Boxoffice-April.17.1948

EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY
ABOUT
PICTURES
Just as the Barometer page shows first run reports on current pictures, this
department is devoted for the most part to reports on subsequent runs, made by
exhibitors themselves. A one-star contributor is new, two stars mean 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.
COLUMBIA
Arizona (Col)—Reissue. Jean Arthur, William
Holden. A great picture and a reissue
which did more business than most of the new
pictures do for me. Played Wed., Thurs.
Weather: Good.—E. M. Freiburger, Paramount
Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patron-
* * *
age.
Gunlighters (Col)^Randolph Scott, Barbara
Britton, Dorothy Hart. A Zone Grey
super-western in color that has everything to
please everyone. Our patrons liked it—so did
I. Played Sun., Mon. Weather; Fair.—R. W.
Burgess, Roxy Theatre, McClusky, N. D. Rural
and small town patronage. * *
Law of the Canyon (Col)—Charles Storrett,
Smiley Burnette, Nancy Saunders. Doubled
with "Blind Spot." The kids liked "Canyon"
However,
best but adults liked "Blind Spot."
country roads are still not passable—only
over the fields or horseback travel, so this
drew fair business only because of that condition.
It should pay out in the end but we
can't close just on account of such, which only
happens about once in 50 years. Both pictures
very good and the
comedy, "Mr. Noisy"
brought so much laughter—you could hear
them through the booth walls. I never saw
anything more comical. You have to hand it
to Columbia for good shorts.—W. H. Swan,
Auditorium Theatre, Roscoe, S. D. Rural patronage.
* * «
EAGLE LION
Bury Me Dead (EL)—Cathy O'Donnell, June
Lockhart, Hugh Beaumont. Rivesville is dead.
Here is a swell murder mystery, a big cast,
good co-feature, no competition, pay day, and
still no business. Unless something is done
about the film rental asked for these features,
I'll soon be ready to throw in the towel.
Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Good.—Ralph
Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesville, W. 'Va. Small
town patronage. * * *
Devil on Wheels (EL)—Noreen Nash, Darryl
Hickman, Jan Ford. Many complimented this
picture and asked for more like it. It teaches
a lesson and the patrons loved it. But—business
is off and pictures such as this go by unnoticed.
Worth your playing time. Played
Fri., Sat. Weather: Rained one night.—Ralph
Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesville, W. Va.
Small town patronage. * * *
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER
Anchors Aweigh (MGM) — Frank Sinatra,
Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly. We had the
best crowds since last year to this oldie. They
don't make them this good any more. This
one kept up the tradition of "The Harvey
Girls" with good music, a great cast and a
good story. The comments were all favorable.
It takes Metro to give out with the good
ones. Played Mon., Tues. Weather: Fine.
George Mackenzie, York Theatre, Hantsport,
N.S. Small town patronage. *
Living in a Big Way (MGM)—Gene Kelly,
Marie McDonald, Charles Winninger. A swell
light comedy. At show time it was 15 degrees
below zero, so the crowd was held way down.
Should do better than average business.
Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Cold.—E. J.
Petersen, Cozy Theatre, Jeifers, Minn. Rural
and small town patronage. * *
—
Mighty McGurk, The (MGM)—Wallace
Beery, Dean Stockwell, Aline MacMahon. This
feature pleased a fairly good turnout of patrons.
Every small town exhibitor should
make it a point to show it. Definitely a crowdpuller
in a rural area. Played Sat., Sun.
Weather: Fair.—E. P. Amundson, Colton Theatre,
Colton, S. D. Small town and rural patronage.
*
Song of Love (MGM)—Katharine Hepburn,
Paul Henried, Robert Walker. This is a wonderful
production, although some of my patrons
did not like it as much as some of the
pictures we have had. It was just a bit above
their heads. We did a little above average
business with this picture. It looks as if
MGM will be great in 1948. Played Sat., Sun.,
Mon. Weather: Warm and pleasant.—O.
Fomby, Paula Theatre, Homer, La. Small
*
town patronage.
Song of the Thin Man (MGM) — William
Powell, Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn. My patrons
remarked: "About the only thing slim
about the thin man any more is his wife" and
I might add—the profits! Played Sun., Mon.
Weather: Cold.—R. E. Halstead, Tri-Town Theatre,
Lindstrom, Minn. Rural and small town
*
patronage.
MONOGRAM
Ginger (Mono)—Frank Albertson, Barbara
Reed, Johnny Calkins. Doubled with "Big
Town" (Para) and both pictures well received
and had average attendance. It hardly pays
to double them, though. You give more but
Manager Can Face Crowd
When Show Is Over
ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE,
THE
(MGM)—Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell,
Janet Leigh. Excellent for my town. This
is the type of picture that really pleases
the small town and rural patronage. Good
comments aU around and this is a picture
where the manager can face his customers
when they leave, knowing that
they thoroughly enjoyed the show. 'With
all the junk that Hollywood has deluged
us with now for some time, it's a relief
to have a picture like this. Played Sun.,
Mon., Tues. Weather: Fair.—W. D. Rasmussen.
