Boxoffice-August.27.1979

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14 BOXOFFICE/AUGUST 27, 1979
spotlight on new england
By ALLEN M. WIDEM
Regional Corrfspondent
Negotiations were terminated between
Perakos Theatres Associates, independent
Connecticut circuit, and the Performing Arts
Center Committee (part of the Community
Council of Central Connecticut), for sale of
the Palace Theatre, in town New Britain, and
subsequent restoration as the Opera House.
A spokesman for the committee told the
media, "At this point, it was unanimously
agreed it was fruitless to continue negotiations
with the owner because of a substantial dif
ference between the appraisal and the seller's
asking price." A study group has estimated
restoration costs of the longtime cinema outlet
at between $1.7 million and $2.7 million.
1 1. until ii. Conn., officials are studying a pro
posal to raze the New Haven suburb's major
retail centers, the Hamden Plaza and the
Hamden Mart (latter containing Redstone
Theatresoperated Cinemart Twin), as a
prelude to construction of a $100 million
enclosed shopping mall atop a $17.5 million
municipal parking garage.
Independent Slate Theatre, Jewett City,
Conn., in an exclusive first area showing,
advertised United Artists' "Hair" as "The
'Grease' of 197s 1 !" Admission was $2.50 for
adults and 99 cents for children and senior
cm/ens
John .1. Canor, 82, projectionist in western
Massachusetts lor the past 50 years, died in
Springfield. He was a veteran member of the
Springfield Moving Picture Operators Union.
Burial was in St. Michael's Cemetery, Springfield.
Leonard Sampson and Robert C. Spodick of
New Haven's Sampson &. Spodick Theatres,
playing Warner Bros.' "A Little Romance" at
the Lincoln Theatre there, had a home-town
touch in ongoing newspaper advertising:
HADDENZ--
THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY
NEW LOCATION!
Same Service and
Quality for over
35 Years
Louis Bornwasser invites
you to now try the best
design and service
available.
Located at:
7117 Covered Bridge Road
Louisville, Ky 40059
(502) 228-0536
"From Yale's George Roy Hill, maker of 'The
Sting." 'Butch Cassidy." 'Slaughterhouse
Five.' "
Leonard Paul and associates, operating the
Central Theatre. West Hartford, Conn..
rescheduled disco for one evening only
fl'hursdaysl after resumption of an otherwisefull
time motion picture schedule. At one
point, the Paul group offered disco hours over
weekends, too; motion pictures were not
shown at the same time, of course.
New England's film critics had varying
responses again to various films Reviewing
Warner Bros.' "The Wanderers." Michael
Janusonis. Providence Journal Bulletin
Newspapers, said, "... The Wanderers' often
looks like several plots in search of a movie."
Jeff Lyons, WFSBTV. called Universalis
"The Concorde— Airport 79" one of "the
dumbest films" he has seen in some time.
American International's 'The Amityville
Horror" got these remarks from Malcolm L
Johnson. Hartford Couranl: "The R rating on
this film is rather silly. Ms. Kidder does flash a
little flesh, but the gore is so negligible that
parents need feel little guilt about giving in to
the naggings of their young teenagers who
have read the book. Actually the experience
can be educational, because the kids will see
that reading can be superior to movies at
times''
Bob Limicke, New Haven Register, said:
" The Amityville Horror" is the latest entry in
the current spate of lights-out pictures, sloppy
games that try to cash in on noise, gore and
startle techniques."
1 he same critic, writing of the latest George
Burns comedy, said. "Everything about 'Just
You and Me, Kid," from the pairing of George
Burns and Brooke Shields to the unrelenting
sitcom plot— nosy neighbors and pimple faced
slock boys—about an eccentric vaudevillian
and a spunky runaway, reeks of a made for
television Hop."
WASHINGTON
Universal's new release,
The Seduction of
Joe Tynan," originally titled "The Senator," in
its first week at area theatres, lakes the star,
42 year-old Alan Alda, through a journey of
the Washington political market, including vi
sions of the White House However, Alda in
sisLs thai the movie, which is his first theatrical
screenplay, is not a political one, but how a
career may conflict and strain family relation
ships Alda also hopes to direct his next
screenplay, a comedy titled "The Four
Seasons."
from the marquee to the screen .
