Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1922)

3382 Motion Picture News Santa Claus was a visitor at the Century, New and Garden theatres, of the Whitehurst chain, during the week before Christmas, and at the first two theatres special prologues, in which the Saint was featured, were presented. Souvenirs were given the children and Santa Claus held receptions in the lobbies between shows. J. Louis Rome, manager of the Broadway, Apollo and Rialto theatres, put on a stunt during last week which helped to fill his houses. On the stages were studio lights and the needed equipment, and “ screenings ” were made of selected members of the audience by Miss Babe Stewart, cousin of Anita Stewart, a director and a skilled camerawoman. St. Louis Squibs George West, brother of Billy, the famed comedian, who represents Norca Pictures was a caller of the past week. E. W. Hammons, head of the Educational Film Company, was in town for a few hours and called on Harry Hynes, St. Louis manager for Educational. While Fred ' C. Ditzenberg, owner-manager of the St. Clair Odeon, East St. Louis, was booking pictures at First National someone stole his automobile from in front of the exchange. The boys work fast in St. Louis. H. J. Rosenberg of H. J. Rosenberg, Inc., visited local independent exchanges to interest them in a pageant play he is selling. Among the prominent visitors of the week was Arthur Schoenstadt, owner of the Atlantic Boulevard, Ashland and Brighton Park theatres in Chicago. He put .in several hours playing golf with old friends here. J. Fundis of Marshall, 111., has purchased the theatre in that city owned by L. J. Bulger. Florida Slants J. Wolfman, of New York, who promoted and built a motion picture studio, in St. Petersburg last winter, is back again in the land of sunshine. J. F. Metz, representing W. A. Boling, the new owner of the Sans Souci theatre in Ybor City, says they will start dismantling that house, on or about February 1st of the new year, and that everything but the four walls will be for sale. Virginia Pearson is one motion picture actress who can put over a “personal appearance” in a way that increases her popularity. G. D. Cooley, Manager of the Victory theatre, Tampa, had Miss Pearson as a three day attraction last week. She drew immense business and made a host of friends here. The Business and Professional Woman’s Club of Tampa are going to have a series of entertainments during the winter. The first wilt be Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell, who will deliver a lecture at the Tampa Bay Casino on January 2nd. The title of his lecture is “ Midst Ice and Snow in Labrador,” which will be illustrated with several reels of motion pictures and stereopticon slides. Rhode Island Briefs A final meeting of the creditors of the Amber Star Film Corporation of this city has been called for December 23. A voluntary petition in bankruptcy was filed by this concern in the Federal Court here in June, the liabilities being listed at $120,115.87 and assets at $662.61. Frederick S. Peck of Barrington is the principal creditor. The week before Christmas at the Providence motion picture houses in some respects savored of “ old home week.” The Rialto ran “ The Four Horsemen ” on its third presentation in the city. The Victory offered “ Way Down East,” also the third time in the city, while other houses had pictures which have been shown previously. The Emery, part pictures and part vaudeville, showed “Trifling Women.” The Capitol theatre, beginning December 18, establishes a new price of 10 cents to any part of the house from 10:30 to noon. The Victory adopted this policy some time ago. The Bijou theatre in Pawtucket has just closed a popularity contest. The contest was conducted for about three weks on a voting plan, a vote being given each ticket purchaser. The winner, who has not yet been announced, will get a free trip to New York. Indianapolis Close-Ups Attorneys for F. J. Rembusch fought prosecution on a charge of operating the Grace theatre at Martinsville, Ind., on Sunday on the theory the theatre afforded an opportunity for mental rest for patrons and that the theatre was a disseminator of news and therefore not subject to the blue law. They were unsuccessful, Rembusch being found guilty by a jury in the Morgan circuit court and fined $1 and costs. Frank Jewel, manager for Rembusch, was acquitted, however. Proponents of censorship and specific prohibition of Sunday operation of theatres were quiet in the past week, but theatrical interests were watching closely for their next move. The State Legislature meets early in January and the usual crop of bills inimical to the theatre are expected to spring up. The Mutual Burlesque Association officials, at a meeting here last week, decided conditions warranted erection of a new 1,600-seat burlesque theatre, to which the Mutual shows would move from the Broadway. A site was not selected. The South Theatre Corporation, of South Bend, filed preliminary certificate of dissolution. Canadian Jottings Important changes affecting several moving picture theatres at Windsor, Ontario, have taken place. Loew’s theatre at Windsor passed into the