The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1928-04-27

Mr.. Culpepper will make ndl
statement. admitting only thai
"some papers have passed between
him and Burgess & Joyner. owners
ef the Alkrama and Gaiety. 4
W. T. Culpepper is one OF thtl
shrewdest and most enterprisinlt
business men in Elizabeth City. Hti
is a man of many enterprises and !;
he turned up In the moving picture
business OH large scale no one
would be very much surprised.
When the stockholders Of thtI
Carolina Bank organized the Caro-
lima Investment & Insurance. co. .antI
built the beautiful Carolina theatre
in this city. W. Il. Culpepper wal
made vice president Of the company
The Carolina was leased to 4
chain operating company with head
quarters I'm Charlotte who wen
bankrupt early In February OF thisI
year. The Carolina was closed folI
one night only. Mr.. Culpepper, act
Ing for the owners Of the theatre
building and as vice-president O.
the company. assumed the manage
ment of the Carolina Theatre ant
has kept the theatre going sinct
Feb. 18th. He had to learn thu
theatre business all Of d sudden. bu
his keen business mind and appre
ciation of public taste grasped fhtl
details of the show business quick
ly and he has given the public &
good run of pictures and madk
money for his company. Inciden
tally-and 1t Is no secret-he nal
become fascinated with the show
business and its possibilities.
The Carolina has been tied up IL
the receivership Of the bankrup
chain operators, the old OPERATOR
claiming all the equipment Of thj
theatre and claiming an equity hl
I. the building itself because Of th'l
decorations, which they provided a
part of the building. The receiver
will release the bnil.ling to the own
ers. the Carolina Investment & In
surailce Co. on May /, settlemen
between the company and the receivl
ers having been determined upon.i
All Of the foregoing Is Of mucl
significance in view of the fact tina
Mr.. Culpepper is now known {.
have recently bought cOmpetini
theatres in the town. or to have &C
.uuired an option OH them.
|. of course, III shudder may run ur
and down the spines Of moyini.
picture fans who may scent d pos
sible local monopoly of the movini
picture business; but there are tbos
close to Mr. Culpeppef and som
familiar with the moving, pictur
business who say that a centralize.,i
ownership of all the moving plctur,
honses In the town would he thI
best deal for the public. 1t Is
! known fact that where there arI
two theatres in a town catering Z
/ the same class of patrons. the Sprd
ducers play one against the cthe
and hold out for high prices fo
their releases. In trying to OutdI
each other the operators rum up tn
cost of their pictures until there
no profit In them. So say SOM
familiar with the game. MOrinj
pictures. like other commodities
may he bought wholesale far NOR
advuntageously than retail. so y
sneak. In other words, ii Is point
ed out. one man buying for two O
three theatres can buy the sam
pictures for less money than tw
men buying individually for In
dividual houses.
May is next Tuesday. Elizabet
City movie fans will not have lon
To wait to find out what Is actuall
happening in the moving pictur
business in Elizabeth City. Thi
newspaper can only tell them to b
on the alert, for something is haI
| ueuiur