Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

Omaha Firm Celebrating 37th Year OMAHA — FEPCO of Omaha is celebrating its 37th year in the film advertising business this year and last week Mrs. Esther Green Humphrey, owner and business manager, announced the installation of “our latest addition” to the engraving department — a powderless etcher. She said the results are “out of this world.” The company, which operates on a national Many Ticket Sales Lost in Blizzards MINNEAPOLIS — The worst winter weather in several years continued to disrupt film shipments and theatre business generally, particularly in southwestern Minnesota and Sioux Falls, S.D. When a blizzard swept the area Sunday, February 18, new methods for shipping several films had to be found when buses were canceled. The Chateau Theatre at Rochester got its feature via a limousine which travels between the Twin Cities and there. There was so much snow at Winnebago that Paul Perrizo didn’t even bother to open up his State Theatre there. At Worthington, which had 27 inches of snow that day, the State also remained dark. “Lover Come Back,” which was in its opening stanza at Maco’s State Theatre in Sioux Falls, S.D., where 31 inches of snow piled up, reportedly grossed $90 that day. Despite the snow, however, both the Hollywood and Strand theatres at Sioux Falls, operated by . Welworth Theatres, opened. scale, was founded in the Green home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and has the motto: “Advertise your pictures with pictures — promote your coming attractions with pictures and titles made up specially for you.” Mrs. Green is shown with Don Helton, head of the engraving department, which has been revamped and improved. Mrs. Green is very active in the business. Sunday Closing Furor Back to Dust in Indiana GARY, IND. — Attempts to enforce the 57-year -old Sunday closing law fizzled out here, and the 1905 statute apparently subsided again to the oblivion of dusty state records. In recent weeks only Lake County officials had held out for enforcement. Other Hoosier counties had either been enjoined by the courts or had given up attempts to close Sunday business. One East Chicago, Ind., grocer, who was arrested eight times on one Sunday three weeks ago, demanded comprehensive enforcement of the law, insisting that motion picture theatres should be also penalized for “Sabbath-breaking.” Moreover, he threatened to make citizens arrests of Sunday employes of theatres. Even though law enforcement agencies have refrained from exercising that power, the law could be used to compel the closing of motion picture theatres, an Indianapolis judge ruled recently. Hoosier motion picture interests may seek a clarification of the measure in the 1963 session of the Indiana general assembly. Sgts.' Dents Records At Mill City Uptown MINNEAPOLIS — “Sergeants 3,” which opened at the Uptown Theatre, did record business at the house despite bad weather with a rating of 600 per cent. On both the opening Saturday and Sunday the picture grossed over $4,000 each day, which also set records for the 1,000-seat theatre. There were three close runner sup. The duo “Garden of Eden” and “Upstairs and Downstairs,” which opened at the neighborhood Avalon, recorded 225 per cent. Next was “Lover Come Back,” in its second week at the State, with 220 per cent, followed by “West Side Story” in its second week at the Mann Theatre with 200 per cent. “El Cid,” which opened at the Academy, did a just soso 150 per cent. (Average Is 100) Academy — El Cid (AA) 150 Avalon — Garden of Eden (SR); Upstairs and Downstairs (20fh-Fox) 225 Century — Search for Paradise (Cinerama), 6th wk 85 Gopher — The Innocents (20th-Fox), 4th wk 100 Lyric — A View From the Bridge (Cont'l) 125 Mann — West Side Story (UA), 2nd wk 200 Orpheum — Pinocchio (BV), reissue 125 Park — One, Two, Three (UA), 10th wk 100 State — Lover Come Back (U-l), 2nd wk 220 Suburban World — Invasion Quartet (MGM), 2nd wk 150 Uptown — Sergeants 3 (UA) 600 World — A Majority of One (WB), 3rd wk 90 Omaha First Runs Okay Despite Bad Weather OMAHA — Holdovers did average or better business last week as bad weather threw a crimp into most local activities. “A Majority of One” scored 100 at the Orpheum, possibly not up to expectations but still not too bad in the face of several nights of extremely bad picture-going weather. Admiral — The Hustler (20th-Fox); Can-Can (20t"h-Fox), reissue 150 Cooper — Seven Wonders of the World (Cinerama), 13th wk 110 Dundee — Ivanhoe (MGM); Knights of the Round Table (MGM), reissues, 2nd wk 135 Omaha — Swingin' Along (20+h-Fox); September Storm (20th-Fox) 95 Orpheum — A Majority of One (WB) 100 State — King of Kings (MGM), 3rd wk 100 2nd Big Week for 'Sgts.' In Wintry Milwaukee MILWAUKEE — Exhibitors in the area declare that we’ve had the worst weather hereabouts in years — one snowstorm after another — which naturally affected the weekly grosses. The Wisconsin Theatre led the list with “Sergeants 3.” Downer — Purple Noon (Times), 2nd wk 150 Palace — South Seas Adventure (Cinerama), 9tih wk 200 Riverside — Pinocchio (BV); The Secret of Monte Cristo (MGM), 2nd wk 150 Strand — King of Kings (MGM), 9th wk 175 Times — The Mark (Cont'l), 3rd wk 100 Tower — One, Two, Three (UA), 2nd wk 125 Towne — ’Light in the Piazza (MGM) 125 Warner — A Majority of One (WB); Atlas (Filrngrauip) 100 Wisconsin — Sergeants 3 (UA), 2nd wk 275 The part played by Merritt Bohn in UA’s “Kid Galahad" in his sixth since turning actor two years ago at the age of 48. JlorvtAiM& BOONTON, N. J. Large Core Greater Crater Area means MAXIMUM LIGHT Evenly Distributed In Minnesota — NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY, Minneapolis — Main 8273 in Nebrasko — THE BALLANTYNE Co., Omaha — Jackson 4444 in Wisconsin — NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY, 1027 N. 8th Street. Milwaukee 3, Wisconsin. CHAS. J. BREWSTER. 417 W. Highland Are., Milwaukee. Wisconsin. Phone BR 1-0100. NC-2 BOXOFFICE :: March 5, 1962