- Collection:
- The Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s: Selections from the Records of Macon's Douglass Theatre
- Title:
- Letter: Valdosta, Georgia to Ben Stein, Macon, Georgia, probably 1926
- Creator:
- Stein, Luke
- Date of Original:
- 1926
- Subject:
- Atlanta Film Board of Trade
Feature films--Georgia--Macon
Motion picture theaters--Georgia--Macon
Theaters--Georgia--Macon
Contracts for work and labor--Georgia--Macon
African American musicians--Employment--Georgia--Macon
African American singers--Employment--Georgia--Macon
Entertainment events--Georgia--Macon
Brewster's millions (Motion picture : 1921)
Four horsemen (Motion picture)
Last frontier (Motion picture : 1926)
Hard boiled (Motion picture : 1926)
Hold that lion (Motion picture : 1926)
Love 'em and leave 'em (Motion picture : 1926)
New commandment (Motion picture : 1925)
No man's gold (Motion picture : 1926)
Runaway express (Motion picture : 1926)
We're in the Navy now (Motion picture : 1926)
Douglass Theatre (Macon, Ga.)
Palace Theatre (Valdosta, Ga.) - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Bibb County, Macon, 32.84069, -83.6324
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
United States, Georgia, Lowndes County, Valdosta, 30.83334, -83.28032 - Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- image/jpeg
text/html - Description:
- Letter from Luke Stein, owner and manager of the Palace Theatre in Valdosta, Georgia, to his brother Ben Stein, owner and manager of the Douglass Theatre, probably dated 1926, regarding film scheduling strategy. Luke advises his brother to change the dates for his films, and suggests improvements. Films mentioned by Luke include We're in the Navy Now (1926, Famous Players-Lasky), Hard Boiled (1926, Fox Film Corporation), Love Em and Leave Em (1926, Famous Players-Lasky), The Four Horsemen, New Commandment (1925, First National Pictures), Hold that Lion (1926, Douglas MacLean Productions), Flaming Last Frontiers, Brewster's Millions, No Man's Gold (1926, Fox Film Corporation), and Runaway Express (1926, Universal Pictures). Luke reports that he has booked the "colored singers," a five-member group including pianist, for three days of shows to change nightly. He notes that he has arranged for them to play at the Douglass Theatre and had to promise them that Ben would split profits of an "after show" fifty-fifty with them, since they wanted more than he gave them. Luke mentions that he encloses their contract (not included with this document) and relates that business is good. He adds that Smith, probably William M. Smith, manager of the Douglass Theatre, will know how to change the bookings, so that Ben does not need to go to Atlanta.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2005, as part of Georgia HomePLACE. This project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. - Local Identifier:
- dbr090
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/dtrm/id:dbr090
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_dtrm_dbr090
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_dtrm_dbr090/presentation/manifest.json
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Theater Records Series, Charles Henry Douglass, Jr. Business Records, 1906-1967, Middle Georgia Archives, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
- Extent:
- [2] p.
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Middle Georgia Archives, Washington Memorial Library, Charles Henry Douglass, Jr. business records, 1906-1967, box 22, folder 223, document 27.
- Holding Institution:
- Washington Memorial Library, Middle Georgia Regional Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
[Note: This document contains typewritten, handwritten, and printed text.]
[written text: [added text (appears to be different hand and ink): [ca. 1927]]]
[printed text:
THE PALACE THEATRE
INCORPORATED
OFFICE OF THE MANAGER
Valdosta, Ga. [Georgia],]
[typewritten text: Dear Ben;
I am in receipt of your telegram and am soory [sorry] that I mixed things up as it never entered my mind that about the matinee, mixing things, so write each concern up to the date that the matinee is over the ones that you have on Tues [Tuesday] and Wed [Wednesday] ask for Wed [Wednesday] and Thursday and take the Thursday and ask for Tuesday, ell [tell] them that if they cant give you the picture set to give you one similar nearly every one [everyone] will be able to give you the same ones, for instance you have a mix and they dont have that picture you have set they will have another one open, It will be impossible for you to let them in on the colored picture and the only thing you can do is to tell them that those tickets are not good on colored pictures or road shows, as you will be ruined on the colored picture, as that is the picture you will make some good money, then on the next Tues [Tuesday] and Wed [Wednesday] you have Were in the Navy Now, give them that picture on Tuesday and spot a western from Elterbran for Wednesday, then the next Tues [Tuesday] and Wed [Wednesday] you have a mix title Hard boiled, ask Fox for Wed [Wednesday] and Thu [Thursday] and on Thursday you have Love Em and Leave Em, ask Paramount to put it on Tues [Tuesday] if they havent the date open ask them for something else in its place; then the next week do the same with the four horseman and First National picture New Commandment, then the next week do the same with [unclear text: Metros] Chaney and paramount Hold that Lion, the next week the same with Producers [deleted text: Flaming] Last Frontiers and Paramounts Brewsters Millions; and the last one Foxes [Fox's] Mix No Mans Gold and Universals Runaway Express; in other words ask the Thursday dates for Tuesday and Tuesand [Tuesday]
Page: [2]
dates ask for Wed [Wednesday] and Thursday and you will get them, I have been out selling matinee tickets and have sold twenty, Tonight they are hailng [hailing] the clored [colored] singers and a big crowd of white people are going, I got in touch with them, and signed them up for three days I could have gotten them for a week but I figured that Mon [Monday] Sat [Saturday] are good days anyway, and the Tues [Tuesday] matinee so I hired them for three days July 20th 21st and 22nd. they are to furnish three thousand hand bills, and give three shows daily their program last for an hour and a half but you will have to cut it down to the most of thirty minutes, they are real good singers and have on a very nice show, If they go big in which I am sure they will, as the coloredvpeople [colored people] like good singing, have a after show on Friday at popular prices, as I told them if they had an after show you would split fifty fifty with them as they wanted much more than I gave them so I had to promise them something, with the hand bills and slide and painted sign in fron itmought [front ought] to pull in some extra business, there is five of them including their piano player, I am enclosing contract made with them you need to be afraid about going up in prices as they will please the people and be sure and advertise complete change of program each and ever [every] night, you ought to get a good crowd of white people; I suppose the snipes have been sent to you, by this time, Business is good with us and hope you have had a good week, Smith will know how to cahnge [change] the bookings so there is no use for you to go to Atlanta; as I am going to supper, will close.
With Love Your Bud
[Signed] Lukie]