Boxoffice-May.03.1952

Build Them Big in Mexico;
8,000-Seater Opens
MEXICO CITY—The Florida Theatre, said
to be one of the largest and most sumptuous
film houses in the world, was inaugurated
here Friday ll8i. The n»w theatre has a
seating capacity for 8,000 spectators and, if an
eventuality arises, can accommodate 3,000
more standees. The theatre probably will
also serve as a convention hall to house forthcoming
meetings of the Lions and Rotarians
in the Mexican capital.
The Granat brothers, Oscar and Samuel,
financed the new film house, which is added
to their chain, including tlie Colonial, Opera,
Coloso, Ermita. Granat and others. Outstanding
feature of the theatre is that it is
not located in the heart of tlie capital, or in
one of the swanky residential sections, but
in one of the city's most highly populated
middle and lower class residential zones. The
latest in projection equipment and theatre
comforts is thus brought to the poorer classes.
This policy has marked the entire growth
of the Granat chain of neighborhood houses,
of which the Florida is the most impressive.
The film house wa.s opened with a double
bill (twin bills and even three, four and fivefeature
programs are highly popular in neighborhood
theatres) including a Mexican film,
"Aquellos Ojos Rojos" (Those Green Eyes),
a musical featuring singer Ramon Armengod
and Issa Morante. and Columbia's "Convicted,"
with Broderick Crawford and Glenn
Ford. Admission fee is higher than usual
neighborhood houses, which charge from 80
centavos (about 9 cents) to 1.50 pesos (about
17 cents), and has been set at 2.50 pesos
(about 29 cents). However, in justification
of the higher admission, the management
plans to provide better film fare.
Marble, bronze, mirrors, silks and brocades
have been combined to achieve harmonious
effects and spaciousness never hitherto attempted
in a neighborhood house. Theatre
site occupies 4,000 square meters (about
12,000 square feet) and an idea of size can
be gained from the fact that the lobby alone
could accommodate two of the film hou.ses
located in the center of the city. Furnishings
of the new screen house required an investment
of 172,000 pesos ($19,885) and this solely
for the soft-cushioned sofas, tables and corner
seating nooks, all in subdued dark shades.
Two generating plants for light and power,
installed by Camiones & Maquinaria, assure
continuous service in the event of power failure.
The screen is said to be the largest in
the world, 120 square meters (about 360 square
feet) and was especially constructed for the
theatre. Three Simplex projectors assure
clear, perfect projection on the giant screen,
while the theatre is so constructed that good
visibility is had from any seat in the house.
The new film house far outstrips the 6,000-
seat capacity of Radio City Music Hall. A
spokesman for the Granat brothers repeated
over and over again that the Florida was a
"neighborhood" house. The brothers and their
representatives refused to reveal the extent
of the investment in the theatre, but the
scale of construction and lavish decorations
and furnishings indicate that quite a few
million pesos were required, aside from the
investment in the land.
The new house far outstrips capacities of
existing first run houses in Mexico, almost
tripling them in some instances.
Tlie Colonial and Coloso, controlled by the
Granats, also neighborhood houses, have a
respective seating capacity of 4,450 and 4,703.
Nearest rival in first run houses is the Roble,
completed last year, which has a 4,000-seat
capacity. Other first run houses include the
Chapultepec, with 3,260 seats; Mariscala,
3,000; Metropolitan, 3,000; Mexico, 3.574, and
the 2,774-seat Olimpia. Other houses in the
center of town seat under 2,000 each.
lOCt FOR CEREBRAL PALSY DRIVE—The first 100 per cent contribution from
all the employes of one company is presented to the United Cerebral Palsy drive by
four employes from United Paramount Theatres—Constance Fraser, Gloria Giordano,
Dorothy Hill and Ruth Cento. Receiving; the bushel of money are little Vivian Principe,
of Bloomfield, N. J., five-year-old national poster girl, and Leonard H. Goldenson
(R), who has reason to smile with pride since he is president of both orgranizations.
Edward H. Hyman and Robert M. Weitman, vice-presidents of United Paramount
Theatres, stand behind Vivian, The presentation took place in the Paramount building
on the eve of the campaign which opened Thursday, May 1,
Advertises the Fact Its
Critic Likes Movies
PHILADELPHIA — Holiday magazine
has taken space in several media magazines
to point out that it has a movie
critic who likes movies, in an apparent
pitch to space buyers for film companies
for business. The single column ads are
headed "He Likes Movies," and the copy
contains this message:
"We've often wondered why people who
apparently don't like movies become movie
critics.
"We go to a movie and enjoy it
thoroughly. Then, a few days later, we
read the movie column of some movie
magazine only to di.scover how dull or
dim-witted we were for ever having gone
near the theatre, much less enjoying the
picture.
"Our Holiday magazine critic, Al Hine,
actually likes movies. He's a movie fan
first, a critic second.
"A['s monthly movie column reflects the
views of an intelligent moviegoer who
expects to be entertained. He waves no
banner for any special type of movie. He's
not on the search for the much revered
mature message" or "great art form." Al
looks only to be pleased and entertained
— 75 cents' worth, a dollar's worth, whatever
the price of a ticket.
"Be it comedy or crusade, if a film pleases
Al Hine, he says so—and explains why.
If it doesn't, he explains that, too. We
think he does both extremely well. We
suggest that you read him in Holiday,
now on the stands."
Edward G. Robinson Gets
A Congressman's Pat
WASHINGTON—Edward G. Robinson and
the film industry were both defended before
the House Un-American Activities Committee
by Rep. Samuel W. Yorty (D., Calif.) on
Wednesday (30), as the film star once again
appeared befor the committee at his own request
in an attempt to clear his name.
Robinson referred to widely circulated
innuendos against him, and defied anybody
to make any open and public charges against
him. He said nobody could prove he had ever
been either a Communist or a sympathizer
with any Communist aims, because he never
had been.
Yorty appealed to the film star's "millions
of fans" in asking understanding for Robinson
whom he characterized as "a kindhearted
man and a great artist . politically
. .
inexperienced," and who had been victimized
by false friends.
The California Democrat praised the industry
for "doing a fine job in cleaning its
own house" of Communist influence. He said
that Communists are a small minority in
Hollywood and asked that they "not be used
by publicity seekers to unfairly discredit a
great industry and its artists" whom he described
as "among the finest of our citizens."
Robinson described himself as a liberal
Democrat who had permitted his name to be
used and then had been "shocked" to discover
the hidden purposes of some of the organizations
and the Communist membership of people
he had thought to be sincere liberals.
He
said he, himself, had never been either disloyal
or dishonest.
20 BOXOFFICE May 3, 1952