Film Spectator (1927-1928)

THE FILM SPECTATOR August 6, 1927 Page Three STORY OF THE BOX-OFFICE By NORMAN WEBB EDITOR’S NOTE. — The percentages after the pictures listed below indicate amount of capacity business they have played to throughout the United States and Canada. As soon as possible the foreign returns will be included. In five or six instances, pictures are listed over 100%. This indicates that 'these pictures have broken house records all over the country and beaten the former house capacity business. Production costs have not been taken into consideration, as this does not particularly matter at the box office. For example, there is one production listed at 77%, The Lone Wolf Returns, that cost less than $45,000 to produce, while another production that cost over $700,000, The Greater Glory, has dropped as low as 72%. The pictures listed herewith include all feature releases for the past eighteen months that were of enough importance to get key-city runs and hold up fairly well. This naturally eliminates Westerns and second and third rate productions. The road shows are listed in order, according to the biggest grosses and length of run. When road shows are released generally, they are withdrawn from that list and placed on the percentage list. In the next Spectator will be published percentage columns showing the relative standing of supervisors, directors, writers, stars and featured players. PRODUCTIONS RELEASED SINCE JANUARY, 1926 1 Big Parade Koad Show 2 Ben Hur “ 3 Don Juan “ 4 What P’ce Glory “ 5 Beau Geste “ 6 King of Kings.. “ 7 Seventh Heaven “ 8 Old Ironsides. .. “ ■ 9 Wh’n Man Loves ** 10 Annie Laurie “ 11 Wings “ 12 Son of Sheik 111 13 The Freshman 110 14 Black Pirate 105 15 Flesh and the Devil....l05 16 We’re in Navy Now....l03 • 17 Kid Brother 102 18 Tell It to Marines 100 19 Merry Midow 100 20 Stella Dallas 100 21 It 99 22 La Boheme 96 23 For Heaven’s Sake 96 24 Night of Love 95 25 Camille 94 26 Behind the Front 94 27 Volga Boatman 93 28 Sea Beast 93 29 Bardeleys 92 30 The Better ’Ole 91 31 Temptress 91 32 Annie Roonie 91 33 Quarterback 91 34 Winning Barb. Worth 90 35 Dark Angel 90 36 Missing Link 90 37 Four Horsemen, reis 90 38 L. Windemere’s Fan.... 90 39 .Mr. Wu 89 40 Mare Nostrum 89 41 Fine Manners 88 42 Eagle 88 43 Kiki 87 44 McFadden’s Flats 87 45 Scarlet Letter 86 46 Chang 86 47 Sorrows of Satan 85 48 Metropolis 85 49 Unholy Three 85 50 Three Faces Blast 85 51 Three Bad Men 85 52 Valencia 85 53 Campus Flirt 85 54 Ace of Cads 85 55 Beloved Rogue 85 56 Irene 85 57 Resurrection 84 58 Cohns and Kellys 84 59 The Unknown 84 60 Casey at Bat.. 61 Men of Steel 62 Rough Riders 63 Hotel Imperial 64 Mantrap 65 The Midshipman 66 Torrent, The 84 84 83 83 83 82 82 67 His Secretary 82 68 Blonde or Brunette 82 69 Orchids and Ermine.. 82 70 Strong Man 82 71 Classified 82 72 Slide, Kelly Slide 81 73 Beverly of Graustark.. 81 74 Hold That Lion 81 75 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp 80 76 Duchess of Buffalo 80 77 Evening Clothes 80 78 Children of Divorce 80 79 Dancing Mothers 80 80 Gigolo 80 81 Upstage 80 82 Oh, What a Nurse 80 83 Kid Boots 80 84 Tin Gods 79 85 Bat 79 86 Show, The 79 87 Rough House Rosie 79 88 It Must Be Love 79 89 Twinkletoes 79 90 Gr. Duchess and Wtr. 78 91 Senorita 78 92 Tin Hats 78 93 Waning Sex 78 94 Knockout Reilly 78 95 Priv. Izzy Murphy 78 96 Stranded in Paris 78 97 Subway Sadie 78 98 Ella Cinders 78 99 Syncopating Sue 77 100 Affair of Follies 77 101 Taxi Dancer 77 102 Red Mill 77 103 Demi-Bride 77 104 Lone Wolf Returns 77 105 Faust 77 106 Popular Sin 77 107 Padlocked 77 108 Summer Bachelors 77 109 Wolf’s Clothing 77 110 Cradle Snatchers 76 111 Tillie, the Toiler 76 112 Sally. Irene and Mary 76 113 Paradise for Two 76 114 Third Degree 76 115 Rosie O’Grady 76 116 Say It Again 76 1 1 7 Kosher Kitty Kelly 76 118 Variety 76 119 Show-Off 76 120 His People 76 121 Loves of Sunya 75 122 New York 75 123 Sparrows 75 124 Let It Rain 75 125 Battling Butler 75 126 God Gave Me 20c 75 127 So This Is Paris 75 128 Sandy 75 129 Amateur Gentleman 75 131 Just Suppose 75 130 Forever After 75 132 Lost at the Front 75 133 Reckless Lady 74 134 Great Deception 74 135 Lovers 74 136 Rookies 74 137 Telephone Girl 74 138 Is Zat So? 74 139 Monte Cristo, re-issue 74 140 Captain Salvation 74 141 Michael Strogoffff 74 142 Getting Gertie’s Garter 74 143 Fig Leaves 74 144 Across the Pacific 74 145 You’d Be Surprised 74 146 Altars of Desire 74 147 Wet Paint 73 148 Flaming Forest 73 149 Social Celebrity 73 150 Canadian, The 73 151 Vanishing American 73 152 Let’s Get Married 73 153 One Minute to Play 73 154 Brown of Harvard 73 155 Jim, the Conqueror 73 156 Eagle of the Sea 73 157 L^nderst. Heart, The. .. 