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December 27, 1924
EXHIBITORS HERALD
179
OH BOY!
By DANNY of Film Daily
There are great pictures. Fine pictures. Artistic pictures.
And then there are great box office successes.
And the fine artistic pictures. Are not necessarily the great box office successes.
Which prefaces this:
That “Broken Laws” (F. B. O.) should be one of the great box office successes. Of 1925. Because it will be released far too late. To make much of a dent. Of what is left of 1924. But watch it go. Even with the few days left of the year.
Here’s a woman s picture. Built for women. Mothers particularly. And if it isn’t a clean up. If it doesn’t set women talking their heads off. Then this is a bad day for predictions.
Mrs. Wally Reid produced it. You know what “Human Wreckage” did. Well this one looks to beat that. All hollow. The story is far more interesting. Not so morbid. And tells of how a pampering mother spoiled her son. Until he kills an old woman with his car — is sentenced to manslaughter, and the mother then tries to take the blame on herself.
If you think the courtroom scene of “Madame X” was a wallop — with the son defending his mother — you’ll get another greater kick. When you see the mother in this one, pleading to take the punishment meted to her son. Boy, what a kick!
They finish this with a dream ending. Sort of lets you down. Think it would have been better otherwise. But that’s just a trifling matter of individual opinion. Because no matter what they do with it. This one registers sure fire.
‘‘Broken Laws” may not get a listing. By the critics. As one of the best pictures for 1925. But unless all signs fail. It will make a real record. At the box office. Fd rather have box office records. For mine. Than the likes — or dislikes — of critics.
Although released only a few days and although selling has not even started through our 34 exchanges — more than 84 first-run theatres have booked “BROKEN LAWS.” In New York City, last week, 33 Exhibitors saw “BROKEN LAWS” in our Projection Room, and the entire 33 of them booked the picture without stepping outside of the room. 14 of these 33 exhibitors announced their intentions to shelve another costly feature in order to play “BROKEN LAWS” after they had seen it. Play dates now being booked through our 34 exchanges in order of Exhibitors’ applications. Film Booking Offices of America, Inc., 723 7th Ave., New York City.