Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1694 Motion Picture News Buffalo Briefs and Western New York News GEORGE E. WILLIAMS is remaining at the Linden theatre temporarily as manager. The house has been sold by Nelson T. Barrett tc William Kuzon of Buffalo. Mr. Williams, who is president of the Western New York Motion Picture Theatre Owners, Inc., was given a farewell party by business associates in the vicinity of theatre, in Jefferson Hall. The operating staff will remain the same under the new proprietorship. Mr. Williams expects to make a new connection soon. A. G. McCallum, who for almost a decade managed the old Buffalo Golden Palace on Main Street, is the new manager of Fay's theatre in Rochester, succeeding John J. O'Meill, who has been appointed house manager at the Eastman. Victor A. \\ arren, manager of the Strand theatre in Messina, N. Y., postcards Henry W. Kahn, Metro exchange manager in Buffalo, that he is having the time of his life, touring in Europe. A. W. Root, formerly manager of the Palace theatre in Olean, N. Y., has returned from Kalamazoo, Mich., to this neck of the woods and is seeking to get back into the exhibition game. Fred M. Schafer, managing director of the Lafayette Square, made a trip to New York city last week to line up some of the biggest attractions in the theatre world for Buffalo this spring and summer. Going to keep them coming, says Fred. The Lafayette packed them in this week with Pola Negri in " Mad Love.'' Billed Pola as the future Mrs. Charlie Chaplin. Bob Finlay, who has appeared in screen comedies with Turpin, Murray, Conklin et al, received an enthusiastic reception at the Lafayette last week in his Cinema Girls Revue offering. Manager Vincent McFaul is making preparations to handle the biggest crowds in the history of Shea's Hippodrome ' when " DougiaFairbanks in Robin Hood " opens at the Hipp. Sunday, April 1, for a indefinite run. O. T. Schroeppel Folks, meet O. T. Schroeppel, one of the pioneers of the motion picture business in Western New York, a man who has gone " through the mill " in both the exchange and exhibiting end of the game and who is now manager of the Strand and Andrews theatres in Salaujanca, N. Y., where he went after successfully managing the Rivoli in Fairport, N. Y. Mr. Schroeppel is enthusiastic over the prospects of Associated Theatres, Inc., who control the Strand and Andrews and a string of houses through this end of the territory. Mr. Schroeppel is giving his patrons " the Goods," having booked such attractions as " Adam's Rib," "' Knighthood," and other equally big features. Mr. Schroeppel has a wide acquaintance in the business and has won many friends during his long connec tion with Universal, Fealart, Hodkinson and other Buffalo exchanges. We expect to see O. T. at the top of things someday soon. Nothing doing on Sunday motion picture shows said the voters in Sidney, N. Y., at the election last week, when the proposition was defeated by an overwhelming vote. The Rex theatre in Geneseo, N. Y., is being completely remodeled and redecorated and will be reopened about April 15 under the management of Frank Aprile. On April 1 the Castile theatre in Olcott Beach will be opened by J. S. Bachman, and on the same date the Arcadia in Newfane will close. Ross A. McVoy has appointed H. E. Jenner manager of the Fisher theatre in Seneca Falls. N. Y., succeeding Clifford G. Groat, who has resigned. Mr. Jenner was formerly associated with Mr. McVoy at the Glen theatre in Watkins Glen, N. Y. Al Becker of the Becker Theatre Supply Company of Buffalo is knocking 'em for a row of lonesome pines. Al is installing Simplex machines all over this neck of' the woods. Two at the Lumberg, Niagara Falls; two at the Rex, Geneseo ; two Sunlight arc lamps in Shea's Court street theatre, etc., etc. No wonder this fellah always wears a smile and has a bulging pocketbook. The Elk theatre in the famous " First Ward " was robbed one evening last week, but the yeggs only got something like five bones. Earlier in the week, the playful boys entered the Seneca theatre, formerly the Red Jacket, where they also got a small sum. Johnson City, N. Y., officials are determined to stop the cake eaters from getting too playful in the picture houses of the Southern Tier town. A youth who was arrested last week received only a small fine for creating a disturbance in the Endwell theatre, but hereafter, says the justice of the peace, it will be nothing less than the little room with the iron bars on the window. Maurice Cohen of Warner Brothers tells this one. Said an exhibitor was arrested downstate last week for having his scale doctored. What do you mean, scale doctored, asked J. H. Michael, manager of the Regent. Why, he bought his film by the pound, replied Maurice as he left hurriedly. Mr. Cohen also claimed that he met up with an exhibitor last week who wanted to buy his feature, comedy and news reel for $11.75, holding out the hope that when business picked up he'd jump the price to $12. The second week at