The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

532 " M O V I N G P I CT U RE W O RLD December 12, 1925 Many Changes in Theatre l^anagement (Continued from preceding pase) ton and Crawford avenue and seating 2,500, about January 15, and the new Ritz at Harding and Lawrence avenue by the end of January. The huge new theatre they are building at Devon and Sheridan Road is under cover and the tentative opening date of this huse is set for late in February. This house will seat more than 4,000. A contest will be held to secure a name. Other projects of the firm will be ready for early announcement, according to word from their offices. A new theatre is projected by S. J. Gregory for Cicero, III. He recently sold a couple of theatres to the Ascher circuit and retired from the Gregory chain at Hammond, Ind. The house will be known as the Mirador and will seat 2,500. Plans and supervision are by E. P. Rupert and R. Levine and Co. The architecture will be French renaissance with a terra cotta front. It will be operted by Gregory and Ben Bernasek, with a policy of pictures and vaudeville. The site selected is the northeast corner of West 25th and South 53rd avenue. H. G. Forde, M. J. Weiler and B. M. Leisse have organized the Bloomington Theatres, Inc., of Bloomington, 111., to purchase and operate picture theatres in that territory. The company has a capital stock of 100 shares of no par value and they will make their Chicago headquarters at 162 North State street. Recent "Boston Openings THE New England Theatres Operating Company of Boston is opening new theatres in suburban Boston so rapidly that openings are becoming merely a matter of routine for the enterprising officials of this fast growing circuit. The Rialto Theatre at Roslindale Square and then Jamaica Theatre at Jamaica Plain were opened on November 21. The same program was presented at both theatres, consisting of "Souls for Sables" and "The Calgary Stampede." The new Shawmut Theatre was opened on November IS. The company recently had work started on the erection of the Rivoli on Dudley street, Roxbury. It will be of the bleacher type of construction and there will be 2,000 seats on one floor. The interior color scheme and decorations are of Pompeiian style. THE Hostettler Amusement Company, of Omaha, has purchased the Blaine Cook circuit of theatres. This included the Rialto and the Gilbert at Beatrice, Neb., the Dean and the Sun at York, Neb., the Ehte and Royal at LeMars, la., and one theatre, the Platte, at North Platte, Neb. The Sun and the Keith theatres at North Platte, not a part of the Cook circuit, have also been acquired by the Hostettler Amusement Company. Seven Iowa theatres have recently been purchased by the A. H. Blank interests. The seven theatres belonged to the Ford circuit and were the Strand, Palace and Crystal at pllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllNlllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllHIIIllllll ll>l"llllllllllllHllllllllllllllllllllillllllJ I Fox Expanding | I (CO EGARDLESS of rumored mo 1 g tion picture combinations or 1 i any other factor affecting the in s 1 dustry in the United States today, g 1 Fox Film Corporation will ultimately 1 1 have one or more first-run theatres in 1 s every important key city in the coun i 1 try," said James R. Grainger, general i 1 sales manager, in Los Angeles this 1 f! week. g 1 "Expansion plans with this object in 1 1 view have been under way for some 1 1 time. Building sites have already been 1 1 secured in Boston, Detroit, Chicago, 1 1 Washington,] Buffalo> San Francisco 1 s and Los Angeles. In New York City i 1 a 4,500-seat theatre is being built to g 1 replace the old Academy of Music, g i scene of Mr. Fox's real beginning as 1 i an exhibitor. The recent reorganiza M 1 iton of Fox Theatres Corporation, | I when $12,000,000 of a stock issue was | 1 placed upon the market, was but one g 1 move toward the consummation of the g 1 expansion plans. It is expected a 1 g more detailed announcement of the 1 1 program Mr. Fox has under considera g 1 tion will be issued from our New York g g oCBce within a short time." 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ Beautiful lounge rooms, foyer and mezzanine floor are other features. Shapiro and Sons of New York, builders of the new KeithAlbee Boston Theatre, are erecting the Rivoli. It is expected that the theatre will be ready for opening next March. Work is under way on the new Morton Theatre in Dorchester. There will be 2,000 seats. Albany Sales Expected WARNER BROTHERS, who lately acquired theatres in Chicago and Pittsburgh, are negotiating with C. H. Buckley of Albany for the Leland and Clinton Square Theatres in that city as well as the Empire in Glens Falls, according to a well founded rumor. Representatives of Warner Broth Waterloo, la., the Strand and Palace at Cedar Rapids, and the Palace at Vinton, la. H. H. Cone sold the Princess Theatre at Odebolt, la., to J. H. Feldhans. The Universal is planning a $250,000 theatre for Grand Island, Neb. It is to have a 66-foot front and will be located near the Yancey Hotel. A new theatres has been built at Vail, la., and is now being equipped. C. H. Macke is manager. The theatre is soon to be officially named. Frank Reinert has sold the Lyric Theatre at Tekamah, Neb., to Ed Hopley. ers were in Albany during the past week conferring with Mr. Buckley, who is a real estate dealer as well as an exhibitor. It is said that Mr. Buckley was oflEered the sum of $50,000 a year in a lease covering the three houses, all first-run, and that the offer was refused. Warner Brothers maintain an exchange in Albany and of late there has been more than the usual activity around the exchange, with efforts to place the pictures in cities, villages and even the smaller hamlets, where houses run but one night a week. The Leland in Albany is over 100 years old and one of the largest and most popular firstruil theatres in the city, with a 25-cent admission prevailing. This house is owned by Mr. Buckley outright and is located in the center of the city, but within a short block of the $250,000 theatre being erected by the Strand interests and which open sometime next spring. The Clinton Square is also a downtown house, leased by Mr. Buckley from Fred Elliott, while the Glens Falls house is also leased and is a competitor with the house operated by the Peerless Booking Agency in that city. Seven Pittsburgh Deals XT O less than seven theatre deals were ■L^ consummated in the Pittsburgh territory within a few days recently, which resulted in eight theatres changing hands the first of December. Bart Dattola, ' owner 6f the Alhambra, New Kensington, took over his brother Paul's Grand Theatre at Springdale, one of the most up-to-date small theatres to be found anywhere. Paul has gone to Florida to engage in the real estate business. C. M. McCloskey of the Penn-State Amusement Company, Uniontown, has formed a new company at Morgantown, W. Va., of which he will be managing director. The name of the new company is the Morgantown Theatre Company and it has taken over the Strand and Metropolitan Theatres in that town. The Metropolitan is one of the finest houses in the local territory and was formerly owned by Communtzis Brothers. Fielding K O'Kelly, managing director of the house, has resigned. George Sallows, manager of the Strand for a decade, will look after both houses for the new company. J. B. Walker, who has conducted the Academy on Beaver avenue, Northside, for twelve years, announces his retirement from business life. He has sold his theatre building to a newcomer, R. E. Slavkin. The Hymes Circuit of Buckhannon, W. Va., has taken over its only opposition house, the White, formerly conducted by O. M. White. Ben Burke, owner of the pretentious Capitol Theatre at New Castle, has taken over over James Caplanis' Star in the same town. This is a house of 300 capacity. Ben expects to change the house policy and will use bigger pictures. David Pratt, who has conducted the Lincoln Square Theatre on Lincoln avenue in East Liberty for eighteen months, has sold out so that he can devote his time to other business interests. The new owners of the Lincoln Square are known as the L. R. W. Company, also owners of the New Lincoln Theatre on Wylie avenue. The three men (Continued on page 534) Hostettler Company Purchases Blaine Cook Theatre Circuit