The Motion Picture Almanac 1929 (1929)

208 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC • 1929 money's worth. (Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage.) TERROR MOUNTAIN, RKO. Tom Tyler, 5. — January 2-3. Tried to prove that movie actors are he-men. (Auditorium theatre. Laurel, Neb. — General patronage.) While this is not a Weetern, it's vei*y good entertainment, worked out from an angle different from that of any picture I remember having seen. Plenty of action and comedy and some good enow scenes. ( Sun theat re, Kansas City, Mo. — General patronage.) December 18-19, It's hard to tell whether to call this a Western or not. Shots inside the studio don't make a good story, but this seemed to go over about average. (Opera House, Louisville, Neb. — Small town patronage.) December 1. A very good Western. Beautiful ecenery. Pleased vei'y well. Many good comments from my patrons. (Ideal theatre, Stanwood, Wa-sh. — Small town patronage.) October 20. This picture pleased the crowd. Long time since we saw Tyler. Many favorable comments. (Gem theatre, Winthrop, Maine. — General patronage.) THREE WEEK ENDS, Par. Clara Bow. NeU Hamifton, Harrison Ford, Lucille Powers, Julia SwajTie Gordon, Jack Raymond, Edythe Chapman, Guy Oliver, William Holden, 6. — November 27-28. Positively the best from Clara to date, pleased those who eaw it. A real tonic for Old Man Box Office. Book it and boost it. (Victoria theatre. Mount Olive, N. C. — Small town patronage.) After a period of dullness in December, this helped cheer up the box office a bit the latter part of Christmas week. A clever actress with a clever story well handled, a combination carrying a good audience appeal. (Isis theatre, Ashland, Neb. — General patronage.) December 20-21. Patrons said good. Nary a walkout. Give us some more. (Palace theatre, Malta, Mont. — General patronage.) TYRANT OF RED GLUCH, RKO, Tom Tyler, Frankie Darro, Josephine Bario, Harry Woods, Ser^e Temoff, Barney Fury, 6. — An excellent picture of its type ; the girl registers action and is not as namby-pamby as some. Fine Saturday fare. (Glades Amusement Company, Moorehaven. Fla.— General patronage.) A great Western that pleased 100 per cent with my crowd. Tyler is always good. (Miers theatre. Schoharie. N. Y. — General patronage.) January 10. An out of the ordinary Western that should have general appeal. A supposed idiot furnishes good comedy throughout the picture. Yes, Frankie Darro is in this picture, too. (Aiken Mills theatre, Bath. S. C— Small town patronage.) UNCLE TOM*S CABIN, U. Mar^uerita Fischer, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Lucien Littlefield, James Lowe. Virginia Grey, George Seigmann, Adolph Milar, Vivien Oakland. Lassie Lou Ahern, Mona Ray, Aileen Manning^, 11. — September 2-7-8. A very good production that failed to click as it should have at the box office. Really one of the best pictures I have ever played. (Empress theatre, Akron, la. — General patronage.) The biggest attraction of the year. The picture is there, so step plenty. This picture played three days in the rain to business far above the average on big productions. Be sure to use a school tie-up on it. (K. P. theatre. Pittsfield. 111.— General patronage.) October 27-29. A picture that draws. Did better than I expected. Audience pleaded. (Lark theatre, McMinnville, Ore.— General patronage.) A wonderful picture but did not do the business it should have. Everyone who saw the picture was well pleased but we couldn't get them in. It seemed to draw the older people. The young folks would not come. (Ideal theatre. Bloomer. Wis.— General patronage.) October 22-23-24. A wonderful drawing card and a really big picture for the small town. It drew in people that I had never seen in town before and where they came from is a mystery to me. Seigmann steals the picture from Lowe, and it seems that Simon Legree gets a bigger play than Uncle Tom. Surely put on in a big way and follows the book until the closing scenes. I believe that the small town has a natural in this pictui-e. (Princess theatre, Lincoln, Kan.