Moving Picture World (May-Jun 1927)

June 11, 1927 Illinois Moving Picture World Bureau, Chicago, III., June 8. THE name contest for the new Great States Theatre at Rockford has closed. The Coronado is the name for this de luxe house. Louis St. Pierre, general manager of the Orpheum Theatre Company, will be in charge of the Coronado and will stage the presentations. Valparaiso Paul Miller lias sold his Tivoli Theatre at Valparaiso, but will continue to operate the Eagle and Roosevelt Theatres in Gary. Evanston Clyde Elliott, who has been operating his new Evanston, 111., theatre as a stock house, has returned to a picture policy for the summer months. Eddie Silverman, who recently severed his connection with the Vitaphone Company, has returned to Chicago and states that he intends to take an active part in the management of the theatres in which he is interested. Lubliner & Trinz now operate Karzas’ State Theatre in Hammond, in addition to the North Center, which this firm took over May 31. It is rumored on film row that Lubliner & Trinz may move the Vitaphone from the North Center to their Senate. Pana Harry Tanner of Pana, 111., theatre owner of that city and also interested in movie theatres at Vandalia and Nokomis, is planning to build a fine new theatre and hotel at Pana and has obtained an option on a site at East Second and Locust streets, and it is expected that work will start at an early date. The new buildings will cost in excess of $300,000. Balaban and Katz circuit are changing the policy of the Norshore Theatre to tri-weekly change of films and will continue the presentations and musical policy of the house during the summer months. The first anniversary of Bennie Krueger’s leadership at the Uptown Theatre of the B. and K. circuit is being celebrated this week with an elaborate stage show, employing forty people. E. P. Kanelly of the Studebaker Theatre has gone to the Tower Theatre of the Orpheum circuit as assistant to Manager George Burdick. John Thoma of the Tower Theatre staff has been sent to the new Orpheum Theatre at Madison as manager of the house under the direction of Bert Schannberg. The Orpheum circuit has been featuring several of the juvenile movie stars in the Chicago district recently, presenting Baby Peggy, Mary and Mickey of the Gang comedies and Sunshine Sammy at the Majestic last week. Contract has been let for the new movie theatre to take the place of the Marvel Theatre, recently burned to the ground at Carlinville, 111. Moline Joseph Hopp, manager of the Palace Theatre at Moline, 111., is the head of a new company that is being formed to build a 1,500seat theatre in that city. Mendota H. C. Jarnagin, owner of the Strand Theatre at Mendota, 111., is preparing plans for many improvements in that house and work will start at once. Ohio Moving Picture World, Bureau, Cincinnati, O., June 8. ACCORDING to a rumor which is apparently authentic, Columbus, O., will have another movie house to its already large number. The Long Street Improvement Association of that city contemplates the erection of a theatre at MOVING PICTURE WORLD 437 Michigan Moving Picture World Bureau, Detroit, Mich., June 8. F) ROBABLY a score or more of Michigan -I exhibitors will be in attendance at the annual convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America at Columbus, June 7, 8 and 9. The Michigan organization, through H. M. Richey, general manager, has been arranging accommodations for a good many. The Pitzpatrick-McElroy company, operating a number of theaters in Western Michigan, divided $4,000 among the branches of the Red Cross for the flood sufferers’ fund derived from benefit performances given in their circuit. The second annual Kunslty Theatres Thrift Contest is now under way and is attracting much interest. It is being operated in connection with the Griswold National Bank and 100 prizes, starting with a trip around the world, are offered to contestants. The Detroit contingent of film salesmen and managers away on conventions has returned to desks and whirlwind selling campaigns are now under way. J. E. Flynn, district manager of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer! together with Frank Downey, manager, and several members of the sales force are the last of the sales forces to return and get down to action. A1 Ruttenberg, manager of the new Home Theatre was stricken suddenly with appendicitis last week and rushed to Harper Hospital for an operation. It was a complete success and Mr. Ruttenberg will be discharged within a few days. New York Moving Picture World Bureau, . Albany, N. Y June 9 BUSINESS picked up in remarkable shape at the motion picture theatres in Albany, Troy and Schenectady during the last four days of the past week, when the Lindbergh pictures drew thousands. These pictures reached Albany at 5 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon and were met in many instances h, the