MODERN

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Exhibitor Has His Say
(Continued from page 3)
it does not warrant paying a premium to
run. Buy flat and make up for low attendance
on others. Played Sun., Mon. Weather:
Fair.—Joe and Mildred Faith, Linn Theatre,
Linn, Mo. Rural and small town patronage.
•
REPUBLIC
Puddin' Head (Rep)—Reissue. Judy Canova,
Francis Lederer. This swell reissue produced
more real belly laughs than all other comedytype
pictui'es I have played since I have been
here. It is impossible to find a dull moment
in a picture lilse this. Judy Canova and Eddie
Poy jr. should be making more like this. Our
audience was well pleased with this pictureso
were we. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather:
Pair.—L. D. Montgomery, Melba Theatre,
Oakwood, Tex. Small town patronage. •
CENTURY-FOX
20th
Belle Starr (20th-Fox)—Reissue. Randolph
Scott, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews. We
had a swell print of this reissue and did average
or better business on a weekend. This is
much better than the newer westerns and will
please more patrons than a lot of the new
ones. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Pine.—
Mayme P. Musselman, Roach Theatre, Lincoln,
Kas. Small town patronage. • • •
Chicken Every Sunday (20th-Fox) — Dan
Dailey, Celeste Holm, Colleen Townsend. This
is a fine family show, which like "Down to
the Sea in Ships," disappointed at the boxoffice.
Those -who came liked it very much
but we couldn't get enough in. I don't know
what it was—it may be the "dated" idea patrons
got when they saw the clothes worn
years ago in the trailer. I think the trailer
could have been better. It's worth a date,
though, if you can get them in. Played Sat.
(preview), Sun., Mon. Weather: Good.—WUliam
J. Harris, Crown Theatre, Lincoln, Ark.
Rural and small town patronage. • •
Chicken Every Sunday (20th-Fox)—Dan
Dailey, Celeste Holm, Colleen Townsend. This
title drew them in. The picture gets off to
a slow start. About the middle of the second
reel, the pictui-e starts getting a little more
life in it. When Alan Young gets started in
the picture, it does okay from then on. Don't
expect a new boxoffice record with this, buy
it right, give it good advertising, and you
should make a little money on it. Played
Sat. (preview), Sun. Weather: Heavy rain.—
L. D. Montgomery, Melba Theatre, Oakwood,
Tex. Small town patronage. •
Luck of the Irish, The (20th-Pox)—Tyrone
Power, Arme Baxter, Cecil Kellaway. We
didn't have much luck with the Irish, as
much as we like the Irish (being Irish myself!),
but played this to average midweek
business. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather:
Fair.—Harland Rankin, Plaza Theatre, Tilbury,
Ont. General patronage. • • •
Would Be a Millionaire
To Subsidize Picture
RED MENACE, THE (Rep)
— Robert
Rockwell, Harme Axman, Betty Lou Gerson.
I didn't make any money on this
but am glad I ran it. If I had the money
that some Texas oil millionaires I know
have, who are always wanting to do
something for their country, I'd buy this
picture from Republic and see that every
school child in the United States saw it
free. You did a swell job, Mr. Yates.
More power to you. Played Tues., Wed.
Weather: Fair.—M. L. DuBose, Majestic
Theatre, Cotulla, Tex. Small town patronage.
* • •
Man About the House, A (20th-Pox)—
Kieron Moore, Margaret Johnston, Dulcie
Gray. This broke another record for us
namely, that the second night nobody showed
up. Word must have gotten around from the
few that came the first night. No more
English pictures for us. Played Mon., Tues.
Weather: Fair.—H. Hoppe, Grand Theatre,
Mirror, Alta. Small town patronage. '
Mother Is a Freshman (20th-Fox)—Loretta
Young, Van Johnson, Rudy Vallee. The
beauty shop gang all came along with some
high school kids. But to support a picture
like this in a small town, we need some of
the country folks, too. Anyway, comment
was very good. Played Mon., Tues. Weather:
Fair.—Lloyd Hutchins, Pangburn and Mc-
Rae Theatres, Pangburn and McRae, Ark.
Rural patronage. • • *
USnake Pit, The (20th-Pox)—Olivia De-
Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn. This
drew some customers who do not regularly
attend, but the young folks did not care for
it. Average receipts and played Sun., Mon.
Weather: Fair.—E. B. Wacaster, Ozark Theatre,
Ozark, Ark. Rural and small town patronage.
• • •
Unfaithfully Yours (20th-Pox)—Rex Harrison,
Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallee. Pox sure
The Man From Wyoming
Among Contributors
pOLKS, meet Frank Burdick, owner of
the Avon Theatre, Moorcrof t, Wyo., who
makes his Initial contribution to our
department with this comment:
"I am sending in my first contribution
to EHHS. My wife and I never fail to
read your section—and first. I have intended
sending in reports before but just
put it off.
"Incidentally, when I say "small town
patronage,' our population is around 400."
