Inside facts of stage and screen (November 8, 1930)

NOV. 8, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THREE HOLLYWOOD PREMIER’ IN DENVER + In Hollywood—Now By BUD MURRAY With the “Temptations” closing this week and Jack Laughlin’s stage shows, at Million Dollar Theatre being taken off, the “Flesh and Blood ’ stage shows with girls again is left solely in the hands of Fanchon and Marco, with no real opposition, as far as Musical en- tertainment is concerned. They are now “sole owners of their name.” All this proves that Hollywood and L.A., want good shows, but not for $3.00 top. When they can see Charlotte Greenwood and Johnny Arthur, in “Par- lor, Bedroom and Bath” for $1.50, and Leo Carillo in “Mister Antonio” with an excellent cast, for the same prjce, why pay more?—• Both shows are doing great business, and in the Carillo cast we noticed two old timers, who are IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. We haven’t seen Wm. H. Turner since years ago, when he workt for Charley Blaney, in the “Man- Monkey—A territyirg play as we saw it about 2.i years ago in Noo Yawk. And here is Bill Turner playing the part of a real sedate Minister—We also noticed our old friend, Lew Kelley, who used to do the “Dope” in the Burlesque Days—Lew is doing a “Goof” in this show which is the most artistic thing we have seen in years—On one exit he received a tremendous hand— Leo Carillo is always an artist and is superb in this play. We took another trip down to see “Temptations” before its closing and several changes in the show were good, others very bad—For in- stance replacing Carson and Lester, with another two-man team who didn’t compare—In some spots the re-routining of the show was very inconsistent—-But this show has a chance “IF” three real headliners were heading the cast—Hollywood and L.A. won’t pay $3.00 top for just an- other show and cast—At the Mayan during intermission we had a nice long chat with our ex-boss, Sid Grauman, who, as usual, was watching the show' with his Mother (How we envy him). Sid is very busy rite now, arranging the next show for the select Mayfair Club, and the possibility of having A1 Jolson, Eddie Cantor, on the same bill—We also talkt about his double, Edgar Allen Woolf, our boy friend whom we workt with on one of Ted Lewis’ skits—And he never did get that corned-beef. Bumped into our old pal, Sid Algier, who was Manager for Franklyn Warner when we did “Oh Susanna” at the Mayan, and a finer Manager or pal you cannot find—Looks like Sid will be back with Franklyn War- ner —Also a few words with Maurice Wakeman, the “Chief Worrier” for Mr. Warner at the Mayan, and who is busier than the proverbial “One armed paper hanger— Charley Judels is still directing for Mayan Theatre Corp. and is now contemplating doing the new edition very soon—IN HOLLYWOOD. Now for a bit of news from “Exodus”—opposition to “Influx”— Our pet “warbler,” Frankie Richardson, sorrowfully leaves us to open at the Palace, Chicago, and a long tour in vaudeville— Busby Berkely to. Noo Yawk, to “doctor” “Corned Beef & Roses,” a new musical by Billy Rose—Lew Schreiber, without his hat, hurriedly leaving for Noo Yawk for no particular reason— Sammy Ledner on the way to the Big Town with our boy friend, Tom Patricola, who takes a flyer into vaudeville. Our pet protege who first danced the “Sacramento Packet,” our original dance number— Phylis Soule, we mean, left to join “The Gang’s All Here”—In the same show, featured, is “perky” Zelma O’Neal, who left last week too. Strolling down the Boulevard one very quiet evening with our friend Harry Wardell, we bumped into smiling Jack Warner, and between he and Harry, many a wise-crack was made—Shooting by in a snappy road- ster with a “Big Hello,” George O’Brien, waving both hands—and they are all IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. Although we do not imbibe “fluidly”.—much—we are greatly interest- ed in the litte conversation we had with John G. Zobelein, vice president of the L. A. Brewing Company, who is at this minute in a position to brew real beer in 18 hours, and indirectly, put approximately ten thou- sand people to work— Mr. Zobelein also figures that the farmers could get rid of about 500,000 bushels of barley, and by so doing, thousands of acres of land would be put in action, and the necessary labor—Na- tionally about 1,000,000 people wou'd get work indirectly—And if the majority of this nation want Lite Wines and Beer—why don’t they make up their minds or get off the “Proverbial Pot.” Allrite, they say “Hard Times”—Well, here’s a way to give plenty of employment, and the moderate worker will loosen up, and buy his beverage, which wouldn’t be a ‘luxury” as it is now, but it would be an “Economical, Healthful desire” and very surpressed— To the Brown Derby for a Lite lunch, where we noticed Ed Kane and Murray Bloom two ex-Noo Yawkers, actor and writer respectively— Walter Catlett telling some hot stories—-Three regulars, Lew Cody, Fatty Arbuckle and Hoot Gibson, all talking over the “Good Old Days”—A few words with our