Inside facts of stage and screen (May 23, 1931)

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INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Saturday, May 23, 1931 NSIDE FACTS Y ear Published Every Saturday $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Advertising Rates on Application ' ~ Established 1924 As a weekly publication: Entered as Second-Class Matter April 29 1927, It the^ Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3 . 1879, _^ ^ Published by INSIDE FACTS PUBLISHING CO., LTD. Equitable Building «253 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California TeUphone HEmpstead 8797 The so-called **business genius'' of Hollywood has proved itself considerable of a failure. Give it no matter what break, and it runs its course quickly. j i T^ First we had the **quickies.** They waned, and a D. W. Griffith came along to give the movie industry new life by his ''Birth of a Nation,'' the first big spectacle. The imitative ^'business genius" seized upon this new lease on life avidly. They strove mightily to eclipse one another in spectacles. Came a Cecil B. DeMille who made the whole thing ridiculous by his ^'supers/' so hokumized that it took an insensate palate indeed to swallow them. His fem body displays and impossible bath tubs got him by for a while, but they made the whole ultra-spectacle game absurd. . ^ The the Griffith touch of ultra-sentimentalization, ethereal blonds twittering at birds, etc. Hollywood grab- bed this idea for rapid public nausea. And so it went down to the pre-talkie days when a satiated public left half-empty picture palaces the length and breath of the land. Warners came along with their talkies, their intro- duction being mainly Al Jolson's singing. Then everybody sang. Tonic for this oversupply was ''Broadway Melody." They all started making them. Result: rapid fadeout. Then this and that in oversupply until the gangster films took hold. Now that's been done to death. And so through the entire history of pictures we find nothing but a so-called "business genius" rushing to imi- tate—never creating, but always imitating. Again the movies find themselves in a bad way. The public lassitude is increasing. What next shall we imi- tate? say the "business geniuses." Why not, at this crucial time, let real genuis shine through? Why not discharge the imitative relatives and friends from the payrolls and seek real creative ^genius to take its place? Why not let the man with a story tell it, even though Magna Films or Super Films has not made a similar picture? The stage has existed for hundreds of years on the culture of creative genius. So has the novel selling busi- ness. Compared to these two industries, the movie business is a novice. But it is far the most arrogant of the three. Too arrogant to take advice from its elders. Too many mahogany desks and drawly secretaries, too many yes- men and chair-toters. Hollywood will never take any drastic steps for its own good. Not at the expense of its relatives, friends and courtiers. But the bankers may discover the disease and provide the remedy. They may demand less of hooey and sycophantation and more of genius. And then again, they will find Hollyw^ood keep- ing them in the style to which they have been accustomed. FILM ROW By Vi Hegyi Warner Brothers-First National. are expanding exchange head- quarters. In addition to their present location they have leased the offices recently vacated by Tiffany, and the Vitaphone de- partment will also move into the new headquarters. Slipper Mo- tion Picture Supply Company after holding out on Olive street for about five years are taking the old W.B.-F.N. spot. Lee, He looks just like his husky dad. (Compliment.) Carl Bryant, RKO Pathe office manager, was laid up with a cold on Wednesday. Regrets, Hope he's back next week. The MGM girls have occasion to go in for lots of social activity. This time it was a shower for the newest bride on the Row, Esther Piper MacWaters. What is this business about Irv- ing Carlin and his inflammable temperature that has such a dis- JiHtrous effect on brake linings aid mattresses? MGM is appar- ently entitled to claim the hot- test salesman in town. Thi-, looks like baby week, but ilte subject can't be closed with- out mentioning an adjective de- fy inr set of pictures of Red L< I . IV-moTith-cxlH M.p. T^obert "fhree of the new RKO Pathe products are to be previewed this week: ^'Rebound," Ina Claire's picture; Constance Bennett's "Common Law," and "The Whoop De Doo Kid," Eddie Quillan's starring vehicle, which, one hears, Roxy considers the greatest racing story ever screened. RKO is finding Joe Stout a very peppy salesman. He's kept moving about the territory at great rate. Louis Long of the Stafford Theatre at Stafford, became the very proud papa of an eight pound baby girl last Thursday And while on the subject, N. P. Jacob's announcement of Baby Marilyn Jacobs' appearance last week is about the cleverest, most original notice of the kind ever put in print. It's the inspiration of a real film man. On the Button By the Ringsider James J. Jeffries refereed his last big fight at Reno on July 3, 1906. ^ ^ . He counted out Jack Root m the twelfth round. Root and Marvin Hart were ad- vertised for the world's heavy- weight championship. Hart is said to have worked Root around so the sun shone in his eyes for the knockout. Jeffries had gone into retire- ment. He presented Hart with his title—if such a thing can be done. We like to think titles are only won and lost in the ring. But just now we are compelled to accept other versions. Most of our present so-called cham- pions are synthetic. Other Fights After Jeff had crowned Hart, another claimant. Jack O'Brien, was calling for action. 