Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

December 6, 19 3 0 Motion Picture News 117 Harry Says 'Yes' Lina Cries 'No'; Romance Reels Chicago — Either Lina Basquette "no-ed" Harry Richman while here, or else the "romance" between the two was purely another instance of Harry's love for publicity. Richman, who met Miss Basquette at a railway station here last week, gave out romantic statements concerning his intense admiration of Miss Basquette and his intention to ask her to marry him while here. Checking on Richman's statements to learn whether or not Miss Basquette had accepted her admirer, Motion Picture News was advised by phone that Richman was no more than a "friend," and that matrimony was emphatically "absurd." Richman lent a semblance of credence to his newspaper romance by stating that Miss Basquette had consented to be his guest in Chicago for several days. He spoke feelingly of his great admiration for her, and even stated that the attachment was responsible for his break-off with Clara Bow. "We never saw each other," he said, referring to Miss Bow. "I was on one coast working, while she was on the other. In the meantime, I fell in love with another girl." He then stated that that girl was Miss Basquette, and that he intended to propose to her "if the signs were favorable." Hope's Face and Words from Grace Grab the Space Chicago — Local papers gave Hope Hampton all the breaks when she arrived here this week on the same train with Grace Moore. Hope, it seems, makes a pretty nice photograph ; hence, while she had the edge on picture space, it was Miss Moore who was interviewed, and who made the visit count by getting her advertising lines into print. Miss Hampton's smiling countenance looked out at readers of all papers, but it was the names of Miss Moore's newest pictures they read about. They are, of course, M-G-M's "New Moon" and "The Lady's Morals." Both vocalists were eastward bound for concert tours. Wabash Ave.^-South CHICAGO. MORAN & MACK packing them in at the Palace at the start of what promises to be a week of generally improved coin collecting all around the Loop. After three weeks of empty balconies downtown the managers eat regularly again. * * * A decision on the Evanston Sunday movie question, which was being reviewed before Circuit Judge Sullivan for the past several weeks, is expected within the next few days. * * .* The biggest theatre-front advertising signs the Loop has seen in some time were ordered for Roosevelt and United Artists theatres. Canvases for "Life of the Party" and "Hell's Angels," respectively, cover the entire upper fronts of each theatre. * * * Ned Depinet, Warners-F. N. western sales manager, looking over the new line-up brought about by the company's distribution merger as it affects the local situation, t * * Perceny & Frantz are the new owners of the Central at Fairbury, 111. Formerly a McCollum house. * * * Cut throat competition between Film Row cigar stores for the gambling trade has induced one of them to pay off on "26" games when you reach 24. Meaning 24 years of trying, of course. * * * Expansion program on at Filmack. New rear space added for art and type department, and a new model proofing press installed. These and other innovations are speeding up work to such an extent that the boss goes to lunch before dark now. * * * Acoustical materials cases brought by the Fire Prevention bureau were continued once more, when called Nov. 26. It is now rumored that Chief Egan's descendants will prosecyte and Jack Miller's great-grand-children will represent the descendants of exhibitors when the cases are finally settled. * * » The tremendous business being done by "Hell's Angels" at United Artists kept the house full even during the dismal weather of the first week, when murky atmosphere and snow was changing to zero temperatures and Public Enemy Al Capone evaded discovery for a week by staying in the balconies of Loop theatres. On the worst — climatically — night of the week, B. & K. saved the situation by staging an invitational performance for Chicago's air "aces" and advertising it as "Ace Night" Major Reed Landis headed a large delegation of well known airmen into the theatre — and the paid customers followed. KANE Neighborhoods in Chicago Fighting December Slump Chicago — Neighborhood houses here are in a fever of activity over ways and means of offsetting box-office slumps that occur annually during December, declared to be the worst month for theatre business in the year. Most of the activity is sensible and constructive, having to do mostly with building up programs by buying the best available short-subject support; improving equipment and adding to the comforts of the houses. There is noticeably little giving away of merchandise, though price reductions and coupon book selling are not uncommon. Houses in all neighborhoods are extending their matinee scale an hour or two into the early evening, and a few are making slight reductions of both afternoon and evening prices for children and adults. Coupon books being offered contain $5 worth of tickets, which sell from $3.50 down to $2.50, and are good for the month of December only. The double featuring houses are the worst hit in efforts to forestall the seasonal slump. The additional expense of their swollen programs not only prohibits further program overhead, but it makes price reductions out of the question. Double featuring exhibitors, now, are just beginning to realize that in shooting the extra measure bills, they shot the works. There's nothing left for them to offer their indifferent publics at one of the most crucial business seasons of the year. Children's Matinees Go Big in Chicago House Chicago — ' Fox Terminal Theatre inaugurated its children's Saturday matinees here this week. House organized a neighborhood Mickey Mouse Club for the kids, and drilled them on a club cheer and song in the theatre. Neighborhood .-merchants joined in the move and passed out tickets to the initial performance to kid patrons, through an arrangement with the Terminal management. Merchants got the tickets at a "rate." Initial performance was well attended and succeeded in interesting the kids. Mickey Mouse cartoons, screen songs and a feature approved by women's clubs will comprise the weekly kid specials, which will be staged every Saturday morning. Fox is organizing the Mickey Mouse clubs and staging the kids' specials nationally.