The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

December 18, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 515 N. Y. Labor Wctnts Federal Admission Tax Off San Francisco Moving Picture World Bureau, Berkeley, Cal., Dec. 13. THE annual meeting of the San Francisco Film Exchange Board of Trade was held at the headquarters of the organization, 100 Golden Gate avenue, December 6, when officers were chosen, as follows : President , Charles Muehlman, manager, First National Pictures, Inc.; vice-president, G. C. Parsons, manager, Metro-GoldwynMayer, and executive secretary, Milton A. Nathan. The board of governors consists of three officers, with the addition of G. C. Blumenthal, manager of the Educational Film Exchange, and Carol Nathan, manager of Universal. Mike Co "ne is leaving the San Francisco branch of United Artists the first of the year as manager and is to be succeeded by Fred Gage. Frank Harris, former Pacific Coast district manager for Pathe, was a recent visitor at San Francisco on his way to New York. He will shortly join the Harold Lloyd Corp. H. Peters, formerly of the San Francisco branch of Pathe, has left for Los Angeles, where he will take over the post of Pathe feature sales manager. Markowitz Bros., of San Francisco, have arranged to take over Godard's Theatre, Sacramento, which has been conducted for Bome time by T. & D. Jr. Enterprises, Inc. Among the recent visitors on San Francisco's Film Row have been J. J. Wood, the athletic exhibitor of Redding, Cal.; J. A. Harvey, Jr., of Watsonville, Cal., and W. C. Wheeler, formerly a film exchange manager of this city, but now an exhibitor of Willits, Cal. Ernest Gluckauf, of San Francisco, is planning to go to Europe shortly to act as the resident representative of the Imported Pictures Corp. Joe Enos, who has managed Market street moving picture houses for years, is tryinu; a new brand of work and is now with the West Coast Amusement Company as field manager. De Soto Silva, formerly with the Fox Exchange, San Francisco, is now with the F. B. O. as poster clerk. Berkeley Clarence Laws, manager of the California Theatre, was one of the speakers at a Better Films meeting of members of the Second District, California Congress of Parents and Teacbers, held early in December. San Mateo Harry F. Wetherby. assistant manager of the San Mateo Theatre, acknowledged that he was a ham actor, following his alleged confession of having framed up a fake robbery. He was recently given a bag containing $26.5 and instructed to pay off the vaudeville artists. A few minutes later he returned with a black eye and a bump on his head, explaining that he had been socked by a bandit, who made away with tbe cash. The police launched an investigation and discovered the bag, with the money intact, hidden behind a steam pipe in the boiler room. Mayfield The California Theatre, recently opened by James W. Barlow, has been purchased by B. B. Jones, formerly of the Orpheum Theatre, Lakeport. Minnesota Moving Picture World Bureau. Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. 15. THOMAS P'URKE was re-elected president of the Minneapolis Film Board of Trade at its annual meeting last week. Burke is manager of the First National Exchange in Minneapolis, and has been board president since Jack O'Toole resigned that office last summer. W. H. Workman, M.-G.-M., and Ben Friedman, Columbia, were chosen for the board of directors, while other officers included A. B. Leak, of Famous Players, vice-president, and Ralph Brandon, of Educational, executive secretary. The Grand Theatre of Minneapolis tried a revival week recently with success. The following attractions were each shown for a day: "The Miracle Man": "The Three Musketeers"; "Male and Female"; "Forever"; "Passion"; "Way Down East" and "The Merry Widow." The Minneapolis city council's license committee has recommended that a license be granted the Lake Amusement Companj for a theatre at 2.504 Lake street. Granite Falls The first Sunday moving picture show was presented in Granite Falls, Minn., on December 12 as the result of the recent election, when voters expressed their approval of Sunday presentations. West Union, Iowa One more theatre has been added to the chain owned by Pace, Bouma Sz Cohen with the purchase of the Princess Theatre at West Union. Iowa. The company now controls eight theatres. Melvin, Iowa The Lyric Theatre at Melvin, Iowa, bas been reopened by Reichs & Knapp. It was formerly owned by Adolph Hokuf. Kansas City, Mo. Moving Picture World Bin-can, Kansas City, Mo.. Dec. 15. THE old Colonial Theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, popular since the days of nickle shows, is to be razed and a new and larger theatre constructed in its place, it was announced this week by Dr. R. H. Simmons, owner of the property, and H. H. Barrett, manager, who took out a new tenyear lease at $4,200 annually. The theatre will be increased from 660 seats to 1,020 and will have all modern conveniences. About fifty representatives attended the Paramount meeting of branch managers, salesmen, bookers and others at the Kansas City Athletic Club, Kansas City, last Saturday. Sales problems and future plans were discussed. Sedalia Franlc Cassel has been named as manager of the Sedalia Theatre, Sedalia, Mo., a Universal chain house. Mr. Cassel formerly was Associated Exbibitors branch manager and Paramount salesman in Kansas City. Virtually all the work of erecting the huge steel beams in the $4,000,000 Loew's Midland Theatre. Kansas City, which will have a seating capacity of 4.000, has been completed and work on the new house is progressing rapidly. Moving Picture World Bureau, Albany, N. Y., Dec. 15. THE New York State Federation of Labor has adopted a resolution which will be sent to the Congressmen asking that they support legislation to bring about a removal of the Federal admission tax. The resolution declares that such tax is burdensome to the wage-earner patron of the theatre. The screening of the fire prevention film which took place last Friday at the Mark Strand in Albany, attracted practically everyone from the exchanges. The Albany Film Board had previously requested in a bulletin that all managers and employees be present. In many of the exchanges the only person remaining on duty was the telephone operator. J. Wilson, of New York City, has been named as the new manager of the Tiffany exchange in Albany. Ben Smith has been appointed to the Bond exchange in handling the smaller towns. Harry L. Levy, of Buffalo, replaces Milton Caplon at the Warner Brothers' exchange, Mr. Caplon having gone to Indianapolis to assume the management of the Tiffany exchange there. Joe Schleiger has been named as assistant booker at the F. B. O. exchange. Alec Sayles, manager of the Leland in Albany, is as busy these days as the proverbial bee in handling the distribution on Christmas Eve of over $10,000 worth of clothing and shoes to the poor children of the city. The idea originated six years ago with Mr. Sayles and has become one of the big features in Albany each year. Syracuse Amos Leonard, of Syracuse, a Pathe salesman well known over the territory, has a baby daughter who arrived during the past week. Mr. Leonard was so jubilant that he proceeded to wire his friends in several cities. Cooperstown William Smalley, of Cooperstown, has arranged to give midnigbt shows on New Year's Eve at seven of his theatres. He will use vaudeville along with the pictures. Mr. Smalley has issued a Christmas coupon book which is finding a ready sale. He also announces that he will erect three new theatres in the Spring. Julius Berinstein, with theatres in Elmira, Troy, Albany and other places, has the sympathy of his many friends in the recent loss of his mother at the family home in Elmira. Mrs. Berin.stein was seventy-one years of age. Schenectady James Roach', manager of the Farash bouses in Schenectady, was in an automobile the other night that left the road between Schenectady and Saratoga and after lurching into the field, tipped over. Mr. Roach escaped unhurt. In connection with his theatrical duties, Mr. Roach announces that his ushers at the State and Strand Theatres will shortly blossom forth with new uniforms of gray. The VanCurler, in Schenectady, will close on December 18. It is said that a lack of bookings and poor business is the cause. Frank Breymaier, the manager, will be transferred to the Barcli. The VanCurler will probably be turned into a business block. At the Lincoln, in Schenectady, there is a new marquee that is attracting much attention. Vermont The theatre In East Highgate, Vt. run by Paul LaPan, is closed for the time being on account of an epidemic of measles. The Garden Theatre in Hinesburg. Vt.. and the theatres In Westerlo and Clarksville have closed for the winter. Reade's Theatre in Kingston is closed for two weeks for repairs.