Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

October 5 , i p / 8 2173 m;;j.iUiiw;i:;i.;;.;.i.;;ii!ii:.i:;1mjimmuiiii jiiiiiii.miuiuiuiiiiiiiiiimi Nlllllllllllllll,. . ' ! II I1I1LI un ti u iiuiuiiuiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiuiiiimiiiiiinuiiiiiiiiiii imiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiinniniiiii inuitiiimuiiiimiiiiiinii Newsy Reports From All Sections nnnrnromiiimiiniimiimiimromimnimmiTmimmimiimm Reel Fellows Add Members in Connecticut New Haven, Conn. — Great strides are being made by the newly organized Keel Fellows' Club of Connecticut in their exploitation of good will and good fellowship amongst the salesmen and exchange managers of that particular territory. Morris Rabanus, former Mutual representative in Connecticut, has left his post in New Haven and is now stationed at Camp Greenlcaf, Georgia, in the infantry, having been drafted. In appreciation of his long term in the territory and the good will which he helped to create during his time as film salesman, the Reel Fellows Are purchasing a handsome wrist watch which will be sent to him as a token of esteem from his brother salesmen. The Reel Fellows have already taken up the matter of putting over big things in Connecticut on the new Liberty Loan, and promise grand results. New members who will be entered into the organization at the meeting of October 1 are as follows : Mr. Sam Farber. recently appointed manager of the New Haven office of American Feature Film Company; Mr. Jerry Wilson, representative for Sherry Service, and Mr. Michael Alperin, new representative of Famous Players-Lasky and formerly with Boston Goldwyn. The Membership Committee is determined to establish a record. Exhibitor Campaigns for War Savings Stamps Gains Ground Baltimore. Md. — Louis A. DeHoff. manager of the New and Garden theatres, Baltimore, has done much recently toward boosting the sale of War Savings Stamps in Baltimore by lending his theatres to the War Savings Committees for rallying purposes. On the last occasion Mr. DeHoff invited June Caprice to partake in the entertainment and arranged a program that did much toward causing the meeting to show receipts of $250,000. The meeting was held at the Garden, and, although Miss Caprice was suffering from a severe cold which had placed her in care of a doctor for several days, this, did not prevent her from displaying her winsome personality in an address, in which she urged the audience to buy Thrift Stamps. After the address Miss Caprice bought $1,000 worth of War Savings Stamps and challenged the audience to do the same. They responded generously. As the star was leaving the theatre to return to her hotel one man in the audience called out that if Miss Caprice would reappear he would add another $1,000 to his subscription. She was very ill at the time, but, nevertheless, she did return and laughed and sang the remainder of the evening. Give Singing Privileges to Loan Committee St. Louis, Mo. — Through a resolution tendering the privilege of using theatres controlled by its members to the Liberty Loan Organization for the Fourth Loan drive, the Executive Committee of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America, St. Louis branch, has cut the tangled skein by which it has become involved with various independent patriotic singing bodies of St. Louis, such as the Four-Minute Singers, the St. Louis Art League Singers, the Camp Community Service Singers and the Knights of Columbus Choral Club. The Liberty Loan Organization will use its own judgment in selecting singers. The decision of the motion picture men is regarded as a victory for Herbert W. Cost, who organized the Four-Minute Speakers, and for I. L. Leonard, director of the Four-Minute Speakers. The question of whether the Camp Community Service of the Four-Minute people should control the singing in the motion picture theatres was sharply debated and resulted in considerable acrimony. The moving picture men first offered their theatres to the Four-Minute Singers, then withdrew the offer. Hector M. E. Paznezoglu, chairman of the moving picture men's meeting, deplored the fact that he had failed to bring about an amicable adjustment of differences. Charles D. Cooper, director of the War Camp Community Service, representing the War and Navy Department Commissions on Training Camp Activities, says that he has been instructed from Washington to organize singers for service in the motion picture theatres during the fourth Liberty Loan drive and has carried out instructions with vast pains to himself. This procedure, Cooper says, has been in operation in Michigan, Indiana and other states and has achieved remarkable results. Mr. Cost says the action of the local branch of the M. P. E. L. of A. means that the Four-Minute Singers will have undisputed use of the theatres controlled by the M. P. E. L. of A. during the period of the loan drive. Exhibitors Entertain United Representatives •St. Paul, Minn.— The Motion Picture Exhibitors of St. Paul tendered a luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel to E. J. O'Donnell and D. G. Rodgers, representing the LInited Pictures Theatres of America, on Friday, September 20. Among the exhibitors present were the following: H. J. Andrews, Mr. Marks, Mr. Ellsworth, E. N. Carter, Joe Freidman, Mr. Reisman, Mr. Gilosky, Clyde Hitchcock and H. Breilein. Mr. O'Donnell took the opportunity at this meeting of the exhibitors to explain in detail the United Picture Theatres of America's plan. Smaller Buffalo Theatres Refuse Operators' Plea 1 Buffalo, N. Y.— At a meeting of exhibitors and operators this week no action was taken on the request of the operators for a twenty per cent increase in wages other than that the proposition was left to the individual managers. The men working at the big houses, such as Sheas' Hippodrome, Strand, Palace, Klmwood, Victoria, etc., arc now getting more than the union scale calls for, and these houses may even grant a slight increase to the men, but the small houses cannot afford a boost at this time. It is said that at some of the smaller houses on the cast side operators are getting $27.50 weekly for four hours' work each night, and managers of these places refuse to give more money now. The agreement between the exhibitors' association and the operators' union does not expire for two years, so that unless the individual managers are favorable for the increase many operators stand little chance for an increase. The men put the proposition up to the exhibitors in a fair and square manner, putting forth that with the ever-rising cost of living they were finding it a harder matter to " carry on." They also pointed out that for men of their mechanical ability large wages were available at local war work plants. However, they said they preferred to stick to their first love as long as possible. It is now probable that some of the smaller houses may lose their men to the war industries. Colored " Theatres Throes of Strike in Memphis, Tenn.— The four colored theatres in Memphis are in the throes of a strike among the operators. Three of these are owned by the Dixie Amusement Company, and, as the two managers are licensed union operators, two of their houses are getting by O. K.. but the third, the Lincoln, which they recently purchased and have been operating on Saturday and Sunday only, is now closed. The theatres here are enjoying excellent business and the exhibitors nearby report similarly good business. Mr. G. Carey, who operates the Princess theatre at Earl and Parkin, Ark., will reopen the Isis theatre at Paragould, Ark., very shortly. Mr. Louis Rosenbaum of the Princess theatre, North Little Rock, Ark., has secured a site at Sheffield, Ala., and will erect a high class theatre there. Recent visitors to Memphis were : Mr. T. G. Vawter. of De Witt, Ark. ; Mrs. C. W. Hall, of Collierville, Tenn., and Mr. J. C. Farris, of Sommerville. Tenn. "Hearts of the World" opened at the Lyric here September 15 for a week's run, at $1.50 top price. ' ' ' '»"i"«H»uiui!niiriuiuiiHuniniimiuuuiiiBuuiiiJiiuiin BUY LIBERTY BONDS am BUHuniuiHUiiURBfliiHiiDnaBUHii ioiiiiiuiiiiiii