1?ommy Burns defeated Hart. They fought here in Los Angeles. It was for 20 rounds. In 1907 Burns beat O'Brien in 20 rounds. That, too, was fought here. Burns then moved over to Colma, just outside San Fran- cisco and knocked out Bill Squires in a round. Jack Johnson then came into the Picture. He went to Australia to fight Burns in Sydney. The purse was $35,000, of which Burns was to get $30,000. Police stopped the contest in the 14th round and Johnson was de- clared the winner. Johnson, riding the crest, re- turned and knocked out Stanley Ketchel in 12 rounds at Colma. That was in 1909. The Jeifries Fade Friends of Jeffries persuaded him to come out of retirement against his better judgment to defend his title against Johnson. He had been on the bench for five years. Johnson stopped Jeffries in the 15th round. Jeff could go no fur- ther. Now Jeffries comes back again after 26 years as a referee on Tuesday night at Promoter Jack Doyle's Olympic. He will handle the Battling Dozier-George Kerwin lO-round bout. It will recall to the older folks many a memory gleam from the past. Jeffries will soon open a tour similar to the one Jack Dempsey blazed the last year and a half; It is said Dempsey reaped a quarter of a million dollars as a referee. Jeffries can hardly hope to do that well. Yet he was probably a greater heavyweight champion in his day. Chance (For Drama Jeff beat more good men than Dempsey. There were better men to whip in his time. They will always make com- parisons—ask questions. Could Johnson have defeated Jeffries when the latter was in his hey- dey? What would Dempsey have done to the defensive Johnson— the determined Jeffries? Wouldn't it be a fine GES- TURE of sportsmanship if Johnr son would step into the ring at the Olympic Tuesday night and shake hands with Jeffries? Last week when Johnson boxed an exhibition here Jeff was not among those present, Johnson said only nice things about Jim over the radio and elsewhere. Somebody rib-steaked them a bit and got a rise out Jeffries. During the last few days this rift has been closed, it is said along the boulevards. And there may be a great sur- prise—a bit of drama enacted when Jeffries climbs into the ring in his gray flannels. How About Jess? Bygones may be bygones. Imaginary clouds of the yesterday may melt into the TODAY. And how about Jess Willard? He missed the Johnson exhibi- tion, too. Maybe Willard, the marketeer and real estate baron of Hollywood—will join and make it a threesome of ex-champions. Jeffries, John and Willard— that's a picture needing no cap- tion—big enough to telephoto all over the world. Promoter Doyle seldom gets into his own ring. We doubt if he could resist this bit of ring drama. Dempsey ought to fly down from Reno and get mixed up in this panorama. This may be only a dream, but the wheels are in motion to try to jViake it come true. BUD MURRAY In Hollywood "Now By BUD MURRAY George Olsen's Night Club in Culver City opened with the SRO sign out several hours before midnight, and hundreds were turned away by its genial manager, Dave Wolf, and Maitre "de Whassis" Henri De Soto—One of the most cosmopoli- tan gatherings was on hand to pay a tribute to Joe Lewis, billed as the "King of Comics" —A great send-off was given to Joe by our boy friends, Eddie Cantor and Ben Bard, who were introduced.—For a while Ben acted a« master of ceremonies—Fatty Arbuckle got one pf the biggest laughs of the evening when he opened up his bit of "fun" by panning the entire works, and finally complaining about his waiter, whom he hadn't seen for ages after he once got to his table—So Fatty ordered some food While doing his act, and he got it- Joe Lewis did quite a long bit of entertain- ing, besides introducing the acts, and stage stars — What a marvelous achievement Joe has accomplished, after the sickness he had through his trouble in Chicago four years ago while we were there playing with George White's Scandals—He is a great specimen of "Never Say Die'* and the good old Salvation Army slogan, "A man may be down but not OUT"—He deserves unbounded success—"More power to Joe"—The well-known stage and screen stars who stood up for a bow and some of whom entertained, were Bert Wheeler with his Missus (Bernice); Jack Oaki'e did his impersonation of Al JoUon, assisted at the piano by Con Conrad—Leon Errol a.^sisted Marilyn Miller in "Looking for a Silver Lining"—What a musical comedy sensation these two were on Broadway!—Bobby Jones made his usual "four-word speech"— Ethel Shutta (Mrs. George Olsen) pulled a "gaggie" with straight man Ben Bard—and as we entered this exquisite night club the brothers Weinberg (Milton and Bernie) greeted us—The boys are handling the publicity for the club, and HOW!—A few others who stood up for a "bend or bow"—A couple of our ex-pupils, Mary Brian and Alice White, with the boy friend, Cy Bartlett, who is agog over his polo win of last Sunday—Mack Sennett, the director of famous pie-slingers —Eddie "Blackout" Welch—the shHmp booking agent, Leo Morrison -—One of the Marx Brothers—Marjorie White, peit Fox comedienne, and her hubby, Ed Tierney, who runs a darn good dancing school in Pasadena—Frankic Albertson, another Fox player—Sally O'Neill, slimmer than ever—and our biggest surprise was running into our old playmate, whom we trouped with a few years ago, with Fay Bainter, in "The Dream Girl," we refer to our manager and pal, Teddy Barter, who just arrived in California—Gus Shy, the former star of Noo Yawk shows like "Good News," "New Moon" and "Follow Thru"— Lina Basquette looked just as young as she did when we trouped in "Le Maire's Affairs" in 1926—Joan Bennett, Charley Winninger, an- other Broadway musical comedy favorite, who is a confirmed picture player—Mary Frances Taylor, our ballet directress, and her boy friend. Gene Brooks, the oil man, guess he is "Charlie" (Ouch!)