Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

>ICTURE ROSSES A statistical compilation and comparison of Box-OfUce Performance in first-run theatres ijgures directly below picture title compare dollar gross with average gross and show relate percentage of all engagements tabulated. Squres opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly ijsiness based on the six months' period ending October 31, 1944. KMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature Htle; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move-Over jn; (AA) Advance Admission. viDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. 91.! 109.7% 74.0% IRISH EYES ARE SMILING (20th-Fox) Final Reports: otal Gross Tabulated $634,500 Comparative Average Gross 578,700 3ver-all Performance \09.bfc ALTIilORE^New, 1st week 110.4% ALTIMORE— New. 2nd week 71.4%, ALTIMORE— New, 3rd week 67.2% UFFALO— Great Lakes, 1st week 110.4% i,DBj In the Meantime, Darling (20th -Fox) UFFALO— Great Lakes, 2nd week .... CDB) In the Meantimcj Darling (20th -Fox) INCINNATI— RKO Albee 94.4% INCINNATI— RK.O Grand, MO, 1st week INCINNATI— RKO Shubert, MO, 2nd week rLEVELAND^Warner's Hippodrome 111.7% LEVELAND— Allen, MO, 1st week 121.9% jENVER— Denver 121.8% (DB) Shadows in the Night (Col.) )ENVER— Esquire 138.4% (DB) Shadows in the Night (Col.) ) EN VER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 157.7% (DB) Shadows in the Night (Col.) DENVERRialto, MO 2nd week 113.6% (DB) Shadows in the Night (Col.) lANSAS CITY— Esquire 166.6% vANSAS CITY— Uptown 113.3% -OS ANGELES— Carthay Circle 82.4% (DB) Dangerous Journey (20th-Fox) -OS ANGELES— Crhinese 88.6% (DB) Dangerous Journey (30th-Fox) -OS ANGELES— Loew's States 93.9% (DB) Dangerous Journey (20th-Fox) ^OS ANGELES-Uptown 102.8% (DB) Dangerous Journey (20th -Fox) \IILWAUKEE— Wisconsin, 1st week 133.5% (DB) In the Meantime, Darling (20th-Fox) NlILWAUKEE^Wisconsin, 2nd week 106.8% (DB) In the Meantime, Darling (20th-Fox) MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 102.9% MINXEAPOUS— Century, MO 1st week . . . 106.2% viINNEAPOLIS— Century, MO 2nd week. . . . 85.9% PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 1st week 113.3% PHILADELPHIA— Stanley, 2nd week 78.9% PITTSBURGH— Fulton, 1st week 159.3% PITTSBURGH— Pulton, ' 2nd week 106.2% PITTSBURGH— Fulton, 3rd week 71.2% PROVIDENCE— Majestic 118.1% (DB) When the Lights Go On Again (PRC) PRO\aDENCE-Carlton, MO 1st week . . (DB) When the Lights Go On Again (PRC) PROVIDENCE— Carlton, MO 2nd week . . (DB) When the Lights Go On Again (PRO PROVIDENCE— Carlton, MO 3rd week . . (DB) When the Lights Go On Again (PRO SAN FRANCTSCO— Paramount, 1st week . fDB) In the Meantime, Darling (20th-Fox) SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 2nd week . (DB) In the Meantime, Darling (20th-Fox) SEATTLE— Fifth Ave 131.1% -E.ATTLE— Music Box, MO 1st week 158.1% -EATTLE^Music Box, MO 2nd week .... 109.0% ST. LOmS— Ambassador 81.7% TDB) In the Meantime, Darling (20th-Fox) ST. LOUIS— Missouri, MO 1st week 84.0% rDB) Sweet and Lowdown (20th-Fox) WASHINGTON— Loew's Palace 82.8% 138.8% 111.1% 108.3% 122,2% 91.7% THE CONSPIRATORS (WB) Final Reports: Total Gross Tabulated $579,400 Comparative Average Gross 586,000 Over-all Performance 98.8% BALTIMORE— Stanley, 1st week 104.9% BALTI.MORE— Stanley, 2nd week 86.4% BOSTON— Metropolitan 92.9% (DB) Dark Mountain (Para.) BUFFALO— Buffalo 96.4% aNCTNNATI— RKO Palace 94.5% QNaNNATIRKO Shubert, MO 1st week . . 83.3% DENVER— Denver 88.8% (DB) Babes on Swing Street (Univ.) DENVER— Esquire 91.8% (DB) Babes on Swing Street (Univ.) LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 1st week 113.9% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 2nd week 93.37o LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 3rd week 93.9% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 1st week 113.8% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 2nd week 85.8% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 3rd week 75.1% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 1st week . 120.1% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 2nd week . 92.3% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 3rd week . . 75.3% MINNEAPOLIS— State 90.9% MINNEAPOLIS-^World, MO 1st week .... 104.1% NEW YORK— Strand, 1st week 131.3% (SA) Les Brown's (Drchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 2nd week 104.6% (SA) Les Brown's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand. 3rd week 90.0% (SA) Les Brown's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 4th week 85.1% (SA) Les Brown's Orchestra OMAHA— Brandeis 97.2% (DB) Ever Since Venus (Col.) PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum 116.6% PITTSBURGH— Penn 102.8% PROVTDENCE^Majestic 126.0% (DB) Minstrel Man (PRC) SAN FRANCISCO— Fox 104.2% (DB) End of the Road (Rep.) SEATTLE^rpheum 100.9% WASHINGTON— Warner's Earle, 1st week . . . 109.5% (SA) Vaudeville WASHINGTON— Warner's Earle, 2nd week . . . 81.7% (SA) Vaudeville LAURA (20th-Fox) Intermediate Reports: Total Gross Tabulated $560,000 Comparative Average Gross 460,000 Over-all Performance 120.7% BALTIMORE— New 105.0% CINCINNATI— RKO Albee 94.4% KANSAS CITY— Esqufre 150.0% KANSAS CITY— Uptown 80.0% MINNEAPOLIS— Radio City 90.0% NEW YORX— Roxy, 1st week 148.8% (SA) Hazel Scott, Jackie Miles, others NEW YORK— Roxy, 2nd week 129.7% (SA) Hazel • Scott, Jackie Miles, others NEW YORK— Roxy, 3rd week 119.8% (SA) Hazel Scott, Jackie Miles, others NEW YORK— Roxy, 4th week 120.4% (SA) Hazel Scott, Jackie Miles, others PHILADELFHIAFox 152.2% PITTSBURGH— Harris, 1st week 106.8% PITTSBURGH— Harris, 2nd week 76.9% PITTSBURGH— Senator, MO 1st week .... 125.0% PROVIDENCE— Majestic 110.2% (DB) Babes on Swing Street (Univ.) SAN FRANCnSCO— Paramount, 1st week . . . 115.7% (DB) Shadow of Suspicion (Mono.) SAN FRANCISCO— Paramount, 2nd week . . . 95.0% (DB) Shadow of Suspicion (Mono.) WASHINGTON— Palace 115.7% WASHINGTON— Loew's Columbia, MO 1st week 123.4% NEW BASE LINE Beginning in this Issue, the average, or 100 per cent, line of these tabulations Is the average weekly business of the theatres concerned for the six months ending October 31, 1944. The previous period ended July 31, 1944. This brings into the new base a recognition of current economic conditions as they affect box office performance. Davestan Files Complaint In New York Tribunal The Davestan Amusement Company, operator of the Kent theatre, Newark, N. J., has filed a clearance complaint in the New York tribunal against all five companies requesting that all clearance of the Regent theatre, Newark, operated by the Broadway-Carteret Corporation, be eliminated as unreasonable, the American Arbitration Association reported this week. William Goldman Theatres, Inc., operator of the Keith and Karlton theatres, Philadelphia, last week filed a clearance complaint in that city's tribunal against Paramount, RKO and Twentieth Century-Fox, asking that clearance of the two houses be reduced from 14 days to seven, after first runs. Frederick H. Wiggin, arbitrator in the New Haven tribunal, last week ruled that the maximum clearance which might be granted the Wilkinson theatre, Wallingford, Conn., over the Strand, Wallingford, might not exceed 30 days. Herman B. Meiselman, operator of the Strand, had filed a clearance complaint against the five consenting companies asking that the 90-day clearance his theatre was subjected to be eliminated. H. T. Burns, operator of the Cyril theatre, Cyril, Okla., has withdrawn his some run complaint against Paramount, at the Oklahoma City tribunal. The Association also reported that leases on 27 of its tribunal offices, which expire December 31, are to be renewed. Two of the offices are on a month-to-month basis, and one has another year to run on its lease. Managers' Dispute with RKO To Go to War Labor Board The contract dispute between RKO and the Motion Picture Theatre Operating Managers and Assistant Managers Guild, representing managers and their assistants in the New York metropolitan area, is expected to be certified shortly to the War Labor Board by the New York State Mediation Board. A meeting of the Mediation Board Monday in New York, at which N. Peter Rathvon, RKO president, appeared, failed to solve the controversy between the Guild and the company. The company's position is understood to be that the managers do not have the right to unionize because they are executives. The New York State Labor Board, however, has recognized the right to organize by certifying the guild as the collective bargaining agent of the managers following an election won by the guild. Although it is pointed out in legal circles that several obstacles remain before RKO can make a test case of the issue, RKO still can seek a declaratory judgment of the New York Supreme Court on the ruling of the state board. Capstaff of Eastnnan Kodak Gets Honorary Fellowship John G. Capstaff, in charge of a photographic division of the research laboratories of the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, has received an honorary fellowship in the Royal Photographic Society, it was announced November 21. Last month he received the Progress Medal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers for work resulting in an advance in the development of motion picture technology. The Royal Photographic Society, with headquarters in London, informed Mr. Capstafif that the fellowship was in appreciation of his services to photography. Only five Kodak men before him have received the honoary fellowship, Dr. C. E. Kenneth Mees, Dr. S. E. Sheppard, Donald McMaster, Dr. Douglas A. Spencer and E. A. Robins. Decency Legion Reviews Eight New Pictures The National Legion of Decency this week classified eight new pictures. In Class A-L unobjectionable for general patronage, are: "Crazy Knights," "Nevada," "Sergeant Mike," "Town Went Wild." In Class A-2, unobjectionable for adults, are "Enter Arsene Lupin,' "Guest in the House." In Class B, objectionable in part : "Blonde Fever," "Ministry of Fear." MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 25, 1944 59