Moving Picture World (Oct 1915)

October 30, 1915 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 823 cunsiuerea among the most complete and most systematic in the city. The old Universalist Church on Cross street, Somerville, Mass., has been sold for a picture theater. The license has been granted to George T. Horan. Manager Stanley W. Hand of the Boston office of the World Film is anticipating a visit of Assistant General Manager Harry C. Drum and Eastern Division Manager George J. Schaefer. Manager Hand has sent Hyman Fine, a salesman, on a trip through New Hampshire and Vermont. Picture programs now are the center of attraction at the Blivens opera house at Westerly, R. I. This house formerly played road attractions. The new Woburn theater, at Woburn, Mass., which was recently completed, has been opened. This house is one of the most beautiful of the smaller city houses in the state, and seats 1,000 persons. The theater is under the management of John T. Watt. The program consists of Fox features and two serials, "Who Pays?" and "Neal of the Navy." Traveling Auditor Viebrock of the Pathe company is visiting Manager Bernfield of the New England branch of the company. HONE'S TROUBLES HELPED ALL MAINE EXHIBITORS. By J. P. Flanagan, Maine Correspondent of Moving Picture' World. P XHIBITOR JOHN J. HONE, of Presque ■*-' Isle, Maine, whose fight against censorship which threatened to drive him out of business in his home town, has not only helped himself but other exhibitors in the state, is a man to whom every moving picture exhibitor in the state of Maine owes gratitude. Mr. Hone built several moving picture theaters in Presque Isle and kept prospering in spite of the fact that fire was a persistent enemy, burning down two or three of his houses. His latest is a $50, Exhibitor Hone. 000 brick opera house, the finest of any small town in the state. Then Presque Isle ministers and a few well intentioned ladies started out to tell Mr. Hone how to run his moving picture shows and succeeded in getting a town censorship act passed which would exclude almost all pictures except those strictly educational and also provided that no children should be admitted under sixteen years of age except once a week. Mr. Hone was so hampered by these restrictions that he nearly went out of business, but he is a man with a square jaw. The reform people had it on him because they were able to persuade the town authorities from reissuing a license to Mr. Hone unless he complied with their requirements. Mr. Hone went to the root of things and took the train for Augusta, where the legislature was in session. There, although without political influence he had a law passed which not only rid the moving picture exhibitors of Maine of the bugbear of censorship but also reduced their license fees in all parts of the state from $90 to $40. Briefly, the provisions of the law that brought about these two reforms are summarized in these paragraphs: "If the municipal officers of any town after written applications to them for a license UNREASONABLY REFUSE OR NEGLECT to grant it the applicant by giving them ten days' notice and a bond to pay all cost arising thereafter, may appeal to the county commissioners, who after a hearing of the parties may grant the license or not, as they judge reasonable. A fee for such license not exceeding Ten Dollars shall be fixed by the municipal officers." In plain English, town officers may not withhold licenses from exhibitors merely because they feel that they are the censors of what should be shown at the local moving picture house. Furthermore, the license fee for motion picture houses, which has in the past varied from $25 to $100 in different parts of the state, now cannot be more than $10 a year. And the thanks of the motion picture men of Maine are due to John J. Hone of Presque Isle for this! Rev. Clifford Snowden, of Portland, Me., acting under the impression that the motion pictures of the Frank case exhibited at the Jefferson theater at Portland contained features that should be expunged, called upon the mayor of Portland and the county attorney to make protest. It was found by the gentleman that the picture had been endorsed by duly recognized censors and the local authorities informed him that there was nothing in the incidents pictured that could be matters of objection. NEW DOWNTOWN HOUSE IN PITTSBURGH. Special to Moving Picture World from Pittsburgh News Service. IT has been announced that a company of eastern business men, backed by a big capital, are negotiating' for a site on which to build a large moving picture theater in the downtown section of Pittsburgh. It has been rumored that a site has already been selected, but the location has not been divulged by the promoters. It is also rumored that the consummation of the proposition is contingent upon the securing of the Paramount