Variety (Jun 1928)

8 VARIETY PICTURE GROSSES Wednesday, June 1928 L A. Houses Slide With Bank and it Betters Public Needed Cash for Market—"Happiness," $22,- COO—"Fazil" Starts to $13,000—"Eden," $8,100 Los Angelts, June 19, (Dtawing: Population 1,450,0(50) Weather: :Fair and Clear Last week started off as though the picture houses would-get some . teal money, ^hen came the open'-. ins of the stock market with the crash on Bank of Italy and Rich- field Oil stocks. The theatres just took it on the chin for the rest of the week, as all ready cash seemed : to be needed. With a flood of Hearst publicity, and advertising on, "Diamond Hand- cuffs'' the Metropolitan got close to - $12,600 on the opening twb days, more than it has done the past six months. When the week ended house: led the town With better than 123,500. Loew's State was not far behind, playing "Happiness Ahead," a Golleen Moore picture. ,, H4d it not been ior the gfeneral lull in pubr lie interest on theatricals after the flVst three^ days, picture would at lefikt have drawn another $5,000. For the third week of "Lion and tlue Mouse" there was little abate- mer.t in trade. Chinese with "Trail of. '98" in its sixth week had its convention and extut-gibn parties: while Carthiay Circle sta:rted "Fazil" to about $3,000 at $5 top for prer m-ere. Did $6,000 less on its open- in? week than "Street Angel.;* Buster Keaton's "Steamboat. Bill" at United Artists started off gi-eat but dropped. However, did $1,000 more than "Gaucho" on opening week. "Garden of Ed^h," on first Hollywood tun ■ with a good Fan- chon and Marco show, pulled the Egyptian a bit ahead aihd the Boule- vard came back to lifie with the re^ turn of Gene Morgan as m. c. Tride jumped about $3,000 with the screen jittraction "13 Washington Square." Ci>ileriOn had its, back against the wall with "Lady Raffles." House couldn't get^ over the $2,000 mark, and It had Movietone too. . Estimates fop Last Week Grauman's Chinese (U. A.) "Trail of '98" (M-G) (1,958; 50-$1.50) Sixth and semi-final week very calm; house took it a bit on the nose with around $l'4,000. Carthay Circle (W. G.-Mlller) "Fazli" and Movietone (Fox) (1,- 500; 5<»-$1.50). Not such a strong 'opening week for this one; most of the fav comment for Delf's t\yo reel talker on bill; $13,000. Boulevard (W. C.) "13 Washing- ton Square" (U) (2,164; 25-50): Gene Morgan real balance wheel; jumped $3,000; .$7;560. Criterion (W. C.) "Lady Raffles'! (Col) (1,600; 15-40). With Movie- tone news, just got to border of $2,000; quite a loss on week's opera tion. \ Egyptian (W. C.-U. A.) "Garden of Eden" . (U. A.) (1,800; 25-75). Corinne Griffith did very, well in bettering $8,100.. Loew's State (W. C.-Loew) "Hap- piness Ahead" (F. N.) (2,240; 25- 99). Colleen Moore always great attraction here; Benny Rubin's final week; $22,000. ^ Metropolitan (W. C.-Pub.) "Dla- k mond Handfcuffs" (M-G) (3.595; 25- I 75), Hearst paper plugs drew lots F of extra trade; more than $23,000. United Artists (U. A.) "Steam- boat Bill, Jr." (U. A.) (2,100; 25-$l), . Started off great but slowed down; around $.17,000, Warner Bros. "Lion and Mouse" and Vita (W. B.) (2,756; 25-75). Third week^ excellent at little better than . $18,000; house week niit around that figure. Talking '%ibn/' $17,500, Exceptional at MINNESOTA, $30,700 WITH "THE DRAG NET" San Vfrancisco, June 19. (Drawing Pop., 756,000) Weather:. Fair and Cool An even break on Market street last week, with two of the four de luxe houses garnering the cash and the other, two barely drifting along. . Weather conditions ideal ior'the- atre, but most everybody took It on the chin early in the week when Bank of Italy stock issues started on the tcAoggan. Most everybody in this burg is—or was—loaded to the gunwales with one or more of the Gianinni issues. When the . crash came many were caught unprepared. Result was. felt in the box offices. . As usual, Warfield had a clean sweep.. Much of the credit for the <3raw goes to Hugh Barrett Dobbs ("Dobbsie") of . Radio KPO, who headed the Panchdn and Marco stage show. Other bet was