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

PAGE TEN INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1930 VANCOUVER, B. C. A. K. MacMartin REPRESENTATIVE 901 Bekins Bldg. NORTHWEST Division Offices Phone: Capitol 1932 PORTLAND, ORE. F. K. Haskell REPRESENTATIVE Postoffice Box No. 16 SEATTLE MIS IE SEATTLE, May 1,—A good week in the local amusement mart, supported by some good shows. “Ingagi” closed a sensational en- gagement . at the Hamrick Blue Mouse, with “Her Unborn Child’ following in, endorsed in the ads by a personal message from Johrj Hamrick, who stands ace high vfcth the church folk here. “Hold Everything” holds the Music Box to capacity business, and John Barrymore’s “General Crack” holds the screen at the Liberty, supported by two-color ads in the Sunday papers and in- side parking at ten cents. At the Orpheum, the Bebe Dan- iels picture, “Alias French Ger- tie,” is supported by an RKO vaude headed by the Henry San- trey band and is doing its part to hold up averages. Tim Ryan and Irene Noblette, with their “Here We Are” act, and the Dakotas, assisted by Chic Cooper in a rope spinning and sharp shooting act, share the vaude responsibilities. At the Fox Fifth Avenue “High Society Blues” is dong average, with the Zane Grey “Light of Western Stars” not drawing any too well up the hill to the Para- mount. “The Rogue Song,” in its second week at the Fox, is do- ing big business. The Metropoli- tan, road show house, .is playing Billie Dove’s picture, “A Notori- ous Affair.” There are no legit shows in town this week. VANCOUVER By A. K. MacMARTIN M-G-M READYING TWO PLAYS FOR SHOOTING “Tampico,” best seller novel and a hit as a stage production, will be screened as a talking picture by M-G-M with the purchase of rights to the Joseph Hergesheimer and Barlett Cormack play, taken from the Hergesheimer novel, published in 1926 by Alfred Knopf. Harry Pollard, who screened “Show Boat,” “Uncle Tom’s Cab- in” and other stories of the South, will direct Joan Crawford in “The Great Day,” current stage hit, by William Cary Duncan and John Wells with Mississippi River back- ground. “The Great Day,” “With- out a Song” and negro spirituals, from the original Vincent You- man’s score, will be used. GUILD SHOW SET SAN FRANCISCO, May 1— A May 16 opening has been de- cided upon for the Players’ Guild theatre on Sutter street by Stanley MacLawes. Frederick Lonsdale’s comedy “On Approval,” will be the opening show. A s\ Your News Dealer for INSIDE FACTS On Sale at All News Stands Every Week The proposed merger of Famous Players Canadian Corporation with Paramount-Famous-Lasky Corpo- ration through an exchange of stock was approved recently by the board of directors of the for- mer company. J. O. Bickell, vice- president of the Canadian Co., said he expected no opposition from stockholders. According to terms made public by Mr. Bickell, the exchange would be on the basis of five shares of Famous Players- Canadian for four of Paramount- Famous-Lasky. Arthur W. Roebuck, legal rep- resentative of the minority share- holders of the Famous Players Canadian Corporation, in a state- ment to the press after digesting the above piece of news, calls for the formation of the minority hold- ers in a protective association to act against the sale of the Cana- dian company’s theatres and de- clined to recommend to the share- holders the offer of the Para- mount-Famous-Lasky. * * * British film producers are very angry at criticisms of their sound pictures which have been made by the Australian Federal censorship board. Particularly they are in- dignant at aspersions cast on the moral standards of British films. The managing director of the British Film Corporation declares that Australia cannot have seen more than three or four British “talkies” and says that undoubt- edly British films display a greater sense of decency and fineness than any other country. British film producers, however, admit that there may have been in the past some justification for the criticism that technically their films were not up to the standard of the best American product. They claim, however, that enor- mous strides have been made and that now British talkies compare favorably with those of any other country. The enormous assured home market is the reason given that American producers have been able to take the bigger finan- cial risks than British producers. * * * The Little Theatre, New West- minster, produced and played to good business April 23-4-5 Oscar Wilde’s “Importance of Being Earnest.” * * * Warm summer weather has fur- ther slowed up things around local houses. The RKO Orpheum with Henry Santrey and his band and two other acts, and William Pow- ell in “Street of Chance” on the speaking screen, headed the draw the current stanza. The Dominion with its 900 capacity filled daily with “Roadhouse Nights.” The two_ big houses, the Strand and Capitol, ran neck and neck, First National’s “Show Girl in Holly- wood” at the first named and Paramount’s “Honey” with Nancy Carroll at the Capitol. The British Guild Players at the Empress got across nicely with Don t Wake the Wife,” a comedy written by Norman Cannon, one of _ the lessees. They have cut their Thursday matinee, this third afternoon performance being inau- gurated during the long run of ‘Elizabeth Sleeps Out.” The Beacon (old Pan) has been redecorated with a new Neon sign and other embellishments and did a fair week with Fox’s “Romance Rio Grande.” Columbia’s The Careless Age” at the Colonial and a split week with “Hollywood Revue ’ and “From Headquarters” at the Rex both did lightly on the draw. SENNETT DOING 26 DURING 1930 OLD GAG BUT GOOD Ray West, Los Angeles cafe and dance band impresario, dis- appeared for a few days last week. Mrs. West had the police and newspapers page the country for him, fearing, according to the publicity, foul play. West turned up again, dismissing the incident by saying that he had just felt like a little vacation. Meanwhile, front page stories and plenty pub- licity for the West cafe. Mack Sennett will produce twen- ty-six two-reel talking comedies for release through Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., during the year 1930. With several of the thirty Sennett comedies on the 1929 pro- gram still to be made before pro- duction can be started on the new line-up, Sennett’s forces will con- tinue working through the spring without a break. Andy Clyde and Marjorie Beebe, two of Sennett’s biggest bets in his first year of talking comedy production, have been signed for next year’s product. The produc- tion staff practically remains intact. Mack Sennett will continue at the helm of his organization, with John A. Waldron, general manager of the Mack Sennett Studios. Sennett plans to cast most of his pictures individually, selecting the best available player material for the roles in question, instead of fitting stock company players into the roles. BONDS ARE SOLD SEATTLE, Wash.—The entire first mortgage bond issue of $400,- 000 for the proposed Fox West Coast Theatre to be built in Spo- kane this summer have been pur- chased outright, according to state- ment from Drumheller, Erhlich- man and White, bond brokers here. The 6 x / 2 % bonds will be distributed to investor clients in Seattle, Ta- coma, Portland and Spokane, it was announced. Notes Along Fifth Avenue James Q. Clemmer finding his name in “Now” . . . Eddie Fitz- gerald taking the credit . . . Ray Jones believing in signs . . . y’ got- ta have ’em to build up business . . . Harry Mills trying to find the top of his desk . . . and finding a “must” story two years old . . . Bob Blair reading Inside Facts . .. Arthur Clausen thinking back to the Peer Gynt days . . . Bill Doug- las laying down the law . . . Basil Gray spreading diplomatic sun- shine . . . Dorothy Cooper telling Joe to come home to dinner . . . John Danz with nothing on his mind . . . John Hamrick saying Yours Sincerely _. . . Vic Gauntlet studying a dictionary of superla- tives . . . Lou Golden wondering about that milk . . . Gladys Schul- merick still careful how she wipes her nose . . . mending nicely, thanks . . . Doc Brown wondering how he could get into the lime- light again . . . Time for lunch, but no invitations . . . See us again next week. RADIO RACE PLUG SEATTLE, May 1.—Radio is be- ing used to arouse the interest of Seattle people in the drive being carried on to send three Univer- sity of Washington shells to the Poughkeepsie boat races. A spe- cial broadcast was put on over KJR on Sunday night, with Coach Ulbrickson featured,'and the pop- ulace responded heavily. IN NORTHWEST TOLD SEATTLE, May 1.—Howard Sheehan, vice-president of the Fox West Coast Theatres, has just con- cluded a business trip to the North- west. He addressed a convention of W. C. theatre managers of Washington on Saturday, and on Monday a similar group of Ore- gon managers. Sheehan stated the newly organ- ized Fox forces are planning an ex- tensive building campaign for the Northwest. Within the next year 16 new Fox theatres will be estab- lished in Washington, three of them now under construction at Spokane, Centralia and Wenatchee, he said. He also said that the Fox theatres in this region show an in- crease of over 100 per cent for the first three months of 1930 over the same period of last year. Sheehan toured the district with Earl Crabb, division manager. BACK ON AIR SEATTLE, May 1.—KPCB, lo- cal radio station, was off the air four days this week, but came back Thursday morning on a newly as- signed wave length of 650 kilocy- cles. Definite hours have not yet been assigned by the Federal Radio Commission, but in the meantime broadcasting is being done between 6:30 a. m. and sundown. AN OPEN LETTER OF THANKS TO EDDIE PEABODY THE BANJO BOY OF JOYLAND AND MASTER SHOWMAN OF ’EM ALL Dear Eddie: A million thanks! One for each person who has heard you play our Waltz Sensation— “ROCK-A-BYE TO SLEEP IN DIXIE” and your dear pals’, Jesse Stafford and Gene Rose’s New Fox-Trot Hit— “TONIGHT” during the past few weeks of your RECORD-BREAKING ENGAGEMENTS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION FOX THEATRES And to WALT ROESNER and HERMIE KING FOR THEIR GRACIOUS CO-OPERATION AND SUPPORT Now—Eddie—Here’s News, Old Pal NEVE R TO BUSY FOR YOU” The New Hot Fox-Trot Sensation By EDDIE PEABODY and HERMIE KING WILL SOON BE READY FOR INTERNATIONAL RELEASE! WE’RE PROUD of the SCOOP EDDIE! SYL CROSS President JEAN ARMAND Vice-President GENE McCORMICK Prof. Manager NEWTON KELLY Sales Manager S. L. CROSS MUSIC CORP. Peop,e ’ s B “ k Buildi "° SEATTLE, U. S. A.