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

Saturday, February 21, 1931 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Pagfe Thirteen Music Notes By ARCH WOODY r Toots Novelle is back in town from an F. and M. swing. This chap has plenty of original ideas and from indications there will be no more trouping for Toots. He is. busy in the production depart- ment for Fanchon and Marco. It didn’t take Harry Coe long to find a connection when Feist gave notice of closing their locai offices. He is now connected with Robbins after being with the Feist firm fourteen years. Dick Arnold goes to San Francisco, and A1 Burgess leaves to represent Powers and Fried. Bernard Prager, general sales manager for Robbins, left this week for New York. Mr. and Mrs. Eddy Janis are staking their bankroll on "Consola- tion," a new tune written by our friend Dick Whiting. Vince Ince who opens shortly at Loew’s State, Los Angeles, and who. from advance notices, is an ace trumpeter, is a personal friend of Bert Hollowell’s. Vince has the distinction of having had the Hol- tett Trumpet works mold a special fnodel for him. . Saw Art Schwartz, Lucky Wil- ber and Jack Archer discussing the remodeling of Remick’s old office. And ran into my old friend, Charles Varien, who just arrived from the blast and is with Santlv Bros. Ali Hassen, who opens at the State this week, has refused an of- fer to open in Australia. Vic DeLory, bass player with Georgie Stoll at the Chinese and radio entertainer at KFWB, was trouping with the writer 15 years ago. on a minstrel show, and we’re not. old men yet, either. Constance £ Bennett will be starred in a film version of Robert W. Chambers’ novel, “The Common Law,” at Rathe. No director has been assigned as yet. Bill Thomas, house manager of the Hollywood Pantages, gets high- class assistance on busy nights from Lloyd Pantages, who stands at the door helping ’em in. Thomas is proving a mighty capable man at the Pantages. That friendly ■grin of his never fails to click With the customers. Carl La Mont has left for San Francisco with the new Shapiro- Bernstein hit, “Waiting By the Silvery Rio Grande.” This tune has been getting a big piay from radio acts and dance bands since its publication. HUMMING BIRD • TEA ROOM REAL HOME COOKING Breakfast Luncheon Dinner 744 Locust St. Long Beach Long Beach MEL HERTZ Organist—Entertainer Fox El Capitan San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19.— Al Sather, until this week Feist representative here, steps out on his own when he opens offices in the Kress Bldg, next week as Al Sather and Co., music publishers. With 11 years of Feist repre- sentation to his credit Sather has lined up several meritorious tunes which he will publish hem. The importance of San Francisco as a radio broadcasting center is ex- pected to add to Sather’s possibili- ties as an independent publisher. On Monday Sather will move across the street from his former Garfield building location to the Kress building where his organiza- tion will begin functioning. Orchestras LOS ANGELES “Surrender” still holds top posi- tion against active competition. Following arc the ten best sell- ers : 1. “I Surrender, Dear”—Harms. 2 . “I’m Alone Because I Love Y ou"—Witmark. 3. “Tears”-—Shapiro. 4. “You’re Driving Me Crazy” —Donaldson. 5. “Just a Gigolo”—De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. 6. “Little Things In Life”— Berlin. 7. “Blue Again”—Robbins. 8. “Imagine” — Hollywood Syn- dicate. 9. “For You”—-Witmark. 10. “Lonesome Lover”—Feist. With “Blue Again” in a solid spot, Robbins has still another tune that looks good, “Overnight.”-“Pea- nut Vendor” and “Moonlight On The Colorado,” “Body and Soul” and “Laughing At Life” are mak- ing a good showing. ABE LYMAN CARTHAY CIRCLE Los Angeles According to the scheme of things this reviewer should be fed to the gullet with music. A decade of lis t-ening to the blat and blare of everything from oom-pah to Gersh- win -should find me stuffed blue and bored stiff. Not so. A musical pat- tern that times and colors itself to the mood and taste of its listeners give me a temperature as quickly today as it did twenty years ago. Three are two band leaders in this town who have thoroughly trained themselves in the art of pitching their arrangement to audi- ence expectancy. One of these lead- ers and pre-eminent in both club and theatre entertainment is Abe Lyman. Long ago I thought a good ar- rangement and an ensemble of se- lect wind-pushers and key pounders made a band. Not so. It takes a leader. And one who knows more than organization and instrumenta- tion. He must be keenly , sensitive to audience appetite for music and what has been feeding it elsewhere. This is showmanship in its highest meaning, Abe Lyman has it. Lyman’s Carthay Circle offering signifies study, discernment and ap- preciation of what an audience ex- pects. It is musical portraiture in emotional -contrasts. He satisfies each emotional reaction to its satur- ation point and in not one phrasing does he overload it. Thus he plays the gamut from calm to storm; not idly or indifferently, but with stimu- lants that have a kick that range from cordials to liquid dynamite. When the lights fade on the last chord the audience desire for music has been exhausted. And when the tinny, raucous symphony emits from the screen, one is - hardly aware of its cacophony and noisiness. The spell of the Lyman ibaton doesn’t lift until Ann Harding kisses the groom. HOLMES’ SHOP SAN FRANCISCO 1. “I Surrender, Dear”—Powers. 