San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 337, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 12, 1920 Page: 73 of 82
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SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS: SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 12, 1920.
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EXECUTIVE OF LOCAL THEATER
CHAIN WAS ONCE AN
ACROBAT
n«twsrd Eajmond. genera] n:an
agrr of thr Man Antonio Atnuterarnt Com-
penj l» a sbowmun from the eolc» vt kit
Jwl to the top of M> hen it
Mr. Ka.Tmond atarted at the age of !7 at
an acrobat and toured the country for two
wtoni with the Barnuui & Bailey cir us.
Jm:er he farmed a partuerahip with Hob
the iniaatrel man and presented the
•x-ond niuatrated ions act cier «bown to
tba public,
Mlnttreliy did not appeal to liiymond
and he Joined tba Lyceum Theater Stock
Company and remained with It In Brook
lyn, N. V„ for four yaara. Tba laat part
he played wna Llttio DIIHo in "Trilby.'
It "hi at thla tlina that *«ud»Tllle *ai
iu»t b»alnnln» to be looked tipon with a
Ind'y eye. and Itayraocd produced with
M'es Tieatrlco Trlcey one of the first one-
act pluyleta ever neeti on the raudevllla
ntfigc. AYisr orb aeaaon. In which the jet
'vat 'enturad at all of the lirfcit theaters.
M' Knrmnnd nnd Mlee Trieey were mar-
iie<( They remained la raaderillc until
1000. vhe" eu acconnt of 111 health M'e.
Hnymoul left tho ota*e and Mr Jtsyraoml
turned hia attention to tbo ncaageriiu end
of the bualneae.
He had charge of one of the leadles
houaea until he *aa eent if Kva'i»rlMi,
Ind.. with u cotnmlaalon to open and imi!<l
within '0 ilaj a a 170.000 three floi" opt ru
I'.eupe. Contractors, architects and ■'*
i re elfc laughed at the »nnounce'ne*il. l»"t
ihe theater went up. Brick was laid by
electric light, palntera, plasterer*, d-..u-
ratora, an array of workmen lihereri In
three ablfts nnd fiaymond was the big boss
for the biggest part of S4 hours a da?
The big bonuses be offered drove I lie
Jnen to their tasks and on the nljjbt < f the
fortleih day the theater, complete' in very
retail, enjoyed a brilliant opening
11 took two years to popularise tbi stion
liotiee to the extent desired, and Ihee ri.iv-
tnond was sent to Milwaukee to bring or-
d?r out of chaos there.
l'rom Milwaukee he was sent to I4ttle
Hoi k to take i barge of the Majeatlc, •
house that had been running for >e*ea
years, lie found his task easy there and
th<* iw-asoM was the most aoccensful in thi
history of the tn-use.
Kayiootid was tdeked as the idea! man to
cart; the Ititerntat* TBoderllle lot*# 8a»
Antonio Poring the right years he «i<
■in *an Antonio the local Majestic Theater
'-njoyed unusual prvwptrttyl Mr. liayraool
forsook the realm of the theater for the
• hem'ial business two years ago, but the
ore of the feotHgbtii was too strong fnr
Mn, He woi prevailed upon to join the
• xtctitlte staff of tbi Southern Enterprise!*
!n<*.. of I>a!!a«
His first act with this corporation w»*
t., arrange for the tiooking and routing of
ihe T.oew rlrenlt of \andeTlllc through .
IVidf, I'pon completing thla task he >«%. .
• ■ Houston us city manager for the Daflae
rm. His record there was such that he
wai commandeered to assume charge of
I he fiallas theaters. Uis great lore for
-jti "inloolo, its climate and its people led
him lo reijnest that he be transferrerf here
lie Is now eugaged In the netlrc manage-
'nent of the InraI theaters, nctlng as aegitt
ml -eneral manager to W. J. Lytle. Be
si,lei iieing aetlre in the theatrli-al pnifea
lee Mr Raymond I* a very popular
(• i:,r:an and devotee a great deal of tlm,
,'nb vvcrk. He also pleads guilty to
paying „'o!f rejnlsrty. bet to watch bins
lee "ff at nurnl»rr nine at Hiaekcnrld|[»-
one iiecome conrluced that there is some
ic'.Etahe.
