Exhibitors Herald (1927)

October 22, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 11 Your pictures are my life savers. (Alamo, Plainfield, 111.) 60%. July 2. This is a good Tom Mix picture. They are all good. (Silver Family, Greenville, Mich.) About the usual Mix standard. (Majestic, Homer, Mich.) It is hard to beat Tom for action and fun. This one as good as usual. (Royal, Frankfort, Kan.) Ordinary Western picture with the usual roping and tricks that are in all the Mix pictures. Very well liked by the Saturday night crowd. (Palace, Meridan, Tex.) July 25-26. This picture is a typical Mix picture but didn’t please or draw as good as “Outlaws of Red River.” (Arvada, Arvada, Col.) All the above were good Mix type features. We are not getting the attendance on Mix that some of the Western stars get. (Rex, Bessemer, Mich.) 52%. April 1-2. This is the best Tom Mix we’ve played this year. Many favorable comments. Picture drew big first night and only fair second. Plenty of action and comedy. (Walnut, Lawrenceburg, Ind.) 75%. September 9-10. They advertise this as an Orville Dull production, but my people didn’t find it so dull as all that. In fact, they were very enthusiastic about it. It has lots of stunts, action and comedy. (Pastime, Mason, Mich.) BRUTE, THE, W, Monte Blue, Leila Hyams, Clyde Cook, Carroll Nye, Paul Nicholson, 7.— One of the few Warners of late that comes up to standard. Good melodrama for the masses. Drew fair and pleased in a general way. (Strand, Robinson, 111.) A good Western. Biggest Sunday receipts ever taken in at 25 cent policy. (Avalon, Bellingham, Wash.) 50%. One of the best things we have had from Warners. No business but not picture’s fault. Stirring drama of the oil fields and done in a manner that holds interest to the end. Those we had liked it immensely. (Temple, Bellaire, O.) 65%. May 7. Good program picture. Pleased 90 per cent. (Gem, Edmond, Okla.) BUGLE CALL, THE, MGM, Jackie Coogan, 7. — 80%. August 14-15. A very good picture and pleased 100 per cent. (Opera House, Fennimore, Wis.) August 19-20. A pretty good little story for the family. The kids all like it, and the women also, that do not mind a few dead Indians. (Cresco, Cresco, la.) c CABARET, Par, Gilda Gray, Tom Moore, Chester Conklin, Mona Palma, Jack Eagan, Charles Byer, 7. — April 12-13. Very good picture and well liked. Gilda Gray lacks a lot of being an actress. After seeing Gilda, I can not see why she would ever be cast as a lead. Must be hard up for talent. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) April 11. Played this picture up strong, had most attractive trailer, heralds and paper, and thought it should bring them in, but I was never more wrong in my life. I figured that this title and the character of the story should exert a more powerful appeal than “Aloma of South Seas,” but Brother, I was wrong. Frankly, this is a fine piece of melodrama entertainment with eye appealing cabaret sets and unique and novel lighting effects, good cast and two fine dances by Gilda. The chief complaint that I heard was that Gilda Gray is too ugly to be featured on the screen. I can recommend this as good, tense, exciting entertainment, but of doubtful box office value, if most towns are like mine. (Regent, Indianola, Miss.) Patrons compared this with “Aloma of the South Seas” and liked the latter the best. (Cresco, Cresco, la.) April 7. Did not mean a thing here. Not a good small town picture, but ought to do well in a large city. (Reel Joy, King City, Cal.) 60%. April 23. She can dance all right. Pleased the young folks, but many did not care at all for it. Heard many say she was too old. Will not please over 50 per cent in a small town. (American, Wautoma, Wis.) 55%. May 4. We would call this average. Did not draw despite extra exploitation and comment of patrons was only lukewarm. (Majestic & Airdome, Lae Vegas, Nev.) CACTUS TRAILS, FBO, Bob Custer, 5.— May 14. A nice little Western for Saturday night. (Trags, Neillfiville, Wis.) Bob makes the bad man feel badder, and Ma Crater lends a helping hand. This Western is small but it’s good. We put it on with a society feature and drew a mixed trade. (Arvada, Arvada, Col.) Good Western with plenty of action and just enough comedy to make a good show. (Pleasure, Sanborn, Minn.) 84%. September 3. Ran this as part of double feature program. They drew big Saturday crowd. (Strand, Paoli, Ind.) 13%. July 16. A very good Western, but failed at the box office. Took in about enough to pay film rental. (Cozy, Lamont, Okla.) CALIFORNIA, MGM, Tim McCoy, Dorothy Sebastian, Marc MacDermott, Frank Currier, Fred Warren, Lillianne Leighton, Edwin Terry, 6. — June 10. Not a Western but a darn good picture. (Palace, Mt. Pleasant, Tex.) 30%. September 2-3. A good historical Western. (Opera House, Fennimore, Wis.) 78%. September 3. A good