73 158 Blackbird, The 73 159 Nell Gwyn 73 160 Sea Tiger 73 161 Just Another Blonde.... 73 162 Mile. .Modiste 73 163 Venus of Venice 73 164 Tender Hour 72 165 Don Juan’s 3 Nights.. 72 166 Prince of Tempters.... 72 167 Into Her Kingdom 72 168 Three Hours 72 169 White Gold 72 170 Afraid to Love 72 171 Johnny. Get Hair Cut 72 172 Masked Bride 72 173 Don’t Tell the Wife ... 72 174 Aloma of South Seas.... 72 175 What Happ’d to Jones 72 176 Midnight Sun 72 177 Blonde Saint 71 178 White Black Sheep 71 179 Lady in Ermine 71 180 Wilderness Woman 71 131 Bluebeard’s 7 Wives.... 71 182 Cabaret 71 183 My Official Wife 71 184 Waltz Dream 71 185 Love ’Em, Leave ’Em.. 71 186 You Never Know Worn. 71 187 Mike 71 188 Frisco Sally Levy 70 189 Ankles Preferred 70 190 Wedding Bills 70 191 Return of P. Grim.... 70 192 Blind Alleys 70 193 Fast and Furious 70 194 Little Journey 70 195 Blind Goddess 70 196 Devil’s Circus 70 197 Cheerful Fraud 70 198 The General 70 199 Special Delivery 70 200 Ransom’s Folly 70 201 Infatuation 70 202 Long Pants 70 . It is especially interesting to note that practically all of the biggest box office successes have at least one big star name. Since Don Juan, Beau Geste and Annie Laurie are now being released generally throughout the country, they shortly will be withdrawn from the road show class and placed on the percentage list. Of all the road shows. Seventh Heaven is probably the most remarkable, for several reasons: First, because its production cost was not too high; second, because it has no big star names in the cast; and third, because it is building so rapidly at the box office. It is of special interest to note that Seventh Heaven is Frank Borzage’s first big success since The Lady, starring Norma Talmadge, which he directed four years ago for Joe Schenck. The trade shows of Seventh Heaven, in London, Paris and Berlin, have been so successful that this picture promises to duplicate its success abroad. On the other hand. Old Ironsides seems to be the biggest flop among the road shows. With its gigantic production cost and very short runs all over the country, it is no wonder that Jesse Lasky wants to cut salaries. This is the second road show flop from Paramount this season, the other being The Rough Riders. But since the latter’s production cost was only half of the former, it is not such a black eye to the Paramount organization. Beau Geste, which has held fifth among the road shows, is the real life-saver among the Paramount road shows. Although this production was filmed on the California desert, credit must go to the Famous Players’ Eastern studio, which sponsored the production, and especially to Walter Wanger, the originator; William Le Baron, the supervisor; Herbert Brenon, the director, and Paul Schofield, the scenarist. Evidently the Ben Schulberg regime at the Western studio is much more successful with program pictures than with road shows, and especially the series starring BeeryHatton, Clara Bow, Adolphe Menjou, and Bebe Daniels. <«]iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii[]iiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiimiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiii«:* [ Follow I I THE STORY | I of the I 1 BOX-OFHCE I i 5 I In Each Issue of The | I Film Spectator | i It will give you more ac 1 i curate, complete and enlight s 1 ening information on the in 0 S dustry than you can glean | 1 from all other screen publica s i tions combined. E »>iiMiiiiiic]iiiiiiiiiiii[]iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiitiiiiiiic>>