Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

M (I r c Ji 2 i . 1 9 28 ')!,•> ADi'.woLFi': V !•: 1 1.1. !•; u. ♦ iiiK' of the alilest aiul at tlusame time youngest motion picture theatre managers in this part of New \'ork state, resigned as manager of the Mark Ritz in Albany last week, and on .April 1 will hecome comptroller at a local suit and dress house. Mr. V'eiller will he succeeded by Charles .Smakwit/, manager of the .\lbany theatre, who came to tliis city several months ago from Syracuse. Mr. V^eiller is the son of Bayard W-iller, the well known playwright and in many respects is a chip of the old block, having served as a reix)rter on one of the Schenectady papers before going as manager of the Strand theatre in Schenectady. Later on Mr. Veiller was associated with the Schine brothers in Cdoversville, but returned to become manager of the Lincoln in Troy, handling this house with such success that he was transferred to the Mark Strand in Albany, and then given the management of the Mark Ritz when it was opened a couple of years ago. Not only did Air. Veiller handle the house, but he also handled all advertising for the Stanley theatres in .-Xlbany, his newspaper advertisements, through their cleverness, arousing much favorable comment. The Criterion in Roscoe, operated in the past by B. G. Cable, has been sold to S. H. Mason. The Rialto and Lincoln theatres in Schenectady, operated for some time past by Feltmann and Son, were acquired last week by the Brandywine Amusement Corporation. W. T. Finn has bought the Garvey theatre in Clinton from Len Garvey. Mike Bonmausser, who runs the Plaza in Malone, and who is not a very frequent visitor to .Albany, spent i 'lart of the past week here. in booking piclnrcs \>>\ llic imniiig months. There is i)rospect of a new motion picture theatre being built this summer in Cherry Valley. The village has one house, known as "The .Star," and is handled h.\ .Mrs. W'inuie. a schoolteacher. Cooix-rating with local merchants in Carthage, William O'Brien, manager of the Strand theatre in that village, is arranging for a fashion show, which will be held on two days the l.itter ]>;irt of this month. Fred T'erry, a theatre manager of Binghamton. and formerly of Watertown, hied a petition in bankruptcy in Utica. last week, with liabilities of $4,()fl0 and no assets. Lightning struck Albany's I'ilni Row during the past week, with the result that Jack Krause was replaced as manager of the Tiffany exchange, by Pete Dana, a former booker with Schine brothers, but who left that organization a number of months ago. Jack Bulwinkel was succeeded by R. S. Wehrle, of New York City, as manager of the First National exchange, while H. C. Bissell resigned from the sales force at the same time. Mr. Wehrle returned only last week to the United States from Europe, where he represented First National over a wide area. Mr. and Mrs. James Papayanakos, the former being the owner of the Graylin theatre in Gouverneur, returned last week from Florida, where they have been spending a month or so. One of the most important deals in the local motion picture theatre field resulted last week in Abe Stone disposing of the .\rbor theatre in Albany to Herman Vineberg, one time manager of the Mark Strand, as well as the .\1 iiany, theatres, and who more recently has been conneoted with houses ni New York city and New Jersey. Mr. Vineherg took over the house this week. The theatre was ac(|uired four years ago by .Mr. Stone from the late .Samuel Snckno, Mr. Stone will now devote his entire time to the l-'agle theatre. Jack Krause. who was badly injured some months ago in an automobik' accident, was at the state c.ipitol last week appearing before the comiH-nsation board and will I)robably be awarded a substantial sum. These are days that cause Joe -Saperstein. manager of IL-irmanus Bleecker Hall in Albany, to glance longingly at his golf clubs and figure how many more weeks he will be obliged to wait before he is driving a 25()-yard slash over the links of the club to which he belongs. The audience at the Capitol theatre in .Albany sat quietly the other lu'ght while a fire raged next door, causing S2.000 damage to a restaurant. Jack llutclicfin. manager of the Regent. Strand and Rialto theatres in .Amsterdam, is one man who is doing his share these days toward remedying the unemployment situation in New York state. When Governor Smith asked all mayors to get work on public improvements under way as soon as possible, that the unemployed might find work, Mr. Hutcheon went to his mayor and said that he would give one week's work in his theatres to needy men with families. During the past week the steel girders arrived in Johnstown for the roof and supports of the new theatre being erected there by William Smalley. Mrs. Tony Veiller, wife of the manager