Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1920)

N ove m b er 3 7 , / 9 2 0 4149 formed the background for the third song, " So Long Mary." The Hippodrome recently completed its bookings for November. They include some of the biggest stars and best heralded productions of the year. Among the coming Hippodrome feature^ will be Ruth Stonehouse and Eugene Pallette in " 1'. trior. Bedroom and Bath," November 7; "Best of Luck," November 14; Viola Dana in " Blackmail," November 21 ; Alice Lake in " Body and Soul," November 28 ; Dolores Casselin in " Tarnished Reputations," November 25 ; J. W. Kerrigan in Green Flame," and Nell Shipman in " Something New." In addition the serial, "Ruth of the Rockies" featuring Ruth Roland, will be run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. C. S. Jensen went to Seattle last Tuesday night to confer with his partner, J. G. Van Herberg, who is leaving for New York shortly in connection with his duties as director for Associated First National Pictures. Accompanying Mr. Von Herberg east will be George Beban, the First National character actor. Walter Lindlar. assistant exploitation manager at the Home Office of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. (Continued from page 4128) Feibcr and Shea's Opera House the week of November 14, this being the first release of the picture in the state. Will D. Harris of the Grand theatre, Columbus, has also put his John Hancock to a contract for an early showing of " Kismet." Dave Warner of the Warner Film Attractions, has added a new serial to his list of releases. It's " Maciste," the strong man hero of " Cabiria." The serial is called " The Liberator " and is done in twelve episodes. " Doc " Horator, who owns the Pantheon and the Alhambra theatres up in Toledo, was featured in a headline newspaper story last week, but it was not an exploitation story. Somebody must have seen the quarters roll into the cash box of the Pantheon one night so fast to create a desire to annex them. There was approximately $4,000 worth of quarters and dimes and nickles in the strong box of the safe when Horator locked up for the night. In the morning there was nothing left but an empty safe. It is said the money was insured. PORTLAND, ORE. C. E. Griffiths, district auditor for the Universal Film company, arrived in Portland the first week of November. He will remain here until the latter part of the month. Edward Armstrong, district Universal manager, is still here but expects to leave for the Seattle exchange toward the end of this week. C. W. Koerher, former local Universal manager, left Portland Friday evening accompanied by his wife, for Butte, Mont., where he will enter the Pathe office. Reorganization activities continued all last week at the Portland Universal office, Mr. Armstrong sending out a personal letter to each Oregon exhibitor. He is stressing activities on Dorothy Phillips' " Once to Every Woman " and Priscilla Dean's " Outside the Law," two of the biggest Universal features to be released this autumn. ^ Special pains were taken by Paul E. Noble, manager of the Liberty theatre, for his usual weekly program during the showing at his house of Charles Ray's " Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway." Noble had original stage sets made to represent a depot scene. The curtain opened on this scene with the three traveling salesmen, impersonated by the Liberty's famous " Thousand Pounds of Harmony " male trio, sinking " FortyFive Minutes from Broadway." Miss Idah Lidyard, prominent Portland soloist who has often sung in Liberty prologues, appeared on the stage at the end of the first song and commenced with the trio " Mary is a Grand Old Name." At the conclusion of the melody she stepped back stage and the three men to the front. When the curtain lifted it showed Miss Lidyard standing on the back of a Pullman which had every appearance of making at least 90 miles an hour. This SOUTH CAROLINA Announcement has been made that the Bijou theatre at Spartanburg, S. C, is to be remodeled throughout and enlarged so as to possess a largely increased seating capacity. The building, which is the property of J. R. Snoddy, is two stories in height and is of brick. The structure will be lengthened thirty feet, the stage will be moved further back, and many new seats will be installed. An entire new heating system will also be installed in the building. The contract has already been awarded for these improvements and work will start at once. More than $10,000 will be expended, and it is understood that the Southern Enterprises, Inc., will operate an up-to-date motion picture theatre in the building. This corporation leased the building last year, but the lease expired last September and the theatre has been closed since that time. Roy Boling, formerly with the Asheville Power and Light Company, at Asheville, N. C, has become connected with the Southern Enterprises, Inc., at Greenville, S. C. He will assist in the supervision of the corporation's theatres in the latter city. Fire broke out in the operating room of the Princess theatre, Wilson, N. C, on November 8th, and a projecting machine was 'put out of commission, while two films went up in smoke. T^he operator cautioned the audience not to become excited and all escaped without injury. Search is being continued for the two unknown negroes who shot and killed John Ford, manager of the Lincolnton, N. C, motion picture theatre, and probably fatally wounded a young woman companion of Ford. With another young man and two young women, Ford was riding along a public highway near Gastonia, N. C, on the night of November 7th, when two negroes held up the party. Ford was instantly killed by a shot from the negroes and a young woman was probably mortally wounded by a second shot. The other man in the party was forced to remain helpless while the two negroes assaulted the two young women. The party returned to Gastonia and gave the alarm, but the guilty parties have never been captured. The movies operated by the State Department of Public Instruction in North Carolina are now in operation in nineteen counties of the Tar Heel State. Twenty