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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MARCH IS, 1930 S<3tP(S(m 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 15, 1930 No. 11 The death of Edward F. Albee in a hotel room at Palm Beach, Fla., has cast shadows of grief on every vaudeville stage. Albee, father of vaudeville, was a character beloved by every big time act. His interest was ever for the human side of the theatre, affairs behind the curtain being just as im- portant to him as returns at the boxoffice. The N. V. A. was his pet hobby, and as long as this beneficent institution functions, it will reflect honor to his memory. Albee’s fifty years of active showmanship is a magnificent record of inspiration, leadership, vision and honest dealing. From his boyhood days with Barnum to the day in 1883, when he joined in historic partnership with Benjamin F. Keith, and then onward from the little store-building vaude show in Boston through the battles, privations and victories of growth into, first, a New England chain and ultimately a nation- wide dominance in the vaudeville field, his career has been one to compel the admiration of friend and foe alike. Perhaps the passing of Albee in this era of change and confusion in the show world has its significance. The old day and the old prophet fade out of the picture, and the new day shall bring its new prophet. But whoever the new prophet that shall arise may be, he will find the principles that guided the old-timer a sure foundation for his feet, and a source of dependable inspiration. MURRAY WANTS GIRLS; PLAY ‘SUSANNA’ IN CHI When “Oh, Susanna!” the Franklyn Warner musical produc- tion premiered at the Mayan re- cently, opened at the Illinois The- atre, Chicago, April 20, as at present planned, Bud Murray, who staged the original dances and en- sembles, will restage for the new production. First call is out for next Monday, 9 a. m. at the Bud Murray studios. Dancing girls who can do Spanish and tap danc- ing may apply. Murray is plan- ning several new dancing inter- polations. CLOGSTON IN L. A. E. W. Clogston of the Salt Lake City Playhouse, is in Los Angeles on a vacation trip. ALL-COLOR CARTOON Universal is to introduce a new idea in the Paul Whiteman star- ring picture “King of Jazz,” in the nature of an all-color animated car- toon. The sequence, opening the picture and entitled “A Fable in Jazz,” shows how Whiteman came to be crowned King of Jazz, with lots of imaginative license. Wynn Holcomb, New York cartoonist, is the artist. ANIMATED IN COLOR U. B. Iwerks, the cartoonist of “Mickey Mouse,” has evolved a new pen-and-ink character he calls “Flip the Frog.” The current dis- tributors of Disney Cartoons, Ce- lebrity Productions, are handling releasing arrangements. They will be produced in color as well as black and white, and are to be released one a month. STONE WITH GARBO Lewis Stone has been cast for a role in Greta Garbo’s “Romance” (M-G-M). COLUMBIA’S FIRST SAN FRANCISCO, March 13.— Erlanger’s New Columbia Theatre opened this week on the site of the old Orpheum on O’Farrell street, scoring an outstanding hit with its initial offering, “The Per- fect Alibi,” w’ith Madge Kennedy. House has been dark for the past five months while it was en- tirely remodeled, refinished and redecorated. The theatre has a striking set of mural decorations by Alfred Herter and is equipped with large, comfortable chairs which are a part of its unique seating arrangement. J. J. Gottlob is vice-president and managing director of the the- atre with active management re- maining in the hands of Ralph Pincus. Charles L. Wagner will be the principal production spon- sor. Herbert Rosner is treasurer. Top tariff for the house is $2.50. On March 24 the Sir Philip Ben Greet Players open for a week of repertoire following the current Kennedy vehicle. JUNE IN “ISLAND” June Clyde has been signed by Radio Pictures for a part in “Hawk Island,” joining a cast which in- cludes Betty Compson, Hugh Tre- vor, Lowell Sherman, Raymond Hatton, Rita La Roy and Ivan Lebedeff. George B. Seitz will direct. SPANISH LEADS Raquel Torres, Mexican, will be Buster Keaton’s leading woman in the Spanish version of “Free and Easy.” The romantic male lead will be played by Don Alvarado. Night Club Entertainers Desirious of Breaking Their Jump East COMMUNICATE WITH C. WHITNEY PARRY At THF TAVFRN 341 So. Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah IVERSAL II Rumors of a big shakeup in Universal’s executive personnel were this week accorded a blanket denial at the studio. Start of the report was assigned to a general letout of studio em- ployes around the lot, the total so affected being around 500, includ- ing all mechanics and cameramen except those now engaged on one or another of the five pictures in production. The layoff was said to be be- cause of a shutdown which is com- ing as soon as all of the current five are finished up. Three are due for final shots this week. Carl Laemmle, jr., is to leave for New York in a couple of weeks to con- tinue conferences with General Manager Metzger and other east- ern officials who were here recent- ly. The conferences are for the purpose of laying out Universal’s next season’s program, and it is expected Junior will be away from Hollywood for a couple of months or more. No new pictures will be started until his return. The rumors further followed up the recent severance of company between Laura La Plante and U., with a bunch of names of other players who are due to go. No absolute denial that there were others on the check-off list was made, but it was intimated that their departure or otherwise prob- ably would be decided by the pro- gram which the eastern conference lines up. Put in this category were Joseph Schildkraut and Myrna Kennedy. Paul Fejos is understood to be definitely slated for out, and Harry Pollard is already off contract. However, the latter will do “The Flirt,” one of the two stories so far. lined up for production when activity is resumed. While not in anywise official, there is a general belief that the new progr’am will see Universal reverting in a great extent to the policy under which the lesser in- dependents operated in the silent days;. that is, of casting each pic- ture individually from among free- lance talent, with, of course, ex- ceptions in the cases of outstand- ing boxoffice stars. IN U. CAST Carmelita Geraghty has been added to the cast of “What Men Want” at Universal. ANOTHER WAR FILM Another war play has been add- ed to the list of war films, of which the outstanding release to date is “The Case of Sergeant Grischa” (Radio), and those most awaited are “All Quiet On the Western Front” (Universal) and “Journey’s End” (Tiffany). Radio Pictures has purchased “Inside the Lines,” by Earl Derr Biggers, an espionage yarn laid in Gibraltar. ADDED TO “BELLAIRS” Casting of Warner Brothers’ “Sweet Kitty Bellairs.” which Al- fred E. Green is to direct, is pro- gressing rapidly. Recent additions include Flora Finch, Tom Ricketts, Christiane Yves, Tina Marshall, Albert Hart and George Northover. Principals are Perry Askam, Wal- ter Pigeon, Claudia Dell and June Collyer. SHOOTING “GOOSE” Leo Tover, cameraman who re- cently completed “Framed” for Ra- dio Pictures, has been assigned to shoot Radio’s “Cooking Her Goose.” VAUDE ROMANCE Jesse Block and Eve Suliv, playing the RKO, Los Angeles, last week took out a license to wed before returning east. TEL-A-PHONEY, §9 JAMES MADISON Hello, Carl Laemmle, jr. Hello, James Madison. You told me a Scotchman offered you a fifty-cent cigar on Wilshire Boulevard. Just where did this happen? In the “Miracle Mile.” Hello, Taylor Holmes. Hello, James Madison. What’s an Exit Cocktail? You drink one and pass out. Hello, Marco Heilman. Hello, James Madison. I know two speakeasy pro- prietors who bank their money together. Ah, a “joint” account. Hello, Charlie Chaplin. Hello, James Madison. What is the funniest sign you ever saw? One in a Scotch restaurant which read, “No service less than a penny.” Hello, Max Asher. Hello, James Madison. What was the cause of Flo Ziegfeld’s breakdown? ' Nervous prosperity. Hello, Joe Marks. Hello, James Madison. I understand you were at a wild party the other night. Yes; the host served no liquor; that made everybody wild. Hello, Monte Carter. Plello, James Madison. Why are the manufacturers of Lucky Strikes boycotting some of the jewelry stores? Because