Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

2738 Motion Picture News MEN AND EVENTS IN THE FILM CENTRES With "News" Correspondents ITEMS OF THE EXCHANGES AND THEATRES CLEVELAND Metro film men held a district convention here this week. Among those present were District Manager W. C. Bachmeyer, General Sales Manager E. M. Saunders, Managers Kahn, of Buffalo ; Townsend, of Detroit; Atkinson, of Pittsburgh ; Roland, of Cincinnati ; and C. E. Almy, of Cleveland. For the first time in the history of the organization a photoplay was shown as a feature of a Teachers' Convention, Last Friday the Ohio State Teachers' Convention was held at the State theatre. During the session the Charles Chaplin film, " The Idle Class," was shown on the screen during a break in the regular proceedings. The musicians' strike in Akron came to a close this week when the musicians agreed to accept a ten per cent wage cut. They went out on strike some weeks ago as a protest to the proposed fifteen per cent strike. Mrs. Barnes, one of the members of the Ohio Board of Review, was so taken by " The Old Oaken Bucket," an F. B. Warren production, that she notified local Warren manager C. E. Holah to send the film down to Columbus again for a second viewing. Mrs. Barnes said that she had looked it over too cursorily the first time. She wanted an opportunity to see it unprofessionally because she liked it so well. " The Blot " opened the Marvin theatre, Findlay, Ohio, last week. The Marvin theatre, recently taken over by Mr. C. D. Bellinger, has been made all new inside and out, and will play only high class first run attractions. The Knickerbocker theatre is closed. The Knickerbocker has been one of the leading high class neighborhood motion picture theatres for almost ten years. It has always maintained a high moral tone under the management of Emery Downs. Now, after all these years, it finds itself sandwiched in between the million dollar houses at Euclid and East 105th street and the big downtown theatres. So, in the march of progress the Knickerbocker passes out. UTAH Joseph F. Goss, manager of the Orpheum theatre, a franchise holder of the First National Exhibitors, attended the conference of franchise holders in Chicago. He was one of three delegates to represent Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming. Ogden Theatre Corporation has taken over the Utah theatre of this city, according to the announcement of H. W. Perry, general manager of the Ogden theatre corporation which controls the Ogden theatre and the new White City dance hall. Mr. Perry states that the entire holdings of Joseph S. Campbell and family were acquired. Mr. Perry announced the Utah theatre would not be closed, but would continue during the period of redecorating and renovating. Motion picture men of Ogden and the state generally are much elated over the election of H. E. Skinner, manager of the Alhambra theatre of Ogden, as president of the Utah Motion Picture Theatre Owners. President Skinner is one of the live wires of the industry in the state. CANADA T. A. D. Bevington of Winnipeg, superintendent of amusements for the Manitoba Provincial Government, has announced that the Manitoba Government has received approximately $300,000 under the Amusement Tax Act during the past twelve months, this statement appearing in a report just issued. The statistics of Mr. Bevington indicate that the people of Manitoba spent $3,300,000 for theatre amusement during the year, as compared with $3,763,380, during the previous twelve months. The slight falling off was due to economic tendencies on the part of the people because of depressed financial conditions. The Family theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, was re-opened permanently on Saturday, October 29, after being on the dark list for about four months. The theatre, which is owned by Harry Brouse of Ottawa, one of the best known exhibitors in Eastern Canada, is again under the management of Mr. MacDonald. E. C. Stueler of New York, special representative of the Selznick Corporation, visited Ottawa, Ontario, on October 24 and 25 to negotiate with Raymond S. Peck, director of the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau of the Department of Trade and Commerce for the distribution rights for Canadian Government scenic and industrial one-reel releases for Australia and New Zealand. Announcement was made that negotiations had been successful. The Selznick Corporation has now asked for the distribution rights for the United States of all Canadian Government releases known as the " Seeing Canada " series, it has been announced. KANSAS CITY Samuel Harding, of Kansas City, president of the Associated Exhibitors and owner of the Liberty and Doric theatres in Kansas City, returned from a trip to New York last week. L. C. Montgomery, formerly a Vitagraph representative at Dallas, Tex., is now representing that company in the Kansas City territory. A lively interest is being displayed in the Robertson-Cole Pictures Corporation's " 26-picture contract," according to R E. Churchill, Kansas City branch manager. . open. The Tuxedo will change programs twice weekly. W. P. Bernfield, formerly assistant manager of the Kansas City Select office, is now sales manager of the Crescent Film Company of Kansas City and is planning a " big drive." Among the changes in management of theatres in Kansas City district in the last week are : Reel theatre, Oswego, Kan., purchased by N. W. Huston, of Columbus, Kan., from H. H. Daniel ; Highland theatre, Kansas