Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)

1222 Motion Picture N e zv s east ATLANTA will be the first of the Loew Southern theatres to adopt the week-stand policy with regards to both vaudeville and picture programs this change going into effect there on September 24th. On October 1st three other Southern houses, Birmingham, Memphis and New Orleans will follow suit. Loew's Grand in Atlanta is being entirely redecorated and a new pipe organ and complete new scenic vesture will greet patrons when the new week-stand policy goes into effect in four weeks from now. The Loew circuit thoroughly tested out the plan before making this radical change, by booking in certain exceptional acts for an entire week run, and in each instance business held up for the whole week. E. A. Schiller, general representative has been in Atlanta making certain plans for the Fall season. A brother of Mr. Schiller's, from Wilmington, North Carolina, will be treasurer for the Grand with its fall opening. The Loew interests expect to open their new Richmond, Virginia house on January 1st, 1924. The Imperial theatre, Jacksonville, has been entirely renovated and re-decorated, the picture program having been moved over to the Palace, the Keith house, during the period required for the work. Atlanta's combination Keith vaudeville-picture program will go into the Forsyth when it reopens on September 3rd, having given up the Lyric in favor of the permanent Atlanta stock. Extensive alterations will be made in the Lyric before opening. The Imperial theatre, Anderson, South Carolina will reopen Labor Day. The house which is under Southern Enterprises control, has been closed for several months. Harry Hardy, formerly assistant manager of the Rialto, Atlanta, under the Bedell administration will have charge of the house. Another prominent Florida theatre which is closing for extensive repairs and alterations is the Arcade, Jacksonville. Among the other new items of equipment going in is a pipe organ and it will require four weeks for the work, and will reopen with an especially brilliant program. The many friends in Atlanta of Mr. and Mrs. Russell L. MacLean and their two lovely children, Russell, Jr., and Zoe, are welcoming them during a visit in Atlanta. Mr. MacLean was formerly cashier of the local Paramount exchange and subsequently branch manager for Educational in Louisville. He is now sales manager for the St. Louis First National exchange and motored to Atlanta to meet wife and children who have been spending some time here at Wrightsville Beach, N. C. Another theatre which gave a big Harding funeral memorial exercise was C. E. Daffin the live wire of Tallahassee, Florida. He arranged the entire program himself and invited all Tallahassee to his theatre to participate. After an absence of nearly three months during which time she underwent a major operation at Mayo's in Rochester, Miss Bianci Bak has returned to her home in Atlanta greatly improved. For seven years Miss Bak was one of the most efficient members of the Goldwyn staff. Mrs. Anna Sessions, branch manager in Atlanta for Goldwyn has returned from a trip to the New Orleans office. Carl Bamford, formerly district manager in North Carolina for Southern Enterprises, spent several days in Atlanta the past week. E. A. Schiller, general representative for Marcus Loew, was shanghaied by the Saengers upon his recent visit to New Orleans, put aboard a fishing smack and remained at sea beyond the sight of land for three days " against his will " he declares, since he was due to continue his swing round the circuit. But he smiles when he says it. Albert B. Hill leaves Atlanta this week for Miami where he will assume management of the new Fairfax theatre for Southern Enterprises. Mr. Hill first famous as the star of Georgia Tech's " Golden Tornado," has proved himself capable also as an exhibitor and had a long connection as manager of the Imperial, Jacksonville, Florida. Charlie Morrison who manages the Rialto, Jacksonville, Florida, will assume also the management of the Imperial, succeeding Albert B. Hill. R. C. Frost, manager of the Strand and Grand, Tampa, is in Atlanta on his vacation. He participated in the invitation gold tournament at the Asheville Country Club with high honors the past week. Director King Vidor and company are creating quite a bit of interest around Savannah, Ga.. being engaged in filming "Wild Oranges" in the swamps around that city. THE first showing of "If Winter Comes, the William Fox special, was registered in Canada when the production was given a prerelase screening at the Regent theatre Ottawa Ontario, on Wednesday, August 22, before an invited audience that filled the theatre. The production was given its first regular presentation at the Ottawa Regent starting Saturday, August 25, this