Boxoffice-December.17.1962

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and
in
.'
Cold Weather,
Hurt B'way; Jumbo
NEW YORK—The combination of three
downbeat matters, Christmas shopping,
near-record cold weather and. to top it
off, the newspaper strike, which started
Saturday i8), crippled business at the
majority of Broadway first runs, except
at the Radio City Music Hall, which opened
its annual Christmas show, and the two-aday
pictures which were largely protected
by advance sales.
The Music Hall, which opened "Billy
Rose's Jumbo" and the theatre's annual
Chi-istmas stage pageant Thui'sday t6),
had long w-aiting lines dm'ing the opening
weekend, resulting in a strong opening
week and business should build to smash
proportions during the holiday period. Reserved
seats are sold out through January
1. The only other new pictures were "The
Reluctant Saint" and "No Exit," both in
art houses.
Still leading the two-a-day pictures was
"The Longest Day, " again had a
capacity week, its tenth, at the Warner
Theatre. Also strong was "Mutiny on the
Bounty," in its fifth week at Loew's State.
The others were down slightly but still
good, including "The Wonderful World
of the Brothers Grimm," in its 18th week
at Loew's Cinerama; "West Side Story."
in its 60th week at the Rivoli, and "Barabbas,"
in its ninth week at the DeMille (the
latter will shortly switch to continuous
run). "Long Day's Joui-ney Into Night,"
which plays three performances daily, is
only mild.
Best among the many holdovers, all of
them scheduled to bring in new pictures
; a screen game,
HOLLYWOOD takes fop
honors. As a box-office offraction,
if is without equal. It has
been a favorite with theatre goers for
over 15 years. Write today for complete details.
Be sure to give seating or car capacity.
^ HOLLYWOOD AMUSEMENT CO. .J
3750 Ookton St. * Skokie, Illinois
Newspaper Strike
Opens Big
for Christmas, was "Two for the Seesaw,"
in its third good week at the Astor and
the Trans-Lux 85th Street, and "It's Only
"
Money, its third week at the Forum.
"Joseph and His Brethren, " in its second
week at the Paramount, and the others
were no better than mild.
"
"Sundays and Cybele again was a smash
in its foui'th week at the Fine Arts and
"
"Divorce—Italian Style held up amazingly
in its 12th week at the Paris but most of
the other art house films were affected by
the absence of newspapers. The only two
new pictures that opened during the first
week of the strike were "Freud," which
started Thursday (13) at Cinema I and
Cinema II, and "Lovers of Teruel," which
opened the new Coronet Theatre.
(Average Is 100)
Astor Two for the Seesaw (UA), 3rd wk MO
Baronet Condide (Pattie), 3rd wk 140
Beekman—Trial and Error (MGM), 4th wk 110
Carnegie Hall Cinema— Yojimbo (Seneca), 8th wk. 110
Cinema I Cinema II Billy Budd (AA), 6th wk. 140
Coronet Lovers of Teruel (Cont'l), opened Friday (14)
Criterion Lawrence of Arabia (Col), opened Sunday (16)
DeMille Borobbos (Col), 9th wk. of two-a-day ..135
Embassy La Dolce Vita (Astor), return run, 2nd wk. 120
5th Avenue The Loneliness of the Long Distance
Runner (Cont'l), moveover, 9th wk 115
Fine Arts Sundays ond Cybele (Davis-Royal),
4th wk 190
Forum It's Only Money (Para), 3rd wk 145
Griffith—The Connection (F-A-W), 5th wk 105
Guild The Reluctant Saint (Col) 150
Little Cornegie The Long Absence (Hakim),
4th wk 125
Loew's Cinerama The Wonderful World of the
Brothers Grimm (MGM-Cinerama), 19th wk.
of two-a-day
1 45
Loew's State Mutiny on the Bounty (MGM), 5th
wk. of two-a-day
] 85
Loew's Tower East Long Day's Journey Into Night
(Embassy), 9th wk. of 3-a-day 135
Murray Hill North by Northwest (MGM), reissue
Normandie— Revivals
125
Palace If a Man Answers (U-l), 3rd wk 125
Paramount Joseph and His Brethren (Colorama)
2nd wk
. 1 20
Pons Divorce— Italian Style (Embassy), 12th wk. 180
Plaza— Phaedra (Lopert), 8th wk 130
Rodio City Music Hall Billy Rose's Jumbo (MGM),
plus Christmas stage show 175
Rivoli West Side Story (UA), 60th wk. of
two-a-day
1 25
72nd Street The Manchurian Condidate (UA)
3rd wk 120
Sutton—No Exit (Zenith) 160
Trans-Lux 52nd St. The Chapman Report (WB),
8th wk 105
Trans-Lux 85th St. Two for the Seesaw (UA),
3rd wk 135
Victoria The Chapman Report (WB), 8th wk 110
Warner The Longest Day (20th-Fox), 10th wk.
