Inside facts of stage and screen (May 10, 1930)

JTAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1930 ILL STREET Studio Officials Told New Contract Must Be Lived Up To By Executives By A. H. FREDERICK The idea, long advanced by In side Facts, that the forcing out of William Fox from the production field would be the final step toward the complete Wall Street-ization of the picture industry, seems to be generally accepted now as marking the next event of importance in Hollywood. It is currently all up and down the Boulevard, and at other spots where picture people gather, that Wall Street has moved forward in a steady advance toward the one aim of bringing the picture indus- try toward the same systemization as big business puts into its other enterprises. First there was the handling of the Equity strike, sec- ondly there was the aftermath of the non-strike clause in the new standard contract, and now there has been the elimination of the one biggest and most outstanding independent. With Universal con- centrating on roadshow-calibre pic- tures, and with R-K-O reportedly in a deal which will align Colum- bia with them, the industry now has nothing in the way of becom- ing one of the time-clock punchers. Workability Question This will be quite an innovation in show business, and whether it will work to the best advantage of the public is problematical. It is, in fact, very doubtful. The artistic temperament may be sufficiently subject to being tamed to make it come within the rules for clerks, bookkeepers and shopgirls, but whether it can flare to as great heights under these circumstances remains to be seen. Doubtlessly one result of a too systematized industry, and this despite any mon etary inducements that can be of- fered, will be that many of the stellar names of showdom will re- vert to that attitude which met the earliest days of the “flickers,” to- wit, that artistry can best be served in other fields. It is the old tradi- tional feeling of artistic independ- ence and the opportunity for un- hampered self-expression. It is not among the artists that Wall Street-ism would hit hardest, but among the executives. The pictures cannot well afford to let the theatre regain its former unique place, destroyed by the talking pic tures, and the best available in tal- ent would have to be obtained, even though concessions in time were made to that end. But with the executives it would be dif- ferent There are some very smart men among this classification in the pic- ture business, and this despite all the habit that has grown up of making them the targets for all gibes arid jokes. But the reported plan is to offer them better money than they could make elsewhere, but nothing like that which they are now drawing. Unless there opens up some new field for their talents, apparently they would be trapped. And that opens the question of whether or not some of these bright executives will not find some new theatrical avenue for their tal- ents. And also whether this will not eventually make a cut-in on the picture business that would have made the magnates of The Street wiser in the first place to have kept them, at least some of them, in at their old prices. Wall Street has lots of money brains, but so has show business, and not only that but these latter are the kind of brains that won’t be downed. And it may not be a bad guess that the New York money kings will find that in scratching a Russian they have found the pro- verbial Tartar. It might be good for them to go slow. NEWSPAPERMAN DIES _ A ; Y - Tully, managing editor of the afternoon Los Angeles Eve- ning Express, died of a heart at- tack here on Wednesday after an illness of some time. Tully was widely known for his vitriolic daily front page column on Los Angeles politics and civic affairs. NEW WARNER HOUSE Plans are nearing completion for the erection of a 2600-seat Warner Brothers theatre and 12- story office building in Milwaukee, to_ represent an investment of a million and a half dollars. Lowell Vere Calvert, for the past five years general manager of Educational Pictures, has been ap- pointed manager of recording op- erations of RCA Photophone, Inc., to succeed H. L. Sommerer, who returns to RCA-Victor Corpora- tion as managing director of that company’s activities in Japan, ac- cording to an announcement by Charles J. Ross, executive vice- president of RCA Photophone, Inc. Calvert will assume control of the recording operations of RCA Photophone’s two studios on the West Coast, the Gramercy studio in New York City and the RCA- Victor plant in Camden, N. J., as well as being the company’s representative in its contact with Educational Pictures, Mack Sen- nett, Pathe, Tiffany, RKO and all other RCA Photophone licensees. MASQUER REVEL MIDNIGHT SAT’D With a heavy advance sale rolled up, the annual Masquers’ Revel, scheduled this year for a midnight show Saturday at the El Capitan. Hollywood Henry Duffy House, is all set to