Moving Picture World (Dec 1917) - Learn About Movie Posters

1832 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 22, 1917
Interesting Trade Notes from Louisville
Collector Finds No Profiteering in Louisville Theaters—L. J. Dittmars Explains How
Tax Has Been Met—Patrons Coming Back to Theaters.
By Ohio Valley News Service, 1404 Starks Building, Louisville, Ky.
LOUISVILLE, KY.—An investigation in
' Louisville by agents of the Department
of Justice for profiteering in connection
with the war tax lias so far failed
to reveal any such violations. T. Scott
Mayes, as the local collector of internal
revenue, said: Any firm or corporation has
a right to increase prices, but it must not
lead the public to believe that the amount
of increase is to cover the war tax when
the amount raised is in excess of the
amount of the war tax. This would not
only cause the war tax to prove unpopular
with the people but would be taking
advantage of both the Government and
the tax payer.
How Price Adjustment Affects Income.
L. J. Dittmar. president of the Louisville
Photo Play Association, and head
of the Majestic Amusement Co., said that
the price changes had not really increased
or decreased the gross receipts of the
houses. "We have been getting fifteen
cents for matinees since last April^" he
said, "and when the war tax problem
came up we decided to reduce the matinee
admission to 13 cents, and the two
additional cents paid the war tax. At
night the price was raised to 18 cents,
which, with the 2-cent tax, made the admission
20 cents. Thus, if our afternoon
business is exactly the same as our night
business in numbers attending, we make
one cent per ticket, but the effect has
been to reduce the night attendance in
favor of the afternoon, and frequently we
lose.
"We have been very careful to make it
plain to the public exactly what has been
done, and in front of every theater in the
city where a tax is charged prices are
shown like the followi: : 'Admission,
afternoon, 13 cents, war tax, two cents—
ticket, 15 cents. Night, admission, 18
cents, war tax, two cents, ticket, 20 cents.'
We are wholly within the law in every
way."
Patrons Coming Back to Louisville
Shows.
Louisville, Ky.— "I believe that business
will be better as soon as the people get
used to the idea of paying a higher admission
price," remarked Fred Dolle, of
the Alamo theater, who is smiling again
after holding a grouch against business
for the past three or four weeks. For a
time, after the new rates became effective,
there was a considerable falling off in patronage
at all houses, but this is beginning
to disappear, and may have been partly
due to the changing seasons. Until the
public gets used to either very hot weather
or cold weather a large percentage prefers
staying at home. The general prospects
are for an immense holiday business
in Louisville for everyone, and some
good films have been booked.
Charles Scott to Manage Camp Taylor
Theater.
Louisville, Ky.—Charles Scott, formerly
manager of Macauley's theater in Louisville,
and more recently connected with
the Ben Ali and Lexington, Ky., opera
house, handled by the Haggin estate t will
be manager of the Klaw & Erlanger theater
at Camp Taylor, according to Dame
Rumor, who states that the offer has
been made to Mr. Scott, who is a firstclass
manager. The camp theater is a big
one. and will be a busy place when the
soldiers really begin to take interest in
the shows.
Gave Five Per Cent, to Smoke Fund for
Week.
Madisonville, Ky.—E. W. Dozier, manager
of the Garrick theater, increased
business somewhat during the week of
November 27, when he offered to give five
per cent, of gross receipts for the week to
the "Our Boys in France Tobacco Fund.'
Mr. Dozier called attention to the fact that
the plan had been investigated by the
management of the Rialto and other Eastern
theaters, and had been warmly endorsed.
Thanksgiving Taxed Capacities.
Louisville, Ky.—Thanksgiving business
with the Louisville theaters was as good,
if not considerably better, than ever experienced,
and as usual the theaters were
forced to turn down much evening business,
their capacities being severely taxed
in handling the afternoon crowds. At
half-past eight in the evening, the lobbies
of all of the downtown theaters were
jammed with people awaiting the opening
of the new runs at nine o'clock. The suburban
houses also handled capacity business.
The Cherokee theater, a suburban
house, offered a special double bill, consisting
of eleven reels, handling a continuous
show during the afternoon and
evening.
Country Show Cuts Down.
Hellier, Ky.—The Star theater has cut
down to three shows a week, due to winter
weather, bad roads, and the usual falling
off in business at this season of the
year. Shows will be given on Monday,
Wednesday and Saturday nights throughout
the winter.
Tennessee News Letter
By J. L. Ray Trade News Service,
Nashville, Tenn.
Loew Buys Memphis Picture House.
