Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

September j , i q ^ i 1199 N E fF S Y BRIEFS FROM CENTRAL FILM BELT Chicago and the Mid-West L. H, MASON, REP RESENT AT IV E, 910 S. MICHIGAN AVE. So rapidly is the Chicago theatre being pushed to completion that Balaban & Katz were able to move their office from the StateLake Building to their new palatial house last week and from now on their headquarters will be on State street over the foyer of " The Chicago." The lower of the two floors above the foyer will be occupied by the executive branch of Balaban & Katz's corporation and the top floor will be used for the purpose of shaping presentation numbers and arranging programs for all the B. & K. theatres including the Chicago, Tivoli, Riviera and Central Park. W. \V. Brumberg, First Xational salesman, carries a Dempsey wallop in his right hand as a couple of hold-ups found one night last week when they attempted to drag him into a dark doorway on Wabash avenue between Harrison and Seventh. One of the crooks seized him by the collar and tie from the front and the other grasped him from behind, but left Brumberg's right arm loose and the film man swung on the jaw of the man in front, knocking out that individual. His other assailant took to his heels, running north on Wabash as Mr. Brumberg sprinted rapidly south in search of a policeman. Brumberg has been kept busy receiving congratulations of film row on his helping to reduce crime in Chicago. Manager I. L. Lesserman, of Universal, has sold his home at 6020 Vernon avenue, in which he has lived for the past ten years, and purchased a handsome house at 5626 South Park avenue, which he will occupy with his family in the future. Henry Ellman has left for California on a three weeks' trip during which he will combine business and pleasure. John .-Mien has sold his Lyric Theatre to Sam Klamka, who will run the house on the same policies which made it a paying proposition for Mr. .■\llen. Manager Silverman, of Select Pictures Corporation's Chicago branch, announces that Lee Woodyatt, a veteran of the local organization, has been promoted to the position of sales manager. Mr. Woodyatt has been connected with Select's Chicago organization since its inception. Prior to that he was a popular motion nicture exhibitor at Rock Island. He has one of the widest acquaintances of any picture man and enjoys a great popularity among exhibitors of Illinois who will be glad to hear of his advancement. C. H. Miller has been added to Select's Chicago sales staff and will cover the northside territory. C. A. Barber, of the BarberSturn Studios, producers of a special news weekly for the Circle and other Indianapolis theatres, was a visitor to Chicago this week. Douglas D. Rothacker is spending two weeks in Missouri in the interests of the Rothacker practical picture division. Capt. W alter Wanderwell, who is on the last lap of his "seven times around the world" journej', came to Chicago last week and was at the Rothacker Chicago laboratory with pictures which he has taken along the way. He and his party are making the trip by auto and steamship and are making appearances at motion picture and vaudeville houses in connection with the films he has taken. District Manager Stern, of Universal, is back at the Chicago headquarters after a vacation spent at Detroit and Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Country Sales Manager Eichenlaub, of First Xational, has added four men to his staff within the last few days. They are E. I. Saiter, recently connected with Metro, who will cover the southwest part of Illinois; J. M. Howland, another salesman well known in the Chicago territory, who recently covered city territory for Favorite Players, who will work the central part of the state for First National; H. Fisher, who has been associated with the Lynch Enterprises for some time, who will cover Illinois; and S. Andrews, who comes from St. Louis, where he was connected with Associated Producers, to travel the southern Illinois tcritor\-. W^ H. Tracy, another of Mr Eichenlaub's salesmen, is back from a three weeks' vacation, and the entire force is busy on the campaign for Fall pictures. Three Australian exhibitors were in Chicago this week and made Universal's local exchange their headquarters, as they are both users of Universal pictures. The visitors were Messrs. Quaile of Sydney and Thorp and Chislow. They report that Mary Miles Minter is Australia's favorite film actress, although many other of the .\merican stars are well liked. Hotiart Henley, a veteran Universal director, was another visitor at the Chicago exchange this week. Mr. Henley is on his way to take charge of one of Universal companies. O. F. Spahr, of the Enterprise Optical Manufacturing Company, is taking a weeks' vacation fishing in northern Wisconsin and Michigan and expects to land some muskelonges before returning, Mr. Spahr is looking forward to excellent business this Fall and Winter and is getting himself in first-class physical condition for the big selling campaign he plans to put on. H. W. Given has been appointed district manager for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation at Chicago, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joseph Gilday, and it is said has the distinction of being the youngest district manager in the country. Mr. Given, who has arrived from Pittsburgh, where he was manager of that branch, to take up his new duties, although a young man, has been connected with the industry for thirteen years, gaining his first film experience in Philadelphia with Lubin. He became a member of the Paramount organization last year in Cleveland and was promoted from a salesman there to manager at Pittsburgh. His fine personality and ability will make him a valued member of the Chicago film colony. " The Affair of Anatol," which opened at Ascher's Roosevelt, in the heart of the Chicago loop, last week, has proven the greatest box office success of any picture ever shown at that house, sixty-six thousand paid admissions being the record for the first week's run, although the house is not of great seating capacity, with the prospect that the second week will equal and possibly surpass the first. In the (/pinion of Ascher Brothers this feature with its brilliant array of popular stars lives up to everything that the Paramount organization said in praise of it, and it is a sure fire box office attraction. .•\ number of managers associated with Ascher Brothers organization recently have been shifted. The location of some of the managers is as follows : Ralph Wettstein, who is looking after the Merrill at Milwaukee; John Quiglcy, manager of the Capitol, Cincinnati; Dave Rice, who will take charge of the West Englewood ; Joe Koppel, manager of the Kenwood; Xat Rottenberg going to the Rosewood; Harry Swan, the Peerless ; Howard Donaldson, the Kalo, and Ed Mikoden, the Forest Park. The first week of " The Golem " at Orchestra Hall showed the picture such a strong box office attraction that it will be retained at Orchestra Hall for two weeks more. According to Max Goldstine the l)est business of the Orchestra Hall season was done with " The Golem " and on Saturday night even this big hall was not large enough to hold the crowds anxious to see this feature and there was a big hold out. Joe Hopp reports that the remodeling of the Majestic at Rock Island is progressing rapidly, and that the house will be ready to reopen on September 4th. \ new policy is to be inaugurated this Fall and Winter. A two hour show will be given at the Majestic, one hour of pictures and one hour of tabloid musical act, a contract for Hyatt Time having been signed up. Eddie Quinlan, formerly with Pathe, has joined the sales staff of V'itagraph's Chicago exchange and will cover northern Illinois. A new member of Manager Brimer's office staff will be Frank Williams, who will take charge of the booking department for Vitagraph.