Inside facts of stage and screen (May 3, 1930)

ESTABLISHED 1S24 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Vol. XI Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at Post- office, Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. Saturday, May 3, 1930 Published Every Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros. Down- town Building, 401 West Seventh St., Los Angeles, Calif. No. 18 STAGE SHOW LANDSLIDE STARTING IN HOLLYWOOD 17 THEATRICAL PROJECTS SET SAN FRANCISCO, May 1. — Approximately $15,- 000,000 will be spent on construction of new amusement centers in Northern California with- in the next three months, if present plans are fol- lowed. Here are seventeen pro- posed theatres, opera houses and amusement centers, some of them al- ready nearly un^ler way, and others only in the conference stage: 1. A Sam Levin house on Ocean avenue between Fairfield and Lakewood avenues, San Fran- cisco, at an estimated cost of $250,000. Plans are under prepa- ration for this house. 2. A war memorial auditorium in the Civic Center, San Francis- co, at an estimated cost of $2,- 000,000. Plans are completed for this project. 3. An opera house also to be erected in the San Francisco Civic Center at a cost of $1,500,000, and for which plans also are com- pleted. 4. An exposition building to be erected by the city of Oakland at a cost of $250,000. Plans being prepared. 5. A $1,000,000 Publix house for Broadway and Hobart streets, Oakland, with plans under prepa- ration. 6. A $1,000,000 Warner Bros, house for Broadway at Twentieth streets, Oakland. Nothing is defi- nite on this project but it is gen- erally believed that, because of film bookings and other complica- tions, Warners will not build here but will instead give the prefer- ence to Publix. 7. A $200,000 house for Mer- ced, with the Golden State chain as builders. (Continued on Page 2) MACK BISSETT PREMIER DANCE DIRECTOR OF THE PACIFIC COAST, TEACHING SHIRLEY MASON THE ART OF TAP DANCING FOR HER NEXT PICTURE YANTIS IN TOWN Luther Yantis, author of “Sou- venir Sadie,” which is scheduled to be presented by Andy Wright in the near future, arrived here last week. MILES AT INSPIRATION John P. Miles, formerly with D. W. Griffith and United Artists, has been appointed publicity director for Inspiration Pictures, with headquarters at the Tec-Art Stu- dios. WRITER DIVORCED Sada Cowan Commons, screen writer, was granted a divorce here this week by Judge Archbald from Dr. Ernest L. Commons, lo- cal physician. Rie PREMIERE GtCKTD ACTS Acknowledging the need for stage support for the big specials, operators of the film capital de luxe houses have come back to the prologue and other at- tendant showman ship features, to keep up box- office totals for the big houses. On May 30 the Fox- West Coast Grauman’s Chinese will return to the lavish prologue method, with Sid Grauman again at the helm for the pre- miere of “Hell’s Angels.” The new Pantages Theatre, to be jointly operated by the Pan- tages brothers with West Coast, will start with elaborate prologue support, staged by Fanchon and Marco, _ on May 29. And West Coast is reported to be planning sirnilar policy for Grauman’s Egyptian, when it abandons its present policy of first Hollywood runs with F. and M. “Ideas” the first of June. First ripples in the swing back to big bills for the class houses are occasioned by the fact that many patrons have been waiting to see the same shows at lower prices in the neighborhoods a few weeks later. These moves are be- ing closely watched. Keen observers see them as the first break against the all-mechan- ical program, and rumors spread quickly this week that Warners, Publix, and RKO are setting in motion plans to return to the all- around program for the de luxe houses. Executives of the stage hands and musicians’ unions and local booking agents expressed the most optimistic viewpoints in months, as they checked closely on the re- ports of returning in-person en- tertainment. (Continued on Page 3) YOU'LL N FAC