Harrison's Reports (1928-1928)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE Bartered as second-class matter January 4, 1984, at (tee post o&ee at New Tod;, Ntew York, under the act of Ma*eh 3, 1379. Harrison’s Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: United States $10.00 U. S. Insular Possessions 12.00 Canada and Mexico. . 12.00 England and New Zealand 14.50 Other Foreign Countries 16.50 25c. a Copy 1440 BROADWAY New York, N. Y. A Motion Picture Reviewing Service by a Former Exhibitor Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of Exhibitors Its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Published W eekly by P. S. HARRISON Editor and Publisher Established July 1, 1919 Tel. : Pennsylvania 7649 Cable Address : Harreports ( Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. X SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1928 No. 27 1928-29 Two Dollar “Hits” and “Flops’^-No. 2 {Continued from Week of June 9) In working out a table of points for the different 1928-29 two-dollar pictures in an effort to help you determine what each of such pictures is possibly worth to you, I used as a basis the rentals you paid for “The Big Parade” or for “What Price Glory.” Since the week of June 9, when the first half of this article was printed, I have had talks with many exhibitors of this zone and have had correspondence on the subject with exhibitors from different parts of the country ; and as a result of the information that I have received as to the present business conditions and as to what the prospects hold for the 1928-29 season, I have come to the conclusion that the rentals paid for these two pictures are too high for you to use as a basis as to what you should pay for the 1928-29 two-dollar pictures. The rentals paid for “Seventh Heaven” should be a fairer basis. Accordingly, if you paid for “Seventh Heaven,” say, $500, then $250 maximum should, in my opinion, be a good price for you to pay for “Street Angel” ; if you paid $100, then $50 maximum should be the price. Half of what you paid for “Seventh Heaven,” then, should be the 100 points of “Street Angel.” For convenience, let us reproduce the table, which ap peared in the issue of June 9: STREET ANGEL 100 P FOUR SONS 70 P SUNRISE 35 P MOTHER MACHREE 45 P ABIE'S IRISH ROSE 35 P UNCLE TOM’S CABIN 70 P THE MAN WHO LAUGHS 90 P TEMPEST 125 P TWO LOVERS (Small Towns 35P) 50 P RAMONA 70 P GAUCHO 50 P DRUMS OF LOVE ' 25 P WINGS 150 P TENDERLOIN 25 P GLORIOUS BETSY 45 P TRAIL OF ’98 100 P FAZIL 85 P THE LION AND THE MOUSE (Without Vitaphone) 40 P KING OF KINGS ?? The pictures on the table from “Street Angel” to “The Man YY ho Laughs” were analyzed in the issue of June 9, where the reasons that prompted me to give their points or percentages were printed. * * * “TEMPEST,” with John Barrymore; United Artists: This picture opened well at the Embassy, this city, and continued showing strength despite the warm weather. It played to capacity business the first weeks and nearly capacity up to this time. Mr. Barrymore’s fame, coupled with the excellence of the production, makes this picture a good bet. “TYVO LOVERS,” with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky ; United Artists (Sam Goldwyn) : This picture made a poor showing at the Embassy, this city, where it played a few months ago. Although the Embassy has less than ()00 seats, it did not fill them. The matinees, in particular, were a sorry sight. The picture is not bad; but it is a costume play, and appeals only to the high-brows. It is not for the masses. In the first table I gave this picture 50 points. Although a 50 point classification is fair for the big cities, I fear that is too high for the smaller places ; 35 points should, in my opinion, be fairer. “RAMONA,” with Dolores Del Rio; United Artists: This picture showed good strength in the first few weeks. The first four weeks it averaged $37,000. The second four weeks it declined, no doubt because of the warm weather. ($40,000 a week for a good picture at $2 prices is not extraordinary for the Rivoli Theatre where “Ramona” has been playing, for this theatre has 2,100 seats.) The picture was withdrawn last week. It is a good bet if a fair price is paid for it, even though it is a heavy entertainment. 70 points for the big cities is not too high a classification, although small cities may reduce this classification considerably on account of the depression that now prevails.) “GAUCHO,” with Douglas Fairbanks : I fear that even 50 points is too high for this picture. At the Harris Theatre, this city, it made a very poor showing. It opened big, drawing $19,000 for the week. But it kept on declining, taking in only $4,500 the closing week, which was the ninth week of the engagement, it is apparent that the fame of Mr. Fairbanks drew them the first weeks, but could not hold them because of the poor quality of the picture as an entertainment. As said in the review last year, the picture is excellently produced, but the diseased character they use throughout the picture makes it repulsive. They have cut down the scenes where this character appears considerably, but they could not eliminate him entirely because his presence is demanded by the story. I fear that for small towns even 50 points is too much. “DRUMS OF LOVE,” produced by D. YV. Griffith; released by United Artists : The box office failure that “Drums of Love” made at the Harris Theatre, this city, where it played last year, can be rivaled only by “Abie's Irish Rose” ; only that "Abie’s Irish Rose” is a good entertainment, and it will take better in smaller cities, whereas “Drums of Love” is not, and is less suitable in the smaller towns than it is in the big centres. The engagement was to be of six weeks’ duration, and the theatre was so rented. But it was withdrawn the fourth week, United Artists paying the rent of the theatre for the full six weeks. The first week, it took in $8,000 ; the second, $6,000 ; the third, $4,500 ; the fourth, $3,500. If it had been kept on the board for as long a run as other two-dollar pictures were held, I fear that "Drums of Love” would not have taken in even the price for the electricity. The name of Mr. Griffith drew fair crowds first ; but it could not hold them, because “Drums of Love" is not a good entertainment even for the highbrows, let alone for the masses. The 25 points have been given as a tribute to Mr. Griffith, and not because the picture, in my opinion, deserves it from the box office point of view. If the name of Air. Griffith means anything to your box office, you may pay twenty-five per cent, of what you are going to pay for “Street Angel,” which price should, as said, be one-half of what you paid for “Seventh Heaven” ; if not, use your own judgment. YY INGS, ’ Paramount : The following are the receipts of this picture in the first eight weeks : 1st week (ending August 20) $16,430 75 wee,k 16.855.33 f,d vvee,k 16,658.24 dt 1 vveek 17,088.24 week 16,319.88 £* week 16,311.67 ““ week 16,285.94 8th week: .... 16,093.22 1 lie receipts have kept up to capacity up to within the last lew weeks, just before the warm weather set in. But they nave not fallen down to such an extent as to disqualify it from the $2 picture class. The capacity business for this house is $15,941.00. The higher receipts may be accounted tor, first, by the tax, which has been added to the receipts, and secondly by the standing room tickets that were sold. "\\ mgs” is a genuine two-dollar picture, and may be ( Continued on Last Page )