Inside facts of stage and screen (April 19, 1930)

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1030 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THRjT/, WARNERS PURSUE EXHIB PLAN Legit Holds Fairly Steady Recruiting for the stock com- pany to be put into the Denham Theatre in Denver, in the move sponsored by the I. A. T. S. E. and the musicians' local to create work for musicians, stage hands and performers, was completed last Friday, and the company left Los Angeles immediately for Denver. First production is slated to open April 20. Following is the personnel of the stock company as finally chosen: Selmer Jackson, Jack Lynds, Diane Esmonde (leading woman), Jack Marvin, William Phelps, Ralph Lee, Axel Jewel, William Gould, Buddy Wattles, Duane Thompson, Ethel Mulholland, Alice Buchanan. This experiment is to be watched closely by the unions all over the country, and if successful may be followed in many other cities in an attempt to relieve unemploy- ment and restore the popularity of in-person entertainment. m-g-wTproduction hi season's With twelve companies actually shooting on major productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios have reached the season's peak of ac- tivity. Cecil B. DeMille is at work on his newest talkie extravaganza, "Madame Satan," in which Kay Johnson and Reginald Denny head an elaborate cast. Clarence Brown is directing his second Greta Garbo talkie, "Ro- mance." Supporting cast includes Lewis Stone, Gavin Gordon, El- liott Nugent and Florence Lake. George Hill is shooting on "The Big House," Frances Marion's pris- on drama, in which Chester Mor- ris, Wallace Beery and Robert Montgomery play leading roles. Robert Z. Leonard is working on a new Norma Shearer talkie, "Let Us Be Gay," a picturization of the Rachel Crothers' play. Fred Niblo is on location with William Haines, filming "Easy Go- ing," Western comedy. Leila Hy- ams is leading lady and supporting cast includes Cliff "Ukulele Ike r ' Edwards, Charles F. Middleton, Polly Moran and Vera Marsh. King Vidor also is on location, with "Billy the Kid" company, with Johnny Mack Brown playing the title role. Lucille Powers has leading feminine role and support- ing cast includes Wallace Beery, Karl Dane, Russell Simpson and Wyndham Standing. Harry Beaumont is filming "Our Blushing Brides," which reunites Joan Crawford, Anita Page and Dorothy Sebastian. Jack Conway is shooting Lon Chaney's first talk- ie, a revival of "The Unholy Three." COLLEEN MOORE FILES SUDDEN DIVORCE SUIT Gold and Raye Dancing Team Smooth Combo For sheer novelty and cleverness the tap dancing of Sid Gold and Don Raye has few equals. This clever team, whose picture ap- pears on the front cover of this week's issue of Inside Facts, are at the RKO Theatre, Los An- geles, the week of April 16. In their two years of partner- ship Gold and Raye have worked up a zippy dancing act that is brimful of showmanship. A Com- edy of Errors, one of the turn's highlights, is the hit of every show. The perfect unison in the work of the boys and the decided con- trast of their appearance are other points in favor of this ace dance team. I Charging that her husband, Film Producer John E. McCormick, was cruel and abusive, Colleen Moore this week filed suit for divorce un- der her real name of Kathleen Morrison McCormick in Superior Court. The couple, wed in 1923, were regarded as among the most hap- pily married of movie pairs, but Miss Moore's complaint reveals numerous asserted domestic diffi- culties and that the couple had separated in March. SELWYN AT M-G-M Edgar Selwyn, president of the sta p producing firm of Selwyn and Company,arrived at the Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer studios for his six-month session with pictures during which time he will direct two prod uctions, not yet named. STEVENS FREELANCES . Leonard Stevens, since resign- ing as pianist with the band at the Manchester Theatre, is now devoting all of his time to th" BBB Cellar Cafe in Hollywood ana writing original song numbers. TSON REVIVAL GETS $15,510 FINAL "Ingagi," the Congo Pictures film of African travel and gorilla life, now being exhibited in key cities of the Pacific Coast, seems} to be achieving an outstanding box office success. The take at the Orpheum box office in Los Angeles for last Sun- day was $5300. Receipts at San Francisco's Orpheum for the day before grossed over $6000. At the Portland Music Box. thousand-seat house, 3 days' receipts amounted to $7000, and at the Blue Mouse, Seattle, 900-seater. the take for 3 days went over $6000. At the pre- miere engagement in San Diego over 40,000 paid admissions thronged the theatre, better than a third of the city's population. The picture's performance has been so sensational that it has been ibooked solid for the entire R-K-0 circuit. 