Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1928)

EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 31, 1928 J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum {Continued from preceding page) I hate it is a lying film hound." Geneve says she always looks for the reports from Trag and Phil Rand and Gailey especially, for they always give her a wallop, and we replied, there are two of ns. Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fills a Want None Others Do Since coming to Tucson we have been swamped with letters from exhibitors from all over the country asking our advice on various matters and we are sorry that time and space will not admit of as full a reply as we would like to make, but we trust it will be satisfactory to make brief answers through this Colyum. Parties wishing expert advice may address us care HERALD-WORLD. Our advice is free to readers of this magazine. Frank O'Hara, Community theatre, Elgin, Nebraska. No, St. Patrick wasn't a Swede. He was a Dutchman that drove the snakes out of Ireland and the Irish have been on the Police Force ever since. That's why some cities always go democratic. W. E. Tragsdorf, Trag's theatre, Neillsville, Wisconsin. We wouldn't advise it. In fact we'd be strongly against it. Walking back home should always depend upon the condition of the roads. Miss Thelma Castle, Castle theatre, Goose Creek, Texas. Glad you wrote us Miss Thelma. Yes, ladies will be most welcome at that exhibitor convention at Alexandria, Minnesota. Hope to see you there. Yes, Phil will be there also. F. W. Zimmerman, Palace theatre, San Marcos, Texas. You say she is twenty years old and very nervous. Perhaps she has adenoids. Ascertain if she snores in her sleep and then advise us more fully. Crocket Brown, Brown's Palace, Nashwauk, Minnesota. From your description we would say that your bullfoundland has dogitis, a disease very prevalent among mongrels. No, den't feed him dog biscuits, feed him limburger cheese and put cold packs on his stomach and et cetera. No charge, our services are free. Dr. F. M. Child?. Cozy theatre, Villisca, Iowa. You say your audience seemed cold and indifferent and didn't respond to "The Midnight Kiss." Looks like a desperate case. Try Epsom salts. Mrs. Sam Blair, Blair Enterprises, Belleville, Kansas. No, you have our age guessed too high. We were 27 on the 28th day of last month. Yes, our wife insists that we are married and she ought to know. No, our hair is red and very curly. Sure, we won't mention it to Sam. Phil Rand, Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho. You have the Rabbi pegged entirely wrong. He doesn't get his from a bootlegger. He has "wine bees" in his cellar that make it. He also has bats in his belfry but they don't make bats. Miss Delia Gulick, Fad theatre, Brookings, South Dakota. Glad to hear from you Miss Gulick, it has been a long time since you wrote us. Shame on you for such negligence. Yes, "SEVENTH HEAVEN" is a masterpiece. Your audience will be delighted with it. See review by Thomas 0. Service in a recent issue of the HERALD-WORLD. A. F. Jenkins, Community theatre, David City, Nebraska. You say you think you are a relative of ours. Maybe so. Did your ancestors ever monkey with cocoanuts? Guess we better not trace our family tree back too far. Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fills a Want None Others Do ■ Some years back there was a fellow by the name of George Larkum Scott who put his feet under our wife's table for a number of years regularly three times a day, and if he ever missed a meal history has been painfully silent on that point. In fact our wife raised him almost from a pup. He was at the head of the conservatory department of our schools at Neligh, but late years has been directing orchestras and a church choir or two at Spokane, Washington. George Larkum gave promise of developing into quite a student of music under our guiding influence and instructions, but if we were to go out to Spokane (which we hope to do, and may) and should find one of his orchestras playing a selection of shuffle Nigger jazz, we would concede, without argument, that Darwin only told half of it, and that our influence and council had been wasted on a hopeless case. George Larkum Scott, stand up and be sworn. Do you, or don't you? Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fills a Want None Others Do Everytime we read "SERVICE TALKS" we are glad Mark Twain wrote "ROUGHING IT" for it gives us something with which to make a comparison. If yon haven't been following Thomas O. in his wanderings you have been missing something that the whole family is entitled to. You will find that the next best thing is the reports on pictures by Tragsdorf and "Fishy" Phil. These boys have a unique way of expressing themselves that oftentimes causes near convulsions, and the only fault we can find with them is that they don't write more and oftener. When that convention meets at Alexandria, Minnesota, next June and Thomas 0., Tragsdorf, Phil, Gailey, The Rabbi, Crocket (and his bullfoundland), Eagle Eye Joe, Zimmerman and a lot more of the Great Unwashed get together, history will be made by reams. Boys, excuse me from going any further with this letter, have just been handed a telegram from Morocco, Indiana, saying my brother passed away yesterday. This leaves but two of us out of a family of ten. J. C. JENKINS, (The HERALD-WORLD man) the order of the "Miracle Man." Seemed good to see Lon and Betty together again. Would rate this above the average program picture. Eight reels. — O. G. Blakeslee, Cozy theatre. Medford, Wis. — General patronage. QUALITY STREET: Marion Davies— Too much costume for us. Too long, but has some clever situations.