Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Who? What? When? 6 Dallas (Continued from page 1) first picture show, according to known records, in Ardmore, Okla., operating there until 1912 when he joined Mutual as a salesman. He hit the road for a couple of months and then found a job as manager in the same company awaiting him. Continuing there until 1914, Bickell's biography shows he gave it up to go to California with Al Jennings in connection with the latter's production, "Beating Back." Upon its completion, Bickell exploited the picture and also sold it on a state rights basis. In 1915, he returned to Dallas as manager of the Paramount office, then joined Universal, then dipped into exhibition again with purchase of the Rex at Waco which he operated until February, 1917, when he became associated with E. H. Hulsey, whom old-timers will recall in connection with stirring film days in the Southwest. Hulsey, at the time, had just purchased the Metro franchise for the territory. On March 27, 1930, Bickell became branch manager for Metro which had since acquired the "G" and the "M" and here he has been ever since. Claude Ezell, representing unaffiliated distributors on grievances, dates back his film experience over the trail to 1906 and the Bass Film Co. of New Orleans. He spent many years in the employ of General Film where his posts included branch managerships as well as a division managership in charge of the South, which was more or less as it should have been, for Ezell was born in Mexia, Texas, on July 9, 1882. Followed an executive sales post with Select and then an affiliation of some years with Warners during which he was southern as well as western sales manager. In December, 1928, he was made general sales manager by Sam E. Morris, now in charge of Warner foreign sales, but then in charge of the domestic and Canadian sales machine. Ezell quit Warners on Nov. 13, 1931, to return to his native clime as an exhibitor and a distributor. Currently he is in partnership with William Underwood with whom he operates the Independent Film Distributors, Inc., in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and handles Monogram product. His theatre affiliations include the Duel Amusement Co., Community Theatre, Inc., and Palace Theatre Co., all of San Antonio ; and the Oklahoma Enterprises, Inc., and Chickasha Amusement Co. of Oklahoma. Karl Hoblitzelle, representing affiliated exhibitors on grievances, is the founder and owner of the Interstate Circuit of Texas, comprising about 40 theatres, and is the operator of approximately 30 other houses owned by Southern Enterprises of Texas, a Paramount subsidiary. This circuit operates in Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Galveston, Houston and San Antonio. Hoblitzelle is a member of the Paramount national theatre advisory committee. His Interstate Circuit was developed over a period of years, beginning about 1916. In 1929 he sold out to RKO, which subsequently turned the houses over to the Hughes-Franklin Circuit. When the latter organization broke up, RKO repossessed the properties and in late 1932 returned them to Hoblitzelle. In 1933, with the receivership of Southern Enterprises of Texas, Hoblitzelle closed a deal with the receivers for the operation of the properties, which include the former Dent and Pascall circuits. Easily, one of the best known theatremen in the Southwest. Roy L. Walker, representing unaffiliated exhibitors on grievances, is a former Federal judge of the circuit court, but now an exhibitor and president of the Theatre Owners' Protective Ass'n. of Texas, an affiliate of the national M.P.T.O.A. His association was organized to offset activities in this sector of Colonel H. A. Cole, president of Allied Theatres of Texas, and a bulwark in the national Allied States Ass'n. Walker today practices law in his home city, Lampasas where he owns the 585-seat Le Roy and is believed to hold an interest with Messrs. Cluck and Baker in the 469seat Beltonian at Belton and the 450seat Palace in Brady, Tex. Claire E. Hilgers, representing affiliated national distributors on clearance and zoning, had a long experience as a film salesman before joining Fox, his various posts including Preferred Pictures, which Al Lichtman, B. P. Schulberg and J. G. Bachmann once headed on their own ; RobertsonCole, the forerunner of FBO and RKO; Metro and Paramount. He resigned from the latter company on Jan. 1, 1922, to become a salesman for Fox out of Dallas. On Jan. 9, 1928, after having filled sales and managerial jobs again for Metro and Paramount in the intervening period, Hilgers again returned to the Fox fold to become manager in Kansas City. His record reveals he developed that office from one of the tail-enders in the national setup to one of the first ten in the country. On Nov. 11, 1929, he was transferred to Dallas and has remained here as manager since. Edwin Stanhope Olsmith, representing unaffiliated distributors on clearance and zoning, was born in Paris, Tex., on Dec. 22, 1888. His education includes one year at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. His film experience includes posts with Pathe, P.D.C., Tiffany and Glen W. Dickinson Theatres, Inc., which operate in Kansas and Missouri. Olsmith joined Universal on May 9. 