Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1923)

December i , 1923 2599 Chicago THE firm of Marks, Goodman, Marks & Harrison, better known to the trade as Marks & Goodman, after a prosperous career of more than ten years, has been dissolved. Louis L. Marks and Meyer S. Marks will continue in business under the name of Marks Brothers, operating the B r o a d w a y Strand at 1639 W. Roosevelt road, the Orpheus theatre at 1208 S. Ashland and 1607 W. Roosevelt road and the Marshfield theatre at 1650 W. Roosevelt road. Julius Goodman and Louis H. Harrison will continue in business operating theatres under the name of Goodman & Harrison, and will operate the Marshall Square theatre at 2201 Marshall boulevard and 2867 W. 22nd street, and the Illington theatre at 2114 W. 22nd street. All the theatres mentioned above are good sized houses of a thousand or more seats. A birthday anniversary party was staged by the employees of V. T. Lynch's New Tiffin theatre, last week, at which the popular proprietor was the feature speaker and lived up to his reputation as an orator. A dinner was served in the hall over the theatre, which was followed by dancing to the music of a splendid orchestra during the evening. Many film men attended the opening of John Dromey's new theatre in North Chicago last week. The premiere of this handsome little four hundred seat theatre, which includes the latest in equipment and appointments, was most successful. During the recent visit of William A. White, directing editor of Fox News, to Chicago, he secured the hearty endorsement of Mayor Dever, for news reels. The mayor also assured Mr. White oi his full, future co-operating in facilitating the work of news reel photographers in Chicago, and declared that all men in public office should take pride in assisting such a movement in bringing the world closer together as it does. Ralph Kettering, general representative of Jones, Linick & Schaefer, slipped on a wet street in stepping off the curb at State and Adams streets, last week, and fractured one of the bones in his ankle. With the aid of -bandages and a stout cane, Ralph is able to get around, but is not displaying his usual speed. His many friends will be glad to know that Mrs. Kettering has passed the crisis in her serious illness and is now making progress towards recovery. According to reports from the Chicago American's Broadcasting Station, the solos of J. Remington Welch on the big Wurlitzer organ at McVicar's are proving one of the most popular features ever broadcasted by this station. W illiam Hamilton is at the Chicago Rothacker Laboratory again, this time having brought the negative of " Twenty-one," starring Richard Barthelmess. John S. Robertson directed this First National release for Inspiration Pictures. H. L. Conway, recently connected with Famous Players-Lasky organization, and who has been identified with the distributing end of the industry since the organization of the General Film Company-, of which concern he was an executive ten years ago, has become connected with Popular Motion Picture Productions, Inc., a Chicago concern, and will look after the release of its productions. Fitzpatrick & McElroy appointed Harry Miller, veteran Chicago theatre man, manager of their new theatre at Traverse City, which opened last Monday. He has recently been in charge of the National theatre on South Halsted street and previous to that, managed the Rose and Alcazar, two Loop theatres, for a number of years. Charles H. Duell, Jr., president of Inspiration Pictures, was a visitor last week-end and looked over the presentation of " The White Sister," starring Lillian Gish, which is being shown at the Great Northern theatre. During his sojourn he was complimented on the successful debut of Miss Gish under his direction, by many of Chicago's society leaders, including Mrs. John Borden, James Waller, Mrs. Potter Palmer and Princess Cantazeune. The beautiful, new motion picture theatre being erected at Sterling, Illinois, by Manager Greenough, is rapidly nearing completion and it is now planned to have the house ready for opening some time during February. Jack St. Clair, of Chicago's Universal office, brings news of the serious illness of the wife of Ezra Rhodes, proprietor of the Blackstone, La Salle and other theatres at South Bend, Indiana. While still confined to the Mishawauka Hospital, Mrs. Rhodes is reported on the road to recovery. Manager Schwartz, of Educational's Chicago exchange, presided at a sales meeting this week at which all salesmen of this branch were present and at which plans to stimulate sales and thereby increase the bulk business were discussed. An important development of the meeting was that a downward revision of prices will be made in an effort to benefit many theatres which are now finding it difficult to show a weekly profit Rabbi Jack K. Skirbial, of Evansville, Indiana, who was formerly well known in motion picture circles as one of the Skirbial Brothers, Cleveland Film exchange men, was in Chicago this week and called on many of his old freinds along Film Row and was given a warm welcome. Entering the ministry