The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

September 1, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 37 New Offices in for Stanley The Stanley Company of America, through its president, Jules E. Mastbaum, during the week took title to the three-story office building at 1916-1918 Race street, on a lot 40 by 129 feet and fronting on the Parkway, for the purpose of executive offices from which will be conducted the business of the firm. It was purchased for $148,000 and as soon as removal can be made the clerical force of the Stanley Company will be settled in the new quarters. The building is a three-story limestone front structure. Pulpit, stage and the leading business interests of the Fortieth Ward of West Philadelphia were represented in the testimonial dinner given by the Woodland Avenue Business Association to the officers and directors of the -Stanley Company of America and Marcus A. Benn in the Hotel Adelphia on Wednesday night. The testimonial dinner was in appreciation of the business men for the newly constructed Benn Theatre, which will open on September 1 at 46th street and Woodland avenue and which is named after Mr. Benn, who will manage the new house. The Stanley Company and Mr. Benn were lauded as public benefactors in contributing so handsome a structure to that section of the city and for the enterprise which will result from a modern theatre in the location. Several new theatres are under construction as part of the chain of picture houses to be conducted by the Chamberlain Amusement Enterprises, Inc., and the Chamberlain Amusement Company, Inc. These are to he opened at Fottsville, Tamnqua and Mahanoy City, and will be built along the line of the recently opened Victoria Theatre, which the corporation conducts at Mt. Carmel, Pa. They are constructed with a theatre on the ground floor front, stores on the ground floor sides and oflice and apartments on the upper floors. In Pottsville the new theatre will be erected in the center of the town's business district, and will be the first of the Chamberlain theatres in that city. In Tamaqua a site has been acquired in the business section and at Mahanoy City the former Kaier Opera House, with the adjacent property, has been purchased and the former structure to be torn down and a modern Chamberlain theatre erected. Later it is planned to open a theatre at Shamokin, plans now being negotiated for building operations. The Grant Theatre at Fourth and Girard avenue, of which Philip Greene was proprietor, was sold during the week to J. Resnick. The house, seating 1,000, was built five years ago by Mr. Green, who was engaged in the real estate business, and was managed by Charlie Dutkin, who will continue in the same capacity under the new ownership. Mike Carmen, one of the most popular picture theatre managers in the Harrisburg section, has been employed by Peter Magaro as the new house manager of the Regent Theatre of that city. A specially constructed three chamber pipe organ is being installed in the Park Theatre at 33rd and Dauphin streets, under the Greene & Altman management. It will be of the unit type. There also is under way the modernizing of the building, the floors be.ng deepened, reseating with the squat type of chair, and the enlarging of the house so as to prepare for a capacity of 1,000 seats. The front, too, Is being renovated into a white Italian marble entrance made of the best grade of imported material. An attractive marquee, in stained glass, surmounted by an electrical sign, also will be raised upon the completion of the front. An expenditure of $25,000 is being made in the improvements. During alterations the theatre is closed in the afternoon and opened in the evenings. As soon as the organ installation is completed, the orchestra which is now furnishing music will be abandoned. Friends of Harry Greene, of the Green': and Altman Syndicate, proprietors of a strli^ Philadelphia Co. of America of theatres in Philadelphia, who live in the coal regions, were pleasantly surprised by a visit from him during the week. He called on many associates in the trade while on a motor trip through that section of the country, accompanied by Mrs. Greene and their daughter, Julia Greene. Abe Altman, of the Greene and Altman company, who is an ardent enthusiast on the single tax question, has joined the summer colony at Arden. There a group of slngi.tax adherents have opened a community, which long has enjoyed a national reputation for its liberal views and brotherhood ami where no one can claim the land as his own. since it is held as the property of the whole community. Under the management of the new owner, but an old timer in the trade. W. B. Sugars, the American Theatre at Pottsville is to be remodeled into an up-to-the-minute movi>' house. Mr. Sugars took over the title of the theatre formerly owned by Brenneman Brothers, which seats 800. He formerly conducted the Garden Theatre in Pottsville, having been proprietor of that house six years ago. His experience also covers control of theatres in Minersville and Hamburg, which have been made paying houses. Charles Hausman, proprietor of the Hippodrome Theatre in Pottsville, which has been closed for the summer, opened it on August 15 with a program of pictures and vaudeville, which will be the policy of the management for the coming season. Starting in a modest way, with ■ small theatre at Shenandoah, I'a., AI Gottesman has been so successful in his association vrltll the picture business that he is now the proud possessor of the Strand Theatre, one of the most modern picture houses in