Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

WISCONSIN ALLIED OFFICERS— Here’s the official family of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, as elected at the recent convention. Front row, left to right: Ben Marcus, chairman of the board; Edward Johnson, president; Gerry Franzen, vice-president; Otto Settele, secretary, and Larry Beltz, treasurer. Back row; directors Don Deacon, Robert Gross, Rudy Koutnik, Ranee Mason, Sig Goldberg, James Suick and Frank Lesmeister. Missing are Dean Fitzgerald, A1 Bergman, Jack McWilliams and F. J. McWilliams, (honorary). 'V.I.P.s' Strong 250 As Milwaukee Opener MILWAUKEE— “The V.I.P.S” at the River side was the big grosser of the week, with “How the West Was Won” and “Cleopatra” vying for second place and both leveling off after long runs. Around average was the rule elsewhere in the city. (Average Is 100) Downer — Murder at the Gallop (MGM) 100 Palace — How the West Was Won (MGM Cinerama), 25th wk 175 Riverside — The V.I.P.s (MGM) 250 Strand — Cleopatro (20th-Fox)/ 13th wk 175 Times — The Balcony (Cont'l); The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner (Cont'l) 100 Tower, Oriental — Arturo's Island (MGM) 100 Towne — Wives and Lovers (Para); Dime With a Halo (MGM) 100 Warner — The Castilian (WB); Wall of Noise (WB).. 80 Wisconsin — Johnny Cool (UA) 100 'How the West Was Won' Top Minneapolis Grosser MINNEAPOLIS— “How the West Was Won” celebrated its 30th week at the Cooper Theatre by advancing to the head of the class in the Mill City, socking home a solid 180 week. Satisfying debuts for “The Leopard,” 125 at the Academy, and “The Caretakers,” likewise at the Mann, kept exhibitors humming a happy tune as business along Hennepin avenue rolled along according to schedule. Academy — The Leopard (20th-Fox) 125 Century — Cleopatra (20th-Fox), 15th wk 110 Cooper — How the West Was Won (MGM-Cinerama), 30th wk 180 Gopher — Stolen Hours (UA) 100 Lyric — Shock Corridor (AA), 2nd wk 60 Mann— The Caretakers (UA) 125 Orpheum — Hootenanny Hoot (MGM) 90 St. Louis Park — The Thrill of It All (Univ), 11th wk. 90 State— The V.I.P.s (MGM), 2nd wk 120 Suburban World — Three Fables of Love (Janus).... 80 World — Irma La Douce (UA), 13th wk 100 Diversified Competition Hobbles Omaha Theatres OMAHA — There was little to brag about along the Omaha movie front last week, with several theatres seeing grosses dip below the average mark. The Indian Hills led the field, offering “How the West Was Won” in Cinerama for the 18th week. The movies faced some pretty stiff competition, such as the Ak-Sar-Ben rodeo, the Community Playhouse, football and a number of high school activities. Admiral — Hootenanny Hoot (MGM) 105 Cooper— The V.I.P.s (MGM) 125 Indian Hills — How the West Was Won (MGM Cinerama), 18th wk 175 Omaha — The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (Col); 13 Frightened Girls (Col). . 70 Orpheum — Wives and Lovers (Para) 90 State — Battle of the Worlds (Topaz) 95 Benton to Be Reproduced From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — Murals of Frankie and Johnny painted by Thomas Hart Benton, which hang on the walls of the Missouri state capitol building in Jefferson City, will be reproduced at the Samuel Goldwyn studio for use by Edward Small during filming of his production, “Frankie and Johnny.” Confer on New Picture From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — Producer Douglas Laurence returned to MGM following a week of conferences in New York with coproducer and director Delbert Mann and writer Dale Wasserman on the farce “Quick, Before It Melts.” Wasserman is adapting the screenplay from the novel by Philip Benjamin. Exhibitor Walter Blaney; In Industry 50 Years MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS.— Walter A. Blaney, 67, who had been in the film industry since he was 17, died recently at his Milwaukee home. He had operated the local Falls Theatre for the last six years. A native of Springfield, Mass., Blaney is survived by his wife Helen; two sons, Walter jr. of Utica, N. Y., and Kenneth, San Diego, Calif.; two grandsons, and his sister, Mrs. Frank (Mary) Hassler, Lake Five. The Ralph Soeffkers Buy Arlington, Minn., Lido ARLINGTON, MINN. — After being closed for more than five months, the Lido Theatre has been reopened under the new ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Soeffker sr. The theatre is being managed by Mrs. Soeffker. The building and business previously were owned by Melvin Ehlers. Bob Sage to Film Fair From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — Bob Sage has joined Film Fair as vice-president to serve as producer and director of the commerical and industrial studio headed by Gus Jekel. Wood Lake Exhibitors' Spring Wish FuHilled WOOD LAKE, MINN. — A wish expressed last spring that their closing of the Lake Theatre would be only temporary has come true very pleasantly for Mr. and Mrs. Davis, popular operators of the situation. They recently reopened the Lake — on the 14th anniversary of their original opening of the theatre. When they closed last spring, they had enough faith that they would be able to resume operations some day to retain their equipment as well as their association with their film booking company. They have films booked through the fall, showing first-run, family-type movies. Shop Center Theatre For Brookfield, Wis. BROOKFIELD, WIS.— A 1,200-seat motion picture theatre is to be among the facilities of a $15,000,000 shopping center with an enclosed mall planned for construction in 1965 on a 56-acre tract on West Capitol drive between North 162nd and North 166th streets. To asssist shops and stores of the center, the theatre would present free children’s shows on Saturdays. Developer of the center is Lambrecht Enterprises. The proposed site; now a poultry farm owned by Alfred H. Lambrecht, would have parking for 4,450 cars. La Crosse Airer Manager Ronald K. Young Dies LA CROSSE, WIS.— Ronald K. Young, 23, manager of the Star Lite and North Star theatres since March 1962, died recently due to a heart condition which had afflicted him since he had a siege of Asian flu while in his senior year at Logan High. Before he was named manager of the outdoor theatres. Young worked in theatres in Manitowoc, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Neenah, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, Menasha, Appleton, Tomah and the Riviera of La Crosse. He was a former Logan High athlete and had won letters in football and baseball. When he was 17, he was given a tryout by the Milwaukee Braves and it was during the tryout that he contracted Asian flu. He is survived by his wife Carol, whom he married last April 20; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Young; three brothers, Ralph and Roger Young and Robert Ames; his grandmothers, Mrs. Sarah Ames, La Crosse, and Mrs. Anna Young, Onalaska. Traveler Rights to Dick Berg From Western Edition HOLLYWOOD — Rights to film “The Dark Traveler,” a novel by Pulitzer prize winner Josephine Johnson, have been acquired by Revue producer Dick Berg for NBC-TV’s Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre. Miss Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize was awarded for “Now in November.” BOXOFFICE October 14, 1963 NC-1