Inside facts of stage and screen (April 5, 1930)

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE BIG STAGE SHOW FOR NEW PAN THINK NEW CODE MEANS END OF MOVE FOR CENSORSHIP Whatever slight chance_ there was for the fanatics to obtain laws for more stringent censorship of pictures than now exist in the various states has been completely frustrated by the action of the Will Hays office in announcing a new code of ethics in the produc- tion and distribution of pictures, was the opinion this week con- cerning the code, made public Monday. The industry, by and large, seemed to consider the financial aspects rather than the ethical im- port, and in such consideration they declared the move one with excellent results in prospect. There was no question that the talkies were raising a problem, through a beliet which some studios seemed to entertain that at least one, and preferably several, very broad lines or situations must be in- stilled into every picture to give it that illusory something known as boxoffice. The pro-cens'orites were finding in this a ready argu- ment for various schemes which doubtlessly would, if carried to their hoped for limit, caused regu- PLmilSEWILL PIIOOUCE ‘PARIS’ A legit production of “They Had To See Paris” opens at the Pasadena Community Playhouse April 10. George Reis is cast in the role taken in the picture by Will Rogers. Reis was featured in the recent revival of “Our American Cousin.” Alice Eliot Hodgkin has the Irene Rich sup- porting role. Others in the cast are Lucy Leach, Charles Bruins, Leonie Pray, Richard Yates, Robert Kreis- man, Howard Earling, Eugart Yerian, John Gayley, Oslow Stev- enson, A1 Willard and Jane K. Loofbourrow. Mack Bissett, of the Bissett Dancing Studios, is training mixed ^oups of 14 for booking intact into stage shows. The latest such group to be graduated, opens soon in a Fanchon and Marco Idea. BENEFIT DRIVE SET The N. V. A. benefit is to be held this year on April 23 at the Shrine Auditorium. At a pre- liminary meeting called by Harold B. Franklin, West Coast president, those present included J. J. Mur- dock, Moe Silver of the Warner Circuit, Harry Weber, Gus Eys- sel of Publix, Frank Vincent and Cliff Work of RKO, and Fred Beetson of the Hays office. TEAM HAVE SPOT Baron Emerson and Count Baldwin, vaude team, have a dine- and-dance spot known as “The Chateau” at 12923 Washington boulevard. Culver City. Motto of the place is “Horn in with the Nobility.” •lation of the picture industry by a few submerged egos whose ob- ject is to destroy and to harm rather than one of helpfulness. By cutting the Gordian knot of how close pictures can skim to naughtiness and putting the whole question on an extremely elevated plane. Hays has served up a knockout to the antis, it is gen- erally felt. Exhibs and film exchange men are wondering, however, how the public will take to pictures made under the new code now that they’ve become rather well fed with the broad stuff which some of the studios have been serving. High Points High points of the new code follow: That every effort shall be made to reflect in drama and entertain- ment the better standards of life; That law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed; That sympathy shall not be cre- ated for the violation of the law. That crimes against law shall never be presented in such a way as to throw sympathy with the crime as against law and justice; That acts of murder or brutality shall be presented only in such a way as will not inspire imitation; That methods of crime shall not be presented in explicit detail on the screen; That revenge in modern times shall not be justified as a motive; That the use of liquor in Ameri- can life shall be restricted to the actual requirements of character- ization or plot. About Marriage That the sanctity of the institu- tion of marriage and the home shall be upheld; That adultery shall not be ex- plicitly treated or justified; That scenes of passion shall not be introduced when not essential to the plot; Sex perversion or any inference of it is forbidden on the screen; The subject of white slavery shall not be treated on the screen. “Good taste and a proper re- gard for the sensibilities of the audience must regulate the treat- ment of low, unpleasant, although not necesarily evil, subjects. No film or episode may throw ridicule on any religious faith. Other Provisions Ministers of religion in their character of ministers of religion should not be used as comic char- acters or as villains. The use of the Flag shall be consistently respectful. The history, institutions, promi- nent people and citizenry of other nations shall be represented fairly. Pointed profanity is forbidden. Obscenity in word, gesture, ref- erence, song, joke, or by sugges- tion, is forbidden. Dances which emphasize inde- cent movements are to be regarded as obscene. Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden. “Such subjects as hangings or electrocutions, third-degree meth- ods, brutality, apparent cruelty to children or animals, must be treated, the Code provides, within the careful limits of good tastes.” Companies Subscribing To date, the companies that have subscribed to the new code of principles are: Art Cinema Corporation (United Artists) ; Christie Film Company, Inc.; Columbia Pictures Corpora- tion; Cecil B. De Mille Produc- tions, Inc.; Educational Studios, Inc.; First National Pictures, Inc.; Fox Film Corporation; Gloria Productions, Inc.; Samuel Gold- wyn, Inc.; Inspiration Pictures, Inc.; Harold Lloyd Corporation; Metro-Goldwyn -Mayer Studios. Inc.; Paramount - Famous - Lasky Corporation; Pathe Studios, Inc.; RKO Productions, Inc.; Hal Roach Studios, Inc.; Mack Sennett Studio; Tiffany Productions, Inc.; Universal Pictures Corporation; and AVarner Bros. Pictures, Inc. CHANGE COLOR PLAN ‘Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” the most pretentious of Warner Bros.’ spe- cials on the 1930 list, will not be filmed in color, as was planned. It is said that the picture lends itself more readily to black and white filming. James Madison A uthor AND RIST 465 South Detroit St. Los Angeles (Phone ORegon 9497 E ms IT PHES Despite printed stories to the contrary, the new Pantages Thea- tre in Hollywood will have a stage show policy, it was learned this week. The opening show will be a spe- cially-produced elaborate offering with approximately 60 people in it, it is stated. Thereafter it is expected the Fanchon and Marco “Ideas” will play this house instead of the Egyptian, maybe getting them for their first Los Angeles showing, and following a break-in week at the Fox-Colorado Theatre, Pasa- dena. Slim Martin and his Or- chestra will be the music. Egyptian Plans The Egyptian is understood to be slated for a second run picture policy, following showing at the Pantages house, with W. C. vaude- ville for stage entertainment, or else the house is up for disposal to an independent. One strong re- port has it that Sid Grauman, who opened the Egyptian, will take it back again and turn it into a run house for specials, with a revival of the Grauman prologues for which he was famous. Name of the new house will be the Pantages-Hollywood. Stories that the house would be all-screen followed announcement that Pantages and the West Coast had signed an agrement for op- eration by the latter. The con- tract is for five years, providing for a 50-50 split between the two groups, and with provision that management shall be by Alexander Pantages’ two sons, Rodney and Lloyd.) Picture Not Set The opening picture has not yet been set, but it is reported that negotiations are still on for Cad- do’s “Hell’s Angels.” After the opener, which, if this big picture is obtained, will be a gala one with spotlights and a gathering of the theatrical elite, and with a two-a-day policy, the house will go on a weekly change basis. Prices will be the same as those now at the Egyptian, which are a 65-cent top. Opening date is not yet definite, but is planned for either the sev- enth or the fifteenth of May. The house, built at a cost of approximately $1,200,000, will seat 2746. E' A revival a{ “The Student Prince” is being considered for production at the Majestic The- atre. to open probably about a week after the “Desert Song” closes. The production is not as yet definitely decided on. but audi- tions are being held and some tentative casting being done pend- ing a closing of the proposition. Julian Fowlks has charge of the production, and while no confirma- tion is forthcoming it is generally understood he is acting for Louis Macloon and Lillian Albertson, the producers of “New Moon” and “Desert Song.” If “The Student Prince” goes into production it will require an entirely new cast, as the present company at the Majestic leaves for San Francisco to show the “New Moon” there for probably six weeks, with a roadshow to.ur of the coast a possibility after that. TRADEMARKS MEANING MORE TO PUBLIC IN TALKIE ERA One noticeably growing tendencyfcast and directed. But it didn’t TO STAGE MINSTRELS Joe Feder, of the Patrick and Marsh office, will stage the Mary- land Minstrels, an annual affair at the Maryland Hotel, Pasadena. PAUL SMITH HURT Paul Smith, writer of many well known musical shows as well as a number of recognized vaudeville acts, fell and broke a collar bone and is confined to his bed. among the picture theatre patrons is to select pictures by producers’ names, according to a slice of opinion gathered from exhibs both here and in smaller towns here- abouts. The general comment was that currently there is a big,ger trend to- ward shopping by trademark than there has been at any time since the very early days of Fox, Es- sanay. Triangle, etc. The smashing of the old star system by the New York influx caused the change, it is stated, with patrons finding that a star name, if in a weak story and with