Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 29, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 359 Live News from Coast to Coast NOTES ABOUT WIDE-AWAKE EXHIBITORS AND EXCHANGE MEN FROM ALL POINTS New York Moving Picture World Bureau, Albany, N. Y., Jan. 27. ONE-TIME manager of the old Goldwyn exchange in this city, later with Fox, and more recently a salesman at the local Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer exchange, and well known to hundreds of exhibitors in this section, Charles Walder, has just been transferred to the company's branch in Atlanta, Ga., as a salesman. Other changes in the local branch include the resignation of Ira Simmons, of New York City, a salesman, who has been succeeded by H. I. Rosefield, of New York City. H. C. Bissell, who recently resigned as local manager of the Universal exchange, is considering a proposition to handle a. European branch. Fred E. Duffy, a well-known film salesman in Albany, was called home suddenly by telephone last week, when Mrs. Duffy fell and fractured an ankle. The accident occurred on a waxed floor, and Mrs. Duffy is now hobbling about with her ankle in a plaster cast. Joe Schleiger, who has been booking at the F. B. O.. exchange, and who was to have accepted a similar position last week at the Tiffany exchange, is seriously ill with pneumonia at his home. Mr. Schleiger was at home doctoring a cold when it became necessary for him to go back to the F. B. O. exchange, owing to injuries to Abe VanDusen. Mr. Schleiger contracted pneumonia and his condition became serious. Odds and ends of news items sifting into Albany’s Film Row include the fact that E. M. Holding of Gilbertsville, has closed his theatre until spring; that Leonard and Chaney, of Newton Falls, have closed their theatre until an. epidemic of smallpox abates; that D. M. Sanschagrin, of Saranac Lake, has closed his house temporarily; that Julius Byck, of Tannersville, is in New York City for the winter and has closed his theatre; that the Broadway in Schenectady has been closed for repairs; that John Gillies is once more running the Star in Salem; that A. Wirtenberger has taken over the Woodlawn in Schenectady, and that William Donovan, of Tupper Lake, is back home from a trip to New York. Frieder and Grossman, with theatres in Hudson and other places, are expanding. Mr. Frieder was in Albany on a buying trip last week, during which he announced that the company was breaking ground for a new house in, Brooklyn, and that another theatre in course of erection in Norwalk, Conn., would open around March 1. Mr. Frieder expressed himself as well satisfied with the business being done in Hudson and further states that business was good over their entire circuit. Alec Papayanakos, of Potsdam, is all puffed up these days and rightly, too, over a redecorated lobby and a new sign. Mr. Papayanakos has been contemplating a trip back to Greece, but doesn’t seem to be able to make a get-a-way. Of course, the stock market may have something to do' with it, for it was only a few months ago that he cleaned up the tidy little sum of $65,000 on the spectacular advancement of one or two specialties. George V. Greene, new manager of the Avon, Majestic, Gaiety and DeLuxe Theatres in Utica, has had much experience roaming the world over, and has many thrilling stories of his travels. On one occasion Mr. Greene was held as an English spy in Turkey and sentenced to be shot at dawn. He escaped and later brought suit against the Turkish Empire for $250,000. Only His Own Family in Eleven-Piece Orchestra Montevideo, Minn., Jan. 26. — When he plays pictures he plays the pictures as well, does Jay Gould, Eagle Theatre, Montevideo. Not only does he own and manage the theatre, but he leads the orchestra of eleven pieces and that orchestra is composed of his wife and their nine children. Mr. Gould, you see, believes in making sure that if one of the boys goes on a “toot” he will do it under dad’s eye — with a born, and when a daughter gets to the “beau” age — there is a violin chucking her under the chin. This orchestra was recently called upon to play at the convention of the State Federation of County Fair Boards. But generally the family is busy keeping the Eagle flying high on wings of music. Minnesota Moving Picture World Bureau, Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 26. EQUIPMENT for the showing of Vitaphone pictures will be installed in either the Garrick or the Strand Theatres in Minneapolis immediately, it was announced last week by M. L. Finkelstein of Finkelstein & Ruben upon his return from New York. He also signed a contract