By WILLIAM HOUSTON BRANCH
SCREEN STAR has a greater
vogue among Lmpire patrons than
Sebe Daniels. This brunette beauty
ivho flashed across the celluloid liori-
son last year for the greatest regis-
;ered personal success of the year is
truly a San Antonio and an Empire
itar.
For the destinies of this pleasing
tcreen personality and San Antonio
seem to have been pleasantly entwined.
3orn but a short distance from this
:ity, just twenty summers ago, it was
t San Antonio newspaper, The Evening
News, that joined with the Empire The-
iter in first recognizing her genius. It
n-as but a yeai ago that "Male and Fe-
male," a Cecil B. DeMille dramatiza-
tion of Sir James Barrie's "The Ad-
mirable Crichton," flashed on the Em-
pire screen. One of the most lavish
oroductions of all times, most person-
jlities would have beea lost in the orgy
Df luxury it represented. Bebe Dan-
els was playing her first dramatic role
n that photodranta, that of the king's
'avorite in the Babylonian episode. It
wasn't a leading part, it wasn't a role
that created any sympathy, it wasn't
t character that fitted into the main
heme of the story, yet Bebe Daniels
io stamped the few feet of film that
nade up this scene with her personal-
ty that a newspaper in reviewing this
feature predicted stardom in the future
'or this girl who took a minor ijprt.
The prediction of the newspaper
;ame true less than a year later, but
3ebe Daniels has been a star in the
F.nipire sense of the word sine ''Male
ind Female." It is part of the Em-
sire ideal to recognize and commend ar-
istry and genius, and in Miss Daniels'
rase it happily came previous to the
teneral recognition of the screen world.
>r where others gradually became
iware of the existence of a new screen
personaity through her appearance in a
number of large productions the Em-
pire proclaimed Miss Daniels' ability
at the start. So that when Miss Dan-
iels made her debut as a National star
in "You Never Can Tell," she was no
unknown quantity in San Antonio and
an evidence of her popularity locally is
to be found in the attendance figures
of the Empire Theater. Cecil B. De-
Mille productions have been considered
the best box-office attractions, and it
was in two of this director's photo-
dramas that Miss Daniels held the
minor parts which attracted the atten-
tion that brought her stardom, yet "You
Never Can Tell" played to more people
on its opening day than the latest De-
Mille attraction.
"OH, LADY, LADY, SELECTED
FOR ANNIVERSARY WEEK.
When it came time to select a star
and photoplay for the Empire Anni-
versary Week engagement, there was
no drawing of lots or puzzling about
the selection. W. J. Lytle and the Em-
pire executive staff were unanimous in
their opinion of the player to whom the
honor of playing the anniversary en-
gagement should be accorded. Aside
from the fact that she is a Texas girl
and that the Empire Theater had taken
a personal interest in her career. Miss
Bebe Daniels had proven herself the
best individual drawing card on the lo-
cal screen and so was entitled to that
honor. However, first her latest pho-
toplay must be weighed, for the Em-
pire is one theater which accepts its
stars only from picture to picturc.
Great as the drawing power of a star's
name may be, unless the vehicle is of
merit, the photoplay will not be given
Empire showing. In the case of "Oh,
Lady, Lady," the scales sagged unani-
mously in favor of the picture, and it
goes on the Empire screen, Sunday, en-
dorsed by the Empire management as
see a magnificent structure raised on
the site.
GREATEST AMUSEMENT
tVAR EVER WAGED.
The months of September, October
md November saw one of the great-
rst aniusement wars ever waged fought
n the State of Texas. The conflict was
:aused by the invasion of the Southern
Enterprises, which formerly had oper-
ited only on the Eastern side of the
Atlantic, int the State. Aligned
igainst this corporation were E. H.
