Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

EDITED BY SUMNER SMITH Consolidated Co., Indiana, Goes Into Receiver’s Hands About the most startling bit of news in Indiana theatre circles this week was the announcement of the appointment of a receiver for the Consolidated Realty and Theatre Corporation, which owns and operates a number of picture theatres in some of the larger cities of the state. Fred A. Sims, of Indianapolis, formerly chairman of the State Tax Board, was named receiver for the company on a petition filed by the Hatfield Electric Company, which alleged the company is indebted to it in the sum of $1,000. R. L. Martin, president of the Consolidated Realty and Theatre Corporation, said the company has ample assets to clear up the outstanding indebtedness, said to amount to about $60,000, but lacked enough money to meet its obligations at this time. He announced at the time the suit was filed that none of the theatres would cease operation. The corporation owns and operates the Liberty Theatre in Terre Haute, the Murray and Murrette theatres in Richmond, the Capitol in Clinton, the Victory and Strand and the Sonntag hotel in Evansville, the I’antheon in Vincennes, the Orpheum in Fort Wayne, and the Strand in Kokomo. It also holds a ninety-nine year lease on the Park Theatre property in Indianapolis, and owns the Consolidated building in Indianapolis, a business site in Fort Wayne and a tract of land in Anderson. Another suit asking a receiver for the corporation was filed in the Allen county superior court at Fort Wayne by Mrs. Carolina C. Schmidt, who claimed the company had failed to make payments for the last three months on property it had leased from her. It is understood that since the filing of the receivership suit in Indianapolis, Mrs. Schmidt will only ask for a receiver to take charge of the Fort Wayne property. Following the filing of the Indianapolis suit the Strand Theatre in Evansville was closed by Frank Holland, manager, on order of Mr. Martin, president of the corporation. The theatre had been running a combined program of pictures and vaudeville. The receivership proceedings has not affected the operation of the Sonntag hotel or Victory Theatre in Evansville. F. H. Gruneberg, Sr., of Chicago, was president of the company until a few weeks ago, when he suffered a nervous breakdown. On the advice of his physicians he retired from the company and was ordered to another climate for his health. He was succeeded by Mr. Martin, who until that time was secretary-treasurer of the company. A. P. Kester, of Sheridan, succeeded Martin as secretary-treasurer. The Consolidated Realty and Theatres Corporation, at the time it was organized, took over the Hankers and Merchants Theatres Company, which operated the Liberty in Terre Haute and the Orpheum in Fort Wayne. Since then other theatres were acquired and in the last few years the corporation has made some large real estate purchases, which, it is understood, required considerable ready cash to complete. Fred Le Comte, manager of the Liberty at Terre Haute, is acting as general manager of all the theatres in the Consolidated chain, and temporarily at least all bookings of films will be made through him. It is planned to continue the operation of the theatres on an economic and business basis so that the outstanding indebtedness may soon be cleared up. Offices in Terre Haute and Evansville, from which stock in the company was sold, were closed two weeks ago. Photoplays and other moving pictures are to be produced in Indianapolis soon, it was announced this week following the filing of incorporation papers by the Cavalier Motion Picture Company, a newly organized Indianapolis concern. The company is capitalized at $1,000,000. The incorporators are Roscoe Carpenter, Lyons; William Eickenberry, Kokomo; Frank J. Hows, Indianapolis; Bert Hendren, Universal, and James T. Jeffers, Lyons. According to C. C. Hendren, of the Hoosier Distributing Company, which will sell the securities of the motion picture concern, the company is to acquire ground somewhere in Marion county for the location of a studio. The Cavalier Motion Picture Company is a reorganization of a company by the same name now producing pictures in a studio in Jersey City. It was originally organized for the production of Bible pictures, but has branched out into the production of plays, news reels and educational films. Ray Frisz, who resigned recently as assistant manager of the Liberty Theatre in Terre Haute, has been transferred to the In A. J. Cooper, president and