Variety (Aug 1932)

VARIETY PICT E S Tuesday, August 30, 19^i Conn Opens New House Amid Razzing and Coonter^onxing Providence, Aug. 29. Capt. Jacob Coniii stormy petrel of the Providence theatre world, broke into the. headlines once agraln last week when he opened the doors of his hew downtown theatre, Met- ropolitan, amid confusion and dis- order. Anxious td open the theatre as GOon as possible Conn pushed, the aiite way ahead with the result that when lie did open he was unable to BO througli with his show for hours. Gdnn orieinally had planned to open for business in September. He Bwltched the jdate. to last Thursday (26) and when he let the crowds in, workmen were still hammeriner away with a hundred and one .dlf- iferent little thlngrs to do. Both boxOiBces in the house had hot been -completed, and when the crowds, began surging through the. doors Conn was forced to take dimes and niclcels at the door, giv- ing change Out of his pockets. , After 3,^00 persons had been jammed in the hOuse ,COnn made a istage speech in . which he. told the patrons that he was unable to go on with' the vaudeville becaiise his j9tage wasn't ready. This announce- ment was .met with plenty of boos and hollering, but Conn took .it calmly and. did a little Bronx cheer- ing at the audience himself; . , .The picture prdgratn was run through twice before the vauder. ,yiBe, waa ready to go on, but de- spite this not many "patrons did the walking act. • . At night , on that same date Conn held formal exercises with workmen still hammering away and fixing the lights! and one thing ^or tinother. Nearly 6,000, of which 1,000 were Ihvited guests, attended thd cere- monieti..- Attacks Leading .Newspaper* Conn in. another stage speech at- tacked the leading newspaper in town for the sheet's refusal to run his. ads as he had prepared them. He told the audience that when hei made enough money out of the the- atre ho "would buy the local sheet.' Conh's ads were refused because he inserted a line calling his new theatre, the 'largest and most I>eau- tiful hipuse In the world.' The ads yere ieic.cepted only after the line ■was taken out by Conn. COnn alsO attaclied the Republi- can State, and city olBclals for not attendidg the. exerclises. He said that 'they '^didn't hiave the nerve to come up on'this stage and hear , me talk.' : The theatre. is • located on the! fringe of the city's business sec- tion, it has a seating capacity of 3,400, and was built at. a cost slight-, ly in excess of $600,000. The policy will be pictures and eight , acts of. vaudeville, Ave pro- fessional and . three local to a top price of .30c. There are 11 musi- cians in the orchestra pit. He is putting the finishing touches^ to a. cafeteria on the second floor. * Conn operates a garage adjoining the theatre, and patrons may park their cars in the garage for 25c. pro- viding they show theatre tickets.. Conn is also the . owner of Conh's Olympic theatre in Qlneyvllle. TACOMA STUDIO BURNS Old Weaver Plant, which Sound Socked, Becanfie Dance Pavilion TacOma, Aug. 29. Flames of incendiary origin com-^ pletely destroyed the old Weayer moving picture studio here, loss be- ing estimated at $100,000. . Fire was spectacular and brought thousands to watch. Studio was built in '25 for silents, H. Q. Weaver Productions estab- lishing headquarters. Sound caused the concern to fold. . Plant has since bebn used as a dance pavilion. It Will not be re- built; Studio Placements Anti Blue Law Bill As Alabama Surprise Birmingham, Aug. 29. A bill popped up in the legislature, last week to do-away with all Sun- day blue laws Ih Alabama. No one; knew Just when the bill would be brought up and no one knew, for a fact, that it would come up. Rep- resentative Carter Manasco, of Walker