Star Theatre, Anthon, Iowa.
Small town patronage.
•
you don't receive any more, so that explains
it. Played Wednesday. Weather: Cool.
W. H. Swan, Auditorium Theatre, Roscoe, S. D.
Rural patronage.
• * »
King of the Bandits (Mono)—Gilbert Roland,
Chris-Pin Martin, Angela Greene. Best
of the Cisco Kid series so far but my customers
will be happy to see a good substitute for
this series. Played Thurs., Fri., Sat. Weather;
Stormy and cold.—Terry Axley, New Theatre,
England, Ark. Rural and small town patronage.
* * •
PARAMOUNT
I Cover Big Town (Para)—Philip Reed, Hillary
Brooke, Robert Lowery. Just another
picture that was oversold because of the
radio show. It drew the poorest weekend
business we've had—even the blizzard didn't
keep so many away as this and "Under Colorado
Skies." Just two pictures that people
didn't want to buy or could smell. Played
Fri., Sat. Weather: Fine.—Mayme P. Musselman,
Roach Theatre, Lincoln, Kas.
Small town
patronage. * * •
Ladies' Man (Para)—Eddie Bracken, Cass
—
——
Western Not Only Film
Which Needs Action
DISHONORED LADY (UA)—Hedy Lamarr,
Dennis O'Keefe, John Loder.
Nothing outstanding. Poor acting as usual
by Miss Lamarr. Not enough action to
keep you awake. No, I don't mean by
action that it has to have western action.
Any picture has to have action to keep
your interest. Played Sunday only.
James C. Balkcom jr., Gray Theatre,
Gray, Ga. Small town patronage. * * •
Daley, 'Virginia Welles. Don't pass this one
up. It's a riot from beginning to end, and the
patrons loved it. Packed them in Sun., Mon.,
and Tues. was average. Weather: Fair.
Mrs. Ira Haaven, States Theatre, East Grand
Forks, Minn. Small town and rural patronage.
*
Perils of Pauline, The (Para)—Betty Hutton,
John Lund, Billy De Wolfe. A swell action
picture in color, which is just what the
small town show needs. Played Fri., Sat.
Weather: Good.—E. M. Freiburger, Paramount
Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage.
* * «
Trouble With Women, The (Para)—Ray Milland,
Teresa Wright, Brian Donlevy. This
comedy feature was well received by those
who attended. We were able to buy it at
a price which allowed us to make a little
profit. Played Sat., Sun. Weather: Cold.
E. P. Amundson, Colton Theatre, Colton S. D.
*
Small town and rural patronage.
yWelcome Stranger (Para)—Bing Crosby,
Barry Fitzgerald, Joan Caulfield. Great! This
is 100 per cent entertainment. Barry Fitzgerald
has redeemed himself in this community.
He and Bing make a great twosome.
Average attendance but this was no fault
of the drawing power. The weather had
something to do with it. Played Saturday.
Weather: Cold—30 degrees with a wind.—
E. Rougeau, Club Theatre, Seven Sisters
J.
Falls, Man. Small town and rural patronage.
RKO RADIO
Banjo (RKO)—Sharyn Moffett, Jacqueline
White, Walter Reed. Entertaining, interesting,
and the kids loved it. Good acting by Sharyn
Moffett and two little colored boys. A natural
for us and should be for any small town.
Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Stormy.—R. W.
Burgess, Roxy Theatre, McClusky, N. D. Rural
and small town patronage. * *
Banjo (RKO)—Sharyn Moffett, Jacqueline
White, Walter Reed. This is another good
dog story. Everyone liked Sharyn Moffett
and Banjo. The crowds were small because
of the basketball tournament here. Sorry
more of my patrons could not see it. Played
Wed., Thurs. Weather: Cold.—T. M. Patton,
Scenic Theatre, Lexington, 111. Small town
patronage.
*
Dilemma (RKO)—Ralph Byrd,
Dick Tracy's
Lyle Latell, Kay Christopher. Tracy is always
good here. The new character of Tracy done
by Byrd didn't hurt the series any. Did okay
on this with a double bill, playing it with
"Desperate" on a Wednesday night. Weather:
No good.—D. W. Trisko, Ritz Theatre^
Jerome, Ariz. Mining patronage.
Make Mine Music (RKO)—Talents of Nelson
Eddy, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman.
RKO made us buy "Make Mine Music" in
order to get "Song of the South" so we double
billed them on a Sun., Mon. Guess how many
walkouts on "Make Mine Music"—42 in all,
which is more walkouts than we've ever had
in our entire two years of theatre business.
Can anyone top this?—Mrs. Lewis Hickok,
Dream Theatre, Effingham, Kas. Small town
patronage.
Night Song (RKO)—Dana Andrews, Merle
Oberon, Ethel Barrymore. A very good picture
but rather dull fare for this town. It has
its good moments but Hoagy Carmichael and
Ethel Barrymore provide the best moments of
BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: April 17, 1948
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