Exhibitors Herald (1926)

EXHIBITORS HERALD Aijril 10, 1926 29 into the great heart of American filmdom vears ago. (Ideal. Chateaugay, N. Y.) Goodby Mary “Little Annie” was great but United and Mary got the receipts. I wish you much joy with vour §100,000.000 adventure, but you are not the Mary you used to be. not for me. (Cozy. VilHsca. la ) Mary in her old fashioned and best way of arting puts this over in good shape. Pleased 80 ner cent. (Argonne, Akron, Ind.) Very good hut 1 barely made expenses. There is no use m the village picture house trying to put on a picture when the price is too high. A person's time and energy should be worth something. (Cozy Union, Ore.) What a wonder she is! Some say they do not like her. but I'm only sorry for them, for the joy in life they must miss. Close to being Mary's beat, and that is saying much. Christmas Day to great business and against a tent show. No little part of this record was the help given us by Miss Pickiord herself in response to a personal request. She sent me some fine photos for all my patrons and a Christmas letter to my people here. A great star and a wonderful woman. (Star. Menard, Tex.) Mary is here. Another 100 per cent family picture. The kids like it and so did the pas and mas and the grandparents. Lots of comedy for the youngsters. (Grand, Chetek, Wis.) Mary Pickford— Mary, you are my sweetheart again, and when you make another like this one I want it, if you don’t ask the impossible. They like you in this. (Rosewin, Dallas. Tex.) My last United Artists picture and glad of it, as all I get from them lose me money. Picture is an average Pickford production of the type that first won her fame. (Capitol. Delphos, O.) This is a real honest to goodness show. Mary was never better. One-hundred per cent satisfaction. Still America’s sweetheart. May she never grow up. Her “Tess of the Storm Country.” also good, in fact classic. (Royal, Lehi. Ut.) More power to Mary. Looks as young as ever on the screen. Boys, you can make some jack on this one. We did. Played it December 13. 14. 16. It being close to Christmas hurt a trifle. A fine picture for old and young. (Polo, Polo, 111.) Played this 6 days following “Don Q’’ to more business. My patrons said it was the best thing Mary had ever done. You can’t go wrong on this if you tell them what you have. It will stand by anything you say. (Strand. Milford, la.) A dandy picture, dean and plenty of comedy, but Mary a little too old for part. (Opera House, Fennimore. Wis.) Some say it was great; others that it’s too much like Our Gang comedies. Paid too much for it as I had to charge 40 cents to get by and it isn’t worth that much to my patrons. Mary is at least 50 per cent of the picture. (Star, Montevideo. Minn.) Mary is right where she belongs in this picture and if she remains there will always be a favorite. (Harriet, Hardin, Mont.) Certainly must congratu late Mary on this one and I hope she makes many more as good. Gave as near IffO per cent satisfaction as any picture we have shown. (Odcon. Chandler, Okla.) This was our Christmas picture and is one of the best we have shown for months. (Russell. Brunswick, Mo.) Mary is back to the type of picture that everybody likes and glad to hear it. Picture went over ver>good and was well liked. Business good but not great. (New Geneseo. Geneseo. 111.) A fine picture that drew well for us. I think Mary has it over all of them when it comes to real acting. You cannot go wrong on thi.s one. (Dixie. Winona, Miss.) This style of picture takes her back to the old days where the theatre made money and gained Mary the title of “America's Sweetheart.” 1 hope that this star will cut out the high brow stuff and produce pictures for profit instead of art. And this picture will get the coin and gain Mary friends as well as making money for the e.xhibitor. providing he buys it right and advertises it properly. (Town Hall. Westboro. Mass.) A very cleverly made picture. The kind the small town likes to see. Two days to good business. (Gem. Batesville, Ark.) This is a sweet little picture, and not so little either, as it is ten reels. The crowd liked this a lot. I don’t think it is as good a.s a lot of hers, but no one can complain because a picture is only as goml as Mary Pickford’s average, as that makes it worth throe ordinary average pictures. (Grand, Pierre. S. D.l Good picture that pleased all. Mary is fine. Mary Pickford cooperated by sending telegram conveying good wishes on occasion of Us showing. (Palace. Aurora, Ind.) A splendid production from every angle. Drew and I'IcHsed as nenily 100 per cent as it is possible for a picture to please. (S. T.. Parker, S. D.) For an evening of light entertainment, it was cute. Seemed to please about 50-60. For a sniiill town. Ihey ask too much rental for this doss of picture. Nothing big or nothing small about this picture. (Washington, Atoka, Okla.) We consider this one of the outstanding pictures of the year. If this doesn't entertain them, there is no hope. (American Legion, Broadlands, HI.) Wc showed it two days at increased admissions to pleased audiences. The youngsters had a great time with Mary and her gang. This type show is what they like to see Mary in. Her best show for quite some time. (''Y.” Nazareth, Pa.) Very good but did not draw on account of bad roads. (Princess, Traer, la.) LITTLE GIANT, THE, U, Glenn Hunter, 7.