1932, and currently is manager of its local exchange. R. J. O'Donnell, representing affiliated first-runs on clearance and zoning, is an operating associate of Karl Hoblitzelle in Interstate Circuit of Texas and Paramount's Southern Enterprises of Texas, comprising Paramount's southwest division theatres. He was operating chief for Hoblitzelle in Interstate for many years and was in charge of its vaudeville and stage presentation interests. He became associated with Publix in 1929 when RKO took over Interstate from Hoblitzelle and worked out of the Publix home office in New York for a time. In 1930 he was made division manager of Saenger Theatres by Publix and later was assistant to William Saal at Dallas in the operation of Publix southwest theatres. Thereafter, he became Publix division director in charge of both Saenger and southwest theatres. With the decentralization of Publix and culmination of the operating deal between Hoblitzelle and receivers for Paramount southwest theatres, 0'Donii.ell again became an operating associate of Hoblitzelle. Harold Robb, representing unaffiliated first-runs on clearance and zoning, is head of the Robb & Rowley Circuit which operates an independent circuit of about 16 theatres in Texas, two theatres at Little Rock, Ark., and a string in Oklahoma. The circuit's headquarters are in Dallas. Robb and Rowley houses in Texas include these: the Ritz (800 seatsL, and Queen (500) in Big Springs : Ritz (2,326), Palace (1,250), Melba (1,000), Rio (400) and Agnes (748) in Corpus Christi; the Texas (1,600), Mirror (920), Rosewin (600) and Midway (600) in Dallas; Princess (600) and Strand (400) in Del Rio; Royal (1,009), Strand (930) and Rialto (504) in Laredo; the Texas f 1,000) and Ritz (750) in Palestine; the Texas (1,700), Ritz (800), Royal (800), Lyric (700) and Angelo (425) in San Angelo; the Texas (900) and Washington (472) in Sherman; Palace (650) and Ritz (400) in Sweetwater; Palace (500) and Best (35) in Hillsboro and Dixie (600) and Empire (300) in Waxahachie. Oklahoma holdings embrace the Liberty (700 seats) in Durant ; the Okla (750) and Mecca (450) in McAllister; and Ritz (1,480), Broadway (900), Grand (423) and Yale (38) in Muskogee. Robb and his partner, Ed Rowley, have been theatre operators on these plains for many years. Both of them are very well known to the New Yorkexecutive fraternity. Robb and Rowley are members of the Theatre Owners' Protective Ass'n. of Texas. Paul Scott, representing unaffiliated subsequent runs on clearance and zoning, is a Dallas man. He is the owner of the Varsity, capacity 905, and was once a strong adherent of Allied of Texas. It is understood here he has come to the parting of the ways, however, with Colonel Cole. L. C. Tidball, second exhibitor representing subsequent unaffiliated runs on clearance and zoning, is the owner of the Isis (400 seats) and Rose (452) in Fort Worth where he makes his home. His exhibitor political affiliation is reported to have veered from Cole of Allied to Walker of M.P.T.O.A. Indianapolis (Continued from fane 1) filiated distributors on grievances, was born on Dec. 26, 1884, in Stewardson, 111. Father, American. Mother, Swedish. Three years of his educative period were spent in a study of electrical engineering. He broke into the film business with First National and P.D.C. and joined Universal on Dec. 15. 1930. Currently, Brown is branch manager for that company in this city which is the scene of most of his celluloid experience. I. M. ("Izzy") Halperin, representing affiliated exhibitors on grievances, is managing director of the Indiana for Monarch Theatres, an unaffiliated circuit established a year ago by Milton Feld and David J. Chatkin, former Publix executives. Halperin is a cousin of Sam Katz, former head of Publix, now inactive although reputed to be financially interested in Monarch. Halperin was a Publix executive for about eight Friday, February 23, I9J years, having been associated vjl" B. & K., Chicago, then going to &| home office as assistant to Jack Pari ington, head of the Publix stage pr.j duction department; later heading tl, department himself. Subsequently f was made division theatre managi at Detroit, a post he held until h resignation in 1932. He became a sociated with Monarch at its inceptic a few months later. There is son confusion locally over his appoin ment as representative of affiliated e: hibitors, since Monarch Theatres, far as is known, has no producer > distributor-ownership hook-up. Charles Olsen, representing ui affiliated exhibitors on grievances, the operator of the 2,000-seat Lyr which he originally built and least for seven years to Fred Dolle • Louisville. Olsen has had the hou back for about six months and is np operating himself. George Landis, representing a' filiated national distributors on clea ance and zoning, has been a Fox ma here since 1923. He got going wi the company locally as a salesm; and was made manager in 1923. Tv| years later, a shift returned him to salesman's job here. Again in 192 Landis was given the office and hi been manager from that day to this. Marty Solomon, representing ui affiliated distributors on clearance ai zoning, is a New Yorker now resi ing in Hoosier land as local manag* for Columbia. He joined the compai on Nov. 8, 1930, was given Indianpolis and has stuck to it since tl; appointment was handed out. Jack Flex, representing affiliati first-runs on clearance and zoning, the manager of Loew's Palace, a c \ 000-seat dreadnaught, and has be< since 1928. Before that, he was assis ant manager in Loew houses in Was! ington. Age, about 33. Kenneth Collins, representing u affiliated first-runs on clearance ar zoning, manages the Apollo, operat< by Fred Dolle of Louisville and L dianapolis, first-run outlet for Fc product under long-term franchis Collins has held this post for tl last seven years. Manny Marcus, representing ui affiliated subsequent runs on clearani and zoning, headquarters in Fo Wayne. He is the operator of tl 1 Alamo (500 seats) and Cozy (300 grind houses in Indianapolis, and first-run in Fort Wayne. A. C. Zaring, second exhibit< representing unaffiliated subseque runs on clearance and zoning, is i old-time Indianapolis showman, da ing back to 1914. His interest cu 1 rently is centered in the Egyptian, 1,077-seat theatre. St. Louis St. Louis, Feb. 22— B. B. Reii gold, representing affiliated nation distributors on the St. Louis grie ance board, is local branch manag for Fox. Before joining the compar almost 10 years ago, he was manag' in Chicago for the old Goldwyn con pany, prior to its purchase by Mara Loew. He remained there one ye; and, at the time of the consolidatk with Metro, was transferred to Cii cinnati. Prior to his managership fi Goldwyn in Windy City, he was a (Continued on page 8)