Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

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Holdovers Feature Week at Toronto TORONTO — Five holdovers featured the theatre scene last week, which had rainy weather, pro hockey playoffs and a rodeo for opposition. “The Jolson Story” was still going nicely at the Tivoli and Eglinton in its fourth week and “My Favorite Brunette” had a strong second week at the Imperial, while “The Egg and I” was worth while in its second week at the Uptown. (Average is 100) Capitol and Victoria — Black Beauty (20th-Fox); Stanley and Livingstone (20th-Fox), reissue 97 Eglinton — The Jolson Story (Col), 4th wk 95 Imperial — My Favorite Brunette (Para), 2nd wk 105 Loew's — The Macomber Affair (UA) 110 Shea’s — Song of the South (RKO), 2nd wk 95 Tivoli — The Jolson Story (Col), 4th wk 95 Uptown — The Egg and I (U-I), 2nd wk 100 Montreal Holds Over Trio After Good Easter Week MONTREAL — Three holdovers resulted from good Easter week attendance at the first run theatres. The Capitol did excellently with “My Favorite Brunette” and extended its showing for a second week. At Loew’s “The Razor’s Edge” started what is expected to be a fairly lengthy run. In the far west end crowds thronged to the Kent to make a record week for the first local showing of “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Only moderate business was reported for “The Bachelor’s Daughters” at the Imperial, “Song of the South” at the Princess, “Humoresque” at the Palace and “La Premiere Romance,” French language offering at the Orpheum. All ran one week only. Capitol — My Favorite Brunette (Para) Very good Imperial — The Bachelor's Daughters (UA); Rolling Home (SG) Fair Kent — The Best Years of Our Lives (RKO) A boom Loew's — The Razor's Edge (20th-Fox) Big start Palace — Humoresque (WB) Disappointing Princess — Song of the South (RKO) Good but didn't click Vancouver Business Much Better; Downtowners Play to Capacity VANCOUVER — Business took a turn for the better. All downtowners played to capacity including “My Favorite Brunette” at the Capitol, “Sinbad the Sailor,” Orpheum, and “Song of Scheherazade” day and date at the Vogue and Hastings, and a moveover of “The Clouds Roll By” at the Dominion. Capitol — My Favorite Brunette (Para) Good Dominion — Code of the West (RKO); Till the Clouds Roll By (MGM), moveover Go4d Hastings and Vogue — Song of Scheherazade (U-I) Good Lyric — Open City (M-B) Good Orpheum — Sinbad the Sailor (RKO) Excellent Paradise — Out California Way (U-I); Mr. Hex (Mono) Good Plaza — White Tie and Tails (U-I); North of the Border (PRC), 2nd wk Fair State — Trail to Mexico (Mono), plus vaudeville Fair Strand — Cross My Heart (Para); Blind Spot (Para) Average Lineups at Boxoffice Reappear in Calgary CALGARY — Spring weather and drying winds brought out the buying public, and mercantile houses along with theatres felt the benefit. However, the theatres were handicapped early in the week with the final hockey playoffs which held many fans at the radio and packed the arena. All downtown houses had good attractions with attendance at the weekend bringing nightly lineups back again. The split-week Palace hit the jackpot with “The Locket” and the Grand played up Academy award winner Olivia de Havilland in RKO’s drama, “The Dark Mirror.” Capitol — California (Para) Very good Grand — The Dark Mirror (U-I) Excellent Palace — The Locket (RKO) Very good ST.JOHN T arger and more appealing lobby space has been given special attention by exhibitors in the maritimes. These are factors in new theatres now under construction or planned this year. At the Casino, Halifax, Odeon is providing more lobby space by eliminating two stores on the street floor which had been rented. Other theatres acquired by Odeon in recent years likely will be given similar treatment this year. Other circuits are also considering enlarging and beautifying their lobbies. A penalty for once having been a warbler of illustrated songs at film theatres, Archie Mason, owner of the Capitol, Springhill, N. S., is called on frequently to vocalize. Usually he agrees but on a recent stop in a Halifax restaurant, he had to refuse because of “clogged pipes” due to a cold. His alibi was