The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

STRAIGHTfrom llie'SHOULDER REPORlS A department for. The Information of exhibitors EDITED BY A. VAN BUREN POWELL American Releasing QUICKSANDS. (6,541 feet). Star cast. A clever picture that can be bought reasonably and you can do nicely with it. Played this on a Saturday and while that day is as a rule most excellent, really think this picture drew additional patronage. Usual advertising brought very good attendance. Draw health seekers and tourists. Dave Seymour, Pontiac Theatre Beautiful, Saranac Lake, New York. WHAT FOOLS MEN ARE. (6,087 feet). Star cast. A clean, pleasing little picture. Good photography. Condition excellent. Used sixes, threes, ones, lobby, slide. Had fair attendance. Draw all classes in city of 700,000. Admission ten cents. Stephen G. Brenner, Eagle Theatre (218 seats), Baltimore, Maryland. F. B. O. BISHOP OF THE OZARKS. 4,852 feet). Star cast. Quite good for a program picture. Draw small town class in town of 7,300. Arthur B. Smith, Fenwick Theatre, Salem, Xew Jersey. BISHOP OF THE OZARKS. (4,852 feet). Star cast. We showed "The Bishop of the Ozarks-' to the largest crowds ever in our theatre. We have been in the business ten years and consider it one of the best pictures ever put on our screen. Used newspaper, hand bills. Had packed house. Draw best class in town of 2,500. Opera House, Ft. Paynes, Alabama. CAPTAIN FLY BY NIGHT. (4,940 feet). Star, Johnny Walker. A very entertaining picture. Has good moral tone. Had good attendance. William H. Mayhew, Broadway Theatre, Cisco, Texas. COLD STEEL. Star, J. P. McGowan. Good western. Ninety per cent, of film patched, full of misframes. Used ones, threes, photo, slide. Had good attendance. Draw small town class in town of 1,200. Admission 10-25. S. G. Harsh, Princess Theatre (250 seats), Mapleton, Iowa. CRASHING THRU. (6,000 feet). Star, Harry Carey. Found this to be a very good one. Ran two days to very good hot weather business. Everyone pleased. Used ones, sixes, photo. Had fair attendance. Draw middle class. Admission 10-20. William Thacher, Royal Theatre, Salina, Kansas. CRASHING THRU. (6,000 feet). Star, Harry Carey. Not much picture. About as much action as in a news reel. Cullen Landis' acting was good, but the others were a joke. Had poor attendance, drawing high class in large city. Admission 20-30. C. R. McCown, per G. P. Bannuza, Strand Theatre (350 seats), Nashville, Tennessee. GOOD MEN AND TRUE. (5,400 feet). Star, Harry Carey. A swell picture. Went big to those who saw it. Great fight in this one. Could not keep the audience quiet. You can play this one strong, and they will like it. Picture in fine shape. One thing against the picture that will kill business. Why in the deuce don't they make good posters? For such pictures as this one, the six sheet is no good. It will hurt your business. Don't use the six. The photos and twenty-fours are fair. Better make a good lobbv yourself. They should put out a six "It is my utmost desire to be of some use to my fellow men." This spirit prompts the sincere exhibitors who contribute dependable tips on pictures. The reports are printed without fear or favor, and no report from a bona fide exhibitor will be omitted. Use this department to help your selection of pictures; choose exhibitors whose opinions agree with your experience on pictures you both have played and follow them. Each month an Index To Reports will appear in the final issue; this Index will be cumulative, giving the reports for that month and those previously appearing, for a period of six months. Use the tips and send all you can to help other exhibitors. sheet of the mob and fight scene. They want fight stuff. Why not put it out in the lobby? Ran this two days. Business poor for a Carey picture. Should have done in one day what it did in two days. Get out better lobby stuff to get them in; put in the best scenes, not the poorest ones. All I have to say, put a good two reel comedy with the above picture and you'll have a real show. Go after it, get a lobby. The six sheet for this picture is for a better class house, not for the middle class. Draw middle class. Admission 10-20. William Thacher, Royal Theatre, Salina, Kansas. SALVAGE. (5,745 feet). Star, Pauline Frederick. Did not draw the young people. Pleased