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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1930 NSIDEVACTS One Year Published ETery Saturday $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Adrttrtislnf Rates on Application As a bi-monthly publication: Entered as Second Qass Matter, No- reraber 17, 1924, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. As a weekly publication: Entered as Second Qass Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3. 1879. Published by Inside Facts PubHshing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bidg., 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 26, 1930 No. 17 Film Extravaganzas Unoriginal ONE glaring items stands out from the movie onrush of song and prance specials, super revues and all-color extravaganzas, a complete and utter absence of originality. The sole ingenuity displayed in this type of movie today is a tremendous capacity for borrowing every stock gag, idea, trick and blackout of vaudeville, musical comedy, burlesque, stage presentation and tab show. That even the hindermost hinderlands have become thor- oughly familiarized with these varied g^gs, ideas and tricks, seems something, the film producers have overlooked in the process of watching Broadway adapt itself to moviedom with a surprising facility that changed the pattern of Hollywood almost overnight. Recent Efforts Very Borrowed CONSIDER the recent output of super song, dance and color spectacles. Few blackouts that have not bloomed before on a hundred stages. Few finale ensembles that have not been timeworn by interminable repetitions in musical comedy, presentations and tab shows. Few gags or stunts that have not graced, sometimes in much more sho\ymanly fashion, a hundred vaudeville stages. The explanation is simple. Broadway "experts," evaluat- ing the world's entertainment by the light of Mazda Lane, were suddenly transported to Hollywood on a magic carpet of fat contracts, hurled into the studios and told to turn 'em out. Getting their bearings, they proceeded to do just that, reaching for their materials to the familiar stuff of bygone days and transporting it to the films with very few changes, except in those standardized, formula finales, which were elaborated on to the nth degree for the films. Box-office Tests Tough Trials WHETHER a "gorgeous" series of repetitions of the famiilar and often hoary materials of musical revue, vaudeville and tabloids, hurled onto the sound screen with the customary motion picture publicity emphasis is smart showmanship has been accorded the box-office reception throughout the country that more correctly than any re- viewer or critic answers that question. With each succeeding release of the song and prance pic- ture, business is slowirig up. And each later effort must bear the burden of unfavorable public reaction to preceding ones. GAIN RESIGNS AT UNIVERSAL J, J. Gain, executive manager of Universal studios, has resigned his post this week, according to announcement of Carl Laemmle, Jr., gieneral manager. Gain will take a vacation of sev- eral weeks, he has said, before tie- coming affiliated with any other studio. Gain was formerly in the con- struction business in Philadelphia, took charge of the transportation department of Paramount Long Is- land studios; became executive manager of the Paramount Long Island studios in 1925 and two y«ars later assumed the same post with Paramount in Hollywood. He left Paramount eight months ago to join Universal. FINISHES U ROLE Wilbur Mack has completed his role as the heavy in "The Czar of Broadway," for Universal. WANTED few Snappy Girls for Special Dem- onstration work. High Class Oosmetlcs WDd Beauty Preparations. Apply 1515 West Pico St., Los Angeles, Oallf. RUBE GOLDBERG HERE Cartoonist Rube Goldberg regis- tered in at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel Monday, under contract to Fox to work on an original mu- sical comedy, to be here about three months. His dad, Max Gold- berg, former San Francisco police commissioner, met him at the sta- tion. Goldberg got his start on S. F. papers. AGENCY SUES PLAYERS Lyons and Lyons agency filed suit in Superior Court here this week against Fifi D'Orsay, who clicked in the Will Rogers pic- ture, "They Had to See Paris," charging she owes $725 as 10 per cent agency fee for securing pic- ture work under an asserted con- tract agreement. GOLF TOURNAMENT Robert Page, father of Lucille Page, F. & M. dancer, manager of the Pico-Lacienda golf course, is planning a theatrical tournament for the near future. His course is the favorite of many stage and screen celebs. PLATNER IS VISITOR Lynn Platner, the "Jack Doyle" of San Diego, was a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Jacobs for the week-end in Beverly Hills. WHY DOUBLING IN FILMS HAS FAILED BADLY By GENE SWIFT The practice of vocal and instru- mental doubling used extensively in many studios, wherein a singer or instrumentalist records the sound part of the actor's musical performance, has not proved gen- erally satisfying in total. The theory is that although the actor may be a competent pianist, for instance, it is better that some- one else play his piece and leave him free to mug the moods for the camera. It is the contention that he actor will make a much better mugging job this way. Theory Faulty It is only a theory, as results prove. The actor is not free. He still must make convincing mo- tions over the keyboard with his fingers, no matter how skillfully said keyboard is concealed from camera view. And not only that, he must listen carefully to the playback during the shooting and synchronize. In the case of vocal numbers this needs must be done with extreme care to be convinc- ing. In most cases to date the result, instead of being more artistic, has succeeded chiefly in making the actor look ridiculous. If he were acting and recording at the same time, after careful rehearsal in or- der to free him of technical wor- ries, his musical performance would almost automatically compel the right mugging and would cer- tainly result in a more convincing portrayal, especially to those in the audience, equipped with the slightest musical knowledge, and they are legion. Many Are Able Of course, this presupposes some musical ability on the part of the actor, but most professional per- formers have such ability. There is certainly