Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

58 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD October 4, 1930 w THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY LETTERS FROM READERS Don't Make 'Em Any Better HERE ARE COMMENTS ON A FEW pictures I have used lately : Loving the Ladies (RKO), a fairly good picture but not the entertainment of "Seven Keys to Baldpate." The River (Fox), another good one by Farrel and Duncan. Alias French Gertie (RKO), not much to it. You won't miss very much if you don't see it. Thunder (MGM), one of the best Chaney pictures I have shown. Shooting Straight is a good program picture. Christina (Fox), Lone Star Ranger (Fox), and City Girl (Fox) are all mighty fine pictures, and don't be afraid to step on them. If they don't satisfy, there's none that will, as they don't make them any better. Case of Sergeant Grischa (RKO) is a box office flop from start to finish. Nothing but a lot of film wasted. — James Graff, Photoplay theatre, Havensville, Kan. No Draw, Says Hancock HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE I WOULD like to report on — Sins of the Children (MGM). Why the producers go out and get these old stage stars with a broken dialect and foist them onto the public is more than I can tell. This Sins of the Children is about as poor a picture from the audience point of view as we have ever pla^-ed. It is the first time in some months that we have had walkouts, the last being another Metro picture — Redemption, with John Gilbert. Laemmle commits the same error with Conrad Veidt. They don't mean a thing to the average audience. No draw at the box office. Louis Mann may be a draw in the legitimate stage but he is a long way from it in pictures. The average small town exhibitor has been in a tough spot this year and it looks a little brighter with good weather, but pictures must be good to hold them. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia theatre, Columbia City, Ind. Three Outstanding Films WE RECENTLY HAD THREE OUT standing plays, Flight (Col), So This Is London (Fox), and The Border Legion (Par). The Texan (Par), Son of the Gods (FN), and Untamed (MGM) were good. Melody Man (Col), Mexicali Rose (Col), The Golden Calf (Fox) were fair to good; Harmony at Home (Fox), and Sweethearts and Wives (FN) not so good, just will get by. So This is London caused more comment than any play we have had to date. People are wild about Will Rogers, especially the old* r people. This brought out people seldom seen in the theatre, and the Democrats came out strong. Everyone likes his droll ways and pithy sayings in their homely garb. They think he is a real old-time American of the old hickory flays. I wish Fox would give him other plays just like this, with Will discovering Germany, China, Japan, etc., and getting off his dry witticisms and take-offs, both on the country — in the title — and on ours. He is a mental as well as a box office tonic. Ralph Graves, Jack Holt and Lila Lee put Flight with a bang. It is as good as Wings. Richard Arlen, Jack Holt and Fay Universal's "Dracula" To Have Romance and Thrills (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 2. — After puzzling for a week as to whether "Dracula," soon to be produced by Universal, should be a thriller or a romance, Carl Laemmle, Jr., and Tod Browning decided to make it both. Accordingly, Lewis Ayres, whose work in "All Quiet on the Western Front" brought him into real prominence, and Helen Chandler have been cast as the two lovers. As for the thrill portion, Louis Bromfield has written a screen adaptation of the novel by Bram Stoker which is said to preserve every possible thrill of the story. Bela Lugosi has been engaged to play Count Dracula, the role which he created on the New York stage, and Edward Van Sloan, also of the original cast, has been signed to play Van Helsing. Universal chiefs expect "Dracula" to achieve a popularity equal to that of "Seventh Heaven." Wray make a fine trio in The Border Legion, and it's a dandy Zane Grey Western. The two-reel comedies in the talkies are nearly all perfectly rotten, regardless of the producer. The cartoon comedies, as a rule, are good. We played Metro's first Colortone one-reel, Manhattan Serenade. First half, awful ! Last half, wonderful ! People walked out on the first part and missed the good part (Ziegfeld Follies in Technicolor). If you play this, cut out all but color sequence. A prize of $1,000 is offered for exhibitors telling us what is the exact plot of Sweethearts and Wives. I heard two old men on the sidewalk talking after the show. One said, "Bill, what was that darned thing about, anyhow?" "I dunno," the other replied, "except someone stole a diamond necklace, but I never did find out who the critter was." And neither did I. — Philip Rand, Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho. Educator Extols Technic Of "The Big House" (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2. — MetroGoldwyn-Mayer points out as an interesting sidelight on the success of the prison drama, "The Big House," the number of spontaneous tributes accorded the film by editorial writers, educators and others. One of them is a signed article in a California paper, called "I Visit the Big House," by Glenn Frank, president of the University of Wisconsin, in which he terms the picture: "In its technical excellence, one of the triumphs of the talking screen." Through? Hope Not! I WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS about the picture we are playing tonight. It's a Warner Brothers production under the name of Those Who Dance, and advertised by them as an underworld crime plot picture. This kind of paper advertising placed out in my lobby kills the interest of the picture long before it comes on my screen. In buying this kind of a picture and this kind of advertising I am buying something to ruin my business with. I am through, brother exhibitors, because after all we say and do, and all we have said and all we have done in the past, the big producers still ignore our wants and give us what suits them. So it's up to you to fight. I will wait for results and still read what you have to say. I'll play the pictures as they come from now on, but my comments on them are at an end. — Walter Odom & Sons, Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. (P. S. — Excuse everything. I have done the best I could, and I want to thank you.) Not Western Stuff? HERE ARE SOME REPORTS I WOULD like you to have. Mountain Justice (U) — no wonder Ken got through with Universal, or Universal got through with him. This Mountain Justice is about the biggest piece of cheese to call a Western that ever came out of a studio. In the first place, it has a theme song and a barn dance. Can you beat that in an action Western? "I Was Seeing Nelly Home." Buffalo girls with a trick alleged Kentucky mountain vernacular. The feud between the Harlens and the McTavishes. Oh, Lord, what a bunch of tripe to put a bang-up good Western star in ! I think the Laemmle aggregation need some talent from outside the family. It looks that way from the 1930 product that we played, and their Westerns have been the one bet we could depend upon to make up for the beating we took on their 1930 product. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia theatre, Columbia City, Ind. Plaque Draws Attention WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU for the valuable bronze plaque for good sound just awarded this theatre, and assure you that we consider same a great mark of honor. This plaque, now on display in our lobby, is attracting a great deal of attention from the general public, and we feel certain it will go a long way towards helping up the high standard of excellence in everything for_ which our house has been noted since its opening. Again thanking you, we are. — Henry F. Offutt, State theatre, Frankfort, Ky. Wants Disc Prints COULD YOU TELL ME, IF POSSIBLE, just why the so-called "ace" producers are giving the users of disc equipment only a bum deal in the matter of prints, and sometimes even sound? By this I mean, why do they insist upon sending sound-on-film prints (to disc users) that have been synchronized to discs? At times this practice becomes very dis