a poor supporting cast, meant a bad evening. They were no longer content merely to sit and gaze at their idol. That idol, if in an in- appropriate feature, didn't mean a thing. Then came the new hits from the stage, people such as Law- rence 'Tibbett, Maurice Chevalier, Winnie Lightner, Nancy Carroll, Ruth Chatterton, et al., and the revival of such former faded fa- vorites as Bessie Love and Lila Lee. not to mention the stellar ascent of silent day so-sos, such as Warner Baxter. But even above this the supporting casts developed such potentialities for drawing power that an all-round good cast became a greater in- surer of a good boxoffice invest- ment than any one name. Seek Guarantee The public got wise that the way to be assured of a good pic- ture, star, support and story,- was to purchase by the producers’ name, the exhibs say, and a sur- prising increase has been shown in telephone queries to who made the picture under discussion, and who else is in the cast besides the lead. The star system will continue, it is stated, but the wise exhib is giving a more prominent play than ever before to the support and to the name of the manufacturing plant. Instance after instance was cited in which exhibs ascribed more than 50 per cent of the draw to support players and an- other hefty percentage to that of the studio. Which leads to the conclusion that the wrecking of a star is even more simple now- adays than formerly. And, vice versa, it is far easier to make one. Take any personable players of above average ability and give them a series of good vehicles, and the chances are good that they’ll turn into real draws, the exhibs claim. One instance of meteoric rise since the coming of the talkies is cited as an outstand- ing example. This fern star, who is distinctly middle grade in ap- pearance, ability and appeal, has gone over with a big bang merely because every one of her vehicles has been actress-proof and with a supporting cast which was so good that the picture generally was stolen from her. But she gets the credit. Two Cases Another fern star, who was big in the silent days, is fading as rapidly as the other is rising, it is said, and for no reason except that she is put in one vehicle after another without that which the public desires. The latter out- troupes the former ten to one, and also has it on her in looks and screen magnetism, but all of her pictures are dragged down by the nature of the stories selected for her. Of course. they admit, no amount of good stories or good support can altogether salvage a star who is falling by his or her own weight. For instance, “Foot- lights and Fools” was both a neat enough story and was well save Colleen Moore. And Corinne Griffith’s pictures were well put together, but she also is currently among those missing. And Armida, by her vivid personality and ability, has flashed across the Latin-American firmament to dim whatever radiance Lupe Valez and Dolores Del Rio had in the silents, despite better chances the latter two had. Another phase of the new shop- ping trend, it is declared, is the added significance of directors’ names. The public is more and more learning to trust directors who have given them good pic- tures consistently, and to feel that this is a guarantee of good talkie entertainment. All of which is founded on the fact that it takes but little to mar a talkie, and the public doesn’t want to see them marred, and for security against such a calamity is taking cognizance of star, sup- porting cast, director and pro- ducer much more strongly than for years. TO 00 ‘SKIPPf Conflicting stories arose during the past week as to what studio was to shoot “Skippy,” from the kid cartoon strip. The first story that went the rounds was that Warner Brothers had placed Davie Lee under con- tract to play the title role in a series of the “Skippy” comics. Then word came that Paramount had bought the rights to the strip and were to shoot the pictures at their New York studios under di- rection of Monta Bell. And the last version was the one that held, Warner Brothers stating that the information concerning them was not true, that they were not doing “Skippy,” and that Davie Lee was not under contract to them. . ROSENER AT W. B. George Rosener, playwright and author, has been signed by War- ner Brothers to write and adapt. Among Rosener’s stage .plays is “She Got What She Wanted,” “Speakeasy,”^ “My Maryland” and others. It is understood Warner will make “She Got What She Wanted.” which they purchased from Rosener. SIGN WODEHOUSE P. G. Wodehouse has been signed under long-term contract for M-(J-M’s writing department. 'oJTeeDan's 719)4 So. Hill St. LOSAN(3ELES PhoneTlU.r6630 NOW ON SECOND WEEK SYD RAY And His Coffee Dan Brigade Appearing Nightly Callers — Teck Murdock (EKO); Jess Petty (Pittsburg Pirates); Guy Bush (Chicago Cubs) and a host of Dther celebrities. 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