Variety (December 1954)

Wednesday, December 1’, 1954 < * 1 if ' Philadelphia, Nov. 30. . With four openings last week and all live theatres lighted, the city welcomed the Army-Navy ancl Penn - Cornell football weekend crowds with a full complement of legit fare. Tryouts included “Silk Stockings,” “House of Flowers” and “Lunatic's and Lovers.” Other two offerings were the holdover “South Pacific” and the U. of P. Mask & Wig Club’s “Tempest in a Teapot.” . Estimates for Last Week South Pacific, Forrest, (MD) (9th wk) ($4,80; 1,760) (Iva Withers, Alan Gerrard). Rodgers and Hammerstein tuner slid to $23,700; continues through Jan. 1. Tempest in a Teapot, Locust (M) (1st wk) ($4.20; 1,580). Mask & Wig Club of the U. of Pennsyl- vania’s annual musical cavort drew $25,000. . House of Flowers, Erlanger (M) (1st wk) ($5.40; $1,880). Truman Capote-Harold Arlen musical off to good Start thanks to strong bally-, hoo theatre’s location hurts, how- ; ever; fine $29,000 for first six per- formances; good reviews. Silk Stockings, Shubert (MD) (Opened Friday) ($6;. 1,870) (Don Ameche, Hildegarde. Neff). Magic of cast and production, names sold out this tryout even before, the opening; smash $21,800 for first three performances; fine reviews. Lunatics and Lovers, Walnut, (C) (1st wk) ($4.20; 1,340) (Dennis King). Sidney. Kingsley farce re- ceived mixed press, but. Theatre Guild subscription and word of imouth helped; moderate, $14,000, Washington, Nov. 30. Although Walloped by the town's reviewers, “Portrait of a Lady” drew a nice $22,800 at the National Theatre last week, for the initial half of its two-week engagement, with the opening last Tuesday night (30) instead of Monday. Busi- ness is credited to the strong draw of film star Jennifer Jones and the Theatre, Guild subscription. Slim $7,600 was all the business done last Week by the new Clifford Odets play, “Flowering Peach” at the Shubert Theatre, although it had the better press of the two Broadway-bound plays, “Peach” also continues for a second week. BELLAMY OKAY $20,500, ‘MOON’ 146, DETROIT Detroit, Nov, 30. “Oh Men, Oh Women,” starring Ralph Bellamy, grossed $20,500 in the final week of a forthight’s stay at the 1,482-seat Cass. Top was $3.85. Current is “Seven Year Itch” at a $3.85 top. “Moon Is Blue” ended a two- week run at the 2,050-seat Shubert with a weak $14,000. Twofer top. was $3.85. Current is Deborah Kerr In “Tea and. Sympathy” in for a fortnight at $4.40 top. 'Ginger’ Modest $13,000, Eva $12,000 in Foggy L.A. - Los Angeles, Nov. 30.* Four ights of severe fog cut sharply into local business last week as vehicular traffic was re- duced to a minimum, Biltmore Theatre, located downtown Where visibility averaged about two feet, was hardest hit. . Estimates for Last Week Sailor’s Delight, Huntington Hart- ford (C).(1st wk) ($3.85; 1,036) (Eva Gabor). So-so $12,000; about break- even, but belOw hopes.. Time Out for Ginger, BiltmOre (C); (1st wk) ($3:85; 1,636) (Melvyn Douglas). Fog eliminated window sale, but Theatre Guild, subscrip- tions gave it a mild. $13,000. Re- views were favorable. W in 2m Split Columbus, Nov. 30. “Oklahoma” On its seventh time around and during the holiday weekend; racked up fair $12,800: at tbe. Hartman here in four perform- ances last Thursday-Saiurday (25- 27) at $3.45 top,. Four other per- formances for the musical split be- tween Jamestown and Akron, brought the total take for the week to almost $23,500. “letting Gertie's Garter” is cur-, rc.u