the latter have signs in the window reading, “We buy Old Gold.” Hello, Hugh Herbert. Hello, James Madison. Give me a good slogan for the weather man. “Say it with showers.” Hello, Eddie Clark. Hello, James Madison. The women in Hawaii wear skirts made of grass. Let me know when there’s a crop failure. Hello, Mervyn Le Roy. Hello, James Madison. If you ever shot a yacht scene for Alice White, what is the first prop you’d ask for? A SEXtant. LETTERS There are letters at the Los Angeles office of INSIDE FACTS for the following: ATES, Roscoe BIDMEAD Bros. DOWNING, Harry GILLETTE, Bobby SHARLAND, Fred C. TAYLOR, Slade (Mike) TIFFANY. Owen VALENTINE, John E 10 BE PRECEDENT Mae Murray’s suit against Tiff- any for $1,750,000, filed this week, has aroused a lot of conversation in Hollywood, the film colony looking to it to be a precedent, one way or the other. Miss Murray’s charge is that Tiffany tremendously injured her career by making an artistic fail- ure of her recent talkie for them, “Peacock Alley.” She says she was not given okeh of the script, or the cast, or any other of the features which go into the mak- ing of a good production. She claims the understanding was that “Peacock Alley” was to be up to the standard of her former pro- ductions, and that this the studio did not do: She also says that there was an option which Tiffany exercised upon completion of “Peacock Alley,” but that, refus- ing her to allow to do anything else, they also kept her without working. As the contract was to remunerate her on percentages on her pictures, she charges that she was forced to do something to protect herself. The studio on the other hand charges that Miss Murray would not accept work in the kind of vehicles they thought suited to her, to-wit, dramatic stories rather than those featuring love interest of a “16-year-old girl.” They maintain that the studio was will- ing to release her from the op- tions. They also declare there was waiting for her a story called “The World of Men” which they deemed exactly suited to her, but that she refused to consider it. Which Miss Murray answers by saying she never heard of such a story, and that she certainly never made any objection to any step which would. make her a great dramatic talking screen actress. At any rate, and no matter what is disclosed at the trial, Holly- wood is watching the case as highly precedental. NEW TAP CLASS COMMITTEE TO SERVE ACTORS IS APPOINTED An Actors’ Adjustment Commit- tee was appointed by the A. M. P. A. last week, its function to be the elimination of litigation be- tween picture producers and the players under the new five-year Basic Agreement recently con- summated. Personnel of the committee is: Hardy, Monte Blue, De Witt Jennings, Jean Hersholt and Mit- chell Lewis, all members of the Actors’ Branch of the Academy. They will serve as an arbitration board in dissensions arising among parties to the new contract. IRA LAMONT BACK AS MANAGER AT PRESIDENT Ira Lamont is back at his old post as house manager of Henry Duffy’s President Theatre in Los Angeles, and is getting the glad mitt from his host of regular cus- tomers. Lamont relieved Emil Bondeson at Duffy’s Oakland house while Bo'ndy was temporarily piloting af- fairs at the President in Seattle. Bondy is now back in Oakland. TRASK WINS SUIT A jury decision in favor of Wal- ter Trask, Los Angeles booking agent, was the result of a suit brought against him by Elizabeth Perriman, who fell while playing Bard’s Hillstreet Theatre and claimed permanent injury. Amount sued for was $5000. Herbert Easley, associate of Mack Bissett, has opened a new tap dancing class for girls between the ages of seventeen and twenty. Kiddie Revues are being produced by Bissett, the first opening at the Manchester Theatre last week. Says: Phones busy all week. Regu- lar Information Bureau. Every- one wise where to find new ar- rivals from the East. Stealing the Home-Brewers slogan “Meet Me In the Cellar” «• •• P. S. — The CELLAR is at Cosmo Street and Hollywood Boulevard . . . between Vine and Cahuenga ... the phone numbers are GRanite 3 3 8 2 and HOllywood 9 15 9 . . . parking is free at the lot across from the CELLAR . . . the CHRYSLER and SAM- SONS are there. Thank You.