Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

ESTIMATED 35% DROP IN GROSS SEEN INDUCING HOT WEATHER SHUTDOWNS BEYOND NORMAL Key Center First-Runs Also Place Blame on Product Shortage New York — Acceleration of summer closings past the normal seasonal rate is indicated as reports from the field reveal considerable pessimism over business coupled with the unusually hot weather that characterized this spring. In key centers where first-runs are shuttering for the first time in their history, the blame is placed on shortage of product as well as a general slump in business which some distributors estimate is as high as 35 per cent. Customary darkenings are current in many of the subsequent spots all over the country. None of the affiliated circuits reports anything but seasonal closings. Loew’s out-of-town houses rarely go beyond the closing of the Lyric, Bridgeport, Conn. Such is the case this year. With virtually but one unit in a town, the circuit setup is such that summer closings are few and far between, a spokesman declares. All theatres in the metropolitan area with the exception of the Hollywood, Manhattan, remain open during the summer, he adds. A corresponding situation exists at National Theatres. Units which lack cooling systems, and unimportant runs, are shuttered. The usual practice is to close from 10 to 15 houses, none of which figures prominently in this circuit’s operations. More Independents Close Closings among Paramount theatres are strictly a local problem and decided by respective operators, an executive states. At present, trend information on affiliated theatres is meagre. The Strand in downtown Brooklyn, operated by Si Fabian in a three-way pool with Paramount and Warner, recently closed for the first time in its history. The Warner circuit, reports one spokesman, will have no closings for the summer. RKO has closed eight, two in the Greater New York area, which is average for this circuit. The houses are the Alden, Jamaica; Central, Yonkers; Strand, Syracuse; Trent, Trenton; Albee, Providence; Majestic, Columbus; Orpheum, Kansas City, and the Orpheum, Champagne, 111. Local padlocking by the independents shows a slight increase over last year. Over 35 have been shut down for the season. This was slightly unusual for late June. Closing of W. A. Steffes’ highly successful World in downtown Minneapolis may usher in a succession of such closings, according to present indications. Lack of suitable product is given as the reason. The Minnesota Amusement Co. may be Six List 16 Reissues For Summer Season New York — Six major companies have designated a total of 16 features for summer reissues. Paramount and Warner have not listed any as yet. M-G-M has “San Francisco,” “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “The Champ” and “Rose Marie.” RKO lists “Of Human Bondage,” “The Lost Squadron,” “Lost Patrol” and “Star at Midnight.” United Artists is reissuing “The Hurricane,” “Elephant Boy” and “A Star Is Born.” Columbia has “The Awful Truth” and “Lost Horizon.” For the late summer, Universal has scheduled “My Man Godfrey” and “The Old Dark House.” Twentieth Century-Fox is re-selling “Cavalcade” in selected situations. forced to close two of its loop houses shortly unless a better run of product becomes available. Another likely to go dark in Minneapolis is the Palace, a de luxe subsequent run seating 1,900. It discontinued week-end vaudeville two weeks ago. I In the northwest as a whole there have been more summer closings than at any corresponding time in recent years. Exhibitors complain business now is the worst in more than five years. The Tower, Kansas City, has closed after five years of operation. It is a Fox Midwest unit. Fanchon and Marco is planning to close one or more of its St. Louis houses. The Great Lakes circuit of Chicago has New York — What the RKO Radio players are down for on the 1939-40 production schedule as currently annomiced is shown in the following breakdown: John Archer — “Distant Fields.” Lucille Ball — “Cross Country Romance.” Bobby Breen — Star in two untitled. Bob Burns — “Allegheny Frontier.” Joseph Calleia — Featured ip “Full Confession.” Richard Dix — Star in “Marines in the Air” and “Reno.” Sally Eilers — Featured in “Full Confession.” Edward Ellis — Star in “Three Sons” and “Village Scandal.” Janies Ellison — “Cross Country Romance.” Cary Grant — Star in “Passport to Life.” Sir Cedric Hardwicke — “Allegheny Frontier.” Theatre Building Seems Unaffected; South Is Seen Setting Pace darkened four downstate houses, the Fox, Aurora; Rex, Chicago Heights; Rialto, Waukegan, and Palace, Peoria. The Schoenstadt circuit of Chicago is closing four and the Panorama, Chicago, already is off the exchanges’ books. In upstate New York, Myer and Louis Schine closed the Palace, Watertown; Pontiac, Ogdensburg; Regent, Amsterdam. The Palace only operated weekends. The Strand, Watertown; Hippodrome, Little Falls; Lansing, North Troy and Adirondack, Speculator, are the other upstate houses to close. The Cataract, Niagara Falls, has closed for six weeks. It is operated by Charles Hayman under a first run policy. Sidney Dwore has curtained the Palace, Schenectady, for the summer. On the brighter side, are undiminishing reports of theatre construction in a number of territories. The south has been particularly active as are a number of other sectors. Remodeling continues unabated and with a great deal of vigor. Also the influx of tourists to the lake regions of Wisconsin and the coast resorts of New England as far up as Portland, Me., has been the signal for the reopening of theatres catering to summer visitors. Also the shore and mountain resorts, which usually enjoy from ten weeks to three months vacation patronage. Jean Hersholt — Star in series of three, first being “Meet Dr. Christian.” Tim Holt — Star in “Sunset.” Leslie Howard — Star in “The Man Who Lost Himself.” Guy Kibbee — Star in series of three based on C. Budington Kelland’s “Scattergood Baines.” Charles Laughton — Star in “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Laurel and Hardy — Star in “The Plying Deuces.” Carole Lombard — Star in “Vigil in the Night.” Victor McLaglen — Star in “Full Confession.” Raymond Massey — Star in “Abe Lincoln in Illinois.” Anna Neagle — Star in “Nurse Edith Cavell.” (Continued on page 14) Who They Are, What They’ll Do at RKO for Next Season BOXOFFICE :: July 8, 1939 5