Exhibitors Herald World (Jul-Sep 1929)

48 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD September 21,1929 "Showy" Evening Marks Opening Of "Street Qirl" on Coast Rudy Vallee and His Band Are a Feature of the Impressive Premiere of RKO Picture By DOUGLAS HODGES HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17. — RKO conducted an impressive opening of the RKO theatre here this week with a performance that consisted of a feature picture, "Street Girl," and a number of stage show acts. The big attraction of the stage show program was Rudy Vallee and his band. It was a showy evening. The audience was in its best clothes and manners. Spotlights, microphones and batteries of cameras flounced the entrance. '"PHE Vallee act was a distinct hit. Vallee sands of dollars profit. Al is very grateful J gave Los Angeles its second and also its most appreciable taste of the wares he has been selling so successfully in the East this year. He proved a showman of a high order. Second to his showmanship is his voice and his band. His rendition of these "moonlighton-the-water" tunes deserves a superlative. It is his music and he sticks to it. The "I'm Just a Vagabond Lover" song and "If You Were the Only Girl in the World and I Were the Only Boy" gave the audience a new thrill for a Hollywood entertainer. * * * His band is trained and seasoned. He uses only seven pieces. He plays one of them himself and uses no baton to direct. He waits for no applause and gracefully goes from one number into another with a modesty that smacks of Lincoln, Lindbergh and Coolidge. It's that unique brand of showmanship. "Street Girl" is filled with fine comedy lines and situations which altogether provide an excellent piece of entertainment. Jack Oakie, Ned Sparks and Joe Cawthorne put the show over in a big way. Sparks, an old hand at line reading, is at home with his role. Oakie is of a younger school, but he held up admirably in a role that had much in it and which was difficult to handle. Betty Compson is the street girl who promotes a band-quartette to fame. She is the Aragonian who dreams romantically about a prince and finds him in real life. But she actually loves the piano player, John Harron, and marries him. Ivan Lebedeff plays the role of the prince convincingly. * * * The music is putting these audiens over. Compson sings and plays. Oakie, Sparks, Harron and Guy Buccola sing and play. Their scenes with the instruments and in vocal numbers are the most entertaining part of the picture. It is not a picture that has great dramatic action. It lacks the menace that would make it so. But it is unnecessary where the musical stuff breaks up the tempo so occasionally. The projection, recording and laboratory work shows up at a disadvantage for some reason not obvious to the spectator. Pearl Eaton has a sweet looking bevy of dancing girls, who snap up the action in the cabaret scenes. Miss Eaton deserves a big hand for the manner in which she has trained these people. They are costumed and groomed with much care. Max Kee is the art director of the show. He shows what can be done with an eye for harmony, beauty, showmanship and art. Wesley Ruggles directed the picture. * * * With Love and Kisses Al Jolson and Joseph Schenck are friends. Jolson presented Schenck with an attractive gift last week. It is a $30,000 Mercedes automobile. No strings attached. Mr. Schenck had kindly tipped Jolson off to a good buy in the stock market, thereby aiding Jolson to earn several dozens of thou for everything. And no piker. * * Johnny Miles John Peere Miles is the name of an author who has written for New York dailies as a special correspondent in London, Berlin, Paris and a score of other foreign cities. He came to Hollywood three years ago and is in publicity work. The war treated him a little roughly and he needs the California climate. Now in order to keep his earnings at the notch they were when he was a foreign correspondent he is turning out books for publication by the Bell Syndicate. He can add $1,500 to his stipend in one month's night work. * * * Willat to Shoot Irvin Willat is writing a scenario. He has completed the original story and will begin production on the picture within a few weeks. McDermott Appointed Associate Producer at United Artists Studio (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— John McDermott, scenarist of Adolph Menjou's "Evening Clothes" and of Bebe Daniels' "Senorita," has been named an associated producer at the United Artists studio in .Hollywood. He will assist John W. Considine, Jr., production executive. McDermott has directed pictures for ten years, and then turned scenarist three years ago. "We're in the Navy Now," "Stranded in Paris," "Blonde or Brunette" and other films were based on his scenarios. Bakewell May Be Starred; Will Support Alice White (Special to the Herald World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— The prediction made several months ago by D. W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks that William Bakewell was potential starring material is about to he substantiated. It is the audience demand that is sponsoring Bakewell in the promotion to stardom. The actor has been signed to play the leading man in the Alice White picture, "Playing Around." Production has started under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy. Paramount Stock Sold to Employes; $50 Per Share (Special to the Herald World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Employes of Paramount are to have an opportunity to subscribe to 250,000 shares of company stock. Each department head will select employes entitled to subscribe. The price will be not less than $50 per share. It will be sold at the rate of $52 per share and is to be paid for at the rate of $1 per share per week. Coast Production Hits Record with 63 Films in Making at the Studios (Continued from page 45) will be starred in "Love and Kisses" as her next picture. Mary Nolan will make "Ropes" as her next audien. Don Douglas has the leading male role. Robert Ellis will play the "heavy." "Ropes" will be directed by Harry Pollard. Edward Lowe wrote the dialog. Production has been completed on "Shannons of Broadway" at Universal. James and Lucille Gleason have the starring roles. The story is from the Gleason stage success and was directed by Emmett Flynn. Others in the cast are Mary Philbin, Tom Santschi, Tom Kennedy, Slim Summerville, Kobert Haines, Harry Tyler, John Breedon and Gladys Crolius. Spacious new dressing rooms, with shower baths and rest rooms, costing close to $20,000 are now in use at Universal. The dressing rooms for men and women, have accommodations for more than 750 persons at one time. The rooms are part of the large building program under way at Universal City. Sennett Directing Mack Sennett has recently completed "The Lucky Niblick" starring Harry Gribbon. Production started this week on the second of the Gribbon comedies titled "The Movie Star." Gribbon will wear a six shooter, chaps, hat and everything that makes a man of the big open spaces. The "Movie Star" is a picture within a picture. Sennett is directing. Academy Directs School; Studio Workers Enroll in Talking Picture Classes (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— More than 500 studio employes will commence school next week to learn more about talking pictures. Classes are being formed under the direction of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Lectures will be given by the heads of the sound departments of Paramount, M G M, Warner Brothers, Fox, Pathe, Universal and United Artists studios. Dr. Vern Knudsen, professor of physics at the University of Southern California, will be in charge. Westwood Village to Get 2,000 Seat Fox Theatre (Special to the Herala World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Westwood Village, adjoining the University of California at Los Angeles, is the site for a new William Fox theatre to cost upwards of $750,000. The theatre will probably seat 2,000 persons. The Fox Movietone studios are also located at Westwood. Bull Montana to Wed (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Bull Montana, 41, and Mary Poulson Matthews, 23, have filed notice of intention to marry. The date of the marriage has not been announced. The Bull's real name is Luigi Montagna. Caesar and Jackson Signed (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Arthur Caesar and Joseph Jackson have signed with Warners to direct and write a series of two reelers. Moulton Joins RKO (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 17.— Herbert Moulton joins Don Eddy's staff at RKO.