Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

MINNEAPOLIS ^hanksgiving weekend business was like the “good old days” on Hennepin avenue with all or most Loop houses reporting holdouts. A heavy snow (6 inches) Thanksgiving night probably kept many in town for the weekend; as a result, the Mill City’s Loop and theatres were jammed. Gordon Rydeen, formerly of the Riverview Theatre, was named manager of Berger Amusements’ Gopher Theatre, effective November 1 . Rydeen, an oldtimer around Twin City theatres, had been manager of the Gopher in the past . . . Louie Orlove, Milwaukee-Minneapolis 20th-Fox exploiteer, is no longer with that company as of Friday, November 23. Rudy Peterson jr., is the new projectionist at the Lyric, replacing the deceased Ray H U R L E Y QUALITY PROJEaiON Super-Optica REAL ECONOMY S c R E E N S AMERICAN THEA. SPLY. CO.. Sioux Falls, S. D. DES MOINES THEA. SPLY. CO., Des Moines, la. MINNEAPOLIS THEA. SPLY. CO.. Minneapolis. Minn. HURLEY SCREEN COMPANY, INC. 96-17 Northern Blvd. Corono 68, N. Y. c Theatre Announcements ^ L Made to Order Specials Ms V Merchant Advertising Trailer Daters * Slide Materials KANSAS CITY SLIDE CO. ** 3608 Woodland, Dept. B, K.C. 9, Mo. 9 Daily . . . Minneapolis’ Tippi Hedren is Look magazine’s cuirent cover girl. She is being touted by Alfred Hitchcock (for whom she is appearing in “The Birds”) as a new Grace Kelly . . . Tribune columnist George Grimm recently devoted a full column to the philanthropic aspects of Mill City theatre owners. The story had a Christmas motif. Martin Lebedoff, president of North Central Allied, will lead a five-man delegation to the national Allied States convention in Cleveland this week. Also attending will be Stanley Kane and Benjamin Berger, Minneapolis: Ernest Peasley, Stillwater, and Don Buckley, Redwood Falls. Five of the Twin Cities’ 13 outdoor theatres remained in operation imtil the first heavy snowfall, only a few days ago. Now only one, the Luck Twin Drive-In, remains open and it will be showing movies the year-around . . . Vernon Lawson, Custer, S. D., has sold the Harney Theatre there to Clell Elwood. Tom Burke, president of Theatre Associates, received one of a pair of public service awards given annually by the Newspaper Guild of the Twin Cities. Burke’s citation was for his work as chairman of the Variety Club Heart Hospital Ass’n. Charles Zinn, Minnesota Amusements city manager in St. Paul, took a print of Walt Disney’s “Almost Angels” out to the Gillette State Hospital for Crippled Children. But he did not forget that youngsters seldom watch a movie without popcorn : he took along two barrels of it! Bert Forsythe has succeeded Emmett Olson as manager of the Princess Theatre, St. James . . . The Neenah Theatre, Neenah, Wis., has been reopened after an extensive remodeling job. Work included new sound. Cinemascope screen and new draperies. Edward Kraus, formerly city manager for Minnesota Amusement in Fargo-Moorehead, died recently in Fargo, N. D. He had been retired for two years. Ev Siebel from Minnesota Amusement attended the funeral November 17. Harry H. Green, retired Minneapolis jeweler and one of the city’s earliest motion picture exhibitors, died at Mount Sinai Hospital here at the age of 92. He built the now-defunct Crystal Theatre in Minneapolis . . . Lome Fox, manager of the Fox ’Theatre in Warroad, died at his home of a heart attack. He was 55. A Minot, N. D., deputy sheriff slapped a padlock on the Town Theatre there and served an eviction notice on Melvin Wyckoff, its owner, for delinquent personal property taxes. 'Girls!' Is a Runaway In Mild Milwaukee MILWAUKEE — Exhibitors in this area were turning in unfavorable reports on their takes at the boxoffice for the week. A big exception was “Girls! Girls! Girls!” at the Riverside which led the grossers among the first runs. However, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” at the Telenews did mighty well for a reissue. (Average Is 100) Downer — A Coming-Out Party (Union) 150 Palace — The Best of Cinerama (Cinerama) 125 Riverside — Girls! Girls! Girls! (Para) 225 Strand— El Cid (AA), 4th wk 100 Telenews — Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (MGM); Father of the Bride (MGM), reissues 175 Times — Carry On, Teacher (Governor), 4th wk 100 Towne — Gigot (20th-Fox) 125 Warner — What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (WB), 3rd wk 100 Wisconsin — The Manchurian Candidate (UA), 3rd wk. 75 'Adjustment' Rings Bell In Minneapolis Lyric MINNEAPOLIS — A tremendous Thanksgiving weekend gave Minneapolis theatre owners something to be thankful for business-wise as percentages rose considerably from the previous week’s totals. The Cinerama offering, “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” in its 17th week at the Cooper, led with 220 per cent, followed closely by “Period of Adjustment” at 200 and “If a Man Answers” at 180, both in opening weeks at the Lyric and State, respectively. Two long holdovers continued to pile up the loot. “Only 'Two Can Play,” in its fifth week at the St. Louis Park, showed 140 per cent, while “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” in a third week at the Century held firm at 130. Academy — The Legend of Lobo (BV), 2nd wk 100 Campus — Shoof the Piano Player (Astor) 100 Century — What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (WB), 3rd wk 130 Cooper — The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (MGM-Cinerama), 17th wk 220 Gopher — Girls! Girls! Girls! (Para), 2nd wk 100 Lyric — Period of Adjustment (MGM) 200 Mann — The Longest Day (20th-Fox), 6th wk 110 State — If a Mon Answers (U-l) 180 St. Louis Park — Only Two Con Ploy (Kingsley), 5th wk 140 Suburban World — Woltz of the Toreadors (Cont'l) . .130 World — Gigot (20th-Fox), 4th wk 90 'Girls!' and 'Mon Answers' Open Briskly in Omaha OMAHA — The general tempo for firstrun theatres was fast, but not the runaway variety, for the week although the figxires dipped below average at a couple of spots. Ti’i-States had two strong plus-average offerings — “Girls! Girls! Girls!” at the Omaha and “If a Man Answers” at the Orpheum. With only two weeks remaining, “Windjammer” reported a 175 per cent gross in the twelfth week. 'The State slipped under average but did commendable business for the fourth week of “Lady and the Ti-amp.” Admiral — The Manchurian Candidate (UA), 2nd wk. 110 Cooper — Windjammer (Cinemiracle), 12th wk 175 Dundee — Father of the Bride (MGM), reissue 70 Omoha — Girls! Girls! Girls! (Para) 150 Orpheum — If a Man Answers (U-l) 140 State — Lady ond the Tramp (BV), reissue; Almost Angels (BV), 4th wk 95 Large Core Greater Crater Area BOONTON, N. J. MAXIMUM LIGHT Evenly Distributed In Minnesoto — NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY, Minneapolis — Moin 8273 in WUconsin — NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY, 1027 N. 8th Street, Milwaukee 3, Wisconsin. NC-2 BOXOFFICE :: December 3, 1962