Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

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58 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD February 23, 1929 J. C. Jenkins — His Colyum NELIGH, NEB, February 8, 1929. DEAR HERALD WORLD: We believe it to be clearly within the range of the truth to state that the crying need of a large majority of the theatres today is for Western pictures. Those of you who are familiar with the early history of motion pictures will agree that Westerns were the type of entertainment, more than any other type, that made motion pictures popular with the public. Westerns on Saturday nights have been the backbone and mainstay of thousands of theatres, without which thousands of them would have been forced to close. This type of entertainment has been the popular type with the rural communities, and it has been to these rural communities these theatres had to look for their support. In hundreds of instances, the Saturday night attendance at Western pictures has equalled, if not exceeded, the balance for the entire week. Of late, producers seem to have lost sight of this important feature in arranging picture entertainment. Broadway's idea of entertainment does not seem to fit in well with that of Main Street. The industry received a tremendous blow in, the passing of Fred Thomson. Ton Mix is on a vacation. Buck Jones is off the reservation. Hoot Gibson is reported to be contemplating turning his back on the Western range, while Ken Maynard is still trying to keep the industry intact by making popular entertainment for a lot of folks between New York and Hollywood. Personally we wouldn't give a nickel for Western pictures, but the good Lord put more brains than we have in something like 75 million people who don't agree with us in our ideas of entertainment. Consequently, we are making a plea for Western pictures. It isn't so very far back when a picture without a "triangle" basis was not considered by the New York "art critics" as worthwhile entertainment. We have seen more pictures of men making love to other men's wives than there are hairs on an airedale, and this class of entertainment was forced on the exhibitors until they revolted and refused these pictures for their screens. Then New York woke up, and not until then, although it will take another eye-opener to get her fully awake, but that will come when they cut out Westerns and hundreds of theatres close. Walt Bradley of the Moon theatre in this place, says that Tom Mix or Buck Jones or any other good Western star, will draw more clear money at his box office on Saturday night than "BEN HUR" or "THE KING OF KINGS," and we predict that 999 out of every 1,000 small town theatremen will say the same thing. Our advice would be for somebody to go to making Western pictures — but then nobody has asked us for our advice. We have no financial interest in any theatre, and it's none of our business what kind of pictures the producers make. We fully realize that, but what knowledge we have gained, if perchance we have gained any, has been gained in the "school of experience" and our diploma from that school leads us to believe that we can recite "Mary's Little Lamb" so that mamma and papa and Uncle Jake and Aunt Lucy will be proud of us. Sometimes argument is ineffective. We tried to convince a chap once by argument that we weren't the guy who swiped his watermelons, but we couldn't get away with it, so we took a ballbat. There isn't any moral to this, except that if the producers will give ten thousand exhibitors their ear and tie the can on a lot of those wise boys down in N. Y, and start making Western pictures and other popular entertainment, it will lift a load off of thousands of chests, and millions of people will forget that they have a radio. Those of you who have been long in the business will recall that many of the best pictures in the past have been accidents — pictures that critics said were lemons, and you can readily recall what they were. Let's all pray that they forget the "artistic" stuff for awhile and give us some more "accidents." If we were to see another picture like "THE OLD NEST," we'd just "faw down an' go boom." * * * If it wasn't for the eternal vigilance of that boy, Eagle Eye Joe, we'd try and slip in 30 or 40 votes for Nancy Carroll in that "MY FAVORITE PLAYERS" contest now running in the HERALD-WORLD, but Joe keeps his eye glued to the ballot box like a hound pup watches a bone, and there is no chance. The rales laid down are that none but exhibitors and their immediate families can vote, and that's equivalent to saying that the balance of the world can go lie down and lick their sore leg. If Joe is as; faithful to his "cherry pie girl" as he is to this contest, she need have no fears for him when he goes down to the office at 407 South Dearborn Street to attend a "directors meeting" (or something like that) of nights, even though he drops in at the Morrison cafe for a while to make whoopee with the girls. We don't want to try and influence any of you exhibitors (Joe wouldn't stand for that) but we might be pardoned for suggesting that if you should send in a flock of votes for Nancy, it would be conclusive evidence of your good judgment, and you would be marching right up at the front in "THE BIG PARADE," which is soon to start in this contest. But if you don't want to vote for Nancy, VOTE FOR SOMEBODY— don't do like the Democrats did at the last election. * * * We are just in receipt of a letter from Andy Anderson of the State theatre at Detroit Lakes, Minn, with reference to that gathering of the "Great Unwashed" to be held there sometime the coming