The Film Daily (1926)

THE ^a wcua <^E^ DAILY Sunday, November 7, 19J Developments in Presentations By ARTHUR W. EDDY Present O Grams Briefly told ideas /■or presentation from all parts of the country. We invite you to send yours to: Present 0-Grams Editor, The Film Daily 1G50 Broadway, Neiv York City. "Rolling Home" Prologue Open "Rollinp: Home" prolopue with darkened stage. Produce sound of automobile engine which is drawing nearer and nearer with an occasional shriek of a klaxon or horn. Then have back-stage cheering to welcome home Reginald Denny, the prodigal son of picture. Raise the curtain to reveal living room, v^'ith people entering escorting a dancer representing Denny and a comedy character representing the chap who plays the chauffeur in the story. Your ballet can form the nucleus of the townspeople and have the girls dressed like inhabitants of a small town. Your chauflFeur can go into an eccentric dance. Afterwards have Denny and a girl impersonating his sweetheart sing "Because I Love You."— Suggested by THE FILM D.MLY. "Road to Mandalay" Prologue LTsed atmospheric stage setting with plaster pagodas at either side, and two bronzed Buddhas before which burned incense pots. TTie organ opened the number. At its conclusion Chinese sunset gongs were sounded. Light immediately flooded the interior of the incense burners. A Chinese mandarin stepped forth and sang "On the Road to ^fandalay" under a green spotlight, which Enhanced the Oriental atmosphere. Chinese lanterns containing colored electric lights were strung across the front of the building, and there were Chinese pagodas placed in the fover. — R. E. Charles, Everett, Everett, Wash. "Bardelys" Prologue The farewell scene in the dungeon, before Rardelys is led to the guillotine, affords a prologue idea. Construct gray time-worn stone effect out of conipo and prison bars from laths stained black. Mask in top and sides of stone arch which is placed about the middle of the stape. Keep background fairly dark, with davlight cfTect streaming in through single window. Have Roxalanne enter the chamber, the guard or guards remaining outside but visible through the bars. She sings "Goodbye Forever," with the tenor joining in the chorus.— Suggested bv M-G-M. Diversified Program Diversity ruled in a show which included a soprano in two selections Dixie Jubilee singers and dancers in full, and Davis Saxophone Octette. Soprano worked on apron of orchestra stage, singing aria from "Ernani" and encored with "Cherie, I Love Try Audience Singing Have you ever tried audience singing in your theater? A popular, surefire number on the Rivoli (New York) program each week is Henry Murtagh's organ.screen novelty in which popular and original songs are projected and the audience asked to sing the chorus. Tremendous applause indicates that the patrons like this. Get hold of some popular song slides and experiment. The plan also affords an excellent exploitation and business-building tie-up. Invite your patrons to participate in contests in which prizes (passes, if you wish) are awarded for the best parodies on popular selections. This will furnish you with a supply of screen material with a strong local-interest angle. You." Special color lighting effects on draperies backing up musicians. Southland melodies served as the score for the Swanee River film, the theme, "Old Black Joe," being the introduction for the Dixie Jubilee Singers and Dancers. The latter were shown grouped on the levee, a back drop done in black and white, with magnolia trees right and left. Songs by the octette and a pickaninny dance by six girls were the high lights. The Davis Saxophone Octette, known to radio fans, made a reappearance in a setting which had a silver tree outlined against a black cyclorama center stage, with silver cloth drapes at either side of the eye— Edward L. Hyman, Brooklyn Mark Strand. "Black Pirate" Prologue A ship scene with water in motion and lights playing upon it was the setting of a "Black Pirate" prologue. A mixed duet opened the scene. Six girls in musical comedy pirate costumes climbed over the ship railing, bound the lovers to the mast and did a pirate dance. They were joined by two male pirates with torches. An ensemble dance of the chorus was followed by the burning of the ship. The prologue closed in a climax and immediately the picture followed, leaving no time to elapse between the stage and the screen presentation. — Fred Clary, Stillman, Cleveland. "One Minute to Play" Prologue To create a college atmosphere for "One Minute to Play" a painted back-drop was used representing a field howl with the goal posts prommently in the center. The incident was billed "Campus Frolics" and introduced an orchestra attired in convention college style, an eccentric male dancer, dressed as a