Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

66 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD June 7, 193( WHAT THE THEATRE MANAGER MUST COMPETE WITH THIS SUMMER: Dog races, revival of showboats, miniature golf courses (dozens completed and. more in construction), horse races, dance halls, road houses, amusement parks now open, free shows in parks, and now night baseball! Flood of Amusements Puts Manager On His Toes as Never Before Rev ival of Showboat and Opening of Miniature Golf Courses Give Louisville Exhibitors Problem, And That Isn’t Half of It [By Special Correspondent to the Herald-World] 10UISVILLE, June 4. — Efforts to win the amusement seeker’s dollar were never more varied in Louisville than at the present time and that means that the theatre managements must be more alert than ever. In addition to the regular road houses, dance halls, and so on, the Hollywood, a showboat, first to show in Louisville in twenty years, has been doing good business all week at the foot of Fourth street. The local ball club and the spring races are two afternoon attractions. At night there are the dog races on the North side, just out from Jeffersonville, which are drawing 12,000 to 15,000 people on big nights. The parlys are also open again. Then there are the boxing entertainments, under short route and no-decision regulations under state laws. "jV/T INIATURE golf courses have increased to about a dozen, and more are under construction. A three-story building at Third and Chestnut street, a block from the heart of the theatrical and hotel district and directly across the street from the Henry Clay Hotel, has just been torn down, to make way for a new 18 hole miniature golf course. Hurt Theatre Attendance These courses are flood lighted, and draw large attendance, at night. One such course in the Negro district is going over especially big, and hurting attendance at Negro show houses. Many towns are running into night baseball, under floodlights. Des Moines, Iowa, was first with a modern installation, and has averaged more than 2,900 fans, on six nights of play. Decatur, 111., opened to more than 4,000 with night baseball. Indianapolis has announced that it will go to night ball; and Chattanooga, Tenn., has made a similar announcement, as have one of the West Coast league towns and some other smaller ones. Plenty of Money Being Spent The Louisville ball club announced that it would not install night baseball this year, as it is going good without it, having broken all previous attendance records for the first five weeks of the season, due to having a winning team, that is colorful. Plenty of money is being spent on amusements. However, the picture theatres, even with sound, are facing a season in which they will have to work harder than ever to hold their patronage. The dog races here are one of the ^s--de^t ■•'ompetitors to meet. Night Golf Makes Its Appearance in Ottawa (Special to the Herald-World) OTTAWA, June 4. — The first menace to exhibitors of Ottawa, Ontario, in the form of an illuminated miniature golf course for night play was noted in an application to the Ottawa Board of Control for a lease on downtown civic property to be used for the first local course. The Board took no action in the matter, pending inquiries. Sunday Shows Win as Court Refuses Enforcement (Special to the Herald-World) LOGAN. OHIO, June 4. — Sunday movies scored a victory here when a jury in Common Pleas court refused to enforce the ancient Ohio blue laws, and acquitted C. J. Juergenmeier, manager of the Pythian theatre, who has been showing Sunday pictures for past two months. Juergenmeier, a trustee of the Knights of Pythias lodge, was arrested recently together with four other trustees for allowing the theatre to operate on Sunday. The four other men still face trial. H. M. Addison Named to Manage Pittsburgh House ( Special to the Herald-World) RpCH ESTER, N. Y„ June 4.— H. M. Addison, managing director of Loew’s Rochester theatre, is soon to be put in charge of the Penn theatre in Pittsburgh. No successor has as yet been named to fill the post at the Rochester house. Addison has been in Rochester for about a year, coming to this city from Buffalo, where he had been managing director of the Fox Great Lakes theatre. Here from South America T o Purchase New Pictures ( Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, June 4. — Marcel H. Morhange, South American representative for J. H. Hoffberg, Inc., is in New York City for a short stay, during which time he will purchase pictures for distributors in the South American markets. Warner to Buy “Brain Children” of Press ( Special to the Herald-World ) NEW YORK, June 4. — In an effort to establish a new and fertile market for talking picture scripts, and to encourage original ideas, Warner Brothers are offering to buy, from newspapermen all over the country, scenarios and ideas for Vitaphone productions. A letter from the story department of Warner Brothers has just gone out inviting reporters, rewrite men and editorial writers to contribute original material, either in the form of completed scripts, or ideas around which stories may be built. Warner Houses May Show Producer ’s Commercial Filmt Blumenthal Heads New Departmen W ith Fleets of Recording and Projecting Equipment (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, June 4. — Now comes Wa ner Brothers in the commercial and indu trial field, with a possibility that the Warm theatres will be available for showing tl pictures. A. Pam .Blumenthal heads tl new department and B. K. Blake, assistai manager, is in charge of production activ ties which will include the entire counti though centering in New York. Executiv production and distribution staffs will hai die the affairs of the company in the ne field, with all phases of commercial pictui production to be dealt with in both talkin and silent films. A fleet of portable production and recori ing equipment is at the command < ! Blumenthal, and his organization will I represented in leading offices of Warns Brothers or its subsidiaries throughout tl country for immediate contact with inte ; ests wishing to have commercial picturs made. Non-Theatrical Distribution Distribution will be made through not j theatrical channels, mainly through tl j firms for which they are made, many c which already are equipped for the showin of talking and silent pictures in their plant executive offices and in many cases in the branch offices. The new commercial picture departmei also will have portable projection trucl which can be sent out for showing the‘ films at fairs and street corners. The por able truck contains a screen five by seve feet on which the images are reflected by mirror upon which the projection machir in the rear of the truck throws the pictur From Stanley Advertising Co. Both Blumenthal and Blake are pioneei in the production and handling of comme cial motion pictures, having been executivi of Stanley Advertising Company for tl past five years, Blumenthal as president ar. Blake as vice president. They have mac industrial and commercial pictures for sue business concerns as Texas Oil Compan American Car & Foundry Company, Roy Typewriter, Gorham Silver, Canada Di ' Ginger Ale, McKesson & Robbins, R. I ■ Hoe & Company, and other firms. Eastman Gives $100,000 More to Endowment Fum (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, June 4. — George Eastma 1 camera manufacturer, has given an add : tional $100,000 for the salary and expense j of the George Eastman visiting professi j at Oxford University, England. The pr fessorship was created last year with ; I initial gift of $200,000. The first appoint < is professor John Livingston Lowes of Ha vard University. James Ryan Again Heads Catholic Picture Guil (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, June 4.— James Ry; I was unanimously re-elected president of tl Catholic Motion Picture Guild at the clo ing meeting of the fiscal year, held at tl Hollywood Columbus Club. Johnny Hint John J. Gain, C. E. Sullivan and Jam Gleason were elected vice presidents ai May McAvoy was elected treasurer.