Hulsey of Dallss and W. J. Lytle of
san Antonio. What the outcome would
have been is hard to tell, as both sides
had unlimited resources. However, the
methods of Mr. Hulsey and Mr. Lytic
so attracted the admiration and respect
!>f S.-A. Lynch, head of the Southern
Enterprises, that he endeavored to ef-
fect a consolidation at their own'terms.
lie was successful in his effort, and
oday E. H. Hulsey of Dallas is head
the Southern Enterprises in Texas,
Oklahoma and Arkansas, while Mr.
Lytle strengthened his power in the
imusement worl^l by becoming an ally
)f the new theater force. On Deccm-
jer 1, 1919, the Southern l-.nterprises
purchased the half interest in the Em-
sire, Royal and Princess Theaters
nhich was held by Lvtle's associates
ind a new corporation was formed un-
ler the name o? lis San Antonio
\musement Company with W. J. Lytle
is general manager.
In 1920 the lease and Grand Opera'
rlouse property was acquired by the
Jan Antonio Amusement Company in a
ipectacular deal which saw the passing
)f the Weis family from the local
•ialto. This transaction involved S350,-
kH). Pantages vaudeville was trans-
Icrrcd from the Royal to the Grand,
md the Royal since has operated as j
Vfiiioij picturc theater. A treat many-
changes were made in both houses. To
insure the perfect comfort of the audi-
ences in the summer, typhoon fans
were installed, a beautiful rest room
built and the interior of each theater
redecorated. Early this year the
Strand Theater was taken over by the
Lytle interests and has since become
one of the most popular theaters in the
city, another evidence of the superior
showmanship of the son of the Medina
pioneer settler.
November 1, 1920, saw the purchase
of the Queen Theater and the Conroy
Building on Alamo Plaza and Blum
Street for $540,000. To handle this
deal the Queen Amusement Company
was organized with W. J. Lytle as pres-
ident. In the past week Mr. Lytle has
acquired full control of the Petitclerc,
Liberty and Pike Theaters, which, to-
gether with the Wigwam, will be
joined with the Queen in the Qtieen
Amusement Company.
Mr. Lytic has always lived in San
Antonio, and has always shown a pref-
erence for the city founded about the
missions. But a few days ago he pur-
chased a GO-acre tract of land on the
Fredericksburg Road which contains a
great many of the geographic features
of his old boyhood home. He intends
to build a summer cottage on this
property. Engaged in a business w hich
is not considered especially inspirative
of doniestc bliss, Mr. Lytle is a great
home lover, and his wife has always
been his heipmeet in all his enter-
prises. He has a son, W. J. Lytle Jr.,
whose ability to criticize his father's
shows, leads every one to predict he
will be an even greater theater man
than his parent. As the lad but six
years old, Mr Lytle's Hateb are a^
\et not endangered. Ji -s^ Ncls.n
Lytic of Sa:: onlo .5 a L rot he / vi
the theater
one of the most striking comedy dramas
of the year, and the best vehicle Miss
Daniels has given to date.
Not only was "Oh, Lady, Lady," se-
lected as the Anniversary attraction at
the Empire, but Miss Daniels was in-
vited to personally visit San Antonio
for the occasion.
