Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

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1057 February i i , 1922 men and events in the film centres With “News” Correspondents ITEMS of if' CANADA K - t Fred Crosbie of Winnipeg, Manitoba, U prominent in the film exchange field in Ontario, Manitoba and elsewhere in the it Dominion, has resigned from Stephenson’s Attractions, Limited, of Toronto, and has become identified with the Wini nipeg staff of the Famous Players Film j Service, Limited. Crosbie had been serving as Western manager for Stephenson’s 1 Attractions, the latter handling a number of independent releases, such as “ County Fair ” and Curwood’s features. Robert Myers, with Vitagraph in Winnipeg for a number of years, has been appointed Western manager for Standard Films, Limited, Montreal. The Winnipeg office of the new company is located at 115 Phoenix building. Ernest Shipman of New York has been spending several weeks in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, for the purpose of arranging preliminary preparations for the producing of Ralph Connor’s “ The Man from Glengarry ” which, it is understood, is to be made in the Ottawa Valley, the actual locale of the book. Mr. Shipman has appeared before a number of Ottawa clubs to tell of plans and achievements, having visited the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors’ Association, the Women’s Canadian Club and others. An important development in moving picture exchange circles in Canada has been the appointment of Arthur Larente 1 as manager of the Montreal headquarters , of the Specialty Film Import, Limited, Canadian distributors of Pathe and other releases. During the past two years, Mr. Larente, who is one of the pioneer exchange men in the Dominion, served as 1 Winnipeg manager of the Specialty Comi pany. Mr. Larente’s predecessor at the Montreal Specialty office was Charles Lalumiere who was in charge of the Montreal and Quebec territory for a lengthy period. Mr. Lalumiere has become general manager of the Europa Films, Reg., a new organization with main office in Montreal which has been established for the purpose of distributing foreign productions in Canada. Officers of the Dominion Alliance, a body of blue-law advocates in Canada, showed their true colors at Toronto, Ontario, on January 25, when opposition was offered against a proposal for the relief of the unemployed in the Ontario capital by devoting the whole proceeds “ The Prodigal Judge ” THE EXCHANGES AND if Sunday moving picture shows for the assistance of the needy. When announcement was made that the local exhibitors desired to hold Sunday benefit performances for the unemployed. Rev. W. M. Spencer, acting secretary of the alliance declared : “There can be no moving pictures exhibited in the Dominion of Canada on Sundays.” The law was quite clear, he pointed out. A meeting of the local exhibitors was held in the office of the Ontario censors when the question of holding Sunday benefit performances was brought up. Col. J. A. Cooper and Manager J. Bernstein of Loew’s theatre were appointed a deputation to consult Provincial Treasurer Smith regarding the plan — despite the moralists. CINCINNATI “ School Days ” opened last week for a one week engagement at the Walnut theatre, Cincinnati. It went over so big that Manager Ike Lipson held it over for a second week. Lipson did a lot of publicity work on “ School Days ” prior to the opening. One week before the opening, he held a private screening of the picture at the Palace theatre for which every school teacher in Cincinnati received a personal invitation. Following the screening many of the teachers gave testimonials as to the value of “ School Days ” as an entertainment. The Cincinnati newspapers co-operated with Lipson in a simple word test which aroused wide enthusiasm. The reward went to the child forming the greatest number 0(f words from the words _ “ School Days. ’ Paper was also widely distributed all oyer town. Ten boys were put to distributing 20,000 heralds. Five hundred stickers were pasted on automobiles, posts and other convenient places. Five thousand door hangers were attached to residence door knobs and telephones in public places. Wesley Barry cut-outs were stuck in conspicuous store windows. A music store gave its window to a display of Gus Edwards songs. Lipson also ran a two column one inch teaser in four Cincinnati papers for a whole week before the opening of the engagement, ending with a big display ad on the day of the opening. The result of all this exploiting was a two-week engagement with the second week even bigger than the first. ST. LOUIS Twenty St. Louis newspaper moving picture critics, dramatic editors, feature writers and editors were guests of Barney Rosenthal, St. Louis Universal manager, at a get-together dinner at Hotel Statler Thursday night. Rosenthal made a nice talk in which he told of the efforts being made to purge the movies of undesirable elements that draw antagonism. He appealed for a closer co-operation from the press. A private screening of “ The Leather Pushers,” a series of two-reelers from H. C. Witwer’s stories was also given. St. Louis exhibitors and exchange men are anticipating another movement _ to force censorship through the next session of the Missouri legislature. The recent successful referendum forcing Sunday closing on theatres in Springfield shows the anti-moving picture elements are ever active in the state. The advocates of censorship will endeavor to nominate men favorable to their ideas at the primaries of both major parties. Charles Raymond of the Paramount publicity organization has been transferred to the Portland, Ore., office. Mike Vogel is his successor here. E. C. Jensen, special representative of the Robertson-Cole Distributing Corporation, is spending several days in St. Louis. He arrived here from Omaha and is on tour of the key cities. Tom Leonard of Pioneer has returned from Kansas City, and reports he found an undercurrent of prosperity in that city. The theatres were obtaining good patronage and the belief exists that the worst times are behind us. Sam Harris, local Pathe manager, is visiting the New York headquarters. He will be gone about a week. Sidney Baker of Exhibitors Direct Service announces his company will distribute several features for the Catholic Art Society in the St. Louis territory. The pictures include a two-reeler of the Canonization of Joan of Arc in which the late Pope Benedict XV appeared. Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne and Robert McKim were guests at an after-theatre dinner given by leaders of the St. Louis film colony at Hotel Statler last Wednesday. Hector Pasmezoglu, who owns the Criterion, Delmar and Congress theatres, was the toastmaster. About thirty persons were present. McKim was appearing at the Empress while Mr. and Mrs. Bushman were the headliners at the Orpheum. C. C. Jones of the American theatre, Johnston City, 111., has purchased a Minusa screen for his house from the St. Louis Exhibitors Supply Company. The company also sold a No. 1 Gold Fibre Minusa to the Gem, Uniontown, Ky. Callers at the St. Louis exchanges the past week included: J. E. Pertle, Jerseyville. 111.; C. W. Hall, Illinois theatre, Centralia, 111. ; H. M. Ferguson, Gem, Centralia, 111. ; Charles Goodnight, Lyric, De Soto, Mo. ; Charles Sears, Lyric, Booneville, Mo. ; Noah Bloomer, Opera House, Freeburg, 111. ; E. M. Doyle, Grand, Cape Girardeau, 5Io. ; F. V. Mercier, Electric, Perryville, Mo. CLEVELAND W. J. Kimes, manager of the Cleveland Goldwyn exchange, attended the Goldwyn convention in Chicago last week and came back imbued with enthusiasm over the Goldwyn sales policies for the spring. “ The Queen of Sheba,” Fox special, like its predecessor, “ Over the Hill,” will play, day and date, at twenty Cleveland motion picture theatres the week of February 26. “ Over the Hill ” played at twenty houses in Cleveland the week of January 22, and every one of the twenty exhibitors report better than average business. This is quite a record, as many of these twenty houses usually play split weeks. M. B. Horwitz of the Washington Circuit, comprising eight local picture houses, played “ Over the Hill ” simultaneously at four of his houses and says he made money at every one of the four. “ ‘ Over the Hill ’ is the greatest audience picture of the age,” Horwitz asserts. The Wind-A-Meer _ theatre, first-run neighborhood house in East Cleveland changed hands this week. The theatre was purchased by the Silverman brothers of Altoona, Pa., where they own the Strand theatre. S. Silverman will come to Cleveland to take over the active management of the house. RHODE ISLAND Notwithstanding a state law which forbids motion picture entertainments in Rhode Island, except for charity purposes, Sunday motion picture shows in Newport will continue despite the protests of the Ministers’ Union in that city. Mayor J. P. Mahoney has made the announcement that he will not interfere in such entertainments following a request by the ministers that he stop such performances. During the war Newport was allowed to introduce pictures to provide diversion for the naval personnel then stationed there. Permission was given partly upon the request of the ministers, who believed THEATRE S\ in providing some form of entertainment for the men. Now that the city has refused to enforce the state law, it is said the ministers will next proceed to the attorney general’s office on the ground that the Rliode Island laws forbid Sunday motion picture entertainments in all cases where admission is charged. The following resolution has been adopted by the Ministers’ Union : “ In asmuch as the opening of the theatres of Newport on Sundays was consented to by the Ministers’ Union as a war measure at a time when without adequate occupations for their time of liberty and inasmuch as this exigency has now passed, the Ministers’ Union of the city of Newport respectfully requests his Honor the mayor that he now enforce the law concerning the opening of the playhouses in that city on Sunday.” Moving picture managers in Providence are discussing the feasibility of opening the motion picture houses one morning each week for the showing of educational films. Dr. Francis Holley, director of the Bureau of Economics, was here recently and presented a plan to the managers for the exhibition of industrial pictures, the managers contributing their houses in turn for the benefit of school children. No action has yet been taken but the matter is being strongly considered, and the managers look upon it with favor. WESTERN NEW YORK Cola W. Lyon of Orchard Park, N. Y. and Douglas Morris of Buffalo have organized the Orchard Park Amusement Company to conduct a motion picture theatre and community center in Orchard Park. The plans call for a $25,000 building, with an auditorium seating 500 persons. An attempt was made to set fire to the National theatre, 13th street, Niagara Falls, N. Y., last week. Oil was poured against the back of the theatre and a lighted match set to it, according to firemen. Louis Scalzo is manager of the National. Attempts have been made before to burn the house. Morris Taitus, found guilty of complicity in the theft of films with a potential value of $250,000, has been sentenced in Buffalo supreme court to ten years in Auburn prison. Taitus was formerly employed as shipping clerk at the United Artists’ exchange, Buffalo. Andy Geitner opened his new Geitner theatre in Silver Creek, N. Y., February “ The Prodigal Judge ” You Can See The Prodigal Judge NOW at the CAMEO THEATRE, 42nd Street, East of Broadway