summer. Andy asks us to help him oudine a program and suggest a time for the meeting, but if he (Continued on next page) fun. Dane showed off in bathing beauty style at one time, but no one kicked, and from the way they laughed, it must have seemed funny to them. — Dinsmore & Son, Majestic theatre, Weiner, Ark. — Small town patronage. UNDER THE BLACK EAGLE: Flash— February 2. Advertise the dog big. It's the best we've had in that line. Story new. You can be sure of pleased patrons. — Frank Sabin, Majestic theatre. Eureka, Mont. — Small town patronage. HONEYMOON: Flash— 35%: February 4. I cannot say much for this one, and my patrons said less. Too silly, it was not good comedy. Six reels. — W. T. Biggs, Adair theatre, Adair, la. — General patronage. THE WIND: Lillian Gish— January 9. Brother exhibitors, lay off this. Just what the name implies. — Orris F. Collins, Palace theatre. Rector, Ark. — Small town patronage. TELLING THE WORLD: William Haines— 70%. Very good and took well with my patrons. — C. C. Kaufman, Gem theatre, Colusa, Cal. — General patronage. BEAU BROADWAY Cody-Pringle— Good. Title no good for small town, but we printed special bills telling what it was about and got a fair crowd. Business very dull. — Dinsmore & Son. Majestic theatre, Weiner, Ark. — Small town patronage ACROSS TO SINGAPORE: Ramon Novarro — A very good version of an old plot. Eight reels. — A. J. Sass, Star theatre, Willow Springs, Mo. — Small town patronage. ACROSS TO SINGAPORE: Ramon Novarro— 50%. Purely a wa6te of good talent to throw Novarro away on this poor picture. Plenty of action of the rough kind. — M. D. Frazier, Empress theatre, Arma, Kan. — General patronage. THE FLYING FLEET: Ramon Novarro— 50%. February 4-5. This one is called "the ace of air epics." It gave 100 per cent satisfaction. Will stand a raise in admission anywhere. Six inches of snow held my crowd down, but those who did come were delighted. Lots of flying, scores of planes, a clean love-story and excellent advertising for the government flying service. Novarro is good, Ralph Graves is excellent support, and Anita Page is beautiful. Unusually good photography. This is in every way a "BIG" picture. Eleven reels. — C. Wallace Smith, Rabun theatre, Clayton, la. — Small town patronage. LADY OF CHANCE: Norma Shearer— 40%. January 21. About the poorest Shearer we have used in 6ome time. Eight reels. — W. L. Matheney, Alexander theatre, Pickens, S. C. — Small town patronage. THE CARDBOARD LOVER: Marion Davies— It would hardly be possible to pick a title with less box office draw than this one. The picture itself is a fair comedy-drama. Supposing you had a wife and three or four kids and 70 or 80 6hows to choose from all within a 15 minute drive. Would you pick this one? Blah! Eight reels.— P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo. — General patronage. SHOW PEOPLE: Special cast— Myself and patrons very much disappointed. Sold as a special, and with these two stars and King Vidor directing, I expected a real picture. To the contrary, it's a weak sister. Nothing to it. Eight reels. — P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre, Kansas City, Mo. — General patronage. SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT: Flash— A real good picture. Made some money. Favorable comments. Metro had the goods this year. — C. W. Becker, Electric theatre, Burwell, Neb. — General patronage. WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEAS: Special cast — 20%. January 24-25-26. A picture which for pictorial beauty is hard to beat. The scenery is marvelous, and the underwater scenes defy description. There is a good story, yet the picture is more educational than entertaining. Monte Blue as the beach comber doctor is immense, and Miss Torres makes a charming native girl. Business poor owing to severe cold weather. Nine reels. — S. B. Kennedy, Central theatre, Selkirk, Man. — General patronage. QUALITY STREET: Special cast— January 30. This picture is just too silly to run. Had lots of walkouts on this. Why, oh why, do the exchanges wish 6uch pictures off on us? They sure hurt your trade. Six reels. — Mrs. C. Knox, Star theatre, Villa Grove, 111. — General patronage. FOUR WALLS: John Gilbert— January 6. Just fair. Gilbert does not draw for me. — M. W. Mattecheck, Lark theatre, McMinnville, Ore. — General patronage. THE THIRTEENTH HOUR: Special cast— 80%. Very good mystery play. Brought out many comments.— H. S. Boyd, Community theatre, Woodbury. Conn. — General patronage. BROTHERLY LOVE: Dane-Arthur— January 252G. I guess I've played all of the Dane and Arthur pictures and. personally, I like them. Some exhibitors crabbed about "Baby Mine," but I played it and got by in good shape. This one, however, is a little better, and I think Dane and Arthur have found that it doesn't pay to make them too "smutty."— J. M. Reynolds, Opera House, Elwood. Neb. — General patronage. WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS: Lon Chaney— 90%. February 1-2. A very good Chaney picture, which drew exceptionally well. Patrons' comments favorable. Business increases on each Chaney picture. Keep up the good work, Lon. This in our opinion is his best picture 6ince "Mr. Wu." Eight reels.— A. B. Kreiser, Majestic theatre, Myerstown, Pa.— General patronage. FORBIDDEN HOURS: Ramon Novarro— 50%. January 30. A pleasing little picture which pleased most of patrons. Fairly good midweek business. Renee Adoree and Roy D'Arcy also in the cast and are very popular in this town. Novarro one of town's favorites. Five reels. — A. B. Kreiser, Majestic theatre, Myerstown, Pa. — General patronage. DETECTIVES: Dane-Arthur— This picture failed