Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1929)

September 28 , 1929 1159 Regional News From Correspondents Pittsburgh Film Zone News Briefs THE Photophone service station of RCA is now established at 5\ Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, under the supervision of A. E. Jackson. This station will look after equipment in several states. Dr. C. E. Herman is building a beautiful new theatre upon the site of his former theatre in Carnegie. A. Goodsteen, home office representative of Standard Film Service, paid a recent visit to the Pittsburgh branch. The Regal at Wilkinsburg and Lyric, Hollidaysburg, are closed for alterations. Re-openings soon. David Brown, Paramount, has been promoted from ad sales department to the booking department. Al Gammon, Universal cashier, is vacationing in Atlantic City. Frank Panoplos, of the Capitol, has been named general manager, and Joseph Weiss, of the Liberty, is treasurer of the New CapitolLiberty Company of jMcKeesport. E. L. Kessling of the Freeman Theatre Company, Bluefield, W. \'a., has taken over the Palace, Bluefield and the Rialto at Kimball. Barck Takes National In Cleveland V^Ail BARCK has taken over the O National Theatre, East 55th St, Cleveland and will open it on September 28th. He will present a silent program, with four changes a week. New projection equipment and a new screen are being provided by the National Theatre Supply Company. Barck has also taken personal charge of the Plymouth Theatre, Plymouth, and is putting in new Powers projectors and a new Gardner screen. The house will be operated three days a week. Wonderphone sound reproducer, manufactured in Cleveland by Film Sound Corporatir;n, is being installed in the Lucier Theatre, Cleveland. This house, formerly operated by Sam Barck. is now under the management of B. C. Mahew, owner of the property. C. J. Auble is the proprietor of the newly built Grove Theatre at Pioneer, O. The house will be operated every day but Tuesday. J. B. Allman has notified the Film Board of Trade that the Doan Theatre, Akron has been sold, and they have been asked to vacate the premises. The Columbia Theatre. Cleveland, one of the city's oldest picture houses, has passed out of existence. It has been condemned by the local building commission, and will be dismantled. Oliver Reproducers, manufactured by the Oliver Moving Picture Supply Company of Cleveland have been installed in the Gibbs Theatre, Andover, O. ; Strand at Farrell, Pa. ; G. W. Mercer's house in Wheeling, West Virginia, and also in Coxsackie, N. Y. Amusement Supply Company of New York, one of the largest independent theatre supply houses in the country, has been named distributor of the Oliver Reproducer covering the northeast including New York. Pat Garyn, general manager of National Screen Service, has transferred Robert Gordon from the Ohio to the southern territory, where he has a larger field of activity. J. G. Davies succeeds Gordon in Ohio. M. B. Horwitz, head of the Washington circuit of theatres, has leased the Height's Theatre, Euclid Heights Boulevard, from Loew's for a period of six years. The transfer became effective last Saturday. The house will be closed for several weeks, during which time Horwitz will entirely redecorate, and will install Western Electric sound equipment. Howard Reiff of the Scoville, Essick and Reiff circuit, was married September 14th. Frank Greenwald was best man. Fred Schram is distributing "Linda" in this territory. The picture has been synchronized, and will play its premiere engagement in October at the Strand, Canton. John Pekras is remodeling his Capitol Theatre, Elyria, increasing the seating capacity, and providing for large stage presentations. National Theatre Supply Company, of which R. W. Cudmore is manager, has charge of the remodeling. Bob Williams, who resigned a-^ head billposter for Loew's theatres, service, is back on the job. Howard Price Kingsmore, general manager of the local Loew houses, is vacationing in the east. When last heard from he was in Atlantic City. Harry Haiman, auditor for the Standard Film Service Company, is recovering at Charity Hospital from an operation. Miss Rickey Labowitch, of the Standard Film Service Company's booking department is minus her appendix since last week, and feeling better for it. Glen C. Pullen, right hand man to Ward Marsh, motion picture editor of "The Plain Dealer," alsn had his appendix removed last week. W. J. Powell, owner and manager of the LoNet Theatre, Wellington, has developed his own sound device which he tried last week for the first time with marked success. Powell has been working on the machine for several months. Jack Osserman has returned to Cleveland after an absence of eight years as manager of the local Universal exchange. He was appointed Cleveland exchange manager to succeed Harry Young. Mrs. C. Meyn, Pioneer Kans. Exhibitor, Dies MRS. CHARLOTTE MEYN, who for more than twenty years operated the Phototorium, the second theatre to be opened in Kansas, died last Monday in her home in Kansas City, Kan. She leaves two sons, Fred Meyn, who operates the Pershing Theatre, Kansas City, Kan., and Ted Meyn, organist at Loew's State Theatre, Cleveland. Western Electric sound equipment is being installed in the Byer Theatre, Excelsior Springs, Mii. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were: Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Goshen, Royal Theatre, Versailles, Mo.; C. H. Grecian, Star Theatre, Sedalia, Mo. ; J. M. Zeman, Garden Theatre, Grainfield, Kan. ; Charles Fisk, Opera House, Butler, Mo., and J. H. Mayob, Mary Lou Theatre, Marshall, Mo. The personnel of the Kansas City Educational exchange now is going on its second week of work to the tune of carpenters' hammers and other noises foreign to an office, but there has been no complaining. The building housing the exchange is being reconstructed. Film Men Active In Salt Lake City |\4 OVEMENTS of exchangely M. men in this territory are reported as follows : Manager Chas. Walker of the Fox office, accompanied by J. L. Tidwell, is in southern Utah : Manager Gordon of First National is covering Montana territory ; Manager Baker, of Columbia, is returning from Montana ; Manager Gage, of U. A., just back from a trip, is leaving again on another sales drive ; Harry Levey, of the U. A. Office, is working the Idaho branch ; Manager Lustig, of the local Sheffield office, is returning from a swing through southern Utah ; Manager Wingham, of MG-M, is in Montana; Manager Al O'Keefe, of Pathe, after completing a tour of Idaho has gone into Montana, and Manager Wayne Ball, of Warner Bros., has been working the Montana section. John Rugar of the Egyptian, American and Orpheum theatres of Park City, Utah, was a visitor here last week. Mrs. Nell Schreiber of the Rialto Theatre at St. Anthony, Idaho, was among exhibitor visitors here last week. T. F. Grady, M-G-M auditor from the New York office, is visiting the Salt Lake exchange. G. E. Rosenwald, Western Division Manager for Universal, was met at the Ogden, Utah, terminal by Manager J. A. Jacobs of the local exchange, a few days ago when he passed through here enroute to Denver, it is stated. Jacobs reports Rosenwald to appear much improved in health, to the satisfaction of his many friends and associates here. Matt Skorey, manager at the Butte, Montana office, was in this city this week attending a Film Board meeting held here and has now returned to the Butte LTniversal branch office. Distribution rights for the FilmFone sound equipment are handled by Gorden Thornberg here, it is stated. Ed Ryan, exhibitor of Brigham City, Utah, sent to each exchange on the Row here, a bushel basket of Brigham City peaches. Each year the various film exchanges are remembered in this manner byRyan. Baltimore Auditorium Has New Policy THE new policy of giving a program consisting of a concert of thirty nn'nutes by a forty piece orchestra conducted by Mischa Guterson, combined with solos by a vocalist and a program of talking pictures, which was given at the Auditorium Theatre, former legitimate house, Baltimore, September 16, went over fairly good with the reserved seat policy and $1 top at nights. This house is operated by Music and Pictures, Inc., and is managed by Fred C. Schanberg, Jr. The Fox Theatre, Washington, D. C., which was opened two years ago by S. L. Rothafel, celebrated the second anniversary of its opening during the week. John Irving Fisher has returned from his vacation and has resumed his activities as master of ceremonies at Fox Theatre, Washington, D. C. Herman Williams has resigned as manager of the Bijou Theatre, Richmond, Va., a Wilmer and Vincent house. The Venus Theatre, Richmond, Va., has had sound equipment installed. Stewart Tuckerm, house manager of the Byrd Theatre, Richmond, Va., and Miss Martha Mullens were married recently. Another marriage which took place in Richmond recently was that of Robert Lee Holland, Jr., of Loew's Theatre that city, to Miss Marguerite Purley. A benefit performance for the Palestine Relief fund will be given at the Rivoli Theatre, Baltimore, Md., Sunday night, October 6, tthrough the courtesy of Frank Price, Jr., manager. Joe Robbins, father of Fred and Sam Robbins, musical directors, has become connected with Radio Pictures Corporation as a checker. George List, who has been in the theatrical business of Baltimore for a number of years and has lately been connected with the Morton Sign Company, has been appointed assistant to Nat Keene, manager of the Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore. Oklahoma City Film Curb Notes FL. STECKER, Columbia ' manager in Oklahoma City visited in Dallas, Texas, last week with Harry T. Peebles. E. \'. Richards, vice president of Publix Theatre, Inc., recently paid a visit to Dallas, Texas, and announced that no changes in management of theatres located in Dallas was contemplated. The Majestic Theatre at McAlester. Okla.. is being remodeled and sound will be installed. The new Rialto, also owned by L. B. Clark and Wm. McWilliams, will open at McAlester September 23, and will cost about $150,000 when completed. J. S. (Jack) Groves has been appointed branch manager of T-S at Dallas, Texas.