Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

Associated Exhibitors HEADLINES. Star, Alice Joyce. Bobby, the daughter, going wrong fast, smoking, drinking, dancing; but Alice saves her by sacrificing love, honor and all for Bobby. Tone no, appeal about one half. Hardly for Sunday, could be special. Town 570. Admission 10-25. J. W. Ryder, Jewel Theatre, Verndale, Minnesota. R B. O. KING OF THE TURF. Star, Kenneth Harlan. Patsy Ruth Miller also starred in this picture and that little peach sure did her stuff fine. Race horse pictures do not draw any more owing to the multitude of them made last year, but this one has two extra good races in it — very thrilling. Tone O.K. Fair appeal. Sunday yes, special no. Draw general class, town about 1,000. Admission 10-25 to 15-35. H. H. H'edberg, Amuse-U Theatre, Melville, Louisiana. KOSHER KITTY KELLY, (6,105 feet). Star, Viola Dana. Just a fair program picture. It would go good in certain places but not here. Good photography. Tone O.K. Appeal fair. Sunday, yes, special no. Draw town, rural class, town 896. Admission 1025. Mrs. S. J. Brown & Son, Phoenix Theatre (200 seats), Neola, Iowa. NO-GUN MAN. (4,522 feet). Star, Bob Custer. Very good Saturday night picture. Draw farm class, town 412. Admission 1025. Leveck & Garner, Benoit Auditorium, Benoit, Mississippi. NON-STOP FLIGHT. (6 reels). If all the Gold Bonds were like this we would be better off if the studio burned down while they were making them. Story too old. Stephen G. Brenner, Eagle Theatre, Baltimore, Maryland. NON-STOP FLIGHT. (6 reels). Very good. No mistake in playing this one. It has lots of drawing power and will please. A good bet for any night in the week. Tone fair, appeal 70 per cent. Sunday, special no. Town 2.900. Admission 10-25, 15-35. A. E. Andrews, Opera House (486 seats), Emporium, Pennsylvania. SECRET ORDERS. Star, Evelyn Brent, This picture is a dandy. Had we advertised this big we might have done an enormous business. Pleased all. Boost it. It’s great. Plenty of action, etc. Mitchell C'onery, Columbia Theatre, Rennsalaer, New York. SMILING AT TROUBLE. Star, Lefty Flynn. Flynn is much better in this picture: he was the “bunk” in the earlier westerns but is O.K. now. Tone fair, appeal 85 per cent. Sunday, special, no. Draw general class, town 150. Admission 10-30. Robert W. Hines, Hines Theatre (150 seats), Loyalton, South Dakota. SMILING AT TROUBLE. (6 reels). Star, Lefty Flynn. A good program picture and some better than his other pictures that we have had. The comedy in the picture was good and seemed to please the few who saw it. Should stand up for a two day run. Tone good, appeal 90 per cent. Sunday yes, special no. Draw general class, town 600. Admission 10-25, 15-35. W. C. Snyder, Cozy Theatre (265 seats), Lamont, Oklahoma. TOUGH GUY. Star, Fred Thomson. One of the best Thomson pictures we have shown. Pleased a hundred per cent. They sure come out to see Thomson and Silver King. Much better story than in the later pictures. Tone good, appeal 100 per cent. Sunday, special no. Draw town, country class, town 860. Admission 10-25. Oren J. Boys, we volunteer these reports as unbiased tips on pictures we have played. You can depend on us, as brother exhibitors, to play fair; these tips are not paid for — they are given to you for better booking your shows. Because we set the example by sending tips we have the right to urge you to do likewise. If we are helping you, as we try to do, turn in and help us by sending your picture tips. OUR GANG. Spalti, Strand Theatre (235 seats), Pleasantville, Iowa. WHEN LOVE GROWS COLD. Star, Natacha Rambova. This picture does not register; neither does the star. It does not get any business or please those who happen to drop in out of curiosity. Total loss on two nights showing. Tone, appeal none. Sunday, special no. Town 2,900. Admission 10-25, 15-30. A. E. Andrews, Opera House (486 seats), Emporium, Pennsylvania. WILD TO GO. (4,570 feet). Star, Tom Tyler. The usual good Tyler western, pleased the natives with fair patronage. Tone good, appeal 95 per cent. Sunday, special no. Draw general class, city 23,000. Admission 10-25. Ed C. Cnrdts, Bijou Theatre (300 seats), GreenviMe, South Carolina. First National R ANSON’S FOLLY. Star, Richard Barthelmess. Should have been titled “Farewell to thee,” as we do not want any more of Dick’s pictures. This one capped the climax (also completed contract), and it was positively one poor strip of celluloid entertainment. Personally think Dick a great actor but the stories he has been given have about knocked him out. First three reels are taken up in showing how impetuous the hero