Boxoffice-April.17.1948

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Several Days of Rain Washes Out
Business at Broadway Houses
NEW YORK—Several days of rain washed
away some of the business along Broadway.
Only four houses reported above average
grosses. Tied for first place were "The Naked
City" at the Capitol in its sixth week and
"All My Sons" at the Criterion in its third
week. Right behind was the newcomer, "Winter
Meeting," at the Warner. "I Remember
Mama" at the Music Hall was fourth.
Among the new arrivals during the week
were "Are You With It?" at the Winter
Garden, "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!" at the
Roxy, "Here Comes Trouble" at Loew's State
as the second half of a dual bill featui-ing
"Duel in the Sun," "The October Man" at
the Bijou and "To the Victor" at the Strand.
"Gentleman's Agreement" is still relatively
strong at the Mayfair in its 22nd week.
(Average Is 100)
Astor Mr. Blcmdings Builds His Dream House
(SRO), 3rd wk 90
Capitol—The Naked City (U-I), plus stage show,
6th wk 116
Criterion—All My Sons (U-I). 3rd wk 115
Globe—Close Up (EL). 2nd wk 60
Loew's State—B. F.'s Daughter (MGM), 3rd wk '/O
Mayfair—Gentleman's Agreement (20th-Fox), 22nd
wk 90
Palace—The Farmer's Daughter (RKO), revivdl 50
Paramount Saigon (Para), plus stage show, 2nd
wk
8Q
Radio City Music Hall—I Remember Mama (RKO),
plus stage show, 5th wk .. 104
Rialto—The Smugglers (EL). 3rd wk 95
Rivoli—The Miracle of the Bells (RKO), 4th wk 70
Roxy—Sitting Pretty (20lh-rox), plus stage show,
5th wk Bl
Strand April Showers (WB), plus stage show,
3rd wk 79
Sutton—The Pearl (RKO), 8th wk . 78
Victoria—The Search (MGM), 3rd wk 98
Warner Winter Meeting (WB), plus stage show. . 110
Winter Garden—Man of Evil (UA). 3rd wk 50
Philadelphia Grosses Drop;
Holdovers Are Hardest Hit
PHILADELPinA—April
Showers took their
toll this week, making for one of the poorest
returns hereabouts in a long time. Newcomers
got spotty attention and holdovers took
it on the chin. Best of the newcomers were
"The Bride Goes Wild," "The Big Clock" and
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"Black Bart," the last doing weU despite
poor reviews.
Aldine—The Fugitive (RKO), 2nd wk 100
Arcadia—Saigon (Para), 2nd run 55
Boyd—B. F.'s Daughter (MGM) 110
Earle—Miracle of the Bells (UA), 3rd wk 105
Erlanger— I Remember Mama (RKO) 110
Fox—Call Northsido 777 (20th-Fox). 3rd wk 90
Goldman—The Bride Goes Wild (MGM) 130
Karlton—The Big Clock (Para). .
130
Keith—A Double Life (U-1), 2nd run 120
Mastbaum—April Showers (WB), 2nd wk 80
Pix—Garden of Allah (SR), reissue. 7b
Stanley—The Naked City (U-I), 3rd wk 95
Stanton—Black Bart (U-I) 130
"Bride Goes Wild' Leader
In Weaker Buffalo Week
BUFFALO—Weekend business was off,
but
picked up after rain and wind storms. "The
Bride Goes Wild" was the leader at the
Buffalo. "The Big Clock" held up in a
moveover week at the Hippodrome. Also
strong was "The Naked City" in a second
week at the Lafayette. "I Remember Mama"
rounded out a fine three-week stay at the
Century. "To the Victor" was a disappointment
at the Great Lakes.
Buffalc^The Bride Goes Wild (MGM)-
13 Lead Soldiers (20th-Fox) 117
Great Lakes—To the Victor (WB) 88
Hippodrome The Big Clock (Para). Campus
Honeymoon (Rep), 2nd d. t. wk., moveover 100
Lalayette—The Naked City (U-1); Perilous
Waters (Mono), 2nd wk 100
Teck—April Showers (WB), Murder n Reverse
(4 Continents), 2nd d. t- wk., moveover 85
20th-century
I Remember Mama (RKO), 3rd wk._ 82
"City' Continues to Set
Pace in Baltimore
BALTIMORE—In spite of bad weather
"The Naked City" at the Century continued
to garner the bulk of the local business. "To
the Victor" ran second best in its second
week.
Century—The Naked City (U-I). 2nd wk. 122
Hippodrome—The Sign of the Ham (Col), plus
stage show
__ gj
Keith's Unconquered (Para), 3rd wk 91
Mayfair—Mr. Reckless (Para), Bill and Coo
(Rep)
gt,
Stanley—To the Victor (WB), 2nd wk 105
Town— I Remember Mama (RKO), 3rd wk 94
Raises a Protest to Roles
Given Negroes in Films
PHILADELPHIA— Contending the portrayals
of Negroes on the screen "has been
neither sympathetic, dignified nor factual,"
the young Philadelphia artist John Brantley
Wilder is now engaged in getting protest signatures
on a rolled scroll and hopes to get
10,000 of them. When the scroll is completed.
Wilder will deliver it to Eric Johnston,
head of the Motion Picture Ass'n of
America. The petition asks that Johnston
exert his authority to give Negro actors and
actresses "a chance to display their talents."
Upstate N. Y. Building Code
Not Likely Before July
ALBANY—The modernized building code
for upstate places in the public assembly
probably will not become effective before
July. The code, prepared by the advisory
committee including circuit representatives
and projectionists, and subject to public
hearings last June, is being studied thrice
weekly by the board standards and appeals,
and the state Labor department. It will replace
the one adopted in 1925.
H. E. Megowen Dies;
Pioneer at Camden
CAMDEN, N. J.—Funeral services were held
April 9 for Herbert E. Megowen, 86, of Collingswood,
who operated the first motion
picture theatre here. He died Monday.
In 1907 Megowen opened Camden's first
film theatre on the second floor of a building
at Broadway and Chestnut streets, over
a men's furnishings store. Patrons were seated
on wooden folding chairs. One reel was
shown, and the admission price was five
cents. After a few months at this location
Megowen moved his enterprise to 929 Broadway
where he had a first floor location.
The admission price remained at five cents.
Later Megowen operated a third theatre at
Broadway and Clinton and a fourth at 27th
and River. He is survived by his daughter
and a sister.
Arbitrate Salary Boost
Asked by SPG for WB
NEW YORK—Arbitration of the wage increases
asked by the Screen Publicists Guild
for home office employes was resumed here
April 15 for Warner Bros. The American
Arbitration Ass'n is handling the proceedings.
Last month the AAA arbitrators awarded
the 20th-Fox unit of SPG increases ranging
from $5.50 for apprentice publicists to $20
for seniors.
Next week RKO Radio Pictures and Theatres
will start arbitration. Loew's Inc., Paramount
and the other companies will foUow.
Approximately 300 workers will be covered
by these arbitration proceedings. All increases
are retroactive to Sept. 27, 1947, the
day the SPG contracts expired.
Masterpiece Distributor
WASHINGTON—Equities Film Exchange,
Inc., has been named distributor of Masterpiece
Production, Inc., in the Washington
territory by Jules Weill, president of Masterpiece.
Equities Film Exchange is owned
by Bernie Mills and Jack Berkson. Fred
Sanders is manager of the Washington
branch office.
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46 BOXOFFICE :: April 17, 1948