Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

December 24, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 35 Live News from Coast to Coast Notes About Wide-Awake Exhibitors and Exchange Men from all points Moving Picture World Bureau, Oklahoma City, Okla., Dec. 23. JaMES HUDGENS, cashier for First National at Oklahoma City, has been appointed booker for Liberty-Specialty Film Co., at Oklahoma City. Phil Isley of the Mid-State Film Co., at Oklahoma City, has acquired a uniphone which he has added to a ballyhoo truck for exploitation purposes. Wallace Walthall, manager for Enterprise Film Co., at Oklahoma City, left Tuesday for a week’s tour of the territory. According to latest reports, the Oklahoma City branch of Universal is leading the entire United States in percentage o sales above the quota, and manager W. A. Moran reports that this is the tenth consecutive month for his office to be in the supremacy. ALTNIQUE celebration took place at the Michigan Theatre, recently, in which the guests of honor were employees of the Kunsky theatres who have served ten consecutive years, of whom there were more than 60. Th get-together embraced all of the members of the stage, orchestra and projections rooms, totaling with their wives, about 600. Mayor John W. Smith, on behalf of the Kunsky Theatres, Inc., presented engraved watches to the members who are rounding out their ten years’ service, among the list being Frank Sheridan, ticket taker at the Madison; Samuel Benavie, orchestra director ; Mrs. Marguerite Warner, organist ; But Harris, the Kunsky projectionist; Houston Mortion, operator at the Adams; Frank Kinsors and Don Lewis, projectionists at the State. Lewis Evans has been appointed house manager for the Folly Theatre at Oklahoma City, succeeding L. C. Jackson, appointed manager of Bison Theatre at Shawnee, Okla. Canada All exchanges in Oklahoma City arranged their office routine so that employees could enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at home, and the same arrangement will be made for Christmas. Moving Picture World Bureau , Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 23. CHRISTMAS “atmosphere” is making itself felt in Kansas City’s downtown district. Lobby decorations and other arrangements are being made, but little genuine exploitation will be done. At Loew’s Midland the Junior League Follies, a social organization of Kansas City, will stage a special show the morning of December 26, the proceeds to go to charitable institutions. At the Newman, slides again will be used in conjunction with an organ solo in expressing the “Merry Christmas” wishes of the theatre to its patrons; there also by lobby wreaths. Virtually the same type of program will be seen at the Royal, Mainstreet, Pantages, Capitol and Globe theatres. Some of the smaller suburban houses planned the giving away of sacks of candy to children on Christwas night, but there were no pretentious decoration plans by and of the smaller houses. St. Louis, Mo. Moving Picture World Bureau, St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 23. AX ROTH is still in charge of the St. Louis Fox office as a successor to Claude W. McKean, as manager has not been named. McKean, as announced, has purchased a onethird interest in the Premier Pictures Corporation, prominent independent distributor of St. Louis. Moving Picture World Bureau , Ottaiva, Canada, Dec. 23. Exhibitors of Montreal, Quebec City, Hull and other centres are preparing to organize against the legislative move to ban Sunday performances. A deputation will likely go to Quebec City, the Provincial capital, for a discussion of the situation. R. Siegal of Pine Bluff, Ark., has had plans prepared for a new theatre to be erected in Monticello, Ark. It will be two-story and cover a site 150 by 300 feet. The cost has not been revealed. Tom McKean, manager of the St. office, attended a sales conference i: on Sunday, December 11. Louis F. B. O. i Chicago, 111., Charles Harrison, manager of the O’Brien Theatre, Renfrew, Ontario ; Harold Cardo, operator ; Robert Anderson, usher ; and other employees, are very much in the limelight as a result of their actions and judgment following the discovery of fire in the offices of M. J. O’Brien, owner of the theatre, which are situated under the balcony. The theatre was packed and the flames could be seen from the street where a crowd was quickly gathering. Manager Harrison instructed operator Cardo to continue the projection of the picture while other employes hastened to the exits. The audience was told to leave quietly by the sidedoors so there would be no crush in the lobby because of the crowd outside. The result was that there was no panic, no one was injured and the fire was confined to the suites of offices by the firemen. The Ritz theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, was purchased this week by Oscar Litwin from H. C. Baltis. The sale price was $32,500. The house was sold subject to a lease for three years to run at an annual rental of $3,600. The Royal theatre, Brookfield, Mo., was purchased by A. E. Sharer, who also operates the Globe at Savanah, Mo., and the name was changed to the Plaza. William Christeson is planning the opening of his new theatre in Anderson, Mo., soon. Work on a new theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., to be operated for negroes, costing $35,000, has begun. I. W. Maple of Bethany, Mo., has taken over the management of the Rex theatre, Ridgeway, Mo. The contract for John B. Tackett’s new theatre in Coffey ville, Kas., seating I,2i00 persons, has been let and work begun. The Kirwin Opera House of Kansas City, Kas., has been leased by Ray Downing. The Uptown theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, will open its doors on January 1. C. W. Cook has purchased the Clay City, 111., theatre formerly operated by Frank Hocking. The first show under Cook’s management was on Saturday, December 17. Hocking recently disposed of two houses in Flora and two in Fairfield. theatres in Ottawa, “Theatre Employees schedule which calls C. T. Lynch, manager for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Co., returned Saturday, December 10, from a visit to Quincy, Hannibal, Jacksonville and vicinity. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer products is practically 100 per cent, placed in that section. Employees of a number of Ontario, have organized the Bowling League,” adopting a for league matches every Thursday at 10.45 P. M. Officers were elected as follows : President, W. Clark, B. F. Keith’s ; Secretary-Treasurer, G. Thomas, Russell Theatre ; Team captains, B. Patterson, Russell : Bruce Fawcett, Keith’s, and H. Fisher, Galvin Theatre. The Isis theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, which recently re-opened after having been remodeled, has hit upon a profitable idea in attracting the younger patrons. Most_managers of suburban houses keep an alert eye open for all “necking” parties in the theatre and many a young couple is “bawled out” nightly. However, the Isis is advertising its loges as “love seats.” The theatre is doing a good business. Sol J. Hankin, manager of the local Educational exchange is back on the job again, having fully recovered from the carbuncle that sent him to the hospital a few weeks ago. The Row missed his shining countenance and ready wit while he was away. Santa Claus visited the Loew’s State Theatre, St. Louis, Mo., to entertain the hundreds of orphan children who were guests at the theatre at a special show on Saturday, December 10. The management put on a special stage show. Change at Farley Albany, Dec. 24. — One of the most important recent changes in theatre management came about when James Roach resigned from the Farley organization in Schenectady, and was succeeded by Guy Graves, an old timer in the business and who was at one time associated with the Proctor interests, but who has been with the Farley chain for sometime past. Edward S. Olsmith has succeeded C. W. Allen as branch manager of the Pathe exchange in Kansas City, Mr. Allen being transferred to the Oklahoma branch. W. E. Callaway, southern division sales manager of First National, was a Kansas City visitor this week. Jack Langan, formerly with the Enterprise branch, has joined the Warner Bros, sales force and will cover Southern Kansas and Southwest Missouri. Russell Borg, Educational branch manager, was hustling for more business in the territory this week. Bill Warner, First National branch manager, and M. C. Sinift, Warner Bros., branch manager, were Chicago visitors. Tom Byerle, assistant manager of the First National branch, put in order No. 2,200 for one of the new Fords the other day. Toledo, Ohio Sympathies are being extended to John J. Gardner, president Pantheon Theatre Co., Toledo. Ohio, whose father died recently. He was 81 years of age.