is, then the story begins. Had lots of walkouts. Tone O. K. Appeal none here. Sunday yes, special no. HANSON’S FOLLY. Star Richard Barthelmess. Richard Barthelmess has been a bad office star here for some time. Dorothy Mackaill is getting quite popular. But the two together failed to get over here, in this picture, which proved unsatisfactory from every angle. Dorothy Mackaill did not have a part suited to her talents. I hope that the directors or the powers that be will some day realize that you can’t make a toe dancer out of a Sara Bernhardt or Divine Sara out of a toe dancer. Or — in plainer words — let the stars do what they are best in. Tone, Sunday, O. K. Appeal none. Special no. Draw all types, town 3,000. Admission 10-30. M. W. Lamour, National Theatre (430 seats), Graham Texas. RECKLESS LADY. (7,224 feet). Star, Belle Bennett. This would have been a good picture in six reels, but eight made it too long! Made the story move at a snail’s pace. Miss Bennett’s acting was good and she was well supported by Lois Moran and others of the cast. Tone fair, appeal fair minus. Sunday yes, here, special no. Draw SCARLET WEST. (5,391 feet). Another program western, but at that better than, the Flaming Frontier though it didn’t draw me so much money. Tone good, appeal 50 per cent. Sunday, special no. H. L. Beudon, Grand Theatre, Port Allegany, Pennsylvania. SENOR DAREDEVIL. Star, Ken Maynard, with Dorothy Devore. Very good western show. Believe Maynard is a coming western star; if his other pictures are as good he will be a box office bet. Tone O. K, appeal good. Sunday if you want westerns that day, nearly a special. Draw town, rhral class, town 896. Admission 10-25. Mrs. S. J. Brown & Son, Phoenix Theatre (200 seats), Neola, Iowa. SUNDOWN. (9,000 feet). Not the big special it is represented to be, and much too long. One patron said he thought the cows would never get there and I believe the thought was universal. Not enough action for the excess footage. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall, Chester, Vermont. TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP. (5,830 feet). Star, Harry Langdon. Personally I did not care much for this picture, but our audience ate it up and we did a very big business on it. Everyone said it was a real good feature comedy. Appeal great. Special yes. Mitchell Conery, Columbia Theatre, Rensselaer, New York. WILDERNESS WOMAN. (7, 533' feet). Star, Aileen Pringle. A good, clean comedy that will send them away satisfied. The adventures of an old Alaska miner and his daughter in New York. Chester Conklin is the miner and h<* is really funny. Tone good, appeal 90 per cent. Sunday yes, -special no. Draw farm class, town 400. Admission 1015. Ross S. King, Opera House (250 seats), Barnes City, Jowa. WILDERNESS WOMAN. Star , cast includes Anna Q. Nilsson. A knockout comedy melo. Hits the family theatregoers strong. Well acted, great comedy. Tone good, appeal very good. Sunday, special yes. Draw family class, city 40,000. Admission 10-50. Johnny Jones, Washington, Orpheum Theatres (1,000 seats), Quincy, Illinois. WINDS OF CHANGE. Star cast. One real picture from every angle. It not onl, pleased my patrons, but it drew a real crowd. If you have a lot of action-loving fans, book it: it will please them. Tone good, appeal 95 per cent. Sunday, special yes. Dray farm King, Opera House (250 seats), Barnes City, class, town 400. Admission 10-15. R^ss S. Iowa. Fox THREE BAD MEN. The people have to take off their hats to William Fox for this one. John Ford, the director, will long be remembered as he did a whale of a job on Three Bad Men. Olive Borden, George O’Brien are perfect. J. Farrell Macdonald, Tom Santschi, Frank Campeau are the three best bad men that I have ever seen. Not one knock on this one, but plenty of praise. Don’t be afraid of it. Go after it and you will pack your house one hundred per cent. Every inch of film is, here, twenty miles ahead of Covered Wagon. Yes as special. Priscilla Theatre, Lewiston, Maine. TRIP TO CHIINATOYVN. A fair program picture. About the best of the Fox specials we have run so far. Tone O. K., appeal fair. Sunday yes, special no. Draw town, rural class, town 896. Admission 10-25. Mrs. S. J. Brown & Son, Phoenix Theatre (200 seats), Neola, Iowa. WAGES FOR WIVES. Star, Madge Bellamy. A dandy small town picture. I saw this In Baltimore, and my own audience in the country town was much more appreciative than that of the city. Tone good, appeal fine. Sunday, special no. Draw farm class, town 412. Admission 10-25. Leveck & Garner, Benoit Auditorium (100 seats), Benoit, Mississippi. YANKEE SENOR. (4,900 feet). Star, Tom