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

SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE CHI COMPANY FOR “JUNE MOON” Needs Development The Little Theatres are apparently to be the savior of the legitimate drama. There was a time when every city had its stock company, either high class or melo or, perhaps, as was frequently the 'case, both. From these schools of stagecraft sprung most of the talent that tops the stage of today. With a change of play every week, an actor was given the opportunity to perfect himself in a variety of roles and particu- larly to submerge himself in them. A few years ago it was a reflection upon a stock actor to have someone say “He’s the same in everything.” Today types are the thing and when an actor proves his fitness for a certain kind bf part, he is never considered as eligible for any other kind. This has seriously crippled the art of acting by eliminating the only place where actors can learn to act. Good parts make good actors and many kinds of parts make for versatility. With the passing of the stocks, the little theatres, dramatic clubs and organizations which occasionally present plays have been the only source of supply unless one includes the dra- matic schools. These schools, however, with the old-fashioned technique of actors who have either failed or retired on account of lack of demand for their personal services, have inculcated into their pupils such faulty methods as to make managers look askance at their product regardless of other qualifications. The practical opportunities which the little theatre affords should be considered a lot more important than it is. Every performance that is given should be seen by a legit manager. This would enthuse the little theatre movement and bring a lot of interest into the work and the result would be the develop- ment of future talent at no expense to the theatres. There also should be more light opera produced by these clubs as the incentive for the development of that all-important and rara avis, the comic opera principal, who is now sadly scarce. Opportunities for singers in the west are exceedingly few and far between and the chance for a student to attend a musical show—not to mention to aspire to a part in one— has for many months been practically nil. DICK TAKES SIXTH BRIDE; ALMOST MISS AT CHURCH Dick L’Estrange, who em-t Richard, as you will, has taken braces in the same person Count Strensch L’Etsrange de Black- mere and the Duke of Shrewsbury is about the marryingest man in Hollywood. Six times has he walked the thirteen steps and placed the noose around his neck. He knows his lines “I do” so well that he doesn’t have to look at the manuscript any more. He takes his marriages so nonchalantly that he doesn’t even have to look for the bride. His Grace, His Highness or Sir L TO AID LEGIT (Continued from Page 1) the President showed a profit on the year. Opposed to this is the large losses of the Majestic, where two shows, the first and the last pro- duced by Horton, were the only ones that did not fall into the red. The Vine Street also had a los- ing season, but one or two shows playing to a profit; the Belasco is said to have had but two profita- _ ^ _ __ ble shows during 1929; and ^thejblmg lil< e an aspen in the wind. Figueroa Playhouse unto himself another spouse. Some men are fiends for punishment, some afraid to go home alone while others are just simply sim- ple. It is said that our friend Dick is out to break Nat Good- win’s record. He has it tied now Last Tuesday in accordance with previous announcements Dick elect- ed to try, try again. He engaged a little church in Glendale for the ceremony; 11 o’clock a. m. was the hour appointed. Some of the boys desiring to witness the cere- mony from afar stood upon the street corner awaiting the wed- ding procession. Opposite the church a young lady was likewise standing on the same errand bent. She heard the boys conversing and let it be known to them that she was the bride’s sister. Promptly at 11, the bride, Miss Agnes Warmoll, arrived in a taxi properly attended. The sister asked her if she had heard from Dick. She said No! and her face perceptibly paled. Thereupon the bride joined the waiting throng. The minutes passed but no Dick. Eleven-thirty approached and the bride announced it as the dead- line. She would go home and call it off. Then someone had the bright idea to go in and ask the manager—er, minister if he had heard from the groom, and there they found Dick fretfully sitting in a pew, his six feet five trem Hollywood Music Box is said to have had but one winner in its history, Louis Macloon’s “Chi- cago.” Costs Too High By this, it is evidenced that the cost of operation is too high. There should be a. general lower- ing of the scale of costs on the part of all concerned. Rents should go down., advertising rates should be scaled in proportion to the possible returns. A house playing to $30,000 per week should pay a higher rate for their daily advertising than a theatre whose possible takings are but $5000. A general lowering of the over- head on the part of the landlords, one that would enable their ten- ants to live, would tend to bring them more money and improve the value of their property more than will long, periods of darkness and the reputation of the house being a jinx. Also the unions should look carefully into the possible