Exhibitors Herald (1927)

56 EXHIBITORS HERALD April 23, 1927 LETTERS From Readers A forum at which the exhibitor is invited to express his opinion on matters of current interest. Brevity adds forcefulness to any statement. Unsigned letters will not be printed. “Ticker” Ticks for Gould PLAINFIELD, ILL. — To the Editor: I am ordering the Herald for two more years, and I wish to say, oh, lots of things, hut as this is my first letter I will confine myself to a short letter. I have read the Herald for the last five years, and the day it comes there is one meal that stands cold on the table, because I cannot lay it down until it is all read. I see some exhibitors are kicking on your percentage rating of pictures and not sending them in on their reports. Since you have added “The Ticker” I have been watching my box office closely, and here is the evidence: First, I consider only the exhibitor-advertised picture. Pictures like “The Covered Wagon,” “Ten Commandments” and “Over the Hill” hold my box office record, hut I don’t gauge my box office by them because they are what I call produceradvertised. Now “The Magician” did 33 per cent here, “La Boheme” 36 per cent, “Blarney” 40 per cent, “Senor Daredevil” 55 per cent, “Partners Again” 50 per cent, and “Keeper of the Bees” 80 per cent. I have played 41 pictures out of the 89 pictures listed in the April 9 issue. I have only varied a few points on percentage either way, with the exception of “The Bat.” I slipped way down on that. Now if other exhibitors want proof, get me “The Cohens and Kellys,” which I haven’t played, and I will show them around 80 per cent in box office receipts, or 5 per cent either way. Is the “Ticker” right? I'll say it is. I can sit down now and know what I am going to do on a picture in advance. The company that sells me pictures from now on will have to do it by “The Ticker.” How many exhibitors have experienced this : I play a string of good pictures for two or three weeks, get the crowd coming good, then play one not so good, lose them and have, to start all over again to get them back. I would like to start a Lobby Album of stars. Autographed to “Alamo Theatre,” from Tom Mix (he holds my box office record for a one-day picture), Colleen Moore, Norma Shearer, Constance Talmadge, Madge Bellamy, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Harry Langdon, Milton Sills, and Billie Dove. Billie will win the beauty contest. They should have starred her two years ago, and Charles Murray, he’s getting up where he belongs now. Is this asking for too many? I don’t want to be too much of a beggar. These are my best drawing cards. Hope I have not written too much. — L\y W. Gould, Alamo theatre, Plainfield, 111. It’ll Be Along Next Week BLTFFALO, OKLA. — To the Editor; This is to advise you that I haven’t received my Box Office Record, which is very important for my files, as it is condensed and I use it almost daily. I have them for several years back and wouldn’t take $5 apiece for them if I couldn’t get another. For your information, there are no other theatres in either Buffalo, Laverne or Gate. I often receive mail from you to those places, and it is a plain waste for you, as I have been a subscriber for years and receive mine at Laverne, so you may cut out the others from your mailing list, as those towns are receiving the Herald 100 per cent through me. Trusting you will see that I receive the Box Office Record at once and with best wishes. — Fred L. Berry, Gem theatre, Laverne, Okla. Likes “Herald” Best LOGAN, UTAH.— To the Editor: Please accept check for one year’s subscription to Exhibitors Herald. You notified us that our subscription had expired, and our reason for not replying is that we are trying to sell out our house, but as yet we have not sold, so we thought we would renew our subscription for one year. Then if we are not sold out we will renew it for another year, as we have greatly missed the Herald. We have several more coming here, but may state we would rather have the Herald than any of the others, as it is well worth the price to any exhibitor. It has been a good help to us in the selection of pictures. — Wm. Cunell, Mgr., Iris theatre, Logan, Utah. More Lowdown on Jaysee WENONA, ill. — -To the Editor; Friday evening, while sitting at a window in the lobby of a hotel in which I reside, watching the blinding rain and contemplating the effect it would have on the