Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 1, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 471 Many Chicago Orphans Await Levine’s Thanksgiving Treat Kansas The Kansas City Motion Picture Exhibitors’ Association, at a recent meeting, unanimously endorsed Motion Picture Day, which is being sponsored by the M. P. T. O. of America. Other matters of interest taken up at the meeting of the association were : A plan of financing the organization through an advertising slide, and the music tax question. It was merely stated that S. A. Handy, who is legal counsel for the M. P. T. O. of Kansas, has been retained by the Kansas City Exhibitors’ Association. Charles H. Barron, who recently purchased full interest in the Kansas Theatre at Wichita, Kas., has purchased the Elite and Cozy theatres from John Callahan at Pratt, Kas. Mr. Barron announces his intention of closing the Cozy and concentrating on the Elite, which will be known as the Kansas. T. C. Block is building a new theatre at Odessa, Mo., and will be finished about the first of the year. The house will be known as the Dixie. Jay Means and F. A. Gibbons, owners of the Murray Theatre and Prospect Theatre, Kansas City, won their light for an injunction against the picketing of their theatres by the Operators’ XJnion and the local Musicians’ Union. The decision was rendered in the circuit court of Jackson county, and stated that the owner of the theatre is also the owner of the sidewalk space in front and adjacent to the theatre, for the purpose of ingress and egress for himself and employes and his patrons, nad for the use of pedestrians. The method of picketing was pointed out to be a violation of the rights of the theatre owner. W. Dahler of the Cozy Theatre, Grove, Kas., is the. proud possessor of a new son. A. E. Lamkin of the Star Theatre at Stockton, Kas., severely injured his left hand recently. He is also the owner of the town newspaper and his hand was caught between two wheels on the press. N. W. Huston is building a new theatre at Columbus. Kas. The house Will seat 350 and will be opened about March. Mr. Huston will continue operating the Liberty Theatre also. Out-of-town visitors seen this past week have been: M. W. Hubbell, Hubbell Theatre, Trenton, Mo.; Gus Kubach of Abilene, Kas.: Lloyd Ware of the Varsity Theatre, Lawrence, Kas., and L. D. Metcalf of the Grand Theatre at Ash Grove, Mo. Cincinnati For the third time within a year the Hippodrome Theatre, Newport, Ky., just across the river, was visited by burglars, who robbed the safe of $1,000, after knocking off the combination. The money stolen represented the day’s receipts of the Hippodrome and Temple theatres, both of which are owned and operated by I. Frankel, of Cincinnati. William James of Columbus, who recently took over the State and Vernon theatres to operate them in connection with the James, Broadway and Grand, has promoted Joe Wilson from assistant manager of the James to manager of the State. Harry Doyle, treasurer of the Broadway, will pilot the Vernon henceforth. Harry Egar, exploitation man, has taken Wilson’s place as assistant to J. Real Neth, manager of the James, while Earl Pepper becomes treasurer of the Broadway. Manager James reports that $50,000 will be spent in improvements on the State Theatre, which was never completed in its entirety by the former owners, the Deusenburys. A new $35,000 pipe organ will be installed at the Grand. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is being shown at the Cox Theatre for a five weeks’ run, to be followed by a legitimate attraction. “The White Sister” is also booked for a showing in the early future. Manager Paul Levine of the Adams Theatre, near State and Adams, is arranging his annual Thnksgiving treat for several hundred orphans and this year will show them Jackie Coogan in “Circus Days.” A large number of folks will lend their automobiles to take the little ones to and from the orphan homes, and with plenty of popcorn and peanuts the orphans are in for “some” holiday. The Vitagraph Theatre of the Lubliner & Trinz circuit on Lincoln avenue has been redecorated and fixed up with a new electric sign that can be seen for several blocks. Manager Guy V. Martin of the Illini Theatre at Bloomington, 111., has booked “The Covered Wagon” for three nights and two matinees the last of this month, and will get $1.50 for his main floor and down to 50 cents for gallery seats. Plans for the new Schoenstadt house to go up at Archer and Robey avenue will soon be ready for inspection and the boys will put $500,000 into the new structure. Manager George Madison of the Kozy Theatre on Clark street, one of the pioneer houses of the Loop district, is using a eane these days, as he slipped on a wet sidewalk a few weeks ago and twisted his ankle badly. It takes more than a twisted ankle to keep George away from business. B. J. Boyle has added the new Lyric Theatre at Walcott to his chain of houses and will improve the program. Manager Jack Hoeffler of