Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1940)

LONG-ANTICIPATED DRIVE FOR ADMISSION HIKE ON BIG PICTURES LADNCHED BY DISTRIBDTORS "Boom Town" Is Lead-off Film; Other "Feelers" Are Being Readied New York— The race for increased admissions on “big” pictures is on in earnest. It started, but faltered, with “All This, and Heaven Too.” It is on again, stronger than ever, with “Boom Town.” Sure starters within the next few weeks are “Arizona,” “The Thief of Bagdad,” “Brigham Young” and “The Great Dictator.” While the momentum of new entrants may take on unexpected proportions, the idea will not come as a surprise to any one, much less the exhibitor. He has been forewarned that sales executives were on the lookout for a stop-gap to European losses and they figure this is it. But the exhibitor has no cause for alarm, if M-G-M’s experiences with “Boom Town” are any criterion. Dates Termed Profitable The film, which has been sold on regular contracts at 40 per cent, is said to be returning those operators who booked it in the first 18 test engagements anywhere from 30 to 50 per cent over the best previous grosses on any M-G-M picture for the past few years. With anywhere from $500 to $3,000 increase in business in a week the 60 per cent enjoyed by the exhibitor looks like, and is, real money. Likewise, the distributor’s 40 per cent cut entitles him to well over what would have been his share under a regular boxoffice scale. It is this attraction that is tempting most majors to get into the race. They have begun to extend “feelers” to the trade and so far have not caused their positions to change. Independent exhibitor spokesmen here say they are amenable to higher scales if distributors back up the experiment with well-prepared advance publicity, but in the next breath assail the purported thought of some distributors to “force” certain films into the extended price field. More Bookings Set The efficacy of the experiment with “Boom Town” is immediately seen in the decision of Loew’s to book it into 25 outof-town theatres between August 30 and September 8. Scales will be increased, as in the test engagements, 25 per cent for matinees and 33 1/3 per cent at night. The hike is automatic above normal increased weekend scales. While M-G-M is not demanding that exhibitors increase prices, William F. Rodgers, general sales manager, states theatremen will be asked to do so. He pointed out that in nine engagements, business for the first few days on “Boom Town” totaled $105,300 as compared with figures for the identical days in the same houses of $79,655 for “Test Pilot,” $77,521 for “San In Los Angeles: Los Angeles — Amount of business done by M-G-M’s “Boom Town” in the first four days of its firstrun bookings here indicates the public, in this territory at least, will pay advanced prices for what they consider superior film entertainment. The film opened day-date and singlebilled at Grauman’s Chinese and Loew’s State theatres, August 8, to a combined take of $8,010, an estimated $2,500 more than the previous high grosser, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” also single-billed. An approximate $6,500 for August 9, plus a $17,972 weekend brought the total gross in the two houses to $32,482 for the initial four days. This is higher by some $2,000 than the average gross for an entire week in the two houses for a dual program. Thus far the picture has topped “Test Pilot,” “New Moon,” “Babes in Ai’ms,” “Jesse James” and other high grossers in addition to “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” according to Pox West Coast executives, who estimated the amount of business, in dollars and cents, to be about 200 per cent of average. Taking into consideration a price increase of about 35 per cent, this means the Francisco,” $75,451 for “Boys Town,” $69,235 for “Babes in Arms,” and $66,701 for “Northwest Passage.” Rodgers adds, “We are submitting the results to exhibitors and asking them to raise their prices proportionately. The response of circuit buyers and independents to date makes it apparent that the policy will be adopted nationally on its merits.” And in “Dog Days" The interesting part of the “Boom Town” test runs is the fact the film is playing during mid-summer, while the two previous high grossers which the film is topping in each engagement — “Boys Town” and “Babes in Arms” — were in general release in September and October of their respective years. Williamsport, Pa., reports the biggest opening day with the exception of “Gone With the Wind.” In Los Angeles, where the Chinese and State play it day and date, the opening week was 90 per cent over previous high grossers from M-G-M. A distributor spokesman declares the most significant fact attending the film’s performances is that the number of paid admissions has increased in every test run engagement with the exception of two. This, of course, means the “dollars and cents are taking care of themselves.” Protests from the public over the price hike are scattered and minor, M-G-M says. Drive Yields $716,104 Toronto — The “Win the War” campaign, sponsored by the Canadian industry, yielded $716,104, a final report reveals. In New Orleans: New Orleans — “Boom Town’s” southern premiere proved a big success at Loew’s State. A slight advance in admissions instead of roadshow prices, marked the present performance. Daylight prices have been advanced to 31 cents instead of 29 cents; the evening prices have advanced to 52 cents instead of 46 cents. As early as 10:00 o’clock on the morning of the opening date, August 9, patrons began to line up. The matinees were crowded, and for the evening performance patrons stood in line, after they secured their tickets, waiting for vacant seats. The second and third days, Saturday and Sunday, brought even larger crowds to the matinee performances while the night shows were on a par with the opening date. film has probably showed to about 50 per cent more patrons than have normal, runof-the-mill dualers in the two houses. Opening day’s take was spurred by a “breakfast matinee” at 7 a. m. at Loew’s State, at which coffee and doughnuts were served early patrons. Prices jumped from 30 to 40 cents before noon; from 40 to 55 cents until 6 p. m.; and from 55 to 75 cents through the evening. To Line Up Plaints Aimed at Decree New York — At the behest of Max Cohen, president of Allied of New York, Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president, has issued a call for a meeting of his executive committee in about a week to line up independent exhibitor objections to the proposed consent decree in the government suit. It is planned to inform the government lawyers that such independents will not accept conditions they think onerous. Number one objection is said to be the plan to sell product in blocks of five. The meeting will be either in Washington or New York, the place and exact date to be selected later. Columbia in Three-Year Deal With Music Hall New York — Columbia is set with the Music Hall on a three-year deal providing for a minimum of 16 weeks a year playing time. The contract, similar to one which expired with the current season’s product, is awaiting the return of W. G. Van Schmus, managing director of the Music Hall, for signature. BOXOFFICE :: August 17, 1940 5