Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

May 3, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 47 Happenings This Week and Last. . . . Mark Fisher had his picture in the paper last week for starting a fire in the yards of the Milwaukee Railroad. Oh, it’s all right ; he was just acting as master of ceremonies at the destruction of old passenger coach bodies and other rubbish for Chicago’s annual Cleanup Campaign. . . . Well, I see Jimmy Carins is back on the job in the Woods building after a week’s sojourn south of Illinois. . . . We have two great bands in town this week — Buddy Fisher and His Joyboys and Walter Davidson and His Louisville Loons. Fisher is at the State-Lake and Davidson at the Palace. . . . They say it won’t be long before two a day will be a thing of the past in Chicago, meaning that they are to install four shows a day at the Palace with pictures and vaudeville. . . . Did you know that Fanchon and Marco are the first theatrical producers in history to be honored by the Pullman Company ? Two cars running out of Chicago have been named after the pair. One is Fanchon, the other Marco. . . . Ralph Pollock returns to Southern California as master of ceremonies and musical director at the Fox West Coast, Long Beach. Ralph recently has been at the Post Street theatre, Spokane, which theatre opened its Fancho and Marco presentations under his leadership. . . . “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” Warner Bros.’ much-heralded production starring Claudia Dell and Perry Askam, may well lay claim to being the most musical of talking pictures to date, for it has eighteen song numbers. This is seven more than any other picture has ever boasted, the record to date being eleven songs for one picture. Credit for the music goes to O’Keefe and Dolan, who wrote every song in the production. . . . The only and inimitable Texas Guinan, hostess to all New York, and entertainer extraordinary, is to appear on the stage of the Capitol theatre for the week beginning Friday in a new and elaborate revue. She will be surrounded, as usual, by her "gang” of of coryphees and a clever host of entertainers who have been associated with her in other productions. . . . Ada Rives is the organist at Loew’s State theatre in New Orleans and broadcasts daily over WDSU. . . . Harms tunes have been instrumental in giving inspiration to the creator of the Dixie Dugan comic strip in the Chicago Daily Times. . . . Harry Fink called my attention to it last week when he used the title of “What Is This Thing Called Love.” That’s what I’d call an excellent plug. ... To Jerome Kern, the noted American composer, was dedicated last week the tenth in the series of “Famous Composers” concerts over WLS. . . . We will have John Boles appearing in person at the Woods theatre with his new picture, “Captain of the Guard.” , . . Jack Waldron opened at the Frolics with Irene Taylor, the well known blues singer, and a host of others last week. . . . Henri Gendron was bound to meet with success when he opened at the Rialto Gardens last week, and from what I understand was smothered with flowers. They will broadcast over WBBM. . . . Stepin Fetchit, that funny negro comedian, is making a personal appearance at the Regal theatre this week. . . . Frank Shaw has just bought a new Cadillac, and Sam Rosey says he’s glad. I wonder if he means it will be easier riding now. . . . The entire cast of the musical cbmedy success, “Sons o’ Guns” attended the Capitol theatre last week in honor of Benny Davis, who is one of the composers of the score of the smash hit, and who was the star of the Capitol theatre stage presentation. . . . Did you know a dinner concert is now being broadcast between 6 and 7 o’clock every night by WENR. Walter Biaufass and his string ensemble and Irma Glen, staff organist, play lighter types of music. . . . A1 Handler and his orchestra can now be heard over WCFL. . . . Phil Cook is the NBC comedian who recently portrayed the part of an Irish cop, negro porter, an Italian bootblack and a down-ea6t Yankee and read the lines in his natural voice. Cook is the entertainer on the Aunt Jemima Pancake Hour program over WREN. Red Star Formally Launched ( Continued from preceding page, column 3) from early noon until late evening, taxed to capacity the spacious and elaborate studios and offices, the halls and walls of which were bedecked with dozens of floral pieces, the tokens of esteem of the elite in music circles. The telegraph offices did a land-office business in wires of congratulation, hundreds of which came from