Moving Picture World (Aug 1917)

August 18, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1109 White Way theater, Belleville, Kan.; Mrs. Jack Reinhardt, Idle Hour theater, Augusta, Kan.; L. L. Ware, Varsity theater, Lawrence, Kan.: Mr. Christian, Orpheum theater, Excelsior Springs, Mo.; John E. Feeney. Okmulgee, Okla. ; Mr. Nelson, Crystal theater. Wayne, Neb.; A. Kuchs, Marysville, .Mo.; C. W. Hermis, Elinwood, Kan.; c. Wagner, Star theater, Newton, Kan.; B. H. Pearson, Ottawa, Kan.; Lee Gunnison, Atchison, Kan.; A. B. Person, Seldon, Kan.: Hoy Spurlock, Star theater, St. Joseph, .Mo. St. Louis News Letter. By A. H. Giebler, 4123 Westminster I Mac. St. Louis, Mo. Eagle Theater to Be Enlarged. ST. LOUIS MO. — Frank Root, proprietor of the Eagle theater at Broadway and Lafayette avenue, has just concluded negotiations for additional footage of ground for the enlargement of his theater. and work will begin at once. Mr. Root is a pioneer exhibitor of the South Broadway district. Several years ago he opened up the Eagle theater, and by giving careful attention he soon built up his business to such an extent that more room was needed, and a new building was erected a few feet south of the old. Now this has grown too small, and the present alterations and enlargements are necessary to accommodate the audiences. Mr. Root's success in the show business is due to a close personal supervision by himself and his wife, who also devotes her time to the enterprise. New Manager for Bluebirds. St. Louis, Mo. — G. F. Hennessy has been appointed manager of the Bluebird exchange at 3547 Olive street. Mr. Hennessy was formerly employed as road representative for the exchange, and his promotion to the position of manager was a natural evolution because of the number of Bluebird contracts he brought in. Hennessy is one of the youngest managers on Film Row, but he has had a number of years of experience in the feature end of moving pictures. Sam Shurman Will Boost "Gray Ghost." St. Louis. Mo. — Sam Shurman has been appointed traveling representative by the Universal exchange, and will boost Universal films with special emphasis on the "Gray Ghost" serial from now on. Midwest Film Corporation Moves. St. Louis. Mo. — Ted Morse, manager of the Selznick productions for St. Louis, Missouri, and Illinois, has moved his headquarters from the Plaza building to the third floor of the Empress Theater building on Olive street. Standard Corporation Gets New Manager. St. Louis. Mo. — F. J. Fegan has been made manager of the Standard Film Corporation, third floor of the Empress Theater building, who distribute Art Dramas through the St. Louis territory. Mr. Fegan is knpwn to the film trade, having been road representative for the General, and manager of the United Film Corporation while that exchange operated in St. Louis. Paramount No Longer a "Branch" in St. Louis. St. Louis. Mo.— A. D. Flintom. of I he Paramount interests in Kansas City, visited St. Louis last week to confer with, G. W. McKean, local manager for Paramont, and completed arrangements that will make the St. Louis Paramount office a regular distributing exchange hereafter instead of a branch of the Kansas City. Manager Thomas, of the Fox exchange, gave a rather elaborate private showing to the trade and newspaper men of "The Honor System." at 11 a. m., on August 1. New Des Moines Theater Is to Be a Beauty Men Interested in Majestic «nd Casino T heaters in Des Moines Take Lease and Will Spend Much Money to Make a New Theater. By Dorothy Day, Register-Tribune, Dea Moines. In. DES MOINES, CA. — C. C. T.ift, big wholesale fruit dealer; A. 1 :. Frankle, of the Casino and Majestic theaters, and Ira B. Thomas, prominent lawyer of Des Moines, all big stockholders in the corporation that operates the Casino and Majestic, have taken a Long time lease on the first two floors of the buildingjust west o| file new thirteen-story Registei-Tribune building, on Locust between Seventh ami Eighth streets. A thoroughly modern and up-to-the-minute photoplay house is to be installed. The company has organized with $100,000 and they plan to spend $70,000 in improvements. The company of Kraetch & Kraetch lias secured the contract and plans a beautiful house seating 1,400 people. Building operations begin the first of October and the contract calls for completion the first of January. Mr. Frankle says that the photoplay houses will be the finest in all Iowa, and one of the finest in the middle west. He believes that with the opening of the Register-Tribune building late this fall a great influx of business will be drawn to this block. The new theater will be just opposite the recently remodeled Theater Royal. A. H. Blank May Build, Too. With this new theater and the steady rumor of another big one to be erected by A. H. Blank of the Garden theater in this city, Des Moines theaters will