boy friend, Charley Mosconi, who runs a darn good dancing school too, with his own wife, Margaret Young —A good old family chat with Noah Beery about family trouble, and the nice ones of the family generally get the “bad breaks”—Why we cannot fathom, unless they are always “soft-hearted.” So the next day we took a trip with Junior Coghlan and his Ma and our family, to go deer hunting (in season) and we had our firs* venison as cookt by Noah’s chef at his Paradise Trout Club, and if this wasn’t the most delicious food we have had in many moons, we will be a ‘dirty name”—The club is getting more popular every time we take a trip up to Noah’s place, and it’s ideal for a real rest—We ran into Mrs. Sammy Ledner and our pal, Georgie Lerch who was with us in George White’s Scandals of 1927— Going into the Fites Friday Nite at the Hollywood Legion, we ran into Patrick Frances Shanley, whom we haven’t seen for some time, and he said “He was in escrow for the past three months”—Next to Pat at the Fites was B.B.B., wearing a green silk-lined coat, a green tie, and a large bright Orange flower—You never can trust a “Sinn-Feiner”—Cute little Frances McCoy, a very clever comedienne who recently made, “Soup to Nuts”—a Fox picture—We see Violinsky is “still” IN HOLLY- WOOD. And again at the Fites Mr. and Mrs. A1 Jolson and their boy friend. Harry Wardell —The two ‘Gold Dust Twins,” “Wheeler and Woolsey are being seen around again—Notice Billy Arnold and G. Pat Collins, both with us years ago in the Passing Show of 1916 —The American Legion presented Marshall Duffield, Trojan Grid star with a watch this Nite— and a comedy Boxing Bout done by A1 Schacht, the “Clown of the Baseball Field,” which was refered by that daring “WhataMan” Shires, who fears no man— Then to Henry’s after the Fites for a snack—We see Dave Bennet is still IN HOLLYWOOD and at Dave’s table we recognized a prima donna whom we were with about 15 years ago in “Stock Companies,” we refer to Agnes Finlay (in those days)— Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Cohen dropped in for a few words and a “Hunk of Ham”—Yes, Sammy is now Irish by adoption, his bride being as Irish as “Paddy’s Pig”— Charley Chaplin looking very dapper ‘gabbing” with his pal Henry — We accidently met another old timer, and this time down at the Beach, while opening our Bay District Branch School—we were teach- ing two daughters of (former) Miss Helen Marr —formerly, with such old time shows as “The Earl and The Girl,” “Orchid” Country Girl, with Edd’e Foy, and she is in Hollywood Now, writing scenarios and a teacher of Dramatic Art—IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. ‘Why Change Executives’ By TED PRICE, Showman-Analyst I find the series to be interesting and constructive, Very truly yours, JOSEPH I. SCHNITZER, President of RKO Studios SYNOFSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTER Gate, who represents the Box Omce, proves to the Backer of the Film industry that there is no substitute tor experience; tnat changing executives means the junking of experience, which needs only a respect lor relative entertainment and box office values to bring it up to a maximum of usefulness. Gate maintains that the intangibles, called creative instinct and inspiration, become tangibles when they reach print, and that they are as amenable to direction as the tangibles of applied science. Old Tabor Qiven Heavy Reopening By DUSTY RHODES DENVER, Nov. 5.—A regular Hollywood premiere was witnessed by Denveries at the reopening of rlarry Huffman’s Tabor. Airp.anes released fireworks. Studio lights and news camera men were around the lobby. Huffman has transformed this old theatre into a thing of beauty, new decorations and new lighting effects. Seats are spaced far apart, afford- .ng comlort. Interesting feature is a historical exhibit on the lounge floor, with scenes of the early Colorado gold strikes. Old .Tabor curtain was lowered for a few minutes, giving the young- er generation a glimpse of what a curtain in the late eighties was like. “Big Trail” was reopening fea- ture. TIOMKIN IS ASKED TO TOUR COUNTRY Dimitri Tiomkin, celebrated Rus- sian composer, now assisting with the recording of his own musical score for Edwin Carewe’s “Resur- rection,” at Universal, has been ap- proached by one of the greatest American impresarios, in regards to a contemplated concert tour of the country, upon the completion of the Tolstoi opus. Something in the nature of an ex- periment, the composer would carry a tremendous company of musicians and dancers, the entire production to be built around himself and his compositions. MAJESTIC SCREENS MODERN PICTURE Majestic Pictures Corporation. Harry Sherman, president, has opened “Today,” the corporation’s latest picture, at the RKO. Film features Conrad Nagel, Katherine Dale Owen and Judith Vocelli. “To- day” is a story of now, adapted from the stage success by George Broadhurst and Abraham Schomer. Harry Sherman is in New York and writes that things look “hunky dory.” “Today” is the first of a eries of 8 features to be produced by Sherman. ETUDE CHORUS TO GET BIG CONTRACT Etude Ethiopian Chorus, de luxe colored singing organization of more than 40 mixed voices, is nego- tiating with one of the major stu- dios for a long term contract, fol- lowing tidings of their triumph in the Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy feat- ure for Hal Roach, “Their First Mistake.” The work of the chorus, under the leadership of Frieta Shaw, is considered sensational. Ray Cof- fin is sponsoring the organization. SILVEY RECOVERED SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 6.