service. HALL-DAVIS. J. E. Davis, manager of the Pittsburgh branch of the Metro Pictures service, joined the ranks of the benedicts Wednesday, October 6. He married Miss Olivette Hall, a popular young society girl of Beaver, Pa. Miss Hall was formerly a stenographer in the offices of the General Film Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa. Immediately after the ceremony the bride and groom left for a honeymoon trip which will take in Philadelphia, New York and Washington. During Mr. Davis's absence, General Manager Skirboll will have charge of the Metro office in this city. MAX STERN AN EXHIBITOR. •Max Stern, formerly connected with a number of film exchanges in Pittsburgh, is now manager of the Diamond theater in East Liverpool, Ohio, owned by the Diamond Amusement Company, which is negotiating for the purchase of theaters in Beaver Falls, Pa., Steubenville, O., and Morgantown, W. Va., which will also be manager by Mr. Stern. THE BEECHVIEW SOLD. At Beechview, near Pittsburgh, Pa., property at 1541 Beechview avenue, near Seventh avenue, has been sold to John Kohler. The lot has a one-story brick moving picture theater, known as the Beechview. The property is said to be worth about $12,000. Mr. Kohler owns and operates the Olympic theater at 1532 Beechview avenue, and has a monopoly of the business in that district. For the present, at least, he will operate both theaters. BELLE GOLD RECOVERING. Mrs. Al. W. Cross, wife of the manager of the Hudson Feature Film Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa., who recently underwent an operation for appendicitis in New York, is now convalescent. Mrs. Cross will be remembered as Belle Gold who played with Eddie Foy as Ophelia in "Mr. Hamlet of Broadway," and with Mclntyre and Heath as Desdemona in "The Ham Tree." Klaw & Erlanger are now holding an important part for her and it is likely that she will appear before the public this winter. PITTSBURGH ITEMS. Houses Change Hands — Business Notes — Improvements — Personals. A new $7,000 instrument, a pipe organ and concert orchestra combined, was installed at the Thomas theater in Sharon, Pa., last week. The Kathlyn theater in Sharpsburgh, Pa., has been repainted and redecorated and presents an improved appearance. James & H. Wallace, owners of the Arcade theater, in Connellsville, Pa., purchased a Wurlitzter theater orchestra last week and immediately had it installed. The Wallace brothers' mother, who plays in one of the Connellsville churches and who is a well-known organist, will play the organ at the theater. W. A. Kay, formerly booker at the Mutual exchange in Pittsburgh, is now on the road for the General Film Company of this city. Dr. Stybr's new theater in Perrysville avenue, Northside, Pittsburgh, Pa., has been named The Atlas. It is expected that this house will be opened in a few weeks. An elaborate and handsome electrical sign has been ordered for the latest addition to the Rowland & Clark theaters, which is The Strand, now in the course of construction in the Oakland district of Pittsburgh. The Luna in Brackenridge, Pa., has been closed for a short time in order to make repairs. It will be reopened by the new manager, T. P. Westboy, of Oakland, Pittsburgh, who recently purchased it from Ralph Lardin. The Palace in Homestead, near Pittsburgh, has been repainted and redecorated and presents an otherwise improved appearance. Ralph Meyers is now manager of this theater, which is owned by Henry Polk. James Steele, general manager of the Famous Players Film of Pittsburgh, was in New York last week attending the regular monthly meeting of the Paramount Pictures Corporation. The Colonial in Swissvale, Pa., has contracted for the entire series of seven Griffith subjects booked by the Liberty Film Renting Company of Pittsburgh. The Peerless in Sharpsburg, Pa., has been sold by H. M. Kopp to Feldstein Brothers, the new owners having taken charge last week. The Vitagraph theater in Fifth avenue, Pittsburgh, recently put in a new silver screen, made by Mr. Zerbe, which is giving excellent satisfaction. W. F. Rogers, manager of the Pittsburgh Triangle office, announces that his company's first release will be made on October 24. This company is located at 414 Penn avenue and these rooms are being remodeled. David Thomas, owner of the Beaver theater in Beaver, Pa., recently had a Wurlitzer orchestra piano, Style CX, installed in his theater. G. E. Warden, of Wheeler & Duseberry, a wholesale lumber concern, is opening a moving picture theater at Endeavor, Pa., a small town of about 500 inhabitants in the lumber region, just north of Oil City. The Universal Movie Ticket offices, which have been located in the Lyceum building, Sixth street, Pittsburgh, has been moved to the Jenkins Arcade, rooms 5144 and 5145. Preparations are being made by the new manager, David Simon, to wage a vigorous advertising campaign.