Boxoffice-October.01.1955

. .
riirt
To Hell and Back' in Big First Week
On Broadway Series Boost Others
NEW YORK—"To Hell and Back" at the
Capitol did the best first week's business of
the three important Cinemascope features
that opened on Broadway during the week.
The Left Hand of God" did good, if not
sensational, business in its first week at the
Roxy and "My Sister Eileen" was just fair
in its opening week at the Victoria, despite
favorable reviews. "Kiss of Fire" also was
strong in its single week at the RKO Palace,
where the many out-of-towners always flock
to see the film-vaudeville program.
The only other screen-stage bill in New
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Union City, Indiana
York, "It's Always Pair Weather" at the
Radio City Music Hall, also attracted the
visitors in New York for the World Series
and had a smash second week at the world's
largest theatre. "To Catch a Thief," in its
eighth week at the Paramount, and "Ulysses,"
in its sixth week at the Globe, both held up
exceptionally well and both continued for
another stanza. "The PhenLx City Story" also
did well in its fourth week at Loew's State.
"Summertime" closed a long and profitable
14-week run at the Astor and "You're Never
Too Young" did well enough in its fifth week
at the Criterion, where it will stay just one
more round.
"Svengali" opened to strong business at
the Trans-Lux 52nd Street and joined the
other art house pictures in the smash category,
including "Tlie African Lion," which
had a big second week after an opening round
which set a new house record at the Normandie;
"The Sheep Has Five Legs," in its
seventh strong week at the Fine Arts: "I Am
a Camera," still big in its seventh week at
the Little Carnegie, and those two veterans,
Gate of Hell," in its 41st week at the Guild
Theatre, and "Marty," in its 24th week at
the Sutton—all of these set to continue indefinitely.
"Othello," however, was mUd in its
second week at the Paris and was succeeded
by a French film, "One Step to Eternity,"
111
Ṫhe McConnell Story" opened at the Astor
September 29 and "Night of the Hunter"
started the same day at the Mayfair.
. 1
(Average Is 100)
Astor Summertime (UA), Mfh wk 110
05
Baronet The Red Shoes (UA), revivol, 3rd wk .
Capitol To Hell ond Bock {U-l) 190
Criterion— You're Never Too Young 5fh wk 1 1
(Para),
Fine Arts The Sheep Has Five Legs (United),
7th wk 150
55th St Ballet de France (Hotfberg) 100
Globe Ulysses (Para), 6th wk 115
Guild Gate of Hell (Harrison, 4Ist wk 110
Little Carnegie— I Am a Camera (DCA), 7fh wk 120
Loews State The Phenix City Story (AA), 4th wk 120
Mayfair The Kentuckion UA), 4th
105
Normandie The African Lion
Visfo),
2nd wk
200
Palace Kiss of Fire (U-l), plus vaudeville 125
Paramount—To Catch o Thief (Para), 8th wk. . 120
Pons-Othello (UA), 2nd wk
105
rivote Wor of Mo|or Benson (U-l),
3th
.100
Radio City Music Hall It's Always Fair Weothe
(MGM), plus stage show, 2nd wk 150
Rivoli—Reopens Oct. 13 with Oklahoma!(Todd A-0)
Roxy— The Left Hand of God (20th-Fox) 150
Sulton
Trans-Lux
Marty (UA), 24th wk
52nd— Svengali iMGM)
130
150
Victoria My Sister Eileen (Col) 125
Warner—Cineramo Holiday (SW), 33rd wk of
two-a-day 125
World Foreign revivals
'Fair Weather' Rates 310
First Week in Philly
PHILADELPHIA -Tile newcomers opened
with a bang in first run situations as some
of the holdovers failed to hold their own.
"It's Always Pair Weather" was a strong 310
in its first week at the Arcadia. There were
several holdovers which continued strong.
Among these was "To Catch a Thief" which
was a big 175 at the Tians-Lux.
