Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

72 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD December 21, 1929 NEW PICTURES THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY LETTERS FROM READERS Unbiased Reviews Important ALLOW ME TO CRITICIZE YOUR MAGazine. Reviews, unbiased and truthful, are of vital importance to small town exhibitors. Not all pictures are good. Not all pictures sold for big ones are a hit. And, to succeed, the exhibitor must know the good from the bad to prevent misrepresenting to his patrons. I would pay plenty for reliable criticisms, criticisms by viewers who did not have an ax to grind. — Partridge & Morrison, Coliseum theatre, Tillamook, Ore. Pittaluga Society of Rome Fits Cines Studio For Talking Pictures (Special to the Herald-World) ROME, Dec. 7.— [By Mail.]— The Cines studio in Rome, owned by the Pittaluga Society, has been modernized for the production of talking pictures. There are three large studios which are being supplied with apparatus by the Radio Corporation of America. This same company has fitted many other European film concerns with up-to-date equipment. Three location trucks have been ordered. Mr. Blomberg, engineer for RCA, came down from London to direct the the installation. He was accompanied by Risi, authority on talking films, and who has been engaged by the Pittaluga Society. Work on Italian speaking films will begin in January. The titles of the first two productions are "Figlia di Re" (King's Daughter) from the novel of Guido Milanesi, and "Ave Maria." Dr. Jenkins Tells Radio World Why Sunday Shows Should Not Be Censored (Special to the Herald-World) _ KANSAS CITY, Dec. 17.— Dr. Burris Jenkins, pastor of the Linwood Christian Church in Kansas City, told a radio audience on December 2, that Sunday shows should not be censored. "Since churches may show pictures on Sunday, why should not theatres be permitted to show them," he said. "Recreation and rest, which are among the chief values of the motion picture, are needed on Sundays as much as any other day. If baseball, golf, touring and all other kinds of expeditions that bring people in contact with nature have their value on the first day of the week, it seems eminently reasonable that those who are not able or who do not care to take these particular forms of rest and recreation should be permitted to avail themselves of motion pictures if they prefer." In regard to censorship, Dr. Jenkins said : "I have always been opposed to censorship. No one mind, nor group of minds, is big enough to pass upon what should be said to, or seen by, the thousands of any nation or all nations." MPT OA Asks Exhibitors To Aid Government With Christmas Mailing Rush (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 17.— In a letter to all exhibitors, M. A. Lightman, president of the M P T O A, requests all to help Uncle Sam with the Christmas rush by flashing a slide with the following: "Help your postoffice with the Christmas mail by mailing early, wrapping all packages securely, putting on the right amount of postage and putting on your return address." This request of helping the postoffice is being done by the MPT OA for the past eight years. Thacher Decision Not Affecting Canada Board (Special to the Herald-World) OTTAWA, Dec. 17.— Judge Thacher, having no jurisdiction in Canada, is not disturbing the Film Boards of Trade now functioning in the Dominion by his decision either one way or another. There are six boards in Canada, all of which operate under the auspices of the Motion Picture Distributors and Exhibitors of Canada. They have operated for a number of years without question as to their legality and trade arbitration is encouraged in every respect by the Federal and Provincial Governments. Sunday Shows Legalized By Three Vote Majority (Special to the Herald-World) SACRED HEART, MINN., Dec. 17.— By a majority of three votes in a popular election Sunday movies were legalized in Sacred Heart, Minn. A year ago the proposal was defeated by a small margin. Sunday shows were also legalized at Kasson, Minn. Here the proposal was carried by 10 votes. New York and Brooklyn Strands Get New Screens (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 17.