Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

October IS , 1930 Motion Picture News 35 Boston's Houses Break Records As Legion Meets Boston — This city is digging out from the American Legion national convention, which is reported to have spent something like three millions in Boston during the week and which left a sizeable share of its spendings in the theatre box-office. Boston had the biggest week in its history. There have been weeks when individual theatres have exceeded the week's totals which have just been piled up, but there has been no week when every theatre shared in the coin to such an extent. The RKO Keith-Albee and Keith Memorial celebrated their birthdays with midnight shows on Sunday and the Metropolitan also staged a midnight show for the benefit of the visitors. All were packed to the doors and hundreds had to be turned away. Tuesday, the day of the big parade, there were a few spare seats during the early, part of the matinees, but during the late afternoon the theatres were swamped with those who tired of watching the marchers and sought a few minutes to sit down within the theatres until lines were broken so they could get home. Every other matinee and night everv plavhouse was filled at every performance. "Hell's Angels," in its sixth week, soared to 200 per cent and only lack of seats prevented it going higher. Metropolitan, with "The Sea God" and Buddy Rogers in person, hit 160%. "Half Shot at Sunrise" at the Keith Memorial hit 150%, as did "What A Widow" at Loew's State. "Monte Carlo," playing day and date at the Olympia and Uptown, did 145% and 160% respectively. Estimated takings : "THE SEA GOD" (Paramount) METROPOLITAN— (4,250), 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: Charles "Buddy" Rogers in person, Publix revue, comedv, news, midnight show Sunday night. Gross: $49,000. Rating: 160%. "SHE'S MY WEAKNESS" (RKO) KEITH-ALBEE— (2.500), 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: Vaudeville. RKO comedy, news, RKOlians. Also midnight show Sunday night. Gross: $24,000. Rating: 1.13%. "HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE" (RKO) KEITH MEMORIAL— (2,800). 30c-65c, 7 days. Other attractions: Comedy, Sportlight, news. Gross: $34,500. Rating: 150%. "WHAT A WIDOW" (U. A.) LOEW'S STATE— (3.700), 30c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Bov Friend comedy, cartoon, news. Gross: $30,000. Rating: 150%. "MADAM SATAN" (M-C-M) LOEW'S ORPHEUM — (3,100), 25c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Vaudeville, comedy, news. Gross: $28,000. Rating: 145%. "HELL'S ANGELS" (U. A.) TREMONT— (1.800). 50c-$2. 6 days. Other attractions: None. Gross: $22,000. Rating: 200% (Sixth week.) "NUMBERED MEN" (F. N.) SCOLLAY SQL'ARE— (1.800), 25c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Seven vaudeville acts, comedy, news. Gross: $20,000. Rating: 145%. "MONTE CARLO" (Paramount) OLYMPIA— (2.500). 25c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Comedy, cartoon, news. Gross: $21,000. Rating: 145%. "MONTE CARLO" (Paramount) UPTOWN— (2,000). 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: Comedv. cartoon, news. Gross: $19,000. Rating: 160%. Rebuild West Portal San Francisco — A new and more beautiful West Portal theatre, to replace the present building partially destroyed recently by fire, will be ready for patrons of that district in the near future, according to Manager Harrv Levin. Indoor Golfettes Madison, Wis. — Wisconsin theatres continue to take their miniature golf lightly for the most part. The formal opening of the first indoor miniature course in this city was mentioned in newspaper advertising in connection with which John Scharnberg, manager of RKO's Orpheum, Capitol and Garrick theatres here, co-operated to the extent of offering a free ducat to one of the houses to any one making the ISth hole in "one." The theatre award was incorporated in the course's formal newspaper announcement. At Sheboygan, a miniature golf course, identical with the ones in the Congress Hotel and Medina Club, Chicago, will be installed in the basement of the Fox theatre. The course will be eighteen holes and is expected to be completed within the next several weeks. Providence Gets Thrill as "Half Shot" Goals 'Em Providence — Sensational business at the RKO Albee with "Half Shot at Sunrise," which hit $14,500, was the big noise for the week. Harry Storin, when he checked up Sunday night, found that the day's gross had topped even "All Quiet on the Western Front." And they continued to come for the entire week. Loew's, with "What a Widow," was off from previous weeks, hitting about $18,000. "Liliom," Majestic, also failed to excite the mob very much and it was lucky to get away with $10,800. At the RKO Victory the receipts were around $9,000, not too tough. The Paramount was down with "The Spoilers," although Gary Cooper is a big favorite here. Hectic political activities did their part to mar the sleep of exhibitors. The fair ones find it hard to find escorts these nights, with all the boys interested in rallies and caucuses. Estimated takings : "WHAT A WIDOW" (U. A.) PARAMOUNT— (3,800), 10c-50e, 7 days. Other attractions: Our Gang in "Let the Wind Blow." Disney cartoon, news. Gross: $18,000. Rating: 90%. "HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE" (Radio) RKO ALBEE— (2,300). 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Knute Rockne's "Flying Feet," "Irish Stew," "Jewels of Asia," "Humanette." Gross: $14,500. Rating: 125%. "THE PAYOFF" (Radio) RKO VICTORY— (1,600), 10c-50c. 7 days. Other attractions: "Toby, the Miner," "Mickey's Winners," "Iitngle Terrors," Sportlight. Gross: $9,000. Rating: 90%. "LILIOM" (Fox) MAJESTIC— (2.400), 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Island Empire," travelogue, news. Gross: $10,800. Rating: 90%. "THE SPOILERS" (Paramount) PARAMOUNT— (2,300), 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Meet the Boy Friend," news. Gross: $12,300. Rating: 90%. Opening Service Stations Montreal — Northern Electric Co., Ltd., representing Western Electric in Canada, has announced the opening of seven spare parts depots in Canada, located at Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgarv and Vancouver. Kid Player Helps "Golden West" to Lead Minneapolis Minneapolis — Personal appearance of 12year-old Mitzi Green, screen and vaudeville player helped to keep the Minnesota in the front lines of the percentage column during the week. Mitzi was not the drawing card that Buddy Rogers turned out to be, but she was appealing enough to give the business of the house the needed fillip. A final fling of summer weather with some clouds and rain in the early part of the week and almost stifling hear during the last half cut into the box-office queues to a certain extent so that percentages were slightly lower than they have been up and down the line. "Buzz" Bainbridge's dramatic stock company drew some attention with the announcement that Bainbridge would head a chain of stock theatres throughout the west and Northwest and because of some shifts in the company due to the new organization. There is a possibility that the new system may make more significant than heretofore the opposition offered by the Shubert house which has been the home of Bainbridge efforts for many years. A poor showing of the Minnesota football team a week ago prevented the much touted Leland-Stanford game from amounting to much more than the usual annoyance to the box-office and this was probably evened up by the celebration spirit which pervaded the town after a 0 to 0 tie had resulted from a game expected to go Stanford bv eight or ten touchdowns. Estimated takings : "GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST" (Warners) MINNESOTA— (4,025). 30c-40c-60c, 7 days, 7 shows daily. Other attractions: Mitzi Green in person, Lou Breeze and his serenaders. "Gingersnaps" with Dick and Edith Barstow, overture, news. Gross: $22,000. Rating: 75%. "HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE" (RKO) RKO ORPHEUM — (2,900), 35c-50c-75c, 7 days, 3 shows daily. Other attractions: Five acts vaude. Gross: $14,500. Rating: 50%. "THE SPOILERS" (Paramount) CENTURY— (1,640), 25c-35c-60c. 7 days, 6 shows dailv. Other attractions: news cartoon and comedy. Gross: $8,500. Rating: 75%. "LET'S GO NATIVE" (Paramount) STATE— (2,300), 25c-35c-60c, 7 days. 6 shows daily. Other attractions: Shorts and news. Gross: $6,000. Rating: 60%. "MAN TROUBLE" (F. N.) LYRIC— (1,238), 15c-25c-40c, 7 days, 7 shows daily. Other attractions: News. Gross: $2,000. Rating: 70%. "THE NOTORIOUS AFFAIR" <F. N.) ASTER— (812), 15c-25c-30c, 7 days. 7 shows daily. Other attractions: News. Gross: $1,500. Rating: 70%. Musselman Back in Fold Dallas — C. J. Musselman, who formerly controlled the town of Paris, Tex., as an independent exhibitor, and who later retired when he tied in with circuit operations, is staging a comeback in building a new theatre for that city. The building is nowgoing up on propertv formerly held by Publix. "Miss Arkayo" Ukes Cincinnati — Miss Edith Kavanaugh, uke soloist, is now stationed in the lobby of the Lyric to entertain the standees on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. She is known as Miss Arkavo.