Variety (August 1911)

12 VARIETY HIGH GRADE PICTURE THEATRE FOR COL ORED VIEWS Kinemacolor Co. Proposes to Build in New York City, Following the Urban Co.'s Scala, London. Two Sites to Select From. Before the new year has been torn off the calendar of New York theatri- cals, a Kinemacolor theatre will be built wlth.n a stone's throw of broad- way. The men behind the colored pic- tures that aie now making an unmis- takable Impression on this slue, have decided that a theatre such as the Scala in London is imperative to dis- play tiie Kiueuiacoior pictures in New York, witnout hav.ng to make any overtures to tne owners of Broauway § legitimate houses tor a showing of the hluis. in all likelihood the New York Kin- emacolor tneaire will be situated on 45th street, between broauway and Sixth avenue. The owners ot the pro- posed site have made a proposition that looks favoiable to the* picture manufacturers. The property oppo- site the Playhouse on 48th street is also on the market. The Kinemacolor Co. feels sure that there will be no trouble in securing a central and con- venient location. The Scala in England has a main auditorium and two balconies with a seating capacity of 1,3*0, the prices ranging from 25c. to $2.75. Just Kin- emacolor pictures are Biiown and the house is open all the year round. It Is planned that the New York pic- ture house will seat 1.100, being of an architecture similar to that of the Scala, wh.ch the late W. S. Gilbert pronounced as being "both architec- turally and structurally a magnificent building." The project here Is fast assuming legible shape and It is expected to be in full running order by a year from next September. By tne hist of next week the Kine- macolor Coronation film will be on view in thirteen cities, namely, New York, Brooklyn, Washington, Indian- apolis, Boston, Cleveland, St. Joe, Nor- folk, Dallas, Minneapolis, Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle. The best business has been registered here and in Cleveland, Seattle and Washington. OPENING OF THE BIGGEST. Boston, Aug. 16. The new National theatre, claimed to be the largest vaudeville house in the world, with a seating capacity of $3,700 and standing room for 400 more, will open Labor Day. The house is owned by the Tremont-Berk- ley Company (B. F. Keith interests), and will be booked through the U. B. O. office in New York. G. W. Ryder is the manager. It is situated on Tremont street, near Berkley. The prices will be 5, 10, 15. It is said that the house is worth $500,000 and that the interior decorations cost $150,000. It seats 1,000 more than the Boston Opera House, and 500 more than the Boston theatre, an- other Keith house. There are thirty- six rows of seats in the orchestra. The theatre covers 17,000 square feet of land and extends back 172 feet from the Tremont street front. There are thirty exits in the house. It can be emptied in two minutes. With the opening of the Columbia by Marcus Loew and the National, and the additional number of small time houses in the South End, all within a few blocks of each other, it will be a survival of the fittest. OLD TIME BILLING. After next week the prices at Proc- tor's 58th street will receive a tilt. At present the gallery is five cents, while the balcony and orchestra are fifteen cents. Under the management of John Buck, the gallery will go to a dime, and the remainder of the house will cost 20 cents. An extensive campaign of billing is also contemplated. A catch line will be employed along the lines of "The Old Policy Back Again. Contin- uous, 11 to 11. Come When You Like and Stay as Long as You Please. Real Vaudeville. Six Acts and Pic- lures." The major portion of the advertising will be placed across the Queensboro Bridge. UPPER 5TH AVE. HOUSE. Philadelphia, Aug. 16. The papers have been signed for the erection of a new theatre to play "pop" vaudeville, the house to be sit- uated between 105th and 106th streets on Fifth avenue, New York. It is to seat about 1,500. The build- ing will cost about $100,000 and it is planned to have it ready about Jan. 1, 1912. Felix Isman owns the property. The deal was closed in th.s city last week. NEW HARRIS "POP" HOUSE. Pittsburg, Aug. 16. Contracts were given to the Thomp- son-Starrett Co. Aug. 7 for the con- struction of the new Harris "pop" vaudeville theatre here, to be put up on the site of the old Great Northern hall. It is on Diamond street, just behind the Grand Opera House. The entrance will be within fifty feet of Smith street. John H. and Dennis Harris are stockholders in the Harris Amusement Co., which is promoting the theatre. H. C. Mclldowney, president of the Washington Trust Co. is also in on the theatre corporation. The house will seat 2,000 when com- pleted. The estimated cost is $150,- 000, the amount of the company's capital stock. A Cincinnati architect has drawn the plans. Ground may be broken next Monday. The theatre will go up on leased ground. MATTHEWS IS TRUTHFUL. Chicago, Aug. 16. A suggestion of untruthfulness Is denied by J. C. Matthews, the Chicago agent. Mr. Matthews says that an article appearing in last week's