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EAHIBITOK nAd Hid »AT<br />
PICTURES<br />
Just as the Barometer page shows first run reports on currejit pictures, this<br />
department is devoted for the most part to reports on subsequent runs, made by<br />
exhibitors themselves. A one-star contributor is new, two stars mean the exhibitor<br />
has been writing in for six months or longer, and a three-star contributor<br />
is a regular of one year or more, who receives a token of our appreciation. All<br />
exhibitors<br />
Had 200 Telephone Calls<br />
About Advanced Prices<br />
SEA OF GRASS, THE (MGM)—Spencer<br />
Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Robert<br />
Walker. Just played this feature to a<br />
capacity house, with excellent comments<br />
from patronage. MGM made a mistake<br />
by not giving us this picture in Techni- jl<br />
COLUMBIA<br />
Arizona (Col)—Reissue. Jean Arthur, William<br />
Holden, Warren William. This is a surefire<br />
small town show. If you can play a good<br />
western, this is it. Although this picture is a<br />
reissue, business was above average. This<br />
picture is fast moving, and it has a good cast<br />
and plenty of comedy. Played Wed., Thurs.<br />
Weather: Fair.—A. D. Laurence, Apex Theatre,<br />
Tioga, Tex. Rural and small town patronage.<br />
* *<br />
Bandit of Sherwood Forest, The (Col)— Cornel<br />
Jill<br />
Wilde, Anitd Louise, Esmond. This<br />
picture was a little too old, I guess, or New<br />
Year's was too much for everybody. Played<br />
Wed., Thurs.—Harland Rankin, Erie Theatre,<br />
Wheatley, Ont. Small town patronage. * * *<br />
Down fo Earth (Col)—Rita Hayworth, Larry<br />
Parks, Marc Piatt. This had fine color and<br />
good names in the cast but the story was not<br />
only fantastic, it was also silly. What a waste<br />
of talent and color. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Cold.—Hobart H. Gates, Garlock<br />
Theatre, Custer, S. D. Small town patronage.<br />
* *<br />
Last of the Hodmen (Col)—Jon Hall, Michael<br />
O'Shea, Evelyn Ankers. Very colorful settings<br />
and it seemed to please above average attendance.<br />
The action fans had their- quota of<br />
entertainment and the upper crust enjoyed the<br />
historical references. Michael O'Shea filled<br />
the bill for humor and action.<br />
Sun. Weather: Good.— J. E. Rougeau,<br />
Played Sat.,<br />
Club<br />
Theatre, Seven Sisters Falls, Man. Small town<br />
and rural patronage. * * *<br />
Talk About a Lady (Col)—Jinx Falkenburg,<br />
Forrest Tucker, Joe Besser. Talk about a picture—this<br />
one was a fair one. We had it doubled<br />
with a Blondie picture and I think it<br />
brought them in. I know I liked the Blondie<br />
best but it is what the people think that<br />
counts. This Joe Besser ss funny but a little<br />
too foolish. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Fair.<br />
—George MacKenzie, York Theatre, Hantsport,<br />
N. S. Small town patronage. *<br />
EAGLE LION<br />
Fighting Vigilantes, The (EL)—"Lash" La<br />
Rue, Al "Fuzzy" John, Jennifer This<br />
St. Holt.<br />
is just another western. Played Fri., Sat.<br />
Weather: Fair.—James E. Davis, Rialto Theatre,<br />
Bennington, Okla. Rural and small town<br />
patronage.<br />
* •<br />
Kit Carson (EL)—Reissue. Dana Andrews,<br />
Jon Hall. Here is one swell picture. It will<br />
stand up with the best of the super-westerns.<br />
A good cast, story and print and my best<br />
Saturday business in seven months. Play it,<br />
by all means. Played Saturday. Weather:<br />
Fair and cold.—Arthur E. Phiiield, Park Theatre,<br />
South Berwick, Me. Small town patronage.<br />
* * *<br />
HLM CLASSICS<br />
Spirit of West Point (FC)—Felix "Doc"<br />
Blanchard, Glenn Davis, Anne Nagel. This<br />