profits of the theatre and permit a smaller crew whenever possible. Putting the shoulder to the wheel on the part of everybody with the object of keeping all of the theatres open continuously would in the long run be a wiser policy than making the business of pro- ducing plays prohibitive except for producers with bottomless purses and a disregard for losses. The He had been waiting there since 9:30 and was almost too nervous to feel relieved. Mr. and Mrs. Gunther Siegfried Richard Augustus Alexander von Strensch L’Estrange de Black- mere, Duke and Duchess of Shrewsbury, are honeymooning in a locale unknown. DRAMATIC SHORTS Cal Core is preparing to make a series of six two reelers with most of the locale laid in Africa. This will be the first dramatic short series to be made with sound and dialogue,- though indi- vidual dramatic shorts have been made formerly. He starts shoot- ing February 10 at the Tec-Art studios. The cast and director are not as yet signed. PLANS FOR LOCAL Production of “June Moon” at the Belasco, which report has been causing considerable of a flurry among those seeking castings, has been postponed, and when it does open it will be with the Chicago company intact. The play was originally slated to follow “Journey’s End,” the war play now current, and it was un- derstood that it would be produced with a local cast if a local man could be found to play the lead. But this was changed and it is now planned to bring the Chicago company to the coast when it fin- ishes its run in Chi. Sam Harris, producer of the show in the east, is here at the present time, and will collaborate with Belasco and Curran in the bringing of the show here, it is stated. Readers’ Views DUNCAN’S NEXT Returning from a two months vaude tour in the East, Vivian and Rosetta Duncan are in Holly- wood to begin preparation on a new picture for Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. RUSS PLAY NEXT Following “Jack Straw” at the Pasadena Community Playhouse, Gilmor Brown, the "director, will stage “The Armoured Train” on Thursday, January 30. Gilmor Brown will head the cast of 50. Rochester, N. Y. - Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles, Calif. Dear A. H. F.—We all thought you were good until you reviewed this cluck “Show of Shows.” What a “Show!” she sure laid an egg around these parts. It’s a great picture to empty your house on. What a week here. Re- gards. (Signed). JACK E. OL'CUTT. * * * Portland, Ore. Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles, Calif. Mighty glad to see you’ve started a radio page, as it’s a branch of the entertainment field that is sure worthy of considera- tion. Where pictures and shows reach thousands and hundreds, re- spectively, radio reaches millions, and the people who are making it more popular every day sure ought to get recognition for their services and how good they are. And when you get a real page like yours that really knows what its all about it’s a treat and I for one think it’s great. (Signed) A. W. WOOLWARD. * * Oakland, Calif. Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles. Calif. I see where somebody in your last issue thought that was a good feature where you had a list of how good everybody was in the talkies. But what I can’t understand is why you said Helen Chandler is “just another ingenue without any particular weight.” All I saw her in was “Salute” but in that one I thought she showed that she’s really one of the best of the young girls in pictures and is mighty appealing. I agreed with you on most of the others, particularly Sally O’Neil and her squeaky voice, and Winnie Light- ner, who gave me more laughs in “Gold Diggers of Broadway” than I’ve had in a long time. And another favorite of mine is Jack Oakie. (Signed) PAUL HOLLIS. * * ^ Medford, Ore. Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles, Calif. I have noticed that you have been giving a lot of valuable space recently to radio people, and I have been wondering whv. No- body who could get anything else to do would take a job around a radio station. The radio business cannot last because it is stimulated by manufacturers of radio sets who talk you into tying yourself up for years to pay for something that’s always going out of whack, just to hear somebody advertise a place to bury yourself or boost some real estate subdivision. If they are not all amateurs they sound like it, so why waste space in a professional paDer on them. (Signed) F. CURTIS. * * * Los Angeles. Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles, Calif. In looking over my files of “INSIDE FACTS” for the past season, I wish to express my great satisfaction and particularly for the helpful criticism of Mr. Louis B. Jacobs, and take this oppor- Lack Firm Bases A remark is attributed to a very prominent motion picture exec to the effect that “the story is the least important part of the picture.” While the dictum was sprung many years ago, it is still charged against the man as a flagrant error. But either because the belief is still prevalent in Hollywood, or else because there is some truth in the oft-repeated wail of a shortage of talking picture material, an analysis of the past month’s releases show that by far their weakest point was the story bases for them. Only two of the pictures reviewed, and one previewed, showed any discernment at all in the selec- tion of the plot and its unfoldment. 