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

OCT. 25, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THREE MACLOON, ALBERTSON PRODUCING 2 annnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnn nn Wall Street Insisting On Better Pictures STAGE HANDS BEHIND ONCE Salt Lake City held one show where the actors got their dough ahead of the stage hands—reversing the usual procedure. “Paths O’ Glory,” which played Los Angeles recently, went on a wild cat tour to Salt Lake. Business reported not so hot. Patrons did not force the doors to see the company. Many promises were made the actors but none of them materialized in real coin, they say. Finally, the show pulled a pretty good! audience. Then the actors got wise. Just as the play was ready to start, several are reported to have refused to go on unless they saw some long, green. The audience waited. Finally several hundred dollars is said to have arrived back stage. The artists played that night, but the show gave its last gasp soon after it is said. The actors, however, had theirs—or some of it, at least. And ahead of the stage hands. SECRET’S OUT WHY MOGULS GO TO N. Y. Wall Street is piping big music, and the Hollywood pro- duction heads are doing some snappy bear dances. For years, Hollywood has gone on making pictures as it thought best, some of them good and some of them bad, but Hollywood did not care about the bad ones, so long as the nickels and dimes continued to roll in. The game has continued until re- cently, but now the great exodus for New York has begun. For the past few weeks, it has been a mat- ter of great speculation why even the big guns wer called to New York, but now a black cat has jumped out of the bam Strong rumor has it that unless better pictures are made some big heads will fall in the basket after the drop of the resignation guillo- tine. Can it be that some famous pro- duction managers will go to new fields? Will even studio heads be called on the carpet? Will the local vice-presidents be called to “confer” with the New York presi- dents? In specific cases, all this is now happening. This is house-cleaning time in Hollywood. It looks like a tough winter. SINGER WILL TRY TO IRON TROUBLES SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23. — Mort Singer, RKO representative, was here for a few days to iron out labor difficulties, but left again tor the Northwest before accomplishing anything. After a few conferences in the North he will return here to confer with theatre and union heads in an attempt to get everything moving on an amicable basis. HILLIKER’S BAND IS RAINBOW HIT; HAS GREAT CREW Lou Hilliker, whose picture appears on page one, and his night in the beautiful Rain- bow Gardens. This is the best music that has been heard in this place for a long time. Hilliker’s is a well-balanced, harmonious organization, furnishing fine dance tempo with plenty of volume. The new Rainbow Gardens band, directed by Versatile “Bun” Hilliker, is composed of a group of talented, and clever musicions. Bob Saw- yer, who was accompanist for Miss Blanche Merril, and al- so a phonograph recording artist, is at the piano. Burt Tilton, a Victor recording ar- tist, plays sax and clarinet, and has a fine singing voice. Victor Schwartz, violinist, formerly toured the Orpheum circuit. Bill Ward, trumpet; Lee MacQuarrie, drums; Nate Giffin, bass; Bill Miller, sax and clarinet, were popu- lar U. S. C. students before entering professional music. Frankie Sullivan, trombone, and Frank Zinzer and Maury Darr, trumpets ; were recently engaged in picture recording. Chuck Emge, bajoist, helps the vocal numbers with his tenor voice. The orchestra is assisted by “Bun” Hilliker’s Studio Trio, of three pretty girls, who sing well and receive a good share of applause from the dancers. Hilliker was at one time a member of Earl Burtnett’s orchestra, and also worked with Max Fisher. He recent- ly returned from a world tour with his band. One of the features of the opening night was an Apache dance by Valdemar & Chalita. Another feature of the Rain- bow Gardens is the wonderful lighting system. STAGE HANDS TO BE FETED Pineau and Howse, theatrical stage lighting company, have com- pleted three large lighting contracts. Mason Theatre, which will run RKO shows, has been completely re-equipped with lighting facilities. New Greek Theatre and Tempta- tions show also bought all lighting facilities from