Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

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'/what the picture did for . . . the original exhibitors' reports department, established October 14, 1916. In it theatremen serve one another with information about the box office performance of product — providing a service of the exhibitor for the exhibitor. ADDRESS REPORTS: What the Picture Did for Me, Motion Picture Herald, Rockefeller Center, New York 20. Eagle Lion IT'S A JOKE, SON : Kenny Delmar, Una Merkel— The joke was the result we got at the box office. It didn't take in enough to find after the receipts were turned in. Another radio deal that failed. Played Wednesday, Dec. 3-D. W. Trisko. Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Film Classics ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO: Gary Cooper. Sigrid Gurie — Still a very good picture, but gave us an all-time low for the midweek days in several years. Played Tuesday, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 17.— Abe H. Kaufman, Fountain Theatre, Terre Haute, Ind. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer BEGINNING OR THE END: Robert Walker, Brian Donlevy— A fair crowd witnessed this. Comments were mixed. Didn't live up to the ballyhoo the advance trailer gave, but on the whole the crowd wasn't too disappointed. Terms were right, so the smallish crowd still kept it on the right side of the ledger. Played Monday, Dec. 8. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. MERTON OF THE MOVIES: Red Skelton, Virginia O'Brien — Just so-so. If you have many fans who go for Skelton, it may do business, but unfortunately we did not seem to have them. It was nothing new. We have never done business on Skelton pictures, none of them. They don't seem to go for his particular brand of humor in this situation.— A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. MY BROTHER TALKS TO HORSES: Jackie "Butch" Jenkins, Peter Lawford — Butch Jenkins gets by here and this made a nice Bargain Night show. Played Wednesday.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. SONG OF THE THIN MAN: William Powell, Myrna Loy — Didn't get over here. Title and story failed. Played Monday, Tuesday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. THIS TIME FOR KEEPS: Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante — This is the old time Metro musical. They really put something in this one. The aquatic star, Miss Williams, plus the good solid trouper, Jimmy Durante makes it a good show. Jimmy Durante always carries the show with his inimitable way of putting over a song. Business only normal and this is not good enough, for normal today means about 30 per cent down from 1946. And here is the puzzle that many exhibitors would like to know about — the Treasury reports that Federal admission tax is holding with 1946. With Hollywood retrenching due to> poor business, as the trade papers state, where is the hold up coming from? Skeptical? Sure, we are. We have seen so many optimistic predictions come out of Washington that were from 30 to 40 per cent wrong. We are still from Missouri. We will have to be shown. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. YEARLING, THE: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman— An excellent picture for large or small towns. Gross excellent. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 24, 25. — Mrs. Ray Magee, Bass Theatre, Bassfield, Miss. Small town patronage. Monogram DIVORCE: Kay Francis, Bruce Cabot— Old picture but title drew a good crowd. Doubled with "Sunset Pass" to nice business. Played Saturday, Dec. 13. — Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. Paramount DANGER STREET: Jane Withers, Robert Lowery Another crime show with no box office appeal. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. IMPERFECT LADY: Teresa Wright, Ray Milland — Show no good for us as it had an English locale and the people here go against them. We had a true Paramount print. Had to patch it for a day to get it to hold enough to run. Played Sunday, Nov. 30. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour — Exceptionally good. But only average draw here, as with all Hope's pictures. Played Saturday, Dec. 6. — Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. PERILS OF PAULINE: Betty Hutton, John Lund — Betty Hutton always is a favorite here. Picture did nice business and was enjoyed by all. Played Thursday, Dec. 25.— Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. VARIETY GIRL: Mary Hatcher, DeForrest Kelley — A good little show that will go if given an even break with the weather, etc. We had bad weather and the Christmas slump to hold it back. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 5, 6. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. WELCOME STRANGER: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald— Another CrosbyFitzgerald that should have box office draw, but we failed with it. Played Friday, Saturday.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. WILD HARVEST: Alan Ladd, Dorothy Lamour— The show was O.K. but business was off. Maybe the holiday buying season hurt. The show is well done and the setting good. Played Friday, Saturday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. RKO Radio A LIKELY STORY: Bill Williams, Barbara Hale— Miss Hale was the only part of this feature that justified its production. Might be better for second spot on a double bill. Played Wednesday, Thursday, Dec. 24, 25. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. DICK TRACY VERSUS CUEBALL: Morgan Con way, Anne Jeffreys — A nice show for the comic strip followers, and I guess there are lots of them. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. FUN AND FANCY FREE,: Disney Feature Cartoon — Average Disney cartoon that had a few good sequences. Good or fair, these Disney features pack them in. — A Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago. 111. HONEYMOON: Shirley Temple, Guy MadisonBusiness surprisingly good. Picture pleasing and should go over well in any small locality. Played Sunday, Monday, Dec. 21, 22. — A. C. Edwards, Winenia Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. VACATION IN RENO: Jack Haley, Anne Jeffreys— A good comedy for our double bill with a Tracy film. Played Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Republic AFFAIRS OF GERALDINE, THE: Jane Withers, James Lydon — A good little show for a double bill. Tane Withers is dead here as far as draw is concerned. Played Sunday.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre. Jerome, Ariz. APACHE ROSE: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans— Used on second spot of double bill to fair business. These new Rogers productions are not quite as good as the original ones. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 26, 27. — A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. HIT PARADE OF 1947: Eddie Albert, Constance Moore — Good little musical that did O.K. on Sunday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. NORTHWEST OUTPOST: Nelson Eddy, Fiona Massey — Too much Eddy and not enough names to put it over. However, it is a good show. Played Monday, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 25.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. WYOMING: William Elliott, Vera Ralston— A good Western in a locality where thev draw. Here it was just another show. Played Monday, Tuesday. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. Twentieth CenturyFox ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM: Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison — Excellent. This is a production to be proud of. We had a good crowd who were well pleased. Settings were splendid and the acting of the entire cast was above the ordinary. A few more like this would do the box office a lot of good. Played Friday, Dec. 12. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. FOREVER AMBER: Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde— Too much money for nothing and the patrons sure tell you about it when they come out. I wish the film salesman who sold this had to take the grief along with the ballyhoo they give out. Keep away from this at advance prices. I think this would have been one of the best grossers of all time at regular prices. Played Monday, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2. — D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. JEWELS OF BRANDENBURG: Richard Travis, Micheline Cheirel — Used on double bill with fair results. Played Friday, Saturday, Dec. 26, 27.— A. C. Edwards, Winema Theatre, Scotia, Cal. Small lumber town patronage. JEWELS OF BRANDENBURG: Richard Travis, Micheline Cheirel — Everything good but the price. Didn't do enough to buy a bus ticket home, if I lived only a block from the theatre. Played Wednesday, Nov. 26.— D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre, Jerome, Ariz. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: John Payne, Maureen O'Hara — Every once in a while you get a picture that renews your faith that Hollywood can turn out good pictures. This is one of them. It is so human and down-to-earth. It is a little fantasy of Kris Kringle. It came in as a sleeper and we really did not know just how good it was. So you exhibitors, if you haven't played it yet, give it all you have for it was the first picture for some time that received unanimous acclaim by all who saw it. And you will cheer the cast for their fine portrayals. Edmund Gwenn is my nomination for the C^car for the best supporting role. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. NIGHTMARE ALLEY: Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell — The clamor against this picture on the first night showing was such that we had to pull it. There is strain enough in these days with just living without getting such a dose on the screen. — A. E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. LATE GEORGE APLEY, THE: Ronald Colman, Peggy Cummins — Played this late, but that was too soon. A slow and dull offering that interested a few. Played Sunday-Tuesday, Dec. 21-23.— A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. RAZOR'S EDGE, THE: Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney — A good crowd seemed well satisfied. Only the younger generation were disappointed. A little wordy and overlong, but otherwise excellent film fare. Miss Baxter gives a marvelous performance. Should do better in large situations. Played Saturday, Dec. 6. — Fred J. Hutchings, Community Theatre, Leader, Sask., Can. SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM, THE: Betty Grable, Dick Haymes — Fair Grable picture that flopped. Too much Dick Haymes crooning which is always a signal for patrons to have a good chat among themselves. Played Saturday, Dec. 20.— Walter R. Pyle, Dreamland Theatre, Rockglen, Sask., Can. United Artists NEW ORLEANS: Arturo de Cordova, Dorothy Patrick— Counterfeit. This is a phony that can be detected at a glance. Pass this off on your unsuspecting patrons at your own risk. — A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, 111. Universal BRUTE FORCE: Burt Lancaster, -Hume Cronyn— For the male trade only. Business at its lowest ebb (Continued on following page) 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948