has not changed the disposition of Mr. Skirbial who is the same jovial good fellow as in his exchange days. Barney Lyon has returned to the motion picture business after being engaged in other lines of activity for several years. He is now a member of Metro's sales staff and will cover Wisconsin territory. He formerly worked for Manager Rozelle when Mr. Rozelle was manager of the World Film Company, and has a wide acquaintance among theatre and exchange men of the territory. A. J. Cooper, president of the La Crosse Amusement Company, has taken active charge of the Butterfly, a Milwaukee house, which he recently took over. The Butterfly is being operated as a high class, first run picture house. Manager Eddie Silverman, o\ Warner Brothers exchange, was in New York this week for a conference with officials at his company's home office. Dee Robinson, who has been ill for some time past with serious stomach trouble, and who was recently reported improved, was in Chicago this week for a consultation with a well known specialist It is understood that the physiciaa took a hopeful view of his case, which will be good news to his many friends. entral Penn WITH the same determination that his father, Isaac Marcus, Harrisburg, has displayed in the development of two successful motion picture theatres in that city, Robert Marcus, after three years of hard plugging on the "scrub," has at last won a coveted place on the 'varsity football team of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. Robert Marcus, a former member of the football team of the Harrisburg Technical High School, is nicknamed "Atlas," because of his remarkable strength. Though he is very short of stature for a 'varsity football man, and weighs only 150 pounds, his determination and pluck, after playing several seasons on the second team, have at last resulted in his being selected for one of the guard positions on the first eleven. A suit for divorce has been started in Gettysburg, against Mrs. Ruth A. Funkhouser, of Harrisburg, who was selected in a contest conducted by Rudolph Valentino, to represent that city in his national beauty contest in New York City. The beauty contest, however, in no way figures in the divorce action, which has been brought by her husband, Roy P. Funkhouser, who alleges "cruel and barbarous treatment." The couple have two children. The Majestic theatre, Harrisburg, part vaudeville and part pictures, was crowded to overflowing at a matinee performance on November 17, when the management invited the children of the Sylvan Heights Home, The Nursery Home and the Children's Industrial Home and their friends to be the theatre's guests at a show in which the feature of the program was the J. C. Mack & Company "Mother Goose" performance. The affair was arranged by Mr. Hurley, publicity man for the Wilmer & Vincent theatres in Harrisburg, of which the Majestic is one. A number of Central Pennsylvania exhibitors attended the annual entertainment for the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, held in Fay's theatre, Philadelphia, Sunday evening, November 11, at which, it was announced in advance, Sydney S. Cohen, president of the national or ganization, would be present. The American theatre, Pottsville, which closed in the last week of October, will be reopened about the first of the year under the name of the Hollywood. This theatre is one of a chain operated by William Shugars. The Broad theatre, Souderton, has been leased for a long period of years by the George Bennethum interests, of Philadelphia, from the Broad Amusement Company, Inc. The house will show vaudeville on Wednesdays and Saturdays and motion pictures the other four days of each week. Clyde Henderson, a former York theatre man, has been made house manager. The Lions' Club, just formed in Pottsville, has among its charter members, Edward Brown, manager of the Garden theatre, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Freedman, the former manager of the Strand theatre, Scranton, are being congratulated on the arrival of a fine new baby boy in the household. The annual concerts of the Danville Symphony Orchestra, consisting of local talent, will be held in the Danville Opera House through the courtesy of the L. J. Chamberlain Amusement Company, which controls the theatre and a large number of picture houses in Pennsylvania. A large new electric sign and a complete new lighting system were recently installed in the Victoria theatre, Shamokin. Four small Army balloons, carrying an advertisement of "Penrod and Sam," appearing in the Capital theatre, a Wilmer & Vincent house in Reading, were released recently and attracted the attention of practically the entire population of the city and suburbs, to the film play. Joel Levy is manager of the theatre and put the stunt across with gratifying results at the box office. The Goldwyn Cosmopolitan branch exchange in Pittsburgh, Pa, has been moved from 1201 Liberty Avenue to 1014 Forbes Street Lester Starm, resident manager, and his office staff are now installed at the new quarters where the facilities for caring for the wants of exhibitors are greatly increased.