Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

1916 Motion Picture New Index to Complete Plan Book and^ EXHIBITORS' BOX OFFICE REPORTS I EDITOR'S NOTE — Exhibitors will find here a complete list of all feature pictures for the last sixteen weeks arranged alpha >)etically as an index to The Complete Plan Book for this period, naming the picture, the producer, the star, the release date, am designating the issue of Motion Pictuke News which contained the original review. The following also contains our reviewer's opinion encompassed in a brief single line and gives the comments of exhibitoi who have shown the picture and forwarded their opinions. And we also publish a final line fairly summarizing a consensus of ti. i opinions received on each picture. As many of the exhibitors do not comment on every picture (merely checking it Big, Ave?! ■ge or Poor), we arrive at the consensus not only by the actual comments made and published, but are also guided by the repor' I from exhibitors who have made no actual comments, but have merely checked the box office value of the picture. All the pictures mentioned are five-reel features, tmless marked otherwise. Serials are reviewed also. At the conclusion c i I this department will be found the "Flash-Backs," being comments on films released prior to ^lay 21, 1921. ' | PICTURE BRAND STAR RELEASED PLAN BOOK PICTURE BRAND STAR RELEASED PLAN BOO action (UNIVERSAL) HOOT GIBSON SEPT. 10 " Action melodrama lives up to its title."— M. P. yews. AFFAIRS OF ANATOL, THE (DE MILLE-PARAMOUNT) SPECIAL CAST SEPT. 24 " A Knockout — Undouhtedly iJe Mule's Greatest." — M. P. News. AFTER YOUR OWN HEART (FOX) TOM MIX AUG. 20 "Humor and new gags make this quite interesting." — M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Ordinary offering, but pretty fair business due to Mix fans." " Average quality ; fair business. ' APPEARANCES (PARAMOUNT) SPECIAL CAST JULY 2 "Tedious drama lacks vitality." — M. P. News. AT THE END OF THE WORLD (PARAMOUNT) BETTY COMP SON AUG. 27 "Disappointing melodramatic romance, but may slide by." — M. P. News. " Verj' fine entertainment. Splendid two weeks' business. Great story, cast and settings. 100 per cent, satisfactory." " Big returns on this fine picture." " Cooler weather and popularity of Betty Compson here were responsible for a good week's business." " Drew well on account ot star. Not an unusually good offering, however." " Very good feature and on which we had tine business." BE MY WIFE (MAX LINDER PRODUCTION) MAX LINDER JUNE 2S " Good incident and gags provide an amusing comedy." — M. P. News. BEACH OF DREAMS, THE (HAWORTH-ROBERTSON-COLE) EDITH STORY JUNE 11 " Desert island picture conventional in theme and treatment." — M. P. News. BEATING THE GAME (GOLDWYN) TOM MOORE SEPT. 17 "Fortune hunter" idea developed into fine entertainment." — M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Tom Moore scores again in this picture. Excellent box-office attraction, and we played to good business." " Had good business on this production, beemed to please. Fine picture." BEAUTIFUL GAMBLER, THE (UNIVERSAL) SPECIAL CAST.... JUNE 11 " Time-worn picture obvious all the way." — M. P. News. BEHIND MASKS (PARAMOUNT) DOROTHY DALTON JULY 16 " Poor entertainment and Dorothy Dalton it miscatt." — U. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Just fair. Poor title to begin with. Think original title would have drawn much better, but picture was just fair. So was business." " Dorothy Dalton fans sadly disappointed with this last production of hers." BEYOND (PARAMOUNT) ETHEL CLAYTON SEPT. 17 "Spiritualistic propaganda grafted to 'Enoch Arden ' " — M. P. Neros. BIG GAME (METRO) MAY ALLISON AUG. 20 " Fairly interesting picture for Hay Allison." — M. P. Newt. BIG TOWN IDEAS (FOX) EILEEN PERCY MAY 28 " Rural comedy-drama is fairly amusing." — M. P. Netct. Exhibitor Comment — " Everyone liked this comedy drama." " Average business." BIG TOWN ROUND-UP, THE (FOX) TOM MIX JULY 16 "Mim at hit bett; a rapii-flre Western comedy." — ^Jf. P. Newt. Exhibitor Comment — " Mix has made better picturea. Business fair." BLACK PANTHER'S CUB, THE (W. K. ZIEGFELD) FLORENCE REED JUNE 11 " Cost much and achieves little worthy of praise." — M. P. News. BLACK SHEEP (CHAUDET-HURST-PINNACLE-STATE RIGHTS) NEAL HART SEPT. 17 " Western u-ith Neal Hart makes good program offering." — M. P News. BLOT, THE (LOIS WEBER-B. F. WARREN CORP.) SPECIAL CAST AUG. 27 Miss Weber 'builds up-to-the-minute, entertaining picture." — M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Good picture with entertaining story, but business fell off a little owing to the return of the heat wave." " Well acted picture with well sustained interest throughout which pleased our audiences. Played to excellent business." BOYS WILL BE BOYS (GOLDWYN) WILL ROGERS MAY 28 " Quaintly humorous, simple story with Will Rogers." — M. P. News. Exhibitors Comment. — " Will Rogers in one of his best. Plenty of room for effective exploitation with this picture. The best week that I have had in two months." " Fine picture. Business unusually good for this time of the year." " Patrons liked this picture very much. Drew editorial commendation from dally paper for being clean picture and faithfully portraying the