The Film Daily (1928)

■f Monday Fox seen as partner in Comerford Pennsylvania expansion. Pittsburgh territory exhibitors plan to refuse to arbitrate cases of distributors serving non-theatricals; subject under discussion at Film Boards' meeting; Oklahoma unit president says question solved in that state. Musicians' convention under way at Louisville. Tuesday Fxhibitor members of contract committee voted for clauses and arbitration rules as trade for financing plan for exhibitor units to be worked out by distributors, Chicago report says. \V. A, Steffes, Northwest exhibitor unit president, sponsoring new national exhibitor organization slated to be formed at convention aboard lake ship. Educational meets Cleveland protection demand and buying strike lifted so far as company product is concerned; company holding sales convention at Montreal. Trade Commissioner to decide question of legality of proposed ban on service to nontheatricals. Pathe loss, $2,151,882 in 1927, company reports. Wednesday Senator Walsh asks Senate investigation of Film Boards of Trade; Cleveland "trust" suit withdrawn with evidence sent to government; Sidney Samuelson's suit against Will H. Hays and 60 other defendants settled out of court. Plans on non-theatricals and compulsory arbitration being prepared by proposed exhibitor organization, to be sponsored by W. A. Steflfes, Northwest exhibitor unit head. . . Toseph P. Kennedy reported negotiating pool of Pathe FBO, Keith-Albee-Orpheum and Universal; latter denies. Creditors committee handling Cooney Chicago circuit. Thursday Non-theatrical competition growing as national issue. Fox announces 52 features and 26 comedies for 1928; 5,000-seat Minneapolis Fox house planed. Pathe lists 29 features and 48 comedies for new season. Hal Poach gets license to make sound films by Western Electric process. Gabriel L. Hess of Hays organization declines to comment on reported contract "trade" prior to return to New York, to examine record. Stanley Co. passes dividend, with Goldman, Sachs & Co., bankers, becoming active in affairs. Friday Sound film systems interchangeable, E. E. Bucher of Radio Corp. of America insists, stating Photophone machines will be ready in June. Universal not involved in any proposed pool, Carl Laemmle declares. Quota law to be enacted in Italy. St. Louis musicians attempting to end use of mechanical music in city's theaters. Saturday Sen. Walsh to press action today to obtain congressional probe of film industry. Congressional conference committee agrees to exemotion of tax on admissions up to $3. Tnterchangeability of sound film reproducing systems conjectural. Western Electric says. Fox and his plans have Philadelphia guessing. Stanley and Loew's Pool theaters at Baltimore. Sound Films For Oneonta Oneonta, X. Y. — Improvements to l)e made at the Oneonta will cost $25,000 and will include the installation of Vitaphone as well as Movietone. Illinois House Closes LaGrange, 111. — The LaGrange has closed owing to poor business. Wanda Hawley III Los Angeles — Reported stricken by an attack of appendicitis, Wanda Hawley has cancelled her vaudeville engagements. Film Board Completes A Rezoning of K. C. Kansas City — Rezoning of this city has been completed by the Film Board. Houses are divided into six classes from A to G. There is no Class B, this having been left open for anticipated developments. Class A are first runs and have 28 days from closing date over Class C, subsequent runs charging 30 cents, which have seven days from opening over Class D, 25 cent houses. Class E, 20 cent houses, and all pictures which do not play Class C or D houses, become available to Class E theaters 35 days after closing of Class A run. Class F, 15 cent houses, receive pictures which do not play intermediate classes, 42 days after close of Class A run and for Class G, ten cent houses, 49 days following. Negro houses are placed in Class N, following close of Class A run in 28 days. Protection/ is given within the class according to admission. Many Houses for Sale St. Louis — For the first time in many jears a considerable number of the theaters in the St. Louis trade territory are being publicly advertised for sale. Many other houses are being quietly ofiEered to prospective buyers. This is a reflection of business conditions in the territory. Wisconsin Theaters Change Hands Milwaukee — Recent changes in ownership of theaters in Milwaukee and the state include the Comfort, a Milwaukee neighborhood house which has been taken over by Frank LTdovich, the former owner being Moy To\'. Park, another neighborhood, has been taken over by E. Wagner. The Orpheum at Richland Center has been taken over by J. Eskin from R. J. Theiler, while Mrs. Helen Connelly, widow of a theater manager at Green Bay, Wis., who was drowned about a j'ear ago, has leased the Lyric at Peshtigo from D. O. Larson. "Gounod" At Rialto "Charles Gounod," a Technicolor subject in James A. FitzPatrick's Famous Music Masters series, opens at the Rialto Saturdaj-. Sewnig Succeeds Blumberg Milwaukee — L. G. Sewnig has been named to succeed N. J. Blumberg, whose assistant he has been for the past year and a half, as division manager of the Milwaukee Theaters Circuit, Inc. Otto Lang has been named as Mr. Sewnig's assistant. The circuit operates thirteen theaters in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Greta Nissen in N. Y. Greta Nissen has arrived in New York for a vacation. She will attena the opening of "Fazil" at the Gaiety June 4. In this Fox picture she plays opposite Charles Farrell. F. D. Opening Exchanges First Division soon will open exchanges in Boston and New Haven. They will be directed by Harry G. Segal, with headquarters at Boston. And That's That DD By PHIL M. DALY ,^^mm another feather to the ■^* Gotham cap, for Budd Rogers has just closed a contract for a run of "Hellship Bronson" at the Hippodrome, New York. Meredith Nicholsov, writer, who recently was elected to the city council, is peeved over veto of the daylight saving bill by the mayor, charging interference by Will H. Hays, as being responsible. It's too bad the Hoosier authw can't appreciate what daylight saving has done to New York box office since it was foisted upon New York. He could write a novel about that. Denver Theater Pool Deal Now Complete Denver— Details have been completed in formation of the largest independent circuit in the Denver territory and Consolidated Theaters, incorporated, with the D. & R. Midwest Theater and Frank Gulp interests. New officers of the firm, capitalized at $1,000,000, are: Rick Ricketson, president; Richard Dickson, vicepresident; Max Schubach, secretary, and Frank Gulp, treasurer. These officals, together with Paul Krier and Dan Lehrburger, comprise the directorate of the company, which has 15 houses. In the pool are: D. & R. houses, Egyptian, Highlands and Queen, all in Denver, and houses at Rapid City, S. D.; Delta, Walsenburg and Montrose, Col.; Midwest theaters. Mission, Denver; and houses in Sidney, Neb.; Rock Ford, Brush, Sterling and Fort Morgan, Neb.; Frank Gulp houses. Oriental and Granda, Denver. Gets Trinity Franchise Boston — Harry Segal of Royal has secured the franchise for 12 Trinity pictures. Three of them are: "Better Days," "The Little Wild Girl" and "The Age Old Handicap." New House for Madison Madison. Wis. — The East Side Business Men's association is perfecting plans for a theater on Atwood to cost between $125,000 and $150,000. It has been decided to start at once to subscribe stock for the new project . Opens Missouri House St. Louis — Julius Sanowsky, owne of the Venus, has opened the Kin loch Airdome at Kinloch Park, Si Louis. 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