The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, October 31, 1940, Page 5

20th CENTURY THEAT THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, THURSDAY, OCT. 31, 1940. RE and APARTMENT BUILDING FORMALLY OPENED TONIGHT 20TH (ENTURY‘ THEATRE BEST IN NOR_T!ilAND Not a Post in the House Is One of the Best of Ad- verfisements PATRONS PASS THROUGH | LARGE, SPACIOUS LOBBY | Seating Arrangements Are | Very Latest-Section | for Children ‘ ¢ | | Ihat’s probably the best mlvm--i tisement W. D. Gross can hand| for his 20th Century Theatrs ing tonight—and don’t think Not a post in the house. THE NEW BUILDING 20TH CENTURY THEATRE-APARTMENTS Many years ago, when was a little struggling camp, living off the chips that fell its way from the thriving metropolis of Tread- well across Gastineau Channel, an ambitious young theatre man met the inbound steamers at the wharf and with a littie push cart, trucked townward with the films for his little picture house known as the Grand at Front and Franklin, now ce wno atreacy had a varied business career behind his few years, saw visions in those days. He saw a string of theatres in Alaska under his rule. He saw the lofting concrete of a high apartment and theatre building far ahead of anything else in Alaska. The man was W. D. (Dave) Gross. And the visions he saw yesterday are actuality today. Tonight, Dave Gross, in his char- Juneau isn't as pleased as Dave over the “prospect of going to & show and knowing there are 1250 seats to choose from, mot one| posted.” 4 INAUGUATE NEW it | NEWE& THEATRE walks into the 20th Cen-| wry (youll elbow your way inj tonight) on yielding rubber mats,| through chrome-plated doors zmd! into the broad foyer. | In front, is a broad expanse of mtrors 15 te teft vonce & srace-| L0t Century Patrons \lly lofting stairway. To the right,| - another stairway reaches in al Patrons of the 20th Century The- sweeping curve to the ba]ccmy,‘mre have a real thrill in store for Chrome railings line both stair-|them tonight when W. D. Gross| ways. Carpets beneath the feet are will inaugurate his new Super Sim- heavy and soft. | plex motion picture Projection sys- | Off the head of the stairs be-|iem. | neath the balcony is the mezzan-| Technicians of the National The- | ine floor with soft lamps easy |atre Supply Company have installed chairs and davenports. | this new projection room equipment Into the Balcony | which bri to Juneau the latest | In the balcony are 100 loges and |improvements in the art of motion 250 regular seats. All seats are|Picture projection. foam rubber covered with a red| With the showing of “Hollywoced | | Calvalcade,” patrons of the 20th One Steadier, More Brilliant, Pictures Promised for plush-like material, The seats ¥ g spring up of their own accord, | Century will see their screen fa- There is no reaching for down Vorites in greater brilliance and full Suats 5 | detail, exactly as they ‘were filmed | in Hollywood. Yet, increased brilliance, pictures be more restful to the eyes. | Few people realize the speed at despite this | The projection room encloses $18,- will { | 000 worth of sound and projection equipment, the last word in West- . L L;L th pr;!f.n” ;‘w '~ |erate and the watch-like accuracy vl ol 2, KA MU | of their fast-moving parts. In an dHseie n Sea'me. |average feature picture more than Mgzin: Figor two miles of film speed through the On the main floor there are 800, 0e0t0rs at the rate of 90 feet a seats in three sections. | minute. To maintain this speed and Overhead is a glant chandelier | o)) gesure a steady picture on the of chromium trim and glass wnh\wrwm the vital projector parts several sets of lights for varied}m“:\.[’ be extremely accurate and color arrangements. The big chan-|ye( keep down wear to the absolute delier is 12 feet across and weighs|minimum. In the Super-Simplex 750 pounds. It took employees sev-|projectors, these parts are -ground eral days to assemble it and raisc from special steel to an unbelievable | it, | tolerance of 1-10,000th of an. inch—/ Electric Trimmings | the equivalent of one twenty-fifth| On either side of the theatre|the thickness of a human hair. | are two great wheels with vari- The entire projection booth has cclored fluorescent tube lighting|been modeled. and the most im- effects, while in the recessed ceil-|proved types of motor generator and ings above the stage there are also|high intensity arc lamps have been more variations of colored lighting. | installed to insure for 20th Century | Eleetrical contractor Jerry Mc- | patrons the utmost in steady, bril-| Kinley, who did the installation liant, uninterrupted pictures. | work on the electrical apparatus,| Mr, Gross commented that there | called the lighting effects head-|will be no need to come early for| aches at first. Now he calls them|good seats, because every. seat will| “beautiful,” and they are. |be a good one. The 20th Century’s | Spacious Stage |new projection system is the same | Behind the organ pit is a spa-|type as those now installed in most | cious stage without crowded wings. of the large famous theatres in the| Everything in the way of curtains country—including Radio City Mu-| or backdrops lifts vertically out of sic Hall, Paramount and Roxy The-| sight. |tres, N. Y, and in great picture The curtain proper is of blood | Palaces throughout the world. e " aiing e Rhidies, Gross‘( ARPE‘I’S I“ 20?