Motion Picture Daily (Apr-June 1956)

A blanket reservation from Tent Jo. 39, of Las Vegas, for Variety r>lubs International Convention has Von an orchid for Miss Dorothy mith, the tent's secretary, from First assistant Chief Barker Martin Levine. ^evine, upon receiving a check and "eservation from the tent's 48 memiers, was so pleased he promptly wired" the orchid to Miss Smith. 7lie convention will be held in New j i'ork from May 9 to 12. A LONDON-A share of the proeeds from the 1956 Water Rats' level, one of the year's biggest and lost popular show-business events in England, will go to Variety Club. The event will take place at London's 'ictoria Palace in October. This will >e the third successive year that Jreat Britain Tent No. 36 has beneted from a Rats' Revel, last year's bow haying netted the club 600 ounds. Exhibitor Killed »| TACOMA, Wash., April 5. -Arthur z\ Morse, 72-year-old motion picture wner-operator of Tacoma, was killed festantly when his car crashed into pole. riday, April 6, 1956 Motion Picture Daily TENT TALK Variety Club News Grosses (Continued from page 1 ) week is progressing, with a robust box-office forecast for the weekend, barring any unusually bad weather. Many out-of-towners and vacationing school children with their parents swelled matinee grosses. Business Good Nationally Business reports from across the nation were received from circuit spokesmen, with affiliate theatres in key cities. According to an official of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, the box-office is holding up very well, with business slightly better at this point than last Easter Week. Speaking for Loew's Theatres, both in Metropolitan New York and outof-town, an official said that by and large, with the exception of a few soft spots, business is better than last year. An RKO Theatres executive said it has been "a nice Easter Week," with business living up to expectations, although not as good as last Easter for RKO Theatres which then featured the high grosser "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in many of its situations. Predictions Fulfilled Meanwhile, along Broadway, the Warner Theatres, featuring the last week of "Cinerama Holiday" has been swamped with a ticket demand and is doing capacity business, according 'Conqueror' Breaks Criterion Record In six days of its first week at the Criterion Theatre here, Howard Hughes' "The Conqueror" surpassed the previous house record for a full week, it was announced yesterday by Charles B. Moss, owner of the Criterion. Total gross for the RKO picture as of Wednesday was $74,161. Until then the top weekly gross since the Criterion opened in 1937 was $66,000 for "Country Girl" during a Christmas holiday week. New Haven Cashing In on Borgnine NEW HAVEN, April 5. Suburban exhibitors of New Haven, home town of Ernie Borgnine, Academy Award winner for best acting of 1955, are cashing in on the publicity surrounding the star. Eight neighborhood houses in one of the most extensive saturation bookings to hit that town so far, are playing "Marty," the film that nailed down the award for Borgnine. to a spokesman for Stanley Warner. Earlier excellent holiday grosses estimated in Tuesday's issue of Motion Picture Daily for other Broadway houses were proven by business, with a few houses doing better than the early estimates. Cleveland First Runs Up, Neighborhoods Off in Easter Period Special to THE DAILY CLEVELAND, April 5.-Bo\officewise, the Cleveland downtown theatres grossed about $17,000 more this post-Easter week than they did in the corresponding week of the previous year. But this year had two outstanding grossers to swell the takes; namely "Alexander the Great," which pulled $25,000 with a steady boxoffice line for all performances, and "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," which drew $20,500. This year there were only two holdover programs compared to three in 1955. Ideal Easter Sunday weather, with sunshine all day, helped business. Neighborhood Houses Suffer In the neighborhoods and in many of the surrounding towns, however, exhibitors report business this week is way below that of last year. Owners of theatres in some of the larger surrounding towns report the trend was entirely in the downtown direction. Subsequent run houses "died," they say. Small town business was also reportedly down from last year. Even drive-ins did not do as well as the fine weather justified. It being the first really fine Sunday of the spring, people were out driving, bumper to bumper, and outdoor theatres were no competition to sunshine. 20th ANNUAL VARIETY CLUB INT'L CONVENTION WALDORF-ASTORIA MAY 9-12 REGISTRATION FEES BARKERS $45. WIVES 35. sponsored by TENT #35, N. Y. For reservations write to: MARTIN LEVINE Convention Chairman .229 West 42 St., N. Y. C.