Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1923)

December i , 1923 2595 Regional News From Correspondents St. L OU1S THE Pershing theatre, Delmar boulevard near Hamilton avenue, St. Louis, which has recently been remodeled, decorated and furnished by the St. Louis Amusement Company at a cost of $50,000, will reopen November 24 with " Sacramouche " as the feature attraction. The picture will run indefinitely. A top $1.65 will be charged. A feature of the Pershing improvement is a special parking garage for patrons of the house, which has been established just west of the theatre. The Shubert-Jcfferson theatre. Twelfth boulevard at Locust, will be forced to obtain new quarters after November 1, 1925, as the Union Electric Light and Power Company has just concluded a forty years' lease on the entire 11story of which the theatre is a part. George H. Lighton, manager, said that the Shubert interests have not yet decided on the location of their new house, and had several very desirable sites in view. However, it is generally believed that the Fall of 1925 will find the Shuberts with a house in the vicinity of Grand and Washington boulevards. In recent years there has been a decided drift from the downtown section so far as theatres are concerned, and in view of the situation it is very improbable that the Shuberts will decide to remain cast of Grand boulevard. One plan mentioned the new theatre as part of an annex to the Jefferson Hotel at Thirteenth street and Locust boulevard, just west of the present theatre. Herschel Stuart, manager of the Missouri theatre, the Paramount first-run house in St. Louis, has announced that during the two weeks beginning Monday, November 19, the proceeds of the theatre, with the exception of the Sunday shows, will be divided for the benefit of Father Dempsey's Day Nursery, 1209 North Sixth street, a well known local charity which was established in 1910 as a haven for poor children whose mothers are obliged to work. An average of eighty children a day are cared for by the institution. Women interested in the nursery helped to sell 10,000 tickets for the Missouri during the period covered by the benefit. A special private screening of Jackie Coogan's " Long Live the King" was given Thursday morning, November 15, in the Daniel Boone room of the Statler Hotel. Luncheon was served immediately after the screening. Larry Weingarten, special representative of Jackie Coogan, made a special trip to St. Louis to be present at the luncheon. Guests included Mrs. John S. Payne, president of the Missouri Federation of Women's Club, and prominent newspaper men and exhibitors. Charles Werner, local manager, represented Metro, as host. At the gathering it was announced that for the first time in the history of St. Louis four firstrun theatres will show a feature picture day and date when " Long Live the King " opens at the Grand Central, Delmonte, West End Lyric and Capitol theatres on the same day. Miss Kathleen Corson, secretary of Sales Manager McLean of First National Pictures, will take no more of his dictation, for she recently tendered her resignation, effective November 10, to become the bride of Gerald Miller, of Gerald Miller, of Springfield, 111. Miller, a newspaper man, is attached to the staff of the Illinois State Register. The couple will make their home in Springfield. On Friday, November 9, eight of Miss Corson's intimate friends in the First National office surprised her with a dinner and theatre party. An envelope at her plate when opened was found to contain a wedding present in the form of a check from the First National employees. Later the party attended the performance at the Rialto theatre, Grand boulevard near Olive street. J. L. Morrissey has taken charge of the publicity and exploitation work for the Metro Pictures in the St. Louis and Kansas City districts. He will divide his time between the two cities. Tom Reed of Duquoin, 111., motored to town in his new Packard. Some car and some driver. Don Davis of Associated Exhibitors is back from a trip to Spring field, 111. and reports business excellent. Harry Graham of Kansas City takes charge of the local Pathe office this week. Frank Harris, former manager, plans to take a couple of weeks' vacation and upon his return to St. Louis will announce his future plans. S. D. Wilson, Associated Exhibitors salesman, is back from a very successful trip to Kentucky. G. E. McKean, Fox manager, is visiting the key cities in Southern Illinois. S. E. Pertle of Jerseyville, 111., was a caller of the week. Other out-of-town exhibitors seen along picture row were : C. E. Brady, Cape Girardeau ; Tom Reed, Duquoin, 111. ; Jim