Boxoffice-December.02.1950
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EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY<br />
ABOUT<br />
PICTURES<br />
Just as the Barometer vage shovts first run reports on current pictures, this<br />
department is devoted for the most part to reports on subseauent runs, made<br />
by exhibitors themselves. A one-star contributor is new. two stars means the<br />
exhibitor has been writing in for six months or longer, and a three-star contributor<br />
is a regular of one year or more. All exhibitors welcome. Blue Ribbon<br />
pictures are marked thus *>.<br />
COLUMBIA<br />
Candid Microphone (Col) — Short. It is<br />
taking this series time to catch on, but now<br />
some of my patrons are asking for this excellent<br />
short series. Allen Funt, the originator,<br />
has a clever idea and most of the<br />
situations are very humorous. It's fun to<br />
watch people when they don't know they're<br />
being watched. I hope these shorts click.<br />
Played Tues., Wed., Thurs. Weather: Good.—<br />
Carl Neitzel, Juno Theatre, Juneau, Wis.<br />
Local and surrounding area patronage. ' * *<br />
Father Is a Bachelor (Col)—William Holden,<br />
Coleen Gray, Mary Jane Saunders. This<br />
is an excellent small town picture. It was<br />
only fair on drawing power but the film<br />
rental was low and our net was $5 over the<br />
minimum satisfactory. It is good for Sunday<br />
or weekend at low rental. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Fair.—E. A. London, State Theatre,<br />
Olivet, Mich. Small town, rural and college<br />
patronage. * * *<br />
Fortunes of Captain Blood, The (Col) —<br />
Louis Hayward, Patricia Medina, George Macready.<br />
Too much costume and not strong<br />
enough cast caused the wallopin' we took<br />
on this one. Paired with Republic's "Flaming<br />
Fury" and on this bill the patrons enjoyed<br />
it much more than they did old Captain<br />
Blood. Costume flickers are dead for this<br />
location. Played Sat. (preview). Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Clear and 90 degrees.—Jim Dunbar.<br />
Roxy Theatre, Wichita, Kas. Downtown<br />
subsequent run patronage.<br />
' * ''<br />
Good Humor Man, The (Col)—Jack Carson.<br />
Lola Albright, Jean Wallace. This is a low<br />
grade of slapstick and has no drawing power<br />
here. We lost heavily and should not have<br />
played the picture. Weather: Fair.-E. A.<br />
London, State Theatre, Olivet, Mich. Small<br />
town, rural and college patronage.<br />
* * *<br />
EAGLE LION CLASSICS<br />
Federal Man (ELC) — William Henry,<br />
Pamela Blake. This is a fine action picture to<br />
double with that western on Fri., Sat. A good<br />
print and sound made this one okay, and no<br />
company yet has beaten Eagle Lion's terms.<br />
You fellows in the rural towns, sit up and<br />
take notice! Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Cold.<br />
—I. Roche, Vernon Theatre, Vernon, Fla.<br />
Small town and rural patronage. * * *<br />
Naughty Nineties (ELC) — Reissue. Bud<br />
Abbott, Lou Costello. These two boys never<br />
fail me at the boxoffice. This was one of<br />
their first efforts and just as entertaining in<br />
the slapstick vein as ever. Don't miss it if<br />
these boys do business in your locality.<br />
Doubled it with "Wagonma.ster" (RKO>, a<br />
different style of western with plenty of action<br />
and drama for all. This weak cast performed<br />
ably. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Fair<br />
and cold.—Jim Dunbar, Roxy Theatre, Wich-<br />
Spoilers, The (ELC) — Reissue. Marlene<br />
Dietrich, John Wayne. Naturally, we can say<br />
this went over to a full house because it was<br />
our annual free Halloween show. The show<br />
itself was pretty good. It had quite a bit of<br />
action. If we could have as many people come<br />
when they pay as when they don't, we might<br />
start making some money. Played Tuesday<br />
only. Weather: A little cool.—Theron Pollard,<br />
Garfield Theatre, Garfield, Utah. Min-<br />
'<br />
ing town patronage.<br />
Desperadoes (Col)—Randolph Scott, Glenn<br />
Ford. If you have an action house or get Timber Fury (ELC)—David Bruce, Laura<br />
results from western pictures, this is your Lee, Nicla DiBruno. Only the children and<br />
answer. It is a lovely picture of its kind.— the most simple souls waste their money on<br />
Harland Rankin, Rankin Enterprises, Chatham,<br />
Ont. Small town patronage. ' * * one isn't doing his books justice. I don't<br />
these James Oliver Curwood stories. Some-<br />
be-<br />
tion they like here.' Played Sun.. Mon. patronage.<br />
Weather: Fair. — Jim Mote, Friendship<br />
Theatre, Sterling. Okla. Small town and Happy Years, The (MGM)—Dean Stockwell,<br />
Darryl Hickman, Scotty Beckett. This<br />
rural patronage. * * * 'Comments of the Week'<br />
Show Diverse Views<br />
"THIS WEEK we take the opposing views<br />
of two exhibitors and run them for<br />
further comment from exhibitor readers.<br />
