The New Movie Magazine (Dec 1929-May 1930)

The New Movie Magazine When Joseph Schenck, about two years ago, said to a worried group of producers, when movie houses were half empty, "You have got to make your entertainment better; you have got to furnish some good reason why a man will get up out of his easy chair, put on his shoes, leave a good radio program or book, to go to your theater" little did he realize that the talkies were just around the corner ready to do just that. This business of dancing in the talkies is not confined to the chorus girls. Chin music won't raise the producers' ante any more quickly than shin music. Wise leading men and stars are taking lessons, secretly, furtively — but lessons, and how. No one will ever be able to count the number of new dance schools sprung up in Hollywood within the last year, but they are all making money. A day's visiting around at schools that advertised in local Sunday newspapers discovered Persian rugs and antique furniture, vases of narcissi, suave appointment clerks, side entrances that remind one comically of family entrances, with stars whisking in and out and hoping not to be recognized. Why, God knows! The schools are all the same with walls lined with pictures of screen celebrities, with autographs carefully couched to avoid mention directly of having taken dancing lessons; voice lessons and dramatic lessons they speak of, but none seem to want it known that they were not born possessed of original Spanish routines, a mastery of castinets, tambourines, trick tap, waltz clogs, and what have you not? RAMON NOVARRO has been calling up his past skill as a dancer, for in his next film, "The Singer of Seville," he and Renee Adoree will dance. Novarro started in films as a member of a troupe of Marion Morgan dancers; Renee, in traveling shows as a child with her family, danced. Charlie Morton as a child did a dance routine with his parents, the Muggs Mortons, musicians in vaudeville. Joan Crawford, then Lucille Le Seuer danced in Ernie Young's Revues in Chicago, in 1922; then in New York in "Innocent Eyes," Passing Show and the Winter Garden. Hedda Hopper worked as a chorus girl under her own name of Elda Furry, in shows with Louise Dresser, and Lew Cody, in the days when Lew was leading man for the old Mount Vernon Stock Company. Leila Hyams, the daughter of Leila Mclntyre and Johnny Hyams, danced in vaudeville with her parents as a child. Mary Doran sprouted from the choruses along Broadway, in such shows as "Rio Rita" and the "Ziegfeld Follies." Marie Dressier came from dancing and comedy stuff in the circus, in music halls and in vaudeville. Dorothy Jordan was in the chorus of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Fu Funny Face." Dorothy Sebastian first got her break in show business in the chorus of George White's "Scandals." Raquel Torres danced in a cantina in Mexico before pictures found her. Gwen Lee was a dancer in Omaha in 1919. Nina Mae, colored heroine of "Hallelujah," began as a hot strutter in "Blackbirds of 1929." Polly Moran danced and sang in a chorus of De Wolf Hopper's. Eddie Nugent was a hoofer at Grauman's. Sally Starr was with the "Scandals" for six years. The Duncan sisters helped themselves to success with comedy dance routines, along with their singing. They played in vaudeville and then in "Tip Top" with Fred Stone. Blanche Sweet at a tender age, toured with th e Gertrude Hoffmann Dancers, and with Chauncey Olcott's company as a dancer. RUDOLPH VALENTINO first worked with Joan Sawyer in a dance act in vaudeville, and worked in a prologue for Sid Grauman at the old Million Dollar with Clarine Seymour, as his dancing partner. Virginia Valli was an interpretative dancer in theatrical work in Chicago before coming to films, via Essanay. Claire Windsor danced at charity benefits and at other social affairs before her picture work began. Billie Dove hails from the "Follies" and the "Midnight Revue." Jeanette MacDonald started towards her spectacular picture career as a member of the chorus, dancing and singing in Ned Wayburn's Revue at the Capitol Theater. This was followed by much musical comedy work, singing and dancing-. She supported Mitzi Hajos in "The Magic Ring." Lillian Roth, slated for big things at Paramount, started in revue work for the Shuberts, and did hot strut numbers in the "Vanities" and the "Follies." She danced comedy stuff with Lupino Lane in "The Love Parade." Lupino Lane, who has made his own comedies for Educational for so long, and who is in demand as a ctfmedian for big productions, started out as a dancer, a member of the famous English stage family of Lupino. Nancy Carroll stepped lively in "The Passing Show" and other revues and musical comedies in New York. Helen Kane appeared in revues, night clubs and vaudeville, and in "A Night in Spain" in New York, before Paul Ash spotted the baby voice she uses now instead of the dance stuff. Olive Borden first attracted film attention by her dancing at the Hollywood Writers' Club. Then a dance she did in "Yellow Fingers" at Fox's made them sure she had something, and gave her a better contract. She never had a lesson. CORINNE GRIFFITH was visiting a friend in Los Angeles, and while on a pleasure party at one of the pier ballrooms along the ocean front she won a dancing contest and a contract with Yitagraph Company. Buster Keaton did eccentric dance routines with" his parents in vaudeville for years, billed as "The Three Keatons." Barbara LaMarr was a most successful stage dancer in New York, and in vaudeville and cabaret work on the Coast before pictures signed her up. Marguerite De La Motte was a dancer in San Diego. Katherine MacDonald, later famous as the most beautiful woman in America, was a chorus girl in a musical show for a few weeks, before she became Bill Hart's leading lady. Sharon Lynn, one of Fox's new bets, was one of Belcher's dancers (Continued on page 118) FOR EYES OF YOUTH Dull, tired, bloodshot eyes can be made to look and feel much younger by a few applications of Murine. It harmlessly clears them up, brings back their sparkle, and causes them to feel fresh and invigorated. 60c. Try it! 1H VRML For Y°UR FREE CATALOG; r-c-c~"| H Willi!, , SOMITHWG DIFFEP£ HT.' PIN COMPUTE WITHSEPARATE DATEGUARDBCHAIN 2 COLORS , \l£Z\ STERLING SILVER »L3S l20R|»U0ta' 12 j SILVER PLATE LA. .7S MORE) .65t» « MetaiArtsCo..Kc. »i Portland Ave RochfslerW.r' Std-Rite Hairpins an? cleverly made to fasten into the hair with a twist that holds • No pinchirjp or scrdtchino'. \}ery^ feu> needed... 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