The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 29, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 291 Two Important New York Chains Add Links San Francisco Moving Picture World Bureau, Berkeley, Cal, Nov. 22. WHAT is to be the largest district theatre west of Chicago is to be erected by Ackerman & Harris on Mission street, between Nineteenth and Twentieth streets, San Francisco. The plan includes the erection of a hotel and seven stores in conjunction with the theatre. The house is being designed by W. H. Crim, Jr. It will be operated by Ackerman & Harris, in conjunction with George A. Oppenheimer, and is the third theatrical venture of these interests in the Mission District within recent months. Arthur F. Rousseau, who has several successful theatre projects to his credit, is preparing to start work shortly on a 2,000-seat house in the Sunset district, San Francisco. The theatre will follow the modern Gothic style of architecture. Nat Holt, who took over the management of the Wigwam Theatre, San Francisco, a few months ago, together with a controlling interest, has assumed direction of the State Theatre in the suburban city of Oakland. The policy of the two houses will be identical, offering screen attractions and musical comedy. Recent visitors on San Francisco's Film Row have included Harry Poole, of Klamath Falls, Ore. : George Roy, of Reno, Nev., and James Barlow, of the new California Theatre, Mayfield Cal. W. J. Lee who recently severed connections with the Supreme Film Company of California as San Francisco branch manager, has been made manager of the Goodwill Exchange, Inc., which has opened at 298 Turk street. Lakeport L. M. Reese, who recently took over the theatre at Lakeport, long conducted by Chas. Nofrey, has remodeled this and is conducting it under the name of the Orpheum Theatre. Eureka A. fire occurred recently in the projection room of the State Theatre, Eureka, Cal., conducted by George Mann, damaging the projection equipment. The house was closed a couple of days until new machines could be installed. Yuba City Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Smith, formerly of Marysville, have opened Smith's Theatre at Yuba Oit.v, a neat house embodying many modern ideas. Napa Sam Gordon has made extensive improvements of late in the equipment of the operating room of the Hippodrome Theatre, including the installation of two new Motiograph machines. New Studio Proposed WAUKEGAN, ILL. — Chicago Standard Cinemas Corporation, of Chicago, is understood will erect $4,000,000 moving picture studio. A 15-acre tract of land has been purchased at reported cost of $67,000. Site will be known as "Cinema City." Additional property adjacent to site has been secured on ah option. It Is said that company intends to produce two educational films as soon as buildings are completed. These will be first pictures made in Illinois since pioneer days of industry, when Essanay and Selig were big factors in caiicaeo. Sa>n Franciscan Can 't Do His Own Janiting Nohow San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 22. — You'd think that a fellow who owns his own theatre could grab a broom or a mop and clean up a little wouldn't 3'ou? But that's not the case — at least it didn't come out that way with Otto Roeder, who owns and conducts the. Bay View Theatre. Otto decided a while back that he would do his own janitoring for a while ; but he raia ufoul of union rules and a boycott was placed on the house, it is said. Sandwich men paraded the space in front of the theatre to shoo the public away. It is not likely that Mr. Roeder will even report to the trade papers that he is "mopping up" with his future pictures. yiichigan Moving Picture World Bureau, Detroit, Mich., Nov. 24. MESSRS. Fitzpatrick and McElroy, the Chicago firm operating theatres in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin, is making rapid progress on new theatres planned for Michigan cities. Their new theatre in Ludington has just been completed and opened, while several others along the Michigan seaboard are nearing their finishing touches. The new million, dollar Henry S. Koppin Theatre at Gratiot and the Six-Mile road, is nearing completion and the opening date has been tentatively set as January 15. The first of tlie series of winter symphony concerts to be given, by Eduard Werner, director of music for the Kunsky Theatres, was held last Tuesday at 5.4.5 p. m. Glenn Brady, proprietor of the Michigan 'Supply Co., is celebrating the arrival of a baby boy at his home. Both baby and mother are doing well. Moving Picture World Bureau, Albany, N. )'., Nov. 24. ' I ^WO deals involving large motion picture A theatres, the most important in several months in central and southern New York, were negotiated last week. The Pontiac Theatre in Saranac Lake, managed for several years past by Dave Seymour, a veteran showman, and owned by a number of wealthy men, was acquired by the Schine Brothers, of Gloversville, who already have a chain of nearly seventy theatres in New York State. In Massena, they now have every theatre, the lease of the Town Hall having been assigned last week to the Schines. The second deal of importance involves Keeney's Theatre in Elmira, one of the largest houses along the southern tier, and which has been acquired by the William Berinstein Estate, already operating theatres in Albany, Troy, Elmira, Corning and Dunkirk. The Albany announcement of the deal was made by Julius Berinstein, handling the two houses in this city and the one in Troy. Plenty of motion picture theatre matters were aired in Supreme Court in Albany, last week, in connection with a $2,500 action brought by Robert Bendell against Lew Fischer, in connection with the sale of t'he New Theatre, in Hoosick Falls, in June, 1924. Mr. Bendell claims the amount due him as commission. The theatre was sold for $50,000. Big guns and lesser guns from New York to the tune of a dozen or more, were along Film Row during the past week. Andy Smith was up from First National, while Sidney Katz was at the F. B. O. office. Pat Campbell, eastern division sales manager for Pathe, was in town, while Wilfred Jones, traveling auditor for Pathe, was also here. R, H. Clark, assistant sales manager for ProDis-iCo., paid Albany a visit, and Jimmy Grainger, general sales manager for Fox, was close behind. Earl Kramer, sales director of the eastern division for Universal, spent a couple of days in Albany, in going over matters with H. C. Bissell. Dave Miller, manager of the Universal exchange in Buffalo, was also here. The Dreamland, in Albany, a downtown, house that has been closed for several months, was reopened last week by Louis Cappa, who has been also conducting the Delaware, a neighborhood theatre. Harry Seed, local manager for Warner Brothers, is well fortified for Christmas shopping, having received a check for $350 from his company, representing second prize in a sales contest over the entire United States. Employees in the local exc'hange received an extra weelc's salary for their activities in the contest. Albany's Film Row, or at least the male portion of it, smacked its lips last week with the receipt of postcards from Havana, mailed by Oscar Gottfried, connected with the First National forces and mentioning something wet. Woodstock Tlie motion picture tlieatres in Woodstock and Rosendale will liereafter be handled by the Imperial Theatre Company, of Kingston, of which A. Stiles is secretary, and J. McLean is general manager. Notice to that effect was received by Albany exchanges during the past week. Newcomb Scarlet fever developed so rapidly last week in the village of Newcomb, that Ernest Rist was ordered to close his theatre by the authories. Schenectady iGuy Graves, efficiency expert for Faras'h Theatres, Inc., who is stationed for the greater part of the time in Schenectady, spent a part of last week in Yonkers, where he went over the affairs of the theatres there.