Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

134 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 8, 1927 Loew Dines Pittsburgh Aldine Personnel St, Louis , Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, St. Louie, Mo., Jan. 6. A LITTLE THEATRE for the exclusive showing of high class motion pictures with appropriate music by a iimited orchestra is planned for St. Louis. The new house will avoid cheap vaudeville, “atmospheric" prologue, major domo, ushers and the other trimmings that have added “tone” to everything but the screen. The seating capacity will be about 250 and no attempt will be made to change pictures weekly. A good picture mill run so long as the patronage warrants, and no feature will be permitted on the screen that does not comply with certain art requirements. The estate of David Sommers of St. Louis, one of the largest stock and bondholders of the St. Louis Theatre property in St. Louis, must pay the State of Missouri an inheritance tax of $240,000 the largest in the history of the state. Sommers, who died at the Jewish Hospital on December 22, 1925, left an estate valued at $3,003,892. He had no direct heirs. Rumor has it that the Orpheum Theatre, Ninth and St. Charles streets, a two-a-day vaudeville house will add a feature picture and some short subjects to its regular program. Irving Frankel has filled the vacancy tn the local First National sales staff caused by the transfer to Kansas City, Mo., of Leslie B. Mace. Recent visitors included Tom Reed, Duquoin, 111.; John Rees, Wellsville, Mo.; J. R. Pratt, Fulton, Mo.; Joe Hewitt, Robinson, 111.; S. E. Pertle, Jerseyville, 111.; Bob Clarke, Effingham, 111.; and H. L. Klingenfus, New Athens, 111. During seven days a total of 113,223 persons paid $57,761 to enjoy the Ambassador's program. Ziegfeld's Follies hold the week’s record for stage shows, having gross slightly more than $50,000 at the American Theatre in 1920. Williams ville The Turk Theatre, the residence of Walter Turk, and the general store of Scott Alcorn in Williamsville, Mo., were destroyed ty fire early on December 28. The loss was placed at $20,000. The fire started in the theatre. The Delmonte Theatre, Delmar boulevard and Clara avenue, St. Louis, Mo., will be reopened as subsequent run house by S'. G. Hoffman about February 1. The house is being remodeled. Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Picture Row during the holiday -week were John Rees, Wellsville, Mo.; Henry Lowry, Highland, 111., and John Schmidt, Pocahontas, 111. Northwest to Build Northwest Theatres, Inc., are planning to build a new theatre in Rochester, Minn., work on which will start in the spring The theatre will seat 1,500. A site for this house was purchased recently from the Dodge Lumber Company of that city, and this is located opposite the postoffice. Ft. Worth Publix Progresses The Publix Theatre at Fort Worth, Texas, with seating capacity of 2,388, is well under construction and will be opened some time next year. The new theatre is being built in the Hotel Worth and will be strictly modern and up to date in every particular, when completed. San Francisco Moving Picture World Bureau , Berkeley, Cal., Jan. 6. A LARGE delegation of stage and moving picture folk from southern California included Sid Grauman, who came to San Francisco to attend the western premiere of the medieval wonder play, “The Miracle.” Mr. Grauman is making a special study of the spectacle, planning to produce similar effects, in his new Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Frank Whitbeck, director of publicity for West Coast Theatres, and who is himself of Holland Dutch descent, recently officiated as host at a theatre party at Loew's Warfield Theatre to officers and men of the Netherlands cruiser Sumatra, now in San Francisco Bay. James Barlow has remodeled and redecorated the Opal Theatre on Sixteenth street, San Francisco, and has changed the name to the Shamrock. Ed. Smith, manager of the Granada Theatre, San Francisco, will leave at once for New York on a business mission. L. G. McCabe, who conducts the California Theatre at Coalinga, Cal., but who makes his home at ©an Diego, was a visitor at San Francisco over the holidays. Barney Gurnette, with the T. & D. Jr. Enterprises, Inc., San Francisco, is to be transferred to Lodi, Cal., shortly where he will be placed in charge of the T. & D. Jr. Theatre. Ed. Rowden, for some time with the F. B. O. exchange, San Francisco, has been made booker for the Golden State Theatre & Realty Co. L. W. Weir, Pacific Coast district manager for the Producers Distributing Corporation, will leave shortly on an eastern