one failed miserably at the boxoffice for me<br />
but maybe waited too long after football<br />
I<br />
season was over. The acting was rather<br />
amateurish. Played Tues., Wed. Weather:<br />
Good.—Terry Axley, New Theatre, England,<br />
Ark. Rural and small town patronage. * * *<br />
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER<br />
High Barbaree (MGM)— Van Johnson,<br />
Thomas Mitchell. Oh, boyl Oh, boyl Oh, boyl<br />
This one is really a dilly. Van Johnson is tops<br />
and June AUyson is sweeter than saccharine.<br />
With these two stars if has to be good. Played<br />
Fri., Sat. Weather: Stormy.—Bill Leonard,<br />
Leonard Theatre, Cedarvole, Kas. Small town<br />
patronage. * * *<br />
Little Mister Jim (MGM)—Jackie "Butch"<br />
Jenkins, James Craig, Frances Gilford. Swell<br />
picture! Butch was tops in this one. Lots of<br />
good comments and it showed up fair at the<br />
boxoffice. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Fair.<br />
Jim Mote, Gem Theatre, Starling, Okla. Small<br />
*<br />
town and rural patronage.<br />
Mighty McGurk, The (MGM)—Wallace<br />
Beery, Dean Stockwell, Edward Arnold. We<br />
didn't do too well with this but we don't expect<br />
to do too well with anything the day after<br />
Christmas. It was okay, however. Beery has<br />
done better. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Cold<br />
—Rahl and Hanson, California Theatre, Kerman,<br />
Calif. Small town and rural patronage.<br />
* *<br />
Sea of Grass (MGM)—Spencer Tracy, Katharine<br />
Hepburn, Robert Walker. This is a<br />
striking picture that should be well received<br />
in situations big or small. Tracy, Hepburn<br />
and Douglas do a very good job. Robert<br />
Walker and Phyllis Thaxler also come in for<br />
a good deal of credit, even though the parts<br />
were of a secondary nature. Played to above<br />
average attendance and satisfied 'em all.<br />
Played "The Cat Concerto," an MGM cartoon,<br />
with this feature. Those of you who haven't<br />
played this have missed something out of the<br />
ordinary. Played Saturday. Weather: Good.<br />
J. E. Rougeau, Club Theatre, Seven Sisters<br />
Falls, Man. Small town and rural patronage.<br />
* * *<br />
MONOGRAM<br />
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (Mono)—Phil<br />
Regan, Elyse Knox, Phil Brito. This is a lovely<br />
picture of the program type. We doubled to<br />
fair business. It should take in college towns.<br />
Played Fri., Sat., Sun. Weather: Cold and<br />
snow.—Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury,<br />
Ont. General patronage. * * *<br />
PARAMOUNT<br />
Adventure Island (Para)—Rory Calhoun,<br />
Rhonda Fleming, Paul Kelly. This was a good<br />
picture but due to the severe weather, didn't<br />
get them out. Played Sat., Sun. Weather:<br />
Utah. Theatre Partners<br />
Know Own Business<br />
QASTLE THEATRE at Huntington,<br />
Utah, is a partnership business In a<br />
new building owned by its builders, Ted<br />
R. Nielsen and W. O. Sandberg. New<br />
Simplex equipment was also installed<br />
when the theatre opened two years ago.<br />
Sandberg, who is also the owner of the<br />
Huntington Flour Mills, manages the<br />
theatre. Nielson, who is also master me^^<br />
chanic for the United^ States Fuel Co.,<br />
takes care of the equipment. The partner<br />
employ in addition a cashier, an<br />
usher and a janitor.<br />
These Utah showmen believe that the<br />
small exhibitor continues to have the<br />
problem of keeping film rental at a minimum.<br />
And Sandberg suggests his method<br />
of keeping the business solvent in these<br />
words<br />
"Take six months' average of flats and<br />
percentage and stay within those figures<br />
when buying. If you can't convince<br />
Holl}^vood and Wall Street that you know<br />
