Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

April 8, 1927 1285 ^<:^ bouth East Dl\. J. l;. JL'I1\> I l).\ of Rock Hill, S.C, announces he has plans for a new theatre being draited by A. D. Gilchrist, a local architect. The News Dispatch states that Dr. Johnston has made agreement with a unit of First National Pictures for operating the theatre at a recent conference. Dr. H. H. Hutchinson, owner of the Lyric Theatre, Bladenboro, X'.C, spent a day along p'ilm Row tlie past week. M. E. VVieman, manager of the local branch of Liberty Specialty \'\\m Corporation, has recovered from an attack of "flu." George Logan, owner of the Globe Theatre, Xewbern, N.C., was a visitor along Film Row Monday. E. D. Turner, president of the Carolina Theatres, Inc., who returned from Pittsburgh to attend the opening of the new theatre at Statesville, has returned to that city with his brother, Stanley Turner, for a brief stay. Mr. and Mrs. Abe Rosen, of New York, are spending several weeks at the Charlotte Hotel. Mr. Rosen is president of the U. S. Film Transport Corporation with headquarters in Charlotte, and also president of the Rosen Transport I. . irpiirati<in, oi Xtw 1 Ia\en. A. J. Cook, owner of the .\nuizu, .Maiden, was along Film Row the past week. William E. Drumliar, district manager of all Publi.\ theatres in North and South Carolina, now has permanent otVices in Charlotte, which will naturally make tiiis city the center of Publix activities in these two states. The Charlotte Film Board of Trade, at its semi-annual meeting, .Monday, for the election of olTicers, chose the following: H. H. Everett, of Arthur C. Brombcrg Attractions, president ; John Fuller, of Fox Film Company, vice-president, and Merritt Davis, of Warner Brothers, secretary and treasurer. Appointments of standing committees have not yet been announced. M. E. Warner, formerly owner of the Vamp Theatre, Barnwell, S.C, announces that he has sold this house to M. C. Diamond and Thomas K. Bolen. H. R. Berry, owner of the Temple Theatre, Hartsville, S.C, was a visitor on Film Row during the week. R. W. Early, of the Strand Theatre, Trion, N.C., spent Sunday and Mondav in Charlotte. S. S. Stevenson, owntT of Stevenson's Theatres, Inc., states that he has purchased two new Simplex projectors, two Cinephor lenses and other c(|uipment from the local office of National Theatre Supply Company for his new theatre, at Hendersonvillc, N.C., which is scheduled to open Monday, March 28. J. P. Gibson, owner of the Scotland Theatre, Laurinburg. N.C., paid Film Row a visit during the week. George F. Lenehan, district manager for P.D.C., Southern Division, was in Charlotte during the week, together with L. J. llackin, district manager for Producers' New England Division. Gus Mitchell, of the Imperial Theatre, Newton, N.C., visited Film Row this week. W. F. Lenehan, manager of P.D.C. exchange, is covering the territory in a brand new red roadster. Wm. Sussman, representative of the booking department of Famous Players-Lasky, New York office, spent Monday and Tuesday in the Charlotte branch. C. C. Stough, of the Davidson Theatre, Davidson, N.C., was in Charlotte during the week. ( h.l^. Raili>, formerly salesman in .North Carolina for Famous I'laycrs-Lasky, left Sunday for Atlanta, from where he will be transferred to the Memphis branch of the company as salesman. R. n. Wilbanks, manager of Famous Players-I^sky's Charlotte branch, left Friday for Atlanta, where he will spend several days, returning Monday with his family, who have been visiting in Atlanta for several weeks. C. J. Hrcnnan, publicity director of the new Carolina Tlicatre. and 1". E. Whittaker, manager of the Imperial Theatre, addressed the Better Films Committee Monday night at the monthly meeting at the Public Library. The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas will hold their convention in Little Rock on April 3rd and 4th. Headquarters will be established at the Lafayette Hotel. Paul E. Krieger, manager of First .National's Ix)ui5vi]le exchange, has been given the management of the Cincinnati branch of First National. This is a well merited promotion for Mr. Krieger, who, during his six years as head of the Louisville office, has made a remarkable showing. Portland, Ore., ^ —^^ T( UIX HAMRICK, owner of the »-' Blue Mouse chain of theatres in the Pacific Northwest, has been in Portland to personally supervise the opening of "Don Juan" and the Vitaphone, now being installed in his local Blue Mouse