the Criterion theatre finds business a trifle better, but Holy Week, of course, is keeping receipts down. Next week will be the real test of the new policy under the Strand management. Some class to the girls in the Paramount inspection department. Had a private show one night last week, when " Vic," the famous projection expert, screened " Bella Donna," in the screening room for their entertainment. Buffalo film men are planning a benefit at the Elmwood theatre for the widow of Bobby Matson. veteran exchange salesman, who died recently following an extended illness. Albany Briefs and Eastern New York Ite ms FINDING that decreasing prices of admission did not pan out as well as expected towards stimulating business, both the State in Schenectady, N. Y., and the Barcli, of the same city, have now jumped their prices. When the State was opened in December, it represented a construction expense of about $500,000. The general admission was placed at forty cents. Business was slow in coming. Prices dropped to twenty-five cents, but they have now gone back to thirty-five cents for the orchestra, twenty-five cents for the balcony, and fifty cents for the loges. At the Barcli, J. J. Walker, owner of the house, found that twenty-two cents was too low a figure for first-runs, and so he has raised his price to twenty-five cents. Robert Harris has come to Albany from Buffalo, and will handle the Al Lichtman exchange here. He was one time in the employ of Pathe. Having won a handsome bonus, Bert A. Gibbons, managing Vitagraph's exchange in Albany, entertained the office force of seventeen at a chicken dinner and dance a few nights ago. The Strand, of Newburgh, N. Y., recently acquired by W. W. Berinstein, opened last week with "Manslaughter." It will be handled by Harry Berinstein, formerly of the Palace, in Troy. „ _ , _ With business breaking well, Frank Bruner, managing the Pathe exchange in Albany, has bought a touring car. Later on, he expects to take up golf. . . A new house to be erected in Little halls, N Y , by W. W. Berinstein will get under way about' April 15. It will cost $150,000 and seat 1,400 persons. It is said that Lew Fisher, who now owns three houses in eastern New York, is dickering for a theatre at Fair Haven, Vt. The Astor, remodeled from the Majestic, in Troy, N. Y., will open on March 31. The NewRose of the same city, a block away, will also open the same day. Vitagraph, working out of Albany, has just named L. B. Rozell, of Buffalo, to cover the northern territory. Paul Alberts, of the Albany, in Schenectady, X. Y., asserted recently that of all the pictures shown this winter " The Hottentot " made most real money for him. It was heavily exploited, and the fact that Saratoga is but a few miles away, and everybody plays the races during August, probably helped out. A. J. Leonard, of Syracuse, formerly with the National Screen Service, has replaced E. F. Johnson in the Pathe exchange in Albany. Following an illness of several days, Edward Lewin, salesman for the First National out of Albany, has returned to his territory. The State theatre, in Schenectady, N. Y., put on a style show last week, with one of the department stores in that city, and made money. " Dr. Jack " was shown along with the models. A change of organists will be made at the Barcli, in Schenectady, during the next two or three weeks. Ben Stern, who had been acting as house manager of the Empire in Albany, until that house closed, has gone in a similar capacity with the State in Schenectady, succeeding Herman Vineburg, who has been transferred to the Troy, the latest of the Mark Strand theatres. Harry Buxbaum, of New York, district manager for Famous Players, was in Albany one day last week| George Balsdon, Sr., assistant general manager for Vitagraph, is also in town for a conference with the State Conservation Commission in an effort to tie up " Ninety and Nine." " The Pilgrim " has been chosen by William Shirley, manager of the Straird, in Schenectady, N. Y., for Easter Sunday and the six following days. At the State " The Christian " will be featured Easter Sunday. J. J. Walker, of the Barcli, in Schenectady, is alternating "The Leather Pushers'5 and " Fighting Blood " each week, and making money by doing so. Frank Bruner and Marvin Kempner, two of the best known exchange managers, in Albany, N. Y., made a four days' swing through northern New York the past week, and in spite of the fact that they are competitors booked much business and returned with a smile. N. I. Filkins, of Merit, was in Albany a day or so this week, conferrine with Miss Marie Wheeler, who has the distinction of being the only woman exchange manager in New York State, and who is incidentally proving herself a bang-up good saleswoman. Exchanges report excellent bookings for June, July and August from the summer resort towns in the Adirondacks and Catskills. Some of these towns really make more money in the fall and spring than they do during the winter, although, of course, the banner months are in midsummer.