trip. D. S. Mitchell, formerly Los Angeles branch manager of Universal, has been made Pacific Coast district manager and is expected shortly at San Francisco on his first official visit. The annual Christmas party of the Universal exchange, S'an Francisco, was held the day before Christmas, with a Christmas tree and entertainment. Branch Manager Carol Nathan was presented with a set of desk lamps for his new office, which has been moved to the rear. Employees and executives of Famous Players-Lask'y enjoyed a Christmas party in the exchange with an orchestra, entertainment and dancing. Oakland Thieves entered the Fairfax Theatre at Fairfax avenue and Foothill boulevard and made away with lobby fixtures and furniture. The theft was reported to the police by Manager A. C. Blumenfeld. Holds Novel Contest James Quarrington, manager of the Beaver Theatre, Toronto, pulled a “He-Man Contest’’ that was a knockout. The contestants were all “plants” — hired for the occasion — and they included a ferocious-looking Greek, a Chinaman and a negro, besides a number of real “lookers” that caught the eyes of the ladies in the audience. The appearance of the various nationalities on the stage caused much merriment. Clinton, Okla. The Rialto and Royal Theatres at Clinton, Okla.. have been leased by J. A. Mason. Moving Picture World Bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa., Jan. 6. THE entire personnel of Loew’s Aldine Theatre staff, Pittsburgh, were treated to a Christmas dinner on Christmas night, through the courtesy of Marcus Loew. All performers appearing at the Aldine were guests. Those that were present reported having ha dthe time of their lives, alter S. Caldwell, retiring manager, was presented with a handsome wrist watch by the employees. Air. Caldwell resigned the first of the year, and has assumed the ownership of the Old Virginia Chocolate Shops in this city. George Wilson, is the new manager of the Standard-Federated exchange, succeeding Jack Soglovitz, who resigned a week ago to open a poster exchange in Cleveland. Mr. Wilson has been a salesman with various film houses in Pittsburgh for several years. He was formerly manager of the Standard branch in Cincinnati. S. A. Gerson is the new manager of the Capitol Film Exchange, Pittsburgh (Columbia distributors) succeeding Charles F. Schwerin, who is now a special home office representative for United Artists. Mr. Gerson, who formerly conducted an independent exchange of his own in Cleveland, was most recently a member of the salesforce at the local Universal branch. Ground has been broken on Seventh street, Moundsville, W. Va., for a new theatre building to be erected by the Moundsville Theatre Corporation. It will be a $100,000 building, of brick, concrete and steel construction, and will likely be completed by summer. James Velas, owner of the Liberty Theatre, Wheeling, is president of the new Moundsville company. Moe Glanz, former vaudeville booking agent in New York, and more recently, working as a film salesman in the Pittsburgh territory, has opened a booking office in this city, known as the Capital Attractions, Inc. Manager A. H. Schnitzer, of F. B. O., received a handsome Christmas gift from his employees. A large desk lamp, with one of the new type fountain pens in the base. Manager B. M. Moran, of Pathe, was also remembered by his co-workers. The force presented “Bert” with a beautiful Hamilton wrist watch. Walter S. Caldwell, manager of Loew's Aldine Theatre, Pittsburgh, since its inception, save for a few months spent in Florida, has resigned, and purchased the Old Virginia Chocolate Shop in this city, a leading local establishment for the past fifteen years. Mr. Caldwell will be succeeded by Harry Greenman, formerly manager of Loew’s State at St. Louis. The change of managership takes place the first of the year. Harold Weinberger, for the past three years assistant manager at the Universal exchange, has resigned and is now resting at his home in Beacon, N. Y„ following an operation on his throat. He plans to reenter the film business in the Steel City after the first of the year. He is succeeded at Universal by Francis Guehl, former chief booker, who in turn is succeeded by George Tice, former short subject booker. Leo Wayne, shipper, has been moved up to the short subject booker's desk. Grafton, W. Va. The McCaskey Motion Picture Corporation of New York City is to erect a $100,000 theatre building in Grafton, W. Va. Wheeling Charles Feinler, owner of the Virginia Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va., has installed a pool table in his house for the members of the orchestra to use for recreation.