well-wishers of both continents. A major portion of these messages were addressed to Pat Flaherty, but the excellent staff with which he has surrounded himself, also received its share of the greetings. To Winfield Sheehan went the distinction of greeting his friends in the political world, which included ex-Governor Alfred E. Smith, Mayor James T. Walker, William Seeman, A1 Smith, Jr., and Aldermanic President McKee. Humbert J. Fugazy, prominent sportsman, and Kenneth Baer, Loew executive, flanked Pat Flaherty and joined him in extending a cordial and hearty welcome to such luminaries in the theatrical world as Warner Baxter, Marjorie White and John Ford of Fox Films; Paul Whiteman, Rudy Vallee, Vincent Lopez, Will Osborne, Smith Bellew, Jan Garber, Tommy Christian and Merle Johnston, Harry Richman, Nils (N. Y. G.) Granlund, Georgie Price, Gene Austin, Byron Halliday, Harriet Lee, Joseph M. White, Genevieve Tobin, Mildred Hunt, Mrs. Jesse Crawford, and hundreds more. A touch of originality was lent the proceedings by the recording, for posterity, through the medium of the Fox Movietone, of the antics of the stage and screen folk present, who expressed their well wishes and sang and joked before the cameras and voice recording equipment. N. Y. G. acted as master of ceremonies during the shooting and results will be shown on the screens of theatres in New York and elsewhere within a short time. The immense turn-out of leaders in every walk of life was partly due to Red Star’s start-off as a promising entry in the music publishing field with one solid, proven and recognized hit tune in “I’m in the Market for You,” which is sung by Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, in the Fox Movietone production, “ High-Society Blues,” and an additional array of fast-stepping song hits in “Just Like in a Story Book,” “Eleanor,” and “High Society Blues.” “A Pair of Blue Eyes” and “I Feel You Near Me,” sung by John McCormack, in the Fox epic, “Song o’ My Heart”; the rapidly climbing popular ballads, “Devoted to You” and “Song o’ My Heart”; and the many other songs injected in the singing and dancing sequences of the Fox Movietone productions: “The Golden Calf,” “The Big Party,” “Let’s Go Places” “Happy Days” and “Harmony at Home.” That the success of Red Star Music Company, Inc., is a foregone conclusion is generally conceded. Pat Flaherty is well equipped, by long and varied experience, to guide its future destinies. At its disposal are the facilities of Fox Film Corporation, with its various subsidiaries and sub-divisions, such as Fox Theatres, Fanchon and Marco units, General Theatres Equipment Corporation, etc. All of these organizations have been lined up in enthusiastic support of Red Star, and this support, coupled with the fact that some of the nations’ foremost lyricists and composers, such as George Gershwin, Dave Stamper, Charles Wakefield Cadman, William Kornell, James Monaco, _ Joseph McCarthy, Ray Klages, Carli Kay, Cliff Friend, Donnis Murray, Doris Silver, John Burke, George Little, Byron Gay, Jess Greer, Albert H. Malotte, are steadily engaged in creating songs of the highest caliber, is the double assurance of Red Star’s future. Flaherty has exercised the utmost discretion in selecting an organization of veteran music men for his main and branch offices, and in Jack McCoy, Bill Jacobs, Jules VonTilzer, Jack Sheehan, Neno Roth, Herman Schenck, Sam Wigler, Charles Harrison, Charles Bayha, Jack Lavin, Jim Courtney, Carl Moore, Eddie Peterson, Tom Huston and a host of others, are found to be some of the best equipped music men in the industry. Stage WiUNot Die ( Continued from preceding page, column 1) Tivoli, and such as maintain orchestras and make a point of their musical features are doing better than the others. “Speaking for one person alone, all that l have a right to speak for under the circumstances, it ivould seem that the films have a long way to go, before they can come anywhere near duplicating living musicians. It may be that they will come, or that I have been unfortunate in my selections, but up to date the sound films of my experience have created the same reaction as the music of a radio organist who works the wobbly tremolo on a trick solo stop. It is a desire to go into a soundproof room, shut the door, and meditate on the mysteries of interstellar space. But there is ever chance for improvement.’' Flesh and blood entertainment is not a thing of the past. We IHE TALK of the TOWtf* love IMADEAGYPSIT ^ OUTr/ME^ffloNG J the BAYOU LEA FEIST; 235 w, 40 th Street., ' — NEW YOR.K. CITY — '