Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1928)

74 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 21, 1928 J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum Tucson, Ariz., January 5, 1928. DEAR HERALD-WORLD: You can believe it or not. just as you like, it will be all right with us, but we are writing this in our shirt sleeves and sitting on the lawn in the shade of the house and our wife and Geneve are cracking hickory nuts and Ruth is crocheting some kind of a Aim flam fol-de-rol that is not intended to ward off Nebraska blizzards and you can make a guess as to what it is. No it isn't, we thought it was too, but it isn't. The first thing we needed when we started this letter was an eraser. We hunted the table all over for it and then yelled to our wife: "What did you do with that eraser ?" "I haven't seen your eraser."' "Yes you did, we left it right here on this table." "Well, if you did it must be there yet, I haven't seen it." "No, it isn't, somebody has grabbed it up." "I cleaned that table this morning and it wasn't there, look on the sideboard, maybe I laid it up there, or maybe it is over there on that sewing table." "No it isn't on the sideboard, it isn't on the sewing table, it isn't on the sofa nor the writing desk nor the commode nor the dresser nor in the sink nor out in the garage nor in the coal pail." "Well, I don't know where it is, did you look in your pockets?" That's the way it is with these women, always trying to throw the blame on someone else. We haven't found out yet who put that eraser in our pocket. Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fill a Want None Others Do We wish to herewith record our apology to our old friend, Thomas O. Service. Thomas, in the current issue of the HERALD-WORLD seems to be somewhat hurt at our remarks relative to his criticism of "Seventh Heaven." Thomas seemed to incline to the opinion that "Seventh Heaven" is a beaner of a show and he can't understand why we didn't get the same slant on it also. Far be it from us to question the opinion of Thomas on matters of importance, much less the cinema product of a perfectly reliable concern, but be it remembered that the unparalleled advancement made by these glorious United States of America (God bless the American Eagle, he's no buzzard I came about through clashing of great minds. You no doubt recall that famous debate between Webster and Hayne. Lincoln and Douglas didn't agree on one very vital issue, and Lydia E. Pinkham's advance thought has challenged the medical profession the world over and her "Vegetable Compound" has thrown chills into the doctors of medicine and removed chills from the laity until her picture adorns the homes of all well regulated families throughout the civilized world and parts of Chicago. The public will be the beneficiary by reason of this little controversy between Thomas and the writer in that it has brought to the surface the latent poetic ability of our friend that has lain dormant in and around the Service homestead for lo these many years; therefore, Know All Men By These Presents, that we do hereby acknowledge that "Seventh Heaven" is a right smart picture that ought to satisfy and please Paw and Maw and the kids, Ole and Tillie and the Deacon, and we trust that this public acknowledgment and admission of error will be satisfactory to our old college chum, and that it will bridge the yawning chasm that threatened to separate two brilliant intellects, whose life ambition is, and has been, to guide the wandering footsteps of an incredulous public "Across the plains of Paran" and over the quick-sands of doubt and into a full knowledge of what a darn good picture ought to look like. How's that Thomas, satisfactory? Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fill a Want Nolle Others Do Next Monday morning Marie and I are going to head out of 80 above into 20 below and we don't know a bootlegger along the route. We've got to go back to where the old wigwam used to be and rake over the ashes and see if we can find any trace of our golf and fishing outfit. We will need both at that gathering of the faithful at Alexandria, Minn., next summer. Anybody got any to loan? Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World Fill a Want None Others Do We notice in the current issue of the HERALD-WORLD that Ray Murray and Douglas Hodges, a coupla' fellas out in Hollywood who are connected now with the HERALD ( Continued on page 76) AFTER MIDNIGHT: Norma Shearer— 55%. I have seen some bad reports on this but I can't see where it is so bad. It is not a special by any means but it is a good program picture and that is more than can be said for some of them. Norma Shearer good as is Owen Lee. The latter deserves better roles. Metro-Goldwyn is about done in our town and personally I am sorry of it. even though I did not think they were fair with their new contract. Seven reels. — W. R. Bratton, Stella theatre. Council Grove. Kan. — General patronage. THE FRONTIERSMAN: Tim McCoy— A very good picture of the days of the early history of the United States. Good for any theatre, good scenes, full of interest. — George Lodge, Green Lantern theatre, Claymont, Del. — General patronage. TEA FOR THREE: Special cast— December 4. Very clever little comedy drama. — R. V. Fletcher, Lyric theatre, Hartington, Neb. — General patronage. MAN, WOMAN AND SIN: Special cast— Don't know how to report on this. It's pretty hot in places but seemed to please. — R. V. Fletcher, Lyrictheatre, Hartington, Neb. — General patronage. ADAM AND EVIL: Special cast— This picture suited me better than any of its type played in years. Boys, they will all like it. — Earl M. Bennett, Liberty theatre, Delevan, III. — General patronage. BEN HUR: Ramon Novarro — Played it on percentage and made a few dollars. However, would have lost money had I bought it outright. Pulls a class that hardly ever comes out and of course it pleased generally. A great picture. Twelve reels.