Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

62 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 27, 1928 Your BOX OFFICE RECORD will be delivered to you in the issue of NEXT WEEK as a department of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum CARNEGIE, OKLA., Oct. 14, 1928. DEAR HERALDWORLD : Did you ever witness an accident on the highway that threw a chill into you that you couldn't shake off? We witnessed such last Wednesday on the highway going into Clinton. We were passing some school children and just as we got about even with them, a little boy ran out in the center of the road and threw up his hands and shouted to us as we passed. He didn't see another car coming from the other direction. When this car passed us we heard him set his brakes, heard a woman scream and then we heard the impact. We set our brakes and shut our eyes, afraid to look, for we knew he had hit the boy. When we could get strength enough to look back we saw the little fellow lying limp in the middle of the highway. Lord, what a sight, we hope to never see another such. We ran back to him and found that he still breathed and we rushed him to the Clinton hospital. His head was crushed and one leg was broken, and he was still alive but unconscious the next morning when we left. We hope and pray that the little fellow lives. The driver of the car that hit him was frantic and his wife almost went into hysterics. The driver was blameless, for it was one of those unavoidable accidents that so often occur. He did his best to miss the boy but failed. The children with the boy J. C. Jenkina said he had a habit of running out at cars as they passed, but this was the time he made the mistake that proved serious. Our habit is to give children all 'the benefit of the douht. We slow up our car and pass as far from them as we can, for one never knows what children will do. * * t Mr. Thomas Mahone has recently opened the Oklahoma, a beautiful theatre at Hobart. The front is of Spanish architecture and the interior is most gorgeously decorated, which gives the whole place an air of taste and refinement seldom found in cities of much greater importance. Mr. Mahone says he will send the HERALD-WORLD photographs of the exterior and interior for publication in "Better Theatres." We had a delightful visit with Mr. and Mrs. Mahone and have a standing invitation to remember them on our next visit to Oklahoma. Miss Ruth Ann Talbert, who operates the Rialto at Hobart, seems to be still enjoying good business and seemed to be quite pleased that we called on her again. She didn't say she thought we had grown more handsome but said we were "fatter." She said she was always pleased to read our colyum which convinced us that Miss Ruth is a lady of most excellent intelligence, but we didn't tell her so. She is strong for the HERALD-WORLD, which is further proof of her good judgment. Sam Fringer has come to the conclusion that Mangum has been taking it on the chin long enough so far as fine theatres are concerned, and Sam will soon commence the erection of a theatre that all the boys will want to have a look at, and when Sam starts to do a thing, you can bank your last dollar on Sam doing it. Sam and the writer attended, the Oklahoma City M P T O convention two years ago and there were at least two of us that were sober, we were one and Sam was 'tothern. Come to think of it, guess Hartman was, too. There were others but we were a stranger and didn't get their names. Sam says that as soon as his theatre is finished he will send "Better Theatres" a photograph of it, and if Sam doesn't do it we will always think that he sings "The Sidewalks of New York" and votes the republican ticket. S. H. Wallace operates Mangum's other popular playhouse, and his matinee, when we called, was much better than one would suppose on a hot Friday afternoon. Mangum seems to be a good show town, but that is probably due to the two popular managers. It's a good town anyhow. Mrs. John Aldridge of the Palace at Blair impressed us as a business lady of much more than average ability. Her knowledge of pictures and how to run a theatre would be a valuable asset to some operating theatres in much more pretentious cities. Blair does not put on city airs but the town seems to know and appreciate a theatre that is well managed, and Blair has just such. The Joy theatre at Mountain Park is operated by Hartzog & Haner — that's the firm name— and Hartzog & Haner are a couple of ladies, and when you want a theatre run, and run right, in a little town only two miles from Snyder where Roy Moore operates a couple of playhouses, you want to hook up with Hartzog & Haner and the thing will be done right. We met Mrs. Hartzog and she was a very pleasant lady but we didn't meet the Haner end of the firm, sorry. • * * W. L. Myers operates the Cozy at Granite. We didn't talk with him much because there were a lot of carpenters in his theatre pounding nails and sawing boards and putting the {Continued on next page) crowds. Seven reels. — Mrs. C. Knox. Star theatre, Villa Grove, III. — General patronage. ARIZONA WILDCAT: Tom Mix— Broke record. Beat Saturday night ever. Tom surely draws here: Six reels. — Herbert A. Wood. Regent theatre, Bangor, Mich. — Small town patronage. OUTLAWS OF RED RIVER: Tom Mix— October 11-12. One of Tom's extra (rood ones. This has everything including plenty of action and scenery. Six reels. — Wm. E. Tragsdorf, Trags theatre, Noillsville. Wis. — Small town patronage. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS: Joan Crawford— 89%. September 23-24. Very good. This is cer tainly a drawing card. Best business this summer and fall. — Samuel Gilleth, Strand theatre, Tooele, Utah. — General paronage. EXCESS BAGGAGE: William Haines 83%. September :tO-Oclobcr 1 Everyone seemed to enjoy this picture but expected more of the old Haines or rather familiar Haines. — Samuel Gilleth, Strand theatre. Tooele, Utah. — General patronage. EXCESS BAGGAGE— William Haines— 50%. September 23. A very good picture and will please any audience. We were well pleased. William Haines a good bet here on a Sunday night. — A. G. Hooper, Ideal theatre, Stanwood. Wash. —Small town patronage. A CERTAIN YOUNG MAN: Ramon Novarro— 25%. October 8-9. Was rather afraid of this one on account of adverse criticisms but was agreeably surprised to find it very entertaining. Novarro plays the part of a young English lord and does very well. Six reels.— S. B. Kennedy. Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada. — Small town patronage. THE CARDBOARD LOVER: Marion Davies— 35%. October 5-6. We thought this a very clever Davies number and it seemed to go over big with the crowd and it wasn't small. Eight reels. — S. B. Kennedy. Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada. — Small town patronage. FOUR WALLS: John Gilbert— 38%. October 7-8. Fair program picture but outside of the stars not much to it — might have been anyone's make. Personally do not thir\k so much of Gilbert in the role of a tough gun-man. However, the picture seemed to be well liked and the combination of Gilbert-Crawford drew in a fair crowd so guess we have nothing to complain of. Carmel Myers' acting was the best in the picture. Good light print. Eight short reels. — Wolfe & Williams, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. THE PATSY: Marion Davies— 90%. September 9. Marion is good and they always come out to see her here. This one is no exception. Good like the rest. Seven reels. — F. G. Pennell. Berrien theatre, Berrien Springs, Mich. — General patronage. THE PATSY: Marion Davies— October 5-6. A good one. Just the kind the cash customers want. Eight reels. — E. M. Biddle. Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind. — Small town patronage. RIDERS OF THE DARK: Tim McCoy— 50%. October 6. A very fine action picture. Satisfied. Tim licked them all and they never touched him. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. THE COSSACKS: Gilbert-Adoree— October 5. This is one fine picture. If they would make good prints M G M couldn't be beat. This print was so dark in places one had to guess at what was going on. What is the matter with them? Can't they make good prints? Paramount has the best prints of any of them, but I don't like their pictures so well. Thanks for the photo, Renee, we were glad to get it. You certainly were good in this picture. In fact everyone in it was perfect. Ten reels. — Robert K. Yancey. Bonny theatre, Mansfield, Mo. — General patronage. BRINGING UP FATHER: J. Farrell McDonaldOctober 12-13. Jiggs and Maggie in the flesh, and not a bad picture at that. Seven reels. — E. M. Biddle, Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind. — Small town patronage. THE MYSTERIOUS LADY: Greta Garbo— October 8-9. My people do not like Garbo but this picture is first class. I sat through it four times myself. —J. S. Walker. Texas theatre, Grand Prairie, Tex.— Small town patronage. THE CROWD: Eleanor Boardman — Well, here we have a "potpourri" that runs the gamut of variety, for in this picture we have tragedy, pathos, comedy, satire, and the whole darn works and while it is even too long with nine reels and was also touted as a special, we might say that while interesting It is not a big special. Eleanor Boardman and support was all that could be asked and we would say that Eleanor played the part of the wife in a very excellent manner, especially that kind of a wife and we imagine there aro many such fool husbands as hers was In this picture in real life as well as reel. The patrons were probably satisfied with this picture and were undoubtedly interested, but they did not enthuse over It. Nine reels. — Giacomn Bros., Crystal theatre, Tombstone, Ariz. — General patronage. I \ I < . 1 1 . CLOWN. LAUGH : Lon Chaney— Not hl» best by any means, but did a very good business and