Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

1858 M u t i o n P i c t u r c N ews Southwest THE Hawk Brothers, present owners of the Majestic Theater at Cherokee, Okla., have recently purchased the Crystal Theater from C. L. Wilson. The entire building will be renovated and reojx'ned to the public as soon as improvements are completed. The Palace Theatre at Seguin, Texas, has this week installed a new organ. This organ compares favorably with those of larger cities in tone, quality and size. Dias Callahan, who recently acquired another theatre in the Valley, was a visitor to Dallas last week. Charles E. Kessenick, Southern district manager of M-G-M, last week made a trip through Dallas and surrounding territory. Henry Dorenson, of the Dallas Theatre Supply Company, has just returned from a trip to West Texas. R. D. Howell has sold his Liberty and Grande Theatres to C. E. and A. B. Momand, of Shawnee, and J. W. Cotter, of Holdenville, Okla. Messrs. Momand are owners of a string of show houses in Oklahoma, at the present time owning two in Shawnee, two in Seminole, three in Wowoka, one in Okemah, one in Hartshorne, one in Pawjuska and three in Holdenville, in which Mr. Cotter is a partner. A. Callahan, former manager of t!ie theatre at Carrizo Springs, Texas, announces the purchase of the National Theatre at Asherton from J. G. Garcia. The theatre will be reopened after extensive improvements and remodeling. Contract has been let for the erection of a new $10,000 theatre in Catarina, Texas, just outside of San Antonio. Theatres recently purchasing pipe organs are as follows : The Majove Theatre, Alpine, Texas; Happy Hour, Livingston, Texas ; Palace, Cleburne, Texas ; B. A. Lawrence, Hillsboro, Texas; Odeon, Fort Worth, Texas ; OScar Korn, Slayton, Texas; Aliller & Jones, Yoakum, Texas. Fred M. Jack, who for nearly a year has been a special representative for First National in the Southern District, and recently attached to the Memphis office, has been appointed assistant manager of the Atlanta Branch of First National. W. G. McCorney, Atlanta salesman, has been transferred to Memphis to succeed Mr. Jack. Nat Levine, independent producer of pictures, was a recent visitor to Dallas. C. E. Boyett, manager of the Lyric Theatre at Brownwood, Texas, announces that work will soon start on the remodeling of the theatre throughout. W. E. Callaway, Southern sales manager for First National Pictures, is in New Orleans negotiating with the Saenger Circuit for First National's specials. .'Ml theatres in Dallas joined in staging a monster midnight mat inee at the Majestic Theatre on April 28th, for the benefit of the flood sufferers. Walter Hurtcl, manager of the present theatre at Benjamin, Texas, has laid the foundation and has material on the lot for the erection of a new theatre in that town. The new theatre will be located on the east side of the square, ager of Warner Brothers, is in "Pop" Wildman, Dallas manNew York for conferences on Vitaphone operations in the Southwest. .... Bill Neville will close his Washington Theatre in Dallas when his lease expires June 1st. Bill Underwood will close his Crystal Theatre for the summer upon the expiration of his lease, in about five weeks. The Old Mill Theatre, Dallas, is being remodeled to accommodate road shows, fourteen already being booked. E. H. Hulsey, owner and operator of the Circle Theatre, is having a $25,000 cooling system installed in his theatre, and will change the policy of the house from Vitaphone to musical comedy as soon as the installation is completed. He is negotiating with prominent theatrical men here to place the Vitaphone in "Theatrical Row" on Elm Street. Cliff Mooers, Secretary to the President of the Interstate Amusement Company, was awarded third prize, or $v300, in a recent contest conducted by the Liquid Veneer Corporation. Now he is sporting a new Ford coupe. John Eberson, of Chicago, will be the architect for planning new theatres for the Literstate Circuit, to be located in Little Rock, Ark., and Birmingham, Ala. These theatres will be of the "atmospheric" type of architecture, which Mr. Eberson has made famous throughout the country. Gene Oliver, manager of the Majestic Theatre at Little Rock, reports that the temporary uneasiness caused by the flood