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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SEPT. 20, 1930 Published Every Saturday One Year $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Advertising Rates on Application Established 1924 As a weekly publication: Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. l«s*gJJSs.2 Published by Inside Facts Publishing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS ------ President and Editor ARTHUR WM. GREEN - Vice Pres, and Counsel JEAN ARMAND - General Manager LOU JACOBS ------- Associate Editor Voi XII Saturday, September 20, 1930 No. 12 Golf Jinn Now Strikes Back Oh you calamity howlers, who predicted that microbe golf would ruin show biz. Get a load of this. Then turn up the corners of your mouths. Last Sunday, a balmy summer evening. The stars twinkled serenly overhead. The zephyr was sweetly scented with the exhilarating odor of exhausted gas, and every boule- vard was alight with myriads of headlights. It was ideal for golfing. According to all the rules, the links should be doing a.land office business. So, we selected this night to make a survey. We drove out Beverly, out across to Wilshire, past Bev- erly Hills, then back over Melrose and Santa Monica. Then over to Hollywood Boulevard, down Wilcox to Vine, over Sunset to Western/then down Wilshire and back across Ver- mont. In all, .we passed some 50 or 75 golf spots. MOST OF THEM WERE EMPTY! About a half dozen, no more, had a group waiting to tee off, a few had some half dozen couples playing, a very few a pair or so, but vast, vast majority were waiting perhaps for the sheriff to attach the holes. We observed that many of the empty ones had large signs advertising 18 holes for one cent a hole; Twice around for 25 cents; Anytime 25 cents. Children 15 cents, and any number offering 18 holes for 15 cents BUT NO TAKERS. Mary Pickford’s Wilshire Links was well attended; Jacky Coogan’s place had a goodly crowd; Dick Barthelmass’ lot had quite a few players, and with a few whose owners we did not ascertain, you have the sum of all the big golf business that was being done on this enticingly out-doorish night between 8:30 p.m. and 11. On the other hand, we passed the Ritz, Beverly, Fairfax, Warner’s, Pantages, and several other theatres and—THEY WERE ALL HOLDING THEM OUT FOR THE SECOND SHOW. Need we say more? * * * New Sound Device Announced One of the problems of the exhibition of sound pictures has been that of sound leveling, or keeping the volume in keeping with the size of the auditorium and the subject of the film. Most of the theatres have this regulation managed either in the orchestra pit or in the both, neither of which location for the fader is the best for average amplification. Most of the down town theatres have had trouble particularly with incidental sounds such as a kiss, which in many instances sounds like a cow suddenly pulling its foot out of sloppy mire, or a breath intake which sounds like the exhaust of a steam engine, or the rustling of a sheet of paper which sounds like the roar of breakers on the beach and so on. Now comes M-G-M with an announcement that they have remedied these difficulties with a new invention called “squeeze- track, a sound track on a principle by which film is automatic; ally “leveled and adjusted” so that no operator in a theatre can mar it by improper handling of the fader. Idea parallels that of the device used in the player piano rolls, only the squeeze-track control of volume is automatic, in that the volume of photographed sound on film may be re- duced by narrowing the strip of graduations that produce the sound. It will be tried out shortly in a local theatre, and if the per- formance is up to the announcement it will be a distinct con- tribution to the advancement of sound production. * *" * “ Screen To Drama; Stage, Flesh Screen is going drama, and the stage flesh. That is the new order, if signs mean anything. RKO is last of the big studios to release its chorus girls, and this indicates that musicals have faded even at this last stand. However, it is anticipated there will shortly be a grand scramble to reorganize choruses, because of the success, which many of the late releases with line girls are having. The thing that is hoped will accomplish this return to the chorus is “Whoopee,” Flo Ziegfeld-Sam Goldwyn picture soon to be released. New angels on the chorus stuff will prove that a technique of production, differing from the usual stage chorus entrance and dance, will have an influence on forthcoming pictures. Trouble has been that directors of pictures did not know what to do with chorus, and the stage directors did not change their methods with the medium. A chorus of about 50 entering on horseback is one of the features of “Whoopee,” explaining what we mean. TEL-A-PHONEY $ JAMES MADISON SEATTLE TO GET NEW TAB OUTFIT AS STATE OPENS SEATTLE, Seut. 18.