Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

2770 Motion Picture News WasL ington Film Row and Theatre Brevities HARRY M. CRAXDALL, owner of the Crandall theatres in Washington and vicinity, has returned from a week's visit to Chicago where he attended the annual national convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. Some idea of the magnitude of the $30,000 Wurlitzer orchestra-unit pipe organ being installed at Crandall's Avenue Grand theatre may be gathered from the fact that seven trucks were required to haul it to the theatre. In its knocked-down state, the organ parts filled fortytwo huge packing cases. The pipes range from three inches in length to sixteen feet. The console is one of the most complicated pieces of mechanism ever devised, with a series of slop combinations permitting any desired instrumentation. The keyboard is a triple-manual unit. The organ will be dedicated by Stanley W. Rhoades, concert organist, who is at present at work on the inaugural program which will embrace many original novelties. The Avenue Grand organ when completed will be the largest south of New York. Joseph P. Morgan, general manager of the Crandall enterprises, left Washington last Wednesday for a business trip to Philadelphia and New York in the interests of the Crandall houses. N. Mirskey, conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at Crandall's Metropolitan theatre, took advantage of the opportunity afforded by the second week's run of Harold Lloyd in " Safety Last 9 to catch a breath of fresh air by spending the greater part of the week in Detroit and Buffalo. Mr. Mirkey left the city Monday night and returned yesterday morning. Miss Ruth Estelle Smith, of the Federated Film Service, announces her forthcoming June wedding to Herman Dwight Cole. Post Master General New is billed to play a " lead " role, in a new picture " Loyal Lives," " designed," says the Washington Star, " to show the romance of the postal service." The studio working on the film is the Yonkers plant of the Whitman Bennett concern and is to be released through Vitagraph, says Manager Spoehr, who says further that Brandon Tynan, Mary Carr, Faire Binney, Blanche Craig, Buster Collier, and Charles MacDonald are in the cast in support of the P. M. G. Harry Levey, Baltimore representative for J. G. Bachman's Educational exchange of Washington, is telling the film world of the arrival of a new present from his wife. He now fathers a baby daughter. Walter Price, back from the convention at Atlantic? City, of Cosmopolitan-Goldwyn Cor poration is elated over the new policies outlined there. Announcement of the change in managers at the local Warner Bros, exchange failed to give the names correctly. Lester E. Rosenthal was succeeded by H. R. Beiersdorff. The new manager, a brother of Fred W. Beiersdorff, after leaving the service of Select here last fall was in the employ of United Artists and other interests at Philadelphia, and finally secured the offer of the post here. F. W. Beiersdorff remains here as sales and office chief for Branch manager Reichert of Selznick Distribution Corporation, whose staff is to be slightly expanded as a result of the absorption of American Releasing Corporation. George Roberts, manager of Fox received a call from Auditor Marvin Whitehead of the Cincinnati office of A. R. C, who of course with others was dismissed Wednesday last. Paul P. Henderson, star Paramount salesman, has returned from a successful three weeks' tour of the Eastern Sho'. He reports the fishing in most streams good, and admits that he enjoyed the bathing, in spite of muddied waters. faxes paid to Easton, Md., by merchants and theatres, are overflowing the town coffers, and a cut in the Sho' town tax is announced. Max be that does not please Easton movie managers. Delaware incorporations include Kirbey and Hand, Wilmington, general amusements, $100,000; and the National Projector Manufacturing Company, Wilmington, to manufacture motion picture projection machines, $1,000,000. " The Four Horsemen " gets a revival at a Loew house here soon, while "The Rustle of Silk " stays over at the Rialto this week. Daily matinees are assured from May 27 till mid-June at the Chevy-Chase, popular Washington suburban theatre. " Down to the Sea in Ships " and " Robin Hood " are among the attractions billed there. Fred. F. White is now house manager for the Leader (9th Street theatre), owned by Sidney Lust. " Whitey " has long been well known as operator, house manager, equipment salesman and shipper in recent years, and so is no novice in the theatre game. Soon the two living " Tom Moore's " of the movies will both be in Washington ; the local interests of the Duffy-Smith stock dramas, are bringing the film star, Tom Moore, here for the lead in their next play, while the theatre owner, of the same name, is usually here all the time, excepting when the lure of Broadway tempts him. Jake Flax says he spent one day looking over the Hot Springs, Va., golf courses, hotels and social whirl at rest, in and around the resort town, while on his recent two-week tour of Virginia. He says the rumor mongers speak of a new picture theatre at Staunton, Va. Harpers