Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

1208 .1/ 0 t i o n P i c t u r e X cm S twelve theatres seating 18.700, where one of the theatres will cost between $500,000 and a million and one over a million dollars. These figures make the average theatre represent ^398,000 with 1,560 seats and $255 cost per seat. An unusually heavy building program is reported for the Western States Division where $2,000,000 will be invested in ten theatres totaling in seating capacity 10,000. These theatres will be built on a conservative scale, the average house calling for an investment of $200,000 and 1,000 seats, making the average cost per seat $200. ANOTHER territory which in our recent reports has been distinctive through its absence of building activities and which now is taking rank with heavy building is the South Eastern States. Here five theatres will cost $820,000 and will have a total seating capacity of 5.000. One of these projects will cost one-half million dollars. These theatres show an average of $164,000 per house, seating 1,000 with an average cost per seat of $1114.00. Four small bouses will be built in the South Western States. $352,000 is reouired to. construct these houses which together wifi seat 3.745. The averages for these houses are low as they give $88,000 per house with S70 seats and cost per seat of $101. For the first time. in several months the West Coast reports a very light new theatre building program where $160,000 will be invested in three theatres seating 1.950. The averages for this group are $53,334 per house, seating 650. with an average cost per seat of $82. One theatre is reported for Canada which calls for an investment of $350,000 and 2,000 seats. No new theatres building projects are reported for NewEngland States. Among the states which lead in total investment required for new building. Ohio leads with 3 houses to cost $3,300,000 and seat 9,000. New York is second with three theatres requiring an invest ment of $2,730,000 and seating 7,200. Pennsylvania will build two theatres with a total cost of $2.200,000, showing a combined seating capacity of 52,200. Arizona takes individual honor in the largest number of theatres to be built as ten new houses wilL cost in the aggregate $2,000,000 and seat 10.000. Illinois reports two new projects totaling $750,000 and seating 4.000. The cost of remodelling the thirteen houses included in this report totals $565,000. This sum. while not particularly large, will, however, be devoted primarily for the purchase of equip ment and appointments. As far as the equipment manufacturer is concerned, theatres which are remodelled represent very nearly the same purchasing power as a new theatre. Therefore, the total number of new prospects for the sale of equipment in this report is the number of new theatres plus those being remodelled which total together 54. Tin heaviest remodelling will be done in the Western States and the West Coast while the Middle and North Atlantic and South Eastern territories report a light schedule. The sale of equipment generally throughout the industry continues on a brisk scab-. Undoubtedly the normal demand quipment is greatly stimulated through the remodelling schedule which is now under way. THEATRE attendance reached a new high peak during the August 15 to September 15 period at key city first-run theatres, thus making the Summer season of 1929 the greatest 1 in period in the annals of motion picture theatregoing. Ax shown on the map there are 19 cities with ratings ol 1 Average business for the period, with three at Weragi This sets a new record for general prosperity of theatres in the throughout the country. The thn "it which opinion agrees arc the funda i reasons for the record business first-run houses have done this season 1. ( ieneral prosperity of the country as a whole. 2. Increasing interest of the public in talking pictures. 3. The favorable reaction to cumulative exploitation the big theatres for the past few years have put behind their air conditioning and cooling plants. Good pictures, or at least pictures that have shown a steady progress on the part of the producers and the studio forces in handling synchronized sound, naturally proved an all-powerful influence in maintaining the early interest of the public in talkies, and succeeded in carrying the talkies forward from the "novelty" stage to a place of established reputation and appeal to the mass of amusement seekers. The one important business factor in the period under discussion was the Labor Dav holiday. However, a terrific heat wave blanketed the country on that day. and in most localities continued through almost to the end of the week of September 1. Nevertheless, theatre business held to its high level over that period, and the comment of observers all over the country was that artificial theatre cooling was a big factor in bringing about this condition. In isolated instances special exploitation campaigns were reflected in greatly increased business at the picture houses, but even in cities where nothing exceptional was done in the way of advertising, the attendance records held up to the general advance over the whole country. The Fox West Coast Greater .Movie Season this year was remarkably w-ell handled, and proved an important factor in building up receipts at the houses of that circuit. It was a case of an aggressive advertising policy verv competently handled, making good business much better. Here and there there were instances where especially strong counter-attractions developed to threaten the movies with reduced receipts, but even so the picture houses managed to show Above Average business for the period. Baltimore offers a case in point. In that city there was staged a special civic event — the Bi-Centennial Celebration, held during the week of September 9. It was an outdoor attraction and drew large crowds. Picture theatres, naturally, suffered, but a single week of slim returns was offset by three weeks of Above Average business and one week of Average box-office grosses. SOME remarkable records were hung up by pictures current at the first-runs during this period. The stand-out of the releases, of course, was "The Cock-Eyed World." which set up a four weeks' run to a gross of $654,046. From that running start the Fox sequel to "Glory" rushed into a lead which it held through engagements at Brooklyn. X. V.. St. Louis, Washington. D. C, Philadelphia, and other key towns around the country. As a result it holds the distinction' of being the biggest money picture to be brought to the public without benefit of special road show or pre-release handling. It is especially interesting to note that the two pictures which ran two and three to "The Cock-Eyed World" in this department's list of 10 leading firms for the period at first-run keycity houses are both silent offerings. These are "The Single Standard" and "Our Modern Maidens." Both, of course, are offered with synchronized scores and interpolated sound effects. But both are strictly silent as to story construction, production technic and acting. "Single Standard" played two weeks at the Capitol in New York, gave Loew's State in Boston a new high mark for a midsummer week, and after being within a few hundred dollars of the high gross for the Chicago, in Chicago. moved over to the < hriental for a second week in the Loop, and placed to exceptional business there "Bulldog Drummond" continued to bold a conspicuous place among the most important box-office offerings during the period. Other pictures that showed exceptional strength were: "Dr. I'll Mancbu." "The Argylc Case," "The Greene Murder Case," all in the melodramatic mysterj class which continues to. bold a wide appeal for the average picturegoer. Tin pictures which earned ratings among the ten most popular as shown by first-run Key city engagements during the period are as follows : 1. "The Cock-Eyed World." 6. "Sa\ It With Songs." 2. "The Single Standard." 7. "The Vrgle ( as< 3. "I >ur Modern Maidens." 8. "The Greene Murder 1 ase." 4. "Bulldog Drummond." 9. "Smiling Irish Eyes." s. "Dr. In Mancbu." to. "Paris Bound."