the older ones. It is a good, clean picture. Just program type. Used threes, paper, lobby. Had fair attendance. Draw rural class in town of 325. J. S. West, Princess Theatre, Yamhill, Oregon. THIRD ALARM. (6,700 feet). Star cast. This is unparalleled in its class. A wonderful cast. "Honest, Gerald, I did make money on this" (copyrighted). A thriller. Extra advertising brought excellent attendance. Draw rural and small town class in town of 286. Admission 10-25. R. K. Russell, Legion Theatre, Cushing, Iowa. WESTBOUND LIMITED. (5,100 feet). Star, Ralph Lewis. A box office winner. Will please all. Has good moral tone, and is suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Draw mixed class in town of 6,500. Admission 10-25. William H. Mayhew, Broadway Theatre (480 seats), Cisco, Texas. First National SILENT CALL. (6,784 feet). Star, Strongheart. After a month's emulation of "Rip Van Winkle," our ticket seller came to life on this one for two nights and saw so many strange faces that he thought he must be dreaming. We didn't break our house record, but the attendance did give us that satisfied feeling, which was shared by the patrons. One mighty good picture, and paper that draws. Display ad in paper, plus regular. Had good attendance. Draw rural clss in town of 300. Admission 20-30, specials, 22-44. Charles W. Lewis, I. O. O. F. Hall (225 seats), Grand Gorge, New York. SKIN DEEP. (6,500 feet). Star, Milton Sills. Milton Sills is a good drawing card here. A good picture full of thrills and action. You can't go wrong by booking ;t. Used 11x14, slide. Had good attendance. Draw mixed class. D. D. Purcell, Muse-U Theatre, Cortez, Colorado. SKIN DEEP. (6,500 feet). Star, Milton Sills. Book it — advertise it — and your patrons will leave your theatre saying it's great. The mysterious part of the story and the wonderful acting of Milton Sills makes it a knockout. Advertising slants, ballyhoo of crook shooting at fixed officer. Extra newspaper advertising, panels. Had excellent attendance both nights. Draw mixed class in town of 5,000. Admission twenty-eight cents. C. L. Laws, T. & D. Theatre (1,072 seats), Watsonville, California. SLANDER THE WOMAN. (6,400 feet). Star, Dorothy Phillips. I only use the best pictures two days, and this one should have been used two days without doubt; but advance dope was meagre. Boost this all you can; it is one of those northerns that has the proper direction. Fair attendance of farmers and retired farmers in town of 2,500. Admission 10-20, 10-25. H. J. Longaker, Howard Theatre, Alexandria, Minnesota. SMILIN' THRU. (8 reels). Star cast. A wonderful love story. Norma's best picture for us. A good moral. A few tears were shed. The whole cast was very good. Used slide, 11x14, ones. Had good attendance. Draw mixed class. D. D. Purcell, Muse-U Theatre, Cortez, Colorado. SUNSHINE TRAIIL. (4,500 feet). Star, Douglas McLean. Very good. Had fair attendance. Draw small town class in town of 7,300. Arthur B. Smith, Fenwick Theatre, Salem, New Jersey. Fox LOVEBOUND. (4.407 feet). Star, Shirley Mason. A very good picture. I advise everybody to get this picture. She played very good at this theatre. Used ones, threes, sixes. Had packed house. Town of 2,700. Admission 10-15. Harry Mitchell, Monarch Theatre (477 seats), Farmington, Missouri. LOVE GAMBLER. (4,682 feet). Star, John Gilbert. A fair program picture with no draft. Draw from small town, about 2,000, and country. Admission 10-25. W. E. Tragsdorf, Trag's Theatre, NeillsviUe, Wisconsin. MADNESS OF YOUTH. (4,719 feet). Star, John Gilbert. Well, he played very good at this time. I'd advise everybody get this one. It was good. Used ones, threes, sixes. Had good attendance. Town of 2,700. Admission 10-15. Harry Mitchell, Monarch Theatre (477 seats), Farmington, Missouri. MONTE CRISTO. (8 reels). Star, John Gilbert. Not a small town picture. Bought as a special and ran at regular prices. I always lose on Fox specials. A high class picture. Has good moral tone and is suitable for Sunday. Had good attendance. Draw Mexicans and working class in town of 1,100. Joe Kenneaster, Mystic Theatre, Clovis, California. MOONSHINE VALLEY. (5,619 feet). Star, William Farnum. Not much picture. Not much business. William Noble, Isis Theatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.