The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

December 19, 1925 M O V I N G P I C T U R E W O R LD 677 No More Dog Acts For Albany Showman THERE will be no more dog acts on amateur nights at the Albany Theatre in Schenectady, N. Y., if Edward Walsh, manager of the house, has his say, and the chances are that he will. For some weeks past Mr. Walsh has been staging an amateur night along with his pictures, one evening each week, drawing good crowds, the acts costing but little and giving fair satisfaction as a general rule. The winners have received a dollar or so from Mr. Walsh, after the applause from the audience has decided which act is to receive first prize, second prize and so on. One night last week Mr. Walsh had for one of the amateur acts three boys and what they claimed was a trained dog. If the dog ever had any tricks, he absolutely refused to display the same on the night in question. As a result, the act received hardly a ripple from the audience and the boys were not in on the prize money. But the boys, and possibly the dog, too, took an entirely different viewpoint. When the show was over and the audience had filtered out, the boys accosted Mr. Walsh and demanded a dollar for their act. Mr. Walsh replied that they had not been declared among the prize winners by the applause of the audience, and that accordingly he owed them nothing. "Give us the money," said the older one of the trio, "or we'll set the dog on you." Mr. Walsh took a look at the dog, which by this time had assumed the proportions of a full grown calf and looked as ferocious as any that ever crossed the ice after Eliza, and decided that a dollar was but a dollar and might well be spent in self protection. So the three boys marched from the theatre with the dollar, the dog with tail swagging, trailing behind. "There Is* an old Sfaylns," munimred Herman Vlncbergr, manager of the Albany Thea«re In Albany," to the effect that while God loves the Irish, the Jews get the money." And with this off his chest, Mr. Vineberg continued the lobby in green, for the week's run o£ "Irish Luck." Oh. yes, one thing more Mr. Vlneberg indulges in a manicure about once a week and says that it's a dollar well spent Just for the sake of having the Ten Eyck manicurist hold his hand and tell him how much she is enjoying the pictures. Bill Smalley, with a dozen or more the Jimmy Rose, who has a chai-n of four or five houses in Troy and Rensselaer, is spending quite a bit of change these days in dolling up Gardner Hall in Troy with new velvet draperies on the sidewalls and in other ways. He played the part of host last Saturday to all the orphans in Troy at a free show given at the King Tlieatre, of which John Doocey is resident manager. Business must be good with Morris Silverman of Schenectady for the other day he was along Film Row not only wearing a smile as he paid his bills but also giving away cigarettes with a free hand. Explaining the fact that his electric sign has about one out of every five bulbs working. Mr. Silverman declared that he had w;iited two months already for the special lights which he intends to install. Even though Claude Fish, who runs tlie American in Schenectady, found his receipts on Thanksgiving Day just $9 less than a year ago, he enjoyed his turkey and thanked his lucky stars that the newborne baby never made so much as a whimper during the holiday. The other night Mr. Fish was discussfng business just about the t'^c the 9 o'clock show let out, with a large crowd trooping down from the balcony. Mr Fish gave this portion of the crowd but a momentarv glance and then sized up those doming from the ground floor, remarking ?hat It was not from upstairs he was making his profits but from the main floor. Babe in the Woods IMAGINE, if you can, just what happened the other day to the new owner of a residential theatre in Albany, N. Y., who entered the business without knowing a single thing about it, and then finding himself the possessor of a theatre, strolled down to Film Row and stood in front of one of the exchanges. About that time one of the salesmen came out and the newborn owner, turning to him, remarked: "I have bought the theatre but I do not know where to get the pictures." The curtain, out of kindness to the exhibitor, will now descend. If Jacob and Alex Fsltman, owning the Lincoln in Schenectady, secure the site they are now dickering for in Albany, the Capital City will have another picture theatre patterned exactly after the Schenectady house and also to be known as "The Lincoln." The elder Mr. Feltman was one time in vaudeville and is making a most pronounced success with the Lincoln. Tlianksgiving Day was the biggest the theatre has had under the new owners. atres at his command, arrived in town last week aid worked eighteen hours out of the tv/enty-tour before he started back for Cooperstown. Sure, Mr. Smalley reported business as being good, and he generally means what he says. If one ever wants to find Mr. Smalley after 6 o'clock on a day when he is in Albany, he can be located at the Universal exchange, for he generally winds up there knowing that that exchange rarely, if ever, closes before 8 o'clock. Walter -Suckno, owner o£ the Albany and Regent Theatres in Albany, now leased to the Strand interests, is busily engaged these days in selling advertising. But little has Walter to worry about, for he Is receiving the