Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

MINNEAPOLIS gen Berger called ’em the way he sees ’em in a recent organization bulletin of North Central Allied, putting the finger on film companies charging rentals “that are tightening the noose around our necks” . . . With drive-in operators preparing to hibernate during the winter counting the returns of one of the most successful seasons on record, reports of four-wall reopenings are flocking into this comer. The most recent items came from Tripp, Miller and Selby, S.D., and Wood Lake and Arlington, Minn. UA STAR IN DES MOINES — Publicizing his latest motion picture, “Lilies of the Field,” Sidney Poitier met exhibitors in United Artists exchange office. Standing about the star, left to right, are Larry Day, advertising director, Central States circuit; Harry Weiss, division manager, RKO Theatres; Dorothy Probst, UA office manager, subbing for exchange manager John Dugan, who was ill the day of Poitier's visit; Richard Davis, Pioneer Drive-In; Gary Sandler, Nathan Sandler Theatre Enterprises, and George Catanzano, TriStates Theatres. DES MOINES J^ll WOMPI roads will lead to Des Moines in 1966 when the Filmrow women will have their national convention in Iowa’s capital city. St. Louis is to be host next year and New York City in 1965. Four Des Moines WOMPIs who attended the recent national shindig in Dallas had an eventful flight home when their plane developed an ailment. Dorothy Probst, Leone Matthews, Janice Funk and Florence Bundy were “guests of the airlines” at Holiday Inn in Kansas City and arrived back home a day late . . . Art Thiele of Iowa Theatre Supply was in Des Moines General Hospital through the first week in October. His speedy and complete recovery is our sincere wish. Jean Conrad, booker’s steno at Columbia, is engaged to Dick Michaelson . . . Bill Barker of Co-Op Theatre Service at Omaha was in Des Moines visiting a brother . . . John Q. Public’s problem for WAHOO is the ideal boxoffice attraction to increase business on your "off-nights". Write today for complete details. Be sure to give seating or car capacity. HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO. 3750 Oakton St. Skokie, Illinois October seemed not in finding someplace in Des Moines to spend his entertainment dollar, but rather how to stretch it. As the month got under way the city certainly was not wanting for entertainment, and the “live theatre” offered a genuine challenge to motion picture exhibitors. Sunday (6) saw the last performances of Shipstad’s & Johnson’s “Ice Follies” at the Veterans Auditorium. At KRNT the same Sunday was Apex of Culture — which always draws at least 6,000 paid admissions — “The Grand Ole Opry.” Tuesday the 8th should go down in booking annals as the “day of infamy” with Ray Charles at the KRNT theatre at $4.50 top and Drake University’s first of several Fieldhouse Hootenanny concerts on tap the same night. At Drake were the Wayfarers, Raun MacKinnon and Josh White for two bucks. Four nights later, the frosting on the cake: Peter, Paul and Mary at KRNT for anyone with from 2-4 dollars left in his Bermudas. Indeed the competition seemed especially great, even before one considered TV and local weekend gridiron activities. This was the same October week that Iowa’s more than 10,000 teachers invaded the city for their state convention. Noticeable was the Ingersoll’s fat “Cleo” ad, with coupon and special call to teachers, inviting them to “order now” for the convention. “Little Boy Blue,” a first cousin to last year’s “Little Red Riding Hood” which did phenomenal business here on one-shot weekend matinees, blowed his horn at the local Varsity, Hiland and Eastown the afternoons of the 12th and 13th . . . An autumn vacation was the choice of Bill Lyons at United Artists . . . Marilyn Smith of the Universal staff was another fall traveler. Author John Howard Griffin, who packed ’em in everywhere he spoke on a recent three-day stay in Des Moines, said his award-winning book, “Black Like Me” will go into film production this winter. If the film version of Griffin’s penetrating book remains faithful to the original (knowing Mr. Griffin, it will), this should be on the Great Films. “Black Like Me,” a startling report on Griffin’s life in the Deep South after he darkened his skin and lived for six weeks as a Negro, is available as a Signet paperback. Jess McBride’s retirement at the local Paramount branch has necessitated the following changes: Forrie Myers moves up to replace McBride in the driver’s seat, and Birger Ronning of the sales staff moves in to fill the vacancy left by Myers . . . Final tabulations for the Minneapolis Theatre Guild’s first two stage presentations held at Ted Mann’s Orpheum house are now in and show “A Man for All Seasons” grossed $26,795, and “Beyond the Fringe” totaled $34,855. The moral may be: Give the public class entertainment and they’ll leave the idiot boxes at home and willingly bring their entertainment dollars out into well managed and advertised theatre trade. Condolences to the family and friends of Ronald K. Young, manager of the Starlite and North Star theatres in La Crosse, who died recently . . . Negotiations between Minnesota Amusement Co. and Duluth Local 509 of projectionists have bogged down over division of a 70-hour work week between three men at Maco’s Norshor Theatre in Duluth. Agreement has been reached on fringe benefits and wages, and a speedy and satisfying resolution to the remaining clinker in the deal is hoped for . . . Pioneer Theatres, operator of a combined chain of 19 drive-ins and four-wall houses in Iowa, has moved its buying and booking office from suburban St. Louis Park to Carroll, Iowa. Ted Mann has announced a fantastic promotion program for “Hootenanny Hoot,” the first attempt to cash in filmically on the burgeoning folk-singing craze. Passes, shampoos and a pair of live doves will be awarded customers bearing surnames resembling those of birds . . . Broadway producer Alexander H. Cohen conferred with Ted Mann on a recent visit to the Mill City, dangling a production of “Hamlet” on Broadway next spring starring Richard Burton as his newest investment possibility. Backers shouldn’t be hard to find with that star . . . Witty eyecatchers are those “It’s not too early to get her in a holiday mood — take her to see ‘Cleopatra’ ” ads tucked into pages of the Minneapolis Tribune. ENDLESS BURNS THE ENTIRE POSITIVE ROD Sava Carbon Coat •((oiunoiiUT PROJECTOR X C1M0M W«st Coost Th*otr* S«rvic« mi K.W. IUIM1T POITl AMD OttGON NC-2 BOXOFFICE :: October 14, 1963