Miss Daniels endeavored to arrange
to leave Los Angeles, but was unable
to do so owing to the terms of her con-
tract with the Realart Pictures Corpora-
tion which call for her presence at the
studio every day one of her pictures is
in the making. It was only after try-
ing in every manner possible to ar-
range a schedule that would permit her
absence for a few days, that the piquant
little star finally sent a telegram an-
nouncing her inability to attend the
Empire fete. This was fol.owed by a
letter which explained her predicament,
and also brought out the great affec-
tion she cherishes for San Antonio and
San Antonio people. A part of the let-
ter reads--as follows:
"I certainTy am sorry not to be able to
be in my own State on the 12th of this
month. Today I am finishing 'Ducks
and Drakes,' my fourth Realart pic-
ture. As soon as the last scene is shot
I am due at the Lasky Studio for fit-
tings for my next picture, the filming
of which is to start Monday. The fifth
subject is to be 'Two Weeks With Pay'
(from the Saturday Evening Post Story,
November 7, 1920), and just as soon as
that is completed I am to return to
Lasky's for the filming of "The Tales
of Anatole," the big all-star production
Mr. DeMille is to put on, so you see it
would simply be impossible for me to
leave town at present. Next year I
shall not have to work quite so many
days and hope to be able to make the
trip I have been promising myself. Per-
haps there will be some other anniver-
sary at which 1 may be present, but
even if there isn't I should certainly
epjoy meeting some of the wonderful
people down there. When I hear from
Mr. Lytle I will explain and in the
meantime will you be good enough to
tell him how sorry I am not to be in
San Antonio for the Empire Theater's
Anniversary. San Antonio has been
lovely to me and I would like nothing
better than to be able to express my-
self to some of the dear people there.
As soon as 'The Tales of Anatole' is
completed, I will ascertain how much
time I shall have before starting on
my next picturc and will write you
again."
THE RIGHT TO PRAISE IS ALSO MAE MURRAY'S
, (Copy of letter)
tS.'i Fifth Avenue,
New York City.»
Mr. W. J. Lytle, Manager,
Kmpire Theater,
San Antonio, Texas.
Dear Sir:
It is a great pleasure to be in apposition lo congratulate you upon the
celebration of your sixth anniversary, and 1 am only sorry that I cannot lie
with you in person.
The public is the greatest critic in the world and your success is due
in large part to the character of the entertainment furnished the people
by your theater, which they have shown tjiey appreciate.
Wishing you every future success, 1 am, }ours sincerely,
MAE MURRAY.
Yes, We Are Very Proud
of Our Theaters
The first consideration of San An-
tonio's Theatrical Managers is the com-
plete sanitation of their houses; and,
second, the entertainment of their pa-
trons by giving us tiie best vaudeville,
the highest class pictures, and the most
worthy plays.
When it comes to Sanitary Articles,
f we are ready to serve you.
#
Interstate Chemical Co.
1902 South Flores Street
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS / '
I'hone Travis 21">S
^ We are glad of the opportunity to express our hearty
congratulations and sincere good wishes for a continua-
tion of the success of the San Antonio Amusement Com-
pany.
This is one of the big institutions of the Southwest
and a credit to San Antonio and to the energy and enter-
prise of its managing head, Mr. W. J. Lytle.
FROST NATIONAL BANK
of San Antonio
Empire Theater Leased
From T. F. Brady to W. J. Lytle in 1914
cf'Ai
KNOWN
iFACTSi
The leasing of the Empire Theater from Mr. T. F.
Brady to Mr. W. J. Lytle, involving a money considera-
tion of well over one quarter of a million dollars, was
'one of the largest leases ever signed in San Antonio.
The negotiations were handled entirely by our Mr.
Russell C. Hill. Two years later our Business Property Depart-
ment leased the Princess Theater from Mr. William Fenster-
maker to Mr, Lytle, a deal involving more money than the Em-
pire lease.
SPECIALIZE IN BUSINESS PROPERTY
For six years all the men connected with our Business Prop-
erty Department have given all their time to business property.
The result is that we have a group of energetic young men thor-
oughly informed about every phase of San Antonio business
property.
ROGERS-HILL & CO.
407 Navarro Street
Crockett 8044
WE ARE GLAD to have this oppor-
tunity of publicly extending our
congratulations to the San An-
tonio Amusement Company and its manager,
Mr. W. J. Lytle, on the sixth anniversary of
the opening of their beautiful Empire Theater
and to thank them for the service they have
rendered our city in providing their several
motion picture and vaudeville houses for the
entertainment of our people and the thousands
of visitors who come our way.
COMMONWEALTH BANK & TRUST CO.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Houston Street and Avenue C
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San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 337, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 12, 1920, newspaper, December 12, 1920; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth431568/m1/73/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.