Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

April 12, 1930 71 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD MGM NAVY BLUES (AT) : William Haines— March 19-20. Very good picture that will please all classes. Disc recording good. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre. DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. NAVY BLUES (AT) : William Haines— March 21-22. Putrid. The kind of picture that goes over well in a red light district, but kills business in a decent house. Gave out a number of free passes to the Scotch element in the hope of interesting them in talkies. They all came the first night, but after this crude exhibition, I don’t suppose they will ever come of their own accord. And how I was hooked on the price. It is obvious that if the price of talkies doesn’t come to silent levels, I will be dark next winter, if I last till then. Recording fair at first, but excellent the last few reels. Eight reels. — B. R. Johnson, Orpheum theatre, Kerrobert. Sask., Canada. — Small town patronage. THEIR OWN DESIRE: Norma Shearer — A pleasing and entertaining picture, with a fine part for this charming star. — Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich. — General patronage. THEIR OWN DESIRE (AT) : Norma Shearer— Our patrons liked this one very much. Norma plays her part very well, as well as balance of the cast. Recording on disc good. Seven reels. — Parkside theatre, Clinton, la. — General patronage. THE DUKE STEPS OUT: William Haines— A really good picture. All entertainment. Seven reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. IT’S A GREAT LIFE (AT): Duncan Sisters— One that satisfied our patrons. Recording on disc not up to M G M standard. Nine reels. — Parkside theatre, Clinton, la. — General patronage. HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT (AT): John Gilbert— February 19-20. This picture was a flop for us, largely because of its very poor recording and directing. All the players, except Gilbert and Owens, clowned their parts and rushed their lines. It was just no good. John Gilbert was the best one in it. Voice included. Eight reels.— R. D. Carter, Fairfax theatre. Kilmarnock, Va. — General patronage. HALLELUJAH (AT) : Special cast — March 12-15. Got by with this one, but it is no big picture for small towns. My patrons don’t like negroes anyway. Glad when it was over. Disc okay. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre, DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. DYNAMITE (AT) : Special cast — March 5-6. This is a big town picture which failed to do business for me. Those who saw it liked it. Disc recording good. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre, DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. NOT SO DUMB (AT) : Marion Davies — Not so hot. Did not seem to click. Good in spots, but there is something decidedly lacking. Recording, sound-onfilm good. Nine reels. — J. D. Warnock, Luna theatre. Battle Creek, la. — Small town patronage. THE BISHOP MURDER CASE (AT) : Basil Rathbone — Basil Rathbone is not as good as William Powell in the part of Philo Vance, but the production is okay. Audience liked it. Recording all right. Rathbone talks too fast just as he did in “The Last of Mrs. Cheney.” — Frank R. Adams, The Playhouse theatre, Whitehall, Mich. — General patronage. SPITE MARRIAGE : Buster Keaton — Another of Buster’6 good ones. Get it. Seven reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. MORGAN’S LAST RAID: Tim McCoy— Ordinary civil war stuff. Fair. Six reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Prineess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. SIOUX BLOOD: Tim McCoy — This Indian warfare picture has a good deal better story than the run of Westerns to hold the interest. Was well liked. Six reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. OUR MODERN MAIDENS (ME): Joan Crawford — February 3-4. A good silent picture, or should be run as such. We made the mistake of using score. A picture that pleased and did fair business. Eight reels. — R. D. Carter, Fairfax theatre, Kilmarnock, Va. — General patronage. WISE GIRLS (AT) : Special cast — February 17-18. An extra good feature comedy, yet it did not do business for us. It may have been because the players were not well known. But they were very good, everyone of them. The recording was the best we have had from MGM. Seven reels., — R. D. Carter, Fairfax theatre, Kilmarnock, Va. — General patronage. MYSTERIOUS