Inside facts of stage and screen (March 29, 1930)

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE MANY “COMERS” IN MARCH FILMS QRPHEUM 10 00 BACK TO VflUDE SOON, IS REPORT The Orpheum Theatre here is to go back -to showing big time vaudeville, according to persistent reports in authoritative Los Ange- les quarters. , While no actual confirmation of this statement can be secured at this time, no denials are forth- coming, in fact there is a tacit acquiescence in the idea of the impending return of stage acts to this ace house. The house went all-talkie at the first of the year, featuring specials- for indefinite runs, and the Hill- street house has been the only one in the city to show RKO acts, co-featuring four and five-act bills with program pictures. It is no secret that a large sec- tion of the local show-going pub- lic has missed the big-time acts and will welcome their return, as well as musicians and per- formers. With the Orpheum reported ready to revert to the stage show policy downtown, and with Pan- tages’ new house in Hollywood readying to open with an elabor- ate stage show of 60 people and an 18-piece orchestra, optimists among the pro-flesh and blood en- tertainment group are declaring prospects never looked brighter for a rapid dusting off of the foot- lights. The Pan house will have a gen- eral admission of 40 cents, and, it is pointed out, with a 40-cent admission for an elaborate stage show and feature picture, other houses will have a tough time ask- ing 65 cents for screen entertain- ment only. OPPENS ON TOUR SAN FRANCISCO, March 27.— Mr. and Mrs. George Oppen have left for an European tour to be gone for several months. Oppen operates the Roosevelt and Ave- nue theatres, suburban houses. IN “KITTY” CAST Tom Ricketts. Tina Marshall, George Northover, Albert Hart, Flora Finch and Christiane Yves have been added to the cast of “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” at the W. B. NEW BERKELEY HOUSE SAN FRANCISCO, March 27.— Plans are under way for the erec- tion of a picture house in Berke- ley on property on Shattuck ave- nue between University and Berke- ley streets. * Club Bookings on Upgrade JUf WRIGHT TO 00 SERIES, REPORT Reports have it that Andy Wright will do a series of shows here. His first local production for some time, “Philadelphia,” opens at the Vine Street March 30, and Wright is understood to be ten- tatively casting at present for either “Souvenir Sadie” or “Color Blind,” which show he wlil pro- duce to depend upon whether or not he can borrow a certain fern star from one of the picture stu- dios. “Philadelphia” will play the Strand, Long Beach, for two days prior to its Hollywood opening, showing in the beach city on March 28 and 29. Cast is Barbara Bedford, Rock- liffe Fellows, Kit Guard, Franklyn Farnurn, Frank Dawson, James Gordon, James Guilfoyle, Frank Lengel, Ora Carewe, Robert Milli- gan, Ross Chetwind, George Mor- rell and Kitty Leeds. Jimmy Evans is the company manager. PORTLAND, Ore., March 27.— The Duffy Players Portland sea- son will end on March 29, ap- proximately two months earlier than has been customery. Despite a recent reduction in prices, busi- ness has not been sufficient to warrant a continuation, according to William B. McCurdy, Portland manager. Principals of the Portland com- pany will be transferred to Cali- fornia, where Duffy operates seven theatres. The opening of the Duff- win next season will depend large- ly on conditions and prospects as they appear at that time. Two New York successes will be presented here before the clos- ing, “Ladies of the Jury” and “Salt Water.” DOROTHY GETS BREAK SAN FRANCISCO, March £7.— In Honolulu on a three weeks’ concert tour, Dorothy Williams has appeared for an additional three weeks at the Princess The- atre as vocal soloist and has been held over for another week. In addition she has broadcast over the new Honolulu station and is engaged by the U. S. government for two concerts at the barracks prior to her return here on April 10. Changes Luck With Silents On First Week When the talkies came in there were a lot of good silents which went to the shelves. Which was just too bad—that is for every- body but Herbert Shelley. Seeing the possibility in the situation, Shelley has taken over the Temple Theatre in Santa Ana and is running programs of these never-before-shown pictures. Result: The house has always been known as a tough spot for the boxoffice checkers, but in the first week of the new policy, the nut came across the sill. PICTURE REVIEWS (Continued from Page 4) throughout, and his sure touch has saved the picture from ever be- coming maudlin, which would have happened in many spots with a less balanced director at the helm. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: John St. Polis easily stands out head and shoul- ders above any other member of this cast, and writes himself as one who can most happily handle character work calling for sympa- thy and balance. Alice Day plays the daughter role with her usual appealing re- serve and screen attractiveness, and William Collier is adequate to the demands of the jazz leader part. Johnny Walker has been better cast than as a wise-cracking or- chestra 10-per-center. Mildred Harris and Tenan Holtz do well with small parts of the unfaithful wife and her lover. Completing the cast satisfactor- ily are Lee Kohlmer, Anton Va- verka and Bertram Marrburgh. P. A. VISITING L. A. P. A. Waxman, N. Y. director of advertising and publicity for Warners, is spending two weeks in Hollywood. GUILD TO OPEN SAN FRANCISCO, March 27.