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

SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE Sou-Cal Picture Theatre Association Decides To Continue Present Policies lou bardIelected AS EXHIB PRESIDENT Continuation of policies carried out during the past year was de- cided on at the annual meeting of the Motion Picture Theatre Own- ers Association of Southern Cali- fornia, held in Los Angeles on May 5- Lou L. Bard, owner and operator of Bard’s 8th Street and Bard’s Hill Street, in Los Angeles, was elected to the office of presi- dent for the coming year. R. D. Whitson, retiring presi- dent, was elected to the board of directors. Whitson owns theatres in Hollywood, Anaheim and San Diego. C. A. Ferry of the Gra- nada Theatre, Alhambra, was elect- ed vice-president, and A. Alperson of the Melrose Theatre, Los An- geles, was made treasurer. W. E. (“Bill”) Knotts, popular secretary and business manager, was continued in office. New di- rectors appointed were: M. Ray- mond Peterson of the Fair Oaks, Pasadena; A. L. Sanborn of the Rialto, El Monte, and R. W. Mc- Kinney of McKinney’s Regent and the 7th Street Playhouse, Los An- geles. The policy of the new adminis- tration will be to carry on the work of the past year, which showed a 400 per cent increase in membership. Also, the group-buy- ing purchasing plan, recently in- augurated, is to be continued and its field of usefulness developed. The benefits of the plan have been found to be many, returning through that service alone a good deal more than the cost of individ- ual membership, creating through the united buying power not only savings but a means of influence that the former scattered purchas- ing could not hope to attain. One hundred and fifty exhibitors are now using the service. A new trade magazine, “The Al- lied Exhibitor,” sponsored by the Allied States Association, parent body, was endorsed and will be supported by the members. The new publication will be a monthly, first issue out in June. DANIELS-LYON DATE In Hollywood'"7\[ow By BUD MURRAY The much-publicized Bebe Dan- iels-Ben Lyon romance will cul- minate in a merger June 14, it was learned this week, with the pair definitely announcing the wed- ding date. It will be a quiet cere- mony, it is understood. KELLY INJURED John Kelly, secretary of the Los Angeles Theatre Managers Asso- ciation, was the victim of an auto crash here this week, suffering a severe ankle injury and numerous cuts and bruises. WANTED Cafe - Night Club Master of Cere- monies. Must be good. All appllca tions by letter. Strictly confidential. Address “Niteclub,” Inside Facts, 801 Warner Brothers Downtown The- atre Bldg., Los Angeles. Shades of the late war, and the good old Benefit days, when Bene- fits were Benefits, and Eddie Can- tor, used to play four and five in one nite, at the Winter Garden, New Amsterdam, Casino, 44th Street Theatre and Century The- atre. That’s what was brought back to the writer last Saturday, at . the NVA Benefit. The biggest thing ever held in this man’s town, Benefit or no Benefit. We thought we were back in the year 1918-19 rite on that vast Winter Garden Stage or the Cen- tury Theatre. And right IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. We won’t go into the complete list of names. They were all great, but we will just mention, as is the custom; those whom we knew when. Let’s start with the King of Benefits, Eddie Cantor, another ex-Winter Gardenite, who kept things going along, even introduc- ing his “Father and Mother,” Flo Ziegfeld and charming Billie Burke, and don’t forget Ida, not “Sweet as Apple Cider,” but a real MOTHER, I have forgotten how many children they have, maybe Eddie Cantor knows; but at any rate they are all girls. And they are all “IN HOLLYWOOD NOW.” Let’s hope they stay. Eddie Lambert, quite a favorite on the Coast, did his “BOOTS” and he took us back to “Texas Guinan’s Padlocks.” Clever Lil- lian Roth, in the same show, both doing picture work. We saw Lil and she is doing great at Para- mount. Frank Richardson is noth- ing short of marvelous. How he can stand to continually hit those high C’s, and we had seen him sing at late hours after doing 6 shows, and still make those top notes. Charley Irwin, that suave m. c., took us back to “Artists & Models” and then to the RKO Theatre here, when the writer was staging prologues last year. Char- ley gave the audience a chance to “nail” all the theme song writ- ers at one time, when Wolfe Gil- bert and his cohorts did their Con- certed act. What a crowd of “themie writers,” Cliff Friend, Jim- my Monaco, Arthur Freed, Jean Swartz, Abel Baer and Lew Pol- lack. We won’t go back with all of these superb writers, but that Monaco must be at least (?) years young, and our dear old friend Jean Swartz, back again to the Winter Garden. How many shows he wrote for that spot, we cannot remember. Lew Pollack takes us to the first song he wrote for the Garden show, and J. Har- old Murray sang it, “The Lady of the Lamb.” What a song, what a singer, what a writer, and, by the way, Lew married one of those beautiful Mellette Sisters, what an act? Yes, they are still married to each other, not the sisters, we mean Lew and Helen, and they are all “IN HOLLYWOOD NOW.” Then came Lina Bas- quette, who took us back to “Le- Maires Affairs,” what a brave soul she was. Used to rehearse 16 hours a day, and never let up. HARVEY KARELS VALLIE SCHOOL OF DANCING 7377 Beverly Blvd. OR. 2688 II I FF SHOW ALLky PRINT MA. 1681 —224 E. 4th St., Los Angeles— MA. 1682 That’s why she is a real dancer, and yes, if you must know, her father, Ernest Belcher, runs a very good dancing school, too. Men- tioning dancing, that gentleman, Bill Robinson, he of the "white socks,” danced, and how! All you “hoofers” if you have never seen him dance, do yourself a favor and make it a point to see him the first chance you get. Our associate, Lafe Page, never misses the op- portunity, even has his records, and Lafe is no slouch when it comes to off-rhythm or straight buck and wing. Yes, all this at the NVA Benefit and “IN HOL- LYWOOD N O W.” Our boy friend, “Kick-him-in-the-pants Pa- tricola,” stopped them with his “Rosy Cheeks.” That’s the name of the song. Will you follow us to the Blos- som Room of the Roosevelt Ho- tel, and take a look at “Dapper Doc Kearns” entertaining? Doc takes us back to Billy Lahiff’s Tavern, where we would sit in the corner and have our “gab- fests.” Then swirling around the floor another “themie” man danc- ing with his own wife, the former Miss Peggy Mitchell, of our own Winter garden, young Archie Got- tler, who writes with Sydney Mitchell at Fox Studios. Then our dear old friend Stanley Sharpe, the ex-general manager for the Messrs. Shubert and now in the same capacity for Flo Zeigfeld, all “IN HOLLYWOOD NOW.” Stanley took us back to our first Winter Garden show in 1912, when we all trouped with the first “run- way” to be toured. Stanley is one of the real sincere friends one finds in show business, and in his party, Dick Powers, manager for Walter Donaldson, who is sitting there, also, and he didn’t do so bad with his songs for the past (?) years. Imagine all this “IN HOLLYWOOD NOW.” May we drift around and men- tion some real Winter Garden, Scandals and Follies show girls who are here IN HOLLYWOOD NOW, just those whom we have had the honor to be head man with troupes they were with? At the fites Mary Mulhern, of Scan- dals, and Georgie Lerch, same show, and Madeline Levine (Mrs. Ed Kane), Winter Garden; Doro- thy Bryant (Mrs. Sydney Mitch- ell) ; Miss Eleanor Phillips, Win- ter Garden; Miss Catherine Perry (Mrs. Moore). That’s all space will permit, but they are all “IN HOLLYWOOD NOW,” and how! Oh, woman, where is thy sting? Rehearsing the Masquers for their Public Revel, and it is great to have the privilege. How those boys work, and love it. We have to mention our little “talk” with a boy who hasnt’ let success go to his head_; and out here, heads get big quick. I do not know why, unless it is the “unusual weather.” Well, it’s our Pal we are raving about, Georgie Stone, who made an instantaneous hit, and he wants it distinctly under- stood he is not a type actor; and he isn’t, either, because he has a great German dialect, and is a real “hoofer,” and can sing. Geor- gia took us back to the only “real” vacation we have ever had about eight years ago, when we were at a farm, and our friend Ben Bard, was host. We were real boy pals, playing and roughing and farm- ing, one for all and all for one. No, Georgie, those spots in our lives never leave. Big or little. Let’s do the fites, as this is our regular nite off. We see Vivian Oakland, anoth- er of a famous sister team, and her husband, John T. Murray, and there you have a real light com- edian, who carries us again to the Winter Garden, and what a fa- vorite he was. Why he left we cannot understand, only for the WIETHOO PERFECTED Claimed as a big advance in film printing for talking pictures, a new device has been perfected by C. Roy Hunter, Universal sound and photography head, and Superin- tendent Robert Pierce of the stu- dio lab. Their invention on which pat- ents have been, applied for, is a de- veloping machine for motion pic- ture negative and positive film. The machine has a capacity of 1,000,000 feet of film per week. It makes all present methods of developing obsolete and will short- ly be adopted by all the big mo- tion picture companies, it is claimed. The sound is improved by finer development of the sound track in Movietone. Smaller lines can be developed than heretofore, due to slower processing and the fact that the slower movement of the film, through the various baths eliminates the slipping of the emul- sion of the film. “unusual things” out here. And another real juvenile, Paul Fraw- '??!> w ,° da «ces, sings and acts. What became of that type of ju- venile? There’s our old friend who is at Fox Studios now, Jack Young, another ex-Shubert di- rector. Will you take a look at a songwriter who is one, Bud De Sylva;. he couldn’t write a bad f° n ® j*. tried. This time it’s Scandals he takes us back to. We have to avoid the Shuberts and Winter Garden as much as possible because our boss said last week, what are we going to do when we run out of Winter Gar- den actors? Having been there on and off for 12 years, we are sure eventually all these actors will be out. Why not “NOW- IN HOLLYWOOD?” We received a real surprise Fri- day. Abe Roth, the best liked referee in this, state, because of his youth and sincere business tac- tics in the ring, who calls a spade a spade, came up to the studio and started taking tap dancing, and we couldn’t understand why. But after witnessing that Mc- Donald-Lamar contest, it took more than just a plain referee to keep out of the way of fast mov- fpg McDonald and Lamar. Abe was really in step, but he missed several taps, but he claims he had his gym shoes on and that we couldn’t hear them plain enough. Over at Henry’s, Ballard Lloyd formerly of Lloyd and Wells, a marvelous comedy team. Bal is now at Warners’ and we talked about the good old pre-war days, and the Mrs. found out a few things of our past. Pat Collins, a very fine actor of real merit, with us in “Passing Show of 1916,” and “Uke Ike Edwards, who is just a sensation at Fox Studios, took us back to Jimmy Hussey’s “Tat- tle Tales,” long, long ago. We are beginning to omit certain dates, because several people are beginning to get our real age, and the wife now understands why we are always so tired. Do you ketch on? See you next week. News Notes of Dance Studios The tap dancing craze has added another famous director’s wife to the galaxy of film executives’ bet- ter halves, who train daily in the intricate steps. The latest regis- trant at the Bud Murray School for Stage is Mrs. Hal Roach and her co-pupil, Mrs. Guasti. Other famous film executives’ wives tak- ing this style of dancing with Bud Murray are Mrs. Norman Taurog, Mrs. Oliver Morosco, Mrs. Rufus Lemaire and Mrs. Ralph Block. Their main idea in studying this work, they claim, is that it gives them very fine enjoyable exercise. Murray contemplates forming classes during the day for the ladies who are either film direc- tors’ or executives’ wives. * * * Walter S. Wills Studio of Stage Dancing in Hollywood has inaugu- rated a special department to take care of this phase of the school’s dancing activities. Edward Mc- Kiernan has been placed in charge of the booking department of the school. McKiernan will contact the producers, directors and casting of- ficials in booking dancing acts from the Wills school. The Wills school, is furnishing entire dancing units for single, dou- ble and ensemble work in sound pictures. In addition to the mo- tion picture productions, Wills is also furnishing talent for stage pro- ductions, revues and dance ensem- bles for clubs. * * * Earle Wallace was called upon by Tinova and Baikoff, RKO head- line dance act, to furnish them with an eccentric dancer to replace one of the members of their com- pany who left the act in Los An- geles and Ralph Peters was se- lected by them from the Earle Wallace dancers who were qualified to fill the vacancy. His first ap- pearance with the act was at the local theatre last week. He will be featured with Tinova and Bai- koff for the balance of their tour over the RKO circuit. * sK * According to advices received here this week by Lon Murray, Broadway and Hollywood dance director, Martin Mooney, general press representative for the John Golden offices, is coming here soon to negotiate for a possible produc- ing affiliation for “Sisters of the Chorus,” recently produced on Broadway. * * * St. Anthony’s parochial school in Long Beach recently installed dancing as part of the physical education system in the school, with the Ben and Sally Studios of Dancing being called in to han- dle this phase of the curriculum, and doing very satisfactorily. The dance studios, of which Ben Phe- lan is director, are also keeping busy on their booking department, managed by Don Walker, with Johnny Winn hadling orchestras. * * * Mary Brian, Paramount star, af- ter completing three months of continuous picture work at the Paramount Studios, has again re- sumed her tap dancing study with Bud Murray at the Murray School. ROSEN PLANS SHOW A1 Rosen is reported as consii ejmg a venture into show produi tion, now giving consideration to new show by Crane Wilbur HERBERT’S Good Food With Courtesy OPEN ALL NIGHT 745-749 South Hill Street Los Angeles Bachelor Hotel & Grill 151-159 Powell Street San Francisco RALPH PETERS AFTER MY SUCCESS IN PICTURES NOW ASSOCIATED WITH TINOVA AND BAIKOFF — R-K-0 CIRCUIT