Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

6 Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 28, 1944 'Lady Gets $37,000 in Rainy L. A. Los Angeles, Feb. 27.— Rain that came down in torrents from Friday through Monday, turning into hail at times and accompanied by lightning which blacked out sections of the city and snarled the common carrier systems, knocked grosses down like ten pins. "Lady in the Dark," in its second week at the two Paramounts after a record start, was the only attraction to beat house averages, getting $37,000 to beat the combined average by $5,000. Estimated receipts for the week ending Feb. 23 : "Song of Russia" (M-G-M) "Whispering Footsteps" (Rep.) CARTHAY CIRCLE — (1,516) (45c-5:>c-/5c90c) 7 days. Gross: $7,500. (Average: $11,880). "Song of Russia" (M-G-M) "Whispering Footsteps" (Rep.) CHINESE — (2,500) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $15,500. (Average: $15,692). "The Iron Major" (RKO) "Escape to Danger" (RKO) EGYPTIAN— (1,500) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 4 days, 2nd week. Gross: $5,000. (Average: $10,590). "The Song of Bernadette" (20th-Fox) FOUR STAR— (900) (85c-$1.10-$1.65) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $7,800. (Average: $7,570). "Return of the Vampire" (Col.) "The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case" (Col.) HAWAII— (1,000) (33c-44c-55c-75c) 7 days, 4th week. Gross: $3,500. (Average: $5,865). "What a Woman" (Col.) 2nd week "She's for Me" (Univ.) 7 days HILLSTREET — (2,700) (45c-55c-75c-90c). Gross: $16,000. (Average: $19,544). "Song of Russia" (M-G-M) "Whispering Footsteps" (Rep.) LOEWS STATE — (2,500) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $26,000. (Average: $23,577). "The Iron Major" (RKO) "Escape to Danger" (RKO) LOS ANGELES— (2,098) (45c-S5c-75c-90c) 5 days, 2nd week. Gross: $9,200. (Average: $14,354). "What a Woman" (Col.) 2nd week "She's for Me" (Univ.) 7 days PANTAGES — (2,000) (45c-55c-75c-90c). Gross: $17,000. (Average: $16,846). "Lady in the Dark" (Para.) PARAMOUNT HOLLYWOOD — (1,407) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $18,000. (Average: $11,115). "Lady in the Dark" (Para.) PARAMOUNT DOWNTOWN — (3,595) (45c-55c-75c-90c). Gross: $31,003. (Average: 521,307). "The Iron Major" (RKO) "Escape to Danger" (RKO) RITZ— (1,376) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 4 days, 2nd week. Gross: $4,500. (Average: $9,873). "The Song of Bernadette" (20th-Fox) UNITED ARTISTS— (2,100) (85c-$1.10$1.65) 7 days, 9th week. Gross: $19,800. (Average: $27,967). "Song of Russia" (M-G-M) "Whispering Footsteps" (Rep.) UPTOWN — (1,716) (45c-55c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $9,500. (Average: $10,318). "In Our Time" (WB) WARNER'S HOLLYWOOD-(3,000) (45co5c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $16,486. (Average: $16,362). "In Our Time" (WB) WARNERS' DOWNTOWN-(3,400) (45cS5c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $17,930. Average: $18,480). "In Our Time" (WB) WARNERS' WILTERN-(2,200) (45c55c-75c-90c) 7 days. Gross: $16,282. (Average: $17,162). Review ft "You Can't Ration Love (Paramount) DARAMOUNT, in a skittish mood, takes a merry side-glance at "rationing," whipping up an ingratiating musical in "You Can't Ration Love." Associate producer Michel Kraike has peopled his picture with Betty Rhodes, Johnnie Johnston, Bill Edwards, Marjorie Weaver, Marie Wilson, Johnnie (Scat) Davis, and others, while director Lester Fuller interspersed amusing events with beguiling melodies and energetic dance tempos. Adams College campus, almost swept bare of males, has instituted a point-value system of dates for its remaining men. Co-ed Betty Rhodes, who is running low on points and is, consequently, fearful of losing rugged Bill Edwards to Marjorie Weaver, decides to build unmagnetic Johnnie Johnston into