characters in the story. Attendance very good." BROKEN DOLL, A (DWAN-ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS) SPECIAL CAST JUNE 25 " As it stands, very doubtful entertainment." — Jf. P. News. BROKEN SPUR, THE (BEN WILSON-ARROW) JACK HOXIE. . . SEPT. 17 " Scenic values add to average western." — M. P. News. BRONZE BELL, THE (THOMAS H. INCE-PARAMOUNT) SPECIAL CAST JULY 9 " Big production, but lacks audience appeal." — M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment— " Just a fair picture, and we did only average business." " Pleasing, receipts average." " The old double role turns up once more, and is not handled any better than usual. Picture has some good settings, and a fair plot. An average picture and box office attraction." "Why did they 'star' Doris May in this? She was merely a supporting lead, and not much of that." " Average production to average business." " This one is above the average." BURN 'EM UP BARNES (MASTODON FILMS, INC.) JOHNNY HINES SEPT. I "Melodramatic farce furnishes entertainment and couple of thrills" — News. Exhibitor Comment — " With Johnny Hines here in person, this picture cleaned up big. Hines probably was the big attraction, although his first picture is a breeze affair, with plenty of laughs." BUTTERFLY GIRL, THE (PLAYGOERS-PATHE) MARJORIE DAW JUNE " Little entertainment in this weak and sugary story." — M. P. News. CAMILLE (NAZIMOVA-METRO) NAZIMOVA SEPT. " Nazimova's best bet since ' Out of the Fog.' " — M. P. News. CAPPY RICKS (PARAMOUNT) THOMAS MEIGHAN SEPT. , •' Good audience picture toith some excellent comedy sequences." — M. P 1 News. I CARNIVAL (UNITED ARTISTS) SPECIAL CAST JULY ' " Genuine Venitiayi backgrounds compensate for talky picture." — M. P News. Exhibitor Comnent — "A wonderful picture which went over with us li big shape." " This one pleased my audiences, but did not draw.' " Fair. Not as good business as I expected. Just cleared expenses.' CHARGE IT (GARSON-EQUITY-STATE RIGHTS) CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG JUNE " Interesting picture of the eternal triangle." — M. P. Newt. Exhibitor Comment — " Star put it over. Did pretty good business.' | " Really Clara Kimball Young's most brilliant play. Did good business. j ■• Great story— big business." CHEATED LOVE (UNIVERSAL) CARMEL MYERS MAY I ' " Carmel Myers has a gem in lifelike picture." — M. P. Newt. CHILDREN OF NIGHT (FOX) WILLIAM RUSSELL JULY " Dream formula furnishes hectic melodrama for Ruiteil." — U. P. NMft CLOSED DOORS (VITAGRAPH) ALICE CALHOUN MA'i I " Easily obvious picture carries mild interest." — M. P. News. COLD STEEL (ROBERTSON-COLE) SPECIAL CAST JUNE I 1 " Good acting in this ordinary western." — M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Fine business and picture seemed to entertain. " Fair picture. Business ordinary." COLORADO PLUCK (WILLIAM RUSSELL) MA' 8 "Has not the action they expect of thu> star." — M. P. A eic». Exhibitor Comment — " Did average business." CONQUERING POWER, THE (REX INGRAM-METRO) SPECIAL CAST JUL^ I " Not another ' Four Horsemen,' but still way above the average."M. P. News. Exhibitor Comment — " Pleased our audiences and drew good patronage CONQUEST OF CANAAN (PARAMOUNT) THOMAS MEIGHAN. . .JUL' 3 •' Fails to come up to expectations." — if. P. News. Exhibitor Comment—" Verv good picture and did a good business." " Ve good feature, with exce"llent receipts." "Drew an average attendan for a week's run " " Commonplace offering, but did pretty good bu ness because Thomas Meighan has friends." " A good picture, wi liked by patrons and attracting excellent business." " Fair productl^ with average business." " Pretty good picture. Good business co sidering weather and street car strike." " A very mediocre productic Failed to please even the Meighan fans." " Well written story and very interesting insight into small town Ufa Good cast, excellent sr port. Meighan is very popular and has such a shy, unaffected mane that makes one unconscious of his acting. Kcture has been well ceived. iiusiness good." CRAZY TO MARRY (PARAMOUNT) ROSCOE ARBUCKLE AU< 3 " Arbuckle returns to slapstick and provides much humor." — M. P. -A en Exhibitor Comment — " One of the best Fatty has put over in five ree but thev prefer him in two reels." " Roscoe Arbuckle scored one* mc in this feature, which appealed to our patrons and did excellent busines " A great big hit. Very successful and did a very fine business on i CUP OF LIFE, THE (INCE-ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS) SEF " Colorful and interesting in every department." — M. P. Neics. DANGER AHEAD (UNIVERSAL) SPECIAL CAST . . .. ..AU< « "Average program picture on a heart interest theme." — if. P. Aews. DAUGHTER OF THE LAW, THE (UNIVERSAL) CARMEL MYERS. AU< "A particularly good melo well worth seeing." — M. P. ^e1cs. Exhibitor Comment — " A very good picture with fair box office vain " Fine picture which brought good business." DESPERATE TRAILS (UNIVERSAL) HARRY CAREY •■.■• .J.^h '! " Good story, well worked out, gives Barry Carey many t>pportunttiet. > M. P. Newt. DEVOTION (ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS) SPECIAL CAST .JVl '» " Gemirntinnal and highlv complicated domestic drama.' — If. P. Box Office Reports continued on page 1918