Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

October 20. 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 63 J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum BELLEVILLE. KAN, Oct. 4, 1923. DEAR HERALD-WORLD: Folks, meet Sam Blair of Belleville, Kansas. Sam, get up and take your hat off. There, that's more like it. Maybe you don t know Sam Blair, there are some people who don"t, but that isn't Sam's fault. Kansas, as you know, is noted for her high winds, and these Jayhawkers down here claim it is on account of Sam. Same reminds us very much of Crockett Brown of Na?hwauk, Minnesota, except that he doesn't look like him nor talk nor act like him and his Bullfoundland pup is a Patagonian ?kypoodle, but Sam says he i an Al Smith Republican and Crockett claims to be a Hoover Democrat and if that isn't a Duke's Mixture then Bull Durham "ain't no bull." Belleville is a right smart town, as Phil Rand would say, but that's because it is located so close to Nebraska, and the Nebraska people pile over there in such numbers to see Sam's show that he has started a movement to have the names of the streets changed. He wants to call one Wabash avenue and the other one Broadway, and the alley back of his new theatre he insists on calling South Dearborn street. Sam has started to build his new theatre, and Sam started to tell J. C. Jenkins us about it but we stopped him. We told him we would prefer to get our information from Mrs. Blair, for we could rely on what she said about it. Sam -aid he had contracted for Vitaphone to be installed the first of next May and that the agent told him that Belleville was the smallest town in the United States to have this installation. We looked at Mrs. Blair for confirmation of tljis and she admited it to be true, so we presume it is. We could have had title to this new theatre just as easy as falling off a log. Sam wanted to bet it on the results of this presidential election but we wouldn't call his bet out of consideration for Mrs. Blair. We did make him a substantial wager, however, on Oklahoma and New York, and we told him when we left that after election we would write him where to send the money. After hearing Sam's description of his new theatre we asked him where the Kansas asylum was located and he replied, "Well, that don't make any difference, Kansas isn't taking care of Nebraska's patients and you can get right back over the line." He's so touchy that way. There is a river close to Belleville called the Republican. We asked Mrs. Blair how they happened to give it that name and she said it was because it was so crooked. Now wasn't that a bright remark for a perfectly lovely lady to make? ** * * Sam says he is going to call his theatre "The Blair"1 and we told him if he did he wouldn't need any cooling system and he should equip it with shock absorbers, for if it was going to be as fine as he claimed it would be the public would need some protection. Well, anyhow, the Blair i* going to be a mighty spiff y house and Sam and Belleville are to be congratulated. Sam says when it is completed he will send the HERALD-WORLD a photograph of the interior and exterior, but will he? Sam has said a lot of things before, that's why Kansas is so windy. Sam called us "Daddy" and b'gosh we don't like it. We want him to know that our proper title is "Grandpa." • » » There was a man drove into Wichita today with a "Hoover and Curtis" sign on his car and there were three photographers gathered around the car to get a photograph of it. Now let Whitmore tell one. * * * We are all fixed for the winter now. We bought a new suit, a new overcoat, a new hat, a new pair of shoes and two pair* of stepins, only ours button in from, and we didn't ask our wife for a nickel. And besides that the dealer threw in a pair of suspenders, a pair of silk socks, a silk handkerchief, a silk tie and a percale sky blue lavender shirt and Marjorie said, "Dad, they'll take you for Al Smith now," and we replied, "Well then, you can bet vour monev on Herb." » * » SALINA, KAN., Oct. 5th. Tonight, through the courtesy of Mr. F. C. McPhail, manager of the Strand theatre, we saw Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings." We will not attempt a review of this picture because we are not a writer of reviews, we prefer to leave that in more competent hands, but we are willing to be quoted as saying that, in our judgment, in "The King of Kings" Mr. DeMille has given the screen the best production