Inside facts of stage and screen (January 24, 1931)

Saturday, January 24, 19,51 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Page Nine TREND OF RADIO' TOWARD DRAMA MUSIC by WGODY Orchestras ! __ „ BUNNY BURSQN’S BAND Silver Slipper Cafe San Francisco Song Leaders HARRIS BUYS IN ON COFFEE DAN An Exclusive Theatrical Shoe Store and Factory Mote Mew Address 931S. Olive St»,Los Angeles Hollywood Store 1637 North Las Palmas If it’s Worn on a Human Foot, We Make It” FITZROY 1241 FITZROY 1241 GENE DAVE WRITE FOR GELATINE SAMPLE BOOK FITZROY 124 1 FITZROY 12 4 1 1451 VENICE BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CALIF (Continued from Page 8) giving way tc- the critic, who picks' his entertainment, and settles back for silent and concentrated attention. “If he is interested in radio plays,’’ Rainey suggests, "the lis- tener should hear his performance in a darkened room.” • Other currentt rends in the de- velopment of radio drama,. accord- ing to NBC’s production man- ager, points to increased care and attention in writing, casting and sound effects. “In casting,” he explained, “the director must give first attention to choosing a cast that can char- acterize rather than caricature This is an all-important distinction in radio, because the microphone can detect artificiality more quick- ly than any critic. Absolute sin- cerity is fundamental. Must Know Voices “Then, too, the director must strive for changing tempo, and varying pitch with bis actors, and must be sure that voices in his cast are properly balanced and contrasted, one against the other. This requires keen cars, for there are a thousand and one differen- tiations in ‘mike’ voices. “In our casting files, we have classified more than 3000 appli- cants from the ranks of Broadway actors. They are listed under any one of a hundred headings. The voice may he metallic, or it may be soft and alluring; it may be happy or plaintive, brittle or edgy, old or young, compelling or re- pulsive, humble or arrogant. It may suggest a fat, elderly dow- ager or a skinny young-girl; a crotchety bachelor or a canid youth. And it is quite possible that the owners of these voices may be the very opposite in per- sonal appearance of what the mi- crophone voice audibly pictures.” Sound Effects Sound effects, the production expert continues; are receiving in- creased emphasis nowadays in ra- dio plays'. “Slim” Summerville is making the tenth and last of his “soldier bugler” series for Universal. Swagger Inn Art Variant Master-Ceremonies A COMPLETE LUNCH 50 Cents DINNER DE LUXE 75c TURKEY OR STEAK WITH DINNER $1 719!4 S. Hill Street Former Location of Coffee Dan's NO COVER CHARGE CARL PELLEY, Mgr. TU. 4749 — MU. 9661 Carl' says: ‘‘Come on, down there’s loads of fun every moment. • - . Art Varian . . . and those hot musicians see to that . . . You’ll enjoy it!!! By ARCH WOODY Con -Maffie discovered himself in tough spot with his organ solo at the. Paramount and snapped himself into a better one. The pic- ture he followed left the audience stirred and tingling from too much boom-boom and high tension drama. The folks must be reclin- ing at case and undisturbed emo- tionally for Con to get in his best strokes, the boy knows his audi- ence. * * * Sidney Sc’hallman doesn't seem to care much about other people wearing a carnation in the coat lapel, apparently with the idea that he invented this particular sartorial adornment. Wonder what Ned “Clothes” Norton and “Carnation” Lou Darrow would say to this. Carnation wearing was established by_ these two gentlemen and the writer received special permission from them to carry on the prac- tice. Wonder if Sidney carries a license. * * * Special attention is called this week to the way Oscar Baum, Paramount Orchestra Maestro, built up that overture. He em- ployed a pyramiding of instru- mentation from every spot in the house, two pianos on stage and upper boxes both sides. * * * Tubby Garron, versatile and pro- gressive music publisher, somehow or other puts across the impression that he stretches the facts—but it usually turns out (to the disap- pointment of those inclined to snicker and look askance) that Tubby hasn’t pulled a fast one yet that hasn't turned out to be true. * * * Mary Reynolds, Marco’s secre- tary, is building a reputation for herself, and it’s the kind of a reputation that anyone would envy. It has been repeated too often now to further keep it out of print that Mary is polite, pleasant, agreeable and really goes out of her way to help people. * * * Rube Wolf, back at his old stand in the Warfield, San Fran- cisco, is knocking ’em for a page of approbation and approval every time he appears. This is his sec- ond week and going stronger than ever. ^ ^ * A word of praise for Henry Gunson, ex-trouper and now watching the stage door at Loew’-s State; He exerts every effort to make- the artists on the bill have a pleasant stay and a pleasant memory. Fresh flowers in the dressing rooms and walls deco- rated with pictures. Very homey. No wonder' they bate to leave. For sheer novelty and 'entertain- ment in addition to swell dance music here’s a nifty little combina- tion that’s hard to