Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 8, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 549 Canada Troy, N. Y., Woman Arrested as Strand Money Takes Wings About $150, representing the evening’s receipts of the Strand Theatre, in Troy, N. Y., took flight one night last week about the same time as Mrs. Daniel Christian, 19 years of age, cashier of the theatre, which is managed by “Al” Bothner. No sooner was the loss of the money discovered than the police were called, with the result that the woman and her husband were later on apprehended at the railroad station in Albany, where they had purchased tickets for New York. The couple had come to Troy from Syracuse a few days before, the husband securing a job as a waiter and the wife becoming cashier of the theatre. They are now awaiting the action of the grand jury on a charge of grand larceny. The Empire Theatre in Syracuse, which is showing plenty of pep these days in lobby and outside advertising, will observe its Anniversary Week this month. The house is managed by Willis B. Whitnall. The frequent symphony concerts given by the combined orchestras of the Mark Strand Theatre In Albany and the Troy in Troy, at the former house, are really becoming the leading society events of the year. At the one given on Saturdny last, the list of patronesses resembled the “who’s who” of Albany. Generally speaking, business is good in Syracuse. The houses are all drawing well and the owners do not appear to be afraid of using newspaper space to inform the public as to attractions booked. One of the most pleasant features of the past week was the return of Edgar Weil to the management of the Strand, following a vacation of many weeks at his home in Little Rock, Ark., recovering from a nervous breakdown. Uly Hill, managing director of the Strand houses in Albany and Troy, has accepted an invitation to address the State Convention of Music Clubs in this city next April Potsdam, N. Y„ certainly will be plentifully supplied with picture theatres, for two are to be erected within the next few months. The Strand Theatre Company of Ogdensburg, which operates playhouses in Maline, Ogdensburg and Plattsburg, will open its sixth theatre in Potsdam, having acquired a site on Market street. The house will cost about $80,000. The house will be about a year in building. Almost simultaneously with the announcement comes another from James Papayanakos, former owner of the Olympic Theatre in Watertown, that he is preparing plans for a theatre in Potsdam, on the present location of the Clark Furniture ■Store. The house will seat 1,000. Weighing at least four pounds more than when he left, Louis Buettner of Cohoes, one of the best known exhibitors in this part of the state, is back home from a three weeks’ trip to the Adirondacks, which has restored his health to a considerable extent. Buffalo, N. Y. The very latest type of Simplex projection machines are being installed in Shea’s Hippodrome by Al Becker of the Becker Theatre Supply Company. The equipment is similar to that used by the Eastman in Rochester and the Capitol in New York. The New Family Theatre in Batavia opened to the public Thanksgiving Day. The house is operated by a corporation composed of Nikitas Dipson, Judge E. A. Washburn and John R. Osborne. The house has a $16,000 organ and is beautifully decorated and furnished inside and out. “Going Up,” the Douglas MacLean picture, was the openingfeature. George Hall, manager of the Capitol Theatre in South Park, is a member of the company that has purchased Crystal Beach, a Canadian shore summer resort, from the Lake Erie Excursion Company for $1,500,000. James Cardina opened his new Varsity Theatre on Kensington Avenue, Buffalo, Wednesday evening, November 28. There was a large number of exchange men and exhibitors present as guests of Jim. “Pioneer Trails” was the opening attraction. Rochester, N. Y. On Rochester screens : Eastman, “The Eternal City.” Regent, “The Eternal Struggle.” Piccadilly, “Long Live the King.” Victoria, “Daughters of the Rich.” Rialto, “Drifting.” Strand, “Penrod and Sam.” That the Eastman Theatre already occupies a position of importance among theatres of the country is indicated by the fact that a drawing of the house and an explanation of its purpose forms the outstanding feature in the advertisement of Paramount in the Saturday Evening Post in the issue of November 17. “Little Old New York” will open at the Piccadilly Theatre the week of December 2. Rumors that the visit of E. F. Albee to J. H. Finn, manager of the Temple Theatre, might result in tentative plans for the building of a large theatre in Rochester have been denied by Mr. Finn. At a general meeting of all exhibitors in London, Ontario, on November 21, the decision was reached for a flat increase of 3 cents in all admission prices for both