“ CENTURY, LATEST, children quieter, removed two of the showhouse world’s bugaboos—“running” kids— and floor drafts, To keep the e MODERN DESIGNS TWO OFFICES Floor Covering Is of Besi-| % ARELOCATED Also Afiractive in \ . I“ Bu'lDl"fi’ In {he ve(r:non!c(:lralx!lgf the carpet | _._. | trade Gross 20th Century Theatre Gross Has Business Place for Himself-Dr. Stewart, * Dentist, Is Located Show.” Brilliant, restlient and ex- | tremely soft Crestwood carpet woven con the looms of the largest carpet mill in the world has been installed fcr the safety, comfort and all around enjoyment of its patrons. Theatre-goers will now. have the new and unusual 'experience of that “treading on air” feeling. Mr. Gross, owner of the 20th Cen- tury theatre says—‘best quality and attractive colors have been selected in our new carpet to fit in har- moniously with all of our auditor- fum an dhouse surroundings. We On the left of the building en-|are highly pleased that we have bzen trance is the snappy Channel Ap-|able to furnish our patrons with this parel Dress Shop, while on the right | additional comfort so they may bet- P The 20th Century Theatre and Apartment Building is something else in the way of buildings as well. It is also a business office building. Owner W. D. Gross has spacious offices himself in the building and Dr. A. W. Stewart, dentist, is now located in the building. SBES’I’ IN PICTURES,—‘just as Hol- tonight will be “Putting on a Floor | acteristic way which all Juneau has come to know, will stand in the mirrored foyer of his new theatre and greet Juneauites proudly as they come in for the Grand Pre- miere of the Gross 20th Century {1(|v‘*:1[n- and Apartment Building. | Faces Obstacles—Builds Is Pioneer 0f Northland W. D. (Dave) Gross came to Alaska in 1887 and has made the north his residence and Let's see more of this man who business sphere since that |46 iy the face of obstacles and time, building, progressing. | who takes on continually ‘- more ¢ SR worries and trouble as though he savored them. NEW SEA“NG William D. Gross—“Dave” o |most Alaskans—is the second youngest son of an early Puget Sound family that moved from Ta- |coma to Seattle when the Queen ity began to boom. jchool had no appeal for young Dave as did the business world | He skipped the books and took up | the tailoring trade as an appren- | tice | COMFORT FOR 20TH CENTURY Most Mode;n: Streamline Chairs Are Installed in | "5 . puve pauses to preacn H simply. A successful man, though women, “Get an education!” Tailoring and Dave contac In a step with widespread program to bring the best in motion picture preseritations and facilities to™ the| gave 20th Century Theatre, W. D. Gross| — has installed the most modern | comfortably upholstered chairs. The new seats are of the latest streamline construction, scientifi- cally designed to provide ccmplete. comfort from the neck-line to the | knee-line. They are fully uphols-| tered in a cheerful pattern of mo-[ hair specially designed to lend a| colorful note to the interior decora-| tions. | Patrons of the 20th Century can! enjoy their programs with a new} sense of comfort and relaxation, Mr. | Gress says, no matter how stirring | the drama or how rollicking the ccmedy that he unfolds on the screen. He la ingly fears, how- ever, that the comfortable chairs| may make patrons reluctant to leave, and they may revive the old custom | of seeing the show through again. ——e——— | SURPRISE IS IN | STORE HERE FOR THEATRE PATRONS Gross Is Enthusiastic 0verf Latest Motion Picture Projection Equipment When interviewgd today, W. D.| Gross found it difficult to find words | to express himself over the results of the pre - view showings with his; new projection equipment. “We were told when we placed | our order for these new E-7 Pro- jectors that they would result in better pictures—but then I always like to see results, myself *before saying much about them. Now I feel that we are geared up to give the 20th Centry patrons the very | young men and i selling tailoring , and when the lywood produced them. Pictures! are steadier, mope light ‘is én the: screen and several possible sources |of trouble have been eliminated— | |all of which makes for sharper,! brighter pictures that are ‘kind to; | the ey | “In addition to this our Projec-| tionists are ' in ‘seventh heaven.’