Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

76 Motion Picture News October 25, 1930 Stop Us If We 're Wrong (Continued from page 68) Without any advance publicity, Lewis S. Stone and Hazel E. Woof of Playa del Rey, Calif., were married in Yuma, Ariz. . . . Didn't she see him in "Office Wives"? . . . Francis X. Bushman is reported to be working in a Hollywood theatre. ... He says that he made $6,000,000 in the movies and that Wall Street cleaned him out. . . . Move over, boys and girls, and give him a seat. * * * Johnny Cassidy, vet RKO P. A., who is pinging the Hippodrome in New York, goes around to employment agencies and tacks up cards advising the idle citizens not to zvaste their time there, but to see the shozu at the Hip. . . . Johnny is the same getiius who duped a Him showing Lindbergh's home-coming to make it appear that Jimmy Durante was the hero of the occasion. * * * Photoplay editorializes that one explanation of the recent slump in picture production is that the producers couldn't make up their minds what to imitate next . . . "The Last Word" has supplanted "Now" as the title of the Fox West Coast Theatres house organ . . . Are there any women on the staff? . . . What a comedown! . . . Jimmy Gleason, who enlisted in the Spanish-American war while still in knee-breeches and also signed up for the Big Bust abroad, has to play the role of a K. P. in Pathe's "Beyond Victory." * * * Sono Art-World Wide is continuing to step right along, thanks to product and the sales pressure of Budd Rogers' gang. The company's 20 pictures have been booked by Publix houses at Rockford and Quincy, 111. . . . Incidentally, give "Six Syllable" Simmons a hand for the way he is backing up the product with advertising and publicity. . . . Mike's latest gag is a linked heart puzzle on "Reno," which should help that opus. * * * Oscar Strauss, w. k. composer, donned the greasepaint for several scenes in a German picture at M-G-M, but he says he'll stick to the piano for a permanent job, however. . . _ . Paul Ellis, formerly a bullfighter in Madrid, has been cast by M-G-M for a part in "Caballeros" with Benny Rubin. . . . Paul is to throw the bull and Benny the "bull." Fox Eager to Sign Leads Opposite Male Stars Hollywood — Fox is eagerly casting about for leading women for talkers. Elissa Landi of the English stage has been signed to play opposite Charles Farrell in "Squadrons." Most women in Fox pictures at present are those borrowed from other studios. Publix Eastern Units to Go to Los Angeles, Frisco Hollywood — Starting next week, eastern Publix stage shows will be routed to San Francisco and then to Los Angeles. Northern coast theatres are to drop stage acts. Service for Zuro Hollywood — Josiah Zuro, musical chief at the Pathe studio, was buried Tuesday, following his death from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was 42 years old. Ballantyne Named Pathe Division Sales Manager R. S. Ballantyne, veteran manager of the Omaha exchange, has been appointed midwestern division sales manager of Pathe, by E. J. O'Leary, general sales manager. Ballantyne succeeds Harry Lorch, who has held the post for several years. The midwestern division embraces the largest number of exchanges in the Pathe group. Only recently O'Leary eliminated the central division and transferred all the exchanges with the exception of Buffalo to the midwestern group. The Pathe exchanges and their managers under Ballantyne are: Clarke ; Cincinnati, S. C. Jacques ; Cleveland, J. B. Reilly; Des Moines, N. Sandler; Detroit. H. Silverberg; Indianapolis, G. L. Levy; Kansas City, Ray Nolan; Milwaukee, Lou Elman ; Minneapolis, M. E. Montgomery; Omaha, E. A. Haines; Pittsburgh, S. Lefko; St. Louis, C. R. Lundgren. Ballantyne has been in the business for more than 20 years, having started as a theatre manager at Norfolk, Neb. In 1910 he joined the Progressive Film Co., of Omaha, subsequently joining Mutual. The following year he was promoted to manager of the Mutual Film Co., at Omaha. In 1918 he became managing director of theatres for the World Realty Co., and in 1923 Pathe manager at Des Moines, later becoming southern district manager for Pathe in 1925 and western division manager in 1926. About the time of the Pathe-P. D. C. merger, Ballantyne returned to his home in Omaha and later took over the management of the Pathe exchange there. R. S. Ballentyne Chicago, J. J. B. & K. Yanks Out Stage Shows in 2nd House Chicago — Publix-B. & K. withdraws stage shows from its second de Luxe house here this week. Beginning Friday a straight all-talking picture policy goes into effect at the Marbro. Stage shows were withdrawn from the Granada several months ago. Benny Meroff, Marbro m. c, gets the Oriental assignment this week, replacing Charlie Crafts, former Federal Theatres m. c. Eastward Bound Hollywood — On the train or about to start Eastward are Harold Lloyd, Roy Del Ruth, William Koenig, William Guthrie, Jack Warner and John Stone. See Page 22 No, the man is not Harold B. Franklin. The company is not Fox. Short Subjects The Happy Hottentot (Vitaphone Varieties 4393) Nifty DETAILING the adventures of a ham brother act booked in a small-time house. The gag is that the song and dance men are to be ready to go on any time they arc called. They do so many shows they lose count after fifteen. Finally told they can go home, they drop exhausted into bed and a fire alarm in the boarding house fails to arouse them. When the rescued are checked, they are discovered missing and a fireman bawls out their name. Hearing the call they jump out of bed, grab hats and canes and, still asleep, start going through their routine. It's a dandy gag and so built that the lay public gets the full significance. Joe Frisco featured and Bryan Foy directed. Authorship credited to Herman Ruby. Running time, 9 minutes. Good on any bill. Two Minutes to Go (.Pathe) Good IN this, the fifth of his series, Knute Rockne puts his Notre Dame squad through a series of clever plays conceived purposely for their scoring possibilities when a score is badly needed. It's packed with interest from start to finish and includes scenes from a Southern Methodist-Notre Dame game. Rockne's running comments are enlightening and should spread the knowledge of how to play the game throughout the nation. Running time, 10 minutes. A dandy addition to any program. Stepping Out (Vitaphone Varieties No. 1068) Only Fair A WEAK sister on the-country-boy-comestc-the-city-to-see-the-sights theme. Jealous wife of the city cousin allows her husband to act as guide. Boys pick up a couple of girls and actually go on a sight-seeing trip. Arriving home late to dinner, wife refuses to believe they have been to Grant's Tomb and the Aquarium. She crowns husband with dinner plate for lying. Joe Penner, featured, doesn't get over so well with rural comedy character. Ten minutes. Will do to break up a couple of funny short comedies. The Lucky Break (Vitaphone Varieties No. 1035) Has Few Laughs HARRY FOX is featured in this short, which has but few laughs, although it is different from the usual run of shorts. He is the inventor of a breakless mirror, trying to sell the invention to furniture manufacturers. All goes well until the wrong dresser is brought in for the demonstration. Harry gets a lot of cuts and the air. Returning home, he finds he has been dispossessed, his wife seemingly enjoying things with the furniture nicely arranged on the sidewalk. Glenda Farrell plays opposite and Arthur Hurley directed. Running time, 21 minutes. Where comedy is needed.