Boxoffice-August.11.1975

Major Expansion Will
Involve Three Cities
LINCOLN. NEB.—Theatre construction
projects slated to start in Minneapolis. Denver
and Cheyenne in time for late-fall and
holiday openings have been announced
jointly by Marshall Smith of Cheyenne and
E, N, "Jack" Thompson of Lincoln.
No price tag was placed on the three
projects, which include a 300-seat rectangular
addition to Cooper's round theatre in
Minneapolis, a 300-seat rectangular addition
to Cooper's round theatre in Denver and a
twin theatre in Cheyenne. The 300-seat additions
in Minneapolis and Denver will be
built by the Cooper Foundation, headed by
Thompson.
Cooper Foundation continues to own the
former Cooper Theatres Co. property, leasing
it to Highland Theatres of Cheyenne,
which operates the circuit under the name of
Cooper-Highland. Marshall Smith is executive
vice-president of Highland and Cooper-
Highland and his father Carlin Smith is president.
The Cheyenne duo. seat capacity yet to
be announced, will be built and operated by
Wesco Co. of Cheyenne, sister corporation
of Highland. It will be the circuit's first
theatre in Cheyenne, where Highland's
corporate headquarters are located. Operating
headquarters is in Denver.
The strong possibility that the additions
to the round theatres would be forthcoming
soon was indicated at the time that the
Smiths acquired the Cooper circuit operating
interests.
Marshall Smith and Thompson said the
record-breaking grosses currently being generated
by "Jaws" and the high gross per
capita year-round for these round theatres
underscored the need for additional seats.
"There are no bad seats in any of our
round movie houses," said the two industry
leaders. "It's a beautiful, luxurious type of
theatre."
Mel Glatz & Associates of Denver, which
did the original round theatres in Denver
and Minneapolis as well as the Indian Hills
in Omaha. Neb., is designing the current
three projects.
The additions will give the Highland/
Cooper-Highland circuits a total of 61
VCI APPOIMMKNT — .Monty
Hall, left, president of ^'a^iety Clubs
International, and Charles O. Glenn,
right, director of publicity of the show
business organization dedicated to helping
underprivileged and handicapped
children, are shown at a luncheon in
New York at which Glenn's appointment
was announced. Glenn is vicepresident/
marketing for Paramount
Pictures Corp.
Thornsley Firm Acquires
Seven Gottschalk Houses
STURGIS, S.
D. — Chugach Entertainment
Co., former Alaskan enterprise, has
announced the acquisition of Gottschalk
Theatre Enterprises from E. C. Gottschalk.
Theatres involved in the transaction include
the 653-seat Dakota Theatre, Sturgis, S.D.;
Arcade Theatre, Newell, S.D.; Lakota Theatre,
Dupree, S.D.; Sioux Theatre, Eagle
Butte, S.D.; Dakota Theatre, Timber Lake,
S.D.; Strand, Hettinger, N.D., and State,
New England, N.D.
Chugach Entertainment Co. is headed by
Randall G. Thornsley, previously with
Fletcher's Theatres of Alaska holding a
managerial position at the circuit's Kambe
Theatre in Kcnai, Ak. Now beginning his
eighth year in the theatre business, Thornsley,
21, started with the Harry L. Nace
Theatre Co. and Rawlings Theatre Co. in
Arizona at the age of 14.
Other Chugach Entertainment ventures
include distribution of all Larry Brayton
productions through North Star Enterprises,
a releasing service.
'Lady Cocoa' Is New Title
For Moonstone Film
HOLLYWOOD—"Lady Cocoa' is the
screens in four states— Minnesota, Colorado,
Wyoming and Nebraska.
The round theatre in Minneapolis is managed
by Dean Ziettlow. the Indian Hills in
Omaha by Don Shane and the Denver round new title for Moonstone Productions'
theatre by Jack Marshall.
The Minneapolis and Omaha round hardtops
previously named, "Pop Goes the Weasel,"
an action-suspense murder mystery picture,
are under the supervision of Charles
starring Lola Falana, a Tony Award nominee
last season on Broadway. Also starred
Kroll, Lincoln-based Eastern division manager
for Highland and Cooper-Highland. are Alex Dreicr,
Gene
Millie Perkins and pro
football stars Washington (San Francisco
49ers) and Pittsburgh Steclcr "Mean"
Holland Attendance Up
Joe Greene. Matt Cimber produced and
AM.STERDAM— Motion picture theatres directed. The script is by George Theakos.
Ward Pennington, Moonstone Releasing
in the Netherlands brought out 28 million
people in 1974. a 5.9 per cent increiisc over Co.'s vice-president and general sales manager,
1973, according to the Federation of Cinema
said "Lady Cocoa" will begin playdates
Proprietors. At the same time, boxoffice in late August in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Pensacola,
receipts increased 14.5 per cent, the association
Memphis. Indianapolis and Winston-
said.
Salem.
MPAA Trailer Code May Be
Pondered by Nat'l NATO
HOLLYWOOD—The trailer code of the
Motion Picture Ass'n of America may get
a re-examination at the National NATO
convention in New Orleans in October.
At that
time the West Coast ad-publicity
committee of the MPAA will confer with
MPAA staff members on a proposal to
change the green and red band method of
grading trailers. Also on the table will be
the possibility that at least one company.
Universal, is thinking about eliminating all
trailers when G films are being shown.
The West Coast committee decided on
the NATO conference after Jack Valenti.
MPAA president, rejected a proposal to
ease restrictions made by committee chairman
Jonas Rosenfield jr., advertising-publicity
vice-president for 20th Century-Fox.
Rosenfield had suggested changing the
red and green band system to allow a
trailer on R or PG films to be shown during
G programs. He said he has found
some trailers "severely mangled" by the
rating board which sought to eliminate violence
in order to meet G picture standards.
Valenti said in a letter to
Rosenfield that
"it would not be prudent or practical" to
make a change at this time.
He added that the public and exhibitors
understand the present system and that it
would "require a complete re-education
process" if a three-tier system was adopted
as suggested by Rosenfield. "Let's not confuse
the exhibitors more by giving them
an additional decision," Valenti said.
Committee member G. Clark Ramsay.
Universal's advertising-publicity vice-president,
told the committee during its July 9
meeting that his company is considering
withdrawing all trailers on G programs. The
committee agreed that Ramsay's alternative
is a good one, if the only option is to stick
with the present trailer
system.
Marenstein Joins Group 1
As ODomestic Sales Chief
LOS .ANGELES—Harold Marenstein has
joined Group 1 Films as domestic general
sales manager, it was
announced by Brandon
Chase, president
of Group 1. Marenstein
will headquarter
at the firm's new
West Coast headquar-
^^"W.