Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

April S, 19 27 1J.S3 Willi the iranslir oi real estate completed announcement is made of tlie purchase of the interest of F. J. Harris in the Vine Theatre by Harry Smoots. The partnership of Harris and Smoots was formed in May, 1918, and the past nine years they have operated the Vine, with Mr. Smoots active in the management of tlie theatre affairs. Mr. Smoots announces there will lie no change in the personnel of the theatre, but he expects to make a number of improvements for the comfort and convenience of its patrons. Xew Simplex projecting macliines have been ordered and will be installed within the next week. The projectionist, Charles C. Hill, already has commenced changes necessary in the booth for the installation of the larger lamps. lx)uis Isreal has purchased the Standard Theatre. Prospect -Ave nue and h. .\ mth Street, Cleveland, from J. V. Wolcott. Isreal has long been prominent in local exhibitor circles. Tile Standard claims to be the first motion picture tiieatre in Cleveland built as such. It was never a store-room converted into a picture theatre. Joe Grossman was the original owner of the house. lie sold it to Universal. Universal, in turn, sold it to Wolcott, and now it belongs to Isreal. Toe Calla, manager of the Strand Theatre. Canton, is busy supervising the changes in his house. All tiiis in preparation for Vitaphone, which will be ready for operation by May 1st. Calla says that with the opening of Vitaphonc at the Strand, he will introduce a new picture policy. That is, lie will play the big special feature productions for long runs, .'\dmission prices will be maintained at 50 cents. The Strand is a 700-seat iiouse, and is owned jjy Hert Hotzum, wiio also owll^> the Orpiieum at Akron. Stanley Jacques, Pathe sales manager for tlie central division, made his first trip to Cleveland last week in that capacity. It was a get-acquainted trip. From Cleveland, Jacques continued on his way to Cincinnati and points VVcst. Meyer Fischer, president of the I'ischcr Film Exchange, was in Detroit last week attending the .\.C.A. meeting. Fdward P. Ca.sanave. brother of Charles L. Casanave of Associated Theatres of Ohio, was married last week to Miss Grace Morris of Chicago. .\fter a short honeymoon in the East Mr. and Mrs. Casanave returned to Cleveland to make their home. Gabriel Hess, general attorney for the Film Board of Trade, was in Cleveland last week for a day. Christy Deibel. prominent exhib itor and s|x>rlsniaii ui '^iAiiit^-tuwii, was in the city last week. N'lif to buy pictures, liowcver, but to see a prize tight. 'lim Koliirts, of llie White Way and Kit/, theatres, .Vlaiistield, was here for the same purpose. .Mrs. Rose I-cvine .Satler has a son. I'or six years, as Miss Levine, she hanrled out smiles and service at the local I'irst .National Exchange. .\n attempted robbery of Gifts Theatre, Cincinnati, resulted in the arrest, last week, of Martin Eckler, 2.1, of Middletown, Ohio. Hckler tried to rob .Miss Mary Mi inning, ticket seller, but her screams brought police protection. After a short chase the robber was captured. The Peerless Theatre. Cedar .Avenue. Cleveland, changed hands last week when J. Goodman txiught the house from I^iwrence P>arbalick. SaifJfanfeisco ANEW era of community development dawned March 5th in the Haight and Fillmore district with the opening of the palatial new Riviera Theatre. Haight Street, between Fillmore and Steiner, San Francisco. The Riviera, erected at a cost of $300,000, seats 1,500 persons. It is a modern steel and concrete structure with balcony, and equipment includiing the newest improvements for the projection of motion pictures. The Riviera is under the direction of the Golden State Theatre and Realty Corp., in association with W. S. King and Mark Harrison, the latter owner of the old Star Theatre, demolished one year ago, to make room for the new house. Harrison will be resident manager. 1". 11. Kmmick. president, and Rolxrl .