discard on Monday, December 11, with the taking over of the Loew house by the Capitol Theatre Company, a local syndicate. On that date the name of the theatre was changed from “ Loew ” to “ Capitol ” and various changes were also made in the policy of the theatre. Announcement was also made that the Capitol Theatre had acquired the Windsor theatre, also of Windsor, and would operate the two houses. With these changes also came the news that the Empire theatre, one of the older houses in Windsor, had been closed permanently by the interests which control the Capitol Theatre Company. The new Capitol was erected by Marcus Loew only three years ago for the usual policy of presenting five acts of vaudeville and feature pictures. Announcement is made that vaudeville and pictures will be continued under the Capitol management, the general admission price for matinees being 16 cents and that for the evening shows being 37 cents. The theatre reopened as the Capitol with Paramount's “ Clarence ” as the film feature. A more or less significant theatre transaction in Toronto, Ontario, has been the buying back of the National theatre, Yonge street, by Sam Garr, former proprietor, from Sol Allen, brother of Jule and J. J. Allen, to whom he sold the theatre some months ago. The National is a small downtown theatre, but it has had a successful career. Mr. Garr has also bought the People’s theatre, Queen street, Toronto, for the presentation of pictures and vaudeville. Harry S. Dahn, formerly of the Capitol theatre, Regina, Sask., has been established as manager of the big Capitol theatre in Montreal, in succession to H. M. Thomas, general supervisor of theatres for the Famous Players Canadian Corporation, who has temporarily taken charge of the Capitol theatre, Winnipeg, Oral Cloakey having been appointed manager of the Capitol theatre, Hamilton, formerly the Loew theatre in that city. Western Penn Notes I. A. Farrah, who formerly conducted the Penn Film exchange, Chestnut street near Third, Harrisburg, has just been made manager of the new Victoria theatre, the largest motion picture theatre in Altoona. The theatre was finished last summer, having been built by James George, one of the pioneer motion picture exhibitors of Harrisburg, who, with his brother, Athens George, is credited with having made a fortune out of the Victoria theatre in the latter city, before they sold it several years ago to the Wilmer & Vincent interests. The Galen theatre, Marysville, Pa., recently ruined by fire, is to be rebuilt by the owner, Amos Fisher. He will erect a brick and frame building, using portions of ihe brick walls of the old structure that were left standing. Following recent negotiations it is lc-arned that the Paramount theatre, one of the leading picture houses in Mechanicsburg. Pa., has been sold by Samuel Rubin to Walter Yost, who is now managing the house. The Victoria motion picture theatre, Front and Adams streets, Steelton, Pa., formerly leased by I. A. Farrah, has come under the control of Mr. Schiff, who has bought outright the interior equipment, which was owned by Mr. Farrah. A company headed by Dr. Spangler, of Millerstown. is erecting a new brick motion picture theatre in that place. It is understood it will be opened about January 15. The seating capacity will be 600. The house will be known as the Lyric. Every' child who brought a toy to either the Victoria, Colonial or Majestic theatres, all Wilmer & Vincent houses in Harrisburg, Pa., was admitted free to the matinee performances on December 16. The purpose of the plan was to obtain toys for distribution on Christmas to the poor children of the city through medium of the Toy Mission, conducted by philanthropic organizations of Harrisburg. C. Floyd Hopkins, manager of the theatres, announced that the attendance at all three theatres was most gratifying. Drums and dolls predominated among the contributions thus obtained. San Francisco Items “ Birthday Week ” was recently celebrated at the Granada theatre when that prominent theatre’s first yrear was celebrated. Both managing directors Eugene H. Roth and Jack Partington of the Rothchild Corporation that controls four theatres in San Francisco, stated the Granada has been a wonderful success. To start the celebration out right, usherettes began things the first day by presenting President Herbert L. Rothchild and Managing Directors Roth and Partington with a huge birthdaycake, which was called by its makers a “ Grande Torte.” On the cake burned a single candle and after it had been lighted a second candle was added to “ grow on.” An elaborate program was prepared for “ BirthdayWeek ” which matched the opening program about a year ago. An elaborate dance fantasie, featuring a large number of dancers staged with lavishness was the “ piece de resistance ” sharing interest with one of Paul Ash’s most ambitious concert programs, and with the splendid feature picture, Peter B. Kyne’s story, “ Brothers Under The Skin.” Messrs. Rothchild, Roth and Partington received congratulations and birthday' cards not only from some of the most prominent residents of San Francisco and California, but from some of the (Continued on page 3401)