Inside facts of stage and screen (September 13, 1930)

PAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SEPT. 13, 1930 THEATRES DEMAND ‘GOLF-SUNDAY’ Abramson Tangles Again With Hayes Group INDE WANTS WILL HAYES TO REPORT F. & M. EAST-WEST TOURS ARE SET Ivan Abramson is at it again, this time with an accusation that the Motion Picture Pro- ducers and Distributors _ of America, the Hays organiza- tion, is prosperous and has an income of a million dollars a day, and he, though not a mem- ber, wants an accounting. Abramson claims it is caus- ing his independent producing company great losses, putting the figure at $400,000. The Graphic Film Corporation which Abramson controls was a producer of allegedly indecent sex films which the M.P.P.D.A. caused to be suppressed. _ In re- venge he brought suit against the organization and the present accusa- tions are the result. Abramson states that in collect- ing 5% of the gross business of its members, the Hays organization is levying a tax, which is a govern- ment prerogative, and he demands that they open their boqks to the courts, and give an accounting of expenditures. He also accused the Loew inter- ests and other members of the or- ganization with vastly inflating their stock values. CAST FOR “ALARM” Mary Doran is to play one of the feminine roles in Tiffany’s “Third Alarm.” Miss Doran is under con- tract to M-G-M. “The Third Alarm” is under Em- ory Johnson’s direction, with Anita Louise, James Hall, Mary Doran, Paul Hurst, Jean Hersholt, Hobart Bosworth, Joseph Girard, Blanche Friderici, Georgie Billings and Walter Perry. ST. DENIS BOOKED Ruth St. Denis will appear here this winter at the Belasco theatre. She was given her first professional dancing engagement by Mrs. Alice Pike Barney at the Belasco theatre in Washington, D. C. Mrs. Barney is general director of Theatre Mart. GRIFFITH EAST Edward PI. Griffith, director of “Holiday,” is en route to New York to confer with Donald Ogden Stew- art on changes to be made in the filming of “Rebound.” Griffith is to direct the picturiza- tion of the stage play which Stew- art wrote. The star of “Rebound” will be Ann Harding. “QUIET ON FRONT” TRAILING BIBLE “All Quiet on the Western Front” has reached a total in volumes published and foreign translations exceeded only by the Bible, reports the Universal press department. $30 WATCH GOOD FOR ONE QUARTER PAWN SHOP LOAN Hollywood is letting out a, squeal that can be heard almost the length of film it takes for 19 features. Reason is because hard times has hit the pawn brokers. For- merly, the Uncles had been won’t to see the folks through de- pressed seasons with liberal allowances on their jewels or other negotiable valuables. Loaners have cut down 75 per cent on advances, but hold out for the same rate of interest, with 50 cents a month minimum on $10. One actor, who has been wont to raise $30 on his watch and pin, was loaned the munificent sum of $7.50 on the same collateral. WARNER’S ACQUIRE EIGHTEEN HOUSES Eighteen additional theatres have been acquired by Warner Bros., Spyros Skouras announces. They are: Liberty theatre, Bedford, Va.; Kenyon theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Orpheum and Parthenon, Ham- mond, Ind.; Hippodrome, Strand and Victor, Pottstown, Pa.; Majes- tic, Gettysburg, Pa.; Opera House, State and Strand, Hanover, Pa.: Seltzer, Palmyra, Pa.; Lion, Red Lion, Pa.; Capitol, Rialto, Scenic, Strand and York, York, Pa. KING MAKES RECORDS Charles King, who has a fea- tured role in Warner Bros.’ “Oh, Sailor, Behave,” has recorded “Highway to Heaven” and “Leave a Little Smile” for Brunswick. De Sylva, Brown and Henderson, pub- lishers. EXEC’S SON TO CRANK Leslie Rowson, son of Simeon Rowson, executive of Ideal Films of England, has been assigned as third cameraman of “Charley’s Aunt,” which A1 Christie is direct- ing. Leslie has been a cinematogra- pher for the last year under con- tract to RKO. KENNETH GIBSON IN WAR PICTURE Kenneth Gibson, screen leading man, and son of Ida McGlone Gib- son, nationally known syndicate writer, is the latest to get a break in Edgar Selwyn’s new Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer picture, “War Nurse.” YOUNG IN “MOON” Roland Young, recently in Cecil B. De Mille’s “Madam Satan,” has been added to the cast of “The New Moon,” Metro-Goldwyn-May- er’s co-starring picture for Law- rence Tibbett and Grace Moore. SILVERS FACES LENS Louis Silvers, musical director of Warner Bros.’ West Coast studios, appears in Warner’s “Viennese Nights” as a conductor, baton in hand, leading an orchestra. RKO HAS NEW SALES PLAN Exhibitors’ angles and the general proposition of selling pictures to the public are un- dergoing a decided revolution, states RKO Radio Pictures Press Department. “No longer will the old for- mula of exploitation pan out right. The advent of talking pictures has altered this. “Now it has been discovered there must be practically a brand-new kind of showman- ship put back of the presenta- tion of every major production. “Producers should provide theatre managers with plenty of material, with which to at- tract attention.” Executives of RKO Radio Pictures say they are taking all this into consideration in mak- ing their features and short subjects for the new season. One of their answers to the problems confronting the ex- hibs is a set policy of hitching the RKO destinies to outstand- ing stars. No cast will be minus an abundance of stellar appeal. Richard Dix in “Cim- arron,” Lowell Sherman in “Losing Game,” Bebe Daniels and Everett Marshall in “Dix- iana,” and Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey in “Half Shot at Sunrise,” are only a few examples of how RKO Radio Pictures is going to stick to the star idea as one-means of meet- ing revolutionary conditions. Indefinite, but it may pan out alright. Anyway, the press department gets in its plug con- I cerning coming pictures. DOC HOWE TO BOSS BOOKING Marco arrived