Inside facts of stage and screen (April 26, 1930)

STAGE SCREEN PRICE 10 CENTS Only Theatrical Newspaper on the Pacific Coast RADIO MUSIC ESTABLISHED 1924 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Vol. XI Entered as Secund Clai<B Matter. April 2D, 1027. at Post- office. Los Angeles. Calif., under Act of March 8. 1879. Saturday, April 26, 1930 Published Every Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros Down town Building. 401 West Seventh St.. L.os Angeles. Calif. No. 17 NEW NATIONWIDE SHOW CIRCUIT PLAN REVEALEO EIHIBS BREAK Exhibitors won't have to worry about tremen- dous expense for wide screen and film with the new Douglas process to be shown to the trade next week at the Metropolitan Studios, according to ex- clusive information ob- tained by INSIDE FACTS this week. Total cost of the Douglas sys- tem to an exhib will be a $100 yearly rental for special lens equip- ment and the nominal cost of a wide screen. The new idea is the invention of Leon Forrest Douglas, famed Menlo Park inventor, who holds nearly 30 basic patents dealing with the picture business. Doug- las was for years associated with Thomas Edison and also was prominent in the early days of the Victor company. Briefly the Douglas idea is based on a special optical lens system, which contracts the photographed image two-thirds on the 35 mm. him and permits it to be expanded to any degree, even far wider than that obtainable with 75 mm. f^lm, Jt is claimed. The process also calls for special treatment of the film. One big feature is that the usual grammess that shows up in most magnified films is claimed to be ehminated by the Douglass pro- cess, which has tentatively been named "Splendor," it is reported. It is also applicable to films al- ready made, which could be changed over to the new simplified wide film method in an optical printer, it is said. Many experts are said to have contended that a practical solu- tion of the wide film problem in this manner is improbable, but it Js learned that most of the big stu- dios are keenly interested in this new process, which effects a simi- ar savings on production as would l^e made possible to the exhibitor. Under present plans, it is re- (Continued on Page 13) flOfERTISEIlS AETER STAGE ALLAN PRIOR BENEFIT PROGRAM Harry Vinnicofif, executive vice- president of the Lazarus theatre organization, is sponsoring a Russian Hebrew benefit concert at the Trinity Auditorium here on :^unday night, April 27. On the program will be the violinist, Sam- uel idler, Olga Baclanova, and other celebs. SUES FILM PLAYER Through Attorney Sam Wolf, the Bess Schlank Gown shop filed suit against Sally O'Neill, film player, in local courts, charging she .failed to pay for gowns pur- chased from the establishment. Pending trial, the player's salary at the Columbia studios was attached. WARNERS SIGN WHITE Carl White, well known song director, has been signed by War- ner Brothers to direct the musical numbers in "Big Boy," Al Jol- son's newest Vitaphone starring vehicle which goes into production soon. He will arrive here this week. Planned as the biggest exploitation stunt in the automobile game, and with plenty of interesting an- gles for show business, a $10,0a),000 national tieup is in the final stages of or- ganization, according to information obtained ex- clusively by INSIDE FACTS this week. The scheme will be worked out to tie with next year's national au- tomobile shows, and will involve the cooperation of show business, car manufacturers, distributors, ad- vertising agencies and newspapers. The entire proposition will build itself about an elaborate traveling production, scheduled to play all the national Auto Shows on a two- a-day Performance sked, present- ing what it is claimed will be the biggest "show" ever attempted outside the actual show business. The plan, under way for some time, is being organized by Ralph G. Pollock, former automobile man and publicist, and S. M. Lazarus, operator of the Million Dollar and other theatres here. Lazarus is now on his way to New York via the Panama Canal on the S. S. Virginia, and it is reported, will confer with execu- tives of the National Automobile Association on his arrival in New York. The plan is already said to have the approval of leading manufac- turers, advertising agencies and distributors. It will be built around a na- tional contest to select beauties to appear with the show as Miss Packard, Miss IJncoln, Miss Cad- illac and so on, which will be linked up with a tremendous ex- ploitation tieup of hundreds of r^a- tional advertisers, bringing out the fact that Miiss Packard keeps thin on Gliltz's Gluten Bread and Miss Cadillac maintains her "finishing school complexion" by using Bouncing Boudoir Soap. Pollack, who is associated with Lazarus on his theatre exploita- (Continued on Page 2) YOU'LL SEE IX IN FACTS