Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

1278 M o f i 0 11 Picture X c zv s Atlanta CR. BEACHAM. manager of • First National's Atlanta l)ranch, made a brief trip to Birmingham last week. A. C. Hawkins and Harry Gordon, of Brooksviile, Fla., who operate the Lyric at Dunnellon, the Avalon at Inverness, and the Victory at Brooksviile, were visitors on Film Row last week. Paul Engler, of the Famous. Theatre in Birmingham, was another Film Row visitor. G. L. Wynn, who operates the Ritz Theatre at Newnan, Ga., was seen on Film Row this week. Julian Jossey, general manager of Enterprise Film Corporation, who was injured last Sunday in an auto accident near Forsyth, Ga., was still confined to the hospital in that place late last wek. It is reported he was badly bruised. John Ezell, head of the Atlanta exchange of Warner Brothers, made a trip through his territory recently. Charles E. Kessnich, district manager for M-G-M, with headquarters in Atlanta, is on an extended trip through the Southern territory. Ben Y. Cammack, head of Universal's Atlanta branch, recently visited Birmingham, Nashville, and other points in the Tennessee territory. Manning and Wink, owners of the Gem Theatre, Calhoun, Ga., and a string of motion picture houses in North Cieorgia and Eastern Tennessee, have bought the Moss-Johnsnn building here, and will put up a new and well-equipped theatre. P. J. Heiin, who operates the Ritz Theatre at Rossville, and the Liberty at Chickamaugua, was a visitor on Film Row last week. R. E. Martin, of Columbus, Ga., who operates a chain of houses in that section, was a visitor last week. E. F. Boyd, who runs the Majestic Theatre at Adel, Ga., paid Film Row a visit this week. M. Davis Branon, who is connected with the Eltabran Film Company's forces, is making a trip through Tennessee. Joe Shear, Southern representative of the Lee Lash Studios, was recently a visitor in Atlanta. Oscar S. Oldknow, vice-president of National Theatre Supply Company, with headquarters in Atlanta, is on an extended trip through the Southern territory. The Strand Theatre, operated by Griffin Bros, at Cullman, Ala., opened to the public, Mondav, March 21. Earle E. Griggs, L^niversal's exploiteer, visited Birmingham the past week, en route to Demopolis, Ala. The Lincolnj Birmingham's newest colored theatre, operated by A. Brown Parkes, will open in two weeks. Work is progressing on the excavation for the new Publix house, at Eighteenth and Third streets, Birmingham. Will Moor opened his new theatre at Tarrant City, Ala., last week. Earl Collins, of the Lyric at Anniston, was a B'irmingham visitor the past week. When the new Florida Theatre opens in Jacksonville, April 8, Publix is going t.) reward service by moving up the manager of other movie houses in Jacksonville. Jesse Clark, manager of the Palace and Temple, the two houses with legit policy, is the only one to stand pat, with the best of the managerial positions. Guy N. Kenimer, who has an enviable record as manager of the Arcade, goes to the Florida as manager. He will take Jack Hodges, the clever house manager at the Arcade, and Lee Ncwsom to be chief of ushers: in addition to moving his entire usher staff. Frank ^lorris and his little Symphony Orchestra and Bob Mitchell, organist, also will go to the Florida. A special exploiteer from New York has been detailed to the Florida. Charlie Morrison, of the Imperial, who celebrated his thirtyfifth birthday Wednesday, will go to the Arcade as manager, takingJim Newman along as his assistant. The Imperial ushers will go into the Arcade, along with the Imperial orchestra. Arcade price policy is scheduled to drop to 20 and 40 cents, from the present 50-cent scale, to meet the opening of the Florida, which will scale at 35 and 60 evenings : 25 and 50 cents afternoons. Newton Treece, of the Rialto, will manage the Imperial, with a 15 and 30 cent policy. Al Fourmet, now assistant manager of the Palace, is slated for the Rialto management, with Treece supervising. The Rialto is a 10 cent house. Sparks' Empress fills the gap between with a 10 and 20-policy, with William Krause, Jr., as manager. Since its opening last Fall, the Empress has shown excellent business, probably showing more net return on investment than any other house in Jacksonville. E. J. Sparks, of E. J. Sparks Enterprises, Inc., of Jacksonville ; E. \'. Richards, of the Saenger interests, of New Orleans, and J. J. Fitzgibbons. district supervisor for Publix Theatres' Corporation, returned last Wednesday from a trip through Florida. C. P. Lester, manager of Universal exchange, recently made a business trip to Palatka. E. B. Price, salesman