Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1938)

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Tuesday, December 20, 1938 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 'Heart' Grabs Good $33,000 In Loop Lull Chicago, Dec. 19. — "The Young in Heart" got off to a fast start at the Chicago with $33,000 and was held over. }Vhh the Christmas rush at full b!> business in the Loop fell off wifn only the matinees pulling. "Cowboy And The Lady" did well on a second week at the U.A. and "Angels With Dirty Faces" was good in a third week at the Apollo. Estimated takings for the week ending Dec. 13-17: "Angels with Dirty Faces" (W. B.) APOLLO— (1,400) (35c -55c -65c) 7 days. Gross: $6,300. (Average, $6,500) "Young in Heart" (U. A.) CHICAGO— (4,000) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Stage: Vaudeville Revue. Gross: $33,000. (Average. $32,000) "Comet Over Broadway" (W. B.) GAR RICK — (900) (30c-40c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $4,500. (Average. $6,500) "Breaking the Ice" (RKO) ORIENTAL— (3,400) (25c-30c-40c) 7 days. Stage: Verne Buck and Revue. Gross: $14,200. (Average, $13,000) "The Storm" (Univ.) PALACE— (2,500) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Stage: Frank Jenks and Revue. Gross: $16,600. (Average, $19,000) "Stablemates" (M-G-M) ROOSEVELT— (1,300) (35c -55c -75c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $8,900. (Average, $11,000) "Cowboy and the Lady" (U. A.) UNITED ARTISTS— (1.700) (35c-55c-75c> 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $14,200. (Average, $15,000) New Haven Slips But "Patrol" Hits $7,300 New Haven, Dec. 19. — "Submarine Patrol" was the only feature to keep above water. In a dual with "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" at the Paramount, it took $7,300. "Up the River" and "Little Adventuress" took $2,300 at the College. At the Loew-Poli, "Just Around the Corner" and "Drums" took $7,000. Estimated takings for the week endin" Dec. 16 : "Up the River" (20th-Fox) "Little Adventuress" (Col.) COLLEGE— (1,499) (25c-35c) Gross: $2,300. (Average, $2,500) "Just Around the Corner" (20th-Fox) "Drums" (U. A.) LOEW-POLI— (3,040) (35c-50c) 7 Gross: $7,000. (Average, $8,000) "Submarine Patrol" (ZOth-Fox) "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" (Para.) PARAMOUNT — (2,348) (35c-50c) 8 davs. Gross: $7,300. (Average, $4,400) "Brother Rat" (W. B.) "Torchy Gets Her Man" (W. B.) and "Angels with Dirty Faces" (W. B.) "Road to Reno" (Univ.) ROGER SHERMAN— (2,200) (35c-50c) (3day and 4-day re-engagement). Gross: $3,900. (Average, $4,700) days. days 31% of Britishers Are Weekly Cinema Goers London, Dec. 19. — About 31 per cent of the British population are habitual weekly cinema goers, a survey by the London News Chronicle shows. About 13 per cent go twice a week ; three per cent three times and two per cent four times or more. About 12 out of every 100 Britishers never go to the cinema. They are mostly elderly folk. The ratio rises from four per cent from the age of 21 to 25 per cent at the age of 50 and over. Hollywood Previews "Comet Over Broadway" (Warners) Hollywood, Dec. 19. — In "Comet Over Broadway," one of her pictures for Warners, Kay Francis turns in one of her best performances. She has a good story and she takes advantage of every opportunity. The cast supporting her, particularly Ian Hunter, John Litel, Donald Crisp, Mina Gombell, Sybil Jason, Melville Cooper, Ian Keith and Leona Maricle, are excellent. Based on a Faith Baldwin Cosmopolitan Magazine story, with screei. play by Mark Hellinger and Robert Buckner, the appeal of "Comet Ovei Broadway" is to women. The work of the cast together with that of director Busby Berkeley is pointed to accentuate that interest. A stage struck country girl, Miss Francis becomes involved in a situation that results in her husband, Litel, being sentenced to jail for life for murder. Realizing her responsibility, Miss Francis dedicates her life to freeing Litel. She goes on the stage and in her burlesque and vaudeville career makes a fast friendship with old trouper Miss Gombell. Professional jealousy on the part of actress Miss Maricle causes her to lose a Broadway chance and apparently costs the friendship of producer Hunter. However, as Miss Gombell becomes guardian to her child, Miss Jason, Miss Francis becomes a star of the London stage. Seen there by Hunter, he invites her back to New York to star in his show. His second objective is romance. At the hour of American triumph comes word that Litel is to be paroled. Sacrificing her chance for fame, she returns to her country home as his wife and mother of their child. Running time, 65 minutes. "G."