County, is author, of the bill and it was given a favorable report by the unanimous vote of the criminal laws committee. It will be brought up for debate tomorrow (Tuesday). There is no state law against Sun day films, but it is believed passage o£ this bill will clear the way for many municipalities to legalize Sabbath pictures. Hoot Gib^n. Sheila Manners, Bobby Nelson, Fred .Gilmah, Jack Rutherford, Al Bridge, Skeeter Bill Bobbins, William. Humphries, Gort doh De Maine, William McCormack, Sam Allen, 'CoWboy Counsellor," original by Jack Naterford; George Melford directing; AlUed. William Haines, Cllfl Edwards, 'Let's Go,' Harry Pollard directing, Metro. Tony Gaudio, cameraman, 'Mask Fu Manchu;' Arthur Edeson, cam- eraman, 'Red Dust, -Metro. . Donald ' Cook, Jason Robards, 'Conquerors,' Radio. Rochelle Hudson, 'Secrets of I*rench Police,* Radio; Ferdinand Gotschalk, 'Mask of Pu Manchu,' Metro. Edward 6. Robinson, 'The Ma- chine,' by David Boehm, Roy Del Ruth directing, WB. Title of 'Father, and Son' changed to 'Divorce In the Family,' Metro. Randolph Scott. Eddie Woods, Lilllian Bond, Jessie Arnold, Rose Coghlan, Jane Darwell, 'Hot Satur- day,' Par. ; Walter Byron, Lew Cody, H. B. Warner, John St. Polisi Arthur Hoyt, Syd Saylor, Joseph Girard, 'Crusader,' Majestic. Glenn Tryon, Robert Elliott, Bar- bara Kent, 'Pride Of the Legion," Mascot. Willard Robertson, Ward Bond, Edward Le Saint, Shirley. Gray, •Virtue,' Col. LUy Damita, 'Match King,' WB. Ivan' Simpson, 'Sherlock Holmes,' Fox.. . . . ■ • Jill Dennett, 'T6ss of the Storm Cburttify,'. Fox. , Stanley Fields, John Keyed,. 'Rackety Rax,' Fox.. . - Gertie Messinger, Francis Mc- Donald, Ray Hallor, John Elliott, Arthur Millett, V. L. Barnes, George Hayes; Jo^e de la Cruz, Dick Dick- inson, 'Hidden Valley.' lU^ohogram. Ivan Linow, 'Rackety Rax,' Fox.. Gene Raymond, 'Red Dust,' Metro. F: Hugh Herbert adapting 'Wise Girl,' Premier. Bertram Mllihauser, continuity 'Sherlock Holmes,' Fox. Carole Lombard optioned by Par for another six months. Henry Stevenson, 'Animal King dom,' Radio. Julia, Swayhe Gordon, 'French Police,' tladio. Nat Pendleton, 'Cauliflower Al ley,' Foy-Col. William Collier, Sr.; Lillian Bond, Beth Milton,' 'Hot Saturday,' Par, Harry Wallace, Bradley Page, Louis Calhern, : Marty Martyn, 'Night Alter Night,' Par. Claudia Morgan, Eddie Boland» May Beatty, 'Vanity Street,' Col. Purnell Pratt, Clay Clement, 'Rasputin,* Metro. Harry Lahgdon, Vernon Dent, Ruth Hiatt, Llta Chevret, Matthew Betz, King Baggot, Jack Grey, Bill Irving an<l Bill Bngle, 'The Big Plash,' Roach. Arvid Gilstrom dl recting. Barbara Weeks, 'Cauliflower Al ley,' Col. . Arthur Vinton, 'Plainclothes Man,' Cel. Grady Sutton, Rita LeRoy, "Hot Saturday,' Par. ROscoe Ates, Rockliffe Fellows, Carl Miller, Jack Pennick, Max Wagner, Joseph Girard, 'Renegades of the West,' .Radio. Billy Bevari, 'Payment Deferred, MetrOi Sam Hardy, 'Goldie,' Bachman. Itt Runs on Broadway '(Subject to Change) Week Sept. 2 Paramount — '70,000 Wit- nesses* (Par). Capitol—'Blondie of the Fol- lies' (Metro). Strand — 'Blessed Event* (WB) (1). Mayfair—'Back Street' (U) (2nd week). RIvoli—^'Love Me Tonight* (Par) (3rd week). Winter Garden ^ "Big City Blues' (WB). Rialto — 'Horse Fettthers' (Par) (4th week). Boxy—'Dowii to Earth' (Pox) (i).. • :-. v- Week ^ept, 9 Paramount — 'Blonde Venus- (Par). , Capitol—'Grand Hotel' (Met- ro). : . Strand — 'Blessed Event' (WB) (2hd W0ek). Mayfair^'Blrd of Paradise* (RKO). Rivoli—'Love Me Tonight*. (ParV (4th week). Rialto —; 'Horse (Par) .