Moving Picture World (Mar 1917)

March 24, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1973 the Alamo at Houston; the Hippodrome at Philadelphia, and the Opera House at Baldwin, Miss. The main office will be at Booneville. Denver to Have a New 3,500 Seat Theater Clarksdale, Miss. — R. N. McWilliams, Clarksdale, Miss., has let a contract to Nicol, Langford & Johnston, Louisville, Ky., for the construction of a $72,000 photoplay theater in Clarksdale. Plans call for a seating capacity of 1,000. Brown and Megahan to Build Big Theater to Be Called the Colorado— Will Cost $165,000 — Disappearing Stage a Feature. By Ohio Valley News Service, 1404 Starkes Bldg\, Louisville, Ky. Robert Willison, is the architect who has drawn the plans and will superin DENVER, Colo. — Still another theater is to grace Denver's great White Local Film Notes of Interest. New Orleans, La.— A. O. Landry of the Victory theater at Abbeville, La., has been in New Orleans, contracting for new and complete appliances for his theater. Nearly all of the downtown and suburban theaters have been drawing exceptional crowds by the exhibition of moving pictures of the recent carnival parades. The carnival is about the biggest thing in the South and this year over 500,000 people watched the spectacle. A notable unit of the parade was the motion picture section in which Manager Frank Davis of the Magic theater did the honors. A very beautiful float represented the motion picture industry and the various theaters and exchanges were represented by floats or couriers. Greenville, Miss. — Arrangements are being completed for the erection of a combination opera house and motion picture theater at -.reenvi.le, Miss. The project is backed by exhibitors of experience and the outlook is very inviting. New Orleans, La. — J. A. Buesson assumed charge of the Esplanade theater on March 1 and is starting on a good business. The Esplanade is one of the most desirable of the suburban houses and should make money. It is protected from opposition by the recently passed building ordinances and it makes the business almost exclusive. The theater is in the center of a high-class neighborhood and has a regular clientele. Way. This city of 300,000 population, with six first class photoplay houses, all within a radius of two city blocks, is already recognized as the biggest and best, figured on a per capita basis, amusement town in the United States. Now it is to be placed far and away in the lead of municipalities of her size by the addition of a 3,500 seat theater. The new playhouse is to be known as The Colorado. It is to be built on Curtis street, between 15th and 16th streets. L. B. Brown and A. F. Megahan, who at present own and operate the Strand and Rialto theaters, are back of the new project. Plans have already been drawn and work probably will be started as soon as weather permits. It is planned to have the theater ready for opening by November of this year. The Colorado will cost $165,000. It will be equivalent in heighth to a six story building and will be equipped so as to permit the staging of big traveling shows as well as moving pictures. It will be constructed with a disappearing stage, 60 feet wide, and worked by hydraulic lifts. When the stage is removed there will be space for extra seats. There will be 1,700 seats on the man floor, 1,000 in the first balcony and 800 in the second balcony. The theater will occupy a floor space 100 by 125 feet. In outside and inside finish the Colorado will be elaborately decorated and in keeping with the size and general elegance of the theater. The exterior finish will be of buff terra cotta and it will be illuminated by 10,000 electric lights, or four times the number now used to light up any other building in the city. Protest Against Colorado Censor Bill Parent-Teacher and Mother Organizations Publish Vigorous Statement — Methods of Reformer Hansen and His Bills. By E. C. Day, Denver Correspondent. DENVER, COLO. — Thirty-five branches of the Parent-Teachers association of Colorado have gone on record as opposed to the moving picture censorship and public welfare bills now pending in the Colorado state legislature. The women who represent these organizations are among the most prominent social workers in the state. They met Wednesday February 28 and prepared the following statement for publication in the daily press and moving picture trade journals: "By a unanimous vote of the representatives of thirty-five Parent-Teachers associations, at a meeting, it was agreed to abide by the decision of the Denver district committee in its disapproval of the public welfare bill and the state censorship bill, being advocated by Theodore Hanson of Kansas City and his associates, who are supporting this legislation. Bills Might Thwart Betterment Work. "The committee has spent much time and effort in the investigation and consideration of these bills and feels that it is justified in advising the Mothers' congress and Parent Teachers' association of Denver against them because of certain political