Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

April 21, 1923 1959 Albany Notes and Eastern New York Briefs Marvin W. Kempner X/IARVIN W. KEMPNER, manager of the Paramount exchange, in Albany, N. Y., is no chair warmer. A veteran in the business, Air. Kempner has found that while he can get business with some of the exhibitors who visit the city, that he can accomplish far more by getting out into the territory himself three or four days each week. While some exchange managers in Albany sit down and wait for the exhibitor to look them up, Mr. Kempner has adopted just the opposite tactics and searches out the exhibitor himself. Mr. Kempner will have managed the Albany branch for three years on June 1. Before coming to Albany, he was located in Buffalo, with the same organization. The Clinton Square theatre, in Albany, is boasting of a new Robert Morton organ, with Roland Boisvert, a demonstrator, at the keys. Phil Markell, of the Atlas, in Adams, Mass., was along Film Row, in Albany, and picked up some comedies at the Pathe exchange. Sidney Sampson, of Buffalo, one of the big men in the Bond Photo Play company, was in Albany the past week. Fred Elliott, former owner of the Clinton Square, in Albany, and one of the best known exhibitors in the state, is now known as "King Tut" among his friends. It all came about through Mr. Elliott having recently had his teedi extracted, and as he is waiting for his "crockery," his facial expression, at least according to his friends, closely resembles the ancient ruler of the Egyptians. Robert Smeltzer, eastern district manager of Pathe, was in Albany last week, conferring with Frank Bruner, local manager, over the distribution ot "balety Last" among the firstrun houses. "Bella Donna" playing for the entire week, at the Iceland in Albany, beat out the attendance record for the first two days of "When iwiigiuiiuoa was in .blower." i-ong lines 01 waiting patrons were to be seen nightly, while matinees packed the house. Both Tearle and Nagel are popular in Albany. Moe Mark, Walter Hays, and Eugene Falk of the Mark Strand group of houses, were in Albany the last week, going over the affairs of each of the three houses in this district. Vic Bendell was in New York Sunday, attending a sales meeting of F. B. O. exchange managers. Mr. Bendell handles the exchange in Albany. Jane Halloran, connected with the American Releasing exchange in Albany, and who was virtually brought up in the theatrical and motion picture business, is proving herself some salesman these days. Whenever the manager is out, Miss Holloran doesn't hesitate to put across a sale, and some of the best business of the season has fallen to the young woman. Vic Bendell stands a fair chance of landing a prize in the advance business contest just closed by F.B.O. Anyhow, Mr. Bendell is sure of a new hat, for Phil Selznick, acting as special representative for Williamson's "Wonders of the Sea," while in Albany a few days ago, bet a new hat that Mr. Bendell would land a prize. Lee Langdon, booker at the First National exchange in Albany, has returned to his desk after an illness of several days. Among exhibitors in Albany last week were R. V. Erk, of Ilion; Mrs. D. S. Regan, of the Star, in Greenwich; and F. C. Yelverton of the Ballston, in Ballston Spa. C. R. Halligan (^)M April 3, C. R. Halligan observed his fifth anniversary as manager of the Universal exchange in Albany, N. Y., a record in point of service which has never been equaled, or even approached by any film exchange manager in the Capital D i s t r ic t . Mr. Halligan also enjoys the unique distinction of having always worked for the one film concern since he entered the business. While Mr. Halligan 1 airly grew up in the theitre business, handling several theatres before he entered the employ of the Universal, he found conditions so satisfactory with this firm that after managing the poster department, he was promoted to become manager of the exchange itself. Today Mr. Halligan is probably known to more exhibitors in New York State, than any other exchange manager. He has built up a wonderful business over a wide territory. Alec Herman, manager of the First National exchange in Albany, will attend a conference in New York on April 15. R. H. Clark, general manager of the exchanges in Buffalo, Albany and New York, will be in charge. Ben Davis has just been made home office manager for the Schine interests in New York State. He will be located in Gloversville. Word reached Albany the past week that Madge Bellamy will be in the city in the near future, for the purpose of inviting Governor Alfred E. Smith, and other state officials, to the motion picture exposition in Los Angeles, July 2 to August 4. With "Robin Hood" as' its feature, the Troy, in Troy, N. Y., played last week to the biggest seven days in its