Inside facts of stage and screen (Aug 16, 1930)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIVE AKME SOUND IS ON FILM ROW In Hollywood'"'-Now By BUD MURRAY Two openings last week in one night IN HOLLYWOOD, one at Carthal Circle—"Holiday," with Ann Harding—the other, which we fell for for the first time, out on a mmiature golf course—but this was a most unique idea, conceived by our old boss, Sid Algiers, formerly at the Mayan Theatre—built and staged by H. C. Lydecker, former art direc- HW I tor and m/iniature expert at TiflFany-Stahl. f^*%f4%v??\ This is the first of a series of "Eskimo Village" golf courses, with ''huskies," Eskimos, ice-bound ships and the coolest spot we hit this particular BVs evening, and we saw Jimmy Star, ("Cinematters") going around the course, without his Austin, in a 'i^lll^l^^ threesome, with Alice White (our pupil) and ^^L^H^^H Si Bartlett, our pal from Chicago, and Alice's ^^BhM|^H best bet—Noticed Byron Cramer and Lafe Page ^^^B digging the ice floes—also Lillian Rich looking ^ awfully cute, and a good I. A. T. S. E. man, for- merly at the Mayan. Obie Short, no\Y at this course — Mrs. Sid Algiers with a white coat, looking very "Eskimo-ish''—all in all, a good time was had by ail- so we tripped across the way to Pantages Theatre, to "sneak a look" at our "California Sunbeams" in the "Wild and Wooly" Idea—noticed Alex Pantages enjoying the show, and gaining a little in spirit and color. Everyone is trying everything to "knock off" theatre busniess— Now it's "Ladies' Night" at the Olympic—Free seats for ladies with escorts, and we must say, it was a very artistic flop—And yet, there were Mr. and Mrs. Macklin Megley, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gribbon, Mr. and Mrs. George Riley and a few others with some other "suck- er's" wife—Noticed Al Newman, who was formerly a musical direc- tor with our old boss, George White, and Charley Mack, whom wei were with in several Winter Garden productions—Another ex-boss of ours telling a fighter what to do — Al Jolson — The well-known sports writer, Mark Kelly, back in the box looking in the pink—Took Harry Wardell home from the fights—Harry is Jolson's "Mentor"— We would say spiritual advisor—Harry advised us that he and the boss just came back from San Diego looking at Jolson's latest pic- ture—Says it's "great"—And if you know Wardell, you know he knows what he is talking about—He always reminds us of the "Whirl of Society" about 1912, when he played "The Baron—We were hoofing then, and went on for Oscar Shaw with Laura Hamilton, and we are all IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. Then to B. B. B.'s for a change of "air"—It is remarkable how B. B. B. gets the best show in town for nothing—and his audience appreciates the fact that it is for nothing—We noticed Alex Carr of Potash and Perlmutter fame—Jack Lester at Warners' Downtown Theatre and a speedy off-rhythm hoofer—Ed Tierney (another good hoofer) and the (Mrs.)—Marjorie White, that charming little come- dienne, and her kid sister did an impromptu song, who isn't so bad either—A newcomer to Hollywood, Nancy Kelley, was with our boy friend, Herman Paley, and we have to hand it to Herman. He picks 'em young and pretty—Yes, his wife was with him—B. B. B. trying to give Maxie Rosenbloom an argument in WORDS ONLY—Harry Ver- non back in Hollywood and doing his bit for the "Cellar"—We nearly forgot our (Mrs.) Gladys Murray was called on to judge a dancing contest, with another dancing school head, and "picked" the "wrong" couple—She doesn't know any of those "in the bag" tricks, and later in the evening overheard herself being panned in the rest room—So the wife is off judging dancing contests unless she is "head man"— A very clever and charming couple were introduced. Joe and Jane McKenna—From there Gladys to the Beach, and Bud to bed in the town lodgings—IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. A visit back-stage to the Chinese Theatre, to talk to and inspire our