— Colonial theatre, Moulton, la. — General patronage. QUALITY STREET: Marion Davies— Some liked this, others didn't, but it proved to me that Marion Davies can act. "The Fair Co-Ed" went over better for the simple reason that it wasn't this "costume stuff." Eight reels. — Whitney Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — General patronage. BUTTONS: Jackie Coogan — Pleased one hundred percent, S. R. O. sign out all night. Record crowd on program picture. Boys, Jackie is right there when it comes to acting and drawing crowds to your little play-house. My opinion is that this is the best one he has ever made, it has heart interest and plenty of action, also plenty of good clean comedy and a little love romance combined : what more do they want? Seven reels. — Roy E. Mitchell, Plainview theatre, Plainview, Tex. — General patronage. BUTTONS: Jackie Coogan— February 24-25. Very good. Jackie always draws well. Had plenty of good compliments on this one. Bought it so I made some money on it. Six reels. — Guy Loudermilk, Fairy theatre, Nappanee, Ind. — General patronage. THE THIRTEENTH HOUR: Lionel Barrymore — February 11. A good mystery drama and a little spooky. The dog was good. Had a full house on Monday. — P. J. Durkin, Majestic theatre. Perry, 111. — Small town patronage. BODY AND SOUL: Lionel Barrymore— February 21. A melodrama that is above the average ; acting of Lionel Barrymore, especially fine. Suitable for any theatre. Good appeal. — George Lodge, Green Lantern theatre, Claymont, Del. — General patronage. ON ZE BOULEVARD: Lew Cody— February 27. Six reels of film wasted. Don't play it. But you expect 6uch as this from MGM, the talk of the public, young blood, etc. Oh Geel How can theyl — Majestic theatre. Perry, 111. — Small town patronage. UPSTAGE: Norma Shearer— March 10. Didn't care much for this one, although we find Metros very consistent pictures. Six reels. — Mrs. C. Knox, Star theatre. Villa Grove, 111. — Small town patronage. FOREIGN DEVILS: Tim McCoy— February 28. This one like all of McCoy's features was a good picture. Plenty of action and good action. A very good average production. — George Lodge, Green Lantern theatre, Claymont, Del. — General patronage. THE FRONTIERSMAN: Special cast— February 25. Can't say much for this one. Drew a fair house, but they didn't go wild over it. Hope that the rest of them are better than this one was. — Paul B. Hoffman, Legion theatre, Holyrood, Kan. — Small town patronage. Paramount THE ROUGH RIDERS: Special cast^-50%. March 4-5. This is a good picture and a big picture. The cast is splendid. Gave good satisfaction. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. THE ROUGH RIDERS: Special cast— One of the very best I've shown for some time. You can't bill too strong. It's in line with history and faithfully portrays the Spanish-American and Filipino War. A good one for two days. Many nice comments. Might add that many got the idea it was a Western, but when they saw it nearly everyone boosted it. Well directed and each player fits in perfectly. Many said, "The best I've 6een for some time." Ten reels. — W. D. Tarkington, Realto theatre, Keota, Okla. — Small town patronage. THE MYSTERIOUS RIDER: Jack Holt— 12%. February 28. Good picture which failed to register very high for two nights. Well, we give them good pictures : they want still better ones ; so that's the way they come and go here. Six reels. — Rudolf Duba, Royal theatre. Kimball, S. D. — General patronage. MAN POWER: Richard Dix— 39%. Jaunary 19. A dandy picture. Six reels. — Mrs. Hulda J. Green, Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. BLIND ALLEYS: Thomas Meighan— 50%. February 26. Very dandy show. Tom is always easy to look at and this picture was short, but excellent. Six reels. — Rudolf Duba, PJoyal theatre, Kimball, S. D. — General patronage. A GENTLEMAN FROM PARIS: Adolphe Menjou — 75%. March 3. Not quite as good as most of Menjou's pictures, or perhaps they are getting tired of this actor in same roles. Six reels. — C. B. Burkhardt. Pastime theatre. Homer, 111.— Small town patronage. METROPOLIS: Special cast— 25%. March 1. Went over the heads of the people here. Marvelous photography and settings. Eight reels. — Mrs. Hulda J. Green, Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. THE SECRET HOUR: Pola Negri— March 3. Brother Exhibitor, if you have any moral people In your town who you are depending on for your business, don't play "The Secret Hour." Absolutely the poorest picture we have ever played in my many years of experience in the picture business. I can't understand how the stars could have made this picture without showing a red face. "The Secret Hour" has made a hearty supporter of the Brookhart Bill. Let's have morality in our picture business for humanity's sake, Mr. Hays. — M. S. Freezor, Badin theatre, Badin, N. C. — General patronage. THE SHOWDOWN: George Bancroft— Good story, good cast. Well directed picture. Patrons told me they liked this one. Eight reels.— Whitney Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — General patronage.