Ferry tourists of First National's social club report that they found the mountain roads hard going ow-ing to rains and mud. Only three punctures were experienced, but five cars overtaken on the way were stalled. Measles has hit film row a bit hard of late. George Lenehan was unable to visit his homcfor several weeks, an account of the quarantine, and the First National " Kiddies Surprise Party," scheduled for May 26, at the home ot Geo. N. Payette, Jr., was postponed indefinitely First National Social Club however will go ahead with plans to engage a couple of cottages for the shore week-end party near here, next month, and will try to make it a bigger success than last fall's party at Great Falls. During the absence from the city on a brief outing last week of N. Mirskey, conductos. of the Metropolitan Symphony, the orchestra at Crandall's Metropolitan theatre was under the competent direction of Alexander Podnos, assistant conductor. Celestino Mens, solo cellist at Crandall's Metropolitan theatre, has been confined to Emergency Hospital for the last three weeks with a serious attack of pneumonia, which during a dangerous replase, suffered a week ago, developed into compound pleurisy. Mr. Mens is one of the Capital's foremost artists and one of the most popular members of the Crandall musical organization. The opening of the al fresco picture gardens in conjunction with Crandall's Savoy and Apollo theatres last night, signalizes the official beginning of summer for the thousands of amusement seekers who find these comfortable airdromes the most enjoyable recreation places in the Capital. Both have been completely redecorated and refurnished, and Messrs. Robert Etris and Johnny Upperman are justly proud. The soldier graves fund collected at the Cosmos theatre as reported by Mr. A. J. Brylawski totalled thirty-eight dollars in a single day last week. The local delegates to the St. Louis convention of the American Federation of Musicians returned the early part of the week. President A. C. Hayden, one of the group attended as a member of the national executive committee to which he was re-elected. The local delegates included. A. Celfo, vice-president, leader of the Glen Echo band for several seasons; W. M. Lynch, Secretary of the local ; and H. C. Manveil, treasurer, a brother of the leader of Manveil's Syncopators, a Washington musical offering billed recently at the Strand. Oklah oma City Items and Southwestern News The American Legion announces that a largeopen air stadium will be built at Brownwood, Texas, in the near future, where athletic events . can be staged and moving pictures shown. Oklahoma Consistory, Scottish Rite Masons, before adjourning their spring reunion at Guthrie, Okla., May 11, adopted resolutions commending the Oklahoma City officials for their stand against moving pictures belittling ministers and religion and declared Masonry to be opposed to all such pictures and favoring proper respect for all religious creeds. To the credit of the Oklahoma City Exhibitors no pictures has ever been shown on Oklahoma City screens which belittled ministers or the Christian Religion in the slighest degree. A permanent fireproof auditorium of brick and steel construction was contracted for at Slu rman, Texas, May 15 by the Grayson County Old Settlers Association, the building to be completed by Aug. 15th. The New Theatre is being built at Skiatook. Okla., and will be ready for opening in the near future. C. C. Calvert, district representative of Educational Pictures at New York is visiting Dallas on business. The True Film Co., at Dallas, Texas, is making special efforts in exploitating "Has The W orld Gone Mad" in Oklahoma and Texas and reports big business.. The Independent Film Company at Dallas, Texas, has several travelers out in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas exploiting the new TriStone Comedies. Officers of the newly formed Criterion Theatre Corporation at Oklahoma City, Okla., are J. H. Cooper, Oklahoma City and New York City, president, R. C. Clevenger, Wichita, Kansas, banker, vice president ; Austin C. Keough. of New York, secretary; Fred Mctzler, of Atlanta, Ga., treasurer; Harold B. Franklin, vice-pres;dent of Southern Enterprises Corporation. New York, will be member of the board of directors. S. S. Wallace, former manager of the Capital, will remain as manager of the Criterion theatre, with C. O. Payne, assistant manager, and H. M. Hass, house manager. H. A. Brownies will manoge the Capitol theatre with H. H. Allen as exploitation manager. Mr. Cooper announced that the Criterion Corporation had purchased a half interest in the Capital theatre and that the Southern Enterprises, Inc., had purchased half interest in the Critesion theatre. It is also announced that high class vaudeville in addition to Super Feature pictures will be shown at the Criterion, together with a 12piece orchestra. Incorporations: The Nusho (Moving Pictures Wetumka, Okla., capital stock $5,000. Incorporators— A. R. Juby, E. G. Kelly and S. E. West. Southern Exhibitors Company Operative Association, Dallas, Texas. Capital stock $10,000. Incorporators J. K. Adams, L. T. Pellerin. G. W. Riddle, et al.