football (Continued on Page 16) Standard VAUDEVILLE for Motion rirliirn I'rxMtnlatioii The FALLY MARKUS VAUDEVILLE AGENCY Lackawannn 7076 1579 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY How B'way Does It Capitol "Pierrot-Pierrette" is the title under which the presentation at the Capitol is appealing to the artistic tastes of audiences. Opening the production is a set with a modern decorative house, fantastically designed, this being an exterior. Joyce Coles does a "waltz tlirtation," representing Columbine, in company with Roland Guerard, impersonating Harlequin. Her mother, appearing from the house breaks up the flirtation. Then appear the Pierrots, who draw a domino curtain across the stage, hiding the set from audience view. With Miss Coles they dance to "Pierrot's Serenade" and later "Galop." Finally, hearing alluring noises back of the drop, they pull it aside. This action reveals a fantastic black and silver set, with a silver leaf tree in an urn center stage, and black and silver stairways on either side. The Capitol ballet corps and the Chester Hale Girls are attired in silver bodices, white taretons, black opera hose and wear black silk gloves. This is the finale incident of the production, with the usual whirlwind dance finish. Rivoli Boris Petroflf used an artistic band in devising "Garden of Dreams," the Publix presentation at the Rivoli. PetrofT has produced numerous attractive, audience-tuned pieces but this one is especially splendid. And compared with the average production offered at this house it is inexpensive. The set depicted a garden with a number of statues, represented by men and women in white. A dark blue drop provided a sky background, in front of which was a hedge with an arched gateway in the center and two tall, slender trees nearby. Center back stage was a fountain. While the orchestra played "I Know a Lovely Garden," an art student (Mollie Dodd) danced into the stage. While sketching she fell asleep and dreamed that the statues came to life. The first one to show animation was a violinist (Toscha Samarov) who rendered "Caprice Vennoise," by Kreisler. Afterwards six of the figures executed a torch dance and then the adagio team of Renoflf and Renova, familiar to Rivoli audiences, did their number, winning much commendation. A storm developed, driving the statues back to their pedestals and awakening the art student, who again danced to the tune of "I Know a Lovely Garden." In another stage incident Harold Yates and Cooper Lawley provided several duets. Their voices blended with fine harmony but their program included such much-used numbers as "Red, Red Robin." Strand The latest edition of the Mark Strand opens with Kitty McLaughlin singing "Only a Rose." The setting is a curtain drop representing a huge bowl of flowers and for the second number, a ballet, "Pompadour Valse," the bowl part of the curtain proves to be a scrim which serves for the fade in of the dance number. The members of the ballet are gowned in colonial costumes. Rita Owin is next on the program in several of her comedy dance and song numbers.' Jack North, banjoist, plays several popular ballads while the stage is made ready for Jack ARTHUR SPIZZI AGENCY INC. Booking The Better Picture Tlieatres Attractions and Presentations 1560 Broadway New York Bryant 0967-8 B'way Presentations (Week of Nov. 7) Capitol — Same as previous week. Rivoli — "Moonlight," staged b Paul Oscard; Hans Hanke, pianisi overture, "Sakuntala." Strand — Mark Strand Frolic, wit Happiness Boys, Naila Ballet by An. tole Bourman, with Mile. Klemovi augmented ballet and male ensembU overture, "Merry Wives of Windsor, k» Denny and his Club Frivolity orche' Metal cloth drapes and a galaxy of bril lights abound in the decorative scheme this number. Denny's orchestra specia in soft croony tunes and appeared to sec' decided hit with the Strand audience. Spizzi Opens Pittsburgh Office Arthur Spizzi has opened a p sentation booking office at Forbes St., Pittsburgh. Mr. Exhibitor, Take Notice! Add Olympia Nov. The Olympia, New Haven, take its place in the Publix presei » tion circuit Nov. 27, constituting second link in the chain and prec ing the Metropolitan at Boston. 1 will be the 14th house. Within a months Publix will have a total 27, new additions planned being Texas at San Antonio, Metropolii Houston, and the Saenger, New leans. Probably a 3,000-seat hoi the Florida, under construction Jacksonville and scheduled to o] next Spring, will also be added S!! dl BOOKING HIGH CLA.^S VAUUEVIL ,„ AND MOTION PICTURE PRESENTP TIONS DE LUXE JACK LINDER Vaudeville Agency 1576 B'way LAC. 5338-9 New York C Write. Phone or Call AMALGAMATED VAUDEVILLE AGENCY Attractions for Picture Theatres Standard Vaudeville Acti 1600 Broadway, New York Cilj Phone Penn. 3580 *•--■-»...