Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1920)

4128 Motion Picture News MEN AND EVENTS IN THE FILM CENTRES With "News" Correspondents ITEMS OF THE EXCHANGES AND T H £ A T R E S DETROIT Employes of the Universal Film Exchange held a party Saturday night for W. D. Ward, retiring manager, and presented him with an umbrella and cane. The William Fox Washington has booked " Madame X " from the Goldwyn exchange for Thanksgiving week. John Zanft of the Fox theatre forces spent two days in Detroit this week with Harry McDonald, the house manager. The Ferry Field theatre, recently taken over by Phil Gleichman, boasts a new electric sign that almost covers the entire front of the building and is three stories high. Mr. Gleichman has ordered an electric sign for the Majestic theatre, also under his direction. NORTHERN NEW YORK Howard J. Smith of the Buffalo-Palace Theatre Company has leased the Top theatre in Syracuse for a term of twelve years. Associated with Mr. Smith in the venture is W. A. Moore, who is also interested in the Buffalo Palace, and Tom Hogan, former owner of the Top, who will act as treasurer of the new company, which will operate under the name of the Syracuse-Palace company. The name of the Top will be changed to Palace. For the next several weeks the house will be under the management of Villiam Cohlan. house manager of the 3uffalo-Palace. The opening attraction will be " Shipwrecked Among Cannibals," which will commence Sunday, November 21. The house will be closed for a week to adjust bookings. Just before departing for Syracuse, the employes of the local Palace presented Bill with an attractive suitcase. John Sitterly, who for the past several years has been connected with the Buffalo Universal Exchange, has been appointed manager of the Buffalo Dooley office, succeeding Howard Brink, who recently went to Robertson-Cole as manager. Mr. Sitterly has been acting as special representative for Universal. He is a veteran in the game hereabouts, having been associated with Harry Marsey several years ago in independent exchange work, as well as with Stevens Attractions, Inc. John is well known throughout the territory. This is his first job as an exchange manager. Shea's new North Park theatre, Buffalo, opens Sunday, November 21, with Wallace Reid in " What's Your Hurry," and Buster Keaton in " One Week." Arthur Amm, formerly manager of the Circle, will be manager and Harold B. Franklin will act as managing director. There will be a ten-piece orchestra, a Wurlitzer organ, and soloists as features of the music equipment of the house. Simplex projection will be used. The house is one of the most attractive neighborhood theatres in the state. It has a seating capacity of 1400 on one floor. The North Park is in the heart of the rapidly growing Hertel avenue section and will also have the town of Kenmore to draw on. Programs will be changed four times a week. C. A. Taylor, general manager of Gardiner Pictures. Inc.. put over a fine bit of publicity when he presented the new Gardiner release, " Before the White Man Came," before the Indian Welfare convention in the Memorial Art Gallery, in Rochester, one evening last week. Over 1000 leading educators from all parts of the country were in attendance. The chiefs of many tribes were also among those present, and all were enthusiastic in their praise of the production. Mr. Taylor is now arranging for an extended presentation of the subject in Rochester at $2 top price. H. C. Bissell, formerly with Nu-Art, is now representing Robertson-Cole as salesman. Fred Sliter, district manager, has recovered from a short illness and is now back on the job. Ray Powers is head of the new Robertson-Cole service department. Manager Howard Brink has booked " Kismet " at the Loew Star theatre in Rochester and at the MarkStrand theatre in Syracuse. The Arcade theatre in Rochester has been closed and will be reopened by A. J. Roth Sunday, November 21, with pictures. The theatre has been presenting road attractions. The first film attraction will be " The American Legion Over There," an official government war film. Fred M. Zimmerman, president of NuArt Pictures, Inc., has booked the entire output of his office, with Dr. Harry .Hall of the Strand and Grand Opera House in Troy N. Y. He has also closed contracts with Fred Elliott of the Clinton Square theatre in Albany for " Keep to