Inside facts of stage and screen (February 15, 1930)

PRICE 10 CENTS ONLY THEATRICAL NEWSPAPER ON THE PACIFIC COAST ESTABLISHED 1924 Vol. XI Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at Post- office, Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. Saturday, February 15, 1930 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Published Every Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros Down- town Building, 401 West Seventh St., Los Angeles, Calif. No. 7 NEW PICTURE CONTRACT TO OPERATE FOR 8 -HOUR DAY SLIM MARTIN MASTER OF CEREMONIES Boulevard Theatre, Los Angeles THAU CASTING CHEER PANTAGES MURDOCK UNI CASE! PLAN MAIN? Reports were circulating this week of a new national vaude chain under the ownership of J. J. Murdock and Pat Casey, former high moguls in the Radio-Keith- Orpheum time. While not authenticated from eastern sources, western authorities had Murdock and Casey all primed j hop in on what tia. consider a wide-open field for money-mak- ing. It was stated they always felt the RKO concern was making a major error in giving pictures the break over vaude, and when the acts were completely jerked from the RKO ace houses they are. reported to have reached a de- cision to bring back big time vaude themselves by a nation- wide chain of houses. Vincent Rumor Western ramifications of the story stated that Frank Vincent, coast representative for RKO, had resigned during the past week, and would start immediately for the . East upon summons from Murdock for work on the pro- posed new chain. Vincent’s work here has been practically a sine- cure, and when the RKO decided to jerk vaude from the RKO Theatre in favor of stage presen- tations _ for awhile, it is rumored that Vincent made such a squawk that the RKO chiefs in the East were far from pleased. Some re- ports had it that Vincent’s pro- tests were inspired by Murdock, from the latter’s belief that vaude was still a big show bet and that jerking it for the talking picture flurry was a mistake. Seeking Pan Houses At one time Murdock and Casey were reported seeking to purchase the Pantages houses, and the rumor then said that they were after the theatres as the western nucleus of a chain which was to go from New York to the west coast The plans for such a chain, it is now reported', were never abandoned, but were held in abeyance through several happen- ings, including the failure to get the Pantages houses, and later by the late stock market slump. Now, however, they are reported to feel the time ripe and action is to be expected shortly. ROACH CASTING CHIEF Jack Roach has been made casting director at the Hal Roach studios. Jack was at one time as- sistant director to his brother, Hal, when the latter was directing the all-star productions. Ben Thau, brought on from New York, has succeeded Fred Beers as head of the casting de- partment at M-G-M. Beers is said to have resigned due to ill- ness from overwork, and his fu- ture plans have not yet been made known. Las|t Sunday at the Agua Cali- ente race track the feature race was won by a horse named “Alex- ander Pantages.” When the name of the winner was announced it received a tremendous applause by the big grand stand crowd. NEW U. CASTING CHIEF Harry Garson, for the past year casting director of Universal Pic- tures Corporation, has resigned and, so it is said, plans to produce for Universal release. Phil M. Friedman, former artists represen- tative, succeeds Garson. While theoretically 72 hours of work a week will be permissible under the new standard contract now preparing for freelance play- ers in Hollywood, practically it will bring an eight-hour day to the industry, according to semi- official opinion expressed this week. The work-limit item of the con- tract provides for a 12-hour rest period after each period of work. Figuring this in conjunction with the 16-hour limit for cameramen, this could be made into a 72-hour week for the players. But to do so would badly upset the routine of studios, forcing starting times a E ^ o’clock in the morning, 5 o clock in the afternoon, etc. Practically, it was stated, it will mean the eight-hour day with oc- casional slightly longer work peri- ods for the finishing up of some particular scene. Line of Reasoning Reasoning is as follows: The studio day ordinarily starts at 9 a. m. because that is the hour at which other crafts than the act- ing report. Which means that actors also will usually be called for at that hour. As a 12-hour rest period must follow the day’s work, limit on the day if there is to be a 9 o clock call on the morning fol- lowing is 9 p. m. But shooting usually is not later than from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m., with an hour out for lunch. If it is to extend much later than 6 p. m., there must also be an hour out for din- ner. . This would make the eve- ning’s work, bearing the 9 a. m. following day’s call in mind, only possible from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m. As this means overtime for the other crafts for the two hours, and a general disinclination to summon acting and auxiliary forces back . for such a short time, the practical application of the new contract will be to set the work day, as a general rule, from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m., it was stated. Virtually Ready It was for this reason, it was said, that the actors at the meet- ing which endorsed the contract preferred the 12-hour rest period clause to the alternative proposal of a 54-hour week. This proposal provided that the 54 hours should be cumulative, hours not, used on one week being available for use by the producers on the succeed- ing week. That, it was felt, might bring about extraordinarily long hours, and the 12-hour rest period (Continued on Page 15) YOU’LL IT IN FACTS