Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1929)

June 9, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 83 McLaglen very good. Play it for bigger profits. — Joe Mauler, Liberty theatre, PleaBanton, Neb. — Small town patronage. WHAT PRICE GLORY: Special caet^-Had a new laboratory print with not a cut in it, therefore, you who have run it know it was plenty raw in spots. With one exception, I class this as the greatest of all war pictures to date. The one exception is, they could have left out a lot of the lewdness and not hurt the picture a particle. Eleven reels. — ^P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo. — Neighborhood patronage. WHAT PRICE GLORY: Special cast— A good picture for a war picture, but wiar pictures . are no good for me. Juet will not go. Have lost money on them all. — -Earl Somerville, Opera House, Raymond, Minn. — General patronage. WHAT PRICE GLORY: Special cast— May 21-22-23. I would consider this much better than either one of the so called big war pictures and I didn't have to charge fifty cents for it, was not bothered with a checker and have had a good oriening. I was a long time getting to this picture and am not eorry that I waited. If I would have taken this last fall instead of two other big ones, my playdates would not all be taken up by very mediocre pictures. Twelve reels. — Ray W. Musselman, Princess theatre, Lincoln, Kans. — Small town patronage. BLACK JACK: Buck Jones — ^Not so good as some. Too much ahooting. Six reels. — Minnie M. Schnoor, Paramount theatre, Stapleton, Neb. — General patronage. THE BLUE EAiGLE: George O'Brien— AprU 27-28. Good picture but too rough for the women. It did not draw for some unknovsTi reason. The posters poor on this one. Print good, photography fair. Seven reels. — P. G. Held, Strand theatre, Griswold, la. — Neighborhood patronage. CHAIN LIGHTNING: Buck Jones— A good Western that pleased the Jones fans. Good title which helps to draw. Five reels. — Carl L. Brown, Crystal theatre. Many, La. — General patronage. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ROSE MARIE: Special cast— 25%. May 9-10. Cannot give this picture a good word as it is a very disconnected story and Metro's prints are very very dark. I am afraid Metro and I will have to break business relations when our present contract expires. Eight full reels. — W. J. Shoup, DeLuxe theatre, Spearville, Kan. — ^Small town patronage. ROSE MARIE: Joan Crawford— Very good picture. Good crowd first night and second night much better than usual. Eight reels. — Wilcox-Miller, Lake View theatre. Lake View, la. — General patronage. ROSE MARIE: Joan Crawford— A good Canadian Northwoods Northwest Mounted Police story which was ruined for me by a poor title. Picture is not like the play, therefore, it should have had an action title to help it along. The average mob who go to 10 and 15 cent picture shows know less than nothing about $2.00 musical comedies or legitimate stage attractions. Eight reels. — P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo. — Neighborhood patronage. RIDERS OP THE DARK: "Km McCoy— 70%. May 8. McCoy is getting to draw better for me. This is a dandy Western and people did not hesitate t/O say so. Five reels. — ^Harold Smith, Dreamland theatre, Carson, la. — ^General patronage. THE SMART SET: William Haines— 15%. May 16-17. This smart-aleck (judging him solely by his actions on the screen) may be good for something, somewhere, but not at my box office. My people turned out to see the football in "Brown of Harvard" the baseball in "Slide, Kelly, Slide" and Lon Chaney in "Tell It to the Marines" but William Haines on his own merits in "Spring Fever" was a financial frost here and this one is worse. The picture has plenty of comedy and action, good polo shots, witty subtitles, etc., but the best thing in it is where Jack Holt knocks Haines cold. — Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich. — General patronage. QUALITY STREET: Marion Davies— 20%. May 23. Without Miss Davies this would be a complete flop. As it is there is nothing to it except Miss Davies. Those old costume period pictures are certainly the bunk. No one liked this. Seven reels. — H. J. Eagan, American theatre, Wautoma, Wis. — Small town patronage. THE BUGLE CALL: Jackie Coogan— 20%. May 11-12. Not so good. Very draggy in spots and too much Mother love stuff. Costume pictures do not draw. Six reels. — ^Stan. Kennedy, Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada. — Small town patronage. WAR PAINT: Tim McCoy— 49%. May 19. Just an ordinary Western. Nothing much to be said for it or about it. The kids enjoyed it. Six reels. — Paul B. Hoffmann, Legion theatre, Holyrood, Kans. — Small town patronage. IN OLD KENTUCKY: Murray-Costello — 65%. May 21-22. Shave good the evening you show this because your patrons will want to kiaa you when J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum Dear HERALD-WORLD: NELIGH, .NEB., May 26, 1928. We have been lying awake nights trying to make up our mind whether to vote for Al or Herb this fall and had about concluded not to vote at all unless they nominated our old friend Charley Dawes, but the matter has been solved and we can now get some sleep, for we see by the press reports that Will Rogers has yielded to a public clamor and has agreed to run for president himself, and this simplifies matters. When it comes to presidential timber Bill is about as likely a sapling as we know of and we are going to be for him provided his platform meets with our approval, but we will want to know how he stands on certain issues before we hand him Nebraska. Bill was mayor of the invisible government of Beverly Hills at one time and any man who can come out of that office and not be all smeared over ought to be able to handle a little job like being president. We don't care how he stands on the Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Eighteenth amendments, nor whether he favors the McNary-Haugen bill or not, but we do want to know whether or not he would sanction a hill for a