at the Hartman this week on twofers. ■ 4* For Portland-Seatde Portland, 'Nov. 30. Helen Hayes in “What Every Woman KnoWs’’ grabbed a sizzling $ 29,000 In three bights arid one matinee at the Civic Auditorium here last Tuesday-Thursday (23- 25). Tne 3,400-seat house Was scaled at $4.80. Revival added another hot $14,- 000 in three performances last Fri- day-Saturday (26-27) at the 1,500- seat Metropolitan,. Seattle, with Theatre Guild subscription holding down receipts. It continues there through next Saturday (4), aftei which Miss Hayes and several principals go east for a i Christmas holiday fortnight stand at the N.Y. City Center. - Boston, Nov. 30. Legit activity took a breather here, last week with only two. the- atres alight. “Black Eyed Susan,” in its finale, at the Plymouth, spurted ahead of the previous, frame, but “On With the Show,” ! in its third turieup week at the Shubert; was staggering. Three newcomers bhwed in last night (Mqri.). They were “Witness For the Prosecution,” Plymouth for two weeks; ; “Caine Mutiny Court Martial,” Colonial, one week, and Jose Greco, Shubert, one week. Estimates for Last Week Black-Eyed Susan, Plymouth . (2d wk) ($3.85; • 1,200) (Vincent Price). Wound second week with nice $20,400, left town to continue try- out,. On With The Show, Shubert (3d wk) ($4.40-$5.50; i;7Q0) (Irra Petina). Ended third tryout .week with a laggard $17,500; revue exited for New York, where it’ll preem this week as “Hit the" Trial.” ‘WITNESS’ GOOD 13|G (4) IN NEW HAVEN BREAKIN New Haven, Nov. 30. From a virtually non-existent ad- vance, preem of .“.Witness for the Prosecution” built on word-of- mouth to a healthy $13,500 on four performances at $4.50 top at the Shubert last Thursday-Saturday (25-27). American preem of “Anastasia” plays , the house this Thursday-Sat- urday 12-4) and other bookings in- clude 'Plain arid Fancy,” Dec. 11 arid 13-18; “Southwest Corner,” Dec. 23-25,. and “Put Them All Together,” Dec. 30-Jan. 1. ‘Gertie’ $8,700, Toronto; Cornell-Power Current Toronto, Nov. 30. Despite the competition of the Grey Cup final, Canada’s top rug- by championship playoff, plus the Mardi Gras festival, “Getting Gertie’s Garter” grossed a fair ,$8,700 last week. This saw the 1,525-seat: Royal Alexandra scaled at $3.50 top with tax, but 80% of the sale on twofers. The Jack York and Max GerideL opus has a good production, plus a looker cast in the femme bracket. On the current engagement of Katherine Cornell arid Tyrone Power in Christopher Fry’s “Dark Is Light Enough,” the advance was $23,000, with opening night sold out and 75% of the house gone on. for the rest of the Week, at $4 top with tax. Dublin Players $11,000 For First Week, Frisco San Francisco, Nov. 30. The fall legit season dwindled to one house last week. The Dublin Players bowed for two weeks of repertory at the Geary and got a good reception from the local pressl but slim b.o. pickings. With both “Saint Joan” and “Sailor’s Delight” cancelling,, fu- ture bookings are Somewhat slim. “Time Out for Ginger” opens next Monday (6) at the Curran for four weeks, on subscription. Estimates for Last Week Dublin Players, Geary t$3.85; 1,550). Opened 1 to good reviews* but only hit $11,000; final week is current. UECrCUIATB 7» ‘Ptree’Sad&306for5 In Wilmington Breakin Wilmington, Nov. 30. “Hello, Paree,” drew only $5,300 in a five-performance tryout last , Wednesday-Saturday (24-27) at the ; 1,£33-seat Playhouse- here.. Revue ; was severely panned and drew