Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

65-4 New York Moling Picture World Bureau, Albany , Feb. 25. THERE was quite a number of visitors along Albany’s Film Row during the week. Lew Fischer was in town from Port Edward, and announced that he was now using vaudeville along with pictures at Ins house in Chatham. A1 Barton, who is associated with Mr. Fischer at the Playhouse in Ticonderoga, and just out of the hospital, was also in Albany, but is now on his way South. Others included L. B. Tefft, of Berlin; F. E. Chase, of Pine Plains, and Alex. Feltman, of Schenectady, who has just acquired the Rialto from Arthur Dietz. Abe Van Dusen, booker at the F. B. O. exchange in Albany, has a new watch, of which he is mighty proud, for it testifies to his work in a recent drive. The watch was presented him by Harry Weinberg, the local manager; George Goldberg and Eddie McAvoy. After being in Albany for several weeks, Mr. McAvoy left last Friday for Washington. Utica Nate Robbins simply can't keep out of the motion picture business. After selling his houses' in Utica, Syracuse and Watertown, he is planning to erect a residential theatre in Utica this coming spring. Rae Candee, formerly associated with Mr. Robbins, is now in the insurance business on his own hook. W. H. Linton, owner of the Olympic in Utica, is planning to acquire a theatre in one of the summer resort towns. There was no signing on the dotted line in Ilion, with the result that the Capitol Theatre there will be continued to be operated byWhitney, Young and Pierce. The Kallet boys had been dickering for the theatre. Mr. Whitney, who is one of the most polite men in the ranks of central New York exhibitors, very graciously showed the correspondent of these columns through the theatre one day last week. Out over the territory, news items' sifting into Albany, include one to the effect that Mrs. A. E. Milligan, at Schuylerville, gave a very successful benefit show a short time ago for St. Stephen’s choir. M. L. Ackert has taken over the theatre at Danby, Vt„ from Guy Sawyer, of Chester. Mrs. G. Harry Brown will re-enter the ranks of exhibitors, opening the house in Old Forge, which had been run by the late A1 Sardino. Schenectady In Schenectady there is a possibility of the Vitaphone being installed at the Strand about April 1. W. W. Farley will take over the old Proctor theatre in Schenectady on that date. Doortenders and ushers at the Farash theatres in Schenectady appeared last week in new uniforms of blue and gray. Frank Learnan, manager of the Strand, screened “The Flaming Frontier” last week to sixty of Schenectady’s school teachers. Frank Breymaier has put in a stage at the Bareli Theatre in Schenectady, in order that he may give amateur nights each Thursday, along with the picture program. Winners, decided by applause, receive gold pieces. Mr. Breymaier reports that it is hard to get first-class acts at the present time. These amateur nights will be continued until late spring. Plattsburg In Plattsburgh, the theatre there just acquired by William Benton, of Saratoga Springs, will be handled by R. J. Henry, a former resident of Ogdensburg, who quit the automobile game to become manager of the Strand in Plattsburg. Watertown In Watertown, Fred Perr'y, of the Palace Theatre, fed nearly all the city on bananas one night last week. There were bunches of bananas delivered to the theatre and these MOVING PICTURE WORLD Operation Can’t Occur Till Someone Gets Well Albany, N. Y., Feb. 24. — John Garry, of Albany’s Clinton Square Theatre, would very much like to go to a hospital for an operation. Mr. Garry, who has not been in the best of health since he was transferred from the Empire, at Glens Falls, has gone so far as to notify the Albany hospitals of his desire to undergo an operation — in fact, he got all set last week. But every room in every hospital was full and he discovered that unless he was dragged in, half dead from some automobile or similar accident, there was small chance of getting any attention. He didn’t want to go in under such conditions, so he is waiting till somebody gets well enough to be discharged or well enough to take a walk around the corridors so he can get reclining room. In the meantime he is still interested in standing room at the first run Clinton Square. were passed out generously to every one who attended. And the best part of it all is that there wasn’t a single skid during the evening. Bananically speaking, it was a great night for Mr. Perry. Chris Buckley, theatre magnate of Albany, is on the jump this week. On Monday he went to New York to buy seats for one of his theatres. From New York he jumped to Boston to attend a dinner for Thomas Spry. From Boston he returned to New York for the purpose of enjoying some of the theatres. Troy There is a general shifting of projection machines at the present time in Troy, due to the coming installation of the Vitaphone at the Troy Theatre. The machines that have done this service at this