Boxoffice-August.13.1979

. . Langella
BOXOFFICE/AUGUST 1 3, 1 979
spotlight
By ALLEN M. WIDEM
Regional Correspondent
Moving into the final weeks of the summer
of 197°, exhibitors across the six slate New
England region have more or less adjusted to
the energy crunch, and no markedly drastic
fluctuations in attendance caused strictly by
the gasoline shortage in any given area have
appeared. The shortages may have had some
impact, tertainly, in the initial weeks, but, by
and large. New England exhibition has
emphasized bargain pricing and other trade
building gimmickry designed to remind a
potential patron thai Iheatregoing can still be
a bargain
Vlelvin Simon Productions' "The Runner
Stumbles," starring Dick Van Dyke and
Kathleen Quinlan, had sneak previews across
the territory before regular openings Good
sized advance advertising was accorded, too,
for lilies such as Al's "The Amity vil!e
Horror." Paramounfs "Meatballs," Warner
Bros.' "The Frisco Kid." Associated Film
Disiributing's "The Muppet Movie," Film
Ventures' "The Dark" and Buena Vista's "The
Apple Dumpling Ciang Rides Again."
Interstate Theatres of New England
redesigned daily newspaper ad logos for its
Ihree soulh central Connecticut units, the
Say brook and Madison Cinemas and ihe Clinton
underskyers. An artist's sketch has been
substituted for previously used conventional
typeface.
The region's film critics had varying
response to new product. Bob Eimicke. New
Haven Register, reviewing Universale
"Dracula." said. "The latest movie incarnation
of Dracula. which has John Badham directing
Frank Langella as the blood thirsty Count, is a
bold misrepresentation of ihe power of
folklore and spectacle."
Reviewing New World Pictures' "Saint
Jack." Richard Freedman. Newhouse News
Service, said. "If 'Saint Jack' at least had some
poetic atmosphere us lack of a plot might not
matter, but it is as devoid of cinematic poetry
as it is even of comic strip action."
20th-Fox rereleased "Young Frankenstein,"
the Mel Brooks farce, across the territory and
backed it with teaser television spot advertising.
Summertime promotion: John Baranski got
a good media play with an innovative stunt at
the Village Cinema in Suffield. Conn. The
theatre, marking its first successful year with a
99 cents admission at all times policy, had a
promotion involving a giveaway of 52 free
passes. Area press broke with photos of the
proud exhibitor and a recipient.
Perakos Theatres Associates' Plainville
Drive In ad copy carries the line. "Minutes
on new england
From Your Doorstop— I 84, Exit 34," on a
daib basis.
Air-Line Drive-In, Chicopee, Mass., which
has a dusk-to-dawn Friday and Saturday show
(consisting Of "Jaws." "The Brink's Job,"
"Heroes" and "Paradise Alley") came up with
an ad line that's increasingly rare: "Special for
the Kids I irsi al 8:45: Cartoon Festival!"
Merrill G. Jarvis, wbo heads the northern
Vermont Merrill Iheatre Corp. circuit,
brought back 20th Fox's "The Rocky Horror
Picture Show" for I 1:30 p.m. showings on a
recent Friday and Saturday at the Flynn
Theatre, Burlington Separate admission was
charged "Late late" shows are commonplace
in much larger population centers Jarvis,
innovator that he is, went along with local
scheduling because, he decided, Burlington is
Vermont's largest municipality and contains a
good sized college age crowd. Only through
experimental scheduling, he reasons, can a
modern-day exhibitor develop tomorrow's
young adult audience.
The Springfield (Mass. I City Council has
rejected a proposal by Michael Kalsounakis
and William O'Connell to convert the Grand
Theatre in the Indian Orchard district to a
discotheque. The governing body voted
unanimously to table indefinitely the application
for the special use permit.
Wallace Plumb, who owns the cinema
building, told a council session that motion
pictures with disco music, such as
Paramount's "Saturday Night Fever," had
failed to spark complaints from churches or
businesses in the immediate vicinity. Attorney
Thomas J. O'Connor, himself a former
Springfield mayor, coordinated testimony of
the si/able oppostion bloc, arguing, in effect,
that the site, which is near two major
churches, would prove a bad choice for a
disco.
