Inside facts of stage and screen (October 18, 1930)

OCT. 18, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THREE PUBLIX HOUSES LEAD ‘LOCAL FIELD’ n n Colored Revue Being Readied With Miller and Lyle STAGE BILL HELPS PAR; U. A. GOOD Paramount and United Ar- tists theatres, both Publix, are gradually taking the lead in Los Angeles motion picture biz. Slowly, but surely, this twin pair of houses are build- ing up clienteles, as the result of policy, consistently good pic- tures and publicity. Stage shows are helping, and with the arrival here of Jack Part- ington to handle the stage shows, an added spurt of biz is expected. Paramount led the downtown parade this week with a neat $28,000 turned in for Clara Bow’s “Her Wedding Night” and Horace Heidt on the stage. The latter is one of the best seen here, since return of stage shows to this house, and was the outstanding in-the-flesh en- tertainment in vaude-film houses. United Artists broke all opening night records for this year at Eddie Cantor’s premiere of “Whoopee,” doing close to $5000' for the open- ing night, and around $22,000 for the week. Picture is one of the musical comedy sensations of the year, and should hold four weeks close to this figure. Clever exploi- tation helped. “The Big Trail” at Grauman’s Chinese, did an estimated $20,000 for the week. Business is reported fair, despite fact that critics played up picture, word of mouth is hurt- ing considerably. Will be dragged shortly. Loew’s State with Fanchon and Marco unit and M.G.M.’s “Those Three French Girls” did around $31,000. Business off here. Last week of “Madam Satan” was also off at the Criterion, another West Coast chain house. Billboard advertising refused by posters, due to over-arty ideas. Hurt business. Did less than $10,000. Warner Brothers, Hollywood, with “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” did around $14,000, while Warner Brothers, Downtown, did around the same-figure with “Road to Par- adise.” Figures are off from pre- vious week’s takings. Hollywood Pantages, a West Coast chain house, had a life-saver in Fanchon and Marco’s “Fountain of Youth Idea,” as Joe Cook’s “Rain or Shine” could hardly be credited with the estimated $11,500. At the Carthay Circle, “Just Imagine” is enjoying good business, and did approximately $18,500. Matinees fair at 50, 75c and $1.00, nights 75c, $1.00 and $1.50, 1350 seater. Figures for Fox West Coast houses were not available, this was due to change in executives. New Change Over Idea Is Envolved For Film Booth Agreement by major production companies and theatre circuits on an improved method of changing from one reel to the next in projecting talking pictures, has been announc- ed in New York by Lester Cowan, manager of technical bureau of Aca- demy of Mdtion Picture Arts and Sciences. Improvement represents a stand- ardization of the makeup of release prints. It will result in a more ac- curate change-over from reel to reel, and thus improve projection. New standard will go into effect Novem- ber 1 in Hollywood studios and theatre circuits of the country, it was announced. Because every exchange manager and more than 30,000 theatre pro- jectionists will need to be familiar with the standardized practice, the most intensive information cam- paign ever attempted for a technical development in motion pictures will be carried on during the next three months. Academy has the cooperation of the Film Boards of Trade, the su- pervising projectionists of theatre circuits, the union organization of theatre projectionists, the Projec- tion Advisory Council, and the American Projection Society. Projection was taken up following a survey which indicated that no two studios were making up re- lease prints in the same way, and that mutilation of reel ends through inadequate change-over methods was costing the industry many thou- sands a year. DUFFY ACT Reported that Henry Duffy was endeavoring again to take over control of the President theatre. Deal, however, could not be consummated, because pres- ent lessees have put out such a large expenditure for sound equipment to show the pic- tures of the present policy programs. Rumor has it, though, that Duffy will soon take over the Hollywood Playhouse again. Three Test Plan Used In Fixing House Acoustics * STENQG BLOTTER USED A teaser blotter was productive of results in connection with the New York pre'miere of Warner Brother’s special, “The Office Wife,” at the Winter Garden. It carried a pic- ture of a stenographer’s notebook, covered" with notes and this reader, “Are you an office wife?” Thou- sands were distributed throughout the principal office buildings and were eagerly read. DORIS LLOYD AT REP Doris Lloyd will