Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

284 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 22, 1927 Joplin Music Calms 1,000 Kids Near Panic Moving Picture World Bureau , Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 19. A PANIC narrowly was prevented by the orchestra during the showing of a film in Memorial Hall, Joplin, Mo., Saturday afternoon. More than 3,000 school children were in the hall. The cry of “fire” was shouted when the film ignited and caused a red flash, then a blur, to appear on the screen. Rising to their feet quickly the members of the orchestra started playing “The Unknown Soldier” as loudly as they could, causing the children, who had started a stampede, to pause and grow calm. The Montreal theatre disaster has had a far-reaching' effect upon Kansas City. H. F. McElroy, city manager, has ordered a rigid inspection of all downtown and suburban motion picture theatres, while a bill now is pending in the city council which would require four, instead of two, firemen to be stationed in all downtown theatres. The inspection of theatres, as far as the width of aisles are concerned, will mean remodeling of several of the smaller suburban theatres, Mr. McElroy believes. Some of the outlying theatres are not fireproof, according to Mr. McElroy, which means that some of the small exhibitors will be hard hit. The Indiana Theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, has been purchased by George A. Costa from Harrison G. Daly and James H. McGrath for 124,500. Mr. Costa formerly operated the Mayfield Theatre, suburban house of Kansas City. The Indiana Theatre seats 800 persons. The steel work of the new $4,000,000 Loew's Midland Theatre at Thirteenth street and Baltimore avenue, Kansas City, is nearing completion. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were: J. D. Ebersole, Hamilton, Mo.: I. W. Maple, Ridgeway, Mo.; Walter Wallace, Orpheum. Leavenworth, Kas.; Glenn Dickinson, Dickinson Enterprises, Lawrence, Kas. ; G. L. Hooper, Orpheum, Topeka, Kas. Jack Langan’s “Movie Row Athletic Club" at Kansas City, which consists of a set of boxing gloves, a punching bag and other equipment, is gaining clients steadily. More than one bloody lip and black eye has made a hasty exit toward the street in the last week. F. P. Hill, home office auditor for Fox, was a Kansas City visitor this week, as was A. H. Fischer, divisional manager for Warner Bros. Film Row extended its sympathy this week to C. A. Schultze, P. D. C. branch manager. and Mrs. Schultz, whose three-day-old baby died unexpectedly. Ed Solig, booker at the Warner Bros, branch, has issued a general ultimatum to the effect that exhibitors who have been accustomed to calling on him at wee hours of the night will not find him in his room in the future. He has moved to the Mayfair Hotel. Both E. C. Rhoden, manager of Midwest Film Distributors, Inc., and “Red” Jones, Educational manager, were hustling for more contracts in the territory this week. Arthur Schmidt. First National exploiteer in the Kansas City territory of late, has returned to New York. The fact that Russell Borg, Educational booker, is leading all bookers of the Educational organization, keeps him busy explaining daily to friends “How I do it.” Edward Alperson, branch manager, and M. C. Sinift. city representative of Warner Bros., took a business trip into the territory this week. Nebraska Allen F. Glenn, director of publicity from the New York offices of First National Pictures, and A. L. Barlow, manager of accessories, were in Omaha on business recently. Elmcreek Elmcreek, Neb., is to have a new theatre. Work is to begin on it immediately, it is said. Illinois Moving Picture World Bureau, Chicago, III., Jan. 19. 'T~'HE presentation field will be enlarged iff this city with the opening this month of the Piccadilly Theatre and next month of the new Ascher Sheridan Theatre and the Cooney circuit Avalon Theatre on the south side of the city. They will use acts and stage presentations. Cleve Adams, divisional manager of F. B. O. in this territory, has been made midwest sales manager and the territory of the Chicago offices has been enlarged to go as far south as New Orleans and west to Omaha. Arthur Fink, an old-time theatre manager, has organized the Vanity Theatre Corporation to take over and operate the Vanity Theatre at 2650 Lincoln avenue and will play pictures and stock for that district, starting next week. ‘‘Cry” rooms seem to have struck the theatre managers’ fancy in this district for Eddie Saunders of the Harvard, Ills., Theatre has fixed one up for the tired babies and their mothers in his model little theatre in that bustling little city. Frank A. Gazzolo, formerly lessee of the Studebaker Theatre, has returned from an extended west coast tour and is planning to