— The New York and Brooklyn Strand theatres have been equipped with magnascopic screens, by Warner Brothers. The new type screen is the invention of Peter Clark, and affords a picture 22 by 28 feet. In "New Pictures" the EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD presents in concise form information on current and forthcoming attractions. The facts as presented will serve exhibitors in booking and in the preparation of their advertising campaign. BURNING UP: Paramount all-talking drama, with Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, Francis McDonald, Sam Hardy, Charles Sellon and Tully Marshall. Directed by Edward Sutherland. TYPE AND THEME: Lou Larrigan and Bullet McGhan are automobile drivers for Dave Gentry. He goes broke. Bullet arranges with Windy Wallace, a crook promoter, to help Lou win the confidence of a country town. Then Bullet will come in town and challenge Lou to race. By this time the people will be willing to bet their stakes on Lou. The plan goes through but Lou knows nothing about it. Lou falls in love with Ruth Morgan, daughter of the local banker. The big day arrives. Lou hears about the crooked plan. He goes to Bullet and tells him he won't go through ivith it. Bullet tells him he will run him off the track if he tries to win. Lou resolves to take the consequence. The race is on. Lou wins after Bullet tries several attempts to shove him in the ditch. He also wins Ruth. Bullet and Windy are sent to jail. LOST ZEPPELIN, THE: Tiffany air thriller, with Conway Tearle. Virginia Valli, Ricardo Cortez, Duke Martin. Kathryn McGuire and Winter Hall. Directed by Edward Sloman. TYPE AND THEME: The night before he is to sail on a world expedition. Commander Hall finds his wife in the arms of Lieut. Armstrong. She admits her love for Armstrong and asks for a divorce. Hall tells her he will give her one when he returns from the trip. The Zeppelin on which Hall and Armstrong are sailing becomes lost. The two are tlie only ones saved. Later an airplane spots them but it can hold only one more passenger. Hall tells Armstrong to go. Back in the old town, Hall is hailed as the hero. Mrs. Hall tells Armstrong that she really loves her husband. Then Hall is found. He considers the trip a success for him even if it is thought a failure by the world. * * * LONE STAR RANGER: Fox all-talking Zane Grey Western, with George O'Brien, Sue Carol, Walter McGrail. Warren Hymer, Russel Simpson, Lee Shumway, Roy Stewart, Colin Chase, Richard Alexander, Joel Franz, Joe Rickson, Oliver Eckhardt, Caroline Rankin and Elizabeth Patterson. Directed by TYPE AND THEME: Buck Duane is hunted by the Rangers for a crime he did not commit. Buck prevents robbery of a coach in which Mary Aldridge is riding. He falls in love ivith her. The Rangers offer to give Buck his freedom if he will try and capture Holt, an outlaw, and his gang. Holt is Mary's uncle. Lawson, Holt's aid, plans to rob a ranch. In the meantime Holt confesses to Mary and Buck that he is Holt. Buck fights with Lawson and Lawson is killed. * * * ACE RIDER: Universal Western, with Hoot Gibson, Eugenia Gilbert, Harry Tod, Joseph Girard, Monty Montague, John Oscar, Jim Corey, James Farley, Pete Morrison and Joe Bonomo. Directed by Jerome Storm. TYPE AND THEME: Clarence Butts is placed with a Wild West show by his parents, after considerable whoopee making. In the show Clarence is attracted by June. Since the time that her father's fortune was stolen, June has hated the sight of men. June sees the miscreant and shoots him. Clarence takes June away from the mob and gives her a wild drive in his roadster. June finds she loves him and they are married. * * * ■ ROMANCE OF THE RIO GRANDE: Fox all-talking drama, with Warner Baxter. Antonio Moreno, Mary Duncan, Mona Maris, Robert Edeson, Agostino Borgato, Albert Roccardi. Mrs. Jiminez. Majel Coleman, Charles Byers and Merril McCormick. Directed by Alfred Santell. TYPE AND THEME: Pablo, a young SpanishAmerican, is shot and seriously injured by bandits. His horse carries him to the estate of his old grandfather, Don Fernando. Juan, a nephew of Don Fernando, is jealous of Pablo when the later is admired by Carlotta and Manuelita. But Pablo thinks only of his American girl, Dorry, ivho is in another city. Don Fernando sees that Pablo and. Juan cannot live together so he sends them axvay together, knowing one will be killed by the other. Juan, attempting to kill Pablo, is stabbed. Pablo returns to the old man's estate after Dorry refuses to marry him. In the meantime Carlotta has planned with Juan to kill Pablo. Instead, she wins Pablo but it is too late. Jtian is ready to do away with him. Carlotta interferes and is killed. Juan lays plans to kill Pablo but Manuelita saves him. Pablo sees now that Manuelita is the one he loves. Plugged Quarter Has Many Owners (Special to the Herald-World) OTTAWA, Dec. 17.— The sum of 25 cents in "conscience money" was received by Manager J. M. Franklin of B. F. Keith's theatre with a note to the effect that a "plugged quarter" had been passed to the theatre cashier. The latter had no trace of the bad coin and when Joe Franklin's offer to redeem it was noised abroad, there was a rush of claimants — but none of them could produce the evidence. Franklin was on the point of adding the 25 cents to the theatre's assets when he decided to place it in the Salvation Army's Christmas Pot.