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an<br />
IsSji<br />
a lot of film and ihe time of the few who<br />
don't walk out. Doubled it with "Fall Guy"<br />
and don't know why the townfolk didn't run<br />
jne out of town. Two more perfect examples<br />
of the kind of pictures people don't wont, and<br />
I have to book them on the same program!<br />
Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Hot.^R. C.<br />
Walker, Vintah Theatre, Fruita, Colo. Rural<br />
patronage.<br />
PARAMOUNT<br />
Albuquerque (Para)—Randolph Scott, Barbara<br />
Britton, George "Gabby" Hayes. The<br />
color added to this picture, as it always does<br />
outdoor features. was well liked but not<br />
to It<br />
outstanding in any way— just good entertainment<br />
of its class. Played Thurs. through Sat.<br />
Weather: Lovely.—M. W. Mattecheck, Mack<br />
Theatre, McMinnville, Ore. City and country<br />
patronage. * * *<br />
Desert Fury (Para)—John Hodiak, Lizabeth<br />
Scott, Burt Lancaster. This is a good-enough<br />
action picture, with Technicolor to help, but<br />
the hot weather licked us. No business for<br />
the past month—and another hot month coming<br />
upl Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Dry and<br />
hot.—Arthur E. Phifield, Park Theatre, South<br />
Berwick, Me. Small town patronage.<br />
My Favorite Brunette (Para)—Bob Hope,<br />
Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre. This oldie with<br />
Hope and Lamour drew better than average<br />
business on Sat., Sun., Mon. Weather: Hot.<br />
O. A. Fosse, Community Theatre, Ridgeway,<br />
Iowa. Small town and rural patronage. * * *<br />
Saigon (Para)—Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake,<br />
Donald Dick. This is the poorest Alan Ladd<br />
I ever ran. Paramount seems to want to ruin<br />
his boxoffice, as his last several pictures have<br />
been poorer and poorer. Let's give him and<br />
us exhibitors a break with a good picture.<br />
Para. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Good.<br />
C. W. Ritenour, Milford Theatre, Milford, 111.<br />
Rural patronage. * * *<br />
'Sainted' Sisters, The (Para)—Veronica<br />
Lake, Joan Caulfield, Barry Fitzgerald. This<br />
is quite amusing and everyone seemed to<br />
enjoy Barry Fitzgerald's antics. The parts<br />
given Veronica Lake and Joan Caulfield were<br />
hardly suited for them. Above average attendance.<br />
Played Wednesday. Weather:<br />
Clear and warm.—J. E. Rougeau, Club Theatre,<br />
Seven Sisters Falls, Man. Small town<br />
c^nd rural patronage. * * *<br />
WWhere There's Life (Para)—Bob Hope,<br />
Signe Hasso, William Bendix. And where<br />
there's Hope without Crosby, there's no life<br />
at my boxoffice. This is too short to single<br />
and too expensive to double. The best thing<br />
I'd say would be to let Paramount keep it.<br />
I'd pay more income tax if I had. Played<br />
Sun., Mon. Weather: Hot.—R. C. Walker,<br />
Vintah Theatre, Fruita, Colo. Rural patronage.<br />
* *<br />
RKO RADIO<br />
Best Years of Our Lives, The (RKO)—Myrna<br />
Loy, Frederic March, Dana Andrews. In my<br />
opinion and the opinion of 90 per cent of my<br />
patrons, this is the most outstanding picture<br />
since "Gone With the Wind." It is a picture<br />
which everyone should see and every exhibitor<br />
should play. Of course, as with all the<br />
best pictures, the exhibitor makes expenses<br />
_and the distributor makes the profit, but the<br />
They Don't Enjoy Films<br />
Made From Stage Plays<br />
ABIE'S IRISH ROSE (UA)—Joanne<br />
Dru, Richard Norris, Michael Chekhov.<br />
A dud so far as bosiness was concerned.<br />
Many good laughs, but my people do not<br />
care for shows taken from Broadway stage<br />
plays—at least, that type rarely pulls<br />
them in. Played Sun., Mon. Weather:<br />
Fair and warm. Arthur E. Phifield,<br />