Variet., wherein it stated that beyond Mr. Matthews writing a letter to I. H. Ruben, for the booking of the Ruben houses in Des Moines and St. Paul, he did nothing, is erring, for the rea- son that Mr. Rubin visited the Matt- hews agency, in this city, discussed details of bookings with Matthews spent an hour going over the books, and left, assuring Matthews that his manager, Mr. Dempsey would return with him to close the booking deal. Mr. Matthews states that they did not return, and that he is not booking the Ruben houses, but that is lmma- ter.al, as he merely wishes to say that the facts at the time as he gave them out were correct. The Ruben houses are and have been booked through the Western Vaudeville Managers Assoc.ation, this city. THE STRAND, A M-B. Toronto, Aug. 16. The Strand Theatre, which is the name given to the reconstructed and remodled Shea house here, by Mark & Broeck will open Aug. 28. The house has undergone a wonderful change In appearance in both the in- terior and exterior, the Buffalo mana- gers having spent $65,000 in altera- tions. M. H. Epstein, general mana- ger of the company, was in town last week, and set the opening date. PRESS DEP'T. REMEDY. Chicago, Aug. 16. Chas. E. Bray, general manager of the W. V. M. A. has arranged to es- tablish a press bureau in connection with the other departments on the eleventh floor of the Majestic theatre building. If things come around as expected the new department will be- gin action late this month. Ned Al- vord has been selected to handle the bureau and in addition to handling the billing matter and booming the book- ing abilities of the Association, the new department may later do press work for the individual artists, for a weekly compensation. Chas. Hodkins was the first Chicago agency to open a press bureau In con- nection with his booking office and has found the idea both profitable and helpful. Walter Hill who manages the Hodkins bureau, has the majority of the Southern houses on his books and finds enough work to keep him busy seven days a week. Eventually it is thought all the bet- ter class of agents here will establish their own press bureaus, thus doing away with the Dutch lunch agents who scare the artist into subscribing for their publicity schemes which at best is nothing more than a bag of wind. PICTURE MEN IN POLITICS. Philadelphia, Aug. 16. George H. Earle, Jr., one of the heaviest stockholders in the Moving Picture Co., which operates several of the vaudeville-picture houses in this city, will very likely be candidate lor the Republican nominat.on for Mayor of this city. Ihere is a split in the party over the movement to nominate Recorder of Deeds William H. Vare for Mayor. Earle is the man selected by Senators Penrose and McNichol, the bosses, to run against Vare. BUYS RYAN'S INTERESTS. Cincinnati, Aug. 16. The interests of John J. Ryan in the Colonial, Covington, and Family, Newport, have been bought by Frie- berg & Parker, who operate the Cas- ino, Covington. The Family, projected by Ryan, is not yet completed. The purchasers will finish the house by Sept. 15. The Colonial is a leased house. Both will play vaudeville. About $50,000 was involved in the transaction. CHURCHILL'S $250 OVERSIGHT. Chicago, Aug. 16. Barney Fagan, of Fagan and By- ron, has started suit in Kansas City against E. P. Churchill for $250 for a week's salary, contracted for by Churchill when his Grand Rapids house was booked direct. Churchill booked the act. When C. H. Miles took the bouse over, he agreed to play all acts previously engaged. When Churchill submitted the list the name of Fagan and Byron was not present. Upon the team appearing in Grand Rapids, the house manager refused to play them. TWO FOR FAM. DEPT. Elmira, N. Y., Aug. 16. The new theatre building here, own- ed by the Schwepee Brothers, will play "pop" vaudeville, booked by the Family Department of the United Booking Offices. The house will seat 1,600, and open Sept. 11 or 18. Lebanon, Pa., Aug. 16. The Family, a "pop" vaudeville house, will be booked this season by the United Booking Offices "small time" branch. it opens Sept. 4. GIVING UP ORPHEUM. Cincinnati, Aug. 16. The Orpheum may be dark the com- ing season. Marcus Loew has or- dered all property belonging to the Loew Circuit, returned to New York. Jos. L. Rhinock and Ben Heidings- feld, have arranged to pay the watch- men's salaries. The house belongs to I. M. Martin, who tried to play vaudeville once in it himself, but didn't last long. WEDNESDAY FOR PRO. TRYOUTS. The Sheedy office has made an ar- rangement with Walter Rosenberg for the use of the Savoy Wednesday nights for the showing of unknown acts. No more amateurs will be put on the bill. The acts trying out will be spliced into the regular program, and those worthy will be given time immediately. A PICTURE NEWSPAPER. The Fifth Avenue started this wee* "The Pathe Weekly News" as the mov- ing picture feature of the program. The film is a weekly exhibit, and will disclose pictorlally big current news events. The picture was first tried out at the house last Sunday. It is made by the Pathe factory in Flushing, L. I.