Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 4 . 19 3 0 Motion P i c t ii r e .V e w s 49 Sartorial Amos And Andy Refuse To Taxicab Home Wabash Ave. — South Chicago — Not that Freeman Gosden or Charlie Correll left here in a state of shabby disarray, with stark hunger staring out of their eyes and a few loose and lonesome pieces of small change jingling in their pockets, or anything like that, but, somehow or other, they did seem vastly changed when they turned up here after a three months' Hollywood interlude. The executive heads of the Fresh Air Taxi Co. alighted from their train looking like a couple of undergraduates from an investment broker's office. Light tan hats with that Prince-ofWales brim, darker tan suits of Wilshire Boulevard cut and tan camel's hair top coats blended with tan faces and shoes to complete an ensemble that left any one unaccustomed to the street garb of the West Coast professional with a decidedly dark brown taste in his mental mouth. Behind Amos came Mrs. Gosden with the five-months-old Virginia Marie, and behind her trailed Freeman, Jr. With Andy was Mrs. Correll. The gist of the intelligence borne by the party was that they would remain in Chicago for a while before proceeding to New York to discuss the terms for a second Radio picture. Both Amos and Andy demurred when some one suggested they taxi home. "Check and Double Check," their picture, they explained, has sated them with taxis for many a day to come. "Why, a taxi cab," said Andy, "is the plot of that picture. It's also the development, denouement and the conclusion. Let's walk !" "My Public too Rough," Says Jack Chicago — Jack Oakie, spending a week at the Chicago Theatre, related that while he is grateful to his fans for the interest they have shown in him, he is just a trifle shy of personal contacts with them. "One of 'em," the actor explained, "once soaked me on the top of the head with everything he had. While I was staggering around the fellow just smiled and said, 'I only wanted to see if yo'u could take it' " So, while Jack pleasantly and informally received interviewers backstage at the Chicago, his local admirers were balked at the stage door where they piled up three deep. Jack said he preferred making pictures in the east because it's "more fun working in New York than on the Coast." Silence Pays Chicago— The Front Street Theatre, oldest house in Bloomington, III., is still running as a silent. And at a profit. The house is independently owned. Publix owns two in the same town, both equipped with sound. One of them is closed. TOM MALOY, operators' union chieftain, back from the European sojourn as an American delegate to the International Trades Union's conference at London, readying himself to forestall exhibitors' moves to obtain a reduction of one man in the booth. * * * Art Steagall, former manager of the Woods, sent to Rockford as assistant manager of the Palace. W. A. Graham replaces at the Woods. * * * Bill Brumberg, formerly here with Universal, Columbia and, more recently, with Sono Art-World Wide, replaced William "Bennie" Benjamin as manager of the RKiO exchange here this week. * * * Al Lyons, former manager of the Peoples theatre, well known here, shaking hands with old pals along the Row during the Week. * * * Morrie Salkin will operate the Adams, in the Loop, in addition to his other duties ; with re-opening set for the middle of the month. * * * Warner's Orpheum, closed to give the decorators a break, will reopen next week. * * * Eddie Brichetto on the Pathe sales force here, replacing Charlie Lundgren, now Pathe branch manager at St. Louis. * * * Leo Smith out at RKO. Herb Costello is now office manager. * * * Gene Couer would like to chuck it and turn author. * * * Alderman Charles B. Fullerton of Ez'anston hi. imcs anti-Sunday show demonstrators in the suburb for the recent decimation of his home, accomplished with antique eggs, tomatoes and the like. * * * RKO wouldn't play "Swing High" (Pathe) after booking it for the Palace because Pathe sold the balance of the product to Publix in the New York deal. * * * Sol Best re-opened the Grandale this week. * * * Educational got a comedy, "Freshman's Goat," into McVickexs on the first of its "new season" bills. B. & K. were afraid to take it during the hot season. * * * In order to get a ticket on that $50 "bike" the Devon is giving away, patrons have to make a purchase at the neighborhood sweet shop which figures in the tie-up. It's getting so a merchant in on a hook-up is actually expecting a break from the theatre. * * * The old Midway theatre, dark for the past year, is now permanently doomed by remodeling plans which will make a store and office building of the structure in which it is located. * * * South Shore Country club installing sound equipment in the ball room to augment club entertainments. * * * E. W. Hammons, Educational president, through town en route to the Coast for consultations on production matters. * * * Harry Rose, m. c. at the Oriental during the summer, gives way to Charlie Crafts, former Federal Theatres' m. c. * * * Essaness turned the Pantheon and Lakeside Putt and Fake Links in Windy City Skidding Chicago — The minnow golf courses are beginning either to fold or take to cover, particularly in the outlying neighborhoods and suburbs where frost upon the pumpkin is first evidenced, boding chap for the hand that wields the putter. Twelve suburban courses went dark this week, while the night play everywhere is rapidly dropping off so far as the outdoor courses are concerned. Indoor courses, however, are getting a healthy play, particularly those pretentious and bizarre affairs that have usurped ritzy Loop locations. Invasion of the neighborhoods by the indoor courses is slow and cautious, with the trend to locations where overhead is at a minimum. Vacant store space is housing most of them, but in total the number of indoor neighborhood courses is only about one-fifth the number of outdoor courses which were in operation at the summer's peak. The new threat in the suburbs is the tendency to operate the courses under the same roof with a dance hall or "recreation" parlor, which is taken to indicate that their operators are wary of relying upon the winter revenue of the courses alone. Delay "Danger Lights" Booking at State-Lake Chicago — RKO has postponed indefinitely the play date of "Danger Lights" (Radio), the feature which will eventually play the State-Lake, employing Spoor-Berggren 70 mm. film and projection machines. Change in the _ house policy from vaude-film to a straight picture house also delayed, as the Radio picture has been chosen to inaugurate the new policy. The date for the opening with the Spoor equipment was originally set for Sept. 28. RKO has also postponed the termination of its lease on the Woods, originally set for Oct. 1. back to Publix — B. & K., which reduces the chain's houses to sixteen. * * * Mattie Mattison, producer, train-changing en route to the Five Boroughs. * * * Schoenstadt's Harper Theatre showing World's Series games on Playograph at regular admission scale. House turned into a 'sportsmen's club" for the period of the series, with smoking and spitting on the floor not considered out of bounds. Regular programs go on for evening performances. KANE. Ever Hear This One? Chicago — Frank Ishmael, M-G-M salesman, deaf in one ear for the past 12 years, recently pronounced himself a "cure." The ear oil people naturally were interested. They wrote him, soliciting a testimonial. "Deaf for 12 years," wrote Frank; "I recently took two bottles of your lotion. The following morning I heard from my brother in Nebraska."