Inside facts of stage and screen (September 20, 1930)

PAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SEPT. 20, 1930 HALF HOLIDAY BOOSTS FILM GROSS nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnn Chaplin’s New Film Seen as Come-Back For Silents SILENTS MAY STAGE RETURN IN NEW FORM There is shortly to be a new sensation sprung on the motion picture situation, and one that may throw the game into as complete a chaos as sound did. Strange as it may seem, astute showmen all over the country believe the seismic disturbance will presage the return to silent pictures. This must not be interpreted to mean the silent pictures as we knew them, but a new era of the art, which will be as far advanced in novelty over thee present sound pictures as marked the talkies over the old style dumbies. It is believed that Charley Chap- lin will lead the innovation when he lets loose “City Lights,” a silent picture now being sinced for U. A. Just what Chaplin has incorpo- rated in this picture is still a deep secret. Not even his exchange men know, but there has gone out an impression that the noted come- dian has contributed a distinct in- novation that will mark an epoch in the picture game, and bring back an era of silent pictures. When the talkies first come out, it was tried to make them both for silent as well as sound exhibition. After .the sound versions were shown, no one would consider the silents. To see one of them today is as amusing as to view a film 20 years old. Silent pictures, as we knew them, are gone definitely, but the silent pictures that are anticipated will be something else and different. DECLINES TALKIE Chaplin has consistently refused to make a talkie. He believes, and rightly, that the illusion of panto- mime is lost with dialogue. He is a pantomimist, not a dialogist, and feels his contribution to that art has elevated it to an apex to which speech cannot attain. He will not risk his laurels, for which he can- not be criticized. Realizing that to have a si- lent picture accepted even by his host of fans, he set out to invent a style of pantomime . picture that will not only top anything yet done, but will step out so definitely as to set a new vogue. According to Dave Bershon, western sales manager for United Artists exchange, exhibitors throughout the country are anx- iously awaiting the release of Chap- lin’s new picture. Notwithstanding the fact that they know it will be a silent picture, they state they are ready to sign for it, regardless of price. This is not only because it is a Chaplin, nor because it has been almost two years in the making, but because they believe it will re- store the silent picture, so that it will offer competition to the talkies, which they feel is losing ground. TALKIES LOSING While the interest in the talkies is still active in the metropolitan cen- ters, it has lost considerable ground in the country. Formerly, the sticks produced the profits of the industry. Today its returns are negligible. DENVER LOCALITY MAN APPOINTED FOR INSIDE FACTS L. C. “Dusty” Rhodes, for many years connected with show business, and now a resi- dent of Denver, has been ap- pointed representative in that city for Inside Facts. Mr. Rhodes has countless friends in the business, and will have charge of territory east of Salt Lake City and west of Chicago. YUMA HOTEL CAMP’S SITE “Beau Ideal” to be filmed by RKO Radio Pics., will be made within a few miles of the site, formerly used for “Beau Geste” when Paramount made the latter as a silent. Something about the wide, glis- tening wastes of sand west of Yuma, attracts the film makers to this spot, when a “Beau Geste” type picture is under consideration. As one site picker put it, the desert has a terrifying aspect there, or at least is presumed to possess such a camera qualification, which lends that feeling of utter isolation, so needed in the Wren classics. Herbert Brennon, director, pounced on the west of Yuma site, incidentally running across the old “Beau Geste” camp, where Para- mount kept its players under cover, to prevent their running across the Mexican border when cameras were not clicking. Too many trips to the border, presumed to impair the in- efficiency, or at least the sobriety, of the actor. Brennon’s camp will be pitched in a Yuma hotel. Marathon Dances In Big Spurt (Continued from Page 1) cattleman to finance another mara- thon is on the level. There is another marathon on Pacific Boulevard at Vernon, pack- ing them in, with a large entry list. It just