— Perry Silvey, ad chief for Wagnon theatres, is back at his desk after a two weeks absence due to illness. Backer shoved over a big box oi Coronados Notaxos, so Gate toou .t he was going Okay. “And now,” he said, lighting up the clear havana and putting with satisfaction on the one pleasure the blue noses were waiting on a war ror so they could vote on it, “there are 82 or more tangible elements in chemistry. Do you know how many elements there are in writing, pro- duction, exploitation and audience reaction?” "No,” grumbler the big boss, "that’s for the leftenants to know. I want to know what’s going to happen when I ask them to learn the relative value of all those ele- ments?” “What?” queried the kibitzer, “is going to happen in this great la- boratory of talkie production if they don’t?” Backer looked like a rainy night in front of a shooting gallery. “The same thing,” said the Ki- bitzer, “that happens when the boss sends an incompetent chemist into the laboratory to mix a quart of Nitro-Glycerin. The chemist re- signs through a hole in the roof. I’ll explain .” “No, you wont,” the big boss thundered, “if lefty here don’t get it, then I’ll get somebody in here who does.” “Check and double check,” said Gate thinking up a new one without thinking. “Check,” said he, “if you fire Lefty you fire a guy who al- ready knows something about those elements. He knows what they look like. He’s got the feel of them. He’s had some experience with them. The guy you put in his place knows nothing of them. So why not put Lefty’s experience in school right here in the studio? I’d be glad to give him their relathe value.” Lefty looked glum. Backer was studying him. Both were doing some six camera thinking. They had tuned a battery of mikes in on this guy Gate and the results were in their mixing room.' They were mulling over the playback. Mulling and muling. The tangibles and re- lative values sounded good, but they looked like a racket. A new one. What was it? In the old days, with clock-like regularity, the New York bunch, the bankers and managing directors had wished a new variety of expert on them. Those experts all toted a brace of axes. Executive heads were lopped off so fast they clut- tered up the hallways. And now this guy Gate. Nobody sending him; nobody back of him. No axes, no decapitating instruments of any kind; not even a hammer. And how the critics, the dis- gruntled outsiders, the sociologists and comstocks, had ripped into them. Expert diagnosticions who had diagged until they nosticated the whole industry. Gate wasn’t criticising, wasn’t picking flaws, wasn’t asking them to change a thing. But he wanted them to put the talkie, the screen drama, in the laboratory; put the leftenants in school. It was another racket, all- right. "Look here,” grunted Backer, “you can’t put Tibbit’s voice and Barrymore’s acting under a micro- scope.” “Or Helen Kane’s Boop-oop-a- doop in a test tube?” added Gate. “You don’t have to. They’ve already gone through the laboratory of many try-outs before hundreds of audiences, and every individual artist of proven value in Hollywood stand- ing alone has proven his value in the test tube of time and the public’s discriminating eye. But just the minute you place their value as in- dividuals together they take on a comparative value, a relative value to each other and the picture as a whole.” “Seems like I heard that ‘relative value’ thing before” smiled the Big Boss. “Yes, it was mentioned when you dragged that guy Einstein into my family.” It occurred to Backer that Gate’s racket wasn’t going to crack up so (Continued on Page 6) EARLE WALLACE Always Busy Developing Dancing Stars but Never Too Busy to Create and Produce Original DANCE ROUTINES and REVUES That Sell Belmont Theatre Bldg., First and Vermont Phone Exposition 1196 Los Angeles, Calif. HARVEY KARELS SCHOOL OF DANCING 7377 Beverly Blvd VALUE OR. 2688 N. Y. * STAGE & DANCE DIRECTOR & PRODUCER * L. A. PRACTICAL DRAMATICS AND STAGE DANCING TAP, Off-Rhythm, “Modernized BALLET" & Acrobatic* “MODERNIZED BALLET” by Mary Frances Taylor (Premier Danseuse) “Oh Susanna,” “Gone Hollywood," "Student Prince," "Broadway Melody" “THE ORIGINAL MURRAY SCHOOL” «■■■■■ .OF NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES, George and Florence Barclay PRODUCERS AND DANCE DIRECTORS now associated DOUGLAS SCHOOL OF DANCING 1417 7th avenue—Seattle One of the finest theatrical producing dance studios on the Pacific Coast “Regards to our many friends in Los Angeles”