Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

jhursday, July 28. 1938 MOTION PICTURE DAILY f Algiers" Is Los Angeles' High Grosser s Angeles, July 27. — "Algiers" the big noise of the week downIt grossed $7,454 at the 900Star where $3,250 is normal, eff" and "Port of Seven nto the profit columns of Chinese and" Loew's State. $13,009 at the former and at the latter. "Cowboy from . ooklyn" and "Penrod's Double ifrouble" also drew well at Warlers Hollywood and Downtown — $14,400 and $15,700, respectively. Total first run business was $105,223. Average is $100,950. Estimated takings for the week .aiding July 27: "MARIE ANTOINETTE" (M-G-M) CARTHAY CIRCLE— (1,518). 50c-$1.50. 7 (lavs, 3rd week. Gross: $10,300. (Averse, $10,000) "LORD JEFF" (M-G-M) "PORT OF 7 SEAS" (M-G-M) CHINESE — (2.500) , 30c-75c, 7 days. Gross: $13,009. (Average, $12,500) 'MOONLIGHT SONATA" (Pall Mall-U.A.) ESQUIRE— (900), 40c-55c, 7 days, 5th •week. Gross: $1,200. (Average, $2,500) "ALGIERS" (U. A) * 4 STAR — (900), 40c-55c, 7 days, 2nd ■week. Gross: $7,454. (Average, $3,250) "THE YELLOW COLT" (3 days) "DAWN OVER IRELAND" (Wm. Alexander) (4 days) GRAND — (750), 35c-40c. 7 days. Gross: SI .000. (Average, $1,200) "SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS" (RKO) H1LLSTREET— (2,700), 30c-65c. 5 days. 4'.h week. Gross: $7,000. (Average, $6,500) "LORD JEFF" (M-G-M) "PORT OF 7 SEAS" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STATE— (2.500). 30c-75c, 7 •days. Gross: $15,760. (Average, $14,000) "SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS" (RKO) PANTAGES— (3,000), 30c-65c. 5 days. Gross: $7,000. (Average. $7,000) "TROPIC HOLIDAY" (Para.) PARAMOUNT — (3.595). 30c-65c. 7 days, 2nd week. Stage: F. & M. revue, Stepin Fetchit, Rube Wolf and his orchestra. Gross: $12,500. (Average, $18,000) "COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN" (W.B.) "PENROD'S DOUBLE TROUBLE" (W. B.) » WARNER BROS. (HOLLYWOOD)— (3.1 0(50), 30c-65c, 7 days. Gross: $14,400. (Average, $14,000) "COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN" (W.B.) "PENROD'S DOUBLE TROUBLE" (W. B.) t WARMER BROS. (DOWNTOWN>-(3.^ 400), 30c-65c, 7 davs. Gross: $15,700. (Av3 rrage, $12,000) RKO Theatre to Open Aug. 4 on Opera Site RKO will open its New 23rd Street on the site of the historic Grand Opera House, Eighth Ave. and 23rd St., Aug. 4. A preview of the rebuilt structure will be given by RKO officials this afternoon for the press. A "Hollywood opening" is planned. The theatre will be one of the finest in the RKO neighborhood group. Policy will be double bills and price scale will be the same as at other RKO neighborhood first runs, 35 cents nights and 55 cents weekends and holidays. Jerry Baker, formerly at the 125th Street, will be manager. Jacques Edelstein Killed; Byre Hurt {Continued from page 1) Mr. Edelstein, was badly injured but latest bulletins report that he is not in danger. Jacques Edelstein was born in Latvia in 1898. He was educated at St. George's School in London and the Ecole Commercial in Paris. He was president of Films ERICA, his own company. At one time he represented Samuel Goldwyn in France. Mr. Edelstein was connected with the M-G-M offices in France, Belgium and Egypt for five years and for an additional five years he was managing director of M-G-M Iberica, S.A., in Spain. "Algiers" in Second Week Takes $90,000 (Continued from page 1) week, the best since "Test Pilot" several weeks ago. It is being held a second week and will be followed by "The Crowd Roars" Aug. 4. M-G-M reports "sensational" business on the picture in a number of cities, ranging from 25 to 50 per cent above normal takes. "Sky Giant" went to $8,000 in eight days at the Rialto. Col. British Plans To Be Ready Shortly (Continued from page 1) productions. Mr. Friedman indicated as a certainty that Columbia's British product would be of a high grade. Despite the unwillingness of the executives to make a premature statement during negotiations, it is understood that there is a strong probability that London Film Studio will make a number of pictures for Columbia release. Ellis East Next Week Hollywood, July 27. — Emil K. Ellis, named by the New York Supreme Court to take testimony in the stockholder suit which charges executives of Loew's, Inc., with illegal disbursement of money, has delayed until next week his departure for New York. On Monday he will give Loew's executives corrected depositions to sign. Nicholas M. Schenck, J. Robert Rubin, David Burnstein and other officers of the company next week w ill be questioned by Mr. Ellis in New York. Seat Company Has Loss HeywoodWakefield, for the quarter , ended June 30, has reported a loss of $48,587, compared with a profit ; of $256,943, or $3.55 a share of 60,000 shares of common stock in the second • quarter a year ago. Cook Loses Finger Tip Hollywood, July 27. — Injured during the shooting of a scene in 20th Century-Fox's "Wooden Anchors," Elisha Cook, Jr., today was taken to the Cedars at Lebanon Hospital where an inch of his left thumb was amputated. He is expected back to work tomorrow. The script will include a line of dialogue to explain the bandaged member. Claire Trevor Married Hollywood, July 27. — Claire Trevor tonight was married to Clark Andrews, producer of the CBS radio program in which Miss Trevor starred with Edward G. Robinson. The