Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

902 .1/ 0 f i 0 II Picture M c w s THERE was another mysterioiis fire in Schenectady last week, when a blaze was discovered beneath the stage of the Albany theatre. This house is one of the Fa ? rash chain but conducted by A. E. Hamilton under a sub-lease. The damage wil amount to several hundred dollars. Harry Brooks, president of the motion picture machine operators' union in Troy, N. Y., for the past si.xteen years and also a member of the New York state legislature for one term, announced his candidacy last week for the office of sheriff in Rensselaer coimty. The union which he heads will endorse his condidacy in the near future and work ff)r his election. Pete Dana, former buyer for -Schinc Bros., has joined the Tiffany forces and is now working out of the ."Mbany office, covering the territory between Albany and Buffalo. George TToag is seUing dates at the present time for the Andes theatre, which will open soon. Dates are also being set for the Town Hall in Parishville. Da-' Creed, former office manager of the F. B. O. exchange here. has been transferred to the New TTaven branch and .A.be Van Diisen is now acting as office manaL'er as well as hooker. Incidentally. Mr. Van Duscii blossomed forth last week with a new Chrvsler car. -A radio has been installed by Jake Rosenthal in the Rose theatre in Troy, serving to relieve tlie r>':uii-;t during the late afternoon. Fights staged at Madison Souarc Garden are also being received by Mr. Rosenthal by radio and included in the program. On Wednesday ni«ht ^fr. Rosenthal is using three acts of professional vaudeville along with his pictures. The bowling teams from the American and Proctor theatres in Troy are now tie for first place in the tournament of the Troy Theatrical League. The league will hold its banquet early in April, at which times prizes will be awarded the winners. Small town exhibitors in .Albany last week declared that business was not as good this year as last and that few of the number were making any money. Joseph Sternberg and E. Sobel of the Avon, in Boonville, were in town last Monday, attending a session of the Albany Fihn Hoard of Trade. Ned Kornbleit, of Binghamton. who has made a fortune in the motion picture theatres in that city, where he owns four houses, one time operated a small restaurant and often refers to the days when he was a short order cook as well as cashier. S. L. Thornton, of tlie Orpheum in Saugerties, has bought the Rudolf in Tannersville from Julius Byck. L. G. Lawton has secured the Star in Newport from E. Hellman. The .-Mbany Film Board of Trade has received a letter from Harry Goldstein, now manager of the Paramount exchange in Pittsburgh, and who formerly handled the office in Albany, expressing his thanks for the cooperation accorded him by the Albany Film Board of Trade, during his stay in the capital city and likewise the farewell dinner that was tendered him on the eve of his departure. Charles Rosenweig, district manager for F. B. O., was in town last week. Arthur Aheles, of New York, district manager for Warner Bros., was in Glovcrsville during the week. George Dwore, operating the Cameo in Schenectady, is now giv ing away silverware and candy on Saturdays and it is evident that there will be a long, hard fight between this theatre and its competitor for business. Two representatives from .\1bany's film row stepped on the gas one day last week while they were passing through Johnstown, and found themselves facing the judge and later paying a fine. Siegel's auto truck service will extend its territory in the near future, serving the theatres between liere and Binghamton and establishing a new route. Walter Emig, operating the Central in Albany, announces a change in policy to the end that he will use double features two days each week from now on. In town during the week were Cliff Almy, manager of Warner Bros. Buffalo office; Sam Goldstein, of Springfield, Mass. ; Sam Hochstim, of Hudson, and Sam Slotnick, of the James theatre in Utica. Clarence Dopp, of Johnstown, also drove to Albany, and startled the exchanges by appearing in a new type of glasses. Louis and Myer Schine and Geo. I^ynch, their buyer, all of Gloversville. were in New York City during the past week. The Schine l>rothers report business as being good over the entire circuit of more than 100 htxises. Al Guteck, local F. B. O. mana.ger, showed his versatility a fewnights ago while attending a banquet in Albany. Mr. Guteck was a stranger to nearly everyone present, but joined in with the singing and later on acceded to a request for a solo. Bill Smalley, of Cooperstown. was in Utica during the week, securing equipment for the theatre which he is erecting in Johnstown