go. Addition to the show is Lon Murray, stage director, going back to make-up for first time in eight years. Murray staged two num- bers : “Honolulu,” with eight male stars doing Hawaiian femmes; and “Go Into Your Dance,” featuring Billy Sullivan. VALENTINO STATUE “Aspiration,” statue in De Long- pre Park in Hollywood, symboliz- ing the work of the late Rudolph Valentino, was unveiled here this week on the 35th anniversary of the actor’s birth, with Dolores Del Rio unveiling the work, sculptured by Roger Noble Nurnham. Many film celebs attended the ceremonies. SURPRISE PARTY LAFE PAGE Off Rhythm and Tap Expert Former Vaudeville Partner of J. Francis Haney “IN HOLLYWOOD—NOW” AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE BUD MURRAY SCHOOL FOR STAGE AND SCREEN Beck and Regan, Orpheum act, were given a surprise party by sev- eral acts Tuesday night, just before leaving for New York to join the R-K-O circuit. Entertainment was put on by Ken and Debard Broth- ers, Black and Fanchon, Seymour and Corncob, Four Sailors, Alberto, Vallie, and many others. Billy Weir was hostess for the festivities NEW ACT PLANNED Dottie Roberts, solo dancer; Jean Roberts, contortionist-waltz dog- ger, and Momo, fast tumbler, are busy working up a new three-act and will probably bill it as the Three Aces. They will leave soon for eastern dates. THIS REALLY WAS A BUNCH OF HOT AIR All the trimmings of a Hollywood premiere were used by a suburban manager last week as publicity for the opening of a talkie feature. The street in the vicinity was gaily decorated with flags while several. studio arcs were throwing their glare from in front of the house. Everybody in town turned out to welcome the movie stars from Hollywood as they drove up to the theatre in expensive autos donated for the occasion by a local auto dealer. The mike was there for the celebrities to tell ra- dioland. of their pleasure in being in attendance. The mayor and councilmen made . glowing speeches over the air, eulogizing the man- ager for advertising the town throughout the country. When it was all over the manager secretly unhooked the prop mike and shipped it back to Los Angeles with his check for $5.00. His syn- thetic movie stars set him back $2.00 a head. The whole stunt cost around $21.00 and no one was any the wiser. The I. A. T. S. E. benefit show, billed as “The Biggest Show on Earth,” held in the Shrine Audi- torium last Tuesday night, was a success from every point of view. Headline acts of every descrip- tion held an audience of approxi- mately six thousand people in their seats from 8 p* m. until 1 a. m. next morning, and closed then with many acts still to play. Among those appearing were the following: Claude Reimer, organist; Leo Forbstein and Vitaphone Record- ing Orchestra; Monte Blue; Lina Basquette; L. A. County Ameri- can Legion Drum Corps; Leon Errol; Ken Murray; Eddie Can- tor; Hal Roberts’ U. S. C. Band and Glee Club; Fred Niblo; Edna Covey, danseuse; Alice Gentle, opera singer; Allan Prior and male chorus from “Student Prince”; Charlie Irwin; Gene Morgan; Abe Lyman and band, assisted by Ted Ledford, Phil Heely and Lucille Page; Little Mary Rose! Skeets Gallagher; Kathryne Campbell’s Hollywood Fashion Revue and popularity contest; Frank Fay; Estaleah, light opera prima donna; Ferris Hartman, impressario; Tom and Hank McFarland; Johnny Mack Brown; Anita Page; Clyde Hager; Three Slate Brothers; Dare Sisters; Fred Waring’s Penn- sylvanians and entertainers. The proceeds of the benefit, ex- pected to gross around $20,000, are to provide finances for the I. A. T. S. E. convention to be held here June 2 to 9, at which 2000 delegates are expected. LAMBERT’S SHORT “Won To Lose” is the title of a just completed Vitaphone Varieties directed by Del Lord, with Eddie Lambert, Jewish comedian, who crashes a racetrack gate and be- comes involved in an attempt to throw a race. Bill Irving is his promoter and pal. It’s a fast-mov- ing comedy. SANTLY IS BUSY Harry Santly, for the past three years with the William Morris of- fice in New York, who recently joined the booking department in the Hollywood office, has been busy the past few months lining up a neat following since his ar- rival here. CAST IN FILMS Through the Blanchard Agency, Aileen Carlyle has been placed with First National, as Mary in “Broken Dishes,” and Parker K. McConnell with Paramount for a role in “Civilian Clothes.” ORANGE GROVE YIDDISH PLAYS A group of Yiddish players are scheduled to open at the old Or- ange Grove Theatre (recently known as the Actors), on Grand Avenue within the next week or two. The venture is piloted by Harry Zuckerberg, business man- ager, and J. Wasserman, director. Featured players will be Leon Blank, Betty Frank, Julius and Anna Nathanson, and Max Gobel. The first production will be “The Drunkard.” FAIR BOOKINGS DEPT. IS BUSY The newly organized Fanchon and Marco fair booking department is hitting on all sixes. Units are being organized to play a regular schedule of state and county events. Dozens of acts have al- ready been placed in the smaller fairs. WARNERS SIGN AYRES Lew Ayres, young player who earned recognition in “All Quiet on the Western Front,” has been signed by Warner Brothers to star in “A Handful of Clouds,” original story of the underworld, it is an- nounced by Darryl Zanuck, associ ate executive. HOWE IN NORTHWEST “Doc” Howe, Fanchon and Mar- co route manager, is in the north- west lining up new theatres for next season and setting his sched- ules now in order to avoid the ear- ly fall rush. LINDWALL INJURED Though painfully injured while arranging the set for “Goodfellows Idea” in the Fox Theatre, San Diego, L. L. Lindwall, F. and M. roadman, directed the completion of the show before going to the hospital. O’MARA TO S. F. Harold O’Mara, assistant to Chester Sutton of the Mason Op- era House, is to visit the “New Moon” company in San Francisco next week. PIONEER AGENT DEAD Ben H. Rothwell, pioneer mo- tion picture agent, died in Banning Friday. The body was sent to Denver for burial services this week. Rothwell was associated with the firm of Willis and Inglis, the first Hollywood players, writ- ers and directors agency. DIRECTOR ALSO WRITES George Abbott writes the screen adaptations for all pictures which he directs for Paramount. i CHISELING TALK “The motion picture industry doesn’t need to outsmart any men, women or children,” Jack Warner told 400 casting directors, assistant directors, production executives and actors at a meet- ing to lay down the law on the . letter and spirit of the new minimum contract for screen players, held Monday night, May 5, at the Roosevelt Hotel under the sponsorship of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci- ences. “The success of the new con- tract depends on the feeling of one man toward another in giv- ing him a square deal,” Warner continued, in emphasizing that high executives have determined to halt chiseling of minor em- ployees and over-zealous unfair practices in the casting end of the industry. No individual examples were named at the meeting but the casting angle in general was strongly emphasized. Other speakers were: Acad- emy President William de Mille, who acted as chairman; Irving Thalberg, M. C. Levee and Fred Beetson, representing the pro- ducers; Conrad Nagel and Sam Hardy, representing the actors; Fred Niblo, William Conklin and Clinton Wunder. The meeting was called at the joint request of the Academy Contract Committee and the As- sociation of Motion Picture Pro- ducers to insure that the execu- tive forces of the studios are in- formed as to the nature, history and enforcement of the contract. A number of points questioned were clarified and it was pointed out that all the association pro- ducing companies have signed the Basic Agreement to abide by the Minimum Contract as have more than 400 actors. This agreement is legally binding for a period of five years, with the one option that at the end of a year the actors may if they wish substitute an alternative agree- ment providing for a 54-hour week instead of the present 12- hour guaranteed minimum rest period between calls. New regulations improving the employment conditions of extras were outlined by Fred Beetson. These will become part of the state law through the State La- bor Commission in a few days but are being adopted immedi- ately by most of the studios. They will bring employment con- ditions for extras as nearly as possible in accord with those of higher salaried groups. Remarks of the various speak- ers included: Conrad Nagel—“If a thousand clauses were put in the contract it still could not possibly cover all emergencies. So in the nego- tiations the phrase came into use, ‘The spirit of the contract’ that neither side will take ad- vantage of the other, even where possible to do so.” M. C. Levee—“The responsibil- ity of casting directors, assistant directors and others in direct contact with the actors is the most important part of the con- tract. The producers, like the managers of every other indus- try, want and realize the value of good will. That is why this contract is in existence and what it stands for.” Irving Thalberg-, “The pro- ducers are legally responsible en- tities and their names have been signed to a binding agreement. The purpose of giving the con- tract, . that of achieving good will, is entirely nullified unless the attitude of the administra- tive employees toward the minor actor is right.” Fred Niblo—“Living up to the spirit of the contract is not so much a new responsibility for the executive. forces on the sets as much as it is a relief. In the past when business was near the edge the casting director had the often unpleasant responsibility of mak- ing the closest, deal possible. Now he. has been given the privilege of being human, honest, just and sticking to fair play.” Clinton Wunder, recently ap- pointed Secretary of Public Re- (Continued on Page 11)