beat. Here’s one band that has intelligence and originality in its novelties and at the same time plays dance music that doesn’t sound" like the clat- in the band is featured in some specialty and the eight musicians, dressed in white tux jackets, with tux trousers, present a striking and different picture. Here's a typical group of three dances. Opened with “You’re Driv- ing Me Crazy,” George Whitney vocalizing. Then “Down Old Church Aisle” with the shotgun episode and all, Whitney also chanting tin's. Then “Mender of Broken Dreams” with Eddie Mc- Lane singing; , then a trio (Mc- Lane, Whitney and 'Tex Lang- ston) doing effective vocal work. "Readin’, Writin’, Rhythm” then, with A1 Cicerone, Langston and Whitney comprising a trio, later augmented by Burson and Roland Furnas to make an effective quin- tette. Another outstanding novelty was “ Don’t Send My Boy ' to Prison,” featuring Bog Logan, A1 Grijalva. Whitney, Cicerone, Lang- ston and Burs'on, and good for plenty of laughs. Boys work well down front and without megaphones, a public ad- dress system picking up everything in good style. Intermissions are kept going for instrumentalists or vocalists. Hat. WITMARK AND HARMS AT NEWBERRY’S SAN FRANCISCO, Jan, 22.— Music publishing firms of Wit- mark and Harms have established local professional headquarters' at the Newberry store music counter where Lloyd Monroe will handle the material. Newberry counter is owned by the Music Supply Corp.. of which Art Schwartz,. Witmark representative, is Coast head. LOS ANGELES | Mark up another score for “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” still holding first place in the ten best. However, there are several re- peats in the list, including the prodigiously plugged ‘Tody and Soul” and “Peanut Vender.” It’s a deserving group but there are some brand new tunes on the verge of easing into the best sell- ers any minute now. Following are the ten best for the week: 1. .“You're. .Driving Me Crazy”. ■—Donaldson. 2. “I Surrender, Dear" — Pow- ers. 3. “It Must Be True”—Wagg- ner. 4. “To Whom It May Con- cern”—De Svlva, Brown and Hen- derson. 5. "Peanut Vender”-— Marks. 6. “I'm Alone Because I Love Y'ou” — Witmark. 7. "Tears” — Shapiro'. 8. "Little Things In Life”— Berlin. 9. “Body and Soul" — Harms. 10. “Cheerful Little Earful" — Remick. - Two more that crowd the above are “My Ideal," Famous, and “Moonlight on the Colorado,” Shapiro’s hardy hit. Berlin has three outstanding tunes also chiseling for a place in the ten best. They are “Truly,” “Stolen Moments” and “Reaching for tile Moon.” “Lady, Play. Your Mandolin,” Harms, is another no- table contender. “Blue Again,” Robbins, is pop- ping along at a great rate. “Imagine,” that new Jimmy Base number, and “ S-w e e t Rockin' Rhythm,” Hollywood Syndicate Songs, are local contributions that seem to be making a stir. Credit Jesse* Kirkpatrick and A1 Burgess with lyrics for the last named and “Spike” Williams for the tuneful score. SAN FRANCISCO With the holidays over and some of the season’s best tunes on the market, sheet music competition is pretty stuff, sales leadership being SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22.— ivlort Harris has bought a share of Coffee Dan’s, allying himself with Johnny Da'vis in management of the downstairs night spot. Under the Dayis-Harris regime Dan’s will undergo a flock of changes in policy. They’re going after biz in a big way in hopes of building up- much of the trade' that has slipped off here. Tiny Epperson returns as m. c., with Herman Nelson at the piano and Harris will sing as well' as produce whatever other entertain- ment is used. . Les P.oe is out. CONTRACTING BAND SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22.— Attilio Lamia is contracting for the twenty-five-piece concert or- chestra to be used at the Para- mount, Jan Rubirii directing. La- raia was former orchestra' leader at the California. NEW NUMBER SEATTLE, Jan. 22.— Owen Sweeten is working on a symphonic arrangement of a new number of his own composition entitled. “Comes Sunrise.” MRS. HOLT BETTER Mrs. Jack Plolt, who recently underwent an operation, is ex- pected home within a few days. She has been recuperating in a northern sanitarium. merely a matter of a few copies. Top-notchers are: 1. “You’re Driving Me Crazy” —Donaldson. 2. “Little Things In Life” —• Berlin. 3. “It Must Be True”—Wagg- neri 4. “Crying Myself To Sleep”— Berlin. 5. “Truly”—Berlin. 6. “Peanut Vendor”—Marks. 7. “I’m YTurs”—Famous. 8. “Tears”—Shapiro, Bernstein. 9. “Cheerful Little Earful”— -Red Star. 10. "I Surrender, Dear”—• Powers. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22.- Under the recently signed Musi- cians’ Union contract Orpheufn has dispensed wtili Jack Sprigg's orchestra. There will be no suc- cessor unless the rumored plan of stage shows or prologue goes through. Men from the Orpheum will be used to augment orchestra at the RKO Golden Gate where Claude Sweeten will have a total of fif- teen men with Shad Rosebrook as relief orchestra. Oakland Or- pheum will be built up to four- teen men,. Bill Boyd has returned to Pathe from a vacation for retakes on "Beyond Victory,’-’