Inside facts of stage and screen (November 15, 1930)

ESTABLISHED 1924 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Vol. XU Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at Post- office, Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. Saturday, November 15, 1930 Published Every Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros. Down- town Building, 401 West Seventh St., Los Angeles, Calif. No. 20 RACKETS HOLLYWOOD BAND BOYS RUSH BACH FOR HONOR By BILLY HAMER Hollywood is out to better Beethoven, Bach and other grand masters of music to save $ 100 . Latest ambition of melody scribblers on local lots is to turn out a masterpiece that will click with the natives of Eu rop>e, and other parts of the world, where real music lovers of the old school exist. Most of these ambitious writ- ers are ex-librarians, band men or pluggers, who Operate on the theory that composing music is a matter of resolution rather than inherent instinct. Smaller studios are reported en- couraging this spark of genius, mainly on ground that it’s cheaper to have a symphony written by one of the boys on the payroll than to pay a publisher $100 for world’s rights. How these Hollywood composi- tions will take, when they emenate from a talkie speaker in Austria, Budapest, Paris or Berlin, is a mat- ter of conjecture on the part of Los Angeles music critics. Some claim a quota of new musical gen- ius will be developed. Reaction on the producers is ex- pected, hojwever. Their contract with the publishers, at which they get the w. r. on a comnosition for 100 smackers, expires in 1932. Pub- lishers once cleaned up, when every theatre orchestra bought music cued for the picture. . Since talkies walked in, publishers are wondering where they get off at the $100 a shot proposition. NEW MARKS CHIEF Edward B. Marks Music Com pany, New York publishers, an nounce the appointment of L. Wolfe Gilbert as general professional man- ager. Gilbert is one of the popu- lar music world’s outstanding fig- ures, being the writer of “Ramo na,” ’“Jeannine,” and scores of equally noted successes. Height of Depth Benny Fields says the depth of the down and outer, would be to meet all his friends in an Austin, and have them packing a couple of bass drums. THE ONLY REASONS FOR THIS PICTURE ARE: I OPEN AT THE RKO, LOS ANGELES NOVEMBER 20; JACK JOSEPHS HELD ME IN HIS ARMS WHEN I WAS A KID; WHEN PICTURE PRODUCERS READ THIS, REMEMBER—I WOULD LOVE TO STAY IN HOLLYWOOD Smilingly, JACK OSTERMAN FILM TOWN SEEKS HOW TO GET BY WOLF BOOKS NORTH Rube Wolf, dynamic m. c. who closes at Loew’s this week after a 13-week engagement, is due to open at the Fifth Ave., Seattle, on the 27th. Gene Morgan, heavy local fav here, succeeds Wolf. WOODY ON STAGE Arch Woody, formerly of the ad- vertising staff of “Inside Facts,” opens with a single for F. and M. this week. Woody will be booked into an “idea” later. Arch is get- ting his “double trucks” all set for the boys. MILDRED REHEARSING Mildred Harris, who was in cast of “Dear Me,” is rehearsing for a revue. Miss Harris is also going in for light opera, for which she is being prepared by a local voice expert. Hollywood’s gone racketeer- ing on a bigger scale than ever. Ideas on how to get by are worth more than ever. Hard times have sharpened wits, with result that plenty of get-rich-easv boys are figuring a flock of new—and old— schemes for keeping afloat un- til the panic is over. Most of them plan to cash-in on groups no better off than they are. Naturally, publicity is the easiest thing to adopt, when another busi- ness goes bad. Free lance pub- licity scribes who write but don’t clip are on increase. Business advisors, personal sec- retaries, and others of the same ilk, have recruited themselves in hun- dreds from the extra ranks. One business advisor charges five grand for an interview, but would be glad to take $10 in real money, if they could get it. Writers are selling out for what- ever they can drag, but boost their figure if they find someone with money. Small business operators report- ed playing a circuit, usually one week stands, of cafes where they can sign tabs. Self appointed movie critics, who tell what's wrong with pictures, but have no remedy to suggest, are on the increase. These air their opin- ions in short-lived sheets, that start with a few advertisements, and then go up in smoke. When out of a job, these “critics” turn press- agents for anything from a gas sta- tion to an actor, out of work, who can’t pay. NOTICE GOES UP Notice to the musicians and stage crew was posted at Long Beach. This house is operated by the same management as the Million Dollar theatre here. It started with vaude and pictures then switched to Laughlin's revues and reverted to vaude, which is now discontinued. Boosts Sin O. Q. Hagerman, p. a. for Tiffany, is boosting “Sin.” Says there is a desert rendez- vous by the name, and also a brand of moonshine at SO cents a copy. “Great for a cold in the head”, says he. YOU'LL SEE IT IN