Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

r 1Kb 1 MOTION PICTURE JL ▼ mMm Mm JL ^^mW JL ^ Mm Mm ^^m** Mm JL%<AmT Accurate IN ■ ^ ATT "\7m Concise FILM and NEWS 1 JLKA.1 JL I Impartial OL. 63. NO. 126 — IN TWO SECTIONS SECTION TWO NEW YORK, U. S. A., WEDNESDAY JUNE 30, 1948 TEN CENTS Big Production Spurt on Coast Hollywood, June 29. — The production tally has spurted to 43 from last week's 36. Work started on 12 new films while five were sent to cutting rooms. Shooting started on "Boston Blackie's Honor," "Wings Westward," "Challenge of the Range" and "Song of India" (Gibraltar), all Columbia; "Tulsa" (Wanger), Eagle-Lion; "The Heiress" (Wyler), Paramount; "The Denver Kid," Republic ; "Tarzan and the Arrow of Death" (Lesser), RKO Radio ; "Sand" and "Bungalow 13" (Belsam), 20th Century-Fox; "Black Velvet," Universal-International ; and "Night Beat," Warner. Shooting finished on "The Dark Past," Columbia; "The Strange Mrs. Crane" (Sutherland), Eagle-Lion; "The Plunderers" and "Son of God's Country," Republic; "My Dream Is Yours" (Curtiz), Warner. Additional Drive-ins Planned in the Field Numerous new drive-ins have been opened all over the country, besides many others contemplated, Motion Picture Daily field correspondents report. Among them are the following: The Sundown Auto Theatre has opened in Springfield, Mass. Heading the ownership is Owen Holmes, former owner of the Auto Vision Theatre, Albany, N. Y. Rapp and Rapp, Chicago theatre architects, have completed plans for the Sonoma Realty Co. to build a 1,000-car drive-in at Niles, Mich. Alex Manta of Chicago heads the company. Plans call for a summer opening. Cost is estimated at $200,000. DeVry, equipment manufacturers, reports its products are being installed in drive-ins at the following locations : Muncie, Ind. ; San Diego, Cal. ; Thomasville and Moultrie, Ga. ; Terre Haute, Ind. ; Sioux City, la. ; Wilmington, O. ; Springfield, O. ; St. (Continued on page 3, Section II) Research Council to Aid Theatre Sound Hollywood, June 29. — Motion Picture Research Council has released and made available to exhibitors, on request, a technical bulletin described as an "aid to securing the best possible sound reproduction from all types of sound equipment." 1948 Key Grosses to Date Compared with Last Year 's Recovering from the 10 per cent dip during the first four months of 1948, theatre grosses in key cities leveled off in May, according to reports on some 160 situations received from Motion Picture Daily field correspondents, and compare with corresponding weeks of 1947 as follows : 1948 Week Ending Jan. 2-3 .. Jan. 9-10 . Jan. 16-17 Jan. Jan. Feb. Feb. Feb. 23-24 . 30-31 . 6-7 .. 13-14 . 20-21 . Feb. 27-28 . Mar. 5-6 .. Mar.' 12-13 Mar. 19-20 Mar. 26-27 April 2-3 .. April 9-10 . April 16-17 April 23-24 . April 30-May 1... May 7-8 .. May 14-15 May 21-22 May 28-29 Average No. of Total Per Theatres Gross Theatre 179 $3,406,600 $19,031 168 3,112,700 18,528 168 2,473,300 14,722 166 2,419,000 14,572 166 2,341,900 14,108 167 2,537,800 15,196 166 2,381,500 14,546 164 2,316,500 14,125 167 2,734,100 16,372 165 2,372,700 14,380 165 2.441,800 14,799 175 2,626,800 15,010 162 2,356,800 14,548 171 2,953,500 17,272 169 2,740,000 16.213 .. 175 2,493,600 14,249 167 2,284,000 13,677 .. 159 2,232,300 14,040 167 2,416,500 14,470 167 2,301,200 13,780 149 2,118,300 14,217 158 2,241,100 14,184 1947 Week Ending Jan. 3-4 Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar. No. of Total Theatres Gross .. 167 10-11 173 17-18 173 24-25 176 1. April 4-5 April April April May May May May May 3 -Feb. 7-8 14-15 21-22 28Mar. 1. 7-8 14-15 21-22 28-29 181 177 177 182 166 178 174 173 178 179 11-12 184 18-19 177 25-26 183 2-3 177 9-10 175 16-17 176 23-24 169 30-31 173 $3,678,100 3,363,200 3,007,300 3,043,700 2,293,600 3,089,600 2,767,900 3,042,700 2,800,300 2,906,400 2,890,300 2,922,900 3,069,500 2,838,800 2,239,500 2,973,400 2,917,900 2,699,800 2,578,100 2,650,400 2,369,100 2,590,100 Average Per Theatre $22,024 19,400 17,383 17,294 18,197 17,495 15,638 16,718 16,869 16,328 16,610 16,895 17,245 15,859 17.606 16,798 15,945 15,253 15,732 15,059 14,018 14.972 Scores Over-Buying Of Foreign Pictures Box-office slump currently being experienced by foreign language pictures in New York and the reduction in the number of first-run foreign film theatres here are the result of the