Inside facts of stage and screen (May 2, 1931)

PRICE lO CENTS Only Theatrical Newspaper on the Pacific Coast STAGE ■ SCREEN EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS ESTABLISHED 1924 II I VIII Entered a» Second Cl«3» M.ttcr. April 29. 1927 at Po^f- VOl. All! olTicp. los Anrttlfs, Calif., under Act of March 3. 18.9. Saturday, May 2, 1931 Published Every Saturday st 6253 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Calif. No. 17 MUSICAL COMEDY FILMS ARE DUE FOR COMEBACK Models On P er Cent Is Scheme Nude modelling on a percentage basis is the latest brand of em- ployment to be offered fair damo- zels of Los Angeles who are caught in the current economic depres- sion. Motion picture girls preferred, though why not definitely learned. Plenty were there to see about the job, though (or because) its nature wasn't set forth in the come-on. Most of them left with- out disrobing, according to those present. The ''plant" was an ad in a morning daily which is noted for not caring particularly what brand of advertising it carries so long as cash on the line accompanies. The ad called for girls for pic- ture work, and gave the address of a bunglaow in a Hollywood bun- galow court. Let one of the girls present tell the story, which story is verified by others who also answered. Girl'* Story The reconteur states: "1 entered the bungalow expect- ing to find some kind of proposi- tion for motion picture work. That's my line. "There were about a dozen oth- er girls present when I got there. They were seated around the room waiting. "Pretty soon a man entered and announced that he was an artist. For verification he pointed to a number of paintings around the walls, most of them of nude female figures. It seemed to us girls that the man talked thickly and acted queerly. My chum and I remarked to one another that he evidently had been drinking. "When the man had finished calling our attention to the *works of art,' he announced that he was going to paint a number of pic- tures for exhibition in an exhibit back east. Order to Disrobe "Then he turned to us abruptly and said, 'All right, girls, get your clothes off and I will select the ones I want to model for me.' "One of the girls asked him what his proposition was. "He replied that the girls he selected would work on a 'com- mission basis,' being paid a per- centage of his returns for pic- tures which he sold, the model for any particular picture cutting in on the proceeds from that picture. He said that he intended to offer the pictures for sale after they had ■ been hung in the exhibit to which I he had previously referred. ** 'However,' he added, *I will take care of meals for the girls while they are posing for me.' "My chum and I thought we had enough. We left. Some of (Continued on Page 2) m. Fox Theatre LE ROY PRINZ / Producing the Fox Follies San Francisco PARAMOUNT SUING WARNER BROTHERS The reported bad blood between Paramount and Warner Brothers this week exuded in a suit filed by Paramount against W. B. for alleged unauthorized use of the Dunning process of composite pho- tography. It was estimated that the amount involved will run from half to three-quarters of a mil- lion dollars. Paramount is ask- ing an acounting and a restrain- ing order prohibiting W. B. from further use of the process. Complainants in two suits filed are Paramount-Publix, the Dun- ning Process, Inc., and Roy Pome- roy, the latter being the Para- mount technical chief who origi- nated the process now controlled by Dunning and assigned to Para- mount. Defendants in one suit are War- ner Brothers, Vitaphone and Jack Jackman, the latter being techni- cal chief for W. B. and First Na- tional. Defendants in the second suit are First National, its sub- sidiaries and Jack Jackman. Alle- gations in both suits are alleged infringements of the Pomeroy composite patents. Pictures men- tioned as having been made with them include "The Squall," "Moby Dick," "The Aviator," "The Dawn Patrol" and others. Alleged in- fringement has extended over a period of about two years, it is stated. Relief prayed for in the suit is an accounting of the profits said to have accrued to W. B. and F. N. from use of the patents, and a permanent injunction against fur- ther such use. Big Revue Ensembles To Be Out The musical comedy type of film is due for a big comeback on the coming programs of the men tion picture studios. By and ^ « this is accepted as the next h in the efforts of Hollywood to keep the box offices of the world stimulated in spite of Mr. Hoover's brand of prosperity, and similar depression in other countries. However, there are those who. hold that the musical comedy, plans now in progress at all tha major studios are being held in leash until public reaction to two. films now in preparation is seen* One of these is Eddie Cantor'ai U.A. film, and the other is Mari-s lyn Miller's next picture. Both are musicals of a high order, and if the public is sold heavily oa these, all the studios may be ex- pected to turn over a good per- centage of their programs to th« musical makers. General belief ia that this quota will run at least 20 per cent of the total Hollywoo(| output for the 1931-32 period. Sign Billy Grant Radio Pictures seems to be ia the forefront of those who are go- ling after adequate preparation for (the next expected trend. This stu- dio is not hesitating to buy up New York musical successes, and it is understood the chiefs have everything ready to smash back on this line just as soon as the trend is definitely established. The biggest Radio Picture successes were musicals, such as "Rio Rita," "Dixiana," etc. However, other studios also are readying. Columbia this week signed Billy Grant to direct dance numbers for four or five pictures. Grant has just returned from New. York, where he gave his direG-» toral talents to Maurice Cheva-^ lier's latest Paramount picture. MGM recently signed up Sammy; Lee, who put over some of the best dance ensembles for the CuU ver City plant when that studie was making its musicals. It is un- derstood that Warner Brothers have an understanding whereby they can recall the services their ace dance man, Larry Cebal-i los, if musicals again become the rage. Currently Ceballos is pro- ducing units for Fanchon an4 Marco. Also it is reported that Warner Brothers* ace melody man, Sig- mund Romberg, is coming back iQ> the W. B. lot very shortly. Change in Type Predictions are that the sweet, intimate type of musical pictures will be the next rage. This, it is pointed out, is a natural reversion from the rather sordid bunch of (Continued on Page 2) 1