hopes to open in May. Joe Wallace is making a big play these days at Prcxrtor's theatre in Albany on the picture end of his program. Jake Golden, manager of the Proctor house in Troy, was initiated into_ the Elks the other night, and judging from all that one hears it was some initiation. During the evening, Mr. Golden was presented with a pin containing three diamonds, the presentation being made by Bob Murphy, master of ceremonies at the Proctor house last week. The motion picture machine operators of Troy, at their meeting this month, will adopt a new constitution and by-laws. A] Lemay, one of the officers, has at his home in Troy the first projection machine ever used in that city and which was made almost entirely of wood. There was a largely attended screening at the F. B. O. exchange one night last week, to which all of .■Mhany's film row was invited. Charles Stombaugh. new manager for Pathe, was out over the territory last week, while Jack Krause, local manager for Tiffany, covered Kingston and southern points. W. W. Farley, of .Albany, owner of several theatres in Schenectady, is facing the stiffest political fight in his existence, in connection with the selection of a Democratic delegate from Broome county to the national convention. Miss Celia Rosenthal, of Troy, is spending several weeks in New York City on a vacation. Mrs. Walter Roberts, wife of the manager of the Troy theatre, is entertaining relatives from New York. V. A. Warren, of Mas.sena. who has been spending the past two months abroad, will sail for home oi March 20. Milwaukee T> GFIFFITH, formerly man ■L)* ager of the LaSalle theatre at LaSalle, 111., is now managing the Tivoli theatre, Milwaukee, one of the Midwesco chain. D. J. -Smith, former manager of the Tivoli, has accepted the position as manager of the new Capitol theatre now being erected on the west side of Racine, which will be opened on May ISth. A. J. Shumow, M-G-M sales representative, left ff)r Indianapolis on Monday to assist in a sales drive there. Dan Kulaszewicz, manager of the Rex at Bessemer and the Strand at Wakefield, Mich., was a recent F-'iJm Row visitor. H. L. Hoch has taken over the Movie theatre at Palmyra from K. H. Uglow. M Shircn, auditor, is spending a few days at the Tiffany branch. Kollie Sickels, cashier of the MG-M exchange, met with an acci dent recently while driving, and will have to replace his Chewy sedan, for he says repairing it will be too great an undertaking. Tlie Opera House at Eagle, Wisconsin, clianged hands recently. L. Guthrie is the new owner. E. J. Smith, general sales manager, and G. H. McLaughlin, division manager, spent last Tuesday in the local Tiffany branch. John Ludwig and Harry Perlowitz of the Qiain Theatres, now operating two theatres in Port Washington, have taken over the (')pera House at Antigo from John 1 fanus. Rtunors, rather well substantiated, say that Cedarburg and Port Washington are each to have a new theatre shortly. Cedarburg now has one house and Port Washington two. The two towns arc situated within ten miles of each other. Joe Winniger, manager of the Palace at Waupaca, was in the city on Wednesday. Warren Rutter formerly with Pathe at Chicago, has been added to the local Pathe sales force and has lieen assigned to northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan territory. He replaces Herman Wolfgram, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence. A. Bartelt has taken over iiianageincnt of the Mirimar theatre, Milwaukee, from A. L. Dobbs, cliango effective on March 5th. Mr. Bartltt formerly operated the l''agle theatre on the south side, and is owner of the Plaza thatre, which is leased to Midwesco. (i. Cj. Bandy of the Majestic theatre at Rhinelander is in the city visiting at several of the exchanges. The two Recdsburg theatres, the Majestic and the Badger, have been closed for two weeks because of an epidemic of scarlet fever in the city. Frank DeLorenzo is representing National Screen Service in Wisconsin. He was until recently associated with Paramount. Alax Stahl, special representative, spent a few days in the Milwaukee lulucalioiial branch discussing next season's program with E. J. Weisniaii, manager. The Grand theatre at Racine is again under management of James Boden. Mr. Boden also manages the Grand and Garden at South Milwaukee. John P. Adler, exhibitor from Marshfield and Stevens Point, was a recent Milwaukee visitor. Pathe exchange was visited by several officials this past week. Stanley Jacques, mid-west divisional manager, and Harry Scott, short subject sales manager, spent a short time in the local branch. This was Mr. Jaccpies' first visit to the Milwaukee exchange. Phil Keisman, general sales manager, arrived on Tliursdav for a brief visit.