Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

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56 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 16. 193 "^^Produced by — Norman Krasna HOLLYWOOD (NEWS ITEM: A prominent motion picture company is reported dickering with ex-King Alfonso of Spain for a leading role in a feature picture. This is too good to pass up. We write you the opening days of the King's diary in Hollywood.) June I Arrived in Hollywood and was photographed by 12,000 photographers. Went to hotel. Threw party until six this morning. So far pictures are O.K. with kingie. June 2 What kind of a place is this? A man from the picture company came lor me at 8:30 this morning. Remonstrated with him. E.xplained how I never got up before 1 p. m. Man pushed paper under my nose and said I signed contract. Vulgar. Newspapers have my name wrong. Refer to me as Alfred. Have notified publicity men of mistake. June 3 Took what is called a screen test yesterday. Man put grease, cold cream, powder, rouge, mascara and lipstick on my face. Was made to stand before a camera and recite "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party." Kept saying "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the Royalist party," but no one noticed it. Figure this is good propaganda. Wish prop men would stop calling me "Alfie." June 4 Have had my moustache shaved off. I objected for two hours, out vulgar person said 1 signed contract giving company exclusive permission to cut moustache. I, a Bourbon, the first man in my family not to wear a moustache in the last 800 years. Company also wants to change my name. Do not like Alfonso XH. They claim it looks as though I wasn't important enough Want me to be called Alfonso 1. Explained to them the impossibility of this, but they showed me contract. Lucky for me the old man isn't around. June 5 Shooting began today. This means photographing the film. Director calling me "Alf." I have not read the story as yet, but I understand from my secretary that I must fall off a horse. Not me. Not a Bourbon. Maybe a Windsor. But not a Bourbon. Understand further that I dive off a cliff into two feet of water in one scene. Nuts 1 They're not going to get any king diving into no two feet Of water while I'm around. Let them use a duke ! June 6 O boy! Did we have a scene on the set yesterday? We were shootmg that part of ttie stoiy where I say to Miss Coochie, "Babeh, babeh, gimme a kiss." Well, the missus had to come visiting around just as I get tne royal elbow around the gal. She runs over and says, "This must cease." I start arguing with her. "Now, mommer," I say, "this is only a picture." "Says you," says the Queen, and there was nothing for us to do but to change the scene. So I kiss her hand. I'm afraid Mommer still thinks she's a Queen. June 7 Had a little trouble today with a supervisor. I was supposed to wear evening clothes and I used the wardrobe I kept from a couple months ago. Well, the wise guy supervisor said I war, dressed like a yokel ; that I didn't hold my cane right, that I should be wearing a derby, and that when I put a monocle in my eye I should open my mouth. I began to explain to him about some of these points, but he wouldn't listen. June 8 Just got a letter from the manager of the Royalist Party m Spain. He thinks he's got it fixed for me to go back. I don't know, though. I got a debt to my public now. The King business is all right for a start, but for an up and at 'em career — give me the pictures any time. King George is thrown in free in the newsreels — but you have to pay to see George Arliss. He's no better than I am. Just got a better break. Some fellers have all ttie luck. He was Dorn with a silver spoon in his mouth. June 9 They're giving all the close-ups to Miss Choochie. Who do they think they got here? A ham? I'm going to raise a fuss in the front office they'll smell in New York. I got some rights. I got a contract. I'll call out the army and navy. Close-ups of Miss Choochie? The idea! You'd think she was the king or someboay. June 10 Am quitting. The advertising's got me down as "That red hot Spanish lover." Spanish? We Bourbons aren't Spanish. We're French. Where do they get off putting the title in larger type than my name? Where do they get off making it a gangster picture? I knew there was something funnv about it. I'm going back to Spain and start my own studio. I'd like to see Coochie get a close-up in my country. NORMAN KRASNA $100,000 House Goes for $40,000 Under Hammer Cleveland — Gordon Square theatre property was purchased at receiver's sale by Jim Scoville for $40,000. In 1928 it was appraised at $100,000. Property consists of two stores, four offices and a 1,200-seat theatre. French Scientist Ready With New Television Device Paris — Demonstration was held here of Professor Barthelmey's new television apparatus which is based on Herzian waves. Barthelmey claims that his invention is in advance of those of American and German scientists. 9 New Assing'nts In Fox House Stof Fox Theatres, Eastern division, has mat the following changes in its staff : Mort Greene, formerly manager of th Fox Star, Bronx, succeeds George C Hoover as manager of City, Bronx. Hoovc; has been made manager of the Victoria, Oi sining, replacing Eugene Karlin, who ha been appointed manager of the Nemo, Man hattan. Jules Field is now manager of the Blen heim, Bronx. Monte MacLevy, manager of the Fo> Hempstead, L. I., has become manager o the Fox, Lynbrook, L. I. T. Van Syckel, manager of the Lynbrook has taken MacLevy's former post at Hemp stead. Erwin Gold, of the Stadium, Brooklyn and Sidney Falk, manager of the Ambassa dor, Brooklyn, have interchanged posts. Leslie Swaabe, who has been on a leavi of absence, has resumed his duties as as sistant manager and treasurer of the Parthenon, Brooklyn. Merlin C. Lewis has been appointed man agar of the Queen Anne, Bogota, N. J., sue ceeding Philip Worthen, who replaces G A. Smith as manager of the Tivoli, Jersey City. Maxwell Shane, main office advertisint department, has been appointed head o; Fanchon & Marco publicity in Los Angeles William Hardwick will continue in his post with Fanchon & Marco as Shane's assistant, William Haggard, copy reader of th« New York Herald, has been appointed managing editor of The Last Word, to succeed Morris Kinzler. A. Locke appointed assistant manager of the Marcy, Brooklyn, N. Y. M. Steinhauer is now assistant manager,! and treasurer of the Meserole, Brooklyn, N. Y. T. Smith, formerly manager of Corona,., jjj Corona, transferred to Sunnyside, Wood-ii side, L. I. A. Z. Freedman replaces Smith as man-* k ager of the Corona. T. Robinson, manager of the Sunnyside, has been appointed manager of the Fox Jackson, Jackson Heights, L. I. F. and M. Assignment Bryce Kennedy has been appointed com-! pany manager of Fanchon & Marco's "Talent" Idea, joining same at Fox, St. Louis.^ J. Frank Gibbons has been appointed company manager of Fanchon & Marco's "Mo-) roccan" Idea, joining this group at the Fox, St. Louis. Sono Art Now Readying Its Next Two "Thrillos" Hollywood — Continuities for Sono ArtWorld Wide's next two "Thrill-O-Dramas" are being prepared under supervision of George Weeks. They are "Hell Bent for Frisco," by Arthur Hoerl ; and "First Aid," Michael L. Simmons. These two productions will make the fourth and fifth, respectively, in the series. Midwest Opens New Branch Kansas City, Mo. — The Midwest Film Distributors have opened a branch in Omaha to serve Iowa and Nebraska exhibitors. ill