Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1128 Motion Picture News N E IV S Y BRIEFS FROM CENTRAL FILM BELT icago and the Mid-West L . H . M A SON , REP RESENT AT/^E, 910 S. MICHIGAN APE. Ascher Brothers will not advance the admission price at the Roosevelt during the run of Universal’s million dollar production, “ Foolish Wives,” according to General Manager Newhafer. Ascher Brothers and Universal are co-operating in putting over an extensive publicity and advertising campaign for this picture, which is expected to remain at this beautiful State street house for some time. Miss Dupont will make a personal appearance on Feb. 12, the opening night. A1 Steffes, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Minnesota, was a Chicago visitor last week and conferred with leaders of the local organization on matters of interest to the M. P. T. O. Charlie Miller, veteran film salesman, is now connected with the Robertson-Cole exchange and is covering the southside Chicago territory for that organization. Manager Brimmer, of Vitagraph, states that “The Prodigal Judge” will be released at an early date in Chicago, and that arrangements have been completed for a big advertising campaign in connection with this picture, including the use of twenty-four sheet posters on one hundred and fifty-six bill boards. Manager Levine, of Universal’s Milwaukee exchange, was in Chicago last week and reports theatre attendance in the Wisconsin city improving, being helped by the reopening of factories and increasing of working forces at those plants which have been operating throughout the winter. Carl Muller, owner of the Spencer Square theatre, Rock Island. Illinois, is confined to the hospital following an operation, but it is reported there is no occasion for anxiety as his speedy recovery is expected. The Colonial theatre at Rock Island, Illinois, has been closed and no reopening date as yet announced. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Beaby, of the Majestic theatre, East Moline, Illinois, were visited last week by the stork. The family circle was enlarged to the extent of a bouncing baby girl. No shock talk possible with the Reabys this week. R. Fox, Universal’s special sales representative, brings word from Davenport, Iowa, that all the motion picture houses and newspapers have joined forces to make a big success of their “ Go To Theatre Week ” which has been set for February 5th to 12th. Petey Wales, of Lanark, Illinois, who operates a chain of small town theatres in northwestern Illinois, was a visitor last week and brought a refreshing breath of optimism with him. He caters to the agricultural class and reports business good and the outlook bright. His business for the past two weeks has been best known for sometime, he reports. Many friends of Fred Shlanger, of Universal, were sorry to learn of the death of his mother this week. Mr. Shlanger is a son-inlaw of Manager I. R. Lesserman, of Universal. Manager Bensch, of the Bell theatre, and former owner of the Garfield on South Plalsted, has purchased the 648 seat Liberty theatre from Mr. Gordon, and will continue to operate it as a high class moving picture house. Manager Gallas, of RobertsonCole, is wearing an expansive smile as a result of the good work done in putting over Robertson-Cole Week in this territory. R-C pictures are being shown in 180 houses in Chicago for a solid week and a total of 360 movie theatres are showing Robertson-Cole features during this period. Isadore Gumbiner, owner of the Banner theatre, has taken over the lease of the Ideal theatre now held by Joe Hopp and will get possession of this house next September. A1 Lichtman and Felix Fiest. of Associated First National Pictures, stopped off in Chicago for a day on their way to the west coast. Ralph T. Kettering, Jones, Linick & Schaefer’s popular exploitation expert, has returned from Toronto, Canada, where he closed a deal for his latest stage play. Mr. Kettering has been very successful as a playwright for several years and many of his productions are now being shown throughout the country. The committee of thirty, recently appointed by the Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners, to make plans for securing a reduction in rental prices of film for exhibitors in Chicago and throughout the state, met again this week and, it is understood, have gotten their case in shape to such an extent that they will soon be ready to approach the managers of local exchanges. A large amount of data showing the rents paid in this territory in comparison with that exacted in other parts of the country, and other statistics bearing on the desired reduction, have been compiled for presentation. Statements by certain exchange managers that