Boxoffice-December.20.1952

. . . Eddie
. . RKO's
. . W.
Ir.
iii
:hicago First Runs MINNEAPOLIS
I
,Jl!
JSlump to Average
CHICAGO — BuMiiess at Loop nr>,t run
jhouses was slow. New product was fairly
stronK and did averaKC business. The ChlcaKO
lid fine with a second week of "The Thief."
ptlus a slaRo show headed by Basil Rathbone
and Polly Bergen.
Chicago—Th* Thl«f (UA), plut itog* >how, 2nd
k 100
Etquirc The Hour of 13 (MGM), 2nd wk 100
nronil The Stool Trop JOth-Fon). Th« Lady $oy»
No (UAl, 3f.l vsk 90
)rionlal—Brooking the Sound Barrier (UA), 2nd
wk '00
iglocc— Plymouth Adventure MGM), 3rd wk 100
Itoto-Loke—Tho Snowi at Kilimonloro (20th-Fo>),
7fh wk 95
icvolt—Hongmon's Knot iCol), TargaN—Hong
Keng (Col) 95
jrf—O. Htnry'i Full HouM (20th-Fox), 7lh wk 100
Initcd Artiits — flat Top (AA); Torpodo AHoy
(AA), 2nd wk 90
Morld Playhouse—Godi ot Bali (Cla»>ct), Bllth*
Spirit (Clossic) 95
(Voodi— Pony Soldier (20th-Fox), 3rd wk 95
^^legfcld — Beauty and tho Beait (Lopcrt), Sho*
Shino (Lopcrt) 90
Gus' Continues to Pace
Twin Cities at 100
MINNEAPOLIS—As expected, there was
ittle cheer at the boxofflce. Companitlvely,
he best showing was made again by "My
>al Gus" In its .second week. Newcomers Inluded
"Hiawatha," having its territory premiere
and given a big and effective ex-
)loitation campaign; "Cattle Town," "Son of
Mi Baba," "Angelo" and "Park Row," none
)I which kicked up much boxoffice dust.
Downtown theatres came in with strong
'ihristmas week attractions, includinc; "Mil-
Ion Dollar Mermaid," "Prisoner of Zenda,"
"Bluebeard the Pirate," "The Stooge" and
'Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd."
ientury—My Pal Gus (20th-Fox), 2nd wk 100
Sopher—The Jungle (LP); Mr. Wolkic Tolkie (LP) 80
.ync—Son of Ali Bobo U-H, Army Bound (AA).. 90
iodio City—Stan end Stripes forever ,20th-Fox) 95
IKO Orpheum—Cottle Town (WB) 85
KO Pon—Pork Row (UA), Confidence Girl (UA). 85
itote—Hiawotho (AA) 90
iVorld—Angelo (Scolero) 90
Buccaneer' Leads in Omaha
With 105 Per Cent
OMAHA—Only the Omaha showed any
itrength during a dull first run week, holding
a bit above average with a rugged bill of
'Yankee Buccaneer" and "Scarlet Angel."
Because You're Mine" did fair in its third
week at the State. Weather was clear and
senerally mild.
irondeis— Operation Secret (WB); Battles of Chief
Pontine (Reolart) 95
imoho—Yankee Bucconeer ,U-I), Scarlet Angel
(U-l) 105
)rpheum—Tho Steel Trap (20th-Fox); My Wife's
P - - - - . -
Best Friend !20th-Fox) 90
jtote— Becouse You's Mine (MGM), 3rd wk 95
Town—The Young and the Damned (Fine Arts);
The Dark Mon (Fine Arts); Kansas Territory
(AA) 85
foins Fight on Communism
ELDORA, IOWA—Leo Wolcott, theatre
owner of the Iowa-Nebraska ITOA, received
telegram asking use of his name in the
nationwide effort supporting Radio Free
f.^
i'* Europe and Radio Free Asia in the fight
Bgainst Communism. The telegram came from
Charles E. Friely, state chairman of the Iowa
Crusade for Freedom committee. Wolcott im-
'^
mediately wired his permission.
croliS
Richard Crane will topline "The Neanderthal
Man." a Wisberg-PoUexfen production
to be directed by E. A. Dupont.
Tn iidditlon to participating In the aU-lnduxtry
Chrixtmaa party, 20th-Fox and United
. . .
Artists had their own Individual shIndlK.s.
The former wa.H held In the Normandy hotel
and United ArtUti at the exchunur
Back from New York where he viewed
Cinerama. Harry B French. Minnesota
Amusement Co. president, called It "one of
the most outstanding thInKs In all .show baslne.ss."
He found nothing available In stage
attractions for lociil Radio City which ha«
been without a stage show for many months.
Bennie Berger went to Duluth to visit his
theatre properties there . . . Reno Wllk. drlve-
. . .
In circuit owner. Is vacationing In California
Don HaJloran. formerly with
. . . RKO. has Joined the 20th-Fox sales staff.
