Boxoffice-October.01.1955

Soil
..
'
PORTLAND
"Fheatres here had a break when civil defense
officials pulled a city-wide Operation
Oreen Light evacuation test Tuesday afternoon
rather than Wednesday. The first
major cltywide evacuation of a U. S. city went
off without a hitch M. M. Mesher. Portland
Paramount theatre president, was chairman
of the motion picture committee. In downtown
theatres an announcement was made
that the test was underway. Patrons were
Invited to either sit out the test in the
theatre or to follow their own plaits. City
streets were cleared within a half hour of
all traffic, including parked cars and
pedestrians. Those theatre patrons who desired
were given a rain check. Projection
booth operators, ushers and most theatre
personnel joined in the evacuation, which
within an hour, took more than 200,000
persons to staging areas outside the city.
Heading the Portland contingent to the
TOA convention in San Francisco w.ll be Al
Forman. Art Adamson and Martin Foster
... A new telephone gadget, a speakerphone.
has been installed in the cashier's box a*, the
Orpheum Theatre. The telephone enables the
cashier to answer questions or carry on a
conversation without using the l»ndphone.
The telephone, as the name indicates, has a
small speaker with a volume control. When
someone is on the line, a visual signal notifies
the cashier. If necessary. It is possible to
use only the handphone as in an ordinary
telephone. The Orpheum is the first theatre
in Portland to have such equipment.
Both the Rosy and Liberty were filled to
near capacity for the Marciano-Moore closed
circuit fightcast. Will Hudson, John Hamrick
city manager, estimated the gross at
around $13,000. Delay of the fight because
of weather caused some turnback on tickets.
Some patrons did not purchase new tickets
for fear the fight would be cancelled again.
Some 2.500 fans were on hand.
Evergre«n managers are attending the
annual circuit meeting in San Francisco, new
headquarters for Evergreen. Attending are
Oscar Nyberg. Ken Hughes. Rex Hopkins,
Dean Matthews, all of Portland. Carl M.Uer,
Vancouver, Wash.: Alton Robbins and
Richard Goldsworthy of the Eugene theatres.
Jack Barber, associated with the Modern
Theatre Supply Co. for the last seven years,
has become a partner in Interstate Theatre
Equipment Co., 1923 NW Kearney St. He will
represent the company in Seattle as Washington
representative. Plans call for establishment
of a branch office in Seattle to service
Washington. Idaho and Montana. He is
a Navy air veteran who participated in the
Invasion of the Philippines and Borneo. A
Seattle native, he is a Ballard high school
graduate. Barber is married and has two
children.
Clark Gable in 7all Men Runs Away
With Boxoffice Honors at
LOS ANGELES—Oable Is back— In "The
Tall Men"— and the movie customers like It.
The feature racked up a solid 310 per cent
In Its opening canto to overshadow other
first run offerings, although "I Am a Camera,"
with 300 In its second week, came mighty
close. Otherwise trade wasn't exactly brl.sk.
Avorage is 100)
Beverly Canon— UgaHu ,Doioi). 3rd wk 90
Chinese—Th« Tall Man [20lh-Fox) 310
Downtown Poramount, Panloges— Dial M for
Murder (WB); Strangers on o Train (WB)
reissues 40
Egyption, Orpheum—The Raol Glory, (Goldwyn);
The Secret Life of Woltar MItty (Goldwyn),
reissues. Orpheum onlv, Morciono-Moore fight
pictures 90
El Rey The Groat Advantura (DeRochomont) . ... 100
Four Stor I Am a Comaro (OCA), 2nd wk .
. . 300
Fine Arts Morty (UA). 11 th wk
.
110
Fox Wilshire Summartlma (UA), 6th wk 90
Hillstreet, Fox Hollywood, Warners Wiltern Famole
on the Beach (U-l) 110
Hollywood Porarrounf—To Cofch a Thiaf (Para),
8th wk 100
Los Angeles, .Fox, Uptown, Loyolo Savan CItlat
of Gold (20th-Fox1; King DlnoMur (LP), plus,
Uptown and Loyola only, Morciono-Moore
tight pictures 1 40
Worners Beverly—The Shrlka fU-l), 4th wk .... 80
Worners Downtown, Hawoii Benqoil (RKO),... 90
Warners Hollywood Thli li Clnaromo (Cineramo),
125th wk 100
All Denver First Runs
Above Average
DENVER—Business was generally good at
all the first runs; with only one holdover,
however. "To Catch a Thief" stayed at the
Denham for a fourth week.
AKaddin K-2 Victory (SR) 110
Centre The Lett Hand of God (20th-Fox). 4th wk 120
Denham
Denver—S-^ven
To Cotch o Thief (Pora), 3rd wk
ri»i-s o» Gold !20th-Fox);
130
Nighfmorc
A'ley (20th-Fox) reissue 120
E:qjire Green Magic lIFE) M5
Paramount Femole on the Beoch (U-l); Yellowneck
(Rep) 160
Sunny Skies Are Blamed
For Frisco's Slow Week
SAN FRANCISCO—An average week of
first run grossss was reported for this area,
with top honors going to "The Kentuckian" In
its third week with 125 per cent. Perhaps the
fair weather was largely responsible for the
lack of theatre attendance.
. . .125
Fox—The Left Hond of God (20th-Fox), 2nd wk 100
Golden Gate The Shrike (U-l), Caw of tha Red
Monkey (A A) 110
Loew s Warfic'd— Bedevilled (MGM) 90
Paramount The Night Holds Terror; Chicago
Syndicate (Col) 100
St Francis To Catch o Thief (Pora), 3rd wk .100
..
United Artists
.
The Kentuckian (UA), 3rd wk .
'Roberts' Ninth Week Stays
Top Grosser in Seattle
SEATTLE— "Mister Roberts" in its ninth
week at the Blue Mouse continued to lead the
field with 125. "The Left Hand of God" in
its second week at the Fifth Avenue chalked
up 110. "Marty." which held for a fourth
week at the Music Box, scored 100 along with
"The Night Holds Terror" at the Coliseum,
L,A,
, 10
which had as an added attraction the Mar
clano-Moore fight film.
Blue Mou^)
2nd wk . .
110
Music Box—Marty lUA, ^'h To Catch a Thief iPr,,^^ jnH ^i, ^qO
Dismissed as Defendant
SPOKANE. WASH — Evrrzrecn Theatre
circuit has been dl-^mlssed as a defendant
in the $15,821 suit of Thomas Head, local
barber who claims the Orpheum Theatre
failed to protect him from an a.ssault In June
1954 when he was a patron there. Judge
Louis F. Bunge dismissed the Evergreen circuit
but refused to dismiss the action againn
Spokane Amusement Co., the second defendant.
Harry A. Morey. defense attorney,
told jurors in his opening statement h.
would show the theatre management had rrn
warning of any assault on Head in time to
intervene.
1317 S. WAMSH. CMICA0O>*le NINTH AVL.NfW TMR
WE CAN SELL YOUR THEATRE
SUBURBAN HOMES CO.
TMIATM SALES DIVISION
CALL- IRV BOWRON -WKITl
rk. r*. 4.1I7S
I74S.S I.
tlii^
KE. 1374
r*rtlw>4 M. Or*.
Washington- B F SHEARER Co., Seattle— Eliol 8247
Colif— B F. SHEARER Co., Son Francisco— Undcrh.ll 1)816
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Lake City—» 1835
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