Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

62 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 7, 1925 sold out his interests to his father-iii-law, Henry Goldberg. ... Sid Sugarnian, who was transferred several months ago from the Philadelphia office of F. B. O. to its Washington exchange, has been re-assigned to the Philadelphia office and will cover the territory in Eastern Pennsylvania. . . . Plans are formulated for the opening of the Stanley company’s New Colonial theatre at 5th & Olney Ave. The house with seating capacity of 2,500, will be the largest one-floor theatre in the city it is said. Although it was intended to open the house Lincoln’s Birthday, it is now hoped to have it ready for its formal dedicatory exercises early in March. . . . George Kiirlansic has purchased the Fourth Street theatre in Easton and the hotel property that adjoins it from Sam Keyes. Keyes has retired from active participation in the motion picture business and left for a vacation at his old home in Battlehnro, Vt, TAANSAS CITY, Mo.— C. E. Cook, business manager of the M. P. T. O., Kansas and Missouri, planned to attend the meeting of the newly formed St. Joseph organization scheduled for election of officers. . . . What looked like a “lemon” for Archie Josephson, Kansas City exhibitor, has turned out to be a good investment. Several years ago Mr. Josephson gave an $85,000 bonus for a 99-year lease of the Victory theatre. Then arose a contest over a clause in the lease held by Mr. Josephson. A court decision went against Mr. Josephson. The other day the Federal Supreme Court reversed the decision and freed the leasehold of the federal tax. Now Mr. Josephson has sub-leased the site for $16,000 annually and will receive a $25,000 bonus in connection. . . . The South Troost theatre, suburban house owned by Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Gleeson, treated its patrons Sunday with a new $10,000 Hope Jones organ. . . . Radio proved highly profitable to H Stehbins, manager of the Liberty theatre, Monday and Tuesday nights. Over Station WHB talks on “The Lighthouse by the Sea.” . . . The Midwest Film Distributors, Inc., was organized here last week. It will be headed by C. E. Rhoden, former branch manager of First National. The foundation of the new company is the outcome of the A. H. Blank Film Enterprise, in which Mr. Rhoden purchased the interests of Mr. Blank. The organizations’ officers are; E. C. Rhoden, president; L. M. Miller, owner and manager of the Miller and Palace theatres, Wichita, Kans., vice-presidept, and Stanley Chambers, manager director of the Miller and Palace theatres, treasurer. Thomas O. Byerle, First National city salesman in Kansas City, succeeds Mr. Rhoden as branch manager. . . . Stanley Mayer, Fox salesman, it is said, is doing a “hand over fist” business. . . . Oscar Morgan, district manager for Pathe, found things moving swiftly at the Kansas City office. ... L. IV. Alexander, Chicago district manager for Universal, was busy “hob-nobbing” with old acquaintances along the row. . . . C. F. Senning, Educational branch manager, is out in the territory again on one of his tours. . . . Construction on the Penn theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., has been postponed indefinitely, according to E. H. Peskay, contractor. . . . the Lyric theatre, Holden, Mo., has been purchased by /. JV. Davis, formerly of Platt City, Mo., while Jack Moore, formerly manager of the Electric theatre, St. Seattle First Runs (U eek beginning February 14) BLUE MOUSE; "The Dark Swan/' Warner. CAPITOL; “The Greatest Love of All/' Associated Exhibitors. COLISEUM; “Sandra,” First National. COLUMBIA; “Secrets of the Night/’ Universal. STRAND: “The Only Woman/' First National (2tJ week). LIBERlVT: “The Thief of Bagdad,” United Artists (2d week). HEILIG; “Girls Men Forget,” De Luxe. PANTAGES; “Empty Hearts,” Banner. Joesph, Mo., has taken over the Olive theatre there. . . . William Reinke has taken charge of the Hostettler-Reinke interests in St. Joseph, Mo., including the Orpheum, Colonial, Royal and Crystal theatres. . . Headquarters of the concern have been moved from Omaha to St. Joseph. . . . Mrs. Helen Wertenberger, owner of the Empress theatre, St. Joseph, Mo., has purchased a lot adjoining her theatre for enlargement. . . . Back again into the industry comes the veteran W. E. Triiog, who, after a brief period as representative for a chemical company, has accepted a position as district manager of Universal. ■p) ETROIT, MICH.