Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1058 Motion Picture News 2. James MacFarlane, mayor of Canandaigua, will open his new theatre in that town February 20. The Adelphia theatre in Fairhaven, N. Y., has been closed permanently. The new Lafayette Square, Buffalo, opens February 20. Jack Dempsey has settled the two suits brought against him by Frank P. Spellman of Batavia for $100,000, it is reported. Spellman claimed a share of the profits of “ Daredevil Jack,” the Pathe serial, claiming that he was instrumental of procuring the work for the boxing champion. The amount of the settlement was not divulged by District Attorney Guy B. Moore. The case was scheduled to go to its second trial January 30. Sam Morris, general manager of Select Pictures, was in Buffalo last week-end for a conference with Dick Fox, branch manager and members of the sales staff. Mr. Fox reports many big bookings on “ Conceit.” Howard Riehl has been engaged by Branch Manager Henry W. Kahn of Metro in Buffalo to cover the Southern Tier. E. J. Maclvor, special representative for R-C Pictures Corporation, has arrived in Buffalo to aid in the sales drive about to be started by Branch Manager A. W. Moses. Walter Price, formerly with Metro, has been engaged as salesman. J. L. Cook has resigned. W. A. V. Mack, manager of the Pathe exchange in Buffalo, is planning to celebrate the end of his first year as manager, with a special “ Mack Week,” February 13 to 18. Ralph Mosely will resign as house manager at Shea’s Hippodrome, Buffalo, February 15 and will be succeeded by George Mason, now at Shea’s Criterion. Marion Gueth has resigned as booker at the Buffalo Hodkinson exchange. She has been succeeded by George J. Canty, formerly with Fox. P. N. Brinch, manager of exchanges for Hodkinson, was a Buffalo visitor last week. L. C. Dumont of the Detroit United Artists’ office has joined the staff of the Buffalo exchange. M. H. Markowitz, branch manager, reports box office records being broken throughout the territory by “ Way Down East.” H. M. Chubaroff has resigned as vicepresident and general manager of Niagara Pictures Corporation, the new state right exchange in the Warner building, Buffalo. Dave Levy is carrying on the business. KANSAS CITY That Missouri exhibitors are awakening to the fact that strength lies only in unity was plainly evidenced last week in “ test ” letters sent out by Lawrence E. Goldman, secretary and counsel of the state organization. The “ test ” letters, as Mr. Goldman termed them, were blanks for a renewal of membership in the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Missouri. Four days after the letters “ The Prodigal Judge ” You Can See The Prodigal Judge NOW at the CAMEO THEATRE, had been sent broadcast over the state, more than 90 per cent of the exhibitors had responded with a renewed membership, and all indications are that there will be a 100 per cent response among the 600 former members of the state organization. The M. P. T. O. M. is represented in every town in the state, which has a population exceeding 2,000. Having retained as his attorney Samuel Handy of Kansas City, M. Van Praag, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Kansas is preparing to do battle with the music tax society, which has filed suit against him. Richard J. Hopkins, attorney general of Kansas and counsel of the Kansas exhibitors, will direct activities of the defense in the suit and is contemplating a move whereby the music tax society may be ousted from the state, under the anti-trust law. The Kansas City office of the CrescentFederated Film Exchange has announced that they have contracted for these features for distribution in the Kansas City territory: Eight new five-reel Neal Harts; twelve Richard Kipling five-reel westerns; six Big Boy Williams five-reel westerns; three Snowy Baker productions; “ Shadow of Lightning Ridge,” “ Better Men,” “ Fighting Breed ” and Diane of Star Hollow,” a successor to “ When Bearcat Went Dry,” with the same cast; “ The Unconquered Woman,” featuring Ruby DeRemer; “When Destiny Wills;” “Branded;” “Serving Two Masters;” “ The Way of a Man:” “ The Cloud Burst;” “ Any Night;” “Ashes;” “ Lone Hand Wilson,” and “ The Ranger and the Law.” Twenty-six one-reel comedies also have been purchased. William Jacobs, formerly manager of Loew’s Garden theatre in Kansas