Inside facts of stage and screen (January 3, 1931)

Saturday, January 3, 1931 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Page Seven NSID One Year One Year - - Published Every Saturday - $4.00 Foreign - - $4.00 Foreign - - $3.00 - - $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. Downten Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. Telephone TUcker 7832 JACK JOSEPHS - -- -- -- -- - President and Editor ARTHUR WM. GREEN - - - - - -Vice Pres, and Counsel Vol. XII Saturday, January 3, 1931 No. 25 iy a "A^WAVAVJVV.V,V,YA , AV TEN FEET CLOSER By Edward Montagne ^ The beginning of 1930 saw the advent of the stage dramatist in motion pictures in large numbers, and almost the passing- out of the screen writer. I think that 1931 will see the return of the screen writer to his old position of im- portance, and the subordination of the dramatist to the role of dia- logue writer , except in cases where the dramatist possesses real creative ability. The reason is simple. 'The dramatist ha3 overload- ed pictures with dialogue. Pur- suing his method of writing for the stag^, he has employed dia- logue dUevery opportunity to put over business, thought, even the smallest of things; as his stage- training taught him that he must make everything as clear to those in the last row in the orchestra as to those in the first row. Every member of a screen audi- ence is within ten feet of the char- acters in the play. He resents so much talk, as he has been accus- tomed in the past to seeing players ; do things instead of talking about doing them. The old style of screen tech- nique. enabled a character to tell his audience what he was go- ing to do through props used on the set, through facial expression, through bits of business ingenious- ly created by the screen writer and the screen director. In addi- tion this form of technique permit- ted audiences to sit back, relax and see the story acted out for them, instead of bending over try- ing to catch every line for fear of losing something important. I feel the future will see a re- turn to screen technique, with just a minimum of dialogue, and stories with more action and movement. After all, these are the very things which made the motion pictures, which drew hundreds of thousands away from the legitimate theatre, and it seems foolish, after the vic- tory has been won, to return to a form of technique which could not hold its own audience. RADIO-YO-HOS Calvin Hendricks with Serenad- es—Aggies are changing their program time—Old Wagontongue is telling a true story of the old- time Texas rangers—Joy’s orches- tra is offering a new and varied network p r o g r a m—Marks and Grubb and Georgia Miller, leading lady with the ICOA Players is mar- ried to Lieutenant Frank E. Fries of Fort Logan. Freeman H. Talbot, manager of KOA, Denvere, has turned inven- tor. He has designed a lime-left indicator that has been installed in the main studio. Beginning with the Midnight show New Year’s Eve, the Fox Palace Theatre haye signed those two popular radio entertainers, the “Happy Chappies” for an eight day and night engagement with an option on their services for four weeks. I 1 I i « 1 I I Creeling* | HENRY'S I Hollywood, Calif. I I Greetings! GEORGE GRAFE Juvenile —Tenor—Straight CAPITOL THEATRE I-- ■■&3SMP**-.-' SAN FRANCISCO ff THE fR©N¥ PACE The vaudeville pattern headed by Bobbie (Uke) Henshaw at Loevv’s State, is basically the answer to a growing- demand for more and better vaudeville. In- cidentally it reduces the net abod% $1500 as well as to provide faster and snappier entertainment. When Marco decided on this change he had the choice of many headliners. Speed, snap and variety be- ing the major consideration Henshaw’s showmanship measured to the demand for that particular brand of stamina and punch. He throws fifteen years of expe- rience into this show and his selection capably sustains Marco's judgment. Reviews— San Francisco ORPHEUM San Francisco Reviewed Dec. 27. In person entertainment at this house is contributed by Jack Sprigg’s RKOlians and Buss Mc- Clelland, organist, both stellar features. For this concert Sprigg and gang did “Kanimanoi Ostrow” and did it mightly well, a French horn sclo by the conductor build- ing up considerably. McClellan did “Holy City’ ’on the Robert Morten organ and was well received. PARAMOUNT San Francisco Reviewed Dec. 27 House scored a .clean cut hit in its final week under Publix operation before being taken over by Fox. With Ruth Chatterton in “Right to Love” on screen and little Mitzie Green making person- al appearances customers were hanging on the chandeliers to got a load of this opera. And busi- ness like this is a rarity in this house. Mitzi copped all honors of Pub- lix’s “Hello Paree” unit with her mimicry of Chevalier, Moran and Mack and others and even though she suffered a mighty had .throat she went through her paces like an old trouper, giving ’em an encore and a speech. Wasn’t so long ago she played the Golden Gate with her mom and pop, Keno and Green, as a regular RK3 vaude act. Now she’s a b.o. draw in her own right. Senator Murphy drew a flock of laughs with his familiar political humor and Samuel Bros, impress- ed with their precision hoofing. Bernice Stone contributed a nifty aero dance. Don George was at the organ copping the spotlight with a Rolph number of his own. FOX EL CAPITAN San Francisco Reviewed Dec. 23. Another of those neat Peggy O’Neill productions with Jay Brower at the helm. Here’s a duo that’s been plugging along for the past year seldom missing tapping the hell for exceptional audience returns. Brower and his swell stage band had a duo of musical offer- ings: “You, Just You/’ a composi- tion of Brower, Lou Shaff, Bob Ivimis and Warren Lewis with the latter three doing the tune in various solos: “Wah Wah Gal,” done by • Henry Buettner, Harry Cohen and Kimic. Both were solid hits, LaFrance and Garnet, mixed blackface duo, got over with their w.k. stuff. Freddie Pierce impress- ed with liis vocalizing of “Neath a Blanket of Stars,” and drew a neat hand. Williams Family, four colored pics, in a return date, again clicked and Magee and Ma- lone were no panic as dancing comedians. Sweet Sixteen Sweethearts did several line numbers, all of them good. Mel Hertz continued his record breaking community sing work, still holding the customers in the palm of his hand when it corner to making ’em warble. Picture was "Big Trail.” HAL (ITAL.) SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 30.—In a hotly contested election, made more important by current thea- tre negotiations, members of Local 6, Musicians' union, have re-elected all officers. Executive lineup of the local has Walter Weber, president; Al- bert Greenbaum, recording secre- tary; Frank Borgel, vice-presi- dent; Clarence King, financial secretary. Seven members chosen for the board of directors are Sam Davis, Elmer Hubbard, Walter King, George Lerond, Eddie Love, George Pinto and Jerry Richard. Frank O’Connell and A. S. Morey are delegates to the California State Federation of Labor con- vention and Sam Davis and Clar- ence King are delegates to the A. F. M. convention. Board of relief members are Barney Fran- kel, W. H. Cully, Elmer Hubbard, Curley Jacob and George Kitttsr. With this issue of Inside Facts is included the issue of December 27, 1930. *6 m J. C. ©OHEH I 1 1 l President CONSOLIDATED AMUSEMENT COMPANY of HONOLULU Sends Holiday Greetings to All His Friends Throughout the World ALL BEST HOLIDAY GREETINGS 3&e tflornik MUSICAL DIRECTOR NATIONAL BROADCASTING CO. SAN FRANCISCO THE SEASON’S VERY BEST WISHES In Thankfulness to Our Many Loyal Friends HERMAN MILLER m and his I . CLINTON CAFETERIA CONCERT ORHESTRA POWELL STREET SAN FRANISCO (KYA ARTISTS) m DON BARRIENTOS Violin and Concert Master ELMER CROWHURST Piano ARTHUR WINN Trumpet TOM EWALD Violin J. PROEFENER Flute HENRY DE GRAFF Bass HARRY GULMAN Sax