Moving Picture World (Mar 1917)

1974 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 24, 1917 Working For Higher Admissions Des Moines Exhibitors Running Smaller Theaters Are Trying to Get Together for Better Prices — Albert Scrag a Booster for the New Scheme — Local Exchange Men Are Helping the Good Work Along. By Dorothy Day, Register-Tribune, Des Moines, la. DES MOINES, IA. — The small exhibitors — the managers of the five-cent houses and the suburban theaters — are attempting to get together on the admission price proposition. With the exception of two hard headed exhibitors the entire eircle of Des Moines exhibitors are ready to live up to the newly-made rule — 10 cents for more than three reels. This new rule, of course, does not touch the big downtown houses, but it does touch the smaller downtown program houses, all of which up to this time have been showing five to seven reels for five cents. The suburban houses have been varying their prices with the kind of pictures they were showing — five cents for program, and ten and fifteen for features according to their worth. The case is well put by Albert E. Schrag, whose theater is typical. Mr. Schrag has been in the motion picture business for four years. He owns the ground, the building and everything tonnected with his theater, the Ideal, a suburban house located at East 25th and Walnut streets. Mr. Schrag, with so many advantages over the ordinary exhibitor who has rent to meet in addition to his other expenses, says that he can not meet his living expenses and film rental and charge but five cents admission, and at the same time book the kind of pictures that he feels will satisfy his patrons. His competitor charges only a nickel most of the time, and Mr. Schrag is one of the biggest boosters for the new rule. The exchanges are standing behind the exhibitors in their fight for higher ad< mission prices, feeling that the new rule has everything in its favor. — that they can give the exhibitor better pictures — pictures that the patrons will feel are worth going to see. With the exception of a few every four or five reel program produced today is worth ten cents. Few Changes Over the State This Week. Newton, la. — H. P. Lemon, owner of the Lyric in Newton, is having plans drawn up for a new theater in the spring. Grinnell, la. — C. E. Budd, of Grinnell, is another manager planning a new theater for the better spring business. Budd is planning tearing down the Electric theater and building a more modern and larger house on the same site. Predreka, la. — Charles Costello has purchased the moving picture show in Predereka from the Upham Brothers. Cedar Rapids, la. — Wm. Griffin, who formerly operated the Lyric in Columbus Junction, has purchased the Ideal theater in Cedar Rapids, where he will show the General program. Mount Pleasant, la. — C. Stith, who operated the Auditorium in Mount Pleasant four years ago, has again secured a lease on that theater. He will open on the 22d of April. Mr. Stith was in Des Moines arranging with the Mid West corporation for Triangle service. Iowa City, la. — T. A. Brown, of the Strand theater, is probably the most consistent booster for Triangle in the state, having been running the Triangle pictures for eighteen months. Two weeks ago he ran "His Picture in the Paper," with Douglas Fairbanks, for the sixth return date, and reports that Sunday as one of the best in the "history of his house. It was the Sunday after his big fire on Saturday. The fire had not proved as damaging as it was first believed, and although fearfully water-soaked after a big morning's work he opened the Strand at two o'clock in the afternoon. Waterloo, la. — W. L. Myers, of the Palace theater, was ill with the grippe the past week, and during his confinement to his home, his daughter, Grace, operated the Palace. Miss Grace is a businesslike young woman of eighteen years, and is reported as "one fine manageress." Carlisle, la. — Manager Keeney, of the Carlisle theater in Carlisle, is contemplating the addition of a big balcony to his theater that will increase his seating capacity 300 seats. Cherokee, la. — F. W. Groen bought the Happy Hour theater of A. G. Ferris, in Cherokee. Independence, la. — The big International Serial, "Patria," was firmly launched in Independence last week when the Isis gave a potato Matinee for the kiddies. The admission was one potato, with a substantial prize for the largest. The manager had three bushels of the expensive tubers when the matinee was over. When the potatoes are but $3.60 a bushel, the matinee was not to be sneezed at. Lake City, la. — R. L. Johnson has purchased the Isis theater in Lake City from Geo. Williams. Green, la. — L. E. Gates has purchased the Crystal theater from S. P. Lyman. Julius Singer Drops In. Des Moines, la. — Julius Singer, former manager of an Independent film exchange in this city and at present the New York representative of the L-Ko comedies, was in Des Moines. Des Moines is the last lap of a big trip that Singer has been making, which included St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Chicago and the big Eastern cities. Singer is most popular in this territory, and his many friends were more than glad to see him. Will Open