Boxoffice-December.25.1948

Jim McConnell to Build
Drive-In at Syracuse
SYRACUSE—Construction of a 1,000-car
drive-in, just outside thie city limits, will be
started this spring by James McConnell, a
newcomer to show business. Leon Einhorn,
Albany architect specializing in drive-ins,
has drawn the plans for the new ozoner,
which will be located across the city from
the Kallet Syracuse Drive-In, opened in 1946.
Einhorn has designed 22 drive-ins, including
the Saratoga, Mohawk and Philadelphia
airers, the Pittsfield, Mass., situation owned
by Harry Lazarus and the drive-in now under
construction at the Empire Raceway on the
Albany-Troy road.
Empire State Will Build
$150,000 Airer at Olean
OLEAN, N. Y.—The Empire State Drive-In
Theatre Corp. of Buffalo will construct a
500-car drive-in, the first in this area, on
a ten-acre tract west of Allegany, according
to H. R. Martin of Watkins Glen,
general contractor. Cost of the project is
estimated at $150,000 and the ozoner is expected
to be ready for a May 30 opening. A
bulldozer has started operations on the site.
Bennett Russell Builds
Theatre at Mooers. N. Y.
MOOERS, N. Y.—Owner of the new theatre
under construction in this Canadian
border city is Bennett Russell of Plattsburgh.
according to information available in local
circles. The house, of cinder block construction,
has been roofed and should be
ready for opening in the spring. It will seat
300 persons and will be the only theatre here.
'Eagle' to Open Dec. 29
NEW YORK — Jean Cocteau's new film,
"The Eagle With Two Heads," will open at
the Little CineMet Theatre December 29.
Cocteau wiU come here from Paris for the
opening. The film is based on his play,
which ran on Broadway last year.
Mrs. John Roberts Dies
SCRANTON, PA.—Funeral services for Mrs.
Florence Roberts, wife of John Roberts, executive
of Comerford Publix Theatres Corp.,
were held from the Snoden Funeral Home
December 21. Mrs. Roberts died at her home
here December 17.
Selected for Its Laughs
NEW YORK—Comedy World, trade journal
published by the National Laugh Foundation,
has selected "The Paleface" (Para) as
the "laugh picture of December."
Binney Named President
NEW YORK—Josh Binney has been named
president of the newly formed Tele-Talent
Pictures Corp., 1650 Broadway. He has directed
pictures both here and abroad.
THE IDEAL THEATRE CHAIRS
JOE HORNSTEIN has them
Broadway First Run Theatres Dealt
Blow by Heavy Weekend Snowstorm
NEW YORK—The heavy weekend snowstorm,
coupled with the expected pre-
Christmas lull in pictm-e-going, resulted in
mild to poor business at the majority of
Broadway showcases. Nine of the 18 first
run houses were just marking time before
bringing in new films for Christmas week.
The exceptions to the slump were two new
films, "The Paleface," coupled with a Benny
Goodman band show at the Paramount, and
Rogues' Regiment" at the Criterion as well
as the second week of "Words and Music,"
at the Radio City Music Hall, where the
annual "Nativity" stage spectacle invariably
draws out-of-town visitors. "Hamlet," in its
12th week at the Park Avenue, and "The
Red Shoes," in its ninth week at the Bijou,
were both protected by advance sales for the
reserved seats but a third two-a-day film,
"Joan of Arc," was far from a sellout in its
second week at the Fulton.
(Average Is 100)
Ambassador—Street Corner (Wilshire), 3rd wk 50
Astor—A Song Is Born (RKO), 9th wk 50
Bijou—The Red Shoes (EL), 9th wk 110
Capitol—Let's Live a Little (EL), plus stage show,
2nd wk 65
Criterion—Rogues' Regiment (U-I) - 120
Fulton—loan of Arc (RKO), 2nd wk. of two-a-day.. 75
Globe—Northwest Stampede (EL), 2nd wk 60
Gotham Dark Command (Rep); Fighting Seabees
(Rep), reissues 85
Loews Stale—The Three Musketeers (MGM), 9th
wk - -
Maylair—Road House (20th-Fox), 7th wk
85
75
Paramount The Paleiace (Para), plus stage
show 105
Park A -Hamlet (U-I). 12th wk. of two-aday
Radio City Music Hall—Words and Music (MGM),
plus stage show, 2nd wk
Rialto—Harpoon (SG); S.O.S. Submarine (SG),
2nd wk
Rivoli—The Snake Pit (20th-Fox), 7th wk
Roxy—When My Baby Smiles at Me (20th-Fox),
plus stage show, 4th wk
Strand-The Decision of Christopher Blake (WB).
