Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1928)

2192 Motion Picture News Atlanta BUSINESS in Atlanta theatres dropped low last week, partly because of the menu offered and the weather called for the swimming pools. Crook melodrama had the week and many Atlanta patrons are beginning to wonder whether or not there are other types of pictures being made. They are experiencing signs of indigestion in the entertainment realms and are calling for a change of bill. At the Howard George Bancroft and Evelyn Brent played in the "Drag Net," a thoroughly able and well produced picture, but unfavorable to the box-office. The young contingent cannot "see" this type of the 1don't-care" girl or the hard boiled man, plus the crooks and crooks. Due praise but no crowds. _ Next door, at Loew's Grand, M-Lr-M s comedy team, Karl Dane and George K. Arthur tried to get away with a farce on gangland'in "Detectives." Tried, but failed. Poor box-office. . Monte Blue and Betty Bronson in Brass Knuckles" brought the Capitol only fait receipts. . . Keith's Georgia offered Bebe Daniels m "Fifty-Fifty Girl," not wholly a crook melodrama, but set in a background of complicated plots and schemes. Drew in fair audiences. The Metropolitan enjoyed a good week with Richard Barthelmess in "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," while the Rialto flopped with "The Vanishing Pioneer, a mediocre western. n Three first run westerns, "Hearts of Men, "Hound of Silver Creek," and "Flying Cowboy," got over the top at the Tudor. Five second runs and "The Nest," with Pauline Fredericks, brought the usual flying colors for the New Alamo. Baltimore WITH cool weather predominating throughout the week beginning Monday, June 18, combined with clouds and rain at intervals, business for the first-run picture theatres here was good, as the inclement weather had a tendency to drive people into the playhouses. The best business of the week was probably done at Warners' Metropolitan, where "The Lion and the Mouse," co-starring Lionel Barrymore and May McAvoy, was presented with Vitaphone sound and dialogue accompaniment. This picture will be held for an indefinite run there. Next in line for very good business was Loew's Century, where "Steamboat Bill, Jr.," starring Buster Keaton with Ernest To'rrence, proved a hit with audiences. This was on the same program with a presentation act entitled "Sunny Skies," with Ted Claire acting as master of ceremonies, with other vaudeville favorites. Although a fairly good business was done by the Stanley throughout the week, with "The Street of Sin," starring Emil Jannings, it is understood that the majority of those who saw the picture did not think it up to the high standard that the German player has set for himself. "In Dutch" was the stage attraction, with Pep Kaufman acting as master of ceremonies. "Siegfried," the UFA production, started out fair at the Little Theatre during its second week there, presented by the Motion Picture Guild, Inc., at that 250-seat house, but after a fine review appeared in the Evening Sun, Tuesday, business gradually mounted, and the week in its entirety proved an excellent one. "Freckles," the film adaptation of Gene Stratton Porter's story, proved a good attraction at the Keith-Albee Hippodrome, where five acts of family-time vaudeville were offered on the same bill. Business proved better than it has been at that playhouse. Loew's Valencia did a fine business on D. W. Griffith's latest production, "Drums of Love," featuring Lionel Barrymore, Mary Philbin and Don Alvarado. "Love and Learn," starring Esther Ralston, was the feature film attraction at the Keith-Albee Garden, where six acts of highclass vaudeville were offered on the same bill. Business was good during the week. Clara Kimball Young was the headliner on the vaudeville bill. Cincinnati JUST as all roads led to Rome in the olden days, so did all roads, local at least, lead to the Albee Theatre during the past week. The attraction which brought forth the natives in huge numbers was Gilda Gray in person, aided and abetted by Amerique and Neville, plus a troupe of agile dancing girls in a lavish stage revue. The shimmying Gilda was also seen on the screen in "The Devil Dancer." Many times during the engagement there were long lines in front of the box-office, and the week, in all, was like the answer to an exhibitor's prayer. "We Americans" at Keith's got off to a good start, and the customers continued to come steadily throughout the week. The Capitol, featuring Vitaphone and Movietone, got by nicely, although the screen feature, "The Patsy," was recently played on the stage here by a stock company, and this may have somewhat slowed down the attendance. Beery and Hatton, in "The Big Killing," was well patronized at the Lyric, although no one was killed in the rush. "The Magnificent Flirt," at the Strand, was accorded good houses during the greater part of the run. "Stop That Man," the feature at the Family for the first half, did well, but didn't break