Boxoffice-September.24.1979

22 BOXOFFICE/SEPTEMBER 24, 1979
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be found nightly at the Euclid Drive-In.
CLEVELAND
in spite of Thomas Wolfe's maxim "You
:an'l go home again." screenwriter David
shager did. figuratively and literally . His
.creenplay. "Those Lips. Those Eyes." now
ilming at Cain Park, was created from
nemories of his summers at this outdoor
heatre. Shager returned during the Labor
Day weekend (0 assess the film's progress.
The film stars [rank Langella. fresh from
.tage and screen triumphs in "Dracuia." His
lew role is one of a struggling actor waiting
or a call from New York. Glynnis O'Connor
ind Thomas Hulcc also star in the movie.
Shager has also written "The Last
embrace." starring Roy Schemer, and "The
vVarnors." a movie about street gangs. "The
Warriors" became controversial after violence
rupted in several theatres after it was shown.
some cities harmed [he showing. Shager
Jefends the picture, saying il got a bad rap and
.hat. compared with Sam Peckinpah movies, it
*as a real "Mary Poppins."
Screenings this week included "Avalance
Express." a 20th Century Fox release starring
Lee Marvin, and "... And Justice For AH"
rom Columbia, starring Al Pacino. Jack
Warden and Lee Strasberg.
Andy Motta and his wife, in from Canton
or the Columbia screening of "... And
lusticc For All." said business had been ex
.ellent at his Imperial Cinema and Circle Mall
L inema during the runs of "Hot Stuff" and
"The Villain." He said he was looking forward
o "big things" from "Apocalypse Now." soon
o open at his theatres.
New in the projection booth at Brainard for
mis weeks screenings is Phil Pisczak Phil can
NEW YORK
A late October opening is planned for the
New Yorker after its transformation into twin
theatres by the Walter Reade Organization.
The organization has owned and operated the
house on Broadway and 90th Street since late
1 97 1. The theatre closed Sept. 4 for the
S25O.OO0 remodeling that will leave 450 seats
on each side.
Sheldon Gunsberg. president al Reade. said.
"The flexibility of twin theatres provides an
opportunity to present films and dim program
ming in innovative and. unorthodox ways, and
we intend to explore these possibilities to ihe
~
fullest
Dolly Reade Borgia, who designed the in
lenors of Reade s ZiegfekJ and Bay ( menu.
will design Ihe New Yorker I and 2
Overall construction, which will include up
to-date sound and projection systems, will be
supervised by John Banner Reade's general
manager
The New Yorker was one of the first movie
houses in New York City to otter Foreign
language and an films
"Quadrophenia." which was iradescreened
Sept 15 at the 57th Si Playhouse, will open in
18 theatres in the metropolitan area on Nov
2 Mel Maron. vice president of distributor
World -Northal. said that in the next week or
two ihe piciure would be gelling "a big sendoff
in conjunction with Howard Rubensiein's
publicity company. k
The British film based on The Who's 1973
album aboiu a "Mod" growing up in
mid 1960s London premiered last May at the
Cannes lnicrnaiion.il I iini I c^l iv al where the
film took four weeks to iinc up bookings in
every international market, according to
"Quad" producer Roy Baird
Baird. Maron. "Ouad" director Franc Rod
dam. and W .s president -\i Schwartz were on
hand lor ihe screening. Afterward. Pete
Townshend. John Eniwistle and Kenny Jones
ol I he Who ailcnded a reception at ihe Pla/a
Two busy people are Millie Moore, editor,
and Maurie Peck, assistant editor, of "Those
Lips. Those Eyes." Both are in town working
at Motion Picture Sound, where the Cleveland
( rmc screenings are held, and both are en
thusiastic about what they have seen so far.
Donna ( hernin of the Cleveland Plain
Dealer wrote of "St. Jack." "It is Gazzara who
more than anyone or anything else makes
Peter Bogdanovich's 'St. Jack' a small success.
Yet the film does sag in the middle. You get
the feeling of waiting for something to happen
and little does."
Betsey Maupin. Chronicle Telegram.
Elyria. wrote. "There are limes during 'The
Frisco Kid' when the movie seems downright
sensitive and other times when it's extremely
funny. But the bulk of the movie rests
somewhere in limbo between 'Blazing Saddles'
and 'Fiddler on the Roof.' And that's a mighty
big limbo." About "The Wanderers." Maupin
wrote. " 'The Wanderers" leaves an unsettling
feeling, as though it is trying to say something
but it's in another language. That something
apparently remains in the mind of the director,
but to the viewer it's forever concealed."