the Em- bassy, wiien another talking pic- ture, "Lion and the Mouse" held forth. . Business: was considered nxore than good. Granada continued to drag along, while St. Francis wound up its third and final week of "Sunrise" to business .that cpuld haye been a great deal better, . Estimates for Last Week Warfield—"Harold Teen'^ (F. N / and Fahchon and Marco stage show (2.672; 35-50-90). Week started as though box office record would be set, but early week-day slump due to bank stock ' depression, cost several grand; close to $29,000, iiri mehse. Einbassy—"Lion and the Mouse and Vita (Warner Bros.) (1,307; 50- 65-90), First week of the new talk- ■^jr caused many holdouts. Came within a few dollars of $17,500; ex jceptionaK Granadia—"The Big Noise" (Par) (2,785; 35-50-65-90). Pleasing enough screen cohiedy and excellent variety bill on stage (Publix), but jinx-still on. Lucky to reach $12,000. St. Francis^"Sunrise" ani". Movie- tone (Pox) (1,375; .35-65-90). Third and final week of Fox. special drew around $9,000. "Four.Sons" current McKeon Agstin Sailiiig Jack McKeon of the Stanley Cotnpaliy's executive staff is start- ing another trip abroad this Satur- day on the "Majestic." ' McKeon is also interested in the Sentry Safety Control, a theatre, supply concern holding several of the Stanley people.- McKeon pushed, the Sentry product strongly in Europe on his previous visit. _ Don Clark's Return After a year's absence from the fold Don Clark has returned to the publicity department of M.-G.-M. Convention Helps All Houses— ''Actress," $10,000—Bebe Daniels, $2,000 at Lyric Minneapolis, June 19. (Drawing Pop., 450,000) Weather: Clear and Cool . Minnesota was the big noise last week. New show house was evi- dently the mecca for 10,000 Ameri- can Medical. Association convention visitors. With "The Ljrag Net" and pleasing stage fare went to $30,700. This is. the house's second biggest week to date. . Picture scored heavily. ^ , , Convention and tourists helped trade all around. There was not a single instance in which the gross failed to run higher tha,n that of the preceding week. At that the State with "The Actress" aided by an elaborate stage show and good all around projgram, did not get play it deserved. Neither did the H6nnepin-Orpheum considering the big entertainment bargain it af- forded., . The fact that "The Actress" was a costume picture prejudiced film fans, but those who did see it liked it. „ Henh.-Orpheum's picture, "Brass Kriuckleb," was mediocre arid lacked pulling power. Bebe Daniels, this time at the 35 cent Lyric in "50-50 Girl," boosted this house and the picture pleased. Dolores Del r.lo in "No Other Woman" also was considerable of a caird for Pantages which had its best week In some time. "Across to Singapore," back to the loop for a second run, did nicely for. the Grand. . Estimates for Last Week Minnesota (F. & R.-Publix) (4,- 100; 65)—"The Drag Net" (Par) and Publix unit, "Pagoda . Land." G O. P. Didn't Help or Hurt K. C. Trade; Midland J20j0; Mam$treet,$18,Cl)0 Stock Opposish Felt in Baito; Negri Surprise Baltimore, Jiine 19, (Drawing Pop., 750,000) Weather: Cool and Fair The picture theatre attendance situation is uridoubtedly affected this spring by the speaking stage opposition. Foi* perhaps the first time on record both the Auditorium and Ford's are housing draimatic stock, and both drawing well, esper cially the Auditorium. As the houses are scaled and advertised at "movie prices," they are consequently cut- ting in on the picture trade— Business at the first-runners was up last ^yeek, in spilte of stiff oppo- sition of various types. Added to the rest school commencernent exer- cises and there is all the more rea- son to marvel at the good showing Of the picture house b. os. Big surprise was the Century, with "Three Sinners," the first Negri to click here in a long while. Con- sistently good, number of factors figuring in the draw. The Stanley also came through with a gOod week with "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" the picture. "Sadie Thomp- son" held up well at Valencia, but not big. "Legion of Condemned," at uptown Parkway, good consideriniJ stilt outdoor opposition. New Gar- den good, another satisfactory week. Estimates for Last Week Century (Loew)—"Three Sinners" (3,200; 25-603. Just when Negri was considered washed up in this town she stepped on Itjn this one iand drew cash custoraefs in paying numbei-s. Several factors figured. ^ ■ . ^. Howard P. KihgSmore, Loew's gen Pictures and stage attraction made ^^^^ manager here, conceived the fine impression; Alex Hyde, .