City, purchased by S. K. Williams ; Eureca theatre, Weston, Mo., leased by C. R. Rugg; Belmont theatre, Eldorado, Kan., purchased by H. G. Ramsey; Rigney theatre, Albany, Mo., purchased by I. W. Maple from H. Flader; Princess theatre, Stanbury, Mo., purchased by H. Flader. D. J. McGowan, Associated First National auditor, was in Kansas City last week examining records. R. H. Fairchild, formerly a Vitagraph representative, is now Kansas City representative and booker for the Federated and Crescent film companies. WESTERN NEW YORK Morris Taitus, the shipping clerk who disappeared at the same time about 40 reels of films from the Buffalo United Artists', Educational and Nu-Art exchanges, has been arrested in Fort Worth, Texas. He will be brought to Buffalo for trial on two theft charges, one the stealing of " The Three Musketeers," and the other " Dream Street." Buffalo police have traced the bandits who robbed the safes in the Victoria and Elmwood theatres, Buffalo, and the Strand, Syracuse, to New York City. The clue to the whereabouts of the men came through some clothing purchased in the Buffalo and New York George's stores. The men got over $1,700 in Buffalo and much more in Syracuse. Walter Price, manager of the Buffalo Associated Producers' office before it was taken over by First National, and who has been handling the product at the F. N. office, has resigned to accept a position at tie Select Exchange handling the Selznick special " A Marrs Home. The personnel of the new Hodkinson office staff in Buffalo is about complete. It will be as follows: Manager, Howard Boyle ; office manager, J. L. Dale ; Booker, Marion Gueth; salesman, Ed Hochstin. Other office assistants will be added soon. The location of the new exchange will be either in the R-C Pictures corporation or the old A. P. office, temporarily. Clara Kimball Young appeared at Shea's Hippodrome all week in person. She was also the guest at many social events and spoke at several meetings of local clubs. J. G. Fater has resigned as a First National salesman to accept a similar position with Paramount. H. L. Levy has won second prize in the F. N. Statewide sales contest. Malcolm Williams has taken charge of the F. N. short subject department. E. J. Hayes has signed up the entire A. P. product at the new Loew theatre, Buffalo. The Hippodrome, Niagara Falls, has been added to the franchise list The sale of the First National two-reel comedy features has been placed in charge of J. F. King in western Missouri and Kansas territory, according to E. C. Rhoden, manager of the Kansas City First National branch. Franklyn Farnum is making a series of personal appearances throughout Western New York under the guidance of Bill Fickeisen, manager of the Buffalo Merit exchange. Mr. Fickeisen is now plugging on " The Bible," his newest feature. MICHIGAN The Tuxedo theatre, after a week's delay, opened to tremendous crowds on the first day. Wanda Hawley in " Her Face Value " was the picture used to Byron D. Bailey has resigned as manager of Butterfield's Regent theatre. Flint, to assume the management of the new million dollar theatre erected in Scranton, Pa., by Charles H. Miles, of Detroit. Joseph R Denniston, of Monroe; James C. Ritter, of Detroit; W. S. Butterfield, of Battle Creek, and H. S. Gallup, of Marquette, delegates, have returned from the get-together of First National franchise holders at Chicago. Harry Hobolth, of Imlay City, Mich., has taken over the Majestic theatre at Brown City, which was formerly operated by the Davenport brothers. Hobolth now has three houses, one at Imlay City and another at Marlette. All are within a radius of 25 miles and accessible by machine. " The Three Musketeers " is now on its third week at Kunsky's Adams theatre, with the crowds still holding up good. " Way Down East " is playing its second week at the Fox Washington. INDIANAPOLIS Some downtown houses reported the week ending October 29 as one of the worst this season. The old bugaboo of the business depression, aided and abetted by the spectre of a rail strike, was responsible, some exhibitors said. Police captured a burglar who broke into the North Star, neighborhood theatre, one night last week and recovered $240 and a revolver he had stolen. Manager Ralph Lieber, of the Circle, came back from the New York and Chicago meetings of First National men last week with a bag full of new ideas which the folks are waiting for him to spring. Tampa Business on the Mend after Storm It is two weeks since the hurricane hit Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Oct. 25th, and the effects are being rapidly effaced. All theatres are now in operation again. None were damaged to any extent by the storm but were forced to close through the fact that they could get no electricity. The last one to receive juice was the Maceo, located at Scott street and Central avenue. They did not get lights until Saturday night, Oct. 29th, suffering a loss of four days' business. The street car service was resumed to some extent on Thursday noon, and all lines are being rapidly extended so that the city lines are nearly normal again. The interurban line to Ballast Point and Port Tampa will hardly be in operation for two weeks at least, as the million dollar Bayshore Boulevard was badly damaged. All of this has its effect upon the business of the theatres. People were too busy getting over the storm, fixing up their homes, their roofs, fences and trees to think of amusement. THE WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANT, NBW YORK