drama of the early days of the West that is true to history. Plenty of action and made a very good Saturday night program. (Princess, Lexington, Tenn.) 41%. August 7. Would class this as an historic Western. The picture is done on a big scale and as it has plenty of action, comedy and suspense should please the average patron. A good small town offering. (Grand, Rainier, Ore.) CALIFORNIA OR BUST, FBO, George O’Hara Helen Foster, John Steppling, Johnny Fox, Irving Bacon, 5. — 64%. July 16. This star popular here because of having played in the “Telephone Girl” comedy series, so drew quite well. Picture is a fair copy of, but not up to the standard of, the Wally Reid type of auto racing dramas. (Crystal, Silver Creek, Neb.) July 23. This is George’s best picture and pleased all who saw the picture. (Hines, Loyalton, S. D.) They stopped on way out to say, “Get more like this.” It sure was good. (Emmert, Alcester, S. D.) CALLAHANS AND MURPHYS, THE, MGM, Marie Dressier, Polly Moran, Sally O’Neil, Lawrence Gray, Gertrude Olmstead, Eddie Gribbon, Frank Currier, 6. — 90%. June 26-27. Hurrah for the Irish 1 If this is true to life, they give themselves away in this one. Lots of fightin’, drinkin’, ’n everything in this one. But it’s merry and gay at that. Good business. (Arvada, Arvada, Col.) July 20-21. An excellent Irish comedy. Two subtitles on creed or religion that should be removed in some communities. Many favorable comments. A good show anywhere to an open minded audience. (Cresco, Cresco, la.) Established a new record for Monday on this picture, and it deserved a crowd, too, for it was a great comedy. Just the thing for a small town. (Amuzu, Gate City, Va. ) A most decidedly rough-neck comedy. The Irish love and fight and get drunk and make up. If your patrons like this kind, all right. Mine don’t. They laughed, then roasted me after the show. There are one or two decidedly off-color gags in this that might have been eliminated. (Community House, Benton City, Mo.) A knock down, drag ’em out comedy that pleased all who are not too churehified. The beer drinking contest was surely funny, but not too good for children to see. (Diamond, Lake Odessa. Mich.) 80%. August 26-27. Perhaps a little too much near-beer, but the crowd will laugh and tell you they enjoyed the show. Nothing in picture to be afraid of. (Movies, Brocket, N. D.) 20%. As my name implies, we are 100 per cent Irish, though if we thought any class of that race ever acted in the manner described by Sally Moran and Marie Dresser we would certainly defy our nationality. If you are Irish and have one spark of Irish pride, do not run this picture. Better still, do not advise your acquaintances to even pay to see it. It’s the lowest order of filth. I imagine it would go big in certain parts of Alabama and with the president of Mexico, and the producer should be restricted in its direction to the above territories. (Palace. McGehee, Ark.) 50%. A good comedy spoiled by being vulgar in spots to which many patrons objected. Had more adverse criticism on this than any picture I have shown for years. (Uno, Mancos, Col.) August 18-19. Some picture that will send them out talking and they tell their friends to go see it. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) A little too raw for those who want clean pictures and our patrons are the kind that are looking for clean entertainment. (Strand, Valparaiso, Neb.) Too much for an American to tolerate when such subtitles as, "It must be a black Protestant,” appear in large type and a couple of Irish women are making a toast to our public schools with a stein of beer. It is absolutely padded with rot and vulgar remarks and children shouldn’t see it at all. Remember, brother exhibitor, that we cater to all denominations and can’t afford to insult cur patrons. Several walked out on this one. (Community House, Arlington, N. Y.) CAPTAIN SALVATION, MGM, Pauline Starke, Lars Hanson, Marcelinc Day, Ernest Torrence, George Fawcett, Sam DeGrasse, Flora Finch, 7. — 60%. June 5. This is a good show of its type, but too rough for my patrons. (Unique, Anita, la.) Glad we don’t have many like this one. Tragedy and no action or comedy to help save it. Poor picture. (Princess, Crandon, Wis.) 60%. August 14-15. A thrilling drama of 1840, with a New England seaport and a convict ship for the settings. Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke and Ernest Torrence ns the villainous captain make this a picture you will remember. Not for children. (Community, Minneota, Minn.) 38%. June 11. Neither drew nor pleased. Too gruesome. A melodrama of the sea. Bad tone. Not for Sunday or special. (Arvada, Arvada, Col.) 30%. July 4. Too rough and gruesome for the women and many did not care for it. It did not draw or please. Where they like sea pictures it no doubt will go over. (American, Wantoma, Wis.) This is very good of its type. Plenty rough, i Palace, Mt. Pleasant, Tex.) CASY AT THE BAT, Par, Wallace Beery, Zasu Pitts, Ford Sterling, Spec O’Donnell, 6,i — 84%. July 7-8. This is good but can’t compare to “We’re in the Navy Now.” First night good but poor second night. (Gem, Greenriver, Utah.) 65%. July 1-2. Sure, this one was good, so was the price, but I raised the price and had a house above the average. (Cozy, Duchesne, Utah.) 80%. June 10-11. Business not very good. Picture very ordinary and more disgusting beer guzzling and filth than I have 6een in a long time. Give us clean pictures. (Postville, Postville, la.) Good picture for any town. Better than average Sunday-Monday business. (Liberty, Condon, Ore.) Good picture but nothing to compare with “Behind the Front” or “We’re in the Navy Now.” (Royal, Newark, Ark.) Possibly I was expecting too much and promised our patrons too much. Anyway it did a nose dive. My honest belief is that it is just half the picture compared with the previous two. As one patron said, it looked as though the director had plenty of chances for comedy but failed to take advantage. Don’t misunderstand, it is not a bad picture, but could have been a lot better. (K. P., Pittsfield, 111.) 70%. April 9. A great drawing card and if properly exploited is a money maker, but it is not one-half as good as his two former war comedies. Hatton was greatly missed. (American, Wautoma, Wis.) March 27-28. Good picture but not near so good as some of his former pictures. Will get over all right if not over advertised. (H. & S., Chandler, Okla.) Was about half as good as "Behind the Front” and “Navy Now.” My folks were disappointed in it. (Moon. Neligh, Neb.) Very good comedy drama. (Oxford, Oxford, O.) Not as good as either of his former pictures. In fact, I did not hear one good hearty laugh throughout the entire feature. (Capitol, Delphos, O.) 80%. August 27. A baseball comedy that will please the men folks and some of the women. While a part of it showing the beer scenes of the nineties could easily be true, yet the screen would be better off without it. To those who did not dislike the drinking, it was as good as “Behind the Front.” (Crystal, Silver Creek, Neb.) August 3. Not so good as former comedies from this star, and did not do so well at the box office. Neither is it the big special they tout it up to be. (Grand, Rainier, Ore.) We played this picture under date of August 19-20. Did big advertising. Contract calls for rental of $100 for two days and 50 per cent all over $250. Our patrons liked it so well, we honestly took in $121.65 for two days. If you have bought this picture, I’d suggest that you pay for it and leave it in the exchange. (Alcazar, Dothan, Ala.) Drunken beer saloon scene spoiled a good picture. Beery slipped back several notches. (Wade H. Kerr, Spiceland. Ind.) CHILDREN OF DIVORCE, Par, Clara Bow, Esther Ralston, Gary Cooper, Norman Trevor, Einar Hanson, Hedda Hopper, Julia Swayne Gordon, 7. — 55%. This is a disappointment to the Clara Bow fane who raved over her work in "It.” Most of it is sad and depressing. Clara Bow has a part that does not let her bubble over. Esther Ralston had the good part and sort of walked through it. Gary Cooper was very good. (Temple, Bellaire, O.) 38%. June 10. Not a good picture to advertise as a special. Will please some. (City, Vermillion, S. D.) 85%. August 12-13. A wonderful production but not as good as “It.” (Bonny, Mansfield, Mo.) A wonderful picture. Will please everyone. Goes straight to the heart. Everyone should see it. Will stand advance in admission. (Alcazar, Dothan, Ala.) 67%. May 5. A very good picture for a large town. Teaches a good moral. Clara Bow and Esther Ralston are very good. Did not think much of Gary Cooper and Einar Hanson, although this is their first appearance here. (Gem. Greenriver, Utah) August 7-8. The general comment was, "A good enough picture, but I didn't like it.” They do not want Clara in death scenes. (Cresco, Cresco, la.) CIRCUS AGE, THE, F, Tom Mix, Natalie Joyce, Jack Baston, Duke Lee, 5. — 92%. The real Tom Mix in a right good show. Pleased well on a hot night. (City, Vermillion, S. D.) Tom has made better pictures than this, but it drew a good crowd and pleased. (Royal. Newark, Ark.) A welcome change from his other pictures, but not as thrilling as some cf his others. (Avalon, Bellingham, Wash.) Gets the people and pleases most of them, but not as good as the last two he made. (Bonham, Fairbury, Neb.) August 27. Good, and Mix has a real leading lady for once. She fitted the part 100 per cent. (Arvada, Arvada, Col.) CLIMBERS, THE, W, Irene Rich, Clyde Cook, Forrest Stanley, Anders Randolph, Dot Farley, Nigel Barrie, Max Barwin, 6. — 46%. June 4. A good picture. A lot of action in the last part. The title is misleading. If you get the people in