The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

224 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 27, 1926 Washington Moving Picture World Bureau, Seattle. Wash., Nov 9. ««'TpHE Country Store" appears doomed A in Seattle and Washington, due to a ■decision handed down by the State Supreme ■Court at Olympia, last week. This decision -of five to four jurists sustained the Kings ■County Court in its decision that Simon Danz, owner of the Hollyivood Theatre, Seattle, and S. D. Maine, country store operator, were guilty of operating a lottery in conducting this event at the Hollywood Theatre. Danz and Maine will have to pay a fine of %\2S each. This case was used as a test. Ray Grombacher, president of Spokane ■Theatres, Inc.. announced in no uncsrtain terms that he has not any intcMition of selling out his interests in Spokane. Mr. Grombacher was in Seattle last we^k. He declares the rumor sprang from tlio fact that lie recently sold his residence. "Sunny Jim" Reilly, for the past year Seattle manager for Universal in Seattle, has been promoted to special feature representative for the entire coast from Denver v/est. Aberdeen R. E. Connell, former theatre owner of Aberdeen, 'Wash., has opened the Liberty Theatre on Wetmore avenue, a 500-seat house. Pennsylvania Mu-.ing Picture World bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa., Nov. 18. PITTSBURGH theatres owned by the Harry Davis Enterprises Company will be taken over on December 1 by the Stanley Company of America. The deal has just been consummated in Pittsburgh and the purchase price is in excess of $3,000,000. The theatre which will change hands include the Grand, the Davis, the Schenley, Ritz, Olympic and Lyric. A deal has just been clo.sed in Pittsburgh "Whereby the Columbia Film Service, Inc., James H. Alexander, manager, lias purchased the Supreme Photoplay Company, Pittsburgh's oldest state right exchange. Included in the purchase is the franchise of the Gotham Productions for this territory. Jack Withers, former Associated Exhibitors manager here, and more recently manager of the local branch of Tiffany Productions, Inc., has resigned to assume the position of sales manager for the feature department at the local Pathe branch. No successor is as yet named at Tiffany. Recent visitors included: Sam Sax, president of Gotham Productions; Earl Kramer, eastern sales manager for Universal, and N. Sharin, auditor from the Universal home oflice. East Liberty Manager F. P. McGovern, of the Alhambra Theatre, East Liberty, is getting some valuable advertising gratis at the present time. A new restaurant is soon to open adjacjut to the theatre, and the eating house is advertising with 300 window cards and 10,000 heralds, on each of which is printed "right next door to the Alhambra Theatre." BONNIE LILLIAN GISH in the Metro Goldwyn-Mayer production of "Annie Laurie." San Vrancisco THE forma! opening of the new Alhambra Theatre at Polk and Green streets, San Francisco, took place on the evening of November 5. The theatre is owned by T. & D. Jr. Enterprises, Inc., which has a chain of twenty-three houses, with affiliations with three other circuits. Henry Nasser, formerly of the Royal Theatre, and one of the owners, is manager. An interesting feature of the program presented recently at the Imperial Theatre was the color picture, "Mona Lisa," made by Eugene H. Roth, who for many years managed the California and Portola Theatres of this city. Mike Zar, well known film salesman of San Francisco, and who has also had wide ex perience in the management of moving picture ■ theatres, has purchased an interest in Progress Features and is now a full-fledged partner of W. O. Edmunds. Ned Marin, general sales manager for First National, was a recent visitor at the San Francisco branch, where a very successful sales conference was held. He was accompanied by Emil Jensen, personal representative of Joseph Schenk. The two later left for Portland, Ore., accompanied by district manager L. O. Lukan. Eureka B. B. Byard, of Eureka, was a recent visitor and announced plans for the erection of a 2,000 seat house. This exhibitor lives in the "sticks" and is proud of it. Eureka being in the heart of the great redwood district. Exeter E. 'V. Cook, of Exeter, was a recent visitor on San Francisco's film row and announced that the picking of oranges had commenced. The crop ripens a couple of months earlier here than in Southern California. Berkeley During the month of November at the Saturday afternoon matinees of the Oaks Theatre, Berkeley, an experiment in clean pictures is being made by the Rev. Laurance L. Cross, pastor of the Northbrae Community Church. The advertising of the initial matinee was donated by interested organizations and about eight hundred children attended. Montana Moving Picture World Bureau, Butte, Mont., Nov. 17. MANAGER E. C. Shaffer, of the Columbia exchange, is on the road most of the time, but this week he is at his managerial desk to attend a rush of business. Dave Farquhar, manager of Warner • Brothers Salt Lake City exchange, is in Butte for a few days looking after Warner interests. There is some talk of opening an exchange for Warner Brothers in the Mining City. C. P. Scates, manager of the American Tlieatre, who was recently sent here from Seattle by the Northwest Theatres Corporation, has inaugurated a series of musical programs to be given as a special attraction every Saturday evening, in conjunction with the regular movie programs. C. J. Severson, the new local manager of the Universal exchange since the promotion of W. J. Heineman to the Salt Lake City exchange, has been out on the highline and on his return made hurried visits to Livingston, Great Falls and Billings in the interest of his "Jewels." Manager Severson was formerly head salesman for Universal under Mr. Heinaman. He is also an exhibitor, owning the Liberty Theatre at Wolf Point where Mrs. Severson has charge during his absence. W. J. Sullivan, who for the past several years has been manager of the Rialto Theatre, has been retained by North American Theatres as head of the Rialto. Manager W. M. Hughart of the local Pathe exchange has been to Salt Lake City recently to meet Sales Manager Frank Harris. Since his return he has been holding a series of conferences here for his salesmen. Dave McElhinney, manager for the P. D. C. exchange, has gone to northern Montana in the interest of his company with the new product. Cleveland Moving Picture World Bureau, Cleveland, O., Nov. 17. CI^EVELAND saw a unique film coincidence this week. L. K. .Sidney, manager of the de luxe houses of the Loew circuit, arrived in town to find his brother. Jack, on the stage bill at the Allen. Together, the two went out to the Park to see brother George, who was featured on the screen in "Millionaires." The Circle Theatre, an East End house, operated by Martin Printz, has relinquished Pantages vaudeville in conjunction with its pictures, and is playing tabloid musical comedies instead. Weekly "Discovery Niglit" programs at the State, amateur night with a new name, have been found to be a big draw in f. loveland, and have been instituted in live cf tho Loew houses, including the Liberty, Doan, Park and Metropolitan, as well as the State. Bob Pank, of the main office of Loow's Ohio Theatres handles the bookings in conjunction with Thomas Carroll, manager of the State. The Heights Theatre, Euclid boulevprd and Coventry road, is the newest addilicn to the Loew's Ohio chain. The latter group has acquired ownership and control of thj theatre from Louis Israel and M. Makoft, who built the house. Ed E. Ebel continues as manager of the house, which has a seating capacity of 1,000.