MEMPHIS, TENN.—Marcus Loew's theatrical
expansion has again reached
Memphis, after having put up one highclass
vaudeville and moving picture house
during the past year. This time he buys a
moving picture house, where he will show
pictures alone. On December 22 the Loew
interests will take over the Princess theater,
which has been running for many
years as the "five-cent house." Some of
the largest features have been shown at
this theater, with no increase in the admission
price, and the building itself is
one of the largest in West Tennessee.
Heretofore the program has been changed
daily, but under the new administration
the highest-class features will be shown
for ten cents, with a change of program
four times a •week.
Repairs will be made, and the auditorium
brightened up and improved to meet
the demands of the Loew standard. The
house will be known as Loew's Princess.
The slogan of the house, •which has become
generally known over the state,
"Five Cents, Why Pay More?"—passes out
of existence with the transfer of ownership.
Mutual Exchange to Leave Memphis.
Memphis, Tenn.-—The latest announcement
in the Tennessee exchange field is
that the Mutual will close its Memphis
office. It is proposed to wind up the affairs
of the exchange within the next
week or ten days, and close immediately
thereafter. The Mutual exchange was formerly
located at 500 South Main street,
but recently moved to Fourth and Union,
in the same locality with the other exchanges
in this city. The "Big Star only"
service was featured.
Sunday Pictures but No Vaudeville.
Chattanooga, Tenn.—Sunday theaters
are running in this town without molestation
by the authorities. Keith's Rialto
is advertising that no vaudeville •will be
shown on the Sabbath, but that pictures
will hold, the boards exclusively. Thousands
of soldiers come in from the army
cantonment at Fort Oglethorpe, just over
the Georgia line, on Sundays, to view the
pictures, and every house in the city runs
to capacity.
New Policy at Memphis Majestic.
Memphis, Tenn.—The Majestic theater
of this city has added a vaudeville act
to its picture program. The "theater with
the largest seating capacity" is using this
one act of high-class entertainment to
break the program between reels.
Within a few weeks the Majestic
Amusement Company's newest theater, the
Majestic No. 1, will put into effect a twicea-week
picture change, instead of the
four-time-a-week change, as now running.
The best features will be shown, one picture
being on the program for four days
and the other for three.
Triangle Man Takes Memphis Bride.
Memphis, Tenn.—Jack Stewart, one of
the best-known exchange managers in the
South, was married in this city on No-"
vember 28, to Miss Gertrude Morris, one
of the belles of Memphis. Mr. Stewart
is manager of the Triangle offices in New
Orleans, and if he meets 'with the same
success in married life as has been his
lot in the business world, he has nothing
to fear.
Princess Helps Soldiers.
Nashville, Tenn.—The Princess theater
recently placed a container in the lobby
to gather smokes for the Tennessee boys
in camp at Greeneville. S. C. Harry Sudekum,
manager of the Princess, has sent a
lot of smokes for distribution to Lieut.
Baxter Jackson, of the 114th Field Artillery.
Negro House Likes "Ne'er Do Well."
Memphis, Tenn.—Splendid reports come
from the Lincoln theater, a Beale street
negro house, regarding the run of the
"Ne'er Do Well," Rex Beach's master picture.
Kaufman Specials of Memphis is
distributing the prints.
Atlanta News Letter
A. M. Beatty, 43 Copenhall Ave., Atlanta,
Ga.
F. A. Petrich Will Guide the Grand.
ATLANTA, GA.—F. A. Petrich assumed
the managership of Loew's Grand theater,
Saturday, December 1, succeeding E.
A. SchiUer, who will devote his entire time
to Loew's southern circuit, of which he is
general representative. Mr. Schiller will
also have charge of Loew's southern booking
agency in the Grand building through
which acts and attractions, including moving
pictures from the Southern territory,
will be booked for Loew's theaters. Mr.
Petrich comes to Atlanta from Minneapolis
where he was manager of the Loew theater.
Mr. Petrich has also been connected
with Loew theaters in a number of other
cities and is well known in theatrical
circles in the north and east. F. G. Wilson,
formerly treasurer of Loew's Grand theater,
has been promoted to assistant
manager.
W. E. Sipe Now Heads Bluebird and
Jewel.
Atlanta, Ga.—W. E. Sipe, who has been
connected with the Consolidated Film &
Supply Co. as special representative, has
taken over the management of the Bluebird
Photoplays and the Jewel Productions.
Mr. Sipe has taken offices at 111
Walton St.
Lyric Prepares Grand Red Cross
Benefit.
Atlanta, Ga.—Arrangements have been
made for a benefit performance for the
Red Cross at the Lyric theater December
7th. As that day has been established by