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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1930 One Year Published Every Saturday $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Advertising Rates on Application As a bi-monthly publication: Entered as Second Class Matter, No- vember 17, 1924, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. As a weekly publication: Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Published by Inside Facts Publishing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS ARTHUR WM. GREEN WILLIAM C. OWENS - - President and Editor - - Vice Pres, and Counsel - Secretary and General Manager Vol. XI Saturday, March 1, 1930 No. 9 In times of calm, a bridge may stand easily despite weak- ness in its smaller joists, bolts or other less majestic parts. But when the storm blows mighty bridges come crashing down through some defect in a part so small that it has not warranted the attention of those charged with keeping it in repair. And so with mighty businesses. William Fox, the great independent, the lone Fox of the movies, is now fighting a vigorous battle to preserve to him- self and family the gigantic theatrical enterprises he has con- structed through the years. Against him is arrayed those sinister money forces of Wall Street, which have brought down many, many mighty men. The story of the Fox battle reads as entertainingly as fiction: it is romantic: it is dram- atic- and yet the newspapers and trade papers, avidly in search of such material, mention it only in passing, entirely lacking color, totally without such words of praise as Fox deserves for his lifetime of constructive work and his cur- rent valiant fight. And therein comes the part played by the rusty bolts, the defective joists. Consider the Fox lot in Hollywood. Upon it are some who gratuitously radiate discourtesy, opposition to friendly over- tures, and a total lack of co-operation with outsiders who have business dealings with them. Not Winfield Sheehan, nor Sol Wurtzel, nor any of the other big men of the lot. No, this fraternity includes only small potatoes, some heads of subordinate departments, some few unimportant underlings, little fry who strut, preen and dictate in a manner which their boss, Mr. Fox, with all his power, all his achievements, would scorn to do. The attitude seemed to arise about the time that Fox bought the Loew’s working control, the little fellows apparently believing they could swell out their chests as though they had achieved this coup. Either this, or else it was due to the fact of certain changes being made with New York men substituted for the former Hollywood men, who met with diplomacy a situation they understood. Undoubtedly Fox wonders why the press does not give him more support in his dilemma. And undoubtedly that is the answer. A man playing favorites and politics incurs more enemies than friends, and such friends as he makes, being also favored-spot seekers and politicians, are little likely to remember the friendship in times of stress. _ Inside Facts is most hopeful, and most optimistic that Fox will emerge triumphant from his predicament. And it also hopes that, seeing the harm unwise little fellows can do him, his first action upon his untrammeled reinstallation, will be to wipe his payroll clean of these petty demi-gods and estab- lish for his studios the same spirit of fair play and impartial co-operation with the outside world as the other studios in Hollywood make it a practice to have. It is not only cour- teous, but also a safeguard. COURTESY CALIFORNIA CROONERS KPO SAN FRANCISCO HARVEY ORR REFA MILLER Baritone Soprano Featuring Feist’s “YOU’RE ALWAYS IN MY ARMS” URBIN HARTMAN Tenor 7 RUDY SEIGER SINCE 1907 CONCERT DIRECTOR—FAIRMONT HOTEL SAN FRANCISCO Holding a World’s Record As Radio’s First Orchestra Broadcaster—and Still Being Heard Daily Over k KPO - SAN FRANCISCO A HI SEATTLE, Feb. 27.—KJR here is the key station for programs of the Northwest Broadcasting Sys- tem, which also includes KEX, Portland, and KGA, Spokane. Programs are released from KJR to the two other stations fre- quently during the week and on Sunday the hours between 8 p. m. and midnight are taken up com- pletely with chain broadcasts. Under the management of Tom Smart, KJR has undergone some radical changes in the last few weeks and many new and varied features have been added for dialers. One of the recent additions to the staff is Ken Stuart, who is sports announcer and also offers “Thirty Minutes of Sunshine,” a vocal and conversational feature that has clicked. Henri Damski offers his Im- perial Grand Orchestra, heard every Sunday evening. Damski’s Neapolitans also stand out for the unusual offerings they have been putting on the air at 9 p. m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Recently KJR received a letter from a family, who gave their ad- dress as ’mid the Eskimos, rein- deer and malemute. The writers requested “If I Had You” for February _ 18, and their letter had been mailed in November. On the date requested Allen Strick- faden, . who has charge of the “Midnight Revelers” program, dedicated his entire musical pre- sentation, from midnight until 3 a. m., to the Alaska dialers. Among the vocalists heard regularly over KJR are Agatha Turley, soprano;. Betty Anderson, soprano; Marjorie Robillard, pian- ist and harmony singer; Glen Ea- ton, tenor; Sidney Dixon, tenor; Jean Kantner, baritone, and El- more Vincent, tenor, who is known in the radio world as the Texas Troubador. HAS SECOND LEAD David . Newell has been signed by Radio Pictures to play the second lead in “Cooking Her Goose.” MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO YOU Clem Pope ON THE PASSING OF YOUR FATHER OSCAR PRESTON TEL-A-PHONEY bp) JAMES MADISON Hello, John Gilbert. Hello, James Madison. Whlen will you and Jim Tully have another go? As soon as I can sell the motion picture rights. * * * Hello, A1 Jolson. Hello, James Madison. What do you think of the imitations that are being given of you? Instead of imitations, I call them limitations. * * * Hello, Tom Gallery. Hello, James Madison. What is the new slogan you have for the Hollywood Stad- ium? “The House of Hits.” * * * Hello, Jack Warner. Hello, James Madison. What is your definition of a grim humorist? One who classes a rope as hafid-made neckwear. * * * Hello, Josephine Sahel. Hello, James Madison. What do you think of a man who has two love nests? I call that burning the scan- dal at both lends. * * * Hello, Ruth Roland. Hello, James Madison. What is your analysis of real estate? Bad buys are good-byes. * * * Hello, Bill Koenig. Hello, James Madison. I understand that a com- bination meat, grocery and vegetable store is to be estab- lished especially for aviators. A sort of “drop-in” market. * * * Hlello, Charlie Kurtzman. Hello, James Madison. When can a man be said to have a face like a luggage shop? When he has bags under his eyes. * * * Hello, Gloria Swanson. Hello, James Madison. What is your definition of a financial collision? Running ten thousand dol- lars into a million. TWO NEW THEATRES IN SANTA MONICA, REPORT Reports of two new theatres for Santa Monica were received this week, but not officially confirmed. One said that Richard LaSaile, who formerly produced here and elsewhere, was interested in a house to be built at Seventh and Wilshire, Santa Monica. The other said that Warner Brothers were to start immediately on construction of a house in the beach city. The building department of the city, however, stated that both projects were news to them. $83,500 PERFORMANCE Take for the 3000th performance of the “Mission Play” at San Ga- briel grossed $83,500. Seats at $100 per were responsible for the greater part of the revenue, the balance of the house being sold out at $2 to those curious to see President Coolidge, who attended. TUNE IN ON RADIO STATION KFWB .... HOLLYWOOD PRESENTING ANN GREY and DON WARNER WELL WORTH WATCHING TWO BLACK SPOTS WITH A DARK PAST and PERHAPS A FUTURE METRO and COSMO HARRY BECHTEL TOM SMITH — Over — KYA - - - SAN FRANCISCO Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:15 P. M. AHLON ERRICK’S ODERN ELODISTS FEATURED OVER KFRC SAN FRANCISCO THE DON LEE AND COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM