Inside facts of stage and screen (June 7, 1930)

SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THIRTEEN crs: LITERARY REVOLUTION WILL SWEEP AWAY PRESENT HOKUM By GENE SWIFT Some time between now and five years hence will develop some of the finest new writers of American literature. ^ Right now America is at the bottom of a slough, fiction- ally speaking. The nation is m a state of dire poverty litera- ^ ' ' • inarticulate desire for a school ot turely, and is groaning in worthwhile story tellers. Of course we can't keep pictures out of this, or stage plays either.^ The theatre is a medium of story- telling, and the country's children of all ages want to hear some good stories. The motion picture theatre for some time past has generally re- sembled a circus. Flash, spectacle, movement and music. These things please but do not satisfy. An executive of one of the ma- jor producers informed this writer the other day that two little pro- grammers, tossed out cheaply and without much office supervision, had turned out to be better sellers and bigger earner? than any special they had turned out in the last six months. They had story. The prosperity of the past few years—not the political prosperity of today—killed off most of the estabHshed writers. Art has to be starved, kicked, slapped and abused into furious flame. Private secre- taries, plus fours, social lionizing and European travel emasculate the creative writer. The urge that must be bottled to gain explosive power dissipates with financial security, resulting in made-over situations tied together with unconvincing synthetic characters. Haven't you seen that in the latest crop of pic- tures, stage plaj's and books? But there is a new crop coming along, gaining intellectual root in these days of grey, overhanging clouds. Unable to eat the beauti- ful words that would keep the hope of industrial prosperity alive in the minds of voters, and unable to crash studio gates or publishers' check books with stories of only ordinary merit, the nonentities of today are accumulating a repressed power time into some really masterly ex- pression. Meanwhile they starve and see Red. The Hterary revolution is on its way. JUBILEE HEADS ARE SEECTED Following a meeting this week of the sponsoring committee of the Hollywood Midsummer Jubi- lee to be staged at Hollywood Bowl Wednesday night, July 2, Sam Goldwyn, honorary chairman of the group, released the names of those who have been appointed to the committes in charge of pre- sentation of the monster outdoor performance. Heading the group of active workers for the show, which ^ is being staged as a means of raising funds for the Los Angeles Sana- tarium, the free and non-sectarian tuberculosis institution at Quarte, is Harold B. Franklin, West Coast executive, who will act as general chairman. Phil Goldstone, pro- duction chief for Tiffany studios, treasurer of the Jubilee; Harry Rap f, Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer, heading the program committee; Tom May, of the department store which bears his name, director of the publicity committee, and Abra- ham Shohan will act as secretary. Included on the general com- mittee on arrangements are well- known film and theatrical^ execu- tives, business men and civic work- ers. Program Reviews BUYS FILM WEEKLY The Motion Picture Bulletin, lo- cal film row weekly, has been that will burst forth in due | bought by Thos. D. Van Osten, owner and publisher of the Inde- pendent Exhibitor, San Francisco. The two publications will be com- bined under the name Exhibitor- Bulletin and published in San Francisco. Pearl Rail, formerly with L. A. Saturday Night, will be local representative. PROGRESS! PROGRESS! PROGRESS WITH "TONIGHT" WALTZ and " Rock-a-Bye TO SLEEP IN Dixie" FOX TROT hIts THAT HIT Many Thanks and Best Wishes to JESSE STAFFORD AND GENE ROSE On Their Latest Brunswick Recording of Their Hit Tune "TONIGHT" LEAVE FOR A. C. SAN FRANCISCO, June 5.— Morgan Walsh of Warner Bros, and Charlie Muehlman of First National have left for Atlantic City to attend the Warners' nation- al convention. (Continued from Page 9) number. Willson and orchestra in "Under Vesuvian Skies" with "Three Dainty Misses" harmoniz- ing. Robert Olsen in his favorite chune "When the Sun Goes Down." And a high tenor that's nobody's business. Pedro and Simpy Fitts in com- edy dialogue. Funny. Then Will- son's orchestra in "Southern Rhap- sody." Willson's stuff always high- lights a program and this one no exception. The Blenders,^ male quartet, in effective rendition of "How Am I To Know." Cecil Wright in a Hill Billy. Abe Bloom, this time chanting ''Singin' River" and okay. Pedro, Holliway and Norman Nielson in "A Southern Gentle- man" by Pedro. Very funny stuff. Quartet doing "When I Sang Tenor" . . . good. Edna Fischer abandoning her piano