20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 3, 1940)

2 NEW DYNAMO ‘LITTLE OLD NEW YORK’ IS A RECORD-SMASHING KNOCKOUT Thousands Storm Miami Promiero louse-At $2.20 Opening, Zanuck Special Greeted With Deafening Applause And Cheers From Ca pacity Crowd ‘A 201!! CENTURY-FOX YEAR’, SHOUTS CRITIC By ROGER FERRI MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—It’s unquestionably three straight box office sensations for Darryl Zanuck and this company! . , , . , . Following at the heels of “The Blue Bird” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” this company made history for the third time in two weeks when “Little Old New York” smashed every record the Lincoln theatre here has known. Scaled at $2.20 top, the world premiere of “Little Old New York” Wednesday night compared with the most glamorous and greatest openings any picture has enjoved in Hollywood, on Broadway or on any Main Street. . “Little Old New York” had to come to Miami Beach for its world premiere, because the New York ot today moved here. Everybody who is anybody on Broadway is down here—plus a huge galaxy of screen, stage, radio and night-club stars, plus heads of seven motion picture companies —and just everyday ticket-buyers. So great was the advance interest in “Little Old New Yes, This Happened At Brilliant Miami Opening! i York” that the Lincoln could have easily made use of at least 2,000 more seats. At $2.20 per ticket, it was a sellout! Thursday—first day of the regular engage- ment — found the Lincoln theatre jammed from first to last show. It outdrew every opposition three to one. And that gives the reader a definite idea of the reac- tion of that brilliant first- night audience, and of the superlatives with which the two local newspaper critics received “Little Old New York.” There was no denying the fact that “Little Old New York” was an even greater entertainment vehicle than the movie-wise first-night audience had been led to expect. A deafening, four-minute applause enlivened further by cheers from the most distinguished audience ever assembled here marked the completion of the picture. It would be impossible for any motion picture to get a greater or more sincere ova- tion than that accorded “Little Old New York” at the Lincoln. This world premiere au- dience was, perhaps, far more representative of every type of theatregoer than any that has attended any opening on Broadway or in Hollywood. Industry leaders unhesitatingly pre- dicted “Little Old New York” would, uncondition- ally, be one of this season’s top grossers. Performers, like the crit- ics and ticket-buyers, mar- velled at the performances of Alice Faye, Richard Greene, Fred MacMurray, Brenda Joyce, Andy Devine, Henry Stephenson and the others. Sales experts like Warner Brothers’ Maj. Albert War- ner, M-G-M’s Bill Rogers, our own Harry Ballance, Paul Wilson and I. J. Sch- mertz predicted big rentals. And shrewd box office ex- perts like Canada’s N. L. Na- thanson, Louis Schine, Sam Pinanski, Abe Schwartz, Harry Brandt and others of national note agreed that “Little Old New York,” as Mr. Schine put it, is “just what this business needs today.” Sidney Meyer, head of Wometco, which operates the Lincoln, wired Messrs. Kent, Zanuck and Wobber. To Mr. Zanuck he wired: “Tonight’s ovation by an audience that dug up $2 per ticket to see ‘Little Old New York’ tells the story. This is a sensational box office bet and will do sensational business in every city and town. Congratulations on another smash hit.” To Mr. Wobber, he dis- patched this wire: “ ‘Lit- tle Old New York’ opened to record breaking business I and I am positive will con- tinue that way. Thanks for enabling us to be the first to present this production. It’s got everything to fill the bill and I list it among the real, big, down-to-earth naturals. Congratulations, too, to Henry King who has be- come the exhibitors’ old re- liable.” To Mr. Kent, the Miami showman telegraphed: “‘Little Old New York’ tonight exceeded our most generous expectations. We start off with a record. Everything about it merits praise, but its box office strength and ability to thrill an audience, once it draws it, constitute its greatest asset. I know you’ve got a Technicolor knockout in ‘The Blue Bird’ and the most sensational picture ever made in ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ but my congratula- tions on 20th Century-Fox’s third straight achieve- ment.” Eddie Cohen of the Mi- ami Daily News summed up the industry’s angle when he said: "What with ‘The Blue Bird,’ ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and now ‘Little Old New York’ one takes no chance in predicting that 1940 is a 20th Century-Fox year. I have in mind not only the remarkable ovation ‘Little Old New York’ re- ceived here, but the pros- pect of getting from Darryl Zanuck pictures like ‘Lillian Russell’ and others.” Canada’s Nathanson Continued on Page 6