Moving Picture World (Aug 1917)

August 18, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1111 Notes from the Artcraft-Paramount Office. Seattle, Wash. — H. G. Rosebaum, Seattle manager for Artcraft-Paramount, spent several days in Portland this week. Guy Navarre, salesman, is making a tour of the Oregon territory. A number of new members have been added to the staff, thus necessitating the enlargement of the offices. Frank C. Opie is to have charge of the records of the special star contracts, and F. Heim has been employed as record clerk. F. L. Markle is the new booker, and the newly created post of stenographer for the publicity department has been given to Miss Virginia Mull. High Praise for "The Flame of the Youkon." Seattle, "Wash. — Manager H. H. Hurn, of the local Triangle office, is very proud of a letter received from Ralph Ruffner, of the Liberty theater, Spokane, in which he says "The Flame of the Youkon" is the finest picture ever released on any program. (This testimony is being echoed on all hands. At least we hear it spoken of as one of the best pictures.— Ed.). Seattle, Wash. — Among the visitors on Seattle's film row this week were: H. T. Moore, Colonial theater, Tacoma; A. C. Anderson, Apollo, Tacoma; Ray Stannard, Gem, Wenatchee; J. C. Ehrlich, Stewart, Puyallup; W. A. Graeper, Union Avenue, Portland; George Werner, Antlers, Roseburg, Oregon; E. K. Dunham, Rex, Mt. Vernon; E. K. Southern, Grand, Bellingham. Spokane hews Letter. By S. Clark Patchin, E. 1811 11th Ave., Spokane, Wash. Myrtle Steadman Pleases Spokane. SPOKANE, WASH.— Myrtle Steadman. well-known moving picture actress, spent July 26 to 28 in Spokane and appeared in person on the Clemmer theater stage, where her pictures are shown. She attracted capacity houses, as her coming had been well advertised througn the newspapers in their news columns. In an interview Miss Steadman, who is an American girl, born in Chicago and with a sweet and low musical voice, said: "I have not made many speeches on my trip so far. They fire my voice, but I sing the popular, high-class ballads in my program and practice at the theaters in the mornings. "Since starting on the trip I have covered the entire Pacific Coast, and I find that my singing has been a great aid, as it is a change from what the other moving picture actresses have been doing in the way of delivering addresses. I shall work in Montana and Idaho, then In Utah, Colorado, Nebraska and Chicago, and go to New York." Matt Kusell is booking agent for Miss Steadman and her bookings are, at tnls time, announced as follows: July 30, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; July 31 and August 1, Empress theater, Great Falls, Mont.; August 2 and 3, Antlers theater, He:ena, Mont.; August 4 and 5, Palace and Imperial theaters, Great Falls, Mont.; August 6, Judith theater, Livingston, Mont.; August 7 to 9, American rneacer, Butte, Mont.; August 10 and 11, Idaho Falls, Ida.; August 13 and 14, Pocatello. Ida., and from there she will go to Salt Lake and Denver. Adolph Mayer Here to Get Scenic Films. Spokane, Wash. — Captain Adolph Mayer of San Francisco, cinematographer, is in the city with Mrs. Mayer and is going from here to Montana points of interest, where he will photograph for the Superb Film Company. He expects to get 2,000 feet of films in Montana and may spend some time in the Coeur d'Alenes and points about Spokane. Chautauqua Crop Plentiful in Oregon Every Little Town Has Its Lyceum This Season and the Picture Theaters Suffer — Chautauquas Pay No License, but the Theater Has to Pay. Abraham Nelson, Majestic Theater Hid;,'-. Portland, Ore. DORTLAND, ORE.— This is open season A for Chautauquas. During the past few weeks every mail to the exchange Portland's film row has brought li from exhibitors asking that service bediscontinued until the Chautauqua is over. It is impossible, the exhibitors say, to compete with the open air lyceums. Fortunately, they do not hold session for much more than two weeks in any one place in Oregon. An example of Chautauqua competition was in Oregon City, where the business in the two theaters was conducted on a losing basis much of the time the Chautauqua held session, and thereafter the Oregon City exhibitors were to a considerable expense to coax their patrons back to the picture show habit. Billy Sunday appeared at the Oregon City Chautauqua one day and addressed 10,000 people, and the picture shows were deserted. The unfair part of Chautauqua competition that causes the exhibitors to complain is the very little or no local tax or license fee demanded, and that most of the money taken in goes out of the community, while the exhibitors, being a permanent fixture, is compelled to pay a high local license to operate. The matter has been placed before the exhibitors' league to see if some plan cannot be worked out with reference to this license question that will give everybody in the show business an even break. Complaints concerning Chautauqua competition have been heard from