Boxoffice-May.03.1952

. . Junior
. . Bob
. .
. . Disney's
'Rain' at Cincinnati
Beats First Week
CINCINNATI—Business remained fair, with
no outstanding grossers at any of the theatres.
"Singin' in the Rain" not only held
up well in its .second week but beat its first
week percentage by 10 per cent. "With a
Song in My Heart" was excellent in its holdover.
New films were booked at all houses
for the coming week, however.
(Averocje Is 100)
Mbee— Singin' in the Rain (MGM), 2nd wk 110
Copitol—With o Song in My Heart (20th-Fox),
2nd wk 100
Grond Hong Kong (Parol; Whispering Smith
vj. Scotland Yard (RKO) 95
Keith's—Mo and Po Kettle at the Foir (U-l) 110
Lyric Sirocco iCol), Tokyo Joe (Col), 3 days. ... 80
Poloce- The Big Trees (WB) 90
Holdovers Uphold
Average in Detroit
DETROIT — Weekend temperatures of 85
sent grosses downward but the strong holdovers
maintained the average mark, while
"Greatest Show" was the leader in its ninth
week with 120 per cent.
Adorns— Quo Vodis (MGM), 8th wk 90
Cincmo—Blithc Spirit (UA), reissue 80
Fox With a Song in My Heart (20th-Fox); The
Bushwhackers (Rcolort), 2nd wk 100
Madisori The Greotcst Show on Earth {Poro), 9th
wk 120
Michigon The Los Vegos Story (RKO); The
Fabulous Senorlto (Rep) 90
Polms-Stote Jock and the Beonstalk (WB);
Oklahoma Annie (Rep) 85
United Artists Singin' In tho Rain (MGM), 2nd
wk 100
Pride of St. Louis' Tops
New Bills in Cleveland
CLEVELAND—"The Pride of St. Louis" did
the best in town as the first warm weekend
of the season put the world and his wife on
wheels. There was a resultant drop at indoor
theatres and a boost for the drive-ins. "Singin"
in the Rain" at 10,5 per cent was the best
of the other three new film bills. "Sailor
Beware" drew consistently in its fourth week
and stayed another. "Greatest Show" was
good in its fifth and stays a sixth. Interest
in the Cleveland Indians is at fever heat and
night games are keeping many would-be theatre
patrons home by the TV.
Allen The Pride ot St. Louis (20fh-Fox) 115
Hippodrome With o Song in My Heart (20th-Fox),
2nd wk 80
Lower Moll Miracle in Milan (Burstyn), 2nd wk..l00
Ohio Sailor Beware (Poro), 4th wk 110
Palace Scandal Sheet (Col) 90
Stote Sinqin' in the Rain (MGM) 105
Stillmon The Greotcst Show on Earth (Poro),
5th wk no
lower The Thiet ot Bagdod (Classics); The
Jungle Book (Classics), reissues 105
Theatre Game Okayed
By Cleveland Attorney
CLEVELAND—Hy-Bid-N'-Take, a theatremerchant
auction promotion, "does not constitute
a lottery as defined by state law or
city ordinance," according to Jo.seph H. Crowley
of the city law department, after an analysis
of the promotion as presented by Arthur
I. Morrison & Associates, distributors.
Using stage money distributed by participating
merchants and the theatre, the patron
bids for merchandise, which the merchant
displays and which the theatre awards to
the highest bidder.
A public relations angle has al.so been
worked out whereby a specified amount of
the stage money is given to Red Cross blood
donors.
CLEVELAND
. . .
por the first Hum- on record, all three downtown
Loew's theatres played holdovers.
They were "The Greatest Show on Earth,"
sixth week at the Stillman; "Sailor Beware,"
fifth week at the Ohio, and "Singin" in the
Rain,"" second week at the State. Another
holdover was "With a Song in My Heart,""
playing a third moveover week at the Tower
Max Lefkowich, president of Community
circuit and le.ssee of the 1,800-seat Circle, has
reduced its playing time to weekends for the
time being. The Circle is one of five theatres
in the congested Euclid-East 105th street area.
The houses have a total of 10,232 .seats. To
further saturate the area with entertainment,
some half-dozen restaurants present floor
shows.
Ted Barker, Loew's publicity director,
checked into St. Vincent's hospital for a
checkup . Playland, a Balaban project
on Warrensville road, opened Its second
season . . . Hawaiian orchids for Mother's day
will be pa.s.sed out to all the women customers
at the Maple Drlve-In, Zanesville, and tlie
Family Drive-In, Steubenville. Monogram
salesman Sol Gordon handles the orchids .
Screen star Ann Dvorak was in town with her
husband, former Clevelander Mike Wade.
ITOO Convention—Cleveland—May 19-21
Herb Ochs had a one-day session with A. B.
Cass, manager of Columbia's Toronto branch,
to buy and book for the Ochs Canadian drivein
chain . Bial of Luthi Sign is doing
a repeat performance for the Red Cross. He
now is covering the Film building in behalf
Kroger Babb, president
of flood relief . . .
of Hallmark, was in Cleveland on business.
He has announced that Hallmark offices are
moving from Wilmington. Ohio, to Hollywood
and that Hallmark territorial franchises are
now available.
Henry Grecnberger, Community circuit
executive and chief barker of the Variety
Club, is home from a .short .session in Lakeside
hospital where he underwent an operation
Jack Vogel of Vogel
for varicose veins . . .
Building Co., Wellsville, was in town. His
brother Paul is due to don civilian clothes the
end of the month.
Sam Fritz, who left his job as manager of
the Medina, Medina, to answer a recall to
service in the navy, has completed an 18-
month tour of duty and is back with Modern
Theatres circuit as manager of the Lorain-
Fulton here. He succeeds Charles Marcus,
now with the Gusdanovic circuit . . Prank
.
and Louis Slavik who recently acquired the
Shane Drive-In at Andover, have completed
an extensive modernization program including
a new conce.ssion stand and installation
of playground equipment.
Jack Silverthornc, manager of the Hippodrome,
enticed hundreds of children to his
downtown theatre last Saturday morning
with an all-cartoon special 9 o'clock .show.
Scale for the occasion was 30 cents for children
under 12 years of age and 55 cents for
older children and adults. Program consisted
of 15 cartoons . . . Jack Sogg, MGM
manager, has returned from a Florida vacation.
ITOO Convention—Cleveland—May 19-21
VlMHom on I'llmrow included Pel