Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

(Continued from opposite page) -urday. Tune 9, 10. — J. H. Bustin, Imperial Theatre, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Small town patronage. THAT NAZTY NUISANCE: Bobby Watson, Joe Devlin— Nice little comedy. It was too short. Played Wednesday, Thursday, June 14, 15.— F. R. Crist, Crist Theatre, Loveland, O. Small town patronage. Universal ALI BABA AND THE 40 THIEVES: Jon Hall, Marie Montez — Although a top picture, it failed to do little bet-ter than average business. We feel although lavishly produced, its box office potentialities were missing. Played Monday, Tuesday, June 12, 13. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury! Ont., Canada. ALI BABA AND THE 40 THIEVES: Marie Montez, Jon Hall — Many good remarks about this picture. Beautiful colors. Played Monday, Tuesday, June 12, 13. — J. H. Bustin, Imperial Theatre, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Small town patronage. COBRA WOMAN: Jon Hall. Marie Montez— The Navy 12 Boys went for this in a big way but did not appeal too much to the locals. Maria Montez is gorgeous in color, and good business can be expected in most spots. Played Sunday-Tuesday, June 18-20. — Ken Gorham, Town Hall Theatre, Middlebury, Vt. General patronage. HERS TO HOLD: Deanna Durbin, Joseph Cotten — Here is a fine picture that everyone enjoyed. Not a complaint on this picture. Played Sunday, May 14. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. Military patronage. HIS BUTLER'S SISTER: Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone. — A wonderful picture, nice singing and comedy. Worth playing. Flayed Monday, Tuesday, June 6, 7. — J. H. Bustin, Imperial Theatre, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Small town patronage. IMPOSTER, THE: Gene Gabin, AUyn Joslyn— Patrons didn't care much for this picture; not much action in it. Played Monday, Tuesday, May 29. 30.— J. H. Bustin, Imperial Theatre, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Small town patronage. TOP MAN: Donald O'Connor, Susan Foster— Nice program that enjoyed good week, and patronage much pleased. Played Friday, Saturday. June 16, 17.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. Warner Bros. PRINCESS O'ROURJCE: Oliva De HaviUand, Robert Cummings— I thought I was going to have good box office on this one. but was just fair. My patrons said was good. The public as a whole are so troubled now, you never know what reaction will come. Played Monday, Tuesday, June 5. 6. — Cleo Manry, Buena Vista Theatre, Buena Vista, Ga. Small town patronage. SONG OF THE SADDLE: Dick Foran— Very good western, even though a reissue; would like to see Warners reissue some of those good Joe Brown pictures they made a few years ago, also the Roaring 20"s, Angels with Dirtv Faces, Invisible Stripes, They Drive by Night, Torrid Zone, and Fighting 69th. I note in this week's "Herald" that they are intending to reissue Manpower— this wasn't a box office when we first piayed it — Robinson was always at his best in Gangster pictures (at B. O.), so give us some of these Robinson reissues. Played Wednesday, June 14.— Abe H. Kaufman, Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind. Family patronage. UNCERTAIN GLORY: Errol Flynn, Paul Lucas— Good picture. It has a logical story of the French Underground. It carries suspense and some action. It is needless to repeat so often pictures of this type; do less than normal business, as all the pictures that even remotely touch war do. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. WATCH ON THE RHINE: Bette Davis, Paul Lucas— Bette Davis draws out some customers that you only get once in a while. Good business. Divided reaction. — L. G. Tewksbury, Opera House, Stonington, Maine. Small town patronage. Short Features Columbia ALOUETTE: Community sing — Includes "Don't get I around much anymore" and others. Pretty good short. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. BLITZ ON THE BLITZ: All star comedies— Our patrons love these comedies and ask for more. Some of the shorts are much better than the features that have to run. — Bob Neely, Times Theatre, Jonesboro, 111. COMMUNITY SING: Community Sing — This is a drawing card for our midnight shows. Mostly the younger generation attendance. They are the ones that sing the most. More of these. — Bob Neely, Times Theatre, Jonesboro, 111. JOURNEY TO DEHALI: Tours— Good travelogue, wen received. —Harland Rankin, Flaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. POLLY WANTS A DOCTOR: Phantasies CartoonsVery good. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. YOKES ON ME: All star comedies— This is what our patrons like. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. SHORT PRODUCT ON BROADWAY Week of June 26 ASTOR Movie Pests MGM Feature: Bathing Beauty MGM CRITERION Foster's Canary College Univ. Feature: Christmas Holiday. . . . Univ. GLOBE Million Dollar Cat MGM The Swooner Crooner Vitaphone Features: Roger Touhy, Gangster . 20th Cent.-Fox Attack OWI-RKO GOTHAM The Kid in Upper 4 MGM Features: It Happened Tomorrow . United Artists Attack OWI-RKO HOLLYWOOD Roaming Through Arizona MGM Our Frontier in Italy Vitaphone Russian Rhapsody Vitaphone Feature: Mr. Skeffington Warner Bros. PARAMOUNT And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street Paramount Trail Breakers Paramount Wnusual Occupations Paramount Why Daddy MGM Feature: Going My Way Paramount RIALTO Patrolling the Ether MGM Feature: Invisible Man's Revenge. Universal RIVOLI Your Pet Problem Paramount Feature: Story of Dr. Wassell .. Paramount ROXY Eliza on the Ice 20th Cent.