Reviewers write of "The Seduction of Joe
Tynan": Donna Chernin. Plain Dealer. "This
is a highly personal movie, and an appealing
one as well. The movie, like Sen. Tynan
himself, essentially has its soul in the right
place." Tony Mastroianni. Cleveland Press.
"Alan Alda wrote the script and, on the
strength of this effort, can stop acting and
devote himself to full time writing any time he
wants."
The movie is showing at five theatres in this
area.
Hotel. The rock group was in New York for a
series on concerts and interviews in connection
with ihe movie.
Nathalie Nell, the French actress who plays
the victim in "Rape of Love." was the guest at
a two-hour reception Sept 1 1 at the French
Embassy of upper Fifth Avenue.
Marie-Christine Barrault. the star of
"Cousin Cousine" who has recently joined the
cast of Woodv Allen's new movie, also attend
ed
Ouartet Films is distributing the Robert
McNeil presentation. It was written and
directed by Yannick Bellon. one of Frances
top female directors "Rape ol Love" deals
wiih the mental anxiety fell by rape victim
Nelf and with her decision to press charges,
despite protests by her mother and fiance. It
will have its American premiere at the Little
Carnegie Theatre Sept 24
Bits and pieces from American Interna
nonal "The Stud." starring veteran actress
Joan Collins will open Sept. 28
Produced by Ronald Cass. Collins' has
hand, the film is based on ihe controversial
book by Jackie Collins Ithe actress's sisterl.
about a "beautiful but bored proprietor of
London's most fashionable disco "
Collins plays the disco manager and Oliver
Tobias has the mle role It's being distributed
bv Transamencan Films, a branch of Al.
"Something Srmrt ol Paradise." siarring
Susan Sarandon and Jean-Pierre Aumont. was
screened Sept. 14 at the Toronto Film
Festival The film will open in New York Oct.
5.
David Steinberg, producer. James Gutman.
director. David Halpern Jr. and Larry
Steinfeld ol Al's New York office attended the
festival preniiere. Halpern was nominated for
an Academy Award for his documentary
"Hollywood on Trail."
George l.utz is still on the publicity trail for
"The Amilvville Horror." the blockbuster
about his ordeal in a haunted house on Long
Island He recently appeared on a television
interview show in Washington. DC. with Ed
Warner, a leading dcmonologist. and his wife.
Lorraine, a clairvoyant.
Warner Bros.' "The Bugs Bunny/Road
Runner Movie" will open in New York at the
Paramount Theatre on Broadway in addition
to opening at the Guild 50ih Theatre on Sept
30.
The opening will follow the animated
feature's showing at the 17th annual New
York Film Festival Sept. 29.
Three time Academy Award winner Chuck
Jones produced, directed and co wrote the film
with Michael Maltese.
Jones created the Road Runner character
and co-created Bugs Bunny, whose 40th anniversary
is being celebrated. He arrived in
New York to attend the showing at the New
York Film Festival
"10." a romantic comedy starring Dudley
Moore and Julie Andrews and introducing Bo
Derek, will open Oct. 5 al the Sutton Theatre
on 57th Street at Third Avenue, the Criterion
Theatre on Broadway and at other selected
theatres.
Blake Edwards wrote, directed and coproduced
"10." an Orion Pictures release
through Warner Bros. Henry Mancim wrote
the music for the new comedy, a Geoffrey
Productions film co produced by Tony
Adams.
Moore, who was in "Foul Play." stars as a
Hollywood composer who searches for beauty
using a scale of I to 10. Andrews, in her first
screen appearance in four years, portrays his
realistic friend and lover
Bo Derek, a California born ex model play
ing her first major past, scores the top number
that gives her the title role Robert Webber
also stars as Moore's songwnting col
laborator.
DETROIT
Detroit Area Film [cachets, said to be the
oldesi club of its kind in the world, kicked off
Ihe I lib season with a prerelease screening
Saturday al the Main Theatre. Royal Oak.
Club president John Prusak said the club was
also open to nonteachers
Free Press critic Michael Clark writes of
"L nidcnulied Hying Oddball." "If you're cor
nered into taking the kids to a Disney movie,
this comedy about an astronaut transported to
King Arthur's time is better than some: dull
leads, but funny writing."
PITTSBURGH
\arielv < lub. organized here in I9J.S will
stage us annual Variety C kib I cm I banquet
at 6:30 pm Nov 25 ai |hc Holidav House
Oene C omicllv chief barker, will be honored
Featured will be award presentations and
entertainment bv Ihe Leiiernun Dancing
will lollow iii ihe dining room of the disco
Donald I Kullnig is banquet chairman.