exhibitors who flocked to the station it. order to save every possible moment. It is estimated that the Lindbergh pictures added more than $2,000 to the box office receipts of these three cities last week. G. A. Woodward has assumed the management of the Bond Exchange in this city, returning to Film Row after an absence of nearly three years, during which time he has been conducting his own printing business. Mr. Woodward was associated with the local Fox exchange for over five years, serving for two years as its manager before resigning. Saratoga Springs Bill Benton, of Saratoga Springs, who already has a considerable number of theatres in northern New York, is negotiating for the Pember in Granville. Other items of interest to exhibitors include the fact that the Stanley company concluded its negotiations last week and took title to four pieces of property in Madison avenue, .Albany, on which the new house will be erected. Catherine Wenzel is the new booker-stenographer at the Rathe exchange. Mrs. Clayton Eastman, of the Paramount exchange, who was recently married, is back from her honeymoon and once more at her desk. The new office of the Film Truck Service on the first floor of the Film Exchange Building is being furnished with seating arrangements and telephones so exhibitors will find it convenient when doing business in the exchanges. t S.eatty’ oeneral manager of the But terfield Circuit, accompanied by Mrs. Beatty has left for a motor car trip that will take thr°ugrh, New Tork State and some of the New England States. They will be gone about one month. Stephen Geitz, Detroit producer, has left by motor for Los Angeles, taking with him three local actors who will form the nucleus tor the cast of a picture Geitz plans to make at the F. B. O. studios for national release. The working title is “Oh,” and Arlene Preston, a Detroit girl, will play the leading role. A. M. Goodman, manager of the Standard Iilm Exchange, is spending his summer holidays at Blue Water Highway on Lake Huron. David Palfreyman, secretary and manager of the Detroit Film Board of Trade, has returned from French Lick, Ind., where he attended the annual convention of the Film Board secretaries. The Kunslcy Theatrical Enterprises are seeking a name for their new theatre in Birmingham, a Detroit suburb, and residents of that place have been asked to send in suggestions. Several hundred names, from which one will be chosen shortly, have been submitted. the corner of Long and Lafayette streets to have a seating capacity of around 2,500. Grantsville The old Trainor Opera House, Greenville, Ohio, which was destroyed by fire last winter, is to be rebuilt. The front and side walls, which are still standing, have been declared safe, and will be utilized in the new structure, according to Judge Martin B. Trainor, owner of the property. The new house, which will have a large seating capacity, will be thoroughly modern throughout. W. W. Farley, who owns theatres in Schenectady, Catskill and Yonkers, sold the Warburton in Yonkers last week to John Hayes, of that city, and Edward Dowling, an actor appearing in “Honeymoon Lane.” Mr. Farley rented a new residence for himself in Albany, last week, which resembles a minature hotel. James Roach, general manager of the Farash houses in Schenectady, is now taking his meals at his own home, for he was married a short time ago to a young woman residing in Saratoga Springs. Joseph Wallace, manager of Proctor’s Theatre in Albany, was also married during the week. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace left on a motor trip through the state. The Schine Theatrical Enterprises, with headquarters in Gloversville, are finding it a hard matter to secure just the right sort of managers for their houses, and so they will open a school for managers this summer at Rochester. This school will be open to high school and college students who will be offered courses not only in theatre management but also the operation of projection machines and a course in advertising and publicity. Young men who are accepted will have their expenses met by the Schine company, which has about eighty theatres in New York state. Speculator There is one exhibitor in New York state, in the person of Hezekiah Perkins, of Speculator, who is palling around with a world champion these days, Gene Tunney, now doing his training in Mr. Perkins’ home town. The two men are seen together very frequently and Mr. Perkins is already making his plans to hold down a ringside seat at Tunney’s next battle. Claude Fish, of the American in Schenectady, will be in Atlantic City next week, doing a bit of fancy marking with the Albany patrol at the National Shriners big convention. Mr. Fish also participated this week in the State Elks convention at Troy. Mr. Fish has been active in both organizations for many years and two years hence will be at the head of the Schenectady Elks organization.