Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1934)

October 20, 1934 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 6 Well liked and many favorable comments. Running time, 64 minutes. Played Sept. 7-8. — A. B. Jefferis, Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. YOU'RE TELLING ME: W. C. Fields, Joan Marsh, Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Adrienne AmesPleased the most of anything we have run since "David Harum"— Best Fields show to date. In many ways like a Will Rogers show. A tent show for opposition hurt business on this plenty. The golf scene in the last reel was too drawn out, and to some people very tiresome. In spite of that, it is swell entertainment for the whole family. Running time, 70 minutes.— Mr. L. V. Bergtold, Opera House, Kasson, Minn. General patronage. RKO ADVENTURE GIRL: Joan Lowell— This title pulled them in, but it was a disappointment, as the characters do not talk. It's more of a travelogue than anything else. Running time, 75 minutes. Played Oct. 3-4.— H. J. Stallings, Moon Theatre, Henderson, N. C. General patronage. COCKEYED CAVALIERS: Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Thelma Todd, Dorothy Lee, Noah Beery— This is a very good picture of the comedy type and will please all comedy fans. It is typical Wheeler and Woolsey entertainment with plenty of spicy dialogue and comedy situations. The story is localed in England in the 15th Century and is a costume picture. This is one of the best pictures this team has made and pleased our audience. Business average. Running time, 72 minutes. Played Sept. 29, 10:45 show.— J. J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N. C. General patronage. CRIME DOCTOR, THE: Otto Kruger, Karen Morley, Nils Asther — From every standpoint except B. O. this is one of RKO's best pictures for the 1933-34 season. Kruger has a great part and puts it over like a million. Here is a show that will entertain all classes and plenty of everything in it. The recording is excellent. You don't have to look for your "hide-out" when the patrons come out after seeing this. — L. V. Bergtold, Opera House, Kasson, Minn. General patronage. HELL'S HIGHWAY: Richard Dix, Tom Brown, Rochelle Hudson — Good chain gang picture; a little old but all right for mid-week. Running time, 76 minutes. Played Sept. 26-27.— W. R. Boughn, Jr., Soo Theatre, South Sioux City, Neb. Rural and working class patronage. HIS GREATEST GAMBLE: Richard Dix, Dorothy Wilson — Good father and daughter story; however, they like Dix in more virile roles. Dix has been slipping. Give us another "Cimarron." or air story, or big action story for Dix. Running time, 70 minutes. Played Sept. 26-27.— M. P. Foster, Granada Theatre, Monte Vista, Col. General patronage. LOST PATROL, THE: Victor McLaglen, Boris Karloff, Reginald Denny, Wallace Ford — Tiresome — oh! so tiresome! Brother exhibitors, this is positively the poorest entertainment we have thrown on our sheet this year, and this goes for a longer period than 1934, lots longer. Walkouts — plenty of them — a lot of "blimey" English that the Scandinavians around here couldn't understand. The title brought them m and the total gross was above average, but! — L. V. Bergtold, Opera House, Kasson, Minn. General patronage. LOST PATROL, THE: Boris Karloflf, Victor McLaglen— A highly exciting production but rather shocking to many of the fair sex. Normal business. Played Sept. 29.— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. MEANEST GAL IN TOWN: Zasu Pitts, Bert Kelton — Most of our audience were pleased. Probably ten per cent were pained because Zasu Pitts sang so many times. Business fair. Played Sept. 26-27.— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. OF HUMAN BONDAGE: Leslie Howard, Bette Davis — This was good for the thinking few who go in for character study. For the average theatre patron it was not liked. Running time, 83 minutes. —Mrs. N. Monte Gill, Strand Theatre, Montpelier, Vermont. General patronage. RENEGADES OF THE WEST: Tom Keene— Here is one reason why our farmers love the "big, handsome shoot-'em-up cowboys" and why the same people come 20 or 30 miles to witness a western. Give us a good western and we need extra ushers. That's my opinion of RKO's two-year old "Renegades of the West." — Antonio C. Balducci, Avon Theatre, Canastota, N. Y. General patronage. SING AND LIKE IT: Zasu Pitts, Pert Kelton. Edward Everett Horton — Our crowd said terrible. I hid as they came out. — G. Carey, Strand Theatre, Paris, Ark. Family patronage. SPITFIRE: Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Bellamy, Robert Young — Hepburn is rather hard to understand in places, in this somewhat unusual show. Picture drew a nice business and will please most of your patrons. However, this cannot be classed as mass entertainment. — L. V. Bergtold, Opera House, Kasson, Minn. General patronage. STRICTLY DYNAMITE: Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez — My people panned this one, and I can't blame them. If it had been as funny as it was noisy, it would be a world beater. Jimmy Durante works hard, but he is not very amusing, and the story is a dud. Played Oct. 7-8.