Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

Ma I !> 2 H 1045 New York & New Jersey AI.()N(; hxikc'd for let up on coiistniction of new tiieatri's in tlu' Metropolitan district sccins to liavc at last arrived and comment in j;cn<.'ral on this matter seems to be one of intense satisfaction, interspersed with remarks tiiat the brakes should have l)cen put on at least a year a,q:o. At any rate, accordinj? to reports from several salesmen covering; difTerent zones in this section, theatre building" has let down to one quarter of what it was a year ago. There may be a few exceptions to the above rule — for instance, certain sections of Brookl\'n, such as the downtown shopping district where competition will shortly bring about a matter of some twenty thousand seats, all within a few blocks. This sounds like plenty for one Brooklyn district and it may be that some one will get in a jam iK'fore it's all over. On the whole, however, Brooklyn is said to have made an appreciable gain in theatres during the last few years, today having a larger number than any of the boroughs. This has been a natural growth, apparently keeping in pace with the large increase in population. Strange things soinetimes happen to those engaged in the various branches of this business : Last Sunday morning around 6 A. M., when most everyone connected with the film industry is taking a snooze, except those boys engaged in delivering their early morning pick-up of film to exchanges, a stranger attempted to engage a Prudential l'"ilm Distributing driver in an altercaticHi in front of the Fox exchange on 44th Street, New York City. He later followed Frank Bernie, the driver, to the curb in front of the Paramount exchange a little further up the strecl and, while liernie was busily eng;iged willi llu' task of pushing a film laden truck through the doors of the building, jumped into the driver's seat and sped away with a truck load consisting of about forty pieces of celluloid dr.ama. Bernie turned in the alarm at the 47th street police station and assisted by other memlKTs of the fdni attempted to trail the truck kidnapper. The latter was finally apprehended In some of the ixilice force in the neighborhcKKl of 67th Street and was later released under a bail of $10,000 with a hearing set for 1-Viday, March 30th. I'^our to five pieces of fdm were missing, due to the tail board of the truck jarring open. At the present time no real motive can be attached to the man's actions in attem))ting to abscond with the truck. It is said that he a|)pcared to he under the influence of intoxicants. Al Fricdlander has added to his motion picture theatre holdings by the acquisition of the Holh'wood theatre, 78th Street and New Utrecht A\enue, Brooklyn M. R. Schecter was the former owner. Mr. Friedlander also operates the Garden theatre, 46th Street and New Utrecht Avenue and has an interest in the Crystal theatre, Boro Hall, Brooklyn. The Elton theatre, a house long disposed to having its ups and downs in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, is again reported closed following the termination of a program of English and Jewish vaudeville inaugurated by Messrs. Linder and Thomeshefsky. It is said that showings will be discontinued at this house for a pericxi of two weeks pending certain adjustments and that at the present time there arc no difinile plans for a r<<ipcniiig._ Coleman Bros, have reopened their Webster theatre, l(i7lh Street and Webster Avenue, \'ew York City. In addition to his duties at tlu; Newkirk theatre, Newkirk Avenue, l?rooklyn, a house recently taken over by il. Tamler, J. fireene has been i)laced in charge of the Tiffany theatre, Cliestnut Street, Brooklyn, (ireene succeeds Louis Barbash at the Tiffany. Eddie Smith, for some time booker for Seidcr and Molcy's picture theatre presentations, has resigned his position to become associated with Schnuikler's State theatre, a new house at Ozone Park. The State is said to be one of the finest exanqjles of the modern neighborhood theatre in this zone. .Smith's genial jjcrsonality should win him steady advancement in his new venture and all his friends extend their congratulations. Bill Price has recently connected with the Tivoli theatre, Adams Street, Brooklyn. Sam Baker will open Hicksville for the Playhouse Operating Company with a thousand seat house some time during May. Herman Weingarten, the original owner of the Roosevelt theatre. Flushing, is again in charge of this house. Dave Solomon, of National Theatre Supply Company, slipi)ed on the steps of his home recently and suffered a painful injury to his arm. As the result of the accident Dave has been on the sick list for several days. The Garden Theatre, Princeton. N. J., will be closed the early part of April and will be entirely remodeled into a 1,000 seat house. A new stage and all mtxlern equipment will be installed. 