Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1963)

S XHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY ■™^™aboui PICTURE SHMB Wants to Know What Film Helped Other Showmen It’s been a year since I have given a comment on a picture. The reason is just didn’t have time. For the past few months, there have been less and less comments made. If a person has an interest in this business he likes to know how others are doing with the product that has helped or may help him. For example, “Jack the Giant Killer” did above average for me on a FridaySaturday. Play it. Show them a trailer and, you betcha, they will come to see it. HAROLD G. SMITH Clifton Theatre Newport, Tenn. ALLIED ARTISTS Rider on a Dead Horse (AA) — John Vivyan, Bruce Gordon, Kevin Hagen. Very good program western, but my folks will not go for any kind of westerns anymore, even on double bills. Played Sat. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Pop 1,480. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL Battle Beyond the Sun (AIP ) — Edd Perry, Aria Powell, Andy Stewart. Played midweek to bang-up business. I recommend it highly. Played Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. Weather: Rainy. — Henry Hammonds, Wren Drive-In, Moscow, Tenn. Pop. 2,612. Twist All Night (AIP) — Louis Prima, June Wilkinson, Sam Butera and the Witnesses. The twist is over — at least around here it is. Please don’t make any more of these. This got by on a double-bill with an action picture. — Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Warm. — Paul Fournier, Acadia Theatre, St. Leonard, N. B. Pop. 2,150. BUENA VISTA Almost Angels (BV) — Peter Week, Sean Scully, Vincent Winter, Hans Holt. Doubled this with “Nikki” to very good results. I’ve yet to have a Disney flop. Played Sun., Mon., Tues. Weather: Overcast and cool/ — ■ Skip and Marie Fletcher, Center Theatre, Palmer, Alaska. Pop. 1,800. In Search of the Castaways (BV) — Hayley Mills, Maurice Chevalier, George Sanders. A very good Disney adventure which everyone enjoyed. Best Friday night in months. Saturday night was somewhat above average. Disney’s terms are too much for the little fella nowadays. — Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Chilly. — James Hardy, Crescent Theatre, Jasonville, Ind. Pop. 2,500. COLUMBIA Notorious Landlady, The (Col) — Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire. I don’t think the director knew what he was doing from beginning to the end. Took 123 minutes to tell nothing. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Good. — James Cech, Elsie Theatre, Elsie, Mich. Pop. 1,000. War Lover, The (Col) — Steve McQueen, 4 Robert Wagner, Shirley Anne Field. I think that I can speak for most everyone who saw this one. It was good. I always enjoy airplane war pictures. This type has just one little, but very important, drawback. They don’t do any business to speak of. It’s a good show and don’t be afraid of it. Played Sat., Sun. Weather: Rainy. — Harry Hawkinson jr., Orpheum Theatre, Marietta, Minn. Pop. 380. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Billy Rose’s Jumbo (MGM) — Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye. If by some slim chance you haven’t played this one yet, by all means, grab it. Now! Good, clean, wholesome entertainment. Not a great movie. Certainly not a great story, but the people came, they saw and they liked it. Played Sun., Mon. — Bill Curran, Ramona Theatre, Kremmling, Colo. Pop. 900. Boys’ Night Out (MGM) — Kim Novak, James Garner, Tony Randall, Janet Blair. It must have been the girls’ night out also, because hardly anybody came to the show. It fell flat on its face at the boxoffice. Played Sat., Mon., Tues. Weather: Nice. — Carl P. Anderka, Rainbow Theatre, Castroville, Tex. Pop. 1,500. Savage Guns, The (MGM) — Richard Basehart, Don Taylor, Alex Nicol. Hollywood killed the love story type picture by always of late using Oriental backgrounds. Now they’re doing the same with the western story, by going South of the Border. They are not westerns, or anything else, just junk. Business was fair, audience very restless. