Boxoffice-August.11.1975

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JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville's Filmrow gives its Salute of
the Week to Marvin Doris of Atlanta
who retired as manager of the Clark Film
Releasing Co.'s busy branch office August
(1) after 43 years serving the film industry
in Atlanta. His retirement was prompted by
health problems encountered by his wife
and other family members. Previously. Marvin
had been Atlanta branch manager for
20th Century-Fox and also an e.\hibitor
executive with Georgia theatres. Belton
Clark, Clark's home office manager in Jacksonville,
said, "We feel Marvin Doris is irraplaceable
because of his ability and great
experience in the industry. We will miss him
for a long, long time." The Atlanta Clark
office presently is run by staff members
Kim Petree and Doris Lewis.
Ernie Pelegrin, Columbia office manager
and head booker, and Mrs. Pelegrin, vacationed
with friends and relatives in their
old hometown of New Orleans . . . Mary
Hart. WOMPl leader at ABC Florida State
Theatres, and husband John Hart, returned
from a 25-day European tour where they
visited their son-in-law and daughter, Sgt.
James Brock and Pat. and their two grandchildren
Chris and Mary Beth at Stuttgart,
West Germany. The Harts also took an
auto tour through Heidelburg, Salzburg,
Vienna, Monaco, Switzerland and Italy.
Keith iVIiller, Jacksonville's newest motion
picture exhibitor who opened the Village
Cinema I Theatre in suburban Orange
Park a few months ago, has opened its companion
Village Cinema II Theatre. This
gives him two screens for product
first-run
and a total seating capacity of 550. Despite
loss of advertising benefits (when his theatres
have been omitted from co-operative
newspaper ads). Keith said his patronage
has firmed up since opening. He is generally
pleased with cooperation from the exhibitors
and distributors of Jacksonville's Filmrow
to an industry newcomer. He surmised his
present first-run policies may be forced to
change when at Eastertime '76 .-American
Multi Cinema opens an expected complex
of five theatre .screens in a new Orange
Park shopping center. Plus there is the possibility
ABC FST may build a deluxe dualer
for a piece of the fast-growing Orange Park
market.
Dick Bussard, Jacksonville Journal city
editor, is a devoted old-movie buff. He exceled
in a recent issue with a lengthy biographical
sketch covering the many-faceted
career of Merien C. Cooper of Jacksonville,
who was a World War J U. S. Aviation
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When you come toWaikiki,
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Force hero and Flying Tigers chief-of-staff
in World War II. The thrust of Bussard's
article, however, was describing Cooper's
creation of the classic gorilla monster in the
movie "King Kong." which he produced
for David Selznick of RKO. Another Cooper
accomplishment was the development of
Cinerama with writer Lowell Thomas.
Wendy's, an eatery chain with several
local restaurants, jumped into the rriovie
business by promoting a Saturday morning
Children's Theatre at three units of Kent
Theatres: the Neptune, St. Johns and Plaza
theatres. The time-honored standby "Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang" was featured with plenty
of footage for concession breaks. Wendy's
personnel handed out free tickets to all kids.
Art Castner, ABC FST Edgewood Theatre
manager, found himself up to his ears
in Disney films; he had an early evening
sneak preview of "Treasure Island" and
"Dr. Syn, Alias 'The Scarecrow' " during his
run of "The Apple Dumpling Gang."
The recent Jacksonville marriage of
Ralph Puckhaber, local ABC FST home
office advertising e.xeeutive. to Madeline
White was elevated from social to news
status by Miami newspapers. His advertising
career was Miami-based before his Jacksonville
promotion several years ago. He was
well known to theatre people and the South
Florida metropolis. Ralph was a widower
with five children. Madeline has two grown
sons by a former marriage.
Bender A. "Dock" Cawthon ran "Blood
for Dracula," a Bryanston release, as the
only advance weekly screening scheduled
for the ABC FST Pj-eview Theatre by Vivian
Ganos.
The Jacksonville free public library system
has begun ipublication of a monthly
bulletin giving resumes of main and branch
libraries' classic screen attractions . . .
Sheldon Mandeli, co-owner of the Five
Points Theatre, has jumped into the swim
with his opposition by offering patrons a
reduced $1.25 ticket for the first summer
weekday matinee performances.
Following in the "free publicity" footsteps
of "Jaws." "Rollerball" picked up speed
here with a provocative story by Dave Harrison,
Florida Times-Union sportswritcr.
Both blockbusters are exclusive North
Florida attractions at ABC FST's Regency
I and Regency II theatres.
The hustling saleswomen of WOMPl.
who began their annual ticket sale for a
Basket of Cheer raffle in mid-July, recently
announced a drawing for the prize ba.skct
will be held at the Filmrow Golf Tournament,
October 10, at the Bay meadows
Country Club. Proceeds go to the Will
Rogers Memorial Hospital and other industry
and community .service projects initiated
by local WOMPl members.
i.ociil WOMPl dclegalcs who will renivsent
this city at the group's international
convention (Drake Hotel, Chicago), September
10-14. are Marsha Weaver, president,
and Frances Conner, yearbook chairman
and co-chairman of the industry service
and humanitarian service committees.
Filmrow vacationers include Sandy Kilpatrick
of 20th Century-Fox who spent a
week of swimming and sunning at Jacksonville
beaches; Fay Weaver of Paramount
and husband Ralph who relaxed at Femandina
Beach; and George Byrd. Universal
manager, who took time off from the firm's
blockbusters for a week-long Florida tour,
including Busch Gardens at Tampa and
ABC's Weeki Wachee Spring.
The fanciest boxoffice figure in Jacksonville
history was chalked up. August (2),
when Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones
magnetized more than 75,000 rabid fans at
the Gator Bowl. Tickets sold for $12 and
some scalpers charged $50. The Stones'
share was reported to be a half-million dollars
with total receipts nearly twice that
amount. Police repwrted a surprisingly orderly
crowd of young people. Only 45 persons
required first-aid treatment for injuries.
Hope Enthusiastic About
Upcoming Film Projects
DENVER—Barry Morrison of the Denver
Post staff revealed in a recent story that
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby again would be
starred together in a film which is scheduled
for production this year.
A portion of the Denver Post story follows:
"For the many filmgoers who grew
up on a diet of Bing Crosby-Bob Hope
movies, here is some good news. They are
going to do it again.
"The word came from Hope in a telephone
interview from Hollywood. 'It's true,"
Hope said. "They finally came up with a
story we both like and they're beginning to
work on it now. But the way things are, we
probably won't be able to get started on it
before next year, possibly in the spring.'
"He was more interested in a film he
plans to begin this fall. It is a drama based
on the life of the late, famous Walter
Winchcll. 'I knew the man for years. We
were good friends.' Hope said. 'It will have
all the elements in it that made Walter so
famous—Broadway, show business, the
crime figures—things like that. It's going to
be a hot copy.' "
Mark IV Acquires Theatre
HARRI.SON. OHIO—Mark IV Cinema.
Ltd., has acquired the former Studio Theatre
on State Street and the showhouse has
been renamed the Crossroads Cinema. Mark
Sicgel of Cincinnati owns the Mark IV
group.
TOP
QUALITY CHRISTIE
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ROY SMITH CO.
365 Park St. Jacksonville,