Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1951)

. . . 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. Columbia GREAT MANHUNT, THE: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Glynis Johns — This is a good one for adventure fans. Doubled with “The Durango Kid” — both good. Played Friday, Saturday, November 2, 3. — Tom Poulos, Faonia Theatre, Paonia, Colo. KILL THE UMPIRE: William Bendix, Una Merkel —This is as good a little picture as you would want to play in the small towns. It is funny as all get-out. I make the mistake of playing this on a single bill — it should have been double billed. It would make fine support for a short western and would be sure to please the Friday-Saturday crowd. Played Wednesday, Thursday, November 7, 8. — I. Roche, Vernon Theatre, Vernon, Fla. TEXAS RANGERS: George Montgomery, Gale Storm — Texans don’t even like this one — no punch and not much story. Play it on a double bill. — Trail Theatre, Houston, Texas. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer FATHER’S LITTLE DIVIDEND: Spencer Tracy. Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor — Excellent — play it at any time. We did a little better than average for a small town. Played Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, October 28, 29, 30. — Tom Foulos, Paonia Theatre, Paonia. Colo. GO' FOR BROKE: Van Johnson, Warner Anderson —Nothing but good comments, but did not come out on the allocation. Metro generally adjust bad deals, and we hope. . . . Played Sunday, Monday, November, 4. 5. — S. W. Booth, Booth Theatre, Rich Hill, Mo. GREAT CARUSO', THE: Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth —This really a very good picture — excellent support, well handled and was well liked. Even the kids liked it. Average business. Small town. Played Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, November 4, 5, 6. — Tom Poulos, Paonia Theatre, Paonia, Colo. PAINTED HILLS: Lassie, Bruce Cowling, Cary Grey — Another Lassie picture. These used to be box office insurance, but apparently Lassie has slipped. Nothing wrong with the picture. Flayed Wednesday, Thursday, October 31, November 1.— S. W. Booth, Booth TTieatre, Rich Hill, Mo. PEOPLE AGAINST O’HARA: Spencer Tracy, Diana Lynn — Good picture, good business! We called every lawyer in Houston to tell them about this picture, and they came, and told their friends. Play it — advertise it. — Trail Theatre, Houston, Texas. RICH, YOUNG AND PRETTY: Jane Powell, Wendell Corey — Pleasing entertainment in Technicolor. Very weak at the box office. Even the fact that Jane Fowell is a Portland, Ore., girl couldn’t get them in on this one. Played Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, October 28, 29, 30. — Francis and Cameo Theatres, Newberg. Ore. SHOW BOAT: Kathryn Grayson — What a picture! “Terrific” is putting it mildly. Business was strictly SRO and everyone loved it. Had one customer pay three admissions to see it three different times. It would be too much to ask to have many pictures like this, but thank you, MGM, for a good job wonderfully done. I hope to bring “Show Boat” back before too long and expect a good second run. Play it! Played Thursday, Friday, October 25, 26.— Kenneth J. Sniffin, President Theatre, Manchester, Ga. SOLDIERS THREE: Walter Pidgeon, David Niven — A good picture which held up well by itself. Average business. Small town. Played Wednesday, Thursday, October 31, November 1. — Tom Foulos, Paonia Theatre, Paonia, Colo. Monogram GYPSY FURY: Viveca Lindfors, Christopher Kent — Viveca Lindfors is great — why use her in pictures A VALUE BEYOND FILM APPRAISAL To the Editor: I've been "taking" from What the Picture Did for Me for a long time, but I haven't been "giving," so here goes. I have enjoyed the reports tor four years and hope to enjoy them for many more. These reviews have a value beyond the help one gets in appraising pictures. There is a great deal of just plain entertainment value in 'em. Some of the boys have a marvelous sense of humor and great descriptive power and many a time make me feel th y would do a lot better job in Holly ood than the present incumbents. Will try to keep up this good vforL— SAMUEL GOLDSTEIN, Pax fang Theatre, Pax fang, Pa. such as this? Monogram has made some good pictures lately, but this isn’t one of them. The trailer looks pretty good and this helped to sell it, but all in all, it didn’t go over. Played late Saturday night, October 20. — Kenneth