MODERN

EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY
ABOUT
PICTURES
H
Just as the Barometer page shows first run reports on current pictures, this
department is devoted for the most pan to reports on subsequent runs, made
by exhibitors themselves. A one-star contributor is new, two stars means the exhibitor
has been writing in for six months or longer, and a three-star contributor
is a regular of one year or more, who receives a token of our appreciation. All
exhibitors welcome. Blue Ribbon pictures are marked thus W.
COLUMBIA
Best Man Wins (Col)—Edgar Buchanan,
Anna Lee, Robert Shayne. And Mark Twain's
daughter wants to sue Columbia for $300,000
because it made a "corny love story" out of
Twain's book! I frankly didn't see much corn,
or love either, except the love for a son a
father had. This was not a big extravagant
movie but interesting and slow, with a minimum
of romance for Hollywood. Stick by
your guns, Columbia. This didn't do his story
any harm at all. Played Sat. (preview) , Sun.,
Mon. Weather: Clear and warm.—Jim Dunbar,
Boxy Theatre, Wichita, Kas. Second
and third downtown run patronage.
• •
Big Sombrero, The (Col) — Gene Autry,
Elena Verdugo, Stephen Dunne. Autry still
packs 'em in here. The color was beautiful
and my patrons seemed very pleased in general
with this one. This should be a honey
for territory with Mexican trade. Played
Pri., St. Weather: Fair.—Lloyd Hutchins,
Pangburn Theatre, Pangburn, Ark. Rural
patronage.
• • •
Blazing Trail, The (Col)—Charles Starrett,
Smiley Burnette, Marjorie Stapp. This Is a
routine western which for 56 minutes pleased
the plowboys and cowpokes on Pri., Sat. Bingo
helped pull them in on Friday night. Weather:
Good.—E. M. Prelburger, Paramount Theatre,
Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage.
• • •
Cowboy and the Indians, The (Col)—Gene
Autry, Sheila Ryan. I believe this is the
poorest Gene Autry picture I have ever seen
and it did the poorest business of any Gene
Autry we have shown to date. Played Fri.,
Sat. Weather: Okay—Orin J. Sears, Apache
Theatre, Loving, N. M. Small town and farm
patronage. • • »
Leather Gloves (Col)—Cameron Mitchell,
Virginia Grey, George Reeves. This is not
too hot but not so worse, either. A Uttle
slow in leading up to the boxing part but it's
okay for the midweek—not bad at all. Played
Wed., Thurs. Weather: Fair.—BUI Leonard,
Leonard Theatre, Cedarvale, Kas. Small
town patronage. • • •
Loaded Pistols (Col)—Gene Autry, Barbara
Britton, ChUl WlUs. This is what they like
here and so we were all happy. You exhibitors
with western fans, play it. Played Fri.,
Sat.—Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury,
Ont. Small town patronage. • *
Loves of Carmen, The (Col)—Rita Hayworth,
Glenn Ford, Ron Randell. This is a
story of gypsy life and is too rough for our
family trade. We managed to show a few
dollars net profit because of our college trade
but we cannot recommend the picture for
the average small town. Played Tues., Wed.
Weather: Fair.—E. A. London, State Theatre,
Olivet, Mich. Small town, college and
rural patronage.
• •
Make Believe Ballroom (Col)—Jerome
Courtland, Ruth Warrick, Ron Randell. Here
is an excellent little sleeper from Columbia
that just bubbles over with music and comedy
that really satisfies. Doubled with a
western and enjoyed the first good Fri., Sac.
business in months. Don't pass this one up.
Weather: Hot.—Philip Cohnstein, Midway
Theatre, Perrine, Fla. Riu:al patronage. * *
Pest From the West (Col)—Re-released
Comedy Favorite short. This is one of the
best two-reel comedies we have shown for a
long time. Buster Keaton kept them in roars
and it underscores the recent article in Life,
"Comedy's Greatest Era," which holds that
present comedians aren't up to the standard
set a few years back. Played this with "The
Lost Tribe," also Columbia, and it made a
fine midweek program for us with a fair
gross. Played Tues., Wed., Thurs. Weather:
Good.—William J. Harris, Crown Theatre,
Lincoln, Ark. Rural and small town patronage.
• •
Undercover IVtan, The (Col)—Glenn Ford,
Nina Foch, James Whitmore. Here is a
pretty good action picture which failed to
draw more than average business and I broke
even on it. What this picture needs is star
power. Alter all, Glenn Ford is not Clark
Gable or Gary Cooper. Played Wed., Thurs.
Weather: Good. — E. M. Freiburger, Paramount
Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town
patronage. • • •
Walking HiUs, The (Col)—Randolph Scott,
Ella Raines, William Bishop. This is a very
good action picture which pleased our fans.