— Small town patronage.) UNITED STATES SMITH, G, Eddie Gribbon, Lila Lee, Kenneth Harlan, Earle Marsh, 7. November 21. A very good picture, but not a special by any means. (Star theatre. Villa Grove, 111. — General patronage.) December 9. This picture surely pleased my people. Many comments and everyone pleased. Play it and step on the advertising. It will make good. (Ideal theatre, Stanwood, Wash. — Small town patronage.) Here is another picture full of action, and it pleased all who saw it. In our town the more fights in the picture the better it pleases. However, this picture isn't all blood, and we would rate it as a darn good show. (Charkarohen Hall. Lincoln, N. H. — Small town patronage.) Good picture, good print, and the paper was attractive. (Theatorium theatre, Columbia Falls, Mont. — General patronage.) Good comedy drama with action. It pleased. (Selma theatre, Selma. Cal.— General patronage.) VANISHING PIONEER, The, Par, Jack Holt. Sally Blane, William Powell, Fred Kohler, Guy Oliver, Roscoe Karns. Tom Holt, Marcia Mamon. 6. — October 9-10. Just an ordinary Zane Grey Western. Did not draw much better than the average Western. (Strand theatre. Griswold, la. — General patronage. ) About the same as the other Paramount Zane Grey pictures, about 1 per cent better than the average Western, and without any more drawing power, but you pay more for them just the same, just because it is Paramount, no other reason. (Paramount theatre, Wyoming. Ill, — General patronage.) October 12. An extra good Western that pleased all. (Gem theatre, Pontotoc, Miss. — General patronage.) October 19-20. Every Zane Grey draws for us. Just have to advertise name "Zane Grey" and it is packed house for us. This is a real good Western. (Community theatre. Ozawkie, Kan. — Small town patronage.) November 17. Another Zane Grey picture that drew well. Cold weather kept a lot away. (Gem theatre. Green river, Utah. — (general patronage.) January 4-5. Good Zane Grey Western with the likable Jack Holt. A little more action than usual Zane Grey story and therefore gave better satisfaction to our Saturday crowd. (Midway theatre. Martinsville. Va. — General patronage.) December 8. Not much of a picture and no drawing power on a Saturday night. Not up to the usual Paramount Western. (Legion theatre. Holy rood, Kan. — Small town patronage.) January 11-12. About the same as the rest. They all draw fairly well, but never get any extra business. (Rialto theatre, Hebron, N. D. — General patronage.) November 28-29. Very dull affair. (Texas theatre, Grand Prairie. Tex. — Small town patronage. ) VARSITY. Par. Mary Brian, Charles (Buddy) Rogers, Chester Conklin, Phillips R. Holmes, Robert Ellis, John Westwood, Princeton University undergraduates, 8. — Very good enteitainment. Conklin stole the picture and did not know it. (Gay theatre, Wayne, Neb. — Small town patronage.) December 31January 1. Inside dope on speakeasy joints and carnival life, with a smearing of Princeton university and Chester Conklin. Drew pretty good, but wasn't what our i^atrons expected from Buddy Rogers and Mary Brian. (Midway theatre, Martinsville, Va. — General patronage.) It's a big time college picture and very pleasing from start to finish. Charles (Buddy) Rogers looks only to be just a young grown up kid or boy in this picture, but oh. my, how the girls did rave over his good looks ! And Mary Brian, who plays with him in this one, is quite a favorite here, but some said she looked just a bit older in this picture than Buddy did. Was the only complaint I heard. (Dixie theatre, Durant, Miss. — General patronage.) WALKING BACK, P. Sue Carol, 5.— It is unique. Has some weird situations. The auto fight is unusual of late, at least. We did a fine business. (Avalon theatre, Belli ngham, Wash.^ — ^General patronage.) October 18. Very good jazzy program picture. (Star theatre. Villa Grove. 111. — ^General patronage.) WARMING UP, Par, Richard Dix, Jean Arthur, Claude King. Philo McCulIough. Roscoe Karns. Wade Boteler, Billy Kent Schaefer, James Dugan, Mike Donlin. 