Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

lSag«5Sg«5!SS5Sgt)5S55!:^3ag«jaa3!S5J!»535S35a^ MINNEAPOLIS ^old weather, Christmas shopping, and the threat of a bus strike had their expected results on Mill City theatre business last week, and not much was happen As a screen game, HOLLYWOOD takes top honors. As a box-office attraction, it is without equal. It has been a favorite with theatre goers for over 15 years. Write today for complete details. Be sure to give seating or car capacity. HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO. ^ 3750 Ookton St. * Skokie, Illinois HERE’S YOUR CHANCE to get in the BIG MONEY fie Sure to Play MINNEAPOLIS Season's Greetings S. E. HELLER W. H. AIKEN Grand Rapids, Minn. ing. No visitors at all were-reported along Filmrow, and doubtless that will be the rule rather than the exception from now until after Christmas. Should the busses actually go on strike — and as of this moment, it looks as if they will — all Minneapolis and St. Paul business will have been dealt a damaging holiday blow, not least of all, Twin City theatremen. Sol Gordon, Chicago 20th-Fox exploiteer, was in town last week working on promotional details for “The Lion,” the Lyric Theatre’s Christmas picture. “The Lion” stars William Holden . . . Lucky Twin DriveIn Theatre has shut down its east screen until next spring, but hopes to operate its west screen all through the frigid Minnesota winter. With electric car heaters, of course . . . December issue of Movie Guide magazine is now being distributed free of charge in local Loop houses. According to reports, it’s going very well, and the average moviegoer seems highly pleased with it. State Theatre again will play host to the Minneapolis School Patrol youngsters this Christmas holiday season. Each year the Minnesota Amusement Co. offers these children a top movie, this year “Under Ten Flags,” through the cooperation of the police department. Showings are held on two separate mornings with over 2,000 youngsters attending each time for almost a 4,500 total. Just another example of Minneapolis theatremen’s philanthropic spirit. Don Dalrymple, staff member at MGM’s Minneapolis branch for the last ten years and most recently it head booker, has been promoted to office manager succeeding W. F. Burke, who has been transferred to Dallas where he will become division accounting manager . . . Jim Fieger, assistant to Ev Seibel of Minnesota Amusement’s advertising department, is the proud father of a baby girl . . . Herman Hedke, treasurer at the State Theatre, has announced his enlistment in the U. S. Marine Corps, and will ship out in January. R. J. O’Neil, who has made other unsuccessful atempts to build drive-in theatres in the Twin Cities area, met with another rebuff when the village council of Mounds View, a suburb of St. Paul, refused a special use permit for a 17-acre tract of land at Highway 10 and Rice Creek. Refusal was made on the grounds of inadequate highways which, the council said, would result in a safety hazard and noise problem for residential areas. O’Neil said that he agreed with the council. Festivals! Festivals! Festivals! The Boulevard Theatre is now in the midst of plans for a three-film Classic Festival for the holidays. Films to be shown are “Oklahoma!,” “Gone With the Wind” and “Carousel” . . . “Hatari!” and “La Dolce Vita” have been doing so well in several neighborhood theatres that they have been held over time and again . . . The Hopkins and Richfield theatres both announced a Giant Double Hillbilly Show, featuring “Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town” and “The Kettles in the Ozarks.” And, of course, that old evergreen, “White Christmas,” is making the rounds of the neighborhood theatres. Dime movies returned to Grand Forks, N. D., briefly last month when three theatres— the Empire, the Dakota, and the Forx — held special kiddy shows in connection with the city’s annual Potato Festival . . . State Theatre, Willmar, reopened with “Gone With the Wind” after being closed all summer . . . Londoner John Kirby has been appointed manager of the Town Theatre and the Kato Drive-In in Mankato . . . Gene Van Guilder has purchased the Cannon Theatre, Cannon Falls, from A. L. Fritsch. Two upper midwest theatres which were about to throw in the towel because of poor business experienced an improvement good enough to at least postpone the day of the shutdown. Petey Mauer, owner of the Avon in Hankinson, N. D., and Ronald Peissig, owner of the New Lake at Rib Lake, Wis., decided to hang on a while longer, hoping business would continue to improve . . . Three theatres resuming operations this month are the Center, Marlette, Mich., under the management of Julius Brandanini; the Augusta, Augusta, Wis., under Richard Flodin, and the Stockport at Stockport, Iowa . . . Three theatre closings: the Althea, Dunseith, N. D.; the State, Red Falls, and the Muscoda, Muscoda, Wis. MINNEAPOLIS MINNEAPOUS i P g Season's Greetings i I HAZELTON and DYNES | g Theatre Film Buying Service g ^ 16 North 7th Street, U i P ^ Minneapolis 3, Minn. ^ BOB HAZELTON DICK DYNES t i „ .. s ^ n I Holiday Greetings | I and Best Wishes for 1963 ^ I ^ 1 MIDLAND POPCORN CO. | § 67 Eighth Avenue Northeast E ^ Minneapolis 13, Minnesota ^ 2 FED 3-0434 NC-4 BOXOFFICE :: December 17, 1962