Exhibitors Herald (1927)

40 EXHIBITORS HERALD August 13, 1927 CHICAGO NOW rvEMPSEY-SHARKEY official fight film, pro^ duced by Tex Rickard, is now being released to exhibitors in Illinois by Harry McKay of Ascher Bros. . . . George Voelk of Lang & Voelk acted as master of ceremonies last week for the new Mark Fisher stagehand show, due to a severe cold held by Fisher ... It is reported that Lou Kosloff, stagehand leader of the presentation shows, rotating with Mark Fisher at L. & T. Harding and Senate theatres, Chicago, has resigned and that A1 Belasco, who took Fisher’s place while he was on his vacation, is now in his place. . . . Speaking of leaders, it is with great pleasure to state that A1 Kvale will open the new presentation policy at the Norshore theatre. Chicago, on August 28 with a split-week policy of stagehand shows. . . . Eddie Hill, who just returned from a four weeks’ vacation is one of the featured acts on the opening program. . . . the Chicago N. V. A. Club is now holding a billiard tournament with over 15 prizes to the best players . . . The last game will be played on August 23. . . . Billy Randall, formerly of Alex Gerber’s “Town Topics,” a vaudeville flash act that toured the Orpheum Circuit two years ago, plans a tour of Publix on August 27. . . . Milton Charles, featured organist for B. & K., is now on his vacation and upon his return will have some new and novel stunts for future organ solos. Ben Simon is the orchestra leader conducting at the Roosevelt theatre, Chicago. . . . Henry B Murtagh, featured organist of the B. & K. Chicago theatre, Chicago, returns to his console next week after sustaining a fractured left shoulder and scalp bruise in a mishap at the Uptown theatre two weeks ago. . . . Kendall Capps, of the famous Capps Family, is now doing a single in a Publix Unit. . . . The Miss Chicago Atlantic City Bathing Beauty Contest will be held at the B. & K. Chicago theatre. Chicago, next week. . . . The girl selected from the finals will represent the city in the Miss America Contest. . . . Gus Mulcahy is back into presentation after several weeks of European bookings. . . . He is featured in the new stageshow at the Harding, Chicago, this week. . . . Del Delbridge is reported as the band leader for the new Avalon, which is supposed to open on August 29 as a presentation house. . . . Leonard M. Salvo, featured organist of the Colony theatre, Chicago, has replaced Ruth Farley at the Capitol theatre, also of Chicago. . . . Salvo has been a noted organist for many years. . . . Lester Stepner, formerly associated with Sam Bramson, who is now with the Chicago William Morris office, is associated with Ez Keough, well known Keith and Orpheum agent. . . . Ralph Gallo, well known in Chicago as a dancer and for the last two years a devotee of the Hollywood studios, is slowly working his way up as a screen actor. . . . Ralph has appeared in “Ben Hur,” “The Black Pirate” and many other notable films. . . . Harry Zimmerman, formerly assistant or ganist at the Piccadilly, Chicago, is now featured organist at the Belmont theatre, also of Chicago, which was recently taken over by the Orpheum Circuit. . . . George Givot, the Chicago favorite, is back in town after several months of West Coast bookings with Fanchon and Marco. . . . Givot is featured this week with Buck and Bubbles in Charles Kaley’s new presentation at the Granada theatre, Chicago. . . . Cornelius Maffie, solo organist at the Admiral theatre, Chicago, can be heard every evening on the radio from station WENR, the Edison Studio in the Straus Tower. . . . The studio has the largest organ in the country for broadcasting purposes. . . . Phil Tyrrell, associate booker of the William Morris Chicago office has booked the Six Tivoli Girls at the Wisconsin theatre, Milwaukee, for a six weeks’ run. ... It is also reported that since the bandshow policy went into effect at this theatre the box office receipts have increased over 25%, all due to booker Phil Tyrrell. . . . Buddy Fisher may replace Sam Kaufman as stagehand leader at the Piccadilly theatre, Chicago, when the latter resigns this week. . . . Carme Romano, formerly a singer in vaudeville, is now in the real estate business with offices in Chicago, and specializes in building lots for the theatrical profession. . . . Frankie Masterman, banjo player of Bennie Kreuger’s band, will have his own band in two weeks to rotate with Kreuger between the Uptown and Tivoli theatres, Chicago on August 28, when further Publix class units will be cut out of these houses entirely. . . . The manager of A! Ringling’s theatre in Baraboo, Wis., reports that he has just started a stagehand policy with presentation acts used three days per week and that it’s clicking fine. A. RAYMOND GALLO. Rhode Island Makes New Theatre Rulings ( special to the Herald) PROVIDENCE, R. L, Aug. 9.