'The two reviewed were “Romance of the Rio Grande,” which, while the characteriza- tions and colorful atmosphere were its chief assets, nonetheless had a good story foundation; and “Seven Days’ Leave,” which also built gripping atmosphere and characterization on an unusual plot. The preview was “Second Wife,” which was fun- damentally a good story, well directed and acted. It is more than a coincidence that, in looking over the lists to select the candidates for the ten -best pictures of the year, the Inside Facts reviewers should name all of these three among four selected, the fourth being a straightaway revue type of picture, Warner Brothers’ “Show of Shows.” It is a truism that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and it takes a superlative order of direction, seldom encountered, to make a good picture out of a story which is uninteresting and vapid. Inside Facts has stated that the day of the writer is here, and it still insists on the point even though the Hollywood pro- ducers are chasing all over Broadway and Europe looking for stuff which may be adapted after a fashion to screen presenta- tion. The reading departments at the studios have long been more or less figureheads, their chief office being to read scripts and record them in order that no plagiarism suits may later be filed. Their “noes” have worked incalculable harm to the indus- try, many a potentially great picture being killed off by their indifference toward original creations. The studio which first recognizes this and installs a reading department which will read with a view to finding material rather than perfunctorially with a view to acquitting a routine duty, will profit immeasurably. If never before, now, at least, the story is the thing. WILBUR CUSHMAN TO OPEN AT L. B. WITH AUGMENTED CO. Wilbur Cushman with his Own Revue will open an indefinite en gagement at the Strand Theatre, Long Beach, on February 2. This will mark the return of the Cush- man company to California after an invasion of New Mexico, Mon- tana and Texas where they rang up a record of successful busi- ness on consecutive run of over a year. After a stay of over two years in the San Joaquin valley, Cush- man moved into Albuquerque, N. M., where he played for 44 weeks, topping all records for the Kimo Theatre in that city. The advent of the talkies forced a decision to move to Butte, Mont., but the operation of the houses in that sec- tion by the Fox circuit made it impossible for the producer to secure theatres in which to rotate his company. He then took over the lease of the Crawford Theatre in El Paso and was operating ♦ there when the call come for him to move back into California. Cushman will augment his com- pany for the Long Beach engage- ment. Several new principals will be added to his present company roster and musical and novelty acts will be interpolated into the musical comedy production each week. Opening the new Louis O. Mac- loon-Lillian Albertson production, “New Moon,” at the Majestic Monday night, was a brilliant af- fair which drew the most distin- guished of the playgoers of both Los Angeles and Hollywood. The play, which will be reviewed in Inside Facts next week, got off to a big start, indicating that these producers have got another big winner to follow up the sensation- al record they made with their last coast production, “The Desert Song.” » WIDE SCREEN tunity of saying that the opinions expressed each week by Mr. Jacobs of the various plays pre- sented in the legitimate theatres here in Los Angeles, should be of great value, not only to the the- atregoing public, but to the au- thors and producers of plays as well, for he not only gives us a fair and impartial opinion, but in- variably gives us a constructive criticism as well, which, if acted upon, would always be beneficial to all concerned. I feel it a great privilege to be one of your subscribers and we could hardly do without it. (Signed) HARRY CLAY BLANEY. CLEVELAND. — The research laboratories of the National Car- bon Company, Inc., here, claims perfection of a light source in the form of a special carbon arc which has 30 to 50 per cent greater brilliancy than the sun itself. This, they say, removes prac- tically the last obstacle in the way of projection of wide film of ster- eopscopic moving pictures. The manufacture of this carbon requires from six to eight weeks. So great is the care required that the raw materials are produced un- der careful technical supervision in a plant designed and built for that specific purpose. The perfec- tion of these carbons makes the exhibition of the wide stereoscopic film a certainty and it will be only a matter of a few weeks before they will be shown by several New York theatres, the Cleveland execs state. OPPOSITE McLAGLEN , Mary McAlister has been signed to play the feminine lead in the Fox picture, “On the Level,” in which Victor McLaglen is the star. This is Miss McAlister’s biggest chance since the talkies. In. her younger days she was a child star under the name of Mary Sunshine. PICTURE PAIR WED Francis Marion, scenario writer and widow of Fred Thompson, western film hero, was married last week in Phoenix, Ariz., to George Williams Hill, motion picture di- rector. BEAUDINE’S NEXT William Beaudine will film “At Bay” as his next directorial as- signment for First National. Lo- retta Young is to have the stel- lar role.