Standard Film Exchange. Des Moines, la. — M. E. (Marty) Williams, of Kansas City, was given a luncheon at the Commercial Club, Saturday the 3d of March, by Dan Ledermah, manager of the local Laemmle exchange. All the managers of the local exchanges were guests, and the purpose was to get acquainted with Mr. Williams, who is here to open an exchange for the Standard film company for the releasing of the Art Dramas. Mr. Williams has not yet rented an office here, but is expecting to locate one early in the next week. Williams was with the Universal people in Kansas City prior to his affiliation with the Standard. Long Runs at Garden Theater Profitable. Des Moines, la. — The Garden theater is rapidly becoming a shining example of the advantages of the long run. A. H. Blank, the manager, is a firm believer in the policy, and here are a few of the lengthy dates to come in the next couple of weeks or so. Last week "The Argyle Case" ran for four days in big houses; last week also marked a return of Clara Kimball Young in "The Common Law." The latter picture enjoyed a full seven days run here in October, and when it was brought back for two days, packed houses were the rule. Marguerite Clark will be shown for five days in "The Fortunes of Fifi," Clara Kimball Young in "The Price She Paid" will be shown five days, Pauline Frederick in "Sapho" will run four days — and no picture is shown at the Garden for less than two days. to Sioux City, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City and St. Louis, and after a stop in Chicago will make for Minneapolis. He paid a visit to all the exchanges, and was warmly received all around. Paul LeMarquand, of the Fontanelle feature films in Omaha", was in Des Moir.es at the opening of "The Witching Hour" at the Majestic theater. He reports that "The Witching Hour" is booked away into May. Harry Heirstiener Buys "Ignorance" Rights. Des Moines, la. — Harry Heirstiener, formerly road man out of the serial department of the local Mutual, has purchased the rights for "Ignorance" in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. He is located in an office in the Cohan building. Fine Theater Makes Good in Village. Maquoketa, la. — W. M. Weber, owner of the Pastime theater, Maquoketa, Iowa, has found it profitable to give the patrons available in that town of 3,500, the very best in theater equipment and pletures. His theater seats 530, and is perhaps one of the best equipped in the state in any city of that size. There is steam heat, even in the lobby. He runa a five-piece orchestra most of the time; at other times a harp, violin and piano. He charges five and ten cents, but raises to 25 cents on big features. Among all his means of maintaining and building patronage, his best, he believes, is the mailing list. This list has been made from the names of people who visit the show, and from telephone books and other sources. The names of casual patrons, howeve' seem to yield the best returns. A regular piece of mail to these Is the weekly program, printed usually on the backs of pictures of stars. Local Exchange Jottings — Visitors. Abe Kahn, traveling salesman out of the Kansas City Triangle distributing office fftr the McClure's "Seven Deadly Sins," 1b making Des Moines his headquarters, and covering Eastern Iowa with the "Deadlies" and the Keystone comedies. T. A. Brown, of the Strand theater in Iowa City, was in Des Moines last week. J. D. Williamson, one of the big amusement men of Australia, who owns a big chain of Motion Picture houses in Australia, paid a personal visit to A. H. Blank on his way across the continent last week. Frank Woskie, of the Favorite feature film in Minneapolis, was in Des Moines last week on the road home to Minneapolis. He has just concluded a successful tour of Iowa, placing his picture, "The Libertine," which was shown In Des Moines some weeks ago. Sam Greenbaum, partner of A. H. Blank in the ownership of the Casino and Garden theaters in Davenport, was in Des Moines two days last week. Greenbaum is one of the most successful exhibitors in the Eastern part of Iowa. Work on the Royal theater is progressing rapidly. The -whole corner has been leveled to the ground, and the construction work will commence in the very near future. All the members of Des Moines' F. I. L. M. Club went to Omaha over Sunday the 4th of March, to visit -with the Omaha exhibitors and to — well, Omaha is not the desert that Des Moines happens to be. Messrs Fife and Yerkes, of the Idle Hour in Tama, and P. C. Smith, formerly of the Amuzu theater in Fonda, and W. E. Roby, of the Strand theater in Truro, were Pathe visitors last week. J. Miloslowskie, owner of the Palace and Family theaters in Des Moines, with his family left last week for Hot Springs. Mortenson Makes a Lot of Calls. Des Moines, la. — T. E. Mortenson, business manager of "Amusements," the live little trade journal edited in Minneapolis, was in Des Moines Wednesday of last week on his way back home. He had been Rose Tapley Visits Des Moines. Des Moines, la. — Rose Tapley, of the Vitagraph, paid her visit to Des Moines on Wednesday the 21st of February, bue arrived in Des Moines at six o'clock, Wednesday morning, and appeared at the Palace theater two times in the afternoon