Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)

1224 Motion Picture News Buffalo Otto F. Schroeppel. OTTO T. SCHROEPPEL. one of the best known exhibitors in western Xew York, and a pioneer in the exchange end of the business, has resigned as managing director of the Strand and Andress theatres in Salamanca. X. \ ., to accept a position as personal representative for John R. Oishei, manager of the Teck theatre, Buffalo. In his new position, Mr. Schroeppel will be in charge of the business end of the house. Otto is known to practically every exhibitor in this neck of the woods. For years he was with the old Victor Film exchange (Universal), then he went with Vitagraph, Hodkinson, Realart and other exchanges. He has managed the Capitol in South Buffalo and other houses including theatres in Newark and Fairport. X. Y., where he managed theatres for Associated Theatres, Inc., w-ho also operated the Strand and Andrews in Salamanca. During his management of these two houses Mr. Schroeppel gave the town some of the best shows it ever saw. Both theatres have enjoyed unusual patronage since he took the helm. The new manager of the Salamanca houses will be Walter Trass, formerly manager of theatres in Hammondsport and Dansville, X. Y. This is Mr. Trass' first connection with Associated Theatres. The Teck, Buffalo, is the local Shubert house, so Otto is taking a leap into the legitimate end of the business. The city planning bureau has approved plans for an addition to the Eastman theatre in Rochester. The building which will adjoin the big house will be used as a garage, studio and paint shop. It will cost $125,000 and have a frontage of 52 feet on Swan Street. It will be 108 feet deep and 75 feet in height. Bill Allen has resigned as member of the sales s aff of Renown Pictures corporation of Buffalo Bill formerly managed the Yitagraph branch and has been with Universal and other companies. The Olympic theatre on Lafayette Square, Buffalo, has been sold by the Monument Theatre corporation to the Buffalo-Broadway corporation for $650,000. The Olympic is now being operated under lease by the Universal Film Company and it is understood that it will be continued under this operation for at least a year. George E. Williams is now manager of the Olympic which is one of the pioneer picture and vaudeville theatres of the city. Its policy of late years, however, has been straight pictures. According to the new owners, the structure will either be remodeled or razed to make room for a modern store and office building. It is understood that real estate experts value the Broadway frontage at $3,000 a front foot. The Monument Theatre Corporation of which M. Slotkin is general manager, operates the mammoth Lafayette Square theatre and office building at Broadway and Washington Streets. One of the officials of this company, in explaining the sale of the Olympic said that the organization wished to avoid competition with themselves, as the patronage of the Lafayette theare will now be enlarged by the former patrons of the Olympic. Under the terms of the sale the property cannot be a theatre for at least 99 years so the Lafayette should worry. The Criterion is going to open again. This time Harry Abbott is going to take a crack at this Jonah in the Buffolo theatrical world. Harry is going to try musical comedy and first run feature films. The Criterion's last session was directed by the Mark-Strand interests who thought that they might get their old friends from the Strand which was closed. But after three weeks' effort it was given up as hopeless. The Shea Amusement Company in conjunction with Paramount a few years ago spent about $50,000 in remodeling the house, but even that failed to attract in spite of the policy of first run Paramount productions. F. Leason, formerly with Gus Sun, has come to Buffalo to take charge of the Metro publicity and exploitation department at the local exchange. Charles K. Stearn of the home office visited Branch Manager Henry W. Kahn last week as he stopped off in town on a motor tour. The following houses have signed up many Metro pictures: Shea's Hippodrome, Loew's State. Buffalo: Eastman and Regent, Rochester; Eckel, Syracuse : Avon, Utica : New Strand, Elmira : Shea's Opera House, Jamestown; Lumberg, Xiagara Falls and others. Robert Berentsen, who for several years has been conductor of the orchestra and organist at the Xew Atlantic theatre in Brooklyn, has been added to the Eastman theatre, Rochester, musical staff. He will be associated with John Hammond in presiding at the console of the Austin organ. Musicians and stage hands have served an ultimatum on Jamestown and Olean theatre owners for a boost in salaries. In Jamestown the Palace and Shea Opera House will not open with vaudeville and if necessary will show straight pictures all season. The exhibitors have offered the musicians a proposition which has not as yet been accepted. If the music makers insist on their demands, it is reported that the theatre owners will give in but cut their orchestra right in half. Fred