Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

"A rating. Positively swell! Don't let anything keep you away," is Modern Screen Magazine's advice about CLARK GABLE and CLAUDETTE COLBERT in Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night." A million dollar scoop! The screen's foremost actor, JOHN BARRYMORE in Broadway's greatest comedy sensation, "20th Century," with Carole Lombard. Based on the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. A Howard Hawks production. riday, February 16, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY iarbo Pulls Big $21,000, Philadelphia Philadelphia, Feb. 15. — That the arbo draw still exists in Philly was •oven last week by the $21,000 drawn ' "Queen Christina" at the Stanley the face of the winter's bitterest eather. All the theatres took a lellacking in the last two days with ib-zero weather predominating. Also topnotch for the week was the 17,000 got by "Easy to Love" and uke Ellington on the stage at the arle. The Arcadia, second run house, held /er "Dancing Lady" in lieu of an:her likely prospect and grabbed off 2.200 for the second week. The cture stayed 13 days in all. Total first run business $78,700. verage is $69,700. Estimated takings for the week endg February 8: "GALLANT LADY" (U. A.) ALD1NE — (1.300), 40c-55c-65c, 4 days, 3rd :ek. Gross: $3,800. (Average, 6 days, COO.) "DANCING LADY" (M-G-M) ARCADIA— (600). 2Sc-40c,50c, 6 days. 2nd :ek (2nd ru»). Gross: $2,200. (Average, 400.) "DINNER AT EIGHT" (M-G-M) BOYD— (2,400). 40c-55c-65c, 2 days. 2nd -ek (2nd run). Gross: $3,000. (Average, days, $12,000.) "EASY TO LOVE" (Warners) EARLE— (Z.000), 40c-5Sc-65c 6 days, age: Duke Ellington and his Band and vue. Gross: $17,000. (Average, $12,000.) "CAROLINA" (Fox) FOX— (3.000), 30c-40c-65c, 6 days, 2nd :ek. Stage: "Down South" prologue. t>ss: $14,000. (Average, $16,000.) "SONS OF THE DESERT" (M-G-M) KARLTON— (1,000), 30c-40c-50c, 6 days. t>ss: $3,700. (Average. $3,500.) RAINBOW OVER BROADWAY" (Chesterfield) EITH'S— (2,000), 25c-35c-40c, 6 days, ge show. Gross: $6,500. (Average, $7,000.) "QUEEN CHRISTINA" (M-G-M) TANLEY— (3,700), 40c-55c-65c, 6 days, oss: $21,000. (Average, $12,000.) "FUGITIVE LOVERS" (M-G-M) TANTON— (1,700). 30c-40c-55c. 6 days, oss: $7,500. (Average, $7,000.) Carolina," Show, Buffalo, $22,000 Iuffalo, Feb. IS. — The coldest •ather in 14 years, with the official :rcury reading at eight below zero, d its effect on most houses. At the iffalo, however, "Carolina" and iriam Hopkins in person brought in 2.000, or $7,000 above normal. Total take was $51,100. Normal is ",500. Estimated takings for the week endFeb. 9 : "CAROLINA" (Fox) IUFFALO — (3,500), 30c-55c. 7 days, -ge: Miriam Hopkins, Walter Abel and stin Fairman in "The Affairs of Anatol"; ! & Pete Michon, Chaney & Fox, Jack jor. Gross: $22,000. (Average, $15,000.) "THE CHIEF" (M-G-M) "WHITE WOMAN" (Para.) "ENTURY— (3,000), 25c, 7 days. Gross: •00. (Average, $6,000. "MR. STITCH" (Fox) iREAT LAKES— (3,000). 25c-40c, 7 days ded attraction: "Devil Tiger" (Fox) Jss: $8,000. (Average, $10,000.) "FEMALE" (F. N.) IIPPODROME— (2,100), 25c-40c. 7 days, ige: Wat on Sisters; Rimacs Havana chestra; Pepito; Three Melvin Bros., irhe Mel son & Miss Irmanette; Howe ™rd & AJyce. Gross: $9,200. (Average "BOMBAY MAIL" (Univ.) "HORSE PLAY" (Univ.) AFAYETTE— (3,300), 25c, 7 days. Gross: w. (Average, $6,500.) Cincinnati Cincinnati, Feb. 15. — Club rooms now are in the super de luxe class, having been completely redecorated and refurnished. The club is the talk of the pretentious Netherland Plaza. Harry Frankel ("Singin' Sam" of the ether lanes) regaled the barkers at this week's luncheon. Frankel is appearing at the RKO Palace under direction of Ike Libson, who, incidentally, gave him his first job singing at a nickelodeon here many years ago. Freddie Miller, lightweight boxing champ, gave the members a little talk on the squared circle at the luncheon last week. Harry Silver, non-resident member of Hamilton, is out of the hospital in his home town, although not yet running any foot races. He spent several days under care of doctors and nurses after returning from Detroit, where he underwent a major operation. E. V. Dinerman ("Dinny" to you), RKO