— Roy W. Adams, Mason Theatre, Mason, Mich. Small town patronage. STRICTLY DYNAMITE: Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez— Not what our audience liked. Too much yelling about nothing.— G. Carey, Strand Theatre, Paris, Ark. Family patronage. STRICTLY DYNAMITE: Jimmy Durante— Opinion was divided on this one. Good business. Played Sept. 15— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. TWO ALONE: Jean Parker, Tom Brown— Another one of those damn going-to-have-a-"babie" pictures. Tell them to keep it if you are lucky enough to have escaped it so far. Played Oct. 2-3.— G. Carey, Strand Theatre, Paris, Ark. Family patronage. United Artists AFFAIRS OF CELLINI, THE: Constance Bennett, Fredric March— A pleasing costume romance which did not draw enough to justify a Sunday playdate. Seems to be rather sophisticated for a small town. Running time, 79 minutes. Played Oct. 1. — J. R. Partlow, Ohio Theatre, Tippecanoe City, Ohio. General patronage. SECRETS: Mary Pickford, Leslie Howard— Old, but still good for mid-week. Nice clean feature with a charming love story and plenty of action. Running time, 84 minutes. Played Sept. 12-13.— W. R. Boughn, Jr., Soo Theatre, South Sioux City, Neb. Rural and working class patronage. Universal ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT: Lew Ayres — A very fine war picture but did not have the drawing power for children. Not so good for them but the adults liked it very much indeed. If one can advertise it in the one right way, I do not see why it should not go over in a very satisfactory way. Print good. Also recording good. Running time, 84 minutes. Played Oct. 5-6. — Albert Hefferan, Owl Theatre, Grand Rapids, Mich. General patronage. BLACK CAT, THE: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi— Not much of a picture. Running time, 65 minutes. Flayed Aug. 31-Sept. 1.— A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. CROSS COUNTRY CRUISE: Lew Ayres, Alice White, June Knight — Went over very well. A dandy entertainment — chock full of laughs. One of the best from Universal this year. Not a murder mystery, as the killing is shown. The theme is very light, but that is what most people want. Play it by all means. — L. V. Bergtold, Opera House, Kasson, Minn. EMBARRASSING MOMENTS: Chester Morris, Marion Nixon — A good comedy. Nothing big but it was clean and entertaining. Running time, 67 minutes. Played Sept. 14-15.— A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. GLAMOUR: Constance Cummings, Paul Lukas— Gross for two nights $16.85. Nuff sed! Running time, 74 minutes. Played Sept. 19-20— A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. GUN JUSTICE: Ken Maynard— Average western. Running time, 60 minutes. Played Sept. 14-15. — A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. HUMAN SIDE, THE: Adolphe Menjou— A real picture. Clean and entertaining. Pleased 100 per cent. Running time, 60 minutes. Played Sept. 28-29. — A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. I'LL TELL THE WORLD: Lee Tracy, Gloria Stuart — Tracy as a United Press correspondent is sent on news-gathering missions all over the world. He helps save a country on two different occasions and winds up by marrying the Queen. Plenty of action and should do well on any date played. — Antonio C. Balducci, Avon Theatre, Canastota, N. Y. General patronage. I'LL TELL THE WORLD: Lee Tracy, Gloria Stuart— Fair, but just program type. Good for mid-week. No drawing power. Running time, 79 minutes. Played September 16-17-18.— W. R. Boughn, Jr., Soo Theatre, South Sioux City, Neb. Rural and working class patronage. LET'S TALK IT OVER: Chester Morris— This is a fairly entertaining picture, but it didn't do much business. Played October 2-3. — Roy W. Adams, Mason Theatre, Mason, Mich. Small town patronage. LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW?: Margaret Sulla van, Douglass Montgomery — Not a small town picture. Business fell off after first night. — C. M. Hartman. Liberty Theatre, Carnegie, Okla. Small town patronage. MYRT AND MARGE: Myrtle Dale, Donna Damedell — Terrible. Played on double bill and still had complaints. Worst we have run for a long time. Running time, 68 minutes. Played Aug. 31-Sept. 1.