opened, and is expec- ted to prove another winner. Other long distances are being promoted beyond the city limits. BODIL ROSING SIGNS Bodil Rosing is signed by Fox to play in “Stolen Thunder” which Hamilton McFadden will direct. JACK WISE EAST Jack Wise is taking a trip east with Joe Frisco. He will be gone six weeks and will visit with his son in Pittsburgh. High cost of the talking picture has brought the condition about, and the exhibitor is unable to get good silents, because the silent ver- sions of the talkers are not good. With a rebirth of a good silent product, which is a cycle to be ex- pected, a re-opening on the profit- able back country’s business, that will infuse new blood into the racket, is expected. SYNDICATE MAN TRIES VAINLY Press agents always seek the newspaper and the syndicate for outlets, and yet things like this occur almost daily. Ask any syndicate or news photo em- ployee. A man from one of the big news photo services, national, caught a recent Larry Ceballos revue. A girl gymnast, he de- cided, would make good photo material for national syndica- tion. He went back stage, met the girl and obtained her phone number. When he buzzed the phone next day, he got a fur- niture house. Just some slip- up in copying the number. So he began dialing Warner Brothers. He got the Ceballos rehearsal hall, which referred him somewhere else, which re- ferred him somewhere else, which referred him somewhere else. At the theater, he was given the publicity man’s phone, with no answer results, when repeatedly called. And today there are probably 40 press agents, wishing they could put their photos out by the press services. * Explanation seems to be that when the production or public- ity offices originates an idea, they try to sell it. When a news man has a hunch, these same fellows high-hat the idea, or are too busy to be bothered. Studio Line-up Qot It’s Break From RKO Lot RKO studio held onto its musi- cal comedy girls longer than any other studio in Hollywood. Just why RKO stuck to this pol- icy, after every other study had ac- ceeded to public demand for a change in pictures, is not clear, but the RKO girls certainly got the break. Some of the younger women of the films, now that dancing lines are out, are sticking to the studios, seek- ing extra bits in hope of becoming dramatic leads. Others have quit films cold, because films quit them. They realize their forte is dancing and shapeliness only. While Warner Brothers used theirs in Larry Ceballos revues, RKO kept on finishing its quota of musical comedies. Some of the movie chains merchandised the last of the musical comedy pics without a whisper in the ads and publicity about the girls and bands. BELA LUGOSI GETS LEAD IN “DRACULA” Bela Lugosi, has been engaged by Universal for title role in “Dracula,” the part he created on the stage three years ago. Spanish version of “Dracula” will be Universal’s next foreign produc- tion. Cast not yet complete. Lupe Velez and Barry Norton are now finishing Spanish version of “East is West,” under direction of George Melford and the Spanish version of “The Cat Creeps” has been completed. PAY-OFF IS TITLE “The Pay Off” has been selected as the final title of RKO Radio Pictures’ all-talking drama, “Losing Game.” Cutting and editing of the film, adapted from an original story by Samuel Shipman, is nearing com- pletion. Lowell Sherman directed and plays a leading role, with a supporting cast which includes Marian Nixon, Hugh Trevor and William Janney. . REVIVAL PLANNED SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18— Ed Rowland and A. Leslie Pearce will bring their revived “Little Orchid Annie” in the Geary on Sep- tember 28, following present run of the picture, “Birth of a Nation.” Rowland and Pearce opened “Or- chid Annie” at the Mayan in Los Angeles about 18 months ago for a fair run. TRAINER TO WED SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18- Wedding bells will ring this week for Melene Charka, prima donna at the Capitol, and Cal Norris, ani- mal trainer. Following Thursday night’s show, members of the Cap- itol cast were hosts at a back stage reception honoring the couple. HODKINSON IN SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18— Universal this week shifted ex- change managers, bringing Kenneth Hodkinson in as head of the local branch and moving W. P. Moran to Oklahoma City. Picture firm is constructing a new exchange build- ing on Golden Gate avenue, near Hyde, and expects to be quartered there about October 