Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

438 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 5, 1927 Canada Moving Picture World Bureau3 Ottawa. Canada. Feb. 4. \ X order has gone out to the theatres in -•-A Ontario and Quebec, to keep the roofs of the theatre buildings clear of heavy snow. This instruction has been sent out each winter since the collapse of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D. C. This season, however, there has been comparatively little snow in the cities of the Dominion. Port Arthur, Ont. Manager L. C. Straw of the Colonial Theatre, Port Arthur, Ontario, drew a big crowd through the sponsoring of the local dog team race, arrangements having been made to have the race finish in front of the Colonial. Manager Straw had a Scottish piper and drummer to welcome the dog drivers after their long run. Regina, Sask. Pete Egan has been the 'manager of the Capitol Theatre, Regina, Saslt., for only a few months and he was taken completely by surprise when the employes of the Capitol presented him and Mrs. Egtan with a handsome silver tea service. The party repaired to the Capitol Tea Rooms after the ceremony for a celebration. Alberta G. P. Barber, Edmonton, chief inspector of theatres for the Province of Alberta, has given a brief outline of the laws governing projection machine operators in Alberta theatres. The projectionists are required to pass their apprenticeship and also three government examinations in electricity, mechanics, care of appliances and public safety. No boys are allowed to work in projection robins and no apprentice can be under the age of 18 years. Projectionists work in five-hour shifts. A projectionist’s license can be cancelled for failure to produce his license on demand; permitting an unlicensed person in the projection room while an audience is in the theatre; operating a machine while under the influence of liquor; smoking or permitting smoking in the projection room; reading while operating a machine; maintaining a dirty projection room; projecting more than 90 feet of film per minute; failure to report any film fire or defective machine; keeping or storing material of a combustible nature in the room and other reasons. Montreal B. M. Garfield, manager of the Rialto Theatre, Park avenue, Montreal, and his wife, were the victims of a spectacular hold-up on the evening of January 27 when robbers entered his office and forced him to hand over a cash box containing $469. ■Sam Stapleton, giving a Montreal address, was arrested a short time later by local detectives and implicated three others in the crime, a second arrest following the next day. The accused were arraigned on the charge of robbery and were remanded pending further possible captures. Mr. Garfield is a veteran exhibitor of Eastern Canada. The Rialto is a unit in the chain of 12 houses operated in Montreal by United Amusements, Limited. Victoria, B. C. Ralph Calladine of Victoria, B. C., has reopened the Variety Theatre at Victoria as an exclusive moving picture house. Toronto An offer of purchase has been made for the Grand Theatre, a long-established downtown theatre of Toronto owned by Mrs. Ambrose Small, wife of the theatre circuit magnate who disappeared mysteriously six years ago. Negotiations have been made for the taking over the property, the price being $450,000, it is announced. London, Ont. Ed. "Warren has become manager of the Patricia Theatre, London, Ontario, in succession to W. L Stewart, former lessee and manager of the house for many years who retired recently to reside in the Southern States. George Rotsky, manager of the Palace Theatre, Montreal, Quebec, and vice-president of the Montreal Theatre Managers’ Association, was an invited guest at the reception in Montreal for Their Excellencies, Viscount Willingdon, Governor-General of Canada, and Viscountess Willingdon, being the only theatre man present. New Brunswick The amount received by the Province of New Brunswick from the amusement tax during 1926 was $55,356.28, an increase of over $9,000 over the previous year, according to the financial report of the Provincial Treasurer which was announced on February 2S. Quebec At a meeting of the Finance Committee of the City of Quebec, held January 28, announcement was made that, starting May 1, the theatres of Quebec City would be called upon to pay a special tax for the local board of censors, which has jurisdiction over posters, special presentations and other matters. Trenton, Ont. Famous Players Canadian Corp., Toronto, took over the Trent Theatre, leading moving picture house in Trenton, Ontario, on January 31, for a period of five years, according to announcement by John C. McCarthy, head of the company which owns both the Trent Theatre in Trenton and the Belleville Theatre in Belleville. London, Ont. After many years, W. L Stewart