Inside facts of stage and screen (March 8, 1930)

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE SEVEN Harold J. Bock Manager PHONE DOUGLAS 2213 SAN FRANCISCO KRESS BLOG. 935 Market St., Office Suite 504 BUY CLAIR SWINGS FROM Oil TO SACRAMENTO, March 6.— Roy Clair this week brings to a close several seasons of dramatic stock at his Plaza Theatre here and switches to a policy of musi- cal comedy. With Fanchon and Marco “Ideas” out of the Fox Senator and no other stage shows in town, Clair figures he can draw a good percentage of capitol city residents into his house by this policy. The new show which opens Sunday will have Jack Romig, George Heid, Three Jays, Jean Grainger, Bee Frechette and Ca- rita’s 10 girls. The current Plaza dramatic show and the last is “Pals First” with Gene Lewis, Barbara Brown, Ma- rian Mears, Edna Ellsmere, Harry Payne, Rupert Drum, Ray Law- rence, Don Leigh, Florence Clair, William Rase and Charlotte Keane. All are out after this week. SEEKING LOCATIONS SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Lorin Kelly of the Sheldon-Kelly Players, Portland, and Guy Hick- man of the Hickman Players, Portland, were here this week looking for new locations for their companies. The Sheldon-Kelly Players _ recently closed after a long circle stock run in the Northwest territory and the Hick- man troupe pulled stakes last week after eight years there. DUFFY CAMPAIGN SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Richard Marshall lias started a concentrated advertising and ex- ploitation campaign for the two Duffy houses, the President and Alcazar, here. The Duffy Play- goer, a four-page throwaway, is being printed monthly and dis- tributed to 100,000 homes in San Francisco. The sheet gives news of the local Duffy houses and the current attractions. A squad of girls on the telephone is combing the entire Bay district phoning each home and telling residents about the Alcazar and President shows. GRANDEUR OPENING SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Early in April the Fox will in- stall the new Grandeur film, show- ing “Happy Days” as its initial picture. CHRISTAL DIES SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Two days after he had secured a part in a show following a long layoff, Leo J. Christal, stock player, died. Artistic Scenic Advertising Curtains By Far the Best in America CURTAIN PRIVILEGES BOUGHT FOR CASH OR SCENERY Chas. F. Thompson Scenic Co. 1215 Bates Avenue Phone OLympia 2914 Hollywood, Calif. Market St. Gleanings SAN FRANCISCO, March 5.— An official pedestrian. checker for a firm specializing in garneirng that sort of information informs us that between S and 6 p. m. there are on the average of 2000 persons passing the Granada The- atre. And over half of these are women, considered show shop’s best business bets. * * * Irish John Wolohan and his El Patio Ballroom orchestra have a new between-the-dance recrea- tion created by John and his equally Irish brother, Terence. It’s something on the order of ten- pins only instead of wooden pins there are five pieces of rubber hose set on end. The object is to attempt to knock down the five strips of hose with three weighted pieces of the same material. For no reason whatsoever the game is called “corks.” * * * Bob Kimic has done away with a fancy blonde mustache—the re- sult of 186 days of hard work and careful training. * * * Max Graf injured his hand at his Flexo phonograph record plant. * * * Local music men are not only song pluggers. Proof of their po- litical prowess was evidenced in the recent campaign against the street sale of bootleg song sheets. Even before a Federal injunction had been served a group of the representatives, through their con- tacts with the John Laws, had eliminated most of the peddlers and their illegal wares. Which is a sign that there is more than one angle to anything. * * * Dud Williamson celebrated a wedding anniversary this week and in honor of the event parted with his mustache. * * * Lou Emmel has a dog. It’s called “Tubby” in honor of Tubby “Lig” Garron. BIG ‘KING’ OPENING SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Publix will have one of the city’s first formal picture premieres at a $2.50 top at the St. Francis The- atre tonight when “Vagabond King” opens for an extended run. Paramount Studios is sending up Clive Brook, Mitzi, Lillian Roth, Gary Cooper and Dr. Ludwig Berger to make personal appear- ances at the initial showing. All seats are reserved and formal dress is required. POSTPONE ‘HOLIDAY’ OAKLAND, March 6.