7. — October 12-13. A good picture of baseball that carries a nice kick for the audience whether they are fau'^ or not. (Opera House, Ashland, O. — General patronage.) October 24. A baseball story that is good. In fact, most all Dix pictures go over good for us. The ballplayer that played the smart alec and high hatter sure played his part well. (Cozy theatre. Duchesne, Utah. — General patronage.) November 12-13. Good picture. (Texas theatre. Grand Prairie, Tex. — Small town patronage.) November 27. Our patrons received more enjoyment out of this picture than any we have shown in a long time. The baseball scenes are great and the director certainly knew his baseball, as the fans ate it up. People who never saw a baseball game will like this too. (Star theatre. Willow Springs, Mo. — Small town jjatronage) November 29-30. A good baseball story and Dix' best picture in a long time. George Marion. Jr., sure knows his titles. (Midway theatre, Martinsville, Va. — Small town patronage.) WATERFRONT, FN, Dorothy Mackaill, Jack Mulhall, James Bradbury, Jr., Knute Erickson, Ben Hendricks. Jr., Wiliam Norton Bailey, Pat Harmon, 7. — A fairly good comedy drama spoiled by poor photography. Why do they do it? We had better photography twenty years ago. (Fairy theatre, Knox, Ind. — Small town patronage.) December 23-24. Fair program picture but not up to the standard you expect from these two. A few walkouts on this. (Palace theatre, Malta. Mont. — General patronage.) October 30. A good comedy, with wiscracks. (Adair theatre, Adair, la.— General patronage.) November 23-24. A fine little entertaining number from those most refreshing young artists, Mackaill and Mulhall. A waterfront story that is clean throughout. (Central theatre, Selkirk, Man.— General patronage.) WATER HOLE, The, Par, Jack Holt, Nancy Carroll. John Boles, Ann Christy, Montague Shaw, Lydia Yeamens Titus, Jack Perrin, Jack Mower, Paul Ralli, Tex Young, Bob Miles. Greg Whitespear, 7. — October 5-6. A very good Grey Western, but very much oversold. Supposed to be in technicolor and had about 50 feet or so in color. (Empress theatre, Akron, la. — General patronage. ) October 31. I suppose most exhibitors were led to believe that this picture was most all in color. I would think there is a little over one reel that is colored, but it is a good picture anyway and was good for a small raise in price for me, and most all were satisfied. (CJozy theatre, Duchesne, Utah. — General patronage.) November 11-12. A good picture. Story good. Star and cast fine. Gave good satisfaction. (Silver Family theatre, Greenville. Mich. — General patronage.) Read lots of adverse comments on this. These comments I presume were from some exhibitors who were oversold on it. I bought it right and did a nice business. People here liked it. (Postville theatre. Postville, la.— General patronage.) WEDDING MARCH, The, Par, Erich von Stroheim. Fay Wray. Matthew Betz, Dale Fuller, George Fawcett, Maude George, George Nichols. Hughie Mack, Cesare Gravina, 14. — December 12-13. Well, the agony is over. I am a glutton for punishment, but this picture sure made me run up the white flag as the people came out. I thought perhaps I might be mistaken, so I asked numerous ones what they thought of the picture and two of them said they guessed it was all right ( notice they just guessed ) and what some of the others said you would not print so I won't tell you. (Perkins theatre, Holton, Kan. — Small town patronage.) It's a 1 4-reel messed-up picture. We had it booked for three nights, but we didn't have the nerve to offer to show it the second night. In London or in some foreign country, in a big city where there are all classes of nationalities, it might be understood and called a big picture. I tell you, in my opinion pictures like this one will sure cause your patrons to almost get mad at you and say things to you that are not pleasant to take. You see. this picture was sold to us as a special and we had to advance the price of admission for them to come out on it. Even if it had gone over big. our loss on it would have been heavy, but my three sons have all kinds of confidence in Paramount and they feel confident that this company will make it satisfactory. (Dixie theatre. Durant, Miss. — General patronage.) November 28-29. The poorest Paramount picture I have ]dayed this year, not much of a story and has the poorest photography imaginable. There is about 200 feet of technicolor that is very foggy, makes you think your projectors are out of focus. I advertised this very highly and raised the price of admission. Only a few came and I was glad of it. Any program picture that I have run this year is better entertainment than this one. (Cozy theatre, Duchesne, Utah. — General patronage.) Fourteen reels of wasted film. Too bad the exhibitors are compelled to