plus stage show, 2nd wk
Sutton—Blanche Fury (EL), 4th wk
Victoria-Joan of Arc (RKO), 6th wk. of continuous
Philadelphia Grosses Drop;
'Opera' Reissue Is Leader
PHILADELPHIA—A combination of Christmas
shopping, snowstorms and long run hold-
VISITS HER BOSS — Evohn Keyes,
Little Theatre star from Texas, drops in
on E. M. "Bob" Savini, president of Astor
Pictures Corp., whose company recently
starred her in the fourth Sunset Carson
feature, "Rio Grande." Miss Keyes will
return to Texas for the next picture after
the holidays, which she will spend in the
east.
overs contributed to a downward trend in
grosses at Quaker City first run theatres. A
reissue of "A Night at the Opera" at Keith's
headed the parade.
Arcadia—June Bride (WB), 2nd run, 2nd wk 8C
Boyd—No Minor Vices (MGM), 2nd wk 65
Earle—The Countess of Monte Crislo (U-I) 90
Fox—Uniailhiully Yours (20th-Fox) 75
Goldman—The Three Musketeers (MGM), 4th wk.-llO
Karlton—Rogues' Regiment (U-I), 4th wk 70
Keith—A Night at the Opera (MGM), reissue 125
Mastbaum— Hatters Castle (Para) 80
Fix—Wuthering Heights (UA), reissue 80
Stanley—Blood on the Moon (RKO), 3rd wk 90
Stanton—Belle Starr's Daughter (20th-Fox), 2nd
..100
'Road House' Continues
Good in Buffalo
BUFFALO—It was an under-par week as
Christmas poked its head around the corner.
"Road House" continued good in a moveover.
The snow is here and it looks like a white
Christmas.
Bulfalo—Sealed Verdict (Para); Disaster (Para)-. 90
Great Lakes—Hills of Home (MGM). Racing Luck
(Col) - 90
Hippodrome—Road House (20th-Fox); Trouble Preferred
(20th-Fox), 2nd d. wk., moveover 100
Lafayette
t.
Raw Deal (EL); Adventures of Gallant
Bess (EL) - 90
Teck—Fighter Squadron (WB); Blondie's Secret
(Col), 2nd d t. wk., moveover 95
Century—Blood on the Moon (RKO); Winner
20th
Take All (Mono), split with There Goes My
Heart (UA); 39 Steps (GB) - 100
Baltimore Business
In Seasonal Slump
BALTIMORE—The theatre business was
way off due to the holidays. "The Three
Musketeers" at the Valencia held extremely
well in its fourth week.
Century—Hills of Home (MGM) 85
Stanley—The Decision of Christopher Blake (WB)., 90
Hippodrome—Return ol Wildfire (Col) 80
Town—Last Days of Pompeii (RKO); She (RKO),
s— Unknown Island [fChZl 80
Ke'itlf-
New—The Miracle on 34lh Street (20th-Fox) 90
Mayfair—They Drive by Night (WB) 82
Valencia—The Three Musketeers (MGM), 4th wk...l05
Cummings to Hold Meeting
For MGM Field Auditors
NEW YORK—Alan F. Cummings, in
charge of MGM exchange operations, and
his assistant Harold Postman will conduct
a four-day meeting of field auditors at the
Astor hotel starting January 4. Every phase
of branch work will be analyzed for possible
improvement in efficiency, according to Cummings.
Those who will attend include
Charles Fogle, roving maintenance supervisor,
and seven auditors, John Ash, Charles
Bell, Oliver Broughton, Carl Gentzel, Willard
Gillilan, Edward Urschel and Harry
Simons.
Arthur Guy Mayger Dies
NEW YORK—Arthur Guy Mayger, 58, an
architect who designed several motion picture
theatres, died of a heart attack while
shopping in New York City December 10.
Mayger, who lived in Scarsdale, N, Y., designed
RKO and Keith-Albee theatres in
the midwest and south while an independent
architect in Chicago. At the time of his
death, he was associated with George F,
Driscoll Co. in New York.
BOXOFHCE December 25, 1948 47