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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, APRIL S, 1930 Published Every Saturday One Year - $4.00 Foreign - $5.00 Advertising Rates on Application As a bi-monthly publication: Entered as Second Qass 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 Qass Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. PublU^d by Inside Facts Publishing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS ------ President and Editor ARTHUR WhL GREEN - - - - Vice Pres, and Counsel WILLIAM C. OWENS ... Secretary and General Manager Vol. XI Saturday, April 5, 1930 No. 14 There wa.s a time when economy was the prime watch- word of the Hollywood casting offices, and underbidding for jobs frequently proved a profitable thing for the under- bidders. But those days have passed—with but a few exceptions— and much to the betterment of pictures. The job of casting director has become much less of a business and much more of an art than formerly, and an inastute man at this key posi- tion in studio activity may do damage far beyond anything which could occur in the silent days. To begin with, one false note in a talking picture can do something such an off-stroke never could do in the silents: it can completely undo all the frame of mind which the pic- ture has built up. A palpable bit of acting, coming at a cru- cial moment, may jerk the whole audience out of its illusory state of appreciation and bring the whole product down to the basis of a manufactured thing with obvious mechanical creakings. A bit player can do this harm as easily as a fea- tured player or a star, and the casting director who, to make a better showing of some $5 or $10 a day on his expense sheet, will deliberately pass by the best available talent for the part, within bounds of reason, of course, has but little regard for the real best interests of the studios. There are rtill such casting directors, but they are as archaic as are the principles to which they cling. There is also a sound business reason for the change in tactics. Talking pictures are expensive things to make, con- sidering all the mechanical equipment necessary, the lavish- ness of the sets now current in many of them and the high salaries which good sound experts command. If a picture is costing around $1C>0 a minute, which is by no means a high figure for them, that adds up to $6000 an hour. A cast- ing director who hires an incompetent person, saving thereby perhaps $100 a week, is indeed a poor business man if his incompetent'holds up production for so much as two minutes, and an absolute business dud if the incompetent one stretches his incompetency to the length of an hour. For that writes a loss of $5900 against the studio, all entirely unnecessary. The public is profiting by this double-barreled reason for more careful casting. And so are those studios which have casting directors who are guiding themselves by the new principles, as most of them are. The one or two which are not should have a going-over by the v. p.’s in charge of production. Talkies, like well-built houses, cannot be made without solid bricks, and they are gathered, or else not gath- ered, right in the casting offices. ROY MACK TO N. Y. TEL-A-PHONEY JAMES MADISON Roy Mack, after almost a year on the coast as a director of War- ner Brothers’ shorts, will leave for New York in two weeks to resume his activities as a director of short reels at the east coast Studios. LOBBY FEATURE SAN FRANCISCO, April 3.— Don George is featuring “A Lit- tle Smile” in the lobby entertain- ment of the Paramount. Geo. B. L. Braun, publisher of the num- ber, supplies the house with a baby piano for the lobby. Says: Plenty of whoopee all week. Big crowds down and lots of laughs, ily old pal, Frank Hamilton, in town. Big Sur- prise Events every night next week, • • •• P. 8. — The CELLAR is at Cosmo Street end Hollywood BonleTard . . . between Vine and Oahnenga . . . the phone numbers are CRanite 8 8 8 2 and Hollywood 8 15 0 . . . parking is free at the lot aeross from the CELLAR . . . the CHRYSLER and SAM- SONS are there. Thank You. MANY ATTEND ANNUAL BREAKFAST OF GUILD The Sixth Annual Communion of the members of the Catholic Motion Picture Guild took place Sunday morning, March 30. in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, at the 8:30 Mass. Right Reverend Monsignor Caw- ley officiated at the Mass and de- livered the sermon. Holy Com- rnunion was distributed by Mon- signor Cawley to hundreds of the members who received in a body. Immediately following the Mass, the members gathered at the Bev- erly Hills Hotel where breakfast was served. Monsignor Cawley was guest of honor and John Ste- ven McCroarty, author of the ‘‘Mission Play.” was the principal speaker of the occasion. James Ryan, the president of the Guild, presided and introduced the vice president of the Guild, Johnny Hines, who acted as toastmaster. Father Mullins, the chaplain of the Guild, addressed the members. Among the film notable in attend- ance were May McAvoy, Josephine Dunn, Nancy Drexel, Sarah Pa- den, Jack Coogan, Sr., Jackie Coo- gan. Sam Taylor, A1 Cooks, Bill Cody, Jimmy Gleason, June Coll- yer, John J. Gain. C. E. Sulli- van, George O’Brien and Junior Coghlan. WARNER WRITER Wilson Collison, author of light comedies and bedroom farces, has been added to the scenario staff at Warners. U BUDGET FOB 20 IS TWELVE MILLION For its coming program. Uni- versal will produce 20 pictures at an expenditure formerly spread over 50 pictures. The picture bud- get approximates $12,000,000. This announcement, made this week, stated also that a proportionately smaller number of short pictures will be made with concentration