The Moving picture world (July 1924-August 1924)

July 19, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 181 Massachusetts Houses Pass Tax Reduction on to Patrons Massachusetts managers have revised their prices as a result of the taking effect of the new federal tax law. The 18 theatres of the Goldstein Brothers Amusement Company of Springfield have made equitable arrangements so as to carry out the spirit of the bill, Nathan Goldstein announced. The Broadway Theatre, Springfield, adopted 100 per cent tax reductions. Adjustments of the admissions in other houses of the circuit have been made to conform with conditions in the various cities where the theatres are located. Houses where the prices included the tax continue that way. With the change in the prices of Poll's Palace Theatre in Springfield, Manager Gordon Wrighter announced that in some cases the public benefits more than the amount of the tax. Although most of the changes have been made with a view to eliminating the pennies in the admission prices, J. Joseph Cahill, general manager of the Gordon theatres in Brockton, has revised the prices as follows : Gordon's Theatre, 36 cents, 27 cents, 22 cents and ten cents; Rialto, 18 and 22 cents. The tax also was withdrawn from the prices at the Colonial Theatre, Brockton. 1 In New Bedford, the tendency has been to remove the pennies and changes in prices were made by all but three theatres. There are 14 in the city. One is closed for the summer. The Olympia and Empire Theatres have reduced the prices beyond the war tax. Apparently it is the plan of many exhibitors in cutting their prices at this time even more than the amount of the tax to make what usually is called "lower prices for the summer." Then at the start of the fall and winter season tilt the prices to the scale that prevailed under the war tax or a sum thereabouts. Robert G. Sparks, resident manager of the St. James Theatre, Boston, is having his vacation at Lakewood Park, Skowhegan, Me. Ralph L Ripley, general manager, is taking Mr. Sparks' place during the latter's absence. A back-draft from a furnace filled the Rialto Theatre in Westfield with smoke, necessitating the calling of firemen. There was no damage, however. The Fadette Ladies Orchestra is playing at the Park Theatre in Boston where "Secrets" opened an engagement on Monday, June 30. A prologue is another feature of the presentation. Worcester exhibitors haven't enough to worry about what with the usual summer depression so that Y. M. C. A. will provide free film shows in four of the city's parks for a period of seven weeks starting July 21. George A. Markell, manager of the Strand Theatre, Pittsfield film house, is conducting negotiations for the purchase of the Strand property and that adjoining on the main street of the city. It is reported that In the event the deal is consummated with William T. Butler, owner of the property, Mr. Markell will raze the theatre building and erect a store and business block. The Strand was made over from the Unitarian Church several years. Mr. Markell has had the theatre for about four years. Friday, June 27, will go down as a memo rable day for the Allied Theatre Managers of Boston on which date about 50 members of the organization and other managers, non-members, were the guests of Nathan H. Gordon at his camp at Massapee on Cape Cod. Mr. Gordon is the president of the extensive New England circuit of Gordon Olympia Theatres, Inc. Even his camp has been named Olympia Camp. The gathering enjoyed an old-fashioned clambake with all the flxin's including lobster and chicken. Harry Morrissey, stage manager of Gordon's Olympia Theatre in New Bedford, served the refreshments. No business whatever was talked as Mr. Gordon said his guests were "a bunch of good fellows on a good time." An eloquent tribute to Mr. Gordon was paid by Judge Brackett, one of the special guests. Each man present received a deed to all the grounds, buildings, furnishings and refreshments at the camp. They were drawn in strictly legal form and signed by Mr. Gordon. They were witnessed by John Casey, city theatrical censor of Boston. Henry Levy, for some time connected with the Gordon Olympia circuit, has succeeded Mrs. Gertrude Mansfield as assistant manager of the Gordon Theatre in Brockton. He is a graduate of Harvard. William P. Gray, president and general manager of the Maine and New Hampshire Theatres Corporation, announced Wednesday, July 2, that the company had taken over three theatres in Fitchburg, Mass. The announcement was made at the headquarters of the corporation in Lewlston, Me. The houses are the Lyric, Cu minings and Universal. The policies ot them have been exclusive films, road shows and vaudeville. The theatres formerly were operated by the Bijou Amusement Company. These additions to the Gray circuit bring the total of its houses up to approximately 70. Reginald V. Tribe has adopted a pleasing lighting system for the summer months at the Empire Theatre in New Bedford, Mass. For the lights that are on during the presentation of the shows green is the color. At the intermission when lighting effects are played on the stage the effects are brought to a conclusion with the stage bathed in a flood of green from the footlights, which gradually are dimmed as the picture starts and the curtain is drawn from in front of the screen. Manager Tribe has received many compliments on the change. Free motion picture shows provided by the Community Service are to provide summer-time opposition for the exhibitors of Lawrence. They will be given in various parts of the city. The week-end business in Boston film theatres has undergone a decline since the advent of the warmer weather than that which prevailed through most of the month of June. The Starlight Promenade is scoring a big hit with patrons of Gordon's Capitol Theatre in Boston. This innovation is an outdoor area where patrons may enjoy themselves during intermission periods. At the rear of one side of Gordon's Fields Corner Theatre in Dorchester is parking space for the automobiles of patrons. But what still is of greater convenience for the motorist-patron is a special entrance at the rear of the theatre. Thus they are not obliged to walk around a block to reach the lobby entrance. John B. Mack now is the sole owner of the Auditorium Theatre in Lynn. The house is closed for the summer. George E. Clark is slated to return to his post next season, which will be his third at the Auditorium. The Canobie Lake Theatre at Canobie Lake Park, Lawrence, was opened July 7 under the management of Carl Cookson, of Lawrence. Laurence Stewart, managing director of the Fenway Theatre in Boston is doing a lot of bragging about the theatre's new cooling and ventilating plant, which is reported to have cost $20,000. There are two ten-foot fans to bring in the fresh air off the roof of the theatre, one five-foot fan to churn it and two seven-foot fans to take out this air. John Luce, well known in the Boston theatrical realm, spent one week of what is to be his vacation traveling in his automobile. Manager Earle D. Wilson of Gordon's Olympia Theatre in New Bedford made a successful tie-up with two of the city's newspapers in connection with children's show on a recent Saturday morning. He got the papers to print a coupon admitting two children for the price of one. An accompanying item stated that the child that was admitted free was the guest of the newspapers and the theatre. Mr. Wilson says the attendance was increased greatly while the receipts also were above previous takings for such shows. He got much publicity. Rhode Island Owen B. Thornton, owner and manager of Thornton's Theatre at Riverpoint, has discontinued the Sunday concerts for the remainder of the summer. Ten features were used for the "revival week" program at the Modern Theatre in Providence the week of June 29. They were: "Thy Name Is Woman," "Flaming Youth," "The Abysmal Brute," "The Man Life Passed By," "Divorce Coupons," "Woman to Woman," "East Side, West Side," "Monte Cristo," "Conductor 1492" and "The Westerners." For Release in August —Now Booking PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION HUNT STROM BERG & CHARLES R ROGERS P**; Dean *%e Siren of Seville 5/OT/iyHH.VAN \QPH-Oiredtdlxj JEROME STORM