Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1929)

528 Motion Picture News "Street Girl" Leads Run Films; Garbo Holds Over, $81,659; "Fu Manchu" Pulls $38,700 Radio Special Clicks At The Globe; "^^ River Of Romance^' Only Fair; ''Irish Eyes'' And Del Rio Flops RADIO presented its first offering on Broadway last week at the Globe Theatre with the premiere of "Street Girl" which clicked and pulled the best first week's business of anything that has been screened at the house this year. The receipts were $16,172 on the first five days of the run and the business for the second week is holding to that pace. ■ In the regular grind houses Greta Garbo in a silent production "The Single Standard" copped easily at the Capitol where it got $81,659 and has been held over for a second week. The Paramount held "The Kiver Of Romance" which did only a fair business getting $69,100, while at the Eoxy "Lucky Star" which was held over for a second week drew $96,742 which gave it $229,056.75 on the two weeks. "Dr. Fu Manchu" at the Rialto in its second week came through with $38,700, but at the Rivoli there was a disappointment in the second week -of Dolores Del Rio in "Evangeline" which grossed only $21,700. This will be the final week for it. "Show Boat" finished its fifth week at the Colony with $6,172, while at the little Cameo "In Old Siberia" held over for a "second week doing $4,967. A surprise appeared in the manner in which "Noah's Ark" failed to hold up on its second week at the Strand^ where the business was only $25,173 on the second week. In the runs "Broadway Melody" for its twenty-fifth week at the Astor got $13,853.25. "On With The Shpw" at the Winter Garden $15,384 in its tenth week. "Four Feathers" at the Criterion held up fairly well with $10,900, while "Drag" at Warners in its final week did $11,672.50. "Smiling Irish Eyes" with Colleen Moore at the Central did a decided flop Fox Likely To Buy Into German, Dutch Firms By L. C. MOEN (Paris Correspondent, Motion Picture News) PARIS, August 1. — It is reported in (Jermany that William Fox may buy a heavy interest in Emelka, long established German producing firm, and in Kuchenmeister, the Holland firm which owns 65 per cent of the stock of Tobis. Fox bought some years ago a license for America under the patents now controlled by Tobis, for protection in case the courts decided they were anterior to the Fox-Case patents, which now appars likely. Gov't Questionaire On Blue Law Enforcement CINCINNATI, O., August 8.— Exhibitors in various sections of Ohio are considerably exercised over the fact that mayors of Akron, Hamilton and East Liverpool have received questionnaires from a government department at Washington seeking information regarding enforcement of blue laws. No information is given as to why the data is wanted. and its second week showed only $8,127. The new Jolson film, "Say It With Songs" came into Warners this week and looks to be a box office hit. 5 More Newspapers Added To Syndicate For New U Newsreel Five more newspapers have been signed on the Universal Newsreel contract, F. J. McConnell, short .subject sales manager for U, arranging negotiations while on a tour of several of the largest cities of the United States and Canada. This brings General Sales Manager Van Praag's list up to 44 dailies that have entered into an agreement Avith Uryverasl to produce a newspaper newsreel. The latest papers to enter the combination are "The Chicago Daily News," "The Milwaukee Journal," "The Cincinnati Times-Star," "The St. Louis PostDispatch," and "The Toronto Star." Also joining the U Newsreel combination is "The Chicago Daily News," which has had its own newsreel for four years. Columbia Adds New Members To Several Branch Offices Columbia recently added four neAv members to its sales forces at branch exchanges. Charles Johnston has increased the Buffalo office by one, Brooke Tillsworth and Mike Spanagel have been appointed ,to the Seattle exchange and Thomas B. Haynes is working with the Memphis branch. S. B. Feld, attached for a number of years to Columbia's Pittsburgh branch, has been transferred to Albany, N. Y. Universal Will Make Boles Film Based On French Anthem Plans to put into early production a story written around the life of Ronget de 1 'Isle, composer of "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem, is announced by Universal. It will be called "La Marseillaise" and will be a musical romance-drama. John Boles will be starred in the role of de risle. The production will be 100 per cent dialog, supplied by Watters. Charles Wakefield Cadman is writing the music. 'The Show Boat'' Steams Ahead With High L. A. Gross Forges In Front Despite Heat; ''Dynamite," "4 Feathers" Second; "Revue" Slips Hollywood, Aug. 8. — Universal 's ' ' Show Boat" steamed along on a graceful cruise along the Los Angeles movie row last week, its pace being many knots faster than any of its competitors. The Ferber-Ziegfeld show breasted a heat Avave which took its toll, but all houses, except one, managed to get over the normal business mark. The Chinese, where "The Hollywood Revue" has reigned supreme for the past six weeks, slipped in its seventh because of the warm spell. Both "Dynamite" and "The Four Feathers" showed more strength and were runners up to th« Laemmle special. "The Cocoanuts" and "Honky Tonk" showed the same strength as that exhibited by "The Hollywood Revue" in bucking the heat. "Twin Beds" was saved from a bad flop by the Fanehon and Marco pi'esentation and its takings were only normal. The grosses for the week are as follows : "Show Boat"— Criterion— $14,000 (140 %); "Dynamite" — Carthay Circle, second week, $15,500 (125%); "The Four Feathers"— ^United Artists, second Aveek, — $16,500 (12514); "The HollyAvood Revue"— Chinese, seventh week, $18,144 (115%); ' ' The Cocoanuts ' ' — Paramount — $28,500 (115%); "Honky Tonk"— Warners Hollywood, second Aveek, $16,500 (115%); "TAvin Beds" — Loew's State — $27,500 (100%). S. E. Abel Becomes New Sales Mgr. For RCA Photophone Inc. With the inauguration of a nationAvide expansion in RCA Photophone sales actiAdties, the appointment of Sydney E. Abel as general sales manager was announced this week by L. P. SaAvyer, commercial vicepresident of the company. Mr. Abel Avill direct operations from the main offices of Photophone at 411 Fifth Ave., Ncav York. Under Mr. Abel's direction, the recent re-organization of sales territories and the enlargement of sales staffs of all RCA Photophone branches Avill be coordinated into a country-Avide system Avhich Avill consider all classes of theatres, it is announced. Leo On Inspection Tour; Fox Obtains Bronx House A trip to Chicago and Mihvaukee to inspect all operations generally of the Fox MidAvesco Theatres is uoav being made by Joe Leo, president of Fox ]\Ietropolitan Playhouses, Inc., and vice-president of Fox Midwesco Uhoatres. He will look over the policies of the various houses in the circuit. The Park Plaza, Bronx neighborhood theatre, Avas officially taken oA'er by the Fox Metropolitan Playhouses, Inc., on August 1.