Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Tuesday, March 27, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 5 Loop Grosses Perk Up After A Lull Chicago, March 26.— Easter Weekend business in the Loop was generally excellent. After a rather slow week, business really pepped up. The biggest thing in the Loop was "Payment on Demand" at the Woods. Business was described as "sensational." "Call Me Mister" and a stage show headed by Dick Contino continued into a very strong second week at the Chicago. "Royal Wedding" and a stage show at the Oriental also started a hearty second week. Other houses were doing "very nicely." N. Y. Grosses (Continued from page 1) of "The Lemon Drop Kid" at the Paramount, where a resounding gross of $97,000 is expected. The biggest Easter Sunday gross in the history of the theatre is reported and hold-outs have been the rule. Billy Eckstine heads the stage bill. "Bird of Paradise" is bringing the Roxy an excellent $98,000' for its second week, which is about $15,000 over the opening week. Tony Martin is the star stage attraction. At the Strand, "Storm Warning" and Josephine Baker on stage, held over for Easter, grossed more than satisfactory, at $35,000 for the final three days ; "Lullaby of Broadway" opened there yesterday. "Inside Straight" at the Capitol failed to keep pace with the Easter boom, with a so-so $32,000 due for a second and final week. "Soldiers Three" will go in there on Thursday. 'Up Front' Tops Top grosser among the new pictures at the straight film policy houses is "Up Front" at Loew's State. It opened on Saturday and by Sunday had clicked at the turnstiles to the tune of $20,000. If attendance holds up, the first week's gross is expected to exceed $50,000, the best figure at that stand in many a month. The State is also showing "The M-G-M Story" in lieu of regular short subjects. "The Prince of Peace" is making the Criterion management happy with grosses that approach capacity. Friday's opening set an all-time single day attendance and receipts record, it is said, and the first week's total is expected to reach $45,000. Also opening big is "Rawhide" at the Rivoli, with $14,500 for Saturday and Sunday ; a week's total of about $33,000 is estimated. "Born Yesterday" at the Victoria still continues to lead holdovers. The Easter upsurge is expected to lift the 14th week's gross to $26,000, a good figure for any week. "Cyrano de Bergerac" is up to $8,500 in a 20th week of its two-a-day run at the Bijou. The Astor expects $18,000 for the third week of "14 Hours" which is good business, but not up to holiday caliber. "Gambling House" is having a mild second and final week at the Mayfair, with about $8,000 coming in; "Oh! Susanna" will open there on Saturday. At the Globe, "No Orchids for Miss Blandish" is up a bit in its fifth week, with about $12,000 estimated. "Trio" is winding up a long and satisfactory run at the Sutton, with Theatres Lure TV-Weary New Yorkers from Homes CosmoSileo Photo for MOTION PICTURE DAILY TjUNGRY for entertainment and encouraged by brisk but MM. bright spring weather and school vacations, New Yorkers are turning off their television sets and are besieging Broadway first-run theatres from early morning to late at night. Above photo shows a portion of the waiting line at Radio City Music Hall, typical of the scene there from last Friday through yesterday, and expected to be repeated throughout the week. At times, the line completely encircled the block from 50th Street and Sixth Ave. to Rockefeller Plaza, north to 51st Street and then back to Sixth Ave., standing four abreast. The Music Hall program features M-G-M's "Royal Wedding" and its annual pageant on stage, "Glory of Easter," being presented for the 19th consecutive year. about $4,000 estimated for the 25th week. "Of Men and Music" concluded a successful six-week run at the Park Avenue yesterday, with a $4,500 gross for the final week. "Odette" will begin its regular run there today, following an invitational U. S. premiere held last night. T ckets On Sale at Paramount For Runyon Fund Benefit Tickets for the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund benefit on April 8 at the Paramount Theatre will go on sale in the lobby today. Price range is from $2 to $25, tax included, with all proceeds going to the fund. The benefit stage show will begin at 11 P.M. and will be followed by a special showing of "The Lemon Drop Kid," the current Paramount feature. Among the stars who will appear in person are Bob Hope, mas-, ter of ceremonies, Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Durante, Tallulah Bankhead and Ethel Merman. For the first time in theatrical history, all unions involved have waived payment, and will donate their services free of charge. These unions are : AGVA; Local 802, American Federation of Musicians ; Local 1, Stagehands, IATSE; and Local 306, Motion Picture Operators, IATSE. 