Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

80 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 11, 1931 Round Table Biographies 1 f Thomas A. Phelan Actor, bandmaster, and showman, Thomas A. (Tommy) Phelan, entered the show game as an actor with the Pianophiend Minstrels during the season of 1910-1911. After that season, he toured with his own act for a time. Then he accepted a position as a musi, ^ ^i^^^^H cal leader with the Reade Circuit in ^H^^H New Jersey, where he had established BB^BBk ^^^BB a residence. Tommy Phelan's showman career then started. For a number of years Phelan remained as a leader, with the Reade Circuit, though being promoted in the meantime to the post of musical director. Three years ago, when things started to buzz with the advent of sound pictures, Phelan transferred his activities to the front of the house, securing a position as manager of two houses in Long Branch, N. J. When the Reade Circuit sold out to Publix, Phelan was retained, and today can be found selling shows at the Strand in Long Branch. And he certainly sells them, too ! He knows the town inside out and upside down. He is well known also, and has many friends among the residents and merchants, and these contacts more than help him in putting across his shows. Phelan has worked for but two circuits, Walter Reade and Publix. The houses he has worked in are the Strand in Long Branch and the Broadway, now named New Paramount. He entered the show business in 1910, automatically through his musical career. Born in Worcester, Mass., Phelan was educated in the Public and High Schools of Worcester and had musical training at the Boston (Mass.) Conservatory of Music. His lodge affiliations number one: the Long Branch Lodge 742 B.P.O.E. Phelan is married and has one child. The show business still holds his interest and he hopes to remain in it and taking stock again of the work he has turned out since he has been in the game. Is there any reason why he shouldn't ? Frank E. Drachman Drachman is a name well known in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded and established by Mr. Drachman, father of Frank E., over 25 years ago. Frank Drachman is a native son, having been born in Tucson, atended its grade and high schools, and then the University of Arizona. Drachman entered the show business at the age of ten. It was inevitable, in view of his parent's record, that he should do so. He likes the business, and that's what gave him the first incentive that ied to his today being a manager. When but ten, Frank distributed heralds for his father. Then, when old enough to be an usher, Frank received that assignment. From the usher's berth he was shifted to a doorman's uniform, and after a while he received the coveted promotion. Today, he manages the Opera House in Tucson for Publix, and he manages it with a capital "M". That he knows the town, its likes and its dislikes, goes without saying. The same is equally true of the town's regard for Frank. Nearly everyone in town knows the Drachman family (there's Roy, too, who also handles a house in the city). Frank has worked for the Richards and Nace Circuit and Publix. He has managed only one house, the Opera House, and he has held the job for the last five years — the post having been given to him in 1926. He is married and has one child, a boy. The Elks and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity constitute his lodge affiliations. Because he entered the show game with a liking for it, he is sure that he would again choose the same profession if offered an opportunity. And he doesn't ever expect to leave the show game, for any other profession. Indeed, he wouldn't care to know anything other than the show game, even if 17 or 18 different professions were open to him. Floyd G. Nutting The banking business began to prove uninteresting for Floyd Nutting, so he decided to leave it — after he had been in it four years ! He figured that counting money for a bank day in and day out was no sort of business for a man with an imagination and a healthful constitution, that demanded he exercise in some other manner than passing his fingers over rolls of bills and using up bottles of ink one after the other. He wanted a business that would provide him with more life, more color, more zest, more glamour. He finally decided that the show business was the thing. And so at the age of 21 he entered the field. Nutting started in as an assistant manager in Minot, N. Dak. He was sure that he had picked the right profession, for it wasn't long before he received a promotion and a transfer. The promotion was to the post of house manager in a theatre in Rochester, Mmn. He worked like blazes on this job. A year later he received another and greater promotion. The post of city manager of the Rochester theatres was assigned to him. He handled the job for two years, and then was shifted to Minot, North Dakota. To-day, Nutting is handling the State in Minot. He is well known m the town, and well liked. He is a member of the local Rotary Club— his only lodge affiliation, by the way. Nutting was born in Minneapolis, Minn., and was educated in the city's grade school, high school and college. He is married. The circuits that he has worked for are Finklestein and Rubin and the Publix organization, the last named being his present connection. He likes the show game, which is why he entered it, and he hopes to stay in the business for many mor^; years. He is sure to be counted in on every kind of civic activity that goes on, and he is a familiar figure in all of the town's doings such as anniversary celebrations, special weeks, etc. Joseph E. Isaac He left the show business once, but now he's back again. Which always happens with showmen, it seems to us. They leave — for good they say — then first thing you know, they are back again. Isaac entered the show game because he liked it. And so in 1914 he was connected with the Matoaka Theatre, Matoaka, W. Va. This was before the World War. Isaac enlisted, and after the war — in 1919 to be exact — he took over the Strand Theatre in Norton, Va., later acquiring the Lyric Theatre in the same town. He managed both houses for three and one-half years, at the conclusion of which time he decided to leave the show business. He sold out both houses, and entered into the dry goods business. For two years he remained in that game. But, as was said before, the show business called him. And out of the dry goods game he went. To-day you'll find Isaac at the Cumberland Theatre in Cumberland, Ky., where he is selling shows in a manner that proves he knows what the game is all about. He studied hard to learn the show game, and that may perhaps account for why he never stays out of it for very long. In fact, he might leave it many more times, but he's sure that he'll be back again. Isaac was born in Syria, came to America, and at the age of 16 entered the show business. He was educated in the Norton, Va., high school and the Roanoke Business College in Roanoke, Va. He is married and has three children, all boys. His lodge affiliations are many: the Masons, Odd Fellows, Moose, Woodmen, American Legion, Cumberland Chamber of Commerce (he served for two years as City Clerk) ; and the Kentucky National Guard (he's a captain). He has never worked for a circuit; always the independent houses. And he has mostly owned the houses he has worked at.