Exhibitors Herald (1926)

March 12, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 51 “What the Picture Did For Me” VERDICTS ON FILMS IN LANGUAGE OF EXHIBITOR Copyright , 1926 This is the original exhibitors’ reports department, established October 14, 1916. Beware of cheap, misleading imitations. “ What the Picture Did for Me” is the one genuine source of exhibitor-written box office information. Address: “What the Picture Did for Me,” EXHIBITORS HERALD, 407 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. Associated Exhibitors THE BONANZA BUCKAROO: Buffalo Bill Jr. — February 19. This is a beaner of a good little western and kept them laughing throughout its entirety. Pleased everyone. Five reels. — Wm. E. Tragsdorf, Trags theatre, Neillsville, Wis. — Small town patronage. Chadwick A MAN OF IRON : Lionel Barrymore — I have done business with the Independent Film Company since April 16, 1926, and must say that this is the only show in that time that I can call junk. Entirely too draggy. Six reels.— L. R. Rieholson, Isis theatre, Lucas, Kan. — General patronage. Columbia SWEET ROSIE O’GRADY: Shirley Mason— 60%. February 13-14. A very good picture of the game type as “The Cohens and Kellys” and it pleased as well. Had good drawing power with only regular advertising. Had fair crowd in a snow storm. Seven reels. — Wilcox -and Miller, Lake View theatre, Lake View, la. General patronage. THE LONE WOLF RETURNS: Bert Lytell— One of the best program pictures we have played this year, we think. You will make no mistake by playing it. Seven reels. — O. O. Troyer, Rialto theatre, Dickinson, N. D. — General patronage. PERILS OF THE SEA: Elaine Hammerstein — 50%. January 3-4. This is about the weakest Columbia picture I have yet played. No drawing power, but -pleased all that saw it. Seven reels. — Aubrey Swearingen, Crescent theatre, Woodville, Tex. — General patronage. PERILS OF THE SEA: Elaine Hammerstein — Very good sea picture and very interesting story. Five reels. — L. C. Bolduc, Bijou theatre, Conway, N. H. General patronage. THE PHANTOM OF THE FOREST: Thunder — Very good dog picture. Thunder does wonderful work. Good forest fire scene. Pleased all. Five reels. — L. C. Bolduc, Bijou theatre, Conway, N. H. — General patronage. THE LURE OF THE WILD: Lightning— These dog pictures are very good for small towns and give general satisfaction. This one is very good. Five reels. — L. C. Bolduc, Bijou theatre, Conway, N. H. — General patronage. F. B. 0. HER FATHER SAID NO: Mary Brian— 50%. February 22. This H. G. Witwer story makes a speedy comedy. It’s good entertainment. Seven reels. — E. M. Biddle, Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind. — Small town patronage. THE FIGHTING BOOB: Bob Custer— 45%. This is the best for me so far. That’s the kind of pictures we want for westerns and is good enough. Five reels.— A. J. W. Koehler, Koehler theatre, Uehling, Nebr. — General patronage. A REGULAR SCOUT: Fred Thomson— 60%. February 4-5. This is an exceptionally good Thomson. Tied up with Boy Scouts who gave a little parade, gave all of the kids in the parade free tickets, and then we sold more kid tickets than we usually do at a Thomson show. Six reels. — Wilcox and Miller, Lake View theatre, Lake View, la. General patronage. Editor’s Note Percentage ratings given by exhibitors in reports to this department are obtained in the following manner: Average daily gross of picture reported is divided hy average daily gross of picture holding house record to determine relative box office value in terms of percentage. EXAMPLE: ($75 average daily gross of picture reported) divided by $100 (average daily gross of picture holding house record) equals .75 (percentage rating given picture in report). When a picture has received percentage ratings in 10 reports it is entered in THE BOX OFFICE TICKER with its current gross average indicating relative attraction values of pictures listed therein. THE BOX OFFICE TICKER appears this week on page 49. A REGULAR SCOUT: Fred Thomson— Fred Thomson and Silver King did themselves the honor of making new friends, as a minister in the house said, “It’s one of the best and cleanest picture I have' seen for some time, as well as high class western entertainment and a credit to the Boy Scouts.” Six reels. — C. H. Thomson, Opera House, Plattsburg, Mo. — General patronage. CALIFORNIA OR BUST: George