Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1924)

March 29, 19 24 1453 ashington VP. WHITTAKER, one-time •associate of Ince, and later with Preferred Pictures, was in the city over the week-end in his latest capacity as special representative of the New York office of Associated Exhibitors, calling at the Pathe suite to see Harry Havner and R. C. Robin. The Washington Film Board committee, to arrange for the local observance of T-N-T night at Hotel Astor, when the oral entertainment is to be radio broadcasted from there to Washington and some thirty other film centers, has Walter Price, manager of GoldwynCosmopolitan as chairman and Sam Flax, J. F. Driscoll, secretary of the board, Xorman J. Ayres of the Independent-Warner Bros, as members. The gang will meet in the film board room in the Mather Building on the night of the 29th of March, and put on the vulcanized ear-muffs. Jules Levey, general manager of sales of Universal Pictures, visited Manager Jack Osserman of the Washington office, on his way south last week. W. E. Jasper, once connected with the General Film and more recently circulation expert for the Baltimore Post, a Scripps-Howard paper of the tabloid order, is now selling the Paramount product for the Washington exchange of F. P.-L. in the Shenandoah-Clinch valley zone. Special Representative Tom Kilfoil of the New York office of Paramount has been in the local exchange for several days. He has known the local go-getters long enough to prove his rep. as "Smilinsr Tom,-' to be well deserved. C. M. Goble of Bristol, TenneseeVirginia. is reported to be launching a new theatre there as a first run house. Then the Isis will be demoted to second run standing. He will be thus in direct competition with Leo Garner, former Washing ton exchange owner, who manages the other circuit there, the Columbia for white patrons and the Lincoln for colored. Percy Raphael, of London, England, is a new face on the New Jersey avenue exchanges. He was manager of the Goldwyn exchange for Great Britain at London, and wiU be Goldwyn special representative in Virginia, familiarizing himself with American film sales methods, and exploitation, under the direction of Manager Price. The Scheer Bros, of Washington recently added the Princess theater, at 1119 H street, N. E., to their chain which thus embraces three neighborhood houses, the Raphael at 9th and O streets, NT. W., and the Favorite at 62 H street, N. W., near the Government Printing Office, beins their earlier units. The Washington Star now lists under "Film Features," 19 theaters, three of vhich are Scheer theatres. The two Loew houses, the Rialto, the Strand. Cosmos, and eight Crartdall theatres are of course not in the 19 named Besides the Chevy Chase and the Scheer trio, the theatres are: Olvmnic. U-hetween 14th and 15th X. W. ■ New Menders fO'Donnein 535 8th street. S. E.. American. 1st and R I. Avenues! and Liberty North Capitol and P streets (Biron Bros.) ; Dumbarton. 1349 Wisconsin Avenue. Georgetown TFrain & Marceron) : Empire 911 H N. E. (LinkinO: Takoma. 4th and Butternut. Takoma Pk. D. C. (Ex-Mayor Piatt and others') : Hinpodrome. 9th and X. W. Avenue, (Stenz and receiver") ; Carolina 11th & N. C. Avenue. S. E. (Mumhv of Home Amuse. Col Home Theatre. 1230 C street N E Circle of Wa^hinarton Circle neighborhood control. ("Dr. Herbst. Hahn and others') 2105 Pa. Avenue. N. W. New Stanton, 6th & C streets. N. E. (Colman) ; and Elite. 14th street and R. I. Avenue, N. W. (Stone); Trux ton, (Ben Lust), N. Capitol and Florida Avenue at Truxton Circle; and Regent, 18th & California streets, N. W. (Silver). Miss Louise Payne, booker at Federated Films of Washington, past year, has transferred her affections to the new Trio exchange on New Jersey avenue, resigning from the Oletzky office as of March 15th. She will be booker and cashier there, handling bookkeeping also. George Leibold of the Baltimore interests of Mr. Oletzky, has been sent over to assume Miss Payne's former duties as booker in Federated. No manager has as yet been appointed to succeed Israel Colb, who was here hardly two weeks. Miss Miriam Knapp, formerly from up-state New York, near Utica, recently became billing clerk and cashier's assistant in Yitagraph. Since Willy Banfler took to selling for F. B. O., the shipping, poster and inspection rooms of McXamee's growing Washington office, have been taken under the wing of the new chief shipper, James Walsh. Miss Donna Gleason, formerly of Leesburgh, Virginia, is a new member of the staff of film inspectresses in F. B. O. Ground was broken last week for the new film theatre at Suffolk, Pa., near Xorfolk. The lease of the old Xew Pickwick theatre, 113-115 Xo. Howard street, Baltimore, from Waldo Hack and others to Samuel Soltz of Pittsburgh for a term of 9 years, with an annual rental of $7,500 for