2. “My Ideal”—Famous. 3. “Little Things”—Berlin. 4. “To Make a Long Story Short"—Red Star. -.5. “Peanut Vendor"—Marks. 6. “Blue Again"—Robbins. 7. “Sing Song Girl”—Red Star. 8. “I'm Alone’’—Witmark. 9. “Imagine”—Hollywood Syn- dicate. 10. “Kiss Waltz”—Witmark. PISSED 111 S. F. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19.— Its vaude and presentation house quota set at 133 men in a recent agreement, Musicians’ -Union is now well over that minimum with ap- proximatley 160 currently engaged. This includes only picture houses with vaude or presentations. Such neighborhood houses as the New Mission and New Fillmore with seven men a piece are not counted. At the present time neighborhoods don’t contribute much to musicians but that field is expected to open up shortly since most of the downtown first runs are supporting stage shows, and consequently forcing the neighborhoods into the same field. COLUMBIA MOVES SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19.— Columbia Phonograph Co. has moved from its previous Mission Street headquarters to the Chron- icle Building. IN ART DEPARTMENT T. RAWLS PIANO ACCORDIAN ARTIST Open for Radio and Club Dates Call Inside Facts for Information The HARMONIZERS KPO SAN FRANCISCO SALES RENTALS Jimmie Holmes, who has been around in pictures making quite a name for himself, has branched out into a new activity. He has opened a Flower Shop in the fifty- nine hundred block on Hollywood Boulevard. Now all of Jimmie’s many friends will know where to go for their posies. NEW CONNECTION Harry Plume, ace music plugger, has made a new connection. Pie’s representing the firm of Kornheiser now. His local address is 627 No. Vista St, L. A. JESSE WALLY New Telephone TU. 6693 THEATRICAL FABRICS AND TRIMMINGS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION 730 So. Los Angeles St. LOS ANGELES, CAL. SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 19.— Ray Milholland has been added to the art department of Fox West Coast, which already includes Jan Clausing, Milt Kahl and Al Ber- gren. SEATTLE. FEB. 19. — Every member of Owen Sweeten’s 16- piece band plays no less than three instruments and many are handling four. In addition Owen has as- sembled in this versatile outfit three vocal trios and one quartet. In either, the classical, hot rhythm or dance combination offerings they shine equally well. Sweeten also boasts t wo of the cleverest ar- rangers in the business, Iry Antes and Syl Halperin. Sweeten has been with the Fox West Coast for six 3 'ears, an envi- able record. The band is now playing their eighth week at the Fifth Avenue Theatre after completing a solid and uninterrupted 52 weeks for Fox. Clever as they come is this Sweeten bunch and their record does not overestimate their value to show business. (Continued from Page 9) Moon,” sentimental southern bal- lad, and the tender love song, “Syl- via,” will be among the offerings of the Arcadians Mixed Quartet, new feature- of the General Electric Hour, in the broadcast over KOA, Denver, at 9:30 p. m., Tuesday. February 24. Two numbers by the Denver Concert Orchestra, under direction of Henry Trustman Gins- burg, will he Friedman’s “Slavonic Rhapsodie” and selections from the Romberg operetta, “The Student Prince.” A “variety of moods” will be in- terpreted by Lucile Fowler Marks, concert contralto, in her recital broadcast over KOA, Denver, at 3:30 p. m, Saturday, February 28. Her detailed program will be “In the Country.” “Allah!” “Ah, Love! But a Day,” “Twickenham Ferry,” “Perlude” and “I Know a Lovely Garden.” DENVER, Feb. 19.