conditions around Little Rock has subsided, and business is again moving along at its natural stride. Dan Daley, Auditor of the Interstate Amusement Company, was in Little Rock at the time the flood was at its worst, and was delayed returning to Dallas several days. Dan"s train had to grope its way back to Dallas and was nearly marooned on several occasions. Verne Gibson, formerly of the Majestic Theatre, Dallas, staff, is now on the road with his own company. A new company, called The Palace Amusement and Theatre Company, wnth headquarters in Dallas, has just been chartered by the State of Texas. The nature of its operations has not as yet been revealed, but it is known to be a subsidiary of the Interstate Amusement Companv. Daniel J. Dalev, K. S. Mallory and Clifford H. Mooers are listed as the incorporators. St. L OUIS FRANK FRANCIS, 37 years old, owner of the Lincoln Theatre, Charleston, Mo., died April 27 from injuries received the night of April 22 when he fell with a 20-foot ladder while replacing light bulbs over the stage in his theatre. Tom McKean, manager of the St. Louis F.B.O. office, spent much of the past week in the territory, visiting among other towns Hannibal, Quincy and Springfield. S. Sigoloss, through his architect Otto J. K'rieg, 822 Wainwright Building, has taken bids on a new one-stor\' theatre building to be erected at the southeast corner of 18th and Park avenue, St. Louis. The structure, to be known as the Elite Theatre, will be 143 feet bv 46 feet. It will be known as the Elite Theatre. J. Meador has taken over the theatre at Macon, Mo. On January 21, 1913, the Ferris Grand Opera House, which occupied the same site, was destroyed by fire. Manager O'Toole of Producers Distributing Corporation visited Paducali, Ky., and Cairo, 111., during the week. He reports that the flood conditions in the Lower Mississippi Valley are fearful. The Farmington Entertainment Company of Farmington, Mo., of which Dr. C. A. Tetley is president, has had plans prepared by J. Hal Lynch & Son, 412 Dolph building, St. Louis, Mo., for a new theatre. Construction plans will be prepared at once, as preliminary sketches have been approved. The Minden Amusement Company, Rollin Williams, manager, Minden, La., plans to rebuild its theatre at once. Details not yet available. Harry Kelley has just purchased a site on West 12th street, Bentonville. Ark., on which he plans to erect a new theatre. The lot is 110 by 42 feet. Shreveport, La., is to have two new theatres. Charles Morel, El Dorado, Ark., plans to build at Portland and Fetzer Avenues. His house will cost about $30,000. A. L. Waller plans a house on Texas avenue. It will have a main floor and balcony and cover a site 40 by 125 feet. Plans for both houses ha\e been prepared by Jones, Roessle, Olschner & Wiener, Ardis Building, Shreveport, La. Pkilaclelpliia G GABRIEL HINES has suc^ ceeded Graham Harris as conductor of the Stanley Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Harris was for some years conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and had been connected with the Stanley Companv for about a vear and a half. .Sam Hochfeld, pioneer salesman in Philadelphia territory and con nected with the Pathe exchange for more than a decade, has been confined to his home for two weeks with a serious attack of foot poisoning. He will probably not be able to resume his duties for another fortnight. Bill Quinlivan, who was formerly assistant manager at the Philadelphia exchange of L^niversal, has joined the P. D. C. .sales force under Bill Humphreys, and will cover both Philadelphia and upstate territories for P. D. C. Nat Levy, for many years connected with the Philadelphia office of Universal, has been transferred to the Albany exchange of the company and has been promoted to branch manager. Mr. Levy was given a most cordial send off by his associates in the Philadelphia exchange and his friends. Tlic niiitiun picture industry in Philadelphia was saddened by the death of Joseph l-". McCarthy, brotlier of John A. McCarthy, one of the directors of the Stanley Company of America. Mr. McCarthy was head of an electrical concern and had been identified with the motion picture industry not only through his brother's association but in his capacity as an electrical coiUractor.