on short features of the highest caliber, like the George Sydney- Charlie Murray series and others produced in an even more elab- orate manner than the Collegians and the Leather Pusher series. A third phase of the statement said there would be an elimination of brands and brand names, with each production to stand on its own merits. It was stated further that there will be installed on the lot the individual handling of individual units in the studios. Carl Laemmle, Jr., general manager in charge of production, said he is firmly con- vinced that great pictures result from the unit production system, and that he is determined to sur- round himself with capable associ- ate producers. Those thus far with U are E. M. Asher and Al- bert De Mond. The new program provides only for pictures which have the ele- ments for class first run houses and three or four supers. Univer- sal will make no more program westerns and no more five-reelers. Contract players U is banking on to help put over the new pro- gram include Lupe Velez, under a five-year contract; John Boles; Lewis Ayres, who will be launched in ‘‘All Quiet on the Western Front,” and Jeanette Loff. Among the plays and books al- ready bought are ‘‘The Little Accident” by Floyd Dell; John Erskine’s ‘‘.Sincerity;’’ “East Is West;” G. B. Stern’s “For Hus- bands Only,” and “Outside the Law,” which Tod Browning will make. U also intends to remake “The Hunchback of Notre Pame.” WELLMAN’S W. B. FILM An ^ original story, “Maybe It’s Love,” featuring Joe E. Brown, James Hall and Evelyn Knapp, will go into production on the Warner lot this month. William Wellman will direct. RE-SIGN WYLER William Wyler’s contract with Universal has been'renewed. Wyler is now directing “The Storm” for Universal. FRED BEERS PLANS Fred Beers, who recently re- signed as casting chief at M-G-M, has had offers from three other studios, but is not yet quite ready to terminate his vacation, taken to build up his health. He is under- stood to have an enterprise of his own which he may enter upon before making any connection. IS MAKEUP CHIEF Cecil Holland, veteran motion picture makeup artist, has been appointed in complete charge of the makeup department at War- ner Brothers. RE-SIGN CARTOONISTS Walter Lantz, animated car- toonist, and William Nolan, his assistant, have been re-signed to new contracts by Universal. The “Oswald” cartoons have been drawn for the past several years by Lentz and Nolan. WALES AT TIFFANY Ethel Wales has been cast by Tiffany for a role in “Under Mon- tana Skies.” LETTERS There are letters at the Los Angeles office of INSIDE FACTS for the following; ATES, Ro«co« BIDMEAO Bros. DOWNING, Harry GILLETTE, Bobby JANOT, Maybelle MATHEWS, Madelyne MILLARD, S. S. PEDRO, Milly SHARLAND, Fred C. Hello, Gus Eysell. Hello, James Madison. Can I borrow any money on my head? I believe some mortgage companies loan on vacant property. * ♦ * Hello, Anti-Saloon League Hello, James Madison. Suppose the Literary Di- gest’s poll had favored the prohibition side, would you still call it “outrageous”? How did you come to ask such a question? * * * Hello, Jerome Kern Hello, James Madison. Who gives the best “gas” service? A professional lobbyist. * * * Hello, Olive Borden. Hello, James Madison. Why do Scotchmen seldom become Odd Fellows? They prefer FREE Ma- sonry. * « * Hello, Jean Hersholt. Hello, James Madison. Why do the “Shell” sta- tions get most of the prohibi- tion trade? Because they advertise “dry” gas. ♦ ♦ + Hello, Lila Lee. Hello, James Madison. What’s the funniest news- paper ad you’ve seen lately? A “personal” in the Times, whidh read;—Fred, come home at once; mother has found work. ♦ ♦ * Hello, Jack Dempsey. Hello, James Madison. What is the nature of the conversation you recently had with Colonel Lindbergh? We were discussing the best “landing” places. ♦ * * Hello, Fatty Arbuckle. Hello, James Madison. What is your opinion of fat men ? We’re pretty popular, even if Pullman conductors give us a wide berth. ♦ ♦ ♦ Hello, Noah Beery. Hello, James Madison. I understand that Peggy Joyce’s publicity agent is go- ing to have all her ex-hus- bands march down Broadway. I’d call that, “The Love Pa- rade.” * ♦ ♦ Hello, Lowell Sherman. Hello, James Madison. What is the correct etiquette when you make a social call on a business executive? ROBINSON AT U Edward G. Robinson, stage actor, has been signed by Uni- versal for the leading role in “Lit- tle Buddha,” an original story by Tod Browning, who will direct. The adaptation is being made by Tom Reed and Henry La Cossitt. It will go into production among the first on Universal’s new 1930- 31 program. ANOTHER CHANGE Title of Tiffany’s “Song of the Rurales,” previously called “Down by the Rio Grande,” has been changed again to “Border Ro- mance.” WESTERN ACTOR ADDED Buddy Roosevelt has been added to the cast of M-G-M’s “Easy Go- ing,” William Haines’ new star- ring vehicle. HERBERT’S FIRST Hugh Herbert’s first directorial assignment under his new long- term contract with Radio Pictures is “He Knows Women,” featuring Lowell Sherman and Alice Joyce. GARBO STARTS SECOND Greta Garbo has started work on her second M-G-M talking picture, “Romance,” an adapta- tion of the stage play. Clarence Brown, who filmed Garbo’s “Anna Christie,” is directing. LEADS IN ORIGINAL James Hall and Evelyn Knapp, latter of the N. Y. stage, have been signed by Warners for the leading roles in “Precious Little Thing,” an original. William Holden is in the supporting cast. Eddy Peabody IS TO Open at the FOX, San Francisco April 11th With a New Bag of Banjoys After a Short Vacation on the Peabody Rancho Never Better Never Peppier and as ORIGINAL AS EVER (Exclusive Management Mrs. Eddie Peabody)