Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

50 Motion Picture News November 1 . 19 3 0 Before the "Mike" In N* Y* Studios ALF GOULDING, director at the Warner Platbush studio, is responsible for the coinage of a new expression. When he wishes to instill more pep, vigor, etc., into the action he yells "Get the bubble," which may sound silly, but seems to get results. Thelma White, sister of Marjorie White, Fox star ; Billy Wayne and John Patrick were the latest to "get the bubble" in a comedy "Last But Not Leased," written by Weare Holbrook. * * * Listen my children and you shall hear of a songwriter who, with others, last year, went to the coast to write songs called themes, with salaries higher than in all their dreams, of hard times that came alas and alack, of most of those boys who had to come back, while this one writer, Herman Ruby by name, in his spare time learned the Vitaphone game, and now while his former co-songwriters feel so out-ofsorts. Herman is here, for Warners, writing shorts. * * * Having directed Eric Dressier, Broadway stage star in two successful Vitaphones, Arthur Hurley was again selected to handle the nowextinct megaphone (extinct perhaps to all but Rudy Vallee) in a new short, written by Burnet Hershey under the genteel title of "The Lady Killer," the story dealing with the adventures of a ventriloquist and his dummy. Shirley Palmer and Thelma White supported Dressier. * * * // you think that directing grand opera is a cinch, ask Roy Mack, who was assigned to direct a Vitaphone involving the "death scene" from "Romeo and Juliet," with Cliarles Hackett and Rosa Low singing the title roles. By a strange co-incidence the same scene was enacted with Ina Claire as Juliette in the recently-completed Paramount production, "The Royal Family." * * * Sunday may mean golf, tennis, fishing, or church, according to the extent of one's religious fervor, but to most of the Paramount New York studio gang last Sunday meant what Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (we could easily have said "week," but this way helps complete a column faster especially when one has a theatre engagement), Friday and Saturday means to hoi polloi — Work. Every department was represented when the Clara Bow picture under Frank Tuttle's direction necessitated labor on the Sabbath due to the fact that there was no time to lose, the cast having to entrain for the coast. Others also had to be on hand for stills of Miriam Hopkins for exploitation and publicity on "Fast and Loose," Miss Hopkins, being forced, by circumstances, in the form of her new play, "The King's Automobile," which was scheduled for an out-of-town try-out, to "look at the birdie," "smile please" and other such repartee synonymous with the business of taking photos. * * * An Easterner, brand new to pictures, approached his boss, zvho has fought and died for Paramount here and in Hollywood for untold years, with a sad and troubled mien. The Clara Bow unit had just arrived to take some exteriors. Where, asked the neophite, did those western barbarians get their uncouth ways? It seems that when Assistant Director George Yohalem wanted his camera and sound men to start he called "Sync 'em and turn 'em." At the New York studios assistant directors belloiv a chaste "Switch." This effete East. PINCUS Public Apathy Dooming Talker Remake Policy Hollywood — Talker remakes of silent versions will be hard to recognize hereafter if plans proposed by the various studios are carried out. The public apparently doesn't want the remakes of films they have seen before, so they are not going to the boxoffice. Thus the exhibitors and producers in checking over the receipts have decided to stop remaking the old favorites, or if they do it, will do so in such a manner that the public will not recall them. Warners have made plans to drop all preparations for remakes at both First National and the Warner studio. Hereafter attention will be given to the new product and what has been made will rest as is. Cool Weather Putting End to Epidemic Toronto — Cool weather is sending infantile paralysis epidemic in Central Ontario after two disconcerting months. No move was made in any city or town to close theatres nor to prohibit the admission of children to the theatres, although several schools were closed. Ties Up Music Stores The Music Sales Corp., retail store unit of the music companies affiliated with Warner Bros., including Harms, DeSylva, Brown & Henderson, Remick, and Witmark, has completed negotiations to put the music departments of fifteen J. J. Newberry stores, located in West Coast cities, under its direction. Consolidated Buys Disc Firm Consolidated Film Industries has acquired American Record Corp., manufacturer of Regal, Cameo and Perfect records, states President H. J. Yates. The acquisition was made through exchange of 120.000 shares of Consolidated common and outstanding common in addition to preferred of the record company. Victor Schertzinger in 3-Year Pact with Radio Hollywood — With one more picture to make for Paramount, Victor Schertzinger has signed a three-vear agreement with RKO. Singing in the Rain Hollywood — The first rain of the season will be remembered at RKO. The new pavement to the entrance of the lot sunk several feet and the street had to be filled in and paved. Improper filling of a drainage ditch under the street was the cause for the sinking when water soaked through and softened the dirt underneath. High and Low On Music Row ROBBINS MUSIC CORP. got quick action on "Go Home and Tell Your Mother," written by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy Mctlugh for the M-G-M production, "Love in the Rough," this number finding a place among the first five best sellers within two weeks after the release of the picture. "I'm Doin' That Thing," by the same writers, a dance number, should also show favorable results, although this type of song requires more time to assert itself. Meanwhile "Just a Little Closer," from M-G-M's "Remote Control," is another hit tune flying the Robbins banner. * * * Ira Schuster, professional manager, and Bob Miller, band and orchestra manager for M. Witmark & Sons, Warner music subsidiary, have returned from a trip covering Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit and Chicago, and claim that "Kiss Walts," "Nobody Cares If I'm Blue," "Laughing at Life" and "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" are the favorites. * * * With "So Beats My Heart for You," "Don't Tell Her What's Happened to Me," written by DeSylva, Brown & Henderson, and "Still I Love Her," a modern ballad written by Clarence Gaskill, all proving to possess sales potentialities, DeSylva, Brown & Henderson are starting to work on a hill-billy number which it accepted over a year ago from Elmer Colby, "The Churchbells Are Ringing for Mary." "Wedding Bells Are Ringing for Sally, but Not for Sally and Me" is being published by Phil Kornheiser. * * * Billy Barry, last year unknown along tin-pan alley, is rapidly gaining a reputation as a writer. In the past three weeks Barry has placed four songs with several publishers, the numbers being "Bad Girl." with Harry Bloom. "Singing a Love Song That Nobody Hears," which shows every indication of being the successor to "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" with Denton & Haskins Music Pub. Co., and "Gotta Go Build a Bungalozv" and "Let's Pretend," both with Universal Music Co. Well. we ahvays contended that there was room for good writers on the "street." * * * Frank Goodman, president of Universal Music Co., claims that the score contained in Universalis "Resurrection" is the greatest since "Merry Widow." With music by Dimitri Tiomkin and lyrics by Bernie Grossman, the three main songs of the score are "Do You Remember?", "Gypsy Serenade" and "Where the Volga's Flowing." Meanwhile "I Wonder Where My Cinderella May Be" and "Can't We Be Sweethearts Again ?" are the firm's two best moving numbers. * * * Joe Keit, president of Remick, left on a tour of the firm's branch offices, the trip taking him as far as the West Coast. "If I Could Be with You" at present is included among the "money-makers," while "Maybe It's Love," from the Warner production of the same name, also may be a favorite. * * * Harry Blair, head of the organ and slide department for Shapiro-Bernstein, told us that he has been working on two new tunes, "Shadows in the Moonlight" and "By All the Stars Above You," both being popular with organists. This firm's catalogue, one of its best in years, also includes "Lovin' You the Way I Do," "Moonlight on the Colorado." "Ro-RoRollin' Along" and "Singin* Your Love Songs to Somebody Else." THE SONG SLEUTH