Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

February 5, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 437 Kansas City Out to Lick Amusement Taxes Moving Picture World Bureau, Kansas City, Kan., Feb. 3. AN organized attack against the proposed Missouri amusement tax, four mass meetings and the formation of an organization has been accomplished in Kansas City in the last week. Many of the most prominent men in the state have been sent to Jefferson City, the state capitol, to speak against the bill. R. R. Biechele, president of the M. P. T. O. Kansas-Missouri, returned to Kansas City Wednesday from Jefferson City, where he and many Kansas citizens had been bitterly opposing the bill sponsored by Governor Baker to obtain school funds. At a meeting at the Newman Theatre, Kansas City, called by Mr. Biechele, Louis Shouse, manager of Convention Hall, Kansas City, was named as chairman of the executive committee which will lead the fight against the bill. George Bond, secretary-treasurer of the Kansas City Motor Car Dealers, assured the forty exhibitors at the meeting that his organization would lend its support in opposing the bill. As a result, hundreds of telegrams have been sent by prominent business men in the last few days to state representatives and legislators, asking their support in opposing the bill. Arrangements for finance and publicity in fighting the bill virtually have been completed. Sixty managers of Publix Theatres in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois and Michigan, as well as ten Publix executives, attended a regional conference in Kansas City last week. Products for the next six months, problems in showmanship, management and the nationalizing of the name, Publix, were discussed. The coupon book, known as Publix Chex, purchased by patrons for $4.50 and bearing $5 worth of tickets, good at any Publix theatre, was given serious consideration. The executives attending the meeting were: ■Sam Katz, president; Sam DeBow, Jr., buyer; Milton Feld, home office representative; David Chatkin, short subject manager; Harry Marx, theatre management director; F. L. Metzler, comptroller; L. E. S'chneider, ■director of personnel; L. G. Mullens, director of maintenance; A. M. Botsford, director of advertising, and Lem Stewart, advertising manager. Arthur S. Kane, former manager of Capitol Enterprises Theatre in Chanute, Kans., has been named as manager of the Gladstone Theatre, suburban house of Kansas City controlled by Capitol Enterprises. W. P. Cuff, who formerly operated the •Strand Theatre, Chillicothe, Mo., will replace Mr. Kane at Chanute. John W. ■Creamer, who formerly had charge of the advertising and publicity of the Buford Theatres of Kansas City, Kans., has been named as manager of the Bowtersoek Theatre of Lawrence, Kans W. P. Bernfield expects to open his Tiffany exchange in Kansas City in the next few days. Miss Josephine Gross has succeeded Miss Dora Durham as stenogpraher at Midwest Film Distributors, Inc. Miss Eleanor Watson has succeeded Miss Lucile Mayhew as biller at the Fox branch, the latter having been made bookkeeper. Ed Alperson, Warner Bros., branch manager, returned from Chicago, where he attended .a managers’ meeting. The Ad-Vance Trailer Service now is in its new headquarters at Eighteenth and Wyandotte streets. Harvey Day, sales manager for Kinograms, was a Kansas City visitor. Joe Manfre, Paramount representative, became the father of a 7-pound daughter the other day, who was named Alvah Marie. Joe Schlaifer, head of the Universal chain theatres, was a Kansas City visitor. After several days, J. A. Masters, F. B. O. office manager, has his motor car running again. The ol’ “boat” was wrecked in a collision the other day. The M-G-M Club, composed of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer branch employees, postponed its first party from last Saturday until a later 'date. Minnesota Moving Picture World Bureau , Minneapolis , Minn., Feb. 3. T> ECENT visitors at Minneapolis film exchanges included J. S. Schrieber of the Grand Theatre at Breckenridge, Minn. ; Harvey Day, home office representative of Educational Pictures, and S. R. Wood of the Bijou Theatre at Tioga, N. D. Leeds, la. Mrs. R. O. Brownell, recent purchaser of the Leeds Theatre, Leeds, Iowa, has taken over the management of the house. Waterloo, la. Plans are being made to rebuild the Crystal Theatre, Waterloo, Iowa., which was recently partially destroyed by fire. Ashton, S. D. The Nujoy Theatre, Ashton, S. D., has been closed by the manager, W. E. Cole, on account of lack of patronage. Lake Norden, S. D. The motion picture theatre at Lake Norden, S. D., has ben purchased by J. A. •S'a'o and O. C. Vik from Henry Horten. Shenandoah, la. The Empress Theatre at