Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

Oct i i 9 1283 Regional News From Correspondents Revamped-Wired Gem Opened in Salt Lake RENi IV \ ! [i IN and installs tion of new \\ esh rn ^iniiiil equipment o mpleted, the i . m, Salt Lake City, held its opening tins work. \\ . E. Shipley and P. C. Peterson are manager and assistant manager, respectively. Exhibitor Veal of Enterprise, Ore., was a visitor at Salt Lake i ii National Filmfone office. First preview theatre in Sail Lak< i i t \ was opened a tew nights ago .it 38 East Kir-t South street bv the National Filmfone Corp. L. X. Strike is manager National Filmfone. Lewis Hoffman reports that he will have a program of talking pictures to distribute within the near future. Hoffman returned recently from a trip made to the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. Among exhibitors visiting last week, due to the Allied Association conference, were Mr. and Mrs. K. I. Page, of McCall, Idaho, who have not made a trip to this section for the past fifteen years. Interest in "The Reelyn," film row's confectionery and lunch room, has been purchased by E. W. Enis. here, it is reported. Among visitors here last week were Exhibitors Johnson. Rigby, Idaho; Nielson, Logan and Boise; Ruschmeir, Prove; Mr. Peterson, Fillmore, Utah; Perry Brothers, i Igden, Utah ; Mell Stringham. Ogden; John Rugar, Park City, Utah Also visiting were Exhibitor Brown, Nampa, Idaho; Mr. Orr, Grace. Idaho; Mr. Edwards, McCammon, Idaho; Ed Ryan, Brigham City, Utah; Mr. Johnstone. Lichfield. Utah; Lee Stallings and Exhibitor Londay. Richfield, Utah. Sunday Shows Assured In Penn Yan, N. Y. SUNDAY film performances O were assured Penn Yan, N. Y., last week by a three to one vote of the village electorate at a special election paid for by Harry C. Morse, manager of the Sampson and Elmwood. The final vote was 1,376 to 435. Morse agreed to finance the election after he had presented the Board of Trustees with a petition bearing the names of 2.100 qualified voters and asking Sunday shows. He deposited a check for $300 with the village clerk. J. Ray Ottman. former member of the advertising staff of the Rochester Times-Union, has been named by M-G-M as one of 13 students chosen from a competitive list of 1 .000 to enroll in company's school for transmission of sound in motion pictures. Ottman later will enter company's field service to adjust individual theatres to sound producing apparatus. Jan Powel Wolanek, head of tin Wolanek Conservatory of Music. Buffalo, will direct the t r:< of the Little Theatre, Motion Picture Guild enterprise, which will open late this Fall. Theatre, which will thri e performances a daj . will di unusual and nov elty films. A lounge where coffee and cigarettes will be served, spai i 'I chairs in the auditorium ami an art display in the 1 bbs ai e e ;ts distinguishing features. Auditorium will scat 300. Kenneth Widenor, member of the American Guild of Organists, the Society of Theatre Organists of Xew York City, and the National Association "i Organists, last week was appointed staff organisl at Loew's Rochester. Simultaneous showings of sound films t" jim West Siders an opportunity to see downtown runs without traveling half the length if the city was announced last week by Paul Penyvessy, director of the Strand and Madison Theatres, in connection with the in stallation of sound equipment in both houses. The Madison, neigh borhood house, will present an identical program with the Strand downtown. C. H. Bissell Mgr. Of Columbia In Albany CH. BISSELL, who has been located in Buffalo for some time past, arrived back in Albany last week to succeed George Rosenbaum, resigned as manager of Columbia exchange. Floyd Walters, organist at the Strand, Albany, has decided to enter the political arena and is running for the office of supervisor in one of the Albany districts. Mr. Walters is spending all of his spare time in campaigning. Mrs. C. H. Buckley, wife of the owner of three theatres ;n Albany, was a successful competitor at the recent municipal flower show and carried off several blue ribbons. After being closed for several weeks during the installation of sound equipment, the Commun'ty, at Bolton Landing, reopened last week. Pictures will be shown on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. Several of the local exhibitors were in New York Gty last week, the list including Uly S Hill, of the Warner group in Troy and Albany ; C. H. Bucklev, also of Albanv ; and William E. Benton, with In mses in Saratoga Springs and elsewhere in northeastern New York. Theatres of Albany will hencpforth face competition of a stock companv which opened last week at the Capitol Theatre. The Palace, in Troy, owned and operated by Austin Battaglia, has been recently equipped with sound apparatus. Jimmy Chest, operating the Capitol in Canajoharie, has decided to close down except for two nights a week during the fall. Eli Rosenbaum, owner of the Hippodrome at Ogdensburg, who was painfully burned a week or so auo while fighting a film fire _ in the booth, has resumed his duties. Mr. Rosenbaum's son, who had nlanned to enter college this fall. lias deferred such until January, and will assist in management