Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1915)

104 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 2, 1915. The Picto theater, ot Chattanooga, recently showed the first two reels of "The Gentleman Adventurer," in which Warren Kerrigan takes the leading part. This story was written by Louis Vance, author of the "Trey O' Hearts." "His Heart, His Hand and His Sword," the first section of the Universal serial, which will run for fourteen weeks, went very well at the Picto. An exhibition for the benefit of the ■war relief fund of the Nashville Commercial Club was held in the Ryman Auditorium during the afternoon and night of Saturday, Dec. 12. The moving pictures shown were taken in Belgium a short time ago by permission of the Belgian Government, with a provision lor the benefit of non-combatants who have suffered by the war. Two performances were given, one at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and one at 8 o'clock at night. Proceeds from moving picture shows in many cases have been set aside for the Belgium relief work, and in some cases special shows have been given in halls for this work. Tennessee exhibitors have shown a strong disposition to help, in every way possible, the committees which have been working on relief work. NORTHWESTERN NOTES. By Midwest Special Service. L. C. Nedderson has sold the Bijou theater at Aberdeen, S. D., to Mrs. Amy E. Keever. The new owner, who will operate the house, has a number of tentative plans for its improvement. Plans for making the moving picture shows more wholesome were told to members of the Fifth District ot the Federation of Women's Clubs in session at Minneapolis, Minn., by Mrs. Charles Sproul! Thompson of the Drama League. Charles Vedder, W. S. and C. E. Chapman, operating under the firm name of Vedder, Chapman & Son, have purchased the Rex theater at Bemidji, Minn., from F. B. Brinkman. Four reels of moving pictures taken in Norway were shown at a dinner of the Commercial Club in Grand Forks, N. D. The Palace theater, at Minneapolis, Minn., gave a free showing of the health film, "The Temple ot Moloch," co-operating with the anti-tuberculosis workers of that city. The Tooele opera house at Tooele, Utah, is now under new management. The house has been renovated and improved. The second of the selected shows for children, under the auspices of the Drama League of Minneaoplis, Minn., was given at the Strand theater, formerly the Saxe. A. N. Freun of Chester. Mont., has purchased the Crystal theater at Fairmont, Minn., from F. A. Seeley. Freun has been in the photoplay business five years. Dreamland theater at Willmar, Minn., was re-opened December 11. Weekly educational motion picture shows are given at the Engineering building at the Agricultural College at Fargo, N. .D. A recent show was an illustrated lecture on "Sate Methods of Bituminous Coal Mining." The company which proposes to erect a new theater at Twin Valley, Minn., will be known as the Twin Valley Opera House Company. Interested in the project are J. L. Wood, J. B. Hoyden, Dr. Snell and M. B. Dahl. Joseph Barnard has sold the Bijou theater at Grafton. N. D., to Walter Dahl. The second floor of the Pierpont building, at Pierpont, S. D., has been converted into a moving pcture theater by H. S. ■Chamberlan and Elmer Munson. Charles Searl has opened the Ruby moving picture theater at Hudson, Wyoming. J. B. Ritch has opened the new Myrtle theater at Lewiston, Mont. Ben Morgan has opened a moving picture show at Gillette, Wyo. L. P. Chapman and H. P. Sandels have disposed of their interests in the Royal theater at Red Lodge, Mont., to James Ingram. KANSAS ITEMS. By Kansas City News Service. The Aurora theater at Lawrence, Kan., recently showed pictures made at the Kansas-Missouri football game. The pictures were very clear and showed the crowds and some very interesting plays. Beginning Monday, Dec. 7, the moving picture became a part of the regular school equipment of the schools of Manhattan, Kan. Superintendent John Lofty announced that the machine secured would be used to show films pertaining to literature, history, geography and all of the science classes. The Electric Amusement Co., incorporated under the laws of Kansas and constructing a large theater in Springfield, Mo., to be operated in connection with the Electric theaters in Kansas City, Kan., and Joplin, Mo., has leased the Orpheum theater in Topeka, Kan. The purpose of the company in opening a theater in Topeka is to operate a new line of amusements which will be announced later. It is hinted that the company intends to give vaudeville and pictures at five cents. Most of the theaters in Topeka, Kan., which a short time ago raised their prices to ten cents, have again dropped back to five. This is true of practically all of the residential shows and a large part of the downtown shows. "Little Mary" in "Behind the Scenes" at the Orpheum theater in Leavenworth, Kan., made a decided hit. Everybody in Leavenworth is becoming acquainted with Mary Pickford since the Orpheum commenced to run Famous Players films. NOTES FROM WISCONSIN. By Midwest Special Service. npHE Alhambra theater at Milwaukee -*■ has reduced its admission to ten cents for all seats. Following the advent of the Paramount Features some time ago Thomas Saxe increased the price for the lower floor in the evening to twenty cents. Bishop & Standish have sold the Cosmo, Cozy and Grand opera houses at Merrill to Peter Bngenhofer of Arlington. Minn. Paul Lembke, of Milwaukee, has purchased the moving picture show in the opera house at Port Washington from Mr. Greene. Capt. Peto, better known as "Papa," has returned to Chicago and is succeeded as manager of the Gem theater at Beloit by a Mr. Kline of Chicago. Magee's opera house at Bvansville featured the Modern Woodmen of America sanitorium and head camp pictures. Manager Zander of the Majestic theater at Rhinelander did a big business with the films of that city. High-class feature pictures will play an important part in the bookings of the Superior Grand Amusement Company, a new corporation which was formed to take over the leases on the Grand opera house in Superior. The attractions will also include musical and dramatic shows. John S. Hadley, Jr., who was connected with the house as treasurer for years, is president of the company, and Harvey C. Buchanan, also long in the service at the Grand, is secretary and treasurer. A six-piece orchestra has been secured to furnish music for all attractions. Roy M. Clark ot the Zenith Motion Picture Company of Chicago has been at Beloit in connection with a local industrial story to be filmed for one of the local houses. Moving pictures of the Wisconsin State Fair were shown in connection with one of the weekly lectures before the Y. M. C. A. at La Crosse. As the result of sales of Red Cross seals in the lobbies of three Milwaukee picture houses — the Alhambra, Butterfly and Strand — the sum of $200.74 was turned over for the anti-tuberculosis work. The Red Cross film was shown at the Alhambra, where a lecture was given at each show by Dr. J. M. Beffel, prominent in Wisconsin anti-white-plague work. The Princess theater in Superior had a Christmas night, Dec. 9, when the proceeds were turned over for good cheer work. The Parlor theater fixed Dec. 17 as the night when the Rotary Club received a share of the receipts to help make Superior's needy happy. W. E. and F. R. Smith, managers of the Bijou theater at Fond du Lac, have made arrangements to begin work about May 1 remodeling their house and increasing the seating capacity to more than 900. The second floor of the building will be converted into a balcony, the stage will be remodeled and a new front installed. After the alterations are made a policy of three acts of vaudeville and several reels ot pictures will be inaugurated. The Butterfly theater at Milwaukee showed the films of the West and Bast Division high school football game as a special attraction lor the members ot the local athletic associations. ILLINOIS NOTES. By Midwest Special Service. QUIET business was reported last week in Springfield by several managers, most of the blame being placed on the weather and a none too bright outlook for the employment situation. The dearth of business is not general for some of the state Capital houses are running along with normal crowds despite the fact that the downtown district has a pretty good supply of amusement places. It is the vaudeville houses that are not getting all of the patronage anticipated; well selected photoplay programs are still drawing. Paul Goin has reopened the moving picture show at the opera house in Dahlgren. The Cort theater at Monmouth was closed by Manager Roy Harvey and will remain shut indefinitely, it was announced. Because the date selected by the Idylhour theater at Canton for the WeigleChicago Tribune war pictures coincided with the pay day of the big Parlin & Orendorff implement factory, the show was started at 10 o'clock in the morning. Fred Schnee, a former resident of Stronghurst, and a son of Frank Schnee, who operates t'wo picture houses at Sigourney, la., was at Stronghurst, where he took a lot of snapshots of local residents for a screen novelty at the Lyric theater. After purchasing the Family theater at Aledo from C. H. Rader, J. S. Ash of Seaton decided to change the name and offered $5 in gold to the lady patron with the right idea. In order to make their "trade week" attractive the merchants of Paxton leased the Coliseum and gave a moving picture and vaudeville show every evening. A lecture on "Religion and the Drama" and "The Morals of the Movies" was announced for a Sunday evening at the Universalist church in Peoria by Rev. Dr. Carpenter. H. W. Smith is now manager of the Lyric theater at Sterling, having leased the house from Wilson McKim. Arrangements have been made for construction of a new theater and business building on State street in Geneva by H. B. Fargo, a member of the Illinois Legislature. The theater has not been leased, it is reported. It will be used chiefly for pictures and "will seat between .100 and 600 persons. J. T. Peterson of Geneva is also said to be going ahead with plans for another moving picture theater and business building. Lavitt & Vancuren have removed their moving picture show in Hammond to a new location.