Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1927)

994 Motion Picture News Detroit WITH one or two exceptions, all attractions drew big attendance to the downtown motion picture houses this week, despite sultry weather. At the Michigan, Tom Meighan was listed in "We're All Gamblers" and nice business resulted. A stage show was also featured on the bill. The biggest money maker here this summer, "Beau Geste," held up strongly during a third week at the Adams. It is expected to go Avell for at least anothea: weekly session. Vincent Lopez and Reginald Denny brought good-sized crowds to the Capitol, the latter being presented in "Out All Night." The Madison did just as well, however, with "The Road to Romance." Both features did better than "Tumbling River," at the Colonial, or "The Last Outlaw" which the Miles offered along with mudeville although the last two proved okay to the patronage. The State had "Three's A Crowd" drawing nicely but "What Price Glory" was a stronger feature and the FoxWashington manager, Charles Cohen, is greatly pleased "Painting the Town" pulled in good throngs at the Regent during the early part of the week. Some competition was noticed from the legitimate houses which have just opened with a number of musical and stage productions. On the whole, this was offset by the cooler conditions prevailing at the picture theatres. Seattle WITH the Labor Day holiday to help matters out, and a full list of big productions to greet the movie-goers, the first run houses in this city last week chalked up big totals in their gross business columns. At the Fifth Avenue Theatre, "Underworld" played for the first four days to tremendous houses, nearing the house record for attendance. The last three days were sHghtly lower, but the grand total for the week was exceptionally large. FanchonMarco's "Hello, Lindbergh!", idea was the weakest that they have presented m some time, but Eddie Peabody held up the stage end of the show by a magnificent "Rhapsody in Blue" specialty. At the United Artists Theatre, "Chang" opened up to capacity houses and played to very large business for the entire week. The picture was given an extensive publicity campaign, and was also aided by charity matinees staged by Manager Perutz. Fine business for the entire week, with a second week following. Two pictures played their third and final week to very satisfactory business. These were "The Missing Link" and Vitaphone at Hamrick's Blue Mouse, and "Beau Geste" at Bob Bender's Columbia Theatre. The Chaplin film at the Blue Mouse was almost as strong a box office film as "The Better 'Ole," which established a comedy record here. And "Beau Geste" held up surprisingly well in the face of strong competition and the fact that it was a second run picture. "Smile, Brother, Smile" at the Liberty Theatre was just a fair box ofiice bet. This house has had the worst of the deal in policy during recent months, and is just getting back on its feet. The week's gross showed a slight improvement over past attractions. ' 'Rubber Heels" at the Embassy Theatre, with Bull Montana appearing in person, did a very good business for the week's run. Mannjrf'r Joe Danz is presenting some very crcflitablo programs at this small house, and business is showiner results. At the two vaudeville houses, average program attractions were presented. The New Orpheum plaved to very bis? business, but this was a result of a new theatre and not the picture or vnndeville nrnorrnm. The picture was "The P,eiuvenation of Aunt Mary" and it held no interest for a majority of the nudienees. The vaudeville was just as bad. Pants sres did a verv pleasing business with "The Secret Studio." Olive Borden's tvpe of film is good box office material at this house, and a pretty stron? vaudeville prosrnm rounded out a nice bill. The weakest picture o*" the first run attractions was "Old Ironsides" which plaved its first week at roa,d show prices at the Metropolitan Theatre. Business was practically negligible after the first two days. The road show film seems to be doomed in this city; audiences are entirely ■walling to wait until the average big film comes back to their Javorite picture theatre at regular prices. Los Angeles DURING the past week Al Jolson kept the Metropolitan Theatre packed to the doors at every performance, scoring a big hit in his first engagement in a motion picture theatre at "popular prices." The picture, "Out All Night" was well received and provided great entertainment with its funny gags and situations. Loew's State was popular with a triple program. Harry Langdon in "Three's A Crowd," Gene Dennis, the girl psychic and the Fanchon & Marco "Peaeoek Idea" all combined in satisfying the patrons. "King of Kings" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre played to fairly good business during its eighteenth week. The last minute rush to see the Fox production of "Seventh Heaven" at the Carthay Circle Theatre, is now on, as this picture is to close in just three weeks. The Million Dollar did a good business with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky in, "The Magic Flame." "Mockery" as second run at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre again pleased a number of fans as did "The Big Parade" at the Criterion in its last week in the down^wn theatre. Kansas City ANOTHER week of unusually hot weather failed to produce any decrease in attendance in first run houses this week, although it is doubtful what might have happened had there not been a strong lineup of pictures. At the Newman Norma Shearer in "After Midnight" drew good all week, being slightly above the average, which also can be said of "Beau Geste" at the Royal. "The Cat and the Canary" at the Liberty did a prosperous week. So did "What Price Glory" at the Pantages. "When A Man Loves," with John Barrjonore, held up well at the Globe, while Norma Talmadge in "Camille' at the Mainstreet did a big business. Cleveland AN unprecendented and unseasonable hot spell that lasted all of last week threw the movie business altogether off. The cooling plants which are installed in most of the first-run houses did much to overcome the difficulties, but even so, the pictures did not get the support they would have received under normal conditions. Under the circumstances, the houses that reported fair business would have done big business. As it was, none of them got a big break. "The Way of All Flesh" did as well as any picture in town during its second week at the StiUman. And "Carmen" did excellently weU at Keith's Palace, considering the terrific heat. "Hard Boiled Haggerty,^' '~ got by with a fair record. "Breakfast at Sunrise" was well liked by Allen patrons, and was given the support of those who survived the heat. "The Life of Riley" did fairly well at the Cameo, which specializes in comedy features. The Park reports fair business with "The Black Diamond Express." "The Circus Ace" drew good crowds at Reade's Hippodrome where the combination of Tom Mix and "Scooping Cupid" a Cleveland-made movie, with a Cleveland cast, proved an irresistible combination. "Three's a Crowd" was just moderately successful at Keith's East 105th St. and "His First Flame" made a fair showing at the Circle. "Potemkin" closed its second week at the Little Theatre of the Movies with satisfactory results. This was the first attraction of the Little Theatre of the Movies, and local interest in its program and policy was keen. Neighborhood thea^ tres had a bad week. No film attraction was strong enough to pull the people in. Legitimate theatre competition included "Pygmalion" at the Hanna by the Theatre Guild Acting Company, "Abie's Irish Rose" at the Colonial, and "The Butter and Egg Man" at the Ohio. San Francisco T^HE weather together with the advertis^ ing campaigns helped to keep the big business in the local motion picture houses here. "Beau Geste" at the St, Francis Theatre, the third week, drew very well and it was kept over for a fourth week. Norma Talmadge in "Camille" at the California Theatre, went over very big, in fact bigger than contemplated. Special music was shown with this picture. Bebe Daniels, always a favorite with local onlookers, went over well with "Swim, Girl, Swim," the stage act, "Seasons," helping to fill the house. "Firemen, Save My Child," drew many to the Granada Theatre and proved popular together with the stage act, "Diversities." The Thomas Meighan picture, "We're AU Gamblers," filled the Imperial Theatre, which now is producing high class pictures at popular prices and it now is seen it will pay. "Framed," shown at the Golden Gate Theatre, together with the six acts vaudeville, fiUed the house in the evenings. "The Satin Woman" at the Pantages Theatre together with the vaudeville acts also fiUed that house. "Red Signals" as the feature picture, together with "The Racers" as the comedy and Abraham Lincoln produced on the stage, together with other acts, filled the Union Square Theatre. "Little Annie Rooney," crowded the Cameo Theatre and all were more than pleased to see it at low prices.