of the theatre. Leon Herman, working as a salesman out of lumbia, was in Albany last v el assisting in handling the local ex change until such lime as uew: manager could be named. Two women exhibitors, Mrs 1 lennis Regan, of * Greenwich, and Mrs. Sequin, < f Rouse's Point, were among the out-of-town visitors along Albany's film row durthi week, Samuel Hochstim, oi I [udson, was also in tov n. Business i> reported as being spottj over the Albany territory. [•"red Haney, formerly of the Hudson in Albany, is now handling the Colonial. Jules Berinstein, owner of the house, who is spending much of his time in Elmira these days, was back in Albany last week. The Bijou, Troy, has changed hands. Mr. Curry surrendering his lease and house reverting back to its original owner. George Thornton, of Saugerties, a well known exhibitor, was in town last weekJack Bulwinkle, ex First Nat'l Albany manager is now located in Boston exchange. Wyo. House Reopened ; Denver Items THE Empress of Laramie, Wyoming, was reopened on September 14th, after complete remodeling throughout the theatre, including DeForest sound equipment for both disc and film. Theatre has been carpeted all over and new seats installed. A new curtain was put in, together with new scenery. A large new screen 18 x 25 feet, was also added. W. S. Hirsch recently opened the "Id Mars Theatre, at 18th and Curtis Streets, Denver, under the name of the Music Box Theatn Mr. Hirsch is running a combined vaudeville and picture show. John Drum is now' branch manager for Columbia, in Denver Denver film row is glad to have as one of its members a man who has accomplished an almost impossible feat, and that is the winning of two national contests in succession. This person is R. J. Morrison, the manager of the Fox branch office of Denver. Last June, Jim Morrison captured first honors in the "Jimmie Grainger Week" and now he has just won first place in the "National Fox Week" contest. Mr. and Mrs. Ashby are the proud parents of an eight and onehalf pound son, born a week ago. This is the fourth child born to the Ashby family and the third son. Mr. Ashby is branch manager for the First National here. Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Stonebraker, of the Palace, of Trin'dad, Colo., came to Denver last week. F. H. Butler, branch manager for Pathe in Denver, and Mrs. Lillian Engasser, of San Francisco, Calif., were recently married in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral at Denver. They are now living at the Buckingham Apartments at 1080 Sherman Street. The local Paramount excl installing a complete Western Electric sound equipment in its private screen room. Hazel Sporr, manager of the Critcher, at Pueblo, Colo., was killed in an automobile accident on September 17th. Herren Wants Sunday Shows; St. Louis News rPHE City i Mm:, ii a1 I : 1 111., by vote of 5 to 3, has passed ordinance permitting Sunday motion picture shows. Bill was opposed by Ministerial Alii; and clergymen of the various Protestant denominations attended two council meetings to block passage of the bill. Eddie Lowry, former master of ceremonies at the Ambassador. St, Louis. Mo., opened last week in ewark, N. J. If a peaceful settlement with the musicians union is reached at an early date it is probable Ed will be brought back to the Ambassador. The Midtown, St. Louis, probably will be reopened as a dramatic stock house as Captain V. R. Sutton-Mattocks and associates aresaid to have obtained an option on the house. St. Louis motion picture stocks listed on the St. Louis Stock Exchange closed September 28 as follows : Skouras A $30 bid, and St. Louis Amusement A $20 asked. The latter stock hasn't paid a dividend for more than a year. Sixty theatres in St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois are now showing regularly the St. Louis Post Dispatch Universal Newspaper Newsreel. Temple, Syracuse, Is Acquired By Publix WITH the passing of the Temple Theatre, at Syracuse, N. Y., to Publix interests the past week the last Syracuse capital was removed from the moving picture industry. The theatre is being thoroughly renovated. There will be an addition of 400 seats, giving theatre a seating capacity of 2,050. Stage is being moved back, an addition of 20 feet being made. House will re-open in three or four weeks. Syracuse is now represented by each of the large moving picture companies. R-K-O pictures coming to Keith's, M-G-M to Loew's State, Fox to the Eckel, Warner Brothers to Strand and Paramount to Temple Theatre. The Empire and old Wieting are the only houses to remain legitimate since sale of the Temple, which formerly played stock and burlesque. The Savoy will open in a few weeks as the New Temple, and will play first run Columbia and Tiffany-Stahl features. It will be operated by the Habe Co. $32,000 House Opens At Tekamah, Nebr. THE "New I.vric" Theatre, of Tekamah. Nebr.. built at a cost of $32,000 by Harry Day, of Mapleton, Iowa, opened Sept. 24. House is wired and equipped with latest furnishings. Two days after they had held up and robbed the Empress. Fremont, Nebr., last week. Robert Prichard and George Zakem were aptured bv deputy state slat Blair. They < nfessed to several other robberies.