the Orpheum Theatre invited the orphans from the various homes at Quincy to be his guests at the showing of Jackie Coogan in “Circus Days.” Ned Holmes, well known here for his management of "The Four Horsemen’s” recordbreaking run at the La Salle Theatre, is here again as manager of “The White Sister” at the Great Northern Theatre, which opened this week to capacity business. C. S. Primrose is assistant manager and Joseph Giaranomni has charge of the orchestra of fourteen pieces with the production. A large chorus of singers is also used during the church scenes of the feature and the picture is booked here for an extended run. The Bryn Mawr Theatre at Bryn Mawr avenue and the Elevated is celebrating its second anniversary. Manager Lou Weil not only provided a fine program for' his patrons but bought himself a new automobile for the occasion and fixed the house up for the big week. Fitzpatrick & McElroy are pushing work on the remodeling of the Caldwell Theatre at St. Joseph and the house is expected to be ready for reopening during the next few weeks. The improvements'’ will cost $50,000. Work will also start soon on the new house to be erected by this firm at 145th and Center street that will cost $125,000. This firm has a large building program for the coming year and is optimistic over the business outlook in the picture Held. The report that a new theatre is projected for the new Palmer House block that is going to be erected at State and Adams street to take the place of the old Palmer House, now on that site, has been denied by the management of the hotel. The high cost of land in this part of the city would make the cost of any theatre prohibitive. Charles A. Bengart has sold the Illinois Theatre at Champaign, 111., to the Zenith Company, who will improve the house. Several of the boys are interested in the new National Medical Film Company, organized last week at 736 South Wabash avenue with a capital stock of 150 shares of no par value. The principals are G. E. Moring, Morey Cohen and Harry A. Kyler. B. Leo Steif, architect, reports he is not drawing plans for a movie theatre at 64th street and Cottage Grove avenue, as was reported. Fred Hoffman has given up his plans to erect a movie house on Monterey avenue, owing to the high cost of construction. H. T. Reynolds is having plans drawn for a new movie theatre he proposes to build at 345 Michigan avenue, Grand Rapids, Mich. Spencer and Miller plan to open their new movie theatre at Highland Park, 111., next week, if the marquee and other equipment are installed in time. Earl Williams has opened the Playhouse at Knoxville, 111., and is featuring good musical programs with his pictures. Manager Harry Greenmnn of the New Monroe Theatre is turning out a lively house organ under the name of The Loop Photoplay News. The management is laying plans for a new' organ to be installed soon. Jack Capone is on the job as assistant manager. George Smith has been made display manager for the house and the lobby is now a most attractive spot. McVickers Theatre management put over Comedy Week in a big way and Buster Keaton in "The Three Ages” brought plenty of laughs for the bill. Will Rogers in “Passin’ Thru’ ’’ helped the funny cause along and the house had good business for the seven days. The big feature of the Chicago Theatre bill last week was the tie-up of the International News with the Armistice Day program. The crowds gave the old war scenes plenty of applause. One of the most deplorable accidents in recent years was the death of John Prizeske of the Milda Theatre at 3138 South Halsted street. He was changing the sign for the next day’s show when through some unknown reason he grasped a live wire and was instantly electrocuted. His many friends in the trade extend sympathy to his family. “If Winter Comes” is now playing the neighborhood houses and Manager Sam Atkinson of the Calo Theatre reports a fine business on the three-day booking at his house. S. N. Graham has bought the Rex Theatre at LaGrange from Mrs. L. V. Cottrell and will improve the house. Kentucky Rumors to the effect that J. G. Brown, owner of the $7,000,000 new Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky., would rebuild the unroofed Ha-Wi-An Gardens building with a theatre building, or fifteen story office building, were set at rest today when Brown announced that the building would be repaired and continued as heretofore for a period of two and one-half years at least. It was reported from Newport, Ky., on Nov. 12, that safe blowers had wrecked a safe at the Hippodrome Theatre, early on that morning, and escaped with $1,000 in cash. Harry Switow, son of M. Switow, head of the Switow Amusement Co., and himself manager of the Kentucky Theatre, one of the Switow chain, became father of a daughter on Nov. 5. Fine open weather in Louisville is making for excellent attendance at the local theatres, and things are now rolling along in fine shape as a whole. Exhibitors are finding very little excuse for complaint.