Gerber of the Liberty theatre in Corning, X*. Y., who has been seriously ill for a long time, has now recovered much to the satisfaction of his army of friends along the Southern Tier. The S rand theatre in Olean, X. Y., has been dismantled and is being remodeled into a store. The Mozart in Eimira has been changed to the Strand under which name it will reopen September 20. George Roberts, general manager of the Berinstein circuit of theatres, is in town arranging for the opening. Louis Smith of Binghamton. X. Y., has been appointed manager of the Lyceum theatre in Eimira, according to an announcement by George Roberts. William Berinstein recently purchased this house from O. S. Hathaway, who also last week sold out his theatrical holdings in Binghamton. Mr. Smith will assume his new duties September 3. He will succeed Howard Bradner. nephew of Mr. Hathaway and who has been manager of the Eimira theatre for several years. Mr. Smith formerly was associated with the Colonial theatre in Albany. For the last two years he has been assistant to H. M. Addison in the management of the Binghamton theatre and the Stone Opera House in Binghamton. Charlie Hayman, president and general manager of the Cataract theatre corporation in Xiag STREET STUNT ON "HEART RAIDER'' The banner read: "The Heart Raids Hearts in the Willys-Knight Sport Car. See Her at the Allen All S'ert Week." Used 6;/ Allen theatre. Akron, O., on ''The Heart Raider" ( Paramount ) ara Falls, X. Y., is up in the Algonquin Park country, Canada, on a fishing offensive. He may go far enough north to shoot some seal so he can have a new fur collar on his coat this winter. Col. Harris Lumberg, also a prominent Falls citizen and former owner of the Lumber which he is now booking, has also gone into Canada again, this time to gather in all the trout. J. Walter Bengough, former assistant manager of the Buffalo Strand, has arrived in Auburn to arrange for the re-opening of the Jefferson theatre which this season will adopt a policy of motion pictures and vaudeville, with the bill changed twice a week. It is rumored that Meyer Schine has taken over the Universal theatre in Auburn owned by Joe Schwartzwalder. Harold J. Dygert, president of Associated Theatres, Inc., of East Rochester, N. Y., has taken over both the Elmwood and Sampson theatres in Penn Yan, N. Y. The Sampson will be closed except Saturdays and Sundays. Edwin O. Weinberg, former manager of the local Mark-Strand and the new State in Schenectady, has resigned as manager of the Buffalo exchange of Renown Pictures Corporation, a position which he held only three weeks. It is rumored that he may take over a local neighborhood house. Mr. Weinberg has been succeeded at the Renown office by Joe Miller who has been representing Hodkinson out of the Albany office. Joseph Welte, owner of the New Ariel theatre in High street, near Michigan avenue, is dead. Mr. Welte's son George will continue to manage the house. The Olympic theatre at Bemus Point on Chautauqua Lake, X. Y.. has been closed for the season, while the Mozart theatre in Jamestown nearby has been turned into a store. Lally Brothers have re-opened the Empire theatre in Dunkirk, X. Y.. the heart of the grape belt. Bill Calhan. manager of the Marlowe theatre, a link in the Border Amusement Company chain, won a trip to the world series games in the Evening Xews Popularity contest and now Bill is trying to sell the trip. Can't get away; business too good. Lou Weiner, former Paramount salesman, has been appointed manager of the Star theatre on William Street, owned by the Border Amusement Company. Lou succeeds Al Gilmore. who has resigned. Mr. Mcln'.yre of the Schine interests has been in Warsaw, X*. Y., interviewing the village fathers with a view to leasing the Farman theatre. The corporation has offered to pay 200 iron men a week. All local employes would be used — except the manager. The board has taken no action in the matter as yet. Bill Hurley, formerly with Paramount, is now covering the Syracuse territory for F. B. O., pending the recovery of Paul Shaver who has been laid up for several weeks with a broken knee cap. T. Cecil Leonard, publicity man for F. B. O. put over a peach of a story on the front page of the Courier ;he other day on " Daytime Wives." Had the folks believing there really was a , Buffalo chapter of the organization. Showed a picture of the chapter, 'n everything. James R. Grainger, general manager of Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan. was in Buffalo over the week end for a conference wi h local manager T. W. Rrady. Every exhihitor who went into the Goldwyn office this week thought they had a new colored salesman, but on closer view it proved to be Otto Seigel, back from a few days at Crystal Beach. Burned black ! Frank Minor. Pathe poster clerk, is sporting one of those new Baby Lincoln coupes. There's class to that guy. S. R. Kent and H. G. Ballance were two Paramount officials in town last week. Branch Manager McManus is enthusiasic over the showing of the local office in the Paramount week drive.