Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

September 30, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 53 Big Season Under Way Fox Announcement of Extensive Bookings of Its New Product Is Further Proof of the Materialization of Prosperity Prognostications, long and widely made, that the present theatre season would inaugurate a period of prosperity for the industry are being replaced by actual demonstrations. These actualities are cropping up in the form of better business reports from various parts of the country, a wave of playhouse re-openings, a burst of renewed theatre building activity and extensive general booking of all sterling product available. In reviewing conditions and prospects, officials of Fox Film Corporation are elated over the present outlook confronting the company. A report just issued by Vice-President and General Manager Winfield R. Sheehan shows that foremost exhibitors and circuit operators throughout the country, whose interests represent important first-run theatres, have contracted for the Fox program for the 1922-23 season. The new schedule is headed by a list of fourteen specials, of which the following have already been announced: "The Fast Mail," with Charles Jones; "Silver Wings," with Mary Carr; "Monte Cristo," with John Gilbert; "A Fool There Was"; "Nero"; "Lights of New York"; "A Little Child Shall Lead Them," and "My Friend the Devil." The bookings reported by Fox arc significant because of their representative character, indicating not only the wide appeal and popularity of the company's new offerings but general big business anticipated everywhere. In Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, the Fox product has been sold to the Stanley Company of America. "The Fast Mail" and "A Fool There Was" have already completed engagements at the Victoria and the new Aldine theatre recently purchased by the Stanley Company, "Monte Cristo" is now in the third week of an advertised indefinite showing at the Stanton theatre. In the South the Lynch circuit has contracted for the Fox product 100 per cent. This will bring the company's attractions to the very best houses in the Lynch territory. Across the gulf the Fox output also has been sold in its entirety to Saenger Amusement Company, of which E. V. Richards is general manager. "Monte Cristo" is now playing an engagement at Saenger's Strand theatre, New Orleans. In the central west, the announcement states, Fox has sold a large portion of his season's line-up to Skouras Brothers Circuit in St. Louis, including more than seventeen theatres in St. Louis. In Boston and the New England territory the company is strongly entrenched. Some of the Fox specials will be seen first in the Tremont Temple, which has already played a pre-publication engagement of "Monte Cristo." "A Little Child Shall Lead Them" opened an indefinite engagement on August 28 and will be followed later by "Silver Wings." Out of the Pittsburgh exchange the entire product has been sold again to the Rowland & Clark theatres. In Wheeling, W. Va., Fox productions have been bought by the Plaza, Geo. Zeppos, owner. A. Notopolous has purchased the entire product for Altoona and for McKeesport, as has the Liberty owned by H. P. Barney. The specials "The Fast Mail," "A Fool There Was," "Lights of New York," "Nero," and "My Friend the Devil" will be presented first to Bostonians in Jacob H. Lourie's Park, Modern and Beacon theatres, and other pictures in B. F. Keith's Boston theatres. Fox attractions in Boston and surrounding territory will also be shown in all of the houses controlled by Nat Gordon, embracing the Olympia, Chelsea, Mass.; the Strand, Dorchester, Mass.; the North Shore, Gloucester, Mass., and the Central Square, Cambridge, Mass. Buffalo will be well represented with the Fox. product for the coming season. Mike Shea of the Hippodrome, Court Street and North Park theatres will show a number of specials. Loew's State theatre has already scheduled all of the pictures of Charles Jones, Tom Mix and Shirley Mason for the current season. The new Lafayette Square, managed by Fred Schaeffer, has dated the Fox special attractions, "The Fast Mail," "A Fool There Was," "Lights of New York" and "My Friend the Devil," as well as the Dustin Farnum and William Russell series of pictures. At Rochester, the Regorson Corporation, who are working in conjunction with the new Eastman theatre, have purchased the Fox product for their Regent, Picadilly and Eastman theatres. Harry Lux of the Alhambra theatre will also show some of the big Fox attractions, as will William Gibson, controlling the Mozart at Elmore, and