for Famous Players-Lasky, connected with the local exchange, has been transferred to Atlanta. Frank Howard, manager for P.D.C. in Atlanta, -accompanied by "Bill" Wasserman, salesman, called on Scotty Chesnutt at the Famous Players-Lasky exchange last Tuesday. They left Jacksonville for a trip down state. "Bill" Sharpe. representative of United Artists, spent last Monday and Tuesday in Jacksonville and then left for East Coast territory. The Universal exchange received a wire during the week from Mrs. H. E. Cuthbert. manager and owner of the Midway Theatre at Daytona Beach, announcing the death of her mother. Frank H. Bell, who has been manager of the Universal house in Arcadia, has been made manager of the Edwards and Sarasota theatres. Sarasota, succeeding Charles G. Branham. who has been promoted to a new post in the Universal Theater Organization. R. P. Ambrose succeeds ^Ir. Bell in .Arcadia. Des Moines "»MU,„ THE Columbia Theatre at Milton, Iowa, has changed hands in the last few weeks. This theatre was previously operated by J. I. Sell. The new owner is Miss Leona Conners. Miss Conners is a newcomer to the film business. Harry Frankel has sold his two houses at Creston, Iowa. He owned the Willard and the Strand there. He recently sold the houses to Gass and Martin. Mr. Gass comes from Nebraska to take charge of the houses. The Willard and the Strand were managed by George Weigman for Mr. Frankel. The theatres will be under the new management after .April 1. Lou Elman, salesman for First National, has been ill the last week. He is suffering with fallen arches. A Simplex machine was sold through the National Theatre Supplv Company to the Cozv Theatre at'Tindell, S.D. F. E. Metzger is owner of the Cozy Theatre. Mr. Guerney, who several months ago bought the Grand Theatre at Estherville from Waldorff and Johnson, has purchased some new equipment for his house. He bought two Simplex doublebearing intermittents and Simplex type S lamp houses. He also bought two Simplex flat belt speed con , trols. The Universal Exchange staff' made the record time in getting out for fire drill last week. They were timed as making the fire exit in eight seconds ; twenty-three employees of the office and one exhibitor. W. II. Miller, of Runnels, who was the exhibitor who was in the office at the time that the fire drill came off, was pretty much in the dark as to what it was all about, but he ran with the rest of thein. Exhibitors who were visitors in Film Row last week were Bill Treloar, of Ogden, M. L. Dixon, of Mt. Pleasant, and Mrs. Hendricks, transacting business for her theatre at Mt. Pleasant. New equipment installed recently by the National Theatre Supply Company was bought b\' L. M. Souders for his theatre at Blockton, Iowa. He bought two new Simplex Mazda units. Mr. Souders has tlie Electric at Blockton. A Compensarc was sold to Mr. Florev for his theatre at Geddes, s.b. For the opening of the Riviera Theatre in Omaha, the managers of the Des Moines film exchanges all made the trip by train or auto to Omaha. E. J. Tilton, manager for First National, was accompanied by Art Johnson, booker of the office, and others who were over for the special festivities were George Nalor, manager of the Universal Exchange: H. A. Kauffman, executive of the Pathc office, and Ben Reingold, manager of the Fox Exchange. The Princess Theatre at Keota recently came under new management. New equipment bought for the theatre included a Mazda unit complete, which was bought from the Des Moines office of the National Theatre Supply Company. The Capitol Theatre at Newton will have its opening on March 29. Thirty-five aisle lights were recently bought by the manage ment for the house from the Des Moines office of the National Theatre Supply Company. Mr. Blank, who has taken the management of the Newton Theatre, will place the theatre in charge of Mr. Hundling. who has the management of the Rialto. the BlankPublix house now in Newton. The Capitol Theatre, at Des Moines, has been equipped with new exit signs. Mr. Cunningham is the manager of the Capitol. Executives of the A. H. Blank enterprises, who were in Omaha for the opening of the Riviera, the new Blank-Publix house, were Mr. and Mr.s. A. H. Blank. Mr. and Mrs. Prusiner : Mr.Prusiner being vice-president of the Des Moines association : Mr. and Mrs. Denman : Mr. Denman is auditor: Mr. Frieman, booker: Harry David, general manager: Mr. Frudenfeld. director of publicity and advertising. Mr. Wasson, of the publicity department of the .A. H. Blank Enterprises, has been in Newton to take charge of publicity upon the ooening of the Capitol Theatre at Newton.