the first three years, $8,500 the second three vears, and reaching an annual rental'of $9,500 the last three years was recorded last week. Lee Dornberg, who has had a sign on the place for several months, was the broker. Leon Brusilof, director of the orchestra of Loew's Columbia theatre here, has received nation-wide publicity in connection with the Moines news of his recent acquisition of a historical old-time violin, which has the maker's name and date inscribed upon it. Harry Howe, house treasurer and assistant manager of the Columbia, has just returned from his annual mid-winter trip to Florida. The pageant of fashion staged by Pemberton and his dancers last week at the Palace made quite a drawing card. Former, present and future modes imported by Hecht's from New York were displayed, and the finale was a wedding scene. This is the first real fashion revue ever staged in a Washington picture theatre. Harry E. Lohmeyer, manager of Crandall's Avenue Grand, who shortly goes to the new Tivoli, is using "tabs" in his audience building. His two costliest attractions during the current week are Gerald Cook's Oriole Society Orchestra, a music novelty act of eight syncopators, appearing three times Sunday and twice on Monday evening. Thursday the gifted violin virtuoso, Miss Sweeney gave a miniature recital with pipe organ embellishments. Jury duty seemingly hit the Crandall executive staff pretty exceeding hard lately. Harry M. Crandall who has prominently aided the Emergency and Casual Hospital drives, on which he was a committee man, has served recently on condemnation and other juries. Others of his staff recently impaneled for jury service, included his general manager, Joseph P. Morgan; and George A. Crouch, treasurer of the Crandall theatres, have had their court room juror blues. John B. Upperman, manager of the Apollo theatre, Crandall house in the north-east end of Washington, has now almost convalesced from a week of enforced idleness due to La Grippe, which did not permit his getting about until last Thursday. LJ. SELZNICK, head of Selz• nick Select,and Jimmy Grainger, general sales manager of Goldwyn, visited the A. H. Blank headquarters in Des Moines. Spring has come. The Des Moines Theatre" is blossoming forth. An arbor bedecked with gay colors and garlands of flowers on all sides will turn the lobby into a bower. The theatre is also putting on a style show, Ivan D. Martin's New York Models Fashion Revue, with a runway extending out over the audience, and six girls who are assisted by a number of local people. The Famous Players salesmen were all in town and each brought business. A. W. Xichols, district manager, was in Des Moines for three days. E. J. "Smith has taken over the Rialto Theatre at Cedar Rapids, la. He bought the picture house from J. J. Jacobson who is now partaking of a vacation from the film business. Helen Ditzler, sales control girl for Pathe. was called to Grinnell by the sudden illness of her mother. R. H. Fairchild, recovered from, his recent attack of appendicitis, is back on the job as salesman fo F. B. O. R. S. Ballentyne of the Pathe office called in all the salesmen for a conference last week. The Iowa Theatre Equipment company have installed a Simplex machine at Waverly, Iowa. They put in two low intensity arcs at the Strand Theatre, Des Moines and put in a projection machine at the K. C. headquarters at the hospital at Knoxville. S. S. Schwarz, manager of the Premier Pictures, exchange, which is now nicely located in their new headquarters at 1005 Film Exchange Building, announced that he expects to call on every exhibitor in the territory. Schwarz has been associated with A. H. Blank Enterprises for the past eight years. T. M. Eckart. Paramount salesman out of Minneapolis, visited Des Moines which used to be his headquarters. He is arranging to move his wife and family to Minneapolis. Ted Mendenhall, who was also transferred from the Des Moines to the Minneapolis office, will be down soon to look after his car which he left in Des Moines. Marie Clements, inspector, of film for Famous Plavers, is no longer of the staff. Manager Kahn, of the Educational exchange, made a flying trip to Omaha last week. Visitors at the Des Moines ex changes were J. C. Collins of Pern', and C. W. Morgan of the Palace Theatre at Murray, L. C. West of Perry and Grinnell, visited the Premier exchange. Charles H. Grahl, husband of the News correspondent in Des Moines, was re-elected school treasurer with a flattering majority, last week. The film exchanges helped put him over. Business is not so good in Iowa. The roads are so bad that it is impossible for the farmers to get in to the towns. In many places the schools have been closed for several weeks as traffic was impossible on the mud roads. Everyone is talking about — CYTHEREA Goddess of Love