Moving Picture World (Jul 1921)

42S MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 23, 1921 Close-Ups in and Around Central New York In the midst of the record-breaking hot wave which was general throughout the country, a few exhibitors up this way, whose pocketbooks are as sensitive as antennae of a mosquito, began asking if the moving picture game wasn’t going backward. Ye scribe, having interviewed a big bunch of Cinema Strong Hearts, who have run picture houses through all kinds of times, is able to answer emphatically: “No, Algernon, the picture game is NOT going to pot.” Here is what a few old-timers said : Jack Griswold, the Savoy, Syracuse— If a man can’t make allowances for slumps he doesn’t belong in the show business. With the return of comfortable weather we will have the biggest season ever known in the history of pictures. Frank Martin, manager RobbinsEckel, Syracuse — We’ve been doing a good business right along. If a man feels like yawping about hard times the best thing for him to do is to get out of the picture game. Edgar Weill, the Strand, Syracuse— We have no complaint to make. Two months from now we will be looking back on these days and laughing. Harry Lux, the Alhambra, Utica — Everyone goes a little bit dippy in hot weather. So why blame the exhibitors who are kicking? W. H. Linton, owner of several houses — The motion picture game is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. * * * Furthermore, if the wise-heads didn’t see a big future for pictures they wouldn’t be spending big money right now, would they? Take Proprietor Hanmore, of the Broadway Theatre, Newburg. He’s making improvements amounting to $50,000 on his house. And George Cohen, who owns houses at Newburg and Poughkeepsie, is building a new house on Main street, Poughkeepsie, which will cost $100,000. The Palace Theatre, Schenectady, is being remodelled into The Strand at a cost of $200,000 by Messrs. Shirley and Rafferty. They first sold, stock to their patrons, then recalled that issue and put up the money themselves. L. A. Bittner and Lou Shearer, of the Cohoes Amusement Co., have opened a $150,000 theatre (The Strand) at Mechanicsville, and are doing a big business. A new house is being built at Scroon Lake. W. H. Linton is remodelling the Richmond Theatre, Herkimer, at great cost. No, Algernon, the picture game is not “going backward.” In fact, when you are out of it and back at your old place, behind the grocery or dry goods counter, motion pictures will still constitute one of the greatest industries in the( world. * * * F. V. Fish, of the American, and Johnny Walker, of the Bareli, Schenectady, are sojourning at Lake George. We hope they get plenty of Fish and plenty of Johnny Walker. * * * Bemie Whalen, of the Strong Theatre, Burlington, is the type of man who won’t be left behind at anything. Bemie has a six-cylin der motor camouflaged as a Ford touring car. He goes out for a little jaunt, and when some “wise guy” in a big speed car tries to pass him, Bernie loosens up and gives the “wise guy” a “Whalen.” * * * Ed. Scully has opened the Library Theatre at Bennington, Vt. That isn’t worrying John Hart, of the Hart Theatre and the Opera House, who is playing to good crowds. * * * Charlie Charles, who sells ably and entertainingly for Nu-Art, began hitting up business with such speed a little while ago that his Sheridan car caught fire on the road and was destroyed. Charlie bought a Sport Model Mitchell, and a truck driver, well developed from the ears downsmashed into the car and reduced it to splinters. Charlie is travelling by rail till he gets his new RollsRojxe. He says the hot weather has no terrors for him and that he is hitting a 100 per cent. pace. You tell ’em, Charlie. We’ll back you up ! * * * * Doc Merriman shut the doors of the Arcadia, Syracuse, for a couple of days and put up a big sign reading: “Closed for Inventory. Will Reopen Friday.” When asked for the Low Down on the Big Word, he said : “Look up inventory in the dictionary. It means “list of goods.” I was booking some new features and so I just dosed up till I inventoried ’em.” It’s a good way to buy pictures, all right, Doc. * * * The Albany Theatrical Supply Company, in a statement just issued, says it will furnish the best service in the history of motion pictures during the fall season. The company brands as “maliciously false” statements which are alleged to have been made to the effect that it had gone out of business. * * * John A. Sachs, Pathe salesman, is again a proud father. This time it's a boy. When the youngster came into the world it weighed just 4 pounds 7 ounces. Johnny says that, in the language of the Italian poet, “He’s just a leetle fella, but he had a great big world to stretch in.” You’re all right, Jack! The lad couldn’t ask anything better than to grow up like his father. Mother and son are doing very nicely. * * * Uley Hill, old-time showman who has an inexhaustible supply of new ideas, is making good with The Strand, Albany. This note is not surprising, because Uley never has failed in anything he tackled. * * * S. Slotnik, of the Rialto, has acquired the Actograph from James Roe. Jim, besides owning Turn Hall, is interested in the Arcadia with “Doc” Merriman and Emmet Cornell. * * * Mitchel Fitzer, known to his friends as “The man of the hour,” because he owns the Happy Hour, Syracuse, recently had two 8-foot typhoon fans installed in his place. In the compartments containing the fans he stored plenty of ice and pans filled with sea salt, water and eau de cologne. Then he spent $800 advertising “real ocean breezes” at the Happy Hour. He got plenty of publicity and an increase in attendance. His motto is “When it’s hot, pep ’em up !” That’s right, Mitch. Don’t they eat red pepper during the summer time down in Mexico? Paramount Week Advertising to Double For the advertising of Paramount Week, September 4 to 11, the campaign planned by Paramount’s advertising and publicity department, under the supervision of Jerome Beatty, is the biggest yet launched by the company for the national sales drive which opens the Paramount year. In fact, the Paramount office states that this year’s campaign will be practically twice as large as that of last year, both in point of newspaper space used and the expenditure of money for advertising and accessories furnished free to exhibitors participating in the week. The first message from the Paramount office was contained in a twocolor broadside apprising exhibitors of the week and setting forth in general terms the plan and scope of the campaign of assistance offered by the company to those who book Paramount pictures solid for the week. Every exhibitor in the country received one of these broadsides. That of the Past For the national advertising direct to the public, in advance of Paramount Week, a full page will be run in the Saturday Evening Post, with its circulation of over 2,100,000, in the issue of August 20. This will be followed by a two-page advertisement in the Post of September 3, which is out the Thursday before Paramount Week. The newspaper campaign this year will be more than twice as extensive as last year’s, in which approximately 600 newspapers were used. The list made up for this year includes more than 1,100 daily papers, and the minimum space used will be 900 lines, or a space equivalent to seven columns by nearly ten inches. This will be increased to full pages in the larger cities, in many of which every daily newspaper is to be used. The entire expense of this advertising this year is borne by Paramount, although in every town the advertising is localized as usual by leaving space for the exhibitor’s own copy. Hippodrome M'OTION PICTURES IN NEW YORK’S HIPPODROME H uge incandescents and painted signs saw to it that Malcolm Strauss’ “The Twice Born Woman?’ distributed by Sonora Films, was well advertised Vignola Ready to Start Next Picture Robert G. Vignola, director of special productions for Cosmopolitan, who has been vacationing for the past six weeks, has returned to International Studio and is busy getting set for his next production. Vignola spent his vacation motoring through the country and visiting with his parents in Albany. He has returned fully invigorated and ready to take up the director’s megaphone with the same spirit that characterized him in the past. How soon he will begin to do actual “shooting” has not been decided as yet, but Vignola is busy going over his story and choosing his cast, and getting everything ready. This is the first vacation he has had since he joined the Hearst forces. The title and nature of Vignola’s next story is kept secret for business reasons and will not be divulged until after production has been begun.