publicity chief, received an engraved wrist watch from Eddie Cantor for outstanding exploitation on "Roman Scandals." He also has a phonograph record from Mae West, entitled "My Cincinnati Man," sent him for some reason or other. "Dinny" has forsaken his abode in the Sinton-St. Nicholas in favor of a bachelor apartment in a fashionable residential district. Noah (Empress) Schecter is on an eight weeks' jaunt through the sunny south, while the local thermometer is pegged at sub-zero points. Joe Goetz, divisional booker RKO, an apartment dweller for these many moons, hereafter will be billeted in a suburban residence. Joe claims the apartment so small he had to go out in the corridor to change his mind. Also, the baby daughter must have room for expansion. Paul Krieger, Universal, attended the district meeting in Chicago. Allen Moritz there also for Columbia regional conference. John Schwalm, of Hamilton and so in the non-resident division, spending considerable time in Columbus on exhibitor matters. H. J. ("Pop") Wessell rates as the Beau Brummell of the local club. There is suspicion in some quarters that he might have been an original model for the clothing and collar ads. Cleveland Cleveland, Feb. 15. — The men behind the latest of the Variety Clubs are : J. E. Fontaine. Paramount ; Frank Drew, M-G-M ; Izzie Schmertz, Fox; George Roberts, Fox ; M. B. Horwitz, independent exhibitor ; E. C. Flanagan, independent ; H. M. Addison, Loew's ; Nat Holt, RKO; Nat Wolf, Warners; Harry Howlett, radio station WHK and Fred W. Meir, Cleveland News. Quarters will be in the Statler. Active membership, for the present, will be limited to 85, although the large number of applications received since the club was formed might force the directors to raise the quota. To date 61 applications have been formally passed upon and accepted. More than a score of others are waiting action of the membership committee. The first full membership meeting was held in the club rooms Monday. Members were addressed by John Harris, who told them the purpose of the Variety Club and its functions. Another guest of the first meeting was Duke Clark, president of the Variety Club of Columbus, whose remarks were confined principally to his experiences and the work being done by the Columbus unit. Three_ early applications for membership in Cleveland were from Har LAND HOLMDEN, MaNUS McCAFFERY and Otto Kapl. They are heads of the operators', stage hands' and mussicians' unions, respectively. Barker Nat Holt spent most of Friday afternoon walking from the Palace to a trustee meeting being held in the Statler. The reason was that fan dancer. Faith Bacon, was appearing at his theatre, and Nat wanted to make sure she wore enough clothes to keep the "blue noses" satisfied. So many of the Cleveland gang have signified their intentions of attending the Variety Club of Detroit's dinner dance on Feb. 24 that Barker Drew is making arrangements for a private car. Among those planning on attending are Frank Drew, Eddie Fontaine, Fred Meir, Izzie Schmertz, Johnny Hemmelein, Perc Essick, Abe Kraemer, Eddie Brower, George Roberts and Nat Wolf. Probably three of the busiest men in Cleveland the past week have been Barkers Addison, Drew and Meier. This trio was appointed the house planning committee of the club and their principal duty was to see that club rooms were in shape to receive the more than 60 new members who gathered less than a week after the club was formed. The first associate members accepted in the club were Judge Joseph Ackerman, Sheriff John M. Sulzmann and Howard Dugan. Ackerman was formerly a state senator and during his long political career has always been a staunch friend of theatrical folk. Sulzmann, Cuyahoga county's white-haired sheriff, is another who has always gone out of his way to champion the cause of show business. Dugan, manager of the_ Statler Hotel, rendered invaluable assistance in having the rooms in readiness for the first meeting. Barker "Addie" Addison almost leaped across the table when one of his brother barkers suggested that the club charge storage for the baby grand piano he is lending the club. None of the Loew houses at present is playing vaudeville or has orchestras.