Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1936)

July 18, 1936 MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE 83 St. Louis First-Runs Divided Into Two Distinct Districts Leading Theatres Are Found in Downtown and Uptown Business Areas by DAVID F. BARRETT from St. Louis St. Louis, a metropolis that was built without either a boom or a boomerang, was making motion pictures when Hollywood was a vacant lot, and collectively knows more about good motion picture entertainment than any community of a million souls anywhere in the world. Perhaps that sounds like an extravagant statement, but as your good friend Al Smith would say : Let's go to the record. And there you will find that from the pioneer days of "King" Baggot down to "The Great Ziegfeld," the current roadshow sensation, there has always been a St. Louisian at the very top of the production heap. Even the Warner Brothers got their start as film manufacturers right here on the shores of the Father of Waters. Harry Warner so testified under oath in the Federal Court here last October. Home of the Municipal Opera It has been said and repeatedly that "St. Louis is a poor show town." But that must be amended slightly. It is a poor show town for poor showmen and poor entertainment. But from the early days back in 1906 when John Kerzin opened his 200-seat World's Dream Theatre at 1314 Market Street up to this very moment, St. Louisians have readily put their cash on the line when really told that the show was good. Prove that — sure. They said "The Great Ziegfeld" in its first week here grossed more real coin of the realm than the same production did in New York City. And further, in its first run, second run and subsequent run houses St. Louis is supporting almost twice as many seats per 1,000 population as such hot show towns as New York, Chicago, et al. A poor show town! Where in the world can you match the continued success for a period of 16 years through storm and depression the financial showing of the St. Louis Municipal Opera. And they give away 3,000 free seats each and every night of their 12 weeks run. And who can say that the brothers Skouras were not a success? What town can trot out a combination to beat Spyros, Charles and George Skouras and Reeves Espy at their best? They set a pace for real showmanship among motion picture exhibitors that has made it extremely tough for all that have followed them here. Once more, we must prove our thesis. And can we ? Certainly ! The Better Films Council of Greater St. Louis is the model for the world. A pioneer in community cooperations for the betterment of an industry that actually saved it from pernicious busybodies in Washington and elsewhere who would have destroyed the body to remove a wart. Thanks to the foresight of Fred Wehrenberg, President of the Mo Having put in a very pleasant year exploiting pictures in and about St. Louis, your Chairman is more than willing to agree with correspondent Barrett that the Missouri metropolis is indeed a good showtown. What makes it so is set forth in this article which continues the Showman's Travelogue series now current in this department. —A-MIKE VOGEL tion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, and other officials of that organization, the local motion picture men were quick to realize that the helpful assistance of several hundred thousand women was better than their antagonism. The result was the Family Night that lifted some of the local neighborhood houses out of the red. St. Louis, the Rome of the West, has been charitable in its views of the motion picture industry. The dominant religion among the white population is Catholic. But there is also a very large percentage of Lutherans, Baptists, Christians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Jews residing here. And in no large community will you find the real understanding and friendliness among the various creeds as here. The Better Films Council is a cross-cut of the broad gauged women of all religions. St. Louis is situated on the left bank of the Mississippi River, just a few miles below the junction of that mighty stream with the Missouri River. It extends some twenty miles along the river and some ten miles back from the stream. It is the dominant trading center for a billion dollar area that one of the local papers has styled the Forty-ninth State. In the city proper there are almost one million men, women and children and they are surrounded by almost two million others who reside in the nearby towns of St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri and St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties in Illinois. Natural Born American Dominates Founded by the French, St. Louis at various times has been under the rule of three countries — France, Spain and the United States. One of the historic incidents is that we were under three flags the same day — when the concluding steps were taken in connection with the Louisiana Purchase — the world's greatest real estate deal. Originally French, the present population is dominantly native born American — mostly of German, Irish, French, Italian and ScotchIrish extraction. About 10 per cent of the population in the city proper is negro. Several great bridges span the Mighty Mississippi River, making St. Louis of easy access to Illinois and other states to the east. Dozens of national highways converge here and the world's famous Shaw's Garden and the matchless St. Louis Zoo attracts millions of visitors annually. The Zoo grounds in Forest Park is the meeting place of America. One day last Summer I counted automobiles from forty states on the roads adjacent to the Zoo. And many of these visitors also find time to visit our motion picture theatres. Uptown and Downtown First-Runs St. Louis has the best surface street car system in the country — if not the world. The St. Louis Public Service Company gave the country its first co-ordinated street car and bus service in a large metropolitan area. The town is also served by many service car lines, operated by individuals but banded together in an association that insists upon each member giving the patrons real transportation. Unlike most large cities, St. Louis has two distinct first run districts. Downtown you will find Loew's, the Ambassador and Orpheum within a few blocks from Seventh to Ninth between Locust Street and Washington Avenue. All are exclusively motion picture houses at present but on occasions the Ambassador uses stage attractions. On the edge of the downtown district on Market street just east of Sixth street you will find the Grand Opera House that depends mostly on vaudeville to pull in the cash customers, but also showing independent pictures first run. It is closed for the Summer. That's the downtown first run layout. Except the American Theatre at Seventh and Market street is used from time from time to time for road show attractions. Then you must jump more than a mile westward to the vicinity of Grand and Washington Boulevard where are collected the St. Louis, Grand Central, Guild Cinema, Missouri, Fox, World, Shubert-Rialto and Empress within a baseball toss of each other. The Fox is operating at present as first run house. The Missouri Theatre has reverted to a second run house because of the inability of the Fanchon & Marco interests to obtain an adequate supply of desirable first run pictures. The St. Louis Shubert-Rialto and Grand Central theatres are dark. The World is also dark. The Empress is a second run house operated by the Ansell interests. Automobile parking is a real problem for the downtown first runs during the day time, but nevertheless the houses get a real play in their matinees. They are conveniently located for the patrons of the bigger department stores and office buildings and the bargain prices that prevail prior to 6 P. M. catch many customers. The Ambassador's price scale is 25, 35 and 50 cents, the Grand Opera House charges 15, 25 and 35 and the Loew's and Orpheum scales are 25, 35 and (Continued on following paqe)