Show Business: The Promoter: Frank Yablans

Two years ago, Paramount President Frank Yablans was vacationing in a remote part of Corsica, but as usual he could not resist checking out the local moviehouse. He was pleased to see that Love Story was playing but appalled to learn that admission was a mere three francs. On the spot he forced the astonished house manager to up the price to four.

It is a good story, but any Yablans story can be topped by another one. For instance, on Christmas Day 1972, he tongue-lashed the owner of the Washington, D.C., theater where The Godfather was playing just after the poor...