Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Dec 1932)

SEPT. 24, 1932 Batting for Woody "How's business?" I said to the boy at the door at Loew's State on opening day while \n ailing to see if I could get in for nothing to review the show for my pal Arch Woody who is sick in bed at the General Hospital. "Well," he said at great length and with dignity of a future chief of service, "I'll tell you. Bing Crosby is at the Paramount this week and — " Just at this moment the other guy in uniform told me that I must see the main office at Washington and Vermont for an Okay. So, on account of the fact that Washington and Vermont was too far and as the show was about to go on I bought a ticket, having the money right with me, strange to say. Jan Rubini contributed the class to this week's show with a lullaby overture, finishing with a mother singing her baby to sleep. The modernization of a minstrel evidently means a hurried presentation of slam-bang song dance specialties, one atop the other, with no pause for breath or applause. Plenty of colorful bodies on the stage and all male folks who mention Central Avenue several times during the frolic. End men gags cut to minimum and very few laughs in entire proceedings. The three Gobs allowed to present their vaudeville act in one for a change of setting and these three personable chaps show dance, comedy and song in a well arranged routine which is the outstanding hit of the idea. Back to full for a show-boat wharf, levee, scene with the Captain on the upper deck and Minstrels cavorting about for more rushed specialties and a comedy soldier bit which was Okay. Finale was whooped up still more and finish curtain left you wondering what it was all about and the Captain still stood on the upper deck. He may be the unit manager and if not why not? It gives him a lofty perch for close observation of his people and he can see that they are always made up all the way round and back of the ears. FANCHON & MARCO'S PRESENTATION OF ZIEGFELD'S "SALLY" A "Look-See" by Bud MURRAY At last a real Tabloid Musical Comedy — Fanchon & Marco's, production of Ziegfeld's delightful "Sally" — Sunday night the theatre was jammed with standees inside and outside — Proving if you give the people entertainment they will come in — In order to give entertainment, you must have Actors — In this production, Mary Eaton looked and acted like we knew her at 21 — in Noo Yawk — Every one of her dances had that certain finesse, only to be found in a metropolitan performer — Her voice and acting has improved marvelously — Then there is Jack Waldron, our playmate from Chicago, who in Leon Errol's role, is a revelation, when you consider Jack started out in life as a "hoofer," then an M. C. and Nite Club entertainer — and now a production comic, and believe you me, he is ready for Broadway shows — Jack doesn't need the Errol "knee business," but should do one little "hoof — A young man, who gives us a kick is Hal Young who plays opposite Mary — Because we were responsible for his "break-in," in 1926, in "The Student Prince" — How he has improved— looks, acting, singing, and sincere all the time — A real love interest in Hal — T. Roy Barnes gave a snappy performance, with the same sharp way he delivers his "quips" — George Guhl, who workt for us in "Good News," was excellent — the costumes, and chorus were the last word — Watching a real singing and dancing male chorus takes one back to the old days — Maybe they are coming back — With an "honest-to-goodness' cast of actors, singers and dancers as is in this Fanchon & Marco "Sally," F. and M. cannot fail to do business like we saw all week — This is the best unit we have seen to date, and F. & M. will have to go some to keep up to this high standard they have set. MARATHONERS STILL KEEP PUBLIC INTEREST AT FEVER HEAT-^STAGE AND SCREEN STARS ATTEND You will have to hand the palm to Duke and Monty Hall, and Bill Stein, who are staging their third marathon at the La Monica Ball Room, Santa Monica. At no time has there been trouble with the minons of the law about their contests, and the best folks have attended their shows. The beauty about this marathon is that the promoters never allow the contestants nor the public to become serious for a single moment. There is always some by-play or entertainment on tap. Porky Jacobs and Ralph Volke are a couple of clowns; Babe Priddy commands attention, and how she can sing; Billy and Buddy Kimball have em all pulling for them; Billy Khurts is fighting hard to keep going; Ikey and her Chewing Gum is very much in evidence. A glance around the private boxes will find many names in theatrical and cinema circles represented. The last time we were there Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Fay, John Considine, Sid Grauman, Mr. and Mrs. Tod Browning, Ben Blue, Ruth Roland, Ben Bard, Mr. and Mrs. Beaudine, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Vernon, Sam Zeiler, Lee Hugonon, Mr. and Mrs. Joe McCloskey, Chas. Sullivan, Paul Perez, William Wyler, Doris Hill, John Waters, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Cline, Roger Cornell, Nick Copeland, and hundreds of others of prominence. It was a night well spent, with many good laughs thrown in for good measure. SCENARIST SENDS NOTES FROM YACHT TO WIFE VIA SWIFT CARRIER PIGEONS Richard Schayer, Universal scenario head, has developed a fast new pastime, which tops the terrapin, dog, horse and horned-toad racing — he has a loft full of racing pigeons at his San Fernando ranch. While cruising in his boat without Mrs. Schayer, he releases pigeons at intervals with notes telling her that all is well. The pigeons make the trip in a little less than an hour. TO PLAY WESTERN LEAD Neoma Judge, pretty young Minnesota swimming champion, has been signed for the lead opposite Rex Bell in "The Man from Arizona" which goes into production this week at Monogram Studios. Harry Fraser will direct. Others in the cast are Nat Carr, Georgie Cooper, Lex Lindsay, Henry Sedley, James Marcus, Theodore Lorch, Charles King and John Beck. 200 ROOMS HOLLYWOOD 200 BATHS EL CORTEZ HOTEL 5640 Santa Monica Blvd.