Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

34 Motion Picture News Cleveland Likes 'War Nurse;' Hits High with $27,500 Cleveland — ''War Nurse" proved the outstanding box-office attraction of the week, doing more business the opening day than ''The Big House." Good exploitation helped to popularize the picture, cash prizes and free passes being awarded to local war nurses who best described their war experiences. Otherwise, things were rather dull. Exceptionally fine weather kept people out of doors, and better-than-average legitimate stage attractions did some harm. Paul Ash was a big hit at Loew's State, drawing above the average. The other first-runs just held their own. Estimated takings : "WAR NURSE" (M-G-M) STILLMAN— (1,900). 40c-75c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Love Business" (M-G-M), "Clock Shop" (M-G-M), news. Gross: $27,500. "DERELICT" (Paramount) ALLEN— (3,300), 30c-60c, 7 days. Oiher attractions: "Hot Air Merchant" (Paramount), "Par and Double Par" (Pathe), "Hot Time in the Old Town" (Paramount), news. Gross: $16,500. "DEVIL WITH WOMEN" (Fox) STATE— (3,400). 30c-60c, 7 davs. Other attractions: "The Little Covered Wagon" (Tiffany). "Cherry Blossom Time" (Standard), "Hello, Paul" (stage show welcoming Paul Ash), news. Gross: $21,000. "THE CAT CREEPS" (Universal) RKO PALACE— (3,600). 35c-75c, 7 days. Other attractions: News, vaudeville headlining Moran and Mack. Gross: $24,000. "DOORWAY TO H F.I.I." (Warner) RKO HIPPOl>ROMF.-(4.500), 25c-60c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Red, Green and Yellow" (Paramount), "The Touchdown" (Pathe), "Toby and Miner" (RKO), "Wild Flowers" (Studebaker Champions tie-up), news. Gross: $20,000. Tol'able David' Takes $9,000 for Providence Low Providence — Exhibitors took a hook to the chin this week, with grosses tumbling below normal. The Majestic, showing George Arliss in "Old English," was the only house to show signs of life. Despite the fact that reviewers and those who saw the picture were loud in their praise of "Lincoln," the best Loew's could do with the offering was $18,000 — below normal. The Paramount was not so far off with "Derelict," which clicked for $14,000. The RKO Albee was down to $9,000 with "Tol'able David" and the Victory caught only $7,500 with "Night Work." The Majestic was high, catching $13,000. Estimated takings : "LINCOLN" (U.A.) LOEW'S STATE— (3,800). 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Boy Friend," "Village Barber," "Spain's Maddest Fiesta." Gross: $18,000. "TOL'ABLE DAVID" (Col.) RKO ALBEE— (2.300). lOc-SOc. 7 days. Other attractions: "A Fall to Arms." "Let's Talk Turkey," "The Picnic," "Par and Double Par," news. Gross: $9 OOO "DERELICT" (Para.) PARAMOUNT— (2,300). 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Joe Alexander at organ; Tedesco in accordian specialty; "I'm a Wild Woman," news. Gross: $14,000. "NIGHT WORK" (Pathe) RKO VICTORY— (1.600), 10c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: "White Hell of Pitz Pain" (Univ.) supporting attraction; "Codfish Balls," news. Gross: $7,500. "OLD ENGLISH" (U. A.) MATESTIC -(.'.40(0, Wc-5llc. 7 days. Other attractions: "Maybe It's I-ove," (W.B.). "Chinese Flower Boat." news. Gross: $13,000. Handicapped Hollywood — Regis Toomey, Paramount's Irish player, still maintains that had the boys from the Hawaii University played with a ukulele instead of a football they would have beaten the U. S. C. Trojans by two touchdowns. 'Doorway to Hell' Gets Only $7,000 In Mpls. Showing .Minneapolis — Normal business followed Minneapolis' exceptional turnouts for "Whoopee" and "Check and Double Check" during the last fortnight when "Whoopee" folded up in the middle of the week and Amos 'n' Andy began to fall off toward the end of their fourth week in town. Weather was fair. The Century apparently rushed the closing of "Whoopee" to take advantage of some of the fine fall weather for the opening of the Lloyd picture, "Feet First," which goes over the hump for better than normal business in the Publix holdover house. "Check and Double Check" gives way to "Danger Lights," which RKO is putting in its holdover spot, the Seventh Street. "The Doorway to Hell" was a disappointment at $7,000 at the State. The policy of using a holdover house has been used by Publix for some time and by Finkelstein & Ruben before them, but RKO discovered only lately that this might be a possible way out for its dark Seventh Street. Miniature golf, which has afflicted the theatre business for some months, has moved indoors, leaving its former eruptions only barren scars on the landscape, but the interior affliction seems not