Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1933)

42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 6 , 1933 compliments on this one and so it must be extra good, because patrons seldom comment on westerns. — Gerald Stettmund, H. & S. Theatre, Chandler, Okla. Small town patronage. SAILOR'S LUCK: James Dunn, Sally Eilers— Anything but a high class, sophisticated picture and bordering on downright risqueness, this picture nevertheless comes through with good entertainment and pleases patrons. They'll even go out and talk about "how good it was," So that's that. Played Apr. 6-7. — Cecil Cupp, Royal Theatre, Arkadelphia, Ark. College town patronage. SECOND HAND "WIFE: Sally Eilers, Ralph Bellamy— Nice picture. Nothing out of the class of regular pictures. Business below average. Played Mar. 27-28-29. Running time, 64 minutes. — G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. SHERLOCK HOLMES: Clive Brook— This character has been forgotten, although the suspense is good in spots. Fox has fallen down on product. Played Feb. 23-24-25. Running time, 69 minutes.— G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. STATE FAIR: Janet Gaynor, Lew Ayres — Very good. The type of picture that you can face your patrons when they come out. Business good for conditions. Played Apr. 16-17.— C. H. McCroskey, Allied Theatre, Dermott, Ark. Small town patronage. STATE FAIR: Janet Gaynor, 'Will Rogers, Lew Ayres — A natural for small towns. Should go over good anywhere. Rogers not ciuite so prominent, which helped the picture. Other stars filled in to good advantage. Believe it pleased 100%. Rogers will be able to play for years and be a drawing card, providing he does not try to be the whole show as in this. Best business in two years and first time we ever took in more the second than the first. Played Apr. 16-17. — D. E. Fitton, Lyric Theatre, Harrison, Ark. Small town patronage. TOO' BUSY TO' WORK: Will Rogers— Rogers is always to be depended upon for a good performance. It is impossible to say what a picture can do for one out here under present conditions. However, those who saw this were pleased 100%. Played Mar. 2-3-4. Running time, 76 minutes. — G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. WILD GIRL: Joan Bennett— A well liked western type of picture with beautiful scenes. If producers would use more natural beauty in the westerns, also more comedy, less shooting, killing and "dark" scenes, westerns would live forever. "Dark scenes" in any picture have a very depressive effect on everyone. Played Mar. 24-25. Running time, 77 minutes. — R. D. Carter, Fairfax Theatre, Kilmarnock, 'Va. Town and country patronage. Mayfair LO'VE IN HIGH GEAR: Alberta Vaughn, Harrison Ford — Rapid-fire farce comedy. Not bad entertainment. Played Apr. 10. — Roy W. Adams, Mason Theatre, Mason, Mich. Small town patronage. MGM CLEAR ALL WIRES: Lee Tracy— It's pictures like this that make me want to go back to the farm where we are all headed for if pictures are not improved on. Played Apr. 18-19.— C. H. McCroskey, Allied Theatre, Dermott. Ark. Small town patronage. CLEAR ALL WIRES: Lee Tracy— This is a very good show. Should do good business, especially where Lee Tracy is liked. Played Apr. 31-22. Running time, 75 minutes.— J. E. Tunstall, Nottawa Theatre, Blackstone, Va. Small town patronage. DOWNSTAIRS: John Gilbert— So far as my patrons are concerned, Gilbert can go farming. No one cared for this one. No business. — Robert K. Yancey, Paradise Theatre, Cotter, Ark. Railroad and general patronage. FAST LIFE: 'William Haines, Madge Evans— This is the type of picture they want to see Haines in. Cliff Edwards almost steals the show. Seemed to please all .and drew fairly well. — Robert K. 'Yancey. Paradise Theatre, Cotter, Ark. Railroad and general patronage. FAST WORKERS: John Gilbert, Mae Clark^ Plenty of kicks on this one. These boys are structural steel workers and while they are not at work they are playing the red light district. John Gilbert is the fascinating hero who bends all women to his evil will. Show this one on some stormy night when you do not expect any business, because you will not have any anwyay.