The Moving picture world (March 1923-April 1923)

April 28, 1923 M O y I .\' G PICTURE WORLD 937 First Tips On Recent Releases THE LEOPARDESS (ParamountAlice Brady). Very good, but did not draw; but pleased all who saw it. Fair attendance. O. W. Harris, St. Denis Theatre, Sapulpa, Oklahoma. THREE JUMPS AHEAD (Fox-Tom Mix). The picture was very good. Williac Noble, Orpheum Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. THE GLIMPSES OF THE MOON (Paramount-Nita Naldi, Bebe Daniels). Beautiful picture, beautifully portrayed by two beautiful stars. The picture enjoyed a week's good business. William Noble, Capitol Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ADAM'S RIB (Paramount-Star cast). A very good production and one of the very best of the season. Everyone liked it. William Noble, Capitol Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. MAD LOVE (Goldwyn-Pola Negri). Foreign stuff does not take well in Oklahoma City, but star being the reputed fiancee of Chaplin, the picture was well patronized. Some liked it and some did not. William Noble, Liberty Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. WHAT A WIFE LEARNED (First Natl. -Featured cast). Milton Sills, John Bowers and Marguerite De La Motte in the cast. Not as good as the former choice pictures — "Skin Deep," "Hottentot," "Lying Lips" and "Mother O' Mine." Just fair. Charles H. Ryan, Garfield Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. WHITE FLOWER (Paramount-Betty Compson). A decided novelty that drew them in for seven days; business better at end of week than beginning. Jay A. Haas, Clune's Broadway Theatre, Los Angeles, California. IS DIVORCE A FAILURE? (Assoc. Exhib.-Leah Baird). This smashed the box office. Got Miss Baird to stop off here on her way to New York for personal appearance. Given keys to City by Mayor and newspapers carried column^ and pictures of all kinds. Biggest success of any personal appearance ever here. Over 19,000 admissions; and' first day drizzled from morning to midnight, other two days hot. Picture A No. 1 and star made a friend of the whole town. Will Horwitz, Jr., Iris Theatre, Houston, Texas. gave my patrons excellent satisfaction. Advertising slant, boost popularity of star and play. Attendance fine considering weather. Draw usual small town type, town of 3,000. Admission 15-20. A. LaValla, Community Tlieatre, Bethel, Connecticut. PRISONER OF ZENDA. (10.467 feet). Stars. Alice Terry, Lewis Stone. A very fine picture; two reels too long. Artistically produced, splendidly acted, but comparatively no punch. They may talk "Four Horsemen" prices on this and it isn't worth half. You can't find one bit of fault with this picture and you will also wonder why they don't come to the box office. I ascribe it to the lack of punch. It was not a moneymaking picture here ; take that into consideration when you are buying it. Used photos, mailing list and other accessories. Draw health seekers and tourists. Attendance fair. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful, Saranac Lake, New York. QUINCY ADAMS SAWYER. (7.800 feet). Star cast includes Blanche Sweet. A picture with an excellent cast, lots of laughs and several thrills. Won't please everybody, but heard very good reports. Advertised with one, threes, posters, slide, newspaper. Drew well considering the weather. Town of 3.700. ■C. F. Kreighbaum, Paramount Theatre, Rochester Indiana. Paramount ACROSS THE CONTINENT. (5,481 feet). Star, Wallace Reid. A splendid picture and will please the most exacting. Just a trifle old. but, nevertheless, business was as good as expected. Used ones, threes, sixes, photos, slide. Fair attendance. Draw neighborhood type; town of 4,200. Admission 10-22. W. E. Elkin, Temple Theatre (500 seats). Averdeen, Mississippi. ANNA ASCENDS. (5,959 feet). Star, Alice Brady. Title should read, "Anna Ascends for a piece of cheese — good old wagon, but done broke down." Business 'way off. Draw family class in city of 30,000. Admission 3550-75. Jack Hoeffler, Orpheum Theatre, Quincy, Illinois. ANNA ASCENDS. (5,959 feet). Star, Alice Brady. A very good picture. I played this with a Larry Semon, as Alice Brady means nothing to my patrons after some of the "Realart stuff," and I did a very nice business and every one liked the program as a whole. Uusual advertising to health seekers and tourists brought good attendance. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful. Saranas Lake, New York. BACHELOR DADDY. (6,229 feet). Star, Thomas Meighan. Went fine. Pleased all, we believe. Regular advertising yielded fair attendance. Draw mixed class in town of 1,150. -Admission 10-25. Ernest M. Cowles, Orpheum Theatre, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. BACK HOME AND BROKE. (7,814 feet). Star, Thomas Meighan. Now we have it ! When the patrons stop at the box office and comment on a picture, you may put it down it is a crackerjack. It sure pleased them all. And the pretty part about it is, we were able to make some money with it, because we bought it right. What we cannot understand is why Paramount did not put it out as a Special. Of course they did not know what they had. Fair advertising angles. Attendance good. Draw better class in town of 7,400. Admission 10-17-22-28. K. H. Sink, Wayne Theatre, Greenville, Ohio. BACK HOME AND BROKE. (7,814 feet). Star, Tiiomas Meighan. A novelty picture that will draw big. If it won't draw for you, then nothing will. By all means, play it. Advertising slants, star and story. Attendance fine. Draw mixed class, all nationalities, in town of 5,000. L. A. Hoover, Gem Theatre, Durango, Colorado. (Mr. Hoover has just opened another theatre, from which you will probably get some mighty useful reports.) BOBBED HAIR. (4,395 feet). Star, Wanda Hawley. Our small-town audience didn't seem to catch the drift on this one. Miss Hawley is a very good star for us, and is good in this picture; but there isn't much to the picture for a small-town bunch." Too much (ireenwich Village stuff for 'em. Advertising slants, play up the star. Poor attendance. Draw small town and transient trade iii town of 3,000. Admission 10-25. F. P. Werner, Queen Theatre (250 seats), Trinity, Texas. CLARENCE. (6,140 feet). Star cast includes Wallace Reid, Agner Ayres and May MacAvoy. Holy Week and good business. Every one pleased. Usual advertising pulled good attendance. Town of 9,237. Admission 22 cents. H. V. Smooths, Vine Theatre, Mt. Vernon, Ohio. CONRAD IN QUEST OF HIS YOUTH. (5 reels). Star, Thomas Meighan. This picture will please the older people but the younger do not care for it. It will go over big if you have played "Manslaughter" and "Back Home and Broke." Those two pictures "made" Thomas Meighan. Used usual advertising. Attendance excellent Town of about 2,000, draw general class. Admission 10-15. Russell Armentrout, K. P. Theatre, Pittsfield, Illinois. CONRAD IN QUEST OF HIS YOUTH. (5 reels). Star, Thomas Meighan. Print in such bad condition that we are unable to make any kind of a report on the subject other than that the film had been cut so bad that only about half of the story remained and our patrons walked out. Why can't Paramount send out good prints to the small exhibitor? They are getting enough money to enable them to give us good prints. Used photos, heralds, ones and threes. Attendance fair. Mixed patronage. H. L. Bennett, Victoria Theatre, Parsons, West Virginia. CRADLE. (4,698 feet). Star, Ethel Clayton. Best picture with Ethel Clayton we have shown, but she appeared in so many sorry ones she is no good here. Used newspaper and billboard. Attendance poor. Town of about 7,500. Draw all classes. Admission 10-25. Wm. H. Mayhew, Broadway Theatre, Cisco, Texas. CRADLE OF COURAGE. (5,000 feet). Star, William S. Hart. A very good picture. Bill Hart's pictures always take well in Oklahoma City. Wm. Noble, Isis Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. DARK SECRETS. (4,337 feet). Star, Dorothy Dalton. The story fine but did not draw. Pleased all who saw it. Used lobby, newspaper, and billboard. Attendance poor. Town of about 19,000. Admission 10-35. O. W. Harris, St. Denis Theatre, Sapulpa, Oklahoma. HELIOTROPE. (6 reels). Star cast. Very good one. Pictures like this build up the business for any exhibitor. Advertising same as usual. Attendance fair. Town of about 1,500. Draw all kinds. Admission 10-22. Frank Fera, Victory Theatre, Rossiter, Pennsylvania. HER GILDED CAGE. (6,249 feet). Star, Gloria Swanson. An average program picture of rather below average pulling power. It's forced and unreal. Doesn't add to Gloria's popularity. Usual advertising. At tendance fair. Mixed patronage. Al C. Werner, Royal Theatre, Reading, Pennsylvania. HER GILDED CAGE. (6,249 feet). Star, Gloria Swanson. A good box office bet and pleases. The story is improbable but is well handled and will please the great majority. It is a richly done production. Advertising angles, star and elegance of production. Attendance good. Town of about 14,000. Draw all classes. Admission 10-25. E. W. Collins, Grand and Liberty Theatres, Jonesbor >, Arkansas. HER OWN MONEY. (4,981 feet). Star, Ethel Clayton. Fair entertainment, but so many similar stories. Why can't we have more original stuff like "Is Matrimony a Failure?" Used star's name for advertising. Average attendance. Town of about 2,500. Draw all classes. Admission 5-10, 10-20. A. L. Middleton, Grand Theatre, De Queen, Arkansas. HOMESPUN VAMP. (5 reels). Star, May McAvoy. A fair program picture. Used regular advertising. Attendance fair. Town of 1.000. Draw mixed class. Admission 10-25 to 10-40. L. S. Goolsby, Royal Theatre, Marvell, Arkansas. IDOL OF THE NORTH. (5,802 feet). Star, Dorothy Dalton. A weak feature, in my estimation. Saved the show by using a good strong feature with it. Used ordinary advertising. Attendance good. Town of about 300. Draw rural classes. Admission, 20-30, Special 22-39. Chas. W. Lewis, L O. O. F. Hall, Grand Gorge, New York.