Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

THEATRE ADMISSIONS INCREASE FOR HFTH CONSECOTIVE YEAR, CANADIAN STUDY SHOWS Receipts Keep Pace With Climb; More Circuit Houses Appear Ottawa — The annual official survey of the theatre business in Canada by the Dominion Government shows an increase in receipts and admissions for the fifth consecutive year. Patrons to moving picture shows during 1938 paid a total of $33,635,052 for admissions, exclusive of amusement taxes, this being the greatest sum since 1931 and an increase of 3.5 per cent over 1937. In spite of early predictions of decreased attendance, the report points out that 137,976,052 persons attended the programs offered by theatre owners, compared with 134,374,061 in 1937. An extensive advertising campaign. Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment, conducted late in 1938 was at least partly responsible for this 2.7 per cent increase in attendance and the 3.5 per cent increase in revenue during a period when expenditures for most goods and services were undergoing moderate curtailment, it is stated. The average admission continued to rise slightly to 24.4 cents in 1938, compared with 24.2 cents in 1937 and 23.2 cents in 1936. 86 Theatres Added The number of theatres increased by 8C to 1,133 and the increase in theatres was greatest in Manitoba and Alberta, two of the western wheat provinces, where there was a demand for permanent projection installations. Employment in theatres increased slightly with a total of 6,229 males and 2,075 females on the payrolls, including members of exhibitors’ families. The total payroll was $6,058,400, this representing 18 per cent of the year’s aggregate boxoffice receipts. Admission figures for the respective provinces showed the largest increases in Manitoba and Alberta where economic conditions were improved because of the better sale of wheat and other primary products. Alberta reported a gain of 5.8 per cent in admissions while Manitoba showed an increase of 3.8 per cent. Gains in other provinces were reported as follows; Ontario, 3.7 per cent; British Columbia, 2.9; New Brunswick, 2.5; Nova Scotia, 2.4, and Saskatchewan, .7 per cent. Quebec and Prince Edward Island were stationary. Total seating capacity of Canadian theatres was slightly higher at 640,366, or one seat for every 18 persons in the country. On the average 28 per cent of these seats were occupied at every performance. Amateur stage performances increased in popularity during the year when 126 theatres had a total of 1,522 presentation:: compared with 108 theatres and 1,104 amateur performances in 1937. Professional vaudeville showed a drop, however, with only 99 theatres providing 3,171 play ing dates, compared with 141 theatres and 4,389 engagements for the preceding year. Stock companies and stage roadshows played a total of 426 days in 55 theatres. The government report points out that the percentage of independent theatres decreased slightly while the circuit houses increased by 4 per cent. Exactly one-half of all theatres in the Dominion were shown to be independently owned and these accounted for 26.6 per cent of total receipts and 30 per cent of admissions. Theatre groups of four or more units represented 36.1 per cent of the total number of houses, secured 64 per cent of the boxoffice revenue and 58.9 per cent of the total attendance. Based on the population of Canada, the average expenditure per person for moving picture entertainment for the year was $3.02, which was the highest since 1931 when the average was $3.28, the alltime peak being recorded in the previous year of 1930 at $3.77. The country’s aver age for 1937 was $2.93 and in 1936 it was $2.70. British Columbia, on the Pacific Coast, continued to show the highest per capita expenditure at $4.81 while Ontario, with a much larger population, averaged $4.07. Manitoba was next with $3.20 and Alberta followed with $2.53. Other provinces were as follows: Nova Q.ENERAL MANAGER PERRY of Empire Universal is expected to arrive here this week, when a decision will probably be made as to the headquarters of Frank Vaughan who was recently appointed western manager; this, in turn, will decide the necessity of a district manager for the Vancouver office. The Film Exchange employes have settled upon Decemher 15, midnight, as the date for their annual supper-dance, which will be held at the Commodore Cabaret. Under a plan of giving its theatre managers some variance in experience, the Famous Players district management has assigned P. A. Tucker of the Broadway to the Capitol at Kamloops, B. C., brought E. C. Lackey in from Kamloops to the Victoria here, and shifted E. L. Zetterman from the latter to the Broadway. J. R. Muir, F-P executive, has been confined to his home but is steadily recovering from his illness and will soon be receiving his friends. A “stag” was held at the home of H. G. Copley, Grandview Theatre manager, to speed P. A. Tucker on his way to his new charge in Kamloops. Rorman Duncan, Strand Theatre, scored a hit with a short film of the Morris & Essex Dog Show, an annual event at Madison, N. J. with an attendance of 65,000 Scotia, $2.47; Quebec, $2.17; New Brunswick, $1.95; Saskatchewan, $1.45, and Prince Edward Island, $1.20. Aggregate receipts in Ontario for 1938 showed an increase of 5.2 per cent, wi New Brunswick next with 4.9 per cent and Alberta third with 4.2 per cent, next in sequence being Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Brtish Columbia, percentage revenue decreases being registered in Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island. Among the cities, St. John, Ottawa, Hamilton, London and Toronto showed substantial boxoffice gains. With the average admission price remaining practically constant, receipts in a number of cities showed decreases, these being Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Windsor, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Calgary and Vancouver. The report declares that this decrease in urban revenue in the face of provincial increases is due to the addition of theatres and theatre-goers in rural areas. The admission price average wa: highest at 27.5 cents in Prince Edward Island where a decrease in total receip: was noted. The average of admissions in Alberta was 25.6 cents and in Ontario. 25.5; Saskatchewan, 24.7; Quebec and Nova Scotia, 23.3; British Columbia, 23.1; Manitoba, 22.7, and New Brunswick, 22.4, the country’s average being 24.4 cents. this year. A Vancouver man, W. H. Pym, was judge, and 'Norman played this card to the limit by having him give an address from the stage to a large number of dog fanciers loho had been contacted by personal letters: 42 members of the Vancouver Kennel Club arrived in a body. Herbert Wolse is said to be coming here to assume the management of the GN office in place of L. A. Allen who is leaving to take up the practice of law. A small luncheon party (Dutch) was attended by executives and theatre managers of F-P in the large dining room of The Hudson Bay last Thursday. Stan Kennedy opened his remodeled theatre, the Cadet, at Esquimalt, B. C., to gocd audiences . . . Ken McRea, Kerrisdale Theatre, has inaugurated a special Saturday afternoon quiz on the previous preview, plus community singing which is broadcast over a local station. Mrs. Fletcher, Paramount Film Service accountant, has been granted extended leave of absence on accoimt of ill health . . . J . E . Gordon, Haney Theatre, Port Haney, has returned from an extended visit to Saskatchewan. E. W. Bickle, Bickle Tlreatre, Courtney, B. C., has augumented his regular Friday screening with a stage show which is put on largely by local talent, accompanied by the town dance-band. BOXOFFICE November 18, 1939 K 73