Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

Good Business Holds Throughout Omaha OMAHA — Every first-run theatre in Omaha offered a holdover attraction last week and every one turned in an aboveaverage gross. The Orpheum topped the mark for a third week with “Under the Yum Yum Tree” and the Indian Hills slipped just a bit under double its average as “How the West Was Won” completed its 27th week. (Average Is 100) Admiral — McLintock! (UA), 2nd wk 120 Cooper — The Wheeler Dealers (MGM), 2nd wk. 110 Indian Hills — How the West Was Won (MGM Cinerama), 27th wk 185 Omaha — Fun in Acapulco (Para), 2nd wk 110 Orpheum — Under the Yum Yum Tree (Col), 3rd wk. 105 State — The Incredible Journey (BV), 2nd wk 110 Promising Minneapolis Week Chilled by First Blizzard MINNEAPOLIS — The first blizzard of the season had Mill City exhibitors shoveling out from under snowdrifts and looking back regretfully on the remnants of what had promised to be a highly successful week. The Saturday night and Sunday storm kept the local populace huddled by its fireside, and theatre attendance never recovered from the blow. “How the West Was Won” at the suburban Cooper, not dependent on public transportation, remained level at 160, but the best the downtown houses could show for the week was average and below. Campus — Lovers on a Tightrope (Ellis) 90 Century — Cleopatra (20th-Fox), 24th wk 70 Cooper — How the West Was Won (MGM Cinerama), 39th wk 160 Gopher — Palm Springs Weekend (WB), 2nd wk 100 Lyric — Fun in Acapulco (Para), 2nd wk 80 Mann — Take Her, She's Mine (20th-Fox), 4th wk. 100 Orpheum — McLintock! (UA), 3rd wk 100 St. Louis Park — Nurse on Wheels (Janus) 90 State — Under the Yum Yum Tree (Col), 3rd wk 90 Suburban World — Lord of the Flies (Cont'l), 8th wk. 90 World — The Wheeler Dealers (MGM), 4th wk 100 ‘Yum Yum' Sparkling 250 In Good Milwaukee Week MILWAUKEE— “Under the Yum Yum Tree” took first place honors with 250 per cent for its second week at the Warner. Second place was a tie between two new products, “The Conjugal Bed” at the Times Theatre and “Fun in Acapulco” at the Towne. Special matinees of “Santa Claus” at various neighborhood theatres were doing very well, too. Downer — Lord of the Flies (Cont'l), 2nd wk 150 Mayfair — McLintock! (UA), 3rd wk 150 Palace — Take Her, She's Mine (20th-Fox) 150 Riverside — The Wheeler Dealers (MGM), 2nd wk. . .160 Strand — Cleopatra (20th-Fox), 21st wk 150 Times — The Conjugal Bed (Embassy) 200 Tower, Oriental — The Leopard (20th-Fox) 100 Towne — Fun in Acapulco (Para) 200 Warner — Under the Yum Yum Tree (Col), 2nd wk. 250 Stickney, 111., Roxy Is Reopened by New Owners From Central Edition STICKNEY, ILL. — New owners Ralph Tardi and Earl Colvin have reopened the Roxy Theatre, 3245 Grove, presenting free flowers to women patrons and free refreshments for all. The policy calls for double features, with two changes each week, the theatre opening nightly at 6:30 Mondays through Fridays, at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The Roxy is the first venture in exhibition for Ralph Tardi, who owns a chain of “Golden Curl” beauty salons. However, his partner Colvin formerly managed for Loew’s, Trans-Lux and the H. Schoenstadt circuits. MILWAUKEE 1*he outstanding success resulting from the saturation run of the “Santa Claus” film in 15 Milwaukee area houses has again proven that the “Marcus Plan” is worth trying. This is the second time around for the film which, according to reports, didn’t come up to expectations the last time. Responsible for the impressive boxoffice returns this t’me were Maynard “Willie” Wilson, representing Murray Productions, and Henry Kratz, Allied’s executive secretary. The theatres in on the deal were: Capitol, Downer, Egyptian, Granada. Greendale, LaBelle, National, Oasis, Parkway, Pix, Rivoli, Sherman, Times, Tosa, and Varsity. Admission at the three-day matinees was 50 cents. Two days before the run began, there wasn’t a print in town, which had Wilson on the wires tracing and checking. But all’s well that ends well. Wilson said he’s coming in with another deal shortly after the first of the year that’ll be a “honey” for exhibitors. Over at Madison, “Women of the World” caused considerable discussion and a proposal has now been made to look into the idea of having local reviews published weekly, “so as to help people avoid particularly