un- favorable audience reaction. (It’s folding in Hartford this week). Playhouse bookings for the re- mainder of the- year include next Thursday (2), “Madame Butterfly,” opera in English; Saturday (4), Mask and Wig Club musical, “Tem- pest in a Teapot”;, week of Dec. 6, “Wonderful Town.” ‘Season 20G, Chi Chicago, Nov. 30. Holiday weekend helped Loop biz last week. "King and 1” opened strong on Guild subscription and “Fifth Season” is apparently build- ing on word of mouth. “Mrs. Patterson” departed. Sat- urday night (27) for Broadway and “Panama Tops’’ arrived Sunday (28) for a four-week twofer stay. “Oh Men, Oh. Women” comes in next Monday. (6) on subscription. Estimates for Last Week Fifth Season, Erlanger, (2d wk) ($4; 1,300) (Chester Morris, Joseph Buldff), Over $20,000 and building (previous week, $15,500). King arid I* Shuhert, (1st wk) ($5; 2,100) (Yul Brynner, Patricia Morison). Almost $42,600 for first seven performances. Opened last Tuesday (23). to two affirmative n 0 t'ipe s (Harris, Daily News; Kogan,. Sun-Times), two pans (Cassidy, Tribune; Dettmer, Ameri- can); lively window sale since the opening. Midsummer Night’s Dream, Civic Opera (1st wk) ($5.50; 3,600) (Robert Helpmann, Moira Shearer, Stanley Holloway). Topped $ <, 6 P n .Q for first four performances. Open- ed Thursday (25) to pans, from ail four. critics* Mrs* Patterson, Harris (8th wk) ($5; 1,000) (Eartha Kitt). Almost $16,000 for seven performances, after cancelling Wednesday, mati- nee (24) due to star’s illness (pre- vious week, $19,900); exited Satur- day (27) for New York.. OPENING THIS WEEK Pajama Tops, Blackstone ($4.40; 1.358) (Diana fearrymore). Opened Sunday night (28) for four weeks on twofers; drew unanimous pahs; show drew $16,200 the previous week in Cincinnati, hut: Was Under- quoted. ‘SEED’ SPROUTS $14,800 FIRST WEEK IN BALT0 Baltimore, Nov. 30. “Bad Seed” grossed a fair $14,- 800 at Ford’s here last week for the first of a two-week stand. Ini- tial stanza was on Guild-ATS sub- scription for the. Maxwell Anderson tryout, with current second round a rarity in this solo-week town. Jennifer Jones in “Portrait of a Lady,” due Dec. 7, is also in for a fortnight., Deborah Smash $32,700, Near-Record in Cleve, Cleveland, Nov/ 30. A near-record gross for straight plays at the Hanna was set by De- borah Kerr in the touring “Tea and Sympathy” last week, Take was $32,700 for eight performances at , $4.75 top. Dark this week, Hanna relights next Monday (6) with Jose Greco’s Biz on Broadway continued to slide last week. Receipts were off during the early part of the frame, but picked up with the holiday weekend. The annual pre-Christ- mas slump is now bn. There were four closings last week, with two more slated to follow next Saturday (4). Shutter- ings were “By the Beautiful Sea,” “Fragile Fox,” “King of Hearts” arid. “One Eye Closed.” Latter preemed Wednesday (24) and threw m the towel the following night (Thurs- day) after three performances. Upcoming closings .are: “Living Room” and “On Your Toes.” Besides “Eye,” ithe only new entry last: week was “Sandhog” at the off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre. This week’s openings are “Mrs: Patterson” tonight (Wed.) and “Hit the Trail” tomorrow night (Thurs.). Estimates for Last Week Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama), CD (Comedy-Dravta), R (Revile), MC (Musical-Cotiieuy), MD (Musi- cal-Drama), O (Opera )> OP (Op- eretta). Other parenthetic designations