Variety (March 1955)

Wednesday, March 30, 1955 P^Rmft LEGITIMATE 65 ‘King’ M Tea’ , Tallu 17G Chicago, March 29, Loop biz skidded last week un- der the impact of bad weather apd Lenten doldrums. Fir,st-of-the- week and matinee trade was espe- cially hard hit. New entries next month are ■ ‘The Rainmaker,” Erlanger, April 11, for four weeks on subscription, and “The Tender Trap,” Harris, April 12, for a run. Estimates for Last Week Dear Charles, Erlanger (3d wk) (85; 1,300) (Tallulah Bankhead). Over $17,000 (previous week, $19,100); lays off. next week .but resumes tour April 11, King and I, -Shubert (18tli wk) $5; 2,100) (Patricia Morison). Over $36,300 (previous week, $48,200).- Oh Men, Oh Women, Harris (16th Wk) ($5; 1,000) (Ralph Bel- lamy). Nearly $14,400 (previous week, $14,400); closed Saturday (26). Tea and Sympathy, Blackstone (3d wk) ($4.50; 1,500) (Deborah Kerr). Topped $29,900 (previous week, $29,000). 'Complex 14G, flub Boston. J&arch 29. Legit biz was sturdy here last week, with both entries faring okay at the b.o. “The Honeys” wound its two-week stand at the Plymouth with the final week slightly top- ping the initialer, despite the fact that Dorothy Stickney has been out of the cast since March 17 due to a virus attack. “Champagne Complex” wound its first week at the Wilbur with a satisfactory gross, the current (final) week shaping stronger. “Ankles Aweigh,” which bows into the Shubert tonight (Tues.) for two weeks, is the lone new- comer this stanza. “The fifth Sea- son,” braving the Holy Week buga- boo, moves into the Plymouth next Monday (4) for three weeks. Estimates For Last Week Champagne Complex* Wilbur (1st wk) ($3.85; 1,200) (Donald Cook, Polly Bergen, John Dali). Nice $14,000. Final week is cur- rent. / The Honeys,' Plymouth (2d wk) ($3.85; 1,200) (Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn). Topped previous week with slick $23,100. House is dark. ‘ANKLES’ HEFTY $50,100 FOR NINE IN N. HAVEN New Haven, March 29. Solid response to preem of * l Angle$—Aweigh”~at the _Shubert last week (19-26) pulled a hefty gross into the coffers. Nine per- formances (including several SRO) at $5.50 top garnered at fat $50,100. String of musical breakins con- tinues with “Damn Yankees,” open- ing Saturday (2), and following with a full week (4-9). “Seventh Heaven” tees off April 16-23, and “Kismet” opens road tour April 25-30. Current London Shows London, March .29. (Figures dqpote premiere dates) All For Miry, Duke York (9-9-54). Bftatrico Lllllt, Globe (11-24-54). Bell, Book, Candle, Phoenix (10-5-54). Book of Month, Cambridge. (10-21-54). Bov Friend, Wyndnam’s (12-1-53). Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14-54). Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54). Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54). Glass Clock, Aldwych (1-3*55). Hippo Dancing, Lyric (4-7-54). Intimacy At 8:30, Criterion (4-29-54). King and I,.Drury Lane (10-8-53). Matchmaker, Haymarlcet (11-4-54). Mousetrap, Ambas. (11*25-52). Night of Ball, New Theatre (1-12-55). Old Vic Rep, Old Vic (9-9-54). Room For Two, Wales (3-7-55). Sacrifice to Wind, Arts (3-9-55). Sailor Beware, Strand (2-16-55). St. Joan, St, Martin’s (2-8-55). Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54). Separate Tables, St. James’s (9-22-54). Serious Charge, Garrick (2-17-55). Simon A Laura, Apollo (11-24-54). Spider's Web, Savoy (1244-54). Talk of Town, Adelphi (ll-lT-54). Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54). Wedding In Paris, Ilipp. (4-3-54). Wonderful Town, Princes (2-23-55). SCHEDULED OPENINGS South, Arts (3-30-55). Uncertain Joy, Royal Ct, (3-31). Follies Borgeres, Wales. (4-9-55). Kismet, Stoll (4-20-55). Equity Shows (March 28 -April 10) Jean of Lorraine—Bryant H. S., Queens, N. Y. (1-2). Rat Race—Lenox Hill Playhouse, N. Y. (30-3). Operating Statements HOUSE OF FLOWERS (As of Feb. 26, *55) (9th Week) . Original investment, $240,000. Additional production costs, $231. Gross, last 4 weeks, $175,140. Operating profit for period, $31,896. Unrecouped cost to date, $210,- 715. Balance available, $8,005. SEVEN YEAR ITCH (As of Feb. 26, ’55) (119th Week) Original capital (repaid)* $60,000. Profit, last 4 weeks, B’way, $8,850. Profit, same period, on tour, $12,397. Total net profit to date, $677,285. Total distributed profit to date, $622,746. Cash available, $9,063. THE PAJAMA GAME (As of Feb. 28, *55) (42d Week) Original investment (repaid), $250^000, Profit last 4 weeks, B’way, $51,- 292 , Profit first 4 weeks, tour, $25,- 741. \ Total net profit to date, $219,789. Distributed profit, $150*000. Balance, $69,789. ‘Pajama’ Hot $47,200 In 1st Toronto Frame Toronto, March 29. With only a few unsold singles for Wednesday matinee (23), “The Pajama Game” chalked up a hefty $47,200 for turnaway biz at all oth- er performances on the first week of a fortnight's engagement at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with the 1,525-seater scaled at $6 top. Second (current) week is entirely sold out at $47,600; or a total of $94,800 for the. Toronto date. (Matinees are $4 top). ‘Season’ Okay $14,200 For Cleveland Stand Cleveland, March 29. “Fifth Season,” With Jose.ph Bq- loff and Chester Morris, brought a good $14,200 into the Hanna last week at a $4,55 top, although two performances were blitzed by bliz- zards and cancellations. Consider- ing it came on heels of “Pajama Game,” which did sock biz foi three weeks, comedy held its own satisfactorily in the 1,515-seater. “Rainmaker,” with Geraldine 'Page; is-iirfor eight performances. HARVARD’S NEW MUSICAL The "Harvard Dramatic. Club, will present an original musical revue next month for the first time since 1929. Presentation, tagged “Great to be Back ” which has music by Charles Gross, lyrics by Sam Weller and sketches by Stephen Charnas and Andre* Gregory, will be put on at Peabody Playhouse, Boston, April 14-16, 21-23 and 28- 30: Neil Blackball is producing and Edward Golden is staging. Current Road Shows (March 28 -April 9) Anklfi Aweigh (tryout)—Shubert. Bost. (2o-9)* Caine Mutiny Court Martial (Lloyd No- lan, John Hodiak, B^rry Sullivan—Hunt- ington Hartford, L. A. (28-9). Champagne Complex (Donald Cook) try- out)—Wjlbur. Bost. (28-2). Damn Yankees (tryout)—Shubert, N. H. (4-9), Dear Charles (Tallulah Bankhead) — Erlanger, Chi. (28-2). _ Season (Chester Morris, Joseph Buloff^—American, St. L. (28-2); Plymouth, Bost, (4-9). Guys & Dolls— Shubert, Det. (28-9). Honeys (Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn. Dorothy Stickney) (tryout) — Walnut St. . Phila. (28-9). Jnherh the Wind (Paul Muni) (tryout)— Forrest, Phil. (31-9). King and I (Patricia Morison,. Leonard Graves)—Shubert, Chi. (28-9). Pajama Game (Fran Warren, Larry Douglas, Buster West)-—Royal Alexandra, Toronto (28-2); Nixon, Pitt. (4-9). . Tops (Diana Barrymore)—Shu-, bert. Wash. (28*2): Centre, Norfolk (4-5); Municipal Aud., -Charleston (7-8); Weller, Zanesville (9). Rainmaker (Geraldine Page) — Hanna, Cleve. (28-2); American, St. L. (4-9). ,,eh (Tom Ewell)—National, Wash. (29-9). Solid Gold Cadillac— Taft, Cincy. ( 28 - 2 ); Cass, Det. (4-9). Tea and Sympathy (Deborah Kerr) — Blackstone, Chi. (28-9). of the August Moon (Burgess Meredith, ,Syott McKay)—Curran, S. F. D 7* n f!