your business better than they do, then<br />
you had better get out of this business."<br />
color. It is as good as any advanced-price i<br />
film we have sho^vn and we have taken<br />
them all on to date—but no more. They<br />
J<br />
hurt business on any big feature that<br />
follows. Example: At least 200 telephone<br />
calls Sunday asking if this was asking<br />
advanced prices. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Cold and fair.—W. O. Sandberg,<br />
Castle Theatre, Huntington, Utah. Small<br />
town patronage. *<br />
Cold.—Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Bothwell,<br />
Ont. Small town patronage. * * *<br />
Blaze of Noon (Para)—Anne Baxter, William<br />
Holden, Sonny Tufts. A good picture for action<br />
situations which seemed to please an<br />
average audience. No comments heard, but<br />
personally I liked it. Played Sunday. Weather:<br />
Cool.—Hahl and Hanson, California Theatre,<br />
Kerman, Calif. Small town and rural patronage.<br />
* *<br />
California (Para)—Ray Milland, Barbara<br />
Stanwyck, Barry Fitzgerald. Both were good<br />
— it and "Blue Skies." We played these after<br />
other situations, so we couldn't expect large<br />
grosses. Played Sun., Mon.—Joe Stallman,<br />
WyoLin, Lingle, Wyo. Small town and rural<br />
patronage., * * *<br />
Perils of Pauline, The (Para)—Betty Hutton,<br />
John Lund, Billy DeWolfe. This is very good<br />
and should do okay in any situation. With<br />
me, though, it's the same old story—Paramount<br />
ties you up with too much rental.<br />
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Rain.—Terry<br />
Axley, New Theatre, England, Ark. Rural and<br />
small town patronage. * * *<br />
Seven Were Saved (Para)—Richard Denning,<br />
Catherine Craig, Russell Hayden. This<br />
is a better picture than I thought it would be.<br />
Everyone liked it. Business was excellent.<br />
Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Fair.-James<br />
E. Davis, Rialto Theatre, Bennington, Okla.<br />
Rural and small town patronage. * *<br />
yWelcome Stranger (Para)—Bing Crosby,<br />
Barry Fitzgerald, Joan Caulfield. Excellent<br />
show. For once a manager can stand in the<br />
lobby of his theatre and feel proud when all<br />
his patrons remark: "Swell show." Swell business.<br />
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Good.<br />
A. L. Burke jr., Variita Theatre, Herculaneum,<br />
*<br />
Mo. Small town patronage.<br />
RKO RADIO<br />
Best Years of Our Lives, The (RKO)-Myrna<br />
Loy, Frederic March, Dana Andrews. This is<br />
a good picture and deserves all awards. However,<br />
$1.20 very often is no good in a small<br />
town, so this one flopped. Played Tues., Wed.<br />
Weather: Good.—Terry Axley, New Theatre,<br />
England, Ark. Rural and small town patronage.<br />
* * *<br />
Falcon's Adventure, The (RKO)—Tom Conway,<br />
Madge Meredith, Edward Brophy. A .»<br />
good little program picture. This series has j.<br />
a fair following with my weekend crowd. ^<br />
.<br />
Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Snow and cold.—<br />
Arthur E. Phifield, Park Theatre, South Berv/ick.<br />
Me. Small town patronage. * * *<br />
UFarmer's Daughter, The (RKO)—Loretta<br />
Young, Joseph Gotten, Ethel Barrymore. Too<br />
much Scandinavian accent for our situation.<br />
Any place with a lot of Swedes or Norwegians<br />
should get by okay. I enjoyed it<br />
myself but as I don't buy any tickets, I guess<br />
it doesn't count much. Played Mon., Tues.<br />
Weather: Okay.—D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre,<br />
Jerome, Ariz. Mining patronage. * *<br />
Riverboat Rhythm (RKO) — Leon Errol,<br />
Frankie Carle, Glenn Vernon. This is extra<br />
BOXOFFICE BookinGuide
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