Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

66 Motion Picture N e iv s October 25, 1 930 Snow Halts Production Hollywood — "The Great Meadow" company, which planned to leave for Sonora the first of the week, will be delayed for some time due to a heavy snowfall there. John Mack Brown and Eleanor Boardman head the cast for M-G-M. Weather Socks Minneapolis B. O., 75% Is Top Mark Minneapolis — Minnesota weather staged a free-for-all during the week to give theatre managers a rich choice of alibis. The weatherman's show included everything in his bag of tricks from uncomfortable heat to the first hard freeze of the season, half a dozen light rains, at least one downpour with thunder and lightning, two swift flurries of snow and several bright, cool days. A sudden swing from hot to very cold gave trouble to some managers on account of frozen automobile radiators that put the family car out of business and kept the folks from sallying forth. As soon as this trouble was adjusted, However, bright cold weather brought them out in force to take up the slack and put the box-offices back on their feet. Motor touring, which at this season of the year cuts strongly into afternoon business if not into the ear'-* evening shows, became unpopular as soon as the mercury hit bottom. Outlying residents huddled over newly made furnace fires during the gloomy periods but anartment house dwellers sought refuge from the gloom in downtown theatres so that the general effect of the weather was a shifting of the audience from one group to another rather than any appreciable loss at the box-office. Minnesota's football game against Indiana did not cut heavily into the Saturday afternoon business because of the cold weather and the relative unimportance of the game. The radio broadcast of the game was probably a larger factor, many persons preferring to stay beside the hearthfires and listen to the game by radio. The arrival of Gladys George to become the new leading woman of the Shubert stock players gave that theatre a little more pulling power than usual in opposition to the films, but the percentages indicate that boxoffices held their own against sport, rival attractions and the weatherman's free show. "HER WEDDING NIGHT" (Para.) MINNESOTA— (4,035), 30e-40c-60c, 7 days, 7 shows dailv. Other attractions: Stage shows, news. Gross: $34,000. Rating: 75%. "HER MAN" (Pathe) RKO ORPHEDM — (3.900) 35c-50c-75c. 7 days, 3 shows dailv. Other attractions: Four acts of vaude. Gross: $15,950. Rating: 55%. "THE SEA GOD" (Para.) STATE— (2.300) 25c-35c.60c, 7 days, 6 shows daily. Other attractions: Comedy, novelties and news. Gross: $7,000. Rating: 70%. "RAFFLES" (U. A.) CENTURY— (1,640) 25c-35c-60c, 7 davs, 6 shows daily. Other attractions: News. Gross: $7,500. Rating: 75%. "LOVE IN THE ROUGH" (M-G-M) LYRIC— (1.238) 15c-25c.40c. 7 days. 7 shows daily. Other attractions: Comedy and news. Gross: $2,000. Rating: 70%. "STRICTLY MODERN" (F.N.) ASTER— (812), 15e-25c-30c. 7 days. 7 shows dailv. Other attractions: News. Gross: $1,500. Rating: 65%. "Big House" Big Smash Getting 30 Grand at Stillman Cleveland — Two outstanding first-runs and three fair runs is the local report for the week. "The Big House" went over big with an approximate weekly total of $30,000 and the State played to full benches with Helen Kane as the drawing card de luxe dividing honors with the picture, "Love in the Rough." The week-end weather was too beautiful to entice theatre patronage, and this hurt business both downtown and at the neighborhood houses. "The Big House" has received plenty of publicity due to the ban first placed on it by censors. Estimated takings: "THE BIG HOUSE" (M-G-M) STILLMAN— (1,900) 40c-75c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Bigger and Better" (M-G-M), "Swing, You Sinners" (Paramount Talkertoon), news. Gross: $30,000. Rating: 200%. "THOSE THREE FRENCH CIRLS" (M-G-M) ALLEN— (3.300) 30c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Haunted House" (Columbia cartoon). "Kiddie Revue" (M-G-M), "Franz Liszt" (Standard Film), news. Gross: $15,000. Rating: 83%. "LOVE IN THE ROUGH" (M-G-M) STATE— (3.400) 30c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Jungle Rythm" (Columbia Mickey Mouse cartoon), "Vacation Love" (Educational comedy), news. Helen Kane in person. Gross: $30,000. Rating: 100%. "THREE FACES EAST" (Warners) RKO PALACE— (3,600) 35c.75c, 7 days. Other attractions: Sportlight (Pathe), news, vaudeville, with Bernice Claire and Alexander Grey in person. Gross: $22,500. Rating: 90%. "HER MAN" (Pathe) RKO HIPPODROME— (4,500) 35c-75c. 7 days. Other attractions: "Love Your Neighbor" ((Educational