Nice to have you with us, Frank. And
in addition to those 400, don't you have
ranchers and cowboys from the surrounding
"great open spaces?"
slipped on this one. We had more walkouts
and adverse comments than we have had for
months. Pass it up and feel good about it.
Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Clear and cool.
C. E. McMurchy, Memorial Hall Community
Theatre, Reston, Man. Rural and small town
patronage.
•
When My Baby Smiles at Me (20th-Pox)—
Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Jack Oakie. This
sure had good color. Other than that, it was
nothing to rave about—the same old wornout
tale of the song-and-dance team. He
falls for another dame, gets stewed too often,
winds up an alcoholic in Bellevue, she takes
him back (still drunk) . THE END. We'd like
to know if he quit drinkin' (?).—Prank Sabin,
Majestic Theatre, Eiureka, Mont. Small town
patronage. • • •
You're My Everything (20th-Pox) — Dan
Dailey, Anne Baxter, Anne Revere. This Is
a fine family picture, well done In Technicolor,
and it will please everyone. Dan Dailey
and Anne Baxter turn in fine performances.
Don't fail to play this picture, as good pictures
are getting scarce! Played Sun., Mon.
Weather: Cold—W. L. Stratton, Lyric Theatre,
Challis, Ida. Small town and country
patronage.
•
UNITED ARTISTS
Champion (UA)—Kirk Douglas, Marilyn
Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy. This is a very
good picture. The sound was poor and the
photography dark but it still was a good picture.
However, we did less than average Fri.,
Sat. business. Our people just don't seem
Ruining the Older Stars,
Says Orin J. Sears
JOHNNY ALLEGRO (Col)—George
Raft, Nina Foch, George Macready. This
was a good picture but only did a fair
average business. It looks like they are
trying to ruin the older stars. Why not
put them in the kind of pictures they belong
in—and that people want to see?
Played Tues., Wed. Weather: Fine.—Grin
J. Sears, Apache Theatre, Loving, N. M,
Small town and rural patronage.
* • •
to care for fight pictures. Played Prl., Sat.
Weather: Rainy and cool.—Orin J. Sears,
Apache Theatre, Loving, N. M. Small town
and rural patronage.
• •
UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
(U-I) — Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon
Chaney. I used this as a Halloween show to
below average attendance. The Three Stooges
in "Hot Scots" (Col) fitted nicely for a filler.
Player Sat., Sun., Mon. Weather: Fair.—
O. A. Fosse, Community Theatre, Ridgway,
Iowa. Small town and rural patronage. * • •
Ma and Pa Kettle (U-I)—Marjorie Main,
Percy Kilbride, Richard Long. Ma and Pa
were wonderful in "The Egg and I" Eind
they're funny in this, but weak. I didn't
care much for it and business was not what
:
;
I expected. Above average, yes, but we had
seats left, both nights. Played Wed., Thurs.
Weather: Fair.—Mrs. Pat Murphy, Queen j
Theatre, Holliday, Tex. Oil field patronage.
• • •
WARNER BROS.
Casablanca (WB) — Reissue. Humphrey
Bogart, Ingrid Bergman. This is a great picture
with outstanding acting, that was a little
too deep for my people. Even so, the boxi
office did well. This one is for the big towns.
The trailer is good. Played late show Sat.,
;
Sun. Weather: Rain and cool.—L. E. Wolcott,
QuiiHan Theatre, Quinlan, Tex. Small town i
and rural patronage.
•
South of St. Louis (WB) — Joel McCrea, i
Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott. This was very
well liked here and did average business. It
is not quite a big picture but was generally
satisfactory to all of the audience. Played
Wed., Thurs. Weather: Fair.—E. B. Wacaster,
Ozark Theatre, Ozark, Ark. Rural and
small town patronage. • » •
MISCELLANEOUS
Of Mice and Men (SR)—Reissue. Burgess
Meredith, Lon Chaney. This is still good for
rural spots. Extra advertising brought them
in and I heard no complaints. It was very
satisfactory both nights. Played Wed., Thurs.
Weather: Cooler.—Mrs. Pat Murphy, Queen
Theatre, HoUiday, Tex. Oil field patronage.
• • •
One Million B. C. (SR)—Reissue. Carole
Landis, Lon Chaney jr., Victor Mature. This
picture has an advantage over some of the
others that deal with prehistoric monsters.
Live monsters were used (lizzards, greatly enlarged,
dressed-up elephants to resemble
mastodons). This gives a much better effect
than that obtained by using mechanical monsters.
Good business with no complaints.
Played Mon., Tues. Weather: Fair.—L. D.
Montgomery, Melba Theatre, Oakwood, Tex.
•
Small town and rural patronage.
Thanks a Million (SR) — Reissue. Dick
Powell, Ann Dvorak, Fred Allen. This series
plays again and again to satisfied crowds.
My patrons either want action or comedy and
this has plenty of the latter. Played for the
third time to good business. Tues., Wed.
playdates. Weather: Good.—Terry Axley,
New Theatre, England, Ark. Rural and smaU
town patronage.
• "
BOXOFFICE BooldnGuide Nov. 19, 1949
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