Inside facts of stage and screen (February 21, 1931)

STAGE SCREEN Only VIII - Entered as Second Glass Matter, April, 29, 1927, at Post- Y xViiX office. Bos Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879 Saturday, February 21, 1931 Published Every Saturday at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Calif. No. 7 RADIO MUSIC PRICE lO CENTS Theatrical Newspaper on the Pacific Coast LEGIT ROAD CIRCUIT OF 35 WEEKS PLANNED May Move Studios To New York Trend at the motion picture stu- dios is east and within five years all picture production activity will be centered around New York, accord- ing'to grapevine around-town this week. The story, was founded on a ported meeting. o£ movie bankers, which was said to have laid down a dictum that they intended to bring the movie industry imdyr their daily supervision, and that they didn’t in- tend to. come to Hollywood to do it. Wide dissatisfaction in banking- circles over the present movie situ- ation is a known fact. When the local producers went to . New York this year to get their money , for. the coming programs, they are known in many instances to have received the coldest reception in history. They expected an easy time, due to the amount of money, lying idle in eastern banks. But.easy it was not. One prominent producer was au- thentically reported to have cooled his heels in the anteroom a long time, and then to . have been met with the incisive question as to why the amount of money he asked should be forthcoming .when waste and inefficiency, particularly in the matter of payrolls, honeycombed the picture business. ... New Bridge Several of the bankers were -said to have pointed. to the. Pararnoun t Long Island studios as the acme of efficiency for the other studios to shoot at, and to have ascribed this to the close supervision from the bankers possible,when the produc- tion plant is in a New York spot. A bridge over to the Jersey side is to open at 145th St. and River- side Drive soon, and the-bankers are said to have their eyes on New Jer- sey as the proper, locale for the pro- posed studio colony back there. The main claim by Los Angeles for being the homespot of the mov- ies is the California sunshine, but this urging by those producers who want to remain in the west was given scant.heed. -With the talkies, so much stuff is necessarily shot in- side ‘ by. artificial lighting that the sunshine, loss would be practically negligible, it was answered. About Homes Another reason urged against the gradual exodus eastward was re- ported to have been the fact that so many of the movie players own their own homes in Beverly Hills. But this reason was said to have been given ever more cursory treat- ment. One banker sounded the key- DICKSON MORGAN Soon To Produce At HOLLYWOOD PLAYHOUSE PROLOGUE TRIMMED Twelve men were let out of the “Cimarron” prologue ensemble at the Orpheum recently. About 38 remain in the cast. note of the answer when he re- plied : “Lose their homes? Heck, all they'll lose is a mortgage.” HUDDLE ON DEAL Continuing reports that Harold B. Franklin and Howard Hughes are going to take over the Los An- geles Theatre seem to be on the up-and-up. At any rate, take it for what it may portend, Franklin was recently seen in a close huddle with H. L. Gumbiner, present owner of the L. A. GOOD SEASON Richard Wilbur, head of the Wil- bur Players’ Stock Company of Honolulu, reports a successful sea- son on the island. According to cable he had a notably big week -with “It’s a Wise Child,” the cur- rent offering. Barbara Brown and 7? t r In q r d A 11 p n ft 11P rl Good B.O. This Year Spurs Plan A circuit of 35 weeks for legiti- mate shows is being planned by eastern stage producers, who are currently forming an alliance with a banking group to effect the en- terprise, according to word reach- here through banking sources ms week, i The, producers and money-men feel that the opportune moment has arrived to re-establish legit in its former sphere of popularity, it is stated, but they also feel that present methods of competition will be a major hindrance to the plan. For this reason, it is declared, the plan includes establishment .of central offices which will direct the entire legit business, more or less after the system now employed by- pictures through the Association of Motion Picture Producers and Di- rectors and the Academy of Mo- tion Picture Arts and Sciences. Good Reaction The plan first was conceived when highly favorable reaction was given several high-class shows sent out on the road this year. Prior to that the old talking picture shib- boleth still bore weight to the ef- fect that the legit stage was all washed up in the sticks and in other metropolitan centers than New York. But such s h o w s as George White’s “Flying High.” two com- panies of “Berkeley Square,” a couple of grand opera companies, one sponsored by Ben Atwell and the other by Samuel Instill, and other class shows proved the theory- wrong. The. really good shows this year have found a highly lucrative road, playing to their capacity box- offices in the main cities and tak- ing excellent toll in the small spots as well. For instance, it is not un- usual for a good play to take away $9000 or so for a three nights’ stand in a small town—and that's not bad. Check On Publicity The money results of these tours set the legit producers to reasoning, and their conclusions were suffi- ciently encouraging to send them to the bankers with a plan which the latter adopted as not only feas- ible but also good. The result was ihe plan to form a regular roqte for N. Y. shows, starting with 35 weeks and probably later building- up to 40 or more. One main provision of the plan is to eliminate cut-throat in pub- licity. The biggest harm which the legit has suffered has been the publicizing as practiced, it was stated. (Continued on Page 2)