possibilities contained in them, which may thwart much good work their organization is striving to do for the community. "While the committee agrees that Mr. Hanson's sentiments — as expressed before many civic bodies — are such as any association with the good of the people in view might approve, yet they feel that the proposed bills fail to measure up to the sentiments expressed by the gentlemen who advocate them. "Furthermore, they believe that there are several clauses in the bill, the passage of which might bring disastrous re sults to the causes for which the philanthropic and civic bodies of Denver stand and which would seriously involve the welfare of the city and the state. "The committee feels it their duty to make this statement publicly because of a mistaken impression which has gone abroad that the association is indorsing these bills, created, possibly, by the fact that the names of two prominent members were mentioned publicly, but eroneously, as being on the original committee behind these bills. "It was further agreed at this meeting that Mr. Hanson and his associates should not be permitted to appear befora the Parent-Teachers' associations, whose representatives were present." None of the five bills relating to moving pictures had been reported out o° committee on March 5. Inasmuch as the legislature has agreed to adjourn March 24 a.r.'d the last twelve days of the session are by law reserved for the consideration of only house bills in the senate and only senate bills in the house it is unlikely that any of the censorship or so-called welfare measures will be passed. Theodore Hanson, the Kansas minister, who is ,imitating censorship in Colorado, has r.nnounced that if the bills fail of passage in the legislature he will make a campaign in all the cities and towns in the state in an effort to have each municipality establish a welfare board. He appeared before the Ministerial Alliance at its regular weekly meeting Monday, March 5, and made a bitter attack on the Mothers congress and ParentTeachers' association because the members of these organizations not only refused to endorse his campaign, but have come out openly in opposition to censorship. tend the construction of the new playhouse. He designed the city auditorium and also the Strand and Rialto theaters. Brown and Megahan will continue to operate the Strand and Rialto. The new enterprise, they declare, will be financed solely and entirely by themselves and no outside capital will be employed. TO EXHIBITORS. If you are doing something new and interesting at your theatre let our correspondent know about it. It may help others and help you as well. Helpfully yours, THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. Cardinal Attractions Buys "Joan" Rights. Denver, Colo. — The Cardinal attractions company has purchased state rights on "Joan the Woman," and is making elaborate plans for its showing in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Lou Marcus, president of the Notable feature film company is also head of the Cardinal company. The picture will be shown in Denver and Salt Lake City early in April Edward Armstrong to Manage Local Universal. Denver, Colo. — F. Y. Langtree, who was Denver manager for Universal and Bluebird until Edward Armstrong came here to take charge of the Rocky Mountain district, has severed his connection with the local film world and has returned to New York, his old home. Langtree left Denver March 1. Mr. Armstrong, before assuming complete charge of Universal distribution in this section, was manager of the Salt Lake exchange. He now directs the work of the Denver, Salt Lake and Butte offices. Altho comparatively new in the territory he has won many friends among the exhibitors. Three House Merger in Victor. Victor, Colo. — A merger of the three theaters in Victor was completed March 1 The Victor opera house company was formed and took over the three houses. As a result the Isis has been closed while the Fox is being operated only on Saturdays and Sundays. The opera house shows a daily program of pictures except when an occasional road show is allowed to hold the boards for a night. W. S. Rand Opening Salt Lake Exchange. Denver, Colo. — W. S. Rand, manager of the Triangle exchange in this city, is in Salt Lake supervising the opening of a branch office to handle the business of the western end of the Rocky Mountain territory. Miss Catherin Mealy, head bookkeeper in the Denver office, also has gone to Salt Lake to open a new set of books for the Utah branch. Mart Cohn Appointed Booker for Paramount. Denver, Colo. — Mart Cohn, brother of Milton H. Cohn, manager of the local Paramount exchange, has been appointed head booker for Paramount. He succeeds John Hayden, who probably will enter the exhibiting branch of the moving picture industry. Geo. Brown Will Assist Manager Glasser. Denver, Colo. — W. B. Glasser, manager of the local McClure office, has announced the appointment of George Brown, formerly of Triangle, as assistant manager of the McClure exchange.