Inside facts of stage and screen (May 31, 1930)

rAGE TWO ■ II II I N mn I ' 'J i INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1930 BEAUTIFUL-BUT-DUMB DAYS FADE TOPS RECORD OF Warm summer weather gets the chief blame for general declines of picture house grosses in Los Angeles, the one lone and bril- liant exception being Norma Shearers "The Divorcee" at the Criterion, where the opening week's take of $30,911 established a new high record for the house, beat- ing Garbo's "Anna Christie" by- over $2400. Loew's State was three thou below average with a gross of $29,279 on "Lady of Scandal" with F. & M. "Brunette's" idea in support. Carthay Circle declined to $17,857 for the fourth week of "All Quiet on the Western Front," which, however, is no more than a normal drop for a run picture, and still above house average. MacCormack Drops John MacCormacks "Song o' My Heart" declined again to $15,978 at the Chinese in its fifth week with only a few days more to run. "King of Jazz" brought $6161 to the Boulevard, better than many recent showing but still below former averages. "The Benson Murder Case" brought $9834 to the Egyptian, $2000 below house average. The two Warner Brothers houses were considerably off. The Holly- wood grossed only $13,900 with "Dumbbells in Ermine," and the Downtown attracted only $13,200 ■with "Second Floor Mystery." Par Hits Low The Paramount also was off, with a gross of $19,000 for "Devil's Holiday," the lowest take so far this year. The United Artists, for the nine-day run of "One Ro- mantic Night," chalked up $18,000. Weaver Bros. & Elviry helped the film "Rich People" at the RKO to draw one of its best of recent weeks with a gross of about $18,500. First week of "Cuckoos" at the Orpheum started off at about $17,500 and went into its second week apparently gain- ing strength. Glimpses Seen By the Ofifice Pick-Up Man (Continued from Page 1) for so small a cost, camparatively speaking, that a theatre can book it for little and wrte down a neat profit." The indes, by and large, seem to think that he talkies threw an unduly prolonged scare into their former financial sources, and that when the field opens again it will open with a rush, with money plentiful. The only alternative to this, they declare, will be for the big companies to have subsidiaries making "quickies" under inde prin- ciples, and this is hardly likely. And so. though still 99 per cent idle,' the indes are far from being drowned in pessimism at the pres- ent time. HOOD AT PRESIDENT George Hood, former manager for Henry Duffy at the Hollywood Playhouse, has been appointed to succeed Ira La Motte at Duffy's President Theatre in Los Angeles. Hood is widely known in the Pa- cific Northwest, having been man- ager of the Metropolitan Theatre in Seattle, roadshow house, for many years, and a leader in the- atrical circles there. HOWE GOES EAST Sign on Main Street Theatre— "Hundred Per Cent Talk—Wise Girls" . . . George Hood moving his baggage downtown . . . Andy Wright back in his office . . . Charlie Kurtzman in town . . . left at oiice for S. F. . . Marco Hellman riding on a street car. . . . Chester Bennett talking to the president of the Bank of Italy . . . Glen Dolberg discov- ered in his office on the Sabbath . . . not dead but sleeping . . . Jack Tillman back from an auto tour . . . and saying he needs a vacation ... Ed Rowland playing the host. Eddy Eccles wearing a bright smile . . . Frank Whitbeck wear- ing a surprised look . . . Bill Knotts among the missing . . . R. D. Whitson blowing in . . . the press blowing out . . . Benny Benson parading a nifty grey suit. . . . C. C. Pettijohn departing eastward . . . Harley L. Clarke looking them over down at Ver- mont and Washington . , . fever- ish activity following . . . Bill Tellack out here with Mitchell and Durant. Robert T. Haines entering a cut-rate drugstore . . . Al San- tell crossing the M-G-M lot wear- ing a beret and carrying two shotguns . . . Eddie Quillan look- ing satisfied after a noon-time re- past in the corner combi drug- and-eat shoppe . . . Snitz Ed- wards all diked out for Spring . . . traveling the Boul' . . . Jimmy Gleason playing target for a knife-throwing ZaSu Pitts . . . David Mir, impressario of a beauty parlor, getting a kick out of "June Moon" , . . Lawrence Grant at the same performance. . . . Jim Tully in his new Pack- ard . . , Francis X. Bushman telHng about his recent illness. Wesley Barry signing his third contract for Tiffany talkies , . . Al Herman striding the Darmour qnartfirdeck while thinking out twists for his next McGuire . . . Joe Rock in, around and about the U. lot. Bunch of Westcoasters in to see Harley L. Clarke . . . A. M. Bowles of San Francisco . . . Floyd Maxwell of Portland . . . Earl M. Crabb of Seattle . . . William Steege of Montana . . . Rick Rick- etson and Gus Kohn of Denver . . . Elmer Rhoden, M. B. Shan- berg and Howard Jameyson of Kansas City . . . and Tom Reed of Saint Louis. , . . He won by a Shade . . . Had an Ace in the hole . . . Slow motion on that one. EGAN SHOW FOR ROAD GLADYS MURRAY Former Dancer—N. Y. Winter Garden and Geo. White's Scandals in Hollywood Now as "Directress Children's Department" Bud Murray School for Stage and Screen The Brown and Forrest produc- tion of "For Cryin' Out Loud," now in its seventh week at the Egan Theatre, is slated for a road tour after the close of its local premiere, the date of which has not yet been set but is expected to be somewhere around June 15. The tour will set out northward and will continue as far as busi- ness warrants. The producers have not given consideration to a suc- cessor for the Egan as yet. 'MAGDALENE' CAST M. D. (Doc) Howe of the Fox West Coast Theatres, left for New York for six or more weeks. Howe will take charge of the New York office as well as the one in Los Angeles. TROUPERS' MEMORIAL The Troupers' Club has planned a memorial service for Memorial Day, scheduled for 3 p. m. in the Green Room of the Club at 1634 El C e n t r o, Hollywood. The Troupers' choir and Frank Lindley and Emily Lindsay, soloists, will provide appropriate music. All troupers are invited. Cast of Al Rosen's production of "Molly Magdalene" includes Wayne Gibson, Crane Wilbur, Jack Egan, George F. Hays, John G. Fee, Ethan Allen, Georges Renavent, Theodore Adams, Cornelius Keefe, Mary Alden, and Shirley Ann Claire. -Crane Wilbur, who wrote the show, will stage direct it. The play is in rehearsal now for open- ing at the Mayan June 30. Prob- ably it will have a three-day try- out out of town. SULLIVAN IN 'CAPRICE' Fred Sullivan, who has been casting numerous legit shows in recent months, has himself been cast for a part in "Caprice," in which Fay Bainter will star. The show is due to follow "The Out- sider" at the Belasco. WARSHAUER WEDDING Allan G. Warshauer, advertising director for the Paramount Thea- tre, will marry Claudia Goldburg, daughter of Jesse J. Goldburg, general manager for the Van Bu- ren Film Corporation, next Sun- day, June 1. The ceremony will be at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel, with Rabbi Edgar Magnin officiat- ing. In Hollywoo&^-'Jsioiv By BUD MURRAY "Foo-Yung" dang, you sabbee? and "Parley vou" no speak English, in other words, the foreigners win, after having witnessed two open- ings, one Mei-Lan-Fang, and the other Maurice Chevalier; we con- fess we had more entertainment and understood more than in some of the shows witnessed in the past year in English. Both marvelous showmen and real artists. Will just mention a few notables who spoke to us (said get out of my way) ; Sam Goldv^ryn, Irving Thal- berg, Mary Pickford, Jack Pick- ford, Adolphe Menjou, Billie Burke and Wm. Gibbs McAdoo, whom we had brushed by around the year 1900 in N. Y., when the first Sub- way train was launched, and we got on it at 28th street and 4th avenue and rode as far as 34th street. You remember Mr. McAdoo was the engineer for that marvel- ous achievement, and they all In Hollywood Now. Other just as well-known persons whom we workt for or with, or knew them when, were Bryan Foy, head man at Warner Bros.' short department, who was our bunkie about 1918, when he wore a Navy uniform, on and off, mostly "off." No, we were in the Army. Syd Algiers, manager of the Mayan and Franklyn Warner Productions, whom we workt for, in "Oh, Su- sanna," which we recently staged, and his old side kick, Maurice Wakeman, Mr. Warner's best friend and chief "worry" man. In our same row Mr. and Mrs. Archie Gottler (Peggy Mitchell, formerly a Winter Garden show girl), and our former boss, Mr. Sid Grauman, and his chief booker, Bill Perlberg. There is Florenz Ziegfeld and his son, Eddie Cantor, and we will take a chance and say Follies and Winter Garden in the same breath (sue me). Imagine these are just a few we chanced to see, and they are all In Holl3rwood Now. After the Chevalier opening, nat- urally to the cream of Cafes, the George Olsen Club, with Sid and the Mrs. and Maurice and his girl friend and Mrs. Murray, and then bumped into Ben Bemie, a good band leader, too—Ben was great in the Chevalier show. We have to say when he was at the Winter Garden. Over to the right Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Kane (Madeline Levine, a former Winter Garden- ite), and smiling Arthvu" Lake (our pupil), dancing with a peach. "Fat- ty" Arbuckle looking the Olsen Club over, and possibly "day- dreaming" what might have been. George Olsen stopping at the table for a few minutes' gab, and he is a real charming host. You have heard enough of what a marvelous place he has. Well we double it, "in spades." Lew Cody looking fine, even Lew takes us back to the 10-yr. celebration we ran at the Winter Garden and Lew was on the bill "and how." Another ex Winter Gardenite, Miss Ethel Bry- ant, sister-in-law to Mrs. Sidney Mitchell, all spruced up, and right there in the front line and doing specialties, was that charming Phylis Soule, who workt for us in the Carroll Revue, and more re- cently, did the first exhibition of the ballroom version of the "Sac- ramento Packet," which we created in "Oh, Susanna." Phylis is quite busy these days. "Who was that gentleman I saw you with last nite?" Let's give you the low- down on a real comedian, who is now in the Angelus Hospital, and whom we spoke to on the tele- phone, George Moran of Moran & Mack, "The Two Black Crows." The first crack out of George was, "Say, Bud, in that column 'In Hol- lywood Now,' say that my first operation was a flop, but the sec- ond spot is o. k." Also George has registered a kick, saying the billing at the hospital is "Angelus Hospital with George Moran," and if it isn't rectified he is getting out of that "jernt" in 10 days. Let's hope he gets out. If you know George, be sure and give him a ring on the phone. It's tough to be a funny man and tell jokes to a nurse. Yes, George and the rest of them are all In HoUjrwood Now. Jumping to Friday at the Holly- wood Legion, cannot help but no- tice those two PALBROTHERS (as it should be), Eddie and John Quillan, who were at the RKO when we were staging prologues there, and right back of the boys is our sincere friend and ex-boss, for- merly at the RKO Hillstreet, Macklin Megley, who is at RKO studios now In Hollywood. No- tice that there are many Masquers present at the Friday nites now. Do you know why? There is no "Masquers Revel" to worry about until the Fall. There is Sam Hardy, Ben Bard. Ray Hallor, Conway Tearle, Harry Gribbon, Robert Woolsey, Bert Wheeler, Joe E. Brown, Allan Hale, all In Holly- wood Now. Noticed another new- comer, a real juvenile, brother of Joseph Santlej'—yes, sir, Fred Sant- ley, who takes us back to "When Dreams Come True," about 1915. bert Wheeler in the stadium, was with that, too. Look at another funny man, Ted Healy, who nat- urally was in "our" Winter Gar- den, when we were stage directing there. Right alongside is Harry Delf, that young writer, dancer, ac- tor, producer; another George Co- han, and back of us our "boy friend," Tomassio Patricola, who was so excited at the fites he threw peanuts at us. You know what a dancer he is, well he takes us back (Continued on Page 6) With the biggest signing orgy in its history transpiring during the last two years, Hollywood has not signed a single non-pro "find" who has managed thereafter to get any- where in pictures. Or, as expressed by one author- ity, for the first time in its exist- ence the screen apparently has be- come a closed proposition for the profession, with the days past when movie stars were made out of vyaitresses, society girls and such- like whom some director happened to see in his wanderings and spot- ted for a "type." Those beautiful but dumb times are gone forever, according to the prevalent belief. The big "finds" of the year have all come from the stage, from with- in the movie industry itself, or from some other entertainment field. Lew Ayres, a musician, Ruth Chatterton from the stage, Claudette Colbert from the stage, Ukulele Ike Edwards from vaude- ville, Jack Oakie from the stage, Marie Dressier from the stage, and so on ingnitum, on down to the kid ranks, with Davie Lee from a movie family, Mitzi Green from vaudeville, Leon Janney, a young- ster with years of movie experi- ence, etc. To print the complete list of the "finds" for pictures is impossible due to its length, but looking it over it will be found to be 100 per cent professional. King Vidor attempted to crack non-pros into movie prominence with his all- colored cast "Hallelujah," but the blaze of glory was brief. A couple of non-pros got a break in John MacCormack's "Song of My Heart," but if they'll get anywhere remains to be seen. Grounding Needed A charge formerly denied with vigor by the industry, to the effect that comparativelj' brainless people could be puppeted by directors to satisfactory fan reaction, is now admitted, in these times when the screen has progressed to more ex- acting demands. And the fact that this was so is further evidenced by the fadeout which some glorious silent-day stars have done, now that directors cannot guide them across the screen step by step. A thorough grounding is now needed in many fundamental branches of show business, where- as formerly a "star" could get by with a minimum ability at mugging and silent emotionalism. Voice cul- ture, correct enunciation and pro- nunciation, an ability to emotional- ize speech and many such-like at- tributes of the acting profession are requisite. But even more impor- tant than all of these is the ability to have a mind trained to function with agility at harmonizing speech and action. And that's something which non-pros are very unlikely to be able to do smoothly. Limits Narrowed Despite the big inrush from New York, the movie field is already narrowed down to limits it never felt in the old days. Those who have proved a talkie ability above average are in constant demand, and new names on the talkie screen, except such as are drafted from the stage, are few and far between. And each experience with an un- trained person cinches the idea that sticking a non-pro or poorly trained pro into a cast is better than a SO- SO bet for poor film in that spot. The new demands are expected to virtually end the old extra route to stardom. Not since the talkies has a director walked down the extra line, spotted one of 'them with a "You're just the type," and thereupon launched a new name toward ^-marquee lights. Further Squeeze-in The field is expected to further narrow when the song-and-dance films get their final quietus. Al- ready the deathknell of revues has sent many a person scurrying back to N. Y. vaude booking offices, and many more are expected to follow when the screen goes 90 to 100 per cent dramatic, which is sure to occur. GIVE A 'HOWDY' The Publix system is in effect at the Paramount Studios, and a telephone call brings forth, "Good afternoon. Paramount." Quite a pleasant surprise after what you get at some of the other studios.