Box office digest (May-Dec 1946)

BOX OFFICE DIGEST 5 The &0X O^icC: Lana TurnerJohn Garfield Garner Honors For “Postman Rings Twice” MGM — 3 Releases Leo the Lion should be quite proud this week as MGM has three new releases and all of them are big box office successes. “The Postman Always Rings Twice” has opened up in both the east and west and is doing sensational box office business, averaging 183 per cent on its first bookings. This sexy murder melodrama based on James Cain’s best seller of the same name co-stars Lana Turner and John Garfield. Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, and Audrey Trotter head the featured cast. This picture is a definite holdover attraction and is already going into second and third weeks on its first run bookings and holding up very strongly. Carey Wilson, who is famous as the producer of the Andy Hardy series and other big MGM hits, produced “The Postman Always Rings Twice” and one of MGM’s foremost directors, Tay Garnett, handled the megaphone. “The Green Years,” 168 per cent, based on A. J. Cronin’s best seller, is MGM’s second big hit. Charles Coburn, Tom Drake and a very promising newcomer Beverly Tyler head the cast with Dean Stockwell, Hume Cronyn, Selena Royle, Gladys Cooper, Wally Ford and Henry O’Neill in the featured cast. This heavy religious drama was produced by Leon Gordon and directed by Victor Saville. MGM’s third and last release, “Bad Bascomb,” 154 per cent, is a big super-western co-starring Wally Beery and little Margaret O’Brien, in her best role to date. Marjorie Main, J. Carol Naish, Russell Simpson and Frances Rafferty make up the big featured cast. Word of mouth on this picture has been very strong, and it will probably take a strong box office jump on future bookings. Sylvan Simon directed for producer Bunny Dull. PARAMOUNT— 1 Release Paramount has a very strong box office attraction in the new 1946 version of “The Virginian” which has opened up at a hefty 177 per cent. As most of the exhibitors know this is the fourth time that this famous novel has been filmed. PICTURES “GOING UP” IF as Now The Outlaw UA....214... 231 Gilda COL... 163. .166 Hoodlum Saint MGM ...135.... 141 Seventh Veil UNIV ... Ill ...131 Three Strangers WAR... .117 ...121 Face of Marble MONO.. 81.... 83 By NORMAN WEBB Of 15 New Releases in the Past Two Weeks, 8 Ran Over 100%, 4 Came Through Okay and 3 Were on the Weak Side 16 NEW RELEASES NOT IN LAST ISSUE We % Est. Postman Rings Twice MGM. ...183. ...175 The Virginian PAR — 177 — 170 Dragonwyek FOX — 172 — 165 The Green Years MGM — 168 — 160 Devotion WAR 156 150 Bad Bascomb .MGM 154 — 160 Perilous Holiday COL . .123 .125 The Dark Corner FOX 123 — 125 She-Wolf of London UNIV.... 83. ... 85 Just Before Dawn COL — 82 — 85 Glass Alibi REP 82 80 Blondie’s Lucky Day COL — 81 — 80 Joe Palooka, Champ MONO — 78 — 75 Falcon’s Alibi RKO — 77 — 75 Murder is My Business PRC — 77 — 75 Joel McCrea, Brian Donlevy and Sonny Tufts are co-starred in this high-powered Technicolor western, with Barbara Britton upholding the feminine lead. Fay Bainter and Henry O’Neill are in the featured cast. Stuart Gilmore turned in a fine directorial job for Paramount’s ace producer Paul Jones, whose recent release “The Road to Utopia,” is number one money-maker so far this year. FOX — 2 Releases “Dragonwyck,” 172 per cent, based on the popular best-seller of the same name, is a heavy, morbid melodrama that seems to be pulling quite strong at the box office. Gene Tierney, fresh from her big success in “Leave Her To Heaven,” is starred along with Walter Huston and Vincent Price. Ann Revere, Connie Marshall, Glenn Langan, Vivian Osborne, Spring Byington and Henry Morgan are featured. Joe Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay and directed for executive-producer Darryl F. Zanuck. 20th Century-Fox’s second release, “The Dark Corner,” a well-produced murder mystery, is doing satisfactory at a 123 per cent average, considering the marquee names. Lucille Ball and newcomer Mark Stevens have the romantic leads with Clifton Webb and William Bendix co-starred. The supporting cast includes Kurt Kreuger, Cathy Downs, Constance Collier and Molly Lamont. If this picture receives more exploitation on future bookings it should do con siderably better at the box office, as it is definitely the type of picture that has to be sold to get good b.o. results. Henry Hathaway directed for producer Fred Kohlmar. COLUMBIA — 3 Releases Columbia exchanges have three new entries, one a good box office picture, while the other two are just fair programmers. “Perilous Holiday,” 123 per cent, is a well produced comedy melodrama with a Latin background, with most of the action taking place in Mexico City. Pat O’Brien is co-starred with Ruth Warrick and Audrey Long, Edgar Buchanan, Alan Hale and Edward Ciannelli are featured. E. H. Griffith directed for producer Phil Ryan. Columbia’s second release, “Just Before Dawn,” 82 per cent, is the latest in the “Crime Doctor” series, starring Warner Baxter and is running about average. Mona Barrie has the feminine lead and George Meeker, Adele Roberts and Martin Kosleck are in the supporting cast. W’illiam Castle directed for producer Rudy Flothow. Columbia’s third and last release, “Blondie’s Lucky Day,” 81 per cent, is also another “Series” picture. Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Larry Simms and Daisy as usual head the cast, with Jonathan Hale, Paul Harvey and Frank Jenks featured. Abby Berlin directed. WARNERS — 1 Release Warner Bros, have a very outstanding production with “Devotion,” which is the story of the famous Bronte sisters, laid in England, just about a century ago. This costume picture has been very well received by the press nationally and with many good marquee names it is bound to be a box office success. To date it is averaging 156 per cent and is pulling very strong holdover weeks. Ida Lupino, Olivia DeHaviland and Nancy Coleman portray the three Bronte sisters, and are co-starred with Paul Henreid and Sydney Greenstreet. The featured cast ( Continued on Page 18) PICTURES “GOING DOWN” Was Now Adventure MGM 218 214 Spiral Staircase RKO 185 177 Sentimental Journey FOX 164 161 Sailor Takes A Wife .. MGM 158 146 Walk in the Sun FOX .140. 136 Miss Susie Slagle’s .. PAR .131 126 Tangier UNIV 135 ...122 Cinderella Jones WAR. .115 . .112 Murder in Music Hall REP 180 .102 Black Market Babies MONO. 97. .. 91