Arcadia— It's Alwoys Fair Weather (MGM)
Boyd—This is Cineroma (Cinerama), 31st
310
90
wk. . .
Fox Love Is a Many-Splcndorod "Thing
(20th-Fox), 6lh wk 65
Goldman—The Kentuckion (UAI 140
Mostbaum-To Hell and Back (U-l), 4th wk 60
Midtown—The Private War of Mojor Benson (U-l). 80
Randolph— Footsteps in the Fog (Col), 2nd wk. . . 55
Stanley—Biood Alloy (WB) 100
Stonton— Night Freight (AA); Betrayed Women
(AA)
no
studio—Morty (UA), 1 5th wk 120
Trans-Lux To Catch a Thief (Poro), 8th wk 175
Viking Desert Sands (UA) 90
Trans-Lux-World Lody and the Tramp (BV),
)3th wk 133
'Hell and Back' and Fight
Score 250 in Baltimore
BALTIMORE—The Marciano-Moore fight
films bolstered business at two local houses
to the point where one of them broke all
existing boxoffice records. The fight pictures,
in that particular instance, were teamed with
"To Hell and Back." The same Marciano-
Moore feature added to the attendance of
To Catch a Thief." Elsewhere among the
first runs, business was better than average.
. .
Century Female on the Beach (U-l) 95
Film Centre Summertime (UA), 3rd wk 100
Hippodrome To Catch a Thief (Para), 2nd wk.,
plus Marciano-Moore tight (UA) 150
Keiths Ulysses ,Pafa) 100
95
Little The Night of the Hunter (UA), 3rd wk.
New—Seven Cities of Gold (20th-Fox)
Mayfoir The Noked Street (UA)....- 100
Playhouse—We're No Angels (Para), 4th wk 105
Stanley—The McConnell Story (WB) 95
Town—To Hell and Bock (U-l), plus Morciono-
Moore tight (UA) 250
The Cinema The Red Shoes (UA), reissue 85
"Blood Alley' at 140
Is High in Buffalo
BUFFALO—Business was faii-ly good all
along first run row, with 'Blood Alley" at
the Paramount tacking up a 140 and "Night
of the Hunter" hitting 120 in Shea's Buffalo.
"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" had a
115 third week at the Center, aided by two
sneak previews.
Buffalo Night of the Hunter (UA) 120
Center Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
(20th-Fox), 3rd wk 115
Century The Warriors (AA), Finger Man (AA..100
Cinema Court Martial (Kingsley) 110
Lafayette One Desire (U-l); Francis in the Navy
(U-l) 115
jnt— Blood Alley (WB) 1 40
'Pete Kelly Blues' Leads
Pittsburgh First Runs
PITTSBURGH—Downtown theatres exploited
three new entries and offered one
holdover. Best grosser was "Pete Kelly's
Blues."
Fulton Love Is o Many-Splendored Thing
(20th-Fox), 3rd wk 50
Horns The Left Hond of God (20th-Fox) 100
Penn It's Always Fair Weother ,MGM) 90
Stanley— Pete Kelly's Blues iWB) 120
Darmstaedter to Handle
Oxberry Camera Line
NEW YORK— Ei-ic Daj-mstaedter has been
appointed by Animation Equipment Corp.,
New Rochelle. N. Y., to handle the complete
line of Oxberry camera installations in all
foreign markets except Franch and England.
He is vice-president and general manager of
Reeves Equipment Corp., New York.
Dai'mstaedter left for a semiannual business
trip to Havana, Caracas, Maj-acaibo,
Baranquilla, Bogota. Mcdellin, Panama City
and Mexico City, where he will contact film
companies and TV stations.
Caras Joins Columbia
NEW YORK -Hosier Carxs. wlio has promoted
films, stage television and radio shows
for the past 12 years, has joined the Columbia
Pictures home office exploitation department.
He was last connected with Michael Myerberg
and Jed Harris on promotion of 'Hansel and
Gretel."
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AUDIENCE AWARDS.
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BOXOFFICE :: October 1, 195