The Moving picture world (May 1922)

412 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 27, 1922 Straight from the Shoulder Reports T)efariment Jor the Informaiion of Exhibitors Edited by A. Van Buren Powell The box office is the dependable guide for all exhibitors on moving picture productions. In this department your brother exhibitors tell the story of the success or failure of the various releases. Your frank reports on all pictures are solicited for this department. You are helping yourself and others by sending them in. Write us that you'd like a free supply of report cards. Associated Exhibitors HANDLE WITH CARE. I played this on a Saturday and was so busy I didn't get a chance to Inspect it — but patrons did a lot of walking out in it and then I busied myself getting opinions from those who "stuck it out" and 90% of them agreed it was "punk." Advertising; usual. Patronage; health seekers and tourists. Attendance; poor. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful, Saraiiac Lake, New York. WOMAN, WAKE UP. Florence Vidor in excellent picture. Put on with average advertising; picture enjoyed good business. William Noble, Criterion Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Equity BLACK PANTHER'S CUB. One of the best releases of the j-ear. A popular subject, well photographed and acted. Rich scenes and sets. An all around big picture. Advertising; cuts, heralds, slides, ones, threes, sixes, twenty-four, photos, newspaper, window cards, banner. Patronage; all classes. Attendance; good (with bad weather). W. R. Fairman, Queen Theatre, Bryan, Texas. First National HOME TALENT. Good comedy from start to finish; kept the crowds laughing. Advertising; photos and ones. Patronage; general. Attendance ; good. R. Mason Hall, Grand Theatre, Northfork, West Virginia. LOTUS EATER. A highly improbable, entertaining and amusing picture, with John Barrymore. That seems contradictory, still it's just that! Exhibitors can get some money with this. 1 did; but you've got to advertise it right or you'll get an awful scolding from patrons who, after seeing "Jekyll and Hyde" with Barrymore, will expect acting such as Barrymore is capable of. But this is a' comedy drama of contrasts — a fantasy — and if you tell them just what they will see and to stretch the imagination, they'll like it a lot. It's well acted, delightfully sub-titled by George Ade, and photography is all you could wish for. It's difTerent. Play it I But take particular pains to jet them know JUST WHAT KIND OF PICTURE IT IS and hammer home the fact that a Lotus Eater lives in a state of dreamy enjoyment. Advertising; house programs, newspapers, ones and threes. Patronage; health seekers and tourists. Attendance; good. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful, Saranac Lake, New York. MOLLY O. .A very pleasing picture that starved to death here, beause of the many "lemons" previously made (patrons opinion) by Mabel Normand. Advertising; big. Patronage; high class. Attendance; extremely poor. E. W. Collins, Grand Theatre, Jonesboro, Arkansas. SIGN ON THE DOOR. Norma really does some acting in this one and it is better than the average. W. E. Tragsdorf, Trags Theatre, Neillsville, Wisconsin. SKY PILOT. An older picture, but a real good one. Fine characters, well portrayed; and done in fine style. Big thrills, and gets sympathy of audience. Attendance ; good. Ben S. Morris, Temple Theatre, Bellaire, Ohio. SMALL TOWN IDOL. Just a fair comedy ; lacks the punch to make it a real, live one. Advertising; newspaper, slide, six ones, three, six, mailing list, llxl4s. Patronage; mixed small town. Attendance; fair. L. E. Silverman, Columbia Theatre, Skamokawa, Washington. Books Bj^ Reports "I have read all the reports, press dope and advertisin.i; matter in the past twelve years that I have been an Exhibitor. I consider Straight From the Shoulder Heports from the Exhibitors, with the town and name to them, better than any doi)c that I can get on the shows, and I book most all my shows from these reports now. "I would not do without these for ten times what your subscription is per year. They are great. Lots of times there are program shows that should be specials, and lots of si)ccials ought to be program. But if you will read these reports you can learn lots." — X. MITCHELL, DIXIE THE.\TRE, RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY. TWIN BEDS. A riot of laughter, with nothing that anj'one could object to in the whole picture. Advertising; posters and papers. Patronage ; small town. Attendance; good. Chas. W. Lewis, I. O. O. F. Hall, Grand Gorge, New York. WIFE AGAINST WIFE. Several remarked it was a good picture. Patronage; family. Attendance; poor. R. J. Relf, Star Theatre, Decorah, Iowa. WOMAN IN HIS HOUSE. Splendid! W e underestimated this and did not boost it as much as it deserves. Class 100%. Advertising; usual. Patronage; mixed. Attendance; fair. E. W. Collins, Liberty Theatre, Jonesboro, Arkansas. WONDERFUL THING. Pleased everybody. Norma Talmadge is well liked here and always draws a crowd. Advertising; cuts, photo and slide. Patronage; general. .Attendance; extra good. R. Mason Hall, Grand Theatre, Kortlifork, West Virginia. Fox BAR NOTHING. Good. Advertising; three sheet, one and photos. Patronage; general. Attendance ; good. Henry R. Fitton, Liberty Theatre, Piney Fork, Ohio. FOOTFALLS. A truly great story well done in all respects. Held audiences attention throughout. Advertising; heavy. Patronage ; mixed. .Attendance ; good. L. R. Barhydt, Quincy Theatre, Quincy, Massachusetts. LITTLE MISS SMILES. With Shirley Mason, an excellent picture which enjoyed good business and pleased. William Noble, Rialto Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NIGHT HORSEMEN. This Tom Mix picture has some fairly good stunts, and is up to the average of Mix productions. Advertising: usual allotment of advertising matter. Patronage; general, .'\ttendance ; good. Jack Kaplan, Royal Theatre, South Dallsburgh, New York. OVER THE HILL. The best picture we ever had in Sapulpa. Pleased 100%. Ran four days and it is the talk of the town. .Advertising: billboards, lobby, newspaper, handbills. Patronage; high class. Attendance; good. Mrs. W. E. Arthur, St. Denis Theatre, Sapulpa, Oklahoma. QUEENIE. Fairly good program picture. Patronage; best small town. .Attendance; fair. W. E. Tragsdorf, Neillsville, Wis-" consin. QUEEN OF SHEBA. Most wonderful picture. It seems to have everything but does not appeal to the regular movie fans. We have to see the first big spectacular picture yet that we could call a box office success. The public does not appear to want them. Attendance; fair. Ben S. Morris, Temple Theatre, Bellaire, Ohio. SKY HIGH. Plenty of action and beautiful scenery of the Grand Canyon. Advertistising; regular. Patronage; small town. .Attendance ; good. Thos. J. Romine, Isis Theatre, Roseville, Illinois. TO A FINISH. Fine picture: Buck Jones at his best. Liked by all. You can't go wrong on this one. Advertising; six and one sheets, slide and heralds. Patronage; mixed. .Attendance; good. A. B. Kreiser, Majestic Theatre, Myerstown, Pennsylvania. UP AND GOING. Tom Mix always pulls the crowd because he never makes a poor picture. Give me Fox programs, best on the market for me. Advertising; one, three and 24, photos. Patronage ; all classes. -Attendance ; good. G. K. Nenes, Liberty Theatre, Miami, .Arizona.