Boxoffice-May.03.1952

WB)
B. B. Kreisler Heads
Foreign Film Group
NEW YORK—B. Bernard Kreisler, executive
director of tiie Advisory Unit of Foreign
Films of the Motion Picture Ass'n of America,
lias resigned effective
^May1 to become president
of the International
Film Associates-
Television Corp.,
known as IFA-TV.
This is a new foreign
film and television
syndicate with Wall
street financing and
offices at 444 Madison
Ave.
The corporation will
B. Bernard Kreisler
act as a clearing house
in this country for foreign
films and will channel both features and
featurettes to television stations and specialized
"art" theatres.
The organization also will represent foreign
film and television producers as consultants
on production as well as marketing and programming
of product. The company has a
technical studio designed for lip-synchronized
dubbing of selected foreign films into English
for television presentation.
Kreisler will leave for Europe next month
to meet production executives in England,
France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany and
Scandinavian countries on films to be made
available in this country.
In addition to Kreisler, members of the
board of IFA-TV include: James Frank, Robert
M. Davidson, Charles S. Goodman and
A. A. Strelsin.
Kreisler has had extensive experience
abroad and in this country. Before joining
the MPAA he conducted a European film survey
in 18 countries for the Harvard Graduate
School of Business Administration. He was
general manager and vice-president of United
Artists-Cowan productions of Ernie Pyle's
"Story of GJ. Joe" and "Tomorrow the
World," and was at one time connected with
Universal in several executive posts.
B'way, East Side Booking
Set for British Picture
NEW YORK — "Outcast of the Islands,"
London Films production distributed in this
country by Lopert Films, will open simultaneously
May 15 at the Astor Theatre on Broadway
and the Fine Ai-ts Theatre on the east
side. This will be the fii-st time a new film
will play simultaneously at a Broadway first
run and a first run class house.
Lopert Films' reasoning for the booking is
that a great many film patrons who patronize
the east side class houses rarely venture
over to the Broadway sector for their picture
entertainment. "The Lavender Hill Mob,"
which opened the Fine Arts Theatre in October,
will have completed 31 weeks by May
14.
"Outcast of the Island," from the Joseph
Conrad story, was directed by Carol Reed
and stars four British players, Ralph Richardson,
Trevor Howard, Wendy Hiller and
Robert Morley with Reed's discovery, Kerima,
featured.
Your help appreciated—run the Cerebral Palsy
trailer. Available from Moy 15 to July 1.
Rainy Days Hurt B'way First Runs;
Singin,
Song' Remain Strong
NEW YORK— Rain, which started on the
weekend and continued into the week, hurt
grosses at the majority of the Broadway first
runs although it actually drove many patrons
who had planned outdoors events in to the
outstanding films.
The Easter week holdovers still led the
field, particularly "Singin' in the Rain," still
strong in its fifth week at the Radio City
Music Hall, and "With a Song in My Heart,"
which held for a fourth good week at the
Roxy. "Tlie Man in the White Suit" had a
smash fourth week at the Sutton after shattering
previous gro.sses for its first, .second
and third weeks.
"Mara Maru" was the best of the new films,
mainly because of the draw of the Ballet
Theatre playing its first stage engagement
in support of a Broadway film at the Warner.
"Red Mountain" had a good first week
at the Globe but "The Green Glove" at the
Criterion and "Maytime in Mayfair" at the
Trans-Lux were ju.st fair and the latter was
replaced Saturday (3) by "The Narrow Margin."
"Encore," in its fourth weelc at the
Normandie, and "Tomorrow Is Too Late,"
Italian-language film in its third week at
Loew's State, al.so held up well but many of
the art house films dropped off.
Eleven new pictures opened during the
week, only five of them from Hollywood:
"Atomic City," "Macao," "Belles on Their
Toes," "The Pi-ide of St. Louis" and "The
Narrow Margin." Three of the others were
French films, the most in that language to
play in Manhattan art spots in several years.