— HOllywood 5801 E. J. CLARK, Manager Splendid Coffee ' >hop Special Weekly & Monthly Rate* Educational Offers Three New Series of Shorts with Their Funniest Stars and Plenty of Pretty Girls E H. ALLEN HAS HAD A REMARKABLE CAREERNOW BUILDING UP EDUCATIONAL There was a time when short subjects were looked upon as mere program fillers. Today they are made as carefully and selected as judiciously as are the long features, and in many instances have been the saviours of the program. If there is any one man to whom is due credit for the distinction the short subject has attained, that man E. H. Allen, general manager of Educational and Metropolitan studios. Quietly and modestly he has striven, withE. H. ALLEN out the fanfare of personal trumpets for upwards of 30 years, centering his more recent efforts on the short. In 1909 E. H. Allen came to Los Angeles, two years before Hollywood was even thought of as a cinema center. He was then employed by the New York Motion Picture Co., long since but a memory. At that time, Allen was an actor. Tom Ince saw the possibilities of young Allen and made him an assistant director. This was the first step upwards in a steady advance. The next rung in Allen's ladder was to the executive seat of Assistant Manager of Inceville. When the Triangle was formed E. H. Allen became one of its chief executives. With the collapse of Triangle Allen went to Famous Players (later Paramount), where he officiated as the general manager for William S. Hart with whom he remained until 1921, when he joined Educational. From an unpretentious beginning Allen has developed Educational for E. W. Hammons, president, with its slogan "the spice of the program" to the point where everyone knows when they see the flash of the lamp that the next subject, a short, is going to be good. • • • "SUNKISSED SWEETIES" IS FIRST OF ANDY CLYDE FUN-FILMS The first of the new series of two-reel comedies, starring Andy Clyde, is a "whopper" of a fun-film. It has everything that it takes to make theatregoers laugh, and a bevy of beautiful and shapely girls, headed by Fay Pierre who is a newcomer, but who will make 'em all sit up and take notice, especially when she dons her bathing suit and struts on the beach. Andy Clyde carries the chief funmaking in this one, and has a good right handbower in Vernon Dent. They are a couple of blundering fathers of a Puritanic beach town and get into all kinds of difficulties. Others in the cast, who help the fun making along, are Thelma Hill, Stanley Blystone, Monte Collins, Jr., Lester Goodwin and others of note and ability. Harry J. Edwards very ably directed, from a very funny story by Jack Townley and Ernest Pagano. Well photographed by Dwight Warren. AL CHRISTIE PRODUCES HONEYMOON BEACH The Vanity comedy as produced by AI Christie, is the first of the series, with a fine cast headed by Glen Tryon and Billy Bevan, Ruth Hiatt, Audrey Ferris, Bobby Dunn and Fern Emmett. Miss Emmett can take just as many bumps as the late Mabel Normand did in her palmy days, and is very funny. Glen Tryon and Billy Bevan are a very good pair of funsters. Glen, as the lead, and Billy as the foil, keep this comedy moving. The Al Christie tempo and his well known manners of squeezing laughs out of situations are very much in evidence as well as a bevy of pretty girls. Harry Edwards directed this one, and did a splendid job. Once more Jack Townley and Ernest Pagano dish up the story dialogue and continuity in fine shape and Educational has another splendid two-reeler with a pathway to make more like it. • • « (Rprinted from Hollywood Filmograph, September 10th Issue.) HARRY LANGDON CLICKS IN "THE BIG FLASH"— FROM PEN OF BOBBY VERNON Here we have an Educational short that is truly spice for any man's program. For a laugh getter "The Big Flash" is unexcelled. It is pure hokum of the slappiest order, yet has a plot burlesquing the newspaper angle of the crime wave, that hangs together despite the absurdities. The gagging is novel particularly the pocketful of raw popcorn that pops under the heat of a fervid love scene. Harry Langdon is at his best, ably assisted by Vernon Dent. His frozen pan blundering in the character of an assistant newspaper photographer snapping the robbery of a jewelry store, kept the audience at the Uptown screaming. Who ever said Harry Langdon is to make a comeback in pictures is absolutely wrong. As far as the public is concerned he never went away. He is more welcome than ever. Ruth Hiatt provides the love interest and Lita Chevret the vamp devilment. The latter gave evidence of possessing fine balance and understanding of values and is very pleasing to look at. Great credit should be given Bobby Vernon for the story. Frank Griffin, too, for the adaptation and dialogue, shares honors. The photography of Gus Peterson was exceptional especially the novelty fadeouts. Arvid Gilstrom did a sweet job of directing losing no opportunity for milking every situation of its fun possibilities. This short subject should rate high in the yearly score. ANIMAL COMEDY NEGATIVES ARE OFFERED PRODUCERS Mrs. Rounan, owner of Snooky, the famous chimpanze, has available at this time negatives of some of the greatest comedies made with animals in recent years. The late John Rounan has been associated for years with the making of such pictures, and had gathered together one of the finest collection of films of this kind in this country. Ye Editor, years ago, was associated with the Rounans in making two-reel animal comedies and can truthfully recommend these pictures. <*ood HEALTH GREAT V A L V a LA VIDA MINERAL SPRINGS In Beautiful Cirbon Canyon . . . Orange County, California Mail Address: Route I, Placenlla, Calif. . . . Phone Placentia 5150 La Vida MineraljWater Is a Natural Soda Water Finest Cafe, Hotel and Cabin Accomodations at Reasonable Rates W. N. MILLER, President RACHEL BABCOCK, Resident Manager