Boxoffice-August.11.1975

. . . Kim
. . Happy
. . Emmet
—
— — —
—
'Jaws' Tops Memphis
Af 900; 'Pool' 425
MEMPHIS—-Jawj," swam lo a strong
lead with 900 in a fourth week at the Park,
outdistancing all competitors. "The Drowning
Pool" recorded a splashy 42.5 at two
houses in a second week while "The Apple
Dumpling Gang" repwrted a marvelous .175
in its bow at three theatres. "The Return of
the Pink Panther" presented ."^OS at three
boxoffices and "Jacqueline .Susann's Once
Is Not Enough" pulled .'^OO at Plaza 1.
(Average Is 100)
Crosstown— Port 2 Walking Tall (AlP), 3rd wk. . .100
MalCQ Cooley High lAlP), 2nd wk 50
Maico Quartet 3, Southbrook 2 The Drowning
Pool (WB), 2nd wk 425
MaIco Quartet 4, Southbrook 1 The Wind ond
the Lion (UA), 3rd wk 235
Paramount French Connection II (20tti-Fox),
3rd wk 50
Pork Jews (Univ), 4th wk 900
Loew'5 Palace— Nigger Lover ISR), 2nd wk 75
Plaza Jacqueline Susonn's Once Is Not
1
Enough iPara), 2nd wk 300
Plaza 2—Bite the Bullet (Col), 3rd wk 125
Three theatres The Return of the Pink Panther
UA), 3rd wk 305
Three theatres The Apple Dumpling Gong (BV) .375
"Bucktown' Hits 800 in Second;
Jaws' 750 in New Orleans 6th
NEW ORLE.'XNS—In its second week at
the Orpheum Theatre. "Bucktown" was still
leading at 800. "Nashville," in its opening
week at the Robert E. Lee, turned in a
strong 700 to follow "Jaws." scoring 750 at
the Joy Theatre.
Joy—Jaws (Univ), 6th wk 750
cktown (AlP), 2nd wk 800
700
Onetime Theatre Pianist
Says Silents Were 'Fun'
From Ccntrol Edition
INDEPENDENCE, MO.—Nell Atkinson,
now Mrs. Nell Atkinson Kelley, who
has lived in this Midwestern city since
1930. was a well-known pianist who accompanied
silent movies in a number of
Chicago theatres in the early 1900s. During
that time she also played newly published
music at several Windy City department
stores.
Mrs. Kelley says that admission to theatres
then was only five cents but admits she
doesn't remember much about the films that
were screened. She recalls, however, that
"they were a lot of fun." The pianist can
still perform many of the ragtime tunes that
provided background for such stars as
Rudolph Valentino, Clara Bow, Fatty Arbuckle,
Charlie Chaplin, Andy Clyde, Buster
Keaton and the Keystone Kops. Included in
her repertoire are "Paddy Irish," "Peculiar
Rag," "Calico Rag" and "Wild Cherry."
Mrs. Kelley's collection of musical memorabilia
features some of the original professional
sheet music used during silent film
days.
With a degree in piano and voice, augmented
by extensive post-graduate work,
Mrs. Kelley, now 89. continues active in
the entertainment world. Formerly a vocalist
at a local church, she now performs largely
in programs for senior citizens. She has been
a member of the independence Music Club
.35 years and has served as the club's president.
NEW ORLEANS
Jri'iie Mexic, Star .Advertising, is .setting up
an advertisimg campaign for Dimension's
"Brother. Can You Spare a Dime'.'"
-scheduled to dpcn at General Cinema outlets
later this month. Plans are being made
for a style show by D.H. Holmes, featuring
styles of the '30s, and an exhibition of old
Tom Baldrid}>c, AlP. met with Irene
Mexic to co-ordinate publicity rounds for
Lindsay Bloom, star of "Six Pack Annie."
Ms. Bloom was scheduled to meet the press
Monday (4) at a breakfast in the Court of
Two Sisters and later to have interviews
with media representatives. She left New
Orleans bound for Baton Rouge late Monday
(4). Irene presented her with a dozen
roses at the airport here and escorted her
around the Crescent City.
News from Gulf State Theatres: T.G.
Solomon, president, lunched with Lt, Gov.
