Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

May 10, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 51 THE LONE STAR RANGER: George O'Brien — April 19. Title and author drew us a fair house, but the picture didn’t satisfy like the pre-sound Zane Greys. Just two courses of action open for the small house — install sound or close up. Silent product and silent patronage dwindling fast, 60 we are electing the safe and sane course and folding up this week. Would have been plenty of money ahead to have done so at least six months ago. Seven reels. — O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, Ohio. — Small town patronage. HARMONY AT HOME (AT) : Special cast — April 6-7-8. Just a good program picture. Not by any means as good as “Why Leave Home.” Print good, recording fair, singing very poor. Seven reels. — P. G. Held, New Strand theatre, Griswold, Iowa. — General patronge. FOLLIES OF 1929 (AT) : Special cast— April 16-17. This is a mighty good picture — fine singing and dancing. In comparison to what they are making of this type of picture nowadays, this one is crude, but it’s good entertainment, just the same. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. — General patronage. SONG OF KENTUCKY (AT) : Special cast— March 1. Just a fair picture with lousy recording on disc. Most of Fox’s pictures have had excellent recording but they surely did fall down on this one. — Walker and Donnell, Leroy theatre, Lampasas, Texas. — Small town patronage. Gotham THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY: Special cast— April 2. Just a picture. Will barely get by. Don’t ballyhoo this one.— Frank Sabin, Majestic theatre, Eureka, Mont. — Small town patronage. RIVER WOMAN: Special cast — -April 19. A good production but rather dreary as to story and locale. Too much high water. — Frank Sabin, Majestic theatre, Eureka, Mont. — Small town patronage. MGM THE GIRL SAID NO (AT) : William Haines — This is a real Bill Haines picture. No rough stuff. A good Sunday night picture. Recording poor in first part of this picture. — W. Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — Small town patronage. THE GIRL SAID NO (AT) : William Haines — Thi6 is the best Haines we have ever had. Brought good business for three-day run. Haines good. I Marie Dressier extra good. Ten reels. — G. G. Mitchell, Imperial theatre, Newton, N. C. — Small town patronage. IT'S A GREAT LIFE (AT) : Duncan Sisters — April 7-8. A real good picture and the Duncans were good. Lawrence Gray is getting better. Some people said this was as good as “Broadway Melody.” — H. R. Cromwell, Bedford theatre, Bedford, Pa.— Small town patronage. IT’S A GREAT LIFE (AT) : Duncan Sisters — April 9-10. A good, clean, entertaining picture. Some beautiful technicolor scenes. Recording on disc fine. — Orris F. Collins, Palace theatre, Rector, Ark. — Small town patronage. GIRL IN THE SHOW (AT): Bessie Love— Excellent recording on disc i6 about all we can give this one. Nine reels. — Lee Brewerton, Capitol theatre, Raymond, Alta., Canada. — Small town patronage. THEY LEARNED ABOUT WOMEN (AT): Van & Sehenck — March 24-25. Why on earth Metro titled this picture as they did is beyond me. This is a fine picture but did not draw for us. The title is very misleading, for one thing, and not many of our patrons knew anything about Van and Schenck. Rut just the same, this one is dandy entertainment. The only thing I can see wrong with this production is the fact that Metro added a night club scene with a chorus of negro women with practically no clothes on and absolutely nothing left to the imagination, doing a vulgar dance that is disgusting rather than entertaining. After screening the picture we decided to leave this scene out and believe we did the right thing because we have been criticised for showing some scenes that were not as dirty as this one. — Walker and Donnell, Leroy theatre, Lampasas, Tex. — Small town patronage. FREE AND EASY (AT) : Buster Keaton — Buster Keaton will have to go some to make another picture as good as this one. Boost this one. Recording good. Nine reels. — W. Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — Small town patronage. LORD BYRON OF BROADWAY (AT): Special cast — April 18-19. A 100 per cent production, with perfect disc recording. But business off, no matter what is playing. Shearer, the recording engineer, sure knows his stuff, and I don’t mean unless. Nine reels. — Lee Brewerton, Capitol theatre, Raymond, Alta.. Canada. — Small town patronage. LORD BYRON OF BROADWAY (AT): Special cast — Story about a tin pan alley song writer. No drawing power and it lacks originality. Ten reels. — W. Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — Small town patronage. WOMAN RACKET (AT) : Special cast— April 14-15. An underworld story that is fairly interests ing. — J. S. Walker, Texas theatre. Grand Prairie, Tex. — General patronage. WOMAN RACKET (AT) : Special cast — Just a little picture but both of these stars can talk and it will please more than some of these socalled big ones. — Cozy theatre. Prairie Grove, Ark. — General patronage. A LADY IN LOVE (AT): Vilma Banky— This would be a wonderful picture, no doubt, if I could move my theatre over to the Latin quarter in New York, but being in a tank town, it is everything but what my people want. Boys, if you have this one bought get ready to have a nervous breakdown on the night you play it. If Metro has a few more in store like this one, I’m sunk. Ten reels ofnothing. Disc recording punk. — R. A. Choat, Palace theatre, Anson, Tex. — General patronage. A LADY IN LOVE (AT): Vilma Banky— Was disappointed in this one — that is, the star, Vilma Banky. Not her kind of a picture. .The wailing Italians got on my nerves. Poor recording^ in parts. — W. Burr, Orpheum theatre, Lancaster, Wis. — Small town patronage. WISE GIRLS (AT) : Special cast— April 4-5. A great comedy, clean as a negro’s tooth. Best recording from this company since “Broadway Melody. Should please any audience in spite of being too long, with no hook in the talking. Will keep ^ny audience in a roar. Nine reels. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. DEVIL MAY CARE: Ramon Novarro— April 27. Well, boys and girls, this brings to a close the meteoric career of the Screenland. Like the meteor, ran into the ground. Silent will not go any more in a situation like this, not only because a constantly increasing number of patrons will not look at silent pictures any more, but also because, even if that were not so, we cannot get satisfactory silent production now. Despite all the bull handed out by Mr. Distributor and his salesmen, the silent versions are less and less interesting to look at all the time. Taking out the talking and sound effects makes them insipid and kickless. The sound version of “Devil May Care” is a pretty good picture, eleven reels in length, with some technicolor. The silent version is just another one of those costume plays without much interest, too short for much of a program, and not one single drop of color in it. Bah 1 Novarro always has been one of our_ best drawing cards and on that account and the imminent closing of our house, we had good attendance, but the picture did not make much of a bit. Oh, well, it’s all over now. Au revoir! Six reels.— O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. [Editor’s Note: Sorry, O. B.. We’ll miss you as well as your reports. But— au revoir means until we meet again. So — au revoir. ] UNTAMED (AT) : Joan Crawford— April 16-17. Here’s a picture, gents. Splendid recording on film and a great performance by all the cast. Wait till you hear Joan sing “The Chant of the Jungle.” — S. B. Kennedy, Central theatre, Selkirk, Man., Canada.— General patronage. HALLELUJAH ( ) : Special cast April 14-15. Had read many reports that this was a poor picture. Will say this: It was an excellent picture portraying true life of negroes, but Northern people generally will not like it. — H. R. Cromwell, Bedford theatre, Bedford, Pa. — Small town patronage. HALLELUJAH (AT) : Special cast— This had more drawing power than anything we have run yet. And they came back the second night. This was made in Memphis and in Arkansas and it was true to negro life. There is some real music in this, and how that negro boy can sing! Recording on disc good. — Cozy theatre. Prairie Grove, Ark. — General patronage. THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR (AT): Special cast— April 14-15. Positively the world’s worst show. Two stars are all right and can talk if given anything to do, but the rest are English and talk as fast as possible and you cannot _ understand anything they say. It might go over if it had titles to explain the talking. If you have this one bought, pay for it and shelve it. There is positively no entertainment in it. Seven