Park Theatre, South Berwick, Me. SmaU<br />
town patronage. * * *<br />
jlIM BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: August 28, 1948<br />
iM<br />
satisfaction of presenting this picture to my<br />
patrons was worth Ihe effort. Compliments<br />
are still floating around town from appreciative<br />
patrons. Played Sun., Mon. Weather:<br />
Fair.—Mrs. Pat W. Murphy, Queen Theatre,<br />
Holliday, Tex. Oil field worker patronage. *<br />
Fort Apache (RKO) — John Wayne, Henry<br />
Fonda, Shirley Temple. This is a small town<br />
natural with such a big cast and such a lavish<br />
production I can't understand why it wasn't<br />
in Technicolor. I certainly recommend this<br />
to all fellow exhibitors. built We a broken<br />
down fort in front of the theatre with flags<br />
flying from everywhere. Publicity always<br />
helps. Ward Bond, who had a leading part,<br />
has a first cousin who lives in Gray and he<br />
was our special guest. Played Mon., Tues.<br />
James C. Balkcom jr.. Gray "Theatre, Gray, Ga.<br />
Small town patronage. * * *<br />
If You Knew Susie (RKO)—Eddie Cantor,<br />
Joan Davis, AUyn Joslyn. This is a very light<br />
bit of llulf, so light that it amused the children<br />
considerably but didn't keep many adults<br />
from yawning. Priced here so that it should<br />
have been good, but? Played Sun., Mon.<br />
Weather: Good.—C. W. Ritenour, Milford Theatre,<br />
Milford, 111. Rural patronage. * * *<br />
Long Night, The (RKO)—Henry Fonda, Barbara<br />
Bel Geddes, Vincent Price. This was one<br />
New Contributor Tells<br />
Oi His Serial Problem<br />
JESSE JAMES RIDES AGAIN (Rep)<br />
— Serial. I want to talk about the Republic<br />
serials that the company has been<br />
putting out the past five years. They<br />
are the best any theatre can buy, but<br />
along about the ninth chapter, wham<br />
they repeat a chapter, and this has been<br />
going on for five years. There is always<br />
one chapter you have to pay for that<br />
you have already run, whereas Republic<br />
should send it out gratis. Republic is the<br />
only company that does this—and the<br />
only one that has plenty of action.<br />
We run all types of pictures, big and<br />
little, and the ones that make with us<br />
are comedy shows and musicals. Big<br />
westerns are popular, and we run westerns<br />
on Saturday for the rural trade . . .<br />
The only thing wrong with this business<br />
is that the exhibitor talks too much and<br />
doesn't do ajiything about things.—Frank<br />
Fowler, Princess Theatre, Mocksville, N. C.<br />
(Seating capacity, 250, adults 29c, children<br />
10c—net sales).<br />
of the best to come from RKO last year, I<br />
believe. No unfavorable comments on this<br />
one from anyone. Keep your eyes on Barbara<br />
Bel Geddes. She has talent, charm and<br />
youthful beauty and she is destined to go a<br />
long way. Business was very good. Don't<br />
miss this one. Played Tues., Wed. Weather:<br />
Rain. — "Art" V. Phillips, Haymond Theatre,<br />
Cromona, Ky. Mining and small town patronage.<br />
'<br />
^Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The (RKO)—<br />
Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karlofl.<br />
This did not do the business it deserved.<br />
Our first Danny Kaye picture, and perhaps<br />
that was against it. A swell comedy, if your<br />
crowd likes Kaye. Played Tues., Wed., Thurs.<br />
Weather: Fair and warm.—Arthur E. Phifield,<br />
Park Theatre, South Berwick, Me. Small town<br />
patronage. * * *<br />
Tarzan and the Mermaids (RKO)—Johnny<br />
Weissmuller, Brenda Joyce, Linda Christian. I<br />
hale to knock a Tarzan picture but this was<br />
by far the worst ever made. It didn't have<br />
"Boy," had very little excitement, not much<br />
of the jungle, very few animals, and it<br />
dragged throughout. I have no financial kick<br />
