The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-07-03
Rex Theatre
Taken Over
American Theaters Corporation
Now Owner of Local Picture
House

Atlanta, Ga, June 2S.-The
American Theatres Corporation
this week announced all plans
have been completed, officers elected
and that the organization is capital
lied at five million dollars with plans
laid for the operation OF motion pic
ture theatres in the principal cities
of the South.
Arthur Lucas of Atlanta is Npresi-
dent, the prime mover in The corpo-
ratlon, Is one Of the pioneer motion
picture men Of the South. Under his
able direction the theatres which are
now owned by the American Theatre s
Corporation have paid and are now
paying handsome profits. Mr.. Incas
has been engaged in various branches
of the motion picture industry since
1907. He is a Southerner, was bonn i'm
Florence, S. c., and reared il Savan-
nah, Ga.
Mr. Lucas is identified with a NUM-
Der of important theatres and theatri-
cal circuits in the Southeast. He is al
so director in the Exchange Bank of
savannah, president OF the Americus
Times Recorder. a prominent Georgia
daily, and served for some time as
Southern manager of the Goldwyn
Pictures Corporation.
Identified with Mr.. Lucas is Mr..
Shephard Bryan, one of the most sue
fesful attorneys in Atlanta Mr., Bryan
is secretary and treasurer and is al
man ofNthorCughly sane and well-bal-
anced ideas
Directors Of the company are James
Hamilton Lewis, former United States
Senator, of Chicago, VINO is known for
his successful business abilities, w. F..
Kay, of jacksonville, Fla, general So
licitor of the Atlantic Coat Line Rail-
way, w. G. Neal of Richmond, Va, a
well-known capitalist who has for
many years. been identified, with
Jake Wells. F.. L. Woodruff of Atlanta.
manager of the Southern Bell Tele-
phone Company, Marion Lucas, post
master of Savannah, Ga, Arthur Lu-
cas- and Shepherd Bryan of Atlanta,
GA, John Evins Of Savannah, Ga. and
"A. O. Blalock, internal revenue col
lector, Atlanta, Ga.
tion announces that they have OH. .
lined an aggressive plan and That they
will purchase leases and build theatres
throughout the South They Lave
taken over the Odeon and Folly Thea
tres in Savannah, Ga. the Rex Theatre
IN Sumter. S. c.. and are now build
ing one of the most modern and most
beautiful theatres ever erected in Sa-
yannah. They are just completing
the Rylander Theatre in Americus.
Ca, and theatres in the larger cities
in the South are being taken over as
rapidly as possible, or new theatres
will be built
The motion picture industry is no
longer a game: it is a business.
Hugh 1. CORDOBA, one Of the best
informed and most thoroughly euuip-
ped men in the theatrical business.
has been in Sumter for the past eight
weeks, remodeling the Rex Theatre.
and the result of his work is being
dally evidenced. Mr.. CORDOBA, was
General Southern Representative, for
the Jake Wells Enterprises, during a
period OF twelve years, with head
in Atlanta, and supervising
theatres all over the South. With the
sale OF the Wells Theatres to the
southern Enterprises, the Lynch In
terests, late last year, Mr.. Cardoza was
engaged by Mr.. Lucas, for an executive
position with the American Theatres
Corporation.
When the Rex Theatre has been
competed to make it the pride of
sumter Mr.. Cardoza will take up 9TH
er duties in refashioning several of
the theatres now controlled by the
five million dollar corporation.