make her second return to the stage this year when on Nov. 3 she will play one of the leading roles in “The Apple Cart,” by George Bernard Shaw, at the Repertory theatre. LANG WITH CRUZE Walter Lang, following comple- tion of “Brothers,” which he di- rected for Columbia, began prepara- tion for his next picture for James Cruze. He will probably settle on some well known stage play for his vehicle. FAWCETT SCRIBBLES George Fawcett’s poem on “La bor” has been syndicated. The actor uses spare time in writing. STATE CUTS ORPH UNITS State Theatre, Long Beach, will discontinue Orpheum units at the close of next week’s bill. State, however, will continue policy of showing combined picture and vau- deville programs. Change in policy indicates new drift in vaudeville booking for houses of this district. By booking local acts they can give more ela- borate presentations for less money, because there is plenty of salary dif- ference between these acts and acts coming through on the circuit. This new policy fits the present condition. The acts, however, will continue to be booked through the RKO offices here by Bern Bernard. RUBIN IN SHORTS Benny Rubin has just closed a deal with Lou Brock, producer of short subjects for RKO Radio Pic tures, to star in an original fea- turette of the “Broadway Headlin- ers”. series. IN TRADER GINSBERG “Trader Ginsburg” is title selected for the next comedy of the Broad way Celebrity series, which Lou Brock will produce for RKO Radio Pictures. Nat Carr has the starring role. In important parts, are George MacFarlane, Gladden James, Bertram Johns and Bill Bailey. MORE CALNEVA STUFF Clara Bow will start work imme- diately on her new starring picture, “No Limit,” comedy of a theater usherette who becomes the man- ager of a fashionable metropolitan gambling house. RAY WITH DAPHNE Ray Cooke has an important role in P a t h e comedy, “Dangerous Youth,” which is the second of a series of six, for which Daphne Pol- lard has been signed. TUCKER AS LAWYER Signing of Richard Tucker as the lawyer Completed cast of “Madonna of the Streets,” Evelyn Brent fea I ture to be made at Columbia. John S. Robertson directs. BR00KHART CONDEMNS BLOCK SALE At the Eleventh annual conven- tion of the Motion Picture Theater Owners of Michigan, held at Grand Rapids Oct. 8, Senator Smith W. Brookhart, of Iowa, delivered a talk on the measure he is fathering to check block booking of films. His talk, in part, follows: “A few years ago a small group of motion picture theatre owners in Iowa called upon me to complain of certain practices in the industry which, they said, were slowly driv- ing all the independent exhibitors of motion pictures out of business. They told me that the production and distribution of motion pictures had been completely monopolized by a few companies banded to- gether through the Motion Picture Producers and Distrbutors of Am- erica, presided over by one Will H. Hays, whom I had heard of in other connections. “One of the practices described was that of selling pictures only in blocks, thus compelling the theatre owner who desired only that part of the product of a particular com- pany that was appropriate for his community or patrons to take the entire output of such company or else go without its product al- together. “Another was for the producing company to release its pictures to the independent houses so long a time after they had been shown in the producers’ own houses that they were out-dated and no longer pos- sessed any drawing power. “Still another concerned a credit system which could be used for cut- ting off a theatre from its supplies for non-conformance to arbitrary rules of the producers even where the credit, that is the ability and disposition of the exhibitor to pay for his product, was in no degree involved. BLOCK SELLING “Finally they told me of a so- called arbitration system, which was compulsory, which in effect divested the courts of the land of all jurisdiction over controversies be- tween- producers and exhibitors, which was used by the producers to enforce specific* performance by the exhibitors of a one-sided uniform exhibition contract in the framing of which the theatre owners had had no voice, and which included as an integral part of its mechanism the boycotting of any theatre owner who would not submit to arbitra- tion, or, having submitted, would not abide by the award. “This system, they advised me, was the principal contribution of ‘Few theatres constructed before the sound era are free from acous- tical defects,” is the opinion of Vesper A. Schlenker, acoustical en- gineer of the Vitaphone Corpora- tion. He adds that “No two houses have the same defects even though they may have the same cubical content. Consequently, every thea- tre needs to be individually diag- nosed. Schlenker sees this lack of proper diagnosis as the greatest obstacle to perfected talking pictures, and to this end has designed a special truck, which is really a laboratory on wheels. This traveling labora- tory holds portable testing equip ment with the necessary accesso- ries to apply to any theatre. The engineer describes briefly three of the many experiments he makes in the theatre under exam- ination. One is the reproduction over the theatre horn of a speech. The speech is photographed as it comes out of the horn and is simultane- ously photographed at scattered spots in the theatre. Another trial is the reverberation test in which single tones are pro- jected and suddenly interrupted elec- trically. During the short time in which the sound dies away, it is photographed. A third experiment is even more delicate. A single syllable is pro- jected, so that its path can be fol- lowed completely around the thea- tre and photographed through every reflection. When one sound re- ceives the proper acoustical recep- tion, all others and all combina- tions of sounds will be similarly re- ceived. PLAN IS TO OPEN SHOW IN 4 WEEKS Miller and Lyle are sched- uled to be brought here from the East to head an all colored revue, which A1 Leichter, the Los Angeles agent, is under- stood to be getting ready. Expectations are that Leich- ter will have the show ready in about four weeks. It is planned to premier the attraction in San Francisco. Negotiations are underway with the Erlanger houses in Los Angeles and several other towns in the vi- cinity. In all departments, the show is in experienced hands. Bill Cullen, former manager of the Capitol, .San Francisco, will have charge of the company. Book will be written and the show produced, it was said, by Wal- ter Brooks. Brooks staged shows recently for Sebastian’s Cotton Club, and sometime ago wrote and directed a colored revue back East. It has been years since Los An- geles had an all colored show in any of its theatres. Miller and Lyle headed several of these shows in the east, where they mopped up with their comedy as stars of the 'event. SHORT RUN RECORD WORTH ONE GRAND Two minutes work on Warner Bros. Vitaphone special, “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” netted $1000 to Bela Lugosi, Hungarian actor, according to stories afloat. Only Lugosi, fitted the role of the East Indian magician, who enters towards the close of the piece, seemed to be the caster’s viewpoint. LAEMMLE ADDS TWO Carl Laemmle, Jr., has added two new associate producers to his staff of production aides at Universal .Studios, Erwin Gelsey and Robert Harris. MRS. BARNEY BUYS ‘MART’ STRUCTURE Theatre Mart announce Mrs. Alice Pike Barney, who had for- merly leased the Theatre Mart building, is now full owner. Various alterations are made on the stage, and for the “Courtesan of Rome,” patrons see the stage built out several feet. WOOLWORTH’S? Leni Stengel, “vamp” in “Beau Ideal,” Herbert Brenon’s great talk- ing sequel to his silent classic, “Beau Geste,” wears $4000 worth ot jewelry everywhere she goes during the filming of the picture, by RKO Radio Pictures, the press depart- ment states. BUY ‘YOU AND I’ Warner Brothers have acquired screen rights to Philip Barry’s play, “You and I.” Mr. Hays to the industry and was the thing which they, as self-re- specting business men, resented most. “In preparing the bill that bears my name and in conducting the hearings on that bill, I have been inspired by a desire, not merely to aid a particular branch of the mo- tion picture industry, but to advance and protect the interests of the public. “The first and most important provision of the bill is that aimed at block booking. It does not say that a theatre owner may not buy pictures in blocks, if he so desires, but merely that he may not be com- pelled to do so. The desirability of such a provision both from the standpoint of the theatre owner and the public is manifest. PUBLIC CONTACT “Since the theatre is the point of contact between the industry and the public, and the theatre owner is best qualified to judge what the public wants, and bearing in mind that tastes vary in different com- munities, I believe that block book- ing as practiced in the industry to- day denies to the public the right freely to choose the kind of pictures it wants to see that is a public (Continued on Page 13) 2! tgmmL % Mary Frances Taylor PREMIERE DANSEUSE Formerly with “Student Prince,” “Gone Hollywood,” “Oh Susanna” and “Broadway Melody” IN HOLLYWOOD NOW as BALLET DIRECTRESS—Modernized Ballet Bud Murray School for Stage and Screen 3636 Beverly Blvd. 1