reels. — Cozy theatre. Prairie Grove, Ark. — General patronage. SO THIS IS COLLEGE (AT) : Special cast — April 3-4. This is a good lively college picture. Recording on disc good. However, we had one bad disc that had been damaged. This will please but there is no star that has much drawing power. Cliff Edwards is in it and he is plenty good. Don’t see why they don’t star this guy. — Cozy theatre, Prairie Grove, Ark. — General patronage. MARIANNE: Marion Davies — April 16. Very good picture, the kind that pleases the average pa tron, although not as big and wonderful as some exhibitors’ reports led me to believe. Ran this on my two-for-25-eents bargain night and drew a good crowd in spite of heavy downpour of rain. This is my final bargain night, as I am preparing to fold up and seek a better racket, and by the time this appears in the Herald-World this flicker palace will be only a memory. Seven reels. — O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN (AT): Norma Shearer — April 7-8-9. A fair picture. It is nothing but a trial from start to finish. A picture like this one is okay once in about three years if the recording on disc isn’t as rotten as this is. Eleven reels. — M. Spector, Elite theatre, Kamsack, Sask., Canada. — Small town patronage. HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT (AT): John Gilbert— April 14-15. A fair program picture. Recording very poor. Time Metro was improving it. Wasn’t as poor a picture as I expected from other reports. This picture didn’t draw at all. Paid too much for it. Lost over $30 on two-day engagement. Metro, in course of time, will make some kind of an adjustment to help you out on the overbuys. They had better improve the recording (disc) and give Gilbert a much better story in his next picture, or else he’s gone. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. NAVY BLUES (AT): William Haines— April 11-12. Here’s a picture that sure brings 'em out. Haines is a box office name. One of the best crowds we’ve had in over a year. Metro should know by now that talking, music and outside noises don’t blend very harmoniously. Recording in first two reels poor, rest of picture okay. Should go over big anywhere. Hope MGM won’t impose on his popularity by weak stories, as companies are accustomed to doing when they find it out. Nine reels. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. REDEMPTION (AT) : John Gilbert— April 13. This is a good picture but no drawing card. Gilbert did not fit in this one. Recording good. Seven reels. — G. G. Mitchell, Imperial theatre, Newton, N. C. — Small town patronage. Paramount MEN ARE LIKE THAT (AT): Hal Skelly— April 18-19. This is a talking version of the silent picture, “The Show Off,” which wasn’t anything then and hasn’t improved much with age. This might net please in any type house, but you can get by with it without any grief. Don’t promise anything much and you won’t have any kicks. Recording on disc good. All Paramount recording is good. Seven reels. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. HONEY (AT): Nancy Carroll— April 21-22. This sure is a natural at the box office. Nancy is taking the honors away from Clara Bow, who is about gone, unless her next picture is above the last ones. Lillian Roth sure doe6 come in for her part of the honors. Paramount will be starring her next year, I do believe. Nancy is America’s sweetheart. Step on it when you play it, it’s there. Skeets Gallagher is also good. Eight reels. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. ROADHOUSE NIGHTS (AT): Special cast— April 7-8. A pretty fair melodrama. Kohler and Ruggles are good as usual, but Helen Morgan not so hot. Why do they let her (try to) sing in pictures? Pleased those who came. Guess the title kept lots of ’em away. Paid too much for this picture, hence lost about $35 or $40 on a two-day stand. Six reels. — W. F. Roth, Jr., New Palace theatre, Gallatin, Tenn. — General patronage. GREEN MURDER CASE (AT): William Powell— April 13-14-15. A good talking picture of the kind. But people are getting sick of murder stories, and after the first show business was bad. Recording very hard to understand. Star and cast fine. — Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. General patronage. GREENE MURDER CASE (AT) : William Powell — Not so hot, with only fair recording. Full of splices and misfilm6. Eight reels. — Lee Brewerton, Philadelphia, Pa.