Variety (December 1953)

m*&wt*3*U Dcaemher SO, 1953 PGBstfiTr LEGITIMATE 59 86,073 8,121 67,823 78,121 11,610 56,213 25,000 SOLID GOLD CADILLAC (As of Not. 28, ’53) Investment «*••••••»•••'■• • • • ? • • • • *,*■ ••••••••#*•••♦»«#».8100,000 production cost ..., 59,702 Tryout miss (4Vi weeks) • • •«• • • ••••*••••••• », ••••••• ••«,,, Tryout loss * “**' *"*"'* ”" * * * * * • • • • < • •••••»*•••. Cost to open • • 1 v* • • • • • *• • *• ■ Gross for first four weeks in N.Y. operating profit first four weeks N.Y Amount still to be recouped . . Capital repaid to backers ■ to date. >.. i Note* Additional $25,000 repaid last week) Weekly Operating Expense Theatre’s share of gross ... ...;. .... . . Cast payroll (approx.) including % to Josephine Hull. . . (Stage managers Press agent. .. Company manager Backstage crew-.., • -- "Extra stagehands, (approximate; >»■. * »* .»«. . « • •.,... Author royalties - •.. ...■• •... •.• •..... ••. • ... •....• • • •..5*7I^“10% pi rector royalty . * • »_>.r • ■• .• *«*.• ....... .2,4% (Note: Co-author, stager George S. Kaufman also gets a substantial Share of the profits.) Advertising (approximate) . ... Department bills (approximate) Office expense .;. •V.......... Weekly charges, including taxes, insurance, dues, etc. (approx.) Rentals (approximate) , . ..i ...... Extra boxoffice help ■/................ Gross needed to break even (approximate) Weekly operating: profit (approximate) .... (Note: The Max Gordon production is Currently in its ninth at the .Belasco, N.Y.) • i • It • • * i 30% 4,900 435 250 250 1,705 825 1,200 225 250 400 380 . 145 18,000 5,700 week $35,700 N. Haren New Haven, Dec. 29, ’’Caine Mutiny Court Martial” pulled a surprising Xmas week t ross at Shubert last week (21-26). HO was the order of the day for several performances. Oh eight shows at $4.80 top, take reached a handsome $35,700; House is dark currently. Next week ushers in preeni of “Con- fidential Clerk”. (Ina. Claire, Claude Rains) (7-9) and following stanza gets another breakia, Ma in “Lullaby” (14-16); $18,400 Kismet’ Big $80,700, ‘Almanac Chicago, Dec. 29. * Anticipated holiday slump hit Chi legiters hard last week, with even Sadler’s Wells Ballet, berthed at the Civic Opera House for two weeks, feeling a Xmas Eve drop from its otherwise capacity biz. Both ‘‘Wish You Were Here” and “Seven Year Itch” fell considerably below previous- levels.. ^ Estimates for Last Week Evening With Beatrice Lillie, Blackstone ($4.40; 1,358). Opened last night (Mon.) with a good ad- vance. Good Nite, Ladies, Great North- ern ($4.20; 1,500). Opened Satur- day (26) to fair advance. Sadler’s Wells Ballet, Civic Opera House. (1st wk) ($5; 3,600). Going clean every performance except Xmas Eve, hit $78,515 for six shows. Seven Year Itch, Erlanger (14th wk) ($5; 1,334) (Eddie Bracken), under $16,000. . Wish You Were Here, Shubert (3d- wk) ($5; 2,100). Off to nearly $31,300. Record Gross Continued from page 57 s had preemed earlier which month as a TV “Omnibus,” and Theatre offering lar’s “Combat,” this. presentation on- the first Ballet of William Dol- known to other Philadelphia, Dec. 29. With Only a brace of straight for the holiday week, legit biz here marked time. “Mile. Co- lombo,” plus marquee pull of Julie Harris and Edna Best and. hand- picked male supporting cast, got off to an okay start in its first week at the Forrest. Week’s lone entrant, “The Star- cross Story,” with Eva LeGallienne and Mary Astor, postponed its skedded opening last night (Mon.) out of respect to the memory of co-producer