The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

November 25, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Regional News and Gossip Conducted by SUMNER SMITH There' 4 a Moving Picture World representative in eVery exchange center — at your service. Just a part of the all-round service of The Complete Trade Taper — "Regional in J^eios Value; J^ational in Service. If our representative in anv territory can help you in any taay call on us. Vaudeville is being gradually introduced into the picture houses in Chicago. The Chateau Theatre at Broadway and Grace has been running five acts for some time past, the Balaban and Katz houses have all been using presentations and musical numbers to put their shows over, the new McVickcrs is doing the same, now come some of the smaller houses to use vaudeville on Sundays and holidays to help fill the seats. The latest addition is the Bryn Mawr Theatre, which will use five acts of standard vaudeville beginning next week, and the Covent Garden on North Clark street, using four acts each Sunday. Lou Weil, manager of the Bryn Mawr Theatre, announces that beginning next Sunday the policy of the house will be changed on holidays and Sundays and in addition to the photoplays five acts of high class vaudeville furnished by the Western Vaudeville Managers Association will headline the bill. The symphony orchestra under the direction of Samuel Leviton will also be enlarged. Vaudeville Gains Popularity in Chicago Picture Theatres story building on Harrison street for $32,500, subject to a mortgage of $5,500. The Adelphi Theatre at 7074 North Clark street has been sold by the Ascher Enterprises to the management m control of the Howard Theatre. Some changes will be made in the policy of the house. E. D. Hopson has been made manager of the Commercial Theatre of the Ascher chain of theatres. He was formerly at the Calo Theatre. Aaron Jones, of Jones Linick & SchaefTer, says that the new McVickers showed to 120,000 people during the first two weeks the house was open. The firm was pleased with the generous response of the public. Dr. Sam Atkinson, one of the best known managers in the city and foe of the censorship bureaus, is now manager of the Calo Theatre at Clark and Balmoral avenue. Dr. "Sam" was one of the organizers of the Rogers Park business mens' association and in honor of his work the members made him a life member of the association. George K. Spoor, of the Essanay Film company, is now one of the big real estate builders of the city. His latest project is the beginning of a $5,000,000 improvement program at Ainslee and Argyle streets, which will consist of five fourteen-story apartment buildings when the job is finished. Work on the first unit will begin this month and before long the north shore will begin to look like Riverside Drive along the Hudson. The Onatoga Theatre has been opened at Upper Alton, 111., under the management of M. Holland. Max Jesselsen, owner of the Olympia Theatre on South Ashland avenue, has bought a three Topeka Compared to Syracuse THE call of Syracuse, N. Y., exhibitors for suggestions from brother exhibitors for the improvement of business in that northern New York city has been heeded by E. D. Keilmann, manager of the Grand Theatre, Topeka, Kans., and "Ki," as he is popularly known, surely dashes off an interesting and "meaty" letter. "Far be it from me to butt into other people's troubles," he writes, "but if what I have gleaned in the few months I have been connected with the show business be of benefit to anyone, or if my observations as a newspaper man covering several years be of light in the dark, well, here's the light. "Topeka is a town of 52,000, the seating capacity of the houses showing first runs is 2^00 and at no time has any of them been taxed to t\e extent that extended runs have really paid good money. A week is about all that any good picture will stand up. On the same ratio, Syracuse, N. Y., with 10,000 seats and 175,000 popula':ion, would be just about as well looked after as need be, if Topeka business and Syracuse business are anywhere nearly the same. "There is exploitation and exploitation. Th^re are kinds that really do cheapen a house and kinds that advertise the house as a live one. It all depends on the conditions in the town and the patrons' viewpoints, as well as the way the campaigns are carried on." Mr. Keilmann goes on to describe a float sh:>wing an igloo and a real Eskimo that he used for "Nanook of the North." It was a timely stint because it came in the middle of August, and it was neatly and not flashily done, so it brsught the business, packing his house for a week. On the other hand, an exploitation man put on a melodramatic street stunt for another picture that was overdone and ill-advised because of a lo;al scandal, and so the theatre lost "several hundred good dollars" it might have had. "Si'mmer is no exception when it comes to t'"^ pi'blic liking amusement. If you supply the right kind, the public will be in your theatres. If you look after the public's comfort in the way of iced drinking water, cooling systems, etc., y u w II Knd the public in your theatre; but if not, Mr. and Mrs. Public will be out in their cars seeking coolness and relaxation elsewhere. "That they do not find the kind that satisfies is easilv apparent when one sees them coming back even to the hot theatres late in the evening. I made business this last summer not alone by the cool theatre, but by advising my patrons, 'After the cool evening drive, stop at the Grand for the second evening performance.' "I have never tried girls as ushers, but I am about to. Seems as if I cannot get any sort of discipline with boys of high school age. Whether 'flappers' are better than 'cake eaters' remains to be seen. If they are not, I am going to try negro boys and then negro girls. "Hope there arc some few gems of wisdom in this letter and that it will in a small part help the Syracuse men." The run of "The Kentucky Derby" at the Randolph Theatre will end this week. Three weeks of good business was registered by this film at this big loop house. Jack Mason, well known as a producer of several Broadway hits, is the new manager of the McVickers, succeeding S. Barrett McCorniick. The new LeClaire Theatre at Moline will soon be ready for it* opening. The house and its furnishings will represent at least a quarter of a million dollars and will be operated by the management as the new fourteen -story hotel of the same name. Moline people are heavy stockholders in the company. .\ht Gunibiner, F. Trilling and Alfred Beck have formed the Supreme Amusement Company, with a capital of $10,000 to deal in theatrical enterprises and motion pictures, with the main offices at 10 South LaSalle street. The Valley Amusement Company of Moline, III., has changed its name to the DesMoines Orpheum Company. Preliminary plans are being made by architects for a $1,000,000 theatre and office building to be located on the block bounded by Chicago, Monticello, Lawndale and Huron streets. The theatre will seat 2,500, with 263 feet of frontage on Chicago avenue and a depth of 130 feet. Samuel Miller and H. Kaplan are the owners of the property. "Oliver Twist" is being carried over into the second week by the Barbee Loop Theatre. Manager Barbee says business is fine. The Panorama Theatre, at 715 Sheridan Road, has been sold again to Harris S. Krensky for $65,000 cash and a purchase money mortgage. The house seats 800 and will be remodeled and has been leased to the M. and P. Amusement company for five years at a term rental of $40,000. The house will be a part of the M. and P. chain of picture theatres. Progress is being made on the plans tor the new picture theatre projected for corner of Madison street and Austin boulevard.