nicest little sum imaginable each month ill rent for the two houses. They do say that Mrs. Catherine Farrell, who cleaned up a nice little wad when she disposed of the Lincoln in Schenectady, is looking to double her money through some recent Investments in Florida Investments. Mrs. Farrell is still in Schenectady and enjoys the movies just as much as ever, going about five nights out of the seven. W. W. Parley, head of Farash Theatres, Inc., in Schenectady, will play the part of host at a big party that is scheduled for the employes of the various Farash theatres in Schenectady sometime between Christmas and New Year's. The affair will be held in the big lobby of the State Theatre and the combined orchestras of the State and Strand Theatres will furnish the music for the dancing. Exhibitors will be Interested in a change that took place this week on Film Row, when Jack Krause, who has ben handling the Bond exchange here for the last four years, was named as manager of the local exchange for Associated Exhibitors, succeeding Abe Eskln. It takes a pretty clever person to get the best of Betty Feuer of the Crescent Theatre in Schenectady in a legal way. Miss Feuer has just finished a course In commercial law and argues her own cases before the Film Board of the exchanges using, as she says, a mixture of law and common sense. Anyhow, the combination appears to be working out well for Miss Feuer. William Benton of Saratoga Springs hap added another house to his chain, or will on January 1, when the Pastime In Granville will come under the Benton banner. John Walker, who formerly owned the Barcll in Schenectady, Is back from Florida and selling southern real estate among hla friends in the Electric City. Mr. Walker plans to dispose of his property In Schenctady and return to Florida in the near future. Since the Kialto has opened in Glens Falls, John Garry of the Empire is using quite a bit more newspaper space. The Empire is running to straight pictures while the Rialto is using a combination of vaudeville and pictures. The entire city fire department of Watertown responded to a call last week from the Victoria Theatre in that city when a roll of film went up in smoke. The blaze was confined to the booth and no one was injured. About everything under the sun has been picked up by the ushers in the Mark Strand in Albany but the limit was reached last week when one of the ushers turned In to Manager Veiller a set of radio ear 'phones found urtder one of the seats. Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Milligan of Schuylerville made one of their periodical visits last week to Film Row, and they didn't come by trolley, either. In other words, they arrived in a big Packard car. Mr. Milligan Is head of the Board of Education in Schuylerville and is one of the substantial business men of the village. Through the Loyal Order of the Moose In Albany, the orphans of the city were dined on© day the past week while the Mark Strand entertained the children at a free sliow during the morning. The children marched to the theatre togged out in their best bibs and tuckers, and with appropriate caps presented by Uly S. Hill. It must have been ("some") scene, for am FVank Brnymeier of the Barcll in Schenectady described a picture he was showing, there was a church scene that simply "ripped" the poeple right out of their seats. Mr. Braymeier is exceptionally handy with the brush and paint and does all his own art work. At the present time the theatre Is running mainly to split weeks. Mrs. Dennis Regan of the Star in Greenwich, who has been having considerable trouble with her teeth, is now better and with the same old time smile is greeting her patrons. Jack Matthews, who haS' the Plattsburg Theatre, doesn't intend to be forced out of the game by any means, and despite the rumor that a competitor had been successful in securing the lease of the house, Mr. Matthews has the lease tucked away In his safe and will be found at the same old stand for another period of years. John Augello of the Family Theatre In Utica was along The Row last week en route to New York City. B. W. Harriman, who has been managing the Strand in Schenectady, has resigned, and, according to rumor, may reopen the Astor In Troy. James Roach, manager of the Farash chain in Schenectady, with a wide acquaintance among the officials of the American Locomotive Works, secured photographs of the first engine turned out by the company back in 1860, as well as the latest product, which he used In the lobby of the State Theatre last week while "The Iron Horse" was being shown. Frank Briggs, manager of the Clinton Square in Albany, isn't worrying a bit about the coal situation but his brow did take on a furrow the past week when someone broke into the store under the theatre and made off with all there was In the till, which luckily amounted to but a few pennies. C. H. Buckley, one of the' best known exhibitors in Albany, is back home from a trip to New York where he was the guest of Johnny Hlnes, and, according to Mr. Buckley, saw the town right. Alex Sayles, manager of the Leland in Albany and a former newspaperman, is firmly convinced that the job of doortender is one much sought for, and backs his contention by pointing to over 200 letters received from applicants desirous of taking the place of Edward Reynolds, who was struck by an automobile and whose leg was friuvtured.