The Moving picture world (September 1924-October 1924)

138 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 13, 1924 Some Proved Stunts for Getting Better Crowds One of our newer friends, but one who has the spirit of helpfulness very finely developed, comes in with a fine suggestion for improving the audience interest and building patronage. Here's his tip: "A word to the wise is sufficient. "I would suggest to fellow exhibitors that you make movie fans out of more of your patrons by using good, legitimate propaganda. "How? By displaying Press Sheets in the lobby, and in other ways educating the general public to know by name the supporting casts as well as th; stars. "It will increase their interest in the 'movies' and add to the attendance if they are caused to recognize as old screen friends such artists as Julia Faye, Dale Faller, Za-su Pitts, Ethel Wales, Pauline Garon, Alan Hale, Clarence Burton, Robert Agnew, Charles Ogle, Joseph Kilgour and a host of others, all excellent players. "Then, again — get your patrons into the habit of rating their photoplays, say from 1 — poor, to 12— excellent; you can do this in the small towns, where you know your people personally, and it creates a rivalry of opinion and of interest which is good for the box office. "We do it. YOU try it! Yours for S. R. O."— George W. Walther, Dixie Theatre. Kerrville, Texas. Paramount BEDROOM WINDOW. (4,550 feet). Star, May McAvoy. Good mystery picture, one which will keep the audience guessing until the last reel. We would say a very good picture. Good tone and all right for Sunday. The audience appeal, you are bound to like it. Draw mixed class, town of 1,800. Admission 25. Fred S. Widenor, Opera House (492 seats), Belvedere, New Jersey. BIG BROTHER. (7,080 feet). Patrons liked this picture. Ben Alexander's part carried through this picture with great heart appeal. Think this picture should go anywhere. Seemed to please a large majority. Tone good and Sunday, yes. Mrs. J. V. Travelle. Elite Theatre, Placerville, California. BIG BROTHER. (7,080 feet). Star, Tom Moore. A good, strong picture which should appeal to any audience. We didn't make any money on this one, but not the fault of the picture. Tone good. Sunday, yes. Splendid audience appeal. Working class, town of 3,775. Admission 10-20. Wahl & Worcester, Kil Kare Theatre (579 seats), Wood River, Illinois. CAI. I OF" THE CA.WOJ. (6,982 feet). Stars, Richard Dlx, Lois Wilson. One of the best of the Zane Grey stories we have played and should please any audience, because it has an interesting story to it and holds the interest to the end. Good tone for Sunday and good appeal. Draw miners and farmers, town of 600. Admission 10-25. John Russell, Russell Theatre (250 seats), Matherville, Illinois. CHANGING HUSBANDS. (6,799 feet). Star, Leatrice Joy. Comedy, comedy and more comedy. They will all like this one. Joy and Ray Griffith are very good. Tone is all right for Sunday and it has great audience appeal. Draw all classes, town of 2,000. Admission 17. J. H. Fetty, Red Wing Theatre (300 seats). Laurel, Maryland. COWBOY AND THE LADY. Star, Mary Miles Minter. Very poor picture from my angle. Some pretty scenery but the whole thing is so unreasonable that it was laughable without being a comedy. Poor audience appeal though suitable for Sunday in matter of tone. Draw farmers and town of 600. Admission 10-20, 15-30. H. W. Batchelder, Gait Theatre (175 seats), Gait, California. FIGHTING COWARD. (6,501 feet). Star cast. Fair business. Picture did not seem to appeal as the stage production did. All classes, city of 10,000. Admission 10-25. Vine Theatre, Mt. Vernon, Ohio. FLAMING BARRIEHS. (5,821 feet). Stars, Jacqueline Logan and Antonio Moreno. Good program picture, with lots of action. Walter Heirs supplies the comedy and does his part well. The tone is all right and yes for Sunday, but will not appeal to a too critical audience. Draw miners and farmers, town of 600. Admission 10-25. John Russell. Russell Theatre (250 seats), Matherville, Illinois. HIS CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. (8,300 feet). Star, Bebe Daniels and all-star cast. Fairly good picture, but not worth any more than a program picture. They tried to tell too many stories in one picture, with the result that it does not hold the interest as closely as it should; also, it is too long. Tone okay for Sunday. Fair appeal. Draw miners and farmers, town of 600. Admission 