run preceding the official release of the feature at New York. Arrangements for the special screening and for the public performances at the Canadian Capital were made by Oral Cloakey, manager of the Regent, and by W. de Grandcourt of Toronto, representing the Fox Film Company of Canada. A heavy advertising campaign was carried out for the engagement, including many varieties of original window cards, special newspaper space, posters, street stunts and theatre adornment. The Famous Players Canadian Corporation vt Toronto has offered for sale the site of the proposed Capitol theatre in Ottawa, the Canadian Capital. The large property in the heart of the city was bought several years ago and a start was made in the building of a handsome new house. This was suddenly stopped and, after lying idle for many months, the land has now been placed on the market. William Mitchell of Winnipeg, Manitoba, formerly in charge of the Western Canadian territory for Associated First National, has been transferred to Toronto where he has been appointed asistant general manager for Associated First National of Eastern Canada. The Catholic School Commission of Montreal, Quebec, has shown active interest recently in' the subject of moving pictures for schools with a view to the establishment of a large educational film library in Montreal. Yves Le Rouzes, a representative of the teaching staff of Plateau Academy, Montreal, left a few days apo on a trip to Europe and he has been authized by the Montreal Commission to make a survey of moving picture educational work in France, Belgium and Switzerland. He is expected to make an official report to the Commission in the fall after which the body will finally consider the matter. H. de Maublanc is another Montreal man who is identified with the movement and he has already opened an office in the Albee Building, Montreal, for the purpose of organizing a suitable system of distribution of school features, it is announced. J. N. Foster, sales representative on the staff of the Vitagraph office at Montreal, has been transferred to the Toronto Victagraph branch, replacing J. A. Smith, who has been appointed to the Montreal office. Manager Miller Stewart of the Metropolitan theatre, formerly the Allen theatre, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been putting considerable pep into the house since its recent re-opening. Mr. Stewart has adopted a variety of slogans to popularize the theatre, such " Meet Me at the Met " and " The Show Place of Winnipeg." During the hot spells he emphasized the temperature of the theatre with the following line, "As cool as a mountain top, absolutely." The Family theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, for EXTRA! MILTON SILLS LEGALLY DEAD PHRTIH1M HT THE K1NEWA NO* "LEGALLY DEAD'' 24-SHEET STUNT i special 21-sheet on "Legally Dead" (Universal) at the Kinema, Los Angeles, that drew attention merly the home of a dramatic stock company, is being thoroughly renovated by J. M. Franklin, formerly of Halifax, for re-opening in September. The theatre has been re-christened the " Franklin theatre." Pictures and vaudeville will be presented under the new regime. Seattle friends of R. W. Case, formerly manager of the Columbia theatre here, were expressing their pleasure recently at the announcement from New York that Mr. Case had been chosen assistant general theatre manager for the Universal Film Company, and would hereafter make his headquarters in the Eastern city. Mr. Case came to manage the Columbia in July, 1922, and remained at that post for practically one year, before returning to his home in Kansas City. During that time he achieved the position of being one of the most popular and active theatre managers in Seattle, and his departure from this city a few months ago was looked upon with regret by his many friends. Jack Allender, owner and manager of the Allender circuit of motion picture houses in Spokane, Pullman, Dayton and Moscow, Idaho, spent a few days in Seattle recently, making preparations for the opening of the new season in his houses. He sold his theatres in Colfax recently, and since then has been concentrating his efforts on the four houses named above. William Preston, doorman at the Coliseum, Strand and Liberty theatres for the last five years, has left the employ of the Jensen-Von Herberg organization, and at the present time expected to withdraw from the theatre field. Zack Kalbach has just joined the musical staff of Manager H. B. Wrights Strand theatre as organist, replacing Jack O'Dale. Mr. O'Dale, after several seasons at the Strand, left recently for a trip to California, expecting to return to Seattle several weeks later. Air. Kalbach was formerly a member of Andy Ward's Jazz Band which is now playing at John Hamrick's Blue Mouse theatre here.