— A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, New Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. ONE MORE RIVER: Diana Wynyard— Strange as it seems, this was well received, many complimenting it. Personally, I thought it terrible. Very slow and filled with English dialogue. But the patrons were pleased. So I am, too. Played Sept. 24-26.— Hollis Drew, Temple Theatre, East Jordan, Mich. General patronage. POOR RICH, THE: Edward Everett Horton, Edna May Oliver, Andy Dcvine, Leila Hyams, Thelma. Todd — Just an average program picture; pretty slow for the first three reels, then it begins to pick up. Our patrons (the few that saw it; thought Andy Devine the best in the cast. Played on bargain nights to poor business. Running time, 65 minutes. — J. E. Ross, Jr., Strand Theatre, St. George, S. C. Small town patronage. ROMANCE IN THE RAIN: Koyrr Pry<,r, Heather Angel— After a lot of sorry pictures from Universal we finally got one that pleased. Nothing big in it, but has some good comedy bits. Played Sept. 29-30. — Harold C. Allison, Baldwin Theatre, Baldwin, Mich. Small town patronage. ROMANCE IN THE RAIN: Roger Pryor, Heather Angel, Esther Ralston, Victor Moore — This is a good little pictuie, but not the special it was sold for. It is a comedy romance and one that will please all who sec it. There are no drawing names in the cast and therefore it will draw only fair business. We were forced to play this two days, because it was a percentage picture and did not make expenses for the run. Universal has never made money for us. Running time, 75 minutes. Played September 27-28. — J. J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N. C. General patronage. SMOKING GUNS: Ken Maynard— This is a good one. Most everybody likes Ken Maynard. Played October 5-6.— Mrs. N. Monte Gill, Strand Theatre, Montpelier, Vermont. General patronage. UNCERTAIN LADY: Genevieve Tobin— Terrible and smutty. Theme vulgar. I was ashamed to face the customers at the end of the show. Running time, 65 minutes. Played Sept. 28-29.— A. B. Jefferis, NewPiedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. WHEELS OF DESTINY: Ken Maynard— The trained goose and steer in this one are very good. Indian raids, a big storm and a buffalo stampede make it a mighty good western. Played Oct. 3-4. — Harold C. Allison, Baldwin Theatre, Baldwin, Mich. Small town patronage. WHEELS OF DESTINY: Ken Maynard— Not nearly as good as "Gun Justice" or "Strawberry Roan" and didn't draw as much as either, but at that, business was above average. Too many dark scenes in this. Maynard has surpassed Buck Jones here as a drawing card. — L. V. Bergtold. Opera House, Kasson, Minn. General patronage. Warner CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG, THE: Warren William — A pretty little number. I guess people like howling dogs, for they sure came out for this one. Every one liked it and it surely was a "limelight" at the box-office. Running time, eight reels. Played Oct. 5-6. — Earl J. McClurg. Grand Theatre, Preston, Idaho. Rural and small town patronage. DAMES: Dick Powell. Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell— Another beautiful musical irom the wonder company. Three hundred per cent increase at box office and every one goes home smiling. And that is something. Running time, 90 minutes. Played September 16-17-18. — Earl J. McClurg, Grand Theatre, Preston, Idaho. Rural and small town patronage. DAMES: Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell— Another good musical from Warners, not quite as spectacular as "Footlight Parade," but did a good business. Running time, 90 minutes. Played October 3-4-5-6. — J. R. Partlow, Ohio Theatre, Tippecanoe City, Ohio. General patronage. DR. MONICA: Kay Francis. Warren WilliamSplendid picture of type. Business good. Advertised as adult entertainment. Running time, 52 minutes. Played Aug. 26-27-28. — A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small town patronage. FOG OVER FRISCO: Bette Davis. Donald Woods. Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot — This is a good picture that is fast-moving and full of action. There is a touch of crime and gangsterism, but in spite of this, it will please the average movie fan. It is the story of a thrill-hunting wealthy girl and her criminal activity. Hugh Herbert supplies the necessary comedy. The trailer sold the show for us and we played one day to good business. Running time. 6S minutes. Played September 29.— J. J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N. C. General patronage. HE WAS HER MAN: James Cagney, Joan Blondell— This is only fair entertainment of the dramatic type. It deals with a very unpleasant subject and is therefore strictly adult entertainment. It is a story of a girl who finds her man. and gets him. but can't hold him. Cagney is miscast in the role he plays in this picture. One day is enough, if you must play it. The trailer will sell the show. Business only fair.