* G. McC. "Gambling Ship" (Universal) Hollywood, Dec. 19. — This is another of those swift, practical little pictures, more effective than fancy, that have been coming from Universal since Nate Blumberg and his box-office trained associates took over. Cast without thunderous names, it tells a compact story concisely and realistically, makes 60 minutes seem a short hour. Robert Wilcox and Helen Mack are the youthful romantics caught up in an underworldly series of goings-on which include a murder, an abduction and, finally, the capture of the arch gangster, played proficiently by Irving Pichell, through use of a film camera. In the dialogue, incidentally, and belonging there, is a speech which goes, "Remember — motion pictures are your best entertainment." The story by G. Carleton Brown and Emanuel Manheim and screenplay by Alex Gottlieb is a smooth tale about a crook who covets an honestly operated gambling ship, the girl who owns it, the officer who masquerades as a criminal to get the goods on the crook, the means whereby he does so and what follows. Ed Brophy and Joseph Sawyer play a pair of slug-uglies potently. Irving Starr produced and Aubrey Scotto directed. Running time, 60 minutes. "G."* Roscoe Williams. "There's That Woman Again" (Columbia) Hollywood, Dec. 19. — Showmen can call this a comedy, a melodrama, a detective mystery or all three, and count on the picture backing them up. They can say that Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce are as flippantly fascinating as any other Mr. and Mrs. Detective the screen has seen and depend on their performances to make good this promise. The film is tiptop as to production, topnotch as to direction and aces as to story. It had a Hollywood preview au,dience guffawing. It took five writers to piece out the plot and there is credit enough to go around. Philip G. Epstein, James Edward Grant and Ken Englund wrote the screenplay from a story by Gladys Lehman, who got it from an original by Wilson Collison. Associate producer B. B Kahane and director Alexander Hall gave it depth, dressing, freshness, momentum, coherence, gloss, point and — in short — just about everything a modern comedy-melodrama requires to make the paying guests glad they paid. The place is New York, the time now, and the detective has been employed to put an end to a series of robberies occurring in a iewelry store at Fifth Ave. and 50th St. His wife helps, against his will, Tom Dugan, his assistant, doesn't, and there are two murders before it turns out that the lady who owns the place is responsible for all the deviltry. Margaret Lindsay plays this highly criminal person cleverly. Running time, 70 minutes. "G."* Roscoe Williams 'G" denotes general classification. 'Hour' and 'Carol' Dual Hits $10,000 As Milwaukee High Milwaukee, Dec. 19. — Best bets in a slow week were "The Shining Hour" and "A Christmas Carol," grossing $10,000 at Fox's Wisconsin. "The Citadel" and "Sons of the Legion" grossed $6,000 at the Palace, while "The Young in Heart" and "Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus" were good for $5,400 at the Warner. Estimated takings for the week ending Dec. 14-16: "The Young in Heart" (U. A.) "Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus" (RKO) WARNER— (2,400) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $5,400. (Average, $5,000) "The Lady Vanishes" (G. B.) LITTLE THEATRE— (1,098) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $2,000. "The Citadel" (M-G-M) "Sons of the Legion" (Para.) PALACE— (2,400) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $6,000. (Average, $5,000) "The Little Adventuress" (Col.) RIVERSIDE— (2,300) (35c-50c) 7 days. Stage: Romo Vincent. Gross: $4,500. (Average, $5,000) "Out West With the Hardys" (M-G-M) "Listen, Darling" (M-G-M) STRAND— (1,400) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $4,200. (Average, $4,500) "The Shining Hour" (M-G-M) "A Christmas Carol" (M-G-M) WISCONSIN— (3.200) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $10,000. (Average, $8,000) None Cracks Par in Slow Montreal Week Montreal, Dec. 19. — "Too Hot to Handle" was fair at $8,000 in a poor week. No house bettered par. "Just Around the Corner," figuring on a double bill at the Princess, accounted for $5,500. "Brother Rat," on a dual brought $6,500 to the Capitol and the second week of "The Cowboy and the Lady" recorded $3,000 at the Orpheum. Snowy weather helped the shopping but not the theatres. Estimated takings for the week ending Dec. 17: "Brother Rat" (W. B.) "Torchy Gets Her Man" (W. B.) CAPITOL — (2,547) (25c-40c-5Sc-65c) 7 days. Gross: $6,500. (Average, $9,500) "The Road to Reno" (Univ.) LOEW'S-(2,800) (25c-4Oc-50c) 7 days. Stage: 7 vaudeville acts. Gross: $6,000 (Average, $8,000) "The Cowboy and the Lady" (U. A.) ORPHEUM— (919) (25c-35c-50c) 7 days. 2nd week. Gross: $3,000. (Average, $5,000) "Too Hot to Handle" (M-G-M) PALACE— (2,600) (25c-40c-55c-65c) 7 days. Gross: $8,000. (Average, $11,000) "Just Around the Corner" (20th-Fox) "Big Town Girls" (20th-Fox) PRINCESS-(2.272) (25c-35c-50c-65c) 7 days. Gross: $5,500. (Average, $7,000) 'Algiers; 'Kildare' Draw $9,100, Omaha Omaha, Dec. 19.— Pre-Christmas slump hit theatre grosses with "Algiers," dualled with "Young Dr. Kildare," getting a good $9,100 at the Orpheum. "Sisters" and "Always in Trouble" grossed $7,200 at the Omaha while the Brandeis took $3,900 for "Girls School" and "Comet Over Broadway." Estimated takings for the week ending Dec. 14-15: "Girls School" (Col.) "Comet Over Broadway" (W.B ) BRANDEIS-(1.200) (25c-35c-40c) 7 days Gross: $3,900. (Average, $4,000) "The Sisters" (W. B.) "Always in Trouble" (20th-Fox) OMAHA-(2,200) (25c-40c) 7 days. Gross$7,200. (Average, $5,500) "Algiers" (U. A.) "Young Dr. Kildare" (M-G-M) ORPHEUM— (3.00O) (25c-40c) 7 days Gross: $9,100. (Average, $7,200)