Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1924)

1004 Motion Picture News BILL SKIRBOLL of Goldseal Productions is just back from New York. Norman Moray, manager of the local First National exchange was off on sick leave last week. He's expected to resume duties again this week. N. A. Thompson of the New York First National office has been a guest of the Cleveland First National exchange during the past week. He's here to install a newsystem of sales control. J. O. Brooks, special representative for Fox, who has been in the Cleveland territory for the past two months, has finally checked out, and left for New York last Thursday. C. E. Almy, manager of the local Metro exchange, was in Chicago last week attending a meeting of central western Metro exchange managers. C. E. Fenrod, division manager for F. B. O. was in Cleveland last weekend. George Jacobs is in our midst once more. This time, it is in the capacity of personal representative for Al Lichtman. Jacobs plans to spend considerable time in the Cleveland Universal office, after which he will visit other Universal offices. Jacobs was formerly head of his own independent distribution office which operated under the name of the Western Pictures Company. Al Feinman has arrived in town straight from New York, to take charge of the engagements and publicity of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" which opens its Cleveland run at the Stillman Theatre the week of March 2nd. W. J. Kimes is back in town after a protracted stay in California. Kimes used to be manager of the Cleveland Goldwyn exchange. Since he severed his connections with Goldwyn, he has not had any picture affiliations, but took occasion to tour to California. It is not known whether he has formed any new ties within the industry or not. He was around the Film Exchange Bldg., however. Mischa Guterson, musical director of Loew's State theatre, has arranged a musical treat for local music lovers. This week, in connection with the picture "Rendezvous" Guterson offered an allRussian score, compiled from the greatest Russian musicians. This is the first time that a picture has been scored in Cleveland with such a selection of classics. Among the best known were Tshaikowski's "Slav March", "Overture of 1812", "Chanson Trists", "1st Movement from the Fourth Symphony", Last Movement from the Fourth Symphony, 5-4 Movement from the Fifth Symphony, Last Movement from the Sixth Symphony; Rubenstein's "Romance" ; Chopin's Nocturne 13 ; Rachmaninoff's "Prelude", and "Melody" ; Jewish Dance by RinsiCorsico; and others from composers of note. William Raynor, manager of Reade's Hippodrome, Cleveland, had a great show last week. He called it "Jazz Carnival." And it started out to be a carnival right at the front door leading into the foyer, where a little colored boy in bright red "buttons" uniform handed out tooters in bright colors to each patron. The inside foyer was hung with varicolored paper strips, draped from the ceiling. The usherettes were in Pierette costumes, no two the same color. Inside the auditorium, there were three jazz bands, sometime all going together, sometime separately. There were thirty nine instruments in the three bands — the largest jazz collection ever exhibited in Cleveland. A Male Trio sang from one of the upper boxes as one of the features of the overture. Lights were half down during the songs, and at the same time hundreds of balloons were loosed from the top balcony and allowed to float over the entire auditorium. O. E. Pelles, president of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitor's Association, M. B. Horwitz, P. E. Essick, M. Fine, Frank Gross and Dr. I. Brodv have been appointed a committee of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, to discuss the zoning system of Cleveland, as submitted to the Association by the Film Board of Trade of Cleveland. Christie Diebel, manager of the Liberty theatre, Youngstown, was in town the fore part of the week. He came up to see Charles Ray and arrange for his personaf appearance this week at the Liberty. And he did it. For Ray left Cleveland Sunday so as to make a personal appearance at the Liberty just before the first performance of "The Courtship of Alyles Standish." "Doc" Horater, manager of the Temple theatre, Toledo, made a flying trip around the local exchanges the middle of last week. Louis Miller, manager of the Palace theatre, Ashtabula, was in the Film Bldg. last week, booking pictures and seeing what Cleveland First-run houses are doing. Peter Rettig, of the Mystic theatre, Gabon, was a paying guest at the local First National