Associated First National Franchise (1921)

4 First National Franchise SemiMonthly Results and Opinions of Our Attractions "THE OLD SWIMMIN' HOLE. Biggest drawing card of the week in Atlanta. Audiences thoroughly delighted. Special overture preceded picture. Criterion, Atlanta. Ga. — W. C. Patterson. •■NINETEEN AND PHYLLIS:' Heavy business. Ray always a favorite. Rialto Laredo, Tex. — H. A. Daniel. "PASSION'S PLAYGROUND." Satisfactory. Fourth run. Pine Hills. Albany, N. Y. — Harry Lazarus. "THE GREAT ADVENTURE." Exceptionally well received. Family. Port Huron, Mich.— Earl D. Sipe. "HARRIET AND THE PIPER." Two days. Audiences liked the picture very much. Orpheum, Scottsbluff , Neb. — W . H. Ostenberg, Jr. "BOB HAMPTON OF PLACER." Good, but not exceptional business. Indians in native dress and cowboy quartette lent atmosphere to the showing. Newman, Kansas City, Mo. — Milton Feld. "THE KID." Broke attendance and box-office records. The third picture in the history of Marion to play a solid week. Marion Theatre, Marion, O.—G. H. Foster. "PASSION.'' Big business. Generally pleasing. Played a full week. Special music by augmented orchestra. Wonderland, Lorain, 0. — August Ilg. "PEACEFUL VALLEY." Fine. Everybody liked the picture. Lion, Belle vue, 0. — G. R. Moore. "SCRAMBLED WIVES." Got a warm reception. All Marguerite needs is good vehicles. People's, Portland, Ore. — F. W. Teufel. "SOWING THE WIND." Good business. Audiences were thrilled and satisfied. Stewart a favorite here. Jefferson, Auburn, N. Y. — John J. Breslin. "NOMADS OF THE NORTH." Curwood pictures go particularly well here. Fire scenes in this one especially fine. Haven, Olean, N. Y. — Alba W. Root. "GO AND GET IT." Excellent in the opinion of audience. Orpheum, Scottsbluff, Neb.—W. H. Ostenberg, Jr. "THE PASSION FLOWER." Conceded to be star's best production. Outdrew Pickford throughout the week. Strand, Louisville, Ky. — George J. Maurer. "MAN-WOMAN-MARRIAGE." Just came up to records of "The Kid." Engagement the talk of the town. Special publicity campaign and "What Makes Marriage Happy?" Contest helped materially. Strand, Louisville. Ky. — Geo. J. Maurer. "MY LADY'S LATCHKEY." Full houses. Everybody pleased. Strand, Laredo, Tex. — Wm. Eppstein. "THE OLD SWIMMIN' HOLE." Regarded as Ray's best picture. Went over very well. Kinema, Los Angeles, Calif. — William Newberry. "MY LADY'S LATCHKEY." Good business and pleasing. Strand, Canton 0. — 7. D. Kessler. "THE SCOFFER." Dwan productions popular in Laredo. Good attendance. Royal, Laredo. Tex. — L. M. Valdez. "THE BRANDED WOMAN." Highly pleasing. Satisfactory business. Grand, Tiffin, 0. — Charles Stofer. "PASSl ON." Capacity houses. Remarkable effect on audience. Some persons returned three and four times to see the picture. This was second run of three days, after previous nine-day engagement. Columbia, Portland, Ore. — A. C. Raleigh. "MAN-W OMAN-MARRIAGE." Started with average attendance, but gained steadily. Women like it, men make vigorous protests. Liberty, Portland, Ore.— P. E. Noble. "OLD DAD.'' Satisfactory and drew fairly well against exceptional opposition. Rialto, Lowell, Mass. — Isaac Prager. "MAN-WOMAN-MARRIAGE." Gripped audiences. Very satisfactory run. Regent, Wichita, Kan. — 0. K. Mason. "PASSION." Broke attendance and box-office records. Many first-nighters came back. Schade, Sandusky 0. — George J. Schade. "DINTY." Fine business for second run. Queen, Knoxville, Tenn. — W. E. Drumbar. "LUCK OF THE IRISH.". Very pleasing picture. Strand, Knoxville, Tenn. — Alex. Lukowski. "IN OLD KENTUCKY." Rebooked at the request of patrons. First showing a year ago. Great crowds and big business. Orpheum, Scottsbluff. Neb.— W. H. Ostenberg, Jr. "GO AND GET IT." Business very satisfactory. Xylophone solo used as special introduction. Picture advertised itself. Lion, Bellevue, 0. — G. R. Moore. "THE SKY PILOT." Broke records and did a business equal to that of "The Kid." Held the audience enthralled. Crescent, Pontiac, III. — Hal 0 pperman. "NOMADS OF THE NORTH." Very satisfactory. The children brought their parents in many instances. Colonial, Elyna, 0. — 0. J. Bannon. "SCRAMBLED WIVES." Marguerite Clark a favorite here and public flocked to see her again. Picture very pleasing. Wonderland, Lorain, 0. — August Ilg. "PASSION'S PLAYGROUND." Very satisfactory. Grand, Tiffin, 0 .— Charles Stofer. "IN OLD KENTUCKY." Satisfactory. Second run. Hudson, Albany, N. Y.—J. E. Roberts. "THE LOVE EXPERT ." Good business. Third run. Hudson, Albany, N. Y.