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

ESTABLISHED 1924 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Vol. XI Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at Post- Saturday March IS 143ft Published Every Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros Down- xi „ office, Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. OaiUTOay, JViarcn IS, 1SMV t0W n BuiIdingj 401 We / t geTent h St., Los Angeles. Calif. No. 11 PAYROLL SLASHES TO BRING UNPRECEDENTED WORK BOOM UP WITH SIX T Legit activity prospects in Los Angeles are for a glorious blos- soming forth when the Lenten season has passed. Tust at present a new record is being written for the number of class productions in some stage of actual preparation, and-Tf they all go through, as seems highly probable, the town -will be hitting the legit upgrade predicted for it when the center of the show world moved west with the com- ing of talking pictures. The shakeup in the picture field, making available many names which are boxoffice, and the trek westward of writing and direc- torial talent is given the credit for the optimistic outlook, with a sidelight being the desire of local producers or would-be producers to get into a game which has an eventual selling of picture rights as the pot at the end of the rain- bow. The business of finding an “an- gel” is, as is well known, usually a long and thorny process. But the L. A. attitude is well indicated by a phone call Inside Facts received this week. He’s an “Angel” “Hello, Inside Facts? . . . Well, I’m an ‘angel’ . . . Sure, I ad- mit it. . . I’m looking for a good original show to produce, writ- ten by some author who’s willing to make concessions to get his first break. I’ll guarantee to give his play first class production and his name plenty of billing, but he’s got to give me the picture rights. That’s where I come in. And no ham writers need apply. I’m an old showman and they can’t fool me with a lot of bunk material.” Six shows, over and above the regular Duffy schedules, are now preparing, either for a first local presentation or for roadshowing. They are: _ “The Little Show,” the sensa- tional New York offering, which John Hill plans to produce locally with a first class cast. It is un- derstood it may have its coast premiere at the Biltmore around April 20. Wright’s Show “Philadelphia,” which Andy Wright is planning to produce at the Vine St., with well known picture names in the leading roles. Rehearsals are now under way on this one. “The Criminal Code,” which will go into the Belasco and later play (Continued on Page 5) SCOTT SANDERS The Only Scottish Character Comedian in America Third Season Headlining R.K.O. Circuit This Week Orpheum, Oakland Next Week RKO, Los Angeles VIDOR TO DO “KID” A long-time wish of King Vidor is to be realized. For several years he’s had the thought that he’d like to screen “Billy the Kid,” and now he’s going to do it for M-G-M. Lawrence Stallings is doing fne screen version of the famous des- perado’s life. SEEKING CLUB TALENT C. Whitney Parry, owner of the Tavern Night Club and Cafe at Salt Lake City, Utah, is in the city looking for available talent. He will be here until March 16. Gene Markey is adapting “Rosa- lie” as the next M-G-M vehicle for arion Davies. GARBO’S LEADING MAN Gavin Gordon, Broadway player for eight years and who made a satisfactory though not sensational screen debut in William Boyd’s “His First Command” (Pathe), will get a big break as Greta Gar- bo’s leading man in “Romance,” her next M-G-M talking picture. Clarence Brown will direct. BIGGEST YEAR The new standard contract for film freelance players, with the basic agreement providing against a strike for five years, will bring about the biggest work boom in Hollywood's history, according to unqualified statements from au- thoritative sources tlys- week. The new agreement* has made the path clear for a general weed- ing out of contract support play- ers by the studios, and this step will be taken as options fall due, only the most outstanding being retained under contract. The re- sult, it was pointed out, will be twofold: First, better picture cast- ing all along the line, as the best players available will now be sought instead of a make-shift casting to get returns on the con- tract player’s salary; and secondly, a tremendous saving on overhead at the studio. Release Funds The latter phase, it was stated, is going to release great funds for picture budgeting, which will re- sult in musical extravaganzas and big pictures which will outdo any- thing formerly seen in the indus- try’s history. Tremendous casts are expected to become a rule rather than an exception, and the result will be that competent play- ers will find themselves more in demand than ever before. " Only the best will be used for good parts, and many who have failed to make the mike grade will find the competition of the released contract people too great. They will fade. But -the others will find conditions rosy. Extras also, especially those with specialties, whether the latter be ensemble dancing, singing, or cowboy attributes, or anything else in the wide catagory of pos- sibilities, may see a boom which is the best for this class of player which has yet come about. The new contract, with its pro- vision for a 12-hour rest period after every period of work, is not expected to work any financial hardship on the studios whatso- ever. Because, so the word goes, orders are down the line for a general tightening up in time-sav- ing during the shooting day, and the former leisurely attitude of “what we don’t finish today we’ll do tonight” is to be definitely put in the discard forever. Indes Accept Contract The new contract has met with unanimous approval of the pro- (Continued on Page 5) YOU’LL SEE IT IN FACTS