house since its opening, are now being transferred to the Lincoln, while those there will be installed at the Troy. In the meantime Walter Roberts, general manager of the Troy, and who looks after the other houses as well, is so busy that he is forgetting his noonday meal. Syracuse Jerome B. Harrison of Syracuse doesn’t drop in town very often, but he stopped over one day last week while on his way back from New York City. Mr. Harrison runs the Empire Theatre, and, according to his own say so, is doing very well, thank you. He spent most of the time while in. Albany with Amos Leonard, Pathe salesman, who covers the Syracuse territory. Glens Falls William Benton’s theatre in Glens Falls was a scene last week of the K. of C. home talent minstrels. And talk about fun, Mr. Benton admitted that he never laughed so much in all his life, and pointed to a couple of buttons minus to his vest, as he declared that the minstrel show was a success in every respect. Coxsackie Matt Moran of Coxsackie may not make a fortune out of his motion picture theatre, but between the house and an. auto truck line Mr. Moran operates from Albany to Coxsackie, the wolf is a long wa’ys from the Moran home. In days gone by, before Dobbin was replaced by King Gasoline, Mr. Moran was the village blacksmith under the spreading chestnut tree. Ferguson Henry W. Lix, 16 years old, a freshman in the high school at Ferguson, Mo., won the first prize in the contest for the best poster to advertise films shown by the Masonic Temple Association of Ferguson. February 26, 1927 Kansas City, Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 24. A LABOR argument is believed by Kansas City police to have been the cause of the fire, which started in the projection room of the Gillis Theatre, Kansas City, and which resulted in the death of a fire captain and injury to five firemen from poisonous gas. The damage to the theatre was comparatively small, the fire being extinguished before it had gained much headway. Police are searching for Victor Moreland, missing operator, who, they believe, checked out of a hotel across the street from the theatre several hours before the fire alarm. A grudge had been carried out against Herman Silverman, manager, who recently discharged a union operator, police believe. Harry Taylor, Universal; C. A. Schultz, P. D. C. ; E. C. Rhoden, Midwest Film Distributors, Inc.; Roy Churchill, F. B. O., and John Nolan, Fox, will serve as members of the Kansas City Film Board of Trade with Guy Navarre, United Artists, newly elected president of the board. A young man “with the prettiest teeth she ever saw” poked a revolver in the face of Miss Vera Brandon, cashier of the Madrid Theatre, suburban, house of Kansas City, Saturday night and scooped up $50 in change out of the ticket office. Apparently there must have been something about Miss Brandon which also attracted the bandit, as he carelessly overlooked $300 in bills, rolled up and lying near the cashier’s hand. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were: Frank Weary, Farris Theatre, Richmond, Mo.; W. H. Weber, Great Bend, Kans. ; J. J. Newcomb, Burlington, Kans.; John Tackett, New Tackett Theatre, Coffeyville, Kans,; W. H. Farpold, Dodge City, Kans.; Walter Wallace, Orpheum, Leavenworth, Kans. With a breath of spring, Kansas City’s movie row was looking up to better business this week. W. P. Bernfield, Tiffany branch manager, made his initial trip into the territory, while John Graham was added to the Warner Bros., sales force, covering Northern Kansas. Harold Cass of First National exchange was receiving congratulations on having obtained membership in First Nation’s K. O. Club. John W. Quinlan, president of the Enterprise Film Corp., was a Kansas City visitor, while^ Truly B. Wildman, former Enterprise branch manager in Kansas City, bade good-bye to friends and departed for Dallas, Texas, where he has been made branch manager for Warner Bros. Springfield The New Ritz Theatre, Springfield, Mo., owned by Bernard C. Cooit, manager of the Economy Film Service, Kansas City, opened Sunday night to a capacity audience. Charles Neely opened his new Neely Theatre in Dighton, Kans., last week. Independence, Kans. The $100,000 Booth Theatre of Independence, Kans., owned by Glenn Wl Dickinson, opened amid pomp and glory Friday night. Workmen labored day and night to complete the theatre in time for its scheduled opening. The house, 124 by 50 feet, is ultra modern in every respect, its interior being a blending of the best in Spanish and Italian types, while the ventilating system includes two fans and two huge outlets. Both gas and steam heating systems have been installed. Orchestra music will be furnished by the Harris Serenaders, while Robert Hale of Philadelphia has been engaged as concert organist. Fitzpatrick-McElroy circuit will build a new theatre at Indianapolis to cost a half million dollars. The house will be erected at Virginia and Woodlawn avenue in that city and work will start soon.