accepted. Harry Cochrane of Halifax, veteran orchestra leader, and Percy Belyea of St. John, veteran band leader, joined in handling the music for the “Ice Cycles” at the Halifax Forum. Belyea is planning to import vocalists from the U.S. to sing with his band this summer. Two years ago Belyea visited Hollywood and was entertained by Louis B. Mayer, Walter Pidgeon and Jack Cummings, ex-St. Johners. A graphic illustration of the potency of amateur hockey is provided by the large operating profit for four and one-half months at the Halifax Forum, and the $54,160 paid out of the Forum receipts to hockey teams, board of censors and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Ass’n. Paid to the Crescents, “amateur” hockey team, which had represented Halifax very dismally in the maritime league, was $25,676. The city owns and operates the Forum and will use it during the summer season for boxing, roller skating, dancing, roadshow films, etc. The seating capacity is to be enlarged and new exits installed. It is estimated profit at the St. John Forum for the past hockey season was about $25,000. Unlike the situation at Halifax, Murray Long and Harry Tippett, operators of the St. John rink, also operate the hockey team. This rink will be used for boxing and wrestling until the hockey resumes in early November. Tuesday is Treasure Chest night at the Halifax Gaiety . . . Planned for the new Armview of Affiliated Theatres at Armdale, Halifax, are some promotional numbers to attract attention to the debut of this suburban house . . . What was once the Capitol Theatre at Shediac, N. B., was destroyed by fire recently. After Joe LeBlanc, owner, opened a new theatre about two years ago, the Capitol was converted into two stores and two apartments. A tieup has been made between the Odeon Kent at Moncton, N. B„ and a cereal firm for distribution of prizes at Saturday morning shows for youngsters; (Odeon Movie club) . . . June 1 has been considered as the start of demolition of the Halifax Orpheus FPC in prepartion for construction of a larger and more ornate successor. Borden Lunn of Perth-Andover, N. B„ was acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of reckless driving and sent to jail for six months, after his car crashed into the Capitol Theatre, Andover, and killed Robert McNally, a passenger. Handless Harold Russell, 33, awarded an Oscar for 1946 as a supporting actor in “The Best Years of Our Lives,” is eyeing the advertising end of films for his future more than the acting, he avers. He!s Sydney born . . . The loot of thieves who broke into the Halifax Casino was about $10, including 40 theatre tickets . . . Jim McGarrigle of St. John, a veteran showman who ranged from pioneering in film exhibition to tenters, with stagers and fairs in between, has been hospitalized. Sammy Kunitzky, manager of the UA exchange, was in charge of the Strand for the four days that FPC Spencer house was rented by UA for roadshowing of “Henry V” at the unusually high top of $1.96. Coin machine distributors based here are warring over locations through the maritimes, including those showing films. Considerable feeling is reported to have developed, because of a distributor penetrating spots which had been monopolized by someone longer in the game. In Canada First, Then U.S. TORONTO — Canadians note with interest that two features are about to be released in the U.S. which already have had considerable play in the Dominion. One is “San Demetrio, London” which was distributed in Canada by Esquire Films some time ago. The other is “St. Francis of Assisi,” a Mexican production, with which Alliance Films has already had considerable success, including roadshow engagements at Toronto and Montreal. To Telegraph in U.S. Strike TORONTO — The U.S. telephone strike caused a shift to telegraph by theatre and film companies here which ordinarily phone grosses and other figures each night to home offices in New York. The Bell Co. in Canada declined to accept any long-distance business for the States unless the subject was one of strict emergency, and the telephone company made the decision. j WAHOO ' America's Finest Screen Came AMUSEMENT CO., 831 S. WABASH AVE., CHICAG BOXOFFICE : : April 19, 1947 109