of two-a-day 95
World
1
The Immoral Mr. Teos (Mishkin), 11th wk. 135
'Baby Jane' Finishes Fine
5-Week Run in Buffalo
BUFFALO—"What Ever Happened to
Baby Jane?" ended its fifth week in the
Center with a 105, marking this as one of
the outstanding runs in the country. "The
Huns" tacked up a 100 in the Buffalo. "The
Legend of Lobo" was quiet in the Century.
Buffalo The Huns (PIP) 100
Center What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
(WB), 5th wk 105
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Brightest Light—Steadiest Performance
Century The Legend of Lobo (BV)
Cinema If a Man Answers (U-l), 5th wk
Gronodo Ingmar Bergman film Festival (Janus)
Paramount Foncy Pants (Para); The Seven Little
Foys (Pare), reissues 00
3 Baltimore Art Houses
Stir Up Some Interest
BALTIMORE—Theatres were having
their annual pre-Christmas shopping competition.
With rereleases and holdovers,
grosses were only average in most instances.
New attractions, confined to three
art theatres, did substantial business over
the weekend. They were "The Angry Silence,"
"9th Circle" and "The Kitchen."
Aurora La Dolce Vito (Astor), revival 105
Charles Phaedra (Lopert), 6th wk 100
Cinema—The 9th Circle (Yugoslavia) 115
Five West—The Kitchen (Kingsley) 120
Hippodrome The Eddy Duchin Story (Col); Pal
Joey (Col), reissues 100
Little Gervaise (Cont'l); The Gold of Naples
(SR), revivals loO
Mayfair The Legend of Lobo (BV), 2nd wk 95
New—The Manchurian Condidate (UA), 5th wk. 110
Playhouse The
Man
Angry Silence (Valiant) . . 125
110
Stanton If a Answers (U-l),
Town
3rd wk
Gone With the Wind (MGM), reissue. 95
Music Hall Books U-I's
'To Kill a Mockingbird'
NEW YORK—Universal's "To KiU a
Mockingbird," the Pakula-Mulligan Brentwood
picture based on Haiiser Lee's novel,
has been booked by the Radio City Music
Hall for sometime in February, according
to Hem-y H. "Hi" Martin, vice-president
and general manager for Universal, and
Russell V. Downing, president of the Music
Hall. Gregory Peck is starred in "To Kill a
Mockingbird," which will be the seventh
U-I release to play the Music Hall since
"Operation Petticoat" opened as the Christmas
picture in December 1959.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" will follow
Warner Bros.' "Days of Wine and Roses,"
which will open at the Music Hall in January
following MGM's "Billy Rose's Jumbo,"
the current Christmas picture. Also set
for the Music Hall, some time in March, is
Hal Wallis' "A Girl Named Tamiko," released
by Paramount.
Opening of 'Lawrence'
Benefits UNICEF, PAL
NEW YORK—"Lawrence of Arabia," the
Sam Spiegel-David Lean production for
Columbia Pictures release, had its American
premiere at the Criterion Theatre Sunday
(16) as a benefit for UNICEF and the
Police Athletic League. The American
opening followed the royal world premiere
at the Odeon, Leicester Square in London
December 10.
The December openings in New York and
Los Angeles will qualify "Lawrence of
Arabia" for the Academy Awards and the
New York Film Critics Award, both of these
honors having gone to "The Bridge on the
River Kwai," the last pictm-e made by producer
Spiegel and director Lean.
Janus Films to Handle
Irish 'Playboy' Film
NEW YORK—Janus Films will distribute
the film version of John M. Synge's "The
Playboy of the Western World," which will
have its American premiere at the 55th
Street Playhouse December 24.
Siobhan McKenna is starred in the picture,
which was directed by Brian Desmond
Hurst from his own screenplay, and was
photographed in color in Kerry, Ireland.
E-2 BOXOFFICE :: December 17, 1962