Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

February 12, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD ' 505 Kansas City, Mo . Moving Picture World Bureau , Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 10. A N “all movie row dance” now is the hub of conversation along Kansas City’s row. No definite plans have been worked out yet, but there is a strong undercurrent of feeling that such an event would be the most logical method of celebrating what promises to be a prosperous spring season in Kansas City territory. Pour more theatres have been added to the cirouit of Capitol Enterprises, with headquarters in Kansas City, and the Josephson . Circuit theatres in Lexington, Mo., and Mexico, Mo. Webb City The Blake Theatre, Webb City, Mo., following improvements Costing $20,000, was given a wide heralding last week. The Rialto Theatres Corporation has acquired two more Kansas City theatres and, according to C. R. Gregg, secretary, will obtain others in the next few weeks. The Roanoke and Alamo Theatres, suburban houses, were obtained this week, the Roanoke formerly being operated by L. J. Lenhart, and the Alamo by E. E. Wtebber. K. S. Duncan is president of the Rialto concern. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were: G. D. Hooper, Orpheum, Topeka, Kas.; W. Wallace, Orpheum, Leavenworth, Kas.; S. E. Wilhoit, Electric, Springfield, Mo.; C. M. Pattee, Pattee Theatre, Lawrence, Kas.; Glenn Dickinson, Dickinson Circuit, Lawrence, Kas. San Francisco Moving Picture World Bureau, Berkeley, Cal., Feb. 10. A LUNCHEON meeting of the Allied Amusement Industries of Northern California was held at Marquard’s Cafe, San Francisco, at which measures affecting the amusement industry, introduced at the first half of the bifurcated session of the State Legislature, were given attention. The local organization, which has been in existence seven years, is unique in that it is made up of moving picture exhibitors, vaudeville interests, film exchange interests, theatrical printers, bill posting firms and others directly connected with the industry. Its success has brought it into national prominence, with much of this credited to the leadership of Thomas D. Van Osten, its general manager. The headquarters of the organization were moved to the sixth floor of the Golden Gate Theatre Building the first of the year. Under the title of ‘‘The Lure of the Screen,” California State Labor Commissioner Walter G. Mathewson. has issued a report warning screen aspirants against false hope and fake schools of screen acting and makeup. The report sets forth that investigation made by the labor bureau have disclosed illegal practices on the part of both schools and licensed employment agencies. The Parkside Theatre & Improvement Co. has taken out a permit for the erection of a moving picture theatre on Tavaral street, near Twenty-ninth avenue, 'San Francisco. Illinois Moving Picture World Bureau , Chicago, III., Feb . 10. SEVERAL changes have been made in the policies of the Balaban and Katz theatres, among them being the return of the Roosevelt Theatre on State street to first run pictures on a weekly change basis. McVickers Theatre will continue to show first runs at popular prices on extended runs and the Central Park Theatre, on the west side, will revert to tri-weekly change of pictures at reduced prices, vaudeville on Saturday and Sundays. The Berkoba Productions will film a picture at the Central Park Theatre and at the Norshore Theatre of the circuit. J. W. Dubach has been made manager of the Chicago Theatre, succeeding Louis Lazar. The big event at the Chicago Theatre is the showing of Gertrude Ederle during the week of February 14. Changes have been made' in the staff of the Orpheum circuit; Charles McDaniles from the Oliver Theatre, at South Bend, to the new Granada Theatre; Hugh Flannery, formerly at the Palace Theatre, has been made supervisor of fourteen theatres under the direction of Asher Levy of the Chicago offices; Herbert S. Cohen has been made manager of the Oliver Theatre; and LeRoy Williams has been named as manager of the Orpheum Theatre. John Thoma has resigned as assistant manager of the Tower Theatre; George Gordon has been named as manager of the Palace Theatre; and Carl Smith treasurer at 'South Bend, Indiana. Harris P. Wolfburg, formerly of Kansas City but late of Cleveland, who has been appointed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer district manager in the Kansas City district, succeeding J. E. Flynn, who has been assigned to the Detroit-Cleveland-Cincinnati territory, spent a busy week in Kansas City this week lining up his new work. The M.-G.