matinee and evening performances at the local playhouses, the increase to go into effect at once. The cause given for the raising of admission prices was that the salaries of stars in California and elsewhere had forced producers and distributors to charge higher rentals to theatres. Managers announcing the price increase included Fred Jackson of Loew’s Theatre ; Thomas Logan of the Allen Theatre; and William Stewart of the Patricia Theatre, these being the leading houses of the city. Announcement has been made that the Continental Screen Service Corporation has closed a contract with the Canadian Division of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners whereby the company is to supply an advertising slide or an advertising trailer to each of 700 picture theatres in Canada. When the exhibitor complies with the request to screen the slide or film, the company is to pay a stated fee into the treasury of the M. P. T. O., it is stated. “The Covered Wagon” followed “Scaramouche” into the Tivoli Theatre, “big time film house” of Toronto, on November 24, after “Scaramouche" had played three weeks at $1.50 top. The same scale is continued for “Covered Wagon.” This is the first Canadian run for “Wagon.” “Scaramouche” completed a two weeks’ run at the Palace Theatre, Montreal, on November 24. The plan of reserving box seats for evening performances at Loew’s Theatre, Ottawa, has been discontinued by Capt. F. W. Goodale, manager, after he had given the special service a test of six weeks. A thriller taken in 1911, 12 years ago, on Long Island, is to be featured at Loew’s Theatre, Ottawa, during the week of December 3. The important part about this presentation is that the hero of the picture is Capt. Frank Goodale, now manager of the Loew house. He was known at the time this picture was produced by Imp under the title of "Through the Air” as “the boy balloonist” and his daily work consisted of flying in a 16-foot dirigible, having a .motorcycle engine, from Palisade Park, New Jersey. Harry Brouse, owner of the Imperial Theatre, Ottawa, has installed a six-piece orchestra in his “theatre beautiful.” This is startling news when it is remembered that for years and years the musical accompaniment for pictures at the Ottawa Imperial has been provided by a pipe organ, with Jack Neville presiding. After years of loneliness, Mr. Neville is now associated with six musical confreres. There is going to be a party up in Gloversville soon. The other day Louis Schine announced the birth of a son, and now all Albany, or at least that portion in the film business, has been invited by Mr. Schine to the celebration. Early showings of feature pictures in the Capital District include “Ashes of Vengeance” at the Troy and Mark Strand theatres, during the week of January 7-12. “If Winter Comes” has been booked at the Leland for the week of January 27, while “Ponjola” will attract Thanksgiving Day. crowds at the Troy in Troy. Although “Common Law” did a whoppin’ big business at the Leland in Albany last week, second only to “Little Old New York,” Manager Oscar Perrin finally decided not to use it for another week against “Rosita” at the Mark Strand. Mr. Perrin will use “In the Palace of the King” to buck the Mary Pickford picture during the six days. Incidentally, the Mark Strand is doing some heavy advertising in putting over “Rosita,” using hundreds of heralds, window cards as well as six, eight and twenty-four sheets. Receiver Releases Pantheon, Vincennes, Ind. THE Pantheon Theatre in Vincennes, Ind., which was one of the theatres owned by the Consolidated Realty and Theatres Corporation, recently thrown into the hands of a receiver, has been released from the receivership and has reverted to its original owner, the Wilkerson-Lyons Enterprises, Inc. Fred Sims, receiver for the Consolidated company, said he consented to the release of the theatre because it had not been paying much, and it would have been a big obligation on the Consolidated to hold the lease. The Consolidated took over the Pantheon on Ooctober 1st on a two-year lease, with a plan to issue 8 per cent, bonds to pay for the theatre. Mr. Sims said the Consolidated did not have the money to keep up the lease. Immediately following the theatre’s release, Judge Thomas B. Coulter, acting on petition of L. R. Henley, principal stockholder, named Claude E. Gregg and J. B. E. Laplante co-receivers of the theatre. The Pantheon was erected about three years ago at a cost of about $150,000. Reports received this week from Terre Haute, Richmond! and Ft. Wayne show that a large volume of business was done by the Consolidated company’s theatres there during the last week, Mr. Sims said. At Evansville twelve members of the orchestra at the Victory Theatre were discharged in order to permit expenses to be cut down during the receivership proceedings.