Officers ol Variety, lem 1 fot 1 980 include
Eugene I Connelly, chiel barker. Joseph D
Wallers. Iirsi assistant chiel barker. Fred D
(hi.iIiicm. second assisiam chiel barker.
C hesier t. Walleis. dough guv. Donald 1
Ruffing, property master, and George N
I bonus, press guv C rew includes Edward C
Boyle. James ( Builer. Donald C iinninghaiu.
(corgc Domurol. Ihoinas A Hill I'honusJ
McCaffrey. William t Malone. Boh Prince.
Jack Purcell and James W Slusscr Other ol
ficers include pusi duel barkers Jellrv \
Weiss Oeorge II Werl. James M Ecker.
M.iili.iii II Kaufman. George lice, handicap
ncd fund. Jcfl'rj A Weiss, president. James G.
Butler, hrsi vice president, and Joseph D
Walters, second vice president.
Variety lent I has inaugurated a scries ol
amateur boxing shows at Al Monzo's Howard
Johnsons in Monroevillc. Boh Prince, boxing
events chairman, says that Monzo hasarrang
ed for the Variety C lub to receive the net profits
from ihe AMA-AAU boxing shows and
rent I would noi have to invest in the enter
pri.->c.
BUFFALO
frank Maneusu. senior vice president of
Paramount Pictures, was named to serve on
the Board of Trustees ol Medaille College.
Buffalo Mancusb. a native of Buffalo, now
lives in New "i ork C in.
Doug Smith. C ourier Express entertain
menl editor, wrote Sepi 9. "Recently, some
Buffalo-area moviegoing audiences have been
gelling reminders thai while the movies nuv
he magic, they're still just a business I heatre
owners are attempting to enlist patrons into a
campaign against blind bidding, a procedure
which most moviegoers never have heard of.
Signs in some theatre lobbies urge customers
10 sign petitions to stamp out 'blind bidding'
and fot prompting, there's a live -minute film
which preaches against the evils of the 'blind
bid."
"I never much cared lor prev icws of coming
attractions or commercial quasi
documentaries, hut on a scale of I to 10. this
'blind bid' propaganda rates a minus three.
Who wants to go to the movies fot a night of
escapism and/or enlightenment and then gel
hammered into a dispute between capitalists
'"
Seduction of Joe I ynan.' by and starring
Alan Alda. is more of an exercise in
trigonometry than in moviemaking." wrote
Doug Smith in the Courier I xpress. "I here
arc at least a hall dozen triangles in operation
here, hardly any ol them resolved Ihe story
has been told innumerable limes before but
this version is particularly without malice,
which really doesn't do it any good ."
"Peppermint Soda," Gaumont film
released
bj New Y orkei films, was well received bv
critic Michael C alien in the C ourier Express.
who called il "a lovely film and a movie worth}
ol the awards and acclaim it has received
in Europe." It plavcd the Plaza North theatre
in French, with English subtitles.
BALTIMORE
Rose Phillips Becker. 75. first president of
the Variety C lub Women. Tent 19. died Sept.
6th al Sinai Hospital. At the lime of her death
she was vice president arid treasurer of a
display firm started by her son. Gordon
Becker, in 1955
Lou Cedrune writes ol "North Dallas
Forty" in the Evening Sun. "Professional football
has had its share of black eves, but it may
be some nine before it recovers from North
Dallas Forty' The film unravels ai iheend.
the conclusion more confusion ihan resolu
lion, but there is great fun getting ihere "
R. H. Gardner of the Morning Sun w rote ol
"La Cage Aux Folks." currently ai the
Playhouse I'm noi sure thai the Baltimore
Ciay Alliance will approve of La ( age Aux
Folles' bui. io an old straight.' it seems j
genuinely superior comic work "
Another critic who was quite taken with the
film was Mike Giuliano. News American, who
wrote.' One of the year's funniest movies.
Despite their best efforts to pass as heterosexuals.
Renaio and /!aza can never pull il
olt the couple is verv. verv gav It is siiua
lion comedy of ihe funniest order "
Spending on taxable entertainment increas
ed 5 pereeni during hscul vear l°79 iwhich
ended June 301 over fiscal 1978. according to
ihe Maryland state comptroller's office \houi
S214.5 million was spent on taxable entertain
menl. compared with $203.5 million ihe
previous vear. S 10.9 million in admissions and
amusement tax receipts were returned to the
stale's 25 counties and lo Baltimore.
Rains from hurricane David devastated ihe
lower floor offices of JF Theatres located at
C ross Keys Quadrangle West Block Said Jack
Fruchtman. "We've had to function lemrilj
in our .11 office located in the Rotun
da "