Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

January 12, 1929 EXHIBITORS H ERALD -WORLD 69 J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum {Continued from preceding page) we are a hopeless case and a flat failure, and we are ready to stand up on our hind legs — and fight Jack Dempsey if he would make that charge against us. We have found the great majority of these boys honest, energetic, and doing all they can to make their theatres a success, and we are going to go further and say, that if a lot of chain theatre managers were to put a lot of these boys to managing their theatres, and dispense with a bunch of ninnies that can only see their pay check on Saturday night and the gumchewing dame at the ribbon counter at showtime, they would note a marked difference in receipts. Think it over. ""We may be crazy but we ain't no fool." Now isn't the foregoing an awful thing to write right here in the holiday season when we are supposed to have an optimistic view of things for the coming year? If we could have i spent five minutes in Bill Weaver"? cellar before we commenced this Colyum we might have had a different outlook on conditions, but you know how Bill is, he's so doggone particular about these "dry Republican-." Well, that's that, and now if you are still staying with us, let's proceed with another chapter. * * * Over at Montezuma. Ind.. th< other night we saw "The Strange Case of Captain Ramper," released by First National. We don't think First National made the thing — we have more confidence in First National — but how they came to release it under their banner is what puzzles US. The players were a bunch of Dutch ^ho should have been making saurkraut and limburger cheese rather than pictures. The thing contained about as much entertainment as one would get when the bulldog was tearing the seat out of his '"trowsers" when he was stealing watermelon-. Just about that much and no more. We stuck to the finish because Mr. and Mrs. voung had invited u? to their home after the show to have a little lunch, and to lunch with those people would make a man stick through anything. And speaking of people and lunches, well if you don't know Mr. and Mrs. Young and their lunches, you have our sympathy. Maybe one reason why we are strong for these folks is that they came from our old stamping ground up at Dowagiac. Mich., and anybody from Michigan is ace high with us. We hope to go back there sometimes — we are invited, too. Then we had another delightful vigil with R. L. Nellis of the Strand at Crawford-ville. Wirh we had a good theatre that we wanted well managed. We would try and hook up with this boy Nellis. for he impre-sed us as a boy with plenty of "IT", as well as pep and a thorough knowledge of the bn-ine--. Can't -ee why some big theatre hasn't grabbed that boy before this. Believe it or not. but over at Cayuga, F. C. Richardson of the Princes-, offered us some "Christmas Cheer" which we refused. Again we say "Believe it or not." We also had a very pleasant visit with Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Hughes of the Crystal. Cayuga's two theatres is one too many. Tbey should be consolidated, but that's some more of their business. We al-o had a delightful visit with Miss Dorothea Clark, who operates the Empire at Chri-man. 111. Miss Clark was out billing the town when we called, and yet some people say that theatre folks are lazy. We will hit anybody on the nose that dares to say that of Mi— Clark. We won't -tand for it. Mrs. Knox and her son of the Star at Villa Grove certainly gave us a very warm welcome. We would like to visit thein again when we have more time, and we were cordially invited to do so. * * * Last night we saw "Lights of New York," with the Yitaphone. This is a booze-ring-underworld-crook story in which the boss crook got shot, for which we thanked the director. We don't recall who played the "heavy" but he played it well. We recognized Cullin Landis. Cullin has been a fa\orite of ours ever since we played him in '"The Girl from Outside" some year ago. He played his part in this as well as we could have played it ourself, therefore we have nothing to kick about, except that if he and that heavy are going to play with Yitaphone attachment they should have their adenoids removed and should cool their mu-h before they try to eat it, for their voices register about as well as does Gertie McFadden' when ?he .-ings the aria from Anheuser-Busch in five flats over station QXPG. This isn't anything to the di-credit of Yitaphone, for we heard Conrad Nagel in a trailer announcement of a coming attraction and his voice registered perfectly. We believe there are such things as "\ itaphone voices." Take our own voice, for instance. We've got a wonderful voice for calling hog-, but we doubt if it would register well in a love scene over the Yitaphone. But getting back to the subject of "What's the Matter with the Busine-s." Producing companies make pictures like four mills make flour. They make "Patent," "Straight Grade" and "Low Grade," and mills having a dam -ite put a damsite more of the raw material in the "Low Grade" than they do in the "Patent." During the war we all ate dog u i t made out of "Low Grade" flour, and some of us are kicking about it yet. The public will take "Low Grade" flour with about the same relish they do low grade pictures. The effect is ju?t about the same. Maybe tli3t has something to do with business — who knows? * * * News Item: Clark Munson. assistant manager with A. N. Gonsior in the Virginia theatre here in Champaign, is said to be recovering from a very serious operation. Mr. Munson will be remembered as winning second place in Harold Lloyd "Speedy" contest. Here's hoping he will >oon be back at his desk. J. C. JENKINS. The HERALD-WORLD Man. i P. S.