Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1934)

day, March 9, 1934 MOTION PICTURE DAILY s°" a« Who? What? When? Salt Lake City, March 8. — Thom . J. Walsh, representing affiliated tional distributors on the Salt Lake ty grievance board, launched his as.-i'ation with RKO on April 15, 1928. a salesman here and. tor some time, ncentrated on Montana accounts. On ?c. 16, 1929. he was appointed local anch manager, his current post. Irving Schlank, representing uniliated distributors on grievances, oke into the business in Minneapolis 1915. He has been manager for BO in Omaha and for Universal in utte and Portland. Ore. Schlank ned United Artists on Dec. 22. 1930. id has managed branches for that mpany in Seattle and now Salt *ke. Harry David, representing affiliated ihibitors on grievances, is a natural >rn showman anyway you look at it, iving several uncles and cousins in e business. He first started his theaical experience in 1906. selling tickis in the box-office of a legitimate icatre. where he continued as theatre easurer until the advent of motion ctures in 1909. At that time, he beime manager of the Portola. prob)!y the first picture house in San rancisco, where he gained much iluable experience in the rapidly rowing industry. In 1916 was comleted what was probably the finest leatre in the world at that time for ic exhibition of motion pictures. — le California in San Francisco. Leavig the Portola, David became head f the publicity department of the alifornia and later assumed its mancement. With the expansion of the othchild interests, he was given the rection of the four theatres they ontrolled. For four years following lis association, he had charge of the lission. Los Angeles, which was the test house to inaugurate the policy of aowing exclusive, long run pictures. higher admission prices. It was !hile David was manager there that Fourteenth instalment in a biographical series on the men zvho make up the code boards. he first introduced what he claims is i now known as a Hollywood premiere. Leaving exhibition, David became distribution head for the Mack Sennett Film Corp., with offices in New York, having in charge distribution of Sennett comedies throughout the United States. He first became associated with Publix in 1925 as division manager of the Publix-Blank circuit, controlling theatres in Iowa and Nebraska, from which, in 1929, he was transferred to Salt Lake, as division manager for the Publix-Marcus theatres in Utah and Idaho, which post he retains at the present time. C. E. Huish, representing unaffiliated exhibitors on grievances, runs the Star in Eureka and is president of the Intermountain Theatres Ass'n.. an organization not affiliated either with M.P.T.O.A. or Allied. His house seats 400. Charles L. Walker, representing affiliated national distributors on clearance and zoning, has been in the employ of Fox at Salt Lake City since Oct. 23, 1917. He started as shipping inspector. Two years later he was given a bookership. On April 24. 1920, he became a salesman and five years later combined the bookership with the assistant branch managership and citysalesmanship. He was one of the five salesmen who won promotions in a sales contest conducted during the 1926-27 season and on April 23. 1927. was made exchange manager. Jack Rue, representing unaffiliated distributors on clearance and zoning, was born on Dec. 27. 1892. and educated at grade and high schools in Brownsville. Pa. From 1918 to 1921. he worked for Supreme Film ; from 1921 to 1923 for Universal ; from 1923 Who Either Is Milwaukee, March 8.— Pierce H. Bitker, impartial member on the local grievance board, is vice-president of the Bitker-Gerner Co., women's ready-to-wear firm and a well-known local business man. He is not secretary of the Association of Commerce as stated by Code Authority, but was recommended by that group as an acceptable member. Bitker, however, holds no official post with the body although he has served on various of its committees. to 1931 for Pathe; from July to November of the latter year for M-G-M. He rejoined Universal on March 11, 1932, and currently is manager for that company here. Louis Marcus, representing affiliated first runs on clearance and zoning, is Paramount operating partner in this territory and is mayor of Salt Lake City. He built up his own independent circuit throughout Utah and Idaho and sold it to Publix about 1928. Thereafter, Marcus was inactive in exhibition up to a year ago when, following the Paramount bankruptcy, he entered into a deal with the Paramount trustees to again take over operation of his former houses on a partnership basis. His picture career dates back to a mere incident when, dissatisfied with, but seeking, occupation as a machinist he "happened" to meet the first motion picture operator in Salt Lake, Max Florence, who stopped him asking if he knew anything about operating a machine. The only thing Marcus knew about the stage was an attempt, in 1906, which ended in failure, at minstrels, when he and his brother made a venture and their act was preceded by one staged by Jesse Lasky which, he states, not only obscured but obliterated the "Marcus Minstrels." Therefore, with more daring than skill, Marcus, sensing his chance for an occupation more to his liking, started as the technician, his first picture being "The Passion Play." Circumstances