Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1925)

3032 Motion Picture N^c <«; s Summer Closings Follow Hot Spell Heat Wave Revives Usual Talk of Extensive Shut-Downs, But Official Announcements Average With Other Years L\ST week's heat wave caused picture houses to play to lean business and ^ iirought forth many announcements of summer closings. Several liouses are already dark and will remain idle until the end of the summer, while a number of others announced that they would close in a short time. The torrid weather revived the usual early summer talk of extensive" theatre shutdowns, though official announcements indicate that up to the present the number of closings will not greatlj exceed those of former years. The f.O.C.C. has started an agitation to have all members of that organization close their houses during the months of July and August. A questionnaii'e has been sent out and upon the results will depend the final decision with regard to the plan. The question was discussed at a meeting held last Wednesday. There are alxjut 600 theatres listed as members of the T.O.C.C. and it is possible that all of these will lie darkened during July and August should the plan receive the endorsement of the organization. One of the main objections to the plan is based on the fact that the larger circuits will continue to operate the majority of their theatres throughout the summer. The summer closing situation in other cities of the country vary with local conditions. In Detroit only one theatre was reported closed and that for repairs. The Stanley Company darkened for t) summer pei'iod four of their Philadelphia hou-ses. These are the Aldine, Allegheny. Keystone and Orpheum. The question, "Will the motion picture theatres of Cleveland close during the warm weather." ha.s been answered bv M. B. Horwitz, jn-esident of the Washington Circuit, which operates a chain of a dozen local bouses. "Xo,'' says Horwitz, "The theatre Avill not close. And the rea.son they will not close is because they cannot." The zoning system, put into operation in Cleveland the beginning of last sea.son by the Film Board of Trade, has made it necessary, .says Horwitz, for the exhibitor to give dates for pictures many months in advance of showing the picture. This is necessary in order for an exhibitor to protect himself against his nearest zone competitor. These pictures, contracted for, must be played. If not on the date specified, then at some later date. "If we shut up shop," Horwitz stated, "then in the fall, we'd have a lot of old jiictures waiting to be played. The public knows the new p-ctures from the old. To play the old pictures at the opening of a new season would ruin the standing of a first-run neighborhood house for the whole .season. Perhaps forever. So it's cheaper to stay open during the summer, take the loss of operating in the heat, play off the old pictures that have been contracted for, and start in the fall with a clean slate." With the advent of summer many changes are taking place in the theatrical world of Butte. As is usual at this time of year there is a marked decrease in the theatre attendance and that spells little profit, if any for the amu.sement houses. Manager W. J. Sullivan of the Silver Bow Amusement companj' has published the announcement that his two houses, the American and the Rialto will close on the thirteenth of June for the summer months. He says: "Because of the high cost of our big attractions, our big salaiy for musicians, operators and other attaches, we have been losing money for some time (jast. Attendance has decreased more than 30% since March and it is a financial impossibility to continue." Under the contract with the Musicians' union, all houses having a seating capacity of more than 499 must employ a five-piece orchestra. It is generally believed that the darkening of both of these popular houses will be temporary and that they will be opened again in the fall. A large number of Iowa theatres are closing this year for the summer slack season. One salesman estimatwl that summer closings would show an increase of .30 per cent over last year's total. Probably ten per cent of the smaller houses will be closed at least and in some cases the salesmen are reporting five or six houss out of evei-A' twenty-five to be planning on summer closing. Among other houses which will not be operating for the summer season is the Burg at Fredericksbiirg, the Opera House at Batavia, the Princess at Hopkington, and the Opera House at Limes Springs. The unprecedented June hot spell under which Chicago sweltered for ten days had a very adverse effect upon the theatre attendance, and houses in all parts of the city reported very poor business. With slight fall in the thermometer, however, on Saturday night and Sunday, business again revived. The usual talk of theatres closing for the summer is heard on film row. but to date fewer houses than one year ago, have officially announced their intention of closing. Old Sol has hit Baltimore, Md., with a vengeance during the past week. Consequently the patronage of the moving picture theatres became conspicuous by its absence and the exhibitors realized that at last Summer "had came.'' Film Golfers Meet at Briarcliff Rain Dampens Green But Day is Voted Great Success; Rex Beach Makes Low Net Score; Other Notables Compete for Trophies THE Spring Golf Tournament conducted at Briarcliff Lfxlge, Westchester County, Tuesday, brought out the usual number of film golf enthusiasts, about 200, and in spite of a heavy rain that caught practically all the crowd out on the gi-een the day was voted a gi-eat success. The golfers began to an-ive soon after ten a. m. and a number of foursomes were jdayed before luncheon. The official matches were conducted in the afternoon but many of them were not completetl owing to the rain. This made the awarding of some of the special trophies impossible and in consequence the committee decidetl to hold these prizes until the next tournament. The winners of tlic princii)al trophies are as follows: Low net (Reuben Samuels, Inc. Cup) Avon by Rex Beach, with a net of 70. Low net runner-up (silver putter offered by Motion Picture News) won hy Stanley B. Waite, with a net score of 71. Low gross (Warner Bros. Cup) tied between Rex Beach and J. D. Williams. Won for Williams by Billy Brandt at the toss of coin. Jules Mastbaum Cup for lowest exliibitor score to Christopher Deibel of Youngstown, 0. Trophy shield (Exhibitors Herald Trophy) won by John H. Theis, 2nd low gross runner-up. Special cup by Davis Distributing DiA'ision won bv Tom Moore, of Washington. Winner of leg on FILM DAILY Cup, Rex Beach with a net of 70. Kodak offered by Jules Brulatour won by Lester Aarons, 3rd low gross runner-up. Winners of the foursome prizes follow : Chester Sawyer, Bill Sheer, Joseph Sameth, John E. Storey, Don Mersereau, Arthur S. Kane, Jim Milligan, George Blair, Sam Sax, HaiTV Fields, Carl Carleton, Jerome Beatty, Marty Schwartz, John Theis, Harry Segal, Arthur Stebbins. Xed Depinet, J. V. Ritchey, Jr.; George Brown, Earl Gulick, Fred J. McConnell, J. Boyce Smith, Howard Tierney, Rudy Cameron, Albert L. Grev, E. J. Warner, Mark Dintenfass, S. S. Toback, Al Saunders, F. B. Crosbie, and ^lessrs. Branton. Scott, Nolan, Karpen, Frankel and Cummins. Runners-up in the foursomes also awarded prizes: Lee A. Ochs, Charles Haring. John Humm, Tim Leahy, E. A. Eschmanu, Lee Marcus, C. Graham Baker, James A. Cron. Mvron Lesser, Tom Gerety, Earl W. Hammons, E. J. Smith, J. T. Oliphant, E. L. Smith, Hawley Turner, Oscar Lynch, Joe Hornstein, George C. Wilson. William ilassce, Oscar A. Price. Dr. S. Scheppt. Gene Hatschet, J. V. Ritchey, Sr.; A. W. Smith, Will Nigh, Stanley B. Waite. E. S. Gaylor, Jr.; Jess Gourlay, Paul Gulick. Lviide Denig. Arthur Pelterson, AI Hedley, Richard Brady. J. T. Rowley, and Messrs. Hand, Berson, Schreiber and Abrahams. The distribution of prizes was a part of the evening's entertainment, the other half being a dinner lield in the Casino of the Briarcliff Lodge. Harry Reichenback acted as toastmaster during the banquet. There were informal speeches and the crowd had a general good time.