He succeeds southern Minnesota salesman
Bill Donald, who resigned LeRoy J.
Miller. Uiilvrrsal manager, and his .sales staff
will attend a sales meeting In Chlcag.-; next
week . "Never Wave at a WAC" is
set for the Minneapolis and St. Paul Orpheums
February 6. said Fay Dressell, RKO
manager.
. . .
The Paramount Pep club, comprising
branch employes, dug into its treasury to buy
Christmas toys for the Phyllis Wheatly Negro
.settlement houte. They were purchased from
the Nathanson Tobacco Co., which sold the
toys at cost so that the set;iemenl house
wound up with nearly three times as many
as the amount set aside by the pep club
ordinarily would buy . H. Workman,
MGM manager, is at home slowly recuperating
after a session in the University hospital
The 23-year-old son of Frank Eisenberg.
United Artists salesman, still is undergoing
treatment in the Veterans hospital for polio,
which he contracted more than six weeks
ago.
. . . Christmas
. . The
George Fosdick and Chet LeVoir, Republic
.salesmen, are vacatitning. The former drove
to California to visit a son there
food baskets for poor families were pur-
chased with the profits derived from the
all-industry Christmas party and Al Stern,
RKO, and Joe Ro.sen, Arnold Shartin and
Ben Zatz of Paramount distributed them
Stoller, United Artists salesman,
is vacationing for a fortnight
handy man at Sam Berger's lower loop Grand
disappeared. So did two money bags containing
between SlOO and $136 . . Kenneth
.
Bergman is back as a Universal booker after
service in the armed forces. Exhibitors visiting
Fllmrow included R. A. Miller, Mondovi,
Wis.: L. C. Weisner, Cannon Falls: Hank
Bailey, Eagle Bend, and Fred Schnee, Litchfield.
Pat Dean Smith of the "Million Dollar Mermaid"
cast, stopping here, in Duluth and St.
Paul, grabbed off considerable newspaper
publicity and TV and radio attention, thanks
to the efforts of Tom Letcher, Metro exploiteer.
Jack Heywood, pioneer New Richmond, Wis..
exhibitor, was confined to his bed by a painful
back injury sustained when he fell in his
bathtub several months ago.
Joy Page as Femme Lead
Joy Page has been signed for the femme
lead in ""Conquest of Cochise." a Columbia
film.
Only Top Stage Shows
Succeed in Omaha
OMAHA Wliafs happened to ihow business
In Omaha?" a»ked stage and icreen
Columnist John Koffcnd In the World-Herald.
He pointed out Trl-Stales TJieatres had offered
15 U'Klllmatc attractloas during the
year. Six mode money 'two barely showing a
profit) and of the nine which finished In the
red. some had .is few ax 300 admlsslonx.
Why the foUure.s? Trl-SUtcs DUlrlct Manager
Bin Mlskell hB.s one theory He said
that every legitimate theatre crowd In Omaha
Is predominantly out-of-town. Al a musical.
67 of each 100 In the audience drive In from
Iowa or outstatc Nebra.ska. At a nonmusical
the number Is 64 of each 100.
"That's the way It u.sed to be." .said Mlskell.
"but the out-of-towners haven't been showing
up. We've lost them and I don't think it's
because of the price. The cheapest scats
always are the last to sell. Top seats can be
$4.80 or $3.60. It doesn't matter."
He .said "Oklahoma! " which has played
Omaha four times, and "South Pacific." which
played twice, had firmly established reputation
and made money each time.
"But the out-of-towners won't come If they
haven't heard of the show." Two solo performance—by
Elsa Lanchester and Cornelia
Otis Skinner—were financial flops. Other
local fiscal failures were "Country Girl." "Bell.
Book and Candle." "Rose Tattoo." "The Cocktail
Party." "I Am a Camera" and two name
band.*—Tiny Hill and PeeWee King.
Successes were "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
"The Moon Is Blue." "Good Night Ladies,"
"Call
Me Madam" and "John Brown's Body."
But Mlskell isn't daunted, he's booking all
the good shows he can get.
Allied Sends an Appeal
In Rhyme to Members
MILWAUKEE — The Alhed of Wisconsin
office has tent the following reminder In
rhyme to all members:
ARE YOU AN ACTIVE MEMBER?
Are you an active member,
The kind that's liked so well.
Or are you just contented
With the button in your lapel?
Do you attend the meetings
And mingle with the flock.
Or do you stay at home
And criticize and knock?
Do you take an active part
To help the work along.
Or are
you satisfied
To be the kind who just belongs?
Do you help the cause along
And make things really tick.
Or leave the work to just a few
And talk about that clique?
Come to the meetings often
And help with hand and heart.
Don't be just a member
But take an active part.
Think this over, brother.
You know right from wrong,
Ai-e you an active member
Or do you just belong?
BOXOFFICE :: December 27, 1952
79