Motion Picture Herald (Aug-Oct 1947)

Short Product in First Run Houses MPEA Reports Good Overseas Gross in Heat Europe's sizzling heat wave of the past few weeks was not enough to make a serious dent in grosses garnered by Motion Picture Export Association product in Amsterdam and Berlin, the MPEA's New York office reported last week. Going strong in Amsterdam theatres were "Philadelphia Story," "O.S.S.", "The Spiral Staircase" and "Keep 'Em Flying." Strong box office honors also were shared by "Tarzan's New York Adventure," "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Casablanca." Dutch exhibitors recently saw "Random Harvest," "Song of Bernadette" and "Affairs of Susan." In Berlin, Paramount's "Two Years Before the Mast" was in its fifth week, outgrossing all other first-run offerings by a strong 20 per cent. "Anna and the King of Siam" has rounded out its first month at the Wintergarden, and "Jane Eyre" was in a fourth week at the Kronen. Berlin neighborhood houses are doing good business with "Holiday Inn," "Sun Valley Serenade" and "Men in Her Life." "Five Graves to Cairo" and "The Sea Wolf" are doing record-breaking business in Bucharest. In Budapest, during the first week of September, the Hungarian capital's 12 first-run houses shared five MPEA films on a day-and-date arrangement. "China," "The Lodger" and "Kitty Foyle." "Boom Town" ran for six hot weeks at Prague and has been replaced by "Life of Emile Zola." In Vienna "Holiday Inn" had a record six-week engagement at the Apollo. "So Proudly We Hail" has completed a gratifying round of first-run engagements in Warsaw where "Appointment for Love" and "Hold Back the Dawn" are now showing. "One Foot in Heaven" and "Tarzan Escapes" did big business in Tokyo. Eagle Lion Appoints Seven New Salesmen Expanding the domestic sales department, Eagle Lion has appointed seven salesmen. They are: Gay S. Pinnell, Kansas City; Carl R. Michel, Milwaukee; Samuel Jack Weiss, Cleveland; Stanley Arnold, Philadelphia; Ernest C. Leeves and Collins Riley, Dallas, and John J. Hill, Boston, who will also be booker. The company also announced the appointment of Nelson T. Towler as sales manager in Atlanta from the position of branch manager. Jefferson V. Seckinger Dies Jefferson V. Seckinger, 36, manager of the Arcade theatre, West Palm Beach, Fla., was killed September 28 in an automobile accident. A native of Kendrick, Fla., he had been associated with the Florida Theatre Corporation for 16 years. NEW YORK— Week of October 6 CAPITOL: The Amazing Mr. Nordill MGM Dork Shadows MGM Slap Happy Lion MGM Feature: Desire Me MGM GLOBE: Reading and Riding RKO Radio Feature: Fun and Fancy Free RKO Radio MUSIC HALL: Straight Shooters . .RKO Radio Feature: Down to Earth Columbia PALACE: Treasure House RKO Radio Feature: Magic Town RKO Radio PARAMOUNT: Unusual Occupations, No. 6 Paramount Popeye and the Pirate Paramount Riding the Waves Paramount Feature: Desert Fury Paramount RIALTO: Try and Catch Me Paramount Popular Science, No. 2 Paramount Island Fling Paramount Feature: Blonde Savage Eagle Lion R/VOLf: Champagne tor Two Paramount Diamond Gals Paramount Feature: Crossfire RKO Radio Theatre Expert Panel Set For SMPE Convention A panel of 50 experts covering all phases of theatre design, construction, equipment and maintenance is being assembled to take part in an cpen forum discussion in the theatre engineering conference sessions during the 62nd semi-annual convention of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers when it meets at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York, October 20-24. The announcement was made by James Frank, Jr., chairman of the local arrangements committee, at a luncheon meeting at the Hotel Pennsylvania last week. Olive Borden of Silent Film Dies Hollywood Bureau Olive Borden, 40, $l,500-a-week star of the silent films, died October 1 in a Los Angeles mission for destitute women. Services were held October 4, with interment at Forest Lawn. Miss Borden went to Hollywood in the early 1920's and, before sound came in, rose to co-star with such players as Tom Mix, Lew Cody and George O'Brien. Among her pictures were "The Happy Warrior," "The Monkey Talks," "Come to My House," "Pajamas," "Dance Hall," "The Social Lion," "Wedding Rings" and "My Own Pal." She began her career as a Mack Sennett bathing beauty and in 1926 and 1927 starred for the old William Fox studio. Miss Borden joined the WACs in 1943. Her mother survives. Grant Bolmer Grant Bolmer, 79, motion picture pioneer who operated the first theatre in Franklin, Pa., died there Monday, September 29. ROXK; Flying South 20th Cent.-Fox Holiday in South Africa 20th Cent. -Fox Feature: The Foxes of Harrow 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND: A Day at Hollywood Park Warner Bros. Hitler Li ves? Warner Bros. Little Orphan Airdale Warner Bros. Feature: The Unsuspected Warner Bros. WARNER: Carnival of Sports. . .Warner Bros. Feature: Life With Father Warner Bros. WINTER GARDEN: Let's Go Latin . .Universal Feature: Ride the Pink Horse Universal CHICAGO— Week of October 3 GRAND: Solid Ivories Universal Popular Science, No. 6 Bondi Feature: Carnegie Hall U.A. ROOSEVELT: Making the Varsity. .Paramount Feature: Desert Fury Paramount STATE LAKE: Foxy Duckling Warner Bros. Feature: Life With Father Warner Bros. UNITED ARTISTS: Football Thrills MGM Feature: The Unfinished Dance MGM Loew Share Sale Tops SEC List The sale of 43,000 shares of Loew's, Inc., common stock during the period from August 11 to September 10, was reported last weekend by the Securities and Exchange Commission in its monthly report. Nicholas Schenck sold 40,000, making his total holdings of Loew's 21,727; J. Robert Rubin sold 2,000 shares, and Charles C. Moskowitz, 1,000 shares. Joseph H. Moskowitz sold 1,000 shares of Twentieth Century-Fox bringing his total to 1,500. Fred L. Metzler sold 1,000 shares in the company and the firm of Lehman Brothers, New York, purchased 400 shares of 20th-Fox. The Jack Cohn trust sold 700 shares of Columbia; A. Montague sold 300 shares of Columbia, and Abraham Schneider transferred 600 shares in the company to the Schneider Foundation. Mr. Montague also reported holding 10,426 warrants for common stock. L. Lawrence Green reported selling 300 shares in RKO Radio. George D. Burrows exercised his option for 3,000 shares of Monogram common. Samuel Hoffenstein Dies Samuel Hoffenstein, 57, screen writer, poet and humorist, died in Los Angeles October 6 following a heart attack. He wrote the screen plays for "Dr.' Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Desire," "The Great Waltz," "Love Me Tonight," "Miracle Man" and many others. James Gregory Services were held at Olean, N. Y., October 6 for James Gregory, 71, who operated the State theatre at Shelby, Ohio. 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER II, 1947