undergo a distinct change for the better. With the completion of the cantonment here and the arrival of at least 50,000 more people to the city of Des Moines, and considering the many visitors to the city and the training soldiers, the theater men of Des Moines look forward to a big increase in business. Sergeant Hanley Stirs Des Moines. Des Moines, la. — For four days, beginning Wednesday, the 25th, the Majestic theater exhibited some interesting war pictures in connection with the personal appearance of Sergeant Hanley, one of the thirteen survivors of the famous Princess Pat regiment of Canada. From the first day the Majestic had splendid crowds, taking into consideration the intense heat that prevailed all through the four days. On Friday afternoon Sergeant Hanley spoke to the women of the city exclusively, telling them of the great necessity of their supporting their soldiers at the front for the soldiers, as well as their own protection. On Saturday afternoon he talked to the soldiers themselves, and it is a fact that his pictures and talk awakened the city as it never could have been awakened to the realization of the crisis that faces the United States. Des Moines people, although they responded nobly to the Liberty Bond and Red Cross appeals, have been most unpatriotic in many other ways, and without doubt Sergeant Hanley has done a great deal toward impressing them with the need for active support as well as money. H. R. Harrison, formerly salesman for the Favorite Features Film company of Minneapolis, is superintending the showing of these pictures. Hot Weather Wreaking Havoc With Iowa Business. Des Moines, la. — Des Moines and all Iowa are shriveling up with the intense late July and August heat. Fifteen to twenty per cent, of the exhibitors over the state have closed down entirely until the end of the hot spell. Those who are brave enough to face the lax crowds have cut their shows down to one or two a week. In the larger towns and cities suburban houses are shut and the smaller in the CO districts ■i down. The exchanges a i • Feeling the loss of business badl] dropping down away below the average. < Hd t Imers com plal n i ha t t hej b seen such a condition of buslm ciallj in i io i owns of belO\n i ,000 I ■• tants. and there are so many such in The temperature pla ind 94 and 98 constantly, with no relief to amount to anything when the sun down. Even 'lie evenings offer no coolness and it is not to be wondered at that flu theater men show to empty seats. Naturally the program exchanges complain the heavier, since it is the smaller towns that patronize them. The feature exchanges notice the sinking of receipts heavily, but still managi to smile wanly. It will be the middle of September or later before great improvement will be noticed. Metro Offering Open Booking on Old Subjects. Des Moines, la. — The Des Moines Metro is sending post cards to the exhibitors in Iowa anil Nebraska offering about 45 of their first releases, featuring Mary Miles Minter, Mme. Petrova, Emily Stevens, Ethel Barrymore, Bushman and Bayne and Emmy Whelen, for open booking. Manager Skirboll reports excellent results from the plan. The Metro is also boosting the big feature, "The Slacker." and contemplate showing it in Des Moines during the State Fair the latter part of August. Schwarz, General Auditor of Mid West, Transferred to Des Moines. Des Moines, la. — Sam S. Schwarz, auditor of the Mid West Photoplay corporation, and at present stationed in the Kansas City office, is to be transferred to the Hes Moines office when that office takes over the shipping and complete handling of the Mid West pictures in Iowa and Nebraska, leaving the Missouri and Kansas business to Kansas City. Schwarz will act as general auditor of all of the A. H. Blank Enterprises. Albia's Comet Theater Has Had Thirtyeight Competitors. Albia, la. — In the ten years that J. E. Benton of Albia has been operating the Comet theater he has fought with thirtyeight different competitors. Benton Is the second oldest exhibitor in the state of Iowa, J. M. Heffner of the Bijou in Mason City claiming the title of the oldest. Heffner, who is a captain in the Iowa National Guard, has reported for service and left the management of the theater in the capable hands of Mrs. Heffner. Walter Davis Again at Helm of the Palace. Des Moines. la. — It is reported th<.i Walter Davis, former successful manager of the Palace theater of this city, is back on the job again, taking up his work on the 2Hth. I. J. Cummings Takes Over Comet Theater. i litinda, la. — I. J. Cummings of th9 Bon Ton in Clarinda. la., has taken over the Comet theater in Gravity, formerly owned by ind Wagner. L. A. Sheridan, manager of the Des Moines Pathe, is not so very downhearted over the summer slump in busiHe made a business trip to Albia. ton and Osceola last week and brought "home the bacon."