Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

June 9 , 1923 Regional News From Correspondents Albany Notes and Eastern New York Briefs FS. HOPKINS, a former manager of the • Universal exchange, in Buffalo, was appointed last week as manager of the Universal exchange in Albany, which has been handled for the last five years by C. R. Halligan, and who will remain with the exchange with no difference other than a change of title. While managing the Buffalo exchange, Mr. Hopkins suffered a breakdown, resulting in his being away for about a year, during which time he recuperated. For the last few months Mr. Hopkins has acted as salesmanager in the Albany exchange. With Earl Cramer succeeding H. Bernstein as manager of Universal's Buffalo exchange, which has supervision over the Albany office, the announcement that Mr. Hopkins would head the Albany exchange, was forthcoming. Mr. Cramer accompanied by Mr. Herbel, general salesmanager of the eastern division for Universal, was in Albany the past week, installing a new system, and looking after matters generally. Several picture theatres in central New York have changed hands during the past week or so. In Schenectady, the Broadway theatre, which has been owned by W. H. Loomis, has just been acquired by Samuel Rosenberg, of Syracuse, while the Central Park, in the same city, has been bought by James Humphrey. A new house is being erected in Afton by John Anderson, of Bainbridge, who owns the Lyric, in that place. The house will open in about two months. In Canton, the American has been acquired by Papayanokos brothers, who were prominent for years in Watertown, N. Y., as owners of motion picture theatres, and who sold out some two years ago, only to later acquire a house in Gouverneur. There are quite a number of picture theatres in this section which will close during a part of the summer for remodeling. Louis Buettner cancelled all bookings the past week for the Casino in Waterford, which closes June 9. Mr. Buettner also stated that the Opera House, which he owns in Cohoes, would be closed for part of the summer. Nate Robbins will also close the Colonial in Utrca, for the summer, while Cohen's theatre in Newburgh, closes the first week in June. Marie Wilsey, of Syracuse, has started an action against the Robbins-Eckel theatre of that city, for $2,000 damages for alleged injuries received when she fell in an aisle. A theatre which has been in course of construction in Albany for several months, was leased the past week by the Shuberts, and will open about September 1, with spoken drama. The house will seat 1,400, and will offer sharp competition to the picture theatres of the city, which have had only a stock company as a competitor for the last two years. The new house is located in the business center. Construction work halted for several weeks following the financial entanglements of Max Spiegel, and the filing of a mechanics' lien. William Shirley, owner of the Strand, in Schenectady, made a short trip to New York last week. Under the ownership of Meyer Schine, the former Maxsey, in Oneonta is known as the Palace. Charles Sesonske and E. H. Arnold, who have just sold the Avon in Watertown to the Robbins Amusement Company, will give a farewell party to the school children of that city on June 3, as a token of the friendship which has developed in the last two years. Every child will be admitted free. Burglars entered the Strand theatre in Schenectady last Thursday night, but were frightened away before they could open the safe which contained several hundred dollars. Chairman George H. Cobb, of the New York State Motion Picture Commission, is recovering at his home in Watertown from injuries received a few days ago, when he was struck by an automobile in his home city. The driver of the car was later sentenced to three months in jail, a fifty dollar fine, and had his license revoked. The picture theatres in Schenectady have been unusually hard hit during the past week by a trolley strike which not only tied up all the city cars, but the interurban service as well On some nights, the larger houses played to little more than a handful of people. The strike is still unsettled. The Oneonta theatre, in Oneonta, N. Y., has now adopted apolicy of closing three days, and running three days each week. Central New York exhibitors, who were callers along Film Row the past week, included B. S. Thornton, of the Orpheum in Saugerties, George F. Leo, of Staatsburg, William Shirley, of Schenectady ; Morris Silverman, of the Happy Hour, in