Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1927)

1898 .1/ o t i o n P i c t it r c N c w s Key City Reports New York City EVEN with good weather prevailing and a few extra thousands of folks swarming through the street to take a peep at the new Ford car, last week, failed to register anything more than a mediocre showing for Broadway houses when receipts were counted up at the close of Dec. 2. Whether the Ford car helped or hurt last Friday is hard to state. The dailies estimated a million sightseers for this attraction throughout the Metropolitan district. Xmas shopping evidently was the big opposition although some of the houses turned in a very fair week. The Paramount helped things along a bit with "Anniversary Week" and did a nice trade with 'Spotlight" (Par.) and the accompanying Publix show. Another good attraction was 'Love" (M-G-M) at the Embassy. Gilbert and Garbo are strong draws in this town. The Capitol had 'The Thirteenth Hour" (M-G-M), a Lionel Barrymore picture, and played to only fair business, while the Roxy also felt the slump with "The Wizard" (Fox) although the latter picture started off well on the previous week-end. A report has circulated around the trade that there is to be some cutting done on the added attractions at both these theatres but it is not in evidence in either at present. The Roxy, if anything, is elaborating on everything but the length of time given the feature picture. The Strand did nothing to shout about with "The Wreck of the Hesperus" (Pathe-DeMille). Alois Reiser will take up the baton which Nat Shilkret will drop at the end of the current week at this house. 'Silk Stockings" (U) wasn't strong enough fare to keep up the Colony's head and neither was "Sunrise" (Fox) at the Times Square. The latter is just biding its time, probably on account of the lease. Other higher priced shows, 'Wings" (Par.), 'The Jazz Singer" (W. B.) and "Douglas Fairbanks as the Gaucho" (U. A.), are still accounting for excellent business. As previously stated, "Chicago" will follow "The King of Kings" at the Gaiety the latter part of this month. "Helen of Troy" will replace "The Patent Leather Kid" at the Globe this week. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (U) continues at the Central at a fair pace. At the U. A.sister houses, the Rivoli and Rialto, "Sorrell and Son" at the former is still doing an excellent business and there were no tears shed at the trade gathered in by the latter with 'The Rough Riders" (Par.) Neighborhood theatres also experienced a drop in trade on account of the Xmas shopping season. Chicago SATURDAY and Sunday business once again proved a life saver for the majority of Chicago theatres, business during the week being far from satisfactory. The Chicago Theatre had an average week with "Man, Woman and Sin" as its screen feature and Spitalny's "Herbertiana" and Jules Buffano's stage orchestra rounding out the bill. "Ben Hur" continued to bring fair business to McVickers and the Roosevelt had another good week with "Underworld." Other hold overs included "Seventh Heaven" at the Monroe, which is still going strong and the road show "Wings" at the Erlanger, which again enjoyed good attendance. "Ginsberg the Great" and Vitaphone were the Orpheum's attractions and accounted for average business. The Oriental had a big week with the popular Sophie Tucker as its stage headliner and "The Rose of the Golden West" on the screen. "The Jazz Singer" opened its road show at the Garrick and got away to good business, newspaper criticism being particularly favorable. The Avalon offered "The Garden of Allah" as its screen attraction and Buddy Fisher and his band held the stage, normal business being done. "The Girl from Chicago" was the Ciptol's screen offering, Fisk O'Hara and Vitaphone affording good entertainment which drew well. Fair business was done at the Tivoli with "American Beauty" as its screen attraction and a lively stage show. On the northside the Uptown featured "The Garden of Allah," with Benny Kreuger and his band heading the stage show, the bill accounting for average attendance. The Granada offered a bill including "Very Confidential" on the screen, Benny Neroff and his band and Vitaphone and recorded a satisfactory box office statement for the week. The Marbro offered the same feature with Charles Kaley's band and other features on the stage, business being fair. Kansas City A TEMPERATURE far below freezing and a good lineup of pictures were productive of a good week's business at virtually all first run theatres of Kansas City this week. At Loew's Midland "The Thirteenth Hour" played to good crowds all week, the matinee business being stronger than usual, which might have been due to Christmas shopping