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

PAGE TEN INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1930 VANCOUVER, B. C. A. K. MacMartin REPRESENTATIVE 901 Bekins Bldg, --NORTHWEST-- Division Offices Phones: Elliot 3911, Capitol 1932 PORTLAND, ORE. F. K. Haskell REPRESENTATIVE Postoffice Box No. 16 BATTLE OF P. (,'S HUNS RIOT UIIG MB FRONT By JEAN ARMAND SEATTLE, March 6. — Whirl- wind . publicity campaigns were much in evidence around this town last week, with Eddie Fitzgerald hooking up with Hearst’s morning daily, the Post-Intelligencer, for a payoff Fitzgerald, p. a. for the Fox- West Coast Houses, was con- scripted into the big campaign by Lee Ettleson, managing editor of the P. I. The occasion was the launching of the paper’s new “Peach” edition on the streets at S o’clock in the afternoon. Fitzgerald secured permission from Fanchon and Marco to change the title of the current Idea from “Desert” to “Peach,” and a nifty 24-sheet was posted on 88 stands, with the paper pay- ing for it. Also Fitzgerald had printed and planted 80,000 tags which went on every bottle of milk delivered on the show’s open- ing day. Further, the P.-I, pre- pared a series of advertisements tying in the show and the edition, which were placed not only in its own columns but in those of the two afternoon sheets. This caused much consternation in the ranks of one of these journals when the publisher got wise. He immediately yanked the copy, which had al- ready run in one edition, and gave orders to accept no more such copy. The second afternoon daily continued to run the copy. Airplanes Aid Airplanes, too. were brought in- to play. For a week prior to opening day. a huge monoplane carried a big banner with the “Peach” Idea emblazoned there- on. On opening day, an entire squadron of planes carried the message. Throughout all the man- euvers, the public was reminded of the P.-I. “Peach” edition and Fanchon and Marco’s “Peach” Idea. Manager Lou Golden of the Fox Theatre got his share of breaks in the campaign, too, when he took Owen Sweeten and his band boys in a squadron of cars to serenade the mayor, who had recently emerged victorious in the primary election. Parades of this sort , are strictly taboo in this town, but Fitzgerald got away with it. Mayor Edwards furnished a mounted, police escort for the parade, which traversed the down- town streets. In addition to these stunts there were 26 different hook-ups with drug stores, soda fountains, wom- en’s apparel shops and shoe stores. And then Fitz had frozen into 10 huge cakes of ice, 10 fresh Washington peaches, and the ice blocks were placed on prominent street corners and allowed to melt. And then, on opening day, the line girls stood on the principal thor- oughfares selling Washington peaches. This last gag got a huge rise out of the local Chamber of Commerce and brought forth news stories and editorials commending the theatre on its initiative in bringing to the fore Washington products. The mayor was roped in on this stunt and he, too, sold peaches on the streets. The net returns of the huge campaign were tremendous. The Post-Intelligencer reports a net increase in circulation for this one edition alone of 13,000. The the- atre’s benefits were packed houses at practically every performance. Bob Armstrong, p. a. at Pub- lix’s Seattle, has been crashing some large and effective publicity in . a clever hook-up with the Philco Radio people. Weekly, Armstrong gets a full page from the radio manufacturers on his current attraction, with the instru- ment people standing every dime of the cost. The tie-up gives the Seattle an eight-column banner line heralding the show; a three- column picture of the film’s star and numerous stories about the attractions, Publix policy, etc. The hook-up is having its obvious ef- fects on patronage at this big stand. At the R. K. O. Orpheum, VANCOUVER By A. K. MacMARTIN Calvin Winter, conductor at the RKO Orpheum, is back on the job after being laid up for t>vo weeks with the flu. During his absence Frank Harwood held down the spot with complete sat- isfaction to acts and fans com- bined. * * * Alfredo Meunier, guest con- ductor at the Capitol, is watching the shows from a box this week swathed in bandages, the result of an accident over the week-end. Teddy Jamieson, house conductor, is wielding the baton while his spot in the band, tympanis, is be- ing looked after by Romeo Perry, late of Jackie Souders’ band at the Strand. * * * Eddie Zimmerman, treasurer at the Vancouver until that house closed recently, is now handling the drama page for the Morning Star. This sheet now puts out a bull-dog 10 p. m. edition, featur- ing theatres and sport. * * •* Notwithstanding the fact that business is off at nearly all houses here, the British Guild Players are stampeding the fans with their cur- rent offering “Elizabeth Sleeps Out,” which is still going strong in its fourth week. It did $4500 in its third week with the biggest Monday night since the opening and looks good for a fifth week. Two of their coming bills will be “The Play’s the Thing” and “Sport of Kings.” ’ * * * All eight houses of the F. P. C. Corporation in the suburbs are now wired and announce a steady pick-up in b. o. returns. * * * The “Song Herald” song sheets have reached Vancouver from the south and are being peddled by hawkers on street corners in the vicinity of the theatre belt and elsewhere. They are also on dis- play on some newsstands and fetch a dime a copy. Johnny Northen, p. a. under the direction of Joe Cooper, divisional exploitation chief, has been put- ting across some real metropolitan stuff in publicizing his attractions. Newspaper cooperative pages, radio affiliations, ballyhoos of all sorts and window displays are but few of the angles Northen works week- ly to good results. Johnny’s lobby displays and newspaper ads, to- gether with his drama page art and news gleanings, are clean-cut and effective. IHRR 0 FILM IS GOOD IT SHI SEATTLE. March 5. — Ramon Novarro proved the big noise in this town last week when his first all-talker, “Devil