— Nothing bad about this morally, although the old hooch jokes dragged in. but it's a weak offering. Did not draw and did not please. Poor direction, poor subtitles. Far fetched humor and above all a star who looks like an eighth grade school boy rather than leading man. Edna Murphy O. K. and Uncle Clem is the bright light of the mess. (S. T., Parker, S. D.) Not much to this one and if it had been good they would not have turned out, as Glenn Hunter is no favorite here. (Dixie, Russellville, Ky.) This is the poorest picture Universal has made on their block of White List pictures. The rest have all been exceptionally good, so we will excuse one bad one. It’s good for one day. (Bugg, Chicago, III.) LIVE WIRE, THE, FN, Johnny Hines, J. Barney Sherry, Bradley Barker. Mildred Ryan. Edmund Brecse, 8. — Played Sunday and Monday. Packed 'em in Sunday in spite of opposition showing "Don Q." Pleased 100 per cent. First National leads in our estimation. (Alhambra. Minneapolis. Minn.) A mighty fine picture in every way. Johnny Hines just hasn’t got into the big class yet, but he should be. This picture pleased them all and got many laughs. Advertising matter was real good. (Highland. Guthrie. Okla.) An excellent picture. Johnny Hines at his best in this. Comments all to the good. (Orpheum. Pipestone. Minn.) Johnny sure pleased them with this one. Had them chuckling all the time. The kind of entertainment people are looking for. (Regent. Eureka. Kan.) Johnny Hines has the reputation for pep in his pictures and has been a good bet both before going with First National and since. “The Live Wire" being the first we have played of the new ones. “The Live Wire" was full of the good old hokum that country town audiences seem to eat up, new gags and new funny business together with the speed his pictures all cany. Business is below normal in these country shows but “The Live Wire" and "Classifteir’ have both increased the attendance slightly. Not enough to buy a Rolls Royce, but still enough to keep us on the right side of the ledger. (Columbia. Columbia City. Ind.) Not a side splitter, but a good one from a box office angle. Evei'ybody satisfied. Nothing extra for Johnny. (Palace. Burkburnett, Tex.) Very good. Johnny, for n .starter. If you run serials use it on that night, aa it will please children and serial patrons. (Opera House, Shelby. 0.) This is one of the best comedy features that I have been able to play. There isn’t a draggy moment in the entire feature. It will keep them in an uproar from start to finish. Johnny struts his stuff in this one. He will please the peppiest audience you cjin get. I jilayed it on Friday and Saturday to normal business : weather conditions very unfavorable. After the first showing everybody in town will know about the picture. (Plainview, Plainview. Tex.) This is a good picture. No argument about it. and drew to an average Sunday with Syd Chaplin’s "The Man on the Box" as opposition. I have always appreciated Johnny Hines ns a clever actor, with many a face and gag up his sleeve. (Arcadia, Crowley, La.) A very good comedy drama. Hines puts the picture over in fine style. (Blende. Benton. Wis.) A corking good comedy drama but business far below the last Johnny Hines picture. Some very original parts in this picture, as in all Johnny Hines. It’s very good. Book it. (Bugg, Chicago. III.) Good comedy. Plenty of action. Audience like it. (Empress, Indianola, la.) Veiy good and pleased them all. Fine for your Saturday program. (Dixie. Russellville, Ky.) Woulil rate this a-s a pooi program attraction. Lacked a lot of going over with my audience. (Majestic, Camden, S. C.) Consider this an extra good comedy drama. Book it for sure entertainment. (Auditorium, Carthage. Ind.) Very good. Will please any audience. (State. Two Harbors. Minn,) This is an extra good comedy. Everybody seemed well pleased. Bad weather nnd school entertainment cut attendance away down, so cannot say as to actual pulling power here. (Grand, Rainier, Ore.) Well, here I am again after a long silence in reporting pictures. but all the long silence was