— Players’ Guild will open its new theatre within two or three weeks, after it has been renovated. Stan- ley MacLewee is head of the or- ganization. IN “COME EASY” STAGE SHOW CUT BOOMS CLUB FIELD Elimination of stage shows in picture houses and vaude in sev- eral theatres in Los Angeles has boomed the club booking business. If there is any debate about whether flesh-and-blood entertain- ment is wanted, the increase in this class of production is ample proof that the all-screen dicta of the New York show magnates cannot eliminate public desire for in-the-flesh shows any more than the prohibition law can do away with drinking. Estimate made by one reliable source this week was that club bookings have more than doubled since stage shows were jerked from picture houses and vaude was cut at the Orpheum. And, it was stated, the demand for club entertainers is showing a steady in- crease, the further time progresses, from the former days. If stage shows are not put back by the end of the year, it is believed that the club field will have more than tripled by then. That this- is not a mere accident is shown by the fact that clubs and other groups are increasing their shows, many organizations formerly staging one a month, now having two, etc. The demand still is for all-girl shows, but several instances have been noted lately when the men entertainers stole the honors and changed a club policy. This is also ascribed to the fact that the elimination of stage shows is working for a change of policy, with regular vaude acts to become the thing if the theatre-hiatus continues. SEATTLE. — Alfred G. Keigh- ley who, together with Alma Ros- coe, is the local rep for Fanchon and Marco, reports much activity in the club booking racket. Among recent shows landed by Keighley, A1 reports a six-act show for the opening of the Transportation Club’s new home. The performance included gals from the F. and M. “Overture Idea” and Frank Eastman’s or- chestra, relief band at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. The show sent by Keighley’s office to Bellingham for the opening of the new com- munity hotel there was headed by Madge Rush and a bevy of beauties from the “Desert” Idea. PAR SIGNS CLIFT Denison Clift has signed a long- term contract to write and direct for Paramount. OE MONTH LISTED; ALSO SOME FLOPS The month of March, from the standpoint of talkie releases, was one which saw two widely-her- alded new stars fail to live up to their advance reputations; three artistic pictures cast on the waves of public approval, with varying re- sults; two all-color pictures, which failed to make any sensation by that fact alone; and a general im- provement all down the line in the quality of product. Following its monthly custom. Inside Facts in this last issue during March, is printing on page 4 a box setting forth its selections for the best work in the various departments of picture making, as evidenced by releases during March. Year Candidates For the best picture, the selection is U. A.’s “Lummox,” with Fox’s “Men Without Women” a close runner-up. Both of these pictures deserve consideration for nomina- tion to be among the ten best pic- tures of the current year, judging by the product to date. And that’s all the candidates for the honor which were put forth during March. But deserving of special mention for excellency were Paramount’s “Street of Chance” and Paramount’s “Sarah and Son.” Stars Dim The two new stars who were sent forth with meteoric publicity display during the month were Dennis King, launched in Para- mount’s “The Vagabond King,” and Harry Richman, who made his talkie debut in U. A.’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz.” Neither was the knock- out he had been heralded. Dennis King suffered badly from the de- but made shortly before by Law- rence Tibbett. The ballyhoo for King led to expectation that he would be another Tibbett, and he’s not. Which was a let-down. Harry Richman’s singing voice and personality are good, but his acting and general screen person- ality radiate the “it” which keeps A1 Jolson at the top. Indeed “Puttin’ On the Ritz” can take its chief bow for the exceptionally good Irving Berlin tunes which are in it, and otherwise, the story being more or less blah and Harry not so hot, it probably would have been a flop. As it is, it is good entertainment, and shows skillful direction at the hands of Edward Sloman. Color Influence The all-color idea was in “The Vagabond King” and Warner Brother s’ “Hold Everything.” There wasn’t much need for it in the latter, there being no tremen- (Continued on Page 6) 'offeeDaris k 719* So. Hill St 7m So. Hill St LOS ANGELES PhoneTUcW6650 ADDED TO “NAPLES” Elsie Bartlett and Gina Corra- do have been added to the cast of Warners’ “See Naples and Die.” CLUXTON ON VISIT Lee Moran has been signed by Warner Brothers for a role in “Come Easy.” BERYL MERCER SIGNED Beryl Mercer has been selected by Victor Fleming to partray a role in “Common Clay,” Fox. 'Jp GOOD-BYE! GOOD LUCK! EDDIE KAY—Hey! Hey! NOW SYD RAY Hey! Hey! Appearing Nightly SYD SAYS: “You must come over and join the COFFEE DAN BRIGADE.” SAN FRANCISCO, March 27.— J. J. Cluxton, former manager of El Capitan Theatre and now al- lied with the Pantages interests in Los Angeles, was here this week. CHANGE TWO NAMES New names have been given two Radio Pictures. Bebe Daniels’ “Smooth as Satin” has been changed to “Alias French Gertie,” and “Cooking Her Goose” is now “The Runaway Bride.” James Madison 465 South Detroit St. Los Angeles (Phone ORegon 9407 ALL- AROUND AUTHOR AND SCENARIST In Show Vernacular TIME ALL FILLED HERBERTS Good Food With Courtesy OPEN ALL NIGHT 745-749 South Hill Street Los Angeles Bachelor Hotel & Grill 151-159 Powell Street San Francisco EDDIE PEABODY GOALS ’EM IN SAN DIEGO NOW!—for a hard earned Vacation and SIXTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY on the Peabody Orange Grove and Ranch THANKS FOR YOUR GOOD WISHES “I’LL BE SEEING YOU” (Exclusive Management MRS. EDDIE PEABODY)