Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

March 30, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 27 A. H. Blank Sells 20 Theatres To Paramount; Still Owns 24 All Except Four of Houses in Deal Are Equipped for Audiens Tired of Being Held Up, Says Wehrenberg in Ad (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS, March 26. — Fred Wehrenberg, owner and operator of the Cinderella, Melba, Michigan and Virginia theatres and president of the M P T 0 of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, in advertisements inserted in St. Louis daily newspapers has requested highwaymen to leave him alone, as he is tired of being robbed. The ads read as follows: "Highwaymen— holdup men, please note: This is to notify you that I do not carry on my person the receipts of my various theatres. They are locked in time lock safes and taken to the bank in an armored car. I am tired of being held up. Signed Fred Wehrenberg." Fox Buys JesseVs Tiffany Contract; To Make 4 Audiens (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, March 26— George Jessel's contract with Tiffany-Stahl has been bought by Fox. He will make four audiens. Tiffany-Stahl had planned a new picture for Jessel and engaged a director and cast, but the Fox offer was so flattering that the Jessel contract with Tiffany was abrogated. Saengers Declare New Quarterly Dividend of 50 Cents on Common (Special to the Herald-World) NEW ORLEANS. March 26.— At a meeting of the board of directors of the Saengers Theatres, Inc., held on March 18, a quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share on both the class A and B common stock was declared out of the profits of the company, payable on April I, stockholders of record March 22. Kilgen Organ Earnings For 1928 Is $107,237; Doubles 1927 Earnings (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS. March 26.— George Kilgen & Son, Inc., organ builders, report net earnings for 1928 of $107,237.12 compared with $52,966.83 in 1927. The company has outstanding $500,000 preferred stock and 22,500 shares of no par value common stock. Council Exempts House Tax, Managers Stirred Up (Special to the Herald-World) OTTAWA. March 26.— Theatre managers are quite riled because the city council obtained special legislation from the Ontario Government to exempt the Little theatre from civic taxation on the ground that it is a community enterprise. As a matter of fact, the Little theatre has booked a considerable number of road attractions. Says Sale Is Prompted by Desire for Much Needed Rest — Started in 1911 [By Special Correspondent of the Herald-World] DES MOIXES. March 26.— Sale of the A. H. Blank Theatre corporation to Paramount Famous Lasky was announced Friday from New York by Blank to local newspapers. The amount involved, however, was not mentioned. The deal includes twenty Blank theatres in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois, the Iowa building and the Capitol theatre building in Des Moines. The Des Moines houses purchased in the deal are the Capitol, Des Moines, Garden. Palace and Strand. The others include: Riviera. Rialto and Strand, Omaha ; Broadway. Council Bluffs ; Capitol and Princess, Sioux City ; Capitol and Rialto, Newton; Capitol, Cedar Rapids; New Riviera, Waterloo; Columbia. Garden and Family. Davenport; Fort Armstrong and Spencer, Rock Island, 111. Blank's announcement made in New York and issued by Publix, read: "I have today sold my entire interest in the Blank Circuit, operated by the A. H. Blank Theatre Corporation and its subsidiaries, to Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, who have been associated with me in the ownership and operation of the circuit. The sale is prompted by my desire to take a much needed rest after many years of constant theatre activity. I have no immediate plans for the future." Still Retains 24 Theatres Although Blank relinquishes his major holdings in this deal, he still owns 24 houses in the smaller cities and towns of Iowa. Plans are already under way for the improvement of the Iowa building in Des Moines. This will enlarge the Des Moines theatre from its present capacity of 1,759 to 2,800 and will involve the expenditure of $500,000, according to the announcement. This house will be made into an ultramodern cinema palace. A. S. Graven and Company of Chicago are preparing the architectural drawings and specifications calling for reinforced concrete construction with an exterior finish of brick and terra cotta similar to the present finish of the building. Started in 1911 It is reported also that the Rialto theatre at Omaha also will undergo a remodeling and enlarging program. According to Blank, all but four of the theatres sold to Paramount are equipped for audiens. • "Admission five cents," and a new reel every day, was the policy of the Star the atre, the little film theatre in which A. H. Blank started on the road to fame and fortune. From that humble beginning in 1911 he advanced rapidly until, in the deal with Paramount March 22, he relinquished his hold on twenty theatres in three states. The Riviera in Omaha, built at a cost of $2,000,000 and said to be one of the elaborate theatres in the Middle West, is a startling contrast to the little house where he began the motion picture business eighteen years ago. On the second birthday of his son, Raymond, Blank opened his second theatre, the Casino, Dec. 5, 1911. He invested $7,000, practically all the money he could get, in that venture. In four months he sold out for $25,000. With $15,000 of this amount he bought a lease on the Garden, then the leading Des Moines theatre. After remodeling it he opened with a new sign, "Admission ten cents." Theatre patrons were inclined to believe that this was an exorbitant price for a film show and they tried to tell Blank that the people would never pay such a price. Among First to Introduce Music As the years passed, however. Blank showed his good judgment in the purchase and operation of half a dozen houses. His theatres were among the first to introduce music and to switch from a different show each day to a three-a-week change. Fans predicted failure then. They said the public must have a new show every day. Blank became one of the founders of First National Pictures, recently sold to the Warners. He was on the executive board of First National for vears. Bill for Local Option on Sunday Shows Brings Fight; Ohio Censor Measures Die (Special to the Herald-World) COLUMBUS. March 26. — Fireworks were touched off at the public hearing before the senate judiciary committee of the Ohio Legislature, March 20. when a bill to permit municipalities to vote on the question of Sunday motion picture exhibitions came up for hearing. Opponents were principally ministers and officials of religious organizations. Proponents consisted of P. J. Wood, business manager of the MP T O.. George W. Erdman. manager of the Cleveland Theatre Owners Association, and others. The committee recommended passage. . The Women's Civic Club of Cleveland Heights has organized against Sunday shows. All bills to change Ohio censor laws were killed in committee. On motion of Senator Bender, author, the bill to abolish censorship was indefinitely postponed. The two bills of Senator Johnson to include audiens in censorship and to raise the fees were likewise killed.