The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

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December 19, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 641 Theatre Acquisition Contest Hotter; SmciHer Exhibitors Are Combining ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:^Aiiiiiiiiiiiiii''iiiiiiiiiiii;iiiniiiiiiiiiiiii!i^ A Puzzle A PERPLEXING question confronts the M. P. T. O. Kansas-Missouri in the admission of managers of producer-owned theatres into the organization as active members. The majority of the M. P. T. O. K. M. directors favor lifting bars to manager of producer-owned houses, but the by-laws of the organization say "no," and it takes more than a meeting of the directors to amend the constitution. At a regular convention only can the constitution be amended and the next convention will not be until spring, the usual semi-annual fall convention having been called for. "All we can do is sit and wait," said R. R. Biechele, president of the exhibitor body. "There can be no doubt about the sentiment towards such a move, but we cannot throw our by-laws to the winds." Incidentally, in connection with producer-owned houses, virtually all doubt concerning Metro-Goldwyn and the proposed new $3,000,000 Midland Theatre of Kansas City have been removed. Metro-Goldwyn will control the booking of the 4,000-seat house. That much is a certainty, as has been admitted by officials of the Midland Theatre Company, which is constructing the house, but final details have not been disposed of yet. piiiiiiiii:!;i!iiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiii'iiii!! Capitol, Co., Flint, Mich., ISlames Butterjield President The Capitol Theatre Company of Flint, Mich., has been reorganized with W. S. Butterfield as president, according to announcement from the Butterfield offices in Detroit. Mr. Butterfield has been instructed to proceed with the erection of a new theatre to cost approximately $1,000,000. The Butterfield Circuit will erect three new theatres in the state during the coming year, one in Bay City, one in Ann Arbor and the other in Flint. These will represent approximately $2,000,000 in property and buildings. W. S. Butterfield, accompanied by Mrs. Butterfield, left recently for Florida on a motor trip. They expect to be gone about three weeks, returning here in time for Christmas. MUSICIANS WANT INCREASE The rfiusicians of St. Louis have let it be known they will ask a uniform increase of $5 a man a week when their present contract expires next summer. The local exhibitors have appointed a special committee to consider the question. At present the musicians average about $48.50 a week with $10 extra for the leader. Qottesman and Kutinsky Seek Control of Jersey City — Kansas City Suburban Chain Foreseen — New Illinois Co* By Sumner Smith AS the days go by, the struggle for domination in the motion picture industry and for a bare existence waxes increasingly hotter. "Buy theatres," is the battle cry. The big circuits have men constantly investigating possible acquisitions; distributors and producers seek good theatre investments. Theatre companies are formed to protect a distributor frorn being shut out of the market. And the exhibitors are combining within their own ranks to control their local situation. This undoubtedly is a new crisis in the affairs of an industry not unused to crises. Better pictures than ever are being made, but of what use is it to make better pictures if a competing firm dominates a key city and can prevent them from beine shown first-run? So the scramble for theatres goes on unremittingly ; appearances indicate that it will continue for months to come. Everybody is trying to safeguard investments. It seems certain that the situation will result in more and more competing exhibitors coming to an agreement and an alignment of strength — that is, the smaller exhibitors, for the bigger ones have already consolidated their position. Control of the theatre situation in Jersey City evidently is the ambition of Alfred Gottesman and Morris Kutinsky, who have merged their properties into one organization. Gottesman's houses are the Strand, now building at Fairmount and Bergen, and three others to be built, as follows: The Cameo at Decatur and Ocean, seating 2,000; the Downtown at 71 Newark avenue, to seat 1,500, and a house as yet unnamed at Communipaw and West Side avenues, to set 1,600. Gottesman also owns the State at Washington, Fa. The Kutinsky theatres are the Tivoli at Four Corners, seating 1,400; Monticello on Monticello avenue, seating 1,000; Eureka in Hackensack, seating 1,400, and the Playhouse at Bound Brook, seating 800. Kansas City A string of Kansas City suburban houses probably will be controlled by a new syndicate, now in the process of organization, with Adolph Eisner, former president of the M. P. T. O. Kansas City, as the probable head of the chain. Plans at present merely are in the embryo and it is not known what theatres will be included in the string, which will be operated as chain houses. With the majority of down town first-run houses in Kansas City producer-controlled, the suburban houses rapidly are becoming parts of chains. "The day of the old fashioned exhibitor who used to point a menacing finger at syndicates and chain houses has passed," said Mr. Eisner. "Today most of the big exhibiting end of the industry is done in two types of theatres — those operated by a syndicate and producer-owned houses. I have devoted most of my life to operating privately-owned theatres, but I am convinced that the strongest voice can be heard in the wilderness today is that of the chain theatre. Its the only logical solution of many of our inter-industrial troubles and I predict that a few years hence will find the majority of the theatres of America either affiliated with a chain or producer-controlled." Illinois According to news from Bloomington, 111., the four leading movie houses in that city have been organized into a new holding company to be known as the Bloomington Theatres, Inc. The houses in the new organization are the Castle, Ilini, Majestic and Irwin. Guy W. Martin has been made managing director of the Ilini, Irwin and Castle theatres at Bloomington and Jack Spicer will manage the Majestic in the same city. Rapp & Rapp are preparing plans for a new theatre to go up at Cicero avenue and Belmont, Chicago, for the Lubliner-TrinzBalaban-Katz combination. The house will seat 2,500 and cost about $1,500,000. Polka Brothers have added another house, the Fargo, at Sycamore, 111., seating 800, which opened last month. This modern movie house will show pictures and presentations. The Polka circuit lias theatres in Geneva, Maywood, Melrose Park and Des Plaines. 111., and other houses may be added in the near future. The new Milo Theatre at 18th Place and Blue Island avenue, Chicago, was opened last Thursday to a capacity house. J. D. Zoumzakis, owner of the new house, put on a heavy opening bill that the big crowds appreciated. The new theatre seats 1,500 and has a fine orchestra and a Barton organ. Screen novelties, feature photo plays and vaudeville will be the policy. Other houses in the Zoumzakis circuit are the Stadium and the 18th Street. Verne Langdon has added the Famous Theatre on Chicago avenue, Chicago, to his circuit acquiring the lease from Mueller and (Continued on next page)