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

November 3, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 63 age.) 75%. May 6-7. A fair picture. Drew pretty ■well and cost too much money. (Temple theatre, Ubly, Mich., General patronage.) May 3-4-5. A very funny picture. Chaplin's best, to my way of judging. However, sold by the James boys at robber prices. (Empress theatre, Akron, la.. General patronage.) 30%. Lacks any definite plot. Many amusing incidents but show marred because he mixed dramatic romance with burlesque comedy. Chaplin's name a good box office attraction but few pleased. Chaplin is very much overestimated. (Liberty theatre, Brewster, Kan., General patronage.) May 3-4-5. Chaplin's best picture, but failed to show it at the box-office. Didn't come close to grossing what "The Gold Rush" did. Can't find a place in my territory where the picture didn't do a flop. (Empress theatre, Akron, la.. General patronage.) July 9. Have played many pictures costing one-fifth as much which gave us as good satisfaction. They oversold me. I had to raise to 15c and 40c, and 10c and 25c would have been better. (Majestic theatre. Eureka, Mont., Small town patronage.) This is a flop in a small town. Believe this is due partly to the fact that as a circus picture it is too drab and depressing and it is not what people expected. Also had frequent criticism of Charlie's domestic troubles. I will not play him again. (Playhouse theatre, Fairhope, Ala., General patronage.) April 26-27. This one sure did bring 'em in. Did not do any extra heavy advertising, it seemed they knew all about it. Broke house record held by "The Son of the Sheik." As for the picture, I think "The Gold Rush" was better. It seemed that the kids had to start the laughing and then the older ones would pick it up. Don't pass it up if you can buy it right. We did. (Old Trail theatre, Hebron, O., General patronage.) 50%. August 7-8-9. No good at all, either as a picture for Chaplin or as a box office bet. But it's a safe bet you'll lose jack on United Artists prices. (Palace theatre, Malta, Mont., General patronage.) 20%. July 19. Pulled this after first show of a three-day run due to print having SOD feet missing from tight rope walking scene. United Artists prints from Seattle are very poor. What's more they act like they are proud of it. Lay off this company till they wake up. (White Salmon, Wash., General patronage.) A flop. I have paid the usual holdup price for the last time. Charlie is through in my towns — dead, done! (The Playhouse, Fairhope, Ala., General patronage.) 35%. July 1920-21. Good, but there is always a "but" in these United Artists pictures. When Charlie got his wages I had to look and look for mine. In other words, they get the money and we get the experience. Well, I have had my fill. There are plenty of good stars and good pictures that will make more money for me. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada., Small town patronage.) A mighty good picture, better I thought than "The Gold Rush" for there was not so much Chaplinesque pathos in "The Circus." People don't like art and pathos in comedies. They want action. This has it. Drags in one spot, i.e., the William Tell act, everywhere else there is speed. We lost heavily. Charlie doesn't draw any more. Perhaps he comes too seldom before the public. One picture a year makes Chaplin too dear! Cost is in the big figures, losses also. If you can get a decent price book it, but if you play big you may lose big as I did. We charged 40-20 cents and always before charged 50-25 cents. (Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho, General patronage.) CLEAN-UP MAN, The, U, Ted WeUs, Peggy O'Day, Henry Hebert, George H. Reed, Tom Carter, 5. — l4o/„. April 17. A good Western. Our first of Ted Wells. (Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah, General patronage.) Another Western star we hadn't played before, but we hope to see him often. Will please your Saturday crowd. (Globe theatre, Buena Vista, Va., General patronage.) 47%. July 19, Notice how that percentage drops again ? Our folks must be getting tired of Westerns. Gonna keep my eye on this situation. The picture was all right. (Aiken Mills theatre, Bath, S. C, General patronage.) COSSACKS, The, MGM, John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Ernest Torrence, Dale Fuller, Mary Alden, Josephine Boric, Neil Neely, Yorke Sherwood, Joseph Mari, Paul Hurst, 10. — Play it by all means. It will please 100 per cent. Gilbert and Adoree marvelous. (State and Rivoli theatres. New Brunswick, N. J., General patronage.) 