| The apparatus is 50 easy to operate, to take apart, to keep clean and in A-1 working shape, that they say it is fun to operate. T wish it wasn't against the rules to invite my pa- trons to our projection booth, be- |'cause I know it would be an inter- esting experience to see these new Simplex projectors in operation.” —— T | . W. D. Gross gave Juneau one of ;the city’s first carnivals, a hum- dinger, presepting this, featyre in the Coliseuni before changed into of the entrance is the Ordway Photo | ter enjoy themselves while attend- Shop. ing our theatre. a movie house. That was ’m yaars} Juneau DAVE GROSS STRUGGLES FROM BOTTONTO TOPIN | ALASKA SHOW BUSINESS fever of the Klcndike laid low £e- attle and the rest of the known world, he too, succumbed, and with the advantage of the he had built, secured the b: of a number wholesa’e and followed the gold rushers into the Klondike with a shipment of merchandise. In tacts ng of at the end of the rush trail, Cave set up the Red Front Clothing Store (and just hetwaen us, right now, Dave's favor- ite, color is the brightest of red ycull see in the 20th Century), but with Dawson slipping, Dave puiled out. Dawson, Back again to Alaska, he set up business in Fairbanks, prospering there until the great fire swept him and dozens of other merchants ,cut of business That was Dave's first real set- back. & Again Picks up Shears Without insurance, and no fur- ther capital, plugging Dave Gross picked up again where he had be- gun. Needles and shears were cheap and he started anew in his tailoring Dbusiness. Then after years of struggling Gress began to sink his teeth: into the thing he had dreamed of only secretly—the picture business. Moving pictures in Alaska rare and there were no theatr Dave Gross decided to bring Alaska a theatre, Open Theatre At Ketchikan, with a bit of cquipment, he finally. established the, Grand Theatre on the site of the First City’s present Ryus Drug Store. That was the beginning of a | chain. From Ketchikan, Dave came to.Juneau and opened the Dream, later moving to the Grand Build- ing at Front and Franklin. Operat- ing his own theatre, Dave was nearly his entire pa ll, and he got) .along. Imr - the ever-watching theatre THE BUILDER-OWNER W. D. (DAVE) GROSS B s - 2 ] | world, Dave had arrived. Little did he realize he had made his splasn, but when he sought backing for a larger and better theatre, he had no trouble in getting support to remodel the building that is now the present Coliseum Theatre. Starts Film Exchange this point, Dave Gross is at a new junction point in the road| to his present success. He saw the possibilities in buying motion pic- tures and renting them to other towns—so the Alaska Film Ex-| change was born. Dave had the money and the pictures. He financed men inother | towns to build their theatres, then sold them pictures and equipment For a time this procédure worked | nicely, but Dave Gross began to| realize after a bit that he must| “puy” the pictures from himself, so he began buying the theatres| he had promoted. He took over the showhouses of Wrangell, Sitka, Petersburg, Haines, and Douglas. He remodeled them and called theni all “Coliseum.” In Ketchikan, Dave took a new| At | | Is One 0f Chain The 20th Century is one of a chain of Coliseum theatres in Juneau, Ketchikan, Wran- gel, Petersburg, Douglas, Sitka, and Haines. tack. He built one of Alaska’s first actual theatres, Alaskans had been housing their theatres in re- modeled stores, They said such a venture as Dave Gross was under- taking was out of reason. Dave Gross proved again he was “way ahead of them,” and the venture paid. Today, the Gross 20th Century Theatre and Apartment Building is opening with a blaze of color in a town that is watching other Alaskan towns “take the gravy" in Army expenditures—a town where | property values have temporarily hit their peak—a town where peo- ple have for a year been saying there are already too many apart- ments. In these times, affer two years of struggling with financiers, with laborers and with contractors, Dave Gross is fearlessly opening the third theatre in Juneau and another apartment house. Calamity howlers tell Dave “This is no time for such things as this,” to which Dave Gross who has so far kept ahead of progress, an- swers, “You think so?” And then he laughs, TROUBLES ARE ALL OVERCOME BY W. D. GROSS "“Monument” to Builder and Owner Is Erected Through Difficulties Ne bed of roses had W. D. Gross {in building his 20th Century Theatre and Apartment Building. He had trouble in securing the preperty he wanted. Then he had trouble with subsurfacé drainage. | Eventually, the building was started. | But laborers and contractors had | trouple getting alor with elchj |other abcut that time in Juneau|ttre