exchange during the week. Judge Foster traveled up to town from Marion the early part of last week, to put his name on some interesting firstrun contracts. The Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association held its February meeting last Tuesday at the Winton Hotel. Luncheon preceded the business meeting. Chicago ^ONE CHAIRMEN, recently ap" pointed by Business Manager Jack Miller and the advisory committee of the Exhibitors Association of Chicago, are showing a real interest in their work and already many new members of the association have been secured through their efforts. They are also keeping the public posted on matters pertaining to the theatres and are seeing that the members of the association run trailers announcing their membership and print the announcement on their programs as well. The zone chairmen, as announced by Mr. Miller, follow: South Side: Nathan Joseph, Lincoln; Ludwig Siegel, Prairie; Al Lyons, Peoples; James Plodna, Harper; Abe Cohen, Midway; and Tames Coston, Harvard: North Side": Henry Newell, Howard Theatre ; Nate Gumbiner, De Luxe ; Louis Zahler, Commodore; Jack Freeman, Claremont; Harold Hill, Arrow; H. Heinaman, Crescent; Maurice Choynski, Newberry; Nate Wolf, Vision; Frank Schaeffer, Crystal; West Side: George Hopkinson, Hamlin; Samuel Abrahams, Gold; A. Saperstein, Palais Royal; M. Goodman, Marshall Square. The Field Museum of Natural History will utilize motion pictures to make its work more interesting, and has arranged a series of free, public lectures on travel and natural history, illustrated by moving pictures, which will be given at the museum on Saturday afternoons during the months of March and April. A. Raymond Gallo has been elected president and director general of Peacock Pictures Corporation, a new independent producing company recently organized in Chicago. According to Mr. Gallo, the company now has ready for screening, two stories, adapted for the screen by Scenario Editor Norris. His staff, as announced by President Gallo, includes: Major V. C. Sweinhart, production manager; H. John Ross, director of educational productions and local casting director; Bernhard O. Wirth, art supervisor and location manager ; M. James Gallo, studio manager ; Irwin S. Censky, efficiency manager ; Lowell Ames Norris, scenario editor; Carl H. Schultz, art editor, and Grace Inglis, of Los Angeles, casting director. It is Mr. Gallo's intention to begin production dur ing April, and arrangements for a Chicago studio, where the interiors will be shot, are being completed. Roy Alexander, for many years connected with Universal Film Company, has resigned as Chicago exchange manager. His rapid advance from a minor position to salesman, short subject manager at Chicago, then manager at Kansas City and finally manager of the Chicago exchange, was won by hard work and ability. Mr. Alexander has not yet announced his future plans but it is understood that he will remain in the film business. William Paara, who for the past six months has been connected with Fox's Chicago exchange as booker, has been promoted to assistant manager of Fox's Oklahoma Cit<exchange. Air. Paara has left for New York and after a short time spent at headquarters will proceed to Oklahoma City and assume his new duties. Chub Florine, who has been selling Select Pictures in city territory, has been promoted to manager of Standard Cinema Service, which is releasing througrh Select and will have charge of the sale of this com pany's product in the territory of which Chicago is headquarters. Ted Meyers, who for some time past, has been connected with Fathe's sales force, and one of the most popular go-getters in this territory, has been appointed manager of Pathe's Omaha office and has already left for his new headquarters. Al Lichtman, general sales manager of Universal, stopped over in Chicago, Sunday, for a sales conference and then proceeded on his way to the coast, where he will spend several days at Universal City. Special Representative George Jacobs and Manager Brown, of the Cleveland exchange ; Ike Von Ronkel. of the Des Moines exchange and Divisional Manager Wolf berg, participated in the conference. Jack Hellman, Milwaukee newspaper man and formerly publicity director for Paramount at Minneapolis, has been ? "tinted Universal exploitation man and is devoting his entire time to "The Hunchback" in the theatres showing this big feature. Reports coming in from various points indicate that Mr. Hellman is more than making good on the new job. EMPIRE LABORATORIES, Inc. PRINTS 723 SEVENTH AVENUE bryant NEW YORK PRINTS DEVELOPING AND PRINTING MOTION PICTURE FILM