The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

678 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 19, 1925 Dunne Buys Coliseum^ San Francisco LOUIS R. LURIE, former San Francisco theatre owner and now a large realty operator, has sold the Coliseum Theatre property in the Richmond District to Peter F. Dunne. Two months ago Mr. Lurie purchased the property from Samuel H. Levin, who then took a ninety-nine year lease on it. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2,000. C. Li. Toepfer and E. J. Roemheld have arrived from the East to take charge of the Cameo Theatre, owned by Universal. The former will have active charge of the house, while Mr. Roemheld will devote his attention to the publicity work and to the music, which is to be made a feature of the entertainment. A small but carefully selected orchestra will be installed. Leon Doane, who has been with the house for some time, continues in the capacity of assistant manager. The New Fruitvale Theatre, Fruitvale, Cal., was formally opened on the evening of Xovember 28 by the Golden State Theatre and Realty Corp. The house, which is an unusually attractive one, seats 1,000. Arrangements are being made by the Golden State Theatre and Realty Corp. of San Francisco for opening the Atkins Theatre at Berkeley, Cal., January 1. The Wilson Theatre at Fresno, Cal., will also be ready about the same time. A. Blunienfeld, nianatrer of the OrpheuM Theatre, San Rafael, Cal., xinre the openlne of this house, ha»» returned Mlth his bride from a honeymoon trli> to the southern part of the state. He 1m nNHociated in busineNM nith his father, who eontrols a chain of picture houses in the tireater San Francisco field. Burglars visited the office of the California Theatre at Salina.«, Cal.. the last of November and made away with a 500-pound safe containing about $1,200. No trace of the safe or burglars has been found. Visitors to the offices of Louis R. Green field, 109 Golden Gate avenue, San Francisco, will mis.s Mrs. Sadie Barry, who has been In charge of the clerical department for years. She has left to join her husband in the northern part of the state and has definitely retired from the amusement field. Sam Gordon has purchased the property at Napa, Cal., on which one of his theatres is- located and plans to reopen this house, following extensive alterations and the installation of new equipment throughout. The West Portal Theatre of Samuel H. Levin, near the entrance to the celebrated Twin Peaks Tunnel, will be opened shorlty before the end of the month, according to present plans. Wayland H. Taylor, who handles the publicity w'ork for the Levin theatres, has the plans for the opening in hand. Prank Whitbeck, with the San Francisco office of West Coast Theatres, returned recently from a trip through the southern part of the state, where he assisted in the opening of a couple of new houses. Renovate Indiana House Extensive improvements in the decorations and equipment of the Circle Theatre. Indianapolis, most of which were designed for the comfort of patrons and the effectiV'J presentation of the theatre's programs, have been completed. The work extended over a period of several months during the hours the theatre was not open to the public. The most important improvement is the reseating of the entire main floor with leathercovered spring-cushioned seats. Crystal chandeliers, placed in the foyer and lounge, were obtained in Europe. The entire system of lighting controls for the auditorium and stage has been replaced with an equipment which will permit a larger range of dimming and blending of colored lights in the auditorium and of stage effects. Ace Beery manages the theatre. Plans New Newark House Joseph Stern of Newark, N. J., has procured land for a theatre at South Orange avenue and Halsted street in the Vailsburg section. The theatre will be a 2,500-seat vaudeville and picture house costing $500,000. The building will contain stores, offices and a theatre, to open Labor Day, 1926. This is the eighth theatre he has under construction. Dallas Theatre Rohhed The safe of the Capitol Theatre at