'I'lie tiardcn seal, 400 at the jirescnt time. National 'J'heatrc .Supply made a fast installmcTit of new ef|iiipmcnt recently when a fire in the prr>jcction room of the Canyon theatre cm the lf>wer ICast Side severely damagerl the hrx>th apparatus. 'J'be fire occurred .Sunrlay night and the theatre was operating at its usual time the following day. The I'Veeport theatre, Freeport, L. I., now under control of the A. H. .Schwartz circuit of Brrx^klyn, has been cfrmpletely renovated and will reopen atK>ut April 7th. Keith's new Putnam theatre, Kichmond Hill, is fast nearing completion and is ex|)ected to be ready for o])ening about the first of July. This house will accommodate about 2,000 and will present the usual Keith program of vaudeville and pictures. Keith-Albee is also building a 3,000 seat theatre in Flushing, L. I. Loew's new house under construction in Jamaica is also going along nicely at present and will probablv have its opening in the Fall of 1928. Joe Hornstein, of National Theatre Supply Company, will spend Easter with his family in Atlantic City. The Bogota theatre, Bogota, N. J., has been leased by Frank Gersten and will open the early part of April. Bratter and Pollak's new Nyack house is scheduled for an April 22nd opening. This theatre seats about 1,500. Another house that will be opened in the near future is Thornton Kelley's new 1,400 seat theatre at Westwood, N. J. It is thought that Decoration Dav will be the date. Kansas City SEVERAL new theatres, changes in management and improvements were announced in the Kansas City territory last week. A new theatre, seating 1,250 persons, is being planned in St. Joseph, Mo., by the Sun Amusement Company, of which Ed Peskay is president. Plans have been drawn by Edwin Kratz, Kansas City architect. Joplin, Mo., is to have a new $700,000 hotel and theatre building of Spanish design, concrete and steel construction, it was announced by the Joplin Building Company. L. P. Larson, president of Chicago, president of United Studios, Inc., also is president of the Joplin concern and Hadly Tatum, of Joplin, is secretary-treasurer. Jack Quinlan, formerly manager of the Pantages Theatre, Kansas City, has been appointed manager of the Loew's State Theatre, Houston, ii ex. R. A. Bursley, who formerly managed the Gillham Theatre, Kansas City, has been made manager of the Beyer Theatre, Excelsior Springs, Mo. Bill Jacobs, formerly manager of the Royal Theatre, Kansas City, and who has been managing the Denver Theatre, Denver, Colo., has returned to Kansas City, having resigned his Denver position. The Pottorf building, Nevada, Mo., has been leased by C. S. Biles, of Kansas City, and will be remodeled into a motion picture theatre. Leo H. Alullinex and Carl Zeigler have purchased the Princess Theatre, Quincy, Mo. H. A. Jones, formerly of Universal, has assumed his new duties as manager of the Orpheum Theatre, Parsons, Kans. George Havob held a formal opening of his new Mary Lou Iheatre in Marstiall, Mo., last week. Air. and Airs. Alorton Griggs have sold their Globe Theatre to Edward Rowland of Texhoma, Okla. The Opera House, Cuba, Kans., ow^ned by the Bohemian Lodge, which was destroyed by fire last week, will be rebuilt. Lewis \^aughn has succeeded J. A. Jefferies, who has been transferred to Independence, AIo., as manager of the Booth and Beldorf Theatres, Independence, Kans. The Alidland Theatre Circuit, Kansas City, will remodel the Star Theatre, Nevada, AIo. It's supposed to be a grudge match, that .golf tilt between Tom Baldwin, Tiffany booker at Kansas City, and Lester Levy, Paramount poster clerk, Kansas City, with a side bet of $2, the match to be played over the St. Andrews course, Kansas City, in the near future. The Kansas City Film Board of Trade golf tournament is nearing definite arrangements. With balmv ozone everywhere about, members of the board expect to meet soon for the purpose of setting a date and selecting a course over which the tournament will be played. Alore than 40,000 school students of Kansas City have seen the film. "Top o' the \\'orld," an Alaskan educational picture sponsored and being shown by the Kansas City Star, a daily newspaper, in the last seven weeks, it was announced this week. The picture is shown free, but there is no opposition from theatre owners, who welcome the move as a means of further stimulating interest in motion pictures. W. C. Denny, district manager for the National Theatre Supply Company, was a Kansas City visitor last week. Stanley Schwann, formerly with the P. D. C. branch in Kansas City, has joined the Paramount sales staff and is covering Northeastern Kansas.