Moving Picture World (Mar 1917)

1976 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 24, 1917 Vaudeville to the Rescue Willamette Valley, Oregon, Hitherto Famous for Poor Amusement Business, Comes to the Front — Introduction of Vaudeville Said to Be in Part the Reason — Prominent Valley Exhibitor Interviewed — Lack of Diversity. By Abraham Nelson, G01 Journal Bldg., Portland, Ore. PORTLAND, ORE. — Up until a short time ago travelling film men who intended making a trip south from Portland through the Willamette valley used to say they were bound for "Death Valley." Today, as far as Oregon is concerned, "Death Valley" exist? no more because the business in the Willamette valley has come back. C. A. Myers, who conducts the Globe and Rolfe theaters at Albany, in the heart of the territory, says the lean days are past and that the exhibitors in the neighboring towns are also enjoying prosperity. While the good prices for farm products have undoubtedly put much new money into the valley, it is the opinion of Mr. Myers that the new addition of vaudeville to photoplay programs, not only in Albany but in all the other towns in the territory, is putting the valley show business back on its feet. Strange as it may seem, dyed-in-the-wool film men admit that it is the addition of vaudeville that is holding up the business in many of the smaller towns. They say there is not sufficient diversity in the present average so-called feature to put it over without the addition of vaudeville. Wog Reports Success. O. Wog, travelling representative for De Luxe, returned to Portland after a tour of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana and also reports that the "Death Valley" south of Portland is a thing of the past. He showed a pocket full of contracts gathered in the territory to verify his statement. Vaudeville and Photoplays in Portland. Concerning the question of vaudeville and pictures, the recent experiences of the Peoples Amusement Company with variety acts in their Portland theaters is interesting. At the Crystal theater, a suburban house, they found that more business was had by omitting vaudeville entirely. At the Peoples theater, showing the best class of pictures and catering to the highest class of patrons, the management says that vaudeville acts are entirely out of the question. At the Star, also owned by the company, musical acts are big drawing cards. The Star is an in-between house. A moving picture theater manager admitted that the tendency of the Portland people is back to vaudeville, citing the success of the Strand and Hippodrome theaters as illustrations. These houses show vaudeville and pictures combined, in one instance at less prices than usually charged for a picture program alone. Lack of diversity in either form of amusement, particularly in the present type of so-called features, is undoubtedly the reason. The theater manager pointed out, however, that in combination theaters the photoplays were the support of the vaudeville as well as vice versa. W. W. Kofeldt Promoted to Pathe Manager. Portland, Ore. — B. J. Sperry, manager for Portland Pathe since Walter Wessling was promoted to Cincinnati, also resigned his position, the vacancy being filled by W. W. Kofeldt, who was formerly installed by P. C. Quimby, of Seattle. Mr. Kofeldt was formerly cashier, coming from San Francisco when Portland Pathe ■was made a full fledged exchange. He is very popular with the exhibitors in the territory. W. S. Morris is filling the position of cashier made vacant by the promotion of Mr. Kofeldt. Mr. Morris came from Chicago where he was assistant cashier for Pathe. His home is in New York City. Former Manager Sperry is keeping his future plans secret, awaiting advices from the Bast. G. A. Reed, Manager of Mutual, Resigns Portland, Ore. — Two important changes in exchange managers happened during the week beginning Feb. 24. G. A. Reed, manager for Mutual, resigned, leaving for Seattle, where it is rumored he will engage in other film pursuits. T. C. Malcolm, supervisor of exchanges for Mutual, and former manager of the General Film Company here, paid a short visit, arranging the affairs of the Mutual office. He left later for San Francisco. Oregon Theater Changes. McMinnville, Ore. — C. L. Dagg has sold the Star theater to a Mr. Morris, a local man. Mr. Dagg will return to Payette, Idaho, where he formerly operated the Emma theater. The opera house in McMinnville has also been opened to pictures. Portland, Ore. — Bennett & Thiele will open the Laurel theater Mar. 4. Grants Pass, Ore. — J. B. Caldwell, formerly of Nez Perce, Ida., has purchased the Bijou theater. La Grande, Ore., Lawsuit Settled. La Grande, Ore. — Meyers and Leiter have withdrawn their lawsuit against S. A. Gardiner for breach of contract not to engage in the theater business under certain