for the exclusive showing of first run Vitaphone pictures. A sister of I. H. Ruben of Finkelstein & Ruben died in a St. Paul hospital last week, ©he was Mrs. Etta Ruben Frankel. An exploitation department has just been established by First National in. conjunction with its Minneapolis exchange. It will be in charge of Charles McCarthy, a former theatre owner. Visitors to Minneapolis last week included Felix Feist, general manager of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer; A. F. Cummings, assistant manager, and S. A. Shirley, district manager. They conferred with officials at the Minneapolis exchange for two days. Northwest Theatres, Inc., has just created a new department to be known as the department of public relations, according to Theodore L. Hays, general manager of the Finkelstein & Ruben theatres. Miss Blanche R. MacDonald, well-known Minneapolis newspaper woman, has been appointed director of the new department. Dodge Center The Opera House at Dodge Center, Minn., which was closed last summer, has been reopened by Mrs. Cora Thompson, the proprietor. Remer A. O. Rosdahl has installed a motion picture projector in Odd Fellows’ Hall, Remer, Minn., and plans to open a theatre in a few weeks. Eddyville, la. The Opera House at Eddyville, Iowa, was partially destroyed by fire recently. Leeds, la. Ralph Brownell recently purchased the motion picture theatre at Leeds, Iowa. Mr. Brownell is now operating the Casino at Kingsley, Iowa. Canada Moving Picture World Bureau, Ottawa, Canada, Jan. 26. BOTH the Imperial and the Capital Theatres of Ottawa, Ontario, will go to film road show basis early in February for special engagements. Starting February 5, Manager J. T. Moxley of the Imperial will have “Beau Geste” as the attraction at $1 top and one week later “Michael Strogoff” will open at the Capital under a similar plan for its second Canadian engagement. The Capital is reverting to the Capital Amusements, Limited, of which Harry O’Regan is general manager. Renfrew, Ont. In Renfrew the O’Brien Theatre was discovered to be on fire during the performance on the evening of January 21. An unusual fact was that many people outside of the theatre knew of the blaze, but the actual patrons of the house did not, and were not disturbed. It was a chimney fire and was soon extinguished. A few children, in the theatre, near the entrance, heard the fire bells outside and left the show to see the fire. They were allowed to return to their seats when they made a solemn promise not to mention fire or cause any disturbance after they went into the theatre. Montreal During the past year five theatres were added to the chain of suburban theatres operated in Montreal, Quebec, by United Amusements Corp., Limited, Montreal, bringing the total up to 12, according to the annual financial report. The company paid an eight per cent, dividend on preferred stock and two per cent, on common for the year. The board of directors was re-elected, this board including N. L. Nathanson and J. P. Bickell of Famous Players, Toronto. Vancouver Announcement has been made by J. R. Muir, acting manager of the Capitol Theatre, Vancouver, B. C., of a change in policy whereby the theatre opens its new programs on Saturdays instead of Mondays, as has been the case for the past five years. The former manager of the Vancouver Capitol was the late Ralph Ruffner. Toronto James Crang, proprietor of the Oakwood Theatre, one of the first of the large outlying moving picture theatres of Toronto, Ontario, is also now engaged in another enterprise, this being the operation of a large outdoor ice-skating rink not far from the theatre. The Oakwood rink is the home of the Toronto Speed Skating Club. Henry Nathanson of Toronto, brother of N. L. Nathanson, managing director of Famous Players Canadian C'orp., underwent an operation at the Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, for the removal of his tonsils, from which he has recovered. Henry Nathanson is one of the officials of Regal Films, Limited, Canadian distributor of Metro, Warner, Pathe and other productions. Regina J. Graham, who operates three theatres at Regina, Sask., has acquired the Orpheum Theatre at Moose Jaw. Sask., which had been under the control of the Walker interests at Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the past eight years. Mr. Graham is operating the Orpheum on an exclusive moving picture basis. Quebec City Joseph Paquet, proprietor of the Canadien. Theatre, Quebec City, Quebec, has been called upon to make alterations in his theatre in accordance with regulations and the theatre has been temporarily closed.