Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1923)

2602 Motion Picture News Detroit CC. KINGSLEY, district man• ager for Selznick, is still in the city and expects to be here for at least two weeks longer until he appoints a local manager. This is his first visit in from four to five years. The Selznick sales force also has an agreeable report of the biggest month's business for November, bar none, that the Company has done since its establishment some six years ago when it was known as Select. To accommodate the crowds which are thronging the Capitol theatre this week to see Chaplin's "Woman of Paris" opening time has been put forward one hour, the theatre opening at eleven A.M. making a twelve hour schedule. The closing of some of the studios is putting a number of rhe stars and near stars " at liberty," and, judging from all appearances, ihis city is due for a plentiful supply of personal appearances. Ken neth Harlan was at the BroadwaySi rand last week, and next week Nita Naldi will be at the Capitol, while Gaston will be at the Broadway-Strand. Detroit " fans " will soon have all the opportunities to view their favorites in the flesh that they may desire. Ray J. Branch, who resigned from W. W. Hodkinson, has joined First National as state salesman, succeeding A. Goldener. The genial state manager of Standard, R. Rowen, was in Cleveland last Sunday and Monday on a business trip, talking over various important matters with H. Charnas and J. Fishman, who had returned to that city after a ten day trip in New York. Harry Lorch, Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan manager, was elected treasurer of the Film Board of Trade, at its last meeting to succeed Al Mertz, Universal manager, who has resigned to go in the film busi ness in the East in the near future. The Goldwyn theatre, which was closed for some time, has reopened under the new name of the Aladdin. It is rumored that Al Mertz, who has been with Universal for seven years, starting as booker and working up as manager, will resign to engage in the film business for himself in western New York. It is said that the resignation will not become effective until his successor is appointed. The Screen Club has been made the recipient of a fine upright piano through the kindness of George Trendle of the Kunsky Enterprises. Another switch of salesmen occurred when Abe Goldener of First National resigned to take a similar position with Film Classics, distributors of the Warner Brothers product. Goldener was formerly with Paramount. Things are changing somewhat at the Pathe exchange with George Sampson, manager, going to New York for the sales conference which starts on Nov. 12 and Jack Morgan, formerly booker promoted to the position of traveling inspection booker with supervision over the departments in Detroit, Chicago, St. Paul, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Des Moines, and Minneapolis. E. Lloyd succeeds Morgan as local booker. David Shafer, who has been checker at the Fox exchange for some time, died last week at the home of his parents of tuberculosis. He was about twenty-five years old. Previous to his connection with Fox he was assistant manager of the Central theatre. Ray Branch has resigned as salesman for Hodkinson. His new connections have not been announced. Mil waukee OF prime interest in Milwaukee this week is the leasing of the Butterfly theatre by John R. Freuler to J. A. Cooper, owner of the Casino and Riviera theatres, La Crosse. With this change the Butterfly will revert to a first run house exclusively. Some months ago the management adopted a popular price plan showing both first and second run pictures. Henry Taylor, present house manager, will be retained by the new management. The theatre is to be thoroughly renovated. The Paramount production, "To the Last Man," Zane Grey's novel picturization, was chosen for the opening program of the new regime, beginning November 17. A Hallowe'en hard times party was held by the combined staffs of Educational and First National in the First National exchange on Saturday, October 27. First National has an office organization known as the " Pep Club," and this group planned the narty. Hallowe'en games were played, and refreshments served in the poster room. With Neil Agnew's transfer to Chicago as sales manager of the Paramount exchange, O. J. Wooden was appointed as his successor. Bob Gary, Paramount's publicity man, is now with the Saxe Amusement enterprises in a similar capacity. M. Witmoyer, formerly with Preferred in Illinois, is now with Graumann's Celebrated staff in Milwaukee. J. S. Woody, general manager of Associated Producers, made his first visit to the new Milwaukee exchange last week, attending the screening of " The Courtship of Miles Standish" and "The Extra Girl." Louis Kane, formerly with Educational, is now traveling northern Wisconsin for Associated Producers. G. A. Hickey, district supervisor for Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan, was another visitor last week, spending a day at the exchange. Exhibitors in town last week included Henry Goldman, Colonial and Grand theatres, Green Bay; Frank Fischer, Fischer theatres, and Niel Duffy, Elite theatre, Appleton. Ground has been broken for a new neighborhood house at 38th and Center streets, Milwaukee, to cost $125,000. Offices and stores will be included in the building. Pete Thielan, formerly of Ascher's Capitol, Manitowoc, has opened the Opera house in that city. The Empire theatre, Mitchell street, has changed owners. S. Hrobsky is the present owner. In connection with the GoldwynCosmopolitan production, " Little Old New York," the story has been running serially in the WisconsinNews for some days. The picture will open at the Merrill theatre November 24 for an extended run. Boston SOL S. HAYES, after a very successful summer season in Boothbay Harbor, Me., doing a little exhibiting, has parked his brogues in Boston again, and is getting set to go on the road with the " Hunchback of Notre Dame." Leon J., or rather "Ruby" Rubenstein, manager of Metro's ambitious little exploitation department in Boston, is going to keep the New England theatre men pepped up on what they can do with their pictures by letting them know what he can do with them via a miniature newspaper, a sheet for news and exploitation. Helen McCarthy, long known to the contract department of Metro's Boston exchange as " Mac," is playing around other kinds of contracts aow. She has tired of release schedules and is now with Register of Deeds Fitzgerald. The Strand theatre in Watertown, one of Boston's suburbs, has opened up again after being dark all summer. Manager-Owner Phil Markel had the place much revamped. A new stunt has recently come to pass at the Metro Boston exchange. They have exhibitor meetings there. The last one was attended by 30 odd leading theatre men from all over New England's key cities. Manager Hill had Jackie Coogan's latest, "Long Live the King," run off for their edification, and among those present was Special Exploitation Manager Weingarten from the Coogan studios. George F. Dembow, district manager for Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan, who has had to do some high stepping since Albany was added to his territory, has had some cosy benches installed in the front part of the new G-C exchange office at 39 Church street, Boston. It is sunny and warm there, and when anyone in the district wants a New Eng land exhibitor who is in town, there they send a boy to look for him and also the writer. Speaking of sun around Manager Dembow's offices, there has been a lot of it since Sol Resnick, booking manager and salesman, got a knot tied between himself and Betty Swartz over in the G. A. R. Hall the other night. Another couple too, married at the same moment, was the brother of Sol's better half. Morris Swartz, who made Elsie Wolfeson Mrs. Swartz. The Fenway, shining forth in a Paramount's key city house here, blaze of new paint and decorations, has made a hit in Boston as with ambitious musical and prologue program. S. Barret McCormick, known through the country as a live wire, has taken the management of the house, while John McConville, who was exploitation manager at the Paramount Boston exchange, has also gone to the Fenway as McCormick's assistant. His place at the exchange has gone to Russell Moon. Also Walter Skates, who had the post of manager at the exchange, has gone over to Associated Exhibitors, replacing " Smiling Bob " Bertschy. The sales force of the local Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan exchange is keeping on its tip-toes these days in preparation for the celebration of " Jimmy " Grainger week, Nov. 25 to Dec. 1. Review Board Praises " Main Street " Another award of merit has been handed the Warner feature " Main Street," the screen adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel of the same name, by the National Board of Review in their monthly publication, Exceptional Photoplays. In their review of the picture, tribute is paid the Warner Brothers for their sincerity displayed in the screen adaptation.