The Motion Picture Almanac 1929 (1929)

200 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 1929 pleasantly surpi'ised by this picture, as it is a distinct departure from his usual type. Much less of the exuberant bis-headed comedy element in this and more of the serious stuff. Haines i6 positively humble in some scenes. Good entertainment. Ricardo Cortez and Josephine Dunn fill the other major parts to perfection. (Screenland theatre, Nevada, O.— Small town patronage.) Count this as another picture you'll be glad to play. It's not detracting a bit from Haines' fine work to say that Josephine Dunn made a hit with our patrons. (Majestic theatre, Dallas, Ore.— General patronage.) November 7-8. Here's one to step on. A dandy story of the stage. This Haines ie a comer. Fair business. (Mazda Theatre Company. Aurora, Neb. — Small town patronage.) September 23. A very good picture and will please any audience. We were ■well pleased. William Haines a good bet here on a Sunday night, (Ideal theatre, Stanwood, Wash.— Small town patronage.) December 22, Good Haines picture, but there was an awful lot of it cut out. according to the cueeheet. which makes it hard to follow correctly with the Movietone. (Bonny theatre. Mansfield. Mo. — General patronage. ) September 30-October 1. Everyone seemed to enjoy this picture but expected more of the old Haines or rather familiar Haines. (Strand theatre, Tooele. Utah. — General patronage.) Good entertainment. Should please 95 per cent of the people. (Roxy theatre. Munday, Tex. — General patronage.) December 2. A good picture but not the type of a picture the public will expect to see Haines appearing in. Played to the poorest Sunday crowd we have had for months and months. The Madison theatre in Peoria. 111., opened with Al Jolson in "The Singing Fool" with the Vitaphone (only 35 miles away), the same day and turned hundreds away and that m what became of the biggest shai-e of our crowd. Personally consider this the biggest and best picture I have ever eeen. The work of Al Jolson is wonderful and probably will never be duplicated, but speaking as a small town exhibitor, let us hope that the rest of the Vitaphone pictures will not have the drawing power that "The Singing Fool" has. or we will never survive until the sound pictures are available for us. (Paramount theatre. Wyoming, 111. — General patronage.) A splendid picture and ranks as high as any Haines we have run, although the kids like him better as a smart alec — and so do most of the grownuixs ! When an actor makes a decided hit in a certain role — one that is not already overdone — why can't they let them keep to that line of work? Patrons expect it and are ready to applaud what they expect, but when some entirely new line is worked in on them, they are at a loss as to whether they like it or not^nd most of the time they DON'T. As a smart alec, with a naturally good, lovable heart underneath the smarty veneer. Haines is a world beater, but there are plenty of other actors to take parts like this one in "Excess Baggage," and we sincerely hope they will keep him in the kind of pictures that brought him fame. We ran him first in "Slide, Kelly, Slide," and our kids know hira only as Kelly and hail him accordingly when his picture shows up on the screen. They cheered his appearance in this and stayed happy for one reel and then lost interest in a Kelly they could not recognize. (Majestic theatre, Weiner, Ark. — 'Small town patronage.) December 27-28. Haines in a different kind of role from usual, and he puts it over very good. My people liked it, although not as much as "West Point." Josephine Dunn gives an excellent performance, and nearly steals the show from Bill. My only objection was this: The picture had been synchronized with music and sound effects, and so wherever there had been a break, a blank photograph had been inserted, so you can imagine the effect that it gave us on the screen. Green, black and white flashes. (Liberty theatre, Roanoke, Ala.