pupil, Jean Harlow, making her personal appearance in conjunc- tion with the showing of "Hell's Angels"—What a doll, and so sweet and appreciative for a real star—And the memory lingers on—And then to the office to receive a couple of fan mail'letters relative to this column and our reference to last week's comparative mention of O. O. Mclntyre—This bird signed F. G. H. and in no uncertain terms tells us to "go to the nearest police station and give ourselves up" —(so there)—And still another from a soldier who wants to know there whereabouts of Jack Boyle, our boy friend whom we were with in the "1916 Passing Show"—We can advise vou. soldier, to write him care of Henry's Restaurant, IN HOLLYWOOD NOW. "There's something wrong in Denmark"—John Medbury, that fa- mous ^^Mutterer Alone in a restaurant, with two of the "Unholy Three missing—and in the same place—oh, yes—it was Henry's, where Joe holds the whip hand—We see our promising pupil, Jackie Fields and Abe Roth, who refereed that Wolgast-Robleto scrap, and we know now that Abe appreciates the dancing instruction we gave him—You had to be pretty fast to keep out of Wolgast's way, and w/^r^^i?'"'"^ ^^^^^ fights—And at these fights, IN HOLLY- , A, Gallery's Legion Arena, where for the past two weeks Tom has been giving the boys "shows" and has been packing them in as he should—Maybe some theatrical showmen will take heed from Tom s idea of giving the public a real show—Then they will do business—We couldn't help from noticing within a radius of about ZUO yards^ a flock of_ex-Winter Gardenites, whom we have worked Score Routed By Big Fire More than a score Hollywood film celebrities were temporarily made homeless Tuesday when fire swept through the top floor and roof of the Villa Carlotta apart- ments. Mme. Nikolai Nadejine, wife of the Russian baritone and an occu- pant of the apartment, was over- come by smoke. She was the one casualty. Other film folk routed by the fire were Ernest Pascall, Fern An- dra, Louella Parsons and Frances McDonald. JACK PICKFORD WEDS SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14.— Jack Pickford was married at Peb- ble Beach, near here, to Mary Mul- hern, New York stage player, this week. Pickford, brother of Mary Pickford, was formerly thd hus- band of Olive Thomas, and later was married to Marilyn Miller. RASCH TO N. Y. a er with—Such as John T. Murray, a real comedian—Charley Judels director and a comedian, if you must know it—Lew Brice. anothc. c^kT'"";; '"I'^T/''^^ A^T^ "^^^^ Passing Show"-Frank Fay, pos- nnir.^- ' °A,'' ,^ ■ '^^K^^ HOLLYWOOD, and again our fVvorite comedian, Al Jo son, with our favorite tap dancer. Mrs. Al Jolson— Uave Bennett, all tanned up. looking great, who is dance director at Paramount and who takes us back to 1923. with the "Dream Girl" J^mlc '*^^'^' ,","1 .^'^'^^ ^"^ had, some jollv times--We see our old boy friend. Cap O'Hay, "1921 Passing Show'' and right next to us Lew Cody, looking great, with Norman Kerry, who was all hot and bothered with the outcome of certain decisions- Our brother Masquer Billy Sullivan, handling a pretty good bov but not rujrged enoufrh-Billy writes songs, and isn't a bad hoofer either- HoM In' n"'^ ^""T^^ ^l!""^"'^' ^^"'^^ '■^f Waldorf iT. I, I H 1 '^"^ ^.^1 ^^^r.^^. "^^^'^ R^°^es" is bevond US-Jack Haley and Zelma O'Neal in the house but far apart-Thev both remind us of our net. "Good News," which brought us to the HOME-And to the Brown Derby for lunch next dav. bumned into our bov friond. Bobby Wool.ey without his ball and chkin (Bert Albertina Rasch, world-famous maestra of the ballet, left yester- day for New York, where she will launch the choreographic features of several New York shows. Last season Mme. Rasch had her danc- ing ensembles and soloists in seven leading Broadway productions si- multaneously. She expects to re- turn to Hollywood within a few weeks. DO NEW ONE Bert Wheeler and Robert Wool- sey, laugh producers of RKO pro- ductions, will next be seen in the screen version of "Babes in