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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN NSIDE TACTS One Year Published Every Saturday $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Advertising Rate* on Application As a bi-monthly publication : Entered as Second Gass Matter, No- vember 17, 1924, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. As a weekly publication: Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Published by Inside Facts Publishing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS ARTHUR WM. GREEN WILLIAM C. OWENS - President and Editor Vice Pres. and Counsel Secretary and General Manager Vol. XI Saturday, April 19, 1930 No. 16 About Plugging the Weak Ones It seems to be a credo among; theatrical exploitation men that an admittedly weak show should have extra big plug- ging- in order to bolster the box office. Superficially that is good logic, but good logic can be, and often is, bad business. There is no asset like public confidence, nothing that takes more care in building and nothing that can be so quickly and easily destroyed. Whatever show-going confidence is gained from a series of good programs can be damaged for a period of several weeks by over-exploitation of a weak bill. Ch ains Most Apt to Do It This over-exploitation habit is more common with the chain theatre than with the the independent house. The pub- licity man of a chain house shares with the house manager (or has it passed on to him) the censure that follows a drop in box office receipts. Although a weak picture is sufficient justification, rather than resort to alibi he will exert himself to the limit of his ingenuity to keep the returns up to the average. The independent exhibitor, being freer to exercise his own judgment, and being in closer personal contact with his fol- lowing than the average chain house manager, generally is wiser about these things and follows the dictates of com- mon sense, conserving his advertising appropriation as well as his popularity and saving his ammunition for a bill that justifies it. Third Cycle of War Films Here Following on the heels of "The Case of Sergeant Grischa," foremost in the van of talkie tributes to Mars, comes from the sound stages cannonading and machine gun fire, also no little publicity ammunition, hailing the new era of talkie war pictures, symbolized by "Hell's Angels," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Journey's End" and a dozen others. The World War first attracted attention of the movie makers when D. W. Griffith, Rupert Julian et al produced their tear-jerking sentimental romances, wherdn the embat- tled hero and heroine were saved from the firing squad promptly bfore the final clinch. Talkie Realism Takes a Hand SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1930 AS S APPEAL FADES Once more "the play's the thing," All exhibitors are unanimous in their demands for strong story material in talking pictures. Sound, music and voices have thoroughly exhausted the novelty of their ap- peal, even in the remote crossroads. Even color has been declared to have no tangible boxoffice value in itself. In fact color complicates the problems of handling and pro- jection and unless it is perfectly done destroys much of the value of the picture. Color may become universally used eventually but many loud voices proclaim that considerable advances must be made in color application before it begins to jus- tify extra expense, and even when perfected it can never hold up a picture from which story value is missing. The wide screen was expected by many to be the newest novelty to attract universal attention. Fox's Grandeur screen was intro- duced in Los Angeles with a pic- ture declared by the great major- ity of critics to be weak in story value, and the result has been a wholesale collapse of the threat- ened wide screen vogue, with sev- eral of the producers discarding plans for shooting wide angle pic- tures. There are many intelligent men among the producers, and they probably realize as much as any- one that here has to be genuine story value in their entertainment, and that it is equally important that characterizations must be vital, clearly drawn and convinc- ing. The immediate problem is to take steps to prevent emasculation of good story material by the "sure-fire" doctors, adapters and editors that infest many studios. It is a problem that will require a firm hand and a clear-seeing eye to solve. The creator of believable and convincing fiction is due for a much bigger place in picture pro- duction than he has had until now. The self-respecting and public- respected author of accepted fiction cannot be relegated to a cubby- hole and forgotten without a con- siderable loss to the industry. EXECS AT MEETING FRESNO, April 17.—With Geo. F. Sharp, local managing director in charge, heads of Fox West Coast Theatres in the San Joaquin Valley met here last week for their semi-annual meeting. In attendance were A. Bowles, northern California vision manager; Bob Harvey, di- vision advertising manager; Geo. Roesch and N. O. Turner, Stock- ton; E. P. Laws, Turlock; Ray Duddy, Salinas; J. D. Graham, Watsonville; Harry Hunsaker, Vi- salia; J. L. Pilegard, Hanford, and Harry Losh, Hollister. M. di- Relegated to the back shelf for a few years, the war again took front rank in the films with the more credible ex- hibits of "The Big Parade," "What Price Glory," "Seventh Heaven," and the first air epics. Now, with the full realization of sound possibilities and a new trend for literary animadversion on the trench, stench and blench angle of the Fight for Democracy, comes the third cycle. Realism sweeps aside the romantic viewpoint, and now, after a dozen years, we are to get the real unmiti- gated lowdown—partly in Technicolor. B.B.B. Says: Thinking seriously of opening a Missing Persons Buiean, Getting inquiries from all over tne XT. S. and Europe. One from Switzerland laBt week. Bettor dron in and leave your address. You might have a legacy coming — or a split- week. It's all the same these days. P. 8. — The CELLAR is at Oobhio Street and Holrywood Boulevard . . . between Vine and Oahnenga . . . the phone mi ml.