'Rice' a Top Grosser Chicago, March 26. — "Bitter Rice," Italian import now in its 11th week at the World Playhouse, is the biggest grossing foreign language film ever to play Chicago, according to Charles Teitel, Playhouse manager. "Rice" took in $10,000 for its first week, $8,000 for its second, $7,000' for the third, and since then has been averaging between $3,000 and $5,000 weekly. Jap War Film Sets S. F. House Record San Francisco, March 26. — "Suicide Attack," an exploitation special compiled from official Japanese ArmyNavy footage of the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to the surrender, grossed $5,000 over the weekend at Sherrill Corwin's 1,000-seat Esquire here, to establish a new house record. The picture is being presented by Louis Pollock, former Universal and United Artists advertising executive, who arranged the engagement here at the suggestion of RKO Pictures officials who have discussed national release of the picture with Pollock. In a previous test engagement it set a fiveyear record at the 700-seat Cabrillo. San Diego, with a $6,000 week. 'Yesterday* Grossed Heavily in Chicago Chicago, March 26. — Columbia's "Born Yesterday" has completed a 10-week-run at the Woods, said to be the most successful engagement at that theatre in the past two years. The film grossed about $40,000 for its first week, $35,000 for its second, $22,000 for the third, and averaged between $15,000 and $20,000 weekly for the remainder of the run. The film begins its subsequent-run on April 6 when it is booked into a local record number of 30 theatres in the area. 'Cyrano' Bows in Canada Toronto, March 26. — The first film roadshow in many weeks here is the Canadian premiere of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which opened today at the International Cinema, the price scale $1.00 and $1.50. RKO RADIO PICTURES, Inc. TRADE SHOWINGS of SOL LESSER'S Presentation of KON TIKI n Mon. 4/2 N.W. ALBANY Fox Scr. Rm. 1052 Broadway ATLANTA RKO Scr. Rm. 195 Luckie St., BOSTON RKO Scr. Rm. 122-28 Arlington St. BUFFALO Mo. Pic. Oper 498 Pearl St. CHARLOTTE Fox Scr. Rm. 308 S. Church St. CHICAGO RKO Scr. Rm. Mon 1300 S. Wabash Ave. Mon. 4/2 8:00 P.M. 10:30 A.M. Mon. 4/2 10:30 A.M. Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 Mon. 4/2 2:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 4/2 CINCINNATI RKO Scr. Rm. 12 East 6th St. CLEVELAND Fox Scr. Rm. 2219 Payne Ave DALLAS Para. Scr. Rm. 412 Sonth Harwood St DENVER Para. Scr. Rm. 2100 Stout St. DES MOINES Para. Scr. Rm. 1125 High St. DETROIT Blumenthals Scr. Rm. 2310 Cass Ave. Mon. 4/2 2:00 P.M. Mon. 4/2 8:00 P.M. Mon. 4/2 2 :30 P.M. Mon. 4/2 2:30 P.M. Mon 4/2 2:00 P.M. Mon. 4/2 1:00 P.M. INDIANAPOLIS Fox Scr. Rm. 326 N. Illinois Mon. 4/2 St. KANSAS CITY Para. Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 1800 Wyandotte St. LOS ANGELES RKO Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 1980 S. Vermont Ave. MEMPHIS Fox Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 151 Vance Ave. MILWAUKEE Warner Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. MINNEAPOLIS Fox Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 1015 Currie Ave. NEW HAVEN Fox Scr. Rm. 40 Whiting St. NEW ORLEANS Fox Scr. Rm. 200 S. Liberty St OKLAHOMA Fox Scr. Rm. 10 North Lee St. 2:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. Mon. 4/2 2 :00 P.M. Mon. 4/2 10:30 A.M. OMAHA Fox Scr. Rm. 1502 Davenport St PHILADELPHIA RKO Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 250 N. 13th St. PITTSBURGH RKO Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 1809-13 Blvd. of Allies PORTLAND Star Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 925 N.W. 19th Ave. ST. LOUIS RKO Scr. Rm. 3143 Olive St. SALT LAKE CITY Fox Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 216 E. 1st St. South SAN FRANCISCO RKO Scr. Rm. 251 Hyde St. SEATTLE Jewel Box Scr. Rm. 2318 2nd Ave. Mon. 4/2 SIOUX FALLS Hollywood Thea. Mon. 4/2 212 N. Philips Ave. WASHINGTON Film Center Scr. Rm. Mon. 4/2 932 New Jersey Ave. Mon. 4/2 10:30 A.M. Mon. 4/2 1:00 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 1:30 P.M. 2:00 P.M. Tues. 4/3 11:30 A.M. 1:30 P.M. Mon. 4/2 2:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. 2:30 P.M.