Boxoffice-August.11.1975

BRO AD\N Ay
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALLS current
attraction, the American International
release of "Hennessy." is pari of WNBC
Radio's $66,000 contest. Listeners to the
station are asked to call in at certain intervals,
selected callers being named as winners.
Each winner receives four tickets to
the film and stageshow. WNBC will give
away 100 sets of tickets over a two-week
period.
"Hennessy" stars Rod Steiger and Lee
Remick in a thriller directed by Don Sharp
and produced by Peter Snell. The screenplay
by John Gay is based on an original
story by Richard Johnson, who also costars
in the film with Trevor Howard.
On the Music Hall stage is "Star Spangled
Rhythm." produced by Peter Gennaro.
•
The Shipstad and Johnson "Ice Follies"
will open Friday. September 19. at Radio
City Music Hall, rather than the previously
announced September 17. Peggy Fleming,
ice-skating champion and America's Gold
Medalist in the 1968 Olympics, will star
in a spectacidar new production. The
extravaganza will feature Richard Dwyer,
the precision Ice Folliettes and a special
children's number including all the characters
from public TV's the Electric Company.
Twenty-six performances are scheduled
between September 19 and October 5. including
some matinees and late-morning
shows. Evening performances will be held
at 7:30 p.m., except Monday. Tickets are
on .sale now at the Hall and at Ticketron
outlets.
This will be the first attraction in the
theatre's 1975 Fall Special Presentation
period. The regidar stage and screen policy
will be resumed November 6, when the
Christmas show begins.
•
Film Fan Monthly, a movie buff publication
for 14 years, was phased out with
its June 1975 issue. Leonard Maltin, editor
and publisher for the last nine years, blamed
economic reasons and the pressure of other
work for the demise. A constant source of
delight and information for film fans, the
magazine will be greatly missed. Even the
respected Films in Review didn't have the
same appeal to those devoted to comedy
shorts, B pictures and serials, which FFM
often
covered.
•
Speaking of Films in Review, its August-
September issue offers an ironic tribute to
the FFM concept with Stephen E. Bowles'
article on the Three Stooges, containing;
many references to ten Maltin's research
into the group's work. Also included in
this issue are Alvin H. Marill's career
article on Red Skelton. an examination of
Marie Dre.t.sler by Zan Turner and. for noncomedy
buffs, a look at Henry Mancini's
film mii.sic by Page Cook.
•
"Jaws" has a firm grip on the country
this summer but its power to shock was
fully rcali/cd when :i Queens man suffered
a fatal heart attack during a showing of
the release. Universal Henning Thomsen,
43, of Maspeth, was in the United Artists
Theatre in Forest Hills with his wife when
he suffered the attack during the last few
minutes of the film. Some 375 customers
sat in silence as the film was interrupted
and attempts to revive Thomsen failed.
•
"Coonskin." controversial Bryanston Pictures
release which combines live action and
animation, will open Wednesday (20) at the
Trans-Lux East and Bryan West theatres.
Barry White. Charles Gordone, Scat Man
Crothers and Philip Thomas are among the
live participaus in the film, produced by
Albert S. Ruddy and written and directed
by Ralph Baks'hi. This is the first Bakshi
film to be R-rated initially, his animated
"Fritz the Cat" and animated-and-live
"Heavy Traffic" both having been given
an X.
•
In town: Dick Richards, director of the
Robert Mitchum film "Farewell My Lovely,"
which opens Wednesday (13) at Loews'
State 1 and Tower East theatres. Jan-
Michael Vincent arrives Monday (18) for
three days of interviews in conjunction with
the opening of "White Line Fever," Columbia
release in which he stars.
"Farewell My Lovely," an Avco Embassy
Pictures release, also stars Charlotte Rampling.
Kay Lenz co-stars in "White Line
Fever," an International Cinemedia Center
production, produced by John Kemeny and
directed
by Jonathan Kaplan.
•
Town Hall will remain open for at least
two more years, fund-raising campaigns
having succeeded in putting off the threatened
closing this month. New York University,
which operates the building, has
received contributions including a $125,000
donation from the Shubert Foundation.
Concerts, children's shows, travel films,
lectures and John Springer's series of
"Legendary Ladies of the Screen" have
been among the fare presented at Town
Hall in recent years.
•
Bryanston Pictures" "Texas Chainsaw
Massacre," described as a horror classic in
the same vein as "Night of the Living
Dead," has become a revival item around
town. It was presented as part of the Museum
of Modern Art's "ReView" series of
recent films, it has been playing at the
West Theatre with "Return of the Dragon"
and now the film is being shown at midnight,
Simday through Thursday, at the
Cinema Village.
•
Showcases for Wednesday ((>) saw the
arrival of just one new double hill. Bryaiiston's
horror and science-fiction show. "The
Devil's Rain" and "Dark Star." The Disn.v
festival program consisted of the fir.\t-run
"One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing" and the
revival of "Pinocchio" (1940). Only other
new film was the X-raled "Keep On Triick-
WRO Assigns Little Neck
Lease to Cineck Theatres
NEW YORK—The Little
Neck Theatre,
located on Northern Boulevard in Little
Neck, Queens, is now operated by Cineck
Theatres, it was announced by Sheldon
Gunsberg, president of the Walter Reade
Organiza'tion, and Jay and Gary Fuchs
who operate theatres throughout the five
boroughs of New York City. The theatre
has been part of the Reade circuit for the
past 12 years.
Gunsberg stated that the assignment ot
the Little Neck Theatre lease, effective July
30, was a continuation of his company's
previously announced plan to divest itself
of properties in smaller suburban areas
while at the same time expanding its theatre
holdings in major cities throughout the
country.
AFI Catalog's 2nd Volume
To Be Published in 1976
WASHINGTON — The American
Film
Institute Catalog's second volume, "Feature
Films 1961-1970," a listing of approximately
5,800 features, will be published in
early 1976, according to Richard Carlton,
AFI deputy director.
The first volume covered "Feature Films
1921-1930" and a planned third volume
in the series will be "Feature Films 1911-
1920."
The second volume's listing of foreign
films,
which received commercial exhibition
in the U.S., will make up approximately
40 per cent of the issue.
Richard Krafsur is editor of "Feature
Films 1961-1970."
Free EPA Film Available
WASHINGTON — The
Environmental
Protection Agency has made available free
to theatres a ten-minute, 35 mm sound and
color short, "Does It Have to Be This
Way'.'", featuring TV comedian Tim Conway.
Audiences become amused at the
hilarious situations which confront Conway
on his way to work. Requests for freeloan
playdates for the film—a timely
message in the guise of comedy—should be
sent to Modern Talking Picture Service.
2323 New Hyde Park Rd.. New Hyde Park.
N.Y. 20040.'
Wendell Exits Industry
CHATHAM. N.J.—Edward Wendell.
;inagcr of the Chatham Cinema in Chatham
for the past three years, recently resigned
that post and left the industry. Prior
to managing the Chatham house. Wendell
has been assistant manager at RKO-SW's
Regent in Elizabeth for several years. The
Chatham Cinema is owned by Andy Sullivan.
Fire Destroys Grand Theatre
SCRANTON, PA.—The long-shuitered
Grand Theatre. 406 Main St.. was destroyed
by fire recently. The structure, which had
been occupied bv a dress company, was
owned by Richard Cawley.
E-2
BOXOFFICE :: Aucust 11, 1975