Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

44 EXHIBITORS HERALD February 14, 1925 V Production began Wednesday on the Wilson-Wetherald subject, “White Mice,” adapted from the novel. It will be seen in Kelley Color. Jacqueline Logan heads the cast. Opposite her is William Powell, remembered for his work in “ Romola.” Above are E. H. Griffith, director, F. Vaux Wilson, Clayton B. Davis, production manager, and Sering D. Wilson, president of the company. There’s Mystery in St. Louis: 50 Theatres Disappear? (Special to Exhibitor.!; Herald) Checkup Shows Total of 131 Houses — City Claims it Supports More Seats Per Person Than Any Other Large Community ST. LOUIS, MO., February 3. — St. Louis has a big film mystery that will require the combined resources of Sherlock Holmes, Nick Carter, Monsier Lecouq and other lesser lights to solve. It involves the disappearance over night as it were of some fifty motion picture, vaudeville and dramatic theatres. Apparently they melted into thin air. Recently Editor & Publisher conducted a surve-'^ into the motion picture and theatrical situation in America. Relative to St. Louis, it gave the following: Population, 772,897. Motion picture houses, 70; legitimate, 2; vaudeville, 3. For several years the motion picture exhibitors of St. Louis have been worrying over the question of whether St. Louis has been over built. Apparently the Editor & Publisher survey solved that problem — if it were only correct. * * * But a real check of the St. Louis situation as of January 27, 1925, shows that St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis county (University City, Wellston, Maplewood, Webster and Kirkwood) which have a combined population of approximately 825,000 persons, have: Seats. 105 city motion pietare houses with 9o»902 1 burlesque and motion picture house 1,671 3 dramatic houses 5,297 2 burlesqe houses 2,764 3 vaudeville and picture houses 6,232 1 house used for pictures, concerts, etc 1,914 5 suburban metion picture houses in the towns listed above S.450 11 motion picture houses closed 7.279 Total 131 theatres of all kinds 126,509 In addition the city of St. Louis shows: Seats. 45 airdomes or summer theatres that play motion pictures 61,449 2 motion picture houses under construction .5.200 5 motion picture house sites purchased 11.600 2 motion picture houses in tentative stage 4,800 1 dramatic house site purchased 1,700 1 vaudeville house site optioned 2,500 3 motion picture-vaudeville house optioned .3,600 1 burlesque theatre site optioned ... 2. .500 These houses which are now booking motion pictures in St. Louis, either feature, serials, news or other short subjects in St. Louis and its suburban towns number 114 and have a total seating capacity of 109,255. * * * Based on its population, St. Louis claims the distinction of supporting more motion picture theatre seats per person than any other large city in the United States. St. Louis has one. motion picture seat for each 7.6 person in its district New York, with a population of about 6,000,000, is said to have 578 exclusive motion picture houses, 59 motion picture and vaudeville and 179 open air theatres. The seating capacity of its motion picture may avera^p 900 seats, although one survey lists the average at but 742 seats. On the 900-seat basis the New York houses showing pictures have but 609,300 -'Cats or one seat for every ten persons. Considering the metropolitan population of New York, 8,000,00 persons, the Manhattan average shrinks one-third or one -ieat for every 13 persons. First Subject with Tennis Champ Begun ( special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 3.— William T. Tilden, “Big Bill,” the world’s tennis champion, and Ben Alexander, the boy film star, began work on their first co-feature for the Worthy Pictures Corporation last week at the Glendale Studios here. The cast for the picture which is called “Haunted Hands” will include Marjorie Daw and George Hackathorne. U. S. Has Too Many Theatres, Exhibitors Contend in Survey (Continued from page ii) New Piedmont, Oakland Cal.; Roy A. Fuhrer, Temple. Yates Center, Kan.; Theo. Clark, Moon, Vincennes, Ind.; J. B. Wallis, Main Street, Russell, Kan.; J. R. Burford, Burford and Rex, Arkansas City, Kan.; F. J. O’Hara, Community, Elgin, Neb.; R. A. Vander Bil, Royal, Lime Springs, la.; W. J. Nieuwland, Ord, Ord, Neb.; L. D. Metcalf, Grand, Ash Grove, Mo.; Aristo theatre, Lebanon, Ky. ; F. H. Harris, Amuse, Hart, Mich.; Earle Eveland, Opera House, McConnelsville, O. ; N. Frye, Fischer, Terrace and Palace, Danville, 111.; J. H. Peterson, New, East Palestine, O, ; J. P. Allen, Liberty, Holly, Mich. ; F. M. Edgett, Lyric, Earlville, 111. ; Bert Silver, Silver Family, Greenville, Mich.; W. J. Shoup, DeLuxe, Spearville, Kan., who says, “Yes, in the cities”; John A. Schwalm, Rialto, Hamilton, O. ; H. M. Retz, Strand, Lamont, la. ; Jack Garrett, Rex, Gallup, N. M.; C. A. Harper. Whiteway, Selma, N. C. ; C. E. Corrington, Clintonia, Clinton, 111. “Squeezing Little Fellow” F. J. McWilliams, Madison, Madison, Wis., holds that there is a tendency toward theatre combinations and that “possibly” this movement is “for the purpose of eliminating many of the smaller houses." Answering the question in the affirmative, H. M. Retz says that the movement is “in some instances to ward off competition and also enable cheaper film rentals.” It is a process of squeezing out the little fellow as in all businesses, in the opinion of W. J. Shoup, who says: “I believe when another large theatre is built in most cases there are several small ones which close their doors to make room for the big ones. “Looking back for the past thirty years we see where many kinds of businesses have gradually squeezed out the little ones and become controlled by just a few big ones and if I am not mistaken that is the way the motion picture business is going, especially in the cities.” So much for questions No. 1 and 2, in the Herald’s current investigation. Next week the problems created through booking combines will be discussed by exhibitor readers of this publication. Broadway Takes DeMille-P. D. C. Deal as a Fact (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 3.— While no official announcement has been made it is generally believed in the trade here that everything is set for a coalition of the forces of Cecil B. DeMille and Producers Distributing Corporation and that contracts will be signed this week. Several other companies have been after DeMille but so certain does it appear that the deal with Producers Distributing will be closed that it is generally understood the other companies have pulled off. Just what effect the alignment of DeMille with another company will have, on the lineup of Paramount stars is always a subject for discussion along Broadway. Several of the most prominent of these stars enlisted under the Paramount banner through the efforts of Mr. DeMille and it is said some of the contracts were made with him personally instead of with Famous Players. Many rumors have been current that Gloria Swanson would leave the ranks of Paramount and it is pretty widely believed that DeMille is trying to sign her up at the completion of her present contract. Bebe Daniels is another Paramount star who is figured on to go to DeMille.