The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

June 23, 1923. “BATTLE OF THE ROSES.” Manchester v. Leeds Trade Cricket Match. EEN interest is being taken in the cricket match next Wednesday at Leeds between the kinema teams of Manchester and Ieeds. It will be a veritable ‘* Battle of the Roses "* on the County ground at Headingley. The following team has been selected to represent Manchester : Irvine Dearnaley (captain), F. A. Harrison, EK. Flint, E. G. Milloy, N. Wilde, F. J. Emery, A. Dobie, S. Bate, H. Newbould, N. Brymer, and L. Deal. Reserves: T. Buchicrosan and A. Watson. A hearty welcome is extended to members of the trade to accompany the team to Leeds. The train leaves Victoria Station, Manchester, to-morrow (Sunday) morning at 9-35 for the annual picnic of the Sports Association at Norbreck. A special corridor coach has been reserved for the party. EXPORTING TO DENMARK. HEE Commercial Secretary at Copenhagen, Mr. R. M. A. fli Turner, will be in. attendance at the Department of Overseas Trade from June 25 to 80 inclusive, and will be pleased to interview, by appointment, United Kingdom menufacturers and merchants interested in export trade to Denmark. Applications for interviews with Mr. Turner should be addressed, without delay, to the Comptroller General, Department of Overseas Trade, 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1, and the reference 7505 F.R. should be quoted. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 39 BARROW-IN-FURNESS NOTES. (From our own Correspondent.) EW, if any, of the picture theatres in Barrow and district can be said to be making money at the present time. There are still about 8,000 men unemployed, which means, with an average of four to a family, 32,000 potential picture-goers who are relying for their subsistence on the dole or parish relief. Under the circumstances the various managers have had an anxious time. Some good weeks have been sandwiched in between ..bad ones, and so the proprietors and inanagers are simply carrying on hoping for the return of better times soon, * * * * * What's going to happen to the Salthouse Pavilion, no one seems to know at present. It was advertised in a local paper for sale a week ago, but since then there has been an effort to induce the inortgagees to allow the theatre to be let, and possibly this will be done. The shareholders realise that if the building were sold now it would perhaps only bring sufficient to pay off the bank, whereas if it could be leased for 12 months or so trade would by that time have a chance of picking up and then the company could start afresh and in course of time pay all their debts in full. This may be too optimistic a view, but, at all events, it would seem to be the best action to take for all concerned. Several offers have been received from people in the trade anxious to rent the theatre. * * * * * “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good,”’ was the remark of a local manager the other night when the wind was driving people off the streets into the places of amusement. The kinema managers are about the only people who are not grumbling about the weather just now. There has been no semblance of summer in this neighbourhood so far. “LIVE” LANCASHIRE KINEMA-MEN.—Continued. patronage of both manual workers and a more leisured middle class are the Shaftesbury at Longsight, and the Victory at Blackley, At the former, Mr. T. Lyth, who came here last September, is the rnanager in charge. Mr. Lyth is strong on the musical side, having been for a number of years himself a protessional eclarionet player in many big theatres up and down the country. He is the general musical adviser to the company, and keen always to arrange the best and most suitable aceompaniments for his programs. The Shaftesbury has a regular and devoted following of ** twice-a-week '’ enthusiasts— to say nothing of the matinee ladies who line up with their babies and perambulators on Mondays and Thursdays. Mr. Lyth gives them what he calls ‘‘ Bargain shows—a full program for 2d. ond 6d., with a garage in the lobbies for the perambulators. The unemployed of this district also have cause to thank Mr. Lyth for his enterprise in distributing each week 150 free tickets to bona fide out-o'-work men and 25 to women. Free passes are also allowed from time to time to ald-aye pensioners. A 2d. tax-free inatinee is held for children on Saturday afternoons. Stunt with ‘‘ Three Live Ghosts.’’ Strong competition exists among the kinemas in the Lonysight area, there being a plentiful sprinkling of halls right away from Ardwick to Levenshulme. The Shaftesbury lies about midway between these two points. It seats 1,100 people, and on the night of our visit was comfortably filled with an interested audience witnessing ‘t Monte Cristo.” Topicals and Cartoons are very popular at this house, and the local curiosity is always very keen as regards ‘‘ forthcoming attractions.”” Mr. Lyth helieves that the public is tiring of long pictures and, as far os his patrons are concerned. comedy with a good plot is invariably the surest draw. Oue of his best weeks was recently when he showed ‘‘ Three Live Ghosts,’’ and stimulated the interest of the neighbourhood by sending round three of the unemployed dressed in character. Public Taste at the Victory. Very similar to the Shaftesbury in its internal structure and arrangements is the Victory at Blackley, presided over by Mr. Harry Killoran, who has been here two years. He also was ‘' born in” the showman business, and has had a long experience of every side of the profession, including acting, producing, writing for the stage, and managing. For eight years Mr. Killoran was connected with the Qucen’s Park Hippodrome. Though situated in rather a dingy neighbourhood, the Victory numbers among its patrons many members of the professional class—-including several doctors and at least one magistrate. Mr. Killoran says he can generally find these in their regular seats at least once a week, Again we found that the public taste is varying rapidly away from ‘* Western "’ pictures of the cowboy type and bloodeurdling melodrama, and is demanding more plausible stories, whether of a serious or amusing nature. The Victory has a seating capacity of 1,393, and despite severe opposition in the immediate area holds its own with the best. A Worthy Chief. One final note must be added to our necessarily rapid survey of this quartette of Moorhouse picture theatres. Everywhere the writer met with the utmost courtesy and assistance from the respective managers, and on all hands very high praise was accorded to Mr. H. D. Moorhouse himself for his enterprise as a proprietor, and his kindness to, and consideration for, all in the service of the company.