Schenectady ; H. E. Wilkinson, of the Lincoln, in Troy, and Lew Fischer, of Ticonderoga. Miss Renee Craven, a well known employee in the First National exchange here, was a member of a house party at Lake George over Memorial Day. George Ross, former branch manager for F. B. O., in New Haven, but who has lately been in Albany, was called to New York last week where he will work out of the home office of F. B. O. G. W. Turnbull, formerly connected with the State, in Schenectady, is now looking after the press work for the Oneonta, Palace and Strand theatres, in Oneonta. Vic Bendell, manager of the F. B. O. exchange, in Albany, was in New York the past week end, attending a sales meeting. R. Hutchinson, of Boston, is the new manager for Smalley's house in Sidney. Harvey Edick, of West Winfield, where he runs Bisby's Hall, was in Albany the past week, booking up his summer's program. Bennie Stern, who has been connected with the State, in Schenectady, is assisting Walfer Roberts who has just been transferred from the Mark Strand, in Albany, to the Troy, in Troy, as business manager. Herman Vineburg succeeds Mr. Roberts at the Mark Strand. The Mark Strand, in Albany, took on its summer aspect Decoration Day, when the or Tom Mix in a scene from " Stepping Fast," presented by William Fox. chestra and the ushers appeared in summer uniforms. Fans are being installed at the Troy, and within a few days, the employees in this house will also be in summer attire. Alec Herman, manager of the First National exchange in Albany, is leading in the present contest with Simon Feld, of the same exchange, running neck and neck, with the New York and Albany offices in a salesman race. Phil Markell, of Adams, Mass., a well known exhibitor across the line, made a run to Albany last week, and visited several of the exchanges. Marvin Kempner, manager for Paramount in Albany, was in Gloversville the past week, and sold Meyer Schine many pictures for his circuit. Vacation schedules have been received in nearly all of the Albany exchanges, and vacations will begin among the employees early in June. With the taking over of the American Releasing Corporation, by the Selznick Distributing Corporation, the exchange maintained for some time past by the former in Albany, passed out of existence. The Selznick company, however, will retain not only the office occupied by American Releasing, but will also retain the entire office force from Manager Robert Bendell down. Robert Schussel, of New York, connected with Selznick, was here engineering the transfer. Margaret Sullivan, whose brother owns the Sans Souci, in Watervliet, does all of the booking for the house, and visits the exchanges two or three times each week. The daughter of C. R. Halligan, of the Universal exchange, in Albany, is on the road to recovery following an attack of diphtheria. Samuel Suckno, owner of four theatres in Albany, has arranged to show " The Birth of a Nation " at the Albany, during the week of June 3, at popular prices, and with an augmented orchestra. Mr. Suckno also announces his intention to return to first runs as soon as he can complete plans. Frank Bruner, manager for Pathe in this city, is bound to have a pleasant vacation, whatever his decision. He has an opportunity to motor through New Jersey, and has also an invitation to visit his brother's hunting lodge in Minnesota. With large crowds attending, the fight pictures opened at the American, in Troy, on Sunday. It is the first occasion when this type of pictures has been booked by Ben Apple, but the crowds apparently justified his decision. George Roberts and William Berinstein were the only exhibitors from Albany who attended the Chicago convention. Just before Mr. Berinstein took the train, he ran over to the First National exchange, and was presented with a lucky pocket piece by Mr. Herman. Just how lucky it proved to be is not known, for Mr. Berinstein is still in Chicago. Speaking of Chicago, Morris Silverman, who runs the Happy Hour and the Pearl, in Schenectady, declared the other day, that while every exhibitor in his city would like to have attended the Chicago gathering, it was impossible to rake together the $200 for the trip. There may be a change within the next two weeks in the presidency of the Albany F.I.L.M. club, which is now headed by C. R. Halligan. The club is made up entirely of exchange managers and with F. S. Hopkins heading the Universal exchange, in place of Mr. Halligan, it is probable that Frank Bruner, the vice-president, may head the club.