secure another theatre for his shows in the Chicago territory. The Senate Theatre of the Lubliner and Trinz circuit has been made the broadcasting station of WGES and every Saturday night a special radio show will be put on from eleven to midnight. The Logan S’quare Theatre has been sold by the Lubliner and Trinz circuit to Lawrence Fine, David Lipsey and David Hirsch who will fix the house up for their theatrical venture this month. Leo Brunhild has added the Parkside Theatre at Clark and North avenue to the Brunhild circuit and Rube Leventhal has been named as house manager. Sam Katz and Sidney Kent were in the Chicago headquarters last week looking over the Chicago theatre situation for this year. Andrew Karzas, head of the Karzas circuit of theatres, plans a huge new ballroom for Eaglewood district on the south side. William Van Matre, J. D. Hurst and C. B. McIntosh have organized the Rockford Syndicate Building Corporation to build a million dollar department store and theatre in that city. The site will be in the 300 block on North Main street in Rockford, 111. The Christy Brothers have started work on their new 1,800-seat theatre to be erected on West Van Buren street opposite their old Elmo Theatre, which they have operated for the past sixteen years on a ten cent admission charge and a daily change of pictures. The old theatre will be closed when the new house is ready for opening this fall. Chicago-F’red Wessels has resigned as manager of the Orchestra Hall after 25 years’ service and Henry B. Voegeli will have charge of the theatre in the future. Owing to the numerous theatre robberies, some of the owners are planning unique slot safes, that will dispose of the currency and coins so that the cashiers will only have a small amount for change purposes in their cages. A1 Bachman, formerly manager of the Randolph Theatre and later manager of the new Universal Theatre at Springfield is back in the city and will announce his new connection shortly. Plattsville Frank Cook, owner of the Strand Theatre at Plattsville, which burned to the ground last month, has decided to rebuild the house and work will start on the new structure at an early date. Eldorado William Maloney has bought the Grand Theatre at Eldorado, 111., from B. O. Lanhan and will fix the house up for movie shows exclusively. Rockford Another new theatre is projected for Rockford, 111., by Bert and Casper Johnson, who operate the Family Theatre in that city. They have bought the property at 1219 Broadway and plans are being drawn for a 2,000-seat movie house for the location, Family theatre will be remodeled into stores after the new Broadway theatre is completed. Crown Point B. U. Voight, formerly owner of the Paris Theatre at Paris, 111., has taken over the Palace Theatre at Crown Point from the Bikas circuit and will make some improvements in the house. Mrs. Francis Pert has sold the Pert Theatre at Gillespie, 111., to the Shea and Pert circuit, who will make some improvements. Michigan Moving Picture World Bureau, Detroit, Mich., Jan. 19. ELABORATE preparations are being made for the formal opening of the Detroit Film Building on January 29. The building was erected for the exclusive use of the film interests in this territory by Walter Stebbins and practically all exchanges are now housed there. The party will be given at sunset on January 29 and will continue all night. Officers of the West Fort Street Business Men’s Association have welcomed John H. Kunsky enterprises to that neighborhood and are— planning a celebration late this month. Believing that “trade follows the films,” the west end business men are enthusiastically back of the enterprise of the Kunsky organization in taking over the Lincoln Square Theatre. Through negotiations completed in New York last week, the run of the Warner Bros. Vitaphone at the Shubert-Lafayette comes to a close this Saturday night and is transferred to the Kunsky Madison Theatre, which will house it hereafter. George W. Trendle, general manager of the Kunsky theatres, negotiated the deal and the engagement is slated to commence early in February. Foundation work has been completed and the steel is beginning to rise on the new Hollywood Theatre, which, when erected, will take its place with the foremost theatres of the country. The Cohen Bros., operators of the Colonial Theatre, are building the Hollywood to fill a long-felt want for a modern theatre in the Fort street vicinity. Plans are already under way for the opening, late in the summer of 1927. The new United Artists theatre building, which is to be erected in Grand Circus Park Theatre, will be 18 stories high. John H. Kunsky’s daughter. Mrs. Myrtle Albright, was robbed of $400 in gowns last week while her car was parked in front of the theatre. No trace of the thieves has been found.