— J. B. Carter, Electric theatre. Browning, Mo. — General patronage. BEN HUR: Special cast— October 3-4-5. Played this right at release date. You've all read about it that haven't played it. Greatest achievement of the screen to our notion. "Big Parade" not to be classed with it in any possible way, let alone putting it on same sales basis. Eleven reels. — Henry Reeve, Mission theatre, Menard, Tex. — General patronage. THE ROAD TO ROMANCE: Ramon Novarro— December 21. Just a fair program picture. Showed to a small crowd. Six reels. — Win. Wiske, Community theatre. Redgranite, Wis. — Small town patronage. TIN HATS: Special cast — A mild innocuous comedy, but Claire Windsor good to look at. Fairly pleasing. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre, Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. TIN HATS: Conrad Nagel — Some picture. It's okay — A. C. Betts, Powers theatre, Red Creek, N. Y. — Small town patronage. SLIDE, KELLY, SLIDE: Williams Haines — We like William Haines bo well we would like to see him in something besides smart aleck roles. Our patrons dislike this type of picture, but he makes good box office receipts through his personality. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre. Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. THE FAIR CO-ED: Marion Davies— December 5-6. Good fun. Why don't they keep Miss Davies out of hoop skirt6? She can do this stuff. Admitted all girl6 in high school free, no strings to it at all, and had exceptional business. John Mack Brown caused quite a bit of comment among the ladies. He should be kept at work. Seven reels. — Henry Reeve, Mission theatre, Menard, Tex. — General patronage. THE TAXI DANCER: Joan Crawford— December 3. A very fine picture. Very interesting. — A. C. Betts, Powers theatre, Red Creek, N. Y. — Small town patronage. VALLEY OF HELL: Francis McDonald— Good Western but entirely too short. A very good picture but bum looking for Xmas Eve. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre, Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. IN OLD KENTUCKY: So called all star castDecember 26. This is good ordinary picture saved by the colored folks in the cast. Where Metro gets the idea it's a special and an advanced price picture is one of those mysteries. Murray did not register at all here. Not a soul in the cast ever heard of that amounted to anything. Poor stuff pushing off this one as special. The picture is good, yes, but not one to sell at a high price. Eight reels. — Henry Reeve, Mission theatre, Menard, Tex. — Small town patronage. BECKY: Sally O'Neil — A fair picture. No kicks on this one. Will please the most of them. — Earl M. Bennett, Liberty theatre, Delavan, 111. — General patronage. FLESH AND THE DEVIL: Special cast— Another one of those asbestos mat affairs. Our audience divided on the merite of this picture. Paper on this picture fierce. Better make your own. This is true of many Metro pictures. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre, Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. TELL IT TO THE MARINES: Lon Chaney— A great picture but too high. We saw Lon Chaney act for the first time in this picture. We always knew that Lon Chaney was a great wig and grease paint man, but now we think he is an excellent actor. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre. Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. BATTLING BUTLER: Buster Keaton— A fair comedy but seemed to please. The chief objection we have to Metro is that their salesmen think that they are on a farewell tour when they sell us. and we never see them again. — Halliburton & Burns, Texline theatre, Texline, Tex. — Small town patronage. Paramount METROPOLIS: Special cast— 63%. December 26. This has been described as not a picture for a small town. From the box office standpoint thi6 is true, but what a pity if the people in a 6mall town who enjoy so great a picture as this could not see it. And if those cultivated people only knew how often a theatre owner puts on a picture because it will please them and though it will lose money for him, they would realize that their usual goodwill toward him is not misplaced. "Metropolis" is just one of those kind of pictures for a small town. The theatre must take its pay in prestige instead of receipts. This picture is flashed on the screen with all the force of a great climax without preparation and without notice, and the climax is well maintained. The picture of vast machinery and of mechanical power is at once solemn, impressive, sublime. But the efforts to heighten the stage effects are by methods, more or less, hocus-pocus. With steam blowing off in 60 many places and men working in an atmosphere of steam, it is more suggestive of a modern stave factory than an industrial plant 1,000 years from now. However, every author is entitled to more or less poetic license. In producing his stage effects he took his share but to pick out defects in this astonishing picture is like picking flaws in Shakespeare. The spectacle of the building of the Tower of Babel would be sufficient to put a picture otherwise inferior on the screen. As for the woman whom he created out of one of those machines, she no sooner danced into life than she became one of those Hip Wigglers. He had better left her where 6he was. As for his philosophy that industry is becoming so standardized and the workers are becoming mere automatic so that 1,000 years from now they will be mere automatic machines and slaves, the world is not headed that way. The worker he depicts is the fellaheen of Egypt in overhalls. He is picturing the past and not the future. But the Pharoahs have gone. They have had their day and they will never return. The moral of the play, the lesson for Capitol and Labor cannot be too highly commended. On this particularly, I never heard