night’s business, I was startled by the noisy arrival of a majestic vehicle at the front entrance and viewed the alighting of a weather-beaten traveler, who soon entered the portals carrying a portable typewriter and luggage of a personal nature. At the first glance there was no mistaking his identity, as no native would have braved the elements and only one experienced in battling the storms and roads of the west would have attempted travel. I introduced myself by asking if he was glad to be on our good pavements instead of the mud roads of Missouri, and his grim visage lighted like a seraph when he replied : “I have traveled far to get to this hotel, which I knew to be a good one, and spend the Sabbath day in your company.” Immensely flattered, I told him his decision was good and that I was honored beyond expression. After seeing that he was booked with the best accommodations that the house afforded and following the evening meal he pulled out a heroic-sized pipe and after loading it to the brim with a favorite brand of tobacco started a conversation that lasted far into the night. Saturday morning he asked me to accompany him to some nearby towns, and I was glad of the opportunity, for he talks in the language of the small town exhibitor, which is indeed a relief from the average “home office” ambassador, who highhats us on the super-merits of his particular product and feels sorry that we are so dumb as not to see the advantage of playing his pictures at a prohibitive price day and date with the Capitol or Roxy theatres in New York. Our trip took us to Minonk, Toluca, Lacon, Chillicothe and Henry, where we found all exhiibtors were Herald readers, and I must say that the Colonel has a personality that is striking with men, but when we met my good friend, Mrs. Barricklow, of the Isis theatre in Toluca, and she rushed up and grasped his hand, I concluded the old rascal even has sex appeal. He spent the Sabbath day piously compiling his weekly letter to the Herald, which has become a “first reader” with most exhibitors, and Monday morning loaded “Clara” with gasoline and oil and sailed on to delight exhibitors on Route Nominate Now! Nominate now! May 7 has been set as the last day upon which letters nominating entries in the Herald Exhibitors Beauty Contest may be mailed. All nominations must be received at the Home Office of the Herald before midnight. May 14. Complete rules governing voting will be published in the May 21 issue of the Herald. Balloting facilities will be furnished in the May 28 Herald. Nominations as of presstime are as follows : 1. JUNE MARLOWE — Harry J. Selk, Selk theatre, Scotia, Neb. 2. PATSY RUTH MILLER— F. J. O’Hara, Community theatre, Elgin, Neb. 3. MADGE BELLAMY — Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich., H. H. Pfluger, Pfluger’s theatre, Pflugerville, Tex. 4. CLARA BOW— J. C. Jenkins, “The Herald Man,” Neligh, Neb. 5. BILLIE DOVE— E. C. Potter, Firemen’s theatre. New Hamoton, la. 6. OLIVE BORDEN — Paul Russell, Russell theatre, Somerset, Ohio. 7. BEBE DANIELS — W. T. Biggs, Unique theatre, Anita, la. 8. LAURA LaPLANTE— Frank H. Allen. Allen theatre, Solvay, N. Y. 9. COLLEEN MOORE— Philip Rand, Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho, and Leo M. Fay, Gem theatre, Socorro, N. Mex. 10. ESTHER RALSTON— Peter Bylsma, Victor theatre, Napoleonville. La. 11. MARY BRIAN — Virginia Pollard, Auditorium, Nehawka. Neb. 12. MARJORIE DAW — Harry H. Ophus, Star theatre, Erskine, Minn. 13. NORMA SHEARER— R. H. Chamberlin, Palm theatre, St. Cloud. Fla. 14. JANET GAYNOR— Ed. Accola and William Griffith, Bonham theatre. Prairie Du Sac, Wis. 15. POLA NEGRI— A. J. Gibbons, Illinois theatre. Metropolis, 111. 16. JOAN CRAWFORD— C. H. Hinman, Alhambra theatre, Cuyahoga Falls, O. 17 with his quaint humor and extol the merits of the Herald. In bidding him adieu I exacted a promise that he would return again when in the near territory. J. C. is a prince, and it is no wonder that he is making friends for his journal. Long may he wave and spread his gospel of good cheer. His visit was a tonic to me. — Ray Link, Scope theatre, Wenona, 111 About Time to Tune ’Em Up SALMON, IDAHO. — To the Editor: Doggone the luck! Now another good man has gone wrong. H. G. Stettmund, old reliable exhibitor, always to be counted on to vote the straight ticket or drop a nickel on the plate every Sunday or to take {Continued on page 72)