Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1939)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, April 12, 1 939 1 'Honolulu' in 2 Hub Spots Does $39,000 Boston, April 11. — "Honolulu" coupled with "Burn 'em Up O'Connor" at Loew's Orpheum and State hit the high spot, totaling $39,000 ($22,000 and $17,000 respectively) with two extra days each. "Yes, My Darling Daughter" and "Torchv Blane in Chinatown" drew $18,500" at the Metropolitan. "Love Affair" and "Society Smugglers" at the Keith Memorial took $15,000 in a second week. Estimated takings for the week ending April 5 : "Star of Midnight" (RKO-reissue) (4 days, with vaude.) "Lost Patrol" (RKO) (4 days, with vaude.) "Devil's Island" (W. B.) (2nd run) (3 days) "The Great Man Votes" (RKO) (2nd run) (3 days) RKO KEITH BOSTON— (3,000) (20c-30c40c). Gross, $9,000. (Average, $8,000.) "Love Affair" (RKO) "Society Smugglers" (Univ.) KEITH MEMORIAL— (2,790) (25c-35c40c-5Sc) 6 days, 2nd week. Gross, $15,000. (Average, $15,000.) "One Third of a Nation" (Para.) "Never Say Die" (Para.) PARAMOUNT — (1,797) (25c-35c-40c-55c) 7 days. Gross, $8,000. (Average, $9,000.) "One Third of a Nation" (Para.) "Never Say Die" (Para.) FENWAY— (1,382) (25c-35c-40c-55c) 7 days. Gross, $5,000. (Average, $5,500.) "Yes My Darling Daughter" (W. B.) "Torchy Blane in Chinatown "(W. B.) METROPOLITAN — (4,332) (25c-35c-40c55c) 10 days. Gross, $18,500. (Average, $14,500.) "Honolulu" (M-G-M) "Burn 'Em Up O'Connor" (M-G-M) LOEW'S ORPHEUM— (2,907) (25c-35c40c-55c) 9 days. Gross, $22,000. (Average, 514,500.) "Honolulu" (M-G-M) "Burn 'Em Up O'Connor" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STATE— (3,537) (25c-35c-40c55c) 9 days. Gross, $17,000. (Average, $10,500.) "BlackweU's Island" (W. B.) "Cafe Society" (Para.) SCOLLAY — (2,500) (25c-35c-40c-55c) 7 days (2nd run). Gross, $4,500. (Average. $5,500.) 'Criminal' Leads At $5,000 in Dull Milwaukee Week Milwaukee, April 11. — Not a house did better than average in what proved to be one of the dullest weeks in the year. Weather was fair and cold. Estimated takings for the week ending April 6 : "Tundra" (Univ.) LITTLE THEATRE— (1.098) (30c-40c) 7 days. Gross: $2,000. "Let Us Live" (Col.) "Blondie Meets the Boss" (Col.) PALACE— (2,400) (35c-50c) 8 days. Gross: $4,000. (Average, $4,000) "My Son is a Criminal" (Co!.) RIVERSIDE— (2,300) (25c-30c) 7 days. Stage: Vaudeville. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $5,000) "Made for Each Other" (U. A.) "The Great Man Votes (RKO) STRAND— (1.400) (35c-50c) 7 days. 2nd week. Gross: $1,500. (Average, $2,000) "King of the Turf" (U. A.) "BlackweU's Island" (F. N.) WARNER— (2,400) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $4,000. (Average, $4,500) "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (20th-Fox) "The Arizona Wildcat" (20th-Fox) WISCONSIN— (3,200) (35c-50c) 7 Gross: $5,000. (Average, $5,500) days. Hollywood Previews "East Side of Heaven" (Universal) Hollywood, April 11. — Universal presents a delightful box-office piece in "East Side of Heaven." A comedy with music, the picture contains a name cast, comedy, human interest and romance. Bing Crosby has the top role, and a substantial story adds to the entertainment, chief features of which, as in all Crosby vehicles, is his singing. Supporting him are Joan Blondell, Mischa Auer, Irene Hervey, C. Aubrey Smith, Robert Kent, Jerome Cowan, "Sandy," Jane Jones, Rose Valyda, Helen Warner, Jack Powell, the Music Maids and Matty Malneck and his orchestra. "Sandy," an 11-month-old baby recently put under contract by the studio, completely captured the hearts of the preview audience, which acclaimed the picture. Many of the lines were lost in audience laughter. William Conselman wrote the screenplay from an original story by David Butler and Herbert Polesie. Butler also directed, while Polesie produced. Art Director Jack Otterson's settings are notable for veracity on a wide range of backgrounds. In addition to the exploitation of the four songs — "Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb," "East Side of Heaven," "Sing a Song of Sunbeams" and "That Sly Old Gentleman," all written by Johnny Burke and James V. Monaco — showmen have much on which to base a selling campaign. Crosby, a singing messenger boy for a telegraph service, and Miss Blondell, switchboard operator in a hotel, are forced to postpone their wedding when he loses his job. Subsequently employed as a singing taxicab driver, Crosby becomes entangled in the fight of a wealthy family over the custody of a baby. The young wife, despised by the grandfather, leaves the child with Crosby. The complications are hilarious and serious, but Crosby straightens out matters for the family as well as for himself. Running time, 90 minutes. "G."