Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

360 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 29, 1927 Kansas City, Mo. Moving Picture World, Bureau, Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 26. MISSOURI, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska were to be represented at a two-day conference of Publix managers at the Kansas City Athletic Club building this week. Sam Katz and S. R. Kent, Publix executives, were expected to outline future plans and policies of the organization. A large part of the meeting was devoted to the asking and answering of questions pertaining to technical problems. John Nolan, branch manager of the Fox exchange in Kansas City, is the new chairman of the Kansas City Joint Board of Arbitration. Mr. Nolan has been one of the most ardent workers for the betterment of working conditions between exhibitors and exchanges in Kansas City territory. The first party of the M.-G.-M. Club, composed of the manager, assistant manager, salesmen, bookers and secretaries of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer exchange in Kansas City, will give its first party next Saturday, which will include a screening, dancing, orchestra and refreshments. James Shorgl, booker, is president of the club. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were: C. W. Goodell, Pastime, Ottawa, Kas.; S. E. Wilhoit, Jefferson, Princess and Grand, Springfield, Mo.; Frank Weary, Farris Theatre. Richmond, Mo.; G. L. Rugg, Weston, Mo.; Ed Peshay, Penn Theatre, St. Joseph, Mo.; Herb Thatcher, Abilene, Kas. Ira Cohen, former district manager for Fox in Kansas City, waved a farewell to friends and departed for Cincinnati, where he is Fox branch manager. Miss H. LeGender, former cashier of the Paramount branch in Des Moines, Iowa, has joined the personnel of the Kansas City Paramount branch. Les Durland, film veteran of Kansas City, will be the new booker for the Tiffany Productions, Inc., branch when the new office of that company is completed in Kansas City. Max Rother, Fox home office representative, was a Kansas City visitor. C. M. Parkhurst, booking manager at the P. D. C. branch, is the father of an eight-pound baby girl — and it is not a bouncing baby, he vows. Gib Jones is the new booker for the Fox branch. C. W. Allen, P. D. C. salesman, sold a block cf seventy-two pictures to a Kansas City theatre tfie other day, which, he contends, entitles him to be called “high-powered.” Colorado Moving Picture World Bureau, Denver, Colo., Jan. 26. THE Denver Film Board of Trade has elected Sidney D. Weisbaum, Denver manager for F. B. O., as its president for the ensuing term. Chas. R. Gilmour was designated vice-president and Duke W. Dunbar as secretary, treasurer and general counsel. A. P. Archer of Educational, A. G. Edwards of Producers, and J. A. Krum of United Artists were elected to serve on the Board of Arbitration as exchange representatives. Albert P. Kaufman has been appointed manager of the America Theatre, Universal’s first-run house in Denver. Mr. Kaufman comes to Denver from Pittsburgh where he has managed the Cameo, another Universal theatre. Colorado has a censorship bill introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill provides for the creation of a division for the censorship of theatres, motion pictures, etc., for the protection of public morals. The bill is designated as House Bill No. 75 and was referred to the committee on ‘‘Fees and Salaries.” The bill was introduced by Representatives Wilcox and Dill. “All Work— No Pay” Has Olympia Burglar’s “Nan” Olympia, Wash., Jan. 26. — Slot safes are getting to be the rage, but the Liberty Theatre, Olympia, Washington, hasn't put in an order for one yet, and the theatre still manages to find its repository intact “the morning after the burglarious night before.” Recently a burglar concealed himself until the house was closed at night, then spent hours dripping perspiration and drilling the lock of the check-room and ticket office, and when he finally got to where the safe lay waiting he discovered that it was in full and plain view from the sidewalk, through a window. “Bah!” muttered the crook, as he made a cashless exit, “This guy sure plays safe !” Texas — Oklahoma Moving Picture World Bureau, Oklahoma City, Okla., Jan. 26. ALLAS, TEXAS, theatre interests will not be affected, for several months at least, by the affiliation of the Publix Theatres Corporation and the Saenger Theatres, Inc., in a new body called the PublixSaengers, Inc., according to reports received at Dallas recently. Publix now owns the Palace and Melba, and the Saenger operates the Old Mill and Capitol Theatres to be operated independent for the present. Milton Simon, sales manager for Rayart Corporation was an Oklahoma City visitor the past week. Felix Feist, general sales manager for Metro-Goldwyn, was the guest of the local M.