refer; respectively, to weeks played, number of performances through last . Saturday, top prices/ number, of seats, capacity gross and stars. Price • includes 10% Federal and- 5% City tax, but grosses are net’, i.e., exclusive of tax. Abie’s Irish Rose, Holiday . (C). (2d wk; 12; $5.75-$4.60; 900; $28,000). Around $6,0.00 (previous week, $2,500 for first four per- formances). Anniversary Waltz, Broadhurst ■(C) (34th wk; .267; $4.60; 998; $28,000)** (Macdonald Carey, Kitty Carlisle). Just under $21,100 (pre- vious week, $22,000); ^moves next Monday (6) to the Booth. Boy Friend, . Royale (MC) (9th wk; 68; $6.90; 1,172; $38,200). Had empty seats, but standees took the gross over capacity again, $38,300. By the Beautiful Sea, Imperial (MC) (34th Wk; 268; $6.90; 1,400; $50,000) (Shirley Booth). Over $23,900 (previous week. $19,700); closed last Saturday (27) at a loss of approximately $175,000 on a $500,000 investment. Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Plymouth (U) (45th wk; 356; $5:75- $4.60; $33,331) (Lloyd Nolan, John Hbdiak, Barry Sullivan). Almost. $27,100 (previous week. $27,500). Can-Can, Shubert (MC) (82d wk; 652; $6.90; 1,361; $50,160). Nearly $46,000 (previous week, $48,500). Dear Charles, Morosco (C) (11th wk; 85; $6.90-$5.75r$4.60; $29,850) (Tallulah Bankhead); Over $22,700 /previous week, $25,600). Fanny, Majestic (MD) (4th wk; 28; $7.50; . 1,510; $65,300) (Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak). Capacity agaih, over $65,900 (previous week, $65,900 not ; $69,000 as erratumed). Fragile Fox, Belasco (D) (7th wk; 55; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $28,300) (Dane Clark,. Don Taylor). Over $7,000 (previous week, $11,000);, closed last Saturday (27) at a loss’ of approximately $60,000, on a $70,- 000 investment. King of Hearts, National (C) (35th wk; 274; $5.75-$4.60; 1,172; $31,300) (Donald Cook, Jackie Cooper). Almost $15,100 on two-, fers (previous week, $12,200 on twofers); closed last Saturday (27) at a loss of approximately $30,000 on a $60,000 investment. Kismet, Ziegfeld (OP) (52d wk; 412; $6.90; 1,528; $57,908) (Alfred Drake); Nearly $51,100 (previous week, $53,900). Living Room, Miller (D) (2d wk; 14; $5.75-$4.60; 920; $23,248) (Bar- bara Bel Geddes); Almost $14,000 (previous week, $12,000 for first six performances); closes next Satur r day (4). On Your Toes, 46th St. (MC) (7th Wk; 56; $8.05-$6.90; 1,319; $4«;547) (Vera Zorina, Bobby. Van). Over $29,800 (previous, week, $26,800); closes next Saturday^ (4). One Eye Closed, Bijou (C) (1st wk; 3; $5.75-$4.60; 603; $16,979). Opened last Wednesday (24) to * unanimous pans/* grossed under $3,200 for three performances; closed last Thursday (25) at a loss of approximately $40,000 on a $50,- 000. investment. ' Pajama Game, St. James (MC) (29th wk; 228; $6.90; 1,571; $51,- 717) (John Raitt, Janis Paige, Eddie Foy Jr.). Capacity again, over $52,100. Peter Pan, Winter Garden (MD) (6th wk; 45; $6.90; 1,510; $57,500) (Mary Martin). Over $53/00 (pre- vious week, $53,300). Quadrille, Coronet (C) (4th wk; 30; $6.90-$5.75-$4.60; 1,027; $30,- 000) (Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Edna Best, Brian Aherne). Capac- ity at over $29,600 (previous week, $33,100 for nine performances). Rainmaker, Cort (C) (5th wk; 36; $5.75j$4.60; .1,056; $29,000) (Ger- aldine Page). Over $19,100 (pre- vious week, $17,700), Reclining Figure, Lyceui (C) (8th wk;‘ 60; $5.75-$4.60; 995; $23,- 389). Almost $15,000 (previous