Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

January 10, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 53 there. The acting by both stars is good and the story is what didn't please, not the picture. Six reels. — George Khattar, Khattar's theatre, Sydney, N. S., Canada. — General patronage. THE ISLE OF LOST SHIPS, with Milton Sills. — A good picture with lots of action. Eight reels. — Charles Holtz, Princess theatre, Danforth, Me. — General patronage. CHILDREN OF THE DUST, with a special cast. — We had a mighty poor print on this, so can't say just how good it might have been. Seems to move pretty slow, but satisfied most of those who saw it. Six reels. — S. G. Ihde, Photoplay theatre, Ashland, Kan. — Small town patronage. MIGHTY LAK' A ROSE, with Dorothy Mackaill. — One of the best pictures I ever played. Eight reels. — Charles Holtz, Princess theatre, Danforth, Me. — General patronage. SMILIN' THROUGH, with Norma Talmadge.— A fine production and one that will please even the old. If you haven’t used it, get it. — W. A. Doreschlag, Strand theatre. Ransom, Kan. SMILIN' THROUGH, with Norma Talmadge. — • A fine production and one that will please even the old. If you haven't used it, get it. Reels good. Had a small crowd owing to storm. Lost money. No fault of picture, however. Eight reels. — W. A. Doerschlag, Strand theatre. Ransom, Kan. — Small town patronage. Fox THE CYCLONE RIDER, with a special cast. — Here is a real knock'em-cold melodrama. It has all the action one could possibly get into a picture and still have a plot. My patrons praised it very highly and it drew extra business. Seven reels. — A1 Powell, Highland theatre. Guthrie, Okla. — General patronage. TEETH, with Tom Mix. — A good Western with Tom and Tony supported by a very good acting Great Dane dog. Tom Mix has taken an awful flop for us this year ; gets about half the money at the box office he got last year. Wonder if those bum pictures he made last year have anything to do with it? Seven reels. — Steve Farrar, Orpheum theatre, Harrisburg, III. — General patronage. THE VAGABOND TRAIL, with Buck Jones.— A good Jones picture. Buck drawing better than he did the first of the year. Five reels. — H. M. Retz, Strand theatre, Lamont, Iowa. — Small town patronage. THE VAGABOND TRAIL, with Buck Jones. — A fair program picture, what we saw of it. You know there is nothing to my mind quite as bad as to get a print in which the readers are cut so short that no matter how slow you run it it is impossible to read them. A company or an exchange that puts out prints like that deserves no business. — O. R. Haus, Scenic theatre, Hastings, Minn. — General patronage. DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT, with a special cast. — William Fox has “cold decked” us again with this special. This is the sixth one of his new ones that I have .shown, and only one (‘‘It Is the Law) comes anyways near being a special. This one is absolutely the limit. All star cast of foreigners. No story, no nothing. Supposed to be a telephone story. Don’t ask any telephone employes to come see it. They will be ashamed of it. By all means, don’t attempt to show it but one night. Better still, don’t buy it. Seven reels. — R. W. Hickman, Lyric theatre, Greenville, 111. — General patronage. DOES IT PAY? with Hope Hampton. — If you have it booked, play it, it’s not so bad, but if you don’t have it booked, don’t buy it, as I would consider it just wasting a good play date. Seven reels. — H. M. Retz, Strand theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. THIS FREEDOM, with a special cast. — Not a motion picture ; so slow it can’t be classed as such. Moral is good, but is way overdone. So slow most of our patrons walked out, and I would have, too, only I wanted to see just how bad this one was, and I can say it’s terrible, if not worse. This is the first report I ever sent in of this kind and I hope it won’t be necessary again. This sort of picture will soon put exhibitors out of business. Sold as a special, but not even a poor program picture. Seven reels. — Louis Markum, Dream theatre, Indianapolis, Ind. • — Neighborhood patronage. NO MOTHER TO GUIDE HER, with a special east. — An extra good program picture. Has a fine moral to it. Paid just little more than program price, and it drew just a little more business. Eight reels. — H. M. Retz, Strand theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. EXILES, with John Gilbert. — ^A good program The Contributor’s Column F. J. O’Hara Sends Greetings to All. TO the Editor of the HERALD , to W. R. W. and all the members of the “Herald Only” Club: I wish to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to “What the Picture Did For Me” in the HERALD for I solely depend upon the reports in buying my pictures. I cannot see how an exhibitor can get along without these reports without getting a lot of bum pictures loaded onto him during a season. Of course the best of them will get stung once in a while, but these reports will help you to steer clear of a lot of them if you will keep in touch with them all the time. I read the reports £rst and the ads last, maybe. I cannot see why there are not more exhibitors joining the “Herald Only” Club. Let’s try and double the membership this next year. Who said “Second the motion”? Again thanking you all and wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, F. J. O’HARA, Community Theatre, Elgin, Neb. (NOTE: Mr. O’Hara’s is the third letter in as many weeks urging expansion of the ‘‘Herald Only” Club. Accordingly, the enrollment blank again will be published regularly in this column for the convenience of exhibitors wishing to join.) 1 EXHIBITORS HERALD, I I 407 S. Dearborn St., | I Chicago, 111. I I Gentlemen : ' I I wish to join the “Herald Only” Club formed by contributors to I your “What the Picture Did For Me” department. | (Exhibitor) | (Theatre) | • (City) I I, (State) picture, clean and entertaining. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. THE LONE CHANCE, with John Gilbert. — A good Gilbert picture. He most always pleases for me, but has no great drawing power. Five reels. — H. M. Retz, Strand theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. LOVE LETTERS, with Shirley Mason.— Nothing much to this. Poor Shirley. She simply can’t seem to make a decent picture any more. If she’d get back into the types of pictures she made two or three years ago we would all be better off. Six reels. — H. M. Retz, Strang theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. WHEN ODDS ARE EVEN, with William Russell.— Last of this star’s pictures for me, thank goodness. He never would draw for me. This one is as good as any of his. Five reels. — H. M. Retz, Strand theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. WESTERN LUCK, with Buck Jones. — A real good Jones picture. Drew good Saturday business. Buck getting better fast, thanks to Fred better off. Six reels. — H. M. Retz. Strand theatre, Lamont, la. — Small town patronage. Metro Goldwyn THE SNOB, with John Gilbert. — What we call an average picture. It has some excellent acting, and Norma Shearer possesses everything but the reputation that better known actresses enjoy. Do not believe the title has any pull. Seven reels. — Majestic theatre, Dallas, Ore. — General patronage. THE BANDOLERO, with a special cast. — A story which is based on revenge and will not do for shoot-’em-up, but. Oh, Boy, if you get stung COMING