—Persistent rumors floating around town the past few days that John Danz’ State theatre, down below the line of travel, will soon install a musical tab company were verified here today by Danz himself. The state, for the past two years housing a small revue augmented by small time vaude acts and pick-up com- edians, will bring in Walter “Jerry” Owens, Irish comic, on October 5. Supporting players have not been selected as yet, Danz declares. It is presumed the line will remain intact, with Evelyn Kelly in charge of production. Ten and fifteen cent price scale at the State will undoubtedly be tilted to a quarter for the new policy. House seats in the neigh- borhood of 700. SOUTHLAND PREVIEW OUT (Continued from Page 1) the most recent previewed. Paramount this week put one of its new flickers into the New Mis- sion where B. P. Schulberg and Paramount and Publix officials looked it over, along with the usual customers. ‘Vaudeville Facts Harriet Hoctor, danseuse who was recently featured in a Ziegfeld production, is appearing this week at the RKO Keith's Palace, New York. * * * _ Gracie Fields, English come- dienne, arrived in New York, aboard the SS Berengaria, Friday, Septem- ber 12, to appear in RKO theatres. . * * * Three Brox Sisters are back in RKO vaudeville for a limited stay. * * * New York Journal’s Newsboys Harmonica band is a new juvenile offering for vaudeville. * * * Stanley Twins are a new turn for major vaudeville. They are assisted by Atlas and LaMar and Harmony Girls. * * * Dave Apollon, after a jaunt <jver Europe, returned to the United States this week to begin his RKO tour at the 81st Street, New York. * * * California Poppies, 12 dancing girls, are booked for RKO vaude- ville. In this double sextette, the Misses Bernice Jarnot and Ethel Paige are featured. * * * Dance Mannequins, dance offer- ing, is a new one for RKO. It features Miss Frances Hart and eight rhythmic steppers. * * * Other new acts for RKO include Tony Martin and Flarry Goodwin, with two assistants, in “The Dress Shop”: Conche, the youthful pro- digy; Don Julian, who styles him- self as “the Kontinental Komedy Kartoonist”; Virginia Gene, in a fantasy of popular tunes; Jack Randall and Company, adagio danc- ers from Hollywood; Lane and Freeman, comedians; Jack Sidney and his seevn co-comedy workers in a comedy, dance and song offering, and Bennie Brohan and Marty Du- pree. in a comedy skit, “Sir Greg- ory.” LEGIT FIELD DOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. IS — Local legit field wall reach its low- est peak in history during next two weeks when Curran will have the only production in towm, Pauline Frederick in “The Crimson Hour.” Geary has “Birth of a Nation” on its screen for another week and following that Rowland and Pearce will bring in “Little Orchid Annie.” Columbia is dark, and continues so until September 28 when “Death Takes a Holiday” is on the sked. One or two other pieces ‘w'll be set for the local stage about Octo- ber 1, among the mpossibly being a Flenry Duffy. VAN FOSSF.N TO OPEN Harry Van Tossen, black face comedian, will open at the RKO theatre Monday. Hello, Sir Thomas Lipton. Hello, James Madison. I presume if you won the cup race, you’d drop dead. Evidently America is still try- ing to save my life. Hello, Arthur Brisbane. Hello, James Madisom Suppose some other European nation treated William Randolph Hearst in the same bonehead manner that France did, what would you say. Chuck and double chuck. Hello, Francis X. Bushman. Hello, James Madison. Does Mahatma Ghandid be- lieve in St. Peter? No; saltpetre. Plello, Charlotte Greenwood. Hello, James Madison. What is alimony? The glue that mends a wife’s broken heart. , Hello, Frank Davis. Hello, James Madison. Way can Earl Carroll girls al- ways get jobs in tobacco fac- tories? ACT BACK HOME SEATTLE, Sept. 18.—Beb Mal- loy and Evelyn Ruth, song and dance team, returned this week from an extended vacation in Cali- fornia. Prior to the trip, the kid? were featured at the State for 65 weeks and before that had their' revue in the Winter Garden, when that house was under the Laemmle banner. HANDLES 3 HOUSES SEATTLE, Sept. 18. —Jack Sampson has been appointed assis- tant to Ted Champion, Fox p.a. Sampson will do the work for the three major Fox-West Coast houses in Seattle. FIRE IN BOOTH SEATTLE., Sept. 18.