The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

September 8, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 143 Cincinnati Business Reaches High-water Mark for Season Business at the Cincinnati houses, especially those located in the downtown districts, is reaching the high-water mark for this season of the year, due partially to the cool evenings but mainly on account of the two weeks of Cincinnati Fall Festival and Industrial Exhibition, a half million dollar project which is attracting thousands of transients to the city. The burlesque houses already have swung into line for the new season, but the patronage they are attracting from the movie houses is negligible as compared with the increased attendance, due to the causes named. Richard C. Fox, of New York City, who has been holding down the managerial chair at the Grand Opera House during the summer run of pictures, closed the season August 25 and has returned to his home, where he expects to embark upon a production career under his own name. The house in question was taken over by Universal for the summer, and Fox was sent west by Carl Liaemmle especially to take charge. The season has been a highly successful one. Superintendent Tom Davis, of the Capitol Theatre, reports that he kept an unusually close watch on his feature film, "Hearts Aflame," last week, from the fact that Metro Pictures Corporation required him to sign a receipt showing the footage of forest fire scenes in the print which he received and to return the same number of feet at the end of the engagement, this being done tc thwart any attempt or desire by people handling the film to "clip out" a few feet of the fire scenes. Metro explained that this latter practice had become one of the favorite indoor sports in some of the smaller cities, and the receipt and agreement plan was being followed throughout the entire booking list. The Grand Opera House, under direction of Manager Milford Unger, which is the home of legitimate attractions, is inaugurating the new season, beginning September 1, with "The Covered Wagon." which will play the greater portion of the month, following which regular bookings will be resumed. The picture, which is being shown on the "twoa-day" policy, has received widespread publicity. Manager John Schwalm, of the Rialto Theatre, Hamilton, Ohio, reports a recordbreaking business with "Human Wreckage," which had its first Ohio showing at his house last week. In addition to novel newspaper tie-ups, Schwalm arranged a special preview of the film the week prior to the opening, at which several hundred prominent persons were invited, their comments being subsequently used for publicity purposes. •Schwalm had 'em standing out shortlv after the doors opened for the initial showing of the regular engagement. Manager Meyer, of the Palace, Hamilton. Ohio, announces that one of the features of the new season will be the resumption of amateur nights on Friday of each week, in t addition to the regular picture program. Reports come from St. Marvs, Ohio, that Andrew J. Makley, of that city, has purchased the People's Theatre building which sold at sheriff's sale recently. Cleveland All Cleveland theatres, except those of the Loew interests, have reached an agreement with the Motion Picture Machine Operators' Union for a new wage scale to run for one year from September 1. The operators have been granted an increase of 7]/2 per cent., which brings the wage up from $47 weekly to $50.35. The Loew theatres, according to Victor Wellman, secretary of the union, are expected to agree to this increase. The differences between the Cleveland exhibitors and the musicians' union have not yet been settled, and the musicians are still out in the theatres, except those controlled by the Loew interests. Loew's made a new agreement with the musicians several months ago, when the agreement ran out. Cleveland has an "Indian" theatre now since the new Doan, at St. Clair avenue and East 14£>th .street was opened August 2,*». The house is decorated with Aztec Indian art and probably is the only one of its kind in the world. It is operated by Loew's Ohio Theatres, Inc. The Neating capacity is about 1.44MI. The opening attraction was "Enemies of Women," which will be followed by "The Spoilers." The State Theatre in Lorain, formerly the Opera House, will be reopened August 30 after having been greatly remodeled and refurnished. It will have a policy of pictures and vaudeville. Two men walked into the offices of Chris Lockman in the Film Building, Cleveland, and proceeded to beat him up. Lockman haJ been conducting a school for operators. The Latest One Illustrative of what he was accustomed to <l. .mi; at home (at least, during the winter months) is a story recently circulated about a Louisville attorney, of means and prominence. While in Denver, Colo., a few weeks ago, this lawyer, hungering for a moving picture, annexed himself to the rear of a long queue on a street, composed, as he thought, of cinema fans. After thirty minutes of that slow locomotion which is effected by being "shuffled" along between the crowd in the rear and the lucky ones in front, Mr. Blank arrived at the point of action, to find that his hunger could indeed be satiated — but not with a moving picture. Our Louisville friend had joined a bread line. Chicago (Continued from previous peg-e) Theatre at DeKalb. J. D. McKeen of the Koyal at Morris, and R. C. Williams of the Majestic at Streator, Manager Williams reports the recent installation of the Typhoon fan system in his house has helped to increase the summer attendance. More vacation news from the trade. Here is Glenn Reynolds taking in the east with his family on a motor trip. Sam Abrahams trying out the lakes of Wisconsin for flsb and Ed Hopp motoring to the Gay White Way. Here is another legitimate house going to show movies. The report is that the Harris Theatre will open the fall season with the Fox special, "If Winter Comes," and Ben Garretson will handle the advertising and publicity. The Harris was opened last season at the same time as the Selwyn Theatre and the two are among the finest houses of their kind in the West. Harry Jones, well known along the row here, has obtained a permit for a new movie house to be erected at .Tanesville, Wise, that will cost $200,000 and seat 1,600. It will be located on North Franklin street and be the last word in theatre construction. This will give the city a fine movie house that will draw trade from the surrounding territory. This department solicits exhibitor views on pertinent topics. Exhibitor Notes Improvement in Exchange Methods SOME time ago you paged the Allmans through the valuable columns of your journal and the writer will now endeavor to relate some of our experriences in the moving picture business during the past seventeen years. Please pardon the delay in response to your request, as my brother, Jesse E. AUman, the founder of our enterprise, passed away at that time." The paragraph is the first in a letter from Edwin F. Allman, of the Pike Theatre, "The Pioneer Picture Show," Dover, Ohio. We regret his loss and offer our sincerest condolences on the departure of one of the real pioneers, and a real showman, in the business. Mr. Allman in answer to our request has written a history of the picture experiences of his brother and himself. This will be published later. Just now we want to quote the concluding paragraphs of his letter as thoughts of especial interest at this time. "We have noticed," he writes, "a wonderful change in the fil m exchanges during the past few years, which has been and will continue to be more for the benefit of the exhibitor. The days of the 'fly-by-nighter' are fast being numbered and the companies are getting down to a real business basis. They are seeking re liable and permanent managers to deal through and are endeavoring to treat their accounts right in order to get their business year after year. Men of better business ability have been and are still being added to the personnel of the film exchanges, and in t ime companies still using the 'gyping* methods will be forced to change their tactics. "A thing menacing the business today is the flexibility in the price of films. In the old days this was better, as rentals then were more stable and uniform, but now companies hardly ever sell two productions for the same price and don't seem to have any reasonable limit on pictures that are drawing cards. ........ «| havc discussed this new hazard with people in mercantile lines and they cannot understand why rentals of film should be so uncertain and constantly keep the exhibitor at sea when buying. There seems to be a constant desire or feeling among the exchanges to always get more money for the next big production, and that the exhibitor can meet this condition by simply increasing his admission. The limit of pictures is perhaps unknown, but the business is rapidly approaching the stage where the admission must be put up so high that the working people or co mon people cannot afford to pay them, and the wealthy or society class will be necessary to save the industry. "We have always been constant readers and boosters for your paper, which we consider the best in this line.