^new ^^^^ pulling a Ted Claire Birth 'Ramona Sensational in Philly, 3d Wk, $12,500 Philadolphia, Juiie.iO, .. . Real sensation, last v/cnk i)i . the downtown picture honsos was the business of ';RauiOn.L" at th« Al- dine. Last weeli's srross warr^pvcr $12,5.00 and that looked groat at 75c top in a house of 1,500. The Stan- ley Company is -lennitel.' liemMng on keeping the Aldine bpcoi all Slim- mer, Warner pictures bcirg men- tioned as bookings. This will bo the .first time the Aldine luis miidc the summer grade umli?r tho Stan- ley banner. - The. Stanley had "The Draj,' Net" last week, with another one of the ^^,^Stanley-=unft-re-V-ues=-onlstase..;.J^iic= Drag Net" did hot show the strength thfirt its melodramatic pfedecessOr, '.'Underworld," demonsti*ated at the . Stanton last fall, but business was considered okay at around $25,000. That's average for this time. Karlton got around $8,500 with IDmil Jannings' latest, "Th' Street of Sin." Jannings big draw here but this pictu/b did not ilick a.s his others have done. Dwindled late in m. c. got away well; nearly $30,- 700; second bjggest week house has had. State (F. & R.-Publix) (2,500; .60) -^"The Actress" (M-G). ' Vitaphone and ..stage show. Picture and show merited high praise; arOund $10,- 000. Hennepin-Orpheum (Orpheum) (2,890; 50)—"Etrass Knuckles" (W. B.) and vaudeville. Picture not so hot, but vaude fine; Benny Davis: a standout; about $d,800; better than' for some time, but not good. Pantages (Pantages) (1.600; 25- 50)—"No Other Wompn'-' (Fox). Picture brought In many customers and vailde also pleaded; around $5,- 000; a jump over previous weeks. Lyric (F. & R.-Publix) (1.350: 35).^."50-50 Girl" (Par).* Bebe Daniels a magnet here; picture well likod for about $2,000. Seventh Street (Orpheum) (1.- 400: 40)—"Wild West Romance" and vaude. Good show for nnioney, but couldn't draw; around $3,500. Grand (F. & R.) (1,100: 25) — "Across to Singapore" (M-G). Second loop run, about $700; satis- factory. day Week. Tie-up \ylth local Scripps-Howard paper and affair went over big. Ted, who Is the Century m. of c, was artnounced as just 25, and a loCal bakery con- tributed a mammoth cake with that number of candles. Stage unit, "Seeing Things," went over big- Very satisfactory at $19,000. Stanley . (Stanley - Crandall) — "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" (3,600; 25-60). Business up with third Barthelmess fiiih for this house. Stage act, "Radio Nights," with novelty loud tered well. About speakers, regis- $18,500. week. Figure excellent for house at this season and picture held over. The Fox-Locust had its' troubles with '-Mother Machree." It will be talten off after two more weeks, but the. fact that It .will halve achieved a month's rim is no true indication of its strength. Fox, with a lot of good pictures bh its hands,: intend to keep the hdu.se open all summer. Last week's figure under $.7.0.00 at $1.65. • / .Fox had "The News. Parade" as fiini and Gifz Rice and his ISforth- west Mounties.; Combination coaxed about $23,500, all right considering tho hot days. Estimates for Last Week .Stanley (4,000;. 35-50-75) "The Drag Net" (Par). Fairly good. week. Another Stanley stage unit; $25,000. Stanton (1,700; 35-50-75) "Old Ii'orisides" (Par, 2d week). Did not do expected after fine first run- last season; $8,000. Ald^ne (1,500.; 50-75) "Ramona" (VA) (2d week). . SonsaUon.al busi- ness, improving all time. Third week $12,500. . Fox (3,00.0; 99) -"The News Pa- rade" (Fox). . This picture and .stage act about $23,500; okay. Karlton (1,100; 50-75) "Tho Street ,0 £^Sin:MJ2at)^(is t^\%:eelt).