Ho# Ujjfice JbiaeAt Haui: «m JL HE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS of many moons to this industry is the matter-of-fact announcement by Technicolor that it will put into effect a flat reduction of one cent a foot on release prints processed after August 1st. "There is a great industrial story of days and nights and months and years behind the manner in which Dr. Kalmus and his associates have boosted the quality and service of color to the industry, beaten down the price step by step, and maintained a great spirit of cooperation with production and exhibition. TECHNICOLOR MOTION PICTURE CORPORATION HERBERT T. KALMUS, President , 617 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, Subscription Rate, $10.00 Per ■Ml ^Ite. DIGEST ANNUAL *7lie. 1/ea>i WcM. D OMESTIC box office standings take on values in this year of vanished foreign markets that are tremendous in importance. They are the only ratings that mean anything to the producer, director, player, and exhibitor. Gone—at least for years to come—are the days when known box office failures in the American market could be pushed to fabulous income heights and foisted on the suffering American exhibitor because of a shadowy "for¬ eign value.” Gone are the days—and we hope forever—when producers could know¬ ingly, and with "malice aforethought,” set out on the production of top budgetted pictures that would admittedly have no appeal to American mass audiences, earn no dimes for American exhibitors. All because of that same shadowy foreign market. ^ ^ So THE DIGEST ANNUAL comes to you at an opportune time. It is the only factual record published of the DOLLARS AND CENTS earnings of picture creators at BOX OFFICES. It is the one "poll” that is not a poll—in the sense that so many polls represent some one individual’s opinion, or the opinions of many individuals of undetermined prejudices and strictly personal likes and dislikes. It is the voice of the CUSTOMER—registered in the ballot box of thea¬ ters in every corner of the land, spoken with the voice of CASH laid on the line. So, entering its fifth year of publication, BOX OFFICE DIGEST is proud to be the echo of that box office voice in the presentation herewith of— BOX OFFICE ANNUAL FOR 1940. Published by Robert E. Welsh, 617 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California; WEbster 5373. $5.00 the Copy. BOX OFFICE DIGEST ★ HONOR BOX ★ The Biggest Grossing Picture of 1939 Twentieth Century-Fox wins with "JESSE JAMES"-182% - Associate Producer and Original Screenplay NUNNALLY JOHNSON Vice-President in Charge of Production Director DARRYL F. ZANUCK HENRY KING Historical data assembled by ROSALIND SHAFFER JO FRANCES JAMES Featured: HENRY HULL Photographer GEORGE BARNES SLIM SUMMERVILLE J. EDWARD BROMBERG Technicolor Photographer JOHN CARRADINE W. H. GREENE DONALD MEEK Technicolor Director JOHN RUSSELL NATALIE KALMUS JANE DARWELL Musical Director CLAIRE DU BREY LOUIS SILVERS WILLARD ROBERTSON Film Editor BARBARA McLEAN TYRONE POWER j-ibNKY FONDA NANCY KELLY RANDOLPH SCOTT BRIAN DONLEVY How Percentages Are Figured • DURING the past four years we have constantly had many requests to explain our method of figuring percentages on pictures as they are printed in our BOX OFFICE DIGEST from week to week. Accordingly, we are printing this page to explain in detail to our readers how the percentages are arrived at. Below we have taken the box office receipts on one individual picture— "JESSE JAMES’’—which should be explanatory to our readers. The percentages used in our DIGEST are based on actual business, etc. The figures from all types of houses, both large box office figures received from exhibitors all over the nation. and small, throughout the country, are then averaged out, with Naturally, 100% is always considered the normal average. In the per cent after the name of the picture, being the actual per other words, if a theater whose average is $10,000 weekly, cent of business, that that certain picture has played to. grosses $7,500 on a given picture, then that picture draws a 75% In order to give our readers a more concrete example of rating on that particular run. On the other hand, if another how percentages are figured out, we are utilizing this page, to picture in that same theater grosses $15,000 it is given a 150% give a complete "break-down” on a given pitcure. For this ex¬ rating on that particular run. In the first case mentioned, the ample, we are using the box office figures on the 20th Century- picture would be running 25% below normal, while in the sec¬ Fox production—"JESSE JAMES,” which was the biggest box ond instance, the picture would be running 50% above normal office feature of 1939. BOX OFFICE RETURNS ON "JESSE JAMES” In New York City, New York, this picture opened at the Roxy Theatre (average weeklv gross is $40,000). It grossed, $68,986.00 on its first week, which is equal to 172% %—that is 72% % above normal business. 