because it had a good draw, but I only hope<br />
by this constructive criticism that the next<br />
Tarzan film will be a better grade, for Tarzan<br />
She Makes a Suggestion<br />
To the Cartoon Artists<br />
pROM Mrs. Arden Richard.s of the Open<br />
Air Theatre at Craigsvillc, W. Va.,<br />
comes this suggestion:<br />
"Cartoon artists arc missing a great bet<br />
in failing to use more inventive, futuristic<br />
subjects such as Buck Rogers. Mandrake<br />
and like subjects. Furthermore, it should<br />
help to make our nation a bit more progressive<br />
along aviation lines."<br />
films are always good for the entire family<br />
and I hope the next one will be given more<br />
consideration. Played Wed., Thurs.—James C.<br />
Balkcom jr., Gray Theatre, Gray, Ga. Small<br />
town patronage.<br />
Tycoon (RKO)—John Wayne, Laraine Day,<br />
Sir Cedric Hardwicke. You can't suit these<br />
people any better than to play a John Wayne<br />
action picture.—Elwood Cheers, Shallotte<br />
Theatre, Shallotte, N. C. Small town and rural<br />
patronage.<br />
REPUBLIC<br />
Lightnin' in the Forest (Rep)—Lynn Roberts,<br />
Donald Red Barry, Warren Douglas. Here is<br />
a nice picture with lots of comedy to run in<br />
the middle of the week—and it will stand<br />
alone. It has better than average draw.<br />
Played Mon., Tues.—L. Brazil jr.. New Theatre,<br />
Bearden, Ark. Small town patronage. * * *<br />
That's My Man (Rep)—Don Ameche, Catherine<br />
McLeod, Roscoe Karns. This had no<br />
draw but even if business was slow, those<br />
who came liked it. It is comedy drama.<br />
Frank E. Sabin, Majestic Theatre, Eureka,<br />
Mont. Small town patronage.<br />
20th<br />
CENTURY-FOX<br />
Captain From Castile (20th-Fox) — Tyrone<br />
Power, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero. Beautiful<br />
color, marvelous scenery and photography,<br />
but Fox messed up a swell story. It is too<br />
long and leaves an air of expectancy. We<br />
played it four weeks and it should have been<br />
six. Weather: Hot.—Ernie Warren, Elgin Theatre,<br />
Ottawa, Ont. General<br />
*<br />
patronage.<br />
Daisy Kenyon (20th-Fox) — Joan Crawford,<br />
Dana Andrews, Henry Fonda. Our people<br />
didn't like this show and made no bones<br />
about it. We had only half the average attendance.<br />
Played Saturday only. Weather:<br />
Clear and warm.— J. E. Rougeau, Club Theatre,<br />
Seven Sisters Falls, Man. Small town<br />
and rural patronage. * * *<br />
Deep Waters (20th-Fox)—Dana Andrews,<br />
Jean Peters, Cesar Romero. This has all the<br />
required particulars to insure contented patronage<br />
of both sexes. It played to a capacity<br />
house Sun., Mon. The sepiatone utilized drew<br />
mixed opinions, mostly from vacationers who<br />
preferred the location shots of their home<br />
state, Maine, to be in Technicolor. The treatment<br />
of the novel, "Spoonhandle" for the<br />
screen and resultant change of title is of no<br />
consequence, but the timeliness of juvenile delinquency<br />
can be employed in exploiting the<br />
feature. Played Sun., Mon., Tues.—Jay Snelling,<br />
City Pier Theatre, Cape May, N. J. Resort<br />
*<br />
patronage.<br />
Gentleman's Agreement (20th-Fox)—Gregory<br />
Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield.<br />
We missed out on this one in this small town.<br />
It is good for one day's run here and the acting<br />
good by John Garfield, Gregory Peck and<br />
Dorothy McGuire. This is for de luxe, class<br />
A houses only. Played Mon., Tues. Weather:<br />
Fair.—Frank D. Fowler, Princess Theatre,<br />
*<br />
Macksville, N. C. Rural patronage.<br />
Give My Regards to Broadway (20th-Fox)<br />
Dan Dailey, Charles Winninger, Nancy Guild.<br />
This was okay but would have been better<br />
if the family had made a big success on<br />
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