m

WB)
—
Grosses Hold Firm
On Chicago's Loop
CHICAGO—With business up or continuing
at previous satisfactory levels, hopes ran
high for a solid spring. Five newcomers
shared gross honors with holdovers, with
special mention going to "Rock, Rock, Rock"
at the Monroe and "Canyon River" at the
Roosevelt. Big holdover was "Full of Life."
which upped grosses in the second week at
the Chicago Theatre.
(Averoge Is 100)
Cornegie— Anostosio (20th-Fox), 3rd wk 190
Chicago— Full of Life Col), 2nd wk 240
Esquire— Everything But the Truth (U-l), 2nd wk. 200
Grond— Istanbul U-l), Thunder Over Arizona
(Rep) 200
Loop—The Brove One (RKO), 3rd wk 210
McVickers—The Ten Commandments (Para),
1 1th wk 345
Monroe Rock, Rock, Rock (DCA); Dynomiters
(Astor) 200
Oriental—The Girl Con't Help It (20th-Fox),
2nd wk 190
Palace—Seven Wonders of the World (Cineroma),
9fh wk 350
Roosevelt— Rock, Pretty Baby lU-l); Canyon
River ( AA) 200
State Lake—The Iron PeMicoat (MGM), 2nd wk. .215
Surf—Simon and Laura (U-l), 2nd wk 185
United Artists—The Wrong Man I 1 95
Woods—The Teahouse of the August Moon
(MGM), 12th wk 205
World Playhouse— La Strodo (Trans-Lux), 7th wk. 200
Ziegfeld—Only the French Can (UMPO), 7fh wk, .185
'Barretts' Stirs Only
Minor Kaycee Interest
KANSAS CITY—The local public turned a
cold shoulder to the new version of "The
Barretts of Wimpole Street" playing at the
Midland Theatre. "Friendly Persuasion"
played to good patronage in its second week
in the Uptown and goes into its third week
there, playing first week in the other three
Fox houses.
Esquire, Fairway and Granada—Three Brove Men
(20th-Fox), The Black Whip (20th-Fox) 110
Kimo— Rififi (UMPO), 2nd wk 200
Midland—The BorreMs of Wimpole Street (MGM) 75
Missouri—This Is Cinerama (Cinerama) 35th wk. 325
Paramount—The Big Land (WB), five days of
2nd wk 95
Rockhill—Tempest in the Flesh (Pacemaker) .... 1 25
Roxy—Utah Blaine (Col) 75
Uptown— Friendly Persuasion (AA), 2nd wk 1 40
'Commandments' 2nd Week
Firm in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS—A pleasant sunny afternoon,
the first in a couple of months, had
more people on the highways than in theatres
and cut down on the week's boxoffice
prospects. But "The Ten Commandments"
continued to set a sensational pace in its
second week at the Lyric, and "Baby Doll" did
extra good business at the Esquire, where it
also played its second week. "Top Secret
Affair" at the Indiana, was leader among the
new attractions. "The Barretts of Wimpole
Street" at Loew's was disappointing.
Circle—Seventh Covolry (Col); Odongo (Col). 90
Esquire—Baby Doll (WB), 2nd wk 150
Indiana—Top Secret Affair (WB); A Woman's
Devotion ( Rep) 1 00
Loews— Barretts of Wimpole Street (MGM); Great
American Pastime (MGM) 85
Lyric—The Ten Commandments (Par), 2nd wk.,.250
BOWLING
KANSAS CITY—Bowling standings after
Friday (8i games were:
MEN
Team Won Lost
Alley Rots 54 30
K. C. T's 52 32
Monley P'c'n 50 34
Steeplechase 42 42
Dixie Picts .371/2 46' •
Shreve's ... .36 '/j
Mode O'Day. 34
47Vj
SO
Hi Lo 5 30 54
WOMEN
Team Won Lost
Monley Pprs 43'/! 19'/j
2
Finton Jones 39 24
Monley Inc. 36'
Borg & Kim
33 30
Klortmon's 28 35
New SO D-l 27 36
Dixie Ent. 24 39
101 Service 20 43
Free Lunch Available From Boolh
At KMTA Convention on Tuesday
KANSAS CITY—Many of the display booths
will operate on a proof-of-the-pudding basis
at the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Ass'n convention
February 26, 27 at the Pickwick Hotel.
As Woodie Latimer of L&L Popcorn and
Chris Bean of Hollywood Servemaster said:
"You can have a free lunch of nutritious
food with us Tuesday." The L&L booth will
serve such free items as E-Z Way coffee.
James River barbecued beef in sandwichas
and hot dogs from the Roto-Grille. Regal
Poppers, operated by Gus and George Kopulos,
will serve Sweden ice cream, Sno-Crop
fish steaks and an orange drink.