other counties have filed application for the service, and the legislature will be asked to make further appropriations that will permit of the extension of this branch of instruction. J. T. .Hannon, of Spartanburg, has assumed charge of the Greenwood motion pictur'e theatres, branches of the S. A. Lynch system, succeeding W. A. Byers, who has gone to Sumter, S. C. to take charge of a theatre there. Mr. Hannon was in charge of the Strand theatre in Spartanburg. E. S. Hiller, manager for the Pathe News for North and South Carolina, has been cooperating with Manager L. T. Lester, of the Rivoli theatre of Columbia, S. C in filming the city of Columbia. Columbia's fire department was filmed while making a rush call and interesting views of various scenes were taken. These pictures are to be shown by Pathe all over the country. SPOKANE Fred La Fond, Spokane musician, will go to Seattle to conduct a big orchestra in the Metropolitan Opera House, where the films production " Evangeline " is to be offered there in the near future. The success of Mr. La Fond's musical elaboration of the picture at the Auditorium theatre in Spokane recently was reported so enthusiastically on the coast that George Hood, manager of the Metropolitan, wired Manager York of the Auditorium to arrange for the Spokane musician to officiate in the orchestra pit at the big Seattle playhouse. Mr. La Fond arranged a complete special score for the picture. Various Seattle people who saw the picture here commented enthusiastically on the music to Mr. Hood. Spokane activities and scenes are to be filmed and thrown upon the screen in motion picture houses throughout the country. The Alexander Film Compan> has been named Inland Empire photographer for the Pathe News Service, according to J. Don Alexander, president of the Alexander Film Company. The original negatives will be sent to the New York house of the Pathe company, where they will be edited and national attraction pictures incorporated in the weekly national releases. The films shown in the Inland Empire theatres will he completely edited here, including the writing of all sub-heads. Fifteen are employed by the Alexander Film Company here. " Earthbound," the spiritualist picture, is to be run over a ten-day period at the Liberty theatre here, starting November 2-7. Manager Ray Grombacher expects to put on an extensive advertising campaign for the picture and expects to use novel features in exploiting the picture while it is being shown. He will have an augmented orchestra for the picture and there will be special stage decorations. The Auditorium theatre had the film production of " The Stealers," built on a strong religious theme, for a week's run recently and did exceptionally good business with it. Spokane always turns out for a healing picture. OKLAHOMA CITY It has developed in Oklahoma City that labor is opposed to the closing of moving picture theatres on Sunday. A resolution was adopted by the Central Trades and Labor Council opposing the action of the Ministerial Alliance in the matter. The Story theatre at Sayre, Okla., opened on Sunday recently, but there was so much opposition manifested by the church people that the theatre management decided that no more Sunday shows would be given. L. W. Brophy has sold his new Yale theatre at Vinita, Okja., to the Paramount Picture Corporation. J. M. Armstrong has completed arrangements for the opening of a moving picture theatre at Stuart, Okla., in the near future. The Met theatre opened its new playhouse at Wynnewood, Okla., to the public recently. The house will show both pictures and road shows. A new theatre is being constructed at EI Reno, Okla., by Mr. and Mrs. Alderberry. The Pastime theatre at Duncan, Okla., has been completed and stands well in the first line of modern houses in this section. Both vaudeville and pictures will be shown. Ha' C. Norfleet, manager of the Hipnodromp at Dal'as. Texas, has resigned. *o go into business for himself. Ray Whitfield will succeed Norfleet as manager of the Hippodrome. At a mpfting of the Dallas Texas ^i'm Men Thursday it was decreed that the usual practice of booking pictures and supnlving film necessities on Sundav would be abandoned. This does not affect the usual Sunday shipments and it does not mean that any distress or emergencies will not be promptly han Betty Reiss, who has been engaged for Prizma production. died. It does mean, however, that the exhibitors who have been in the habit of looking after their film needs on Sunday will have to put it off until Monday or some other day in the week. Exhibitors are asked to cooperate in the move and are expected to do so. According to the exchange managers, the purpose of the new ruling carries with it no spite or maliciousness, but it is designed to correct an unnecessary practice and to give the booker, bookkeepers and other office help a little recreation and rest. The Robb and Rowley Syndicate of Dallas, Texas, has purchased the Liberty and Bungalow theatres at Durant, Okla. J. H. Rowley will manage both theatres. E. H. Rowley of Dallas, Texas, will soon start construction work on a new theatre at Bonham, Texas, and will spend about $50,000 on the enterprise. Construction on the new Petit theatre at Hominey, Okla., was started last week. It is to be strictly modern and ready for business by the first of the vear. Petty Brothers have opened a new picture house at Oakwood, Texas. A modern theatre is being constructed at Cameron, Texas. L. C. Boyd will be the local manager. The Jackson theatre at Heber Springs, Ark., has been sold to Victor Beale of Judsonia and will be remodeled at an early date. L. Jaconson has started the construction of a new theatre at Amarillo, Texas, and will spend $25,000 on the project. Sam Zukay of California will be the manager. The theatre will be named the Liberty. The Jewel theatre at Rusk, Texas, has changed hands. E. G. Weldon is the new owner and manager. L. E. Johnson of Walnut Ridge, Ark., has purchased the Princess theatre at Des Arc, Ark., from McKinistry & Allen. Consideration $2500. A Genuine d. Special 'In the Ihadow of the Dom^ A David G. Fischer Production