any attendance records. "Slightly Used," for the last half, had about the same record. Taken as a whole, however, the week was satisfactory, especially as compared with business for the past few weeks. Dallas "HH HE Yellow Lily" with Billie Dove 1 brought only fair crowds to the Palace. For the last several weeks the Palace has been unable to keep up their high average. However, the return of Lou Forbes as director of the Palace stage band next week should boost things, as Lou has a good following in Dallas. At the Majestic, "Honor Bound," with George O'Brien and Estelle Taylor, brought good receipts for the seven-day run, and this looks good considering conditions at other first-run houses. The Majestic has maintained a good average with very few breaks for quite a long time. The Melba, showing "The Actress," starring Norma Shearer, did not vary from the fairly good business of last week. The Melba having been the most eccentric theatre in Dallas is now in the business groove, for the past four weeks show that the difference in receipts for the different weeks is very small, and business has been on the safe side of the ledger, which means a great deal for the new Publix venture. "Across the Atlantic," with Monte Blue, increased the Capitol receipts over those of the past few weeks, which have not been so good. Business appeared to be steady, with no unusual big or small performances. At the Old Mill, "The Fighting Eagle," with Rod La Rocque, brought fair receipts for the week and turned the patrons away well pleased. Business at the Old Mill has been satisfactory for the past several weeks. At the Arcadia, "The Patent Leather Kid," with Richard Barthelmess, and "The Smart Set," with William Haines, brought good business for the week, although a little under the past few weeks. Philadelphia BUSINESS in the downtown theatres in Philadelphia resumed its normal trend after the boost given to box-office receipts by the Stanley Company's widely advertised Jubilee Week. "Ramona," originally scheduled for two weeks at the Aldine, after an exceptionally good first week's business of $13,500 gross, continued to draw the crowds, the gross for the second week being $12,500, and was held over for a third week. The Stanley, with Marion Davies in "The Patsy," Walter Woolf in person and a stage show, "Radio Nights," had a satisfactory week. "Don't Marry," with Lois Moran and an excellent surrounding bill, featuring the Royal Welsh Gleemen, "Ukelele Ike," Clark & McCullough, and Evans & Mayer, brought good business to the Fox. "Mother Machree" has failed to make good at the Fox-Locust, but will be retained there for another week. This house will be closed for the summer on June 30th. Emil Jannings in the "Street of Sin" had a fairly good week at the Karlton, but the picture has not shown the drawing power of other Jannings films. The Carman, with the first Philadelphia showing of "Name the Woman," and a lively revue, "Campus Capers," featuring the Temple University Orchestra, with a clever aggregation of singers, dancers and comedians, had a good week, considering the season. "Laugh, Clown, Laugh," with Lon Chaney at the Stanton, which was extensively tied up with the Victor Distributing companies and various local music stores, did fairly well. The Palace, with "Across to Singapore," the Arcadia, with Richard Dix in "Easy Come, Easy Go," and the Victoria, with "The Enemy," all had rather mediocre weeks. Salt Lake City THEATRE attendance at the downtown theatres of this city has been very good with cool weather conditions prevailing, which perhaps added to the favorable box office receipts. "Tenderloin" at the Victory theatre has been held over for the second week, in conjunction with the Vitaphone, and continued to break records at this house. Esther Ralston and Gary Cooper in "Half a Bride" played to crowded houses at the Capitol theatre, which also offered the 'Fanchon and Marco stage presentation "Moscow Idea," featuring Maxwell and Lee, and which was a good deal of a drawing card also. John Gilbert and Renee Adoree in "Honor First" were well received at the Pantages theatre in connection with the regular vaudeville performance, and capacity houses were the general rule here last week. The feature picture offered at the Paramount Empress theatre was "The Wheel of Chance" with Richard Barthelmess, and satisfactory results were reported. Mary Philbin and Ivan Mosjukine in "Surrender" at the American theatre drew fairly good crowds to this large house. The Gem theatre enjoyed a successful week during their run of "For Wives Only," featuring Marie Prevost, this production having proved to be a good drawing card. The Rialto theatre presented the second run of "Sadie Thompson" with very satisfactory results. "The Light in the Window" and also "The Valiant Rider" were the week's feature presentations at the new State this past week, and good business has been the rule. Billie Dove in "The Love Mart" brought fairly good sized houses to the Tower theatre, a neighborhood houses.