Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1927)

December 16, 19 27 Cleveland AT BARACH, division manager in this territory for Warner Brothers for the past two years, has resigned. Barach's resignation, to become effective this month, is due to poor health. For the past three weeks he has been ill, and has been advised by his doctors to take a long rest in a milder climate. So he and the femilv will mgirate to Florida as soon as possible. Max Milder is now in Cleveland and will take over the management of this division for Warner Brothers. Under a new sales policy, three sales managers will supervise sales in the whole country, thus abandoning the position of regional division manager. Milder will handle the central states, including Ohio. Max Milder is not a stranger in Cleveland. Mainyears ago he was located here as manager of the old General Film exchange. It is hard to record sorrow in this season of general rejoicing, but friends of Roy Smith, manager of the Palace theatre, Huntington, West Virginia, paused in their tasks last week to extend their sympathy in the recent loss of his 14 year old boy. LeRoy, Jr., hurt his knee playing football. Peritonitis set in and the boy could not be saved. Roy Smith is a brother of Lemotte Smith, of the Smith Amusement Company, operating picture houses in Alliance, Warren and Huntington, W. Va. Nat Charnas is back in Toledo after a two weeks' wedding trip through the east. Now Nat can settle down to the task of supervising the new 2,000 seat picture house and office building that he, Feigley and Sourbier have broken ground for. The office and service departments of the Standard Film Service Company in Detroit are now all under one roof. The poster and shipping departments were moved last week from the old Joseph Mack building to the new Film Exchange building. where the company has its Detroit office. Lowell Cash, who has been out of the picture business lor the past few months, has returned to the fold again, this time as manager of the Union Square theatre, one of the houses belonging to the Universal-Variety chain. Charles Winer, division manager in these parts for Tiffany-Slahl, will temporarily take charge of the company's Cincinnati office. H. II. Hern, who was manager of the Cincinnati Tiffany exchange, has been transferred to Indianapolis. His successor in Cincinnati will not be apixiinted until after the first of the year. In the meantime, Wciner will give the exchange his personal attention. It is understood that Carl Fish, one-time owner of the Alhambra theatre, Akron, is again operating the house. He sold the theatre to C. W. Rossell and company. It recently went into the hands of a receiver and Fish is running it under the receivership. Schine's new Ohio theatre in Lima, which opened two weeks ago, is playing a combination policy of feature photoplays and Keith vaudeville. Laurence Mellert is managing the Lakewood theatre. He succeeds L. Hofmeistcr, who has been transferred to the Detroit. Both houses belong to the Universal-Variety circuit. Marry L. Cold, assistant sales manager for United Artists, and William Rosenthal, special representative, attended the premiere of "The Gaucho" in New York last week. L. P. Stinchomb, well known Cleveland exhibitor with a long record as owner and manager of the Pearl theatre, has purchased the capitol stock in R. S. Theatre Company, operating the Ridge theatre. One hundred and fifty men of the Southern Railroad men attended the Cameo theatre last week in a group. San Francisco SAM GORDON has started work also on his theatre at Napa, which will be rushed through to completion. R. R. Wolf is now exclusive distributor on the Coast for Arctic Nu-Air products. Wolf has very recently placed a machine in the Strand at Lincoln, the Home Circle Theatre, Taft, and a big blower in the North Burlingame theatre for the Vision Realty Company. A two story class B reinforced concrete theatre and store building will be erected by the North Sacramento Company on Del Paso avenue. There will be two stores on the ground floor, and the theatre will have a seating capacity of 1,000. Beach and Krahn, who operate the Chimes theatre on College avenue in Berkeley, have completely redecorated the theatre throughout and installed a system of dimmers. Max Blumenfeld has let the contract for his new theatre in North Sacramento. Work on this new 1,500 seat addition to his chain will start at once. Starks & Flanders are the architects. Mark Harrison selected the American Studios to put over his miniature de luxe theatre, the Plaza, in San Francisco. In keeping with the distinctive character of the Embassy theatre itself and its distinctive type of entertainment, the American Studios supplied the curtains and draperies for the stage and have won much exceedingly favorable comment. James Beatty of the National Theatres Syndicate selected the scenery drapery and stage equipment for the new National theatre in Marysville. Pescadero High School has installed complete motion picture equipment in its new auditorium. Regular shows will be run for the amusement of the townspeople as there is no local theatre. The Golden State Theatre & Realty Corporation have taken possession of the offices formerly used by West Coast, and T. & D. Jr. have moved up from the sixth floor to a large suite on the east side of the eighth floor of Loew's Warfield building. Royal theatre in Polk street, San Francisco, belonging to the T. & I). Enterprises, is fast Hearing completion. This theatre is being most completely remodeled and remodernized throughout with all new seating. J. A. McEniry, of Fairfield, has taken over the theatre at Suisun that was formerly operated by the Blumenfeld Circuit. He will operate this theatre in connection with his present one in Fairfield. Charles Peterson, who is building a 1,200-seat theatre in the town of San Bruno, has placed orders for projection equipment. Peterson says that he will be ready to open about the first of January. Charles Kurtzman, who has successively been manager of the Imperial. Granada, and Warfield theatres, received a transfer to the head office of West Coast Theatres. Inc., in Los Angeles. Kurtzman joined the Rothschild and Publix theatres about five vears ago. R. E. ("Bob") Power and W B. ("Walter") Armstrong, of the Armstrong Power Studios, were San Francisco visitors recently on their way to Los Angeles, after visiting their several branch offices from the Mid-West to the Northwest. Several new theatre projects are under the A. P. banner for decoration and stage equipment. H. M. Macdonald has opened bis new Home Circle Theatre, at Taft, after spending the summer in his Airdome. This is a brand new theatre with all modern appointments. Macdonald and his partner, Mr. Sandell, have formed the California Theatre Company, which will operate this house. Canada TOM BRADY. Toronto, Canadian representative of Producers Distributing Corporation, is once more out and around after a lengthy stay in hospital as a result of a serious automobile accident. Mr. Brady carries a scar on his face and still sports a limp hut is otherwise thankful. The Tivoli Theatre. Toronto, exclusive downtown moving picture house operated by Famous Players, opened December 3. Manager Thomas Daley, assisted by Luigi Romanelli, musical director, arranged a patriotic program to accompany the war picture. Aid. H. E. Wilton, manager of the Strand Theatre. Hamilton, Ontario, is seeking reelection to the 1928 Hamilton City Council. Wilton's theatre is in his own ward and he knows everybody. They all patronize the Strand, too. Leon Lconidoff. ballet master, and his wife. Florence Rogge. premiere danseuse, renewed acquaintanceships in Toronto when they returned to the Ontario Capital from New York temporarily to supervise a presentation at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. After having been with the Regent. Hip podrome and Uptown Theatres of Toronto for years, tinder the direction of Famous Players, they are now prominently identified with the Roxy Theatre, New York. The new Ford ear saw its introduction in Woodstock, Ontario, on the stage of the Griffin Theatre, arrangements having been made by Manager W. J. Fawcett to have the first of the new models unveiled.