Inside facts of stage and screen (March 1, 1930)

SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE PREDICT BIGGER PROGRAM FOR U BIG SPECIALS TO BE Francia Francia, whose picture appears above, is currently playing with Fanchon and Marco’s “Idea in Marble/’ which played Loew’s State the last half of last week and the first half of this, and which is now in Long Beach. Francia, who is the featured fem singer of the “Idea,” is getting big returns from her work, her voice being excellent and her delivery one of true showmanship. Francia was formerly fea- tured in the “California Capers Idea,” and has entertained over the following radio stations: KHJ, KFI, KMTR and KNX. In addition to this, Francia was a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra, Fran- cia*S' mother? Phebe Ara White, is a teacher of voice, and is given credit for a big part in her daughter’s success. WRITING RADIO CONTINUITIES IS NEW ART OF MANY FACTORS By DAVE ELMAN One of the Foremost Continuity Writers of the Columbia Broadcasting System NEW YORK, Feb. 27.—“How do you go about writing radio continuities?” is a question we have often been asked, yet so far we have never been able to frame a definite answer to the query. There are so many factors enter- ing into the matter of building programs, that it is impossible to make a blanket response. Somewhat the same situation ob- tains in other crafts, with certain differences. Ask the carpenter how he builds a house, an engineer how he designs a motor, or a watchmaker how he makes a deli cate watch, and see what their answers will be. No doubt the carpenter will say he got a set of plans and specifications from the architect; the engineer would ex- plain how the models for his ma- chine were made, the parts cast and shaped and the final product assembled; while the watchmaker in all likelihood would tell you his father and his father’s father be- fore him had been watchmakers, and from them he learned his trade. Big Difference The big difference between the above crafts and that of program building is that the three crafts- men will know, see and physically feel what they have created, while the continuity writer cannot see a thing and must depend entirely upon what he may or may not feel mentally. Those of us who have had ex- perience in stage craft before com- ing to radio have had opportunity to learn by experience certain essential facts of showmanship, and at the same time, have re- ceived many impressions which it has beep necessary to carefully •forget, for radio showmanship has one great difference from the technique of the stage. On the stage one may see as well as hear what is going on, and through his eyes as well as his ears under- stand immediately just what is going on; in radio the ears alone must carry every impression. Drew On Memory In building "Show Folks” I have gone back in memory to the days of my apprenticeship on the boards, remembering experiences on show boats, in medicine shows, Chautauques and . in minstrelsy, but as far as radio is concerned, I started from scratch. “Show Folks” details the experiences of various troupers in various situa- tions and it was an easy matter to recall certain experiences which had befallen my friends or myself. Adapting these experiences to radio merely called for a bit of imagination and the ability to “visualize” through the medium of my ear what my eyes had seen. That I was able to do this is proved by the. fact that many of my old associates who did not know I was in radio, and many of whom had known me on the stage under another name, have written me after hearing one or another broadcast and recalled their parts in the little dramatizations I have offered. Another most important factor is of course the personality of the actor or actors about whom the radio players evolve. Some people are able to project their person- ality over the air much better than others, but this highly necessary attribute is. only to be found after long experimentation. TO MANAGE GRANADA Frank L. Newman, Jr., is tak- ing over the management of the Granada Theatre, La Jolla. Universal is currently at its pro- duction peak since the advent of talking pictures. And, according to reports, the conference now in session in Hollywood on the com- ing program has plans to make the next one Universal’s biggest year from a production standpoint. The conference, which is at- tended by eastern representatives as well as local execs, is reported to be decided on a policy of fewer program pictures for Universal and more super-specials. It is said these guiding minds feel that the only chance to really dispose of film product at a profit now is to make them so