8
Friday, October 7,1977
University Dally Kansan
Film booker gauges KU
By JERRY JONES
Staff Writer
Don Starkweather thinks he knows what movies college students will attend, and it his thinking that determines most of the movies University of Kansas see.
Starkweather is the film booker for Commonwealth Theatres of Kansas City, Mo., which owns all the commercial theaters in Lawrence.
In choosing films to play in Lawrence, Starkweather said his primary consideration was attracting the college audience.
"The 18 to 30 age group is the one that primarily supports theaters," he said. "You need to have a good understanding."
Starkweathen's responsibilities grew yesterday when Commonwealth opened the Cinema Twin Theatres, 31st and Iowa streets.
Commonwealth now operates eight movie screens in Lawrence, seven indoors and one drive-in. The only other movies in the city are Student Union Activities in the Kansas Union.
Starkweather, who is 37 years-old—"A young 37," he emphasized with a smile also books films for four other college towns: Rolla, Mo., Emporia, Pine Buff, Ark, and Manhattan. He said he thought although he is older than the average college student he could still relate to the wants and tastes of a college crowd.
Profs to protest plan to AAUP
KU professors' concern over a Board of Regents plan for voluntary early retirement will be vetted tomorrow in the Kansas Union at a state conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
Although the Executive Committee of the KU chapter of the AAUP took no formal action in a meeting yesterday, members of the KU chapter said (to few benefits) to induce early retirement.
Doug Whitman and Bill Roach, KU assistant professors of business and management, representation of economic and professional interests, told members the plan, if approved, might cost KU professors 30 percent of the benefits they could have if they were taught.
Roach said the plan, which offers monetary incentives to professors who retire early, failed to compensate for the annual contributions professors made to their retirement funds and dealt only with what the state contributed yearly.
Therefore, he said, a professor who retires early loses the interest that would have accrued on personal additions to his own retirement fund.
Grant Goodman, professor of East Asian Studies, condemned the plan as not being the right method for getting professors to retire early.
"Nobody in their right mind would retire early under this plan," he said.
"I DON'T THINK I am an old fogy," he said. "I don't think I'm in my ways. I think I've kept in tune well enough with the people we work with to know what the 18 to 30 group will enjoy."
One way to stay in tune, he said, is to read trade publications. Another way is to rely on feedback from theater managers and others.
"I talk to people daily and compare what he says to 'Managers know what their companies say."
Compaints from patrons, particularly in dark stone walls, are given sincere砧ark.
In the film business, he said, "Criticism belays you in the long run."
Small towns and big towns usually differ when it comes to choosing movies, Starkweather said. Tastes differ, and by comparing gross receipts he can see that a big box-office draw in the city does not do as well in smaller communities.
"Smokey and the Bandit" did better in small towns than 'Star Wars,' he said.
ALTHOUGH A COLLEGE town may not be a large metropolitan city, Starkweather said he did not apply the small-town standard to it.
a college town is similar to a large metropolitan town. Students are more sophisticated and more sophisticated.
"As a generalization, a message picture does better in metropolitan and college towns, while a sheer entertainment picture does better in small towns. I lump Smokey and the Bandit' and Snoop Dogg and the Butler', but you can make anything you want out of 'Star Wars.' "
Starkweather observed that even among college towns, different levels of
sophistication appeared, and he must be aware of the differences.
"LAWRENCE IS a more sophisticated town than Manhattan because most of the students there (in Lawrence) come from metropolitan areas."
Sometimes movies appear in Lawrence that really don’t belong, he said, because the movie is about a girl.
Most of the time, he said, a booker can only guess at the potential impact of a cover.
Some films, such as Walt Disney's movies, would appear to have little or no following among the college crowd, but Starkweather takes exception. He recalled coming to Lawrence to watch "The Rescuers," a Disney animated feature.
"The evening that I came over, there were at least 80 per cent college students in
"Fantasia" (an old Disney film) plays in metropolitan areas and college
AT THE THEATER opening, Stark-wearlistened to what people were saying about movies. He knows the title of nearly every movie that will be released between
Starkweather he said is always searching and is learning to get the best pictures for audiences.
As for his occupation of film-booking, Starkweather said it had its ups and downs, but he would not consider changing vocations.
"I've always compared it to horse-
trading," he said. "It's fun. It's frustrating.
"But when you do something right, it's rewarding."
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Students must shed fat or go
As part of its curriculum aimed at development of the "whole person," the university, founded by evangelist Oral Roberts, pressures students to trim off excess fat. Failure to do so could mean obesity, or possibly, suspension. Paul Bryant, chairman of the health, physical education and recreation department.
TULSA (AP) -At Oral Roberts University you shape up or ship out.
federal government seeking review of the university's policies
HURLEY BARRY, ACLU executive director in Oklahoma City, said: "We think its discriminating against inmates because of problems, disabilities and imperfections."
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a 75-page complaint with the
Upon entering the school, each student is given a complete physical examination, including a test to determine the amount of fat in the body. If an individual weighs 35 per cent of a female's weight or 25 per cent of a male's weight, the student is
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