^ JEicjtair^^ was not there. Business slipped after opening. Cii-oss i-eported at vS.fOO, good. Fox-Locust (1,S00; $1.65) "Mother Machroe" (Fox) (2d week). Busi- ness very bad but pictui-e plugged for a month's run altogether. Under $7,000. Arcadia (800; 50) "Easy Come, Easy Go" (Par) (1st week). Richard Dix picture hit. Held over; $.'5,500. Denny's Story for "Buck" Los Angeles, June 19. Reginald Denny, star screen com- edian of action, turns author, as even stars "^metimes do. His story will not be made by its author but by another star of ^ia company other than Denny's—by a doer of stirring westerns. Buck Jones. The tale is of an American cow- boy in London, partly. Also like a regular western it involves horse- back riding. » Denny wrote the story three years ago but .decided that in it as a horseman "he' wouTd^Tje "rnXscast^^ A that time , lie told Jones If ever he: crime to be "on his own" he could buy the story. . .Tones now is on his own. The Denny story will be his second, fol- lowing "Thie Big Hop," just started. New Garden (Schanberger's) — "Play Girl" and Keith's vauda (3,200; 25-50). Stage headliner over- shadowed screen attraction as trade getter. ". House, getting a series of screen celebrities in person. Last week Viola Dana. Apparently stimu- lating b. o. at time when intake ex- pected to slip. About $13,Ci00, . Valencia (Loew - U. A.)—."Sadio Thompson" (1,500; 25-60); Held up well, but never got into big money. Stiff opposition inside and out fig- ured. About $6,500; okay. Parkway (Loew-U. A.)—"Legion of Condemned'^ '(1,000; 15-35). Business satisfactory. No doubt aided'by extra press publicity, fur-, nished gratis through Wray and Cooper being on location down this way for "First Kiss." Outdoor events affected draw, which held up nice- ly, however. About $4,300.' "DRAG .NET," $30,550 Rain No Help in St. L.—"Lion and Mouse" $19,350 Kansas City, June 19i ' (Drawing Pop., 600,000) .Weather: 'Cool and Fair Republican national convention is over for four yejixs and the theatre matiagers ar6 hot eoi-ry, altlVough they did not suffer, as feared. Tlie big street, parade Monday night, with.-bands, elephants, camels, and marchihg clubs just about wrecked the playhouses that. ,evening, .but thiey got the breaks the. balance of the time as the convention did not . hold more than one night session, Thursday evening. Recesses every afternoon. Many notables at the convention: Joseph: M. Schenck, Louis B. Mayer, Will Rogers, O. O. Mclntyre and Sam Blythe, with, . political and newspaper "names" galore; all of • whom attracted as much attention as the convention Itself. As the hall where the .convention was. held is close to the hotel and theatre dis- trict, the '"big show" did hot taike the visitors away, and keep them all the time.' ' All of the houses offered strong bills with no idcks heard oh the en- tertainment. Estimates for Last Week Loew's Midland-^"Leglon of Con- demned" . (4,000; 25-35^50). War drarha coupled with Loew-Publix stage unit I'Siinshades" made good, .. entertainment. Stage show not up to standard of the traveling iiriits,. , but good convention, fodder, for the strangers. Business uniform with Saturday and Siinday bpcnings helping, $20,000; Mainstreet (Keith's)—"Walking Back" "(3.200; 25-50). Sue Carroll has pretty poor filna in this one but she is cute kid and that helps. Stage show featured convention G.. O, P. song specialty by Harlan Christie, m. c. Wow. Nicely at $18,000. Pantages-T-'.'Don't Marry" (2,200; , 25-50). Stage show of Pan acts. $8,200. . .■•>- Newman (Loew)—"His Tiger Lady," first half; "Magnificent Flirt," second half (1,980; 25-35). Both titles of good box office appeal and hoiisej ohce pride of the town,' had fairly profitable week. $4,0(J'0. Liberty (Ind)—"The Road to Ruin" (1,000;. 