—Abe Roth, popular fight referee—Bill (Stage and Screen)tloyd, with oor boy friend Teddy—Betty Compson and Grant Withers, and a very big reception for that popular Tommy Meighan—Zelma O'Neal, the newly- wed, gets up and does the old reliable "Varsity Drag"—Stewart Irwin —Jane Collyer—Al Herman—and that aristocratic master of cere- monies, who worked for us last year in the RKO stage shows—W*sley Ruggles, now well again, after that tremendous successful picture, "Cimarron," so, well, that gives you a faint idea of the mai-velous crowd who came mostly out of friendship for that lovable Joe Lewis, including some of our leading columnists and writers, including Edwin Schallert—Jimmy Starr—Jerry Hoffman—Louella Parsons and John Medbury, who told a couple of gags, and "Ripley It or Not** they are all IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. Of course the tremendous crowd bewildered the waiters and man- agement, and whether you paid for your food or not, you had to take it when you got it, and like it, "hot or cold"—But these things will be ironed out and running smoothly. To the opening of the old East Side Fight Club, now run by that gentleman, Frank Kerwin, with fine vision from any part of the house, plenty of fresh air, but a bit too far from the beaten tracks—A vei-y good-sized crowd attended the opening to pay tribute mostly to Frank, who also deserves a break, and by the looks of the paid customers, he got it this night—Now if he can drag some real fight cards here, he will get the customers—We noticed B. B. B. wearing a Palm Beach suit in HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA — Joe Lewis ducking all the blows—Ed Larkin, our former dance man at the RKO—George Raft, who landed a fine picture contract through his fine work in "Quick Millions," with his boy friend, Slapsy—Maxie Rosenbloom—Sunkist Eddie Nelson, with his Missus Dolly, a couple of real fight fans—Inex Norton. To the Brown Derby for lunch, where we haven't been for ages, and we run into Bryan Foy, now arranging to produce his own pic- tures—Charley Judels, our old confrere, with the old Shubert regime —Harry Burns, who was on his way to three other places, and wound up in the Brown Derby, which only goes to show you that "it will get you in time'*—Leo Carrillo stops at the table for a few words, just back from his Noo Yawk jaunt—will be guest of honor this week for Joe Lewis—George Stone, Fox picture character actor, and Herb Sanborn, the proprietor of this place, eating in his own "Derby"— Harry Rosenthal, well-known writer and pianist—Bill Perlberg back in town—Larry Ceballos, now dancing directing for Fanchon and Marco, getting a hurried lunch—Redmond Wells stops in for a min- ute—Jean Hersholt in a booth—and so we wend our way back to the studios to continue our rehearsals of the revival of "Irene," which Henry Duffy has entrusted to us—Bringing Bobby Watson on from Noo Yawk to play his original part of Madame Lucy—there will De a real chorus and augmented orchestra under the direction of Harry James—Opening at the El Capitan the 31st of May, with Miss Dale Winter in the title role—Maybe the public wants musicals at the Duffy prices, at least we hope so, IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. To the Friday night fights for the first time in several weeks, to see Referee Fred Gilmore instruct Slapsy-Maxie Rosenbloom how tO fight—Max has been fitting his style for years, and in one night "Gil- more the Lion" thinks he can change his style; and yet he gets these big assigmnents week after week—What's the matter with Abe Roth or Benny Whitman? Garry Cooper and Lupe Velez regularly at the fights, but now that Lupe has gone to Noo Yawk we will miss her shrieks at the decisions—and Gary is so quiet and unassuming—a couple of old-time burlesquers, Bobby North and Hugh Herbert, now in pictures—Dick Arlen down in front—John, Ed and Dan Quillan— Edmund Lowe and Lilyan Tashman—We notice the retired Dummy, former newsboy in front of Henry's Restaurant—We hope the Dummy hasn't bought a home in Beverly Hills—Jed Prouty and his Missus back at the fights—Frank Fay^—Our old co-worker, Macklin Megley, with the man who built our stuff, Harry Brinker—Is there a conspir- acy?—The Westmore Brothers, expert wig and make-up men, who transformed some of our best juveniles into dashing soubrettes and show girls at our last Masquers' Public Revel, and they are all IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. To Henry's for a little "snack," run into Jack Waldron, who leaves for a long Fanchon and Marco tour—Bill Newberry, publicity man at MGM—Willie Collier, Sr., having his oats—Ken Murray, funny man at RKO this week—the famous old-timer in baseball, Mike Donlin— and we went to take a look at the old boy Jack Johnson step three rounds with Young Jackson, and how he stepped around!—Ran into Tut Mace and her boy friend, Doc Mace—Patrick Frances Shanley Gus Shy—Wilson Mizner—Stanley Fields and back to HOLLYWOOD once again. GOOD-NIGHT, FOLKS. «