Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

2 X HI B I TOR HAS HIS SAY MM^HABOUT PICTURES ALLIED ARTISTS David and Goliath (AA) — Orson Welles, Ivo Payer, Elencra Rossi Drogo. Wonderful picture. Good color and Scope. Music the last five minutes worth admission price alone. Allied Artists needs to push this picture more. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Cool. — Raymond Beeman, Bell Theatre, Ellsworth, Kas. Pop. 2,200. BUENA VISTA Parent Trap, The (BV) — Hayley Mills, Brian Keith, Maureen O'Hora. Nothing but near-capacity houses and high praises for this one. Most people here considered it to be Disney's best. Hayley Mills does a fine job in both roles. Play it, or you will be losing a lot of business. Played Fri. through Tues. Weather: Cold. — Lorry Thomas, Fayette Theatre, Fayetteville, W. Va. Pop. 2,000. COLUMBIA Passport to China (Col) — Richard Basehart, Athene Seyler, Lisa Gastoni. Fair. For double-billing only. Played Sat. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Pop. 1,480. Solid Gold Cadillac (Col. reissue) — Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Fred Clork. Very good adult comedy. Problem: find the adults. Played Wed., Thurs., Fri. Weather: Snow. — P. B. Friedman, Grand Theatre, Lancaster, Ky. Pop. 3,000. Twist Around the Clock (Col) — Chubby Checker, Dion, Vicki Spencer. Now here is a company that is really on the beam. They make a twist picture, and they sell it to us when it is hot. The results — the Patrons Are Puzzled About these modern cartoons . . . The patrons sit through them and wonder what they are supposed to represent. There's not a grin, chuckle or laugh in a carload. Would rather play the Buena Vista cartoons fifth run. CARL VESETH Villa Theatre, Malta, Mont. theatre does a terrific business and is happy. We were very well pleased with this one, and thank our very good salesman at Columbia, Irv Braverman, for getting us such a nice date. Business was wonderful, we drew from towns all around. Thanks again, Columbia! Mr. Exhibitor, book it at once, it will do business. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Nice. — Harry Hawkinson jr., Orpheum Theatre, Marietta, Minn. Pop. 380. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Bridge to the Sun (MGM) — Carroll Baker, James Shigeta. Where was the color for this very fine production, which is of Academy Award caliber? A near blizzard kept many away, but it was enjoyed by the ones who came. Carroll Baker was never better and James Shigeta was excellent too. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Snow and cold. — James Hardy, Shoals Theatre, Shoals, Ind. Pop. 1,555. Butterfield 8 (MGM) — Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Horvey, Eddie Fisher. Liz was great, Eddie was great, Lourence Harvey was great and the picture was even greater. Business tops. If you haven't played this picture, by all means do. You will be far from sorry. Played Sun., Mon. — Steve Durbin, Garold Shoemaker, Ford Theatre, Griggsville, III. Pop. 1,200. Ring of Fire (MGM) — David Janssen, Joyce Taylor, Fronk Gcrshin Suspense, oction, drama. Another good American-mode action picture that I received compliments on. Small situations play it. — John M. Bailey, Opera House, Miltonvale, Kas. Pop. 911. PARAMOUNT Foxhole in Cairo (Para) — James Robertson Justice, Adrian Hoven, Niall MacGinnis. Okay program picture, but it seems that this type is no longer popular with any of my patrons. Played Sat. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Pop. 1,480. One-Eyed Jacks (Pora) — Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado. One of the finest bits of entertainment we have ever shown. Western or otherwise. Top action, drama, and the most beautiful color photography I have ever seen. Audience reaction good. Business well below average, because of holiday parties (Christmas season). Weother: Very cold. — W. K. Riese, Aurora Theatre, La Ronge, Sosk. Pop 20TH CENTURY-FOX Desert Attack (20th-Fox) — John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quayle. Played this with "Two Rode Together" from Columbia. I thought "Attack" had more action and movement, but the program didn't draw enough teenagers and kids to make business even averoge. Ployed Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Nice. — Paul Fournier, Acodia Theatre, St. Leonard, N. B. Pop. 2,150. September Storm (20th-Fox) — Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens. Good color and 'Scope, but a poor story. Advise you to play a co-feature with it. We did poor business and 50 per cent of our people who did see it walked out. Why? They said it was boring and thot they could see stuff like that on television. Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Wintry. — Kenn Spaulding, Bijou Theatre, Morrisville, Vt. Pop. 3,450. Wild in the Country (20th-Fox) — Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld. Everyone who came liked this program — many comments on good acting by Presley. But, around here when the weather cools off the 'Misty' a Real Surprise We found 20th-Fox's "Misty" a real boxoffice surprise, with a simple story, clean and suited for family trade. It is a relief from the "sick" stories in so many pictures with debauchery, dishonor and violence. LEONARD J. LEISE Roxy Theatre, Randolph, Neb. folks aren't going to budge from that idiot lantern. Played Sun., Mon., Tues. Weather: Cool. — Carl W. Veseth, Villa Theatre, Malta, Mont. Pop. 2,100. UNITED ARTISTS Misfits, The (UA) — Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift. It seems that Arthur Miller designed this for Monroe and the less I hear of either from now on, the better. We felt sorry for the rest of the cast, and as for John Huston — as a little boy was supposed to have said during the Black Sox scandal, "Say it ain't so, Joe." Business good the first night. Second night, a mouse played in the aisles. Weather: Mild for January.