home in Los An- geles unexpectedly last Monday from New York. He wasn’t looked for until the end of the week, but he came by plane and saved several days. In describing the new line-up of his organization he explained that the New York corporation, known as Fanchon and Marco Corpora- tion will book all stage entertain- ment, whether vaudeville, presenta- tion or road attractions in all of the Fox theaters east of the Mississippi. The western office will be con- ducted under Fanchon and Mar- co Incorporated, half owned by Fox West Coast Theaters, Inc. This branch, will handle all bookings west of the Mississippi. Ideas will be the main attractions to be offered in the form of pre- sentations, and will be built, as- sembled and routed from Los An- geles. Vaudeville will be supplied wherever wanted but the “Varieties” or vaudeville road shows have been definitely discontinued. M.D. “Doc” Howe is general booking manager for both divi- sions and is next to Marco in command. Howe is to keep his office in the west. Marco is Vice- President and General Manager of the Fanchon and Marco Cor- poration of N. Y.; Oscar S. Old- know is president and Harry Arthur, general manager of Fox Theaters, is secretary and treas- urer- jack I.oeb, vice-president of Fan- chon and Marco, Inc. with offices in Los Angeles is in charge of purchasing of talent for the Idea tour. Harold B. Franklin, general man- ager of Fox West Coast is Presi- dent of Fanchon and Marco, Inc. the western division. It is expected that when the sea- son is fully opened, F. & M. will book Ideas in 45 towns in the United States. It is expected that Billings and Helena will be added to the tour in Montana, which with Great Falls, Missoula and Butte will give the tour five dates in Montana. Rockford and Joliet, 111. have been added as a split week in the middle west as have Wichita and Topeka, and Springfield and' Joplin. These will be played on return trip to Coast. WOLHEIM ON MEG. Two important productions are in rehearsal at RKO Pictures. Her- bert Brenon began “Beau Ideal,” sequel to “Beau Geste,” with Doug. Fairbanks, Jr., and Ralph Forbes. Louis Wolheim made his start as an actor-director with a Keene Thompson untitled sea story. PROPS UP IN WORLD Bill Billings, who was Herbert Brenon’s property man for two years, has been promoted. He will be an assistant director on RKO Radio Pictures’ “Beau Ideal,” se- quel to “Beau Geste,” which Bren- on will direct. COP IN NEW ROLE Ed Kennedy, “cop” of “Our Gang and Charlie Chase and Laurel and Hardy comedies, has been signed to support Henry Ar- metta and Nick Basil in RKO Ra- dio Pictures’ latest “Nick and Tony” comedy, “Moonlight and Monkey Business.” Cigaret Moves in Lobby Print A new one in advertising is being done by Warner Broth- er’s Down Town, in plugging Walter Huston in “The Bad Man.” It’s a lobster poster showing Huston in bandit dress, holding a cigarette. Fag moves to his mouth intermittently and glows at the same time. There is always a crowd watching it. ROBERT ZIEGLER WILL REPRESENT I. F. IN EUROPE Robert Ziegler, concert pianist, left for Holland last week to visit his family. While there, he will report all current news and re- view American plays for Inside Facts. He also will visit Berlin. Ziegler has been active in show business for the past six- teen years, having played most of the west coast vaudeville circuits. WALLACE STAGES TIFFANY BALLETS Earle Wallace will stage an elab- orate ballet number as a feature of Tiffany’s “Just Like Heaven.” While this production had been announced by the studios as having been completed because of the-tech- nical details of the ballet number it was necessary to add it after the other scenes were finished. Wallace will stage a fantastic ballet as one of the high lights of the films. Anita Louise and David Newell are fea- tured. R. Williams Neil directs. COMEDY TITLE SET “Aunts in the Pants” is the title selected for the third of the “Broadway Headliners” series of two-reel comedies being produced by RKO Radio Pictures under the supervision of Lou Brock. PICHEL IN PICS Irving Pichel, one of the pioneers of the little theatre movement in America, has been cast for the role of Caleb Evans in Paramount’s production, “The Right to Love,” starring Ruth Chatterton. HOUSES AND PARKS SEEK GOLF RIGHT VANCOUVER, Sept. 11.— Miniature golf courses have started a revolt in Vancouver between the theatres and the authorities. Sunday closing for theatres and amusement parks has been enforced for many years. Ever since advent of the golf craze, the baby links have been operating on Sundays. Last week, Happyland, an amuse- ment park kicked over the traces and deliberately ran wide open with all concessions, attracting a vast crowd and doing a capacity busi- ness. Now the theatres have declared their intention to follow suit and will keep open beginning next Sun- day. Chief of Police Bingham stated he would make a report of the al- leged violation of the Lord’s Day Act to the attorney-general at Vic- toria and ask for instructions. He stated the city police will take no action until they are so directed from the Capitol. Quebec is the only province in Canada that permits theatres, base- ball, amusement parks etc., to oper- ate on Sunday. HEDDA HOPPER CAST Hedda Hopper, noted for her so- phisticated characterizations on the screen, has been added to the cast of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Dark Star,” to play the role of “Mrs. Cameron,” mother of the romantic male lead in the story. ANN RESUMES Ann Christy resumes playing in “The Fourth Alarm,” a Continen- tal talking play, production of which was postponed pending Miss Chrsity’s recovery from a recent automobile accident. LOUISE SEIDEL The only toe tap dancer in the world who does an entire forward body twist while remaining standing on one foot. Scoring a decisive hit featured in ANATOLE FRIEDLAND’S 12 O’CLOCK REVUE This Week RKO THEATRE LOS ANGELES