—Fire en- dangered orojection booth a f the Roycroft Theatre Wednesday even- ing. Slight damages resulted, and mechanisms that suffered were quickly replaced. REJOINS SENNETT Arthur Ripley has returned to the Mack Sennett - Organization after an absence of three years. Because they’re such good strippers. Hello, Norma Shearer. Hello, James Madison. What does a Hebrew say when he changes his name? “Let us by Goy.” Hello, Charlie Chaplin. Hello, James Madison. What are “City LIGHTS’? Israelites. Hello, Lynn Starling. Hello, James Madison. Is there anybody who didn’t enjoy “A CUP OF SUGAR?” Only one guy with diabetes. Hello, Milton Berle. Hello, James Madison. A little simile please. “As deserted as a miniature golf course.” Hello, Ann Harding. Hello, James Madison. What is your reaction towards modern existence? If life is a gamble the same as Wall Street, then Singer’s Mid- gets must have sold short. Noah Beery, Jr., son of the character actor, will play a part in “Beau Ideal,” sequel to the prize- winning “Beau Geste,” in -which his father achieved fame as “Sergeant Le Jeune.” Herbert Brenon is re- hearsing “Beau Ideal,” with Doug- las Fairbanks, Jr., Ralph Forbes, Don Alvarado and other notables in the cast. DOUG STARTS SOON Edmund Goulding, will direct the production. Edward Everett Horton will play an important role in the picture. Other cast announcements not made. The story of “Reaching for the Anthony McGuire. Moon” is an original by William RELEASE DATE SET “Maj'be It’s Love,” Warner Bros, comedy, will be released on September 20. Co-featured in this picture are Joe E. Brown, Joan Bennett, James Hall, and the All- American Football team. ACADEMY VOTES THIS WEEK Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started balloting this week to confer the eight annual Academy awards for distinguished achievement in motion pictures during the year, end- ing July 31, 1930. Voting by the 600 members of the Academy will close October 10. Five highest nominees in each of seven of the awards classifications were announced today. A tie in the nominations for Art Direction Achievement, the eighth award, was to be decided by tellers this week. Performances and achievements which received the most nomina- tions from Academy members and will be included on the final ballot are: PERFORMANCE BY ACTRESS Nancy Carroll (Para.) ‘‘The Devil’s Holiday” Ruth Chatterton (Para.) “Sarah and Son” Greta Garbo (M-G-M) “Anna Christie” and “Romance” Norma Shearer (M-G-M) ... .“The Divorcee” and “Their Own Desire” Gloria Swanson (U. A.) “The Trespasser” PERFORMANCE BY ACTOR George Arliss (Warner Bros.) .... “Disraeli” and “The Green Goddess” Wallace Beery (M-G-M) “The Big House” Maurice Chevalier (Par.) “The Love Parade” and “The Big Pond” Ronald Colman (U. A.) “Bulldog Drummond” and “Condemned” Lawrence Tibbett (M-G-M) “The Rogue Song” ACHIEVEMENT BY DIRECTOR Clarence Brown (M-G-M) “Anna Christie” and “Romance” Robert Leonard (M-G-M) “The Divorcee” Ernst Lubitsch (Para.) “The Love Parade” Lewis Milestone (Univ.) “All Quiet on the Western Front” King Vidor (M-G-M) “Hallelujah” OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION “All Quiet on the Western Front” Universal “The Big House” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Disraeli” Warner Bros. “The Divorcee” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “The Love Parade” Paramount CINEMATOGRAPHIC ACHIEVEMENT “All Quiet on the Western Front” Universal “Anna Christie” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Hells’ Angels” Caddo “The Love Parade” Paramount “With Byrd at the South Pole” Paramount SOUND RECORDING ACHIEVEMENT “The Big House” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Case of Sergeant Grischa” RKO “The Love Parade” Paramount “Raffles” Samuel Goldwyn “Song of the Flame” First National WRITING ACHIEVEMENT “All Quiet on the Western Front” Universal “The Big House” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Disraeli” Warner Bros. “The Divorcee” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Street of Chance” Paramount Individual credits for cinematography, sound recording, art direc- tion and writing will be investigated and announced after the final voting. The ninth award for the best scientific or technical contribution to the industry is being considered by a special committee. NOAH’S SON ACTS