25-35). . With sensa- tional billing, lobby displays and children hJftred, did curiosity busi- ness. Claimed . as reform picture quite frank In spots. Game ^of strip poker, in home of one of youngsters while parents away, startling.. $6,- 200. Held over. Uptown, Universal's big suburban, had "Buck Privates"; Globe, "Th* Lion and \Mouse." Landis Pays Off Los Angeles, June l**. After sentenced to spend -five nights in^jail because of being de- linquent in alimony,* CuUen Landis, screen actor, got out of it by raising enough dough among friends, to make a down payment. Landis was haled before the b.'ir of justice by his former wife. Mignon Le, Brun. PARAMOUNT CONTRACTS Los Angc)es, June 19. Tlx^k^loTtt^Sv^lib"' wlfiiV'Ti^ticir^fb" Paramount to make one picture, is going to stay on" the payroll for two more. Victor Schertzinper, director, also has been retained to make two more pictures. Hans Drier, art di- rector, has been given a contract to remain with the company for another year, r St. Louis, June 19. (Drawing Pop., 1,000,000) Weather: Rain and Warm ^ JVVitlL-a--second.; Jlveek of . steady rain smearing the books of the two big outdoor theatres with red ink, for the present, last week was all wet both ways. Things looked better the latter part of the week and helped pull up the avera;ge. Estimates for Last Week . Loew's State (3.300; 25-35-65)— "Laugh, Clown, Laugh!' (M-G). Some critics said Chanoy's greatest since "Huhchliack," Nat . Naziirro did "Refiections of 192'8" on stage: $22,800. • Ambassador (Skouras) (3.000; 35-65)—"The Drag Net" (Par). Added new laurels for Bancroft; $30,550. : Grand Central (Skouras) (1,700: 50-75)—"Lion .and the Mouse" and Vita (W. B.). Ed Lowry heads ishort subject bill in poorly photo- graphed group of some of his mo.st popular numbers; $19,350. Missouri (Skouras) (3,800; 35-65) —"Happiness Ahead" (F. N.). Frank Fay seems to be gaining in popii- iarity each week as m. C; Mi.ssouri d«ancing girl s gtjLll the b est in town ; Wrooor^^ r ^ - - ■ •. ADVISED TO SEE TALKERS Los Anpeles, June li). Christie studios are advising all .s-tudio workers to attend the local showings' of Movietone and Vita phone pictures, by posting a weclcly bulletin on the studio lot of current offerings. Fox's ^19,000 in Wash. $5,000 Out of Overhead Washington, June 19. (White Pop., 450,000) Weather: Opened Wet, Turned Hot Town got its first week, without •Congress. Saturday and Sunday were both; off. Radio report on conyentlon attracted but little attention, after the first day, but that day was bad enough. Then the famed hot spells which hereabouts mean just that. Only house to weather the situa- tion was the Earle, with Barthel- mess in "Little Shepherd' of King- dom Come." House went up about a grand, while others were either quivering hear previous week's grosses, which were low enough, or taking less. Town won't. be right Until con- ventions are out of way and things get back to regular summer normal. Estimates for Last Week Columbia (Loew) — "Red- Hair" (Par) (1,2.12; 35-50). Clara . Bow's not ,so good; picture prograrti mate^. riiil only.' Under $6,000 at tliis per- centage house on-the second seven days. . . Earle (Slanley-Crandall)—"Shep- herd of Kingdom Convo'* (F. N.) and Stanley stage show unit, with Jack P'^ppor (2,244). House put of dump.s lately, Avith grosses consider- ably improved; $12,000 total, $.5,000 above recent hormSl. Fox (Fox)--'*nonor Bound" (Fox) and S. J. . Stcbbihs tcage show (3,4.34;. 35-50-75). Along with other.s, , considerably off from usual big Sat- urday and Sunday; looks to have slipped $1,000 under previous week, but actually getting more net, as $5,000 salary ijtem covering the chorus and b.tllet no longer car- ried; maybe $19,000. Mot (Stanley-Crandall)—"Rose of Golden West" (F. N ). Did not mean much; $8,000 liberal. Palace (Loew)—"Three Sinner.s' (Par), Locw-Publix stage unit and Wosley Eddy, m. c. (2,365; 35-50). "Two male stars equaled feature jvJ th-^llola=JS'cgr-i ,=-an d^wi tho u t^Jiiit^ name in the lights, picture, which brought excellent reports, held busi- ness hovering around- previous week; $15,000. Rialto (U,)—"Hot HorlS" (U.) (1,978; 25-35), Nicely publicized around Glonij Tryon, but scale and slumped business couldn't be shak- en, hence usual $3,000. l-Vjink Stoffy, running house for about y«^:i«'. is out.