Boxoffice-November.24.1951

. . After
'Paris' Grosses 250
In Twin City Week
MINNEAPOLIS — Bad weather stymied
business considerably, but such ace newcomers
as "An American in Paris," "Across the
Wide Missouri" and "Submarine Command"
did nicely. With admissions prices raised to
$1 after 5 p. m., "American in Paris" rated
in the sensational class with 250 per cent.
However, near-blizzards, icy streets and walks
and near-zero temperatures did plenty of
harm.
(Average Is 100)
Century—A Place in the Sun (Para), 4th wk 100
Gopher—Across the Wide Missouri (MGM) 125
Lyric—When Worlds Collide (Para)..... 110
Radio City— Detective Story (Para) 95
RKO Orpheum—The Blue VeU (RKO), 2nd wk 100
RKO Pan A Streetcar Named Desire (WB), 2nd
wk 120
State Submarine Command (Para) 95
World An American in Paris (MGM), advanced
prices 250
"Lavender Hill Mob' Bows
With 300 in Kaycee
KANSAS CITY—Loew's Midland led downtown
first run houses this week after a "terrific"
opening weekend on "Too Young to
Kiss" and "Mr. Imperium." Shifting to a
Sunday opening on new bills, the house pulled
"Pickup" and "Criminal Lawyer" after a
four-day run to make way for the new bill.
The four days of the two Columbia films
grossed about 55 per cent, Managing Director
Howard Burkhart said. All houses along
the local rialto reported better business, with
the two art houses maintaining their strong
pace.
Esquire, Uptown, Fairway and Granada Little
Egypt (U-1); Missing Women (Rep) 70
Kimo—Oliver Twist (UA), 2nd wk 200
Midland Too Young to Kiss (MGM); Mr. Imperium
(MGM) 145
Missouri—The Racket (RKO); The Whip Hand
(RKO) 130
Paramount—When Worlds Collide (Para) 100
Tower Love Nest (20th-Fox); Journey Into Light
(20th-Fox) 85
Vogue—The Lovender Hill Mob (U-I) 300
Harry French Returns
From UPT Meeting
MINNEAPOLIS—Back from a conference of
United Paramount Theatres executives at
White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., Harry B.
French. Minnesota Amusement Co. president,
said that optimistic feeling regarding film exhibition
ran high.
"For that matter," explained French, "we've
always been optimistic, but there are several
reasons for particular optimism at this time.
One is the fact that product reaUy is better
than ever. I don't recall a period when so
many topdrawer films were being released
simultaneously.
"Another reason for encouragement is the
increased attention motion pictures are commanding
from newspapers and periodicals
generally because of their high quality and
because of Movietime U.S.A."
Harry E. Newton Sells
Theatre at Turon,Kas.
TURON, KAS.—Harry E. Newton has sold
the Turon Theatre here to D. J. Pelton of
Tribune, Kas. Pelton will take over operation
of the house on January 1. He purchased
the building and its contents.
Newton has been in show business since
1930 and has owned the Turon for the last
16 years.
MINNEAPOLIS
They are still talking about the "wonderful
night" that MGM put on for Its Northwest
Variety Club open house. Salesman George
Turner arranged a big nine-act floor show
and emceed it. There also was dancing and
general conviviality. The 20th-Fox open
house also was a gala affair with a huge
amount of fine entertainment. In fact, all
of the film exchanges Variety Club open
houses on Friday nights have been great successes.
More of them are coming up. There
is no admission and the affairs are open to
nonmembers, invited by film exchange employes
and regular Variety Club members.
Chief Barker Art Anderson reminds "don't
forget the Northwest Variety Club annual
meeting, if you're a member." It will be held
Monday (26) and the annual election of directors
will be the main order of business.
There will be a free dinner preceding the
election and Anderson says he hopes that
every member will attend and hear his report
and cast his vote.
Eddie Ruben is back from a New York business
trip and working on plans for a Movietime
U.S.A. followup. He is chairman of the
campaign for this territory . . Screen stars
.
Fredric March and Florence Eldridge are coming
to the Lyceum here the week of December
16 in the stage play, "Autumn Garden." When
"The Cocktail Party" comes to the same theatre
in January the cast also will be studded
with Hollywood film notables, according to
Manager Jimmy Nederlander.
