Cinema: The April Box Office

Contrary to United Artists’ expectations, Laurence Olivier’s Henry V (TIME, April 8) did so well in Boston that cautious plans for gradual release, and a long “cultural” buildup (mainly academic) were being hastily revised. The film would open in Manhattan’s City Center around June 17; in other large cities as soon thereafter as possible, under Theatre Guild sponsorship. There were still only six prints in the U.S., and U.A. still named no date for general release.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s The Green Years (TIME, April 15) did so well in Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall—its third-week gross of $147,000 was second only to The Bells of St. Mary’s in Music Hall history—that Metro planned a “cultural” (special showings for church and civic leaders) buildup, Gone With the Wind type of distribution.

Variety’s high box-office scores (for April): 1) Dragonwyck (20th Century-Fox); 2) Ziegfeld Follies (M-G-M); 3) The Virginian (Paramount); 4) Saratoga Trunk (Warner); 5) Road to Utopia (Paramount).