Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

28 OF 35 WINTER RELEASES RANKED IN THE TOP HIT CLASS Big Money-Makers Are 'Sergeants 3/ 'Lover' and 'Flower Drum' First-run business stood at a healthy level during the winter quarter — December through February — despite a dearth of product which saw only 35 pictures with sufficient playdates to indicate boxoffice pull. That product which was placed in release, however, showed considerable strength. Of the 35 pictures placed in general release during the quarter, 28, or 80 per cent, were ranked in the top hit class by exhibitors in the 20 key cities across the nation whose grosses provide the national average for Boxoffice-Barometer. This far outweighed the top hit classifications of the two previous years. In the 1960-61 winter quarter, from a total of 44 releases, 26 features, or 59.1 per cent, ranked as top hits. In the 1959-60 winter quarter, 28 of 46 features, or 61 per cent, landed in the hit class. The percentage of pictures doing average or better business was up considerably this year also, with 31 of the 35, or 88.6 per cent, topping average. Last year 86.3 per cent of the pictures did average or better business, a mark unattained percentagewise since the early post-World War II years. ‘SERGEANTS’ RATE 265 PER CENT The quarter’s three top money-makers in first-run dates were “Sergeants 3” (United Artists) at 265 per cent, “Lover Come Back” (Universal-International) at 229, and "Flower Drum Song” (UniversalInternational) at 215. A year ago, the toppers were “Swiss Family Robinson” (Disney-Buena Vista), 265 per cent; “The World of Suzie Wong” (Paramount), 264 per cent, and “The Misfits” (United Artists), 233 per cent. The comparative grosses of BoxofficeBarometer include only pictures which have been placed in general release. Attractions released on a roadshow policy are not included in the reports. Considering the trio of special releases played during the winter quarter, percentages would be even higher. This big three was led by “West Side Story” (United Artists) which scored 274 per cent in its initial roadshow playdates. “El Cid” (Allied Artists) ranked second with 260 per cent, while “King of Kings” (Metro-Goldwyn Mayer) held third place with 233 per cent. Following are feature pictures released in the first six months of the current season, September through February, and percentages based on reports from first-run theatres in 20 key cities: (Asterisks indicate releases in the September-November quarter) . (September, 1961 through February, 1962) 'September-November Releo.e (Averoge Is 100) ALLIED ARTISTS: George Raft Story, The 120 'Twenty Plus Two . . 100 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 'Guns of the Black Witch 103 Top Hits For Winter Quarter (December through February) PERCENTAGES 120 130 140 150 175 200 210 Ashes and Diamonds (Janus) IJBabes in Toyland (BV) Bachelor Flat (20th-Fox) Doctor in Love (Governor) ‘Double Bunk (Showcorp) Errand Boy, The (Para) ‘Flight of the Lost Balloon (Woolner Bros.) ^Flower Drum Song (U-I) George Raft Story, The (AA) Journey to the Seventh Planet (AIP) Light in the Piazza (MGM) Lover Come Back (U-I) ^Majority of One, A (WB) Murder She Said (MGM) Mysterious Island (Col) No Love for Johnnie (Embassy) One, Two, Three (UA) Pocketful of Miracles (UA) Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, The (WB) Sail a Crooked Ship (Col) Second Time Around, The (20th-Fox) Sergeants 3 (UA) Summer and Smoke (Para) Tender Is the Night (20th-Fox) 3 Stooges Meet Hercules, The (Col) Twist Around the Clock (Col) View From the Bridge, A (Cont'l) Watch Your Stern (Magna) OBIue Ribbon Award Winner Journey to the Seventh Planet 152 Lost Battalion 96 COLUMBIA: 'Devil at Four O'clock, The 180 'Everything's Ducky 93 'Loss of Innocence 106 'Mr. Sardonicus Ill Mysterious Island 160 Sail a Crooked Ship 139 'Scream of Fear 106 3 Stooges Meet Hercules, The 132 'Trunk, The 93 Twist Around the Clock 154 'Valley of the Dragons 90 'Weekend With Lulu, A 126 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER: 'Bachelor in Paradise 176 'Bridge to the Sun 129 'Colossus of Rhodes 113 'Invasion Quartet 113 Light in the Piazza 163 Murder She Said 132 'Thunder of Drums, A 114 Wonders of Aladdin, The 102 PARAMOUNT: 'Blood and Roses 105 'Blue Hawaii 221 'Breakfast ot Tiffany's 213 Errand Boy, The 179 Hey, Let's Twist! 118 'Man-Trap 97 Siege of Syracuse 94 Summer and Smoke 141 Too Late Blues 116 20TH CENTURY-FOX: Bachelor Flat 138 'Comancheros, The 174 'Francis of Assisi 150 'Hustler, The 159 Madison Avenue 103 'Pirotes of Tortuga 91 'Purple Hills, The 92 Second Time Around, The 183 'Seven Women From Hell 112 Tender Is the Night 145 'Upstoirs and Downstairs Ill UNITED ARTISTS: 'Explosive Generation, The . 'Flight That Disappeared, The Happy Thieves, The One, Two, Three 'Paris Blues Pocketful of Miracles 'Season of Passion Sergeants 3 'Town Without Pity *X-1 5 'Young Doctors, The UNIVERSAL: 'Back Street '61 'Come September 250 Flower Drum Song 215 Lover Come Back 229 WARNER BROS.: 'Claudeile Inglisih Majvity of One, A 'Mask, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, The Singer Not the Song, The 'Splendor in the Gross 'Susan Slade 'World by Night MISCELLANEOUS: 'Ashes and Diamonds (Janus) 121 Babes in Toyland (BV) 213 'Call Me Genius (Cont'l) 112 'Day the Sky Exploded, The (Excelsior) 100 Doctor in Love (Governor) 158 Double Bunk (Showaarp) 143 'Flight of the Lost Balloon (Woolner Bros.).. 123 'Greyfriors Bobby (BV) 139 I Bombed Pearl Harbor (Parade Releasing Org.) 104 'Mark, The (Cont'l) 146 No Love for Johnnie (Embassy) 120 'Pure Hell of St. Trinian's, The (Cont'l) 133 'Purple Noon (Times) 157 Then There Were Three (Porade Releasing Org.) 92 View From the Bridge, A (Cont'l) 183 'Watch Your Stern (Magna) 138 105 124 107 149 92 184 162 120 105 95 1 1 1 180 163 168 96 265 125 92 145 12 BOXOFFICE :: March 19, 1962