City, has been appointed manager of the Royal theatre, Kansas City, one of Frank L. Newman’s first run houses. Mr. Jacobs recently opened and managed one of Loew’s houses in Oklahoma City. The Kansas City Metro branch has established a publicity branch, which will be in charge of Bert Perkins. Closer co-operation with exhibitors in up-to-theminute exploitation will be the policy of the new department. M. R. Fink, Kansas City, president and general manager of Peacock Productions, Inc., upon returning from an eightweeks’ trip in Europe, has become convinced, he says, that American exhibitors are on the edge of “ good times,” due mainly because the independent distributors are offering their product to exhibitors on a live and let live basis. C. W. Potter has been added to the sales force of the Kansas City Vitagraph branch. He will cover Northern Kansas, having succeeded H. L. Craig, who now is with Crescent-Federated Film Exchange. Among the changes in management and opening of new theatres in Kansas City territory during the last week are : Royal theatre, Seneca, Kas., purchased by W. P. Lenz from C. D. Stewart; Isis theatre, Syracuse, Kas., purchased by YH. Goodrick from C. F. Garwood ; Isis theatre, Augusta, Kas., remodeled and opened by Jack Johnstone. OKLAHOMA As a precaution against smallpox now very prevalent in Oklahoma, it has been ordered by the health officers at McAlester, Okla., that before any person is admitted to any public gathering, picture show or school in McAlester, that a certificate of successful vaccination must be presented before entering. Orin Snapp of Guthrie, has purchased the Joy theatre at Oilton, Okla., from J. W. Whipple, consideration about $15,000. H. H. Maloney, for several months directing manager of the Star and Rialto theatres at Denison, Texas, for the Southern Enterprises, Inc., but who left Denison in September to take charge of the Palace theatre at Dallas, has returned to Denison to again take charge of the Star and Rialto theatres. C. C. Wallace has purchased the Happy Hour theatre at Lometa, Texas. The Airdome at Giddings, Texas, has been purchased by Merchant & Ball. H. L. Youngblood has purchased the Guthrie theatre at Guthrie, Okla., and will alter and remodel the playhouse, adding an orchestra. 42nd Street, East of Broadway Tom Comthwaite and Arley Fink have purchased the Majestic theatre at Enid, Okla., and will remodel and make many new improvements. H. Silverberg and S. Abrams will build a new $30,000 theatre at 608 Main street, Houston, Texas, in the near future. The theatre will seat 450 and will be strictly modern and up to date. T. C. Cahill has purchased the Dick theatre at Haskell, Texas. J. R. Davis of Shattuck, Texas, has purchased the Fox theatre at Higgins, Texas, which he will operate in addition to his theatres at Shattuck and Gage, Texas. Ray C. Berry has taken over the management of the Campus theatre at Norman, Oklahoma. The Rex theatre at Alba, Texas, will show on Saturdays only, in the future. J. P. Jones has purchased Yale theatre at Groesbeck, Texas. MINNEAPOLIS Recognized as one of the foremost “ film ” lawyers in the United States, Benjamin M. Goldman has been appointed counsel of the Minneapolis Film Board of Trade. Earl M. Kindred and M. Schamber opened their Lyric theatre at Mobridge, S. D., January 14 with “ Way Down East ” as the initial attraction. The Lyric is said to be one of the most upto-date theatres in South Dakota and has a seating capacity of 400. Admission prices are 10 and 25 cents. Under the management of Edward Janicki of Chicago, the Eagle theatre was opened at Eagle River, Wis., on January 14. It is the third house for Eagle River and was erected by Joseph Gorski at a cost of $20,000. J. C. McConville and W. J. Cammer, traveling auditors for Goldwyn are visiting the local branch of that company. A tendency toward a marked improvement in business is seen in Minneapolis with all theatres reporting attendance picking up and with the holding over of “ The Queen of Sheba ” for a second week’s run at the New Garrick. Fair sized newspaper ads with attractive lobby displays have featured the exploitation for the various attractions. Manager John Preston arranged a big display of oil paintings, oriental rugs ana other eastern effects for “ The Queen of Sheba ” which did a phenomenal business the first week