the Right," " The Hidden Light " and Billie West and Frazee comedies. Haro'd Dwygert of the Rialto theatres in East Rochester and Fairport, N. Y., and Cass Stahley of the Lincoln and Rose Garden, Rochester, were visitors at the Nu-Art office in Buffalo this week, where they booked a large number of attractions. Earl L. Crabb, general manager of the Buffalo Motion Picture Corporation, who is in charge of the New York office, reports that the company's pictures are enjoying much business throughout the country. A. G. White, president of the Empire State Sales Company, was a Buffalo visitor Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13. He had several conferences with Dan Savage, manager of the local exchange in the Palace theatre building and announced that among new releases will be " The Servant in the House." " The Good Bad Wife," " Bonnie May," with Bessie Love, and a series of new Monte Banks comedies, which, according to Mr. White have been booked by the Mark-Strand in New York. Mr. Savage is kept busy these days booking " The Race of the Age" the Educational picturization of the Man o' War-Sir Barton race at Windsor, Ont. Marion Newman is the new bookkeeper at the Empire office. E. W. Gavin, American representative in Buffalo, is now visiting exhibitors in the Southern Tier, with two new attractions, " The Week End." starring Margarita Fisher and " The Blue Moon." Mr. Gavin's headquarters are in the Pathe office, Franklin street, Buffalo. " Why Leave Your Husband " will be a December Merit release, according to an announcement by N. I. Filkins, manager of the Buffalo exchange in the Palace Theatre Building. E. T. Gomersall, Fox exchange manager in Buffalo, announces the opening of " While New York Sleeps," at the Rialto theatre in Rochester on Sunday, November 14, when it broke all attendance records as it is doing wherever shown. Manager J. E. Kimberly, of the Buffalo Vitagraph office, lias engaged Paul Saven, formerly with Pathe, as a member of his sales force. Mr. Saver will cover the Rochester territory. Bob Murphy, Pioneer pilot in Buffalo, announces the coming of Alma Rubens of " Humoresque " fame in " Thoughtless Women," on December 15, the release date. Bob also reports the acquisition of the big Fanark production, " The Crimson Cross," and Florence Reed in " The Eternal Mother." The Hi-Art productions have been taken over by Charlie Saunders of the Famous Pictures Sales Company in the l'alace Theatre Building. Among the new Famous Pictures releases are " The House Without Children," " Ashes of Desire," " The Cycle of Fate," " Through Eyes of Men," starring Frank Mayo, and Harry Carey in " Men of the West." Mr; Saunders is also distributing re-creations of H. B. Warner in " God's Man " and Sessue Hayakawa in " The Wrath of the Gods." Robert E. Hall has purchased the Corning Opera House from B. W. Wellington. The house, when the lease of G. H. Tobias expires next June, will be remodeled and the seating capacity augmented to 400 seats. John Walker has named his new theatre in Schenectady, N. Y., the Barcli. The house has a capacity of 1800. It will open Thanksgiving Day. It is rumored that Nat Robbins will take over the Regent in Rome, N. Y. Mr Robbins operates the Avon in Utica. PROVIDENCE S. I. Berman, representative of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, was tendered a banquet and reception in Providence. Nov. 5 by the Theatrical Managers' Association of that city. Mr. Berman discussed the problems of motion picture theatre owners during the period of reconstruction and reviewed the accomplishments of the screen theatres during the war period. Practically every theatre in this city and Pawtucket was represented at the banquet. The Rialto during the week of Nov. 15 ventured a three-feature program with the result that its box office receipts showed a return warranting the act. Manager Mahoney showed Jack Pickford in " Double Dyed Deceiver," Viola Dana in " A Chorus Girl's Romance " and " Shipwrecked Among Cannibals." Most favorable comment was passed on the latter picture. Jim Henderson is now drawing the Sunday advertisement designs for the Rialto and Emery theatres. Charles P. Lanning has taken on Fay's theatre and is drawing the moving picture feature of the Sunday display. W. M. Strong designs for the former and John Carroll for the latter house. The Strand. Modern, Emery and