— Gerald Stettmund. H. & S. Theatre, Chandler, Okla. Small town patronage. FLESH: Wallace Beery— Just a fine picture my gang thought. Action, story and everything O. K. Good audience picture. A little slow the first four reels. Could have been trimmed to seven reels nicely. —Ned Pedigo, DeLuxe Theatre, Garber, Okla. General patronage. FLESH: 'Wallace Beery, Ricardo Cortez— Pleased 100% and that's what counts nowadays. As word-ofmouth advertising is the best bet and you can count on an increase in business here when a picture pleases as did this one. Coal mining community. — B. A. McConnell, Emerson Theatre, Hartford, Ark. General patronage. WORTH THE SUBSCRIPTION The note which Milton T. DuBois, of the Majestic theatre, Cotiilla, Texas, appended to the subscription renewal blank received recently by the circulation department of the Herald, speaks very well for itself, thus : "I thought I could get along without the Herald, until you started the 'What the Picture Did for Me'. That department is ivorth the subscription price alone." FLESH: Wallace Beery — Wonderful acting by Beery, Karen Morley and Ricardo Cortez. But hardly as good as should be expected from such a cast as the story is not pleasant and it is hard to believe a man could be so ignorant. Played Apr. 9-10. Running time, 75 minutes. — Horn and Morgan, Star Theatre, Hay Springs, Neb. Small town patronage. FLESH: Wallace Beery — A little sordid in spots. However, patrons seemed to like the picture in general. Played Mar. 9-10-11. Running time, 75 minutes. — G. A. 'Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. FLESH: Wallace Beery — Not as good as his previous offerings. D'rew only fair. — Robert K. Yancey, Paradise Theatre, Cotter, Ark. Railroad and general patronage. GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE: Walter Huston — A timely and entertaining picture that will please most any audience, but from some cause was a terrible disappointment at the box office for me. Just simply could not get them interested in it. "Damfino" what people want in the way of pictures any more. They come to the poor ones and pass up the good ones. Played Apr. 17-18. Running time. 85 minutes. — R. W. Hickman, Lyric Theatre, Greenville, 111. General patronage. GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE: Walter Huston — Here is the perfect picture. Our Sunday business was off. Monday showed about 100% increase. Very hard to sell to the public. However, I believe after the picture has been shown in key situations it will do more business in small towns. This one brought out the people who only attend the theatre on rare occasions. This picture has the effect of causing one to have more confidence in the government and being a better citizen. Played Apr. 16-17. —Gerald Stettmund, H. & S. Theatre, Chandler, Okla. Small town patronage. KONGO: Walter Huston, Lupe Velez— A terrible conglomerated mess of nothing. Had a lot of walkouts and I felt very much like taking it to the brush. When one pays two bits to see this one, he doesn't forget when he comes out. Hand him 30 cents back. Beg his pardon and I doubt if that will square it. — Ned Pedigo, DeLuxe Theatre, Garber, Okla. General patronage. THE MASK OF FU MANCHU: Boris Karloff— Trade it for a cartoon — you'll have more entertainment.— Robert K. Yancey, Paradise Theatre, Cotter, Ark. Railroad and general patronage. PROSPERITY: Marie Dressier, Polly Moran— This pair always good anywhere. Played Feb. 20-21-22. Running time, 76 minutes. — G. A. 'Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS: Ethel, John and Lionel Barrymore — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science may just as well put their gold medal on a plate and present it to Lionel Barrymore for the best acting for this or any other year. What a wonderful actor he is. Picture one of the very best. Played Apr. 10-11. Running time, 125 minutes. — R. W. Hickman, Lyric Theatre, Greenville, 111. General patronage. SMILIN' THROUGH: Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard — It was a pleasure to hear the patrons rave over this picture. OVir local Methodist minister came all through the run and boosted it to everyone he came in contact with. MGM should be proud of this one as it is one of the really good pictures. — B. A. McConnell, Emerson Theatre, Hartford, Ark. General patronage. SMILIN' THROUGH: Norma Shearer, Fredric March. Leslie Howard — Words cannot express the amount of praise this show should have. The acting is superb. The direction the same, and anything else you could ask about it is the same. Played this little late but one certainly feels like being at the door to receive the comments instead of criticism as the patrons walk out. Pleased 110%, if such a thing is possible. Played Mar. 23-24-25. Running time, 99 minutes.— G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. STRANGE INTERLUDE: Norma Shearer, Clark Gable— Just another one of Metro's specials. I lost $19.00 on only a program picture and it should have been bought at those prices.