—Casting difficulties prompted Henry Duffy to postpone opening of “Holiday” at the Dufwin. Instead May Rob- son in “Helena’s Boys” follows the third and last week of Char- lotte Greenwood in “So Long Letty.” The Greenwood play did excellent business topping numer- ous previous records. FOX LINE LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO, March The permanent line of 16 girls who have been an added feature at the Fox since that house opened June 28, leave this week. DAUGHTER ARRIVES SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— An eight and a half pound baby girl was born this week to Mr. and Mrs. Doug Isitt. Isitt is a local cafe singer. RADIO’S FAVORITE QUARTETTE FOUR SEQUOIANS KPO SAN FRANCISCO COMPLETING A SUCCESSFUL WEEK AT FOX EL CAPITAN PICTURE GROSSES HOLD UP HICELY 111 SPITE OF RAIN SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Rain took somewhat of a cut into picture house receipts for last week although most of them held up quite well. Popularity of west- erns was illustrated to an appreci- able degree when the Fox with George O’Brien in “Lone Star Ranger” took a nice upward jump in business. With Fanchon and Marco’s “Peasant Idea” and Walt Roesner, m. c., the big Market street house drew in $50,000. This show has Metro’s “Chasing Rain- bows” with Charlie King and Bes- sie Love and “Trees Idea.” Four days of Charles Farrell in person will bring the receipts up. Second week of Garbo in “Anna Christie” at Loew’s Warfield did $27,000 and continues for a third week, after which Sono-Art’s “Blaze o’ Glory” is due. Opening stanza of Richard Dix in Radios’ “Seven Keys of Bald- pate” at the Orpheum drew $15,- 000 and after another seven days “Case of Sergeant Grischa” fol- lows. Nine thousand dollars was grossed by St. Francis with sec- ond week of Winifred Westover in U. A.’s “Lummox.” “Vagabond King” follows in another week with a big formal opening at a $2.50 top. Publix’s other two houses, Granada and California, fared quite well, the Granada do- ing $17,000 on “Slightly Scarlet” with “Dangerous Paradise” now in and the California grossing $19,- 000 on the second week of Barthel- mess in “Son of the Gods,” and still there. “Unmasked” very poor at the Davies, doing only $7000, while “The Sap” currently looks better. The Embassy with “Sacred Flame” did $9000 and continues. Casino did nicely with Uni- versal’s “Undertow” and a stage show grossing $10,200. “Let’s Go Places” looks good now. CIRCUS ROUTE SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Following route has been issued by the A1 G. Barnes circus, open- ing at winter headquarters in Baldwin Park on March 23: Santa Monica, March 24; Whittier, March 25; Pomona, March 26; Riverside, March 27; San Bernardino, March 28; San Diego, March 29 and 30; Santa Ana. March 31; Long Beach, April 1; Pasadena, April 2; Glendale, April 3; Burbank, April 4; Los Angeles, April 5 and 6. • CHANGES POLICY SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Until R. C. A. equipment is in- stalled the Pompeii, Market street grind house, goes on a policy of silent shorts and news reels. Bill Kohler manages the theatre for M. L. Markowitz. San Francisco Radio Notes SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Hope for the possibility of ex- changing radio programs between the United States and the Orient was expressed by William S. Paley, youthful president of the Columbia Broadcasting System, who stopped off in San Francisco for a few days this week while on a tour of the radio chain which he heads. If carried out, such an idea— similar to the present European- American broadcasts—would have San Francisco as the key city. CBS has a man investigating the possibility of picking up short wave radio programs from Japan and transmitting them over the Columbia chain. Such an accom- plishment, however, would have to be delayed until Oriental radio facilities are improved. In his nation-wide jaunt Paley is being accompanied by Lawrence Lowman, traffic manager of CBS. * * * KTAB has discontinued its “What Have You?” program which was on the air for two hours on Saturday nights and in its place has substituted a program featur- ing the Medley Masters; Carl Tobin, tenor; Jane Sargent Sands, pianist; Alice Blue, pianist, and the Sunshine Boy. * * * KYA has added the Lido Cafe to its remote control list, broad- casting the night dub’s entire show. Bill Cooper