— The HERALD-WORLD covers the field like an APRIL SHOWER. Julius Wi Schmidt. Grand theatre. Breese, 111. — General patronage. DANCE MAGIC: Pauline Stark— 56%. December 16-17. Good program picture with some wonderful acting by Pauline Stark. Print and photography good. Seven reels. — P. G. Held, Strand theatre. Griswold, la. — Neighborhood patronage. Fox MOTHER MACHREE: Special cast— 30<=0. December 24-26. Just a nice, sweet, clean picture with some comedy and many glycerine tears. There is a note of sincerity lacking in this that just makes it fail to get over. My patrons laughed at some scenes when they were supposed to cry. Not a special by any means, Mr. Fox. Only fair business on Christmas day. Seven reels. — S. B. Kennedy. C«ntra' theatre, Selkirk, Man.. Can. — General patronage. ROMANCE OF THE UNDERWORLD: Mary Astor — Very good picture. Plenty of action. Had many compliments on this one. Enjoyed by all who saw it. Six reels. — R. H. Nail, Nusho theatre. Duke, Okla. — General patronage. BLOOD WILL TELL: Special cast — Good.— Julius W. Schmidt. Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. NO OTHER WOMAN: Dolores Del Rio— December 21-22. A very good little picture that failed to draw, probably en account of the holiday season. Miss Del Rio is extremely hard to beat, but the picture is too short to cast her in, because she should never be cast in a short picture. "No Other Woman" is only a little over 5,000 feet. Six reels. — Frank Johnson, Opera House, Louisville. Neb. — Small town patronage. DAREDEVIL'S REWARD : Tom Mix— 60%. December 7-8. A good Mix Western. Will please those that like Tom Mix. Print and photography fair. Five reels. — P. G. Held. Strand theatre, Griswold, la. — Neighboring patronage. GIRL SHY COWBOY: December 17. We played this one Saturday night with a two-reel comedy. "No Picnic," and let me tell you, this combination. Western and comedy, goes ovei big and puts pep in pictures that draws them back to see what's next. This Western type in this picture is not the old style shoot-'em-up kind. It's a pleasing, easyto-understand kind of a picture. Why, there are bushels of the most beautiful girls all dressed up in bathing costumes playing leap frog with this "Girl Shy Cowboy," and I will bet there were fifty or more boys in my theatre who would have given their month's salary to have been this cowboy. Why, this kind of picture is fun, for they all like the bathing suit styles 'way down here in Dixie. — Walter Odom and Sons, Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage. ARIZONA WILDCAT: Special cast— Good.— Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. SILK LEGS: Madge Bellamy— Very clever, indeed. Brought out a let of old tightwad fogies, that evidently expected to see a burlesque show for 25 cents, but I believe they were all satisfied. Would certainly like an autograph photo of Miss Bellamy. Six reels. — Geo. H. Koch, Gem theatre, Lyndon, Kan. — General patronage. THE ESCAPE: Special cast — December 7-8. Very good underworld drama. Miss Valli very good, also William Russell and George Meeker. Good print. Six reels. — Frank Johnson, Opera House. Louisville. Neb. — Small town patronage. BLACK JACK: Special cast— Good. — Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. DEADWOOD COACH: Tom Mix— Very good Western, enjoyed by everyone. Could be run as special. Seven reels. — R. H. Nail, Nusho theatre, Duke. Okla. — General patronage. VERY CONFIDENTIAL: Special cast— Good.— Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. A HIGH SCHOOL HERO: Special cast— I thought this one very good, but a flop at the box office. Don't promise anything only just a light entertainment.— A. G. Miller, Lyric theatre, Atkinson, Neb. — General patronage. A GIRL IN EVERY PORT: Special cast^-Good.— Julius W. Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111. — General patronage. SQUARE CROOKS: Special cast— December 11-12. A very good program picture. This is the first time we have shown Mr. Armstrong, and he is good. The child actor in this is fine also. Six reels. — Frank Johnson, Opera House, Louisville, Neb. — Small town patronage. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer DREAM OF LOVE: Joan Crawford— December 23. Just a fair picture, but will please the ladies im mensely.— M. W. Mattecheck, Lark theatre, McMinnville. Ore. — General patronage. THE ADVENTURER: Tim McCoy— December 22. Good. — J. S. Walker. Texas theatre. Grand Prairie, Tex. — Small town patronage. THE ADVENTURER: Tim McCoy— December 4-5. Rather light action picture of a South American revolution. Print seemed chopped up and was rather dark in places. A good attraction for family nights. Five reek. Frank Johnson. Opera House, Louisville, Neb. — Small town patronage. FOUR WALLS : John Gilbert— 90V September