— Robert K. Yancey, Paradise Theatre, Cotter, Ark. Railroad and general patronage. WASHINGTON MASQUERADE: Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley — A wonderful picture and Barrymore certainly keeps up his good work. You can't go wrong on this one. I traded a 1933 cluck for it and I'm certainly glad.— B. . A. McConnell, Emerson Theatre, Hartford, Ark. General patronage. WHAT! NO BEER?: Jimmy Durante, Buster Keaton — Very, very ordinary. Metro is hardly holding up its reputation with this one. Played Apr. 7-8. — Horn and Morgan, Star Theatre, Hay Springs, Neb. Small town patronage. WHISTLING IN THE DARK: Ernest Truex, Una Merkel— Did we almost lose our pants on this one? Had a hunch that it was just another lot of film wasted when we read the plot and read the cast. However, took a long shot and played it. More gangster plot. Lay off as it did not mean a thing here. Played Apr. 10-11-12.— G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage, WHISTLING IN THE DARK: Ernest Truex, Una Merkel — Here is a picture I consider above the average, but it did not click with my patrons for some reason. Played Apr. 9-10.— D. E. Fitton, Lyric Theatre, Harrison, Ark. Small town patronage. WHISTLING IN THE DARK: Ernest Truex, Una Merkel — Good, interesting picture about an author who falls into the hands of gangsters while he and his girl were going to get married. The gang is going to kill a man and the author has to tell them how to do it in order to save his own life. Story interesting and has subtle comedy throughout. Will please the average patron. — Gerald Stettmund, H. & S. Theatre, Chandler, Okla. Small town patronage. Monogram BOILING POINT: Hoot Gibson— About an average western. This has some kind of trick recording with a sound track about l/32nd inch wide. Sound is not natural and volume is not uniform. — Gerald Stettmund, H. & S. Theatre, Chandler, Okla. Small town patronage. Paramount A BEDTIME STORY: Maurice Chevalier, Baby LeRoy — A splendid picture, naughty but nice, good direction. Chevalier's voice more acceptable than in the past and the Baby LeRoy very fine. Edward E\'erett Horton good. This picture will please. Go the limit on exploitation. I cannot refrain from complimenting Paramount on their pictures and their splendid cooperation with exhibitors under present trying conditions. Played Apr. 23-24. — Cecil Cupp, Royal Theatre, Arkadelphia, Ark. College town patronage. THE BLONDE VENUS: Marlene DietrichDietrich doesn't mean much to us, as we have lost money on all her pictures so far. Played Mar. 6-7-8. Running time. 93 minutes. — G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. HE LEARNED ABOUT WOMEN: Stuart Erwin — Here is a picture that serves as fine entertainment. You will enjoy it all. Just one of those pictures that moves right along and you have a feeling all the time that it is being done by folks that know their stuff. Marie Dressier has a double in it, too. — W. H. Brenner, Cozy Theatre, Winchester, Ind. General patronage. HELLO EVERYBODY: Kate Smith— Clean and wholesome but slow moving. Very little entertainment except for Smith's radio fans. Did 145% by selling Smith and Fannie Hurst. Played Mar. 31. Running time, 70 minutes. — D. B. White, Ritz Theatre, Fernandina, Fla. General patronage. HORSE FEATHERS: Four Marx Bros.— I ran this three days and ran only one picture for the week instead of the regular two changes and to my extreme surprise, in spite of the extra cost of the feature, t made a three dollar profit. What's going to happen? This is the first time I have made a profit on a picture for so long that I cannot understand it. I guess the depression is about to give us a break. Well, it is about time. This picture seemed to please most everyone who saw it and I ran enough good short subjects with it so that it had to please. Played Mar. 31, April 1-2. Running time, 68 minutes. — W. L. Stratton, Challis Theatre, Challis, Idaho. Small town patronage. IF I HAD A MILLION: All star— Good picture. Patrons commented very highly. Mar. 30-Apr. 1. Running time, 86 minutes. — G. A. Troyer, New Lyric Theatre, Rugby, N. D. Small town patronage. ISLAND OF LOST SOULS: Oiarles Laughton, Richard Arlen, Kathleen Burke — Although I was informed by Paramount that this picture was not a nicture that would appeal to the average patron I believed it was an out of the ordinary picture and did a little extra billing. The paper was good and had good drawing power so consequently I pulled 50% better than average business and made a few dollars. The general comment on this picture was that the picture pleased but that they would not care to see another of the same type. It was pretty much gruesome in spots but the acting was fine all the way through. I billed it not recommended for children