* r .T ra F tKcnt Smith. K. T. Stevens. Russell Nype)—Pabst, Milwaukee (28-2); Lyceum, Minneapolis (4-9). ‘Teahouse’ SRO $43,400 In Fifth Frisco Week San Francisco, March 29. “Teahouse “of the August Moon” continued to play to capacity houses at the Curran in its fifth week with an estimated take of nearly $43,400. ’Show runs until May 28, with “Kiss Me .Kate” opening May 30. ' Other bookings include “Oh Men, Oh Womeh,” Alcazar, April 11, for four weeks. Estimate for Last Week Teahouse of the August 'Moon (Curran) ($4.40; 1,758) (Burgess Meredith, Scott McKay) (5th wk). Almost $43,400, for capacity busi- ness. Piaf 16G. L.A. Los Angeles, Mjareh 29. Socko hiz racked up by “Caine Mutiny Court Martial” in second stanza at the Huntington Hartford Theatre, continued to highlight local legit last week, with balance of engagements spotty. “Caine” added a ninth week to it;s original eight weeks. . Edith Piaf showed poorly in the first of two frames at the Biltmore, while both ' “This- Is_ Your Life, Mendel” at Civic Playhouse, and “Finian’s Rainbow,” Hollywood Repertory, continued the pace they’ve maintained steadily. Estimates for Last Week Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Huntington Hartford Theatre (2d wk) ($4.95-4.40; 1,032) (Lloyd No- lan, Barry Sullivan, John Hodiak). $25,000. Edith Piaf, Biltmore (1st wk) ($4.95; 1,636). $16,000. This Is Your Life, Mendel, Civic Playhouse *8th wk> ($3.30; 400) (Leo Fuchs). $4,000. Finian’s Rainbow, Hollywood Repertory (13th wk) ($3.30; 276) (Charles Davis). $1,700. ‘RAINMAKER’ SLIM 10 FOR PITTSBURGH WEEK Pittsburgh, March 29. Despite extraordinarily warm notices and continued press support right through the engagement, “The Rainmaker” couldn’t get off- the ground last week at Nixon and wound up with a slim $10,500. Even the scale was. right, too, orch seats going for $3.60 ($3 plus city and Federal taxes). Crix liked everything about it, the play, star Geraldine Fitzgerald, and the en- tire supporting cast headed* by Dar- ren McGaVin, and all but wrote ad- vertising lines for the attraction. None of this helped, however, and then when “Rainmaker” figured to get a dividend down the stretch from the accumulation of plugs, snow and freezing weather on final day, Saturday (26), killed its chances of getting out of the hole a little. Nixon is currently dark, reopening Monday (4) with “Pajama Game” for two weeks. Scheduled N. Y. Openings (Theatre indicated if set) Three For Tonight, Plymouth (4-6). Champagne Complex, Cort (4-12). Ankles Aweigh, Hellinger (4-18). All in One, Playhouse (4-19), .. Guys St Dolls, City Center (4-20). Inherit the Wind, Nat’l (4-21). Honeys, Longacre (4-28). Once Upon Tailor (5-2). South Pacific, City Center (5-4). Damn Yankees, 46th St. (5-5). Flnian’s Rainbow, City Center (5-18). Seventh Heaven, ANTA Theatre (5-26). Hot Rock (10-20). Red Roses _Jor Me (10-20). Saturday