the campus glamour boy. She succeeds in his transformation so well that she becomes enamored of him and so do the other girls. Johnston and Miss Rhodes are reunited in a real marriage ceremony after he seemingly has cooled upon learning that she employed a fake device to keep him for herself. Miss Rhodes, equally adept as co-ed and warbler of torch songs, and Johnston, convincing as a bespectacled scholar who blossoms into a croonswooner, are excellent. Miss Wilson and "Scat" Davis add comical talents to the proceedings, while Roland Dupree, Jean Wallace, Chris tine Forsythe and Mabel Paige round out the cast. D'Artega and his all-girl orchestra are spotted in some good musical numbers. Worthy of notation is a charming sequence wherein Betty and Johnnie, he still on the timid* side, ride through the darkened countryside in a surrey with Johnnie spouting chemical formulas as she desperately tries to stress the romantic environment. Lester Lee and Jerry Seelen have written some eminently pleasing tunes, outstanding of which are "Nothing Can Replace a Man" and "Love Is This." Val Burton and Hal Fimberg did a successful screenplay on the quaint idea of love "rationing" from Muriel Roy Bolton' story. Running time, 78 mins. "G."* Released in Block 4. Charles Ryweck House Par $14,000, 'Joe' Hits $26,000 *"G" denotes genera! classification. 'Guy Named Joe' Is $4,200 Over Par New Haven, Feb. 27. — "A Guy Named Joe" here at Loew's Poli this week took $13,200, while at the Paramount, "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" and "Minesweeper" packed a $10,000 house. Estimated receipts for the weekending Feb. 24 : "Casanova in Burlesque" (Rep.) "Hands Across the Border" (Rep.) BIJOU— (1,627) (40c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $3,700. (Average: $3,600). "Lost Angel" (M-G-M) "The Racket Man" (Col.) COLLEGE— (1,565) (40c-50c) 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $4,000. (Average: $3,500). "A Guy Named Joe" (M-G-M) LOEW'SPOLI-(3,005) (40c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $13,200. (Average: $9,000). "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (Para.) "Minesweeper" (Para.) PARAMOUNT— (2,373) (40c -55c) 7 days. Gross: $10,000. (Average: $6,400) 'In Our Time" (WB) "The Falcon and the CoEds" (RKO) ROGER SHERMAN — (2,037) (40c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $7,000. (Average: $7,000). To Screen 2 Navy Films "Battle for the Beaches," with a narration by Quentin Reynolds, and Your Ship in Action" will be screened tomorrow at the Preview Theatre here by the Navy Department The films were compiled by the department's industrial incentive division and were filmed by Army, Navy and Marine combat photographers. Chicago Clearance Complaint Dropped The clearance complaint of Charles E. Nelson, operating the Lawndale Theatre, Chicago, against the five decree consenting companies has been withdrawn at the Chicago tribunal, the American Arbitration Association reported over the weekend. The withdrawal followed an agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed. $70,000 Advance Sale For Jewish Charity More than $70,000 worth of tickets have already, been sold for the "Show Shows" in Madison Square Garden March 13, it was announced here at the weekend following a meeting of the entertainment committee for the event, which is being sponsored by the Emergency Committee to Save die Jewish People of Europe. Also announced was a partial list of performers including Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan and Bert Lytell as masters of ceremonies, and Ruth Gordon, Paul Robeson, Paula Laurence, Carol Bruce, Jimmy Durante, Oscar Levant, Zero Mostel, Zorina, Karen Cooper, Bobby Clark, Gertrude Lawrence, Hazel Scott, Gracie Fields, Maria Montez, Berry Brothers, Rockettes and Ted Lewis and his band. Para. 