general manager of the La Crosse Amusement Co., of La Crosse, Wis., has taken over the Butterfly Theatre, downtown Milwaukee house, under a long term lease. The lease was obtained from John R. Freuler, owner of the building, who has operated the showhouse for several years. With the arrival of Mr. Cooper and with the announcement that he would devote considerable time to his latest acquisition, Stewart Walker has stepped out as manager, a position which he held for more than a year for the Freuler interests. Just what his plans are has not been revealed. The Butterfly under the new management will immediately switch from a policy of second run to first run pictures and as a result will likewise undergo an advance in admission price, Mr. Cooper has announced. The theatre will be renovated and it is likely that an orchestra will be hired. The staff will remain intact, with Henry Taylor as house manager. The house contains 1,250 seats, including a balcony, and until several years ago was one of the leading houses in the city, it reaching its highest point under the management of Leo A. Landau, now director of the Alhambra and Garden theatres. The La Crosse Amusement Co., besides the Butterfly, now controls the Casino and Strand theatres in La Crosse, Wis. L. 1’. Charles of Chetek, Wis., has been elected president of the newly organized Northern Wisconsin Theatre Owners’ Assoeiation, which includes in its membership twenty-two evhibitors. Other officers are: C. H. Edwards, Spooner, vice president, and Mrs. M. E. Zimmerman, Cumberland, seeretary and treasurer. The annual meeting of the association will he held in May. dianapolis office of the Consolidated Realty and Theatres Company, which owns and operates the Liberty. Henry A. Wallis, assistant treasurer of the Hippodrome Theatre at Terre Haute, is suffering from a badly sprained knee. Despite the injury he has been continuing his duties at the theatre. Ben Van Borssum, proprietor of the Crescent, Majestic and Savoy theatres in Terre Haute, has added several new employes to his organization. The Palace Theatre at South Bend celebrated its first anniversary last week. An enviable record of attendance has been established in the theatre's first year. It has operated continuously every day in the week since its opening. The Ohio Theatre in Indianapolis has been redecorated and repainted. New Turkish carpets have been laid on the mezzanine floor and in the women’s restroom. Harry Koch is manager. The American Theatre in Terre Haute was opened last week under the management of Joseph Oten. It recently was extensively remodeled and redecorated. New curtains and scenery will be installed soon in the Grand Theatre at Washington, Ind., according to an announcement this week by Guy Hammitt, manager. Milwaukee this week is being treated to the simultaneous presentation of two widely different pictures based on the same kind of story. While Eddie Weisfeldt is drawing crowds to Saxe’s Strand with Pola Negri’s “Spanish Dancer’’ as the attraction, Leo A. Landau, one block away on the same street, is running to capacity at the Alhambra with Mary Pickford in “Rosita.” Meanwhile, because of the unusual situation, both pictures are drawing a special amount of publicity in the newspapers, with critics giving them joint reviews. With the opening of “Little Old New York” scheduled for Nov. 23, Roy C. MacMullen, manager of the Merrill Theatre in Milwaukee, is laying elaborate plans for the big event. Working hand in hand with the Hearst publication in the city, Mr. MacMullen has arranged for a society night on Nov. 23, special invitations being extended to the best families in Milwaukee who are expected to attend in their full dress. For Saturday, Nov. 24. Mr. MacMullen has outlined plans for a children's party in the morning. Local Lafs, patterned after the famous Fun From the Press, but confined to Milwaukee wit, is making a big hit with Milwaukee theatre patrons. Starting at the Strand and Miller theatres, two Saxe houses, several weeks ago, the Lafs now are also being shown at approximately a dozen theatres in the city, among them being the New Milwaukee, the Parkway, Regent. Colonial, Juneau and Tivoli. Lafs are submitted through a leading Milwaukee newspaper which awards cash prizes to the winners in addition to putting the product of their funny bones on the screen. The Goetz Bros., who control houses in Janesville and Beloit, Wis., have opened the Crystal Theatre at Watertown. Wis.. which has been closed for some time. Freuler Leases Milwaukee’s Butterfly to La Crosse Man