<T S are ORanite 8 8 8 2 and HOllywoort 9 15 9 . . . parking is free at the lot aerosB from the CELLAR . . . the CHRYSLER and 8AM RONR are ther«. Thank You. MUSICAL TAB FOLDS SACRAMENTO, April 17.— After four weeks at the Sutter Theatre the Frank Russell mu- sical tab show folded this week, leaving the house dark. Cast has returned to San Francisco, from which city most of it came. Bum business did it. STAYS WITH SHOW Tove Linden, known to Hono- lulu society as Mrs. Dick Wilbur, of the Wilbur Plavers, who came to the mainland with May Robson for a part in "Helena's Boys," has decided to lengthen her stay and has gone to Oakland with the show. FOX SIGNS PASCAL Ernest Pascal, novelist and play- wright, has been signed to^ a con- tract by Fox as a scenarist. M-G-M SIGNS WOODS Edward Woods, who played the same role in the original stage production with Doris Keane, has been signed by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer to enact the juvenile part in the prologue and epilogue scenes in "Romance," Greta Garbo's new talkie vehicle. DALE IN SHIFT TEL-A-PHONEYi $ JAMES MADISON Hello, Douglas Fairbanks. Hello, James Madison. What did the polite pugilist say before he hit his adversary on the head? I beg pardon, but do you take one or two lumps? * * * Hello, Florence Ziegfeld. Hello, James Madison. Do you expect to find ticket speculators in heaven? Yes; they'll be standing at the Golden Gates selling re- served seats. * * * Hello, Louis B. Mayer. Hello, James Madison. Who do you consider the most persuasive of individuals? A taxidermist, because some- how or other he manages to get under our skin. * * * Hello, Darryl Zanuck. Hello, James Madison. What is your definition of a zebra? A horse that couldn't make the jury see it his way. * * * Hello, Fay Marbe. < Hello, James Madison. Britain threatens to arrest Mahatma Ghandi for making a little salt from sea water. Wonder what they would have done to Lot's wife for turning into a pillar of salt? Hello, Dale Winter. Hello, James Madison. Where did the shawl origi- nate? "It's an old Spanish cos- tume." * * * Hello, J. J. Raskob. Hello, James Madison. State what Hoover has ac- complished during his first year in office. * * * Hello, Nat Carr. Hello, James Madison. How would you briefly typify Pullman cars? As "the berth of a nation." * * * Hello, Ramon Novarro. Hello, James Madison. After he retires as district attorney, there is a rumor that Buron Fitts will open a res- taurant. Probably because he is so good at grilling. * * * Hello, Greta Garbo. Hello, James Madison. Why are so many widows getting married in Los Ange- les? ' Because in every vacant lot are signs that read, "Destroy all weeds." U. A. EXECS ATTEND S. F. SALES MEETING SAN FRANCISCO. April 17.— Chris Dale is shifting from the shipping department of the local Columbia exchange to the same department in Tiffany-Stahl's Se- attle office. Louis Tisereau suc- ceeds him here. LETTERS There are letters at the Los Angeles office of INSIDE FACTS for the following: ATES, Roscoe BIDMEAD Bros. DAWN, Norman Evans DOWNING, Harry GILLETTE, Bobby MATHEWS, Madelyno MILLARD, S. S. PEDRO, Milly SHARLAND, Fred C. SAN FRANCISCO, April 17.— United Artists held its annual sales and production convention here this week, with Joseph M. Schenck, president, leading the attendance. John W. Considine, production chief; Al Lichtman, executive vice- president in charge of sales, and Bruce Gallup, general director of advertising, were among the execs who attended the meeting. Officials of Publix Theatres, lo- cal exhibs for the U A., product, were hosts to the United Artists group who made their headquar- ters at the Palace Hotel. LAMP MAN VISITS SAN FRANCISCO, April 17.— Bill Lewis of the McCauley Mfg. Co. of Chicago, makers of Peer- less Lamps, was here this week conferring with Jim Riley, local manager for National Theatre Sup- ply Co. _____ The new Warner Brothers fea- ture, "Top Speed," will feature two songs by Dubin and Burke, "Little Red Rose" and "See Naples and Die." LEGIT STOCK TRIED A dollar down and a dollar a month now buys a season ticket to stock legit in Long Beach. The bargain rate for a reason of 52 weeks is $9.95, and is designed to attract all the bargain-buyers in the resort city. The Earl Moore stock company, at the Long Beach Mission, is using the scheme. During the mornings a free picture show is offered, attracting women shoppers. During the period a speaker sells them the idea of attending the stock shows and ballyhoos the installment plan idea, offering the women who want to go out and peddle the tickets the first dol- lar on each sale brought in. General admission is 35 cents, and the $9.95 bargain idea is cal- culated to bring a heavy showing of new faces to the regular shows. Pat O'Malley has been signed for a role in "The Fall Guy," Ra- dio Pictures' film. FOR SALE In Westwood Hills SEE EXHIBITION BLOCK OF FIVE BEAUTIFUL. HOMES RANGING IN PRICE FROM $6450 TO $9500. IN DESIGN, FROM FRENCH TO SPANISH 1930'. LATEST IN APPOINTMENTS AND DETAILS. SPRINKLING SYSTEMS, LAWNS, DOUBLE GA- RAGES, UNIT HEAT, ELECTRIC REOPERATION, TILED KITCHENS, 3 BEDROOMS, 2 TILED BATHS, REAL FIREPLACES AND BEAMED OR BARRELLED CEILING IN LIVING ROOMS. CLOSE TO SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFOR- NIA, CHURCHES, TRANSPORTATION AND WEST- WOOD HILLS SHOPPING VILLAGE. DRIVE OUT WILSHIRE, SANTA MONICA OR PICO BOULE- VARDS TO 2300 BLOCK ON MALCOLM AVE., OR PHONE OX-FORD 1039. Near Fox Studio and Culver City Studios