Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

EXHIBITORS HERALD 69 February 14, 1925 My first Thomson and went over fine. They are all raving about the horse, “Silver King.” I put out 800 dodgers. Also got eight one-sheets on “Mask of Lopez” and showing Fred on horse and made cut-outs which I can use on all features of this star. Five reels. — M. T. Craig, Majestic theatre, Dresden, Ont., Canada. — Small town patronage. THE DANGEROUS COWARD: Fred Thomson — A typical Thomson Western, although he doesn’t do as well in this one as in some of his previous ones. He has to box in this one and doesn’t show enough skill in that line. Five reels. — C. O. Peterson, (Legion) Royal theatre, Saxon, Wis. — Small town patronage. AFTER THE BALL: Special cast — Good picture. Will come as near pleasing 100 per cent as any picture. Good print out of Omaha. Seven reels. — P. R. Carlin & Son, Carlin’s Opera House, Spalding, Neb. — General patronage. AFTER THE BALL: Special cast — This is a splendid picture but is not true to the song. Why on earth do the producers make pictures untrue to the advertising? While this is a good picture, it was very disappointing to my patrons, and especially the people of middle age that remember the song when it was the rage. Naturally they expected it to be like the song, and were disappointed because it was not. Seven reels. — W. J. Shoup, DeLuxe theatre, Spearville, Kan. — Small town patronage. THE DARING YEARS: Mildred Harris— This will please the older and has a thrill or two. Okay as a program picture. Six reels. — S. G. Fry, Palace theatre, Omaha, Tex. — Small town patronage. THE DANCER OF THE NILE: Carmel Myers — Good cast, but can’t say much for the picture. This King Tut stuff is no good. The one sheet they have on it of an almost nude dancer, will get the rough necks in for you. Six reels. — J. W. Andresen, Rialto theatre, Conzad, Neb. — General patronage. MARY OF THE MOVIES: Special cast— If it hadn’t been for the invoice I would not have known what I was running, as there was no title to it. Seven reels, but they could have been put in four reels, as we run the seven reels through in forty-five minutes, and very slow at that. This might have been a good picture if we had got it all. — E. D. Larson, Peoples theatre, Moran, Kan. — General patronage. THE MASK OF LOPEZ: Fred Thomson— A good program. Star well liked here. Audience pleased. — Zak & Makousky, Opera House, Clarkson, Neb. — Neighborhood patronage. THE MASK OF LOPEZ: Fred Thomson— I was not home, but my people are telling me what a good show I had while I was away. Call it “good.” Five reels.— H. B. Wilcox, Unique theatre, Bricelyn, Minn. — Small town patronage. THE MASK OF LOPEZ: Fred Thomson— Film good. As everyone says of the Thomson’s, this is good. This is our first one of this star and if all are as good we’ll be satisfied. Everyone pleased by Fred and Silver King’s acting. You can raise your admission a little and still please. Five reels. — W. T. Davis & Son, Rialto theatre, Sharon, Wis. — General patronage. BREAKING INTO SOCIETY: Bull Montana— It took this worst comedy feature to make me send in reports on pictures. Lay off this one. It was so vulgar my patrons walked out on this. Five reels. — E. Korenowski, A-Muz-U theatre. Pittsburg. Okla. — Neighborhood patronage. CAN A WOMAN LOVE TWICE;: Ethel Clayton— ^A good picture, but print in bad condition as usual. If F. B. O. have any good prints, they surely are keeping them. — E. D. Larson, Peoples theatre, Moran, Kan. — General patronage. NORTH OF NEVADA: Fred Thomson— A dandy picture that pleased all. Fred does not do as well in this as in “The Mask of Lopez” but Silver King makes up. Take it from us. Fellows, Silver King is some horse, and if you have not booked these Fred Thomson pictures you should do so. Five reels. — H. M. Face & Sons, Elmac theatre. Maple Rapids, Mich. — Small town patronage. NORTH OF NEVADA: Fred Thomson — A darn good Westerner with lots of comedy and hokum. Small crowd. Cannot account for it. Had nearly as many kids as adults. Five reels. — G. F. Rediske, Star theatre, Ryegate, Mont. — Small town patronage. THE SNOWSHOE TRAIL, with Jane Novak.