Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1940)

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July 13, 1940 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 35 WHAT THE PICTURE DID FOR ME Columbia BLONDIE BRINGS UP BABY: Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms — Seemed to please a fair audience. Played June 22.— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE, THE: Loretta Young, Ray Milland, Gail Patrick— Here, gentlemen, is a swell show that is doing all right for us. We played it the best days of the week and can truthfully say that the audience just ate it up. A swell comedy. Running time, 88 minutes.— A. J. Inks, Crystal Theatre, Ligonier, Ind. Small town patronage. HIS GIRL FRIDAY: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy — A real comedy which failed to draw paying business. Played June 19-20.— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. OUTPOST OF THE MOUNTIES: Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith— Fair to fair business. Played June 15. — C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer AND ONE WAS BEAUTIFUL: Jean Muir, Laraine Day, Billie Burke, Robert Cummings— Didn't do much on this. Running time, 70 minutes. Played June 12-13. —Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre, Onalaska, Wash. Loggers and mill workers patronage. BROADWAY SERENADE: Jeanette MacDonald, Lew Ayres, Frank Morgan, Ian Hunter— Inasmuch as musicals are not popular with our patrons, we did some extra business on this picture.— Harland Rankin Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General patronage. DR. KILD ARE'S STRANGE CASE: Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres, Laraine Day— As good as any of this series yet made. Just a swell show that everyone liked. Good anv day of the week. Running time. /7 minutes.— A. J. Inks, Crystal Theatre, Ligonier, Ind. Small town patronage. FLORIAN: Robert Young. Helen Gilbert— Excellent. Very beautiful horses and they are plenty smart. Running time, 93 minutes. Played June 16-17.— Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre, Onalaska, Wash. Loggers and mill workers patronage. FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS: Eddie Cantor, Rita Johnson. Bonita Granville, Judith Anderson, Baby Quintanilla— Fairly good picture but Eddie Cantor does not mean a thing any more. Running time, 90 minutes. —Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre, Onalaska, Wash. Loggers and mill workers. FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS: Eddie Cantor, Rita Tohnson, Bonita Granville, Judith Anderson, Baby Ouantanilla— Good draw first night. Fifty per cent drop-off for second, on Bank Night, too. Baby good. Cantor fair. Reaction of audience fair. Running time 87 minutes— A. E. Eliasen, Rialto Theatre, Paynesville, Minn. Rural and small town patronage. FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS: Eddie Cantor, Rita Johnson, Bonita Granville, Judith Anderson, Baby Quintanilla— Fair picture; fair business. The baby stole the show. Running time, 90 minutes. Played Tune 25.— E. M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage. SUSAN AND GOD: Joan Crawford, Fredric March, Rita Quigley, Ruth Hussey, Bruce Cabot, John Carroll—Surprisingly good draw for a feature that was supposedly too citified for the farm trade. Nothing objectionable in this, nor will church groups protest, as some critics might lead you to believe. Will say, though that this failed to please. Running time, 117 minutes.— A. E. Eliasen, Rialto Theatre, Paynesville, Minn. Rural and small town patronage. TWENTY MULE TEAM: Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo Anne Baxter, Marjorie Rambeau— Very good draw and pleased everyone. A fine show for small town and rural patronage. Running time, 85 minutes. —A. E. Eliasen, Rialto Theatre, Paynesville, Minn. Rural and small town patronage. WATERLOO BRIDGE: Robert Taylor, Vivien Leigh— Good picture but poor business. Has a tragic ending. Running time, 107 minutes. Played June 2627— E. M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage. WOMEN, THE: Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, N this, the exhibitors' own department, the theatremen of the nation serve one another with information on the box-office performance of product for their mutual benefit. It is a service of the exhibitor for the exhibitor. Address all communications to — What the Picture Did for Me MOTION PICTURE HERALD Rockefeller Center, New York Rosalind Russell. Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler — This picture was not so good for our patronage and they had to sit there and take it (poor fellows). Some very good acting but the comments were "who were the men?" Running time, 134 minutes. Played June 29.— F. G. Mills, Director of Motion Pictures, Prison Theatre, Forida State Prison, Raiford, Fla. Prison patronage. YOUNG TOM EDISON: Mickey Rooney, Fay Bainter, Virginia Weidler, George Bancroft — Swell picture and to excellent business. Running time, 85 minutes. — Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre, Onalaska, Wash Loggers and mill workers patronage. Paramount BISCUIT EATER, THE: Billy Lee, Cordell Hickman— I consider this one of the most natural pictures I have had anything to do with and it drew heavy in all my situations, beating "Swanee River." Lots of people said it was the best picture I have shown in five years. Having been made in this South Georgia country I guess is the reason everybody liked it so well. — Running time, 81 minutes. — J. N. Wells, Wells Theatre, Kingsland, Ga. General patronage. DR. CYCLOPS: Albert Dekker, Janice LoganHere's a picture the circuit type of managers like to play with. I gave this one a swell ballyhoo and she paid off like a stream of sevens in a crap game. I used the reducing lens gag in a local department store and nearly had to call out the police to keep them from breaking