Inside facts of stage and screen (January 25, 1930)

PAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 1930 ROAD-SHOW SEASON DOES FLOP As “Tecalero” As the “Ship Captain" Bud Averill Who is appearing in “Oh, Susanna” at the Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles, displays his versatility in two distinct characterizations, “Tecalero,” a Spanish grandee, and the “Ship Captain” of the Sacra- mento packet, both in the same production. His vocal rendition of a “Vengeance Calls” is one of the highlights of the finale of the first act. Prior to his engagement at the Mayan, Averill has appeared on the R-K-O Circuit and in the Fox West Coast theatres as the “Singing Paul Whiteman,” where he has won the plaudits of press and public with his rich baritone voice. ‘SUSANNA’ CONTINUES TO BE LEADER IN LEGIT GROSSES “Oh Susanna” is maintaining its high powered stride at the Mayan, leading once more with $17,100. This opus deserves its success for it has been conscientiously pro- duced and consistently improved. “Chauve Souris” at the Mason, also attracted a splendid week’s box-officing, gathering $15,000 for its first week. As it is musical in character its fine takings may be accredited to some extent to the popular demand for shows of this type. The three Duffy houses also I. STUDIOS TO SPEED UP SHORTLY Activity at the Metropolitan Studios is picking up. Sono-Art is engaged on Stage 3, where George Crone is direct- ing Reginald Denny in a talker from the story by E. J. Rath, en- titled “The Dark Chapter.” Sono- Art will follow closely on the heels of this picture with Ruth Roland in her first talkie, “Reno.” Caddo is preparing “The Front Page,” to go into production early in February. James Cruze, Inc., is soon to get under way filming a picture for Sono-Art release. Halperin Brothers are preparing a sequel to their “Party Girl.” Christie is getting things lined up for another two-reeler featur- ing Charlie Murray. Alf Goulding, director of the Lloyd Hamilton talking comedies, is planning another two-reel com- edy for Educational. Robert C. Bruce will do an- other of his outdoor talking sce- nics for Paramount soon. •held up very nicely with perhaps three of the best plays they have offered simultaneously. At .the El Capitan “The Boomerang” got $5900. It will remain until Feb- ruary 1. On Sunday, February 2, Mary Boland comes to the house in “Ladies of the Jury.” At the President Henry Duffy and Dale Winter in “The Cat and the Canary” are keeping up a fine average, getting $5800 for their second week. This house also changes on February 2, Kolb and Dill being the next attraction in “Give and Take.” The Hollywood Pliay House is drawing strong with “It Pays to Advertise,” with $5900 for its first week and Indications for an ex- tended run. The Majestic opened last Mon- day with “The New Moon,” an- other musical and from reports thus far, is packing them nightly. The Belasco has “Journey’s End” drawing fair houses during its initial week. The Hollywood Music Box opens next week with “And So to Bed,” the first of the Civic Repertory Theatre’s series. Other houses are dark. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR IN DEATH FALL IN N. W. SILVERNAIL BACK Clarke Silvernail, the “stormy petrel” of the Equity strike, has returned to Hollywood. He left several months ago to direct the dialogue for Inspiration’s “Hell’s Harbor” which was shot in Flor- ida. While on location, Silvernail was taken ill and rushed to New York where he was incarcerated in the hospital. While Silvernail is still convalescent he feels able to return to the job of preparing a new picture for his firm. TO START ROCK SERIES “She’s a Wow!”, the first two- reel comedy to be released by the newly organized Premier Pictures Corporation, of which Joe Rock is president, will have Gil Pratt as director. Production will start within a fortnight. SEATTLE, Jan. 23.—John A. Dewey, formerly a Hollywood mo- tion picture technical director, fell to his death from the tenth floor of the Savoy hotel. His body landed on the mezzanine floor roof of the inside court. Dewey’s wife, Margaret, told police her husband had been drink- ing heavily and had gone to open the window before retiring. Al- though she did not see him fall she said she believed he had lost his balance. The body was taken to the Bonny-Watson Mortuary for shipment to Buffalo, N. Y., where his parents live. JOAN ARTELL ILL Joan Artell, coloratura prima donna, whose work as a piano and violin soloist and singer has been in frequent demand at the studios, was stricken with an acute appen- dicitis attack last week and taken to the French hospital where she was operated upon. She is recover- ing satisfactorily. NEW FOX HOUSE Announcements were made this week by the Fox West Coast Theatres of another new house .to be added to that chain on West Pico boulevard, near Rob- inson boulevard. FRANKLIN BACK Harold B. Franklin, president of the Fox West Coast Theatres, returned this week from a flying trip East. PLAY 1 TERRIBLE B. O. S VANCOUVER, Jan. 23.