nearly all of the Williamette valley towns, also from far-away places, for instance Myrtle Point, in the southern part of the state, and Fossil, in the eastern part. Liberty Business Continues Good. Portland, Ore. Despite thi liona of a few "wise ones" that the record-making business at the new Liberty could not possibly continue, and thai a big slump was due, patronage at the big theater has been excellent ever since its opening:, notwithstanding the hot wi G. F. Fullerton, advertising chief for Jensen and Von Herberg, spent several weeks in Portland conducting a publicity campaign of stupendous magnitude that has evidently yielded results. A peculiar feature of the opening of the new house is that none of the competing thaters are complaining of the loss of business. The People's kept Mary Pickford in "The Little American" over for eleven days, and have played continuously to S. R. O. houses; the Sunset returned Douglas Fairbanks in "The Habit of Happiness" for fourth time downtown and the third time at the Sunset, and Frank Lacy, manager, said the picture did better than ever; the Majestic showed two regular program pictures, and Manager J. J. Parker smilingly admitted he was highly gratified with the business. The new Liberty is evidently bringing many new people downtown. Salem Theater Changes Hands. Salem. Ore. — George Bligh has transferred Ye Liberty theater to his son, Frank Bligh. and will hereafter devote most of his attention to his other theater, the Bligh. Frank Bligh has been his father's assistant for some time. Operator Loses Life in Fire. Portland, Ore. — Word was received from Caldwell, Idaho, in this territory, that Horace Crookham, operator at the Huree theater, lost his life in a film fire that damaged the theater July 26. He became panic stricken, escaped through a trap door Into an attic, where he was suffocated by the fumes of the burning film. He was immediately rescued, but attempts to revive him were futile. Chas. Beals, assistant operator, was severely burned. Beals was formerly owner of the Bell theater at Oregon City, and was well known in Portland. Rosenberg to New York. Portland, Ore. — Mike Rosenberg, DeLuxe Feature Film Company, called on his old friends in Portland recently en route to New York City, where he is to attend the state right buyers national convention. Mr. Rosenberg recently secured Billy West Comedies for Oregon. Washington and Idaho, and is greatly pleased with the business prospects for the coming season. Weiser Theater Opens. Weiser, Idaho. — A. C. Gordon opened his new theater here July 28 with Baby Marie Osborne in "Told at Twilight." An opening stunt arranged by the Portland Pathe office for the occasion was a direct wire from Baby Marie to the patrons of the opening show, sending her best wishes to them all. Mr. Gordon plans to close his old house, the Star. Vernon Schubach on the Road. Portland, Ore. — Vernon Schubach, bookkeeper for Universal in Portland and Seattle offices, has been promoted to traveling representative for the Film Supply Company of Oregon, which handles the Universal product. Mr. Schubach has been with Universal about a year and a half, and is very popular in the territory. Visitors on Film Row. Portland, Ore. — F. C. Quimby, district manager for Pathe at Seattle, was a recent Portland visitor, also Albert Eden, manager for Fox. Mr. Eden was returning from New York City. H. F. Hollenbeck, of the Eugene theater, Eugene, Ore., was in Portland booking road shows and pictures, and M. G. Cooley, Gem theater, Silverton, Oregon, was another Portland visitor. H. H. Hurn, new Triangle manager at Seattle, passed through Portland en route to Salt Lake. Other out-of-town film men in Portland were Guy Navarre, Progressive, and Geo. J. Ekre, Selznick. Butte, Mont. — "On Trial," the first of the First National Exhibitors' Circuit pictures, opened at the Rialto theater July 29. Cooper Now in Portland. Portland, Ore. — E. L. Cooper, until recently the owner of the Palace theater, Rosenburg, has been engaged by H. C. Stevens as manager of the American theater at First and Main streets. The American is one of the three theaters owned by the Portland Amusemnt Company. Mr. Cooper has been a showman in this territory for some time, and before going to Roseburg was manager of the Alta theater at Pendleton. G. W. Whitney Now Mutual Manager at Butte. Butte, Mont. — Following the resignation of Manager Coughlin from the Mutual company's Butte office, G. W. Whitney has been installed in charge of the branch exchange. Mr. Whitney has been in the film business for the past ten years as both exhibitor and exchangeman. He has managed the Grand theater at Kewanee, 111., and later had charge of the weekly department for Pathe in Denver. He then took a part interest in the Annex theater of Denver and also traveled out of that city for the Mutual exchange. As an addition to his other qualifications he is a licensed operator. Manager Whitney takes the good wishes of many friends with him to the new position.