Exhibitors Herald (1927)

November 12, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 55 RICHARD THE LION HEARTED: Wallace Beery — 44%. October 23. A very good picture to run on a Sunday as we did. It’s old but is interesting. Eight reels.— -Mrs. Hulda J. Green. Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. AMERICA: Special cast — 77%. October 9. This is an old picture but very good. Eleven reels. — Mrs. Hulda J. Green, Gem theatre. Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. RESURRECTION : Special cast — This picture has a title that draws, but has some very bad passion scenes. If your audience rebels against such scenes as ours did, it’s better not to play it. Eight reels. — L. L. Bascom, Liberty theatre. Dayton, Wash. THE ONLY WAY: Martin Harvey— We lost money on this picture due to the weather and poor drawing cast. Yet we had many critics tell us it was the best picture they had seen in a year. We say so ourselves. An ideal Sunday picture. Buy it reasonable and put extra effort behind your advertising. A story that has more thought and literature than two dozen average “Made in America” pictures and I’m not English either. Many directors could take a post graduate course in reviewing this adaption of Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities.” Eight reels. — L. L. Bascom, Liberty theatre, Dayton, Wash. Universal THE CAT AND CANARY: Laura LaPlante— 85%. October 20-21. This picture is all Universal claims for it. Boost it strong, fix up your theatre spooky, have weird music and stand at the door and watch them come out. The reaction will surprise you. Every actor in this picture does wonderful work. Fine business for Thursday and Friday. Eight reels. — E. A. Rhoades, Grand theatre, Story City, la. — Small town patronage. THE CHINESE PARROT: Special cast— 69%. October 8. Fair mystery story. No complaints but nothing to rave over. Eight reels. — H. S. Boyd, Community theatre, Woodbury, Conn. — Small town patronage. THE CHINESE PARROT: Hobart Bosworth— Good mystery picture. Glad we bought Universal service, it’s great. Seven reels. — Mrs. Richard A. Preuss, Arvada theatre, Arvada, Col. — -Small town patronage. THE CLAW : Norman Kerry — 9%. September 28. Dandy good and interesting entertainment. Small crowd so no records were broken, but it was different and good show. Sorry we can’t get them out with anything anymore. Six reels. — Rudolph Duba, Royal theatre, Kimball, S. D. — General patronage. WILD BEAUTY: Rex— 85%. October 29. Excellent picture, many comments. Six reels. — H. S. Boyd, Community theatre, Woodbury, Conn. — Small town patronage. WILD BEAUTY : Rex — Good horse picture that brought them in. Universal’s got the pictures.—Mrs. Richard A. Preuss, Arvada theatre, Arvada, Col. — Small town patronage. MEN OF DARING: Jack Hoxie— 45%. October 18-19. Here is a real big Western and is worth showing. Although no special it is all right for regular program. — A. J. W. Koehler, Koehler theatre, Uehling, Neb. — General patronage. MEN OF DARING: Special cast — Good Western, but not a special. A good picture anywhere and especially for South Dakota. Many scene shots taken in the Black Hills. — R. C. Metzger, Cozy theatre, Wagner, S. D. — General patronage. COMBAT: House Peters — 43%. Seven reels. — O. M. Rolo, High School theatre. Sun City, Kan. —Small town patronage. ARIZONA SWEEPSTAKES: Hoot Gibson— 50%. Six reels. — O. M. Rolo, High School theatre. Sun City, Kan. — Small town patronage. ARIZONA SWEEPSTAKES: Special cast— Not much to this. Hoot. I call it poor. Seven reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. CHIP OF THE FLYING U: Hoot Gibson— 100%. October 29. Not much Western to it. Mostly comedy all through. Very good. — Robert K. Yancey, Bonny theatre, Mansfield, Mo. — -General patronage. CHIP OF THE FLYING U: Hoot Gibson— A real Western with Hoot and Weary going strong. Hoot is a good card for us and we can always buy a steak for our next meal when we play him. Seven reels. — B. F. Wingeler, Liberty theatre, Tremonton, Utah. — General patronage. BACK TO GOD’S COUNTRY: Renee Adoree 30%. November 25-26. A fine picture that pleased all who saw it. Don’t be afraid to boost it. Good title and acting. Increased our mid Born to Theatre Business, Putnam Claims Title of “Youngest Exhibitor” FRED W. PUTNAM BORN to the theatre. That is literally true of Fred W. Putnam, new manager of the Strand at Port Arthur, Texas. His birthplace was in the Putnam home above his father’s Variety theatre at Richmond, Va. It is not to be wondered at, then, that Fred got into the theatre business when only 14 years old. He played the traps and doubled in small parts at the famous theatre. When his father sold out, however, he became an usher at the late Jake Wells’ Bijou. He became manager of the Strand there, next the Colonial, opened the Victor, assumed the managership of the Rex at Hendersonville, N. C., returned to the Colonial, and then transferred to the Jefferson Amusement Company’s Liberty at Beaumont, Texas. His latest move was to the Port Arthur Strand. “Fritz” Putnam, with 14 years of theatre experience, credits Harry