Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 1, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 4 77 Mr. Schneider Writes “How does it come that a small town theatre has to put up with all the poor prints that am exchange has on hand? “Now, the people in a small town pay hard cash to see a good show as well as the people in the larger places. “As a rule Vitagraph gives the best service in good prints as long as I have been in business, which has been two years. “There should be a law that the exchanges should have to pay an exhibitor damages for each amd every time they send him a poor print. We pay for good service and we should have it; our patrons pay for good service amd they should have it.” — Jack Schneider, Casina Theatre, Richmond, Indiana. duced with class. Would say this would be a trifle better than an average program picture and should be bought at that price. Usual advertising brought good .attendance. Draw health seekers and tourists. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful, Saranac Lake, New York. HOLLYWOOD. (8,100 feet). Star cast. One thousand laughs, one thousand tears, one thousand sensations and the colossal surprise of the time. “Hollywood” is a remarkable picture in many ways, and calculated to appeal to every lover of motion pictures everywhere. It is significant of the importance of the picture that it was made by James Cruze, creator of “The Old Homestead” and “The Covered Wagon.” William Noble, Criterion Theatre,. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. HOMEWARD BOUND. (7,000 feet). Star, Thomas Meighan. Something to get behind and advertise for all of Meighan’s pictures so far have been excellent. Will please everyone. Print good. Suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Draw university students and better class in city of 35,000. P. A. Wills, Park Theatre (610 seats), Champaign, Illinois. IMPOSSIBLE MRS. BELLEW. (7,153 feet). Star, Gloria Swanson. Best Gloria Swanson I’ve played yet. She has never pulled any business here but did fair in this one. Hardly suitable for Sunday. Good attendance, drawing family and student classes in town of 4,000. Admission 10-22. R. J. Relf, Star Theatre (600 seats), Decorah, Iowa. JAVA HEAD. (7,865 feet). Star, Leatrice Joy. A very good picture. Should please most of ’em. William Noble, Rialto Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. KICK IN. (7,074 feet). Star, Bert Lytell. Very good picture that pleased immensely. Moral tone O. K. and is suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Draw general class in town of 800. Admission 10-30. Frank G. Leal, Leal Theatre (246 seats), Irvington, California. LAW OF THE LAWLESS. (6,387 feet). Star, Dorothy Dalton. Good picture with fine cast. Dorothy does well with De Roche and Kosloff. Picture was well liked here. Suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Draw middle and lower classes in city of 600,000. Admission 10-15, 10-25. Joseph F. Enos, New Lyceum Theatre (1,600 seats), San Francisco, California. LEOPARDESS. (5,621 feet). Star, Alice Brady. Pleased but few. Production is adequate but Miss Brady disgusts with her awkward and feeble attempt to do a native dance. Her work in this picture reveals no genius. Montague Love is good, but story is weak and unconvincing. Advertising slants, South Sea Island scenery, Mr. Love. Had average attendance for Saturday. Draw all classes in city of 14,000. Admission 10-25. E. W. Collins, Grand & Liberty Theatre (750500 seats), Jonesboro, Arkansas. MAKING A MAN. (6 reels). Star, Jack Holt. This one will sure please them, many compliments. A. Mitchell, Dixie Theatre, Russellville, Kentucky. MARRIAGE MAKER. (6,295 feet). Star, Jack Holt. Advertise this as different and be sure you are not at the door, when the crowd gets out for they’ll sure tell you how different it is. A real waste of time of this splendid cast. Moral tone good if they can understand it. Suitable for Sunday. Had very poor attendance. F. M. Francis, Lincoln Theatre, Charleston, Illinois. MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY. (6,460 feet). Star, Dorothy Dalton. I believe it might have been alright, but the film was in such bad condition that I couldn’t judge. The salesman e'rred when he told me they had a new print on this, but that is nothing unusual for a salesman. Not suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Drew resi dential class in town of 1,500. Admission 1025. J. A. McGill, Liberty Theatre (250 seats), Port Orchard, Washington. MR. BILLINGS SPENDS HIS DIME. (5,585 feet). Star, Walter Hiers. Where does Paramount get the idea that Hiers can take Reid’s place? Half of audience disgusted. Bull fight only in press book. Used slides, ones, photos, paper. Small town. W. T. Waugh, Empress Theatre, Grundy Center, Iowa. SHARK MONROE. (5,000 feet). Star, William S. Hart. As usual, good. Print in very good shape. Little rainy but not enough to hurt. Did