Boxoffice-January.10.1953

—
—
— ——
—
New Year Week Is Big
In Loop First Runs
CHICAGO—The new year started with a
boxoffiee bang at Loop first run tlieatres.
New Year's eve theatregoers flocked into all
houses despite advanced admission prices for
midnight shows.
The Chicago, showing "April in Paris" for
a second week and an ice-skating revue on
the stage, charged $2.40 for the New Year's
eve show and drew a capacity crowd. The
Palace, with its second week of "Stars and
Stripes Forever": the Woods, with "Happy
Time" running in its second week and the
Oriental, with the second week of "Million
Dollar Mermaid," upped their grosses by
charging $1.80 for the New Year's midnight
shows.
Telenews, with Ti-i-Opticon three-dimension
premiered on the holiday bill, did capacity
business through a second week run.
(Average Is 100)
Chicago April in Paris (WB), plus stage revue,
2nd wk 1 50
Grand Invasion U.S.A. (Col); Red Planet Mars
(UA), 2nd wk 115
Esquire The Secret Shore (RKO); Bride Comes to
Yellow Sky (RKO) 120
Oriental Million Dollar Mermaid (MGM), 2nd wk. .125
Palace Stars and Stripes Forever (20fh-Fox), 2nd
wk 130
State-Lake Road to Bali (Paro), 2nd wk 125
Roosevelt Against All Flogs (U-l); The Roiders
(U-l), 2nd wk 125
Surf—The Promoter (U-l) 200
Telenews Tri-Opticon 3-dimension films* 2nd
wk
Very b'g
United Artists Ruby Gentry (20th-Fox); My
Wife's Best Friend (20fti-Fox) 1 25
World Ployhouse Summer of Happiness (Teitel),
2nd wk 125
Woods The Hoppy Time (Col), 2nd wk 125
Ziegfeld Under the Red Seo (RKO), 2nd wk 120
Holiday Business Sends
Kansas City Grosses Up
KANSAS CITY—Holiday business here last
week kept first run grosses high. "The Four
Poster." in a second week at the Kimo, was
high with 250, while "Stars and Stripes Forever"
was the top newcomer with 200 at four
Fox Midwest houses. "The Promoter" scored
200 per cent in its sixth week at the Vogue.
"Million Dollar Mermaid" scored 175 and is
now in its .second holdover week.
Kimo The Four Poster (Col), 2nd wk 250
Midland Million Dollar Mermaid (MGM);
Desperate Search (MGM) 175
Missouri April in Poris (WB); Captive Women
(RKO) 140
Orpheum My Cousin Rachel (20th-Fox), 2nd wk. 90
Paramount Road to Boli (Pore), 2nd wk 150
Tower, Uptown, Fairway and Granada Stars and
Stripes Forever [20th-Fox) (at the Tower and
Granada only). Wild Stallion (AA) 200
Vogue The Promoter (U-l), 6th wk 200
Indianapolis Gives 'Clown'
140 Per Cent Opening
INDIANAPOLIS—"The Clown" scored 140
per cent in an opening week at the Loew's
to pace all first run situations here. "Against
All Flags" pulled 120 at the Circle. In general,
business showed a definite improvement last
week.
Circle Against All Flags (U-l); The Raiders (U-l). 120
Indiana Stars and Stripes Forever (20th-Fox) . . . 1 10
Loew's The Clown (MGM) 140
Lyric The Blazing Forest (Para); South Pacific
Trail (Rep) 80
CHAIRS REBUILT IN
YOUR THEATRE
By Experts in Their Field
Write for Quotations
Chicago Used Chair Mart
829 So. State St. Chicago 5
ORPHANS SEE 'ANDERSEN'—About 600 orphans from 18 institutions in Kansas
City, Kansas City, Kas., and Independence, Mo., attended a special showing of "Hans
Christian Andersen" at the Mi.ssouri Theatre the morning of December 24. The party
was sponsored by the Motion Picture Ass'n of Greater Kansas City with the cooperation
of the theatre and the RKO exchange. Pictured above are some of the children
that viewed the film. Candy and popcorn were given all the kids. Shown in front
of the group are Bill Brooker, RKO publicist; James Lewis, RKO manager; .Arthur
Cole, industry representative; Lawrence Lehman, Missouri Theatre manager; Charles
Van Horn, assistant manager of the Missouri; George Ellis, a member of the MPA,
and at the extreme right and only partly visible, George Baker, secretary of the KMTA
Start Prosperity Night
At Chakeres Theatres
From New England Edition
SPRINGFIELD — Prosperity night has
proved a popular attraction to patrons at
local Chakeres theatres. Somewhat replacing
the defunct bank night programs, it is held
on Tuesday nights. The winners can get
either a $200 defense bond or $150 worth
of furniture and jewelry.
To qualify for a prize, a patron has to
sign a register book only once. Then, to be
eligible for the week's prizes, he or she must
attend one of the theatres at any performance
Monday or Tuesday and sign an attendance
ticket which is date-stamped by a
theatre employe.
Prosperity night has been operating here
about two months. A jackpot is built up
when a winner is found ineligible because of
failure to attend a show on one of the required
days. Additional names are drawn
for each $200 bond in the jackpot.
Sales Tax Take Rises
JEFFERSON CITY—Missouri's 2 per cent
sales tax collections in the third quarter of
1952 amounted to $21,767,805. or $743,602 above
those for the same period in 1951. The third
quarter take increased the nine months total
to $62,388,989, a gain of $883,346 above the
collections for the first nine months of 1951.
Begin on 750-Car Ozoner
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO.—Construction
has begun on the 750-car Skyview Drive-In
on U.S. 61 between here and Jackson, Mo.
by Howard Bates and Carl Milne, who also
own the Cape Drive-In on Highway 61 adjacent
to the Municipal airport.
The script of "The Twelve Mile Reef," a
story of sponge-diving off the coast of
Florida, is by A. I. Bezzerides. Robert Bassler
will direct the film for 20th-Fox. ^
'Summer' Sets Record
CHICAGO — "One Summer of Happiness,"
international prize-winning Swedish film of
young love, which went into its third week
at the World Playhouse Thursday (8), is
expected to break all boxoffiee records in
the 20-year history of the theatre. The opening
two weeks were the biggest the World
Playhouse has ever experienced.
The currently popular biographer, Irving
Stone, will write the screenplay for "The Life
of Casanova," Columbia's film on the roue of
literature.
Stern-Voiced Trailer
Impresses Noisy Kids
CHICAGO—Believing that all the theatre
younger set would pay more attention to a
stern voice than to cold type, Pilmack Trailer
Co. ha-s i-ssued a combination title and talking
"Silence" trailer addressed directly to
the kids. The voice is ideally suited to the
text in which the youngsters are warned that
those creating any disturbances during the
show definitely will be evicted; yet at the
.same time it is not an unfriendly message.
Exhibitors claim it is bringing good results.
Screen and talk copy reads as follows:
How About It, Kids?
Are You Giving Us a Fair Break?
We've tried to treat you FAIR and
SQUARE, but unnecessary noises and disturbances
drive away adults. And we
need adult trade to stay in business.
You can cooperate and help us keep
this theatre QUIET. Or we will be forced
WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE to evict
all disturbance-makers and to refuse
them future admission to this theatre.
Don't Make Us Do It! Let's Give Each
Other a Fair Break! Thanks,
The Management.
BOXOFFICE :: January 10, 1953 61