Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

January 19, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 61 some of the most beautiful colored beauty contest costumes in it ever staged for eyes to look at. It's a six reel picture and all of them good. — W. Odom & Sons, Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage. NONE BUT THE BRAVE: Special cast— 85%. September 16. This is a picture with plenty of comedy and some very fine colored scenes in it. We want more of this type of pictures. Six reels. — Harry Schroeder, Lee Roy theatre, Wallace, Neb. — General patronage. A GIRL IN EVERY PORT: Victor McLaglen— Vic drew in a few extra but what few comments we heard were favorable. Six reels. — Giacoma Brothers, Crystal theatre, Tombstone, Ariz. — General patronage. A THIEF IN THE DARK: Special cast — December 8. Sent this in place of "Hello, Cheyenne," and the nearest to nothing six-reeler ever played. Fox features used to be unusually good, but this one is terrible. Six reels. — Charles Cassinelli, Star theatre, Bui an, Ky. — Small town patronage. EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE: Special cas1>-31%. December 22. Personally, I would rate it as an ordinary program picture. Only one scene in the picture that "hits" and that is where the ocean liner sinks while the father of the hero calmly clings to the railing. Percentage low on this one due to the holiday season. However, the few who came seemed pleased, 60 why kick? Nine reels. — Charles Cassinelli, Star theatre, Bulan, Ky.— Small town patronage. STREET ANGEL: Gaynor-Farrell — As good a show as we can ask for, but public is a little tired of heavy drama. Give us a few big comedy specials of the old sort. — P. E. Anderson, Liberty theatre, Kalispell, Mont. — General patronage. MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Special cast— December 25-26-27. I call it extra good, as all the rest of Fox's specials have been. I did not do a good business on it because of the flu and the time of year, but that has nothing to do with the kind of picture, and I sure have no kick coming, I will buy all this kind I can get. Madge is a real actress, and Barry Norton has as yet to show me a bad performance. There's a boy that is a "natural." — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre, Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. CHICKEN A LA KING: Nancy Carroll— December 12. Thought very little of this. It did not draw at all and I believe it was the title. No good for small town, as neither was "Dry Martini," and I predict "Red Wine" will not be, nor will "Manhattan Cocktail." I have drunk all my life and will continue to, but the public does not like this kind and neither do I. They cannot make them "hot," as some expect from the title, and those are disappointed who like them that way, and those who do not like that kind simply take no chances. Am watching for other reports on these, for curiosity — and let them be honest. — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre, Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. THE RIVER PIRATE: Victor McLaglen— 50%. December 19. We paid too much for this. It's not a special, but is good entertainment. Seven reels. — E. B. Conant, Charwarohen Hall, Lincoln, N. H. — Small town patronage. STREET ANGEL: Gaynor-Farrell — Wonderful picture that drew fair. — Roy Culley, Pastime theatre, Medicine Lodge, Kan. — Small town patronage. THE WIZARD: Edmund Lowe — 12%. December 7. Good. On the order of "The Bat" and "The Gorilla," and equal to if not better than, either. A good supporting cast. — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre. Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. THE AIR CIRCUS: Special cast— Wonderful medium special. If bought right it will make money. Pleased 95 per cent. — P. E. Anderson, Liberty theatre, Kalispell, Mont. — General patronage. THE AIR CIRCUS: Special cast— Not a big picture, but a good clean one. Was well liked by alL Would like to know who the instructor in aviation was. Have seen him a few times in others, but never have found out who he is, but he sure was good, clean and with expression as sincere and honest, kind and sympathetic as I have ever seen. The right man in the right place, in the right part. — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre. Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. HELLO, CHEYENNE: Tom Mix— This is a good Western. No cattle rustling, no horse race, and no mines or gambling, nor farm mortgages about to be foreclosed. In fact, different than the old type and yet plenty of action and many a laugh. — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre, Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. THE RED DANCE: Special cast — Another good one from Fox, but the flu is keeping us from making any money. — P. E. Anderson, Liberty theatre, Kalispell, Mont. — General patronage. ME, GANGSTER: Special cast— 60%. December 28. This picture seemed to satisfy, but people are getting tired of underworld plays. Seven reels. — E B. Conant, Charwarohen Hall, Lincoln. N. H. — Small town patronage. J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum {Continued from preceding page) costume for the entire high school nowadays. It just seems like the more mamma attends whist and poker parties the higher the girls cut 'em. Isn't it the truth? For — They've all got to cuttin' 'em so doggone high That the boys get dizzy when the girls pass by, It's about thirty inches from their skirts to their feet, And they don't have to histe 'em when they cross the street. All of which foregoing proves that we have a weak and vacillating nature and can't stick to a good resolution when we make one. Isn't it the truth? We are very much interested in the discussion now going on through the columns of the HERALD-WORLD regarding a new name for talking pictures. 