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

SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE SEVEN Harold ]. Bock Manager PHONE DOUGLAS 2213 SAN FRANCISCO KRESS BLDG. 935 Market St., Office Suite 504 ‘HALLELUJAH’ SURPRISES BY DOING WEEK OF $28,000 BIZ SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— With Maurice Chevalier as its chief attraction, the fourteenth annual auto show in the (Civic Auditorium took a terrific slash into showshop business for the past week, all of the houses drop- ping down in a noticeable degree. Fox counted on catching a lot of the overflow but did so only at its midnight show Saturday. Total intake for the motor and chassis display was estimated at approximately $50,000 for the seven days, with most of the draw credited to the star of Par- amount’s “Love Parade” and “In- nocents of Paris,” whose week of work set back local auto dealers $18,000. However, they were in the velvet by Wednesday — four days after opening—and the show took a nice profit. The surprise of the week came with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s ne- gro picture. “Hallelujah,” directed by King Vidor. The Southern flicker was frowned upon by most of the critics, who thought it fine direction but hardly appreciated. Even Loew’s Warfield didn’t ex- pect the $28,000 intake which the film garnered. Another week and then Garbo talks in “Anna Chris- tie.” Universal took its “Phantom of the Opera,” with Lon Chaney, off the shelf, added color, music and some talk, and it clicked for a house record at Wagnon’s Davies, grossing $9,354 for its initial seven days. It’s there for the second week, and Tiffany’s “Party Girl” follows. Radio’s “Hit the Deck,” while almost on a par with “Rio Rita” and “Flight” for boxoffice returns, was somewhat disappointing, though profitable, to the Orpheum. Cash registers showed an ap- proximate intake of $15,000 for the first week. The Fox, across the street from the auto show, took it on the chin, with Pathe’s “This Thing Called Love,” Walt Roesner, m.c., and Fanchon and Marco’s “Over- tures Idea.” Took in $35,000—not hot, but still okay. Frankie Rich- ardson, in person, helped. Pres- ent show is Ramon Novarro in “Devil May Care” and “Ivories Idea.” Ronald Colman in U. A.’s “Con- demned” opened to $22,500 at Pub- lix's California and still there, While First National’s “No, No. Nanette,” at the Granada, pulled in $19,500, and “Burning Up” now in. Eighth week of “Love Parade” CHEVALIER ILL SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Weakened by an attack of influ- enza brought on by his insistence upon appearing at the local auto show despite his illness, Maurice Chevalier was confined to his ho- tel this week. The star of Para- mount’s “Love Parade” and “In- nocents of Paris” was the draw- ing card for last week’s annual auto show at a figure of $18,000. His manager, Thomas A. Hearn, said that Chevalier would soon be well enough to return to Los An- geles. at St. Francis did $9,000, and “Lummox” follows in another week. In its third week at the Embassy “Show of Shows” grossed $11,000. Casino low on “City Girl,” doing fair business aided by a stage show. This week “Cameo Kirby.” TO INVADE SEATTLE SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Street peddlers of the bootleg song sheets will invade Seattle soon, it is reported. After three weeks of intensive business on San Francisco streets they will leave here Feb. 20 when an injunction secured against them by local mu- sic publishers, goes into effect. Sales of sheet music, affected seri- ously by this contraband sale, is expected to jump up to former proportions after the peddlers’ de- parture. NEW HEARST CRITIC SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— In a shifting of the drama depart- ment, Hearst’s Examiner has in- stalled Lloyd S. Thompson as the new head of its theatre depart- ment, succeeding Edgar Waite. Thompson formerly was on the Examiner staff here but was more recently with Hearst’s American, New York. Waite will turn to the freelance writing field. COMING SHOWS SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Lenore Ulric in “East of Suez” opens Wednesday, February 26, at the Curran following “Oh, Susan- na.” Other productions set for the Curran and Belasco and Cur- ran’s other house, the Geary, in- clude “Street Scene,” “June Moon” and “Criminal Code.” ROB BOX-OFFICE SAN JOSE, Feb. 13.