National Box Office Digest (Dec 1938-Dec 1939)

NATION AL.gQX OFFICE AQBI Y OFmmLN PICTL TITS ' HOLLYWC Volume 7. No. 26 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY 1, 1939 YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION $10 UNIVEKSAL TOPS FOR WEEK WITH OF FRANKENSTEIN” SCORING Of Five New Releases in the Past Week Only One Rated Over 100 % Tiro Came Thru Okay, and Two Were Very Wea k . By NORMAN WEBB Universal — 1 New Release Universal has the top box office attraction this week in their latest horror-thriller, "THE SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.” A few months ago, several exhibitors revived two old Universal pictures ("DRAC-ULA” and "FRANKENSTEIN”) on a double header. This bill with Lugosi and Karloff was so well received that Universal re-issued the two pictures and sold them on a double bill to the leading theaters throughout the nation. This double bill was received very well, and grossed a great deal of money for Universal, and "strange as it may seem,” this double header even did more business than Universal’s new "SON OF FRANKENSTEIN” has done in certain spots. The fact that the reissue beat the new picture in many instances may be due to the exhibitor showmen who sold Lugosi and Karloff, while the standard advertising on the new production is trying to sell Rathbone — a fine actor, but not a ticket-seller. Hollywood forgets that Rathbone is still a character actor as far as marquees are concerned — and names like Ronald Colman and others have had to sell his past pictures. Rowland V. Lee produced and directed the fine new "SON OF FRANKENSTEIN” for Universal, which is doing 116%, very good under current conditions. Warners — 1 New Release Warner Brothers have a fairly good newspaper picture in "OFF THE RECORD,” which doesn’t seem to be getting any place on its first runs, as it is only averaging 83%, in spite of the fact that Pat O’Brien and Joan Blondell are costarred. So evidently Pat and Joan are slipping at the box office or else the public is "fed up” on newspaper stories. Sam Bischoff produced and Jimmie Flood directed. Niven Busch, Larry Kimble, and Earl Baldwin wrote the screenplay from Saul Elkins and Sally Sandlin’s original. R.K.O. — 1 New Release RKO has a much better than average program picture in "THE GREAT MAN VOTES,” 80%, which is definitely a fine critic’s picture, and would probably also be an outstanding box office picture, were it not for John Barrymore, but the public seems to steer away from his pictures in a big way. Other than Barrymore, the balance of the cast are little known; Peter Holden and Virginia Weidler are featured. Garson Kanin directed. John Twist wrote this very outstanding screenplay from Gordon Hillman’s original. Exhibitors should spot this picture in with a much stronger box office attraction, as "THE GREAT MAN VOTES” is really well worth running, but because of Barrymore’s weakness, will bring little money in "on its own.” It is not so much Barrymore weakness, as the lack of a top youthful name to sell the younger generation. Republic 1 New Release Republic has a new horse racing yarn this week entitled" "FIGHTING THOROUGHBREDS,” which is just getting by at a 69% average. Mary Carlisle and Ralph Byrd are co-starred; ( Continued an Page 5) 5 New Releases Not in Last Issue 1 Over 100% 2 0. K 2 Weak % We Est. 1. Son of Frankenstein UNIV. ...116 130 2. Off The Record WAR 83 90 3. The Great Man Votes .. RKO ..... 80 85 4. Fighting Thoroughbreds REP .... 69 70 5. 1 Am A Criminal MONO .... 66 .. . 70