One from Clinton Bahensky of the Time<br />
Theatre at Albert City, Iowa, read:<br />
"The big pictures just won't do business<br />
in a small town after they have played<br />
all around you."<br />
ita, Kas. Downtown subsequent run patronage.<br />
A few days later this one came in from<br />
* * *<br />
Ken Gorham of the Town Hall Theatre<br />
at Middlebury, Vt., as follows:<br />
"Playing this film ahead of the Roxy<br />
(New York City), also ahead of nearby<br />
cities, stripped me of much good advertising."<br />
Anyone want to comment further on<br />
this?<br />
Black Hand (MGM)—Gene Kelly, J. Carrol<br />
Naish, Teresa Celli. In my estimation this<br />
is not suitable for the rural situations, although<br />
there are action and suspense aplenty<br />
in it. Note to MGM (trailer department):<br />
Any scenes with a crying woman in them<br />
are boxoffice poison for the small towns.<br />
Won't all you small town fellows agree on<br />
lieve they're this bad. Played Fri., Sat.<br />
that? ... I would like to see special trailers<br />
Weather: Fair.—Jim Mote, Friend.ship Theatre,<br />
Sterling, Okla. Small town and rural<br />
made for rural trade use. Played Wed., Thurs.<br />
patronage. * * * Weather: Extremely fine for November.—I.<br />
Roche, Vernon Theatre, Vernon, Fla. Small<br />
LIPPERT PRODUCTIONS<br />
town and rural patronage. * * *<br />
Deputy Marshal (LPi—Jon Hall. Frances Conspirator (MGM)—Robert Taylor, Elizabeth<br />
Taylor, Robert Fleming. This is a good<br />
Langford. Dick Foran. This is an aboveaverage<br />
western that I used to replace my picture that didn't set the world on firemediocre<br />
usual western series. Business was excellent<br />
turnout. Played Mon., Tues.—Har-<br />
because of the co-feature, "In Old Missouri" land Rankin, Rankin Enterprises, Chatham,<br />
(Rep). No complaints. Played Fri., Sat. Ont. Small town patronage. * ' *<br />
Weather: Cold.—Ralph Raspa, State Theatre,<br />
Rivesville, W. Va. Rural patronage. * * *<br />
Duchess of Idaho (MGM)—Esther Williams,<br />
Van Johnson, John Lund. If this picture had<br />
been given to us rental free, we would have<br />
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER<br />
just made expenses and our minimum net.<br />
Annie Get Your Gun (MGM)—Betty Hutton,<br />
Howard Keel, Louis Calhern. This ranks<br />
The story is weak and the title is extremely<br />
weak. If Metro had substituted "Sun Valley"<br />
as the finest entertainment we have ever<br />
for "Duchess," the picture would have had<br />
shown on our screen. Our film rental was<br />
more drawing power. We cannot recommend<br />
too high and consequently our net was only<br />
the picture for small towns. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
at the "get-by" figure. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Fair.-E. A. London, State Theatre,<br />
Weather: Fair.—E. A. London, State Theatre,<br />
Olivet, Mich. Small town, rural and college<br />
Olivet, Mich. Small town, rural and<br />
patronage.<br />
college patronage.<br />
Battleground (MGM)—Van Johnson, John Duchess of Idaho (MGM)—Esther Williams,<br />
Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban. This epic win Van Johnson, John Lund. Like all other<br />
be good when it is reissued the third or fourth Esther Williams pictures, the story material<br />
time. Comments were fine and attendance was weak, but very likable and entertaining.<br />
normal and a little over for three days midweek.<br />
The excellent story, cast and direction<br />
Of course the average patron likes them<br />
simple and this one was just that. Paired it<br />
made it thoroughly entertaining. Coupled<br />
with "Woman on Pier 13" (RKO) and of the<br />
it<br />
with "Shanghai Chest" (Mono), a below par<br />
two. Duchess was best liked and sold the<br />
Charlie Chan feature. Played Tues., Wed., most tickets. Business was just about normal.<br />
Thursday. Weather: Clear and warm.— Jim Played Sat. (preview). Sun., Mon. Weather:<br />
Dunbar, Roxy Theatre, Wichita. Kas. Downtown<br />
subsequent run patronage. * * * tre, Wichita, Kas. Downtown subsequent run<br />
Clear and warm.—Jim Dunbar, Roxy Thea-<br />
patronage.<br />
WFather of the Bride (MGM) — Spencer<br />
Combination They Like<br />
Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor. This<br />
comedy is too sophisticated for our people.<br />
In 'Riding High'<br />
Our attendance was low and the picture did not<br />
TJIDING HIGH (Para) — Bing Crosby, please the majority who came. The film rental<br />
Coleen Gray, Charles Bickford. This was twice what it should have been—you<br />
is much better than I had been led to know the rest of the story. Played Sun., Mon.<br />
believe. I couldn't find a thing wrong Weather: Fair.—E. A. London, State Tlieatre,<br />
with it. It has just about the combina-<br />
Olivet, Mich. Small town, rural and college<br />
is<br />
a high grade family picture with only fair<br />
BOXOFFICE BooldnGuide Dec. 2, 1980
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