Nearby Ware, Mass., once home for four
motion picture theatres, may become a film
outlet again. The long-shuttered. 450-seat
Casino Theatre, owned by Western
Massachusetts Theatres Inc., is to be remodeled
as a prelude to reopening, according to Betty
Wheeler, an officer of WMT. The Casino was
closed down several years ago after a fire.
John Tavone has indicated he will be shift
ing operational policy of the Palace Theatre.
West Warwick, R.I., from a combination
film/burlesqueon stage policy to something
unusual for a building essentially a cinema
outlet: Rock 'n' roll, country and western concerts.
The theatre has a seating capacity of
900.
Joseph Summo, assistant manager al Loews
Paradise Triplex. Bronx. NY. has been promoted
to manager of Loews New Rochelle
Twin
Houses under construction
for Berkley County Theatres
By VIRGINIA R.COLLIER
Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON. DC-Robert Goklhammer.
owner-operator of the Berkely County
Theatre Corp.. a fast growing motion picture
circuit in this exchange territory, has taken
over the food concession from Ogden Foods,
the Philadelphia based company. Further
more, indicating an economic upswing of
great significance. Goldhammer's circuit of
theatres has under construction a triplex and
two new twin complexes, as well as twinning
the Plaza hardtop, a 750seater. in Win
Chester. Va.
The new triplex in Frostburg. Md.. is near
completion. Cinema I will seal 350 persons.
Cinema 2. 200. and C inema 3. 100 A Sept. 21
opening is planned
A newly constructed twin iheatre. Plaza I
& 2 in Charleslown. W. Va.. is scheduled for
an Oct 19 debut. Each auditorium will have
275 seats.
The twin complex in Oakland. Md.. Cinema
I and Cinema 2. will have a seating capacity
for 275 viewers in each theatre. Dec. 21 is the
target dale for the gala Christmas premiere.
Cinema Technology of Norrislown. N.J.. is
supplying and installing the equipment for the
Berkely circuit's new multi theatre complexes.
The theatres are located in middle to upper
middle income suburbs, and will be showing
product released by the majors and also by
independenl companies.
Film Playhouse
in Princeton
draws crowds
PRINCTON, N.J. -Nearly SOU film
buffs
crowded the Princeton Playhouse here on a re
cent Thursdav night for a gala reopening of
the theatre as an alternative cinema in
Princeton Officials of Princeton University,
which owns the Playhouse, billed the reopen
ing as a lest of local interest in other lhan first
run Hollywood-type movies
The fans paid a one lime nostalgic 40 cents
apiece to see "The Awful Truth," the C ar>
Grant comedy that christened the theatre's
original opening on Dec. 9. 1937. Among
those in attendance were Freddie Fox, the
former movie critic of The Daily Princelonian.
Ihe university student publication, who
reviewed "The Awful Truth" in 1937. and
Mmnella Birch, the young woman who sold
tickets on the theatre's opening night.
William W. Lockwood Jr., a veteran
organizer of the summer and winier film series
presented at McCarter Theatre here, has been
engaged by the university to run ihe
Playhouse as an alternative cinema.
Lockwood plans a mixture of domestic and
foreign films, revival of modern and vintage
classics.
The second run films will lake up ihe entire
schedule until mid September while
Lockwood lines up the "alternative" films and
awaits the return of moviegoing university
students After the showing of the PG rated
version of "Saturday Night Fever," Lockwood
will buy some well known double features to
lure summer crowds. Admission will be $2.50;
the 40 cents was a one time playback
Current plans call for the 1,240 seat
Playhouse lo be demolished as part of a SI0
million expansion project in center city's
Palmer Square sponsored by Princeton
University. The alternative cinema would con
tinue until the iheatre is knocked down.
PITTSBURGH
George Tice, president of NATO of
Western Pennsylvania, and several board
members attended the public hearing on Penn
sylvania's anti-blind bidding bill (SB 7021
before the Commonwealth's House Committee
on Business and Commerce Aug. 8.
Eastern Pennsylvania NATO was also
represented.
The world premiere of U As "The Fish That
Saved Pittsburgh" will be a major event Nov.
I at the Gateway Theatre.
"Rocky II" and "Moonraker" are the
runaway boxoffice leaders hereabouts, and
coming on strong is "Dracula."