likely to cause any great trouble, although several locations are getting something of a play. The line-up for Thanksgiving week is "Tol'able David" at the RKO Orpheum, "Danger Lights" at the Seventh Street, "Scotland Yard" at the Minnesota," "Big Trail" at the State, "Feet First" at the Century, and "Once a Gentleman" for Pantages, which opens after a long spell of darkness. Byrd's lecture cut in on kid business for Thursday afternoon and adult business Thursday night, going into the big Minneapolis municipal auditorium for only a fair take. Estimated takings : "REMOTE CONTROL" (M-G-M) MINNESOTA— (4.025), 30c-40c-60c, 7 days, 7 shows daily. Other attractions: Lou Breeze and his serenaders. stage show — "Dollies Follies," overture, organ novelty, and news. Gross: $26,000. "THE CAT CREEPS" (Universal) RKO ORPHEUM— (2,900), 3Sc-50c-75c, 7 days. 3 shows daily. Other attractions: Harry Lang heading vaudeville, news. Gross: $18,000. "FEET FIRST" (Paramount) CENTURY— (1.640). 2Sc-35c-60c, 7 days, 6 shows daily. Other attractions: News. Gross: $10,000. "DOORWAY TO HELL" (Warners) STATE— (2.300). 25c-35c-60c. 7 days, 6 shows daily. Other atractions: Short subjects, comedy, news. Gross: $7,000. "BRIGHT LIGHTS" (First National) LYRIC— (1.238). 15c-25c-40c, 7 days, 7 shows daily. Other attractions: Comedy and news. Gross: $1,500. "SOUP TO NUTS" (Fox) ASTER— (812). 15c-25c-30c, 7 days, 7 shows daily. Other attractions: News. Gross: $1,000. "CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK" (RKO) RKO SEVENTH STREET— (1,300), 25c-35c-50c, 7 days, 6 shows daily. Other attractions: Short film subjects and news. Gross: $1,800. November 29 , 19 3 0 18 Inch Snow in Denver Hurts B.O. 'Playboy', $14,000 Denver — The week was marred by an 18-inch snow which, while hurting grosses at the picture palaces, also put corner lot golf out of the running for the winter. Most of the houses had nothing to complain about, however, as they all had pictures that went over well and the first part of the week the weather was perfect. "Brothers," one of the productions of the El itch stock here last summer, was the attraction at the Aladdin, and apparently folks did not want to see it a second time. "Her Man" at the Tabor kept the crowds coming all week. "Feet First" at the Rialto turned in an average week in spite of having been moved directly from the Paramount. Chevalier, star of "Playboy of Paris," is a femme favorite, and in combination with Ted Mack and his stage show kept the gross above average. Estimated takings : "BROTHERS" (Col.) ALADDIN— (1,500). 3Sc-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: "Don't Give Up" (Educational), "Cobb Goes Fishing" (Pathe), "My Hero" (Vitaphone), "Irish Stew," news. Gross: $6,500. "PLAYBOY OF PARIS" (Para.) DENVER— (2,300), 25c-65c, 7 days. O-her attractions: Ted Mack and Publix Stage Show, "Helping Hand," news, "Grass Skirts." Gross: $14,000. "DIXIANA" (Radio) PARAMOUNT— (2.000), 25c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: News, "The Village Barber" (M-G-M), Paramount Pictorial, "Oh, Teddy" (Para.), Jackie and Jean. Paramount Twins. Gross: $11,000. "FFET FIRST" (Para.) RIALTO— (1,040), 25c-50c, 7 days, (second week). Other attractions: "Why Continue the Struggle?" "Song Service." news. Gross: $3,750. "HER MAN" (Pathe) TABOR— (1.9O0), 25c-75c. 7 days. O.her attractions: Silly Symphony," "Winter," Robert Ripley's "Believe It Or Not," "Seein' Things," "Stuttering Romance," news. Gross: $10,000. Harold Lloyd's "Feet First" to $16,000 at Ind. Indianapolis — Harold Lloyd's "Feet First" at the Circle did the largest business this week with a gross of $16,000. Buddy Rogers and Helen Kane in "Heads Up" failed to draw them in. The customers here did not like "Heads Up" and the comedian. Victor Moore, failed to draw due to the fact that he was not known. Baby Rose Marie of radio fame was the headlined act at the Lyric this week, but she did not break any records. Estimated takings : "HEADS UP" (Para.) INDIANA— (3.300), 35c-S0c-65e, 7 days. Other attractions: Publix unit. news. Gross: $19,000. "FEET FIRST" (Para.) CIRCLE— (2,600), 25c-40c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: News. Gross: $16,000. "RIVER'S END" (Warners) APOLLO— (1.100), 25c-35c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Vitaphone Varieties, news. Gross: $5,500. "DU BARRY, WOMAN OF PASSION" (U.A.) PALACE— (2,800), 25c35c-50c, 7 days. Other attractions: Our Gang comedy (M-G-M), Mickey Mouse cartoon (Col.), news. Gross: $11,500. "BROTHERS" (Col.) LYRIC— (2,000). 25c-35c-S0c. 7 days. Other attractions: Baby Rose Marie in person, 5 other RKO acts, news. Gross: $8,500.