in favor of vocal work, doing "Side By Side." Al Pearce in a "leave 'em laughing" song that did just that. Finale. Jamboree has some mighty good material . . . some great ideas . . . some clever showmanship. Segu- ing of numbers would help speed it up a lot and that's one thing it needs. KPO (San Francisco, May 24) "Musical Capers." Selections from "Irene" by Cy Trobbe and orches- tra with Refa Miller carrying the vocals in "Alice Blue Gown." Good. Ensemble with only one fem voice singing "Irene" and okay. "Venecia" by ensemble nice, voices coming in soft and sweet. Argentine tango number "Jalou- sie" by Gada, played by Trobbe and orchestra. Effective. Refa Miller singing "ICiiss in the Dark" and displaying pleasing soprano voice. Orchestra in "Little Italy" and then ensemble doing theme from "Rio Rita." A little too fast. All voices good and Trobbe's orchestra excellent. Totals very fine program. Not too much class and not to the other extreme. Bock, O'NEILL'S PLAY TO BE REVIVED "The Queen's Husband," once produced by Edward Everett Hor- ton in Hollywood, is having a popular revival at the Pasadena Community Playhouse with Charles Levison in the title role of King Eric VIII. An elaborate production of "Marco's Millions," the Eugene O'Neill comedy written around the travels of Marco Polo, will follow "The Queen's Husband," sched- uled to end its run on June 14. The O'Neill production will feature Gilmor Brown and Beatrice Pren- tice with magnificent settings by Janis Muncis, the Russian artist. BURBANK CLOSES The Burbank Theatre, Main Street burlesque house, closes Sat- urday night, June 7, after eight years of operation under Tom Dal- ton. The house reverts to the Gore Brothers, who will hold the house closed for two weeks, prob- ably reopening with pictures. Dal- ton will confine his future activities to the Follies, another Main Street burlesque house. Fred Wolfe will manage the Burbank when it re- opens. Arnold Maguire of the Lem 'n' Lafe act broadcasting over KFRC, is currently in Hollywood where negotiations are under way be- tween the pair and one of the major studios. MOSCONI BROS. SCHOOL OPENS The Mosconi Brothers, recent stars of the Winter Garden and Ziegfcld Follies, this week opened a new school of dancing in Hol- lywood. The new school is located in a three-story structure at Las Pal- mas and Yucca, former residence of a prominent real estate man. The brothers are reputed to have spent $50,000 tor equipment de- signed according to ideas garnered from their numerous world tours. On June 3 the Mosconis staged a premiere and house warming, in which many well known stage and screen names participated. The battalion of instructors wore uniforms of light blue trousers, white polo shirts and blue berets. An entertainment program and refreshments were offered, and among those partaking were: Robert Woolsey, Bert Wheeler, Walter Catlett, Skeets Gallagher, Vivienne Segal, Sidney Jarvis, Bert Levey, Warren Jackson, Lew Brown, Irene Mitchell, Margaret Young, Arthur Caesar, Ida May Chadwick, Macklin Megley, Rose Perfect, George Bancroft, Charlie King, Fred Santley and many others. Rupert Kempf, doing a cockney act, has been added to KTAB's staff. BUY SHIRK PLAY Liberty Productions Company, Ltd., announces in its series of twelve "Broadway Playhouse" pic- turizations on its 1930-31 program, Adam Hull Shirk's mystery play, "The Ape." Negotiations for *'The Ape" as a film were consummated by Harry Clay Blaney, Inc., the play brok- ers. PETER PAUL LYONS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA LOEW'S WARFIELD SAN FRANCISCO ROLAND CORNELIUS AND HIS ENTERTAINING ORCHESTRA CAFE ROBERTS AT THE BEACH "Since '97" San Francisco WILL PRIOR CONDUCTOR NEW STATE THEATRE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA And His San Francisco PALACE HOTEL ORCHESTRA Featuring His and Gene Rose's Song Hit, "Tonight" TED HENKEL MUSICAL CONDUCTOR and PRESENTATION DIRECTOR CIVIC THEATRE Auckland, New Zealand Pit Orchestra of 30 - : - Stage Band of 7A DPE55 YOUR THEATRE OP YOUR ACT WITH THE FINEST AND MOST ARTISTIC E NE RY'^ DRAPE RIES DESIGNED MADE UP AND PAINTED BY THE LAPQEST AND MOST DESIGNED MADE UP AND PAINTED BY THE UPQEST AND MOST EFFICIENT STAFF OF SCENIC ARTISTS, DESIGNERS AND DRAPEDY EXPERTS IN AMERICAS LARGEST AND MOST BEAVTIPVL STUDIOS Angeles Scenic Stvdios Inc AFFILIATED WATCH FOR THE EDDIE PEABODY BANJO BOOK OUT SOON! S. L. Cross Music Corp. People's Bank Bldg. SEATTLE, U. S. A. NEWT KELLY, Sales Mgr. 250 Fell St. San Francisco TriOMpsoN Scenic Cq 1215 BATES /SVE: AT FOUNTAIN P^. NEAR SUNSET BL\^ Plione 0Lyinpiat2914< DROP CURTAINS PICTURE SCREENS PROLOGUES CINEMAS STAQE- Vnic^UE ErrECT5^>iN~'>'SETTIN^SfoRTn.E MODEPN STA^E UNUSUAL FABRICS I DRAPERIES TAPESTRIES -WALL HANQINQS MURAL DECORATIONS! NOISELESS CURTAIN TRAVELERS OPECATED BY PEMOTE CONTROL