The progressive Manos Theatres circuit,
which has headquarters in Greensburg, Pa..
will open a five screen cinema at the Indiana
Mall, which is about a mile and a half from
downtown Indiana. Pa. The pioneer exhibi
lion company owns and operates the Manos
and Indiana theatres in Indiana, and also has
the Super 422 Drive-In.
A lease was signed with the Zamias Con
struction Company, which is building the en
tire Indiana Mall. Don Woodward, general
manager for the Manos circuit, says that the
new five screens and their modern
auditoriums and equipment will be opened by
Christmas.
Cinema l-ll-lll at the Warren Mall, a
Manos circuit operation, will be opened Aug
29 in Warren Pa. Ted Manos. president of the
Manos companies, said that construction
work has progressed, equipment is at hand and
that the opening dale will be met.
" "The Amity title Horror' makes you want
to scream, less from fear lhan from annoyance."
said Ed Blank in the Press. "It isn't
scary, just dumb."
17
Redstone Management Showcase Cinemas,
which has headquarters in Boston and is
presently expanding operations through an additional
50 screens, has given more specifica
lions regarding its new eight screen project in
McCandlcss here on ihe 32 acre site of the
former Twin Oaks Golf Course.
There will be parking for 1.800 cars. 4.000
seals will be divided among eight
auditoriums— two lo be equipped with Dolby
sound and one with 70mm projection
facilities; all projection will be automated. In
memory ol the populai golf course, one hole
will be kept as a pari of the extensive land
scape.
Construction of Showcase North, added to
Redstone's established five screens al both
Churchill and Robinson, will give the corpora
lion 18 screens here by the end of 1979.
Redstone's outlets are located throughout
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois.
CLEVELAND
Sheldon Wigod, who had to close his New
Mayfield Repertory Cinema in Little Italy lasl
winier because of lack of funds, reports that
business this summer has been better than
ever. "We've had lines on many weekends."
Wigod said. "We turned people away from the
old 1930s pictures like 'Grand Hotel' because
we've been so crowded. When ii comes to old
movies, the 1930s and ihe 1940s are in; the
1950s are out."
Wigod is planning his fall and winter series
now. He said he just wishes business can be
good when the North winds blow.
Thirteen Greater Cleveland performers
have been signed to appear in the $5 million
film "Those Lips, Those Eyes." the United
Artists film to be shot here starting Aug. 14.
All were recruited by Cleveland's David Lee
Talent Management Agency. Talent was audi
tioned on tape and sent to the studio's casting
director.
Frank Langella. star of the film, is looking
for a house in the country here with a swim
ming pool to rent for his slay in Cleveland. It
is rumored that he is ready to part with up to
$3,500 per month for it.
In town for the screening of United Artists
"La Cage Aux Folles" Aug. I were Randall
Hemming, manager of the Akron Civic
Theatre, and his administrative assistant. Bob
Corbit. They were looking over the film as a
possibility for the mini foreign film festival
which the center will present Sept. 6.
Hemming said that their moviegoing
audience loves double features and that they
show (hem one night only and some are
preceeded by old time vaudeville acts, an old
lime organist and even bank night. All are extremely
popular and are drawing crowds al the
Civic Center. The audiences like suspense
movies and comedy; only family type films are
not well-accepted.
Also screened recently was "American Sue
cess Company" from Columbia, and two critic
screenings by Bruce Stern of "Beyond the
Poseidon Adventure" and "North Dallas Forty."
Tony Mastroianni, critic for the Cleveland
Press, wrote of "Dracula." "When Frank
Langella played the title role in Dracula' on
Broadway recently, he emerged as a matinee
idol of the old school .
now stars in
a new and big budgeted version of the old tale.
He exudes that same sense of a prince of evil
with romantic and sensuous overtones. Bui
the results are not quite the same. This is a
Dracula' that tries to be all things . . roman
tic. sophisticated, horrifying, suspensful and
mysterious. It is not so much filled with effects
as it is stuffed with them."
New on the marquees this week: "The
Villain" at 10 theatres. "Beyond the Poseidon
Adventure" al seven theatres. "Dracula" at
five theatres and "North Dallas Forty" at six
theatres. Special screenings at theatres were
"The Concorde— Airport 79" and "Breaking
Away" on Friday evening. "The Muppet
Movie" also opened this week at five theatres.