Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1935)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Youth" Gets Only Strong K. C. Gross "Call of Wild" Is Indianapolis High 14 "Hat" Still Frisco High In 2nd Week San Francisco, Sept. 24. — Even in its second week "Top Hat" was still the city's biggest box-office bet. It piled up $17,500, over normal by $3,000, at the Golden Gate. "Annapolis Farewell" and "Thunder in the Night" made an excellent showing with a take of $14,000 at the Paramount. This tops par by $2,500. "Anna Karenina" was a disappointment at $5,200 in the St. Francis, and "Call of the Wild" fell off to a weak $3,900 in its third week at the United Artists. Total first run business was $76,100. Average is $76,500. Estimated takings : Week Ending Sept. 17: "TOP HAT" (Radio) GOLDEN GATE— (2,850), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days, 2nd week. Stage, band. Gross: $17,500. (Average, $14,500) Week Ending Sept. 18: "SHE MARRIED HER BOSS" (CoV.) ORPHEUM— (2,440), 15c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $7,300. (Average, $6,800) "ANNAPOLIS FAREWELL" (Para.) "THUNDER IN THE NIGHT" (Fox) PARAMOUNT— (2,740), 25c-35c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $14,000. (Average, $11,500) Week Ending Sept. 19: "LITTLE BIG SHOT" (W. B.) "THE RUNAWAY QUEEN" (U. A.) FOX— (5,000), 10c-25c-35c, 7 days. Gross: $4,750. (Average, $6,000) "ANNA KARENINA" (M-G-M) ST. FRANCIS— (1,470), 15c-30c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $5,200. (Average, $7,000) "SPECIAL AGENT" (W. B.) WARFIELD— (2,680), 25c-35c-4Oc-50c, 7 days. Stage, band. Gross: $22,500. (Average, $21,000) Week Ending Sept. 20: "ROMANCE IN BUDAPEST" (Du World) (Three Days) "CAMILLE" (Du World) (Four Days) CLAY— (400), 25c-35c, 7 days. Gross: $950. (Average, $700) "CALL OF THE WILD" (U. A.) UNITED ARTISTS— (1,200), 15c-25c-35c40c-55c, 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $3,900. (Average, $9,000) "Hat" Leads in Detroit 3rd Week Detroit, Sept. 24. — With five strong attractions competing in an exceptional week, "Top Hat" still was the strongest individual draw in its third week at the Downtown. The $16,400 gross was over normal by $6,400. Total first run business was $84,300. Average is $67,500. Estimated takings for the week ending Sept. 19: "SHE" (Radio) "OLD MAN RHYTHM" (Radio) ADAMS— (1,770), 10c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $5,400. (Average, $5,000) "ALICE ADAMS" (Radio) FOX — (5,100), 15c-55c, 7 days. Stage, 5 acts vaude. Gross: $18,600. (Average, $15,000) "BRIGHT LIGHTS" (F. N.) MICHIGAN — (4,100), 15c-55c, 7 days. Stage, 5 acts vaude. Gross: $23,000. (Average, $20,000) "LITTLE BIG SHOT" (Warners) "DON'T BET ON BLONDES" (Warners) STATE— (3,000), 10c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $4-,400. (Average, $5,000) "THE DARK ANGEL" (U. A.) UNITED ARTISTS — (2,070), 15c-55c, 7 days. Gross: $14,300. (Average, $10,000) "LOVES OF A DICTATOR" (G. B.) LAFAYETTE— (1,200), 10c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $2,200. (Average, $2,500) "TOP HAT" (Radio) DOWNTOWN — (2,950) , 15c-55c, 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $16,400. (Average, $10,000. Kansas City, Sept. 24. — There was nothing spectacular about local grosses here during the past week. "Accent on Youth," at the Newman did $7,700. Total first run business was $37,500. Average is $37,000. Estimated takings : Week Ending Sept 19: "ACCENT ON YOUTH" (Para.) NEWMAN — (1,800), 25c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $7,700. (Average, $7,000) "CALL OF THE WILD" (U. A.) MIDLAND'— (4,000), 15c-25c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $11,700. (Average, $11,500) "TOP HAT" (Radio) MAINSTREET— (3,100), 25c-40c, 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $8,000. (Average, films only, $8,000) "THE GIRL FRIEND" (Col.) TOWER— (2,200), 25c, 7 days. Stage: Earl Lavere, Helen Ware, Harry Jordan, Ivy & Neecie Stevens, Prosper & Maret, Dorothy & Lewrella, Tower Adorables and Orchestra and Jack Carson. Gross: $6,400. (Average, $7,000) Week Ending Sept. 20: "STEAMBOAT 'ROUND THE BEND" (Fox) UPTOWN— (2,000), 25c-40c, 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $3,700. (Average, $3,500) Indianapolis, Sept. 24. — "Call of the Wild" ran away ahead of all the other first runs by chalking up $7,500 at Loew's. This is $3,000 over par. "Two for Tonight" was a betterthan-average draw on a take of $4,500 at the Circle. "Steamboat 'Round the Bend" held up to $4,000, par for a first week, in its third stanza at the Apollo. "Special Agent" took a par $7,000 at the Lyric. Total first run business was $23,000. Average is $19,500. Estimated takings for the week ending Sept. 21 : "STEAMBOAT 'ROUND THE BEND" (Fox) APOLLO— (1,100), 25c-40c, third week. Gross: $4,000. (Average, $4,000) "TWO FOR TONIGHT" (Para.) CIRCLE — (2,800) , 25c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $4,500. (Average, $4,000) "CALL OF THE WILD" (20th Century) LOEW'S — (3,000), 25c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $7,500. (Average, $4,500) "SPECIAL AGENT" (W. B.) LYRIC— (2,000), 25c-40c, 7 days. Vaudeville. Gross: $7,000. (Average, $7,000) Wednesday, September 25, 1935 "Hat" Garners $13,700, 3rd Capital Week Washington, Sept. 24. — "Top Hat" at RKO-Keith's for its third consecutive week topped the firstweek average by $2,900, taking $13,700 in the third stanza. Picture went into its fourth week. "Steamboat 'Round the Bend" at Loew's Palace took $16,900, or $1,000 over average, and went into its second week. Gross, while good, was not up to expectations. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" surprised by taking $6,400 at the Belasco, topping average by $4,200. The Belasco since its opening several weeks ago, has been gaining in popularity, so much so that the average here carried ($2,200) is probably below the true figure for the house. Return engagements also held up well : "Annapolis Farewell" at the Metropolitan, took $5,700 against an average of $4,300, and "China Seas" at Loew's Columbia grossed $4,100 against an average of $3,600. Other first run houses were below par. The Rialto closed Saturday night after a run of 13 days. A stage is to be built and the house reopened shortly. Total first run business was $82,200. Average is $79,200. Estimated takings, exclusive of tax : Week Ending Sept. 19: "BRIGHT LIGHTS" (F. N.) EARLE— (2,218), 25c-77c, 7 days. Stage: Salici Puppets; Foy, Tucker & Johnson Revue; Paul Sydell & Spotty; Radio Aces. Gross: $16,500. (Average, $18,400) "CHINA SEAS" (M-G-M) LOEW'S COLUMBIA— (1,264), 25c-40c, 7 days (return engagement, second week). Gross: $4,100. (Average, first week, $3,600) "REDHEADS ON PARADE" (Fox) LOEW'S FOX— (3,434), 25c-66c, 7 days. Stage: Al Trahan & Lady Yukona Cameron; Billy House & Co.; Futuristic Rhythms; Little Jackie Heller. Gross: $17,300. (Average, $20,900) "STEAMBOAT 'ROUND THE BEND" (Fox) LOEW'S PALACE— (2,370), 35c-77c, 7 days. Gross: $16,900. (Average, $15,900) "ANNAPOLIS FAREWELL" (Para.) METROPOLITAN — (1,591), 25c-40c, 7 days (return engagement). Gross: $5,700. (Average, first week, $4,300) Week Ending Sept. 20: "THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH" (G.B.) BELASCO — (1,140), 25c-65c, 7 days. Gross: $6,400. (Average, $2,200) Six Days Ending Sept. 21: "BREWSTER'S MILLIONS" (U.A) RIALTO— (1,864), 25c-55c, 6 days. Added: Giuseppe Creatore conducting Rialto Symphony Orchestra. Gross: $1,600. (Average, 7 days, $3,300) Week Ending Sept. 21: "TOP HAT" (Radio) RKO-KEITH'S— (1,836), 25c-55c, 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $13,700. (Average, first week, $10,600) Louis Nizer Back Home Louis Nizer, executive secretary of the New York Film Board of Trade and a partner in the firm of Phillips & Nizer, returned yesterday on the Normandie after a six-week trip to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lucerne, Switzerland. He spent three weeks in London handling legal matters for American and British clients. While in Lucerne, Nizer acted as one of the three American delegates to the World Jewish Congress which lasted a week. The other two delegates were Federal Judge Julian W. Mack and Rabbi Stephen Wise. MOTION PICTURE DAILY& HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "The Last Outpost" {Paramount) Hollywood, Sept. 24. — Although the story is unconvincing, beautiful photography and breath-taking scenery lend this picture merit. Cary Grant, a British officer, is saved from death by Claude Rains of the intelligence service in the Mesopotamian sector during the war. Convalescing in a base hospital, Grant falls in love with Gertrude Michaels, a nurse, who had married Rains three years before and had not seen him since. When Grant is reassigned to duty Rains follows to kill him, but is desterred when natives attack, making duty the first consideration. In the ensuing battle Rains is killed and Grant is left free to reunite with Miss Michael. Louis Gasnier and Charles Barton, who co-directed, have attempted to split the interest equally between the melodramatic incidents and the love story, succeeding best in the action sequences. Producer E. Lloyd Sheldon has injected much stock footage, some of which inconsistently confuses the locale of the action. Philip MacDonald wrote the screen play from a story by F. Britten Austin. The picture will please audiences that do not demand accuracy of detail Production Code Seal No. 1,021. Running time, 72 minutes. "G." Looking 'Em Over "Rip Roaring Riley" (Puritan Pictures) Routine material of the action sort, this independently-produced picture features Lloyd Hughes, Marion Burns and Grant Withers, while Eddie Gribbon supplies what passes for incidental comedy. In the weekend spot, for the youngsters, and adults who like excitement in their film fare, this should be found fairly satisfactory as the second half of a dual feature program. Hughes plays a Government agent of the rougher and tougher sort, who can handle any sort of assignment. He is told to "get" Withers, a former army officer who was thrown out of the service and who is working on a secret poison gas formula, with the aid of a professor, and posing as an army officer. Hughes goes to work and the result is fast and real action until he cleans up the case, calling on an American battleship to save the day on the experimental island. His budding romance with Miss Burns, the professor's daughter, ends as expected. Production Code Seal No. 787. Running time, 60 minutes. "G." (Reviews continued on next page)