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

PAGE TWELVE SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 1930 By JACK B. TENNEY In the realm of dance music nothing is more important than tempo. Beneath the melody and the orchestral effects the rhythm must pulsate . . . steady and defi- nite . . . like the throb of heart- beats. The solo must not affect the tempo. If a measure or two is tacit the count must be exact and in the ensemble it becomes marked with emphasized cres- cendo. . . . One is inclined to believe that musicians who deal exclu- sively with rhythm would have an established tempo for their Song of Life. It might be expected that beneath the trials and tribulations, the joys and sorrows of everyday existence there would beat a steady pulsation that would carry them unerringly from the intro- duction to the coda. . . . But the contrary is true. Musicians appear to lack all sense of rhythm in the Dance of Life. The pattern of the fox-trot and the waltz is of definite mould. It is standardized . . . like America. One rhythm that permits of lim- ited variation. It conforms com- pletely to the requirements of those who lived scheduled lives. They could not understand a sud- den change of tempo. . . . But the musician is a gypsy. . . . * * * There are times when life is a dirge ... a slow, monotonous pulsation that seems endless. . . . Then, acceleration . . . the tempo changes. Melody! Moonlight. . . . Spring and romance ... A love song beneath the stars . . . Ex- hilaration . . . furious rhythm . . . Sudden silence. A symphony of Grief and dirge trails away in sad overtones into eternity . . . * * * Brother Gillette, President of A. F. and M. 47, has inaugurated a great idea under the name of the Union Labor Benefit League. While I have not received full in- formation regarding the League the broad outlines are suggestive of humanitarianism and cooperative protection. The members of Lo- cal 47, through the Union Labor Benefit League can secure medical, dental and hospital protection at the cost of one dollar per month, not only for themselves but for their families as well. Thus, an- other economic monster is passing to the obscurity of the saber-tooth and the dodo. * * * C. Sharpe Minor is scheduled to leave the San Diego Fox West Coast Theatre and take over the console at Loew’s Warfield in San Francisco. * * * Lou Miller and his orchestra are entertaining the sea-going fans on board the S. S. Dorothy Alex- ander on its bi-monthly cruises from San Francisco to Old Mex- ico. Miller and the boys played last summer at Tahoe Tavern at Lake Tahoe and recently at the Apollo Cafe in San Francisco. * * * Eddy Janis, formerly with Harms, is now in charge of the West Coast offices of the Famous Music Corporation up in the Ma- jestic Theatre Building. Joe Bish- op is assiting Eddy plug the firm’s big ones, “Dream Lover,” “My Sweeter Than Sweet” and “My Love Parade.” * * Oh, yes — “Watching My Dreams Go By” is a real number. I like it. And I don’t know who published it or wrote it. * * * Which reminds me that I wrote several months ago that “Love Me” was a great ballad. For a while it looked like no one was going to agree with me. Last Sunday a certain orchestra at a certain radio station received nine requests for it in a half an hour * * * Hollywood Roof has again come to life as a dance center since the acquisition of Jack Dunn and his orchestra. The boys have gradu- ally built up the business to where the ballroom is now on a paying basis. Included in the personnel are Buddy Johnson, drums and vibra- phone, Ben Creitz, sousaphone and string bass, Eddie Lippner, banjo and voice, “Fat” Baldwin, sax, vio- lin and voice, “Friday” Leitner, sax, violin, trumpet, mellophone and voice, Karl Holting, sax and violin. Art Most, trombone and trumpet, Kenneth Baird, trumpet and mellophone and Jack Dunn, piano and director. RAPEE W. B. CHIEF Erno Rapee, has assumed the post of musical director-in-chief at Warner Brothers. Rapee was the first conductor of symphony orchestras at the Capitol and Roxy Theatres in New York, and for some time conducted an 85-piece orchestra at the UFA Theatre in Berlin. ON M-G-M CONTRACT . Austin “Skin” Young,” eccentric singer, has been put under con- tract by M-G-M. His first appear- ance will be in the new M-G-M revue. “Skin” Young was with Paul Whiteman’s band for four seasons. Previously he did seven seasons with the Mason-Dixon band. DANIELS IN S. F. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Charles Daniels, head of Villa Moret, music publishers, was here this week for the first time in sev- eral months in connection with a directors’ meeting. BEST WISHES TO MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA ON THE OPENING OF THEIR LOS ANGELES OFFICE OWEN FALLON AND HIS CALIFORNIANS NOW IN SECOND YEAR AT WILSON’S BALLROOM (Formerly Cinderella Roof) LOS ANGELES, CALIF. LOS ANGELES , There was no decided change in the song leaders during the past week, with Robbins’ “Chant of the Jungle” continuing to lead the list. Santly Brothers’ have two new numbers on the market that look very promising. Al- though they do not appear in the ten best this week, they are sell- ing very rapidly around town. “Singing a Vagabond Song,” the themie from United Artists’ latest release, “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” starring Harry Richman and “Besides An Open Fireplace” are the two. Ten best were as follows: 1. “Chant of the Jungle”— Robbins. 2. “Should I?”—Robbins. 3. “To Be Forgotten”—Berlin. 4. “That Wonderful Something Called Love”—Robbins. 5. “A Year From Today”— Robbins. 6. “Your Fate Is In My Hands” -—Santly Bros. 7. “Dream Lover”—Harms. 8. “Lover Parade”—Harms. 9. “I’m Following You”-—Ber- lin. 10. “A Little Kiss Each Morn- ing”-—Harms. Recordings 1. “Chant of the Jungle”—All recordings. 2. “Should I?”—Paul White- man (Columbia). 3. “I’m Following You”—Paul Spect (Columbia). 4. “A Little Kiss Each Morn- ing”—Rudy Vallee (Victor). 5. “That Wonderful Something Called Love” — Roy Ingraham (Brunswick). 6. “Singing In the Bathtub”— Ben Bernie (Brunswick). 7. “A Year From Today”— All recordings. 8. “Your Fate Is In My Hands” —Paul Whiteman (Columbia). 9. _ “What Do I Care?”—All re- cordings. 10. “Dream Lover”—All re- cordings. SAN FRANCISCO Although music sales have dropped considerably as the result of bootleg sales of song copies on the streets of San Francisco, busi- ness is again on the upward climb. Leaders in the field are: 1. “Aren’t We All”—De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. 2. “Talking Picture of You”— De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. 3. “Chant of the Jungle”—Rob- bins. 4. “Should I?”—Robbins. 5. “When the Sun Goes Down” -Lloyd Campbell. 6. “Can’t We Be Friends”— Harms. 7. “That Wonderful Something” •—Robbins. 8. “Love Made a Gypsy Out of Me”—Leo Feist. 9. “Springtime in the Rockies” —Villa Moret. 14. “I Miss You”-—American Music. CURRAN ORCHESTRA SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Robert Schmidt has been awarded the orchestra contract at Belasco and Curran’s Curran Theatre, fol- lowing Ferdinand Stark. Eugene Heyes, formerly first violinist at the Alcazar, will be conductor of the new Curran organization. Vic Meyers has signed a con- tract with the Music Corporation of America, whereunder the or- ganization will represent Meyers for all his tours and permanent engagements. Prior to Meyers’ signing, the M. C. A. also signed Anson Weeks, the first of the west coast bands to be placed un- der contract by the newly-estab- lished M. C. A. offices in Los An geles. TIS II HEAVr CLUES SEATTLE, Feb. 13. — Local audiences are getting a peep at the cleverest organ gag ever pulled in these parts this week as Henri Le Bel, organist at the New Fox, introduces his twin baby consoles. The midget organs are used in conjunction with the master con- sole. The babes present a flashy appearance on the stage, being decorated futuristically in black and silver, and, from a mechan- ical standpoint, present a unique yarn. The double consoles are equipped with standard pedals and key- boards of two manuals each. Each instrument is operated entirely in- dependent of the other and inde- pendent of the big console. Both tiny tots carry their own junction boards. On one of the small in- s.truments is an attachment for lifting out the entire keyboard to which is 'attached a 150-foot cable. The gag on this is to carry the keyboard out into the audience where patrons, at their will, may sense the thrill of playing and manipulating the giant mechanism of the organ. It is planned to pull this stunt within the very near future. The opening week finds Lorain Le Bel and Iris seated at the mid- get consoles and Henri Le Bel at the large console. It’s a great gag and clicks gloriously. C. M. “Sandy” Balcom was the father and builder of Le Bel’s two midget consoles. It’s a great piece of ingenuity and the result of much planning and many nights’ labor on. the part of Balcom. The installation of the two midgets gives the Fox the dis- tinction of having the. only three organs played at one time any- where outside of the Roxy Thea- tre, New York City. DIVIDING WEEK SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 13.