— New rules governing erection and operation of motion picture theatres in the towns of the state, adopted by the Assembly, have been approved by Governor Pothier and copies of the new rules are being sent to all town clerks and theatre managers. The rules do not apply to cities where local building and fire prevention codes have been adopted. In general the rules contain the same provisions which are already in force in the cities. One of the most important rulings is that no pictures may be exhibited in any building above the second story. Provision is made for fireproofing walls and stairways and protecting booths. Rules govern width of aisles, exits and seating arrangement. Any person except owner, manager or operator is prohibited from entering the booth during a performance. Worcester Capitol Week Ending July 23 As a climax for the presentation, a swift moving Apache dance of original twist by Mile. Andree and Jean Del Val, to music provided by a Parisienne orchestra, is given. The presentation is complete with dance numbers from soft shoe to aesthetic and vocal and instrumental selections. “Dance Magic” is the film. Hartford Allyn Week Ending July 23 Senorita Luana and her company of nine men provides an enjoyable midsummer program stage number. Accompanying the Spanish dancer is a marimba band which divides encores with the senorita. Albert Gallo and Eimus Holt assist the dancer. Will Morris and Company in various dances, and Herbert Clifton, female impersonator, and his company are other features. “Wandering Girls” is the film. Presentation Editor, EXHIBITORS HERALD, 407 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Dear Sir: For the information of other organists, I wish to report that I used for my organ solo the week ending (Signed)... (Theatre) (City) EDMUND C. FITCH FEATURE ORGANIST ORGAN SOLOS Jesse Crawford’s (New York Paramount) organ recital was composed entirely of popular numbers this week. "Baby Feet” got the most attention from his audience, as an unknown soloist sang it from the wings, adding to its success. Harold J. Lyon (Capitol, Ottumwa, Iowa), ueed a “Drill on Expression” with comedy slides showing that everybody was pleased with the community singing idea and that the manager’s complaints about same were out of place as the public was satisfied. The program consisted of “Sundown,” “Me and My Shadow” and “It Ail Depends On You,” opening with “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here” and encoring to “Red Lips.” Lyon is very popular here with his crowd. W. Remington Welch (Chicago Tiffin) offered as his week’s solo Will Rossiter’s new song “Way Back When,” with illustrated slides for the com^ munity to sing. This stunt received an unusual hand due to the fact that Welch, a clean cut organist, is very popular with his audience. Earl Able (Cffiieago Congress), used for his first organ solo in this house a novel way of introducing himself to the audience. First was a classic “Prelude from Rachmaninoff.” later going into “Who,” using the phrase “Who Is Your Organist?” and injecting “Always” to the lines “Will Always Try to Please You.” His program also consisted of a ten-in-one number of popular melodies with the “Russian Lullaby” and “It All Depends On You,” using the phrase that his popularity depends on the audience. The encore number was “Four Leaf Clover.” Able formerly played at the Belmont and is noted for the community stunt, his nickname is “Smiling Earl Able” due to his smiling disposition. Bob West (Metropolitan, Houston, Texas), “the Personality Organist,” uses “A Letter From a Fan” this week, with an opening trailer which reads to the effect that from the many fan letters that he has received he has selected one and made a slide stunt centering around it. The slide tells of the troubles of a young girl who has had a falling out with her fellow. She writes West to play something sad when he is in the theatre, so that he will feel sorry for her. "Forgive Me” is incorporated in the number, and West gets the audience to sing as they have never sung before. Bob is a popular unit at the Metropolitan, taking encores on the de luxe shows. Henri Keates (Chicago Oriental) amused the week ending August 7 with “A Local Performance” based on a supposed visit to his home town and the subsequent home talent show which he staged. It caught the fancy of everyone — and there probably were few in the audience who hadn’t laughed themselves sick over the sincere efforts of some future (according to the home folks) Paul Ash, John McCormack, Mary Garden, etc. Keates played various popular airs as they might sound if sung and played by the little boy with adenoids, the firemen’s band, etc. Among the selections which he played were “Just Once Again,” “At Sundown,” “Honolulu Moon,” “You Don’t Like It, Not Much,” finishing with “At Sundown.” A stunt which brought response was lis arrangement of “You Dont Like It. Not Vluch.” He had the words so arranged that the vomen would sing one set of words, with a reply for the men to sing. It created a lot of fun. Preston Sellers (Chicago Chicago) was brought from the Senate theatre this w'eek to occupy Henry Murtagh’s console. Murtagh will be away from the Chicago for a few weeks due to an accident he received at the Uptown theatre last week. Sellers called his slide and community sing presentation “The Trouble Maker,” and the Chicago audience sang exceedingly well for him. His first two offerings were "Sam” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” followed by a very novel stunt. Men were asked to sing the words shown in white on the slide and the women to sing the words in red. The effect was quite hilarious. He followed this with “Me and My Shadow,” “It All Depends on You” and “Sundown.” It is no easy job for any organist to fill the place of Murtagh at the Chicago, but Sellers succeeded quite nicely. Jules Lurey (Chicago Knickerbocker) has an organ club to which he offers a series of popular songs for his community to sing. Lurey is ve^ popular at this house and has no difficulty in inducing its members to sing his selections.