Exhibitor's Trade Review (Dec 1923 - Feb 1924)

February 2, 1924 Page 19 The Exhibitors' Round Table Do You Need a Colonel Cole? News from the Southwest Region tells us that Colonel Cole is working rapidly on a project to have an expert projectionist travel through Texas in the interest of member exhibitors. His plan is that the man's services be offered to members to get their machines into exact repair and to ofifer instruction in projection and care of machines to the operators. The purpose is to improve box office intake through better projection and cut down losses due to destroyed films. In connection with the subject of destroyed films several exchanges report films returned absolutely mutilated some with sprocket holes practically gone on one side, all due to poor projection. Particularly in a case where a manager of several houses, who cannot keep a constant eye of things, is this plan good in which case he would be a substantial beneficiary if Colonel Cole's plan were in operation. * * * Theatre Activity in South Newspapers of Atlanta, Georgia, declare that Louis Cohen of Southern Enterprises has practically closed negotiations on a Famous Players project to build a theatre at Peachtree and Cain Streets, Atlanta, to be operated jointly by Famous and the Keith interests. The reported cost is $750,000. Meanwhile Famous Players have taken over a piece of property on Franklin Street, Tampa, Fla., on which a 2,000 seat theatre will be built. This will make the fifth house operated by Famous in Tampa. It is also reported that R. D. Craver will build a new theatre at Charlotte, N. C. Concerning Admission Prices While news comes that the Roosevelt and Chicago, Balaban and Katz houses of Chicago, have raised their admission prices. Just the reverse news, is received from Seattle to the effect that The Coliseum has reduced admission prices to twenty-five cents. Also the Heilig, Seattle, recently announced a twentyfive cents admission as part of its new policy. The increase of the Roosevelt and Chicago amounts to five cents on week days and ten cents on Sundays. Bronx M. P. T. O. A. Elections At the recent election of the Bronx M. P. T. O. Association, John J. Whitman was reelected president, his twelfth term. John C. Bolte was re-elected vice-president for the fourth time ; Henry Cole, executive secretary ; L. Jacobs, trustee for three year term; A. Leff, two year trustee; H. Stravita, one year trustee, and William Wilson, sergeant-atarms. * * * Buffalo Showman Seriously 111 Mr. M. C. Wiley, owner of the Seneca, which was formerly the Red Jacket Theatre, Buffalo, New York, is seriously ill. It is expected he will recover. Daigkr to Manage New Theatre Hal E. Daigler, well-known showman is to have charge of a leading theatre in Minneapolis. He was house manager of the Blue Mouse, Seattle, for several years and later, of the Columbia. * * * Showman Invests $375,000. Oliver C. Hammond, a Chicago theatre owner, has just brought a fireproof apartment house worth |375,000, in that city. 'VfT HILK not unusually different, one cannot mistake the type of film this poster heralds and the name of the popular star, Colleen Moore, attracts attention immediately. As do the names of the supporting cast. National Theatre Transfer Frank Vesley has been transferred by the National Theatre Syndicate from the Woodland, Calif., office, to Marysville, where the company operates three theatres. Reardon Gives Up the Tulare The T. & D. Jr., circuit has taken control of the Tulare, Tulare, California, from Paul R. Reardon. Robert A. Hazel will manage for the new owners. * * * New Vaudeville Picture Houses Boston is to have two new vaudeville-pictures theatres The construction is now under way. One, the new Keith house, is going up at the corner of Washington and Essex Streets, while the other is the new Gordon, to be built on property adjoining the Wilbur Theatre on Tremont Street. * * * St. Louis's Most Popular Man? Just another little thing to make us glad we're living in the twentieth century ! News comes from St. Louis, to the effect that Alderman Samuel Wimer, celebrated for thinking up and introducing freak and unpopular bills, has presented a measure to the Aldermen providing for a tax of one mill on each 50-cent theatre admission. * * * Philadelphia House Re-opened The Ridge Avenue Theatre, which has been closed for about a year, was re-opened the later part of January as the Elk. H. L. Kapner of the Jefferson and Park, assumes management. Two More for the West Coast The West Coast Theatre is growing fast and the latest additions are the new Balboa and the Cabrillo in San Diego, California * * * Shorter Features Voted on At the meeting of the M. P. T. O. A. in New York, held the week of January 18th, one of the resolutions passed concerned the length of features. The resolution favored "a reduction in the footage of feature motion pictures as to hold all within a limit of six reels at the most." Combating Picketing Influence Apparently a successful method of combating evil influences of picketing by unions has been conceived by Jack Roaraback of The World in Motion, a down town house of Kansas City. A permanent injunction recently was granted the Ashland theatre, a suburban house, against picketing by unions, but Mr. Roarar back as yet has not applied for an injunction. He formerly was a motion picture operator. His house now is being picketed by the operators' union of Kansas City. To offset the "bawling" of the picket Mr. R-oaraback had a large sign placed in front o^ his theatre, explaining to the public that he is a motion picture operator and, as such, has a perfect right to operate his own machine, the same right as a barber or a plumber has to work in his own shop. The scheme is working successfully. In fact, many exhibitors believe it is winning him new patrons. * * * I Lets Wish Mr. Hughes Luck Clarence Hughes, who last year suffered a double loss in the death of his father, followed almost immediately by a fire whicn completely destroyed his theatre in Carlisle, Wash., is rebuilding and will shortly re-entejr the game as an exhibitor. j * * * i Sounds Like a Film Plot ' Frank Sands, of Pyrites, a motion picture theatre owner in the northern New York village, figured in a rumiing fight with a bootlegger the other night, in which shots were freely exchanged. Mr. Sands is a deputy sheriff. The bootlegger, by mistake, came to his house, and intormed the exhibitor that he had his "load?' outside. Mr. Sands later covered him with his revolver and then having his wife surrlmon two other deputies, started with the bootjlegger for the county jail in Canton. The bootlegger made a break for liberty in Canton, however, and managed to escape as the bullets flew thick and fast. ! * * * I Good News Can Always Wait | Dave and Samuel Harding, who leasejd their Liberty theatre, Kansas City, to Universal not long ago, have an unfortunate habit of being out of town when capacity crowds are to be seen. They were in Omaha attending to alterations of their house last week while the Liberty was "standing 'em up" witfi "A Woman of Paris.' But they heard aboi^t it when they returned. | Three Cheers for Mr. Newman Frank L. Newman, owner of the Newman and Royal theatres, had a big birthday at the Hotel Murhlroach, Kansas City, and everyone from the boss down to the ticket punchers made merry. A rousing cheer was tendered Mrs. Newman, who has been in the organization twenty years and has not asked for a raise. | Two New Loew Houses in Bronx ; The Elsmere, at Crotona Parkway and Elsmere Place, comes back to the Loew fold after several years and will show straight pictures under the new name, Loew's Elsmere. The other new house is Loew's Burnside at Burnside and Walton Avenues. It will be devoted to pictures exclusively and seats 3,000.