J. Sniffin, President Theatre, Manchester, Ga. Paramount DEAR BRAT: Mona Freeman, Edward Arnold — A good little comedy, but not strong enough for a weekend picture. Edward Arnold good, as usual. Played Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, October 21, 22, 23. — S. W. Booth, Booth Theatre, Rich Hill. Mo. RKO-Radio BEST OF THE BADMEN: Robert Ryan, Claire Trevor — As a shoot-’em-up this one does very well. Business was a bit above the average. Some scenes in this p-icture look as though they were Monopack, maybe 16mm, something wrong with the color. Claire Trevor just never gets old, does she? Played Sunday, Monday, October 28, 29. — Curtis B. W’illard, Victory Theatre, Loxley, Ala. FLYING LEATHERNECKS: John Wayne. Robert Ryan — Beautiful war picture in color, but no business. This dift'ers from “Battleground.” That was a story of the life of our boys. All the new war pictures are stories of the death of our boys. In fact, we lost aix>ut ten to one to the Japs in this picture. Flayed Saturday, Sunday, Monday, October 27, 28, 29.— Samuel Goldstein, Paxtang Theatre, Paxtang, Penna. FLYING LEATHERNECKS: John Wayne. Robert Ryan — Oh, boy! We’re back in business again. Our patrons like action and John Wayne. Here they had both, and Technicolor, too. Result: well above average business in spite of unusually cold weather. RKO is starting to make some topnotch pictures, and this is one of them. Played Sunday, Monday, November 4, 5. — Curtis B. Willard, Victory Theatre, Loxley, Ala. HAPPY GO' LOVELY: David Niven, Vera-Ellen Beautiful Technicolor, very well done. Fine dancing, on the classical side, with a lot of good comedy by David Niven and Cesar Romero. Business not as good as expecetd — needs push. Played Saturday, Sunday, Monday, November 3, 4, 5. — Samuel Goldstein, Paxtang Tlieatre, Paxtang, Penna. HIS KIND OF WOMAN: Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Vincent Price — A mystery action show whose main development is comedy. Price steals this one and proves he is a great comedian and actor. Picture was incorrectly sold to public — has no sex appeal and action is unattractive. Flayed Thursday, Friday, October 18, 19.— Samuel Goldstein, Paxtang Theatre, Paxtang, Penna. THING, THE: Kenneth Tobey, Margaret Sheridan — Just what the doctor ordered for my Hallowe’en crowd — scared the living daylights out of them. We haven’t run a scare picture in a long time and our patrons were a bit out of condition for this. Very well done, very interesting and everyone happy in a gruesome sort of way. Played Tuesday, Wednesday, October 30, 31. — Curtis B. Willard, Victory Theatre, Loxley, Ala. Republic SURRENDER: Vera Ralston, John Carroll^ — I made the mistake of using this in place of the usual western on our Friday-Saturday playdate. The picture is very good, but lacks the action of the usual sho6t-’emup. Doubled with Lucky Nick Cain (Fox), which made a very heavy program. Business below average. Weather darned cold for these parts. Played Friday, Saturday, November 2, 3. — Curtis B. Willard, Victory Theatre, Loxley, Ala. Twentieth Century-Fox BROKEN ARROW: James Stewart, Debra Paget — Enhanced by beautiful Technicolor, this outstanding picture drew quite a few favorable comments. The Jimmy Stewart fans were loyal with their praise. By the time I played it, however, it had been milked dry —making it a no loss and no gain for me. Just barely broke even on it. It is a fine picture, though. Played Wednesday, Thursday, October 21, November 1. — I. Roche, Vernon Theatre, Vernon, Fla. HALLS OF MONTEZUMA: Richard Widmark, Walter Palance — This drew well. I did not see it, as I’m so weary of war and super-western pictures that I can’t bear to go to my own movie when I’m playing them. However, I learned years ago that what I like doesn’t pay the overhead, so I keep on pampering my public. If your people like war pictures, buy it. Played Sunday, Monday, (Jctober 21, 22.— Marcella Smith, Vinton Theatre, McArthur, O'hio. LUCKY NICK CAIN: George Raft. Coleen Gray Filmed in Italy. Pictures of this sort just don’t go over here. Not a bad picture, but not for our town. We got a good look at Coleen Gray. We could use a few pictures like “Nob Hill.” What happened to Vivian Blaine? Played Friday, Saturday, November 2, 3. — Curtis B. Willard, Victory Theatre, Loxley, Ala. MEET ME AFTER THE SHOW: Betty Grable, {Continued on follozmng page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 24, 1951 39