\. Mc\eil, general manager of the Golden State Theatre and Realty Corp., which operates the new Riviera Theatre, direct the destiny of fifty theatres in California. Mrs. Douglas Crane is now manager of the Franklin Theatre .in Oakland. Her entire force is feminine with the lone exception of a man operator. This theatre is an Ackerman-Harris house. H. A. Manus. general manager of the American Cinema Association, was a recent visitor. P>ill l*~dmunds, local manager of Progress Features, was with him most of the time. .-\ Powers Machine has been purchased by the Petero Hill Xeighborhood House. This is a coninuinitv centre. Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Eraser have opened the Star Theatre, at 23rd and Clement streets. It was formerly called La Bonita. The opening was most satisfactory. \Irs. Pearl Potter, secretary of the Theatre Owners .\ssociation in Portland, was a recent visitor. J. T. Myers, local sales manager for Paramount, was home, sick with the "flu." All were happy when he returned. I^)rrayne Lindauer, of Warner Bros.. Inc., is to be a June bride. .\lbert Lang is the lucky man. Lorrayne is going to continue her work for Warner Bros. C. J. Stanley, of the Crockett Theatre, bought a large photoplayer organ and it is the largest organ that has ever been installed there. Xational Theatres Supply Company has furnished the new !Mas ter Equipment for the preview room at the Granada Theatre. The grand opening of T. & D."s Tulare Theatre, on March 18tli. was to a big crowd. Work is progressing rapidly on the new Patio Theatre on Ninth Street, Sacramento, and Max Blumenfeld says that he expects to open on Easter Sunday. A new theatre has been opened in .A.lvarado. John Gomez, a local man. is tlie proprietor. The Kinema Circuit, now operating a few theatres on the lower end of the Peninsula, have taken over the new local theatre, now under construction at Sunnyvale. \. M. Bowles, general manager of West Coast Theatres. Inc.. was a visitor here and in Sacramento recently and attended a session of tlie legislature. Philacielphia ELY EPSTEI.V, who for some ,vears was assistant branch manager for Universal and later for the De Luxe Exchange, has been placed in charge of sales of the annual organized short subject department of the Metro-GoldwynMayer branch in Philadelphia. Mr. Epstein will be assisted by Ray Smith, who was also with Universal for a number of years. Morris Fishman, who has been connected with the Liberty Exchange for some time, has resigned, and is now a member of the Twentieth Centurj' sales force. East Coast Theatres has increased its chain in Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern Xew Jersey to seventeen houses by the recent acquisition of the Colonial Theatre at Trumbauersville. Pa., a 400seat house that has been operated by Christian and Hildehrand. The agreement of transfer provides for a ten-year lease with an option to buy. The house will continue under the management of Frank Hildebrand. The Stanley Company is now making arrangements to close its Majestic Theatre at Wilmington. Del. The house has been operated on a straight "grind" policy. The Garrick. another Stanley house which has been closed, will take over the Majestic program. The old Majestic Building is to be re modeled and converted into a five and ten cent store. Joe Engel, a member of the Universal sales force, will be married in .\pril to Miss Eva Finkelstein, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Finkelstein, of this city. Miss Sylvia Levy, another member of the Universal force, was recently married to Mr. Samuel Cohen. Miss Levy was presented with an appropriate gift by the other young lady employees of the exchange. T. B. McLoughlin, who has been connected with United Artists and Paramount in the Piusburgli section, has been added to the local Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer sales force and will cover the Wilkes-Barre section, territory formerly handled by Joe Morrow, who has been made sales manager, succeeding Jay Emanuel. The Comer ford Amusement Company has recently taken over the Luna and Victoria theatres. Danville, Pa., which were operated by the Chamberlain Amusement Company. The change is effective as of .-Xpril 1st. EMPIRE LABORATORIES INC. 723 Seventh Ave., N. Y. Bryant 5437-5736-2180 DEVELOPING AND PRINTING MOTION PICTURE FILM