since moving pictures w?re known. In making this statement we are not unmindful of "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben Hur." We are making no predictions as to whether this picture will break house records or be a frost. It was having its fourth night showing when we saw it and the usher had difficulty in finding us a seat in a house with a capacity of one thousand, and in a town with a population of 20,000. In our opinion "The King of Kings" will be disappointing to the flapper, the feather-head and the gravel train for it contains no "jaz," "sex appeal" nor "Rough House Rosie" stuff, but it is a picture made for those who think. I wish we could have more pictures like '"The King of Kings" and few pictures like The Dove" and "Beggars of Life." With more films like "The King of Kings," I believe {Continued on next page) we didn't make expenses. Good print and photography. Seven reels. — Robert K. Yancey. Bonny theatre. Mansfield. Mo. — General patronage. KNOCKOUT RILEY: Richard Dix— This one i£ sure okay. The last two reels are full of action. Pleased all classes. — W. L. Crouse, Ideal theatre. Bloomer. Wis. — General patronage. THE ROUGH RIDERS: Special cast— August 1920. Fine picture. — C. P. Washman. Roxy theatre, Skellytown, Tex. — General patronage. IT: Clara Bow — Just right. Don't miss it. — F. E. Sabin. Majestic theatre. Eureka. Mont. — Small town patronage. BEAl" SABREl'R: Gary Cooper— August 5-S. Fairly good but not extra for a special. — C. P. Washman, Roxy theatre. Skellytown, Tex. — General patronage. Pathe-P D C THE PRAIRIE PIRATE: Harry Carey— 15V September 29. This looked like a talkie print considering the number of titles cut out. The worst cut ua print we've ever screened for an audience. The few that came didn't enjoy it as about half of it had been cut out. Five reels. — G. O. Tunstall, Midway theatre, Martinsville, Ya. — Small town patronage. WALKING BACK: Sue Carol — It is unique. Has some weird situations. The auto fight is unusual of late, at least. We did a fine business. — E. T. Mathes. Avalon theatre. Bellingham, Wash. — General patronage. DRESS PARADE: William Boyd— September 30October 1. As an education picture of the doings at West Point, this is good, but for entertainment pur Your BOX OFFICE RECORD will be delivered to you in the issue of nove:\iber 3 as a department of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World poses, I believe "West Point" with Haines is better. Eight reels. — Wm. E. Tragsdorf. Trags theatre. Neillsville. Wis. — Small town patronage. FOR WIVES ONLY: Marie Prevost— Attendance light. Picture only fair. — Marion Bodwell. Paramount theatre, Wyoming. 111. — General patronage. Tiffany-Stahl ONCE AND FOREVER: Mary Astor— September 25-26. A very good program picture. Something out of the ordinary, which pleased. Seven reels. — Wm. E. TragBdorf. Trags theatre. Neillsville. Wis. — General patronage. United Artists RAMONA: Dolores Del Rio— 100V September 2627-28. "Sorrell and Son." broke the house records, but "Ramona" topped it by $4.00. A perfect picture with one exception. There'6 no comedy to relieve the wonderful acting. Del Rio and Baxter in their respective roles, are supreme. Book it and boost it. Eight reels. — G. O. Tunstall. Midway theatre. Martinsville, Va. — Small town patronage. RAMONA: Dolores Del Rio — 75% September 1415. This is in a class of pictures by itself, for United Artists is one company that is making good pictures but holding prices up high for most exhibitors. I bought it right and made some money. Take it. boys, if you can buy it at the right price. Will stand a little raise in price but not too much. Eight reels. — T. T. Mitchell. Central theatre, Madison, Va. — General patronage. RAMONA: Dolores Del Rio— Well, this picture draws them in and that is a part of which we showmen want. So you can look for the crowd on this one. It's gone over good everywhere it'3 been shown from the reports I have seen and heard but for my part I have seen better pictures. Eight reels. — Walter Odom & Sons, Dixie theatre. Durant, Miss. — General patronage. Universal ANYBODY HERE SEEN KELLY: Special cast — 95%. September 15. Very pleasing to all classes.— H. W. Kerr. Kerr theatre. Little Sioux. Ia. — Small town patronage. HOW TO HANDLE WOMEN: Glenn Tryon— 70%. September 26. Tryon is one of the real comedy stars on our program. He and Denny are the best. ■ — Maynard Madden, New Virginia theatre, Harrisburg, Va. — General patronage.