Universal's "More American Graffiti," a sequel
by B. W. L. Norton to George Lucas'
"American Graffiti," grossed $17,002 Us first
week al General Cinema's Springfield Mall 4.
Springfield, Va.
Unitersal's "The Concorde— Airport "79"
has opened in only iwo cities in this exchange.
Lynchburg and Norfolk. Va. Grosses the first
week at Lynchburg's Stewart and Everett
Plaza Theatre reached $4,683 and the second
week, $3,648. At Norfolk's Pembroke, Pint
and everything in between
952 Ottawa. N.W.
Grand Rapid*, Michigan 49503
P.o»,: (616) 454M52 Thattre Equipment
RING&LD
29S2S Ford Road
Garden City. Mickiaaa 4(1 IS
Company Pko.t: (313) 522-4450
Southern Theatres, grosses amounted to
$13,219 the first week, and $8,973 the second,
according to biller Sophia Britner.
The American Film Institute Theatre's
September programs cover three aspects of
filmmaking with tributes to actor Paul
Newman, playwright Tennessee Williams.
BOSTON
Bob MacPherson, branch manager for Ellis
Gordon Films, was in Springfield at the
Parkway Drive In and played with Parkway's
softball team in a game with radio siauon
WHYN that was a benefit for the Jimmy
additional EASTERN NEWS on page 22
whose work inspired 15 screen adaptations,
and director Nicholas Roeg The majority of
Newman's films, including his most recent
release, "Quintet," and his three directorial
films, have been programmed inio the series
The Newman and Williams retrospectives
open Sept I with Williams' "Cat on a Hot I'm
Roof," in which Newman costars with Burl
Ives and Elizabeth Taylor
Roeg is one of the few cinematographers
who successfully progressed into directing He
has established himself as a director, on the
strength of only four films made since his
debut as a director in 1971. which are: "Per
lormance." "Walkabout," "Don't Look Now"
and "The Man Who Fell to Earth "
First runs that debuted most recently in
elude: "Richard Pryor is Back and Live in
Concert" at Don King's Penn and the K/B
Cerberus, and "Till Marriage Do Us Part," an
Italian film starring Laura Antonelli. at the
Pedas Dupont Circle Theatre.
Fund. MacPherson got lour hits, knocking m
10 runs When he returned to Boston, he
made sure that lilmrow knew all about it.
MacPherson was also spreading the word
that Gordon Films' "Corpse Grinder" had
broken the gross record at the Parkway Drive
In
M. Inn R. \\ i i. in, president ol ( it (
Theatres, a subsidiary of General c mema
Corp., has announced a series of promotions
within the company Promoted to regional
directors were Willard Alexander, Dallas. Ed
ward Dineen, Detroit, and Thomas Simon.
Los Angeles. All were previously division
managers.
Promoted from managers to division
managers were Michael Baty, St. Louis. Mo.,
Frederick Buffum. Cherry Hill. N J . Geoffrey
Lynn, Dallas, and Henderson Wiltshire. Ion
Worth, Texas. The appointments .ire effective
immediately.
first run report
NEW YORK
Amerkathon (UA), 26 screens.
Isiwk $261,906
the Ami(t\illc HorrurlAII. 93 screens.
3rdwk
712.901
Apocalypse Nov. (U Al. Ziegfeld. 1st wk .1 72.285
Breaking Awa> (20th Fox). 5 screens,
Slhwk 104.312
La Cage Au\ Folks lUAI. 68ih Si Playhouse.
I4ihwk 39.296
the Concorde—Airport '79 (Univl. 49 screens.
2ndwk 377.045
The Frisco Kid (WBl. Cinema 1. 6th wk . . 17.828
Hot Stuff (Col). 59 screens. Isi wk 457.236
Meetings With Remarkable Men iLibral.
Cinema 3. 2nd wk 30.840
North Dallas Forty IParal. 8 screens.