week, $16,600).. Seven Year Itch, Fulton (C) (106th wk; 845; $5.75-$4.60; 1,063; $24,000) (Elliott Nugent). Almost $19,200 (previous week, $19,700). Solid Gold Cadillac, Music Box (C) (56th wk; 445; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $27,811). Just under $18,600 (previous week* $19,500). Tea arid Sympathy, Barrymore (D) (61st wk; 485; $5.75-$4;60.j 1,214; $28,300 (Joan Fontaineh Nearly $19,200 (previous" week, $19,500). Teahouse of the August Moon, Beck (C) (59th wk; 476; $6.22-$4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Burgess Meredith, Scott McKay). Capacity again, over $34,000; David Wayne and John Forsythe returned as. stars last Monday (29) after a 10-weck vacation, with Meredith and. Mc- Kay exiting to head the upcoming touring edition. ... Tender Trap, Longacre (C) (7th Wk; 53; $5.75-$4.60; 1,048; $26,317) (Robert Preston, Kim Hunter,. Ronny. Graham). Nearly $21,500 (previous week, $23,400). Wedding Breakfast, 48th St;*(D) (2d wk; 9; $5:75-$4:60; 925; $23,- 720). Almost $13,200 (previous week,. $2,5op for one performance). Miscellaneous Sandhog, Phoenix (M) (1st wk; 8; $4.60-$3.45; 1,150; $24,067). Opened last Tuesday (24) to one favorable review (Atkinson, Times), five neg- ative opinions (Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; H’awkins, World- Telegram; McClain, Journal-Amer- ican; Watts, Post) and one yes-no (Kerr, Herald Tribune); grossed over $19,400 for first eight per- formances and three previews. Opening This Week, Mrs, Patterson, National (D) ($6.9Q-$5:75; 1.172; $37,000) Eartha Kitt), Play with music by'Charles Sebree and Greer Johnson, pre- sented by Leonard Sillman; pro- duction financed at $75,000, cost about $54,000 to bring in, includ- ing approximately $500 tryout profit, but excluding borii* and can break even at around $15,500 gross; opens tonight (Wed.). Hit the Trail, Hellinger (M) $6.90; 1,527; $55,916) (Irra Petina). . Musical, formerly titled “On With the Show,” with book by Frank O’Neill; music by Frederico .Valr I erLo, lyrics by Elizabeth Miele, pre- ; sented by Miss Miele; production financed' at $225,000, cost about ,$220,000 to bring in, including ap- proximately $40,000 tryout loss,. ; but. excluding bonds, and can break even at around $30,000 gross; opens tomorrow (Thurs.) night, OFF BROADWAY SHOWS (Figures denote opening dates) Doll's House,‘Finch Coll. (11-12). Dybbuk, 4th St. (10-26-54). Importance Being Earnest, Prov- incetown (11-9). In Splendid Error; Greenwich News (10-26-54). Sands of the Negev, President (10-25-54). Slight. Delinquent, Blackfriar (10-25-54). Stone For Danny Fisher, Dow town National (10-21-54). Twelfth Night, Jan Hus (11-9-54). Way of the World, Cherry Lane (9-29-54). CLOSED LAST WEEK : I Feel Wonderful, de Lys (10- 18-541. dance, company. 1 Following are the comparative figures based on Variety’s, box- office reports for last week (the 26th week of the season) and the corresponding week of last, season: the corresponding week of last, season: BROADWAY This 1953-54 Season Season Nupiber of shows current 26 28 Total weeks played so far by nil shows. 477 447 Total.gross for all shows last week:.,. $683,200 $719,500 Season’s total gross so far.. $13,100,900 $12,548,300 Number of new productions.. 21 25 ROAD Excluding stock Number of current shows reported.. 29 16 Total weeks played so far by all shows. 384 341 Total gross for all shows last week.,.. $550,900 $328,700 Season’s total gross so far>.......... $9,507,400 $7,847,400