1. MORE LQGES IN SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18— Eighteen hundred new seats are being installed in Loew’s Warfield, including three additional rows of loges which Dick Spier, manager, created. Kid Tree Sitter Capitalizing _ A ten-year-old Nevada tree sitter has written Phil Fried- man, Universal studio casting director, asking for a leading role in a feature production. “I’ve been up for 768 hours,” wrote the ambitious youth, “and when I get down I’ll be famous and I want to play in pictures. If you can’t fix me up with an acting job I can do carpenter work. I’m ready to capitalize on my skill.” HUMAN TOWER IS LEARNING THE BIZ FROM GROUND UP Pantages theatre in Holly- wood is hot after Warner Bros’ business. Warners’ has two big towers on the roof, with which to broadcast radio, as well as to act as a landmark. Differing somewhat but for the same purpose, Pantages has hired J. B. Ballard to decorate their front door as footman. Ballard is 7 feet 4 inches tall and is as much an attraction as the Warner towers. He is not yet on the roof of the building, because when he applied for a job he stated he wanted to learn show biz from the ground up. He has been working on the sidewalk a week, but expects a raise shortly. LAEMMLE IN JAUNT EAST Carl Laemmle and secretary, Jack Ross, with David Bader, are en route to New York for a business conference with heads of the Uni- versal distribution department. They will be away from Holly- wood for several months, if present plans carry. It is expcted Laemmle will visit Universal film exchange in the East. For the past two months Mr. Laemmle has been conducting an analysis of public sentiment regard- ing motion picture stories in an en- deavor to learn whether the public is adopting a European sophistica- tion to determine whether sophisti- cated dramas and comedies should be dropped from production. OPENING DELAYED SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18- Casting difficulties in Hollywood have set back the opening of “Death Takes a Holiday” at the Columbia from this coming Mon- day night to the Monday follow- ing. An all-English cast was an- nounced for the Arthur Greville Collins production, but it is pos- sible that Cosmo Kyrle Bellew, Carmel Myers, Helene Sullivan and Mary Alden will be included in the cast. WEEK’S TAKE BY PICTURES GOES UPWARD Picture takings for the week, just passed, have been consis- tently good, being favored with a half holiday at the beginning of the week, and excellent show weather throughout the seven day period. Paramount, with “Let’s Go Native,” a new Jack Oakie pic- ture, along with their stage show, took in $31,000. United Artists, judging from the open- ing five days of “What a Widow” starring Gloria Swan- sin, figured their week to total $30,000. Warner Bros, in Hollywood, with Ann Harding in “The Girl of the Golden West,” scored about $19,000 while the final week of “The Bad Man” downtown got a trifle less box office, around $17,000. “Hell’s Angels” at the Chinese dropped to $9289, but picked up with the Beverly Hill Billies, and is doing a smashing week currently. “Ploliday,” at Carthay Circle, is holding ahead of its stop mark, get- ting $15,044, but is slated to go out in two weeks. “All’s Quiet On the Western Front,” at Criterion, got $12,015. Loew’s State, with “Man Trou- ble,” attracted a score of $27,606. “Raffles” drew $19,925 to Pan- tages in Hollywood. Boulevard got $4115 with Irene Rich in “On Your Back,” and the Egyptian, playing “Common Clay,” garnered $8207. ANNEXES HAIGHT SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18— Golden State Theatre have added the Haight, suburban spot, to their present string of 50 picture houses scattered throughout Northern Cali- fornia. W. S. Godfrey and Harry Sack were the former owners. Golden State probably will spend considerable money on the house by enlarging and improving it. W.B. SIGNS NATALIE Natalie Moorhead is signed for a role in “Ex-Mistress,” to be pro- duced by Warner Brothers. Lead- ing roles are assigned to Bebe Dan- iels and Ben Lyon. FANCHON AND MARCO PRESENT JAN RUBINI The Master Showman and Internationally Known Famous Conductor and Violinist For the Seventh Return Engagement at Loew’s Warfield Theatre San Francisco Here Indefinitely! Just returned from a triumphant one year’s engagement at the Capitol Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, where he smashed every box office record of the Antipodes. Thanks to Fanchon and Marco and A. M. Bowles