Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 1, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 67 Mix. The rough stuff was faded out each time it started to take place and the picture was very monotonous. We are very glad to see that the 1927 Mix pictures will be real westerns, the kind that ring the bell in the old till. More like this and Tom will be forced to go back to roping steers for a living. Tone fair, appeal very little. Sunday, oh, yes! Special no. Draw all sorts, town about 1,000. Admission 10-25 to 15-35. H. H. Hedberg, Amuse-U Theatre, Melville, Louisiana. YANKEE SENOR. (4,900 feet). Star, Tom Mix. This is somewhat different from the average Mix, but it made him some new friends and his old frends don’t go back on him for the first offence. Charles Lee Hyde, Grand Theatre, Pierre, South Dakota. YELLOW FINGERS. (8,294 feet). Star, Olive Borden. This is above the average South Sea island stuff. Charles Lee Hyde, Grand Theatre, Pierre, South Dakota, M etrO'Qoldwyn ROMOLA. (2 reels). Stars, Lillian Gish. A fine picture which brought many people who seldom come. Several ladies toid me that they were pleased with the picture. I played this on a Saturday night and I think that it disappointed the majority, who usually make up my Saturday night crowd. If your^ clientele is chiefly western fans better pass this one up their nights anyhow. Tone good, Sunday yes, special no. Town 1,000. L. E. Parsons, Parson’s Hall (325 seats), Marcellus, New York. SALLY, IRENE AND MARY. (5,504 feet). Star cast — fine, well directed cast. Many prominent names are listed, with Constance Bennett, Joan Crawford, Sally O'Neil and William Haines leading. This story of the life of the chorus girl after the show is over held interest until the final closeup. A good program picture. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall, Chester, Vermont. SALLY, IRENE AND MARY. (5,504 feet). Star cast. A little rough for Sunday: hut if your audience is not too critical, you can use it. Tone, not so good. Appeal fair. Maybe Sunday, no special. Draw town, rural class, town 896. Admission 10-25. Mrs. S. J. Brown & Son, Phoenix Theatre (200 seats), Neola, Iowa, SALLY, IRENE AND MARY. (5,564 feet). Star cast. Just a fair program picture. Did not hear any comments on picture. Tone good, appeal 80 per cent. Sunday good, special no. J. H. Heick, Allen Theatre, Allen, Kansas. SEVEN CHANCES. (5,113 feet). Star, Buster Keaton. A fair picture, really cute in some places; but with us Buster is not a drawing card — just so many like him, and no more. Tone O. K., appeal 60 per cent. Sunday yes, special no. Draw general class, town 3,600. Admission 10-20. Wm. A. Clark, Sr., Castle Theatre (400 seats), Havana, Illinois. TEMPTRESS. (9 reels). Star, Greta Garbo, also Antonio Moreno. It seems as though all of this firm’s high priced features are released about this time of the year, when a small town like this don’t do any business. This cost me plenty and I sure felt it. The Temptress is a good attraction, with lots of action. Sounds like a hot one, but it isn’t. The few people who saw it liked it, while the title kept people away that no doubt would have enjoyed it. Roy D’Arcy is pretty good, but he is not the D’Arcy he was in he Merry Widow. New print and good paper. Tone good, appeal fair, Sunday yes. R. A. Preuss, Arvada Theatre, Arvada, Colorado. TIME, THE COMEDIAN. Stars, BuschCody. This might have been all right if the stars had done their part, but they sure walked out on it here. Floyd G. Ward, Ward Theatre, Stark, Kansas. TOWER OF LIES. (6,849 feet). Stars, Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer. Not their best, but a good program that pleased all. Draw from town 400. Floyd G. Ward, Ward Theatre, Stark, Kansas. A picture that pulled a packed house on a rainy night! A comedy that saved the show when the feature turned out flat. A picture that drew against a carnival. Where can you learn about those assets to your program? From the tips that generous exhibitors contribute to Straight from the Shoulder. Such tips have already appeared. Do your part to help others. Send tips early and often! Paramount ACE OF CADS. (7,786 feet.) Star, Adolphe Menjou. Very good acting, splendid story, should please any audience. Tone, appeal good, Sunday yes, special no. Mrs. J. B. Travelle, Elite Theatre, Placerville, California. ALOMA OF SOUTH SEAS. (S,544 feet). Star, Gilda Gray. A very good picture but if cut down to six reels would be better. Too much of the same thing over again. Tone fair, appeal 70 per cent. Sunday, special no. Draw town, country class, town 350. Admission 15-25. Ira Stonebraker, Allen Theatre (350 seats), Allen, Kansas. ANCIENT HIGHWAY. (7,506 feet). Star, Jack Holt. Exceptionally good logging story with Billie Dove, giving us several thrills during the log jam by her acrobatics and spills. Tone O. K. Appeal general. Sunday, special no. Draw rural class, town 300. Admission 15-30 regular. Chas. W. Lewis, I. O. O. F. Hall (225 seats). Grand Gorge, New York. BIRTHDAY GROUP. Looks like Paramount has the goods in the Birthday Group. A. Mitchell, Dixie Theatre, Russellville, Kentucky. BORN TO THE WEST. (6,045 feet). Star, Jack Holt. Good. Plenty of action. Should please any one that likes outdoor and action pictures. Tone, appeal good. Sunday, special yes. Draw town, farm class, town 600. Admission 10-30. H. W. Batchelder, Galt Theatre (175 seats), Galt, California. BORN TO THE WEST. (6,045 feet). Star, Jack H'olt. The best of the Zane Grey pictures to date depicting Vanishing American. Title is good, author’s name means attendance and the paper was good, so it did a nice business. Raymond Hatton is good. Tone fair, appeal 95 per cent. Sunday, special no. Draw townspeople and farmers, town 850. Admission usually 10-25. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall (250 seats), Chester, Vermont. CAMPUS FLIRT. (6,702 feet). Star, Bebe Daniels. Best picture to date. Can’t boost it too much. Pleased a hundred per cent. My advice to small towns is to back it and clean up. Tone O. K. Sunday, special yes. Draw mixed class, town 3,000. Admission 10-20. J. R. Long, Opera House (300 seats), Fort Payne, Alabama. CAMPUS FLIRT. (6,702 feet). Star, Bebe Daniels. Everybody liked this immensely. Full of action and plenty of comedy. Can’t go wrong on this picture nohow. Attendance (Saturday) excellent. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre, Saranac Lake, New York. FINE MANNERS. (7 reels). Star, Gloria Swanson. Better than recent Swanson picture. Mitchell Conery, Columbia Theatre, Rensselaer, New York. FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE. (5,356 feet). Star, Harold Lloyd. It’s good, but not as good as any of his other pictures. I could get them in on this one. Draw town, rural, town 2,500. Admission 10-25. S. H. Rich, Rich Theatre (450 seats), Montpelier, Idaho. FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE. (5,356 feet). Star, Harold Lloyd. Very good but not so good as Safety Last I (how many comedies are?) and if this is bought carefully and exploited properly — you’ll do profitable business. Lloyd has set a rather high average and you can’t expect this clever comedian to be one hundred per cent, on every picture. Good attendance. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre, Saranac Lake, New York. FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE. (5,356 feet). Star, Harold Lloyd. A good comedy but not as good as some of his previous successes. The chase in the last reel is too closely patterned after that in Safety Last. Paramount asked too much rental for it. Did not draw as well as previous Lloyds. Tone O. K., appeal 85 per cent. Sunday yes, special no. Draw townspeople and farmers, town 850. Usual admission 10-25. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall (250 seats), Chester, Vermont. HANDS UP. (6,500 feet). Star, Raymond Griffith. Ray in another Paramount comedy, not as good as some of his previous efforts, but pleased the majority. The surprise ending is good. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall, Chester, Vermont. HE’S A PRINCE. Star, Raymond Griffith. Another guaranteed laugh producer. As good a program comedy as can be bought from any company at a minimum rental. Guy C. Sawyer, own Hall, Chester, Vermont. HE’S A PRINCE. Star, Raymond Griffith. Title was changed to A Regular Fellow. Just a fair picture and was not liked as well as some of his other pictures. Tone fair, appeal 75 per cent. Sunday, special no. Draw town, country class, town 860. Admission 10-25. Oren J. Spalti, Strand Theatre (235 seats), Pleasantville, Iowa. HOLD THAT LION. Star, Douglass MacLean. This was a hilarious comedy that pleased the crowd. The lion was good and MacLean pleased the ladies. Chas. Lee Hyde, Grand Theatre, Pierre, South Dakota. IRISH LUCK. (7,008 feet). Star, Thomas Meighan. Not any better than the ordinary program picture, although Paramount seems to think this picture worth more. Pleased only 75 per cent. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall, Chester, Vermont IT’S THE OLD ARMY GAME. (6.889 feet), Star, W. C. Fields. Quite a lot of comedy but nothing to the story. I would say just an ordinary picture. Tone good, appeal 5050. Sunday yes, special no. Draw town, farm class, town 600. Admission 10-30, 1535. H. W. Batchelder, Galt Theatre (175 seats), Galt, California. IT’S THE OLD ARMY GAME. (6,889 feet). Star, W. C. Fields. A fair comedy that was helped by t'he fair Miss Brooks. She was not on the screen very much during its showing. Would have liked to have seen more of her. Tone good, appeal fair, not a special. Draw better class, town 4,500. Admission 10-20. C. A. Anglemire, “Y” Theatre (400 seats), Nazareth, Pennsylvania. KID BOOTS. (5,650 feet). Star, Eddie Cantor. This is a fine slapstick comedy with the active Cantor really doing funny stuff. Its plot would be what one expects in a musical comedy but weak for a big movie and yet the show is so full of clever gags and stunts that the crowd like it lots. Charles Lee Hyde, Grand Theatre, Pierre, South Dakota. KID BOOTS. Star, Eddie Cantor. This is good entertainment; has a typical musical comedy plot but a lot of clever gags that put it across. Eddie Cantor is a real show in himself and the two girls are very attractive. It is not a “chorus show1’ however, and Ziegfeld does not show his stuff but it is an entertaining comedy and pleases. Tone O. K. Universal appeal. Sunday, special yes. Chas. Lee Hyde, Grand Theatre (10-20-30 admission), Pierre, South Dakota. LET’S GET MARRIED. (6,800 feet). Star, Richard Dix. A great comedy drama. How they laughed, and so did I. The wedding at the finish is typical of a jazz-mad age, and