big that the house - controlling companies will bid them in at a good price, or else so they will be of the calibre to play at legit stafids. The old widespread program market is largely shot, and money in count- able quantities is only to be had through purchase by a deal with one of the big chains, or by legit house bookings at legit scale. Uni- versal seems to have definitely withdrawn from the theatre field, and recent mergers cost it many of its former chain release tie-ups. Universal, long the home of quickie-type programers, now is going after. the smash stuff at a rate competing with any of them. They got Edna Ferber’s “Show- boat,” one of the prize novels of the year, if not THE prize one; they bid in the ace-material show, “Broadway,” and they copped off the sensational “All’s Quiet on the Western Front,” and Paul White- man. The U. conference was rumored to have felt that the stu- dio must even top this record next year if it’s going to keep its place in the Hollywood sun. U. makes its specials with as much care and the consumption of as much time as any studio in town. For this reason, it is ex- pected the new program will see the start of a year in which it will keep to a comparatively high level in activity and employment, though the actual number of pic- turse made will be fewer than at other studios. Universal finished up two pic- tures. last .Saturday, currently has five in production, and will start “Moonlight Madness,” a special with John Boles in the lead, with- ing a week or two. STARTED ‘MOUSE’ CLUBS Harry Woodin, former press agent for the W. C. Dome Thea- tre at Ocean Park, resigned and is now the p. a. for Walt Disney, creator of the “Mickey Mouse” cartoon comedy. To Harry goes the credit of putting over the “Mickey Mouse Club” idea, one of the cleverest publicity stunts in years and one which it has been recommended that all of the houses on the West Coast circuit adopt. It is organizing the kiddies into a club similar in boosting spirit as the service clubs of their elders. Floyd Wright One of the Bay District’s fore- most organists, Wright is at the concert console of the Fox Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland and broadcasts over station KPO in San Francisco. Wright is in his third year at the Grand Lake and prior to that was for 18 consecutive months at the Granada Theatre in San Fran- FEATURES JIT KIRB BUD MURRAY RETURNS Bud Murray of the Bud and Lon Murray School of Dancing will return here this week to re- sume his activities in the school. Murray has been in San Francisco as stage and dance director for “Oh. Susanna!” It is said that Murray’s “Packet” number, one of the hits of the show, has been taken up in the ballrooms of the northern, city and Murray will in- troduce it here when he returns. CHK me (Continued from Page 1) But the new freelance contract ended this threat. The five-year no-strike clause signed by more than 200. of the biggest freelance players did it. Equity hasn’t much chance for a long time to come. And so comes the logical move of eliminating the contract people, who, prior to the new contract, would have been recruits for Equity’s cause perhaps. Players’ Pool May Cut Some opinion has been heard that the support players’ pool will eventually operate to cut down sal- aries. But this is doubtful. How- ever, reasoning persuades, it will tend to equalize salaries more than at present by making a less fre- quent use of some of the name support people and giving more chances to competent bit players. Names have frequently been used in small and unimportant bits merely because they happened to be under contract. This state of affairs will be ended. Smaller- salaried bit people will get the parts, and prospects are for a less sizeable annual revenue for the better-known support players de- spite the same salary when they work as they get now. It is gen- erally believed that the producers will, make up by this system of casting, for the money they would otherwise lose because of the new provision for a 12-hour rest period after every period of work. . Just how far the producers were inspired in okehing the new con- tract by the desire to eliminate their present large stock companies is not stated by the opinioners But it is generally regarded as an excellent move on their making for their eventual And also for better pictures. part, gain. “BAMBINA” PAYS Cast of “Bambina” was paid off at the Equity offices this week, through Channing Follette of the Seaboard Surety Company. A check for the stage hands, also protected through a bond obtained by Equity, was also forthcoming. CHANGE AT PLAYHOUSE Charlotte Stevens, due to an ill- ness in the family, has