Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

PICTURE CROSSES A statistical compilation and comparison of Box-Office Performance in first-run theatres Figures directly below picture title compare dollar gross with average gross and show relative percentage of all engagements tabulated. Figures opposite theatre names represent percentage of tabulated grosses to average weekly business based on the six months' period ending January 31, 1945. SYMBOLS: (DB) Double Bill— associate feature title; (SA) Stage Attraction; (MO) Move-Over Run; (AA) Advance Admission. INDEX: Over-all performance percentage figures from previously published final reports appear in Service Data section of Product Digest. See last column of Release Chart for Index. OBJECTIVE, BURMA (WB) Final Reports: Total Gross Tabulated $917,900 Comparative Average Gross 865,600 Over-all Performance 106.0% BALTIMORE — Stanley, 1st week 117.6% BALTIMORE — Stanley, 2nd week 97.6% BALTIMORE— Stanley, 3rd week 85.2% CHICAGO— Roosevelt, 1st week 107.9% CHICAGO— Roosevelt, 2nd week 93.9% CHICAGO^Roosevelt, 3rd week 103.2% CHICAGO— Roosevelt, 4th week 80.0% CINCINNATI— Albee 117.2% CINCINNATI— Keith's, MO 1st week 89.4% 'CLEVELAND— Hippodrome 134.0% "CLEVELAND— Allen, MO 1st week 111.1% DENVER— Denver 106.7% (DB) Night Club Girl (Univ.) DENVER— Esquire 109.8% (DB) Night Club Girl (Univ.)" DENVER— Aladdin, MO 1st week 68.3% (DB) Night Club Girl (Univ.) DENVER— Rialto, MO 2nd week 90.0% (DB) Night Club Girl (Univ.) LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 1st week 111.9% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 2nd week 94.0% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Downtown, 3rd week 90.2% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 1st week 119.6% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 2nd week 87.1% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Hollywood, 3rd week 84.0% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 1st week . 113.1% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 2nd week . 88.2% LOS ANGELES— Warner's Wiltern, 3rd week . 80.7% MILWAUKEE— Warner 95.9% MONTREAL— Capitol 98.8% (DB) A Guy, a Gal and a Pal (Col) NEW YORK— Strand, 1st week 153.4% (SA) Artie Shaw's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 2nd week 139.4% (SA) Artie Shaw's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 3rd week 121.5% (SA) Artie Shaw's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 4th week 116.4% (SA) Artie Shaw's Orchestra NEW YORK— Strand, 5th week 103.2% (SA) Artie Shaw's Orchestra OMAHA— Brandeis 86.6% (DB) Let's Go Steady (Col.) PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 1st week . . . 131.0% PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 2nd week . . . 68.1% PHILADELPHIA— Mastbaum, 3rd week . . . 67.0% PITTSBURGH— Stanley 86.7% PROVIDENCE— Majestic 109.4% SAN FRANCISCO— Fox 96.2% SEATTLE— Orpheum, 1st week 113.6% SEATTLE— Orpheum, 2nd week 89.4% ST. LOUIS— Fox 102 2% (DB) Destiny (Univ.) *ST. LOUIS— Shubert, MO 1st week 103.4% (DB) Destiny (Univ.) WASHINGTON— Earle, 1st week 132.7% (SA) Vaudeville WASHINGTON— Earle, 2nd week 88 4% (SA) Vaudeville • THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (MCM) Final Reports: Total Gross Tabulated $574,500 Comparative Average Gross 558,100 Over-all Performance 102.9% BALTIMORE— Century 110.8% BOSTON— Orpheum 84.0% BOSTON— State 92 3% BUFFALO— Buffalo 100 0% (DB) Blonde Fever (MGM) CHICAGO— Chicago 86.5% (SA) Glen Gray's Orchestra CINCINNATI— RKO Palace 112 7% CINCINNATI— RKO Shubert, MO 1st week . . Ill 1% CINCINNATI— RKO Keith's, MO 2nd week . . 101.8% CLEVELAND^Loew's State 92.5% CLEVELAND— Loew's Stillman. MO 1st week . 1190% CLEVELAND— Loew's Ohio, MO 2nd week . . 80 0%, KANSAS CITY-Midland .... 927% NEW YORK— Capitol, 1st week 115.0%, (SA) Frankie Carle Orchestra, others NEW YORK— Capitol, 2nd week 110.7%, (SA) Frankie Carle Orchestra, others NEW YORK-Capitol, 3rd week 102.4% (SA) Frankie Carle Orchestra, others OMAHA— Paramount 86.0% PHILADELPHIA— Boyd 95.9%, PITTSBURGH— Penn 105.5%, PIOVIDENCE— State 103.6% (DB) Dancing in Manhattan (Col). SEATTLE— Paramount, 1st week 133.0% SEATTLE— Paramount, 2nd week 106.2%, SEATTLE— Music Box, MO 1st week 120.6% (DB) Blonde Fever (MGM) SEATTLE— Music Box, MO 2nd week .... 103.4%, (DB) Blonde Fever (MGM) ST. LOUIS— Loew's State 86.4%, (DB) Leave It to Blondie (Col.) ST. LOUIS— Orpheum, MO1 1st week 138.4% (DB) Leave It to Blondie (Col.) ST. LOUIS — Orpheum, MO' 2nd week 107.6% (DB) Leave It to Blondie (Col.) TORONTO— Loew's 97.5%, WASHINGTON— Capitol 112.0%, (SA) Vaudeville . WASHINGTON— Columbia, MO 1st week . . . 111.1%, • TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT (Col.) Final Reports: Total Gross Tabulated $650,400 Comparative Average Gross 698,100 Over-all Performance 93.1% BALTIMORE^Hippodrome, 1st week 107.7% (SA) Vaudeville BALTIMORE— Hippodrome, 2nd week 93.9% (SA) Vaudeville BOSTON— Orpheum 108.4% BOSTON— State 150.3% BUFFALO— Lafavette, 1st week 142.9%. (DB) The Unwritten Code (Col.) BUFFALO— Lafayette, 2nd week 96.6% (DB) The Missing Juror (Col.) CINCINNATI— RKO Albee 92.5% CINCINNATI— RKO Grand, MO 1st week . . . 