very fair business. Five houses open all this week. Too much and too many places to go. Makes business light. This is the third time the William Harts have been run in Salina and they still go very good. Better than the average program pictures. They are not a bad buy if you can buy them right. One thing sure, they will please. Put a two-reel comedy with them. Admission 10-20. William Th.acher, Royal Theatre, Salina, Kansas. SHEIK. (6,579 feet). Star, Rodolph Valentino. Book it. You can’t go wrong, provided you get it at right price. Pleased one hundred per cent. Used ones, threes, newspaper. Suitable for Sunday. Had extra good attendance. Draw mixed class in town of 3,000. Admission 10--20. J. R. Long, Opera House (500 seats), Fort Payne, Alabama. SILENT PARTNER. (5,866 feet). Star cast. Extra good, pleased one hundred percent and no kicks. William Noble, Capitol Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. SINGED WINGS. (7,788 feet). Star cast. Very poor for this town. Many walked out. We wanted to also. Regular advertising brought fair attendance. Draw local patronage. Ernest M. Cowles, Orpheum Theatre, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. SIXTY CENTS AN HOUR. (5,632 feet). Star, Walter Hiers. Average picture; contains some laughs however. Jacqueline Logan in support is very clever but doesn’t do much. Hiers won’t create much sensation. Clean comedy suitable for Sunday. Good attendance of middle and lower class in big city. Admission 10-15 matinee, 10-35 evening. Joseph F. Enos, New Lyceum Theatre (1,600 seats), San Francisco, California. SNOW BRIDE. (6,000 feet). Star, Alice Brady. Fair picture. Rather slow and long drawn out. Poor Alice, she’s through as a drawing card. She tries though and that’s something. It is suitable for Sunday showing. Had good attendance. Draw middle and lower classes in city of 600,000. Admission 10-15, 10-25. Joseph F. Enos, New Lyceum Theatre, (1,600 seats), San Francisco, California. SNOW BRIDE. (6,000 feet). Star, Alice Brady. Can’t say much for this one. Had good attendance. Draw general class in town of 3,720. Admission varies. C. F. Krieghbaum, Paramount Theatre (294 seats), Rochester, Indiana. THIRTY DAYS. (7,788 feet). Star, Wallace Reid. “Say, you want cod fish? We have only mackerel today.” Has harmless moral tone. Not suitable for Sunday nor any other day. Had fair attendance. Draw family and student class in town of 4,000. Admission 10-22. R. J. Relf, Star Theatre (600 seats), Decorah, Iowa. TIGER’S CLAW. (5,297 feet). Star, Jac:< Holt. Just one of those pictures that can hardly be classed as average entertainment. I would not advise playing it as there are too many others far superior. T. H. Whittemore, Newcsatle, California. TIGER’S CLAW. (5,297 feet). Star, Jack Holt. Star, as usual, does good work, but this is quite a ways from being his best picture. Pleased fairly well. Had very good attendance. Draw general class in town of 3,720. Admission varies. C. F. Krieghbaum, Paramount Theatre (294 seats), Rochester, Indiana. TIGER’S CLAW. (5,297 feet). Star, Jack Holt. This picture did not please; something lacking. Picture was weak, with poor settings, especially the breaking of the dam was poor. Poorest Jack Holt* picture in some time. Jack Holt a favorite here, but if they put him in weak pictures he will soon lose his popularity. Had good attendance. Adolph Schutz, Liberty Theatre, Silver City, New Mexico. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. (7,518 feet). Star, Betty Compson. Excellent picture. Should please ninety per cent, of the audiences. William Noble, Majestic Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. TO THE LAST MAN. (6,965 feet). Star, Richard Dix. Another good western that pleased my patrons one hundred per cent. My patrons are not any too stuck on westerns but this one sure brought them in and had the largest Saturday night crowd I have ever had. Regular advertising brought extra good attendance. Draw general class in town of 800. Admission 10-30. Frank G. Leal., Leal Theatre (246 seats), Irvington, California. TWO WEEKS WITH PAY. (4,136 feet). Star, Bebe Daniels. Well Miss Daniels had two weeks full of absorbing interest, and the picture will interest anyone seeing it. William Noble, Capitol Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. VALLEY OF SILENT MEN. (6,491 feet). Star, Alma Rubens. Some liked this one and some didn’t. Play it up with a good comedy and you might get by. My patrons didn’t get very enthusiastic about it. Fair attendance, drawing general class in town of 800. Admission 10-30. Frank G. Leal, Leal Theatre (246 seats), Irvington, California. WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER. (11,618 feet). Star, Marion Davies. This one was big, no use talking, but too darned long. No one has time to squat for two hours and a half to see Miss Marion cut a few capers that could be cut in twenty minutes. Marion, you stall too much.