—Crashing into the office of the Fox Califor- nia while Harold Flora, assistant manager, was taking money from a safe, two bandits snatched $5000 from him and escaped in the car of Leslie Peterson, house employe. HOUSE OPENS MARCH 10 SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— March 10 has been definitely set as the opening date of Erlanger’s new Columbia Theatre in the for- mer Orpheum on O’Farrell Street. The George M. Cohan show, “Gambling,” will be the house’s initial legit vehicle. HOUSES WIRED SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— A number of theatres in Northern California were wired during the past two weeks, the group in- cluding the Home and Park in Oakland; Rialto, Stockton; Com- munity, New Castle; Setab, Por- tola; the William in Dinuba. HEATH SHIFTS SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Mark Heath has left Columbia’s poster department to join RKO in the same capacity, with Russell Robbins renlacing him. INVESTIGATE THIS NEW PROCESS! We Make PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDS OF YOUR OWN TALENT 602 Kress Bldg. Phone Kearney 6083 935 Market San Francisco HOTEL GOVERNOR TURK AT JONES SAN FRANCISCO THE HOME OF ALL THEATRICAL PEOPLE PLAYING SAN FRANCISCO SPECIAL RATES TO PROFESSIONALS JACK WOLFENDEN, Prop. FRANK RATCHFORD, Mgr. On The Air Happenings SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Saturday night we tuned in on several stations with the an- nouncer designating the period of recording music as request hour. For 60 solid minutes, at various intermissions, we listened to the announcer, thusly: “Mrs. Glutz wants I’m a Dreamer, Mr. Jones wants I’m Following You, Miss Doakes wants Love Made a Gypsy Out of Me. We will now play Chant of the Jungle.” And we wondered why they called ’em “request hours.” * * * Don Thompson announces the Silver Slipper Cafe program over KPO, working at the remote con- trol board in the night club. * * * The Capt. Adams stories on KFRC, from the pen of John Eugene Hasty, the Captain por- trayed by Harold Dana, are now in their second year. The fifty- third episode was broadcast last week. * * * Earl Towner is again a father. The organist and orchestra direc- tor of KJO is dad to a baby daughter, Mildred Grace, who joined the Towner family of mother, dad and two other kiddies on Jan. 23. * * * Oscar Young and Dell Perry are doing a new double-piano act over NBC every Friday afternoon from 3 to 3:30, and from 10 to 10:30 Tuesday mornings. * * * One of the cleverest bits of mu- sic creation we’ve heard in a long time comes from the pen of Meredeith Willson at KFRC. Fie has written and broadcast on the Blue Monday Jamboree, his own rhapsodies on men, on women and on babies. And when the packed studio applauds for his work it ‘OH, SUSANNA’ IN GOOD FIRST WEEK DESPITE COMPETITION SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.—‘♦‘The opus looks good for another In the legit field, business was off due to the auto show. Despite this competition “Oh, Susanna” opened nicely at the Curran, clicking the turnstiles to the ex- tent of $16,000, a neat figure. makes plenty of sweet hand organ music. * * * After an invasion of eastern ra- dio stations Maurice Gunsky, tenor, has returned to the Coast where he will remain for some time. * * * Mickey Gillette, KFRC sax artist, has been selected as a member of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, a signal honor. Mickey remains with KFRC as well. * * * Ellis Fred Rehn, former foot- ball player, has joined KPO’s staff, to date confining his activ- ities to continuity writing and as- sistant office man. * * * Harriett Murton, one of KPO’s pioner songsters, has returned to its studios. During her absence in New York a year and a half ago she was married to Frances Loftus, and returning to KJO, she brought with her a three weeks old daughter. * * * One of KYA’s highlights is George Taylor, who has the Wag- non Theatre hour over that station each night. Together with Clem Kennedy he puts over a. pleasing collection of tunes that have made him highly popular with the bay district listeners-in. * * * Art Fadden is the newest mem- ber of KTAB’s staff of artists. three or four weeks. Henry Duffy opened “His Friend, the King” at the President and business was pretty terrible on this show with Hale Hamilton and Alice Joyce. Twenty-two hun- dred dollars was the best this house could do and after another week gives way to “Broken Dishes.” Duffy’s other house the Alcazar, fared better, however, with Taylor Holmes, in “Your Uncle Dudley,” which grossed $5100 in its third week. Second week of Sid Goldtree’s broad-minded farce, “The Peep- hole”at the Green Street was plenty nice at $2300. Geary, Capitol and Columbia are still dark. Art is back again entertaining dealers with his “A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That.” For a period of time he was pian- ist in Walter Krausgrill’s orches- tra and was with them at the time the orchestra was awarded first prize in the contest held to de- termine the most popular dance orchestra on the Pacific Coast. His program is heard over KTAB on Sunday night between 6:30 and 7, and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7 and 7:30. * * * Walter J. Rudolph, KTAB’s program director, is the possessor of three diamond medals awarded him by the Chicago Musical Col- lege, the only person to ever re- ceive this medal, the highest award given by the college, for three con- secutive years. on a long run engagement at the fox el capitan san francisco “the southern song ace” jimmie barr 49th consecutive week as a san francisco enter- tainer .... there’s a reason SCENERY BY MARTIN STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA