Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

February i o , 1922 707 MEN AND EVENTS IN THE FILM CENTRES With "News" Correspondents ITEMS OF THE EXCHANGES AND THEATRES Cleveland Chatter Fred Desberg, general manager of Loew's Ohio theatres, just returned from a week's visit in New York. Moe Horwitz, president of the Washington circuit of motion picture theatres in Cleveland, got back from his honeymoon trip in the east last Thursday. It was a great home-coming. Ask anyone who can remember what transpired in Moe's office last Thursday!!! " Doc " Horatur, the Toledo, exhibitor magnate, is enjoying the balmv breezes of Florida. A. C. Hoganson, formerly on the local Fox sales staff, has been appointed manager of the Alhambra theatre, Toledo. Eddie Zorn, owner-manager of the Temple, Toledo, has changed his policy from straight pictures to pictures plus a thirty minute tab show of the jazz variety. Zorn says folks are tired of sitting through a straight picture show. Joe Trunk, manager of the Dome theatre, Youngstown, is trying out a new musical policy. This week his orchestra is playing " Three O'Clock In The Morning ", with special lighting effects, while the words of the song are flashed on the screen. The novelty seems to be making a hit. John Harris, Jr., of the Harris Enterprises of Pittsburgh, and himself manager of the Strand, Youngstown, was in town last week. It isn't stated whether it was before the dinner, or after the dinner, with Select Manager Mark Goldman, but be that as it may, it is authoritatively known that Harris signed up for a lot of Select reissues. Scoville Essick and Reif, controlling close to a dozen picture theatres in Cleveland, have booked the Select pictures, " One Week of Love " and " Pawned " for their entire circuit. R. C. Steuve, who, as everybody knows, runs the Orpheum theatre down in Canton, has booked passage for a six months' trip abroad. Steuve sails in April. His son will manage the house in his absence. Jimmy Surrell, well known manager of the American theatre, Elyria, drove up to town to do his week's film shopping last Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Price of the Linwood Square theatre. Norwalk, were among Cleveland's exhibitor guests last week. Among other things, the Prices signed up for a baker's dozen Hodkinson pictures. In Cleveland's Branch-Offices A A. SCHMIDT, general man• ager for Universal, paid Cleveland one of his rare visits last week. Al Kaufman has resigned as exploitation manager of the Cleveland Universal exchange. Kaufman is now putting on a vaudeville act in which motion pictures are made on the stage. Harold Burtch, former manager of the Belvedere theatre, Niagara Falls, has been appointed exploitation expert to succeed Kaufman in the Northern Ohio territory. C. L. Peavey, local Hodkinson manager, has just closed an interesting booking with the Loew interests, whereby " The Headless Horseman " will play the Metropolitan, Alhambra. Liberty and Malls theatres of Cleveland, for a day and date run beginning February 1st. The picture will also play at the Waldorf, Akron, at the same time. R. I. Robinson has come out to Cleveland from New York to become associated with J. S. Jossey and E. C. Fielder of the Progress Pictures Company, an independent exchange which is specializing in the distribution of Arrow products. Great Western Film Exchange has changed its name to Security Pictures Company. Fred Schram and Lee Chapman continue to operate the exchange. Miss Billie Liebson, manager of the Cleveland exchange for Amer ican Releasing Corp., announces that " What Fools Men Are " is booked for an early February showing at Reade's Hippodrome. C. E. Almy. local Metro manager, was out in the Styx all week trying his hand at selling pictures. Mark Goldman, Select's exchange manager here, has out-Coued Coue with his new 1923 slogan that Select pictures are getting " bigger and better every day." Nat Baruch, local Goldwyn manager, was in Toledo last week. And now it is officially announced that Manager Kumler of the Pantheon has booked " The Christian " for a two-week consecutive run starting February 18th. Cleveland exchange representatives all picked on Canton this week. Among those seen in the lobby of one motion picture theatre were J. A. Koerpel and Nat Baruch of Goldwyn ; Fontaine and Krause of Famous Players-Lasky ; Fletcher of Metro ; and Howard