of the Alark Ritz, re turned on Saturday from I'alm Beach. Howard \jx>wy, who was formerly conneclerl with the Timesnioii slaflf, lias now been made assistant manager of the Clinton S(|iuire theatre in .Albany. Aiuly .Smith, eastern district manager for F'irst National, was in .Alltany ff»r a day or two last week and was entcrtaitu-d at rlinncr one night by C. H. Buckley, owner of the Ixdand and the Clinton .Square theatres. Walter Roberts, manager of the Troy theatre, is busy these days in paving the way in the contest that will decide the most beautiful blonde in the Collar City. Cliarles .Smakwitz, manager of the Albany theatre, might be said to have made his screen delnrt last week, when his smiling countenance was seen in connection with the winner of the Mark Strand contest. Mr. and Mrs. Alec Sayles, the former being manager f>f the Leland theatre, sailed from New York city on Monday for Havana, where he will spend two weeks. In his absence, John Garry, manager of the Clinton Square theatre, will look after the Leland. Dick Hayes, booker at the Paramount exchange, blf)ssomed forth this week with a Buick coupe. It is expected that Mr. Hayes will shortly represent his company on the road. Charlie Stombaugh, of New York, who recently assumed the management of the Pathe exchange in .Albany, is so busy these days that he finds no time, he admits, to write to his friends. Between holding sales meetings and screenings, and jumping over the territory, Mr. Stombaugh is an extremely busy indi\ idual. Detroit GEORGE W. SAMPSON, one of the organizers of the Robertson Theatrical Enterprises, also general manager of the Cinderella, Roosevelt and DeLuxe theatres, Detroit, has resigned. He is leaving sooo to take over the office management of Coluniibia Pictures exchange in Omaha, Nebraska. For several years George was city salesman and branch manager of the Pathe exchange in Detroit. Business in the Michigan territory has grown so rapidly during the past few years that George Carr. Heywood Wakefield manager, has decided to enlarge his office bv taking aditional space in the new film building. After an association of many years with the local branch of Standard Film Service, Herbert Ives has tendered his resignation. He plans to go into business for himself, starting with several pictures for Michigan exhibitors. W' . O. Rippey, proprietor of the Lakeside House, a resort hotel at Crystal, Mich., recently purchased the Strnbel, also known as the Coninuuiity theatre, at Ithaca, and will operate it in connection with that resort. The .American Booking Corporation has surrendered its lease in the film building and quit business. The enterprise was operated by MinterI'nited, distributors of state right films. Jimmie Minter hereafter will devote his entire time to the Ritz theatre, Flint, Mich., on which he has a long lease. George Barron has been appointed publicity director for the United .Artists theatre, succeeding Leon Friedman, and Cy Carpenter tendered his resignation as house manager last week. It is rumored that W. S. Butterfield will erect a new house in Jackson this year, in addition to the Regent theatre, which he al ready operates there. No details of the new house have been announced other than it is included in a $4,000,000 building program by the Butterfield interests. Definite announcement, however, has been given to the effect that Colonel Butterfield intends to open a new theatre in Petoskey, Mich., which will seat around 1200. Work on the latter will begin this spring. The §35,000 electric sign on the United .Artists theatre building caught fire last week and burned for more than an hour before it was extinguished with chemicals. The blaze started because of a short circuit, and W. H. Rudolp'i, district manager of U-.A. said he believed the sign would have to be taken down for repairs. The whole structure was of steel, sheet iron and glass. Short circuits in the wiring destroyed most of the insulation. When news reached the Butter field office in Detroit of the death of Mrs. Charles S. Mott, daughter of Col. W. S. Butterfield. a cablegram was immediately dispatched to him at Naples, Italy. .Although not able to reach Flint, Mich., in time for the burial, the family has already sailed for home. About 300 persons attended the funeral, including relatives and personal friends from several Michigan cities. In accordance with the wishes of Mr. Mott, the services were marked by brevity and simplicity. Flint theatres were closed until after the funeral. George W. Trendle, general manager of the Kunsky Theatres Corp., has returned after spending a month in Florida. Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Kleist, Jr., formerly exhibitors in Pontiac, Mich., have disposed of their interests to the Butterfield circuit and are vacationing in Florida.