Dallas, Texas, was^ robbed of $1,580 the night of November 23. No clew as to identity of the yeggmen. Ed F. Brady and Pace Betancourt will open their new theatre at Brownsville, Texas, in the near future. NEW THEATRE FOR SHANGHAI The "Odeon," a new $500,000 theatre located on the North Szechuen Road Extension, Shanghai, states B. Lucile Graham, clerk to the American Trade Commissioner in Shanghai, in a recent report to the Department of Commerce, has recently opened. It will be used primarily for motion pictures. The capacity is 1,420. The stock is owned by British, Americans and Chinese and incorporated under the China Trade Act. The proprietor is Cheang Park-Chew, a wealthy Chinese, who owns the land on which the building was erected and is also a stockholder in the company. The manager is Y. B. Chung, also a stockholder in the company. Walter Burkey Averts Panic In His Kansas City Theatre FL.\MES leaped high in the projection room of the Admiral Theatre, Kansas City. Walter Burkey, manager, walked to the stage, and, in calm tones, told his audience there was a "slight blaze" in the projection room and that it would be advisable to walk outside for a few minutes. The audience filed out in order, which was Mr. Burkey's objective, but never returned. Damage to the house was ?1,300, while L. V. Baker, projectionist, suffered burns about his hands and face. Defective wiring caused the blaze. No sooner did C. E. ("Doc") Cook, business manager of the M. P. T. O. Kansas-Missouri, return from a ten-day trip in the teiritory in beh.ilf of the organization's membership drive than back again he went. However, he managed to "lift" Thursday out of the schedule and slip over to the home of his parents in Maryville, .Mo., for a ThanksglvinpT dinner. 2riendly%md Thieves blew open the safe of the Bowersock Theatre. Lawrence, Kas., Sunday night and escaped with $1,300— Saturday night's receipts. The theatre is owned by Glenn Dickinson. When Kansas City newspapers began blaring forth prominent headlines about the annual Royal Live Stock Show, Samuel Carver, manager of the Liberty Theatre, firstrun downtown house, hurriedly booked "The Calgary Stampede" and got his share of the stockmen's weekly expense account. The new Baltis Theatre, suburban house of Kansas City, will open on December 5. according to Potter Brothers, who will operate the house. The new theatre will seat 800 and has been equipped with Simplex projectors and Peerless Reflector Arc equipment. The <;rand Theatre. Moberly, Mo., destroyed iiy lire lust «i'ek, « ill be rebuilt, aecordlnB to .lack Truill, owner. In the meantime, .Mr. 'I'ruitt has taken over the old Gmnd In that cit.v, which will be oiM-rated as the ••Hal>> tirand" iM-ndini; instruction of the new house. The "IJaby tirand" has been c<iuipjied with Mazda equipment and Simpli V i>rojectors and none of the »teady palroiiUKC has l»ecn l<»st. The Crx . slal Theatre, Ottawa. Kas., has been sold by Bert Klock to Willard Frazier, well known Kansas exhibitor. E. L. Dyson, former owner of the Palace, St. Joseph, Mo., has disposed of his interest in that house lo accept a position as representative for the Kansas City Pathe exchange. Between fifty and seventy-five theatres in the Kansas City territory have closed down until after the holidays, it has been estimated. Most of the closed theatres arc in the smaHer towns and villages, while virtually no Kansas City theatres ha^ie been noticably affected. Among out-of-town exhibitors in Kansas Citv this week are: B. Hawkins, Mainstreet, Drexel, Mo.; Mrs. O. Winkler, Mainstreet, Lexington, Mo.; H. Weaver and B. Lucy, Roval, Hoisington, Kas.; Hugh Gardner. Orpheum, Neosho, Mo.; William Parsons. Pershing, Joplin, Mo.: W. H. Weber, Echo. Groat Bend, Kas.; Ben G. Kirkman. btrand. Hays, Kas.; G. L. Rugg, Leland, Troy, Kas.; (• E Montrey. Park. St. Joseph, Mo.; K. B. Christian, Bvers, Excelsior Springs, Mo.; L. Brenninger, Cozy, Topeka, Kas.; Stanley Chambers and L M. Miller, Miller theatres. Wichita. Kas.; .Mr. and Mrs. H. Robinson, Itoval. Avery, Kas.; L. Wagner. Princess. Eureka, Kas., and C. W. Goodell, Pastime. (Ottawa, Kas.