—J. E. Roberts. "THE MASTER MIND." Highly pleasing. Well received by the press. American. Elyna, 0. — 0. J. Bannon. "IN THE HEART OF A FOOL." Steady business. Thought an exceptional picture. Colonial, Elyna, 0. — 0. J. Bannon. "THE KID." Broke box-office and attendance records. Three days. Rialto, Glens Falls, N. Y. — Bird, Mausert (£ Coleman. "THE KID." Repeat by request. Excellent business. Majestic, Port Huron Mich. — Earl D. Sipe. "THE KID." Second run. Best business of any second run for many months. Queen, Knoxville, Tenn. — W. E. Drumbar. "PASSION." Costume stuff isn't popular down here, but the picture went big in spite of that, with good houses at each performance. Riviera, Knoxville, Tenn. — W. E. Drumbar. "PASSION ." Fair business. First three days good. Strand, Canton, 0. — J. D. Kessler. "TRUTH ABOUT HUSBANDS." Good box-office feature for any home accustomed to high-class pictures. Liberty, Pittsburgh^ Pa. — Harry Thomas. "GOOD REFERENCES." Connie always a big drawing card. Strand, Knoxville, Tenn. — Alex Lukowski. "PASSION'S PLAYGROUND." Capacity business. MacDonald a favorite here. Jefferson, Auburn, N. Y. — John J. Breslin. "DINTY." Very good business at all shows. Dinty an immense favorite here. Grand, J onesboro. Ark. — W. L. Mack. "THE NOTORIOUS MISS LISLE." Appreciated as an excellent picture. Orpheum Scottsbluff, Neb.—W. H. Ostenberg, Jr. "THE TRUTH ABOUT HUSBANDS." Pleasing. Advertised this as a First National and got the business. Wonderland, Lorain, 0. — August Ilg. "THE WOMAN IN HIS HOUSE." Great. Everyone more than pleased. Wonderland, Lorain, 0. — August Ilg. "THE DEVIL'S GARDEN ." Good business. Barrymore a decided attraction here. Central, Fairbury, III. — Elmer Ramsey. "THE KID." Rebooked. Business equal to first showing. Turned 'em away the first day. Bad weather hit us the second. Crescent, Pontiac, III.— Hal Opperman. "GOOD REFERENCES." Laredo people always turn out for Connie. Heavy business. Broke attendance records. Rialto, Laredo, Tex — H. A. Daniel. "THE BRANDED WOMAN." Good attendance for second run. Queen, Knoxville, Tenn. — W. E. Drumbar. Boynton Favors Mail for Advertising Exhibitor P. E. Boynton, of the Colonial Theatre, Amherst, Wisconsin, writes as follows : "I do not think there is any better way to advertise than through the mails. In fact, that is the only way that a country show house can get to the people. I even go to the expense of making up my own heralds and sending them out in an envelope, thinking that they attract more attention than those we can get from the exchange. The only thing against this is the cost. As you know, these small town printers are robbers. "I have been wondering if the exchanges could not get something out on the order of a large post card, about 6xio inches, or any other convenient size, so that one side could be used for the address, or a folder of some sort could be made up in an attractive style. Nothing would strike the small town man any better than these." Editorial to Chaplin "Old Dad," who writes an editorial column in the San Diego Sun, San Diego, California, took occasion to write a paragraph to Charlie Chaplin in a recent issue. Among other things, he said: "You have given me more heartv laughs in the last eight years than anv other human and that's the best mission I know — to make people laugh." FRANCHISE is published by and for Associated First National exhibitors. It is independent and without politics. It is not a mouth organ for ANY one individual, but has the interests of each member and subfranchise holder at heart. Its policy is truth and service, to help oil the wheels of progress for progressive exhibitors. We offer $10 reward for every deliberate lie or exaggeration found in these columns. We'll pay by return mail for each one. Vol. 1 June 1, 1921 No. 10 Publication office, Associated First National Pictures, Inc., 6 and 8 West Forty-eighth Street, New York. Arthur Gets Promotion Harrv G. Arthur, General Manager of the West Coast Theatrical Enterprises, Inc., has been appointed to take over the production end of that organization. This is a Gore Brothers, Sol Lesser and Ramisch consolidation. Screenland Makes Appearance The first issue of Screenland, published by Jensen and Von Herberg Theatres, in Seattle, made its appearance May nth. It is to be issued weekly and according to appearances will carry enough advertising to partly defray the cost of publication. Screenland publicizes the Jensen and Von Herberg houses and pictures played therein. We note on page 4 that the editor gives credit to another organization for the distribution of "Passion" and "Gypsy Blood." We hope he reads these lines as First National controls these productions and we don't mind having that fact published. First Nati onal Play Dotes First Means Better Pictures at Less Cost First National Play Dates First Means Better Pictures at Less Cost Chance for Clark Publicity? The Pompeian Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, is advertising in some of its full page ads, used in prominent publications, the fact that they will give away a Marguerite Clarkart panel called "Absence Cannot Hearts Divide," to all who send for samples of Pompeian products. Joseph Bohn, of the Louisville office of Associated First National, suggests that this offer be tied up with the exhibition of Marguerite Clark in "Scrambled Wives." and believes that franchise holders in various sections of the country may be able to make use of this.