Moving Picture World (May-Jun 1927)

436 MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 11, 1927 Qroup Theatres Break Down Old Ad Ruling Moving Picture World Bureau , San Francisco, Cal., June 8. TO W. Harold Wilson, who makes a specialty of publicity for moving picture theatres, is due the credit for breaking down the former rule of local newspapers of refusing advertising from individual theatres running less than two inches. He has induced newspaper publishers to accept the group advertisements of neighborhood houses and has a string making use of four lines daily, the theatres using this service including the Alhambra, Castro, Excelsior, Majestic, New Lyceum, Roosevelt, Haight, Irving, Riviera, Washington, Pompeii and Rivoii. Few of these theatres made use of newspaper space when the two-inch minimum rule was in effect. Rodney Rantag-es. who has had charg-e of the Pantages Theatre, San Francisco, since the opening of the house a year ago, is to be transferred to New York shortly to become general manager for the circuit. Oakland Robert Harvey, who has been serving as acting manager of the T. & D. Theatre for several months, has been definitely appointed manager. Fresno The Kinema Theatre has been closed for the summer months, owing to the advent of hot weather. Oakland The Blumfeld Theatre Circuit has arranged to erect a moving picture house at thirtyeighth and Angelo avenues. Thomas Tucker, formerly of Reedley, but who now conducts a theatre at Cutler, Cal., was a recent visitor at San Francisco, as was also Sam DuBols, of Dos Palos. W. C. Wheeler, for years with the San Francisco Vitagraph exchange, but who has for some time operated the Majestic Theatre at Willits, Cal., is back in the film exchange end of the business again and is traveling for F. B. O. The Majestic Theatre is being conducted under the management of Mrs. Wheeler. Before its recent adjournment the California Assembly passed a vote of thanks to the management of the West Coast and T. & D., Jr., theatre circuits for courtesies extended during the legislative session, season passes having been xjresented members good for use in the Sacramento theatres of these circuits. Northwest Notes It is rumored that Universal has leased the theatre building for Mr. Lloyd, at Grand Avenue and Killingsworth, Portland. The house will seat 1,500. Footings are being placed for the new 2,500-seat theatre building at Seventh and Olive streets, for large California interests. Great mystery surrounds the ownership of the house, which is under direction of Casper Fisher of Seattle. Mount Vernon Dunham & Son, former operators of the Mission, Mount Vernon, Wash., have again assumed management of the house. O. W. Newton has bought the Green Lake Theatre, Seattle, and announces plans for the erection of a new house. He formerly owned a house in Hillyard, Wash. Portland, Ore. The Portland Amusement Company, Portland, Oregon, announces plans to reopen the Casino in the Fall. This company has sold the Union to a Mr. Sinnott. Pennsylvania Moving Picture World Bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa., June 8. RECENT exhibitor visitors to Film Row: A. Notopoulos, Altoona ; Edward and Fred Beadle, Cannonsburg ; Mr. Sherman, McDonald; Gus Vaveris, Mt. Pleasant; Michael Rosenbloom, Charleroi ; “Andy” Battiston, Irwin, and B. E. Cupler, Washington. Isadore Cohen has announced plans for the erection of a theatre building in Bluefield, W. Va., to cost approximately $250,000. The theatre will be opened by September first. Alex Mahood, of Bluefield, is architect. The house will be 94 x 124 feet, and seating capacity -will be 1,150 persons. •Anthony Jim, owner of several theatres in the local territory, has just purchased Tom Wright’s Plaza Theatre, Brownsville, and will take over the house on June 15th. This is a 1,000-seat house, built by Mr. Wright six years ago, and one of the finest along the Monongahela Valley. Mr. Wright will continue to operate his Bison Theatre in the same town, and which house he has conducted for the past thirteen years. West Virginia The Preston Theatre at Tunnelton W. Va., has again changed hands, this time the Cale Brothers, who manage the Arcade Theatre in Kingwood, have assumed control. James Daugherty, well-known local projectionist, formerly at East Pittsburgh, on June 5th, took up his new duties in charge of Vitaphone at its first performance in the Liberty Theatre, New Kensington. John Harris, of the Harris Amusement Company, is back on the job more peppy than ever, since he recently submitted to an operation for the