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

68 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 3, 1928 K KIT CARSON, Par., Fred Thomson, Nora Lane, Dorothy Janis, Raoul Paoli, William Courtright, Nelson McDowell, Raymond Turner, 8. — 100%. September 1. When enough people will come out in a downpour of rain to break our house record of four years' standing, the picture must be good. Well that's exactly what happened with this one, and were they pleased? Oh boy! and they didn't fail to say so. This is a very fine production, and will be appreciated by everyone. Book it and boost it. (Ingram's theatre, Ashland, Ala., Small town patronage.) Septemiber 20-21. A very good picture. Fred Thomson and his horse a good draw here. (Star theatre, Villa Grove, 111., General patronage.) L LADIES NIGHT IN A TURKISH BATH, FN, Jack Mulhall, Dorothy Mackaill, James Finlayson, Sylvia Ashton, Harvey Clark Reed Howes, Guinn Williams, 7. — Dorothy and Jack go over big in another honestto-goodness audience picture. One of those kind that bring good hearty laughter. Not forced enjoyment but just natural. I still say Dorothy and Jack should go right on with this type of entertainment. (Cozy theatre, Winchester, Ind., General patronage.) 40%. July 17. A fine farce comedy. Pleased thera all. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich., General patronage.) Did not watch this picture but the audience seemed to be reacting very favorably to it. The bath episode does not come into the picture until about the fifth reel. You need not be afraid of this one. (Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo., Neighborhood patronage.) 25%. June 28-29-30. This seemed to please the crowd but personally I cannot hand it much. It's just one of those strange happenings that an exhibitor calls punk and yet the public eats up. I'm satisfied. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada, Small town patronage.) 50%. June 18-19. A very good evening's entertainment. Some clever situations and will please the majority. (Ingram's theatre, Ashland, Ala., Small town patronage.) Very good comedy drama. (Selma theatre, Selma, Cal., General patronage.) LADIES OF THE MOB, Par., Clara Bow, Richard Arlen, Helen Lynch, Carl Gerard, Mary Alden, Bodil Rosing, Lorraine Rivero» James Pierce, 7. — ^August 12-13. A knockout. Clara in a role as a gunman's gal knocks 'em cold. An unusual ending that will leave them with their mouths open. Play it. (Ellinwood theatre, EUinwood, Kan., General patronage.) Clara was in a somewhat different part in this, but while it was good, and she put over the part, the writer of the story has her going to jail for the love of a crook, in this case another crook — however, in real life (not reel life) they generally want to kill the crook. Otherwise it was okay. (Crystal theatre. Tombstone, Ariz., General patronage.) 35%. August 23-24-25. Clara in a different role. You'll see a new Clara in this one. A vivid flashing moll who fights to keep her gangster lover out of trouble Richard Arlen as the gangster gives his best performance yet. We thought this one of the best underworld dramas and did nice business. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada., Small town patronage.) Very good underworld drama. A different role for Clara and our patrons liked it. (Selma theatre, Selma, Cal., General patronage.) September 4-5-6. Did not do well for me. Clara has never been a drawing card in this town and my patrons did not like her in this kind of a thing. (Lark theatre, McMinnville, Ore., General patronage.) 65%. August 12. As others have said she should not be in this type of a story. A big disappointment to her fans. Too much underworld stuff nowadays anyway. (American theatre, Wautoma, Wis., Small town patronage.) 75%. July 23-24. Very poor picture, and Clara badly out of place in this kind of story. It may be true that she wanted to prove that she can really act, but her followers don't give a whoopee about it. They want her in the peppy stuff, and they don't mean maybe. Had several of her most loyal boosters say she was rotten in this. Snap out of it, Clara, and get some more good ones like "It" and "Red Hair." Movie fans everywhre are "burned out" on underworld or crime pictures and we are sorry you were cast in this. (Ingram's theatre, Ashland, Ala., Small town patronage.) 