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Rain. — Ken Christianson, Roxy Theatre, Washburn, N.D. Pop. 968. PARAMOUNT Duel of the Titans (Para) — Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi. If you can’t do business on this in a small town, you have a sad situation. This is what my patrons want and mass saturation helps. Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Hot and dry. — Terry Axley, New Theatre, England, Ark. Pop. 2,136. Girls! Girls! Girls! (Para) — Elvis Presley, Stella Stevens, Jeremy Slate. First Presley in history to do only average business. After I saw the mess I understood why. It looked like a screenplay I might write. One more like this and he has had it. Played 'Jumbo' Fine Except For the Vocalizing gniy Rose’s Jumbo” from MGM is a real swell show for the whole family. Gorgeous color and lots of action. But — as in all shows — when singing comes on, there is a rush to the concession stand. The public is so fed up with singing on the radio and the one-eyed monster they don’t want any in pictures. No-singing parts will suit all patrons and exhibitors too. LEONARD J. LEISE Roxy Theatre, Randolph, Neb. — 124 — Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed. Weather: Good. — Paul Wood, Escambia Drive-In, Century, Fla. Pop. 1,500. 20th CENTURY-FOX Sodom and Gomorrah (20th-Fox) — Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, Stanley Baker. Good production. Business fair. In the last few years have been quite a number of these produced and the market is fairly saturated. Played Sun., Mon., Tues. Weather: Good. — Mel Danner, Circle Theatre, Waynoka, Okla. Pop. 2,018. UNITED ARTISTS Call Me Bwana (UA) — Bob Hope, Anita Ekberg, Edie Adams. Good comedy with beautiful color. Background was also good. Play it and you won’t be sorry. I think Bob Hope ought to be a nomination for an Academy Award. Played Sun., Mon., Tues. Weather: Storming. — Lindell Chrisman, Capitol Theatre, Paris, Tenn. Pop. 10,000. Dr. No (UA) — Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman. Action, color. My people ate it up. Business only fair due to circus in town. Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather: Fair. — Dave Merrill, Fiesta Theatre, Gillette, Wyo. Pop. 3,600. Two for the Seesaw (UA) — Shirley MacLaine, Robert Mitchum, Elisabeth Fraser. This one hit the all-all time low. A fairly good show that should have drawn a few more. Lack of color hurt, also, too talky. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Fair. — Leonard J. Leise, Roxy Theatre, Randolph, Neb. Pop. 1,029. UNIVERSAL 40 Pounds of Trouble (Univ) — Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, Phil Silvers. A little bit disappointed in this one. Didn’t have the pulling power I anticipated. Should have played it Friday-Saturday. Played Sun. only. Weather: Good. — I. Roche, Starlite Drive-In, Chipley, Fla. Pop. 3,200. Thrill of It All, The (Univ) — Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis. Greatest comedy yet! Doris Day is tops. James Garner is terrific. This is your answer for better movies. Previewed at Stanley Warner Wiltern. Weather: Warm. — Stan Livingston, manager, SW Wiltern, Los Angeles, Calif. WARNER BROS. Curse of Frankenstein, The (WB) — Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Hazel Court. Used this ’57 oldie with “The Pajama Game” for a Saturday date and did fair business. Color print in good condition. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Pop. 1,480. Majority of One, A (WB) — Rosalind Russell, Alec Guinness, Ray Danton. Very good. I enjoyed it. That is, if any exhibitor can enjoy a picture with no business. They didn’t come out for this one. Played Wed., Thurs., Fri. — S. T. Jackson, Jackson Theatre, Flomaton, Ala. Pop. 1,480. Music Man, The <WB) — Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold. Hurrah for the “Music Man” and WB. The musicals are coming back and so are the families. Hollywood, make ’em good, in color and Scope, then you can have the oldies and TV. We played this in competition with Catholic school graduation and made a couple bucks. Played Sat., Sun., Mon. Weather: Hot. — Carl P. Anderka, Rainbow Theatre, Castroville, Tex. Pop. 1,500. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : August 5, 1963 1 Co ex