'PHILADELPHIA' SEAT SELLING CONTINUED Andy Wright is selling tickets for a fourth week of "Philadel- phia" at the Vine Street Theatre, although there appeared to be some uncertainty at time of going to press as to whether the the- atre would ibe available for him, the Dudley Ayres production of "Among the Married" being slated for an opening that week. Following the Los Angeles pres- entation, Wright's plans call for the show to open at the West Coast Theatre in San Diego, and following that the intention is to show in San Francisco. Negotia- tions for the Capitol Theatre are now under way. GUTHRIE NEW HEAD William Guthrie succeeded Jack Lawton as president of the Mo- tion Picture Location Managers' Association for the coming year. Guthrie, who is in charge of the location department of Warner Brothers studios, where he has acted in this capacity for more than seven years. DIVORCE DEMANDED With Attorney S. S. Hahn at the legal helm, Mrs. Norma Carlisle filed divorce suit in Superior Court here last week against Robert W. Carlisle, film editor, naming Thur- za Nelson, film player, as co- respondent, adding that Mr. Car- lisle "beat her" at times. DRAMATIST ARRIVES Martin Brown, author of an even dozen New York stage successes, has arrived in Hollywood to join Paramount's writing staff under contract. For the past seven years the playwright has lived in Monte Carlo, leaving there after the sign- ing of his first screen-writing con- tract. ANNUAL ELECTION Annual meeting and election of officers for the board of directors of the M. P. T. O. of South ern California is slated to be held in Los Angeles May 5. Legitimate returns held gener- ally steady during the past week, with no sensational gains or losses. The final week of the Lillian Albertson revival of "Desert Song" grossed the $15,500 expected. The house is dark during Holy Week while "Student Prince" rehearses for its opening April 24, also a Lillian Albertson production. A legitimate dramatic show is being considered to follow the Romberg operetta. "Philadelphia" attracted $4800 to the Vine Street for its second week. It has a third week to run, following which the Dudley Ayres production of "Among the Married" is scheduled. The Civic Repertory Players at the Hollywood Music Box grossed $5500 for the second week of "The Hero," which is a thousand below the first week but away over av- erage for the house. This pro- duction is to run a third week, to be fololwed then by "The Imag- inary Invalid" for two weeks, and then "Going Home." Henry Duffy's three houses sailed right along the path of con- sistency, the El Capitan taking in $5200 on the second week of "Broken Dishes," and the Presi- dent doing $4600 for the fifth week of "Uncle Dudley." "Blue Ghost" follows in there on Easter Sunday. Five thousand dollars was reported for the final week of May Robson in "Helena's Boys" at the Holly- wood Playhouse. "Holiday," with Dale Winter, opened there last Sunday. The Figueroa is dark, with Ar- thur Greville Collins and Noel Madison reported negotiating for the house for another play. The Egan also is dark, but set to open "For Cryin* Out Loud" on April 21. The Mayan opened April 10 with the picture version of "Jour- ney's End," to fair business, and the Belasco is housing Fay Marbe and her One Girl Revue for the current week only. Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians in "Rah Rah Daze" continue to rebuild the show and are holding grosses steady around the $8000 average. NICKELlLflUSE E The nickel-a-seat radio theatre plan of a Los Angeles promoter, whose plans have been outlined previously in Inside Facts, has been meeting with many setbacks during the past week, although of- fers of cooperation and partner- ship propositions have been com- ing to him. The chief obstacles comes from the electrical interests, who point out the conditions under which tubes are sold, namely, that they may be used "only where no business features are involved." While no threats have been made that his activities would be interferred with he feels hesitant about going ahead with the idea with the constant possibility of interference hanging over his head. He feels, however, that the idea has merit enough to warrant the sympathetic cooperation of both manufacturers and broadcasters, and may attempt to win their sup- port for his plans. The majority of radio station executives believe the proposition is a good one. WALLACE DUO TO N. Y. "Stork Idea" At Marco Home A special showing of the "Stork Idea" was presented for the special benefit of Marco and family last Sat- urday night, marking the world premiere appearance of a new star in the Holly- wood firmament. Mother and father are both doing well. It's a boy. NEW DDE WEEK With a new five-act weekly change bill added to local vaude- ville, Meiklejohn Brothers took on one account this week, while the Million Dollar, which had been booked through that office since going vaude several weeks ago, was announced as soon to be booked through the local RKO office. Five acts of weekly change vaude gojs into the Burbank, opening Thursday of this week, to play with the current weekly change grind picture policy. Change in the Million Dollar bookings occurs on May 24, with booking through the RKO offices here, and both S. Lazarus, house operator, and local RKO officials denying that the chain is to take over the house. Rumors to that effect were current after informa- tion of the booking change broke. ARGUMENT OVER TRIP STARTS AUTO RECORD Cliff Harris, of the Harriscolor Films concern, and Ray Boswell Jr., president of the Master Art Production, blew in here last Fri day in their Cord sedan to make a new New York to Hollywooc automobile record, 90 hours anc 42 minutes elapsed time. The speedy trip was not spon sored but just "to try out the car." Boys had an argument over whether their trip to New York from Hollywood was done in 96 hours, so checked with Western Union on the way back. LANGDON LEGAL FIGHT Whether Harry Langdon, film comedian, stole his bride, of a few months ago, Hel#n Walton, was a matter for legal debate here this week in Superior Court, with filing of attachment suits against the ac tor. Langdon denies the charges and filed cross-complaint, contend- ing extortion. STAHL TO DIRECT John M. Stahl, recently signed to a long-term contract at Univer- sal, has been assigned to direct the screen all-talking version of John Erskine's famous book, "Sincer ity." Work on the picture is ex pected to get under way as soon as production is resumed on the lot, about May 15. WM. FARNUM AT U. A. William Farnum, who left the screen following an accident six years ago, is playing in Norma Talmadge's new starring picture, tentatively titled "Flame of the Flesh," a Sam Taylor production for United Artists. Farnum and Conrad Nagel play the two im- portant male roles in the featuie. OSCAR STRAUSS AT M-G-M Emilie and Romaine, Earl Wal- lace aerial adagio dancers, left Los Angeles last Tuesday via the T. A. T. Maddux Air Service for New York, where they began rehearsals Thursday in a new Publix unit in which they will be featured. This new unit will open on May 1 and will be at the Paramount Theatre in New York for the week begin- ning May 15. Oscar Strauss' first assignment at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stu- dios will be an elaborate musical score for the stage play "Day Break" of which Arthur Schnitzler is the author. Francis Marion is now busily at work on the screen adaptation. BOOK ORANGE SHOW Patrick and Marsh, for the tenth successive year, are to book the Valencia Orange Show. There will be 55 vaude acts and a different 10-piece band every day. While no further definite an- nouncements are forthcoming at this time on the theatre building and acquiring activities of Warner Brothers in this territory, it is known that plans are being pur- sued to increase the number of projected new houses as quickly as possible. Preliminary construction activ- ities are under way on the houses to be erected at San Pedro, Hunt- ington Park, Western and Wil- shire, and Wilshire and Reeves Grove. In addition to these, sites are being sought for twenty other new theatres in this region. Even approximate location of these new houses is withheld by Warner Bros, because of the ac- tivities of real estate speculators, whose operations around sites suspected as being considered causes inflated values. All of the activities of Warners in the theatre line, however, are not confined to the construction of new houses. It is reported that some exhibitors, under the guise of independents, are picking up desirable theatre properties with Warner money, and most of these properties are located in spots best calculated to offer doughty com- petition with established West Coast theatres. Some of these theatres, accord- ing to report, are already re- modelled and opened, and others are slated for opening in the near future, being conducted under in- dependent banners for the time being. TWO BWiSIIL OPENINGS III MEET Carl Laemmle, Jr., U general manager, leaves with prints of "King and Jazz" and "All Quiet On the Western Front" for New York on April 24. Universal Sales Convention is planned to break with the New York opening of the two films. Twenty pictures, announced by Universal, are to be set .and stories selected at the convention. Carl Laemmle, Sr., U president, and other executives will gather for the conventions and eastern breaking of the two films, representing in toto, more than two million. "King of Jazz," starring Paul Whiteman, will have a formal $5 midnight opening at the Roxy, April 28, and will start its regular run at the same theatre May 2. This is the first time the world's largest theatre has advanced prices. "All Quiet on the Western Front" will be road-showed at the Central Theatre starting April 29. "King of Jazz" optfns here at the Fox-West Coast Criterion on April 19, world premier, and "All Quiet" also does its world pre- miere here at the Carthay Circle on April 21. NEW WEST COAST FAN MAG, 'SCREEN MIRROR* Early next week sees the first copies off the press of "Screen Mirror," a new fan magazine. Center spread of the new mag will feature programs of the Egyptian, Carthay and Chinese theatres, and it is in these houses the publica- tion will be placed for sale at ten cents the copy. West Coast The- atres sponsor it, with Eddy Eckles, F. and M. publicity man, handling the general editorial work. SCHWARTZ IS VICTIM Art Schwartz, Witmark repre- sentative, was victimized by a forger during the week to the dis- cordant tune of $50. NEW FOX HOUSE A new Fox theatre was opened n Tucson, Ariz.. April 11. A Hol- ywood delegation attended. JOINS S. F. STOCK Jack Foss, juvenile, left this week to join the stock company at the Playhouse, Salt Lake City.