Fay's theatres here opened their doors two hours earlier on Armistice Day and reaped the harvest. At opening time there were lines long enough in front of each house to fill up for "the first performance. From then on until closing time at 10:30 p. m. the houses were filled. With special shows on Election Day, theatre managers declare the first 15 days of the month unusually profitable days. The Capitol theatre, a new addition to the moving picture field in New Bedford, opened Monday. Nov. 15 under the management of Allen-Charette, Inc. The Moving Picture Operators' Union of Providence have nominated the following officers : President. Edward W. Anthony; vice-president. Charles Macomber ; recording secretary. Earl Madden: financial secretary, Samuel Taylor; business agent, Thomas E. Shannon. The committee on Sunday moving pictures reported progress on the preparations of a measure, and its introduction in the next session of the General Assembly. OMAHA " Go To Movie " week in Omaha turned out to be a literal " First National " week. Thirty-two of First National pictures played in down-town and suburban theatres fa Omaha that week. The following theatres ran First National pictures: Rialto, Strand, Alhambra, Grand, Suburban, Rohllf, Boulevard, Comfort, Maryland, Hamilton and Benalto. Several large suburban moving picture theatres will be built in Omaha in the near future, according to Joe Doyle, representative of an eastern moving picture company, who was in that city last week, looking over the territory. One site has already been chosen, Sixteenth and Vinton streets. Construction on a theatre with a seating capacity of 1,200 will be begun in early spring, Mr. Doyle said. It is lo be equipped with a pipe organ and special cooling system. Locations for other theatres have not been announced. C. E. Holah, manager of First National in Omaha, was in Chicago last week, attending a conference of First National executives. H. F. Lefholtz, manager of Universal in Omaha, toured territory under his jurisdiction last week. Business in the small towns is climbing, he reports. Prices of admission at the Rialto theatre have been raised from 30 and 40 cents to 35 and 50 cents. Settlement of the musicians' strike is thought to have brought or the raise. Joe Bradley of Pathe has been named in chaige of short reel subjects. R. C. Carrick is special salesman for Pathe features. Harry Weinberg has resigned his position as assistant manager of Fox in Omaha to assume an executive position with First National in that city. CI EVELAND Cleveland is coming to the fore with short reel pictures. The Pierrot Films Company has been incorporated in Ohio, for the purpose of making two-reel comedies. Charles Boz and Clay H. Austin comprise the leading members of the Pierrot Films Company, which has a modern studio at 3250 Euclid Ave. Mr. Boz is the manager of the organization while Mr. Austin is studio director. Both have had considerable experience in film production. One comedy is done and will be edited this. week. It is called " Eat Till You Bust " and promises a couple of thousand feet of hearty laughs. George Leffingwell, actor-manager of the Prospect Stock Company now playing a season of stock in Cleveland, is responsible for the scenario of the comedy. Blanche Martin, known to local theatregoers as a member of a recent popular stock company, is featured in the comedy " Eat Till You Bust." Several more comedies are waiting production, but the Pierrot Films Company is _eoing to market its first comedy before turning out a regular and steady supply. Ohio Exchange for Educational Films set a record last week that will be hard to beat, when it showed its pictures 100 per cent strong in the Loew houses of Cleveland. " The Race of the Age." featuring Man O' War and Sir Barton, played at the Stillman. Alhambra and >rall theatres. "A Tray Full of Trouble." finished a two week run at the Euclid. " Four Times Foiled " was the featured comedy at the Liberty and " Mules and Gob Talk " appeared at the Alhambra the last three days of the week. S. Barrett McCormick, manager of the Rivoli theatre, Toledo, continues to hold the lead among exhibitors by holding the premier booking of Zane Grev's " U. P. Trail " the week of November 22. Canton movie patrons beat all other Ohio fans in the seeing of "Kismet." The big Otis Skinner picture played (Continued on page 4149>