Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

958 Motion Picture News St. Louis r^^ARLTE CHAPLIN did not do so well V-^ with "The Circus" at Loew's State theatre during the week ending on March 16th. Truly the comedy was not his best efifort, but it was funny and the fact that it had been two years since he brought out a film should have meant something. But apparently it didn't. However, we must not be too critical with Charlie and his Circus. Times are somewhat hard. There are many men and women out of work and others are working but part time. And, in addition, there is considerable sickness abroad. And we must not forget that this is the Lenten season. "Tillie's Punctured Romance," aided and abetted by a fairly good stage show directed by Brooke Johns, the long-legged banjo strummer, had but an average week at the Missouri theatre at Grand boulevard and Lucas avenue. Just across the street (Lucas avenue) "Old San Francisco," the Vitaphone feature, ran through a second big week and has been held over. Down at Skouras Brothers Ambassador a time-work picture plot was again used. The title was "French Dressing." Ed Lowry and his stage show produced most of the business of the week. The St. Louis theatre, at Grand and Delmar boulevard, had on its screen "A Blonde for a Night," in conjunction with Orpheuni Circuit vaudeville. On the whole, everything considered, it could be considered a good week's business. The Orpheum combination house downtown showed "The Tragedy of Youth" and had a fair week's play. Atlanta A TLANTA theatre box-offices enjoyed a /\ very good business the past week. The Capitol, with Marie Prevost in "The Rush Hour," boasts of a phenomenal record, but gives the larger portion of the credit to their vaudeville bill, Jimniie Hodges and his girls. Loew's Grand, showing William Haines and .Mice Day in "The Smart Set," had a good week. While next duor the Howard, with "Old Ironsides," drew appreciable houses. Keith's Georgia played "Tillie's Punctured Romance, featuring W. C. Fields and Chester Conklin, to average good audiences. Down the street at Metropolitan "The Jazz Singer" held forth its fourth week's run to continued remarkable houses. This picture has set a new run record for Atlanta theatres. The New Alamo showed uiily one first run, "The Million Dollar Mystery," but business was unusually good. Thrie bilL. "The Midnight Limited," "Pals in Peril" and "The Fall of the Alamo" brought the Tudor a successful week. At the Rialt') "The Magic Flame" played for the second time in Atlanta. Business did not reach a high peak with it. Albany and Troy TIIKRE is no question but that the Lenten season affected business at the motion picture theatres in Albany during the past week. Despite the fact that excellent pictures were shown at the first run houses, business did not measure up to what would probably have been the case at some other time. The fact remains, however, that business generally this Lenten season is ahead of a year ago, and probably better than any year thus far in the history of the motion picture theatres in the city. It was only two or three years ago that the picture theatre managers here were inclined to use any old picture during the Lenten season, as they asserted that no mailer what was shown business would not respond. This year there is a change of tune and some of the season's finest productions are sustaining business at a time when it would have been thought impossible a couple or three years ago. At the Mark Strand, "Sadie Thompson" filled the theatre each night and had the crowds standing at the opening of the second show. There were a couple of good \'i:taphone presentations during the fore part of the week, but during the last three days one of these was discontinued and in its place was substituted screen shots of an Albany girl who had won a recent beauty contest. This may have attracted business, but it was not satisfactory from the standpoint of the ordinary theatregoer, who would have much preferred listening to the Vitaphone than looking at the prize beauty buy a pair of shoes. The newsreel was also badly cut. At the Leland theatre, "Wild Geese," coupled vsnth "40,000 Miles with Lindbergh," played to such business that it was necessary each night to open the gallery. No doubt the Lindbergh picture attracted almost as much, or possibly more, than the feature itself. There was also an excellent newsreel in connection with the well-balanced program. Ordinary business was done at the Clinton Square theatre with "Powder My Back" and "All Aboard." The Mark Ritz ran "The Heart of a Follies Girl" with just about ordinary business during the week, but fortunately had one of the best Stan Laurel comedies in some time. The smaller houses, both downtown and neighborhood, report business as being just about average, although it is noted that the ten cent houses seem to be going over well just now in Albany. In Troy, "The Dove," playing the week at the Troy theatre, did not do any great amount of business. The T,incoln split its week with "The Enemy" the fore part and "The Missing Link" the