Johnnie Walker of the Barcli, Schenectady. At Troy, Bennie Appel, who recently bought the Griswold from the Proctor Circuit and added it to his chain of theatres, has contracted 100 per cent for the Fox product during the coming season. In Albany, C. H. Buckley's house, the Leland, as well as Moe Mark's Strand theatre, will show the new productions. In Cincinnati Fox goes 100 per cent to Ike Libson, who will play the photoplays at the Palace, Strand, Walnut and Family theatres. In Louisville, Libson will play these pictures at the National and Mary Anderson. In Columbus, Fox has sold the Grand theatre, owned by Dusenberry Brothers, all the specials, and the Dreamland theatre will play all the star series pictures. In Dayton, Charles Gross has contracted for the entire Fox product to be played at the Columbia theatre, contracts have closed with the Hyman Brothers Circuit of West Virginia covering all their important towns. Towns closed in the northern part of the country which are served out of the Seattle exchange are Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma. The theatres are the Blue Mouse in each of these towns, under control of John Hamrick. In Kansas City, Sam Harding, who runs the Liberty theatre, has purchased the Fox output for his theatres, and in Wichita Fox has been booked by the Palace, owned by S. Chambers. In Topeka, negotiations have been closed with G. L. Hooper, owner of the Orpheum theatre. For the St. Louis territory in Springfield, "Monte Cristo" will play at the Strand theatre. Also at the Majestic theatre, Jacksonville, 111., has the Fox contract been signed. In Chicago, the Rose, Alcazar and Star theatres belonging to Jones, Linick and Schaeffer purchased the Fox star scries and short subjects. Tn Milwaukee, Saxe Bros, have purchased the entire star series, short subjects for the Rialto. The Alhambra and Garden theatres owned by Lee Landau will show the Fox specials. The Grampp Circuit, served out of Chicago have also signed, and in Peoria the Apollo theatre is 100 per cent Fox. In Davenport, the Fox product goes to Blank for the Family, Garden and Liberty theatres. From the Cleveland territory contracts have been negotiated with the Pantheon, and in Youngstown Feiber & Shea, and in Akron with J. B. Dunlevy. In Canton the Mozart has purchased the entire product. In Philadelphia, Thomas Profit; in Lancaster, Geo. Krupa; in Reading, Carr & Schad, and in Easton C. D. Buss who runs the Strand, have all booked the entire Fox product. In Indianapolis, Mrs. Chas. Olsen of the Apollo has been booked, Barton & Olsen will use the Fox short subjects, while at the Smith, owned by Robert Lieber, the entire star series will be run. In Fort Wayne the ■ Jefferson theatre, owned by C. Quimby, will show the. short subjects and the balance of the product will run at the Palace, of which F. Stouder is owner. In Louisville, Ind., contracts were sold to the Arc for special-* and star series. Short subject* liave fecen sold to the Luna, owned by Johnson In Washington, Fox has so til his. specials to the Crandall circuit, in Rictiifty^d to the Bijou, and in Xorfoltc . to th, Granby, both owned by O. Wells. In Baltimore, Charles E. Whitehurst, owner of the New theatre, has contracted for all specials. In Dallas the entire product goes to the Rialto, owned by Joe Phillips, and to the Washington, operated by Wm. Neville. In Galveston the Dixie, which A. Martini owns, has booked Fox solidly. In San Antonio the Rialto, and in Waco the Royal, both owned by L. Santikos, have signed. The Strand, Wichita Falls, is another. In Los Angeles, Fox has sold "A Fool There Was" and "Monte Cristo" to Mack Sennett's Mission, the balance of the product will be divided between Loew's State and the Alhambra. In the Atlanta territory Fox pictures go into the Trianon of Birmingham, in Jacksonville to the Republic, operated by W. L. Whitehead, in Charlotte to the Broadway, owned by R. D. Craver, in Winston Salem to the Amuzu and Auditorium, both owned by E. Pearce. San Francisco finds Fox specials sold to the Granada and Imperial and to Loew's Warfield theatre. The following list shows Fox strides in the Boston territory. In Brocton, the entire product for the Rialto, owned by J. J. Cahill; in Lowell, the Strand, owned by Wm. Flemings; in New Bedford, Capitol, owned by Geo. Allen; in Nashua, N. H., the Park, owned by H. G. Farrell; in Pawtucket, the Imperial, owned by Hartford & Marsden; in Providence, the Emery and Rialto, owned by Emery Bros.; in Woonsocket, the Smith, of which I. Smith is the owner; in Portland, the Empire; and in New London, the Empire, owned by Mr. M. Pouzzner.