Branch Manager LeRoy J. Miller of U-I
announces the promotion of city salesman
Pat Halloran to the newly created post of
sales manager. Howard Greenstein. North
Dakota salesman, is being brought in to handle
part of the Twin city accounts and
Charles Bliss has been promoted from booker
to North Dakota salesman. An addition to
the booking staff is John Louis, replacing
Abbott Swartz, United Artists
Bliss . . .
manager, has landed two bookings into two
Minnesota Amusement Co. leading Loop
houses the week of December 7. "The Lady
Says No" is spotted for Radio City and "Fort
Defiance" for the State.
Ted Mann, owner of the World, believes
that "An American in Paris" will run eight
weeks at his house. He bases his belief on
the enthusiastic audience reaction and gigantic
first-week business. The advance in
admission price to $1 for the picture seems
to have helped the boxoffice, instead of
hurting it, he says. Bob Murphy, Minneapolis
Sunday Tribune film editor and critic,
singled it out with "Detective Story" as "the
pictures of the week" and declared "both
will surely rank among the top ten pictures
of the year, and will be in there grabbing
at Academy Oscars." He told readers
"you'll have to see both." In the same
column. Murphy cited the fact that two holdover
pictures, "A Streetcar Named Desire"
and "A Place in the Sun" are "among the
big jobs of the season." Referring to "An
American in Paris" and "Detective Story," he
headed his column with this tribute to the
industry "A couple of new pictures in the
Loop, added to the present splurge of other
fine films, make the slogan 'Movies Are Better
Than Ever* a bit more impressive than
it was at the beginning."
Abe Fischer, Republic district manager, was
a vi.Mlor and wa>> tiiUiu.Mii.^ln; abuul iu.s
company's forthcoming "Wild Blue Yonder,"
starring Wendell Corey, which will have its
world premiere in Omaha next week with
Hollywood personalities In attendance. "The
Iron Master," part of which was filmed on
Minnesota's iron range, now Is being as.sembled,
he said . . . Paramount booker Joe
Ro.sen and his wife have a baby boy—Just
what they wanted because they already have
a
girl.
The 900-seat A.ster continues dark because
the booth operators union insists upon two
operators to a booth, or four in all, plus a
relief man. The theatre contract with the
union, calling for such a crew, expires December
12. The house is independently operated,
having been acquired from the Minnesota
Amusement Co. under the Paramount
consent decree and the contract which expires
was made by MAC when it operated
the theatre ... Of the four Minneapolis
independent houses that played "David and
Bathsheba" at $1 admission, the Terrace did
by far the biggest busine.ss, grossing for three
days what it ordinarily does in an entire
week, according to reports.
The suit of major distributors against the
Volk Bros., independent circuit owners, for
allegedly making false returns on percentage
pictures still is on the federal district court
calendar and should be reached for trial
in the spring, .says David Shearer, counsel for
the plaintiffs. The Volks have countersuits
asking for an audit of distributor books
and asking for invalidation of contracts because
of admission price fixing . . . Theatres
in the territory will make their annual
audience collections for the Northwest
Variety Club heart hospital fund starting this
week . Manager Arthur Duschik of
the Palace ejected a youth caught sneaking
into his theatre, the youth returned. When
Duschik peeled off his coat to do some more
tossing, the young man grabbed it and fled,
turning in a false fire alarm on the way.
The coat contained the manager's keys
and $25.
Frank Wiggins, manager of the Uptown,
MAC ace neighborhood house here, is a
grandfather. His daughter gave birth to a
girl . . . Because federal admission taxes
now under the new law are based on the
amount actually paid, the Minnesota Amusement
Co. has reduced teenage admissions
to 25 cents until 5 p. m, and 50 cents thereafter.
Available to youths between 12 and
18, the admissions are lower than the
scale—76 cents after 5 p. m.—and higher
adult
than the children's price of 12 cents . . . The
Pix, Loop sureseater here, has brought back
"Bitter Rice" for its third downtown engagement
and the Lyceum, legitimate roadshow
house, is showing the reissued "Fantasia" currently.
Originally. "Bitter Rice" ran five
weeks at the World.
Arthur Greenblatt of Screen Guild was
here conferring with Julius CoUer, his local
distributor ... A power failure necessitated
admission refunds at the MAC A-house, the
Century, last Wednesday night.
The industry's own—the Voriety Clubs-Will Rogers
hospital depends entirely on contributions from the
amusement industry. Sign the 'Christmas Solute'
scroll todoy!
BOXOFnCE :
: November
24, 1951 49