Bernstein of the Mosque theatre at Richmond for his training as a manager. week business with it. Six reels. — R. D. Young, Rex theatre, Montezuma, Ind. — General patronage. ROLLING HOME: Reginald Denny— 48%. Seven reels. — O. M. Rolo, High School theatre. Sun City, Kan. — Small town patronage. ROLLING HOME: Special cast — Very good. Eight reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. ROUGH AND READY: Jack Hoxie— 40%. Not Hoxie’e best by any means. — G. Carey, Strand theatre, Paris, Ark. — General patronage. THE BUCKAROO KID: Hoot Gibson— 70%. October 29. Would recommend this picture as a good entertainment picture. Most of the patrons seemed well pleased. — F. A. Reiss, Strand theatre, Orrin, N. D. — General patronage. RED HOT LEATHER: Jack Hoxie— 10%. October 19. One of Hoxie’s better pictures, but that does not mean much. Good for small town. Five reels. — Rudolph Duba, Royal theatre, Kimball, S. D. — -General patronage. RED HOT LEATHER: Jack Hoxie— A -good Western. Six reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, III. — General patronage. PRISONERS OF THE STORM: House Peters ■ — 15%. October 7. Dandy picture with House Peters. House is always good and these kind of stories should please everywhere. Six reels. — Rudolph Duba, Royal theatre, Kimball, S. D. — General patronage. RANGE COURAGE: Fred Humes — 50%. October 29. A good action picture. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. HERO ON HORSEBACK: Hoot Gibson— 55%. October 8-9. Hoot, oh where did you get that girl. This is getting to be Hoot himself again. A real one. Six reels. — -A. J. W. Koehler, Koehler theatre, Uehling, Neb. — -General patronage. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: Lon Chaney — 64%. — O. M. Rolo, High School theatre. Sun City, Kan. — Small town patronage. PAINTING THE TOWN: Glenn Tryon — A dandy picture. Heard more favorable comments than on several big socalled specials. This is my first report on any picture. Have been in business 13 years. Six reels. — J. T. Anderson, Plankinton Opera House, Plankinton, S. D. — Small town patronage. PAINTING THE TOWN: Glenn Tryon— October 30-31. An exceedingly good feature comedy. Some of the titles are a little too suggestive, but the people seem to get a laugh out of them. Six reels. — E. C. Potter, Firemen’s theatre. New Hampton, la. — Neighborhood patronage. SILK STOCKINGS: Laura LaPlante— Box office and management happy. Sure did draw. Good appeal. Seven reels. — Mrs. Richard A. Preuss, Arvada theatre, Arvada, Col. — Small town patronage. THE GOOSE WOMAN: Special cast — -Very good, brothers ! These are few and far between. Eight reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. DARING DAYS: Special cast — It’s good. Five reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. HIS PEOPLE: Special cast — A very good picture of its kind. But these Jew pictures don’t go here. Ten reels. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. Warner Bros. THE BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS: Monte Blue— 91%. October 8. This is a good picture. Near house record. Boost it, they will like it. Seven reels. — Mrs. Hulda J. Green, Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. THE BLACK DIAMOND EXPRESS: Monte Blue 75%. Just about as good as they make the railroad stories and in a time when business is the worst in our history this picture got a fair crowd and they all liked it. Had good and natural characters in it. — Ben L. Morris, Temple theatre, Bellaire, O. — General patronage. A SAILOR’S SWEETHEART: Special cast— 35%. October 28-29. No good. Thought Warners were going to give some real ones. “Jaws of Steel” was fine, also “The Bush Leaguer, but this is a flat one. No business. Fine weather which should have grossed twice as much. Six reels.— R. D. Young, Rex theatre, Montezuma, Ind. — General patronage. SEVEN SINNERS: Marie Prevost — 25%. Too slow. Did not please our Prevost fans. Six reels. — g. Carey, Strand theatre, Paris, Ark. — General patronage. SIMPLE SIS: Special cast— 68%. October 22. A good comedy. Not as much as you would expect from the cast but makes it up in thrills and suspense. Seven reels. — Mrs. Hulda J. Green, Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage. SIMPLE SIS: Fazenda— Cook— Louise Fazenda is good but Clyde Cook does not have the appearance for a comedy type of hero. He does not get the sympathy with his foolishness and hard luck. The picture is just an ordinary comedy drama that i6 dragged out in places. — Ben L. Morris, Temple theatre, Bellaire, O. — General patronage. DON JUAN: John Barrymore— 50%. October 23-24. It’s a good picture but not for a small town. As far as I am concerned Barrymore is the most polished actor on the screen today but you can't get small town people to believe it. Very good story -and good print, but never any more Barrymores after my next one as he doesn’t make the box office click. Ten reels. — W. R. Boughn, Jr., Sun theatre, Walthill, Neb. — General patronage. THE HONEYMOON EXPRESS: Special cast — 25%. Too long. Ordinary program. — G. Carey, Strand theatre, Paris, Ark. — General patronage.