Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

.Ihursday, January II, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 'Dinner" Hits $17,500, Big In Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Jan. 10. — With all iiouses running New Year's eve shows ind running well over capacity everywhere, business last week was up lmost 50 per cent above average, .•ending 1934 off to a flying start. "Dinner at Eight" did $17,500 at the 'enn. Last October it played twice laily at the Nixon for three weeks t $1.65 top, the longest road show un for a picture here since "All luiet on the Western Front." At the Stanley, "Design for Living" attracted i lot of class trade as a result of the \"oel Coward name and did very well it $13,750. Although "Hoopla" at the Fulton clayed only five days and "Girl Without a Room" four days, both houses 'lid more than the average six-day business, the Fulton gathering around ^6,200 and the Davis about $2,600. The Warner had "Convention City" md profited additionally by the presence in the cast of Dick Powell, who . s quite a local favorite, doing $8,000, 'while the Pitt, with "Rainbow Over Broadway" and vaudeville, was also Considerably up at $5,650. Total grosses in six first runs were $53,700. Average is $37,000. ' Estimated takings for the week endng Jan. 6 : "GIRL WITHOUT A ROOM" (Para.) DAVIS — (1,700), 25c-35c. 4 davs. Gross: -52,600. (Average, for 6 days, $2,500) "HOOPLA" (Fox) FULTON— (1,750), 15c-3Sc, 5 davs. Gross: 96,200. (Average, for 6 days. $4,000) "DINNER AT EIGHT" (M-G-M) PEXN— (3,300), 25c-50c, 6 days. Gross: •f 17.500. (Average, $12,000) "RAINBOW OVER BROADWAY" (Chesterfield) ' PITT— (1.600), 15c-40c, 6 days. Stage: Harts Farm Fables, Delivery Boys, Texas Rangers, Bernard and Kaye, Jack and Betty Willing revue, Fred Lightner and Roscella and Robert J. Pauline. Gross: 55.650. (Average, $4,500) "DESIGN FOR LIVING" (Para.) STANLEY— (3,600), 25c-50c, 6 days. Uross: $13,750. (Average, $9,000) "CONVENTION CITY" (Warners) WARNER— (2.000). 25c-50c, 6 davs. Gross: 18,000. (Average, $5,000) , "Dinner" St. Louis Hit St. Louis, Jan. 10. — After cracking jail box-office records at Loew's State ■during the past three years, "Dinner At Eight" has entered a second week. The holdover postponed "Roman Scandals." originally set for the week of Jan. 5. Loretta Young's Next Hollywood, Jan. 10. — Loretta Young will appear opposite Ronald jColman in "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back," and later in "The Firebrand," co-starring Constance Bennett and Fredric March. Release of both films will be through United Artists. Karty Gets St. Louis Job St. Louis, Jan. 10. — Julius L. Karty, manager of the Shubert-Rialto, has been appointed assistant manager of . the new Municipal Auditorium under ! James E. Darst. The appointment has been approved by Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann. Looking 'Em Over "Cross Country Cruise" ( Universal) Eddie Buzzell, director of this bus story, has shrewdly combined travel lure, romantic interest, touches of comedy, and a smashing action finish in spite of the fact that most of the story developments take place within the narrow confines of a bus. The scenery is worked into the stopovers and includes New York shots, Niagara Falls, prairies, Salt Lake City, mountains, desert and what seems to be a New Mexican village. Lew Ayres pursues June Knight into a bus terminal after she has spilled a suitcase full of feminine wearables from the top of a Fifth Avenue bus into his car. He is already on his way to a northwestern lumber camp practically in charge of Arthur Vinton, his father's agent, who is intent upon reforming him. Also on the bus are Alan Dinehart and his wife, Minna Gombell. Dinehart is also pursuing Miss Knight and trying to find some way of getting rid of his wiie. He finds it in a Denver department store when he shoots her with an arrow in a sporting goods department. Officers of the law catch up with the bus by plane in Nevada, and the big scene comes when Dinehart seizes the bus at the point of a gun. The plane lands in the road ahead of it, and in the smashup which follows the bus tips off into a lake. Eugene Pallette, a talkative guy who describes the scenery, and Robert McWade, a grouch, supply most of the comedy. It is a well knit, smoothly running story, with both young and old appeal, and ought to have some fine exploitation possibilities with Greyhound bus lines. The Fighting Code' (Columbia) "The Fighting Code" will please western fans to a "t." Buck Jones puts this one over with a bang. He is commissioned to find the long lost son of a ranchman. When he turns up at the ranch