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20
bM
DAILY
Sunday, December 29, 1918
Nothing Much to Work With Except Popularity of Bill Russell
Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor.
William Russell in "WHEN A MAN RIDES ALONE"
American Prod. — Pathe Dist.
Insofar as the picture is concerned there's no reason why you should make a fuss about this. It's pretty old stuff handled in a conventional way and not the sort of thing that present day audiences are likely to rave about.
The title, "When A Man Rides Alone," has a poetic touch but rather slight connection with the subject of the film. There's no riding alone so far as Bill Russell is concerned until the final scenes in which he starts off to enlist in the army. I'd use the title, however, on account of its pleasing suggestiveness and wouldn't worry about its application to the story.
You know best about Bill Russell's drawing power in your community. If he is popular, folks are likely to pass over the defects of the production and accept the star as sufficient attraction. Certainly he goes through enough trials to make him qualify as a thor
ough-going hero likely to appeal especially to romantic young girls.
Your success in playing this must depend almost entirely upon the popularity of the star and your exploitation methods. Naturally, Bill Russell will figure almost exclusively in publicity and advertising. Show the best pictures and posters you can secure and if you want to set the atmosphere of the picture it might do to arrange a lobby display, using some old guns, along with other paraphernalia of the western rangers or Mexican ranchmen.
I don't think, however, that the picture justifies going to unusual expense, because it's not the kind of thing that you will want to hold for more than one day. Try to build up the rest of your program and don't promise that you have an extraordinary feature.
A possible catchline might read: "Women have the privilege of changing their minds. See how one highspirited Mexican girl exercises the privelege by deciding to marry the man she had sworn to kill — William Russell in 'When a Man Rides Alone' ".
A Big Star A Big Story A Big Picture
DUSTIN FARNUM
In Zane Grey's Great Story. Directed by Chas. Swickard.
"The Light of Western Stars"
UNITED PICTURE THEATRES OF AMERICA, Inc.
600 Broadway
J. A. BERST, Pres.
New York