— A fair program picture. Will please an average audience, but no special. Film good. Six reels. — W. A. Doerschlag, Strand theatre. Ransom, Kan. — Small town patronage. The Contributor’s Column Hoefs on Reporting Some of our reports are lengthy, but we feel we like to get it out of the blood just as we see it, always bearing in mind that it is a guide for the next fellow. Truly we can see no issue of greater value than this exhibitors’ reports colunms. It is the first we grab, to see what surprises are in store for us. Years ago we found only a one-man opinion review and we also found that many pictures lifted to the skies fell flat with the audience. These reviews were unfair to the exhibitor and perhaps a good picture that the same reviewer might pan. Now we see good pictures panned and boosted, but we have enough different opinions and from them we can always strike an average, deducting always the class of house that is not in line with our audience. If you do this you can hardly miss it. Then when a picture really deserves boosting, our audience has faith in our recommendations and the results at the box office should be in accord. We certainly hope that more exhibitors will support what we know to be the biggest help to the exhibitor. What does it mean when one paper writes a special letter to the exhibitor nositively warning him against a certain big super special, pronouncing it the worst ever, when in the next issue of the journal we see that same picture boosted in a key city telegram to the home office? Just this: Any sane business man is expected to be skeptical when the contrast is that absurd. He has only one dependable, honest opinion, and that is his fellow exhibitor. Keep up the soul of the business, and three cheers for the space you are devoting to this important problem which you have solved for us. — Wm. Hoefs, Queen theatre. Ft. Stockton, Tex. “To Err Is Human” “To err is human’’ and that’s our best alibi for assigning “Herald Only’’ Club Enrollment No. 229 to S. G. Fry last week when it had been assigned previously to K. H. Walden. Sir. Fry’s proper number is 231. The same alibi applies to the report on “Teeth” in the January 24 issue over signature of W. J. Shoup, De Luxe theatre, Spearville, Kans. The report should have carried the signature of E. D. Luna, Cozy theatre. Wagoner, Okla., who wrote it. Apologies to everybody. First National so BIG: Colleen Moore — Big in every way. The kind of a picture my patrons like. In spite of cold weather, did capacity business 2 nights. Why can’t we have more pictures like this? Good, clean wholesome entertainment. Fine for Sunday as well as any other day. — A. Lutch, Strand theatre, Milford, la. — General patronage. THE MYSTERIOUS WITNESS, with a special cast. — Terrible. The exchange slipped up on “Trigger Fingers” which I was to have used and I got this instead. A semi-Western with a motherlove theme. It was not at all satisfactory. Five reels. — L. F. Wolcott, Grand theatre, Eldora, la. — Small town patronage. SO BIG: Colleen Moore — Here is where Colleen Moore does her stuff. She shows ’em she can do more than flapper stuff and do it well. In “So Big” she tackles a big, difficult role — but gets over in fine shape. Title from well known novel. Drew well and pleased close to 100 per cent. Any time this little star fails to draw with me it’s because there’s something against us in the way of opposition. — Joe Hewitt, Strand theatre, Robinson, 111. — Mixed patronage. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: George Billings— The very best production of its kind ever produced. I call it entertaining, as well as educational. Everyone praises it after seeing it. It will be hard to get them in, as they seem to think that it will be dry. Tie up with the schools and go after it strong, and good music of course puts it over so much better. Every theatre, especially in the small towns, should show this production. Ten reels. — H. J. Eagan, American theatre, Wautoraa, Wis. — Small town patronage. CLASSMATES: Richard Barthelmess — A very good picture. West Point scenes make a big hit and the discriminating people wanted to see it and liked Richard Barthelmess. — L. M. Jones, Arcadia theatre, Vandergrift, Pa. — General patronage. NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE Inc. NEW YORK CHICAGO LOS AMGELES NOW BOOKING ‘With Malcolm MacGregor, Claire DuBrey, Alan Roscoe, Bessie Eyton 4«r Charles French €)ir.ected by : . . .John Ince Sleleased by • PR OniJCFRS DISTR rn UTfNG CORPORATION the Girl op Gold