The Film Daily (1930)

Thursday, October 9, 1930 NEWS of the DAY Philadelphia — Abe Gompertz, one of the old timers in the accessory business is dead. Ipswich, Mass. — Emery Bragdon has reopened the new Strand for the Phil Smith circuit. Fremont, Neb. — Irving Cohen has been appointed manager of the Fremont and Empress. Muskogee, Okla. — Publix has sublet the Palace as of Oct. 9. Davenport, la. — G. D. Bickford has assumed management of the Princess. Chanute, Kan. — Earl Hilton, former manager of the Peoples, has switched positions with C. W. Moorhead of the Star in Nevada, Mo. Grand Forks, N. D. — Bennie Berger, former owner of the Orpheum and Strand, returned to assist Publix in reaching a new agreement with the local operators' union. Oklahoma City — E. C. Robertson and Eddie Brewer are building a theater here. It will be an 850seater whose policy will be one of subsequent runs at a 15 cent top. Stevens Point, Wis. — Nearly $15,000 will be spent in remodeling and installing sound in the Lyric. Chicago — Henri Ellman, former district manager for Tiffany, and Dave Dubin have established headquarters at the DeForest offices. Minneapolis — R. J. Pettingill, formerly with Fox, Minneapolis, has joined First National's sales force and will cover South Dakota. He succeeds Phil Ford, who has been assigned by William Brimmer to northern Minnesota. York, S. C— A. P. Boatwright of Batesburg has taken over the management of the Carolina, closed for the past three months. TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN JTOE WNOHMftt Of HIMDQM W. W. Irwin claims credit for National Playhouse Corp. idea. Suit pending. * * * First National to give "Passion" six months' run. * • * Famous Players may remodel New York and Criterion theaters. A BUNCH of the upper crust in this biz are going loco on polo among students of the polo game, it is conceded that Hal Roach, Charlie Burr, J. G. Bachman and Martin Quigley constitute a team that could almost qualify to defend the American title here in the East, the fever is taking hold, and Harry Warner, Lewis Warner and Drew Eberson get up at 5 o'clock some mornings to mount a nag and chase the white ball around when they get a fourth player as good as they think they are, they will challenge the West Coast team for the Film Polo Championship Reginald Denny and Tom Mix are two others who can swat a mean polo pill if the disease spreads, the li'l ole paper will soon be sponsoring a film polo tournament T-TOPE HAMPTON made her operatic debut in Losang before an enthusiastic audience her rich soprano proved a surprise to the critics Eddie Cantor has a double named Larry Adler, a 16-year old youngster who is touted to look, sing, dance and talk like the comedian but in addition he plays the harmonica so Ziegfeld has signed him for a part in his new show, "Smiles." Mack Sennett tried to sign Jack Dempsey to do a champ fighter role in a two-spasm comedy Jack turned the offer down, because it called for a fighter who was scared of his wife That wow fight scene in Pathe's "Her Man" is generally conceded to be the best fracas ever shown on a screen Mike Donlin, who appears in the picture, sez it's even more scrappy than John McGraw in his palmy days and Mike should know * * * * JCLEANOR HUNT, who acts as Eddie Cantor's leading lady in "Whoopee," has made one of those surprising short-cuts to fame only a year ago she was a chorus girl in the Ziegfeld stage version she turned up at the lot where they were making "Whoopee," and Eddie recognized her, and boosted her strong to Sam Goldwyn that's how fame and glory come just like that sometimes Best Story of the Week: Sidney Skolsky credits it to Tom Howard of "Smiles," who tells about a cloak-and-suiter known throughout the trade because he was always asking for extra dating on his bills so when he died, his creditors placed this tag on his tombstone: "Here lies Jacob Goldfarb, died March 15 as of April 1." * * * * 'THE PASSING of Milton Sills recalls to the Syracuse "Herald" that not so many years ago Ithaca, the up-state city, was giving Hollywood a run as a production center there, in the old Wharton studios, Sills was one of the many who started their film careers Theodore Wharton had a group of players including Beverly Bayne, Bessie Wharton, Al Tracy, Creighton Hale, Francis X. Bushman and Louis Wol heim here they screened "Exploits of Elaine" Wharton brought Milton Sills and Irene Castle to Ithaca to play the leads in a serial, "Patria" other players who broke into films here were Charlotte Walker, Doris Kenyon, and Jack Nor worth Howard Estabrook, the scenarist, also started out to be an actor here, but thought better of it the War disrupted the Ithaca movie plant, and it never recovered from the blow * * * * MRS. THOMAS A. McGOLDRICK, chairman of the International Federation of Catholic Alumnae, along with 15 members of that organization, were taken through the Van Beuren workshop the other day, and shown just what goes into the making of the Aesop Fables A. M. Arthur, former p. a. for the George Cohan theater, is now with First Nash "Deacon" Johnson and his Harmonious Syncopators have been engaged to supply the music for the informal dance to be tendered by the Columbia Social Club in the North Room of the Astor Hotel tomorrow evening 11 CXPLCITETTE/ A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas €) Novel Bed Display for "Animal Crackers" JyJANAGER Fred Larkin had a corking display in a furniture store that resulted in excellent publicity for the four Marx brothers in "Animal Crackers" playing at the State, Sioux Falls, S. D. The furniture store window showed a bed with apparently a dummy under the covers with just the head protruding outside. At the foot of the bed and leaning against the wall was a cardboard with the following copy: "I have gone to bed to rest up to gather all my strength so I can laugh heartily at the Four Marx Brothers in 'Animal Crackers' at the State theater." This display was on exhibit for a week in advance and during most of run of picture. — Paramount Wheel of Chance Creates Interest Jy[ANAGER Robert Y. Hampton had a new twist to the wheel of chance stunt used in the lobby to exploit "Czar of Broadway" playing at the Publix-Saenger, Alexandria, Ga. Each person buying a ticket to the theater during the week prior to the run of "Czar of Broadway" was entitled to one free turn of the wheel. In the event the indicator hand stopped on the number of the last digit as appeared on the patron's ticket, he was entitled to one guest matinee ticket to the showing of "Czar of Broadway." — Universal MANY HAPPY RETURNS Be*t withtt and congratulation! ara extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following member! of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdaya: Oct. 9 Irving Cummings Marjorie Beebe Jeanette Loff Dennis J. Shea Charles Farrell Joseph Schildkraut A. Hussey