Boxoffice-September.10.1979

. Very
BOXOFFICE/SEPTEMBER 10, 1979
T studios.
The executive producer is Douglas
Macdonald, head of Film House Quinn Labs
Mirrophonic Sound, the largest post
production complex in this country.
George McCowan will direct the film, and
his recent feature film credits include The
Shape of Things to Come" and the upcoming
'"Shadow of the Hawk " The film has a budget
of $4. 1 million and is being produced by
Wcstfront Productions Inc., with the par
licipation of the Canadian film Development
Corp.
TORONTO
On its opening day, "Apocalypse Now"
established a new boxoffice record at the
University here and in Los Angeles as well. On
Oct. 10 it is due to open in several hundred
theatres across the continent.
Director-writer David Cronenberg's newest
film, "Scanners," is due to start shooting here
and in Montreal Oct. 22. Cronenberg's films
are usually made at modest cost, but with a
budget set at $4.1 million (his is his most
important film to date. "Scanners" is an
original fiction thriller written by Cronenberg,
and his three previous films—"The Brood."
"Rabid" and "Shivers"—were all top grossers.
This is the third in Filmplan's major production
program for this year, and Victor Solnicki
and Pierre David are executive producers.
For the first time in Us long history, the
Uptown here is scheduling no less than eight
screenings daily for "Life of Brian."
Between mid-September and mid May. the
Toronto Film Society will screen 10 double
bills of vintage films at the Crest.
Young Variety is presenting 10 perfor
mances of "Bye Bye Birdie" in early
September; all proceeds will go to Variety
Club projects.
Forty days after its release, filmmakers John
Dunning and Andre Link of Haliburton Films
announced that "Meatballs" had already
established a record for a Canadian film, gross
ing $25.6 million on this continent. $2.6
million of this came from Canadian boxoffice
sales. The film cost $16 million to produce.
and Paramount put up $4 million for publicity
Haliburton is currently making "The
Squad," a comedy, and "Yesterday," a love
story concerning an American boy and a
French Canadian girl.
Drive-ins are on their way out, here as
elsewhere across the continent Rising land
values as well as increasing operating expenses
have eliminated all drive-in theatres within
metro Toronto boundaries, although Twinex
Century Theatres is currently spending more
than $20,000 to update the sound system at its
triple-screen 400 drive in
Drive ins were discussed in some detail by
reporter John Picton in a Sunday Star feature.
Twinex currently operates 10 drive in theatres
in the province.
"Movies are the only retail business where
only one article of merchandise was on sale at
a time," explained this company's vice presi
dent, Myer Axler. "No other retail outlet sold
only one item." The number of drive-ins in
Canada dropped slightly from 315 in 1975 to
298 in 1977.
Scotty Peacock, manager of the Teepee
drive in in Pickering, recalled chasing cows off
the lot and ushering horses and riders from
nearby stables to a special section away from
the cars. That was in 1947, when Canadians
first got hooked on the drive-in habit.
Orson Welles returned to major film roles
to star in "Never Trust An Honest Thief," an
adventure comedy that has started to be filmed
here. Co-stamng with Welles will be Michael
Murphy, acclaimed for his recent roles in "An
Unmarried Woman" and "Manhattan."
"Never Trust An Honest Thief" is being
produced by Zale Magder, founder of this
country's largest new film and TV production
first run report
TORONTO
Alien (20th Foxl, University,
1 2th wk Very Good
The Amityville Horror (AFDl. Plaza.
3rd wk
Very Good
La Cage Am Folles IUA). Imperial.
5th wk
Very Good
The Frisco Kid (WBl, Plaza. 5th wk
Fair
The In-Laws (WBl. Hollywood,
9th wk
Good
Manhattan (Para) Uptown. 17th wk Good
Meatballs iParal, Uptown. 8th wk
Good
Moonraker (UAI, Eglinton. 7th wk Good
North Dallas Forty (Paral, Hollywood.
2nd wk
Very Good
Rich Kids (UAI, Towne. 1st wk
Very Good
Rocky II (UA). Uptown, 9th wk
Good
•Star Wars (20th Foxl, lstwk
Excellent
MONTREAL
Alien (2Uth Foxl York.
9th wk
Excellent
The Amityville Horror (AFDl. Loews 2,
3rd wk
Very Good
Bloodline (Para). Loews 4, 6th wk Very Good
The Concorde— Airport '79 (Univl, Atwater,
3rd wk
Very Good
The Frisco Kid |WB), Avenue, 4th wk
. Excellent
The In-Laws (Para), Loews 5, 10th wk . Good
Manhattan (UAI. Place Ville Marie.
1 5th wk Good
Meatballs (Para), The Cinema. 4th wk Very Good
Moonraker (U A). Loews 1 . 7th wk Very Good
More American Graffiti (Univ). Bonaventure
2nd wk
Very Good
North Dallas Forty iPara), Claremont.
1 st wk Excellent
Rocky II (U A), Loews 3, 1 0th wk Very Good
Unidentified Flying Oddball (BV).
Van Home. 2nd wk
Good
French Language films
Appranlisvage a I'Fcoli' |( mcpixl, Pansicn 3,
2nd wk
Good
La Cage Aux Folles (UA). Pansien 2,
21st wk
Excellent
l.e C'iel Peut Attendre (Paral. Parisien 5.
27th wk
Very Good
La Guerre des Ftoiles 120th Foxl. Champlain.
1st wk
Excellent
L'Hommc in C olere (Cine 360), Parisien I.
23rd wk
Good
'Hotel de la Plage lOncpix). Parisien 4,
2nd wk
Very Good
Superman le Film (WB). Bern. 3rd wk Very Good
WINNIPEG
Ami-ncathon ItJAI, Northstar II. 1st wk. Excellent
Ihi- Amit>\illi- Horror IAI D), Northstar I.
4th wk Excellent
I In Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again iBVl.
(iarden City, 4lh wk
Good
The Concorde— Airport "79 Iljnivl. Odeon.
1st wk Very Good
The Frisco Kid (WBl. Colony. 1st wk Excellent
Hot Stuff (Coll. 2 screens. 1st wk Very Good
The In-Laws (WBl. Polo Park. 10th wk. Oo