LADY (ME): Greta Garbo— Good picture, but Garbo will not draw here. — B. R. Johnson, Orpheum theatre, Kerrobert, Sask., Canada. — Small town patronage. SHIP FROM SHANGHAI (AT): Special cast— March 22. A very heavy picture and with all due respect to Metro for attempting something different in the talkies. The recording is spotty, you will want someone on the volume control most of the time. Great acting on Wolheim’s part with one or two scenes that didn’t seem quite necessary. Should please your old Western crowd on Saturday night. Eight reels. — G. B. Orne, Richmond theatre, Richmond, Vt. — Small town patronage. THE PAGAN : Ramon Novarro — An artistically produced entertaining picture. But I played it during the blizzard. Result no business. Seven reels. — J. C. MaeKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. TIDE OF EMPIRE: Special cast — Just fair program quality. Seven reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. CHASING RAINBOWS (AT) : Special cast— March 18-19. A box office natural. Pleased everybody. A better audience picture than “Broadway Melody.” Drew exceptionally well the second night. Beautiful technicolor scenes. Reproduction on disc good. Nine reels. — W. J. Powell, Lonet theatre, Wellington, O. — Small town patronage. HOLLYWOOD REVUE (AT): Special cast— January 27-28-29. Very good entertainment of the revue type. Our patrons liked it, and it did fair business for us. One thing to its credit is that it brought out Cliff Edwards and Jack Benny. Most country people like a picture with a story. Recording on disc fair. Twelve reels. — R. D. Carter, Fairfax theatre, Kilmarnock, Va. — General patronage. Paramount WELCOME DANGER (AT) : Harold Lloyd— March 23-24-25. Sound on film. A great entertainment. Good story, very funny. Star always great, and he had fine support. I call it his best picture. He can talk and say plenty. Gave 100 per cent satisfaction here. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. ILLUSION (AT) : Buddy Rogers — A clever show, with disc recording very good. Eight reels. — Lee Brewerton, Capital theatre, Raymond, Alta., Canada. — General patronage. TAKE ME HOME: Bebe Daniels — I didn’t think my people would stand for another one of these back stage stories, but this one drew fairly well and pleased. — Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich. — General patronage. THE PATRIOT: Emil Jannings — Expensively produced, but the kind they raise H — with you for showing. Would class it with “The Man Who Laughs,” which I was also unfortunate enough to book. Ten reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. HALF WAY TO HEAVEN (AT) : Buddy Rogers— March 27-28. Business good. The best all-talking action picture we have played in sound. Not a Western. Seven reels. — Dave Helbig, Woodlawn theatre, Cheviot, O. — Small town patronage. DANGEROUS CURVES: Clara Bow— Will get by. but Clara has appeared in better. Seven reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. POINTED HEELS (AT) : Special cast— March 23-24. The biggest Sunday business we have had in six months. This is a real all star picture, with good song numbers in it. Six reels. — Dave Helbig, Woodlawn theatre, Cheviot, O. — Small town patronage. BEHIND THE MAKEUP (AT): Special cast— A very good production. One that will fill the bill any time. It is most interesting and recording on disc is okay. So play and don’t worry about recording. Eight reels. — W. H. Brenner, Cozy theatre, Winchester, Ind. — General patronage. DARKENED ROOMS (AT) : Evelyn BrentMarch 10-11. Just another picture. No drawing power, disc recording fair. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre, DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (AT) : Special cast — March 17-18. Just another talking picture that doesn’t mean anything. Complete flop second night. Disc recording rotten. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre, DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. THREE WEEK ENDS: Clara Bow— March 15. Just a good program picture. Nothing to rave about. Bow no great shakes here. — F. E. Sabin, Majestic theatre. Eureka, Mont. — Small town patronage. Patlie PARIS BOUND (AT) : Special cast — I do not like a picture of this kind. All talking and everybody trying to talk at the same time. Just conversation without much of a story. The interest of such talking pictures, as this one, is about over now. We want some talking that is thrilling, music, songs, action and pep. And excitement that will keep the audience wide awake and waiting for more, for their hungry craving for jazz, love, and pleasure. — Walter Odom & Sons, Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage. OH YEAH (AT): Special cast— March 22. Very pleasing program picture that packed them in on Saturday. Good picture, good business and everybody pleased. Disc recording okay. Eight reels. — R. A. Wilson, New theatre, DeWitt, Ark. — General patronage. THE LEATHERNECK: William Boyd— March 22. A darned good Saturday picture, but nobody knew it. Business very light. I don’t see why it should have fallen off on this one. Print not so good. The continuity was a joke. Somebody sure operated on this with a big pair of shears. Eight reels. — O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. GRAND PARADE (AT) : Special cast — Pathe made a lot of whoopee about this one, but somewhere it missed fire a long way. Centainly it did not click with my folks. They rated it as one of the poorest pictures that we had run. That was the consensus of the majority of those I talked to about it. Helen Twelvetrees was splendid, but it was not the right kind of a picture to suit this house, and we went south plenty on it. — Columbia theatre, Columbia City, Ind. — General patronage. THE FLYING FOOL: William Boyd— Has a good cast, but the scenario work is amateurish and the result was not up to expectations. Seven reels. — J. C. MacKenzie, Princess theatre, Seaforth, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. THE FLYING FOOL: William Boyd— March 17. The sound print may be a wow, but the silent print is just another Boyd, with a few planes and some long distance stunting. Only a program and nothing extra. — F. E. Sabin, Majestic theatre. Eureka, Mont. — Small town patronage. MARKED MONEY: Junior Coghlan— March 26. Have noticed some knocks on this picture, in this department, and I think the knockers must have misbooked this one. All I can say is that it gave excellent satisfaction to my bargain night crowd. Print and photography both good. While my business was practically cut in two due to March blizzard, that was better than I had expected. So it must have had the power to draw them in through the storm. Six reels. — O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. RICH PEOPLE: Constance Bennett — February 21. A dandy picture. Beautifully made, and excellently played. Gave satisfaction and did a nice business. We played it silent, but it should be better in sound. Six reels. — R. D. Carter, Fairfax theatre, Kilmarnock, Va. — General patronage. SAILOR’S HOLIDAY (AT): Alan Hale— March 6-7. I have seen several favorable reports on this picture, but I cannot see how they were right. I thought it a very poor offering, and my patrons verified my own opinion. There is absolutely nothing to it, I would advise you to see it before you book it. Recording on disc fair. Seven reels. — E. F. Ingram, Ingram’s theatre, Ashland, Ala. — Small town patronage. SQUARE SHOULDERS: Special cast — March 16. Here is a dandy in silent form. Should be a crackerjack in talking version. Seven reels. — William Bosse, Jr., LaSirena theatre. Providence, R. I. — General patronage. SQUARE SHOULDERS: Special casL-A mighty fine upstanding and entertaining picture. It’s a pleasure to show them like this. It drew fairly well and pleased 100 per cent. — Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre, Mason, Mich. — General patronage. THE RACKETEER (AT) : Robert Armstrong — March 17-18. Very splendid offering, with sound on disc good. Six reels. — Lee Brewerton, Capitol theatre, Raymond, Alta., Canada. — General patronage. THE SOPHOMORE (AT) : Eddie Quillan— Just pure entertainment. The amateur show sequence caused as much laughter as a Laurel-Hardy comedy and that’s all the praise we can give. Disc recording adequate. — Frank R. Adams, The Playhouse theatre, Whitehall, Mich. — General patronage. Rayart SISTERS OF EVE: Special cast — March 19. Good enough. Drew fairly well, and pleased a bargain night audience. Can’t kick on these Rayarts at the price I pay. Six reels. — O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. ES RETURN THE GUARANTEED $1200 RADIOTONE TALKIE EQUIPMENT If your business does not improve in 4 months. This plan saves you a possible burden. Radiotone is popular. Recently we were selling Pathe Radiotone for $2000. But increased sales and production enables the price reduction down to $1200. 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