Universal Weekly (1933-1935)

= UNIVERSAL WEEKLY . . .. = July 15, 1933 "Be Mine Tonight" Keeps Minn A! Steffes Putting in $30,0C] in 13th Week o 96 : Real Variety of Action Makes Good Western KING of the ARENA UNIVERSAL WESTERN Hollywood Herald Ken Maynard has delivered here a western that combines the customary hard-riding melodrama with some Wild West Show performances, including bucking bronchos, roping stunts and hippodrome races. Ken has learned a lot about what is considered standard Western entertainment, and he keeps this moving consistently enough to make it register as a very good Western. The story is one of those things about Ken's conflict with the murderous gang of bank robbers known as the "Black Death." Ken comes back to his old position as star of a Wild West Show while still serving as a "ranger" because he suspects that some men in the show have something to do with the criminal gang. Of course, there is the charming young lady, Lucille Browne who interests Ken, and finally she is kidnapped and he has to rescue her in a grand melodramatic fight, embellished with hard riding, action, a gun battle in the mountain pass and even an airplane that uses a machine gun trying to kill Ken. As an added touch, Ken uses the slingshot belonging to his young buddy to shoot some nitroglycerine at the airplane, and he makes a perfect bullseye — wh'ch finishes that ! The house in the woods where the leader of the "Black Death" held forth had trick compartments, trap doors, a periscope and a laboratory filled with high explosives. What more could anyone ask for a spot to stage the grand knock-'em-down-anddrag-'em-out fight which always properly concludes the rescue of the fair lady in a good Western? Because this moves away from the action formula of cattle thieves and barroom conspirators who work for the young lady's father, and becomes the Wild West Show offers some good entertaining action, this rates much better as a good movie than many more costly production that have more elaborate sets, production values and other trimmings, but lack movement and basic elements. WITH two houses completing their thirteenth week and going as strong as ever, "Be Mine Tonight" is more and more the sensation of the year. There is no let-up in the business of Al Steffes' World Theatre in Minneapolis. The only difficulty is that Minneapolis is getting pretty hot. This theatre always closes in the summer. With the proceeds of this run and the promise of its indefinite continuance, Mr. Steffes decided to keep the theatre open all summer instead of closing as he usually does the latter part of June. With this decision, he bought himself a $30,000 cooling plant and is right now installing it. There is no telling how long "Be Sterling Holloway “HE COULDN’T TAKE IT.” STERLING KAY HOLLOWAY DESLYS Among the most consistently successful show fillers of last year were the series of twentysix comedies produced by Warren Doane. They were not arty, they were not over people’s heads. There was humor, spice and splendid entertainment in these — UNIVERSAL REEL COMEDIES Mine Tonight" will run in Minneapolis, with the conditions made so ideally suited to it. It is a certainty that every theatre-goer in Minneapolis will have seen "Be Mine Tonight" before it closes. Many of them have already seen it five and six times. One of the amusing commentaries on the run is in connection with passes. A lot of pains was taken with these passes to make them look individual and important. They were all of that. Last week, after seeing the picture five and six times, the holders of these passes began to accuse Mr. Steffes of holding out on them by keeping "Be Mine Tongiht" in the theatre so long. What is the use of a gold-plated pass in a leather case ‘SCANDALS’ BIG IN CLEVELAND CLEVELAND, June 29. — George White's "Scandals" at popular prices coupled with "The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble" culled $18,000, or more than four times average business at the Hippodrome. “THE COHENS AND THE KELLYS IN TROUBLE” (Univ.) HIPPODROME— (3,800), 25c 50c. 7 days. Gross: $18,000. (Average, $4,000.) — From the Moti Four Times Average Business “COHENS” AND