— General patronage.) FARMER'S DAUGHTER, The, F, Marjorie Beebe, Warren Burke, Arthur Stone. Lincoln Stedman, Harry Dunkinson, Sam DeGrasse, 6. — November 12, A holiday crowd was well pleased with this light comedy. Marjorie Beebe to my mind is a comer in her line. (Gem theatre, Winthrop, Maine. — General patronage.) Not much plot to this one, but it pulled a fairsized crowd in out of a stormy night and made a little profit, which is quite acceptable in view of a long list of box office fizzles on Fox product the last year. Chuckles aplenty seemed to pour out from the audience, so guess it pleased. (Isis theatre. Ashland, Neb. — General patronage.) It sure is a laughing and a very, very entertaining picture. We played this one Saturday night with a two-reel comedy ("Caught in the Kitchen"), and we sure did please them all. And this is what brings them back. Pictures like this make the young folks go home feeling good all the way through. (Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage. ) FAZIL, F, Greta Nissen, Charles Farrell, 7, — November 12-14. Ju-st a good picture, nothing to cause comment or bring out a good attendance. (Ideal theatre. Stanwood, Wash. — Small town patronage.) December 23-24. Some didn't like it. Most of them did. Only fair box office attraction. We paid too much. ( Liberty theatre. Kalis pell, Mont.— General patronage.) A real jucture that didn't draw extra well. (Pastime theatre. Medicine Lodge, Kan.— Small town patronage.) FIRST KISS. The. Par. Gary Cooper. Fay Wray, Lane Chandler, Leslie Fen ton, Paul Fix, Malcolm Williams, Monroe Owsley, 6. — October 3-4. A dandy jucture ruined with a bum title. I just got a trifle over expense but if it had been called "The Dream Ship" which would have been a natural title, I am sure I would have done fine on it. When you run this production you will see why it should have been called "The Dream Ship.'* The picture is there if you can get them in. (Cozy theatre, Duchesne, Utah. — General patronage.) Not much to it. Impossible story. (Sterling theatre, Fairmont, Neb. — Small town patronage.) Good picture. Gary Cooper certainly is coming to the front. (Roxy theatre. Munday. Tex. — General patronage. > Good picture. Pleased our patrons. (Selma theatre, Selma. Cal. — General patronage.) October 21. Many favorable comments. Attendance poor because of weather conditions but those who did come out were well pleased. (Legion theatre, Holyrood, Kan. — Small town patronage.) FIVE AND TEN CENT ANNIE, WB, Louise Fazenda. Clyde Cook. William Demarest, Gertrude Astor, Tom Ricketts. Douglas Gerrard, Andre Beranger. Flora Finch. Sunshine Hart, Bill Franey, Eddie Haffner, 5. — November 6. Much ado about nothing. Of course, it was election day and every one was more interested in politics than in pictures. I can't seem to get results with W. B. pictui-es. Rin Tin Tin, though, draws for me. To get back. Fazenda and Cook are good, but they haven't got much to work on. (Town Hall, Carmel. Me. — Small town patronage.) October 27. Dandy comedy. Little raw in spots but went okay here. (RoseLiberty theatres, Sumas-Lynden, Wash. — Small town patronage.) FLEET'S IN, The, Par. Clara Bow, James Hall, Jack Oakie, Bodil Rosing, 8.— This is a big time eight reel picture and Clara Bow sure does her broadcasting of thrills in every nook and corner of your house. In this one she pleases them all and gives them a lesson in all kinds of up-to-date loving and the new and latest dances. Everybody moves swiftly in thi? picture, just what they all want, and I think she is too swift for James Hall who plays with her in this one. I hope some day to see her play with Clive Brook and let him have one good look at her when she is naughty. (Dixie theatre, Durant. Miss. — General patronage.) December 4-5. What could be better than to have Clara's pictures. She sure knocks them dead here. "The Fleet's In" went over big. Give us more like this one. The age we're living in now wants ones like it. Why not give it to them? (Rialto theatre, Bushnell. III.— General patronage.) Very good. Patrons enjoyed it. (Selma theatre, Selma, Cal. — General patronage.) FLYIN' COWBOY, The. U. Hoot Gibson, Olive Hasbrouck, Harry Todd, William Bailey. Buddy Phillips, Ann Carter, 6.