'Pep Club' Party The Paramount "Pep Club" held a party Friday evening at the home office here. "Oldtime" films were screened. G. Knox Haddow is club president. 2,000 Victor Workers At 'Voice' Premiere Camden, N. J., Feb. 27. — Over ^,000 workers of RCA's Victor plant here attended the world premiere of United Artists' "Voice in the Wind," at the Lyric Theatre here last night. Francis Lederer and Sigrid Gurie, costars of the picture, made personal appearances. They also appeared on Victor's radio program, "What's New," over the Blue Network. Local civic and social leaders attended the premiere, as well as trade oress representatives from New York, Philadelphia and this city. Present from U. A. were: Lou Pollack Arthur Jeffrey, Arnold Stoltz, Wilma Freeman, Phil Laufer, Robert Goodfried, Herb Berg and Ben Schetman, representing the producers, Arthur Ripley and Rudolph Monter. Kansas City, Feb. 27.— "A Guy Named Joe" is far and away the leader in grosses this week, with approximately $26,000. Patronage of "Spitfire," accompanied by "Henry Aldrich Haunts a House," at the Orpheum, increasing as the engagement advances, promises $15,000 or more Estimated receipts for the wA ending Feb. 23-24: "Lifeboat" (20th-Fox) ESQUIRE— (800) (40c-60c) 7 days. Gross: $5,500. (Average: $5,500). "A Guy Named Joe" (M-G-M) MIDLAND— (3,600) (35c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $26,000. (Average: $14,000). "No Time for Love" (Para.) NEWMAN— (1,900) (40c-60s) 7 days, 3rd week. Gross: $14,000. (Average: $11,000). "Spitfire" (RKO) "Henry Aldrich Haunts a House" (Para.) ORPHEUM-(1,900) (40c-60c) 7 days. Gross: $15,000. (Average: $10,000). "Spider Woman" (Univ.) "The Return of the Vampire" (Col.) TOWER— (2,200) (35c-50c) 7 days. Stage show. Gross: $10,000. (Average: $9,400). "Lifeboat" (20th-Fox) UPTOWN-(2,000) • (40c-60c) 7 days Gross: $6,000. (Average: $5,000). "Lifeboat" (20th-Fox) FAIRWAY— (700) (40c-60c) 7 days. Gross: $1,250. (Average: $1,450). 'In Our Time' Runs Up $16,500 Gross Milwaukee, Feb. 27.— "In Our Time" at Warners will take top honors this week with $16,500. Close on its heels follows the $16,000 for "Fighting Seabees" at the Riverside with Clyde Lucas and his orchestra plus Marion Hutton on the stage. Estimated receipts for the week ending Feb. 26 : "Madame Curie" (M-G-M) WISCONSIN (3,200) (40c-55c-75c) 7 days. Gross: $15,600. (Average: $13,000). "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Para.) PALACE— (2,400) (75c-$1.10) Special engagement, 7 days, 2nd week. Gross: $13,000 (Average: $9,500). "Lifeboat" (Zttth-Fox) "No Time for Love" (Para.) STRAND-(1,400) (40c-55c-75c) 7 days. Gross: $4,000. (Average: $4,000). "In Our Time" (WB) "Week-End Pass" (Univ.) WARNER— (2,400) (44c-65c) 7 days. Gross: $16,500. (Average: $14,000). "Flesh and Fantasy" (Univ.) "Casanova in Burlesque" (Rep.) ALHAMBRA — (1,900) (44c-65c) 7 days, 2nd downtown week. Gross: $9,000. (Average: $9,000). "The Fighting Seabees" (Rep.) RIVERSIDE-(2.700) (44c-50c-75c) 7 days 2nd week. Plus Clyde Lucas and Marion Hutton on the stage. Gross: $16,000. (Averive: $13,000). R W LB Hearing Set on S tagehands* Demands St. Louis, Feb. 27.— A Regional War Labor Board hearing has been set for the week of March 13 here on a wage dispute between the stagehands union and St. Louis theatres. Negotiations which have been in progress since last Sept. 1, on the union's demands for a 15 percent wage increase and two weeks' vacation with pay, are deadlocked. The wage scale for these workers is now $75 per week. First run houses, which under the agreement with the union must hire five stagehands, and some of the neighborhood houses, are opposing the union's demand's. Alberts Opening Office Mel Alberts has resigned from the local law firm of Milton C. Wiseman, effective March 6, to open his own law office in the Paramount Building.