* Vance King "The Family Next Door' ( Universal) Hollywood, April 10. — Domestic comedy is the entertainment substance of "The Family Next Door." Designed for family audiences and making no pretense at anything but clean, wholesome amusement, the production develops a respectable amount of humor in characterizations, situations and dialogue. The material provided for the players in the original screenplay prepared by Mortimer Offner is hardly new, but the manner in which it is put over by Hugh Herbert, Joy Hodges, Eddie Quillan, Ruth Donnelly, Juanita Quigley, Bennie Bartlett, Thomas Beck, Cecil Cunningham, James Bush and Frances Robinson under Joseph Santley's able direction give it a light and gay appeal. Herbert, a hard working plumber, is encumbered by a family, all of whom have grandiloquent ideas. No matter how hard he tries to save money, his brood can think up ways of getting rid of it. Miss Hodges' desire for an artistic career and many romances give him trouble enough, but when his socially ambitious wife, Miss Donnelly and "genius" son, Quillan, team up to make a fortune in real estate, the lid of respectability almost blows off. But when the youngest child, Miss Quigley, demonstrates that what looked like a lot of mud is really a valuable silicate deposit, the comedy of errors reaches a happy conclu 'Wife' Clears Good $34,000 Chicago Gross Chicago, April 11. — "Wife, Husband and Friend," bolstered by ai/ Hcolored stage revue — "Mikado * n Swing," at the Chicago, grossed a neat $34,000, despite the expected check of Holy Week and Passover, plus cold and unsettled weather the latter half of the week. Finishing its eighth week at the Apollo, "Pygmalion" took $5,000, a drop from last week, but still strong. The Palace with "Love Affair" and vaudeville in for a second week, saw ai profit, grossing $16,000. Estimated takings for the week ending April 5-8 : "Pygmalion" (M-G-M) APOLLO— (1.400) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days, 8th week. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $6,500) "Wife, Husband and Friend" (20th-Fox) CHICAGO— (4,000) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Stage: "Swing Mikado" Revue. Gross: $34,000. (Average, $32,000) "Oklahoma Kid" (W. B.) GARRICK— (900) (35c-40c-65c) 7 days. Gross: $4,500. (Average, $6,500) "Forged Passport" (Rep.) "Strange Faces" (Univ.) ORIENTAL— (3,400) (25c-35c-40c) 7 days. Stage: Vaudeville Revue. Gross: $13,500. (Average, $13,000) "Love Affair" (RKO) PALACE— (2,500) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days, 2nd week. Stage: Vaudeville Revue. Gross: $16,000. (Average, $19,000) "Fast and Loose" (M-G-M) ROOSEVELT— (1,300) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Gross: $8,000. (Average, $11,000) "Ambush" (M-G-M) STATE -LAKE— (2,700) (25c -35c -40c) 7 days. Stage: Patricia Ellis and Revue. Gross: $12,000. (Average, $12,000) "Ice Follies of 1939" (M-G-M) UNITED ARTISTS— (1,700) (35c-55c-75c) 7 days. Gross: $11,000. (Average, $15,000) Running: time, 60 minutes. "G."* G. McC. *"G" denotes general classification. State Operates Theatre Mexico City, April 11. — Only cinema of the kind in Mexico is being operated by the Government of Morelos state. The theatre, Teatro Morelos, is operated at popular prices. Profits go to the state school building fund. Cowan-Lewis Deal Hollywood, April 11. — Under terms of a new contract, Lester Cowan will be the producer of the Sinclair Lewis works on a cooperative basis similar to the setup existing with Edgar Bergen and W. C. Fields. Weiner Back in Omaha Omaha, April 11. — L. M. Weiner, who joined the Universal sales staff in Des Moines recently, has been transferred back to Omaha. Daniel McCarthy, formerly with United Artists here, has replaced McCarthy. Vote I. A. Supervision Pittsburgh, April 11. — Moving Picture Operators' Union, Local 171, has voted to retain I.A.T.S.E. supervision for two more years, after discussion about local autonomy led by VicePresident Richard Walsh and Secretary-Treasurer Lewis Krause. $10,500 for 'Kid' Indianapolis Best Indianapolis, April 11. — Stage show offerings were the only ones to do well through the Holy Week calm here. Hoagy Carmichael and show, with "Oklahoma Kid" on the screen, pulled $10,500 at the Lyric, while a Hollywood Revue headed by John Boles took $7,000 for the Circle, where "Winner Take All" was the picture. Estimated takings for the week ending April 7 : "Three Smart Girls Grow Up" (Univ.) "Beauty for the Asking" (RKO) APOLLO— (1,100) (25c-40c) 7 days. 2nd week. Gross: $1,500. (Average, $2,500) "Winner Take All" (20th-Fox) CIRCLE— (2,800) (25c-40c) 7 days. Tohn Boles and Hollvwood Revue. $7,000. (Average, $5,000) "Midnight" (Para.) "King of Chinatown" (Para.) INDIANA— (3,200) (25c-40c) Gross: $5,500. (Average, $5,000) "Fast and Loose" (M-G-M) "Four Girls in White" (M-G-M) LOEW'S— (2,800) (25c-40c) 7 days. Gross: $6,000. (Average. $7,000) "Oklahoma Kid" (W. B.) LYRIC— (2,000) (25c-40c) 7 days. Stage: Hoagy Carmichael and Show. Gross: $10,500. (Average, $8,000) Stage: Gross : 7 days. Ampa Election Tomorrow Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., is slated to be elected president of Ampa at the meeting tomorrow at the Astor. All other nominees are also assured of election. There is no opposing slate.