after the ranchman's death, the daughter believes he is her brother. Rather than break her heart by disillusioning her, he keeps up the pretense until just before the end. The people of the community believe the ranchman has fleeced them of their money. Jones sets to clear the dead man's name by rounding up a gang that he believes killed the girl's father in order to steal the money which the people had intrusted to him. There is a fight that is a corker and plenty of action. Diane Sinclair is fine as the girl. Others in the cast are Alf James, Erville Alderson, Niles Welch, Ward Bond and Louis Natheaux. Direction is by Lambert Hillyer. "Man of Two Worlds," this morning's opener at Radio City Music Hall, was reviewed by wire from Hollywood on Dec. 27. "Sons of the Desert," last night's preview at the Rialto, zvas reviewed by wire from Hollywood on Dec. 12. MOTION PICTURE DAILY* HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "Long Lost Father" (Radio) Hollywood, Jan. 10. — G. B. Stern's novel has been translated to the screen as a fairly entertaining melodrama. It lacks a definite punch to put it into the outstanding class, notwithstanding that John Barrymore, Helen Chandler and Donald Cook are in the top roles. Also in the cast are Alan Mowbray, Claude King, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Natalie Moorehead, Doris Lloyd, Phyliss Barry and Charles Irwin. Ernest Schoedsack directed. After deserting his daughter at childhood, Barrymore meets her again when he is called to witness the reading of his sister's will. He is a host in a ritzy restaurant and she has made a name for herself behind the footlights. Miss Chandler has no use for her dad because of his past and his attempts to make up are ignored. Later Miss Chandler is hired by Mowbray, owner of the eatery, as entertainer and, during her employment, continues to eschew her pater. She is content with her lover, Cook, but as time goes on, Miss Chandler goes ritzy too. At a treasure hunt party the heroine is accused of steal (Continued on paqe 8) Women" Big Philadelphia Hit, $30,000 Philadelphia, Jan. 10. — Tremendous New Year's eve and New Year's day business shoved all grosses up. Outstanding was "Little Women," which grabbed $30,000 on the week at the Boyd. Right behind was "I Am Suzanne" at the Fox, which took $28,500, enough to hold it over for a second week. With this second week, the Fox drops its box-office scale from a 75 cents top to 65 cents. "Girl Without a Room" and Ted Lewis brought $26,000 to the Earle, and "Dancing Lady" gave the Stanley its best week in a long time with $22,000. "Lady Killer" went above the Stanton's average and "Duck Soup" was good for top notch second run business at the Arcadia. Total receipts were $146,500. Average is $79,500. Estimated takings for the week ending Jan. 4: "ROMAN SCANDALS" (U. A.) ALDINE^-(UOO), 40c-55c-65c, 6 days, 2nd week. Gross: $14,500. (Average, $7,000) "DUCK SOUP" (Para.) (2nd Run) ARCADIA— (600), 25c-40c-50c. 7 days. Gross: $6,500. (Average, 6 days, $2,400) "LITTLE WOMEN" (Radio) BOYD— (2,400), 40c-55c-65c, 6 days. Gross: $30,000. (Average, $12,000) "THE GIRL WITHOUT A ROOM" (Earle) EARLE— (2.000), 40c-55c-65c, 6 days. Stage: Ted Lewis and his Revue. Gross: $26,000. (Average, $12,000) "I AM SUZANNE" (Fox) FOX— (3,000), 35c-55c-75c, 6 days. Stage: Ritz Brothers, Jeanie Lang, Walter Dah Wahl, Rhythm Rascals. Gross: $28,500. (Average, $16,000) "SHOULD LADIES BEHAVE" (M-G-M) KARLTON— (1,000), 30c-40c-50c, 6 days. Gross: $3,500. (Average, $3,500) "AS HUSBANDS GO" (Fox) (2nd Run) KEITH'S— (2,000). 25c-35c-40c, 6 davs. Vaudeville. Gross: $7,000. (Average, $7,000) "DANCING LADY" (M-G-M) STANLEY— (3.700), 40c-55c-65c, 6 davs. Gross: $22,000. (Average, $12,000) "LADY KILLER" (Warners) STANTON— (1.700), 30c-40c-55c, 6 rfav. Gross: $8,500. (Average, $7,000) Sally Eilers Rejoins Fox Hollywood, Jan. 10.— Sally Eilers returns to Fox for the leading feminine role in "Three On A Honeymoon," following a long absence from the studio due to disagreements over stories. The actress goes into "Manhattan Love Song," following completion of the former vehicle. Radio Signs Billie Burke Hollywood, Jan. 10.— Negotiations have been completed for Billie Burke to do one of the featured roles in Radio's "Finishing School." Ginger Rogers and Frances Dee have already been assigned to the cast. Wanda Tuchoch and George Nichols will codirect as their first assignment under new directorial contracts. M-G-M Buys Dunne Tale Hollywood, Jan. 10. — M-G-M has purchased Philip Dunne's original, "West Point of the Air," for early production. Monta Bell will produce. No director or cast has yet been set.