this concern. Pineau and Howse are now in elaborate and efficient new quar- ters on Venice Boulevard. Estab- lishment has been built especially for the needs of this successful lighting concern. Firm is having an opening cele- bration on the night of October 28, with a banquet for members of Electrical Contractors and Dealers Association. A week later a similar entertainment will take place fpr members of International Associa- tion of Theatrical Stage Employees and allied crafts. RKO WILL ERECT SOUND FILM LAB Unemployment situation, so far as Hollywood is concerned, will benefit largely by the erection of a new sound picture film laboratory, by RKO Radio Pictures, at a cost of approximately $1,000,000 for which ground will be broken next month. This great plant, when completed, will employ from 150 to 170 men and women, and will have a nor- mal capacity of 60,000,000 feet of film annually. CONDITIONS TOUGH FOR SAC. UNIONS SACRAMENTO, Oct. 23.—As a result of contract expirations, Sac- ramento theatre unionists are prob- ably in a worse condition than those of any other Coast city. All houses, with exception of the Plaza, are on organized labor’s black list. Plaza is now in its fourth week <of operation u n d e r direction of IATSE, which group has put in a stock company, and is doing pretty good business. Seven musicians, the only theatre musickers in town, are employed there. GAME TIE-UP PROVES WOW Local Publix exploitation director put over a wow of an exclusive tie- up at the L. A. Coliseum football ‘-games with the score card layout. With inside info, from the cam- pus, he gets the line-up for the starter’s gun, and plants 50,000 weekly around the entrances. Fans grab the correct score card, which naturally carries a heavy plug for Paramount and U. A. cur- rent attractions, turning down the proffered “official” card at two bits per. As one fan remarked, “Publix service.” WILBUR LAUNCHES ISLAND STOCK RUN HONOLULU, Oct. 23. — Dick Wilbur opened the winter season at the Liberty with his Wilbur Players in “Let Us Be Gay,” getting off to a good start. Cast of his stock company in- cludes Barbara Brown and Richard Allan, leads; Fritzie MacGuigan, James Dillon, Walter Smith, Flor- ence Bell, Michel Dupre, Norma Leach, Walter Bonn, Ford Ban- croft, Geraldine Palmer and Berke- ley Buckingham. Set to follow “Let Us Be Gay” under Wilbur’s 'weekly change policy, are “Salt Water,” “Bachelpr Father,’.’ “Two Girls Wanted,” “Skidding” and “Journey’s End,” the latter of which will be staged during Armistice Week. CIVIC REP WORKS ON ‘APPLE CART’ Civic repertory theatre rehearsals are in progress for th’e premiere on November 3 of George Bernard Shaw’s “The Apple Cart.” Claude King directs. Company includes Alan Mow- bray, Doris Lloyd, Daisy Belmore, Evelyn Hall, Nellie Strong, Chap- pell Dossett, Boyd Irwin, Eric Snowdon, Olaf Hytten, Reginald Sheffield, Cyril Delevanti, Howard Davies and Paul Nicholson. Following “The Apple Cart,” will come “The Infinite Shoeblack,” “Peter Pan,” “Porgy,” “At Mrs. Beam’s,” and John Galsworthy’s “The Mob.” Exchanges Will Enforce Clause On T WO'F or'One Due to alleged flagrant violations, local exchanges are going to en- force the following clause, which was inserted in the zoning plan at the meeting between exhibitors and exchange managers last year in ref- erence to the unethical two-for-one policy still practiced by certain in- dependent operators. The clause reads: “That all plans, or devices to avoid a two-admission classifi- cation by any theatre, by the is- suance of a ticket, or tickets, or any other devices to admit one or more persons, or of the giving of programs, etc., such plan or evasion may call for re-classifica- tion of such theatre by the zoning committee and the actual value of each such admission shall fix such classification.” Many violations have been re- ported, in which the exhibitors have been charged with issuing pro- grams, tickets and other so-called subterfuges on the two-for-one or- der, which in reality brings the or- iginal admission .price to one-half, but still staying within their priced zone. The zoning committee inserted the above clause only at the request of exhibitors at their last meeting, but, in view of the fact that many exhibitors are wilfully violating this clause, it is reported, drastic re- zoning is on schedule for the next meeting. UNION HOLDS OUT SEATTLE, Oct. 23.