couple will leave on the Matsonia for a honeymoon in Honolulu. Prudential Extends One-Feature Policy Irwin Wheeler of Prudential and Playhouses Operating Co. is experimenting with a single feature policy in about 15 of his theatres in Westchester and on the easterly end of Long Island. In various polls the circuit discovered an overwhelming preference for single features, Mr. Wheeler said, but when they complied with what seemed to be the expressed wish of patrons in a Rye theatre they discovered most of the theatre patrons wanted double features. Lately there has been a drive among patrons for single features and this time the theatre policy is meeting with success, especially in Rye and New Haven. Mr. Wheeler is playing double features Sunday and Monday and singles, with a newsreel and a short, the rest of the week. They are checking calls which come in on the single feature policy with personal inquiries at the box-office and are extending the experiment as the situation warrants. Hoffman's Old Firm To Release 23 Films Twenty-three pictures which were made by Allied Pictures Corp., organized by M. H. Hoffman in 1932, are to be distributed on a states right basis and the proceeds will be turned over to the creditors, according to T. H. Richmond of Hollywood, who is here working out the deal. Mr. Richmond represents creditors grouped in the Motion Picture Industries Credit Association. Consolidated Film Laboratory, a major creditor, has been paid in full, he said. The 23 films have been in litigation since the company met financial difficulties several years ago. The present deal calls for their reissue. Among them are 11 Hoot Gibson westerns, three Lew Cody films and pictures with Myrna Loy and Ginger Rogers. Wall Street Losses Still Prevail on Board Net Open High Low Close Change Col 14J4 14)4 14 14 — 34 Col. pfd 34 34 33 33 —2VS Cons 154 1)4 VA 1)4 — 54 Cons. pfd... 8 8 754 8 — 34 E. K 179 179 17654 176)4 —354 E. K. pfd... 171 171 170 170 —1 G. T. E 15 15 1454 1434 —A Loew 49 4954 4856 4854 — 54 Loew pfd... 10614 10634 10634 10634 — 54 Para 1154 "34 1054 1034 — 34 Para. 1 92 92 90 90 -4 Para. 2 11 11 10*6 1034 — 34 Pathe 10 10 954 954 — 54 RKO 3 3 2% 2^—54 20th Fox . . 24% 24Vs 24 24 — 34/ 20th pfd. .. 3234 3234 3234 3234 — M Curb Declines in Fractions Net Open High Low Close Change G. N 9/16 9/16 54 54—54 Sonotone ..134 134 1*4 l5/4 Tech 227/s 2354 2254 227/s + 54 Trans-Lux 254 234 254 254 — 54 Univ. Pict.. 534 534 534 534 —54 W.B., RKO Bonds Drop Net High Low Close Change Loew 354s '46 99)4 9954 99)4 + 54 Para. B'way 3s '55 63 63 63 Para. Pict. '47. ... 82)4 82)4 8254 + H RKO 6s '41 72)4 7134 72 —134 W. B. 6s '39 7854 78)4 7854 —154 (Quotations at close of July 27) Losey Has 40 School Films Ready to Edit Contribution of 40 Hollywood features, newsreels and other films from major producing companies, and a few foreign pictures, for re-editing and cutting into shorts for experimental educational purposes has been completed by Joseph Losey, who is associated with the Commission on Human Relations of the Progressive Educational Association. The project, financed by a Rockefeller grant and sponsored by the commission, is also working with the Hays office exploring joint distribution possibilities between the commission and the major companies. Most Majors Contributed At present, the commission has contracts through which it is enabled to obtain films from all the major producers except Columbia and Universal. Under a Rockefeller grant of $75,000 for the first year they cut and distributed 35 pictures. This year's grant of $69,000 will enable them to do 40 pictures and carry through part of 1939. At present the commission is distributing its special shorts to 16 schools from Oakland, Cal., to New York, public, private, parochial and special. There are no public showings and no admission is charged the students of high school age who view them. The idea is to see what films do to children, to measure their influence on young minds reacting to various human situations and problems. The films don't teach anything ; they are designed to be as inconclusive as possible and by showing typical human relationship problems, to stimulate the children to arrive at their own conclusions on social problems. Students Tested Psychologists affiliated with the commission give "attitude" tests before students see the films. A second set of "attitude" tests is given at a fixed time after the students have seen the pictures. The results of these tests are being tabulated. Films which have been purchased and edited for the commission's work include "Zola," "Pasteur" and "Black Legion," from Warners ; "Fury," "The Devil Is a Sissy," "Captains Courageous" and "Men in White" from M-G-AI. Three shorts have been made from "The Devil Is a Sissy" and three or four will be made from "Captains Courageous." From 20th Century-Fox those obtained include several in the Jones family series ; from RKO "The Informer" and "Animal Kingdom" ; from United Artists "Arrowsmith," "Dddsworth" and "Dead End," and from Paramount "Ruggles of Red Gap," "If I Had a Million." The shorts run from three minutes to one and one-half reels. Assets to Be Auctioned The office furniture and other assets of Stagecraft Studios, Inc., will be sold at auction to be held on Aug. 6, under orders of the N. Y. Supreme Court. I