60%. July 29. "Ladies of the Mob" as an underworld play is well constructed and the cast is complete. Richard Arlen wins the approval of an audience for his acting and they rather like him as a crook. But this play has an added interest for us on account of the rising fame of Clara Bow, of whom the public has been disposed to make a pet because, it is said, this is a new role which has been made for her, possibly for the reason of injecting some contrast in her acting so as to maintain her present ascendancy and to save from staleness the coquetries which distinguish Clara Bow, including also a feminine charm coupled with an energy and female ingenuity described by Elinor Glyn by the inane title "It." As a woman of the underworld who delineates the Key to A bbreviations CoL . . . Columbia Ex Excellent FBO..FBO FN First National F Fox G Gotham M G M. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Par. . . . Paramount-Famous-Lasky P Pathe-DeMille Ray Rayart T-S .... Tiffany-Stahl U A. . . . United Artists U Universal WB... Warner Bros. Numerals indicate length of picture in 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. passion and fierce attachment to her lover for which it is said women in that strata of life are noted, what is her art value in this role? She looks the part and plays it well ; and she is good wherever you place her, yet there are half a dozen actresses on the screen who, in a role of that kind, can do quite as well. It is my observation that she has reached her zenith and perhaps she will do better with Clara Bowettes or Elinor Glynisms than in familiar roles of the underworld. As to her box office value in' this role the drop in receipts is not entirely explainable by the weather. (Illinois theatre. Metropolis, 111., General patronage.) 30%. Why don't they leave underworld stories to George Bancroft? This is the wrong type of picture for Clara Bow, and it doesn't take a genius to figure that out either. At the present time the underworld picture proposition is being over done, so why not limit the number and star Clara Bow in something suitable to her. Every patron was disappointed. (American theatre. Fort Collins, Col., General patronage.) Good picture. Clara not at her best, however. (State and Rivoli theatres. New Brunswick, N. J., General patronage.) LADY RAFFLES, Col., EstcUe Taylor, Roland Drew, Lilyan Tashman, Ernest Hilliard, Winifred Landis, 6. — 65%. June 1. A very entertaining program. Estelle Taylor made especially good impression both for looks and acting and belive crowd was pleased 100 per cent. First time we have had Estelle and we say yes to her for future showing. (Joyland theatre, Corning, Ark., General patronage.) Very good entertainment. Good work by entire cast. Don't be afraid to advertise. It will please. (Globe theatre, Buena Vista, Va., General patronage.) 26%. April 26-27. An extra good program picture. Estelle Taylor fine. (Roxy theatre, Skellytown, Tex., General patronage.) LAST COMMAND, THE, Par., Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell, Nicholas Soussanin, Michael Visaroff, 8. — March 21-22. Another good picture from Paramount which did pretty good business. Emil Jannings the greatest actor of the day. It's a picture of the Russian revolution, but seemed to please most everybody. Evelyn Brent also very good. (Princess theatre, Chilton, Wis., Small town patronage.) April 19-20. Jannings is in a class by himself as a dramatic actor. His wonderful pantomimic ability is nothing short of genius. This is a splendid drama and is a real big time special, but alas, it failed to draw here. (Strand theatre, Paoli, Ind., Small town patronage.) It seems Paramount are bound to give us foreign pictures, even if they have to produce them to do it. This picture might be great entertainment for the Russians. Jannings is a great actor and handles his various roles magnificently but it lacks a lot of being an audience picture. (Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo., Neighborhood patronage.) Wrote an opinion on this a few days ago which I don't believe did the picture justice. After looking at it through six shows have decided it is one damfine picture, even if it is a foreign etoiT and even if I did lose 10 bucks by playing it. (Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo., General patronage.) 88%. August 11. A very good picture that drew well on Saturday night at advanced prices. (Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. General patronage.) 