an abundant supply of thespians in Hollywood who are musically equipped and capable of handling any of the roles so far called for. Authenticity is striven for by most producers in all other de- partments, and there really is no more reason for doubling a musi- cal performance, as a general prac- tice, than in having a double speak lines for the actor. There are some few exceptions, of course, but exceptions are best avoided. The spectacles of ladies pensive- ly mouthing into the camera and breathinpj in the middle of phrases, or bushy haired symphony con- ductors waving a meaningless stick at an orchestra, or marcelled young men passing hands over a piano or organ keyboard, destroy illusion, spoil audience mood and cheapen the productions immeasurably. $500 LEFT BY LOCAL BOOKER Nat Farnum, the late Los An- geles agent, who died in 1929 after maintaining for years an enviable reputation as a club booker here, was always a lavish spender. Many a bill was passed out by the genial Farnum to those riding close to the bread line. Everybody thought he was well "in the money." But records from probate court here this week disclosed that Farnum was far from rich. He left his widow but $500, it is re- ported. LETTERS There arc letters at the Los Angeles oflFice of INSIDE FACTS for the following: BIDMEAD Bros. DAWN, Norman Evan* DOWNING, Harry GILLETTE, Bobby BIATHEWS, Madalyne MILLARD. S. S. PEDRO. MiUy SHARLAND, Fred C. TELA-PHONEYB ^ JAMES MADISON Hello, Harold B. Franklin. Hello, James Madison. Lindberg flew across the continent in 14 hours. I've waited longer than that for a Beverly bus. Hello, Ben Bernie. Hello, James Madison. We are shortly going to have 'kind-to-dumb-animals' week. That should give husbands a pleasant seven days. Hello, Joseph Cayonette. Hello, James Madison. Why did 50 guests all nod at once at the Montmartre the other evening? Because Ben Turpin raised his glass and said, "Here's looking at you." Hello, George Bancroft. Hello, James Madison. I see Mayor Rolph has thrown his hat into the guber- natorial ring. Well, if he's not elected, let's hope he at least gets bark a better hat. Hello, Louise Dresser. Hello, James Madison. What's the burning question of the day? Does Hollywood make pic- tures, or do pictures make Hollywood? Hello, Leon Errol. Hello, James Madison. What's the difference be- tween Wickersham and Ras- kob? Wickersham is this coun- try's dry nurse and Raskob its wet nurse. Hello, Allan Warshauer. Hello, James Madison. What is the latest little pleasantry of the Anti-Saloon League? Insisting that all prohibition- ists move away from Rye, New York. Hello, Maurice Piver. Hello, James Madison. What's the funniest sight you witnessed last week? A Greek, a Mexican, a Jap and a Russian coming out of the Bank of America. Hello, Beatrice Mohr. Hello, James Madison. I understand Foster and Kleiser are not on speaking terms—so how do they man- age to communicate with one another? They make signs. Hello, Lillian Roth. Hello, James Madison. Do you consider America a melting pot? No, sir; a 'malting' pot. Readers' Views San Diego, Calif. April 20. 1930. Editor, Inside Facts, Los Angeles, Calif. Dear Sir: I think the picture producers are on the right track when they get away, as they are doing now, from so much of this high-priced star stuff. Stars have worn out their forced charm; you see them a few times and then it is like going to a circus once a week, you just don't want to go to see the same old stuff and the same faces over again, and the papers are too full of their silly exploits and unearned publicity. There are plenty of reasons for cutting them down. They are not worth it; the public is resentful of paying to see overpaid performers; a reduction of these inflated sal- aries might permit a slight reduc- tion in theatre admission charges, as well as permit stockholders to get more dividends. You can count the really good stars on your two hands. Give the rank and file a show, Tom, Dick, Harry, Mary or May. The old stars have worked the produc- ers and the patrons long enough. Yours respectfully, L. Markin. NORTHWEST MANAGER ON BRIEF TRIP HERE Jean Armand, northwest division manager of Inside Facts, accom- panied by Mrs. Armand, is in Los Angeles this week on a business and pleasure trip. While here the Armands were entertained at the Peabody Rancho. They will return to Seattle on Monday of next week. LONSDALE ARRIVES Frederic Lonsdale arrived in Hollywood this week to join the writing staff at the Paramount stu- dios. Lonsdale will write the story for the next Ruth Chatter- ton-Clive Brook starring vehicle, "New Morals." soon to go into production. He came here from London. Johnny Harron is playing the juve lead in the new Jolson pic- ture, "Big Boy," for Warners, DARMOUR WILL ADD PRODUCTION A large portion of the $2,000,- 000 budget required to make Ra- dio's comedies for the coming year, will be spent by the Darmour Productions in Hollywood, it is announced. With the return of Larry Dar- mour, head of the company, from New York where he consulted with Radio officials recently, announce- ment is made of the increased plans for his studio in the making of short subjects. Not only is the individual Darmour comedy to cost more in the future, but ac- cording to Radio's plans the Dar- mour Studios is to make a larger amount of comedies for this dis- tributing concern than ever before. Further plans for new series are to be detailed later. TAX LIENS HOODOO Income tax liens still continue to hoodoo the picture colony. Two were filed in United States Dis- trict Court last week. One against Nils Asther for additional tax of $258.36 and the other against Vera Stires for additional tax of $57.47. Both were for the year of 1927. CLAIR VISITING HERE Roy Clair, pilot of the Plaza Theatre Stock Company, Sacra- mento, is visiting in Los Angeles this week. B.B.B. Says: Down to tho railroad station to see Marjorle White and Ed TIerney off for New York. Met a bnnch of new arrivals. Oot tbelr addresses to be pre- pared for the Inquiry Gang. Drop In and meet the boys. Don't be backward, they all bave money. • • •• P. 8. — The CELLAR is at Oosmo Str«et and Hollywood Boalerard . . . between Vine and Oahnenfa . . . the phone nnmbera are ORanlte 8 8 8 2 and Hollywood § 1 6 9 . . . parkin; is free at th* lot aerosa from the CELLAR . . . the OHRYSLEB and 8AH- SONS are there. Thank Yoa.