-M. Club, composed of employees of the Kansas City Metro-Goldwyn-Ma'yer branch, “threw” a real party at the Hotel President, Kansas City, last week. Russell Borg, booker at the Educational branch, is the latest addition to the “happy father” ranks. It was a seven-pound baby boy. Harry White, Midwest Distributors, Inc., representative, is back on the job again, after having undergone an operation. Canada Moving Picture World Bureau, Ottawa, Canada, Feb. 10. Announcement has been made at Montreal, Quebec, that the Laurier Palace Theatre, where the panic took place which cost 78 lives, would be reopened in six months after the theatre building had been reconstructed. Ameen Lawand, proprietor of the ill-fated house, and two others, are on trial for manslaughter and a Royal commission has been authorized to investigate the disaster but no definite conclusions have yet been reached. Toronto, Ont. Henry Nathanson of Regal Films, Limited, Toronto, brother of N. L. Nathanson, managing director of Famous Players Canadian Corp., has gone to the Southern States for a quiet vacation. Arthur Cohen, vice-president of Regal Films, Limited, Toronto, has announced that this company has secured a group of English features for distribution in the Dominion. Prints of the subject will be released through the Six Regal offices across the Dominion. Charles Kurtzman, manager of the Granada Theatre, San Francisco, has been busy of late preparing for the stage appearance a George Young, the Canadian lad who startled the sporting world by swimming the Catalina Channel. To accommodate the extra crowds expected, arrangements have been made for extra performances. Mike Coyne, former manager of the San Francisco branch of United Artists, but now with the road attraction, “Ben Hur,’’ has returned from an extended stay in the southern part of the State. A. M. Bowles, general manager of West Coast Theatres, with headquarters at Los Angeles, paid the San Francisco office a visit early in February. Harry C. Oastler, of the American Theatre, Winnemucca, Nev., was a visitor at San Francisco early in February in connection with plans for the rebuilding of the theatre at Lovelock, Nev., recently destroyed by fire. St. Louis, Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, St. Louis { Mo., Feb. 10. THE Jefferson Amusement Company has been incorporated in St. Louis, Mo., with $10,000 capital stock, one-half of which has been paid up. The incorporators were : G. Pliakos, 30 shares ; F. Spiros, 19 shares, and B. E. Hamilton, 1 share. The Delmonte Theatre, 5630 Delmar boulevard, St. Louis, Mo., has been reopened by S. G. Hoffman. It will be operated as a subsequent run house and will change the feature picture four times each week. The seating capacity of the house, once the largest one-floor theatre in the world, has been reduced from 2,800 to 1,600 seats to permit a comfortable view of the screen from any part of the house. Flooded roads in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois made it very difficult for The Selwyn and Harris Theatres will soon pass to the management of the Shubert circuit and the Powers interests announce they will build a new loop theatre on the site of the Briggs house at Wells and Randolph street, across from the new Palace Theatre of the Orpheum circuit. The Selwyn interests also plan a new theatre, according to the reports along Randolph street, The Ascher circuit have finally announced the definite opening of their new Sheridan Theatre for February 12. The merchants in that district will decorate their stores for the event. Onerga Jay and Wesley Uphoff have opened the Onerga Theatre at Onerga, 111., after making extensive alterations in the house. Metropolis A. J. Gibbons has opened the Illinois Theatre at Metropolis, 111., and will show moving pictures exclusively in the house. St. Louis film salesmen to get over their territories the past week. Many were forced to abandon their automobiles and resort to trains. Poor train service made it impossible to make but one or two towns each day. Taylorville, 111. Dominic Fresana of Taylorville, 111., is said to contemplate the erection of a 750seat theatre to cost about $100,000 at Vandalia, 111. Recently Harry Tanner of Pana bought the Dixie Theatre in Vandalia from S. E. Pertle of Jerseyville, 111. It develops that Fresana also desires the Dixie and thinks so much of Vandalia as a show town he plans to build there. Danville, Ky. Stout's "Opera House in Danville, Ky., and the Monarch Theatre in Farmington, Mo., were destroyed by fire recently. Jerome C. Woolf, formerly with Warner Brothers, is now travelling Eastern Missouri for United Film Service. His place on the Warner Brothers staff has been taken by G. I. Bradford, formerly with United Artists.