Fitzmorris and talked about a new film to
be shot in New Orleans during thi.s month
Barkemeycr. publicity, began her
vacation by joining in her brother's wedding
ceremony Friday (1) and then departed for
Hawaii to visit her aunt . . . Ted Solomon
made a trip to .'\tlanta and Jack Dobbs and
Billy Gray traveled to Beaumont, Tex. . . .
Welcome to Donna Boos, new in the booking
C. Clare Woods, formerly
with Gulf States and United Theatres,
was in town to visit his son Don on his
birthday birthdays also to A.J.
Hernandez and Becky Landry and congratulations
to .'\nn Balencie on her 24th wedding
anniversary Nicaud. booking
department, is on vacation, relaxing and
visiting family in Covington.
Carole Roussell, Blue Ribbon Pictures, is
might\' proud of her 10-year-old son Phil,
who made the All-Star baseball team in the
playground league. And congratulations to
Carole and her husband Phil on their 12th
wedding anniversary July 27. It is also
birthday month at the Roussell household.
Carole celebrated Thursday (7) and son Phil
Monday (II).
The Pabsts of Blue Ribbon Pictures had
a family reunion the weekend of Friday (I)
at the Rowntowner Motel. Biloxi. Miss.,
with a barbecue cookout.
The Airline Drive-In in conjunction with
radio station WTIX had a summer jam
session Sunday (3) with four live hands
participating.
Joe Leydon^ award-winning film critic for
the East Orleans Guide, has been informed
that much of the material in the Columbia
press book on the new Charles Bronson
thriller "Hard Times" was material he had
written on the movie set here. I-eydon won
a New Orleans Press Club award for the
best criticism for his review of "The Great
Gatsby." "Hard Times" is slated by Columbia
for release this fall.
Live entertainment is taking over at the
Energy Theatre where a wacky parody of
the Bulkk-g Drummcn thrillers of the 1930s,
'Bull-hoi Crummond." will open Friday
(22). Ticket information is available at the
theatre.
Drawing rave reviews here was 'Nashville,"
Paramounl's epic of country-western
life directed and produced by Robert Altman.
A] Shea of the East Orleans Guide
says its "sassy satire" and "million memorable
moments" clearly spell Academy
Awards in the future. And he comments,
"Nashville is rated R—for Remarkable. See
it (from the very beginning, please) at the
Robert E. l.ee Theatre."
.A^nd Frank Gagnard, writing in the Picayune-Times,
says "Nashville" is dividing
audiences, predictably, into two categories:
hucksters and haters. Theatre manager Jay
Cooper was quoted as saying. "We've had
sell-out performances but we've never had to
turn anyone away." Admittedly a convert
to the picture only after seeing it several
times, Coof>er now professes to be sold on
"Nashville." "I watch every performance,"
he swears. A few have asked for their
money back. Cooper says, but the lively
lobby debates over the film's merits make
up for that.
Gagnard warns his readers, "Don't go expecting
"Barn Dance U.S.A.' or a singlestrand,
'linear' dramatic narrative." The
multi-level, intermingling plots are one of
Altman's trademarks and this film "is nothing
if not creative." Gagnard adds.
Fillet of Shark Offered
At Restaurant in Dayton
From Mideastern Edition
DAYTON, OHIO—With "Jaws" playing
to capacity audiences at the 350-seal
Dayton Mall Cinema, operated by Chakeres
Theatres, a neighboring establishment
in the shopping center, the Commodore
Restaurant, of>erated by Vic Cassano (known
nationally as the "Pizza King"), has started
offering patrons fillet of shark. The lowcholesterol
delicacy is flown in fresh from
New Orleans via Delta Airlines and is either
sand shark or bull shark.
Patrons who order it are given a shark's
tooth as a souvenir.
Cassano said he would keep shark on the
menu as long as the film stayed at the Mall
Cinema. The manager of the theatre said
that could be quite a
long time.
AIP's 'McCullochs' Shows
Power in Mideast Area
CLEVELAND— American
International
Pictures' -The Wild McCullochs" exhibited
good grossing power in Mideastern openings.
In five days at the Southland 75 Drive-
In. Dayton; Melody 49 Drive-In. Dayton,
and the Park Lane. New Carlisle. Ohio, the
film racked up a resounding $27,618.
A lofty six-day gross for "The Wild Mc-
Cullochs" also was reported at the Southlai:d
Drive-In in Lexington, Ky.
AIP's "The Wild McCullochs" will open
throughout the U.S. and Canada this month.
BOXOFFICE :: August ')15 SE-7