Theatre. The opening took place on March 25. Vic Gauntlett, director of exploitation for the Hamrick Theatres, is also on the job to see that the people of Portland are properly informed regarding the new marvel. H. G. Tasker, engineer for the Vitaphone Corporation of Los Angeles, is superintending the installation, and E. J. Cooper, instructor from the New York factory, is here to train the Blue Mouse operators in the handling of the machine. Ivan MacLean, house manager of the Majestic Theatre, left last week for a four months' tour of the Orient. The Majestic recently closed for extensive alterations, involving an expenditure of $150,000 and approximately five months' time. When it re-opens the interior will have been completely rebuilt, with new equipment throughout. The Majestic w-as recently added to the chain operating under the United Artists banner. Fred J. Lucas resigned his position as manager of the Peoples Theatre to assume similar duties for George Guthrie's Salem Theatres. Lucas is an accomplished artist as well as theatre manager and his drawings for newspaper advertisements have attracted widespread attention. A rumor is current that the Multnomah Theatres Corporation, a ramification of Carl Laemmle's theatrical interests, operating a chain of suburban theatres in Portland, are seeking an East Side location on which to build a 2,000seat house. The largest theatre they now operate is the Bagdad, whidh was opened January 14. The Lincoln, a 750-seat house, is the most recent addition to their chain, having been in operation since March 9. The Peoples Theatre, formerly a thirty-five and fifty cent house, followed its road show run of "Beau Geste" with a policy of straight twenty-five-cent admission, using principally program firstruns, with an occasional second-run of an outstanding hit. With the installation of Vitaphone, the Blue Mouse, which has been the tw-entj'five-cent downtown theatre for several years, goes to fifty cents. It is likely that many of the former Blue Mouse customers will find a new home for entertainment at the Peoples. Ground was broken Monday, March 21. for the new office and theatre building which the Weatherly Company will erect at the intersection of Grand Avenue and East Morrison streets. The office building will be twelve stories high and the theatre building five, with a 2,000 seating capacity. W. E. Tebbetts, formerly manager of the Highway and Hollywood (East Side) theatres, will operate the new house. Plans are being completed by B. Marcus Priteca, Seattle architect, for a new 1,800-seat house for Pantages on the East Side in Portland. The building will be built under the supervision of Earl N'ewcomb, who served in a similar capacity during the construction of their recently opened West Side house. Oklak oma ^tt^lanMii^^^^^ga^^x?; A PREVIEW last Tuesday evening was held in the Pathe screening room to an audience of thirty or more made up of the school board, members of the Izaak Walton League, and newspaper folks. Roy McGaughey has sold his Liberty Theatre at Foss, Okla., to John Lawrance and O. B. England, of Carter, Okla. Mr McGaughey is now operating the New Theatre, which he is leasing from S. H. James. Previous to the leasing by McGaughey. the New was under lease by Lisle Boggs. W. C. Taylor, former exploitation man for Paramount, and "Spot" Dunbar, former exhibitor at Drumright, have joined the Arctic-Nu-Air Controlled Air Systems. We understand that the old Rex Theatre at Tulsa, which has been closed for a couple of years or so, is being reopened by Willard and Son. E. V. Weaver was in town this week and closed the deal with the Griffith Amusement Co. for the purchase of their Rex Theatre at Yale, Okla. Mr. Weaver already owns the Yale Theatre there, and now has the entire theatre line-up in Yale. -According to reports this week, the new theatre to be erected in Shaw^nee, Okla., by the Griffith .Amusement Company will be ready for occupancy by June 15th instead of in the fall as first intended. This theatre will seat somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000. .\nother theatre for Shawnee is already being prepared for by Jake Jones, the former owner of the Cozy there. This theatre will be opened July 1st. C. E. Wagner, manager of the Griffith theatres in Elk C\\y, Okla.. is starting out on a newly created position of special exploitation man for the Griffith Amusement Company. Mr. Wagner will visit the forty-odd theatres owned by this company in Oklahoma and Texas-.