Mickelberry's food products will serve chilifranks,
regular franks and cooked
-'N
-*•
Big Boost to United List
In RKO Merger With U-I
KANSAS CITY—Bob Herrell of the United
Film Exchange will distribute about 75 features
and 50 short
subjects not included
aS^
Bob Herrell
in the RKO-Universal
recent integration.
Some of these are newfilms
which have never
been released, such as
"Finger of Guilt" and
"Cartouche," in which
Richard Basehart
stars. Others are older
films, including four
of the Tarzans. The
short subjects do not
include the Disney-
RKO shorts, as these are being handled by
Buena Vista. The United list runs from one
to three reels.
Herrell said United was also being considered
for handling some of the future RKO
productions. "Naturally, I am pleased to have
such a fine array of pictures for distribution
in this area," Herrell added.
Central Shipping will service the product
as it does other pictures distributed through
United.
Citizens Co., Brazil, Ind.
Sells a Theatre for Store
BRAZIL, IND.—Stanley A. B. Cooper, president
of the Citizens Theatre Co., has announced
the sale of the Lark Theatre building
at 8-10 East National Ave. to A. J. Chassel
of Brazil. Chassel, who left for a Florida
vacation following the purchase, indicated he
plans extensive remodeling of the building
for use as a retail store.
The Lark has been closed since February
1954 with the exception of several months'
part-time operation last spring. The Lark was
constructed in 1922 by the Citizens company.
Cooper said there were not a sufficient
number of outstanding films to operate a
second theatre in Brazil.
"In major cities with large populations to
draw from, big hit attractions can be held
over for several weeks' playing time, thus requiring
a fewer number of pictures to operate
each theatre." Cooper stated. "We have
found that the moviegoing public of our community
prefers a top selection of pictures with
hamburgers,
as well as display many othei of h.
company's large variety of meat pioduc^;.
Manley, Inc., will serve popcorn as well as
Coca-Cola, the latter to display its Ice-O-Bar
soft drink machine. Bottled Coca-Cola will
also be available in the company's own booth.
Also to be served are Dr Pepper and Pepsi-
Cola. Howard Strum will display his machine
for milk shakes and the Nestle company will
serve hot cocoa and chocolate bars.
By the lime exhibitors have eaten their
way around the booths Tuesday they should
have a better idea of how to handle their
own conce.ssion bars and please the theatregoing
public.
Don Burnette is the president.
several changes of program each week. Before
the advent of TV, Hollywood studios
tinned out more than 500 pictures each year.
At present there are le.ss than half that many
pictures being produced with emphasis on
quality rather than quantity. It is our present
policy to purchase the finest product available
for Brazil and concentrate this cream of
the crop in one theatre, the Cooper."
TOA Officials to Address
loint MITO-UTOI Meet
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.—A joint meeting of
the Missouri-Illinois Theatre Owners and the
United Theatre Owners of Illinois, both affiliates
of TOA, will be held at the Leland
Hotel here March 6, according to George
Kerasotes, secretary and general manager.
Kerasotes Theatres of Springfield, who also
is board chaiman of UTOI and chairman of
the executive committee of the TOA.
The gathering will kick off with a luncheon
session to be keynoted by S. H. Fabian,
treasurer of TOA. It is probable that L. J.
Bill" Williams, president of MITO, and
Ralph Lawler, president of UTOI, also will
speak at this luncheon session, which will be
a dutch treat affaii-.
The joint meeting is scheduled to take the
fullest advantage of a three-day gathering
of TOA officers and board members in Chicago
on March 3-5. It will be possible for the
rank and file member.s of UTOI and MITO
to have fii'st-hand reports on what took
place at the Chicago sessions and benefit
from talks by the top men of the national
organization. Those w'ho indicated an intention
of attending the Springfield meeting in
addition to Fabian, are the following executives
and committeemen of the Theatre Owners
of America: Ernest G. Stellings. TOA
president, and head of Stewart & Everett
Theatres of Charlotte, N. C; Herman M.
Levy of New York and New Haven, general
counsel; Albert Pickus. Stratford, Conn., a
vice-president, and Walter Reade jr., a member
of the finance committee. There is also
a possibility that John W. Keller II, Columbia
Amusement Co., Paducah, Ky., and a vicepresident
of TOA, may attend. Tom Bloomer
of Belleville and Paul Krueger of St. Louis,
both members of TOAs executive committee,
have tentative plans for being here on March
Eileen Heckart plays the role of an alcoholic
in Paramount's "Hot Spell."
BOXOFFICE February 16. 1957 C-1