Motion Picture Herald (1954)

THE WINNERS CIRCLE Pictures doing above average business at first runs in the key cities for the week ending October 9 were: Albany: A Woman’s World (20th-Fox), The Vanishing Prairie (Buena Vista). Atlanta: The Caine Mutiny (Col.) 2nd week, Her Twelve Men (MGM), The Miami Story (Col.), A Star Is Born (W.B.) Boston: Naked Alibi (U-I), On the Waterfront (Col.), Sabrina (Par.), The Vanishing Prairie (Buena Vista). Buffalo: Sabrina (Par.) 3rd week, Suddenly (U.A.) 2nd week, Valley of the Kings (MGM) 3rd week. Cincinnati: Betrayed (MGM), Brigadoon (MGM), The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 2nd week, On the Waterfront (Col.) 2nd week. Columbus: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 2nd week, Johnny Dark (U-I), On the Waterfront (Col.). Denver: African Adventure (RKO), The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 3rd week, Sabrina (Par.) 2nd week, A Woman’s World (20th-Fox) . Des Moines: On the Waterfront (Col.) 2nd week, Rear Window (Par.) 3rd week. Detroit: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 3rd week, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (MGM) 3rd week, A Star Is Born (W.B.), Suddenly (U.A.) Hartford: Betrayed (MGM) 2nd week, On the Waterfront (Col.) 3rd week, Rogue Cop (MGM), Sabrina (Par.). Jacksonville: The Egg and I (U-I reissue) , On the Waterfront (Col.) 2nd week, Woman’s World (20th-Fox). Kansas City: Sabrina (Par.) holdover. St. Louis Amusement Co. Asks Review on TV Case WASHINGTON : The St. Louis Amusement company has asked the Supreme Court to review a Circuit Court of Appeals order dismissing the theatre company's petition to declare unlawful and void a Federal Communications Commission hearing involving applications for a new television station in St. Louis, The FCC hearings involved five applicants for Channel 11 in St. Louis. One of the applicants was the theatre company, and another the Columbia Broadcasting System. Sectional Release in DCA Plan: Schwartz HOLLYWOOD : Point of sale promotion and sectional release will be the fundamental features of Distribution Corp. of America policy, with the nation divided into five sections where pictures will be presented successively, instead of simultaneously as in present practice, Fred Schwartz, DCA president, told the press here last Friday. DCA will have offices in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis: On the Waterfront (Col.) 2nd week, Rear Window (Par.) 2nd week, Sabrina (Par.) 2nd week. New Orleans: Betrayed (MGM) 2nd week, Dragnet (W.B.) 3rd week, Duel in the Jungle (W.B.) 2nd week, The Human Jungle (A.A.) 2nd week, Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (GBD), Rear Window (Par.) holdover, A Star Is Born (W.B.) Oklahoma City: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 4th week, Rear Window (Par.) 2nd week, The Shanghai Story (Rep.), A Star Is Born (W.B.) Omaha: Magnificent Obsession (U-I) 2nd week, On the Waterfront (Col.) Pittsburgh: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 3rd week, On the Waterfront (Col.) 3rd week. Philadelphia: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 6th week, Rear Window (Par.), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (MGM). Portland: The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 4th week, The Vanishing Prairie (Buena Vista) . Providence: Betrayed (MGM), Rear Window (Para.), Susan Slept Here (RKO). San Francisco: Sabrina (Par.) 2nd week, A Star Is Born (W.B.), Suddenly (U.A.). Washington: Betrayed (MGM) 2nd week, The Egyptian (20th-Fox) 3rd week, On the Waterfront (Col.) 3rd week, Rear Window (Par.) 5th week. Vancouver: Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (U.A.) 2nd week, Magnificent Obsession (U-I) 2nd week, Rear Window (Par.) 3rd week, Susan Slept Here (RKO). Atlanta, Dallas and either San Francisco or Los Angeles. “In this way,” he said, “we will be able to concentrate all our effort on establishing a picture in each section, in turn bringing all point-of-sale promotional media-television, radio, newspapersto bear on each individual area.” In response to questioning, Mr. Schwartz said the present intention is to forego national magazine advertising in view of the sectional release method and in order to focus promotion on the period when the film is available to the public. Policy in foreign markets will conform in general outline to company’s domestic policy. RKO Theatres to Move RKO Theatres Corp. has leased the entire 17th floor of the Mutual Life Insurance Building, 1740 Broadway, New York City and commencing about December 1, the company will operate its home office from this new address. Sol A. Schwartz, president of RKO Theatres, in announcing the move from Americas Building, disclosed that 17,000 square feet of space has been leased for a period of 10 years. State Totals Of Theatres A. re Listed A total of 18,351 theatres operating in the United States as of August 1, 1954, according to a tabulation of the country’s theatres, has been made public by Robert W. Coyne, special counsel of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. The tabulation was made by Sindlinger & Company who were retained by COMPO. Included in the tabulation is a summary of active theatre operations, by state, for both conventional and drive-in theatres. Following is a state-by-state table of this summary with both verified theatres and probable verifications: Total State Active Alabama 322 Arizona 103 Arkansas 321 California 1 ,064 Colorado 222 Connecticut 199 Delaware 44 Florida 448 Georgia 394 Idaho 174 Illinois 770 Indiana 449 Iowa 459 Kansas 382 Kentucky . . 281 Louisiana . . 370 Maine 173 Maryland . . 204 Massachusetts 373 Michigan . . . . 600 Minnesota 455 Mississippi 284 Missouri 547 Montana 160 Nebraska 313 Nevada 43 New Hampshire . 90 New Jersey 275 New Mexico 144 New York 1 ,09 1 North Carolina 642 North Dakota . . . . . . 190 Ohio 762 Oklahoma 470 Oregon 281 Pennsylvania 1,095 Rhode Island 46 South Carolina 319 South Dakota 192 Tennessee 387 Texas 1 ,362 Utah 153 Vermont 81 Virginia 455 Washington 305 West Virginia . . 308 Wisconsin 420 Wyoming 73 District of Columbia . 56 Total 18,351 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER Ifc, 1954