-Fox Nymphs of the Lake 20th Cent.-Fox Somewhere in U.S. A MGM Feature: Home in Indiana 20th Cent.-Fox STRAND The Immortal Blacksmith MGM Winner's Circle Vitaphone Filipino Sports Parade Vitaphone Feature: The Mask of Dimitrios .Warner Bros. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer CUBAN RHYTHM: Pete Smith Specialties— Very good short teaching dancing. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. FORGOTTEN TREASURE: Passing Parade— Very good short on historic film. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. THROUGH THE COLORADO: Fitzpatrick Travel talks — This was indeed one of the nicest travel talks we have had for some time. Our customers enjoy these very much. — Bob Neely, Times Theatre, Jonesboro, 111. Paramount HIKE OR BIKE: Sportlights— Very good short, and interesting.— Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. IN THE DESERT: Speaking of Animals— Pretty good although there isn't much to it. Another in the series of giving voices to animals. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. IN THE NEWS REEL: Speaking of Animals— This reel has a consistently high level of entertainment value. Done entirely within the animal kingdom, through a hilarious speaking technique; it was very cleverly done. — Bob Neely, Times Theatre, Jonesboro, 111. Twentieth CenturyFox CLIMBING PEAKS: Newscameraman — Adventures of Newsreel Cameraman; fair scenic picture. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. HELICOPTER: Terrytoons— Timely, good, most interesting.— Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. SHOW BUSINESS AT WAR: March of Time— Excellent— a tribute to a great industry. Was proud to show this short.— Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. Universal RUSSIAN REVELS: Musicals— Just where did they expect this to do business? Is there such a place? Stay away from this unless you have a Russian audience. — Sgt. Wm. E. Goewey, Overseas, APO 887. Vitaphone DIVIDE AND CONQUER: Broadway Brevity— Instructive, well worth playing. — Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ont., Canada. Cleveland Houses Resume 10-Cent Child Scale A majority of Cleveland neighborhood theatres have reduced their child admission prices from 12 to 10 cents. The 10-cent scale was changed to 12 cents April 1 to cover the Federal admission amusement tax. The resumption of the 10-cent admission for children under 12 years of age was resumed when the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue issued a ruling to M. B. Horwitz, general manager of the Washington Circuit, which provides that the established child admission price of less than 10 cents is not subject to the Federal tax, provided a breakdown of the price is advertised at the box office. In Cleveland, where the theatres are subject to a three per cent state tax, the child established admission price is .097, the state tax is .003, making a total admission of 10 cents. At first, exhibitors said that the Federal tax did not affect business. After a two-month trial, they have reversed their original statement. The tax has hurt business, they claim, and the extra two cents on child admissions has been particularly harmful. Fifty County Fairs Are Set for Pennsylvania More than 50 expositions are scheduled, according to listings compiled by the State Department of Agriculture, for the 1944 Pennsylvania County and Community Agricultural Fair, which will open early in August and continue into December. The Bedford Fair starts the season August 8 to 12, and the Pittsburgh Baby Beef Show will bring it to a close December 11 to 13. War conditions, chiefly gasoline rationing, have influenced many fair associations against holding their events this year, as they did last year. Out of approximately 120 county and community fair associations in the state, 54 have scheduled fairs for this season compared with 50 scheduled last year, when only 42 actually were conducted. There were 63 fairs held in 1942. Among those not participating this year in the fair field are such popular expositions as the Reading Fair, where the Army is using the buildings ; the Mansfield and the Clearfield, Fayette, McKean, Somerset, Union, and Washington County Fairs. Lycoming County has made no decision to date. Manpower Crisis Delays Planned Coast Houses The manpower situation has seriously slowed down wartime theatre construction on the west coast and a number of applications for new houses in congested war industry areas have been held up by the War Production Board. Among the applications for which the WPB is not expected to give approval until the labor situation has eased are those of Fox West Coast and several filed by independent exhibitors. Cabot Leaves Air Force Lieut. Bruce Cabot, who enlisted in the Army Air Transport Command in January, 1942, and who has seen service on various fighting fronts, has left the Army to resume his acting contrast with Paramount. His last screen role was "The Desert Song" for Warner Bros., on loan from Paramount. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY I, 1944 41 4