—The road-show season which opened with more bookings at the Van- couver than for many seasons heretofore has turned out a decid- ed flop. The companies which did come in, with few exceptions, played to heart-breaking business, while the majority cancelled, among them being "Rio Rita,” “Blossom Time.” “Chauve Souris,” "Pordgie,” “Tommy Merson, Eng- lish musical comedy star and his Company, Capt. Plunkett’s "Dum- bells” and a dozen others. The last road attraction in at the Van- couver is the “Columbia Urand Opera Co„” the last part of Feb- ruary. The Maurice Colbourne Co. in Bernard Shaw comedies plays a return engagement the week of January 20. The stage crew and musicians have been given their notice and the house will be dark with the exception of local rentals and bookings, which are fairly numerous for the bal- ance of the winter months. This is. the first season since the war that Capt. Plunkett’s “Dumbells,” a soldier revue which last season added a line of girls, has not made its annual coast-to- coast tour of Canada. Capt. Plunkett spent $18,000 on his pro- duction this season, which he called “Come Eleven.” After playing the legit houses in east- ern Canada they closed in To- ronto. George Guerrette, business manager for Plunkett, came west in advance of Gordon McLeod’s English Co. and is now spending the winter in California. He states there is a possibility of the “Dum- bells Revue” jumping to the coast in the early spring, if conditions improve, and playing from west to east. George LeMaire, who has been directing and acting in a series of comedies for Pathe, made in the eastern studios in New York, dropped dead in his office Monday of this week from heart disease, according to advices received here. At the time of LeMaire’s death, E. B. Derr, new production chief at Pathe, was drafting a wire to him instructing him to move pro- duction of the comedy series from New York to Hollywood. The westward move of the Pathe comedy making will not be affected by LeMaire’s death, though who his successor will be had not been decided the middle of this week. “BAMBINA” OPENING Themie Change Due If the Hollywood producers would attend regular picture showings with conscientious frequency they would discover one very definite trend of the times, and that is that the interpo- lated song-and-dance numbers are becoming extremely bore- some to audiences in the metropolitan centers. It happens now at picture after picture that a sigh of res- ignation goes up simultaneously with the opening bars of a number which the spectators know only too well presages a length of footage dedicated to nothing more interesting than a second rate song delivered by a second rate singer and fol- lowed by a typical ensemble doing steps which have been old stuff this twelve-month. Not only this, but the number sud- denly jerks the audience out of whatsoever interest the story has worked up, and when the story starts again the feel of the house is cold. It takes many scenes before the audience is again lost in the romance, and sometimes the story interest is definitely gone forever. Favorable word-of-mouth is lost, and the boxoffice figures are far under what they might have been. The eagerness with which producers rushed into the 100 per cent theme song racket is easily understandable. The first ones went over big—“Weary River,” “Tonia,” etc.—and Hollywood decided that the public must have its themies. Maybe so then, but certainly not so now. The talking pictures have settled down to a comparative normalcy, and the introduction of theme songs into certain of the recent pictures is as ridiculous as would be the case were the legit producers suddenly to write themies into all their product. Imagine the effect should the characters of “Strange Interlude” suddenly pause while one of them sang “You May Be the Sweetie of Somebody Else But You’re Just My Interlude,” or if the m. e. of “The Front Page” were to lead a line of girls in “I* Lost My Watch on a Sandy Beach.” But in the movies they do it. The producers should heed the storm signals. Operettas, yes; musical comedies, yes; but the hybrids of story with an interrupting theme song are just about washed up insofar as the public is concerned. And one of these days the producers who don’t see the signals will have on their hands a whole lot of footage dedicated to songs and dances that the exhibs don’t want. WARNERS’ HOUSES BOTH BIG IN OFT PICTURE HOUSE WEEK In a generally off week in pic-^-one of. the best figures for that ture house business, Warner Brothers two houses each ran to better than twice average business, thereby being the sensation of the week. Warner Brothers’ “Show of Shows” continued its big boxoffice record in its second week at the downtown house, taking $31,700 for the period. Queues, which were the order of the day during the first week, still