Boxoffice-January.03.1953

BUSINESS FOR XMAS-NEW YEAR'S
ABOVE SAME PERIOD IN 1951
Music Hall, Capitol, Roxy
Set New Records; 'Moulin
Rouge' Smash on Coast
By FRANK LEYENDECKER
NEW YORK—The Christmas-New Year's
business on Broadway was above the smash
business for the same period in 1951 and
several records were broken, both in Manhattan
and in Los Angeles. Boston and
Miami Beach, according to first run reports.
The Radio City Music Hall, which
set a 20-year figure for the fourth week of
"Million Dollar Mermaid" and the annual
Nativity stage pageant, was several thousand
above the previous high set during
Christmas week of 1951 and the theatre
reported a record 12-month gross of $6,-
855.000 with the theatre's smallest number
of pictures, only ten for the year.
In Los Angeles. "Moulin Rouge" had the
biggest single day's gross in the history of
the Fox Wilshire and a record weekly gross
for any United Artists release to play the
west coast showcase, according to William J.
Heineman. vice-president in charge of distribution.
In Boston. "Hans Chi-istian Andersen"
outscored by 50 per cent the previous
record holder at the Astor Theatre and the
same picture played to capacity at every performance
in Miami Beach.
Business in New York's neighborhood houses
was also exceptionally strong with houses af-
with United Paramount Theatres re-
filiated
porting a 20 per cent increase over the same
period last year, RKO Theatres and Loew's
metropolitan houses also reported very good
business.
Detroit Gets a Suprise;
Holiday Business is
Up
DETROIT—The Christmas holiday
business proved a genuine surprise to
showmen in this city, with downtown
houses getting the cream of the business.
An expected preholiday tlump had been
the rule all over town, on top of generally
low business for the past year, so that the
"sneak pickup" really caught exhibitors
by surprise.
The boom started on Tuesday when
"Bwana Devil" opened at the Madison,
benefited by excellent publicity becau.se
of its tridimensional novelty. Wednesday,
the Michigan did very well, despite its
being the day before Chri.tmas, with
"The Road to Bali" opening on a traditionally
poor business day.
The trend continued with the Palms-
State doing surprisingly well even on the
early morning show—closing at 6 a. m.
Christmas morning. Christmas day
brought crowds to all houses. Standouts
were reported in some houses One of the
biggest downtown houses reported "the
biggest Christmas business in several
years."
Predict 100 Million Boost
In B. 0. Receipts by '55
WASHINGTON— Film theatre boxoffices
will take in $100,000,000 more
in 1955 than they did in 1951 if business
activity remains at high levels,
according to a Department of Commerce
survey of business prospects
after the defense buildup tapers off.
Emphasizing that the estimates of
consumer spending were not to be
considered as forecasts, the Department
showed prospective film theatre
boxoffice at $1.3 billion in 1955, compared
with actual receipts of $1.2 billion
in 1951.
The year 1952 will be remembered as the
year in which Cinerama was introduced in
New York, to rack up absolute capacity for
its first 13 weeks of reserved-seat showing at
the Broadway Tlieatre and the year in which
"Bwana Devil" in Natural Vision opened to
smash business on the west coast.
It is also the year in which long runs returned
to the Broadway first run houses, including
11 weeks for "The Greatest Show on
Earth" at Radio City Music Hall. 11 weeks for
"High Noon" at the Mayfair and runs ranging
from three to six weeks lor "The Man in
the White Suit." "Encore" and "The Lavender
Hill Mob" and other British pictures at
the art theatres in New York.
For the first time since the day-and-date
Broadway engagement for "Gone With the
Wind" in 1939. several pictures played Broadway
runs at two theatres, starting with "Quo
Vadis." which played the Astor and Capitol
Theatres on Broadway and continuing with
"Outcast of the Islands." which played at the
Victoria on Broadway and the Fine Arts Theatre,
east side art house. "The Four Poster"
also played at the Victoria and the Sutton,
east side art house, and two more pictures,
"Limelight" and "Hans Christian Ander-sen,"
are current at two New York first runs,
"Limelight" is in its 11th weeks at the Astor
on Broadway and the Trans-Lux 60th St..
where it is playing two-a-day at reserved
seats, and "Hans Christian Andersen" is in its
fifth big week at the Criterion on Broadway
and the Paris, small art house.
At the Music Hall, long lines started forming
daily outside the theatre and many patrons
had to wait outside for two hours and
then have another wait inside until they could
get seats.
The Roxy. which reopened December 22
with "Stars and Stripes Forever" and Ice-
Colorama. an enlarged stage show, had a sensational
gross, whicli included an all-time
Christmas Day record for the 25-year-old
theatre. Lines stretched halfway up 50th St.
during many days of Christmas week. The
Capitol, which brought Johnnie Ray to head
a stage show after more than a year of
straight film fare, reported a record holiday
weekend with over 100.000 admissions sold for
the first five-day period, starting December
24. The picture was "Against All Flags" but
it was crying Johnnie who drew the huge
crowds.
Two other records set for Christmas week
in 1952 were at the Victoria, where "Come
Back. Little Sheba" took in the largest sum
for one day, Saturday i27i, ever taken in for
a comparable period. At the east side Baronet,
"The Importance of Being Earnest" set an
all-time opening day gross which was onethird
higher than any previous opening day
at the small hou.se. which became a first run
over a year ago.
"This is Cinerama" also went to a new high
in its 13th week at the Broadway Theatre
because of seven extra holiday showings.
Many of the other Broadway houses either
opened earlier or gave extra late showings.
And even "The Four Poster." in its 11th week
at the Sutton, and "O. Henry's Full House,"
in its 11th week at the Trans-Lux 52nd St.,
both nearing the end of their runs, were
above the previous weeks.
Other pictures which reported sensational
business included 'Hans Christian Andersen,"
a natural for the youngsters, which had waiting
lines outside the Criterion daily during
its fifth week; "April in Paris." with Sarah
Vaughn heading the Paramount stage show,
which had an excellent first week; "My
Cousin Rachel," which was strong in its opening
week at the Rivoli, and "Blackbeard, the
"
Pirate" and "Ruby Gentry at Loew's State
and the Mayfair, respectively.
Other art house product which registered
strong business included: "The Promoter," in
its ninth week at the Fine Arts; "Leonardo
da Vinci," in its sixth week at the Guild and
"Forbidden Games," which received a tremendous
boost by being chosen best foreign
(Continued on page 10)
Los Angeles First Runs
Draw Yearend Records
LOS ANGELES—Business at first run
theatres was sensational during the final
week of the year, with records toppling
like tenpins. Goldwyn's "Hans Christian
Andersen" did 350 per cent at Warners
Beverly, with "The Star" (20th-Foxi
scoring 325 per cent at the Four Star and
"Moulin Rouge" (UA) doing 280 at the
Fox Wikhire.
Other films doing better than double
average business included: "Come Back.
Little Sheba" i Paramount!, at 225 at the
Fine Arts; "The Bad and the Beautiful"
(MGM>. 225 per cent at the United Artists
and Vogue theatres; and "Sky F\ill of
Moon" (MGM). 210 per cent at the Downtown
Paramount.
Pictures doing close to the double average
figure also included "Member of the
Wedding" (Columbia), "Road to Bali"
(Paramount) and "My Cousin Rachel"
(20lh-Fox).
BOXOFFICE January 3. 1953