Lee Shubert. Premiere •is set for tonight. Estimates for Last Week Mile. Colombe, Forrest (1st wk) (CD-1,760; $4.55) (Julie Harris, Edna Best), Louis Kronenberger adaptation of Jean Anouilh period comedy drew strong notices for Miss Harris and other performers. Drew around $18,400 in first seven performances. Remarkable Mr. Penny packer. Walnut (2d wk) (C-1.340; $4.55) (Burgess Meredith, Martha Scott). Subscriptions helped 1890s comedy, about life with a bigamous father, to hold its own in pre-Yule dol- drums^ $15,700. In Legit-Hungry Hub Boston, Dec. 29. Bowing into a legit-hungry Hub Christmas night (25), “Guys and Dolls” nabbed a sellout $18,200 for its first three performances at the 1.700-seat Shubert Jast week. Mu- sical, scaled at $6 top on Friday and Saturdays with $4.80 top bal- ance of week, is slated for a four- wceker here, but hefty advance sale posted may result n a hold- over. With the cancelling out of “Little Jesse James,” lone legit due in is the preem of “The Con- fidential Clerk,” slated for a two- week engagement at the Colonial beginning Jan. 11. ’Dolls' $27,600 (5), Hartford Hartford, Dec. 29. “Guys and Dolls” took in over $27,600 in five performances at the Bushnell Auditorium here from lUonday-Wednesday (21-23). Musi- cal gave a special matinee per- formance on Monday in addition to the regular Wednesday matinee. AGMA Warns Members Against Danish Bureau American Guild of Musical Art- ists is notifying Guildsmen .of a complaint made by. a member against a Copenhagen a gent named Blicher-Hansen who oper- ated the Scandinavisk Concert Bu- reau/ Blicher-Hansen, according to AGMA, failed to pay the member and the bureau went into bank- ruptcy proceedings. 38G, Frisco San Francisco, Dec. 29. i .New Faces,” town's sole* legit, iield to virtual capacity biz for its fourth vveek at the Curran, in spite 01 noticable pre-Xmas and holiday troupes as “The Duel.” . “Capital,” based on an Ernest Hemingway story about; kid bull- fight enthusiasts in Spain, and util- izing George Antheil's music, made a good impression, being authen- tic, colorful and generally excit- ing. It's a worthy addition to the repertoire; Roy Fitzell distin- guished himself as the boy dream- ing of becoming a bullfighter, with Lupe Serrano a flashing assistant. Esteban Frances’ sets aided in the faVe report. “The Combat” didn’t come off so successfully, in. comparison with the N. Y. City Ballet Co.’s “Duel,” especially With Melissa Hayden (who switched last season from NYCB to BT) still doing the femme lead. This BT version seemed over-theatricalized, with some of the poignancy and pathos lost, But Miss Hayden danced it beauti- fully, and John Kriza was a first- class partner, although lacking some of the histrionic appeal of NYCB’s Francisco Moncion. Alicia Alonso and Igor Youske- vitch were their outstanding selves in two appearances (in “Theme And Variations” and a Black Swan Pas de Deux), but the corps de ballet was a bit ragged through- out. “Graduation Ball” completed the bill. Joseph Levine conducted competently. Bron. Current London Shows London, Dec. 22. (Figures denote premjere dates) Affairs of State, Cambridge <8-21^2). Airs Shoestring, Royal Ct. (£22-53). As Loh9 AS Happy, Garrick (7JB-53). Birthday Honours, ICrlterion (10-b-53>.; Boy Friend, Embassy (12-1-53). Carrington, V. C., Westminster (7-28-53) Champagne On lpo, Hlpp <9' 17 ' 53 1'. Confidential Clark, Lyric ( 9 l6-53), ■ Day Br Tho Saa, llaymarket (11-26-33). Doar' Charles, New (12-18-52). Escapade, Strand (1-20-53). Folios.Bergere, Pr, Walds (9-24-53>. For Better Worst, Comedy <12-17-52), Guys and Dolls, Colliseum (MM»- In .Came; 5 lackb)rd, Savoy (12-22-53). King and I, Drury Lane < 10 - 8 - 53 ) Living Room, Wyndham s; (4-16-53), London Laughs, Adelphi (4-12-52). Lov# From Judv, 5 a yiHe _<9-25-52). Love Match,. Palace ■Xl W0«>i Mousetrap, Ambas, (11-25-52). Oddly Enough, New Watergate.