10-25. John Russell. Russell Theatre (250 seats), Matherville, Illinois. JAVA HEAD. (7,865 feet). Star cast. Just a program, that's all. Good prints. Tone all right but would not say for Sunday. Admission 10-25. E. C. Bays, Globe Theatre (250 seats), Buena Vista, Virginia. RACING HEARTS. (6,400 feet). Star, Agnes Ayres. A very good picture, with comedy touches, somewhat similar to the racing pictures featuring Wallace Reid. In fact, so similar that some patrons thought they had seen it before. Tone good. Sunday yes. General audience appeal. Rural class, town of 300. Admission 10-30, specials 15-40. Charles W. Lewis, 1. O. O. F. Theatre (225 seats), Grand Gorge, New York. SHADOWS OF PARIS. (6,549 feet). Star, Pola Negri. Some people had compared this to "The Humming Bird." God, forgive them. A rather painful, cheerless and improbable drama that didn't mean anything at the box office nor to the few who were brave enough to see it through. City of 110,000. Admission 10-20. Al. C. Werner, Royal Theatre (500 seats), Reading, Pennsylvania. SHADOWS OK PARIS. (6.549 feet). Star, Pola Negri. This is one of Pola Negri's best, showing her in the role of an Apache of the Paris underworld. This is by far the best of any of her pictures we have played, but did not draw any extra business. Tone all right, suitable for Sunday. Appeal good. Draw miners and farmers, town of 600. Ad mission 10-25. John Russell, Russell Theatre (250 seats). Matherville, Illinois. SHADOWS OF PARIS. (6.549 feet). Star cast. One of the best of the Pola Negri's. She is not liked here but this one seemed to please. All classes, city of 10,000. Admission 10-25. Vine Theatre. Mt. Vernon. Ohio. SHE LOVES AND LIES. Star cast. Everybody thought it a good picture. Mixed class, town of 800. Admission 15-25. Jerry Wertin, Winter Theatre (250 seats), Albany, Minnesota. SOCIETY SCANDAL. (6,433 feet). Star, Gloria Swanson. For me a big piece of nothing that costs us a wad of money. Too darned much money! Just a fair picture, worth perhaps a third of what I paid. How do they do it, oh, how do they do it? Now, don't laugh — have they done it to you, too? Ned Pedig, Pollard Theatre, Guthrie, Oklahoma. SOCIETY SCANDAL. (6,433 feet). Star, Gloria Swanson. This is a much better picture than the reports indicated. It has some tense moments when Gloria is producing some real acting, and Rod La Roque's crossexamination is great. It hasn't the pulling power of "The Humming Bird" but it Is attempting something bigger. People were very well pleased and the comments were all complimentary. Al. C. Werner, Royal Theatre, Reading, Pennsylvania. STRANGER. (6,660 feet). Star. Betty Compson. The more discriminating patrons praised this picture, and deservedly. The ones who like plenty of knockouts and a few killings for good measure were not so enthusiastic; but, altogether, it pleased the majority. City of 110.000. Admission 10-20. Al. C. Werner, Royal Theatre, Reading Pennsylvania. THREE WORD BRAND. Star. W. S. Hart. Our patrons like westerns and we find that these old Harts make a very satisfactory Saturday program, with comedy and Fables. They can be bought right — and it looks to us like a foolish thing for an exhibitor to pay practically the same price for Inferior western pictures when these ParamountHarts are better from every standpoint, production, story, direction and cast. We have played them all and found them very satisfactory. P. A. Preddy, Elaine Theatre, Sinton, Texas. WKVr OK THE WATER TOWER reels). Star, Glenn Hunter. A true-to-life story of small town life which should have an appeal to all audiences. Tone good. Sunday, yes. Good audience appeal. Working class, town of 3,775. Admission 10-20. Wahl & Worcester, Kil Kare Theatre (579 seats), Wood River, Illinois. WOMAN WHO WALKED ALONE. Stars Dalton-Sills. Another picture two years old that will stand up with the best of the late releases. No clothes to get out of date. If your town has not shown it, it is a good bet. Can be bought right and is a great audience picture. Interesting and convincing all the way. For Sunday the tone questionable but all right anywhere on other days. P. A. Preddy, Elaine Theatre, Sinton. Texas. For Release in November — Now Booking a great box-office cast T ROY BARNES LINCOLN PLUMMER TOLLY MARSHALL HARRY MEYERS WANDA HAWLEY SYLVIA B REAMER JACK DUFFY MORGAN WALLACE MITCHELL LEWIS Dirtettdky „^C0TT SIDNEY 1 Season 19241925— Thirty First-Run Pictures