and Apartment Building is the jand Dave Gross locked doors and|Gross penthouse, and somehow, the boarded windows up to let them iron out their difficulties. Then there was an argument with the city over penthouse construc- tion. Gross had some wooden con- struction inside, and the city said he was supposed to have concrete throughout for the size and style |of his building. That's what Gross planned any- and putting solid concrete walls in ing six stories of solid concrete with ished building today begins its sec- cnd phase of life. It is up and it is open for busi- the rest of Juneau is gone, and future has in store for Juneau. In his hour of glory today, Dave for this city.” Businessmen like that are a com- fort to any community. e The Gross Apartments formerly | housed the old Alaska Daily Dis-| patch, but W. D. Gross converted it structure as a “monument” to am- |into apartments after much remod- |bition and perseverance. Such it eling. E APARTMENTS MODELED AS UP-TO-DATE Super Structure for Juneau ~Dream of Gross-Is Now Reality | TWENTY-THREE SUITES ARE IN NEW BUILDING From Grained Hardwood Floors, fo Furnishings, Everything Elaborate W. D. Gross wanted to build a “super” apartment houge for Ju- neau, and in many respects he has. | The 20th Century apartments, 23 lof them, have a good many fea- [ tures that apartment-knowing Ju- neauites have already seen with ready approval. Flooring everywhere is of beauti- i fully grained hardwood. That fea- ture alone attracts the eye as one lenters any apartment in the six- story structure. It is nicely fin- ished and gives a touch of com- pleteness to the building that is |seldom found in the moderate priced range apartment. The one-piece entrance doors Lo {all apartments, thick, heavy oak, without panels, represent the num- ber two eye attraction of the apart- ment structure, Smoothly fin- ished, these doors swing solidly without a vibrating slam. They should. They are cut | solid mahogany. All apartments are well lighted and well appointed. Kitchens with roomy refrigerators and the most modern of electric ranges represent | convenience in cooking that all housewives look for. Wherever wear is great, either tile or bakelite is employed. Everything appears as though built for the years. Furni- ture of the various furnished apart- | ments is most elaborate, the lat- est and most durable manufaciure. All apartments are serviced by automatic elevator. Nine of the apartments, all of which incidentally have bedrooms, and some of them two bedrooms, are rented even now while workmen are still on the job putting in their finishing touches. These who have taken aparte ments already are Mr. and Mrs. H. R. McLeod, Mr. and Mrs, Les Tea~ gle, Mrs. John Godfrey and daugh- ter Sybil; Mr. and Mrs. William Erickson, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hutch~ ings, Mr. and Mrs. George Den- man, Laura Ordway and Clara At- | kins, Mr, and Mrs. Herbert Waugh, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Sim- mons. PENTHOUSE IS GROSS'S HOME, ~ ATOPBUILDING | | | | of Commodious Quarters, El- aborate Furnishings, with Playfield Atop the new 20th Centutry Thea- | | fact that it tops this new structure | is significant. The building, the theatre and the | apartments, collectively and admit- |tedly represent to Dave Gross the | culmination of years and years of | planning and working in and with the people of the North. That penthouse, sitting atop the |new building, commands a fine | way, and before long, a new con-|view of Junéau and its busy water- tractor had taken on the job of|front. |ripping out the old frame within | building means to Dave Gross, who When one realizes what the |has had faith in Alaska and faith | their place. That made the build-|in Juneau, it seems proper that his residence should command a view |a beautiful penthouse on top—and such as it does. | that's another story—but the fin-| The penthouse itself beggars de- scription. There aré rooms after rooms, beautifully furnished. There is a fireplace and a beautiful hearth. |ness. Dave says it'll be there when |There is a private laundry, as mod~ | iernly equipped as possible. There | maybe it will, because Dave Gross are lavishly done bedrooms for Mr. | seems to know at all times what the and Mrs. Gross and children Sonia |and Selma, separate tiled baths with {all the accoutrements of royalty. | Gress proudly calls Juneau his home There is a kitchen with an electric |and declares “you've got to visual-| dish washer, an odorless electric ‘hze, see? And then maybe you can!range, and cupboard space adequate see what wonderful things lie ahead Dave Gross, Alaska booster, and a father who loves his family, even plans to go so far as to erect a _minlamre playfield for the children on the roof. * Someone spoke of the Gross llur a small cafe. is.