— With Frank Hipsley’s orchestra out of the Balconades Ballroom after an extended run, the dance spot now has Sam Catalano’s band in for five nights a week and Ro land O’Farrell in for two. HICKMAN’S ESTATE SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— An estate valued at $125,000 was left bv the late Art Hickman, vet- eran band leader, according to his will filed this week. According to terms, his mother receives the bulk of the estate after a $20,000 be- quest to his sister, Pearl Hickman, local dance teacher. COMEDIAN NUMBER Villa Moret, in their new quar- ters in W. B. Hollywood building, are preparing a new number en- titled “Laurel and Hardy.” DOES “BUGS” ROLE Jack Wise has just concluded the part of “Bugs” in “Jail Break” at First National. Mervin LeRoy directed. GIRLS WRITE NUMBER Dorothy Messick and Ramona Rommes, at the music counter at Newberry’s store here, have writ- ten a tune called “Why” which is being published by the Gene John- ston Music Company, with the girls working all. angles to get the tune placed with some coming picture. Miss Messick wrote the music while Miss Romines added the lyrics. WITH HARMS Art Mellinger, who came out here to represent Piantodosi, jumped to Harms, when the former was merged with Remicks. Harms are opening a new suite of offices in the W. B. Hollywood building, with Mellinger in charge. RECORDED “CZAR” . Everett Hoagland has just fin- ished recording all the music for Universal’s picture, “Czar of Broad- way.” He also broadcasts daily over KFWB. BE 5TH AVE, i, C. PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 13.— Sam Jack Kaufman, m. c. at the Fox-Broadway here, gets his first rest in nine months this week when Eddie Peabody comes into the house for a one or two-week stay as guest m. c. Kaufman has this town tied up in a knot, and clicks heavy with both the ferns and their escorts. Kaufman has been in the spot nine months, a record for any local m. c. Kauf- man, before signing with Marco, made several tours over the Or- pheum circuit with Roscoe Ail’s band, and later headed his own presentation unit. It was while on such a tour that Marco dis- covered Kaufman in New York where the m. c. had a flashy act at the time at the Academy in the big town. Rumors tie Kauf- man in with the vacant spot at Fox’s Fifth Avenue in Seattle, left open by the transfer of Owen Sweeten to the Fox there. Seattle is thought to be a natural for Kaufman where, with the larger population and the greater show- mindedness of the populace, would afford him greater outlets for his many capabilities. It is rumored- that Kaufman may follow Jackie Souders, who goes into Seattle’s Fifth Avenue on February 27 for a limited stay. Souders comes down to Seattle after 33 months in the Strand Theatre, Van- couver, B. C. FEATURE CAMPBELL TUNES SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— On its Tin Pan Alley hour KPO last week featured the Lloyd Campbell tunes sending them over the NBC Coast network. The same hour will be repeated next week. Campbell ditties on the hour were “When the Sun Goes Down,” “Blue Lover,” “Walkin’ Around In a Dream” and “I Love You.” Dobbsie, Campbell, Larry Yoell, Chuck Thode and Jack Dean presented the program. AT STANFORD THEATRE SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— C. L, Green has the orchestra at the Stanford Theatre, Palo Alto, Arkush house that draws the ma- jority of its trade from the nearby Stanford students. TO PLAY CHAIN CHICAGO. — Hughie Barrett and His Columbia Recording Or- chestra, a Music Corporation of America unit, recently featured at the Brown Hotel, Louisville, has been contracted for an extended run at the various hotels of the Schroeder Hotel Chain. HAVE FOX NIGHT SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Jesse Stafford and his band cele- brated Fox Theatre night at the Palace Hotel Friday with a .car- nival night during which numbers from Metro’s “Devil May Care,” currently at the Fox, were fea- tured. “Charming,” “If He Cared” and “Shepherd’s Serenade,” all Robbins tunes, were spot- lighted. STORE FOR SALE SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Local ’Board of Trade has taken over Hanson’s Music store on Powell street and are offering it for sale. WIIX PRIOR CONDUCTOR NEW STATE THEATRE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA TED HENKEL MUSICAL CONDUCTOR and PRESENTATION DIRECTOR CIVIC THEATRE Auckland, New Zealand Pit Orchestra of 30 - : - Stage Band of 20