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

PAGE SIX INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN NOV. 15, 1930 S<3EP(g(3dQ, One Year Published Every Saturday - - $4.00 Foreign $5.00 Advertising Rates on Application Established 1924 As a weekly publication: Entered as Second Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. ' Published by Inside Facts Publishing Company, Inc. 800-801 Warner Bros. Downtown Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS ARTHUR WM. GREEN JEAN ARMAND President and Editor Vice Pres, and Counsel General Manager Vol. XII Saturday, November 15, 1930 No. 20 SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13.—KYA has added two new musical features within the past three weeks, a cinch to build up that station’s following. Chief among these is Max Dolin, who remote controls night- ly from the Lake Merritt Hotel, Oakland. Other is Curtis Mosby’s Blue Blowers, broadcasting five nights weekly, from the Apex Club. When Louie Armstrong opens in 12 weeks that should be another feather in •KYA’s cap. x * * * Eleanor Allen and John Moss are doing a new program, “As You Like It,” over KFRC. Inauguration of the United Broadcasting Co. and admission of its programs to the KTAB ether waves has automatically killed the Pepper Box since the UBC programs are on from 7 to 10 nightly. Pepper Box, Wednesday night variety program which KTAB has built up into a spicy offering may, however, make the chain later on. ♦ * * O. B. Hanson, manager of the department of plant operation and engineering at the New York headquarters of NBC, was here this week on an inspection of the Pacific division. * * * Harry Elliott has been named p. a. for Columbia Broadcasting in charge of news releases in Washington, Oregon and California. * * * Monroe Upton and Eugene Hawes of KFRC have published a pamphlet called “What to Do Till the Doctor Comes.” * * * Reports indicate Lucky Strike hour from New York may undergo radical change soon. * * * Frank Moss, vocal director, and Liston Bowden, technical head, have left KFRC. No successors are named. AND THEIR ORCHES- TRA THREE GIRL EN TOUR HAWAIIAN ISLANDS JACK SPRIGG MUSICAL DIRECTOR R-K-O ORPHEUM SAN FRANCISCO WTT T DVft YfMl ORCHESTRA ▼▼ AAjAJ sliivtl CONDUCTOR NEW STATE THEATRE SYDNEY AUSTRALIA RETURNING TO THE U. S. A. IN OCTOBER TED HENKEL MUSICAL PRESENTATION CONDUCTOR AND DIRECTOR CAPITOL THEATRE Sydney, Australia Pit Orchestra of 30 Stage Band of 20 HENRY STARR The 1640 Boy HOT SPOT OF RADIO San Francisco, Calif. Over Station KYA is another of the well known celebrities who features the following Robbin’s hits nightly “Go Home and Tell Your Mother,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Just a Little Closer,” “You’re Simply Delish” ROBBINS MUSIC CORP. 799 SEVENTH AVE. NEW YORK CITY Ups and Downs In Hollywood How prices fluctuate in these tough times at Hollywood was illustrated this week, when a writer said he’d sell a swell skit for $15. Adler and Bradford, with Fanchon and Marco, were tipped, and Bradford offered the fifteen. “It’ll cost vou $350,” said the writer, raising the bet when he was talking to someone with a route. Bradford sought his informant and offered to pay him $25 if he’d get the skit for $15. With his offer taken, writer raised to $50, still $300 under what he wanted from the team. Sale out. MYSTERY PERSON VISITING STUDIOS Jack Joy of KFWB is sleuthing, with Gerry King, manager, con- cerning a mysterious stranger who visits many studios during an eve- ning. The individual patiently parks in a waiting room listening. But silent. Soon he departs for the next station. It is claimed that as many as five and six stations will be visited by the sphynx in an evening. KJERULF HARPISTS RETURN TO TOWN Kjerulf’s Versatile Harpists, un- der direction of Barbara Taylor Kjerulf, have returned to Los An- geles after a successful season in central states. They are the only jazz harp act in vaudeville at the present time, featuring five harpists who double in whistling, singing and dancing, with the act being costumed in va- rious periods, including the Span- ish, Irish, and Colonial French, ac- cording to claims. PARTY GOES “ON;” YES, ON THE AIR One morning recently, 16 per- formers of KHJ concluded their broadcast. Feeling gay and peppy, Ray Paige, Niles, Hale and Derry, Freddy Purch and others indulged in five minutes of “horse play.” Extreme embarrassment when they learned they were on the air, the trasmitter not having been shut off. Which reminds us of that gag about a certain San Francisco an- nouncer who made an inappropriate crack after signing off a kiddie’s program. The remark was funny but not to the thousands of fond parents who heard it coming over the “milke.” That lad lost his job! It seem accidents like that happen very often! New York Likes Pacific Feature SAN FRANCISCO, "Nov. 13.— “To restrict a cleared channel radio station in the use of power, in the belief it would interfere with other stations, would be like saying a newspaper could not install a new, modern press and increase its cir- culation, because it might interfere thus with other newspapers.” Don E. Gilman, vice-president in charge of the Pacific Division of the National Broadcasting Company, thus explains a popular misconcep- tion of radio power which caused long hours of testimony at the Fed- eral Radio hearing in Washington, D. C. “New York likes our programs, and is planning to develop more fea- tures from the Pacific Coast.” “One of the amusing features of the hearing was the testimony that a powerful radio station meant some- thing dangerous in the community,” he said. “Finally, one engineer ex- plained that a 50-kilowatt station in power equalled an ordinary electric sign. OPENS A STUDIO SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13.— Helen Pachaud, former F. and M. featured dancer has opened a stage dancing studio. WHY CHANGE EXECUTIVES 1 (Continued from Page 3) gone the limit in staging physical hokum.” “Physical hokum?” The Sultan turned a languid eye towards Jock who was nodding drowsily. Even on the edge of slumber his head was faithful to the Master. “Why bring that up? Physical hokum is the sure-fire of entertainment.” “It’s a push over, but the public’s been getting it for twenty-five years. What’s the answer?” asked Gate. “The public doesn’t know what it wants,” averred the Sultan. “Apparently it doesn’t want so much of one thing, as manifested at the box office,” contended Gate. “It looks as though we’d better change the booking.” “You mean?” “Yes. Basically this is a mental as well as a physical audience. No other division or classification of human activity and desire is prac- tical. We are at the exchange. The sign reads: ‘To mental hokum or to physical hokum.’ Which is it go- ing to be?” “One minute. Are you asking the industry to go intellectual?” “How can it?” asked Gate. “Well?” queried the Sultan. “With the materials of production mostly physical?” “Just so, we understand each other,” countered his Majesty. “But consider the mental limitations of the average audience. Jock could tell you, if he’d keep awake, how we are compelled to write down to it.” PRECEDENT? “Did Jesus Christ, Moses and Abraham Lincoln write down to their people?” “I never thought of it exactly that way.” "Simple action and dialogue, un- derstandable to all, is the most dif- ficult to master. What we need, is more craftsmen skilled in writing up to the comprehension of the public,” stated Gate. “But we engage the finest fiction writers in the field.” “I would like to go into exactly what, of value, published fiction contributes to screen entertain- ment, but it would take too long. Suffice to say that narrative and descriptive values are not always screen values. Basically, because they must pass through the actor before they reach the audience. Mainly we need good translators and interpreters of screen values in fiction.” “And what do you think we have in our scenario departments? Cam- era men?” demanded the Sultan. “Haven’t you got rid of them yet? Vour constructionists seem to be very capable. They do remark- ably well with the story values turn- ed over to them for treatment.” “Then what the devil are you finding fault with?” rasped the Sul- tan. war put across with me what poor “I hadn’t noticed that I was. The sportsmanship it is to bite the hand that’s feeding you, even though the rations are meagre.” “Then what are you pre-viewing” asked h:s Majesty. “Just this: We are in an age of specialists; in fact we have been as far hack as the day when the telephone booth was in the back yard. You are a specialist. You are one of the greatest directors in talking picture production. That is your specialty: Direction. Therein lies your value to the business; no more, no less. You are not a Jack of all Specialties, and if you con- tinue to think so, you are riding for a flop.” “What right have you to make such a statement?” thundered the Sultan of Wham. “What authority? What is your background? your ex- perience? your success in produc- tion? His Majesty was sore. (To Be Continued) RAY COFFIN * INTERNATIONAL PUBLICITY 6607 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. Phone GLadstone 3201 MOSCOW BROTHERS Auditions for Stage Talent every Wed. at 11 a.m. Children’s au- ditions, every Sat., at 11 a.m. I747N.UJ PALMAS H0UYW00D.PHONEHI «986 Artistic Scenic Advertising Curtains By Far the Best in America CURTAIN PRIVILEGES BOUGHT FOR CASH OR SCENERY Chas. F. Thompson Scenic Co. 1215 Bates Avenue Phone OLympia 2914 Hollywood, Calif. TED PRICE SHOWMAN-ANALYST Rendering confidential reports on synopsis and continuity to leading EXECUTIVES - AUTHORS - DIRECTORS - STARS Ted Price, specialist on Suitability, Consistency and Balance, author of Why Change Executives?, indorsed by Jos. I. Schnitzer, President RKO, will render showman-analysis of limited number of synopsis and continuity contemplated for production. Analysis covers Saturation Point, Word-of- mouth, content-of-sure-fire. Relative Entertainment and B. O. Values. RATES ON REQUEST. ADDRESS, c/o Inside Facts. SCENERY SALESMAN WANTED Must Know Business from A to Z .... Write .... AMERICAN STUDIOS 1060 Folsom St. . . . . San Francisco .... NILE MARSH Back From a Successful Fanchon and Marco Tour In a return engagement at the FOX EL CAPITAN SAN FRANCISCO “THOSE BALMY HOOFERS!” BROCK and THOMPSON NOW TOURING UNION THEATRES—AUSTRALIA With The Philippines, China and Japan to follow Direction Thanx to L. Ayres Mantell Edw. J. Fisher, Inc., Seattle