1m this matter, as well as all other matters of general interest, the HERALD-WORLD leads the field, just as we have contended all along. We have never been in favor of the phrase ''talking pictures," for pictures can't talk, and what puzzles us is that someone hasn't hit upon the proper word to intelligently describe them. Finding the proper word is about the easiest thing we know of. It's so easy in fact that we dislike to take the money, but to help out a suffering industry we will submit "CINEVOICE" as the one word that will choke the box offices and relieve the industry of a lot of worry. This isn't Greek, Latin nor Swede, and it is a word they can pronounce without strangling or losing their false teeth. It's a combination of "cinema" and "voice," and that's all talking pictures are. Anv premiums of cabbage, cauliflower or Bermuda onions can reach us through the HERALD-WORLD office at 407 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, care of Eagle Eye Joe. * * * GALESBURG, ILL. There, we knew there was a storm brewing when we picked up last week's HERALDWORLD and read that poetic effusion of "Fishy" Phil Rand of Salmon, Idaho, and the storm struck here last night. When they start writing poetry there is just one thing to do, call in the board of insanity. The burden of Phil's swan song is Marion Davies, and when Mrs. Rand reads Phil's love sonnet, if it doesn't start a rumpus in the Rand household, then you needn't look for any more gossipy news coming out of Hollywood — there won't be any. It is just such outbreaks as his that keep divorce courts active, and any court would grant any amount of alimony asked for. Phil complains because he says he paid 50 per cent more for Harold's pictures than he was entitled to. Don't get discouraged, Phil, you are not as lonesome as you imagine, there are something like 16,000 others, we know, for we've met all of 'em. One man told us that he heard Harold say at the California convention that he would see to it that his pictures were seen by every child in the United States if he had to furnish them to the theatres gratis. Wasn't that just lovely? How could you be so crooel, Phil? Don't jump onto a fella that has one foot in Hollywood and the other in the United States mint. Have a heart, Phil, have a heart! * * * We can always tell when Logan creek is frozen over and stops bullhead fishing. It is when E. E. Gailey of the Crystal theatre at Wayne, Neb., starts sending in reports on pictures. It never fails. We noted his report on "WINGS," and he said it was so long that when the last reel was off the roosters were crowing in the morning, and he calls on us to wield the hatchet. We don't use hatchets. Our favorite weepin is a sawed-off shotgun loaded with No. 8 buckshot, and if Friend Gailey will stand the next guy up in front of us who makes a picture with over eight reels, we will shoot both barrels and guarantee results or money refunded. That ought to be fair enough. * * * We are glad to note a number of new faces in the "WHAT THE PICTURE DID FOR ME" department. It mu-t be that those two fellows who "fessed up their delinrraencies in this regard recently had some influence on you chaps. If a lot of you fellows will pay more attention to your typewriters and less to unimportant matters it will enhance the value of this department a hundredfold. A hint to the wise ought to be sufficient. Come on now, I let's make this department the best ever. Before closing we want to say just a word to exhibitors. You guys know that we have been fighting your battles from Grindstone, S. D., to Tombstone, Ariz., and back, and that we have stood up for you a lot of times when the evidence was all against you, and now here is a chance for you to reciprocate. As you already know they are hunting for a word to take the place of "talking pictures" and "talkies," and we have submitted "CINEVOICE" as the best descriptive expression offered to date, and if you think so — and you know doggone well it is — we want you to say so. Don't monkey around and let "em adopt some jaw-breaking word that will require a dictionary in every box office. Of all the words, we're free to state, That have been offered up to date, None just seems to fill the bill; And through it all we've just kept stilL But now we must submit our choice — The proper word is "CINEVOICE." J. C. JENKINS, The HERALD-WORLD Man. p"S^-The HERALD-WORLD covers the field like an April shower.