—Bill Doug- las, secretary of the local musi- cians’ union, ruled that no b^nds in band contest sponsored by Third Avenue Merchants’ Association cel- ebration October 25. Committee in charge of affairs cancelled. DEVELOPES MIKE RKO Radio Pictures’ sound de- partment has perfected a “concen- trator microphone.” It’s first use was on the Sonora desert for “Beau Ideal,” where dialogue was recorded in the face of wind storms exceeding 60 miles per hour. OFFICE WIFE GAG “The Office Wife” in New York was publicized by having a girl and man pose on scaffolding above the marquee of the Winter Garden, the man at his desk, the girl as the of- fice wife sitting on his lap. 200 PLAYERS ON PAYROLLS OF 2 SHOWS Lillian Albertson and Louis O. Macloon are the busiest producers on the soast at this moment, with close to two hundred people in their employ. “Paris in Spring,” their'new op- eretta, with Allan Prior and Lilli Segrena featured, opens at the Cur- ran Theatre, San Francisco, No- vember 3. “New Moon,” in which Perry Askam is again starring, opens a two weeks engagement at the Bilt- more theatre next Monday evening with the original cast intact with the exception of a new prima donna in the person of Myrah Hubert. Cast includes John Merkyl, Earl Askam, Myrtis Crinley, Charles Boyle, Dorothy McCormick, How- ard Nugent, John Wagner, Edd Russell and ensemble of sixty. Cecil Stewart and his symphonette or- chestra will also be seen on tour. “The New Moon” was forced out of the Majestic Theatre last May through contracted bookings in San Francisco. It has not been seen out of the state. It jumps direct to Portland, opening November 11. “Paris in Spring” enlists a com- pany of 80. In addition to Allan Prior and Lilli Segrena, the cast includes Max Dill, Richard Powell, Russell Scott, Janice Joyce, Karer- jarto and a chorus of 40 singing- voices. Leo Flanders will act as conductor, as he did with “The Stu- dent Prince” during its recent Los Angeles engagement. Immediately following the forth- coming tour of “The New Moon,” the most important attraction to visit the northwest since “The Des- ert Song,” Perry Askam will be sent to London in an operetta the Macloons are completing negotia- tions for at present. Askam and the big ensemble from “The New Moon” were heard over KHJ and the Columbia Broad- casting chain last Saturday night. Allan Prior, Lillie Segrena and other members of the cast of “Paris in Spring,” together with the en- semble, will be offered this Satur- day. LOAN LOTTI LODER TO FANCHON IDEA Lotti Loder, Warner Bros, fea- ture player, whose latest picture, “The Man in the Sky,” is scheduled for release, was loaned by W. B. to Fanchon and Marco to feature in their “Seasons Idea.” Miss Loder will be seen in Los Angeles next week. ACADEMY OF ARTS PICKS BOARD AND COMMITTEES At a meeting of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the following were elected to the Board of Directors: Actors’ Branch: Lawrenve Grant, Branch committee — Sam Hardy, Conrad Nagel, Lois Wilson, George Irving, and Richard Tucker. Directors’ Branch: Donald Crisp. Branch committee — Frank Lloyd, Reginald Barker, John Robertson, ohn Cromwell, and Edward Slo- man. Producers’ Branch: Irving Thal- bferg. Branch committee — B. P. Schulberg, Charles Christie, J. L. Warner, Fred Beetson and Carl Laemmle, Jr. Technicians’ Branch: Karl Strauss. Branch committee—Nugent H. Slaughter, I. James Wilkinson, Hal Mohr, J. M. Nickolaus, and Ben Carre. Writers’ Branch: A1 Cohn. Branch committee — A1 Cohn, Winifred Dunn, John F. Goodrich, Paul Perez, and Jack Cunningham. Tuesday evening in the Academy Lounge at the Roosevelt Hotel, a banquet for the Academy members was held, with some of the past members present. At this gather- ing, the former board of officers was confirmed: William D. de Mille, president; Conrad Nagel, vice president; Frank Woods, secretary; M. C. Levee, treasurer; Lester Cowan, assistant secretary; Clinton Wunder, executive manager; Wil- liam Conklin, actor-producer rela- tions. Members of board of directors to continue: Jean Hersholt, William C. de Mille, Frank Lloyd, M. C. Levee, William Le Baron, Nugent H. Slaughter, J. T. Reed, Walde- mar Young, and Benjamin Glazer. GLADYS MURRAY PREMIERE DANCER with George White’s “Scandals” and New York Winter Garden. IN HOLLYWOOD NOW and Directress of Children’s Dept, of Tap, Off-Rhythm and, Acrobatics at Bud Murray School for Stage and Screen 3636 Beverly Blvd.