Boxoffice-May.21.1979

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SAN ANTONIO
•pie South Texas Regional Blood Bank
parked their van in the parking lot ol'
the Northwest Six one Saturday recently.
All those donating blood were admitted
free to the showing of "Love at First Bile."
In addition to showing at the Northwest
Six, the film is showing at the Century
South Six and the UA Cine Cinco.
Estrellita Lopez, star of the film 'Only
Once in a Lifetime," appeared at the Century
South to sign autographs for fans on
a recent Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and
the following day appeared at the Northwest
Six from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Richard Pryor is being seen on a number
of local indoor and outdoor screens in
several of his films. They include "Silver
Streak" at the UA Cine Cinco, UA Movies
4, UA Ingram 4. Westwood Twin, Judson
4 and San Pedro; and "Richard Pryor—Live
in Concert" at the San Pedro, Mission Twin
and Town Twin.
A triple terror midnight show was booked
into the Mission Twin and Varsity Outdoor
Theatres for showing on a recent
weekend with a $3 per person admission.
The trio consisted of "Blood Feast." "2,000
Maniacs" and "Body Shop."
W. R. Burns and R. W. Ashby. co owners
of Ashburn Theatres that operates the
downtown Texas, report that there is a
growing interest in the old theatre. The loss
of the city auditorium is one factor, bul
promoters and groups are more plea,sed with
the excellent acoustics the theatre offers.
Concert fans are in love with the theaire
and the unobstructed view of the stage from
any seat in the house as well as the ornale
decor of the lobbies and auditorium.
New film titles appearing on marquees in
dude "Hanover Street," "The Dark" on a
double bill with "The People Thai Time
Forgot," "Midnight Express," "Wizards,"
"Harold and Maude," "The Warriors,"
"Grease," "Assault on Precinct 13." and
a double bill of "El Cortado" anti "La
Criada Bien Criada."
Bob Polunsky in his reviews of local
movies said, "Isn't it funny how some
movies can get away with sin, sex and sensationalism,
while others can't These days
just about all movies have their share, but
only a few are 'suitable for general audiences.'
One that is suitable is 'Harper Valley
PTA,' the comedy that has returned to
a variety of drive-in theatres and the Westwood
indoor theatre. It probably has moic
'sin, sex and sensationalism' than most 'adult
movies,' but it also has a sense of humor.
That is the difference in a nutshell ... the
audience could watch with a relaxed grin
instead of tension. It is amazing what a little
corn can do to season old fashioned melodramatic
themes, and 'Harper Valley PTA"
is a good example . a lot of fun
to be had watching 'Buck Rogers in the 25ih
Century' at the Century and Northwest
Theatres. But it's not original nor does it
offer any reason to forget 'Star Wars" much
less 'Battlestar Galactica.' If anything, it
just continues the same special effects and
storyline techniques that popularized those
films. The film is filled with double meaning
lines and noteworthy special effects. Yet
the attitude of the performers isn't in tune
with their comments. To recite lines that
may go over a kid's head (while making
adults snicker) takes a special sort of delivery."
The Express-News Weekender, the Friday
supplement which contains the weekend
entertainment guide, has a new feature
for moviegoers called CinemaScope which
will tell readers what other people think
about the movies that open every weekend
in San Antonio. The feature brings a way of
knowing what large numbers of the moviegoing
peers think of each significant new
release. When the film opens, thousands ol
the paying public are polled about their impressions
of the film, reasons for attending,
personal tastes and much more. Then with
the aid of a computer, grades are calculated
to show which categories of people liked
the film and which did not. The categories
are broken down into classes such as age,
sex, those who have read the book, etc.
CinemaScore gives a brief description of
the film, its vital statistics (time, director,
etc.) and a breakdown of what each category
thought about the film. The first two
films reviewed were "Manhattam" and
"Love at First Bite."
Among the new film titles appearing on
local marquees of outdoor and indoor theatres
are "Dreamer," the double bill of "The
Dragon Lives" and "The Bod Squad." "Old
Boyfriends." "Atoka," "The Psychic," "Last
Embrace," "Silver Streak," "The Exorcist."
'Hot Skin" in 3-D, "A Little Romance," a
double bill of "The Warriors" and "Breaking
Point" and "Atacan los Karatecas" plus
"La Agonia De Ser Madre."
HOUSTON
^
musical score for a filmed documentary
about the 1927-28 tour through South
America by famed ballerina Anna Pavlova
is being prepared by pianist Dr. Charles
Magnan of Houston. Magnan was Pavlova's
pianist on that trip and will re-create
the music he played for her. The film is
being shot by England's Gaumont Pictuies.
The Museum of Fine Arts, which sponsors
four film series each week, has opened
its Summer 1979 Film Series with a showing
of "Double or Nothing," a 1937 comedy
with Bing Crosby. Martha Raye. Andy
Devine and William Frawley.
New film titles appearing on local marquees
include "Battlestar Galactica," "The
Bell Jar," "Dossier." "Hanover Street,"
"Voices." "Winter Kills," "A Little Romance,"
"The Silent Partner," "Silver
Streak." "Every Which Way But Loose,"
"The Dark." "PoKce Python .357." a triple
bill of "Up in Smoke, ' "Reefer Madness"
and "Cocaine Fiends," a double bill of "A
Dream of Passion" and "Iphigenia," "Waiting
for Godot" and "Night Full of Rain."
DALLAS
[Jniversal Pictures held a tradescreening
May 14 at the Northpark Cinema of
"Prisoner of Zenda." 20th Century-Fox had
a Southwest invitational premiere of "Alien"
on May 18 at the Medallion Theatre.
Bennie Lynch of Grimes Film Booking
is well pleased with the g:osses coming in
from Oklahoma City where "When the
Screaming Stops" opened recently in four
theatres.
Dick and Dorothy Britt of Comfort, Texas,
report that although their marquee read
"The Great Train Robbeiy," the Comfort
Bank across the street had a "great bank
robbery." Both were great successes, if one
could call a bank robbery a success. The
robbers made their getaway with the money.
From the time the Britts bought the theatre
years ago they have made every effort
to keep up with the times, bringing whatever
entertainment was necessary to their
theatre to keep people "Comfort" minded.
They run movies on Fridays and Sundays
with a live show. The Hill Country Opry.
on Saturdays. When school is out th's summer
they will have disco dancing on Thursday
nights. They have enlarged their snack
bar and added an outdoor patio for more
service to the public.
"Go Modern...For All Your Theatre Needs"
M^m^ l-Tia^ ^^
SALES & SERVICE
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Mj BOXOFnCE Ma\ 1979 S-1