Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

2678 Motion Picture News Theatre and Film Row Items from Cleveland D. S. Davidson David Davidson is the leading prize winner in the territory. He is city salesman for the Fox Film Company. In a recent short intensive drive, he came out at the head of the list and walked off with first prize, which is a trip to New York, as a guest of the managers' convention, which is to be held the week of June 11th. Then, just so that he'd have a little extra change to make the trip interesting, he received a bonus check from the Fox Film Corporation, for leading the sales on last year's product. Pretty nifty! Norman Moray was scheduled to assume management of the Cleveland Pathe exchange last week. Illness delayed his leaving Indianapolis, his former post. He is expected to take charge here this week, relieving district manager R. S. Schroeder. Someone said that there were some open dates down in the southern part of the state. Maybe that accounts for First National District manager H. A. Bandy's hurried trip down to Cincinnati and adjacent territory. Moe Grassgreen, Fox traveling auditor, is in town. This is his first return trip since he climbed the ladder from cashier of the local office, to his present position. Jacob Smith, editor of the Michigan Film Review of Detroit, was in town during the week, combining business with pleasure. The local Goldwynners are all in Atlantic City, attending the Goldwyn convention. Exchange manager Nat Barach and exploitationer Eddie Carrier left here Thursday. District manager J. A. Koerpel followed on Friday. M. Schiessel, formerly with the Progress Pictures Company in Cincinnati, is now with the Security Pictures Company of Cleveland in the capacity of city salesman. H. Hirsch and Sam Gorrell of the Progress Pictures Company started out to Willoughby, 25 miles from Cleveland, via automobile, to sell pictures to an exhibitor who doesn't like to travel. Aside from having two punctures, being pinched for parking in a safety zone, and being thrown into a ditch to prevent a head-on collision with another car, the trip was uneventful. And when they got to Willoughby the exhibitor was not there. It's a hard life these exchange men lead. J. S. Jossey, president of the Progress Pictures Company, Cleveland, left Sunday night, to attend the convention in Chicago. M. A. Kraus, of the Kraus Manufacturing Company, N. Y., was in town last week, spreading a little sunshine about the Film Building. Everybody's always glad to see Kraus come in, and just as sorry to see him leave. He's on a trip across the continent, with a stop-over ticket for Chicago so that he'll be among those present at the Convention. Herbert I. Kraus was given a royal send-off by his local Paramount associates last Friday afternoon, as he climbed into his trusty four wheeler which is speeding him to St. Louis, where he will assume the management of the Famous Players-Lasky exchange. He was due to arrive in St. Louis on Sunday. He took with him Brandy. No cause for the prohibition agents to become alarmed, however, for Brandy is Kraus' prize Boston Bull, and, as his name indicates, he's a rare treasure. R. J. McManus, former St. Louis branch manager for Famous Players-Lasky, has been transferred to Buffalo, to succeed Allen Moritz. Eddie Fontaine, local Famous Players exchange manager, is just returned from a central western conference of exchange managers in Chicago. Fontaine said the convention was a great success, and lots of enthusiasm for the new F. P. L. product was disseminated. Gilbert Penn, well known in these parts, through his connection with several prominent exchanges, is back in the film business after an absence of more than a year. Rodolph Valentino comes to Cleveland, Mon-' day night, May 21st. With Mrs. Valentino, he is appearing in a tango dance at the Public Auditorium. Following his dancing exhibition, there will be an amateur dancing contest with prizes. Valentino is contributing 20 per cent of the money taken in, to the fund being collected for Mrs. Dennis Griffin, widow of the slain policeman who was murdered by John Whitfield. Cupid is loose in the local Universal exchange, and members of the organization are hereby warned to beware. One of the victims already enmeshed is Miss Nell Olson, private secretary to Exchange manager Tom Colby. Miss Olson has just announced her engagement to Nelson A. Cannon, also of Cleveland. George Manos, of the Rex theatre, Toronto, was in the city this week, quite a bit worse for wear, due to an automobile accident that smashed his car completely, badly injured other occupants of the car, and decorated him with a mass of cuts and bruises some of which may last to be lifelong reminders of the occasion. It is reported on good authority, though unconfirmed as yet, that the Ohio Amusement Company, of Cleveland, meaning Meyer Fine, David Schumann and A. Kramer, have taken over the Fairyland theatre, formerly operated by Dave Adler. Other theatres operated by the Ohio Amusement Company are the Dennison Squar,e, Yale, Savoy, Knickerbocker, Five Points, Jewel, Capitol, and U-No. Sam Schachtel, of the Y