Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1692 Motion Picture .N e w s Regional News From Correspondents In and Out of the Butte Branch-Offices : CONGRATULATIONS are in order over the high efficiency of the Universal manager of the Butte office, Jack W. Rue, who, since coming here last September, has increased the business for his company 140 per cent. Before coming to Butte to take the executive office for the Universal Exchange, Mr. Rue was the special representative for " Foolish Wives," the exploiting of which won new laurels for him. Formerly he was salesmanager in the Denver district. Butte has had several exchange managers, and it is safe to say that never has there been a more popu Jack W. Rue lar or more efficient executive in the Butte department. There are three Universal salesmen in the field most of the time, and at all times the key cities are made by Mr. Rue. Mr. Rue has just returned from Great Falls, where he booked "Flame of Life," "Driven" and Baby Peggy comedies to Mr. William Steege, Manager of the Liberty theatre there. P. C. Hurst, formerly owner of the Rialto theatre at Bozeman, has replaced H. McLaren, as publicity director for Universal in the Butte and Spokane territories. Anaconda ministers of the Gospel who have complained because their parishoners fail to arrive at services on time will now have the solace of knowing they are not the only ones who suffer dire punishment for such procrastination. Certain of the movie fans are standing up on their toes in righteous indignation. Nothing, they say, spoils a picture show so much as a continuous ingress and egress of patrons during a performance. They claim that it has reached a stage where a spectator may be sure of viewing a film in peace only after every seat in the house has been filled and the overflow is standing ten deep in the rear. Even then there remains the possibility that some inconsiderate wretch may decide to scramble out from the very center of the row because the picture has just reached the stage where he happened to enter. Or possibly some lady has to stand up in front of her seat, powder her nose, adjust her hat and slowly put on her wrap and gloves, and then calmly move to the aisle all the while there is the picture moving on to dramatic climaxes. Nothing quite so exasperating! Miss May Robson, the disinguished actress, was the guest of Marie Davis, General Manager of the Ansonia Theatre Amusement Company, at a pre-view of the film production, " Down to the Sea in Ships," and also a vaudeville act that was given as a try-out. The pre-view was directly after her engagement closed at the Broadway. Butte is always glad to welcome Miss Robson and this visit was no exception for she was accorded one of the most enthusiastic ovations ever given an actress in Butte. O. W. Herwig is registered at the Grand Hotel. He is in Butte at the Pathe Office auditing the books for that exchange. Mr. Herwig is registered from the Pathe office, San Francisco. B. T. Cale, formerly with the First National, has gone back to the Pathe organization as salesman for the Denver territory. He has been one of the live wire salesmen in the Montana district, identified with the Pathe interests and later accepted a similar position with the -First National. Jack Sullivan is covering the key cities of the state representing the Fox interests. Mr. Sullivan is branch-manager of# the Fox corporation of this city. Manager M. J. Dunn, of Greater Features, is touring the state for his corporation. Mr. Dunn has his main office at Salt Lake City, but is in Butte every few weeks to look after the branch office. Harry Sigmund, recently identified with the First National in Seattle as a salesman, is now at home in Butte as the chief executive of the Butte Branch office of the Associated First National. Mil waukee Briefs and Film R ow Jrersonals L WK. LENDON, general service manager • for Universal, has been in the city a number of days helping with the plans for Universale quarters in the New Film Exchange on W ells Street, to which they will move April 1. Universal plans to have new fixtures and furniture, and will have one of the most up-to-theminute exchange offices anywhere, according to George Levine, local manager. Sam Miller has been added to the local Universal staff and will have charge of handling Universal attractions in this territory. M. Edwards, who was formerly with Goldwyn at Buffalo, is now working out of the Milwaukee office, and has charge of western Wisconsin. Tack Hursrhman has been transferred from the Chicago office and will represent Goldwyn in the northern part of the state. Goldwyn's Milwaukee office, of which Sam Shurman is manager, in the two months since it was opened, has made such strides that additional stenographers and inspectors have been required. The Milwaukee Sentinel recently received recognition from Julius Stern, of the Century Film Company, for the splendid handling of the Baby Peggy contest in Milwaukee, just previous to the showing of " Peg of the Movies," in which Peggy Montgomery starred. Said Mr. Stern : " May we have the privilege of expressing our delight and pleasure in the manner your Baby Peggy contest was conducted? We wish to advise you that the entire contest was run in such an able manner that it eclipses any yet run throughout the country. Further, we believe your choice of the starlet, Harriet Ahrendt, is excellent, and we join in commending your entire staff behind this contest on the efficient and perfect way it was handled." In conjunction with Henry Walthall's visit in person to the Palace theatre in a playlet, the week of March 12, Tom Norman of Fox screened Walthall's last picture. "The Face On the Bar-room Floor," which Mr. Walthall has not as yet seen. The screening was made in the Merrill theatre and a crowd of movie folk attended. After the screening, Mr. Norman arranged a small banquet to newspapermen to introduce Mr. Walthall. Mary Charleson, W althall's wife, a favorite in Milwaukee, accompanied him. Joe Brandt of C. B. C. was in Milwaukee last week on his way to the coast. Local exchange managers report that Milwaukee's seven days of blizzard, the week of March 12, seriously hampered the efficiency of their service departments, in making shipments out of the city. Three severe snow storms in seven days held up train traffic, and resulted in many dark houses throughout the state. Not a train left here March 18 and 19 for the northern part of the state. The new radio motion picture, " The Wizardry of Wireless," will be shown in Milwaukee April 5 for the benefit of radio fans, it was announced by L. S. Baird, manager of ' the Milwaukee Amateur's Radio Club. The picture is described as a two-reeler dealing with the history of distance communication., and by the aid of animated drawings, the why and wherefores of radio are explained in a clear and understandable manner. J. H. Silliman, owner of the Downer, Murray, Miramar, and Astor theatres, has added the Jackson to his chain. Tom Furness, a Hancock, Mich., exhibitor, and E. Hoefer, Sheboygan, owner of the new Rex theatre, were in the city last week. The Appollo theatre, Teutonia Avenue, has changed hands. M. Mark Miller is the new owner. The ban placed on children under 12, prohibiting their attendance at motion picture theatres, has considerably upset neighborhood house attendance. The Milwaukee Motion Picture Theatre Owners' Association, co-operating with the Health Department, asked individual managers to enforce the restriction, owing to the severe scarlet fever epidemic among school children. Booth arranged by J. C. DeWalt, branch manager for Hodkinson at Oklahoma City, during the state convention of exhibitors.