latter, both doing perhaps a trifle better than an average week's business, but with Lenten devotions making their inroads, this being particularly true at the early shows. Dallas DURING the past week Dallas has had a wide variety of weather. The first of the week was warm spring weather, then pouring rains, ending up with very cold days. Business at the theatres, however, was not greatly affected by the weather. "The Patent Leather Kid," with Richard Barthelmess at the ]\Iclba, was the outstanding picture of the week, and did much to enhance the prestige of the theatre. WMth exception of two days, business was big for tlie ten-day run.. "Woman Wise," with June C"nll\-er and William Russell, brought average business to the Majestic. F.l Brendel. noted stage and screen comedian, headed the vaudeville bill and was well received. "The Legion of the Condemned," with Fay W^ray and Gary Conper. grossed heavily at the Palace, packing them everv night. The picture was good and the public found it out. At the Capitol. "Slightly Used," with ATay AfcAvoy and Conrad Nagel. and "Beware of Married Men," with Irene Rich and Stuart Holmes, brought onlv fair receipts for the week. Matinee business was about average, but night receipts " ere down. "No Place to Go," with Mary Astnr and Lloyd Hughes, proved to be only a fair drawing card at the Old Mill. "Body and Soul," with Aileen Pringle. Norman Kerry .iiul l.innel I'arrymore fared better and played to average crowds. The Arcadia, with "Silk Legs," "What Price Glory," and "The Chinese Parrot" had a fair gross for the week. .\ V^ilaiilmne presentation was included in each day's program. Seattle SHOW business of the city centered almost entirely in one spot last week — the occasion was the opening of the magnificent new 3,500-seat Publix theatre, known as the Seattle theatre, operated by West Coast for Publix and Loew jointly. The opening was very informal, but the w-eek was a tremendous success, with the house itself taking the city by storm and the show dazzling local theatre patrons with its beauty. The opening program featured the Publix stage show, "Merry Widow Revue," with Bebe Daniels in "Feel My Pulse" taking the film premiere honors. The stage show was a tremendous success; the film was not very well liked. Other musical and film attractions combined to create a fine total program. Gross the opening six days is estimated at approximately $26,500. The weekly "nut'' of this theatre is reported to be close to $20,000; said to be the highest operating expense of any theatre on the Pacific Coast. Second honors came to the Fifth Avenue theatre, strongly bucking the Seattle with a Fanchon-Marco stage show featuring Kolb and Dill and a big company in a minature musical comedy, "In Algeria." These popular stage personalities kept the theatre well filled all week, and the film portion of the show, "The Latest from Paris," was well liked. An added attraction was the return of Ollie Wallace to the console of the Wurlitzer, after several seasons as a musical director and master of ceremonies. It was a distinct pleasure to see "Ollie" at the console once more. Gross for the week reached about $15,000; a very good week, everything considered. At the Columbia theatre. Manager Bob Bender kept the house comfortably filled all week with the second week's engagement of "The Circus." The Chaplin film still has the town talking, and stood the customers out for several nights during the second week, despite other big attractions. Business was very good, and the film goes into a third week. The Blue Mouse theatre, with Sid Chaplin in "The Fortune Hunter," did its usual strong business with the assistance of Vitaphone and Movietone. The picture was not the equal of former Chaplin films, either in box oflice value or audience appeal, but was good enough for a pleasing week. Gross was probably a bit lower than the average good week at this house, due to the previously-mentioned strong counter attractions. The United Artists theatre did not fare so well. The attraction there was "The Last Command," in its second week, but the film was pulled off after a very bad weekend's business. The opening week was good, and it was the intention of the management to put on "The Gaucho" for the second week, but the hold-over was a result of the desire not to buck too strongly the Seattle opening. It was apparently a bad move, as "The Last Command" weakened and "The Gaucho" was rushed on almost cold in the middle of the week. The vaudeville houses had a poor week. At the Orpheum, "Blue Danube" was fairly well liked, but attendance for the week was about 15 per cent below normal. This was blamed on the Seattle opening, but a new low price policy at the Orpheum, effective this week, is taken as an indication that general business has been poor. The Pantages theatre featured "Soft Living" and played to fair houses only. "Sex Appeal," at Joe Danz's Embassy theatre attracted the usual good business and showed a pretty fair week's business, but the Liberty theatre is having tough sledding, and has reduced prices from 25c to 15c again.