with good attendance the second week. Manager Koch of the New Aster made the front of his theatre into a log cabin to advertise Zane Grey’s “ The Mysterious Rider." Although the idea was not new it attracted considerable attention with good box office results. The picture was booked for four days but was held over for the week. At the other houses no special display was attempted, the usual attractive lobby cards being relied upon. Will Steege of the Great Falls, Mont., Capitol, borrowed the old circus and minstrel ballyhoo stunt to put over Bill Hart’s “ Three Word Brand ” at his theatre. Announcing a week ahead of time that a cowboy band would play at all performances, he hired ten artists on the brass and togged them out in sombreros, chaps and bandanas, and had them on the streets and in front of his house playing between each performance in an old-fashioned hayrack. Announcement is made of the appointment of C. H. Preston as manager of the Minneapolis New Garrick. Mr. Preston came to the Twin Cities from Pittsburg a year ago last fall to become resident manager of the Capitol theatre, St Paul, at its opening. Early in 1921 he was made resident manager of the State theatre, Minneapolis, when that theatre opened. For the past six months he has managed the Grand theatre, a Finkelstein and Ruben house at Duluth. Ben Freidman, local film distributor, is to open the Rivoli theatre at Albert Lea late this month. The theatre formerly was owned by V. V. Valleau and was called the Idle Hour. Burglars, who jimmied their way into the office and broke open the safe, robbed the Orpheum theatre here on January 9 of $600, the theatre’s Saturday and Sunday receipts. McCarthy Bros, operate the Orpheum. Manager J. E. O’Toole of the Minneapolis Select exchange has announced the appointment of Howard Carey as special representative of the company with headquarters in Minneapolis. Mr. Carey recently resigned as manager of the Omaha Select exchange. He is succeeded in that position by P. J. Richrath, formerly associated with the F. B. Warren Corporation. Jack O’Toole, manager of the Minneapolis Select exchange is back at his desk after a severe attack of bronchitis. A. H. Fischer, local Metro manager, has also returned to work after a short dines*. Jack Prescott, former manager of the New Garrick theatre, Minneapolis and more recently manager of the Capitol theatre, Winnipeg, has assumed the management of the Tower theatre, St. Paid. John LeRoy Johnston resigned this position to go with Southern Enterprises at Dallas about a month ago. INDIANAPOLIS Indiana exhibitors lost a friend in the death of Mrs. Hence Orme, January 20. She was one of the Indiana Indorsers of Photoplays who took a prominent part in the fight to prevent passage of a censorship bill by the state legislature in 1921. Death came suddenly in a room in the Hotel Severin, following an attack of acute indigestion. Mrs. Orme was the women’s manager of United States Senator Harry S. New's campaign for renomination on the Republican ticket. Her political standing and the fact that she was president of the State Federation of Parent-Teacher Clubs made her doubly valuable as an ally to the exhibitors in their censorship fight. Speaking of censorship, Motion Picture News’ correspondent was informed by a person on the inside last week that some sort of city ordinance to provide local official judgment upon the morals of photoplay, vaudeville, burlesque and legitimate attractions may make its appearance in the city council soon. The council’s next regular meeting is February 6. The measure may be introduced then, it was said. Just which wing of the blue law crowd is talking of the move could not be definitely ascertained. The Colonial Theatre Company of Ft. Wayne has filed preliminary certificate of dissolution with the secretary of state. Rev. W. S. Fleming, the Chicago blue law advocate, spoke to Methodist ministers of Indianapolis last week urging them to start a fight for Sunday closing of motion picture houses. The Cobum Photo and Film Company, engaging locally in commercial and news film production, will build a $50,000 studio before fall, H. H. Coburn, vicepresident and general manager, announced. “ The Prodigal Judge ” You Can See The Prodigal Judge NOW at the CAMEO THEATRE, 42nd Street, East of Broadway THE WILLIAMS PBINTING COMPANY, NEW TOES