(12-22 o3J, Old Vie Rfportory, Old Vlc ^-H-sa). Orchard Walls, St. Martins (11-30-53). Paint Your Wagon, Majesty s (2-li 53 ). Pygmalion, St.. James* (ffr^W). question ©# Fact, Reluctant Heroes,, White (9-12-50). Return, Duchess /(If*®*® 3 ?* ,,, , 2V Ring Out Bells, Vic. Pal. ,(11-12-52). Seagulls Sorrento, ApoUi) (6-14-50). Seven Year Itch, Aldwych (3-14-52). Sleeping Prince, Phoenlx M (10-3-53). Someone Waiting, Globe (11-25-53). Trial A Error, Vaude W-17,53), Wish You Word Haro, Casino (10-10-33)- Witnes? Prosecutions. Garden (10-28 53) 10 in Broadway took an upward last week after a fortnight of pre- Christmas sliding. Biz was gener- ally off during the early part of the week except for the click en- tries, but picked up on the holiday eve (24) and remained fairly steady through Saturday (26). With upped. scales for • New Year's Eve performances and holi- day trade helping, b.o. receipts arc expected to continue climbing this week, traditionally the best of the season. Biz next week is expected to sag, as is usually the case. How- ever, tix . sales should return, to normal the following week and re- main at a fairly even keel through Washington’s Birthday and into. Lent. “Dial M for Murder,” “Wonder- ful Town” and “Sabrina Fair” laid off last week,, with the first two re- opening Saturday. (26) for mat- inee and evening performances. “Sabrina” reopened Monday (28). Shows that went Clean last week were “Can-Can,” ‘‘Solid Gold Cadillac,” “Tea and Sympathy" and “Teahouse of the August Moon.” Opening this week are “Sing Till Tomorrow,” which preemed- Monday (28), “Iii the Summer House,” which bowed yesterday (Tues.) and “Remarkable Mr, Pennypacker,” which tees off to- night (Wed.). . Estimates for Last Week Keys: C 7 Comedyj, D (Drama). CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue), MC (Musical Comedy), MD <Musi- cal Drama), O (Opera ). Other parenthetic designations refer, respectively, to top prices; number of seats, capacity gross and stars . Price includes 20% anivse- nei ; Washington, Dec. 29. The pre-Christmas slump hit the town’s two legits hard last week. “Porgy and Bess,” at the Nation- al for the first of its four-week stand, drew only $17,000 through the wickets despite, unanimously strong reviews. At the Shubert, the second and final week of ‘‘Summer House” .pulled, a slini_$12,500. Current Road Shows Tnent Dec. 22 to five affirmative I Anderson). Oliver Smith A Play- notices (Atkinson. Times; Chap-1 wrights Co. production of play'by man. News; Coleman, Mirror; ! j^pe Bowles; opened yesterday Hawkins, World-Telegram; Ken-jiiTpes/). Remarftuible Mr. Pennypacker, . Still a sock $38,000, with pre- vious week $35,000, ment tax, but grosses are net; i.e., exclusive of tax. Can-Can, Shubert <34th . Wk) XMC-$7:20; 1,361; $50,160!. Nearly $50,800 (previous week. S50A00). Charley's Aunt, City Center (1st wk) (C-$3.60; 3.09P; $58,000) (Jose Ferrer, Peggy Wood, Kent Smith). Opened 16-performance engage $6-$480; 997; $27,534), Topped $21,700 (previous week, $16,500). ; Prescott Proposals, Broadhurst (2d wk) (CD i $6-$4.80; 1,160; $29.- 500) (Katharine Cornell). , Over $25,700 (previous Week, $17,600 for first five performances). Sabrina Fair, National (6th wk) (C-$6-$4.80; 1,172; $31,300) (Mar- garet Sullavan, Joseph Gotten). Laid off last week, but reopened Monday (28); has been doing ca- - pacity business. Seven Year Itch, Fulton (58th wk) <C-$6-$4.80; 1.063; $24400) (Eddie Albert). Under $22,700 (previous week, $20,000). Solid Gold Cadillac, Belasco. (8th v. k) (C-$6-$4.80; 1,077; $28,300) (Josephine Hull)^. Almost $28,500 (previous w'eek, $28,000). South Pacific, Broadway (239th wk) <MC-$6-$4,80; 1.990; $44,000) ‘Martha Wright, Geo <»e Britton). Over $24,000 (previc > week, $18,- 000); closes Jan; 16. ‘ Tea and Sympathy, Barrymore (13th wk) (D-$6-$4.80; 1,060; $28,- 300) (Deborah Kerr). Nearly $28,- 700 (previous week, $28,400). Teahouse of the August Mson, Beck Glth w*k) <C-$6-$4;80: 1.214; $31,681) (David Wayne. John For- sythe), Almost $32,100 (previous . week, $32,000). Wonderful Town, Winter Garden (43d wk) (MC-$7^0; 1,510; $54,173) (Rosalind Russell). Laid off last ; week, but reopened Saturday (26) and grossed almost $12,300 in two performances; has beefi doing, ca- pacity t^siness -except for pre- Christmas lull. Miscellaneous Madam Will Yon Walk, Phoenix (4th wk) (CD-$3; 1,150; 15.000) (Jessica Tandy, Hume Crpnyn).- Qver.: $10,800—(previous week, $9,500). Opening This Week Sing Till Tomorrow, Royale (D- $4.80; 1,035; $27,000). Dorothy Natter production of play by Jean Lowenthal; opened Monday night <28) to unanimous pans. In the Summer House, Playhouse (D-$6-$4.80; 999; $23,500) (Judith SCHEDULED OPENINGS Mor* Intimicy, New Lindsey (12-29 o3). 13 For mnnor? Duke^ork^s (12a7 53). (Dec. 28— Jan. 9) . Caine Mutiny Court Martial (Henry Fonda, John Hodiak, Lloyd Nolan) (tryout)—Playhouse, . Wil- mington (28-30); Lyric, Balto. (31- 2) (Reviewed in Variety, Oct. 14, ’53). Confidential Clerk (Ina Claire. Claude Rains, Joan Greenwood) (tryout)-—Shubert, New Haven (7-9). Dear Charles (Lili Darvas, Oscar Karlweis) (tryout)—Parsons, Hart- ford (30-2); Shubert, Wash, (4-9). Evening with Beatrice. Lillie (Beatrice Lillie)—Blackstone, Chi. (28-9). Good Nite, Ladies—Great North- ern, Chi (28-9). Guys and Dolls—Shubert, Bos- ton (28-9). Harvey (Frank Fay) — Lobero, Santa-'Barbara (29); Geary, S. F. (30-9). liis and Hers (Celeste Holm., Robert Preston) (tryout) — Cass. Detroit (28-2) (Reviewed in Variety, Dec. 16, ’53). John Brown’s Body . (Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter. Raymond Massey)—Mun. Aud., Miami Beach (28); Aud„ Ft! Lauderdale (20); Mun. Aud.. Orlando (30); Peabody Aud., Daytona Beach (1>; Aud., Jacksonville (21. . Mademoiselle Colombe (Julie Harris. Edna Best) (tryout)—For- rest, Phila. (28-2) (Reviewed in Variety. Dec. 23, ’53), .Misalliance —■ American, St. L. (28-2); Cox, Cincinnati (4-9). Moon Is Blue—Hanna, Cleve- land (28-2); Keith, Dayton (4-6); Hartman, Columbus (7-9). New Faces—Curran, S. F. (28-2); Biltniore, L/ A. (5-9). Oklahoma—Dade County Aud.. Miami 128-9). Porgy & Bess-^National, Wash. (28-9). Seven Year Itch (Eddie Bracken) —Erlanger, Chi (28-9). South Pacific (Jeanne Bal, Webb Tilton)—Music Hall. K. C. (28-2); American, St. L. (4-9). StarcroSs Story (Eva LcGal- lienne, Mary Astor) (tryout)—Wal- nut St., Phila. (29-9). Time Out for Ginger (Melvyn Douglas) -- Lyceum, Minneapolis (28-2); Davidson. Milwaukee (4-9). Twin Beds—Nion, Pitt (28-9). Wi«h You Were Here—Shubert, Chi (28-9). Herald-Tribune) and two negative reviews (McClain, Journal-Ameri- can; Watts, .Post); first eight per- formances grossed almost $31,800. Coronet (0*720; i;027; $28^62) (Burgess Meredith, Martha