The Moving picture world (January 1922)

42 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 7, 1922 set llic f^Mcedy laclics of iinsniipiilons business affenls of the union." /Ill Optimistic Sam Katz, of Malabaii & Katz, also prcditls fewer l)uil(IiiiK operations, and staled that theatre business will be belter "!>ecausc every other business will be in heller eoudilioii next year. 'J'he liiealriral world will feel the ("irst return on all busi- ness reconstruction now under way." Gcorjje Iv Hraddock, manager of the Ardmore, a 6H.S-seat house located at Arfiyle and Keumore avenues, has an optimistic attitude for 1022. "The smaller iieif^bboilidod bouses are looking forward to. an era of greater prosperity," he says. "We base this assertion on two facts, the first, that there will be a general better- nienl in general couflilions, which of course will be reflected in theatre allend- ancc. Our second reason is that the big- ger neighbfirbodd theatres arc putting on a combiiialidii musical concert and vaude- ville sh(tw, ;is w<'ll as a motion picture program. We believe there are still some people in the woild who go to theatres to see motion pidiues, and that is the class we will c.iler In. We expect to play new pictures, allowing the bigger neighborhood theatre ])erhaps seven to fourteen days' protection, and then bringing the ])icliu"e directly to oiu- theatre. We believe Ih.il the lower prices will he an .-illracliou " Toledo WvWcv l.;il)()r ('.oiKlilions lii.spire (ioiilidc'iicc Tl 1 A T the picture business in Toledo and territory tribulary thereto has seen its worst days, and that from now, with labor conditions bettering, the indiislr\ will rapidly conic into its own, is the lousensiis of o|)inion of the leading picture owners of this district. While Toledo and this territory was very h.ard hit. many factories being shut <lowu here the jiast four months, yet this city was far better olT than many cities of a larger iiopulatiou surrounding it. It was exjiecled that the Overland, Toledo's Largest factory, would close down in October, but instead Willv^ cut the price on the (Hcrland and Willys Knight cars. This brought in so many orders that the factory has been kept go- ing on half force right up to December 21. l'"rom December 21 to January 3 the f.icfory is dosed for inventory. On January 3, however, the (Overland will open with renewed vigor and Willys st.iles that by March 1 the factory will again he rmuiing above normal and will at le.ist employ 12,000 workers. The keeping ojien of the Overland greatly aided the jiicHire houses in To- ledo. The Kivoli, which runs high class pictures and seven acts of vaudeville, for instance, have only had two losing weeks since last August. The other houses, how- ever, outside of T.oew's Valentine, have lieen hu ky to break even. The exhihil(MS, however, are not in the least bit discouraged, but with the Over- land going at capacity i)redict that they will more than easily make u\y their losses in the lust three months of the coming year, and that with business resimiing its normal trend, 1922 should be a record- bre.iking year for them. With this end in view the local owners are fighting among thein.selves to secure the big films they believe will prove box office win- ners with the iniblic. Harvey (". ilorator, managing director of the Alhambra and the Pantheon, is very entliusia-lic over the 1022 outlook, lie has booked for immediate showing .such atlractioiis as "Connecticut Yankee," "Theodora," "Hail the Woman," "Molly O" and " Turn to the Right." Mr. Ilorator says: "The less we say about 1021 the better. I don't believe any of us made any money. It was not the fault of the i^idures but the public simply was not working and did not have the money. In short, that is the story for 1021. I look, however, for 1022 to he a winner, l-'inancial conditions in this city are improving daily. The banks are now willing to loan money at six per cent. Ir) manuf.ictiirers so that they may go on with their business, something they re- fused to do in 1921. The big Overland f.iclory has more orders for cars for 1922 delivery than any in their history. This means but one thing: the men of Toledo will again be at work. They must have .imusemeiil. They will attend our shows and so I am booking the best attractions I can secure for both my theatres." Mr. Certsle, manager director of T.oew's Valetinc, .says: "I can't complain of our business since .September 1. "Way Down East" played two weeks, bre.iking all records, and " The Sheik" • lid a wf)nderful business. " The Affairs of .\natol" and " The Three .Musketeers" did well the fust week, but I must con- fess they fell down the serond due to finaiici,il conditions here. On the other hand I had Norma Talm.adgc in "The 1 handed Woman" the week before Christ- m;is. which is one of the worst weeks of the year for our business, and this ])icture did exceptionally good business. 1 expect Marv Pickford in "Little Lord l'\iuM(leiov" for the two hoKday weeks to l)re.(k all records. I understand that I he financial condition of Toledo is vai)idlv imiiroving and I can see nothing in front of us but better business." Pete Sun. manager of the Ri%'oli Thea- tre, combination house, which .scats 3,- 000, says: "We have only had two los- ing weeks since last August and I look for no more. Things look bright despite the fact Toledo has been very hard hit. The reason for our business, which I believe has been better than most houses in this se tion of the country, being so good, is because we have not cut the quality or • lu.inlity of our shows in the face of im- pending ivmicky times. Several f.ictorics .ire looking for sites in Toledo and as soon as building resumes a normal state, I believe the business in the theatres will be b.'uk to normal. 1 can see nothing ahead of us but one of the most pros- perous years in the theatrical business." Pittsburgh VA\y\\ Rtliiin lo Pio.siKiily Is I'^xpt'cled AI the present time the amusement business, as well as other industries in the Pittsburgh section, is sufTer- "ig the worst of the business depression, in normal times the Pittsburgh district IS the greatest manuf.acturing center in the country. Industries here are always the fust to feel a boom and the last to suffer depression. Business in film theatres here was still normal long after other sections were complaining of a let-down in receipts. And it is an assured fact lliat this section will be the lirst to see the coming of better days. The many mills and factories here that were the last in the country to dose, ac- cording to indications, will be the first to o|)e!i in the near future. .Mready, -some of these plants are working as high as 75 per cent. The city of Pittsburgh proper has not suffered so much as the surrounding towns, w hich are entirely dependent upon coal miners and mill workers. Then, too, a suburb of Pittsburgh, East Liberty! has not suffered as much as the city proper. East Liberty is a fashionable residence center and business has been fairly dose to normal here. .Mlhough many of the theatre man- agers are not inclined to much optimism, the .assurance that the f.actories are be- ginning to work m.akes it a reasonable certainty that Pittsburgh will lead the way to normalcy. \Vhat Exhibitors Say When asked about business conditions and prospects for a prosperous New Year, several prominent exhibitors of this section had the following to say: Hear jack Donovan, manager of the Regent Theatre. East Liberty: "The weather has helped us a lot. The days have been jilca-sant, and had we .suffered much cold weather, business would have fallen olT considerably. In my estima- tion, admission prices at film theatres should be lowered, in order to bring about a very prosperous 1922. This, of course, cannot be done without the co-operation of the exchanges. As long as their prices stay where they are now, we cannot lower our admission prices and make money. So here's hoping the weather remains as fine as it has during the past fall, and the exchanges cut their rental prices." Encouragement comes from Earle M. Eorsthvc, of the .Star Theatre, Canons- burg, Pa., who says: "Of cour.se busi- ness is not what it should be, but we have not had a week yet wherein we have lost money. It looks to me, with the mills opening now, that business will in- crease each month and get back to nor- mal bv next fall. T even have faith to