Moving Picture World (Oct-Nov 1919)

November 22. 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 417 BREGSTBIN ON AUBURN THEATRES Auburn, New York, has a population of 37,000 and is a fine. town for a one-night stand although not all the visitors depart the next 4&y. Some are semi -permanent guestB at the state prison* According to Mr. Streeter of the Auburn Film Company the motion -pictures have done more than anything else to keep the "boys" on their good behavior because if they don't behave they don't Bee the show. That's the state prison slogan. One looal house is the Regent, which seats 1,550. It is managed by Sam liebsohietz and charges an admission of 15 oentB. Another house is the Burtis Grand. This runs vaudeville and pictures. The admission prioes are 10, 20 and 30 cents. Cohen & Bebart do the booking. Ross & MoVoy are the guardians of the Morgan Theatre, which seats 1,200, and charges 15 cents admission. Another 1,000-seat theatre is the universal. It Ib owned and managed by J. Schwartzwalder . Most of the looal exhibitors boosted their prices two months ago, advancing from 10 to 15 oents. I nearly forgot to mention another live wire in the person of Mr. Streeter of the Auburn Film Company, a mail order house. "Mail orders receive as much attention here as if the owner called in person for the purchase,-" says Mr. Streeter. BREGSTEIN. GOLDWYN BUYS RIGHTS TO "GREAT ACCIDENT." Although its run es a serial in the Saturday Evening Post has not yet been completed, the picture rights to "The Great Aooident,B by Ben Ames Williams. h8ve been purchased by Goldwyn. This is the second of Mr. William's stories to be secured by Goldwyn, the other being "Jubilo," recently completed with Will Rogers as the star end soon to be released through the Goldwyn exchanges. It is not known what player will be chosen to enact the principal role in "The Great Accident. 1 PALACE THEATRE OPENS IN ROCKY MOUNT The Palace, one of the finest picture theatres in North Carolina, recently opened in Rocky Mount under the management of Arrington Brothers, formerly proprietors of the Grand Theatre. The house cost about $90,000. The seating oapaoity is 900, including A large baloony. The interior is finished in blue and gold, and light effeots similar to the Rialto and Rivoli in New York will he utilized in the presentation of pictures. The the&tre is located on the site of the old Grand' on Nash street. DR. BAKER TO EDIT "BETTER BABIES" FOR FOX NEWS The latest acquisition of Fox Film Corporation on the editorial staff of the Fox News is announced in the completion of arrangements between William Fox and Dr. Josephine Baker, head of the Bureau of Child Hygiene in the Department of Health, New York City. Dr. Baker has accepts G the position of editor of the "Better Babies" series just started in Fox News, the semiweekly news reel just introduced to the theatregoers of the oountry. i.W. GRIFFITH’S HERE WITH A Y/ESTERN. "SCARLET DAYS" COWED? NOT IN THE CHRISTIE COMEDY, "A ROMAN SCANDAL" 6rwr\ Resi£r\s from Famous Pl&yers; To Reveal Plains cm Pefum fronxTrip ALTER E. GREENE., vioe president, director and managing director of the department of distribution of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, has resigned from that organization. He left for California on November 11 to complete arrangements for carrying into effect a number of plans he has perfected, during the past year. Announcement of hia future will he made by Mr. Greene upon his return from the coast. Mr. Greene is one of the best known men in the industry, and one of the pioneers. Nearly twenty years ago he took a traveling outfit through the New England 3tates, the show consisting of a oouple of single and two reelers. Success marked the first venture, so he established the first exchange in Boston under the name of the W. E. Greene Film Exchange. Upon the appearance of t he first five-reel feature produced by the Famous Players Film Company he secured the franchise for the distribution of these productions for the New England dis trict, at which time he became associated with Hiram Abrams, who was later to be president of Paramount Pictures Corporation and more recently the organizer of the "Big Four." Helped to Organize Paramount Mr. Greene was one of the organizers of the Paramount Pictures Corporation, and during the early years of that company he was the originator of the Paramount News Weekly, which was later the paramount Pictograph. Mr. Greene later became the organizer of Artcraft Pictures Corporation v/hen Mary Pickford branched forth to produce bigger and better pictures. With the consolidation of Famous Players, Lasky, Morosco, Pallas Pictures and Paramount, Mr. Greene was made a director of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, and later elected to the vice-presidency, at which time he becam'e the managing director of the department of distribution, which position he had admirably filled for the past two years. Discussing his resignation, Mr. Greene said; "Although it may come as a surprise to many of my friends it has been my intention to take this action for over six months. I have been perfecting plana for big things which will he .of greater benefit to exhibitors, but these plans are not yet in such a state of perfection that they can he made public. As soon as I return from California I wl 11 make an announcement to the trade which may have rather a startling ring to it." Hiram Abrams Pays Tribute Hiram Abrams, of the United Artists Corporation, who has been Mr. Greene's business associate for over fifteen years, said: "I'm surprised only that it -did not happen long ago. Mr. Greene's absolute knowledge of this industry, his prestige among exhibitors throughout the entire country for fair dealing and progressive advancement and his standing in financial and business ' circles has made him one of the really big men in this business. There is no doubt in my mind but that his future plans will be of extreme benefit to the 'industry for he has in mind big things and he has had to free himself of big organization details to carry out his ideals."