— -W. K. Riese, Aurora Theatre, La Ronge, Sask. Pop. 650. Teenage Millionaire (UA) — Jimmy Clanton, Rocky Graziano, Zasu Pitts. Everyone loved this! Played midweek and late. This could certainly stand alone on a Sunday billing in situations like ours. Played Wed., Thurs., Fri. Weather: Miserable. — -P. B. Friedman, Grand Theatre, Lancaster, Ky. Pop. 3,000. Thunder Road (UA) — Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry, Keely Smith. This was old but it really did the business, billed with MGM's "Village of the Damned." I think that Bcb Mitchum is one of our better actors and hope to see him in more pictures. Play this again, you won't be sorry. — -Steve Durbin, Garold Shoemaker, Ford Theatre, Griggsville, III. -Pop. 1,200. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL Come September (U-l) — -Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin. Here was a good show that did better than most 'o-f the supers we have shown lately. It had a good cast, it was funny and the color was the best, so we did some business and hit the black again for a change. This cold weather sure "defeated" us this winter. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Nice. — Mayme P. Musselman, Roach Theatre, Lincoln, Kas. Pop. 1,636. Lawless Breed, The (U-l, reissue) — Rock Hudson, Julie Adams, Mary Castle. This 1953 picture did a very good business for just a one-day showing. It is a good picture too, and the color is very nice. The only thing that was not to my liking was the print. The first reel was just hanging together and it broke twice for us. It is supposed to be a reissue, but our Crint must have been as old as the hills. Very good usiness, so we were happy. Played Wed. Weather: Nice. — Harry Hawkinson jr., Orpheum Theatre, Marietta, Minn. Pop. 380. Tammy, Tell Me True (U-l) — Sandra Dee, John Gavin, Charles Drake. Very good. Tammy, along with a very clever cast, contrives to -bring a very amusing show. Our customers still like to see the country folks outwit the city slickers. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Good. — Audrey Thompson, Ozark Theatre, Hardy, Ark. Pop. 599. WARNER BROS. Steel Claw, The (WB) — George Montgomery, Charito Luna. Here was an action-filled war picture, sold within reason, and we came out on the right side of the book. It needed some support and we used shorts and had a very good program. If you can sell war pictures, they'll buy this one. -Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Nice. — Mayme P. Musselman, Roach Theatre, Lincoln, Kas. Pop. 1 ,636. MISCELLANEOUS Buffalo Gun (States Rights) — Marty Robbins, Webb Pierce, Carl Smith. This picture (obtained from Don Kay in Dallas) is pure corn from the word go, but did above average business on Friday-Saturday. The singing stars ore not actors but they can sing and the producer wisely let them do a lot of singing and little acting. Weather: Cold. — Audrey Thompson, Ozark Theatre, Hardy, Ark. Pop. 599. Outspoken Ads Helped We played "Because of Eve" and "She Shoulda Said No," distributed in our area by Kay Film Exchange, to very good business on a Wed., Thurs., Fri. run. Advertised it as being a program for "Adults and Mature Young People Only." We didn't make a fortune, but they did outgross a lot of so-called blockbusters. B. L. BROWN JR. Arcade Theatre, Sandersville, Ga. FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE REVIEWS The Five-Day Lover A Ratio: Comedy (L'amant de Cinq Jours) i.85-i Kingsley Int'l 8G Minutes Rel. Jan. '62 The third Philippe de Broca French-language comedy starring Jean-Pierre Cassel is a thoroughly delightful amorous romp, even better than "The Joker" and "The Love Game," which brought fame to this director-star combination. The George Dancigers production can also boast the marquee draw of Jean Seberg, the American girl currently winning fame in French films, and the handsome Micheline Presle, who has made several Hollywood pictures. Because of the picture's light treatment of marital fidelity and the daring bedroom scenes, this is adult fare and thus limited to art house showings. Cassel is once again impudent and completely likable, withal, as a ne'er-do-well being kept by a successful couturier (Miss Presle) who has a five-times weekly affair with an attractive young wife who insists on keeping Saturdays and Sundays for her dull husband and two children. Miss Seberg, with a full dark head of hair instead of her customary boyish cut, looks amazingly like Natalie Wood and is remarkably appealing as the cheating wife while Miss Presle is equally expert as the older woman and Francois Perier completes this mixed-up quartet as the bumptious husband— four topnotch performances. In the end, the couples are paired off properly again, but the young wife still has a roving eye for another five-day lover. De Broca's tonguie-incheek direction keeps this airy trifle amusing throughout. He adapted it from the novel by Francoise Parturier. Jean Seberg, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Micheline Presle. Francois Perier, Claude Mansard. 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