inclination of most importers at this point to give greater consideration to quantity rather than quality in acquiring overseas product, in the opinion of Ilya Lopert, head of Lopert Films, who returned here recently from Paris. Lopert pointed out that the number of first-run foreign language houses in New York has dropped from 22 to 17. He said that foreign pictures have been unable to escape the general dropoff in theatre business notwithstanding the fact that their "select" audiences have become regular patrons. Even "art" house customers shop for entertainment, he said. While in Paris, Lopert acquired two films for U. S. distribution to be released in the fall. Kentucky Owners To Pick Board July 9 Louisville, June 29. — Annual election of directors of the Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners will be conducted on July 9. Twelve board members are to be elected. Candidates are Ned Greene, Leon Pickle, Mrs. Gratia Locke, Kenneth Arnold, W. Bruce Aspley, J. Van Snook, Gene Lutes, L. O. Davis, W. T. Cain, Mrs. O. J. Minnix, Lew Hensler and E. L. Ornstein. MajorsReportToday OnTheatreHoldings The five theatre-owning defendants in the industry anti-trust case will file with the New 1 York Federal Court today quarterly reports on their theatre holdings, as directed by the court here in its decree. It is understood, however, that the companies will reserve the question of the necessity of the reports, the feeling being that the U. S. Supreme Court in its opinion failed to make this point clear. Actually, for the most part previous reports have constituted little more than a formality, the companies having declared no reduced or increased interests in exhibition in previous reports. Boosted Scales for Loew's State Here New price policy to go into effect at Loew's State here beginning with this morning's world premiere of "Easter Parade," follows : New weekday prices will be 80 cents to one P.M., $1.20 to six P.M. and $1.50 thereafter. Old scales were 55 cents to one P.M., 80 cents to five P.M. and $1.25 thereafter. What the new Saturday and Sunday prices will be has not been decided. Saturday prices have been 70 cents to one P.M., 85 cents to five P.M. and $1.25 to closing. Old Sunday scales were 80 cents to one P.M* $1 to five P.M., $1.25 to 10:30 P.M. and 80 cents to closing. The policy of seven shows daily will be retained. UA Labor Hearing At NLRB Tomorrow Clash between AFL's IATSE and CIO's Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild over labor jurisdiction at United Artists' home office will get its second airing at the National Labor Relations Board office here tomorrow at a conference before NLRB field examiner Arthur Younger. The conference, to be participated in by representatives of "IA" Local No. H-63, SOPEG and U.A., is expected to result in the setting by Younger of a date for an NLRB election among UA's home office "white collar" workers. At an earlier conference Younger delayed setting an election date pending the handing down of a decision in (.Continued on page 3, Section II) Admission Taxes Continue to Drop Washington, June 29. — Theatre business in April continued well below 1947 levels, making February the only month this year when box-office receipts exceeded those of 1947, according to Bureau of Internal Revenue figures. General admission tax collections in May, reflecting April box-office business, totaled $28,309,290, close to $3,000,000 below the $31,266,930 collected in May, 1947. May collections were also well below collections in April, 1948, which amounted to $31,146,236. These figures are only for general admissions, including sporting events, legitimate theatres, and other admissions, as well as motion picture theatres. They do not cover cabaret taxes or taxes on various ticket overcharges and premiums. All admission collections in May, 1948, covering all of these categories, totaled $32,167,271, compared with $36,145,428 in May, 1947. $2,000,000 Martin Building Program Atlanta, June 29. — E. D. Martin Theatres will spend $2,000,000 for new theatres in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Theatres are to be constructed in Columbus, Ga. ; Sylcauga, Ala.; Bainbridge, Ga.; Opelika, Ala.; Talladega, Ala.; Phenix City, Ala. and drive-ins in Columbus and Marietta, Ga. Their affiliates are now building in Hawkinsville, Ga., and Tavares, Fla.