172% % $40,000 ) $68,986 OTHER KEY CITY RUNS, WITH THEATER GROSSES AND PER CENTS, ARE LISTED BELOW 0/ City and Theater Week’s Gross % City and Theater Week’s Gross Memphis, Tenn., State Theater — _ $11,844 197 Pittsburgh, Pa., Alvin Theater . _...... 17,943 257 Chicago, Ill., Chicago Theater ... ... 39,995 148 New Orleans, La., Sanger Theater _ ... 15,357 191 Springfield, Ill., Lincoln Theater __ ..... 5,925 192 Rochester, N. Y., Palace Theater _ .... 13,327 153 Dallas, Texas, Majestic Theater _ ...... 14,366 202 Toronto, Canada, Imperial Theater _ ..... 10,593 153 Louisville, Ky., Rialto Theater __ _ ...... 12,991 194 Charlotte, N. C., Carolina Theater _ ... 6,924 186 Indianapolis, Ind., Indiana Theater _ ...... 11,862 192 Cleveland, Ohio, Hippodrome Theater .... 17,028 170 Tulsa Okla., Orpheum Theater _ 10,817 198 Dayton. Ohio, Keith Theater ...... 13,153 173 Kansas City, Mo., Esquire Theater _ ...... 7,513 244 Oklahoma City, Okla., Criterion . ... ...... 10,105 288 Kansas City, Kan., Uptown _ _ ..... 7,408 212 San Francisco, Calif., Fox Theater ...... 20,978 147 Albany, N. Y., Palace Theater _ ... 10,243 182 Salt Lake City, Utah, Center Theater ... 9,355 169 Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Theater .... 7,833 184 Richmond, Va., State Theater _ ..... 5,498 172 Des Moines, Iowa, Roosevelt Theater 2,386 169 Richmond, Va., Bird Theater _ ...... 6,625 186 New Haven, Conn., Palace Theater _...... 10,983 174 Philadelphia, Pa., Stanley Theater _ ...... 17,949 133 Portland, Me., Strand Theater _ —- 5.398 162 Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Theater _ 10,458 174 Toledo, Ohio, Paramount Theater _ 11,728 176 Washington, D. C., Palace Theater _ ... 17,547 147 Houston, Texas, Majestic Theater . _ .... 14,527 202 Detroit, Mich., Fox Theater ___ 33,001 232 Boston, Mass., Metropolitan Theater ... ...... 24,512 167 Denver, Colo., Denver Theater ..... 11,571 143 Bridgeport, Conn., Palace Theater _ _. 10,320 183 Syracuse, N. Y., Keith Theater _...... 8,943 157 Miami, Fla.. Lincoln Theater _ ...... 7,923 166 St. Louis, Mo., Fox Theater _ ..... 27.018 181 Buffalo, N. Y., Shaes Theater _ ...... 14,705 143 Providence, R. I., Majestic Theater _ 8,232 129 Montreal, Canada, Capitol Theater_ ... 8,949 152 Norfolk, W. Va., Norva Theater _ — 9,637 177 Atlanta, Ga., Fox Theater _...... 16,646 147 Minneapolis, Minn., State Theater —... ... 9,637 177 Omaha, Neb., Orpheum Theater _...... 11,333 142 Utica, N. Y., Olympic Theater .... 4,007 174 Fort Worth, Tex., Hollywood Theater _ ..... 9,818 179 Los Angeles, Calif.. Loew’s State __ ..... 20,781 175 Hartford, Con., Poli-Capitol Theater ... ... 10,754 166 Hollywood, Calif., Chinese Theater _ ..... 15,886 176 Scranton, Pa., Strand Theater _ ..... 9.978 177 New York. N. Y., Roxv Theater _ 68,986 172 Seattle, Wash., 5th Avenue Theater_ 8,851 143 53 ) 9406 Average on 53 Key City First Runs__ .177% 7 Chain Theater Circuit Reports Show an Average of_186 563 Independent Theater Reports Show an Average of—.183 3 ) 560 Present Box Office Value of "JESSE JAMES”_ _182% N. B.—It might be of interest to our readers to know that a picture that runs 82% above normal business at the box office, will probably gross in the neighborhood of $3,250,000 in the world market. Production cost of "Jesse Jaems” was slightly in excess of $1,500,000.—The Editor. Names and Credits of the BIG TEN PICTURES OF TITLES AND No. DIST. PRODUCER DIRECTOR STAR ESTIMATED GROSSES Darryl F. Zanuck JESSE JAMES —T Tyrone Power 1. FOX Henry King Nancy Kelly $3,250,000 Nunnally Johnson Henry Fonda (Asso. Prod.) Pan Berman GUNGA DIN Cary Grant 2. RKO George Stevens Doug Fairbanks, Jr. $3,100,000 George Stevens Victor McLaglen (Asso. Prod.) Harry Cohn MR. SMITH GOES TO Jean Arthur 3. WASHINGTON COL. Frank Capra James Stewart $2,700,000 Frank Capra (Asso. Prod.) Darryl F. Zanuck THE RAINS CAME Myrna Loy 4. FOX Clarence Brown Tyrone Power $2,600,000 Harry Joe Brown George Brent (Asso. Prod.) BABES IN ARMS Judy Garland 5. MGM Arthur Freed Busby Berkeley Mickey Rooney $2,550,000 Hal Wallis DODGE CITY — T Olivia DeHavilland 6. WAR. Michael Curtiz Errol Flynn $2,400,000 Robert Lord (Asso. Prod.) THE WOMEN Norma Shearer 7. MGM Hunt Stromberg George Cukor Joan Crawford $2,400,000 Rosalind Russell Ben Goetz GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS 8. MGM Sam Wood Robert Donat $2,300,000 Victor Saville (Asso. Prod.) THE WIZARD OF Judy Garland 9. OZ — T MGM Mervyn LeRoy Victor Fleming Frank Morgan $2,300,000 Darryl F. Zanuck DRUMS ALONG Claudette Colbert 10.