comedy), news. Gross: $16,000. Rating: 80%. "Her Man" Hits High in Omaha With $17,600 Omaha — With a continuance of ideal fall weather, the Orpheum romped away from the other houses with a 110 per cent week playing "Her Man." Nothing big on the stage either. Incidentally, this house hasn't dropped below the par mark for many weeks. Total for the week was $17,600. At the Paramount, "The Spoilers" slipped to 90 per cent, despite a vigorous advance campaign, getting by with $7,650. Lacking drawing power, the World also dropped with "The Sea God." Picture did $10,450 on the house's combination policy, which is 95 per cent. At the State, "Love in the Rough," last four days, hit 110 per cent for $2,750. First half, "Czar of Broadway," flopped. $2,112 is only 85 per cent. Estimated takings : "HER MAN" (Pathe) ORPHEUM— (3,000) 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: Four acts vaudeville, shorts, news. Gross: $17,600. Rating: 110%. "THE SEA GOD" (Para.) WORLD— (2.500) 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: Five acts of vaudeville, band, shorts, news. Gross: $10,450. Rating: 95%. "THE SPOILERS" (Para.) PARAMOUNT— (2,900) 25c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Comedy, organ, news. Gross: $7,650. Rating: 90%. "CZAR OF BROADWAY" (Univ.) STATE— (1,200) 2Sc-40c. 3 days. Other attractions: Shorts, news. Gross: $2,112. Rating: 85%. "LOVE IN THE ROUGH" (M-G-M) STATE— (1.200) 25c-40c. 4 days. Other attractions: Shorts, news. Gross: $2,750. Rating: 110%. Scorching Berkley, W. Va. — When fire damaged the projection room of the Rex, Manager J. S. Crockett didn't have to look far for the cause. "Hot for Paris" was being run at the time. "Whoopee" Clicks $23,000 (125%) In Philadelphia Philadelphia — With one or two exceptions, grosses in Philly held to the same level they experienced the previous week. "Whoopee" clicked a splendid $23,000 for a second week, l hough it was moved out of the Boyd to make room for "Old English," whose playing date has been overdue in this territory. "Whoopee" was moved into the Karlton, where it started off big on Friday. Switching "Manslaughter" early in the week after fair business, Keith's pushed in "Anybody's Woman" on Wednesday, which clicked off a little better than $14,000 for four days. With five days of "A Lady Surrenders," on a second run, the Karlton grossed $6,200, a good figure. Otherwise, the grosses were just fair. For the second straight week the Mastbaum dropped to $35,000, or 55,000 under normal for "Madam Satan." The Fox scraped a little under with $26,000 with "Heads Up" while the Stanley grossed $17,000, a poor first week for "Good News." Settlement of the strike will bring stage shows back to Philadelphia on Friday, with the Roxy chorus on the stage at the Fox and the Duncan sisters at the Mastbaum. The Mastbaum this week is offering Moran and Mack in person, without an orchestra. Estimated takings : "MADAM SATAN" (M-G-M) MASTBAUM— (4,800) 35c-50c-7Sc. 6 days. Other attractions: "October Horoscope" (FilzPatrick), "Midnight in a Toyshop" (Silly Symphony), news. Gross: $35,000. Rating: 80%. "HEADS UP" (Para.) FOX— (3,000) 35c-50c-75c. 6 days. Other attractions: "Strange As It Seems" (Universal), Station S-T-A-R, "Foul Ball" (Universal comedy), "Jewels of Asia (FitzPatrick), news. Gross: $26,000. Rating: 95%. "ANYBODY'S WOMAN" (Para.) KEITH'S— (1,800) 35c-50c-75c, 4 days. Other attractions: "Accidents Will Happen" (Para, short), Ethel Merman in songs (Para, musical), news. Gross: $14,000. Rating: 130%. "Manslaughter" did $4,000 for two days, for a 75% rating. "WHOOPEE" (U.A.) BOYD-(3,4O0) 35c-50c-75c, 6 Bays. Other attractions: Ripley's "Believe It or Not," "October Horoscope" (FitzPatrick), news. Gross: $23,000. Rating: 125%. "LINCOLN" (U.A.) ALDINE— (1,500) 50c-$1.50, 6 days. Other attractions: "Zampa" (U. A. musical short) "Terry-toon cartoon, news. Gross: $12,000. Rating: 80%. "WAY OF ALL MEN" (F. N.) EARLE— (2.000) 25c-65c, 6 days. Other attractions: "Stepping Out" (Vitaphone), "College Capers" (Vitaphone). "His Week End" (Educational comedy). Cross: $18,000. Rating: 1QT)%, "GOOD NEWS" (M-G-M) STANLEY-(3,700) 35c-50c-7Sc, 6 days. Other attractions: Vitaphone variety, news. Gross: $17,000. Rating: 95%. "A LADY SURRENDERS" (Univ.) KARLTON— (1,000) 40c5Oc, 5 days. Other attractions: Educational comedy, Vitaphone variety, news. Gross: $6,200. Rating: 150%. "LET'S GO NATIVE" (Para.) ARCADIA— (600) 50c, 6 days. Other attractions: Pathe comedy, Pathe cartoon, news. Gross: $4 500 Rating: 90%. "SCARLET PAGES" (F.N.) STANTON-0,700) 25c-6Sc. 6 days. Other attractions: Vitaphone variety, news. Gross: $11,000 Rating: 110%.