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City Lights Clippings 231/387

Variety, New York, February 18, 1931.

Unused City Lights Scene

& Los Angeles Theatre Radio Station, Los Angeles,

undated, Big Orange Landmarks

& Few Standouts in L. A. Films;

      Chaplin Dips Another $10,000

      But $35,000 for Garbo, State

      Los Angeles, Feb. 17.

      (Drawing Population, 1,500,000)

      Business did a lot of collapsing last week at the halfway

mark. Continuous fair weather despite the supposedly

rain season, could be one whyfore of off trade, although they

buy heavily when it‘s there. An instance is the §35,000

pace for Inspiration at the State. Garbo‘s gait is the nearest

to Shearer‘s local draw.

      Cimarron is no disappointment doing $28,000 its

opening week with $26,000 certain this week. Orpheum‘s

headache right now is turn-overs.

      Only other gross outstander is Trader Horn which

is building to the previous week‘s $30,000 by $3,000. Extra

midnight frolics are good for over $1,000 weekly through

Metro stars personal appearances.

      City Lights slid off another $10,000 to $20,000

in its third week prompting a house scale readjustment.

Poor advertising campaign is also blamed. (...)

      Estimates for This Week (...)

      Los Angeles (Gumbiner) – City Lights (Chaplin)

2,000; 25-$1.50) (3rd wk). Slipping fast at $20,000: lowered

scale not helping house and chief: handicap; has dipped

$10,000 on two successive weeks.

(...) Variety, Feb. 18, 1931

„Bad advertising copy“

Editorial content. „Red Ink for New L. A. House Despite

      Chaplin; 50-50 Guarantee Blamed

                                                        Hollywood, Feb. 17.

      World‘s premiere of City Lights at the new H. L. Gumbiner

(Indie) house in downtown Los Angeles, aside

from the manner in which the Chaplin picture is slipping,

has west coast showmen talking about its operation.

      Gumbiner is in the red and can‘t help losing plenty through

his $70,000 guarantee to Chaplin for the picture on a

50-50 split of the gross. This means Gumbiner has to gross

$150,000 to meet the guarantee. Starting off with

$37,000, the opening week (which included $11,000 worth

of premier $10 seats) it slipped $10,000 on his second

week. Picture goes out Feb. 27, after four weeks, with Al Rogell‘s

Aloha (Tiffany) pencilled in.

      The terrible first night handlIng created a word-o‘-mouth

kidding about the Los Angeles, which is one explanation

for the house not drawing. Bad advertising copy is another.

Chaplin‘s name is almost buried in the ads in the

desire to create a „smart“ lay-out exploiting the physical merits

of the theatre structure and its appurtenances.

      Gumbiner is dispensing with his stage show and may

compromise on atmospheric prologs or go straight

pictures. Two weeks‘ notice has been given the Al Short

orchestra, the stage personnel, Mrs. Mickey Raset,

the ballet mistress, and the stage crew.“

     The world premiere of City Lights takes place in Los Angeles

      January 30, 1931 at the Los Angeles Theatre.

      Los Angeles Theatre, 615 South Broadway (between

      6th and 7th Streets), Los Angeles.

      City Lights opens in New York February 6, 1931

      at the Cohan Theatre.

      George M. Cohan Theatre, 1482 Broadway (between

      42nd and 43rd Streets), New York.

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