Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

November 28, 1925 2579 AMOS LEONARD, who makes his home in Syracuse, but who has been working out of the Pathe office in Albany as a salesman for some time past, was promoted during the past week, and is now district serial sales representative, dividing his time between Albany, Boston and New Haven. It looks as though Leonard Garvey, who is the sole exhibitor in Clinton, a village outside of Utica, is to have some competition. According to a well substantiated report along Film Row, parties are now planning to erect a iheatre in Clinton in the near future. Good work was done by Herman Vineberg, manager of the Albany and Regent theatres in Albany during the past week, not only at his theatres but also in a civic way, for Mr. Vineberg was chosen, together with a group of business men, to serve as captain in the Community Chest Fund drive, which was one of the big outstanding successes of the week. With a thousand and one things to do, Walter Hays, of Buffalo, one of the heads of the Mitchell H. Mark Realty company, and its group of theatres in Albany, Troy, Utica, Watertown, Syracuse and elsewhere, found time enough to drop off in Albany for a few hours last week on his way from New York to Buffalo. Mr. Hays had a brief conference with Uly S. Hill, who handles the houses in Albany and Troy. W. V. A. Mack, better known, perhaps among his friends as "Alphabet Mack" and who is the short subject sales manager for Pathe out of New York, spent a day in Albany while journeying back from Buffalo to the metropolis. Tom North, who handles exploitation for Pathe, was also in town for a couple of days. The Idle Hour in Unadilla is scheduled to reopen this month with J. W. Standish, a veteran showman from New York City, at the helm. The house will operate three nights a week. Mr. Standish made his first trip to Albany last week. There has been a change made in the management of the Associated Exhibitors' office in Albany with Abe Eskin succeeding Charles Boyd. J. H. Maclntyre, who looks after the interest of Paramount in Albany, returned last week from a business trip to Chicago. Edward Urschel is the new booker at the Pathe exchange in place of Arthur O'Toole, who returned to St. Louis. Barney Frank, Pathe salesman out of Syracuse, is sporting a new closed automobile. Since the Eckel theatre has been taken over by the Strand interests, a change of policy has been inaugurated with a flat twenty-five cent admission throughout the entire day and evening. Fred Robke, was has been connected with the United Artists exchange in town, is now associated with the First National exchange. Mrs. C. H. Buckley, wife of the owner of the Leland and the Clinton Square theatres in Albany, is recovering from the effects of a recent operation for appendicitis. Many of the exchanges sent Mrs. Buckley flowers while she was at the hospital. The past week brought William Shirley of Schenectady back home from his latest trip to Florida. Meyer Paul, is assisting Mike Freedman these days in handling the Woodlawn theatre in Schenectady. William Smalley, of Cooperstown, was in Albany the other day, dropping in at the Film Board of Trade rooms for a few moments' chat. M. P. Moran, a well known exhibitor from Coxsackie, was also in town. Joseph Cantor has been named as local manager for the Freedom Film exchange that is occupying a couple of rooms on the second floor of a block in Clinton avenue. Robert Mochrie had his first experience with Vermont roads a week ago, when he drove over to the Darthmouth Cornell game, making Rutland for the first night, and then consuming half the next day in negotiating the remaining fifty miles. William Dillon, of Ithaca, who is president of the New York State M. P. T. O., was also at the game, rooting for Cornell. The Lyric theatre in Albany, which was recently taken over by new parties, will be known from now on as "Dreamland." The place has been considerably improved. W. Earl Leonard, who has been connected with the New York State Motion Picture Commission's bureau at the State Capitol in Albany, was married on Monday night, November 16, at Glens Falls, with Winifred O'Neil, of that city as the bride. John W. Ludlow, manager of the Victoria theatre in Watertown, has just returned from a week's vacation spent with friends in Ottawa and Brockville. Claude V. Fish, of the American in Schenectady, is handing out the cigars these days as he announces that "it's a girl." Jerome B. Harrison manager of the Savoy and Empire in Syracuse, is also doing the same in that city. Edward Walsh, manager of the Albany theatre in Schenectady, is working hard these days in bringing the house to the highest possible standard. Manager Roach, of the Strand in Schenectady, had his troubles last week when a $750 generator burned out