May Care,” at the New Fox, watked off with boxoffice honors—$14,750 for the first stanza of this period play called for a holdover. Picture is well liked, with Novarro’s singing calling for special comment from both male and fern fans. Owen Sweeten’s first week with his own band and Henri Le Bel’s organ work added to the pleasure of the Fox bill. Fox’s Fifth Avenue took second honors with $13,000 for “Men Without Women,” and Fanchon and Marco’s “International Idea.” Always consistent and profitable biz here. Publix’s big Seattle scooped up $11,500 with First National’s screen version of “No, No, Na- nette.” Musical comedy well liked, and possibly showed a bit of profit. Arthur Clausen and his band and Stanleigh Malotte, at the organ, musical features at this stand. “Green Goddess” Good John Hamrick’s little 800-seat Music Box plenty heavy, getting $11,125 for the first week of George Arliss in “The Green God- dess.” Arliss opus looks good for three to five weeks. RKO’s Orpheum got an eleven grand intake with Alice White in “Playing Around” on the screen and a four-act vaude bill on the stage. Credit for the draw must be given to the stage show, head- ed by Val Vox and Emily Wal- ters and backed up by three entertaining turns. Glen Tryon in “Skinner Steps Out” brought in $6000 to Ham- rick’s Blue Mouse. Metropolitan, under Publix’s banner, closed a heavy seven-day stand with “Seven Days Leave,” and could have held it another period. Failure to do so has made the Cooper opus a great bet for the subsequent runs. Fox’s Coliseum had the Glea- sons in “The Shannons of Broad- way” and held up better than the average. Night Clubs Dance halls and night clubs showing new activity. Trianon, the class spot of the straight ball- rooms, finding Mondays and Sat- urdays still heavy, with midweek biz picking up some. McElroy’s, with special gags, continues big. Prize Offered For Themie On Solano Co. Fair The 6ells of Solano County Ex- position, which is to be held at Fairfield, Calif., May 24 to June 1, is offering two prizes for a themie on the name. Fifty dollars is of- fered for the best lyrics and $50 for the best melody selected. The song is to be for band, orchestral and vocal adaptation. If one per- son sends in the winner in its en- tirety, a trophy cup, properly en- graved to the value of $100 will be added. Also royalties accruing from the sale of the song will go to the writers. The contest closes Mar. 31, 1930. D. A. Weir is secretary-manager and. John R. Thornton is general chairman. SEATTLE, March 6.—A recent report was that John Hamrick had installed George I. Appleby as city manager for the Hamrick houses in Portland, Oregon, re- placing Andrew Seso. This state- ment .was an error, according to Hamrick. Appleby is in charge of the Blue Mouse only, with Seso continuing his duties as man- ager of the Portland Music Box. PORTLAND, Ore., March 5.— Sammy Cohen, publicity promoter at RKO Orpheum, will shortly take the male lead in an RKO Romance, as he has announced his engagement to Miss Jennie Bik- man, one of the beautiful belles of Albany, and well known through- out the broad Willamette Valley. Opening of Bill Parker’s two- block long hall, on the Everett Highway, took the edge off local halls over the week-end. but after the novelty of the 16,000 square feet hall wears off the local boys don’t expect much opposition. Of the. night clubs, Vic Meyers’ Club Victor shows the biggest rise. Obviously new capital be- hind this one, with Vic bouncing out with big ads in the dailies and announcing special attrac- tions. Tiny Burnett, at the Olym- pic Hotel Venetian Gardens, continues a big draw, with the management reporting a healthy profit weekly for this class spot. The week found a couple of boys opening a “Coffee Dan’s.” Some question here as to whether the boys can continue getting away with this monicker. Opening very big, with succeeding nights also heavy. Some changes will have to be made here, though, both in entertainment and arrangements. Master -of - ceremonies not so forte, and he is handicapped by construction of bandstand. SEATTLE, March 6. — An- nouncements of expansion, both in field and capital, emanated from the local headquarters of the S. L. Cross Music Corpora- tion here this week. The program of expansion, al- ready well under way, finds the Cross Corporation a strong in- fant publishing organization in the West. It is less than a year old, but finds itself firmly en- trenched with both the trade and the profession. “Kisses,” a bal- lad trot, and “Rock-a-Bye to Sleep in Dixie,” a waltz, are the first Cross publications to make their appearance. It is expected that soon the corporation will launch a drive on its stock, much of it already be- ing subscribed by those who have been in close touch with the ac- tivities. Of the more prominent artists on the Coast already finan- cially affiliated with Cross are Merton Bories, composer and mas- ter-of-ceremonies at KPO; Gene Rose, prominent composer and pianist 1 with Jesse Stafford’s Pal- ace Hotel, San Francisco, orches- tro, and Stafford himself. MERCY BUYS HOUSE YAKIMA, Wash., March 5.— The Sunnyside Land and Invest- ment Company has sold the Sun- nyside Liberty Theatre to Fred Mercy for $51,000. Mercy owns and operates theatres in Wapato, Toppenish, Kennewick, Pasco and Walla Walla. Hd celebrated his 25th anniversary as a motion pic- ture exhibitor during the week. RICE’S SHOW PORTLAND, Ore. — Charles Rice, Los Angeles producer, now heads and manages a comedy and girl, act of 10 people at the old Casino Theatre. The house is un- der the management of Bob Web- ster, . who reports that the house is being worked on the cooperative plan to fair business. TO BUILD HOUSE MEDFORD, Ore., March 5.— R. I. Stuart & Son, contractors, have been awarded contract for construction of the new Broadway Theatre at Yreka, Calif., which will be operated by Walter Lev- erette, who is interested in a chain of theatres in southern Ore- gon. Completely equipped the house will cost $75,000. 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