continuous open season on film hounds and press agents. The exhibitors will demand to know this. Then, too, there is supposed to be a certain dignity to be maintained in the White House and we will want to know something about this. When Bill was senator from Texas and was trying to get a bill passed for a dam across Goose Creek he appeared before the senate in his B.V.D.'s. This might be all right with those Texas Long Horns but Nebraska will demand that he clothe himself according to the regulation fashion. If Bill can square himself on the above mentioned important issues of the campaign Nebraska will be for him and as Nebraska goes so goes the Union. Exhibitors Herald and Moving I'icHire World Fills a Want None Ot±iers Do Every time w« see Irene Rich in a picture we want to step on Marie's starter and head for Hollywood, and every time we see Miss Rich we think of "Jes Call Me Jim" and every time we think of "Jes Call Me Jim" we think of Will Rogers and Clarence Badger and we wonder why they don't make pictures nowadays like they used to, but they don't. Occasionally one sees a picture that gets hold of him and grips. Such a one was "Jes Call Me Jim" and Clarence Badger was responsible for its direction. Therefore we are strong for Mr. Badger. Then, too, you will remember Pauline Frederick in "Madam X," that is if you saw the picture you will remember it if you ever remember anything, but of recent years producers seem to run to a different type of entertainment, more of the jazz style, but perhaps that's because we are living in a jazz age. You know occasionally a scourge strikes the country, we had an epidemic of flu and a siege of smallpox and then the seven year itch and now it's jazz, so we presume we will be fed up on jazz pictures until the malady runs itself out. If there was any way to vaccinate against it we'd take a .shot in the arm tonight and go to bed happy. Then again occasionally there is an exception. Last night at the Moon theatre we saw Mary Pickford in "My Best Girl." At no time in our picture experience have we been as crazy about Mary as some folks, but maybe that was because we saw her in "Suds" and another picture that had a lot of mud and misery in it that we have been trying to forget, but Mary did her stuff in "My Best Girl" just about as we liked her to do it and just a little bit better than anybody besides Mary could do it. Buddy Rogers who supported Mary didn't hurt the picture a bit, in fact Buddy never does, and if they will keep this pair together and give them something sensible to play, like "My Best Girl," there will be less complaint of wasted evenings, but then, we are not a reviewer of {Continued on next page) they come out. It's a good picture, swift running, full of heart interest and with the right amount of comedy to balance the picture. It has a "Rookie" style ending that leaves 'em smiling. I'll say "yes" twice to pictures like this. Seven reels. — John W. Crabtree, Joyland theatre. Corning, Ark. — Small town patronage. IN OLD KENTUCKY: Murray-Costello — Nothing like the old version but a very good picture, nevertheless. A number of negro actors in the cast do some mighty good work and are largely responsible for its audience appeal, to my notion. A pretty good race at the finish. Not a special but a very good release. Seven reels. — -P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo. — ^Neighborhood patronage. BEN HUR: Special cast— 75%. May 13-14-15. Considering our expectations we did not do so good with this picture. However, we had much interference, also this picture had been shown in towns all about us. "Ben Hur" is about played out for small theatres with much competition. At that we received much praise from persons who had seen the picture in larger theatres where most of the technicolor had been cut out. Some bad splices otherwise okay. Twelve reels. — Tivenan & Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. LOVE: Special cast— 60%. May 13. No good for a small town. People here want action and not mush. Had several walkouts. Eight reels. — Harold Smith, Dreamland theatre, Carson, la. — General patronage. LOVE: GUbert-Garbo— May 23-24. Just a good program picture bought for a special on which I did very poor business, considering the price I paid for it and the amount of advertising I put out. ESght reels. — Mrs. C. Knox, Star theatre. Villa Grove, 111. — Small town patronage. WEST POINT: William Haines— 80%. May 4-5. A dandy. Bill Haines' name pulls the crowd. Shots of West Point excellent. Nine reels. — Harold Smith. Dreamland theatre, Carson, la. — General patronage. WEST POINT: William Haines— 50%. May 24. This is a good one. Star in a class by himself, aa a smart guy. Gave one hundred per cent satisfaction.— Bert Silver, Silver Family Theatre. Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. GARDEN OF ALLAH: Special cast — One of those different from the rest pictures that pleased some and others did not know what it wae all about. Nine reels. — Giacoma Bros., Crystal theatre. Tombstone, Ariz. — General patronage. ANNIE LAURIE: Lillian Gish— AprU 29-30. A costume picture that cost a lot of money and no good at the box office. Very poor drawing card and didn't please the ones that did come. Too gruesome to be entertaining. Nine reels. — P. G. Held. Strand theatre, Griswold, la. — Neighborhood patronage. TELL IT TO THE MARINES: Special cusirMay 22-23. Very good picture. In fact, had many tell us they liked it better than "The Big Parade" which I ran last year. Ten reek. — Wm. E. Tras»dorf. Trags theatre, Neillsville, Wia. — Small towa patronage. SPRING FEVER: William Haines— May 19. A dandy comedy. Hope all of his are as good. Our people like comedies best. It is hard to k»H a crowd now. There isn't any money. Seven reel*. — Robert Yancey. Bonny theatre, Mansfiold. Mo. — General patronage. BUTTONS: Jackie Coogan — Very good picture. Coofran has a strong cast supporting him in tbia one and it makes a good picture. Seven reelft. — Wilcox-Miller, Lake View thoetre. Lake View. la. — General pmtronage.