Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

780 State Theatre Installs Typhoon System One of the latest additions to an already large list of moving picture theatres in Brooklyn, N. Y., is the new State theatre, situated at DeKalb and Franklin avenues, and built by Messrs. Bleendes and Strausberg. To make this theatre complete in every respect the very best equipment money could buy was installed. There are fifteen hundred seats and each has an unobstructed view of the screen. The matter of cooling and ventilation received very close attention and after considerable thought on the subject the order for this part of the equipment was placed with the Typhoon Fan Company of New York. On each side of the screen special compartments were constructed and the large Typhoons installed there, the air being forced out into the auditorium through grilles just over the screen as may be seen by referring to the accompanying photograph. During the warm weather this Typhoon System will change the air in the State once every minute, or sixty times an hour. For ventilating during the winter the System is reversed in its operation and the foul air withdrawn. Fire Destroys Another House The Crown Motion Picture Theatre at 358 Main street, Hartford, Conn., has been condemned and closed, following a $150,000 fire in the theatre and adjoining garage. The roof Lobby display at opening of N eiv Blue Mouse Theatre, Portland, Oregon of the theatre collapsed and the interior was flooded with water. Building Inspector Barrett refused to issue a permit at present for repairs, saying that it will be impossible to provide satisfactory fire escapes, as the theatre building is situated in a peculiar manner and there can be on way to provide exits, excepting from the front of the house. Manager Antonio Delorenzo considers condemnation of the house another chapter in his run of hard luck, the house having been closed December 20th by State Police Superintendent Robert T. Hurley, and about $5,000 being expended to provide the building with satisfactory fire prevention arrangements and to remedy defects in construction. It had only been reopened a day or so when the fire and resultant condemnation took place. — Agard. New Name for Old Seattle Theatre The Clemmer theatre, Seattle, under the management of William Cutts, was renamed shortly after January first, the Columbia. In order to select a name, the Kinema Company has been conducting a “Name and Slogan Contest ” through the columns of the weekly paper published by the theatre and given to its patrons. New signs have been made for the theatre, and the lobby has been redecorated during the past two months. The unusual lobby displays arranged by Manager Cutts for his recent offerings have been the subject of much comment in theatrical circles. The Columbia is the home of Universal pictures. — Prager. Building Operations Increase Builders in Queens Borough, N. Y. City, are not filing as many applications for permits at the present time as they have been during the past four months, but the records at the Queens Building Bureau show that the total operations for December will be almost as great as for preceding months. At the present time the total number of applications for the year amount to 12,568 for new buildings. This is more than twice the number of applications for 1920, when the total for new buildings was 6,081. Motion Picture News Robbins Opens Olympic Theatre in Watertown The Olympia theatre in Watertown was opened under the management of Nathan Robbins on Christmas Day, and capacity audiences witnessed the shows on the opening day as well as Monday, when the city officials were present at the first evening performance as guests of Mr. Robbins. The policy of the Olympia theatre will be the presentation of the latest and best pictures in conjunction with a program of music rendered by the Olympia Concert Orchestra, under the direction of Patrick Conway and instrumental and vocal soloists who will appear in stage presentation under the direction of Dr. Wilson. A Progressive Supply Dealer Realizing the need of the industry for better projection, the Salt Lake Theatre Supply company of this city has let the contract for installation in its quarters at 48 Exchange place of a model projection room which will be the only one of its kind in the west. There extensive experiments will be carried on and previews conducted of educational and theatrical films, with a view of devising means for obtaining the best results in the projection of individual films to be used in schools and theatres of the intermountain territory. It is the belief of Samuel I. Levin, manager of the company, that through this system of previews intermountain educators and theatrical exhibitors may be given valuable suggestions on how to secure the best results they are to show. Famous Architects Design Theatre The same firm of New York architects which designed the Woolworth building, in New York as well as the one in Watertown, N. Y., has just been engaged to draw the plans for the new theatre to be erected by Charles Sesonske and Frank A. Empsall in Watertown. The house will seat 3,000 persons. — Grant. Theatre Corporation Formed To meet the increasing demands for a firstclass motion picture house at West Haven, Conn., the United Theatres Corporation has been formed in that town, with Edward E. Carll, Dominic J. Cofrancis and Charles E. Spreyer as directors. The corporation is to build a $50,000 house at Campbell avenue and Blohm street. Work on this is to start immediately and it is expected to be ready for occupancy by April 1. Only first-run and first-class films are to be shown at this house. A small amount of stock will be floated at $10 per share, yielding interest at eight per cent. — Agard. PROJECTIONISTS! Do you need someone to solve your projection difficulties? The News is prepared to help you. It’s part of the Motion Picture News service.