70.0% CLEVELAND— Warner's Hippodrome 100.5% CLEVELAND— Allen, MO' 1st week 70.6% DENVER— Denver 88.6% DENVEREsquire .' 91.8% DENVER— Aladdin, MO1 1st week 84.1% DENVER— Rialto, MO 2nd week 89.8%, INDIANAPOLIS — Loew's 81.9% LOS ANGELES— Four Star, 1st week 190.0% LOS ANGELES— Four Star, 2nd week .... 136.0% LOS ANGELES— Four Star, 3rd week 126.0% LOS ANGELES— Fox Wilshire, 1st week .... 136.7% LOS ANGELES— Fox Wilshire, 2nd week . . . 67.9% LOS ANGELES— Fox Wilshire, 3rd week . . . 66.0% LOS ANGELES— Guild. 1st week 122.2% LOS ANGELES — Guild, 2nd week 87.7% LOS ANGELES— Guild, 3rd week 83.3% LOS ANGELES* — United Artists, 1st week . . . 87.8% LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 2nd week . . . 62.8% LOS ANGELES— United Artists, 3rd week . . . 53.8% MILWAUKEE— Palace 106.7% (DB) I Love a Mystery (Col.) MINNEAPOLIS— Radio Citv 74.0% MINNEAPOLIS— World, MO 1st week .... 125.0% MINNEAPOLIS— World, MO 2nd week .... 125.0% MINNEAPOLIS— World, MO 3rd week .... 83.3% NEW YORK— Music Hall, 1st week 99.1% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation NEW YORK— Music Hall, 2nd week 92.9% (SA) Radio City Music Hall Stage Presentation OMAHA— Brandeis 98.6% (DB) The Missing Juror (Col.) PITTSBURGH— Harris, 1st week 111.1% PITTSBURGH— Harris, 2nd week 72.6% PROVIDENCE — State 100.6% (DB) I Love a Mystery (MGM) SEATTLE— Liberty, 1st week 87.6% SEATTLE— Liberty, 2nd week 108.6% SEATTLE— Liberty, 3rd week 87.6% SEATTLE— Liberty, 4th week 86.2% (DB) Shadows in the Night (Col.) WASHINGTON— Earle 110.6% (SA) Vaudeville * Post-midnight performances discontinued because of curfew. Moss Defends His Right to Deny Theatre Licenses Paul Moss, New York City License Com sioner, whose recent refusal of a license to Belasco theatre there because he considered play "Trio," obscene, caused a furore in ] York theatrical circles, last Friday contended the city charter vested in him discretionary po\' to refuse a theatre license in "the public intt and for the protection of public morals decency." His statement was made in a brief filed thrc the office of the Corporation Counsel in answe a $1,000,000 damage suit brought by Lee Sabin producer of "Trio." At the time the license was refused, M; La Guardia publicly upheld Commissioner M action by refusing to curb his powers to act w out a court hearing on disputed .plays, as demanded by a number of representatives of J York theatres. In his answer, Commissioner Moss pointed the "Trio" was advertised extensively and tha was a play "dealing with Lesbianism and the natural relationship between two women." Equipment Makers Warned On Price Scale by OPA Manufacturers of photographic equipment im paring for reconversion to civilian production h> been warned by the Office of Price Administrat I in Washington that until they definitely can sr highe'r costs on their new output they will h to adhere to March, 1942, price levels. The OPA disclosed today that it had given 1 information to members of the photographic eqi> ment manufacturers' industry WPB advisory cc? mittee at a meeting at which a request was m; for a higher ceiling because of increased mateii and labor costs. OPA officials explained to the committee t it was impossible to grant higher maximum pri on mere anticipations of increased costs and t it would be necessary for the industry to get b; into normal production before action could taken. To obtain an increase, it was said, would be necessary to submit actual cost d based on normal output, and it was pointed that such_ figures could not be prepared now while an industry is in process of reconversion. Shea Plans Bradford House Plans to raze the Shea theatre, Bradford, f and in its place build a new 1,400-seat theatre soon as conditions permit, have been announced E. C. Grainger, president and general manager the Shea Theatres. A site adjoining the thea has been purchased to make room for the larf house. Cantril Joins Film Center Dr. Hadley Cantril, director of public opin. research for Princeton University, has been nan head of the audience survey section of the Prim ton Film Center of Princeton, N. J., Gordon Km; executive director of the Film Center, has nounced. Buys 2 Chicago Houses Harold Abbott, president of the Abbott Thea Equipment company, Chicago, has acquired i Acadia and Gaelic, South Side neighborho houses, from Ann Remijas. Mr. Abbott recen operated the Apollo theatre, which has reverl to its owner, Jahn Krafcisin. Rogers Stars Dorsey Brothers Charles R. Rogers has acquired a musical stc based on the respective careers of Tommy Jimmy Dorsey for a United Artists release. Dorsey Brothers will star in the film, titled "J Brother Leads a Band." Fairbanks Altec Manager L. J. Hacking, New England district manager Altec Service Corporation, has appointed Robi D. Fairbanks branch manager in Boston. ]V Fairbanks was associated with ERPI in the Be ton district prior to joining Altec in 1937. 82 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 31, 19