35%. July 15-16. A lavish spectacular production that failed to click at the box office. Too long, also it's the type of picture that won't please the majority. (Ellinwood theatre, Ellinwood, Kan., General patronage.) August 20-21. They don't come any better. It has everything. (Texas theatre, Grand Prairie, Tex., Small town patronage.) 50%. August 20-21. Oh, why are all MGM pictures so dark it makes you feel like you want to turn on the lights so the audience can see? Otherwise a good show. (Crescent theatre, Belzoni, Miss., General patronage.) 45%. September 6-7-8. Here's a swell dish of entertainment. A si>ecial in every sense of the word. Gilbert as the dashing Cossack gives an inspiring performance as does Torrence. Lavish sets, big mobs and the picturesque Cossack costumes give the production class. Get it if you can possibly do so. It will stand advanced Key to A bhreviations Col .... Columbia Ex. . . . Excellent FBO. .FBO FN... .First National F Fox G Gotham MGM. Metro-Goldivyn-Mayer Par .... Paramount-Famous-Lasky P Pathe-DeMille Ray. . . Ray art T-S. . ..Tiffany-Stahl U A. . . .United Artists U Universal W B . . . Warner Bros. Numerals indicate length of picture m reels. The dates are those on which pictures were played, while the percentages represent gross business as compared with the record gross of the house. age.) 45%. April 20-21. This picture is more true to life than any we have run' here. People well pleased, these who saw it. (Ritz theatre, Correctionville, la.. General patronage.) 53%. June 26-27. A production that has wonderful acting and direction. A little long but should be in a class with most specials. (Ellinwood theatre, Ellinwood, Kan., General patronage.) 25%. July 26-27-28. They call this the big parade of peace. They should call it the big parade of punk. Metro sure has their nerve to call this a special. It's even poorer than an average program picture. Slow, draggy tale of every day life. Many walkouts. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada, Small town patronage.) 26%. August 5-6. Look at that percentage I Wouldn't it make you rave? Good weather, no competition, extra advertising, and still they would not come. Positively no drawing power for this small town. Very good show aside from a couple of minor inconsistencies and apparently liked by those that saw it. Barely made the distributor's end on this, and overhead found an' empty till. (Screenland theatre, Nevada, O., Small town patronage.) Pleased generally. (Capitol theatre, Huntsville, Mo., Small to'wn patronage.) Very fine production but didn't pull in enough to pay expenses. (Happy Hour theatre, Ewen, Mich., General patronage.) September 2-3. A very good picture. Seemed to please generally. (Star theatre. Villa Grove, 111., General patronage.) The best we have had from Metro and one of the best pictures we have ever shown. Masterful acting in this picture and perfect directing. Why can't they (Metro) register like this every time? A wonderful picture and it will draw. (Reedville Movies, Reedville, Va., General patronage.) 'While this is a pretty good human interest, fairly true to life drama I cannot see where they get the idea it is any 44 calibre special. It drew hardly normal summer business for me. Worth only program prices. (Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo., General patronage.) prices. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., C!anada, Small town patronage.) September 9-10. Very, very good. Everybody pleased. If you could have more good pictures like this and I could get them new like Metro lets me have them, then I could get the business. Some companies won't let us little show people have the new ones until late. (Star theatre, Villa Grove, III., General patronage.) 40%. August 15-16. It was much too long, and patrons were tired of it before the story got started ; excess footing detracted from the interest. There were three real stars and their work was fine, and those who stayed until the finish were rewarded, because the last few reels were very good and pleased the following of this star. (Princess theatre, Lincoln, Kan., Small town patronage.) COUNT OF TEN, The, U, Charles Ray, James Gleason, Jobjma Ralston, Edythe Chapman, Arthur Lake, Charles Sellon, (Jeorge Magrill, Jackie Combs, 5. — 35%. June 15-16. Nothing new in this one. (Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich., General patronage.) 10%. August 10-11. About as i>oor a feature as Universal has turned out for some time. Guess Uncle Carl is beginning to make up on the C.S.C. (Palace theatre, Malta, Mont., General patronage.) 20%. September 4. A good prize fight story but nothing like Charles Ray used to give us when Tom Ince was telling him how to do it. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich., General patronage.) A program picture. That's all. (Selma theatre, Selraa, Cal., General patronage.) CROWD, The, MGM, James Murray, Eleanor Boardman, Bert Roach, Daniel C. Tomlinson, Del Henderson, Lucy Beaumont, Freddie Burke Frederick, Alice Mildred Puter, 8. — August 18. This is an excellent picture, I think, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but some didn't like it. But it would be impossible to please everyone. Good print and photography. (Bonny theatre, Mansfield, Mo., General patronage.) March 2-3. A dandy picture, worth a slight advance in the larger to'wns, but not in the smaller situations. Makes a fine Sunday picture. (Empress theatre, Akron, la.. General patronage.) 70%. A great picture spoiled by a very abrupt ending. It no doubt has been cut, as the musical synopsis had a half page of cues at the ending that were not in' the picture. MGM will do well to look over that ending as it leaves a question mark in the minds of the patrons as to how it ends and what the outcome is. (Postville theatre, Postville, la., General patronage.) 60%. A true to life story that will make you cry and make you laugh. It seemed a little long but on the whole the patrons were pleased with this production. It seems that Metro has lost a part of last year's pep. (Deluxe theatre, Bucklin, Kan.) May 12. King Vidor tried hard to make a special but it is only a good program picture. The story is not strong enough for nine reels and would get over much better if cut to seven reels, as it is it gets very draggy before the end. (Cozy theatre, Medford, Wis., General patronage.) April 9. Good feature, well received. (Capitol theatre, Huntsville, Mo., Small town patron D DAREDEVIL'S REWARD, F, Tom Mix. Natalie Joyce, Lawford Davidson, Billy Bletcher, Harry Cordin, William Welch, 5. — Very good Western. Drew as much for us on July 20 and 21 as the biggest speciala do in the winter season. (Opera House, Louisville, Neb., Small town patronage.) Good action program for Saturdays. (Selma theatre, Selma, Cal., General patronage.) August 29. The best Mix picture we have played this year. Pleased a full house of all classes, as we used it on our bargain night. (Ingram's theatre, Ashland, Ala., Small town patronage.) September 22. Just a Western but Tom Mix is a favorite and gets them in. (Star theatre. Villa Grove, III., General patronage.) June 23. A regular Tom Mix picture that gave 100 per cent satisfaction to my Saturday audience. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich., General patronage.) August 18. As impossible as most Mix pictures, but drew and satisfied. Lots of comedy. (Texas theatre. Grand Prairie, Tex., Small town patronage.) August lO-lL Best Mix in a long time. Lots of action and laughs. 100 per cent entertainment. (Ellinwood theatre, Ellinwood, Kan., General patronage.) DESERT PIRATE, The, FBO, Tom Tyler, Frankie Darro, Duane Thompson, Edward Heame, Tom Bing^ ham, 5.-10%. May 15. Nice little Western and Tom with his pals always does his entertainment right. Frankie Darro good kid, as usual. (Royal theatre, Kimball, S. D.. General patronage.) March 1617. A good Western. Little Frankie Darro helps it along in great style. Ran this on double feature nights with "Honeymoon Hate." Busineiss good on Saturday. (Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind.. Small town patronage.) 50%. Better than average Western (Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho, General patronage.) May 26. Good Western. (Theatorium theatre. Emlenton. Pa., General patronage.) 25%. July 26. Not a bad Western. I played it ahead of the TunneyHeeney fight returns. (Pastime theatre, Mason, Mich., General patronage.) August 25. Not Tom's best, but will please his fans. Not enough action in it or something which seemed to make it drag. (Trags theatre. Neillsville, Wis., Small town patronage.) August 14-15. Fair Western. (Gait theatre, Gait, Cal., Small town patronage.) DETECTIVES, MGM. Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, Marceline Day, Tenen Holtz, Felicia Drenova, Tetsu Komai, Clinton Lyie, 7. — August 3. Rather cheap. (Texas theatre. Grand Prairie. Tex., Small town patronage.) 58%. August 12-13. Compare the percentage with what we got on "The Crowd." These boys draw for us second only to Lon Chaney. Probably because we've been lucky in having only their best efforts. This one went across good, and our crowd was hugely entertained. Something different — comedy with a mystery angle. While some of the scenes were a little too dark tor our projection, the general film condition was excellent as usual with Metro. (Screenland theatre, Nevada. O.. Small town patronage.) Not so good and has some smut in it. But not quite as smutty as "Baby Mine." Business fell flat second night. (Crystal theatre. Wayne. Neb., Small town patronage.) Without doubt the dumbest