26%. August 14-15. Personally thought it was wonderful but evidently the public didn't, as the percentage will testify. Flopped completely. (EUinwood theatre, EUinwood, Kan., General patronage.) September 5-6. Gave fair satisfaction but Jannings is no draw here. (Colonial theatre, Cambridge, O., General patronage.) LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH, MGM, Lon Chaney. Bernard Siegel, Loretta Young, Cissy Fitzgerald, Nils Asther, Gwen Lee, 8. — ^May 1-2. Excellent. Chaney's work great. Pleased everyone. (Selma theatre. Selma, Cal., General patronage.) A good Chaney, of an entirely different theme. There is only Chaney and it's his personal efforts that make his pictures good. (Cozy theatre, Wagner, S. D., General patronage.) May 20-21. A fine picture and many comments. It isn't at all weird and you surely have to hand it to Chaney when it comes to acting. (Midget theatre, Hillsboro, Wis., General patronage.) June 3-4. Chaney's acting is great but the picture failed to pack much of a wallop. Pleased about 60 per cent. (EUinwood theatre, EUinwood, Kan., General patronage.) August 5-6. Very good. Chaney a favorite star here. Many favorable comments. (Star theatre. Villa Grove, 111., Small town patronage.) 75%. August 5-6. A very fine picture. One hundred per cent satisfaction. Lon CSianey is in a class by himself. The cast in this picturfe extra good. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich., General patronage.) A good picture that failed to draw. In fact, I didn't make expenses but Chaney was great and Loretta Young will be heard from again. She sure is a comer. (Postville theatre, Postville, la.. General patronage.) Herbert Brenon, Chaney and entire cast have turned out a very good picture here. Of course, it's the same old Chaney gag of hopeless, alone and dying off at the finish. But it's nicely handled and I believe they liked it, even the children. It's clean as a whistle. (Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo., Neighborhood patronage.) 52%. August 19-20. As usual. Chaney drew them in for us. However, a welcome drop in the temperature had more to do with our good second night attendance than the picture, we believe, as this one was not so well liked as some. Acting was fine, but picture was ruined for many of our patrons by the ending. We were slightly disappointed in the print as it had many splices and was a little too dark for our Mazda equipment. (Screenland theatre, Nevada, O., Small town patronage.) LEGION OF THE CONDEMNED, Par., Gary Cooper, Fay Wray, Barry Norton, Francis McDonald. Lane Chandler, Voya George Richa, Freeman Wood. Chariot Bird, 8.-75%. April 19-20. A very good picture. Good first night, but fell down second because of raised admission and church doings. Gary Cooper is coming along fine and Fay Wray makes a distinct hit in this picture. (Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. General patronage.) Very good picture that did better than average business. (Rich theatre, Montpelier, Idaho, General patronage.) April 17-18. A very fine production. Pleased more people, or at least drew more favorable comments, than the"Big Parade." Truly a wonderful picture. Step on it, boys, raise your admission. (Empress theatre, Akron la.. General patronage.) Very good picture and true special. One of the few Paramount specials. Boost it. (Cozy theatre, Wagner. S. D., General patronage.) August 13-14-15. Direction, acting and photography all perfect and combined make one of the best pictures we have ever played. Played three days at advanced prices to pretty good business. (Midway theatre, Martinsville, Va., General patronage.) A nice evening's entertainment even if the story is very inconsistent. All about a bunch of gay young bloods who deliberately try to kill themselves flying airplanes on the enemy lines in France. A very thrilling windup to the picture. (Sun theatre. Kansas City, Mo., General patronage.) September 4-5-6. Very good picture for those that like aeroplane pictures. Print and photography good. (Strand theatre, Griswold, la.. General patronage.) September 1-2. Very good air picture but drawing power rather weak. Fine direction. (Legion theatre. Elmwood, Wis., Small town patronage.) LEOPARD LADY, THE, P, Jacqueline Logan, Alan Hale, Robert Armstrong, Hedwig Reicher, James Bradbury, Dick Alexander, William Burt, Sylvia Ashton, Kay Deslys, Willie Mac Carson, 6.— Not in special cast. Not as big as expected. (Rex theatre. Salmon, Idaho, General patronage.) This is a mystery story of a circus and very good. Well directed and different. Would like to see more pictures with Jacqueline Logan, I like her. (Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis., General patronage.) April 15-16. A most absorbing mystery drama of continental circus life with a brand new twist. A picture packed with thrilling scenes and is sure to please any audience. (Aristo theatre, Lemmon, S. D., General patronage.) Drew and pleased. (Star theatre. Malad City, Idaho, General patronage.) May 11-12. An A-1 show. Will please most any one. (Strand theatre. Warren, Minn., General patronage.) 30%.