crowds. At the Newman "The Big Parade," in a return engagement, held up well for a second week's showing. "Seventh Heaven" at the Pantages did a much bigger business that any previous picture in several weeks. "Man Crazy" at the Mainstreet was slightly above normal also. At the Royal, "Nevada" drew good crowds, which were better than previous pictures have drawn recently, but still below the standard of former Royal crowds prior to the opening of Loew's Midland, which greatly reduced the Royal's attendance. Clara Bow in "My Lady of Whims" played a second week at the Liberty to good crowds, while "The Tigress" at the Capitol also drew well. Boston TREMONT TEMPLE'S return to the motion picture house ranks was inaugurated last week with the showing of "The Lost Battalion," which comes for an indefinite stay. Coincident with the showing of the film is the personal appearance of Private Kotoshinsky, the hero of the battalion. The film is drawing such large audiences that the original plan of two shows daily has been changed to one of continuous performances from 1.30 to 10.30 daily. Returns from practically all of the box offices of the picture theatres this week have been highly satisfactory. The large attendances of the previous week have been maintained everywhere. "Two Arabian Knights," has been the big picture of the week. Boston likes feature comedy and after a long stretch of dramas and spectacular films as well as numerous Westerns, Loew's State showing of a feature comedy has been welcomed. "Two Arabian Knights" has grossed better than any film for months. "Get Your Man" is the Metropolitan's contribution and is also being welcomed as a feature comedy, playing to the largest audiences of the season. "Steppin' High" is the accompanying presentation. Although "A Gentleman from Paris" first made its appearance in Boston at the Metropolitan months ago, and has since been making the rounds, it continues to head the down-town bill of one theatre playing to good business. This is at the Fenway Theatre. "Honeymoon Hate" is drawing good crov/ds to the Keith-Albee Boston all week. "Seventh Heaven" is the feature at Loew's Orpheum, drawing unusually well for this season. "One Round Hogan" and "Ladies Must Dress" are the double features at the twin houses, Modern and Beacon, with box office returns well above the average. Others of the week's successful films are "Figures Don't Lie" at the Washington Street Olympia, "The College Hero," which has been shown several times in Boston in recent weeks, and "The Crystal Cup" at the Lancaster; "The Fighting Eagle" and "Lightning" at the Exeter with "The Fighting Eagle" and "Clancy's Kosher Wedding" at the University. Next week five Boston down-town theatres will show simultaneously Beery and Hatton's "Now We're In the Air." They are the Scollay Square and Washington Street Olympia, Capitol, Central Square and Fenway Theatres. Atlanta THREE days of continuous rain brought a decided slump in Atlanta theatre box offices last week. To the Howard goes the banner, borne by Clara Bow in "Get Your Man." Also, an unusually good stage unit added a bit of drawing power. Down the street the Metropolitan also played Clara Bow in "My Lady of Whims," but got only a fair house. Conrad Veidt brought a good week, all things considered, for the Capitol in "A Man's Past." Loew's Grand with 'In Old Kentucky," had fair houses throughout the week. Keith's Georgia claims a little over the average week playing "The Harvester," screen adaptation of Gene Stratton-Porter's novel. "The Last Waltz" and "The Main Event" failed to draw a very good house for the Rialto. The Tudor divided an average week bstween "Old Code," "Breed of Courage," and "Wild Horse Canyon." Four second runs and "One Increasing Purpose," first showing, proved popular at the New Alamo. Philadelphia jfffl PRING FEVER," starring William jfffl Haines, had a big week at the Stanley Theatre. Much credit, however, is due to the added attraction, Waring's Pennsylvanians, which has always been a big drawing card in Philadelphia. The Stanton swerved a bit from its usual policy in introducing "Underworld," which during its first week played to very satisfactory business. The Karlton, with "Body and Soul," featuring Aileen Pringle. Norman Kerry and Lionel Barrymore, had a fairly good week. "Wings," which opened at the Aldine on December 3rd, has been playing to capacity business. The picture was given a splendid send off in the newspapers and will probably have an extended run. "The Last Waltz" at the Arcadia had very mediocre patronage. This type of picture does not seem to do well in this spot. The Fox Theatre offered a special anniversary program with the Fox picture "Ladies Must Dress" as the cinema feature.