— A fair Western, but the print out of Albany oflSce was in rotten condition. (Miers theatre, Schoharie, N. Y. — General patronage.) December 29. Drew very well, but this was sent in the place of "The Wild West Show," so the latter drew the crowd. A good picture though. (Gem theatre, Greenriver, Utah. — General patronage.) December 1, Good show. Better than some of his other pictures and Saturday turned out fair on a warm, good night. (Royal theatre. Kimball, S. D. — General patronage.) December 11-12. About the average Hoot Gibson. Not good and not poor. Just fair. (Strand theatre, Griswold. la. — Neighborhood patronage.) December 15, The old farm horse doesn't buck very hard, but there is enough comedy to make up for other things. (Texas theatre. Grand Prairie, Tex. — Small town patronage.) FOREIGN LEGION. U, Norman Kerry, Lewis Stone, Mary Nolan, June Marlow, Crawford Kent, Walter Perry, 8. — September 28. Pleased practically 100 per cent. Many of our patrons said better than "Beau Geste." Great for any theatre. (New Virginia theatre, Harrisonburg, Va. — General patronage.) Just a program picture sold as a special. Paid twice too much for it. (Sun theatre. Plainwell, Mich. — General patronage.) Had biggest crowd I have had on this. Turned over a hundred people away the first night. ( Strand theatre. Rogers, Tex. — General patronage.) December 16-17. This is a splendid entertainment. Fine story. Star and cast extra good. Gave good satisfaction. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich.^ — ^General patronage.) October 27. Nothing startling, but it kept the audience interested. In the afternoon ran Buzz Barton in "Rough Riding Red." This feature was good. (Charkarohen theatre, Lincoln, N. H. — Small town patronage.) December 4-5. Wotta flop ! Comparing this with "While the City Sleeps," which we ran just ahead of it: twice the film rental, three times the advertising, and less than half the receipts. We took in just 5 cents over the film rental. Aside from natural prejudice under these conditions, this is distinctly not a special. It's a fair program picture and that's all. regardless of high-pressure ballyhoo to the contrary. The picture has a couple of big moments, but it also has some very false notes. It is not at all spectacular, and some of it is not even interesting. Some of our patrons praised it highly and a few walked out without seeing all of it. If this had not been sold to us at such an exorbitant rental we could have put it over in a fair way at the usual admission, but felt we had to raise admission on it and believe this helped to keep our poverty-stricken people away. Lost slightly over ?30 on it. (Screenland theatre, Nevada, O.— Small town patronage.) December 7-8, All comments on this picture were good, and I would have thought it was good too if it had cost me about half as much. I paid more than three times the program price for this picture, which was about double what I should have paid. (Cozy theatre, Duchesne, Utah. — General patronage.) Good picture to fair business. (Pastime theatre. Medicine Lodge, Kan. — Small town patronage.) FORGOTTEN FACES, Par, Clive Brook, Mary Brian. Olga Baclanova, William Powell, Fred Kohler, Jack Luden, 8.— October 22-23. It's there! You don't need to sit around wondering what people will say when they come out. Get busy and get them in and they will be satisfied, I made the tremendous mistake of booking "Mysta, the Moon Girl." a vaude number, with the picture. The patrons forgave me for the act because of the picture. (Opera House, Ashland, O. — General patronage.) This picture was sold to us for a special, and while it is a real good show, I was disappointed somewhat in this favorite star of mine. He did not seem to command the power and respect in this picture that he usually does in all other plays I have seen him in. although his expression and commanding love scenes cannot help but please his audience. And I tell you we surely need good pictures nowadays to draw them out to see our shows. They have got so much amusements at home, first in the radios, which most every family has. And now they are almost perfect, so simple in operation that they can get 'any kind of a program they want, and I notice the daily newspapers are saying that the radios are keeping more people from shows nowadays than anything else. So we must call on our picture producers to help us. We exhibitors have got to get the proper amusements at our theatres to interest our audiences and make our places attractive. We cannot go down ; we have too much invested to even think of such a thing, (Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage.) FOUR SONS, F, Margaret Mann, June Collyer, James Hall. 10. — September 30. A positive knockout. Certainly a delight to play such an attraction. Fox surely has the pick of the pictures. (Egytian theatre, Ogden, Utah.— General patronage.) October 14-15, A picture that ranks high in entertainment and universal satisfaction. You can give this some extra advertising and not be afraid to stick around the lobby