Exhibitors Herald (1927)

March 26, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 49 Walker, Amusu theatre, Statesboro, Ga. — General patronage. INTO HER KINGDOM: Corinne Griffith— 60%. February 3-4. Patrons that saw this one played mum hard to say how they liked it, but I thought it only a fair program picture. Seven reels. — Aubrey Swearingen, Crescent theatre, Woodville, Tex. — 'General patronage. CHICKIE : Dorothy McKail — 50%. I had calls for this one and booked it. Small crowds the first night and smaller the second night. Old and don’t book it. Seven reels. — Aubrey Swearingen, Crescent theatre, Woodville, Tex. — ^General patronage. SENOR DAREDEVIL : Ken Maynard— 60%. March 5. This is a fine picture. Satisfied them all. None of them has a thing on this star or horse right now. He is here. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. SUBWAY SADIE: Special cast— 25%. February 18. Boys, it's a dandy. Just pure entertainment ; nothing dramatic about it, but they’ll like it sure. Seven reels. — F. H. Whitted, Glendale theatre, Glenwood, Ark. — Small town patronage. THE MIDNIGHT LOVERS: Special cast-^0%. February 9-27. Good picture, some comedy in this one. Pleased about 80%. Seven reels. — E. D. Luna, Cozy theatre, Wagoner, Okla. — Small town patronage. HER SISTER FROM PARIS: Constance Talmadge — 10%. December 30. A good comedy picture and some clever things pulled off in it. Pleased most that saw it. That was not many. We had too many shows for that time of year. Seven reels. — James A. Banks, Lyric theatre, Saratoga,. Wyo. — Small town patronage. FOREVER AFTER: Special cast— 15%. February 21. A very good football and war story that pleased all who saw it. Bad weather and other entertainments hurt business. Seven reels. — A. G. Witwer, Grand theatre. Rainier, Ore. — General patronage. THE ONLY WOMAN: Norma Talmadge— 70%. January 20-21. All I can say is that Norma is losing her popularity here. Although “The Only Woman’’ was liked better than “Secrets” and “The Lady.” Eight reels. — Aubrey Swearingen, Crescent theatre, Woodville, Tex. — General patronage. KIKI: Norma Talmadge — 40%, March 1. This is one of the best Talmadge pictures for some time. The audience liked Norma in this role, which shows she can act her part. Nine reels. — B. C. Brown, Temple theatre, Viroqua, Wis. — 'General patronage. McFADDEN’S FLATS: Special cast — March 10. This is the prize comedy production of the year. It has gobs of entertainment, and it’s clean as a whistle, with the exception of one scene during the parade of the hod carriers convention. You’ll see it when you play it and know what I refer to. This did business without any key city publicity to help it. It’s strange, but the folks can smell a good picture. At least that is the way my folks seem to do. By all means play this and let them know you have the greatest comedy of the year, not excepting “The Kid Brother.” Eight reels. — P. E. Morris, Regent theatre, Indianola, Miss. — Small town patronage. ORCHIDS AND ERMINE: Colleen Moore— March 6-7. This is the best Moore since “Irene.” Audience ate it up. The titles are great. More power to Ralph Spence. Seven reels. — Leo J. Burkhart, Hippodrome & Grand theatres, Crestline, Ohio. — Small town patronage. IT MUST BE LOVE : Colleen Moore — This is the best Moore picture I have played to date. They are all good, but this one was extra. Packed them in, although the evening turned suddenly cold and I have a cold house. Of course there is some advantage there, as it is good for summer, but if Colleen’s name is on the bill I don't care if it snows. — C. E. Graff, Photoplay theatre, Havensville, Kan. — General patronage. JUST ANOTHER BLONDE: Special cast— March 7, This proved to be a real piece of entertainment. The stars, assisted by Louise Brooks and Wm. Collier, Jr., all do fine work, and the story has a very happy, novel turn at the close that maRes it hit. I’d play this up in advance. It will please and entertain, and that’s what we are trying to do. Seven reels. — P. E. Morris, Regent theatre, Indianola, Miss. — Small town patronage. THE PRINCE OF TEMPTERS: Special cast— March 8. It seemed to have pleased the few that were in attendance, as my attendance was slim due to Lent. Eight reels. — M. J. Babin, Fairyland theatre. White Castle, La. — General patronage. J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum DEAR HERALD : NELIGH, NEB., March 13, 1927. As introductory to what I may say, I want to pat Mr. E. F. Ingram on the hack for his letter in the March 12 issue of the HERALD. Mr. Ingram must have played “Taxi Dancer,” possibly, “Love’s Greatest Mistake,” either of which pictures would have inspired Mr. Ingram to write such an article. I saw “Love’s Greatest Mistake” last night and, for the information of those who have not played the picture, I might say that while there may have been pictures with less entertainment value, yet I would not know just what one to name. The picture had no story of merit and was built on the same plans and specifications of hundreds of others, and, as is so often the case with pictures of this kind, the director