Shenandoah, Iowa, has been purchased by B. B. Holdridge from C. P. Latta, who was widely advertised last year as the nation’s most honest advertiser. A picture which was showing at this house was advertised by Latta as a poor one and his patrons told that they would be dissatisfied. The picture did capacity business and Latta increased his patronage on account of the warning. . Lakota, N. D. J. B. McCormick, manager of the Lyric Theatre at Lakota, N. D., has left the city for a vacation and has been succeeded by E. T. Sloan, who managed the theatre several years ago. Winfred, S. D. Pictures are to be shown Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Winfred Theatre, Winfred. S. D., by Dwight Goodnow who has just taken over the house. Brookings, S. D. The Pleasant Hour Theatre at Brookings, S. D., which was recently purchased by Frank J. McCarthy, has been renamed the Grand and also has had many improvements made in the interior of the building. Murdock J. B. Abrahamson, owner of the Rialto Theatre, Murdock, Minn., for the last two years, has sold the house to John DeMarce, who operates the Viking at Benson, Minn. I Carson, la. The Dreamland Theatre, which is operated by Frank Smith at Carson, Iowa, was partially destroyed by fire recently. Albany A theatre which will seat 400 when completed is being built at Albany, Minn., by Jerry Wertin, who now operates the Winter Theatre in that town. Wertin expects to have the house completed by June 1. Hamilton Tivoli Robbed Robbers smashed their way into the Tivoli Theatre, Hamilton, Ontario, January 12, breaking in a rear door of the house, and stole $928 in cash which was in a strong box in the office of Morris Stein, manager. This box was broken open with a sledge hammer, it was found. The crooks overlooked another large amount of currency in the manager’s office. The robbers escaped without trace. St. Louis, Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 4. IT took a jury in the St. Louis Circuit Court forty-five minutes January 20 to decide that William R. Rickart, 29 years old, should serve five years in the Missouri Penitentiary for alleged participation in the $3,500 robbery of the Liberty Theatre on December 21, 1925. Marlin O. G. Whetsel, a former patrolman, turned state’s evidence and testified that himself Rickart and four other men were involved in the robbery. Joseph H. Blowitz, manager of the Virginia Theatre, 5117 Virginia avenue, St. Louis, on the morning of January 17 frustrated two robbers who sought to obtain the receipts from Saturday and Sunday. The men pretended to have a telegram for Blowitz, but when he saw a revolver in the hand of one of the pair he slammed a door in their faces and called help. The pair fled in a Ford. The projection room and equipment of the Family Theatre, 5118 Shaw avenue, St. Louis, Mo., were damaged $500 by fire the night of January 16. The audience left the house in order when the fire started. Construction of William Fox’s $3,500,000 5,000-seat theatre and 17-story office building on Grand and Washington boulevards, St. Louis, Mo., will start within the next few weeks. The general contract has been awarded to Aronberg & Fried, Inc., 21 East 40th street, New York City. El Dorado The Arkansas Amusement Enterprises is said to plan new theatres for El Dorado and North Little Rock. Details are not yet available. Rochelle, 111. An $80,000 theatre for Rochelle, 111., has been planned by the Rochelle Theatre Corporation. The West Park Theatre Company, St. Louis, has been incorporated with $9,000 capital. The incorporators are J. B. Castle and W. Lyris 44 shares each and S. P. Skouras and Harry Koplar one share each. Maplewood The audience of the Sutton Theatre in Maplewood, Mo., witnessed the marriage of Lucille Schafer, a chorus girl of the theatre, and William Dennis on the stage of the theatre the night of January 21. A justice of peace performed the ceremony. Mexico, Mo. The Josephson Amusement Company has sold the Grand Theatre, Mexico, Mo., to the Sears Amusement Company, which represents the Universal chain in this section. McKittrick The Blanton Theatre, McKittrick, Mo., will be opened by E. W. Blanton. Lester J. Bona is now assistant manager for First National here. Harry Weiss is the manager. Bona formerly was city salesman for St. Louis. United Artists has announced changes in its sales staff. Marvin Weisman is traveling Eastern Missouri and H. E. Staler in Arkansas. Out-of-town exhibitors seen along Picture Row during the week were: S. E. Brady, Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Harry Turner, Pana, 111.; S. E Pertle, Jerseyville, 111.; H. S'paulding, Litchfield, 111., and “Doc” Tetley, Flat River and Farmington, Mo. Read Newsy Bits about your live-wire friends in these pages.