Toy- land." They have just completed the filming of Harry Tierney's "Half Shot at Sunrise," which has nothing to do with bootlegging, but is an operetta of World War locale. DIRECTS "DIPLOMAT" Mai St. Clair has begun direc- tion of "The Boudoir Diplomat" at Universal studios. Ian Keith was selected for the leading male role of Baron Valmi. The cast for this production includes Betty Comp- son, Mary Duncan, Jeanette Loff, Andre de Beranger, Lionel Bel- more and Lawrence Grant, NEW TALKING PICTURE DEVICE HAS 'EARM ARKS' OF BULL'S-EYE Out of the numerous talking motion picture devices which have loomed and faded in the independent field during the past year and a half, one has finally emanated which has all the earmarks of hitting a bullseye with the exhibitors. It is called the Akme Reproducer, and has recently opened head- quarters at 1979 Vermont. Film row is agog with possi- bilities of this device, which is be- ing manufactured at the Morland Motor Truck works in Burbank. While tlie first machine is oper- ating and on display, actual in- stallations will not be started un- til a dozen or more machines have been completed, which will be a matter of three weeks or so, ac- cording to Col. J. W. Early, gen- eral manager of the Akme Re- producing Co., Ltd. Already sales have absorbed the first batch. The device is perhaps the first to be adapted to both standard or grandeur film, and can be in- stalled in eight hours, using both the lamp house and head of any standard projector. The entire machinery is built into the uni- versal base using no bevel gears and is absolutely noiseless. It is arranged for both film track and disc, with the disc attachment re- movable by the turn of four screws. It is perhaps the most mechan- ically simple of any of the ma- chines to date, having fewer mov- able parts with shorter drive and most compact in assembly. There are no batteries used in amplification, and like the modern radio, plugs in on the house cur- rent. It employs the new photo- lytic cell which is said to elimi- nate ground noise and enable the head amplifier to be mounted on the same panel with the general amplifying , system. The exciter chamber contains four lamps and has a device where- by, in case of a burnout, a new exciter lamp may be turned on in- stantly by simply turning a knob. Necessity for servicing has been reduced to a minimum. There are no complicated gears or cams to get "out of whack" nor any involved amplification panel to go wrong. The sound volume is con- trolled from the organ pit or rear of the auditorium as well as the booth making it possible for cor- rect modulation at all times. But one horn is used for houses up to 2500 seats. Sound quality, as demonstrated under unfavorable conditions in a room no wise sound proofed, was exceptionally natural. Regardless of the volume, there was no dis- tortion of tone either close to the horn or at a distance. It sells on terms for $5000. Akme is the result of inventive improvements conceived by Col. J. W. Early, one of the pioneers in the installation of theatre sound devices and the man who has per- haps sold more independent instal- lations than any other one sales- man. The corporation has for its president I. N. Inskeep, local banker. Morris Medove is busi- ness manager, Fred Harrington electrical engineer and Tom Dyce in charge of production. GIRLS REHEARSE Busby Berkeley has commenced rehearsing the girls for the first Los Angeles Paramount stage show at the Paramount studios. VILLAGE INN HOTEL MODERN THROUGHOUT Special rates to the profession—Acts playing Pantages, Hollywood—and tlie Egjrptian—will appreciate the comfortable atmosphere. 5724 SUNSET BOULEVARD WRITE, WIRE, PHONE for Reservations — HO. 4735 Joe E. Brown, Tommy Dugran and Rufus L HARRY GREENMAN Mgr. Fox • St Louis • and All Your Great • Boys • Who • Made Our Tremendous • Three Big Weeks • At That House • So Happy • So Different • A Pleasure • Again • WE THANK YOU! MRS. EDDIE PEABODY EDDIE PEABODY AND His Personal Manager