had to inject a little “spice” in it to get anything out of it at all. It had the “mushy scenes” and “clinches” galore of which Mr. Ingram complains. A husband in Albany calls up his newly married wife in New York and tells her that he can’t get home for a week or ten days, and the next scene shows the aforesaid wife lovingly entwined in the arms of another man on the sofa. She was “entwined” too, there was no mistake about that. The director didn’t want anything left to the imagination of his audience, so decided that a horizontal entwinement would be more effective than a perpendicular one. The wife’s innocent sister from the country came to make her a visit and stated that she came to the city to get a “thrill.” The director didn’t hold the audience in suspense very long; he pushed her right into a cabaret with an old gink who was the president of a bank and a director in several other institutions. The aforementioned gink took her to his private apartment and hung a string of pearls around her neck and the “innocent sister” was undecided for a time just what to do, but the director came to her relief, and to the relief of the audienee, and went on with the picture just like he thought the audience couldn’t see through a mud fence. That’s what I call good direction, where they don’t leave anything to be guessed at. I am charitable enough to say that the players no doubt were averse to playing some of the scenes, hut they had to have directors and direction, also salaries, therefore we are offered “for our approval” “Love’s Greatest Mistake,” and they call it entertainment. Mr. Ingram is entitled to a vote of thanks from exhibitors everywhere for his treatment of the poster question and the “mush” and “clinches” in pictures. If you haven’t already read it, better do so. * * * I wish all producers and directors could be gathered together in one room and could be shown “Taxi Dancer” and “Love’s Greatest Mistake” and then follow with Douglas McLean and Shirley Mason in “Let It Rain” and see if they could detect what constitutes real entertainment in pictures. “Let It Rain” is one of those pictures that grabs the audience right from the kiekoff and keeps everybody in a good humor until the final fade-out. It is as clean as a hound’s tooth and every scene and sub-title calls forth chuckles from all over the house. It is a comedy-drama much above the average and will be classed as first class entertainment anywhere on earth. Doug was excellent in the “Hottentot” and he has been good ever since, and “Let It Rain” is no exception. We are for him 100%, and we are for Charles Cline (we believe it was Cline) who directed the picture. * ♦ ♦ Dallison Maugham (whoever he is) handed me a laugh in his letter in “SERVICE TALKS” in which he said that a reporter in the editorial rooms said that whoever wrote “SERVICE TALKS” was a fossil on some things. “My, my, what language. If I were ‘T. O.’ I’d go right out in the editorial rooms and hunt that bird up and I’d say to him, very emphatically, that he was not supposed to deal in anything but fiction. But then shucks, what’s the use. They call me everything from ‘Sandhill Jenkins’ to ‘Foxy Grandpa’ and it doesn’t affect me a particle, but they better lay off of my friend ‘T. O.’ ” sk * * In that “Popular Star Contest” it is hoped that the exhibitors will not conclude that it would be hopeless to nominate any other star against my candidate. Miss Clara Bow. What Miss Bow and I want is a field full of candidates, the more the merrier, and we hereby extend an urgent invitation to all aspirants to get their hats in the ring early so they will have a fair start. We expect to hire our own halls and go before the people strictly upon merit and all we will ask is an honest election and a fair count. There will be no “stuffing the ballot box” in this election as there was in a former “Beauty Contest,” when I was counted out and thrown over the transom because of a rumor that was eirculated by my opponents that I was 85 years old and the father of a family of nineteen children. This rumor turned every flapper in the country against me, consequently I lost the election. Now if any of you deluded exhibitors think you can nominate a candidate that will make this contest interesting do your talking now. We don’t want to take any undue advantage and will therefore give you time to get set for the “Big Parade” before the whistle blows. ^ As I look out of my window it just seems like the bottom had fallen out of the whole United States. Wherever there is no pavement cars are wallowing through the mud clear to the running-boards, and in some cases they are unahle to go at all. It was my intention to have been in Missouri before this, and now it looks like several days before I will be able to turn a wheel. I realize that this delay will be tough on Missouri, but then Missouri has had a lot to contend with heretofore and it is hoped that she will be able to stand up under this depressing news, which amounts to almost a calamity. * * jj: About everywhere I go I find the boys wanting to join The “HERALD ONLY” Club (Continued on next page)