Exhibitors Herald (1927)

20 BOX OFFICE RECORD SECTION OF April 30, 1927 This is an entertaining story and is unusually well acted. Miss Vidor is charming, as always, and Ricardo Cortez was great as the pirate. Drew well for two nights. (Strand, Paoli, Ind.) Just a fair picture, lacking in plot, with some little action in the end. Not a special, as you might think. (Manzanita, Carmel. Cal.) A good program picture : not a special as they would have you believe. Did not draw for me, but pleased those who came. (Reel Joy, King City. Cal.) ESCAPE, THE, U, Pete Morrison, 5.— An average Western that seemed to please my Saturday crowd. (Lyric, Easley, S. C.) Very ordinary Western to poor business. (Grand. Rainier, Ore.) A nice little Western feature with quite a little action. Should please where this type of picture is popular. (Liggett, Madison, Kan.) A very poor western. I am tickled this is my last of them. As poor a picture as I have viewed for a long time. (Reel Joy, King City, Cal.) A nice western with plenty of comedy. Pete Morrison is a likable cuss. He has a pleasing smile. I hear the flappers talking about it. (Strand, Paoli. Ind.) EVERYBODY’S ACTING, Par. Betty Bronson, Ford Sterling, Edward Martindel, Raymond Hitchcock, Stuart Holmes, Philo McCullough, Henry B. Walthall, Lawrence Gray, Louise Dresser, Jed Prouty, Joselyn Lee, 7. — Very, very good. Marshall Neilan knows how to do things. The cast includes Ford Sterling. Louise Dresser. Lawrence Gray, Henry Walthall, Raymond Hitchcock, Stuart Holmes, Philo McCullough and others. A highly interesting comedy-drama of life backstage. (Manzanita. Carmel, Cal.) Very, very clever picture. Rather out of the ordinary. (Palace, Ashland, Ohio.) A mighty fine little picture with some tug at the heart strings. In my opinion Betty Bronson is a fine star and a fine influence in this picture — all of her work shows refinement. This picture will make a hit anywhere. (Community Center, Southbury, Conn.) A very good picture. Pleased a very small crowd. Entertaining all the way through. (Reel Joy, King City, Cal.) This is one nice picture. They kill the villain in the first reel and hang him, an^ then everything goes along lovely and the five old bachelors make merry of bringing up the little orphan to be a perfect lady, and Betty is. Every one seemed to like this picture. (Grand. Pierre. S. D.) Clever drama of back stage life. Good entertainment. (Community. Minneota, Minn.) This is splendid entertainment. Should please 100 per cent. (Palace, Aurora. Ind.) What a cast, well look them over ; Ford Sterling, Betty Bronson, Stuart Holmes, Louise Dresser, Raymond Hitchcock, Lawrence Gray. Here is one of the smartest and brainiest comedies that has been turned out in many a day, and everyone is going to enjoy it, so don’t overlook this one. (Apollo, Indianapolis.) A very good little picture, acting of Betty Bronson very good. (Lake View, Lake View. la.) Splendid comedy drama with a lesson packed along with the laughs. (S. T., Parker. S. D.) EXIT SMILING. MGM, Beatrice Lillie, Jack Pickford, 7. — Oh! I didn’t think it was possible to be as sorry as this one, and I am still trying to figure out how anybody could make such a poor picture. ’They have achieved the impossible in this one. and I would have given $50 if I had paid for it and left it in the can. Don’t run this one if they offer to pay you to run it. (Ingram, Ashland, Ala.) Poorest picture ever run in this house. (Empress, Glenrock, Wyo.) I thought this was a dandy program picture, but some of my crowd thought it was terrible, and they told me so. It ought to please anyone wanting light comedy. (Reel Joy, King City. Cal.) Here is a comedy drama of the old one night stand, small town dramatic shows that will get over in good shape. ’The star is new, but she is an actress and plays her part very well. Picture clean and O. K. for Sunday. Plenty of good comedy throughout with a heart interest twist at the finish. Play up the comedy end and entertainment that is different from the usual run. Perhaps will not draw extra business. (Pythian, Belt. Mont.) A very weak offering. It is supposed to be funny, but it is just silly. Did not please and the folks went out looking sour. Poorest business for the month so far. (Royal. Frankfort, Kan., and Regent. Blue Rapids. Kan.) A picture with a good cast and all with exception of a story. Sam Taylor, while a wonderful director. should also know what is a story and what isn’t. If you can help it, do not run it. as your people will be disappointed. (Mills, Tama, la.) My first season with Metro, they seem to be striving to change the old order of things by giving us productions which fail to follow the usual style. Consequently they are not taking well with the regular movie fan. However, this one is a very good production. (Grand. Waynes boro, Ga.) A fair little picture that doesn’t mean anything. Jack is not much of an actor and means absolutely nothing at the box office. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) ’The rottenest thing that we have ever had the misfortune of showing. We had enough complaints and walkouts to prompt us to offer free passes to all patrons attending this performance to any other picture they may choose. Fortunately, we only had a few in the house. (Manzanita, Carmel, Cal.) ’This is downright punk. I can’t see how a company as large as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and as able to absorb a picture of this character, can afford to ever let it get out of the studio. If this ever plays Loew’s theatre in Memphis, where all Metro pictures are shown, then I am the Emperor of Japan. Don’t play this. That's my advice to you. (Regent. Indianola, Miss.) Poor, nothing to it. (Princess, Crandon, Wis.) It was the unanimous opinion of the 42 who saw this that it was plain punk. Another of the "talk of the industry" group. (Seneca. Blakely. Ga.) Farce comedy of traveling troupe. Too much like an evening of Home Dramatics. My town just don’t like farce comedy. Less than average attraction. Many kicks. (Greenhalgh. Ferron, Utah.) Would advise exhibitors who have this booked to pay for it and shelve it. Metro has very few good pictures this year. They feed us on foreign pictures that cost them very little to buy. and when we don’t get foreign stuff we get such pictures as "Exit Smiling.” (Johnson, Marmarth & Bowman. N. D.) Neither good nor bad. Just a picture, and I am glad that it is over. Some liked it. some didn’t, so there you are. Some good comedy in it but the story is rather weak. (Princess. Crandon, Wis.) This pleased some, others thought it terrible. Both Beatrice Lillie and Jack Pickford are terrible. Don’t buy this unless your patrons like stage stuff of years ago. (Tivoli. Knoxville, 111.) If all of Metro’s product pleased as did this one, would be no complaint. Light business account star unknown. She is there and over. (Palace, McGehee, Ark.) F FALSE ALARM. THE. Col. Dorothy Revier, Ralph Lewis, 6. — Another lire picture that will go over and draw a little extra. Story is weak, but the fire scenes are very good, and it has a good bunch of players that are convincing. The main thing in advertising this show is to impress on the public that this is a new story and new picture and is not the “Third Alarm" nor “Still Alarm." The name is confusing and you will hear them saying it has been here before, etc. (Pythian, Belt, Mont.) Good melodrama and the fact that it did not draw should not be charged up to the picture, we played it two nights before Christmas. I would be very sorry, however, to have a fire in the town where this picture was made. The fire department started to the big fire in the bright sunshine of the noonday and arrived after dark. Oh, boy! (Strand, Alma, Mich.) A very good program picture. These Columbias are all knockouts so far. Play them for good pictures. (Coliseum. Edmore, Mich.) A good hokum melodrama that brought out many compliments from my faithful fans. (Pastime, Mason, Mich.) FAMILY UPSTAIRS, THE. F. Virginia Valli. J. Farrell Macdonald. 7. — A very good comedy drama. Drew an exceptionally good Sunday crowd and pleased them all. J. Farrell Macdonald makes a real hit in this one. (Star, Kildreth, Neb.) What weather we had when we played this extra fine picture. As good as they make them, and one that will please just about everybody. (Arvada, Arvada, Colo.) Fine. Step on it will get the money and please. (Pastime, Warren, Ark.) A delightful comedy drama that failed to draw with me, due, I think, to stage production being presented a few weeks prior to screen version here. No fault of picture, which is clean, interesting entertainment throughout. J. Farrell Macdonald runs away with the picture in this, although work of balance of cast is splendid. (Temple. San Bernardino, Cal.) An excellent entertainment. (Texas, Grand Prairie, Tex.) Good program picture. (Strand, Paris, Ark.) Here is a clever comedy with a good cast. J. Farrell Macdonald runs away with the picture. Drew well and pleased. These kind of pictures are what we need. (Scope, Wenona, III.) A fair little program picture. Not in the class of “Ck)hens and Kellys" or “Sweet Daddies." (Liberty. Carnegie, Okla.) Just gol darned good entertainment— and brother exhibitors, is that not what w© attempt to sell? Specials are the bugaboo in this business. They are generally so overrated the public expects too much, and are disappointed. Here’s a program picture (in price) with real entertainment. Pleased my crowd. (Auditorium. Crockett, Tex.) Boys, this was a dandy. It is impossible for me to express myself as to how good this was. All I can say is, it drew, and J. Farrell Macdonald’s acting kept the house in an uproar from beginning to end. (Walnut, Lawrenceburg, Ind.) This is a good comedy drama and got lots of laughs. It pleased here in fine shape. (Princess, Danforth, Me.) FAUST, MGM, Emil Jannings, 9. — Another foreigner that drew no money at all. They are coming mighty often now. We are learning our lesson at a great cost. (Seneca, Blakely, Ga.) Only four or five came out to see this one. One said, “Rotten !" However, the majority were well pleased. Personally I don't like the foreign element. (Tchula, Tchula, Miss.) A wonderful picture from an artist’s standpoint and in the cities perhaps from the box office standpoint too. It seemed to go over the heads of about half our patrons. If you have a discriminating type of patronage, you could put this over. (Accola’s Bonham, Prairie du Sac, Wis.) A knockout for a college town, extra good, but I pity the boys in the town where they want gun opera. It will be a total loss. (Strand, Grinnell. la.) Cannot say much for this one. Like all foreign pictures, not suitable for small towns, but elaborately produced. (Lyric, Easley, S. C.) Excellent. Should have run this two days. It is a little long but every foot is interesting. Many favorable comments. Acting of Jannings is superb. Great attention has been paid to details. The picture is very well made. Some compared it to “The Ten Commandments." (Princess, Crandon, Wis.) If this is the German conception of entertainment, all I can say is that it should have never left that country. If it had been like the stage play it would have been very good. It’s not like the play and does not give satisfaction for this reason. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) Played this ahead of Rochester, and while New York City was playing it, and worked up quite an interest. This is a picture that will not please. It is too deep for the ordinary person and has to be seen a second time to understand and enjoy. A wonderful sermon in itself, if you can understand it. (Powers, Red Creek, N. Y.) About like all the foreign pictures. Not much drawing power in small towns, and entirely too long. (Lyric, Easley, S. C. ) Not suited for a small country town audience. Unless you know what it’s all about it means less than nothing to you. The only favorable comments came from the two school teachers. Lay off of the foreign bunk. (Reel Joy, King City, Cal.) Played this picture to good business and gave satisfaction. The star is great, but if you haven’t got an orchestra, better hire one to play the score. Our orchestra is what put it over in this town. (Silver Family, Greenville, Mich.) The mechanical makeup of the picture is great, but no good for the small town. Very few liked it here. (Grand, Rainier, Ore.) A genuine special ; rather heavy. Drew well and pleased majority. (Shastona, Mount Shasta, Cal.) If this is the German conception of entertainment, all I can say is that it should have never left that country. If it had been like the stage play it would have been very good. It’s not like the play and does not give satisfaction for this reason. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) FIGHTING HEART, THE, F, George O'Brien. 7. — A story of the boxing ring that went over in great style. Played this on Amateur Night to great crowds. Play this one. (Khattar’s, Sydney, N. S., Can.) Failed to see much of this one, but upon asking some of my patrons they all seemed to consider it as a good show. Several stated that the fight was very good, and that it was a good illustration of why Dempsey lost the fight. (Princess, Mapleton, Iowa.) This is a peach. There is a better fight in this than Gene Tunney does in “The Fighting Marine." (Opera House, Monticello, la.) A real good picture. George in about the role he belongs in. This one no big drawing card, but it is a relief to play a Fox special and take in film rental once. (Strand, Lamont, la.) A splendid program picture. (Silver Family, Greenville, Mich.) An extra good one. Full of action from beginning to end. Few better ones. Book it, push it and make some extra cash for yourself. (Lyric, Easley, S. C.) FIGHTING PEACEMAKER, THE, U, Jack Hoxie, 5. — Like all the Blue Streaks I can’t give it much, just a picture. (Palace, McGehee, Ark.) Fair Western picture which played to average business. (Franklin, Allentown, Pa.) Average western which pleased the kiddies and some of the older ones, (Seneca, Blakely, Ga.) Fairly good Western, which seemed to please generally. Average business. (Grand, Rainier, Ore.) An ordinary Hoxie picture. No better or worse than 100 others he has made. (DeLuxe, Spearville, Kan.) Nothing to get excited over. Just a picture of a ranch and some sheep men who are