Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

Along New York's Filmrow _________________ By DORIS SULTAN _______________ Three New Films Big But Broadway Dips NEW YORK — Three new films — “Carnival in Costa Rica,” coupled with a big Roxy stage show; “Johnny O’clock” and “The Farmer’s Daughter — registered strong opening week grosses despite the general pre-Easter slump along Broadway. Second weeks of “The Late George Apley,” with Radio City Music Hall’s annual Easter stage spectacle, and “My Favorite Brunette” both held up well in the face of the downward trend. Most of the others were mild grossers in their final week before the new holiday attractions opened. . Among the newcomers for the week were “Stallion Road” at the Strand, “The Two Mrs. Carrolls” at the Hollywood, “Time Out of Mind” at the Park Avenue, “The Adventuress” at the Victoria, “That’s My Man” at the Globe, “Tarzan and the Huntress” at the Gotham and “The Mighty McGurk,” one of the rare first runs at Loew’s State. (Average is 100) Astor — The Best Years of Our Lives (RKO), 19th wk 119 Capitol — It Happened in Brooklyn (MGM), plus stage show, 3rd wk 98 Criterion — Johnny O'Clock (Col) 135 Globe — The Red House (UA), 3rd wk 85 Gotham — Angel and the Badman (Rep), 5th wk 75 Hollywood — Nora Prentiss (WB), 6th wk 45 Palace — The Locket (RKO) , 2nd wk 75 Paramount — My Favorite Brunette (Para), plus stage show, 2nd wk 120 Park Avenue — The Years Between (U-I), 4th wk 45 Radio City Music Hall — The Late George Apley (20th-Fox), plus stage show, 2nd wk 119 Rialto — The Devil Thumbs a Ride (RKO), 2nd wk 97 Rivoli — The Farmer's Daughter (RKO) ......108 Roxy — Carnival in Costa Rica (20th-Fox), plus stage show 96 Strand — Pursued (WB), plus stage show, 4th wk 89 Victoria — Thief of Bagdad (FC), reissue, 4th wk 70 Winter Garden — Stairway to Heaven (U-I), 3rd wk. of popular price run '. 97 Philadelphia Takes Fall Off During Holy Week Period PHILADELPHIA — Business fell off during Holy week. “The Jolson Story” led the league for the fifth consecutive week. Aldine — Bedelia (E-L), 2nd wk 90 Arcadia — Lady in the Lake (MGM), 2nd runs 140 Boyd — Stairway to Heaven (U-I) 130 Earle — Seven Were Saved (Para), with stage show 110 Fox — The Brasher Doubloon (20th-Foxj 100 Goldman — Sinbad the Sailor (RKO), 2nd wk 15U Karlton — The Locket (RKO), 3rd wk 100 Keith's — Dead Reckoning (Col), 2nd run 90 Mastbaum — My Favorite Brunette (Para), 2nd wk,..105 Stanley— The Jolson Story (Col)' 5th wk 165 Stanton— The Mighty McGurk (MGM) 100 Buffalo in Pre-Easter Slump, But 'Best Years' Does Well BUFFALO — Except for “The Best Years of Our Lives” at the 20th Century, preEaster grosses were traditionally low here. “Michigan Kid” and “Blind Spot” on a double bill at the Lafayette were the only bright spots aside from “Years.” They did average. Buffalo — Pursued (WB) 88 Great Lakes — Boomerang (20th-Fox) 89 Hippodrome— Bedelia (PRC); It's a Joke, Son . (,PRC) 92 Lafayette— Michigan Kid (U-I); Blind Spot (Col).... 100 Teck — Les Miserables (20th-Fox); Stanley and Livingstone (20th-Fox). reissues... 60 20th Century— The Best Years of Our Lives (RKO), 2nd wk., advanced prices 163 Collapsed Seat Costs Martina Circuit $2,500 BUFFALO — Damages of $2,500 have been awarded a Franklinville couple as the result of the collapse of a seat in the Martina circuit’s Adelphi Theatre in Franklinville. A supreme court jury awarded damages of $1,600 to May O. Ling and $900 to her husband George. The accident occurred May 11, 1944; The Lings’ claims were dismissed in a lower court but won on appeal. ALTER READE theatres in Asbury Park, Long Branch, Red Bank, Morristown and Plainfield, N. J., are getting ready for the new ten-week Talent Quest, scheduled to start April 15 . . . Each Sunday hopeful aspirants for theatrical careers will perform in talent contests at the theatres . . . The competition is being conducted in cooperation with radio station WAAT . . . Every Sunday the winners of the past week’s Talent Quest will broadcast over WAAT at 9 p. m. . . . The radio audience will select the winners of the semifinals and finals by mail. The circuit is distributing special heralds and entry blanks . . . The contest is being given additional publicity through newspaper ads, trailers and special 40x60s . . . Theatres participating in the Talent Quest include the Park, Morristown; Savoy, Asbury Park; Paramount, Plainfield; Strand, Red Bank, and Strand, Long Branch. Robert M. Savini, president of Astor Pictures Corp., flew down to Miami for a brief vacation. En route home Savini will visit Astor branches in Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington. Century Theatres new Timberdoodle Lodge contest is a departure from previous competitions, when the winners were judged by the effective exploitation stunts they arranged . . . The current contest, which began March 29, will be judged by the merchandising of candy and soft drink products at theatres, according to