retired from the cast of “Salt Water” at the Hollywood Playhouse. Her part is being played by Emily Lowry. BACK TO SHOW BIZ Franklyn Parker, who thought for awhile that he was going to quit show business, is back in town looking for a chance to crash the movies or another legit show. Parker was with Jack Hill’s “Front Page” company which went on the rocks in the North west. Parker planned to enter the automobile business there, and stayed when the rest of the com- pany returned. But the old call came, and so Franklyn is back again. EDMUNDS IN ROLE Cyril Delavanti has been re- placed, in the cast of “Salt Water” by William Edmunds who played the character of the “Italian”’ in the original production. His ar- riva.l here, was delayed a week, during_which time Delavanti batted for him. . JOINS SONO-ART Cliff Broughton has joined Sono- Art Productions as an associate producet 1 , ’ ' BI EE OFFERING SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27.— The San Francisco unit of the Pickwick Broadcasting Corpora- tion, KTAB, is a station attract- ing a good deal of attention on the Pacific Coast through many of its individual features. M. E. Roberts, manager, is re- garded as one of the successful executives in radio broadcasting. The departments of program and musical directing are under the supervision of Walter J. Rudolph, pianist-conductor, whose success in the musical world has been gained through a long career, both in America and abroad. He has the distinction of being the only one to ever receive the diamond medal awarded. by the Chicago College of Music for three consecutive years. One of the most popular features on the air oyer KTAB is the broadcast of ice hockey games played in the bay district; both in San. Francisco and Oakland. Ernie Smith has been acclaimed one of the most popular sports announc- ers on the air. Doubles Staff KTAB has enlarged its staff to double the number employed one year ago. This was the natural outcome of the demand by lis- teners for better programs from the “individual” stations. A Pro- duction Department was instituted in the offices of KTAB, with Bonnie Carol Jacks, former news- paper writer, appointed to lead the department, creating enter- tainment for broadcasting and for general coaching of staff artists. Staff announcers now include Louis Withers, formerly with the NIBC, later with the ABC while it was in operation on the Pacific Coast; and Don Jefry, a name and a voice recognized by listeners through KTAB air channels over a period of several years. Among the artists heard in KTAB programs are; Joan Ray, contralto; Enrico Martinelli, tenor, whose interpretations of opera have marked him as following close in the footsteps of his name-sakes; Carl Tobin, tenor; Heinie Klotz. a big chap with a big voice; and Alice Blue, organist and pianist, who came to KTAB from KFRC, to produce her “Pianistic Pictures in Blue” and “Organ Echoes” programs. She is versatile, and the only time she plays “Alice Blue Gown” is when it is used as the theme to identify her “Pian- istic Pictures in Blue.” Economics Advisor Alma Le Marr, writer and speaker on “home economics,” has been signed to be “at home” to listeners every morning for an indefinite period. Jane Sargent Sands, formerly of Salt Lake City, has been featured over KTAB as a concert pianist and staff accompanist. Dorothy Nichols, ’cellist, has been with KTAB since the in- auguration of the San Francisco studios, over sixteen months ago. Art Fadden, the “pianist with a personality,” presents his popular program—“A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That.” “Legends of Other Lands” is one of KTAB’s most popular pro- grams, taking listeners on a musi- cal journey to various countries. The Melody Masters and KTAB soloists furnish, through appro- priate selections, the musical back- ground for the continuity which portrays the quaint customs and romantic history of other lands. Every radio station has its frolic feature. KTAB presents the “What Have You” program each Saturday night, made up from requests received from listeners. Nearly all of KTAB’s staff of entertainers are placed at the dis- posal of listeners, who are virtu- ally KTAB program directors dur- ing this program, piloted by Bob Roberts, master of ceremonies. The “Highway Highlights” pro- gram has for its theme "Long, Long Trail,” plaved from the con- sole of the. KTAB organ, with concert music brought to listeners by the Melody Masters orchestra under the direction of Walter J. Rudolph. “Highway Highlights” is the. complimentary program of the Pickwick and Yelloway Stages System, using the romantic history of the world for material in the continuity.