Scott). ! Robert Whitehead & Roger L. Dead Pigeon, Vanderbilt (1st 'Stevens production of play by Liam TACmC’GRABS 316 IN TWO-STAND SPLIT Sioux City, la., Dec. 29. “South Pacific”, racked up a gross of nearly $31,000 last week, wk) (D-$4.80; 720; $18,500). Opened |O’Brien: opens tonight (Wed.), Wednesday (23) to two favorable reviews (Chapman, News; McClain, Journal-American) and five un- favorable notices. (Atkinson, Times; Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World- Telegram; Kerr, Herald-Tribune; Watts, Post); first five perform- ances grossed about $3,000. Dial M for Murder, Plymouth j&iu» Ui UC«UV fOi.tUUU Jllbl wccit, (60th w r k) (D-$4.80; 1,062; $29,815) I with performances split between (Maurice Evans). Laid~‘off^ last ] the Coliseum, Sioux Falls; S. D., week, but reopened Saturday *26» . and the Orpheum here. Musical took in almost $17,300 in four per- formances at the Coliseum "from Monday-Wednesday <21-23» and ap- proached $13,700 in four per- formances at the Orpheum from. Thursday-Saturday (24-26). The Jeanne Bal-Webb Tilton starrer is current at the Music Hall, Kansas City, Mo. and grossed under $7,000 for two performances; moves Jan. 11 to the Booth, but closes Feb. 27. to tour; has been grossing around $19,000. End as a Man, Lvceum <llth wk) (D-$4.80; 995; $22,845) (Ben C.az- zara). Nearly $5,500 (previous w'eek, $1,800 in four performances, not S1.500 as erratumed). Fifth Season, Cort (49th wk' 1 C- 1 I aa maa a. g • $4.80; 1,056; $25,227) Menasha GlDgCr $9,700, St. LOUIS; Skulmk, Richard NMiorf 1 . Over ° T » 7 " $22,900 (previous week, $20,100'. John Murray Anderson’s Alma- nac, Imperial (3rd wk) iR-$7!20; 1.400; $50,300). Almost $39,800 (previous week. $42,000'. i Kind Sir, Alvin (8th wk) (C-$6-; $4.80: 1.331; $39,460) (Mary Mar-; tin, Charles Boyer'.. Over $25,700 (previous week $28,500'. King and I, St. Jam^s (144th wk)' 1 (MD-$7.20; 1.571; $51,717) (Yul Brynner'. Over $32,000 (previous Week. $23,000); closes April 10. Kismet, Zicgfeld <4th wk) <MD- $7.26; 1.628; ?57,908) (Alfred Drake). Topped $56,700 (previous week, $54,000). Late Love, Booth (11th wk) 'C- $6-$4.80; 766; $20,235) (Arlene Francis, Lucile Watson, Neil Ham- ilton). Around $6,000 (previous week, $5,000); closes Saturday (2). Me and Juliet, Majestic (31st wk) (MC-$7.20; 1.510; $58,000). Oyer $40,700 (previous week. $35,200). 1, , , My 3 Angels, Morosco (42d wk) (C-$4.80; 935; $24,252). Topped $14,600 (previous week, $9,000 j; closes Saturday (2). Oh, Men; Oh, Women, Miller (2d wk) (C-$6-$4.80; 920; $23 000) (Franchot Tone). Almost $20,400 (previous week. $8,800 for first four performances), i Picnic, Music Box (44th wk) (CD- St. Louis, Dec. 29. “Time Out For Ginger,” with Melvyn Douglas, wound up, a two- week stand at the American Thea- tre Saturday <26) with a gross of approximately $9,700. "Misalli- ance,” with a cast headed bY Martyn Green, teed off a ohe-w^ek f'-ame at the American last night <Mon.) with the house scaled to S3.63. “Charley's Aunt” wheeled inLO the Second of a two-week stand at the Empress Theatre after copping an okay estimated $8,000 for the initial, stanza. ‘Oklahoma* $16,800 in 7 For Two Florida Miami, Dec. 29. "Oklahoma" drew almost $16,900 in seven performances last week, which were split between the Florida, Jacksonville, and the Dade County Auditorium here. Musical pulled in nearly $13,700 in six performances in Jacksonville Monday-Thursday (21-24) and over $3,200 in.'one performance here Saturday night (26)., Tuner 1 .is continuing here until Saturday (2),