made the position of Marcus firm, if delicate, for there were no other operators available in this section. He later became distributor of films in the intermountain states for Famous Players Lasky with Lasky at the head, Marcus being the original Franchise holder when they started business in Salt Lake. He has been in the business almost continuously since that time. His houses include the Paramount (1,240 seats) in Provo; Capitol (2,400), Paramount (1,400) and Victory (1,236) in Salt Lake; Idaho (540) and Orpheum (798) in Twin Falls, Idaho. B. F. Thatcher, representing unaffiliated first runs on clearance and zoning, operates the 1,500 seat Capitol and the 700 seat Lyric in Logan. He is a member of the Intermountain Theatres Ass'n. Joseph Lawrence, representing unaffiliated subsequent runs on clearance and zoning, runs two theatres in Salt Lake. One is the Rialto (900 seats) and the other the States (675). He, too, is a member of Intermountain Theatres Ass'n. John Gillette, second exhibitor representing unaffiliated subsequent runs on clearance and zoning, runs the Strand (500 seats) and the Ritz (250 seats) in Tooele. Like other exhibitors on the Salt Lake boards, he is enrolled on the roster of Intermountain Theatres Ass'n. Cincinnati Cincinnati. March 8. — The big jgh last week around the gaming ,oles was sprung just prior to arrival members of the "Moulin Rouge" ravan, who became guests of the ib. When it was announced a rty would be given for the travelers. : members were told it would be a rht for making merry. Shortly be■e the festivities started, several j'kers inquired which "Mary" they re supposed to "make." Two new barkers are enrolled in local membership. They are .eddie Miller, lightweight boxing unpion, and Maz Katz. fight inioter. The farewell testimonial dinner for .L Gehring was postponed, in Jer not to conflict with the party ^the Detroit Club, also set for Satlay night. i \llan (Columbia) Moritz. presig it of the local club, headed the Cinnati delegation in its trek to the troit shindig. 3apt. John D. Craig, explorer 1 underseas adventurer, gave the mbers a graphic description of his ny experiences. He was here to ure on his picture, "Sea Killers." vre Lipp, treasurer extraordinary a narrow escape from serious iny. if not death, when the door of automobile came open while he • leaning against it. All members of the Cincinnati grievance and clearance and zoning boards are members of the Variety Club, either here or in Columbus. Ralph Kinsler is the new chairman of the house committee. He replaced Moritz. who recently began narking his anatomy in the president's chair. Barkers are extending their symnathies to Nelson Trowbridge, resident manager of the local Shubert, whose brother passed awav in Knoxville. L. B. Wilson is enjoying the warm sunshine in Florida, while his brother barkers up here are fighting zero weather. Morris Segal is looking 'em over along the main stem in New York. Cleveland Cleveland. March 8. — More than 130 turned out for the first "King for a Day" luncheon. Nat Holt and Fred Meier were the first "kings." Their show included the entire "New Yorkers" cast headed bv George Givot, and augmented bv a chorus of 24. Norman Frescott acted as master of ceremonies. Joe Conduixa and his Avalon Club Orchestra provided the music, and Irene Duval, stepped in from the Mayfair Club long enough to sing a trio of her intimate songs. Barker Ed Bang, sports editor of the Xetcs, celebrated his birthday, by entertaining almost two score of guests at the club. Among the celebrities at the Bang table were Judges Silbert. Baer and Skeel. former Mayor Ray' T. Miller, U. S. District Attorney Freed and State Senator Mosier. Howard Ducan. Hotel Statler manager, has given such wholehearted co-operation to Chairman Addte Addison's house committee that the board of trustees elected him an associate member. George Stevens. Cameo theatre manager, is painting oils of John Harris and the 11 organizers of the club to hang in the clubrooms. Barker John Hemmelein of Paramount won the door prize at the first "King for a Day" luncheon. It consisted of four bottles of imported liquors donated by Monaco's. But since John had just stepped on the water-wagon, he gave all four to friends — presumably to exhibitors who might be in the market for Paramount product. Barker A. Addison is burning because a defect in a photographer's plate made him appear in a picture as having a black eye. George Givot and Norman Frescott, w-ho appeared at the Palace in the "New Yorkers," were partied at the club by Barkers Holt and Meier. It was a reciprocal gesture for their good work toward making the first "King for a Day" luncheon a success. Kansas City Kansas City. March 8. — With formal organization of a V ariety Club here, Kansas City becomes the western outpost of the fraternity of good fellowship. Consensus is the club is in expert hands and that the selection of officers could not have been improved upon. Chief Barker Frank Hensler has distinguished himself as promoter of industry, social and benevolent activities, and his election by a large majority is due mainly to that consideration. Also to the fact that he is an able citizen and a "regular." The membership acclaims the efforts of Wagon Man Charles Shafer and First Assistant Chief Barker Arthur Cole, who were (Continued on parte 8) 1