continued in a modified degree, and the picture looked good for a couple more weeks at least. Out in Hollywood, the War- ners found further cause for re- joicing in First National’s “Sally,” with Marilyn Miller, a $10,000-a- week girl, starring. The first week took in $31,100, which presaged for it a good run but one not as essential as that for “Show of Shows.” Both of these takings more than doubled the average for their re- spective spots. Gloria Big Gloria Swanson’s first talkie, “The Trespasser,” came to Hol- lywood at the Egyptian to write NAME EDDIE HITCHCOCK PAR. PUBLICITY CHIEF “Bambina,” the locally produced musical comedy which opened re- cently in San Francisco, is booked to follow “Oh Susanna” at the Mayan, opening Feb. 3. Uncle Carl Is Host on 63rd Birthday Uncle Carl of Universal cele- brated his sixty-third birthday last Saturday and the event was cele- brated by a party at his home in Beverly Hills to which 19 inti- mate friends came. Laemmle founded Universal City in 1915 and has presided over its destinies ever since. Last year he turned over the management of the studio to his son, Carl, Jr., when the latter reached his ma- jority. Guests at the party were Junior, Stanley Bergerman, his son-in- law; John Tippett, Moe Mark, Sam Behrendt, Ben Strauss, Julius Bernheim, A1 Green, Abe Gore, Mike Gore, Clarence Mayer, Rob- ert Klein, Samuel Von Ronkel, Mannie Lowenstein, Maurice Fleckles, Felix Schiff, King Char Fleckles, King Charney, M. L. Finklestein, Felix Schiff and Jo- seph Rosenfeld. NEW YORK, an. 23. — Eddie Hitchcock, known as “Double Truck Eddie” on account of the way in which he used to crash the Pacific Coast papers with pub- licity stunts, has been named as publicity director for the ace Para- mount house, the Paramount here. Since leaving the coast several months ago for a publicity post with the Fox New England the- atres, Eddie has proved himself as sensational a publicity getter on the east coast as he was on the west. He was signed up to go abroad with Horace Heidt for a European tour, and was all set to sail when at the last minute the Paramount people made their bid for him to handle the Paramount Theatre publicity. The assignment was ef- fective at once and Eddie is now ensconced in his new position. The spot he left vacant with the Heidt aggregation was not filled. SAM FRIED BACK Sam Fried has returned from New York with reports that con- ditions there in the entertainment world are terrible. Fried was stage manager for David Belasco last year. GORE HOUSE SOLD The Savoy Theatre, formerly owned by Gore Brothers, has been taken over by the Consoli- dated Theatres. house in many a day. Supported by the Fanchon and Marco “Des- ert Idea” it grossed $11,239. The run houses were all on the down side of the slate, as they closed or drew near the close of long showings. In its ninth week at the Car- thay Circle, Radio Pictures’ “Rio Rita” garnered $8438, which is not a good figure for the house but is a good figure for a ninth week there. Bebe Daniels, John Boles, Robert Woolsey and Bert Wheeler head the cast. Fox’s follow-up on “The Cock- eyed World,” “Hot for Paris,” fell to the moderate figure of $6663 in its run at the Criterion. Victor McLaglen, El Brendel and Fifi D’Orsay are the featured players. Big doings are now on at this house with Greta Garbo’s first talkie, “Anna Christie,” starting its run. A good bet that it will smash all records at the theatre. Chinese Change The U. A. picture, ‘'Condemned,” Ronald Colman and Ann Hard- ing heading the cast, took the un- der-par figure of $8013 in its last week at the Chinese, giving way to M-G-M’s “The Rogue Song,” with Laurence Tibbett the star. William Haines held his clientele despite a weak vehicle called “Navy Blues” (M-G-M), drawing $32,795, an average boxoffice, to Loew’s State. Fanchon and Mar- co’s “Manila Bound Idea” was in support. Following was Lenore Ulric in “South Sea Rose.” Paramount’s “Seven Days Leave,” a Gary Cooper starring vehicle with Beryl Mercer the real star, did average at the Paramount Theatre,. drawing $26,000 for a film which is more artistic than boxoffice. Paramount’s Chevalier picture, “The Love Parade,” looks good for again climbing up into the bigger and better figures. Mil- ton Charles, singing organist, is the only in-person entertainment there. Orph Run Good “Hit the Deck,” Radio Pic- tures’ film, held up nicely at the Orpheum, taking $15,000 in its fourth week, with Bob Hamilton, featured organist, aiding the draw. William Boyd in a most pleas- ing Pathe picture, “His First Com- mand” and with a vaude bill, brought in $18,000 to the RKO Theatre. “The Taming of the Shrew,” Mary Pickford-Douglas Fairbanks so-starring U. A. vehicle, held up to the fair gross of $4800 in its last three days giving way to Norma Talmadge’s first talkie, “New York Nights” (U. A.). Fox’s “Romance of the Rio Grande” boosted up the Boule- vard receipts to the excellent fig- ure of $9680.