removal of his tonsils. “Eddie” Johns manager of the William Penn Theatre on the Northside, has traded in his Ford, and is now driving a class'y looking green Pontiac coupe. Yes sir, “Eddie’s” getting up in the world! Mrs. A. H. Schnitzer, wife of the popular local manager for F. B. O., has fully recovered from her recent operation for appendicitis. Our sincerest sympathy is extended to Joseph Lefko, city salesman for First National, in the loss of his mother whose death occurred two weks ago at Cleveland. Texas-Oklahoma Moving Picture World Bureau, Oklahoma City, Okla., June 8. EAST TEXAS THEATRES, INC., has applied for a $1000,000 corporatilon to start the nucleus of a chain of houses to be located in East Texas and with houses at Nacogdoches and Lufkin, Texas. The new officers selected are : Sol E. Garden, president ; J. C. Clemonus, vice-president and general manager ; E. L. Kurth, Jr., treasurer, and T. R. Clemmons, secretary. Pond Creek, Okla The Rex Theatre at Pond Creek, Okla., is undergoing extensive repairs and remodeling, redecorating and with new! equipment added. Burkburnett, Tex. The Palace Theatre at Burkburnett, Tex., has been purchased by C. M. King. J. H. Williams has leased the Sterling Theatre at Dayton, Tex. Kansas City , Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, Kansas City, Mo., June 8. * LTHOUGH Kansas City’s $4,000,000 Midl\ land Theatre, which will seat 4,000, is nearing completion on the exterior, it will be fall at least before the interior of the theatre is completed, M. B. Shanberg, general manager of the house, which will be controlled by Loew, said. Lyons A new theatre, to cost about $35,000, will be built by the Midland Circuit of Theatres in Lyons, Kan., in the near future, according to M. B. Shanberg, general manager. The new house probably will be ready for opening about 'September. The house will be built to seat about 850. Lawrence Lehman, manager of the Orpheum Theatre, Kansas City, underwent a minor operation at Research Hospital, Kansas Cit'y, this week. His condition is said to be satisfactory. The district around the Orpheum Theatre, Kansas City, has lost a volunteer member of its night police patrol. Tota, watch dog, no longer is able to work. Age has driven her into retirement at the home of her owner, Albert Novello, night watchman at the theatre. Tota has worked with her master at the theatre thirteen years. Twice has she saved his life. Once when bandits attempted to enter the theatre. Tota drove them away. Three years ago, Novello, sitting in front of the theatre, was beaten into unconsciousness. Tota caught the assailant. But now Tota is 15 years old and must stay at home. The Grand, Princeton, Mo.; Leland Theatre, Troy, Kan.; the Liberty, Chapman, Kan.; South Troost, Kansas City; New Mystic Theatre, Cedar Dale, Kan., and the Ritz, Springfield, Mo., are among the smaller houses in the Kansas City territory to announce improvements of various types in the last few days. Among the out-of-town exhibitors in the Kansas City market this week were; Walter Wallace, Orpheum, Leavenworth, Kan.; C. M. Pattee, Pattee Theatre, Lawrence, Kan.; Frank Weary, Farris Theatre, Richmond, Mo.; G. L. Hooper, Orpheum, Topeka, Kan.; S. E. Wilhoit, Electric, Springfield, Mo. Tom Baldwin is the new cashier at the Educational exchange he formerly having been with the Universal. Harry Strickland and M. C. Sinift, manager and city representative, respectively, of Warner Bros., branch, were hustling in the territory this week. The Fox exchange was a vacant looking place with the sales force in Chicago. H. Bradley Fish, branch manager, headed the Kansas City delegation which attended the sales conference in Chicago. With Irene Kanatzar, bookkeeper and bill clerk of the F. B. O. exchange, ill this week. J. A. Masters, branch manager, has been holding down more than one man’s job. Improvements in progress at the Educational exchange, private offices being constructed for C. A. Jones, branch manager, and R. C. Borg, assistant manager. The First National exchange also is undergoing alterations. C. C. Ezell, sales manager for Warner Bros., was a Kansas City visitor, as was F. W. Franks. Universal home office auditor. W. P. Bernfield has joined the P. D. C. sales force. C. W. Rodebaugh, the oldest film salesman in point of service in Kansas City, has joined the sales force for Midwest Film Distributors, Inc. "Roley” has been selling films for seventeen years. Arkansas A new theatre, to be named the Meteor, and to cost around $40,000, is being built by Harry Kelly at Bentonville, Arkansas.