—Out of town bands are landing the cream of Denver dance and nite . spots, leav- ing the home town boys wonder- ing what ffs all about. Lix Riley, Chicago hoy opening at the Broadmoor Country club, pop nite outfit, Joe Skrivanik from, the West Coast going into the Ma- drid with an 11-piece band, Ralph Bennett and his seven aces, taking the. Pioneer Room at the Cosmo- politan hotel, (these boys broadcast daily over Station KOA featuring the 3 kings, harmony trio. Fred Schmitt find his Denver Grande orchestra after more than three years continue to be one of the most popular bands around these parts, always going big with their varied interpretations of Pop and Classical numbers. Being bill- ed as “The Pride of the West” leaves no doubt as to their popular- ity here. Johnny Johnson. Radio Fav now at the Hotel Westward Ho in Phoenix has a new wrinkle in ad- vertising his band. Forming what he calls “Johnny Johnson’s Hit of the Month Club” he takes current dance hits, making a special tran- scription for pianists, offering them for one dollar. This is going over big around here where Johnny has built up quite a following through his excellent radio programs over KOA. William West, old time show and hotel man, has opened the old Bon Ton, pop dance palace, renaming it “The Tokio.” Here he features Geo. Morrison and his Brunswick Recording orchestra, torrid colored outfit. This hall is packino- them in. Gene Montgomery is featured soloist with a voice that has them standing still. Several years ago this band was at Rock Rest, a night club—then going on tour through the East—this is a fine band fur- nishing that rhythm that the folks go for. NEW HILL ST. LEADER Al Erickson, formerly with Karl- ton Kelsey at the Orpheum, has been elected to leadership of the RKO pit. Erickson moves into the Hill Street spot with a band en- tirely his own and, according to in- formation, he has framed a smart ensemble of musicians. Kelsey and his pals are giving Erickson a great sendoff. Jack Bachelor’s band, which is holding forth -at the Crystal Ball- room in Long Beach, has added two new members. In addition to their engagement at the dance em- porium they are regular daily fea- tures at KGER. Jack Young wields the baton , and Larry Hill is man- ager of the outfit. BACK IN VAUDE DENVER, Feb. 19.—With onij three stations broadcasting here one hopes to get a program thal is not all advertising. But outside of the N. B. C. station, KOA, and the Columbia chain .station, KLZ, it is almost impossible to get some- thing that doesn't have the usual five minutes’ explaining, the prod- uct advertised. Notices All Go Big For Kelsey Music Karlton Kelsey, batoning the musical frame for “Cimarron” at the Orpheum, received so many favorable notices from the dailies he is entitled to step high. But he's too busy for strutting. He’s preparing the music for the new stage idea of “Millie,” moving- into the Orpheum at the conclusion of the “Cimarron” run. Inside in- formation tells us the news lads will again have something to write about when they hear Kelsey's mu- sical accompaniment to the. new stage show. NEW YORK.—Among stage fa- vorites who have been in produc- tions and are again back in vaude- ville are Phil Baker, Aileen Stan- ley, “Herb” Williams, Doctor Rockwell, Kate Smith, Harry Hol- brook and the male ensemble from “Sons O’ Guns”; Chic Sale, Noble Sissle, Will and Gladys Ahearn, Jennie Goldstein, Trixie Friganza, Michon Brothers, Sammy Cohen. Solly Ward, Billy and Elsa Newell, Evelyn Hoey, Dora Maughn and Ben Blue. WANT OLD RECORD The Dickson Morgan production office at 1509 N. Vine St. is search- ing for the old 24-inch Red Sea 1 phonograph record of “The Pink Lady” sung by Hazel Dawn. The office offers a pair of tickets to one of the Morgan matinees of “Water- loo Bridge” at the Music Box The- atre to anyone who can present them with the record. With station KOA broadcasting it is nearly impossible to get out-of- town stations from here. This plant operating on a 12.500 kilowatt basis drowns out practically all out-of- town stations, no matter how- strong the receiving set may be. Calvin Hendricks, blind baritone, winner of the western audition, of Atwater-Kent singers, leaves soon for New York, where he will be heard over the Columbia network. Western songs seem to be favor- ites with Colorado radio listeners, judging from the number of re- quests coming into KOA calling for “Moonlight on the Colorado" and “Spring in the Rockies.” Of all radio. artists doing their stuff locally, Mary Woods Beatty, J. Allen Grubb and Clarence Moore seem to hold the top spot, all be- ing artists and selling their num- bers in a manner that the folks like. At 3:30 p. m., March 7, over KOA. will be heard the best recital of classical music to be heard in some time. Lucille Fowler Marks, contralto, offering “Oh Lovely- Night,” with “The Flute Across the Lake” and “Dusk in the Garden" being succeeding numbers. Every Sunday, over the N. B. C. network, one hears “The Solitaire Cowboys,” one of the most popular of local presentations. The folks around here surely go for this west- rn stuff. H. B. Warner” and Zasu Pitts have been cast by Radio Pictures. SCENERY COMPLETE STAGE EQUIPMENT PRESENTATION SETTINGS STAGE PRODUCTIONS FABRICS — RIGGING — SCREENS J. D. MARTIN STUDIOS 4110-18 Sunset Boulevard HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA QLympia 1101