The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

September 30, 1931 THE BIOSCOPE 19 SPEAKING PERSONALLY Alderman R. W. Wheeldon, the popular Hull exhibitor, was, at a meeting of the City Council last week, unanimously elected as Lord Mayor of Hull for the ensuing year. Bom of humble parents, he began his connection with tug-boats at the age of 15, and is now principal of the United Towing Co., Ltd. He entered municipal life in August, 1912, and retired the same year, re-entering in 1913. Owing to illhealth he retired again in 1920 and returned to the Council in 1922. Mr. Wheeldon will enter the Lord Mayoralty as the late Sheriff of Hull, as last year he was elected to the Sheriff’s office. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Hull and District Branch of the C.E.A., and is connected with various halls in the district. Alderman Wheeldon is one of the most popular members of the Corporation, and his year of office as the Sheriff has • strengthened the esteem that both he and his wife enjoy in the city. David Ager, managing director and founder of Ager’s Cinema Circuit, Ltd., passed away on Sunday at his home at Colchester. He was 58 years of age and had been in failing health for a long time past. Mr. Ager controlled a group of cinemas in Colchester and district, having operated in that area for 20 years ; his newest hall, the Regal, Colchester, was opened in the early part of this year. Mr. Ager is survived by a widow and his son, A. David Ager, by both of whom the loss will be keenly felt, and to whom the deep sympathy of a wide circle of trade friends will be extended. Frank Thornton, who for more than twenty years had been connected with the local cinema industry in Sheffield, and was on the directorate of the Heeley Amalgamated Cinemas, Ltd., which concern has halls in Sheffield and the district, has, we regret to announce, passed on. His widow, Mrs. A. A. Thornton, is a Sheffield City Councillor. John 0. Geraghty has been manager of the Cinema Publicity Supply Co., Ltd., Liverpool (of which the directors are Miss L. M. Dovener and Mr. F. E. Weisker) since its inception, and has been responsible for many enterprising and ambitious exploitation schemes, which from time to time have been illustrated in The Bioscope. Previous to joining Cinema Publicity Co., Ltd., he was employed as reporter and advertising expert by a firm of Press agents. J. 0. Geraghty E. S. Gregg, Western Electric’s late managing director, asks us to pass on to everyone concerned his sincere appreciation of the great send-off accorded him on the occasion of his recent return to New York. He accompanies this message with good wishes to his many friends and associates in the trade. F. L. C. Thomas, who succeeds H. R Schleman, reported last week to have left the Western Electric Press Department after distinguished service, joined Western Electric in September, 1929, having previously functioned in the legitimate theatre business. He was later appointed personnel manager for Western. Prior to taking over all the company’s publicity last week, he covered Western Electric's industrial and educational activities in the National and other press. Mr. Thomas, in addition to his publicity work for the company, is now engaged on forming a library of educational films. He is an energetic young man, who will no doubt maintain the valuable Press connections created by his late colleague, Mr. Schleman. H. R. Schleman F. L. C. Thomas John R. Bee, organist of the Coliseum, Burslem, is leaving to take up an appointment at the Haymarket, Norwich. Mr. Bee went to the Coliseum from the Regent, Hanley, and though he has only been in Burslem six months, he has made a host of friends, and his musical interludes on the Compton have been a very popular feature. He will be succeeded by Edwin Bosworth, from the Picture House, Walsall. V. F. Theobalds, who has been appointed manager of the newly-opened New Palace Cinema, Kensal Rise, renews acquaintanceship in rather interesting circumstances, for he was manager of the original Palace on the same site. David Bader, now with Universal Pictures, Ltd., as special exploitation for the S. Frank Ditcham organisation, will celebrate an even dozen years in the service of Universal on October 2nd. The last four years of the golden dozen, as Bader calls them, have been spent in the company of Carl Laemmle, the veteran president of the company. Leslie G. Greenspan has joined P.D.C.’s sales force, and will operate on the Kent and Sussex territory. He was previously with Butcher’s Film Service, and was attached to the Birmingham branch. Percy Cobb, who for several years very capably filled the duties of assistant manager of the Savoy, Burnley, has been appointed house manager of the Theatre Royal, Hyde, for Standard Cinema Properties, Ltd. (Mortimer Dent’s circuit). Sydney C. Monkhouse, late of Paramount, and who until recently was General Manager for Universal’s three Lancashire theatres, the Theatre Royal, Bolton; New Majestic, Bolton ; with his headquarters at the New Oxford at Manchester, has resigned that position to become an independent exhibitor. He has acquired a long lease of the Hendon Cinema, Brent Street, Hendon, in conjunction with Douglas C. Junkin. The theatre has been entirely redecorated and various lighting improvements made, in addition to sound Syd. C. Monkhouse and projection equipment improvements. The theatre front has been repainted, and the canopy improved with 120 pearl 60 Wall lamps, the exterior front above being picked out with Neon lighting in orange-red and seidlitz-blue. It has also been renamed, and is now known as the Carlton Cosy Cinema. S. K. Lewis, after many years’ service on the Brettell circuit in the Midlands, is making a change. Mr. Lewis, who is one of the Birmingham representatives on the C.E.A. General Council, is resigning his position as manager of the Imperial, Moseley Road, Birmingham, to take over the control of the Empress, Sutton Coldfield, for C. K. Deeming. Prior to going to Birmingham two and a half years ago, Mr. Lewis had charge of the Picturedrome, Darlaston, of which black country town he was a Town Councillor. ’■'Alfred Fried, the musical director at the New Palace, Kensal Rise, although comparatively young, is rich in experience and ability. Originally musical director at the St. James’s Cinema, Buckingham Palace Road, S.W., he later went to the Regent, BumtTOak. He has also for some time been gaining fresh experience as leader of the orchestra at Elstree Studios. Herbert Baker, manager of the Prince’s Cinema, Liverpool Street, Salford, has been appointed to a similar position at the Empire, Cheetham Street, and takes over on Monday next (October 5th) . He will succeed Lionel Cole. Before going to the Prince’s three months ago, Mr. Baker was for seven years manager of the Trafford Picture House, Manchester. He has had thirty years’ experience in the trade, starting at Liverpool with Weisker Bros., by whom he was engaged for seventeen years. Mr. Baker has held managerial positions at Wigan and Morecambe, and at one time was traveller in Ireland for the Stoll Film Company.