theatre, Cleveland, is said to have the finest radio equipment in the city at his house. He uses it professionally, too. When the organist is off duty, he tunes in his radio. He has a big horn in the theatre, and patrons are treated to concerts from all over the country. It's been a big business booster for the Y theatre, and it's been ' lots of fun for Schachtel. He put it up himself. R. C. Steuve, of the Orpheum, Akron, had his passage all booked for a trip to Europe. And now business is so good that he can't leave. We don't know whether to offer condolences or congratulations. Hal W. Smith, associated with M. Shea in the Shea Booking Exchange, Inc., of Cleveland, left Sunday to attend the convention in Chicago. Harry Charnas, president of the Standard Film Service Company, Cleveland, was seen in earnest consultation with George H. Wiley, of the Hoffman Productions, and now it is announced that Charnas bought from Wiley the Elaine Hammerstein pictures, for release through the Standard Film Service Company. Frank Gross, proprietor of the Grand and Market Sauare theatre, Cleveland, joined the crowd of local exhibitors attending the Chicago convention. Allen Simmons, owner of the Allen theatre, Akron came up to town one day during the week especially to book some Fox pictures. M. H. Bryer, of the People's theatre. Akron, together with Bert Botzum, ot the Orpheum, Akron, attended the Chicago convention. John Harris, Jr., of Pittsburgh, manager of the Strand theatre, Youngstown, was a guest of local Metro exchange manager C. E. Almy last Tuesdav. Portland, Ore,, Exhibitor and Exchange News ROBERT C. BRUCE, internationally noted maker of Bruce " Wilderness Tales," which the National Board of Review continues to class as " exceptional " scenics, has arrived back in Portland to start his summer campaign of picture making. Bruce is assembling his crew and casts and will start work soon after June 1. His first locations will be in the Oregon coast country near Newport and picturesque Heceta head where he will shoot the one-reel scenic, " Just Waiting." Bruce spent a month at Carmel, Cal., after leaving New York and before coming to Portland. There he turned out ten stories upon which he will base the summer's work and all the scenics will be made, as have those which have made the " Wilderness Tales " series so wonderfully successful, in the Oregon country. Bruce will work throughout the summer in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia and his casts, which will appear only before scenic outdoor backgrounds, will include a number of locally prominent players. For several seasons Bruce has worked out of Portland and knows local environments and weather conditions thoroughly. His studio work this, year will be done in the Premium Productions studios at Beaverton, adjacent to Portland. H. M. Newman, formerly connected with Grauman's Million Dollar theatre at Los Angeles, is now in charge of Carl Laemmle's Columbia theatre here, succeeding William Cutt's who opened the house for Laemmle two months ago. Cutts has been transferred to Los Angeles. There is a hint here that Newman will take general charge of Northwestern theatres in the Universal chain and will later on name a local house manager. Richard Charles until a fortnight ago auditor for Jensen & Von Herberg here, and a youth of wide experience in the picture business, is now as.sistant manager at the Columbia. A. C. Raleigh, who recently retired as manager of John Hamrick's Blue Mouse theatre, has again joined the local staff of Jensen & Von Herberg and is something of a general representative for the firm. In addition to tasks, thus indicated Raleigh is editing Screenland Weekly, the J. & Von H., house organ in which he is reviving the whimsical character of Zack Moseby, made famous bv Screenland magazine and Screenland News, the news reel which Releigh conducted when he was manager ager of the Columbia theatre under J. & Von H._ Francis Richter, blind pianist and organist, who works have made him a very popular mu sician locally, has been signed as principal organist at the Columbia theatre by Manager H. M. Newman. Richter has never played a first run theatre organ before, but he is making a great impression with his work. His music is augmented by John Britz and the Columbia Octette. Some of the most strenuous exploitation in Portland exhibition history has been indulged in for the showing of " The Go-Getter " at the Rivoli theatre. Gus A. Metzger, owner of the theatre, and John C. Stille, manager, combined their efforts in promoting the feature through special showings for business men, newspaper contests seeking definitions of a go-getter and through arrangements for the attendance of the employes of the city's largest department store. The Hippodrome has booked " Night Life in Hollywood " for early showing. The Orpheum, big-time vaudeville house which has been making much use of Aesop's Fables, Pathe News and Topics of the Day this year, closed for the season last Tuesday and Manager Frank T. McGettigan already has departed for his summer home on the Oregon coast. " The Bright Shawl " has been booked to the Rivoli theatre to start May 26.