that Pennsjlvania town. It has recently been thoroughly remodeled at a cost of $30,IMM>, bringing it up to date in every detail. During the week, the patrons were treated to a program of vaudeville and pictures upon the opening ot the doors after a two months' closedown while the innovations were under way. "Merry-Go-Round" Mas the lirst picture to he shown for this season. It was accompanied by a ten-piece orchestra. Mr. Gottesman will be remembered in the trade as the recipient of a trip to the Pacific < oast, s;iven by the First National Pictures, for his enterprise and original exploitation of pictures. The Grand Opera House at Broad and Montgomery avenue, under the Nixon-Nirdlinger circuit and the Stanley Company of America management, is closed while the renovations are under way. New chairs, floor, interior decorating, and refurnishing will complete the modernizing program, developed by Joseph C. Dougherty, its resident manager. The "Moving Picture Theatre Magnates" of Gloucester, N. J., is the title that has been conferred upon the Steifels Amusement Company, which recently took possession of the Palace and Leader theatres of that Nrw Jersey town, since they recently purchased two houses from the Feldman & Serratu Company at a price said to be $60,000. With the control of these two houses, the 'Steifels company now owns the three theatres operated in that town and it is understood that one of the string will be closed during th>; coming season. Four youths, hidden backstage in the Frankfords Theatre, 4715 Frankfords avenue, at 1 a. m. last Wednesday, overpowered John Langdon, the watchman, shackled him to a post and then blew open the safe In the front office. They escaped with $60 In change but overlooked three $100 bills. Plans for a new theatre to be erected at Koyersford, Pa., by tho firm of Coane and I'lzor, were drawn up during the week. Mr. l'izor, who is proprietor of the Phoenlxvlllo Theatre, recently bought the former picture theatre In that town, and in partnership with Coane, la planning to demolish the old structure and erect a modern picture house on the site. Minneapolis Sunday motion pictures are being shown this week at Montevideo, Minn., for the first time in the history of the western Minnesota town. The city council there recently passed a city ordinance lifting the "blue law" ban on Sunday shows. The Strand Theatre at Aberdeen, a D., which was sold for $10,500 a year ago, recently was sold to C. W. Klitz for $1,682.50 to satisfy a mortgage. The new owner has not decided whether or not he will re-open the place. Illness of W. A. Steffes caused postponement of a scheduled meeting of the board of directors of the Minnesota exhibitors unit. The meeting was to be held Monday, August 13. R. P. Beauchemin and Tom Collins have taken over operations of the Jefferson Theatre, Jefferson. S. D. They will present three shows a week. Fire-proof construction of booths in two Minnesota theatres prevented two Area from spreading Inst week. A ill booth Are damage and patrons left the honse without at the Regent Then in . St. Paul, did little causing a panic. Another lire at the Rex Theatre, Virginia, was confined to the booth. The lire destroyed 2.00O feet of film. The Gem Theatre, Baraboo, Wis., has been purchased by the Al Ringling Theatre Company, which operates the Al Ringling Theatre. The Gem had been a losing proposition since the Ringling interests entered the amusment field there eight yars ago. A 1,600-seat theatre is to be erected at Janosville, Wis., by Harry F. Jones, who has obtained a building permit to build a $200,000 house. Statu rights for the Northwest of a slidu version of the Dempsey-Gibbons light have been procured by Louis Christ of I'antages Theatre. Cincinnati "Just about the time wc begin to make both ends meet, someone comes along and moves the ends." This, in substance, is the plaintive wail of the Lima, Ohio, exhibitors. The city is in the midst of a strike of the street railway employes, not a car having been run for over a week. Bus lines have been substituted as far as possible, but these are not adequate to take care of all the traffic, and as a result business in the downtown houses has correspondingly suffered. Ollicinl representatives of the M. P. T. O. A. who were delegated by the F.iccutlve Hoard of the .National Headquarters to attend the funeral of the late President Harding, at Marlon, Ohio, were II. G. Foster, Mnrlon, U.| V. G. Hetteshelmer, Cinclnnntl: J. Dunlevy, \kron, <).} Messrs. Schunuin and llohvlnsky, t'levelnnd, 41., all of iihiim are members of the Ohio unit of the organisation. The City Council of Steubenvllle, Ohio, oas negotiated a contract with George ■Schafer, Wheeling, W. Va., who operates a chain of houses, for the erection of a theatre Oil the present site of the city building. The city dads have passed an ordinance authorizing the demolishing of the present structure, and work on the new theatre, which will bo devoted to pictures and vaudeville, will be started about January 1. It is reported that the new house will cost around $260,000, and that the city will receive an annual rental of $15,000 from the theatre. Manager J. A. Schwalm, of the Rlalto Theatre at Hamilton, Ohio, Is credited with the biggest newspaper tie-up which has boen put over In that city. Shortly before tho opening date of "Foolish Wives." Schwalm arranged for the Hamilton Dally News to carry a four-page rotogravure Insert In the Saturday edition, the entire supplement Doing filled with scenes from the picture. The same stunt was repeated for "Human Wreckage." There were packed houses.