they were willing to treat with the individual theatre man for reductions, but opposed meeting the committee, were not received favorably by exhibitors who believe the only way to secure results is by negotiations between their organization and the managers. William H. Bell, one of the pioneer exhibitors of Chicago, passed away Saturday at his residence, 1901 Warren Avenue. Mr. Bell had operated the Bell Theatre, 2407 West Madison Street, for twelve years or more and enjoyed the friendship of hundreds of exhibitors and others connected with the industry in this territory, all of whom will regret his death. Ben Beadell reports that the showing of the Official DempseyCarpenter pictures in Lubliner & Trinz’s chain of theatres was so successful that repeat dates have been arranged for all the L. & T. houses. Bookings from all parts of Illinois are continuing to be made in large numbers, according to Mr. Beadell. M. E. Maxwell has arrived in Chicago to assume his duties as district manager for Cosmopolitan Films. He will make his headquarters here and will have supervision of eleven Cosmopolitan offices in the central west. Mr. Maxwell is well known to the trade, having recently been field representative for Realart. W. W. Hodkinson’s exchange reports that more than two hundred exhibitors have signed up to show the Official Urban Movie Chats and that the first release in this territory will be next week. Both large and small houses are welcoming this innovation and among the important Chicago firms which have signed up is Balaban & Katz, who decided to use the Movie Chats after a week’s trial showing at the Chicago Theatre, which convinced them that the public would enjoy these reels. The first Chicago showing of the Official Urban Movie Chats occurred at Schaffer’s Projection Room on January 24th, and the large assembly of exhibitors burst into hearty applause at its conclusion, and expressed themselves as very much pleased with this reel, which has the official backing of the M. P. T. O. of A. Bill Hirshberg has bought the Orchard Theatre on North Avenue, from Sam Levine. Julius Lamm is doing the booking for this house. Harry Berman, of Universal Film Company, was in the city this week in connection with the opening of “ Foolish Wives ” at Ascher’s Roosevlt. Dan McConnell is also here and will look after the publicity and exploitation campaign in connection with the showing of this big feature. Mr. Berman reports that “ Foolish Wives ” will be shown in fifteen of the country’s largest cities w'ithin the next ten days. Joe Friedman, of Celebrated Players, was due back to Chicago this week after spending ten days in New York City attending an important meeting of Federated Film Exchanges, of which he is president. Sidney Goldman, who is looking after the American Releasing Corporation’s interest in the Central West, has practically closed a lease for a ground floor office on Wabash Avenue between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and expects to open up the Chicago headquarters for American within a few days. Realistic Blizzard in “The Great Alone’’ Tons of rock salt and a couple of aeroplane motors provided an effective blizzard which will be seen in “ The Great Alone,” the Monroe Salisbury feature, which will be distributed by the Producers Security Corporation. This saved the expense of taking the entire company to Northern California, and according to Director Jacques Jaccard, proved thoroughly realistic. “ The Great Alone ” is rapidly nearing completion, according to Supervising Director Isadore Bernstein, and arrangements for its release are now being formulated by the producers Security Corporation. “The Silent Call’’ Wins Praise in Frisco Duplicating its success at the Capitol theatre in New York City, where it won unanimous praise of all the newspaper critics, “The Silent Call,” an H. O. Davis production directed by Lawrence Trimble and released by First National, won similar acclaim from the reviewers of San Francisco during its presentation at the Cali ; fomia theatre. “The story is an intensely interesting one,” says the Call, “and is filled to the brim with gripping moments and situations as thrilling as they are unusual.” The Daily News: “The picture | is one of the most unusual and ! most interesting that has come out < of the studios in some time.” The Bulletin : “Most stories with an animal as the leading figure lose the big punch because the animal cannot be made to adequately interpret the character called for. There is no criticism of this sort to be found w>th ‘Strongheart’ the canine wonder. The most remarkable thing about ‘Strongheart’ is that he does not fail in one situation.” The Examiner: “A distinctly pleasing novelty is ‘The Silent Call’.”