because I was a little too busy. “The Live Wire" fdaced some pep in me and I just had to suy something good about it. because it is deserving. (Fairyland. White Casttc, La.) This satisfied my people. Eight reels. (Opera House, Fennimore, Wis.) A good comedy program. Full of action. Will satisfy your patrons. (Silver Family. Greenville. Mich.) LORD JIM. FP, Percy Marmont, Noah Beery, Raymond Hatton, Shirley Mason, Joseph Dowling, 7. — Very good with a South Sea setting. Marmont stands out. (Palace, Ashland. O.) Fine picture for small town. Did not hear any kicks and quite a few compliments. Paramount seems to be making pictures suitable for small towns as well as large. (Reel Joy. King City, Cal.) A Joseph Conrad story, faithfully produced, that makes very poor movie material. Full of unpleasant things and the hero is never nwarded for his good and misunderstood acts. U might be the story of real life but it is not movie stuff. You will please your people by not playing it. It is very well acted, most elaborately and very expensively mounted, but is wasted screen material. Marmont is good, as are Bwry and Hatton. (Temple, Bellairc, O.) I thought when I ran “The Pace That Thrills," a First National, that it was the rottenest show that was ever made, but this one takes the prize. It is absolutely one of the worst that I ever ran nnd I have been at it now -for 11 years. Just can’t see how they have the nerve to feed us this kind and then send a salesman in to sell us more trademarks, as that is all that you can get out of this one, a trademark, Paramount. If you run this one. tell them in advance that it is a bum show and to save their money. (Dixie, Russellville. Ky. ) I wish Percy Marmont would go back over the water to where he came from. Of all the duds, he is the prize one. He is forever suffering. He suffers all through this picture and he has nothing on my audience tonight, from the number of walkouts and hoots that have kept me running all over the house to suppress. Conrad may be a writer of good sen fiction, but I have not been able to get any monkick out of his stories than my audience is getting out of this picture. It just is not there, too slow and long drawn out. Takes too long to happen ; that's what’s the matter with it. (Columbia, Columbia City, Ind.) After seeing a number of adverse reports on this, was agreeably surprised. Think it pleased most. Personally enjoyed it very much. (Strand, Alma. Mich,) This is a better one than Marmont has had his name to in some time. He does Joseph Conrad’s character well. The cast in support is good and I (hink it pleased a little above the average. (Arcadia. Crowley, La.) The men will like it, but we failed to hoar anything but adverse comment from the ladies. (Lyric. Harrison. Ark.) Proved a fair box office attraction nnd pleased about 70 per cent. (Majestic, Camden, S. C.) A good program picture. (Silver Family. Greenville. Mich.) This Conrad stoi-y all right in book form but is not good screen stuff for small towns. Too much murder and altogether too sordid. All agreed that it was a good picture well done but did not care for that kind. (Orpheum, Pipestone. Minn.) Did not go over very big. Fair picture. (Crystal, Earlville, la.) Not good screen material. Sad ending. Peoiile did not care for same. Did not draw. (Lyric, Wooster. O.) A very good program picture. The ending sad, but everyone likes a change and this one went over good for me. I read one report that said this one was terrible, but certainly can't see it from that angle. (Empress. Akron. la.) A colorful story of the tropics with lots of action. Some beautiful outdoor shots. Drew average Saturday business. (Strand, Paoli, Inil.) LORRAINE OF THE UONS. U. Patsy Ruth Milter, Norman Kerry, Joseph Dowling, 7,600.— Another dandy Jewel. I have played five or six on the 2nd White List nnd find them all extra good. This one is hard to put over on account of the title, but it will please the mo.st of them if you can get them in. Some very beautiful jungle scenery in this, wild animals, natives and everything to make it look real. (American, Wautoma, Wis.) Tarzan type story which drew average business in face of stiff opposition and heavy rain. Pleased generally here and should do well in the small town. (Grand. Rainier, Ore.) This was a good picture. The jungle stuff was well put over and though the plot was nothing particularly outstanding it was O. K. and held the crowd. The lions got off pretty easy in this and the poor gorilla is worked hard, but guess the more catchy name is worth misleading the public a little. They will come expecting to see some animal action and they will see it, though it is not done by the half dozen lions. (Grand. Pierre, S. D.) Very good pic