Leslie R. Schwartz, head of Andrews, Inc., Century’s merchandising subsidiary. Skouras Theatres came up with something new in community cooperation this week . . . The circuit sponsored a special community service show at the Crotona Theatre, Bronx, Wednesday (April 4) for junior high school students . . . The program consisted of shorts emphasizing the importance of precautions against accidents and the problem of juvenile delinquency. The special show won the support of Parent-Teachers groups, civic organizations and the police department . . . Jay Jostyn, who portrays Mr. District Attorney in the radio program and Matthew Shea, deputy inspector of the police department safety bureau, attended. The latter represented Arthur Wallander, police commissioner . . . Four shorts were shown, including “Safety Sleuth,” Pete Smith Specialty (MGM); “Highway Mania” (RKO) ; “Traffic With the Devil” (MGM) and “Youth in Crisis,” March of Time. George Loscalzo, porter at Loew’s Plaza Theatre, Corona, is back in civilian clothes after spending four-and-one-half years in the army . . . John Kohler, formerly assistant manager of Reade’s Majestic Theatre, Perth Amboy, has been promoted to manager of the Paramount, Plainfield. He succeeds Sabie Contie, who has been transferred to the Oxford Theatre. C. Negron, night watchman of the Majestic Theatre, is the father of a nine-pound baby girl . . . Gilbert Josephson, former operator of the World Theatre, has opened the New Europe Theatre on First avenue, and plans to open the Princess Theatre at 39th street and Sixth avenue some time in May. MGM Notes: Wedding bells will ring shortly for five young ladies at the MGM branch. Celia Reich, Edith Finkelstein and Agnes McLaughlin of the billing department and Mary Keane of the accounting department announced their engagements recently . . . Irene Ellsworth of the accounting department is the other prospective bride. She will be married June 21 to Thomas W. Mason of New York. She will join him in Oxford, Ohio, where he is attending school. Irene is the daughter of Bob Ellsworth, Brooklyn salesman . . . Jack Goldberg, formerly assistant branch head in Washington, stopped off at the exchange en route to Albany where he will take over his new duties as manager of the branch there. RKO Data; Len S. Gruenberg is expected at the RKO branch on Tuesday (April 8) to assume his new post as district manager. He succeeds Charles Boasberg, who was recently appointed as head of a new division covering the metropolitan area, Canada, the southeast and southwest . . . Gruenberg will spend ten days in New York before leaving for Denver to bring his family east. Lillian Savitsky, contract clerk, sustained second degree burns on the face when she tried out a new pancake recipe at home. Lillian is anxious to master the culinary arts in view of her forthcoming marriage . . . “Tiny” Mixon, attractive young lady from Georgia, has joined the 16mm department at the exchange . . . May Ashe, former switchboard operator, has given birth to a baby boy at Israel Zion hospital in Brooklyn . . . Nora Harkness of the film inspection department sent a large crate of grapefruit and oranges to the exchange. She is vacationing in Florida. UA Facts; Jocelyn Gilberg, assistant booker, has resigned . . . Irene Greenberg is back at the exchange after a long illness . . . Gertrude Dembroff, city booker, is flashing a new engagement ring. No wedding date has been set. Twentieth-Fox Trivia; Joseph Rosen, Albany branch head and former salesman in New York, is the father of a baby boy . . . Rita Cohen, secretary to George Blenderman, head booker, will be married in July . . . The office lovebirds, Antoinette Paglianti and Bob Anderson of the shipping department, will be married May 25. Dave Rosenbaum, operator of the Capitol Theatre, Elizabethtown, N. Y„ and booker for the Rox, Keysville, and Hollywood in Ausable Forks, was in town for a few days . . . Joseph Bacskay jr„ who recently sold the Island Theatre, Island, N. J., to Jacob Levinson, is vacationing in Arizona . . . Harold Eskin of the Eskin circuit is sightseeing in California. Bill McLoughlin, manager of the Brooklyn Strand, and Ted Trust, publicity director, arranged a tiein with the Brooklyn Academy of Music to plug “Humoresque.” As a result, the Academy mailed cards to its subscribers praising the musical score of the picture. The Bookers club will hold its eighth annual dinner and dance October 12 in the ballroom of Hotel Commodore. Start saving your gin rummy winnings, boys . . . Genevieve Cannon, cashier at Reade’s Community Theatre, Morristown, recently gave birth to a baby boy . . . Tony Hunting, city manager at Red Bank for Reade, has been appointed chairman of the Spring Frolics committee. The lads and lassies of the circuit will get together for the frolics during the latter part of April . . . Lillian Habib of the Reade home office has been placed in charge of pay rolls. BOXOFFICE :: April 5, 1947 45