O’Hara— 73%. February 26. A good program picture that even your most critical reform society of ministers can’t find fault with. It has some good action along toward the end, too. George O’Hara does his usual languid slow start and finishes at 90 miles per hour, more or less. The girl with him, can’t recall her name, is very good too, a very appealing type. Helped George put the finishing punch in the picture and the villain. This is a good little picture. Five reels. — Wm. A. Griffith Accola’s Bonham theatre. Prairie du Sac, Wis. — Small town patronage. BORN TO BATTLE: Tom Tyler— 39%. February 2. A good picture with a terrible print. The little boy and dog were especially good in this one. Five reels. — Eunice Richards, Richards theatre, Fayette, Ala. — -Small town patronage. BORN TO BATTLE: Tom Tyler— Very good western. Frankie Darro and his dog and Tom make a great team and please both young ana old kids. Five reels. L. C. Bolduc, Bijou theatre, Conway, N. H. — General patronage. LADDIE: Gene Stratton Porter — 100%. February 23. Oh for a few more fiction writers with the pulling power of the late Gene Stratton Porter. Broke my house record. Wonderful, clean, wholesome picture of American family life. Brought out many who seldom appear at my box office. Seven reels. — E. M. Biddle, Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind. — Small town patronage. LADDIE: John Bowers — 85%. January 30-31 and February 1. One of the best pictures we have run for a year. It is the kind that draws in the whole family and pleases all. Picture is sold to public. Used only regular advertising and the picture held up good for three days. Eight reels. — Wilcox and Miller, Lake View theatre. Lake View, la. — -General patronage. THE MIDNIGHT FLYER: Special cast— 20%. It so happened that this very day I saw Claire McDowell in “Ben Hur,” which was road showing in the County Seat town. Well, the comments from -patrons on this F. B. O. feature all applauded Claire and Buddy Post, who really stole the picture. Cullen Landis, of course, did his bit and did it well. In all a very satisfactory Saturday night picture. Seven reels. — O. A. Fosse, Community theatre, Ridgeway, la. — Small town patronage. THE MIDNIGHT FLYER: Special cast— February 13-14. A good picture but can’t say that it pleased them all. — Z. E. Gooding, Palace theatre, Grand Ledge, Mich. — General patronage. HIGH AND HANDSOME: Lefty Flynn — 40%. January 21-22. Not a bad picture. Some -patrons claim to have seen a picture like this before and did not get a kick out of it. Six reels. — F. J. Hollaren, Scenic theatre, Elkton, S. Dak. — General patronage. HIGH AND HANDSOME: Lefty Flynn— A good picture with plenty of action and a good moral. Played in connection with Dan Desdnane’s Entertainers of Omaha, who are wonderful singers. No exhibitor can go wrong booking Dan’s Entertainers in connection with their show. Played them in my three theatres to a big business. They sure can come again. — J. M. Sutherland, Sutherland’s theatre, Newport, Nebr. — Small town patronage. HER HONOR THE GOVERNOR: Pauline Frederick — 65%. January 30. Here is another Gold Bond that is a dandy. I didn’t do quite as much business as I expected with it, but that is probably because I was too much sold on it myself. Anyway, it’s a good picture and will make you money. Seven reels. — Homer P. Morley, Princess theatre, Buchanan, Mich. — Small town patronage. HER HONOR THE GOVERNOR: Pauline Frederick — 40%. January 9-10. We thought this a good picture as to the acting done in it, but we do not seem to be able to draw on F. B. O. pictures on account of so much poor photography. Seven reels. — F. J. Hollaren, Scenic theatre. Elkton, S. Dak. — General patronage. KOSHER KITTY KELLY: Viola Dana— 20%. February 14. Too many reels and no action. Had several walk out on this one. Miss Dana has done much better in other pictures. If all of F. B. O.’s pictures are as poor as the few I have used. I’ll have to close up before my contract has expired. They have absolutely no drawing power. — G. H. Dennis, Liberty theatre, Weeping Water, Nebr. — General patronage. CACTUS TRAILS: Bob Custer— 24%. February 18. Just a Western with no particular outstanding features. You’ve seen dozens like it. Bob was good enough and Marjorie Zier helped him get across. I must crab again, though, at the inconsistency of titling these Westerns. Run