Reilly, Princess. Alton, and I. W. Rodges, Poplar Bluff and Cairo. The retrenchment of Paramount cost George Gambrill, exploitation man, and W. T. Gledhill and Mike Newman, salesmen, their jobs. Newman has since joined Jack Weil's Goldwyn organization, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of H. E. Boswell. Ralph Reesman has been transferred to the Arkansas territory and Newman will take over his territory for Goldwyn. Jack Weil, back from Memphis, Tenn., reports that conditions in Tennessee are deplorable as a result of Sunday closing. All of the theatres have been forced to cut expenses to the bone, while some are going to close their doors to await better times. eveian land ED BENDER, one of the pioneers in the film business in Canton, and present owner of the Lyceum theatre, a combination vaudeville and picture house, visited Manager Mark Goldman of the Selznick last week. Bender says that the picture business in Canton is very good for this time of the year. William Raynor, manager of Reade's Hippodrome, Cleveland, is confined to his bed with a bad attack of grip. The exhibitors of Cleveland will eat, sing, dance and be merry the evening of December 4th, when the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association is staging a dinner-dance at the Winton Hotel. There's to be a cabaret, and everything that goes to make up a big time attraction. No, it's not a stag. Bring the ladies along. Van C. Lee, who manages the Opera House in Ravenna, was in the city last week, and added his contract to the pile that is rapidly growing in celebration of Progress Pictures' first birthday, which is now in process of being celebrated. John Pain, manager of the Opera House at Kent, was one of the few out-of-town exhibitors seen around the Film Exchange Bldg. last week. John Peruzzi, who conducts the destinies of the Butler theatre when he is in Niles, came to Cleveland on a picture shopping expedition last week-end. The McKinley theatre in Niles is now open, and is being operated by L. G. Brady. Brady was formerly associated with the film business in Lorain. There!s quite a story goes with the McKinley theatre. It was built and entirely completed some six or eight months ago. Those who have seen it say that it's one of the most complete and one of the prettiest houses in the territory. But the builders of the house have been unable to find anyone to lease it. So it has stood idle since its completion until last week when Brady took over the lease of the theatre. The many friends of Rudolph Friedrich, prominent exhibitor of Lorain, will regret to hear of his sudden death last week, of heart disease. Friedrich owned and controlled the Paris, Standard and Elvira theatres in Lorain, and the Park theatre in Amherst. His widow, Mrs. Marie Friedrich, will continue the management of the houses. The Deucan theatre, Broadway and Harvard avenues, Cleveland, is open again continuously, after having operated for some time on the limited policy of two nights a week. This shows the upward trend of local picture business. Fred Desberg, managing director of Loew's Ohio theatres, issued an invitation, through the local newspapers, to every school teacher in Cleveland to attend a morning performance at the State theatre on Saturday, Nov. 17, to see " The Einstein Theory" as explained via the screen. Max Schagrin, who with his twin brother, Joe, steers the good theatre Orpheum in Canton through the hazardous waters of exhibition, came up to call on his Cleveland exchange last week. The Washington theatre, a new house in Toronto, Ohio, opens for the first time on Christmas Day with " Merry Go Round." Pete Callageous is manager of the new house. He was formerly an ex hibitor of Salem, O. W. F. Seymour, district manager for the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation, paid the Cleveland exchange, under the management of S. S. Webster, a visit of several days last week. Al Mendelson, of the local Universal exchange, has permanently left the movie business. Mendelson has been in the picture business for five years. Lee Levison, one of Universal's local city salesmen, left Cleveland early Saturday morning to motor to New York. Slight changes have been effected in the local Universal exchange. Joe Krenitz has been transferred from city sales to cover the Youngstown territory. Dan Stearns and Lee Levison have been assigned to city duty. George Jacobs, of Progress Pictures Company, is back in Cleveland, after having spent a month in and out of the Cincinnati branch office. You remember W. J. Kimes? He used to be manager of the local Goldwyn exchange. Well, he has started on bis way to California.