announces. * * * Ted Lewis leads the popularity list when it comes to request re- cordings, according to Fred Eilers who conducts KYA’s request hour each night. Louis Armstrong, the colored cornetist, is a close second. * * * Lou La Mert has joined NBC, working on that - network’s Novel- ette program. He was formerly of the La Mert Bros., vaudists. * * * Metro and Cosmo, broadcasting from KYA, had a sketch recently in which the versatile pair por- trayed eight characters, ranging from blackface to Irish and Eng- lish delineations. Tom Smith is the originator and writer of the series, while Harry Bechtel is the other ffalf of the team. * * * As the promoter of the Wash- ington Day Fields-Corbett fight prohibited broadcasting of the event, Jack Keough, NBC sports announcer, believes he gave the only verbal blow-by-blow descrip- tion of the encounter. Throughout the fight Keough talked into a telephone in his best announcing style, detailing every movement for a friend who was lying ill in bed. * * * Jack Lee has been added to the 1640 Boys’ program over KYA. He plays the guitar. * * * Georges Bowers is doubling from KYA into Publix’s Granada Thea- tre where he sings “When the Sun Goes Down,” with Don George at the organ. GLEAN RATING BY JURY MEANS LITTLE TO GAPT. LIE SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Despite a clean bill of health given it by a jury, “The Peephole” was again raided at Sid Gold- tree’s Green Street Theatre, by Capt. Arthur Layne and his squad and all placed under arrest. Goldtree has secured an injunction against further arrests good until Friday of this week when the case is slated to come up for trial again. An order to show cause why a permanent injunction should not be granted has been filed. Capt. Layne, who frankly con- fesses that he has attended only one show for pleasure’s sake in the past five years, has arrested Gold- tree and his cast twice previously and when “Bad Babies” was at the Capitol raided that show out of town. SHOW MEN FORM CO. SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— A new corporation to be known as Van Osten, Edmunds, Preddy, Inc., has been formed to do gen- eral brokerage, investments and real estate business. All officers of the company are well known to the amusement world, Thomas Van Osten being publisher of the In- dependent Exhibitor and secretary of the Allied Amusement Indus- tries; W. O. Edmunds, former proprietor of the Progress Feature Distributors, states righters; and Walter G. Preddy, theatrical sup- ply dealer. IRREGULAR JUMP SACRAMENTO, March 6.— Shifting of Fanchon and Marco Ideas caused by elimination of the stage shows from the Fox Senator here and their addition at the Portland house caused “Ivories Idea” to jump from this city to Great Falls, Mont., where it opens at the Grand Theatre. From Great Falls the troupe goes to Butte, then to Denver, and thence on the regular Fanchon and Marco route. They lose all the northwest terri- tory dates. HOTEL BOOKS DANCERS SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Jean and Jacqueline, ballroom dance team, have opened at the St. Francis Hotel where they are featured along with the Laughner- Harris orchestra. CHATTERTON MARRIES SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Tom Chatterton, cast member of Duffy’s “Broken Dishes” at the President, and Mrs. Ruby Franz, were married here this week. “A LITTLE SMILE” Words and Music by GEO. L. BRAUN (A Fox Trot Sensation) DEMONSTRATE NEW FILM SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— Colorart studios of Hollywood demonstrated the firm’s third di- mension process at the Marina Theatre this week before a group of exhibitors and newsmen. MOVIE PLAYER WEDS SAN FRANCISCO, Marcl^ ,6.— As soon as she had finished work in “On Her Toes” for Universal. Helen Dean quit the talkies to marry Dr. M. B. Fractman, local physician. HAVE MIDNITE SHOWS SAN FRANCISCO, March 6.— RKO has instituted midnight shows on Saturday nights at its Golden Gate Theatre. House will run competition to the Fox which has built up a turnawav trade at its 12 o’clock show. * * * Another popular remote control (Continued on Page 9) CONCORD PUBLISHING CO. 1179 Market St. San Francisco After 10 Successful Weeks at the CASINO THEATRE SAN FRANCISCO Nearing Sisters This Week Present Their Novel Tight Rope Act—A Sensation of Vaudeville 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. SCENERY BY MARTIN STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA