Inside facts of stage and screen (October 25, 1930)

PAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN OCT. 25, 1930 CANTOR, CHEVALIER LEAD PICTURES n n n LAUGHS EARN 57 GRAND AT TWO HOUSES Maurice Chevalier and Ed- die Cantor, between ’em, had the locals spend more than 57 grand for laughs at the Par- amount and U. A. this week. The pair of whoopee boys led the town by a wide margin. Ideal show weather, but other grosses under par; al- though the stage show at the State was above average. Sec- ond run of Will Rogers after a long stanza at the Carthay Cir- cle did fairly well. Below are the authentic figures: Paramount, (seats 3596) 35c-65c. Maurice Chevalier in “Playboy of Paris,” augmented hy stage show, did $35,250. Best grosses in some time. Good lineup here to follow will keep the house away up in b. o. takings. United Artists, (seats 2100) 35c- 65c. Second week of Eddie Cantor in “Whoopee,” $22,000. To date 14 days $48,000. Picture should stay 10 days more. Best thing Can- tor’s done in pics. No stage show. Loew’s State, (seats 2418) 35c- 65c. Vaude and picL F. and M. stage show, “Enchanted Garden Idea” and downtown run of Will Rogers “So This Is London.” Five days, $21,879. 'Better than usual. Carthay Circle (seats 1650) 75c- $1.50 twice daily. Straight pics. "Just Imagine,” second week, 4 davs $10,114. Grauman’s Chinese, (seats 2030) 75c-$1.50 twice daily. Five days, “The Big Trail,” $17,013. Stage show in this week with orchestra. Flesh entertainment always needed here. Warner Bros. Hollywood, (seats 3000) 35c-65c. “Maybe It’s Love,” with Joe Brown reported a $12,- 000 intake for the week. Warner Bros. Downton, (seats 2400) 35c-65c. “Sinner’s Holiday,” did $11,750 for the full seven days. Pantages Hollywood (seats 3000) 10c-65c. First 'Hollywood run of F. and M. stage shows, together with Gary Cooper in “The Spoil- ers,” did $11,441 for five days. Fox Egyptian (seats 1800) 35c- Olsen’s Does Nose Dive, Even With Cantor Marathon Plays - Vaude and Legit; Changes Weekly Vaude and legit talent is wanted by Harry G. Seber, manager of American Legion Vernon Post 388 Dance Marathon, now in session at corner of Pacific and Leonis Bou- levard in Vernon. Change of program weekly offers opportunity for coast talent to avail itself of top salaries. From all in- dications the marathon composed of nine couples will last six more weeks, which means six or more re- vues headed by Blossom Wilson. Many prominent artists have al- ready appeared in previous floor shows, talent having been recruited from Lyn Yost Agency in Holly- wood. Despite present slump in business, the marathon is doing well. Profits derived will go towards erecting a new Legion Post building, it is as- serted. The nine couples that refuse to give up hopes of attaining the $1500 gold cash award are Everett Krout, Lillian Buck (now Mrs. Krout), Kris Kimball, Buddie Kim- ball, Tod Foltz, Dorothy Barteau, Billy Cain and Buena Renehart, Herbert Mask, Ruth Strain, Jimmy Kent and Margie Van Raam, Johnny Lee and Toots Young of Huntington Park. Dance is claimed to be one of the most grueling held. Rules are se- vere. Time runs 45 minutes of dance for first shift, with a fifteen minute rest period, followed by 60 minutes with a fifteen minute rest period, and then 90 minutes. Lineup of staff talent consists of two bands, Clayton, a Mystic, Ken- ey Price, Monte Hall of KFI and Bill Stein, m. c. 65c. Buster Keaton in “Dough- boys,” did $3665 for five days. Fox Criterion (seats 1652) 35c- 65c. First four days of “Up the River” did $10,114. RKO (seats 2700) 35c-65c. “Af- rica Speaks,” with four acts of vaude headed by Blossom Seeley and Benny Fields, did $14,750. Orpheum (seats 2750) 35c-65c. “A Lady Surrenders,” Universal picture with Conrad Nagel, did $11-, 250. HOUSE STAFF GETS NOTICE Actors playing Seattle got the shock of their lives when no- tices went up in many houses, not only bouncing the permanent performers, but also putting two-weeks skids under managers, press agents, stage hands, orchestra and other members of the permanent house staffs. Actors are accustomed to seeing notices pertaining to them- selves, posted, but when it involves everyone in the house, they feel they have company. At first, performers with the Publix houses thought they were alone in the wholesale threatened clean-out, but learned from play- ers at RKO that the threatened sweep included the other circuit as well. Misunderstanding with the Unions, which the circuits fear may assume serious proportions, it was said, caused them to take the protective measure. Mort Singer has been in Seattle for some time, representing RKO in dealings with the Unions. BLAIR HEADS PUBLIX HERE In a shifting of man power by Ed Smith, divisional chief, several Publix heads have been transferred to other points of operation. Chief among these were the trans- fers of Bob Blair and Leon Levey. Blair left his city managerships of Portland and Seattle to come to Los Angeles, where he is in charge of all Publix activities, headquarter- ing at the Paramount. Replacing Blair in Seattle, is Leon Levey, w'ho left managership of the United Artists theatre, here. Succeeding Levey at the U. A., is Stanley Brown, moved over from the Paramount. With the advent of new house pilots minor changes in staff are expected. THEATRE BOMBING ATTEMPTS CAUSE PROBE OF POLICE BLOSSOM SEELEY k Without Benny Fields’ But He's In The Act SACRAMENTO, Oct. 23.—Six men were arrested and jailed this week as a result of an attempted bombing of the Mission, downtown picture house. Police attempted to link union officials with the pro- posed blast and arrested W. R. Fed- erolf, business agent of the opera- tors’ union; H. W. Reynolds, Leo Smith, George Dalton and Harold Freitas, the latter non-union pro- jectionist at the Mission. Declaring that the operators’ un- ion knew nothing of the attempt, John Connelly, attorney, was en- deavoring to raise $2500 cash or $500 bond bail for the six men. Shortly before the attempted Mission blast, phosphorous was placed ’ in the Oak Park theatre, and an attempt had been made to dynamite the home of Emil Heber, owner of the Mission. ANOTHER MARATHON SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23.— Dick Parks, Los Angeles promoter and booker, is putting a walkathon with colored contestants into Na- tional Hall, Mission at 16th( open- ing November 11. He has already tied up with KGGC for exploita- tion. RKO’S SOUR GRAPES Vincent Lawrence’s ‘‘‘Sour Grapes,” purchased for talking screen by RKO Radio Pictures. ACTS SOUGHT FOR VOYAGE L. Ayres Mantell, representative of Union Theatre in Australia and Tasmania, is touring the Pacific coast, booking acts for a new vau- deville and picture policy which Union is reported ready to inaugu- rate. Union recently purchased the Hoyt string, and is possessor of class houses in almost every im- portant town in the extreme South. Mantell, who will be in Los An- geles soon, reports conditions in Australia are improving, and a marked demand for stage shows, mainly vaudeville and presenta- tions, is noticable. He declares the Union is the only circuit in the vi- cinity playing vaudeville at this time. MASSIVE CAMPAIGN FOR AMOS PICTURE IN SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23._ — Jack Gross, RKO divisional chief, expects the Amos ’n Andy picture, “Check and Double Check” to smash all existing house records for the local Orpheum and to that end has laid out a schedule that will have the Orph open 18 hours out of the 24 for the initial four days. Flicker opens with a Friday mid- night show. On Saturday morning the house will open at 7:45 a. m., plajdng a midnight show as well. The same schedule will be repeated for Sunday and Monday. The 7:45 a. m. starting time will be main- tained as long as business holds up. Charlie Leonard, publicity chief, is bending every effort possible to put the picture over. Amos ’n Andy appeared in per- son about 18 months in the same house when Pantages operated it. At that time theft- draw was strictly local, although plenty big, and they were held over for a second week doing heavy business. From here they went to the Los Angeles house. BUYS FOR JAP HOUSE SAN .FRANCISCO, Oct. 23. — Swamura Shokai Corp., Japanese firm, is building an 1100-seat house, the Aala, in Honolulu. Willis West, Company representative, here buy- ing equipment. Policy will be Jap- anese talkies and American Revues with possibly a few silent pictures. PUBLIX QUITS PRODUCING STAGE SHOWS ON COAST Horace Heidt band unit last stage show to go into Paramount the- ater in Portland and Seattle and, effective November 7, eastern pro- duced Publix units will play San Francisco and Los Angeles, jump- ing into this city from Minneapo- lis, and from Los Angeles going to Denver. New arrangement puts an end to coast produced Publix units, inaug- urated under direction of Harry Gourfain, but which was transferred last week to Jack Partington. It is expected that Partington will re- turn to the East shortly, as soon as new policy gets swinging along in okay style. Reports still are persistent in San Francisco that Paul Ash will be brought into Paramount, San Francisco, his old stamping grounds to act as m. c., but these are denied by Publix execs and are considered illogical by those in the know. Publix has had an uphill fight with its stage shows, finding scar- city of good talent available, a draw- back in their competing with Fan- chon and Marco. How'ever, previous routings that brought eastern Publix units in were not satisfactory either, inas- much as scenery and costumes were generally frayed and dirtied by the time they arrived on the coast. And performers were pretty tired after constant trouping, with four and five show's daily, for a number of weeks. The outcome remains to be seen. GREAT SHOW NOT ENOUGH TO BOLSTER Another indication that night club biz is shot full of holes was evidenced when George Olsen’s at Culver Qity did a nose dive away below expecta- tions, despite the personal ap- pearance of Eddie Cantor, for a solid week ,and a corking sup- porting floor show staged by Mosconi Brothers. As was reported in “Inside Facts” two weeks ago, liquor raids and other influences handed a wallop to the clubs, from whic hthey do not seem able to recover. One outstanding feature at Olsen’s, however, was that Cantor and the floor show drew the usual flocks of celebs. What the box office lacked was support from the masses. Another class place slipping bad- ly in receipts is the New Blossom Room in Roosevelt hotel. On Monday guest nights, the Blossom depends on acts that appear gratis. Acts jump at the chance to do a quick rehearsal and appearance, in hope of being copped for a picture contract. Blossom Seeley was scheduled for last Monday, but due to throat trouble of Benny Fields, the act w'as unable to keep the appointment. Blen-Blanc-Rouge PAR MAURICE GOULET Bleu. Le maestro Andre Luguet du MGM prepare en ce moment la version fran- caise de “Let Us Be Gay.” On doit, commencer a tour- ner “ces jours-ci ...” Pierre Couderc, chez Fox, prepare le “Big Trail.” Tra- vail enorme, considerant le grand nombre des vedettes et figurants . . . avec le prob- leme toujours difficile a re- soudre, qu’est celui de trou- ver les types francais, res- semblant au physique, aux ar- tistes de la version anglaise. Au pis aller, un bon grimeur pourrait, peut etre resoudre ce probleme!! Blanc. La delicieuse Tonia Fedor, de la Comedie Fran- caise a donne, dernierement, une conference superbe, dans les salons de l’Universite, sous les auspices de l’AUiance Francaise. Son sujet, “Mo- liere—sa vie—ses oeuvres” fut traite avec une maitrise digne des chaires de la Sorbonne. Conferenciere douee, Melle Fedor, conquit bien des coeurs, autant par le charme de son verbe que par celui de sa gracieuse personalite. Re- venez nous souvent. Bravo et encore. Rouge. Monsieur Ferrier, donne cette semaine au thea- tre Egan, “Pour avoir Ad- rienne.” Rendons nous en foule applaudir les grands tal- ents que nous lui connaissons. Quand le verrons nous sur l’ecran? II est tout designe. Melle Torres, de Berkeley, contribuait au succes de la Soiree Francaise, a l’Univer- site. Elle chante a merveille un choix de pieces qui lui font honneur. Pourquoi n’aurions nous pas, une heure de francais au radio chaque semaine? Ce ne sont pas les artistes qui nous manquent. Nous serious tres heureux de lire les commen- tates et suggestions de nos compatriotes a cet endroit. 11 n’y a pas de meilleur moyen de nous faire con- naitre nous et nos oeuvres. Nous faisons du theatre et du cinema, pourquoi pas du radio? Lisez “1TNSIDE FACTS” et seyez “a la page.”