through a ground wire. It so happened, however, that there was an extra machine in the house and the shows were able to proceed without any interruption. Benjamin W. Harriman, who came to this part of the state several weeks ago, on the lookout for a theatre, is now connected with the Strand theatre in Schenectady. Mr. Harriman ran the Century theatre in Lawrence, Mass., for a considerable period and then sold the house to other parties. Mrs. Harriman is an organist of rare ability and may later on be heard at some one of the local theatres. C. L. Gardner has completed the installation of the fine new organ at the Pine Hills theatre in Albany, and has selected Fred Corcoran as his organist. Mr. Gardner is worrying somewhat, however, over the coal situation as he has just enough in his bins to last him for another month or so. Harry Hellman, owner of the Royal theatre in Albany, is spending a portion of each day at his camp on Crooked Lake, twenty miles distant, where he is erecting a garage and incidentally clearing the wood lot which surrounds the handsome summer home. The Civic League in Albany became active a week or two ago in complaining to the police of the city that exhibitors were admitting unaccompanied children to the theatres. Members of the city's police force investigated the complaint by the reformers and warned the exhibitors not to violate the law. James Rose is doing an excellent business in the several theatres he is now running in Troy, Rensselaer, Kinderhook and Nassau. Harry Rose, a brother, has been made manager of the Bijou in Troy, while Elmer Griffin continues to handle Gardner Hall, another Troy theatre operated by Mr. Rose. John Doocy, who was formerly connected with the Griswold, and who was also at one time with the King theatre in Troy, has returned to the King, in the capacity of manager. William Orcutt has been selected by Mr. Rose to handle the Columbia theatre, in Rensselaer, while Henry Windekneckt looks after the houses in Kinderhook and Nassau. land THE Saturday morning children's matinees have been moved from the Loew's State to Loew's Park theatre. The reason for the change is clearly to bring the shows uptown thus making them available to a larger number of children. Bob Rowan, manager of the Detroit office of the Standard Film Service Company is back on duty again after an illness of several weeks. Manager Jones of the Columbia theatre has recently entered the motion picture field. It was previously confined to burlesque. Now, in addition to a two-and-ahalf musical-comedy attraction of the vaudeville variety, Jones is offering a feature photoplay. Two shows are given daily, one matinee and one evening performance. The Empress theatre in Akron, formerly owned and operated by Charles Brill is in process of being converted into a market house. The theatre closed as a place of amusement about a month ago. I. Friedman, who is associated with Milton Pryer in the ownership and management of the Waldorf, Ideal, People's and Winter's theatres in Akron, is enjoying (we hope) a trip across the Atlantic. Friedman expects to be on the other side about six weeks. Lemotto Smith, theatre owner of Alliance and Warren, is now in Florida, looking after his large interests down there. Smith just recently returned from a summer abroad. Jack Steinberg, who owns the Regent theatre in Youngstown, has added the American theatre in Alliance to his possessions. George Manthos formerly had the American. Manthos says he has graduated from the picture business but neglected to state into what other form of activity he had entered. Lee Marcus, general sales manager for F. B. O. stopped off Cleveland for a day last week to visit local exchange manager Lou Geiger in his native haunt. C. E. Penrod, central F. B. O. division manager was also here at the same time. Max Marcus, of the U. S. Theatre, Cleveland, has been dismissed from the hospital where he has been confined for the past few weeks. Marcus is getting along fine, although not on regular duty as yet. Ray Goldman has been named house manager of Warner's Circle theatre in Cleveland. The lineup at the Circle now is : Martin Printz, executive manager ; Ray Goldman, house manager and Jimmy McBride, assistant house manager. George Schade, leading Sandusky exhibitor, proprietor and manager of Schade's Theatre, was re-elected county commissioner at the last elections. Col. Miller, manager of the Olympia theatre, Cleveland, is recovering from a long illness that has kept him from the theatre for many weeks. Joseph A. Smith is the new owner of the Standard theatre at Cuyahoga Falls. He bought the house last week from P. M. Tracy. Loew's Cameo theatre, Euclid Ave. is scheduled to open on Thanksgiving day. The Cameo will be Loew's ninth Cleveland house. Its policy has not been definitely determined yet.