mght (10-20). Chalk Garden, (10-24). OFF-B'WAY’ Teach Me How to Cry, de Lys (4-5). Meet the People—1955, Cafe Theatre (4-13). Phoenix '55, Phoenix (4-23). B way Climbs ; ‘ 'Desperate l 'Peach’ Broadway was mostly up last week, with a sprinkling of shows registering dips. Musicals, which were generally off the previous stanza, picked up considerably during the past frame. Opening of “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof” last Thursday (24) gave the Stem another sellout • show. Oth- ers in that category last week were “Bus Stop,” “Fanny,” “Pajama Game,” “Silk Stockings,” “Tea- house of the’ August Moon” and “Witness for the Prosecution.” There were no closings last week. However, “Saint of Blcecker Street!’ throws in the towel Satur- day (2), after failing to click with weekend performances only. Estimates for Last Week Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama), ■CD (Comedy-Drama ), R (Revue), MC. (Musical Comedy), MD (Musi- cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op- retta). 4 Other parenthetic; designations refer, respectively, to weeks played, number of performances through last Saturday, top prices, number of seats, capacity gross and stars. Price includes 10% Federal and 5% City tax, but grosses are net: i.e., exclusive' of tax. Anastasia, Lyceum (D) (13th wk; 101; $5.75-$4.60; 955; $23,339)„ (Vi- veca Lindfors, Eugenie Leonto- vich)). Over $21,500 (previous week, Jj>21,700). Anniversary Waltz, Booth (C) (51st wk; 403; $4.60; 766; $20,000) (Macdonald Carey). Nearly $17,200 (previous week, $16,800), Bad Seed, 46th St. (D) (16th w.k; 125; $5.75-$4.60; 1,319; $37,000) (Nancy Kelly). Almost $29,200 (previous week, $28,600). m Boy Friend, Royale (MC) (26th wk; 203; $6.90; 1,172; $38,200). Over $37,700 (previous week, $36,200). Bus Stop, Music Box (D) (4th wk; 30; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $27,811). Capacity again, at almost $28,000. Can-Can, Shubert (MC) (99th wk; 788; $6.90; 1,361; $50,160). Over $40,300 (previous week, $34,500)'. Cat Qn a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco (D) (1st wk; 4; $6,90-$5.75; 935; 829,850) (Barbara Bel Geddes, Burl Ives). Opened last Thursday (24) to six affirmative previews and one negative opinion (Chapman, News); capacity at nearly $20,200 for first four performances and two pre- views. Dark Is Light Enough, ANTA Theatre (D) (5th wk; 37; $5.75- $4.60; 1,347; $34,000) (Katherine Cornell, Tyrone Power). Over $22,600 (previous week, $18,900): Desperate Hours, Barrymore (D) (7th wk; 52; $5.75-$4.60; 1,064; $28,- 458). Over $27,000 (previous week, $27,000). Fanny, Majestic (MD) (21st wk; 164; $7:50; 1,510; $65,300) (Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak). Capacity as usual, nearly $66,000. Flowering Peach, Belasco (D) (13th wk; 103; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $28,300) (Menasha Skulnik). Al- most $17,900 on twofers (previous week, $13,600 on twofers). House of Flowers, Alvin (MC) (13th wk; 100; $6.90; 1,150; $47,- 000). Nearly $37,800 (previous week, $36,300). Kismet, Ziegfeld (OP) (69th wk; 548; $6.90; 1,528; $57,908) (William Johnson, Elaine Malbin). Almost $40,300 (previous \teek, $36,000); closes April 23 to tour. Lunatics *nd Lovers, Broadhurst (C) (15th wk; 120; $5.75-$4.60; 1,160; $29,500). Over $25,100 (pre- vious week, $25,500). ^Pajama Game, St. James. (MC) (46th wk; 364; $6.90; 1,571; $51,717) Following are the'comparative figures based on Variety's box- office reports for last week (the 43d week of the season) and the corresponding week of last season: BROADWAY (John Raitt, Janis Paige, Eddie Foy Jr). Capacity as usual, $52,100. Plain and Fancy, Winter Garden (MC) (9th wk; 68; $6.90; 1,510; $57,- 500). Over*$54,200 (previous week, $50,200), ^ Saint of Blcecker Street, Broad- way (MD) (13th wk); 88; $6.90- 86.00; 1,900; $28,000), Nearly $14.