their window. The press book is loaded with gags. A little elbow grease on this one and you've got the jack pot. Running time, 76 minutes. Played June 22-25. — Stanley Lambert, Rialto Theatre, Racine, Wis. General patronage. HONEYMOON IN BALI: Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, Allan Jones, Helen Broderick, Carolyn Lee — We substituted this picture for "The Women" and was really enjoyed by all who saw it. The little girl stole every scene and she had a right to do so because she was a natural and good. Running time, 95 minutes. Played June 30. — F. G. Mills, Director of Motion Pictures, Prison Theatre, Florida State Prison, Raiford, Fla. Prison patronage. Republic DARK COMMAND: Walter Pidgeon, Claire Trevor, John Wayne — One of the best pictures that Republic has made. Plenty of action and the plot holds your interest. That Walter Pidgeon is tops for my money. There's an actor that seems to be at ease in any role. The patrons didn't like to see him as a villain but they still enjoyed him. Claire Trevor and John Wayne were both good. That kid Wayne has a pleasing personality and the women kind of ''go" for him. Running time, 96 minutes. Played June 1-4. — Stanley Lambert, Rialto Theatre, Racine, Wis. General patronage. ROVIN' TUMBLEWEEDS: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Mary Carlisle — Just fair story. Picture suffers from being too similar to "Grapes of Wrath" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and with few of the virtues of either. Still no complaints and business above average, so what. Played June 21-22. — L. A. Irwin, Palace Theatre, Penacook, N. H. General patronage. ROVIN' TUMBLEWEEDS: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Mary Carlisle — This man Autry sure draws the crowds. Why? I don't know. He certainly can not act and his singing is not so hot. But the people like him, so that's that. Running time, 61 minutes. Played June 14-15. — Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre. Onalaska, Wash. Loggers and mill workers patronage. SOUTH OF THE BORDER: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette — Again Republic scores with the best box office team we have ever seen, Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette. We played this picture on Sunday Monday, which was the first western we ever played on those days. We broke all box office records for those two days, even out grossed "Jesse James." May Republic keep giving us this Autry-Burnette team which is the only real medicine I have ever seen for a sick box office. — Harry F. Blount, Plaza Theatre, Potosi, Mo. Rural patronage. VILLAGE BARN DANCE: Richard Cromwell, Doris Day, Lulu Belle and Scotty — Our folks liked this one. Running time, 74 minutes. Played June 7-8. — Ray Peacock, Onalaska Theatre, Onalaska, Wash. Loggers and mill workers patronage. WAGONS WESTWARD: Chester Morris, Anita Louise, Buck Jones, Ona Munson, George Hayes, Guinn '"Big Boy" Williams — Above average western from Republic. Cast includes Chester Morris, Buck Jones, "Big Boy" Williams and "Windy" Hayes as well as Anita Louise and Ona Munson. Pleased good business. Running time, 70 minutes. Played June 2829. — E. M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage. WOLF OF NEW YORK: Edmund Lowe, Rose Hobart, James Stephenson — Had first run on this and did excellent business. It was very well liked and left a verv good taste in my mouth. Played May 19-20.— Eddie Mansfield, Regent Theatre, Kansas City, Mo. General patronage. RKO Radio MEXICAN SPITFIRE: Lupe Velez, Leon Errol, Donald Woods — Here is a comedy just loaded with belly laughs. Leon Errol is perfect and what a character actor besides a comedian that knows how to get laughs galore. The comedy never lets up and the audience was in stitches. This one is a cinch to please. Running time, 67 minutes. Played May 4-9. — Stanley Lambert, Rialto Theatre, Racine, Wis. General patronage. Twentieth CenturyFox CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO: Sidney Toler, Phyllis Brooks, Ricardo Cortez — We single billed this but feel we would have been well advised if we were to have double billed this. Business on average. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. General patronage. DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK: Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna May Oliver, Eddie Collins — Well liked. Eddie Collins brings out some good laughs. Running time, 103 minutes. Played June 8-9. — E. C. Bohlig, Opheim Theatre, Opheim, Mont. Small town patronage. EARTHBOUND: Warner Baxter. Andrea Leeds— A dud which failed to please the few who attended. Was a good picture in the silent days but Fox sure messed it up. Audience complained the musical score was so loud they couldn't hear the lines. Running time, 67 minutes. Played June 19-20. — E. M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage. EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT: Sonja Heme, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings — Very satisfactory but business small. Played June 12-13.— C. W. Mills, Arcade Theatre, Sodus, N. Y. Family patronage. FOUR SONS: Don Ameche, Mary Beth Hughes, Eugenie Leontovich, Alan Curtis, George Ernest, Robert Lowery — The rape of CzechoSlovakia is the background for this most excellent, well played picture, and imagination can supply just what the picture portrayed. As the mother, Eugenie Leontovich, the great Russian actress, makes her film debut in a marvelous and very entertaining manner and she is a star of the first magnitude. Miss Hughes and the four brothers were excellent in their performances and the picture should please all adult audiences. Running time, 88 minutes. Played June 27-July 3.— William Noble, Criterion Theatre, Oklahoma City, Okla. General patronage. FREE, BLONDE AND TWENTY-ONE: Lynn Bari, Joan Davis, Henry Wilcoxon — An average program (Continued on following page, column 3)