Stahier of a vaudeville booking agency. So far as is known, the manager of the house escaped without committing himself. First National manager George Erdmann has a secret that he will share with everyone. It is that First National Week Feb. 4-10, will be celebrated in Toledo at three first run houses. The Valentino will play " The Voice From The Minaret." The Alhambra will play " The Hottentot." Around Butte's Branch-Offi CHARLES KOERXER, manager of the Butte Branch of Associated First National Pictures of the Northwest, left Butte the 23rd on a tour of inspection covering every town in the First National circuit, before he returns to Butte. The Butte office has been showing splendid business. The first week of February the American theatre has booked for exhibition " Lorna Doone " to run the first half of the week and " What a Wife Learned " the last half. The Rialto has at the same time "The Voice from the Minaret " the first half and another First National the last half. These two theatres are making the week a First National Red Letter Week in celebration of the fifth natal day of the First National. All through the state Mr. Koerner has emphasized his leadership in making this week one that redounds credit to the Butte office as well as to the entire range of the First National. B. H. Dover, First National salesman, resigned his connection with the company to accept the management of the Judith theatre at Lewistown. P. T. Cale. of the Pathe office, is ces off for a tour all along the High Line in Montana in the interest of Pathe, with a special objective, that of placing the new Pathe serial, " Plunder." Reports come in to the office that he is doing a fine business. He expects to be gone about a month. Mr. Edward Armstrong, assistant general salesman of the Universal Film Exchange, on a tour of inspection of the Western Division, was a Butte visitor last week. He reported conditions improving in general throughout the Northwest and expressed pleasure in the satisfactory condition of the Butte office under the efficient management of J. W. Rue. At the Universal Exchanges, the week of January 21st to 27th inclusive was designated by the employees as Edward Armstrong week. Edward Armstrong has just been appointed assistant general sales manager of the Universal Film Company with headquarters at San Francisco with jurisdiction over the eight Western offices including Butte, Denver, Salt Lake. Spokane, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. (Continued from first column) Louis J. Frisch of the See-It theatre, Ashtabula Harbor, was in town this week, in spite of the bad roads. C. E. Bockius of the Valentine, Canton, was lamped around the Film Exchange Building early in the week. Dreamland theatre, Elyria, admitted children to a recent matinee for either two potatoes or two onions. Proceeds went to the Salvation Army. The Spencer theatre, Washington Court House, has been purchased by John Oster, Jr., from Ed Burnett. The straight picture policy will be continued under the new management. Because of involuntary petition in bankruptcy of the Dusenbury interests in Columbus, the Grand theatre was recently closed. This action will not affect the State theatre, which is also owned by the Dusenbury interests, according to Perl Miller, receiver. Joe Kaiser, Jr., has taken over the Royal theatre, in Chillicothe, 0. Southwestern Notes The Temple Theatre at Temple, Texas, owned by the city, has been leased to C. A. Doerr. Feature pictures and road shows will be the policy. G. J. Meredith succeeds Paul W akefield as exploiteer in Consolidated Film and Supply Co., office at Dallas, Texas. The new Palace theatre at Sweetwater, Texas, was opened for business January 9th, to pleased capacity business. F. M. Phipps will build a big modern theatre at Childress, Texas, in the near future. The new Garden Theatre was opened at Stuttgart, Ark., Jan. 10th. The Garden theatre is one of the most modern in the state. A. S. Watlington, formerly of New Orleans, has succeeded Atvah Wilson as manager of the Majestic theatre at Little Rock, Ark. F. C. Robertson has opened his Joy theatre at Smackover, Ark. The booth of the Palace theatre was destroyed by fire at Marshall, Texas. Loss about $3,000. Cabot Baker has purchased the theatre at Timpson, Texas, from H. W. Powers. E. K. Frierson now manaeres the Vernon theatre at Vernon, Texas.