By P.S. Harrison (1928)
In the Fox 1928-29 announcement, which has just appeared in the trade papers, two pages are devoted to the six pictures, Street Angel, Four Sons, Mother Machree, Sunrise, Mother Knows Best, and The Red Dance, in a combined advertisement. The following line is contained in the one page: "Big Broadway Hits."
What are the facts?
The Red Dance and Mother Knows Best have not yet been shown on Broadway; so a statement such as this is not representing the facts correctly.
Of the others, Sunrise has not made a hit; it is a first-class big production, well enough, but in its 28 weeks it lost money at the Times Square Theatre, where it played.
Mother Machree was withdrawn from the Globe, in order to make room for the Street Angel, and put in the Times Square. It is not making what one would call a hit to entitle it to be classified as a "Broadway Hit." Perhaps the fault lies in the theatre, for the picture is the best mother-love story that has ever been filmed; perhaps it is another reason. The fact remains, however, that it is not making a hit, in the sense that The Big Parade, What Price Glory, Seventh Heaven, The Ten Commandments, and The Covered Wagon made.
Four Sons is standing up only fairly well at the Gaiety; it is not setting the world afire.
Street Angel is making a good Broadway hit.
Fox has one picture that he has not told you very much about it yet: Fazil. I am predicting that this picture will make a great hit, unless it is "muffed" in the handling, a thing which I doubt; it will stand quite a little "rough" handling. Now, if they had made overstatements about this picture, "Harrison's Reports" would have forgiven them; it deserves anything that may be said about it.
I want to be fair towards Fox just as I want to be towards every other producer-distributor. But it is necessary for Fox to be fair with you, too. And telling you that Sunrise and Mother Machree have been Broadway hits, and that The Red Dancer and Mother Knows Best have been shown on Broadway and have made a hit, when they have not yet been shown there, it is not treating you fairly. (Mother Knows Best has not even been made yet.)
P.S. Harrison, "Fox Overstatement," Harrison's Reports, June 2, 1928, page 88.
© 1997, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)
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