objectionable previews.” Members of the Better Films Council of Greater Milwaukee held their regular monthly meeting at the Milwaukee Art Center on North Memorial drive. Mrs. Wallace Lee, curator of education at the art center, discussed “Films and the Art Museums” and illustrated her talk. A coffee hour and tour of the center followed. Clarence Nash (the voice of Donald Duck), who says he’s on Walt Disney’s payroll but is semi-retired, was here for a few days doing commercials and making personal appearances promoting TV’s Mickey Mouse Club. He appeared on WISN-TV Channel 12 children’s programs. Nash has spoken for Donald in all 126 cartoon shorts and three feature films. Nash is often confused with Mel Blanc, “the man of a thousand voices,” who also was in Milwaukee a short time ago. Blanc speaks for Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweetie Pie, Elmer Fudd, Barney Rubble and Jack Benny’s Maxwell car, but has never done Donald. Nash’s other voices include Donald’s nephews, b:rd calls, barking dogs, crickets and the voice of Dopey in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Efforts on the part of exchange managers curing the past few years to consolidate their office Christmas parties into one big festival during the holidays has not met with much success. Universal and Fox apparently are the only ones to hold theirs together: it will be at swanky Frenchies’ for both of the exchange offices. Branch managers “Pat” Halloran of Universal and Jack Lorentz of Fox are in charge of arrangements. From Val Wells, the mayor’s motion picture commission’s executive secretary, come the following movie ratings: General Audience — The Brass Bottle, Clear Skies, The Crawling Hand, The Face of War, Fun in Acapulco, Hide and Seek, It’s Never Too Late, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Julie the Redhead, Ladies Who Do, Macbeth, Mail Order Bride, Move Over, Darling, Nurses on Wheels, Resurrection, The Slime People, Soldier in the Rain, Tiara Tahiti and Who’s Minding the Store? Mature Entertainment — The Ceremony, Dementia 13, Two Nights With Cleopatra, Muriel, Naked Autumn, Palm Springs Weekend, Sunday in New York and Terese. Adults Only — The Conjugal Bed, The Devil and the Ten Commandments, The Hunchback of Rome. Recommended Not to Be Shown in Milwaukee — Bell, Bare and Beautiful. NTC Lincoln Stale Now a 'New' House LINCOLN — Nebraska Theatres Corp.’s Christmas Day gift to the city of Lincoln will be a new first-class movie house created out of the old State Theatre on busy downtown O street. Santa’s helpers who are in the know about theatre renovating will have to do an all-out job in quick time. The small but popular theatre closed down the night of December 1 after a successful four-week run of Disney’s “The Incredible Journey.” But the lights didn’t go off, as staff workers from the Rocky Mountain Seating Service of Denver, plus local labor, began to tear out the 814 old seats on the one-floor auditorium. Some of the other phases of the major renovation job, in addition to new seating, are decorating of the entire theatre, screen replacement, a new sound system, new stage curtains, new carpeting, relocation of the boxoffice and a new concession stand. The total seat number will be cut down to 756 with the new installation, resulting in better spacing for patron comfort. At the same time, Nebraska Theatre Corp.’s other Lincoln showhouse, the Varsity, will be getting new seats in the balcony— about 400. Others in the larger Varsity will be redone. Both State and Varsity seats still have a role to fill. It seemo the bulk has been sold to the Omaha William Skolniks, who have bought the Muse Theatre from the Cooper Foundation Theatres, and to a new Community Playhouse in Council Bluffs. The new State’s Christmas Day opener will be another Disney, “The Sword in the Stone,” followed by “Lawrence of Arabia.” The State closing will give the staff of 15 a pre-Christmas time off, with the exception of Manager Bert Cheever, who expects to be on the scene daily to work as well as to watch progress. WATCH PROJECTION IMPROVE T with = I ECHNIKOTE S PRODUCTS Now! The Only ^ ANTI-STATIC SCREEN ^ »-171 FmH • R«p«b Dust r | TICHI Available from your authorized Theatre Equipment Supply Dealer: Export— Westrex Corp. [TECHNIKOTE CORP. 63 Seabring St., B'klyn 31 5 BOXOFFICE :: December 16, 1963 NC-1