(Average Is 100)
Astor My 3ix Convicts (Col), 5fh wk 1 00
Baronet Passion for Life (Brandon), 19th d. t. wk. 90
Capitol My Son John (Paro), 3rd wk 100
Criterion The Green Glove (UA) 110
Fine Arts—The Lavender Hill Mob (U-1), 28th wk..105
55th Street Jour de Fete (Mayer-Kingsley), lOfh
wk 90
Globe Red Mountain (Para) 115
Holiday Loyola—Soldier Soint (Simplex) 100
Little Carnegie Picture (Picture), 3rd wk 95
Loew's State Tomorrow Is Too Lote (Burstyn), 3rd
wk 110
Mayfair Anything Can Happen (Para), 4th wk. . . 90
Normandie Encore (Para), 4th wk 115
Paramount Bend of the River (U-l), plus stage
show, 3rd wk 1 05
Paris The River (UA), 33rd wk 100
Park Avenue Faithful City (RKO), 3rd wk 95
Radio City Music Hall Singin' in the Rain (MGM),
plus stoge show, 5th wk 1 20
Rialto Okinawa (Col) 100
Rivoli Valley of the Eogles (LP), 3rd wk 95
Roxy With a Song in My Heart (20th-Fox), plus
stage show, 4th wk 110
Sutton The Man in the White Suit (U-l), 4th
wk 150
Trans-Lux 52nd The Young and the Damned
(Moyer-Kingsley), 5th wk 95
Trans-Lux 60th Maytime in Mayfair (Realort).. 98
Victoria The Morrying Kind (Col), 7th wk 105
Warner Mora Maru (WB), plus Ballet Theatre on
stage 1 25
World Miss Julie (Trans-Global), 3rd wk 95
'Ma cmd Pa Kettle' Grosses
110 in Buffalo Bow
BUFFALO—Old Sol hit town last weekend
and cars were lined up bumper to bumper
on most of the highways leaving the city.
Boxoffices withered. The Buffalo did fairly
well with a four-day stage show headed by
Nat "King" Cole and his band, with "Just
This Once" on the screen.
Buffalo Just This Once (MGM), plus stage
show 115
Center My Son John (Para) 95
Century Mutiny (UA), 6 days 85
Cinema The Song of Bcrnadette (20fh-Fox),
reissue 85
Lafayette Mo and Po Kettle ot the Fair (U-l) 110
Paramount With o Song in My Heart
2nd wk 95
Teck Singin' in the Rain (MGM), 3rd wk.. 105
DISCUSS MUSIC HALL FILM—George
Sidney, right, director of
MG.M's "Scaramouche,"
which has been booked as the
next picture at the Radio City Music Hall
following the current "Singin' In the
Kain," discusses the film with Russell V.
Downing, president and managing director
of
"Show/ 'Heart,'
the theatre.
'Zapatai'
Good at Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH—Grosses rolled over the top
in one of the best weeks of the year to date.
Bigger in its thu-d week than its second was
"The Greatest Show on Earth," while "With
a Song in My Heart" was a winner. "Viva
Zapata!" was over average and likewise
"Macao." Only "Jack and the Beanstalk"
(with Abbott and Costello in person opening
day) lagged behind. Neighborhood grosses
remained about the same—very depressed,
and outdoor theatres which had been reopened
early found the weather wouldn't cooperate.
Fulton Vivo Zapata! (20th-Fox) 110
J. P. Horris With o Song in Heort My
(20th-Fox) 120
Penn The Greatest Show on Earth (Poro),
3rd wk 130
Stonley Jock and the Beonstalk (WB) 80
Warner—Macao (RKO) 1 05
'African Queen' Holdover
Philadelphia Bright Spot
PHILADELPHIA—A heavy weekend downpour
cast gloom over the first run boxoffices.
"The African Queen" in its second week was
the only attraction to score over average. The
third -week holdovers did pretty well, considering.
Aldine Caesar and Cleopatra (UA), reissue 85
Boyd The Greatest Show on Earth (Poro), 10th
wk 60
Eorle Rodeo (Mono), plus stage show • 50
Fox—With o Song in My Heort (20th-Fox), 3rd
wk 70
Goldman The Marrying Kind (Col), 3rd wk 90
Mostboum The African Queen (UA), 2nd wk...l25
Midtown Aaron Slick From Punkin Crick (Poro).. 55
Randolph Singin' in the Roin (MGM), 3rd wk. . . 90
Stanley Moro Maru ( 60
Stanton— Loon Shork (LP) 1 00
Acquires Exploitation Films
NEW YORK—William Mishkin, 1564 Broadway,
has acquired worldwide theatrical rights
to "Clip Joint," featuring Paul Lukas and Jill
Dennett, and "Blondes for Sale." featuring
Edward Arnold and Barbara Barondess. Distributor
expects to put them into immediate
release as an exploitation combination.
BOXOFFICE :: May 3, 1952 39