— The John H. Kun^ sky forces and other leaders in the movie industry here have been kept in hot water recently by the action of various reform leaders in descending on neighborhood theaters playing juvenile acts and hauling the managers into jail. Fines of $100 have been meted out to four different managers during the past few weeks and if present plans go through all managers of neighborhood theatres will stop using children in the future. Many of the managers have been victimized by children who falsely swore to be more than 16 (the limit set by law) and to be rid of the nuisance it is probable that all such acts will be eliminated. In the past the juvenile acts have proved the biggest drawing card for neighborhood film theatres that play an act or two of vaudeville on one or two nights each week. . . It is expected that ground will be broken for the new Kunsky-Balaban and Katz theatre within 30 days. All but one lease is now in the hands of the owners and this is a small one that will be picked up within the next few days, it is expected. It is planned to have the house ready for opening 18 months after the first pick is swung, which would make the date approximately Sept. 1, 1926. George W. Trendle of the Kunsky forces announces that the new State theatre, now Seattle First Runs (Week beginning February 21) BLUE MOUSE; ‘The Redeeming Sin,” Vitagraph. CAPITOL: “Price of the Party,” Associated Exhibitors. COLISEUM: “City That Never Sleeps,” Paramount. COLUMBIA: “Let Women Alone,” Producers Distributing Corp. STRAND: “The Golden Bed,” Paramount. LIBERTY: “The Thief of Bagdad,” United Artists (3d week). HEILIG: “Gold Heels,” Fox. PANTAGES: “Three Keys,” Banner. in process of erection, will be ready by Oct. 1, 1925. . . No manager has yet been picked for the Producers Distributing Corp. office and Neal Kingsley, who was sent here to make the change, is still in charge of the manager’s desk. . . Practically all the Griffith forces were in Detroit last week end to help put over “Isn’t Life Wonderful?” E. L. Blair, press representative ; G. J. Lloyd, Griffith’s personal representative; Mrs. Albert E. Grey, wife of Griffith’s general manager, and Carol Dempster, the star of the picture, were on hand for a few days to start the week. . . Thomas D. Moule and Howard O. Pierce, manager of the Kunsky theatres, and press representative, attended the meeting of the Mid West Theatre Managers’ association in Chicago last week. . . . Edward Zorn has left the management of the Broadway Strand to manage a Universal theatre in the East. He has been succeeded by John Ainsley. /WTTAWA, ONT. — Paramount’s “Forty Winks,” a current release, is being shown in Canada under the original title, “Lord Chumley,” from the story of the same name. The comedy was thus shown as a first run at the Regent theatre during the week of February 14 by Manager Leonard Bishop and at the Capitol the atre, Montreal, by Manager Ralph W. Thayer, during the same week. . . . During the showing of “He Who Gets Slapped” at the Regent, Manager Bishop, who recently captured first prize in the Eastern Canadian district of the managers’ bonus competition of the Famous Players Canadian Corporation, staged a simple but unique musical stunt in conjunction with the screening of the feature. ... It consisted of the use of a hidden phonograph with the record, “I Pagliacci,” as sung by Enrico Caruso. The record was accompanied on the pipe organ of the theatre. . . . Oral D. Cloakey, former manager of the Regent theatre and various other theatres in the Dominion for the Famous Players Canadian Corporation and who was recently with Universal Pictures Corporation at Universal City, Cal., and at the Cameo theatre, San Francisco, has returned here with the announcement that he has arranged for the production of a series of pictures starring Bill Sullivan, and that he and Sullivan will tour the Canadian cities with a special act to be presented in conjunction with the picture that will be released first. After this tour Cloakey will produce a feature picture in Eastern Canada, the locale being the Rouyn gold field district in Northern Quebec, it is understood. It is said that he has organized a California Rouyn sjmdicate. . . . The Columbia theatre, a thriving neighborhood theatre, of which W. H. Maynard has been the proprietor for some time past, has been offered to prospective exhibitors on a leasehold basis by James S. Wilson. . . . J. M. Franklin, manager of the B. F. Keith theatre, was elected a director of the Ottawa Humane society at the annual meeting of the organization at the Chateau Laurier, on February 12. Mr. Franklin, apart from his activities as an exhibitor, is noted as an art critic, being the owner of an attractive collection of oil paintings, and also as an animal fancier. . . . Steps taken by the Amusement Tax branch of the Ontario Provincial govern