Business was good and showed a profit. Randolph
Scott is well liked here. The title refers
to the shifting sands of a western desert.
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Good.—E. M.
Freiburger, Paramoimt Theatre, Dewey, Okla.
Small town patronage. • • •
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER
Command Decision (MGM)—Clark Gable,
Abe Kauiman Is Weaning
Himseli Fiom Business
n BE H. KAUFMAN, who operated
the
Fountain Theatre at Terre Haute, Ind.,
many years, has been a contributor to
this department for a three-star period.
He sends in this correction of our recent
item about his sale of the Fountain:
"The theatre was sold to William Ernest
Long but the deal was not made because
of this writer's poor health. I'm most
thankful that my health is good. I simply
feit that after working 40 years in both
distribution and exhibition, it would be a
good idea to retire before becoming 'the
richest man in the cemetery.' It's no
trick to retire when you have a million
buclis, but to figure out how to do it with
little money, is sometliing else.
"Father told me, when I first started
to work, that if I would put aside 10 cents
an hour for each hour worked, after a
while I would have no difficulty retiring.
This plan is now being offered to the steel
workers as something new. If I had only
listened to my dad, with the terrific number
of hours yours truly has put in, I
could have retired long ago!
"I guess I got tired liaving my money
invested and just being a collector of
taxes for Uncle Sam and the state of
Indiana—so my wife and I plan to take
it easy. If everything works out according
to schedule. I'll still be around helping
my successor (our former manager) for
some months and will also lend a helping
hand to our son, Jim, operating the recently
acquired Main at Danville, 111."
William /. Harris Okays
Suggested EHHS Meeting
OEVERAL weeks ago Bob Walker of the
Uintah Theatre at Fruita, Colo., made
the suggestion that contributors to this
department get together next summer
out in his locality for fishing and exchanging
of experiences.
William J. Harris of the Crown Theatre
at Lincoln, Ark., has seconded the motion.
Any discussion?
Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson. Of all the
features I have run, there is only one other
worse than this. I would advise anyone to
leave it alone. It's no good for any town,
large or small. Played Sun., Mon. Weather:
Cold.—Orin J. Sears, Apache Theatre, Loving,
N. M. Small town and rural patron-
Command Decision (MGM)—Clark Gable,
Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson. This was
positively my worst Sun., Mon. in months.
Comment was mostly bad—too much gab, not
enough action. And to think I wasted a beautiful
Sun., Mon. playdate on it, during the
fall and cotton-picking season! Weather:
Fair.—Lloyd Hutchins, Pangburn Theatre,
Pangburn, Ark. Rural patronage. • * •
Julia 3Iisbehaves (MGM)—Greer Garson,
Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford. This is a
grand comedy. Our customers really loved
this one although attendance was poor, due
to a snowstorm which closed the roads temporarily.
You can't go wrong on this picture.
Played Mon., Tues. Weather: Terrible.—C.
E. McMurchy, Memorial Hall Community
Theatre, Reston, Man. Rural and small to\ra
•
patronage.
Uln the Good Old Summertime (MGM)—
Van Johnson, Judy Garland, S. Z. Sakall.
One of the best of the year for us. Business
was far above average. Judy Garland and
Van Johnson are drawing cards in my situation.—O.
Fomby, Paula Theatre, Homer, Iia.
Small town patronage. • • *
OLittle Women (MGM) — June Allyson,
Peter Lawford, Margaret O'Brien. When you
do average business and please nearly everyone,
the picture is okay. Get on the bandwagon
and advertise it plenty, as it will do
business. We were satisfied in all respects.
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Cool. — Ken
Christiansen, Roxy Theatre, Washburn, N. D.
*
Small town patronage.
Neptune's Daughter (MGM)—Esther Williams,
Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban. This
is tops in entertainment value. It has a good
story. Technicolor, beautiful music and nice
aquatic numbers. It was weak at the boxoffice
and our film cost was high. We do
not know why the picture grossed so low here.
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Fair.—E. A.
London, State Theatre, Olivet, Mich. Small
town, college and rural patronage. * *
Neptune's Daughter (MGM)—Esther Williams,
Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban.
Esther Williams is sure-fire here, and with
Red Skelton, the laughs almost lifted the
roof! It's beautiful, AND funny. Business
was excellent. Played Sun., Mon. Weather:
Pair.—Mrs. Pat Murphy, Queen Theatre, Holliday,
Tex. Oil field patronage. * * *
San Francisco (MGM) — Reissue. Clark
Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Jack Holt. This
oldie really pleased the customers. We find
that an occasional reissue means good business
and a nice profit. However, they can be
used too often. Played Pri., Sat. Weather:
Cloudy and cold.—Bert J. Lewis & Sons
BOXOFFICE BookinGuide Nov. 19, 194£