3rdwk 153.369
Peppermint Soda iNew Yorkerl. 57(h Si
Playhouse. 5lh wk 35.006
Rock 'n Roll High School iNWi. 8ih
St Playhouse. 2nd wk 14.166
Rocky II (UA). 21 screens. 9th wk 313,163
El Super (New Yorkerl. Cinema Siudio II,
Slhwk 6.730
Sunburn IParal, 3 screens. I si wk 58.478
Till Marriage Do Us Part (Franklin). Plaza.
4ihwk 36.442
the tree of Wooden Clogs (New Yorker).
Cinema Studio I. I Ith wk 1 1
.959
Wh> Not! (New Line). Paris. 4th wk 30.151
BALTIMORE
Alien (20th Fox). Wesiview HI, 8th wk $5,600
The Amityville Horror (Al), 2nd wk
Palterson I (3 da.) 7.200
Westview I 27,000
Breaking Away (20th Foxl. Westview IV.
2ndwk 8,000
The Concorde— Airport '79 (Univl, Patterson II.
1st wk (3 da.) 2.533
Dracula (Univl. 5th wk
Senator (3 da.) 4.698
Westview II 8,000
Hot Stuff (Coll, Liberty II.
lstwk.(3da.) 4.300
Moonraker (U A), Cinema II. 7th wk 5.600
More American Graffiti (Univl, liberty 1.
1st wk. (3 da.) 6.200
Rocky II (UAI. Cinema 1.9th wk 4,500
The Tov (Wheeler). Playhouse. 1st wk 2.500
DETROIT
Amerkathon lUA). 8 screens. Isl wk.
the Amittrillc Horror (Al). 14 screens.
4th wk
%\ 00.0(10
I 50.000
Breaking Away (20th Fox), Americana 2.
3rd wk
Hot Stuff (Coll. 17 screens. Isl wk 260.000
Meatballs (Para), 10 screens. 5th wk 125.08
The Muppet Motie lAI-Dl, 1 1 screens.
3rd wk. 225,000
North Dallas Forty IParal, 12 screens.
3rd wk. 175.000
Slar Wars iJOih loxl (reissue). 13 screens.
Isl wk 270.000
BUFFALO
Alien (20th Fox). I screen. 1 1 th wk $3,380
The Amityville Horror (All, 3 screens,
2ndwk 41,800
The Apple Dumpling (Jang Rides Again IBV).
1 screen, 2nd wk . . 2,700
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (WBl. 2 screens.
Istwk 6.000
The Concorde— Airport "79 (Univl, 2 screens,
Istwk 10,300
Dracula (Univ), 2 screens, 4th wk 4,200
f scape from Alcatraz (Para), I screen,
7thwk 3.200
The Frisco Kid |WB). 2 screens. Istwk . 14,400
The ln-la»s (WB), 2 screens, 8th wk 1 1 ,900
Meatballs (Para), 2 screens. 4th wk 16.400
The Muppet Movie (AFDI. 4 screens.
Slhwk 29.500
North Dallas Fortv (Para). 2 screens.
Istwk 21.500
Rocky II (UAI. 2 screens. 8th wk 6.400
The Villain (Col), 2 screens, 3rd wk 6.000
The Wanderers (WBl, 1 screen, 2nd wk 4.400
CLEVELAND
Alien (2()lh Foxl. 4 screens. Slhwk . $10,133
the Amitwillc Horror (All. 13 screens.
Istwk 312.33J
the C oncorde— Airport '79 (Univl. 5 screens.
Istwk 36.541
Dracula (Univl. 5 screens. 3rd wk 26.375
Manhattan (UAI. World East, World West.
I2ihwk
7.02J
Meatballs (Para). 5 screens, 5th wk
2S.40I
(Moonraker (UA). 6 screens. 7th wk 16.666
The Muppel Movie IAFD), 5 screens.
2ndwk 81.763
North Dallas Forty (Para), 6 screens.
2nd wk
. ... 30.847
Rocky II It) Al. 2 screens. 9th wk 7.489
1
Sunburn ll'aral. 7 screens. Isl wk I ) .04
Van Nu\s Bl\d (Crown). 4 screens.
Isiwk . 18.389
the Villain IC oil. 6 screens. 2nd wk 16.233