history. Trade Jottings from Central Pennsylvania T^HE Appell Amusement Company, of York, Pa., which controls a number of motion picture and other theatres in that city, will apply at the State capitol in Harrisburg for a charter of incorporation. The application will be made by Nathan Appell, for many years prominent in the theatre business in Central Pennsylvania, and William H. Kurtz, a lawyer. The terms of the charter will be broad, giving the new cororation authority to establish and maintain opera houses, theatres or moving picture shows; organize, manage and control theatrical, dramatic and operatic companies; purchase, publish and control dramatic compositions, and purchase and control bill-posting plants. The Appell interests already control the York Opera House, the Orpheum theatre and the Wizard theatre, and contemplate the erection this Spring of the Strand theatre, on North George street, all in the city of York. The formal opening of the big Magaro Coliseum and convention hall, erected by Peter Magaro, at Fourth and Market streets, Harrisburg, on property almost adjoining the New Regent motion picture theatre which he owns, was held during the week of April 2, when the Harrisburg Lodge of Elks held a "Million Dollar Circus" there. Erward Earle, who won the Movie Star Popularity Contest conducted by Will Hayes, was scheduled to appear in person on April 12, in Chestnut Street Auditorium, Harrisburg, in connection with the showing of screen tests made in the Movie Talent Search, conducted iby the Harrisburg Telegraph, in Central Pennsylvania for the National Screen Scouts of Associated Stars and Directors. Dorothy Knapp, the "Venus" who won the National Professional Beauty contest at Atlantic City last September, and Clara Bow, who made her way to the professional screen by winning the national contest conducted by several motion picture magazines last year, also were on the program to appear in person. Motion pictures were shown of the amateurs who were brought out in the Telegraph's seaTch for new picture talent. The Radio Club of the Mechanicsburg High School gave a radio concert in connection with a motion picture show in the school auditorium, the first entertainment of the sort ever attempted in the town. President Fred Eden, of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce, and several scores of other prominent business men of that city, gave a surprise banquet in the Penn Harris hotel, Harrisburg, in honor of C. Floyd Hopkins, representative of the Wilmer & Vincent motion picture and other theatres in Harrisburg and Reading. The affair followed the return of Mr. Hopkins from Bermuda where he went to recuperate after his recent critical illness. Entertainment at the banquet included selections by Miss Viola Burd, pianist of the Colonial theatre; and singing by Matilda Reeve, soprano, and Robert Smith, basso. The tables were decorated with spring flowers, and favors of cigarette-holders, paper hats and whistles were given to the guests. The committee on arrangements consisted of Charles E. Covert, Charles M. Williams and John A. Rose. The M. E. Comerford Amusement Company, which controls a big chain of motion picture theatres in Pennsylvania, announces the selection of a site in Plymouth for the erection of a new theatre which will give that town both vaudeville and photoplays. The State Forestry Commissioner of Pennsylvania, R. Y. Stuart, has authorized the distribution of 125,000 placards by the 2,366 State forest fire wardens in every part of the state, calling attention to the film play, "The Ninety and Nine," which conveys a powerful lesson as to the necessity of care in the prevention of forest fires. John Bethel, Philadelphia branch manager for Vitagraph, is said to have conducted the negotiations with the Forestry Department which resulted in the plans A theatrical musician of wide acquaintance throughout Pennsylvania, George Reinhart, for many years a drummer in the Grand Opera House orchestra, at Hazleton, died in that city on March 19, from cirrhosis of the liver. He was 59 years old. Talk of Big Paramount House in Indianapolis Revived Talk of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation's plan to build a $1,250,000 movie theatre and office building on the site of the Hotel English, in Monument Place, started in 1919, when the company obtained a ninety-nine-year lease on the site, was revived last week when Samuel Dowden, Indianapolis attorney for the corporation, said it is advising tenants they may possibly be required to vacate in the near future. No definite date has been decided upon, Dowden said. The project has been all but forgotten in Indianapolis in the last two years since the furore over the Famous Players movement to obtain a national chain of theatres subsided. The proposed house would seat between 3,000 and 3,500.