Toledo was not specific.
Municipal Judge Alice Resneck has ruled
that the seized film could not be used as
evidence. Ken Hodge. 25, was arrested last
Oct. 5, along with operators of four other
film houses in the city, and charged wilh
pandering obscenity. The arrests were ihe
first since the city council amended its
ordinance dealing wilh sueh misdemeanors
The Ohio Theatre in Columbus will receive
$25,000 as a grant from Ihe U.S
Heritage Conservation and Recreation Serv
(Continued on following page)
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