has ceased to be proprietor and manager of the Patricia Theatre, London, Ontario, having disposed of the business to go South for a rest. Huntsville, Ont. A. A. Cooper, proprietor of the Lyceum Theatre, Huntsville, Ont., for the past IS years, has leased the well-known house to D. Strano and the latter has appointed Hugh Richardson as house manager. Mr. Cooper, one of the most widely knoWn exhibitors in Canada, has gone into the mining industry in Northern Ontario. Leamington, Ont. A. Broadley of Tilbury, Ontario, has bought the Patricia Theatre at Leamington, Ontario. Mr. Broadley is the projectionist of the Star Theatre at Tilbury and will continue in that capacity even though he is the owner of the theatre in a nearby town. Vancouver, B. C. Manager Harper of the Lonsdale Theatre, Vancouver, B. C., reported that, for the second time recently, thieves had broken into the house and carried out the office safe, leaving it unopened on the sidewalk. Exhibitor Five Times Mayor Vancouver, Wash., Feb. 3. — Mr. John P. Riggins, who is building a new theatre to seat 1,600 persons and to cost around $150,000, has recently been re-elected to the office of Mayor for the fifth time, indicating strongly the standing of an exhibitor who, as Mr Kiggins does, constantly serves his community both personally and in his theatres. Big Theatre Deal W. H. Bruen and Frank Edwards recently returned from New York where a deal was completed involving the chain of suburban and downtown theatres in Seattle previously known as the Pacific Theatres, Inc. Mr. Bruen will remain with the new organization to be know as the Northwestern Theatrical Enterprises, Inc., acting as general manager of the suburban interests. Frank Edwards will retain his position as manager of the Winter Garden Theatre. The theatres affected in this deal are: Ridgemont, Arabian, Woodland, Winter Garden, Cheerio, Madrona Garden, Gray Goose, Granada, Portola and Mission. Chicago Moving Picture World Bureau. Chicago, III., Feb. 4. TWO fine new deluxe movie houses are slated for early opening in the southeastern part of the city, the Picadilly Theatre of the Schoenstadt circuit and the Avalon Theatre of the National Playhouses,. Inc. Jerseyville George Mourning has sold the Colonial Theatre at Jerseyville, Ills., to Thomas Smith who will operate the house as an exclusive moving picture theatre. Galena A. .1. Huber has opened the Dreamland Theatre at Galena, Ills., which is owned by Mrs. William Weber of that city. Decatur Irvin Rooks has purchased a part of the McRoberts land at Franklin and North streets in Decatur, Ills., for the site of a large theatre which is to be built at an early date on that location. Earl J. Johnson, Edward Rosecan and Harriet M. Johnson have organized the Illinois and Indiana Theatres, Inc., with offices at 845 South Wabash avenue. Mr. Johnson is the head of the Johnson circuit of theatres in the west side suburbs. A record ground value has been established by the Tivoli Theatre of the Balaban and Katz circuit when a ninety-nine year lease was taken on the property at 5412 and 5414 Cottage Grove avenue. The lease totals more than two million dollars. H. G. Rosenberg of the Terminal Theatre of the Ascher circuit has been appointed manager of the Calo Theatre, succeeding Nat Wayne who resigned to take up other lines of work. Vitaphone was installed in the Orpheum Theatre on State street last Saturday and will open at the North Center Theatre of the Karzas circuit on February 6th and the Capital Theatre of the Cooney circuit before the end of the month. Evanston Another attempt will be made to give Evanston Sunday movies and Peter N. Jans, alderman of that city and president of the Boosters Club of Evanston, has started petitions for submitting the question of Sunday movies at the election next April. As yet no organized opposition has been started against the move for Sunday shows. In the last election, Sunday movies lost by 3,000 votes. L. M. Fine, David Lipsey and E. F. Lipsey have organized the Logan Square Theatre Company with offices at 2542 Milwaukee avenue, Chicago, to operate a theatre at that location. Chicago The Mitchell Brothers, who formerly operated the Rose Theatre on Milwaukee avenue, are rushing work on their new Patio Theatre that is going up at 60th street and Irving Park boulevard and it is expected to be ready for opening this month. The Halsted Theatre at 610S South Halsted street has been sold by the Mitchell Murtaugh Company to Philip Tague, who will make some improvements in the house. The opening of the new Piccadilly Theatre on the South 'Side was a civic event in that part of the city last week. Mayor Dever spoke before a packed house about the beautiful theatre erected by Herman Schoenstadt and his two sons. Mr. Schoenstadt started twenty years ago and is one of the pioneer exhibitors of the city.