- 900 for four performances on Fri- day-Siinday matinee sked (previous week, $32,000 for seven Perform- ances). Closes Saturday (2). Seven 'Year Itch. Fulton (C) (123rd wk: 981: 85.75-$4.60‘ 1.003; 824,000) (Tom Ewell). Over $16,- 200 (previous Week, 814.500); tour- ing company, with Eddie Bracken starred, took over last Monday (28) with the N. Y. original moving to the road. Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC; (5th wk; 36; 87.50; 1,400; 857,TOO) (Hildcsarde Neff, Don Am^che). Capacity again at over $58,200. Tea and Sympathy, Loneacre (D) (77th wk; 613; 85.75^4.60; 1.214; 828.300). Almost $15,900 on two- fers (previous week, 817.600 on twofers); moves to the 48th St. Theatre April 11. Teahouse of the August Moon, Beck (C) (76th wk; 612: $6.2°-84.60: 1.214; 833,608) (John Forsythe, Eli Wallach). Capacity as usual, over $34,000. Witness for the Prosecution,vMil- ler (D) (15th wk; 116; $5.75-84.60; 020; $23,248). Capacity as usual, over $23,600 (previous week, $23,- 800). Miscellaneous Master Builder, Phoenix (D) (4th wk; 32; $3.45; 1,150; $24,067). Around $9,000 (previous week, $ 10 , 000 ). OFF-BROADWAY (Figures denote opening dates) Bamboo Cross, Blackfriars, (2-21- 55); lays off April 5-14. Juno & Paycock, G’n’wich Mews (2-22-55). Merchant of Venice, Jan Hus (2-22-55). Once Over Lightly, Barblzon- Plaza (3-15-55). Shoestring Revue, Pres. (2-28- 55). Thieves Carnival, Cherry Lane (2-1-55). Three Sisters, 4th St. 2-25-55). National 'Itch’ 31^G in 4 Stops The national company of “Seven Year Itch” moved into the Fulton, N. Y., last Monday (28) after pull- ing in <around $31,500 in its windup week on the road, ending Saturday (26). The Eddie Bracken starrer played four dates last week, split between the KRNT, Des Moines, Monday-Tuesday (21-22);* Para- mount, Omaha, Wednesday-Thurs- day (23-24); Orpheum, Sioux City, Friday (25)’ and Auditorium, Sioux Falls, S. D., Saturday (26). Company planed to N. Y. follow- ing the Sioux Falls engagement replacing the original Broadway production, starring Tom Ewell, which moved to the road, with an initial booking at the National, Washington, beginning yesterday (Tues.). ‘Cadillac’ Click $20,300 In Eight at Columbus Columbus, March 29. "Solid Gold Cadillac” clicked with $20,300 gross in eight shows at the Hartman last week. Top was $4. Friday and Saturday nights were sellouts. Theatre is dark until “Pajama Game” week of April 18. for which mail orders have reached deluge proportions. ‘Pajama Tops’ $10,500 With Two-Way Split Cincinnati, March 29. “Pajama Tops” grossed around $10,500 in a two-way split last week. The twofer production got about $7,000 at the Auditorium, Louisville, in four performances Monday-Wednesday (21-23), and approximately $3,500 in four per- formances at the Cox here Friday- Saturday (25-26). The Diana Barrymore starrer is current at the Shubert, Washing- ton.