-G.-M. exchange at Oklahoma City, Okla., transacting business with pleasure. W. P. Garyn, assistant sales manager of National Screen Service, Inc., was in Oklahoma City the past w'eek, and appointed Wallace Walthall as the official sales representative for National S'creen Service in Oklahoma territory. Mary McGonigle, secretary to Bill Moran of Educational at Oklahoma City, is sporting a new car, latest model. Vinton Sholl has been added to F.-P.-L. sales force at Oklahoma City, Okla. Horace Booth is the new salesman for Fox at Oklahoma City, Okla. Walter Quade, salesman for Universal at Oklahoma City, is visiting his father, who is reported as being quite ill at Kansas City, Mo. C. E. Dindsey, booker for Paramount at Oklahoma City, is ill at his home in Dallas, Texas, and Curtis Logan, newly made assistant, is taking his place. Nebraska Moving Picture World Bureau, Omaha, Neb., Jan. 26. THE Riviera Theatre, now under construction at Twentieth and Farnam streets, Omaha, is expected to be formally opened to the public about the middle of April, according to A. H. Blank, head of the A. H. Blank interests, building this magnificent Omaha house. The Omaha Daily News, a daily paper here, has taken a forward step in assigning one of its feature writers, Miss Bobbie O'Dare, to the task of carrying a movie page. San Francisco Moving Picture World Bureau, Berkeley, Cal., Jan. 26. THE recent engagement of “The Miracle,” the European stage spectacle, at the Exposition Auditorium, San Francisco, had no adverse effect on the receipts of local moving picture houses, report exhibitors. Thousands of visitors were attracted from outside points, some coming from as far away as Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and most of these attended other theatrical attractions while in the city. Ed Smith, former manager of the Granada Theatre, S’an Francisco, has resigned to go East as assistant general manager of Universal Picture Theatres, and Edward B. Baron, San Francisco, manager of Publix Theatres, has made several promotions as a result. Charles Kurtzman, for a time manager of the St. Francis Theatre, has been made manager of the Granada, and has been succeeded at the 'St. Francis by Herbert Polin, formerly of the publicity department. Two years ago Mr. Kurtzman was publicity representative for the California Theatre and was later placed in charge of the Imperial Theatre, going' to the St. Francis but a few weeks ago. The Imperial Theatre, long operated as a long-run house, has been made a short-run house with a 15-cent policy, owing to the difficulty of securing sufficient productions of merit to keep both it and the St. Francis Theatre on an extended run basis. Robert Abraham, well-known theatre manager of San Francisco and recently in charge of houses for the Golde’n State Theatre and Realty Co., is now with the Paul S. Wolfer Company, distributors of ‘‘The Slums of Berlin,” in California. Morris Markowitz, formerly of the San Francisco branch of First National, but now in charge of the Portland exchange, was here recently for a stay of a few days. C. A. Caballero, formerly purchasing agent for West Coast Theatres at Los Angeles, was a recent visitor at San Francisco. Carol Nathan, manager of the San Francisco Universal exchange, went to Los Angeles the middle of the month to attend the birthday party of Carl Laemmle. H. Lehrmack has been made head booker for the Pathe exchange, San Francisco. Oakland West Coast Theatres, Inc., have signed a thirty-year lease on a 3,500-seat house to be erected at Telegraph avenue and Eighteenth street, and which will supplant the present T. & D. Theatre on lower Broadway. An annual rental of $102,000 will be paid and in addition equipment to cost $200,000 will be installed. Funds with which to erect the building have been secured through the medium of a bond issue. For the second time within a month burglars visited the Fairfax Theatre on Foothill Boulevard, the last time cracking the safe. This visit netted the cracksmen about $900. Stockton ■Toe Blumenfeld has taken over the Lincoln Theatre, making three in his chain in Stockton, the others being the Strand and Stockton Theatres. Santa Rosa A store building is being remodeled and a small movinng picture theatre will be opened shortly by Mrs. W. W. Felt. Colusa The Strand Theatre has been taken over by B. B. Jones. Napa The old Empire Theatre, erected twenty years ago, has been torn down and will be replaced with a 700-seat house by Sam Gordon.