circumstances. The withdrawal of the action followed the transfer of the Colonial theater, concerned in the litigation, to the plaintiffs. Meyers and Leiter operate the Arcade theater, the building of which is also owned by Mr. Gardiner, and the firm will conduct both theaters. Heard on Film Row. Portland, Ore. — Lewis Moomaw, cameraman and producer, is back in Portland after a successful year in the Paramount service with the Burton Holmes pictures. At Condon, Ore., an epidemic of scarlet fever has closed the shows and schools and at Roseburg, Ore., an epidemic of measles is cutting into the business. H. H. Brownell, Universal traveller, has gone to Seattle territory to exploit "The Eagles Wings." Indications are that "The Daughter of the Gods" will be delayed one month in reaching Oregon, having been booked for additional dates in California. "The Birth of a Nation" is now playing the small towns in Montana to big money. F. S. Fountain, Progressive Motion Picture Company, was a recent visitor in Portland, making preliminary arrangements for showing "Joan the Woman." W. W. Armstrong, representing "The Seven Deadly Sins," was exploiting the pictures in the territory. SPOKANE TO HAVE EXCHANGE. C. E. Stilwell Will Establish a Distributing Business for Unicorn and State Rights Pictures. By S. Clark Patchin, E. 1811 11th Ave., Spokane, Wash. SPOKANE, WASH. — For the purpose of distributing film service not already handled in the Northwest and engaging in the purchase and rental of state rights photoplays, C. E. Stilwell of the Stilwell theaters company will establish an exchange in Spokane. One of the new services which will be handled exclusively by the exchange is the "Unicorn," a company which is making reissues of former Biograph pictures and other early productions. The pictures will be placed in theaters throughout the Northwest, including the large Coast cities, and all films in the service will be handled through the Spokane exchange. "I expect Gus Hager from the east almost any day and after 1 have talked with him will be able to announce details of the new enterprise," said Mr. Stilwell. "He has been engaging some of the new service and completing other negotiations for me. "The local exchange will be of considerable importance to the film industry in this part of the country. I will employ a corps of salesmen to take our service all over the Northwest and to exploit the state rights features which I handle." National Air in Spokane Theaters. Spokane, Wash. — In accordance with a resolution adopted by the Spokane Ad. Club, moving picture and other theaters of the city have decided to have the "Star Spangled Banner" played at the opening and closing of each program. This is as a matter of patriotism and those to whom it was mentioned a^cer its adoption immediately pledged themselves to carry out the wish. Spokane, Wash. — Live models from The Whitehouse, displaying bathing suits and sport goods suits, made a big hit at tne Clemmer theater. Every seat in the house was taken; in fact, the theater was crowded to its capacity as there was not even standing room. Others were lined in front of the theater to the street waiting admission. FILM NOTES FROM TEXAS. By N. E. Flanagan. Exchange Notes and Dallas Visitors. Dallas, Tex.— E. C. Jensen, Southern district manager of the World Film, has been combining business with pleasure by visiting nearby towns. He has a friendly interest in a big motor car and this has been used as means of transporation. Good contracts have resulted from these trips and it is plainly evident that Mr. Jensen was accorded a hearty welcome by the exhibitors. H. D. Price, manager of the Elk theater at Marshall, and later on the road for K-E-S-E, has gone to New Orleans, traveling out of there with the Vitagraph. J. L. Olive of the Sugg theater, Chickisaw, Okla., was in Dallas, Thursday. J. G. Garret of the Mission theater at Santa Anna was in Dallas. H. D. Naugle, Western division manager of the Vitagraph Co., with headquarters in Los Angeles, was to be in Dallas this week. The Vitagraph exchange, Dallas, have handsomely remodeled quarters. There is new shelving, changed partitions, and an enlarged projection room. "The Girl Phillipa," Vitagraph, will be shown at the Washington theater, Dallas, Mar. 4, and at the Queen theater, Houston, Feb. 28. New Georgetown Theater. Georgetown, Tex. — The Lyric Theater company, 'with Charles B. Atkinson as head, is erecting a new theater at Georgetown. It will be open in about ten days. The World feature, "The Dancer's Peril," with Alice Brady and Alexis Kosloff, will be released at the Washington, Dallas, March 12. Nashville, Tenn. — Mr. Brandon of Artcraft was in the city a few days ago dickering with Manager Wassman of tne Knickerbocker for the new Douglas Fairbanks picture soon to be released in a new series by his company.