(5th week). Feathers* $2 Pictures <Life Beains' <WB) (Holly- wood). (2nd week); 'Strange Interlude' (Metro) (Astor) (1). N. Y. to L. A. JameB Cagney. Standard's $423 Debt Los Angeles, Aug. 29 Ray A. Myers awarded foreclosure and order of sale oh property owned by Standard Sound Studios and C W. Risdon on Gordon street. Studio building will be sold to satisfy mechanic's lien for |423 if debt isn't paid. • L. A. to N. Y. t>on JacdckS. Sam Fox. Ruth Rose's Mystery Hollywood,^Aug. 29. Ruth Rose, wife of Ernest Shocd sack, Radio director, is Writing a mystery story for that studio. . Foreign Films ^ 'Schoen ist die Manoeverzeit' (Fell) (German) (Hindenberg) (3rd week). 'Sniper' (Amkino) (Russian) (Cameo) (2nd week). 'I KisB Your Hand Madame' (Superfllm) (German) (Euro- pa) (2nd week), 'Letzte Companie' (Ufa) (German) (Little Carnegie) (2nd week). Scramming Tenants' Furnishings Help Cat Equipped Of fice Rent Hollywood; Aug. 29. Offlce buildings catering to pic- ture trade, particularly agents, are renting olflces fuHy furnished at the lowest rents In their history. Main rea)9on is that flOcks of ten- ants have moved out, leaving their furnishings as payment for back rent. In the Taft. building, a suite of three offices, fully furnished. In- cluding typewriters, rents for $60. monthly. Formerly the same 3pace went for $160 and Just the bare walls. Same is true of the Security, Equitable, and Guaranty buildings, all of which have found themselves with plenty of furnished space available.. Dozen agencies have folded in the past two months, all leaving nicely equipped offices and plenty on the cufC. Question now is how long thie new tenants will last and what can the building grab if they walk out on their rent?. Hollywood Briefly rewritten extraeta from 'Variety V Holly wood Bulletin, printed each Friday in Hollywood, and placed a« .■ wrapper'Upon the regular' weekly 'Variety.' The Bulletin does not circulate other than on the Pacific Slope. News front the Dailies in Loa Angelas will be found in that customary; department.'. . . Carthay Dark Aqain Lack of $1.60 pictures is closing the Carthay Circle again Aug. 31 after a four weeks' run with 'Back Street' (3). Sturgea at U Preston Sturges at U to write originals. Reach Reaumea ' Roach lot has resumed after three dark weeks. Mayfair'a 'Extra' Having sold 'Second Extra,* an original, to Mayfalr, Douglas Churchill and Harry Ghandlee working on adaptation. Par Writing Changes Paramount has added Juliah Josephson, Murray ROth, Francis Edward Faragoh ahd Jules Furth- man. to its writing staff. Btudlo has dropped Martin Flavin, Leo Birinskl and E. D. Leshln. 'Orchids' for Carole Lombard Columbia waiting for Carole Lom- bard to flnish in 'Virtue' before starting "No More Orchids,' which Walter Lang Is to direct. Par loaned Miss Lombard for the two. Lowe in 'Garage'. Edmund Lowe draws the lead in Charles . R o g e r s* : 'Metropolitan Gai-age,' going ■ into production Septi 9. . .'Spain'on Ether Sam Goldwyn takes advantage of Radio's ether program,. 'Hollywood on the Air,' ^or a plug of Eddie Cantor's .'Kid from Spain' Sept. 22. Stunt Man Author John Weld, former film stunt man, writing story around title, 'The Double,' at Columbia. Nina Wilcox Putnaim's yarn on same idea discarded. Hart Co-directing Walter Hart, stage director, Im- ported '.y Par as co-director of Bookworm Turns' with Lloyd Cor- rlgan;. Hart's first picture. Job. Cary Grant's Part (jary Grant opposite Sylvia Sid- ne-' in "All My Love' at Paramount. Going Into work Sept. 12. RKO, Parish & Farley Scheitectady Pool Off RKO-Fartsh & Farley pool for Schenectady Is reported off. Hitch came when Parley who was nego- tiating with RKO upped his de- mands from the original 26%' inter- eist to 30%. Pool called for RKO to manage and Operate combo of its own two houses with two Farley spots. . . Under the original deal talked of, Farley & Parish were to. einjoy a 26% interest, of thei whole^ arrange- ment for turhlng over their two houses to RKO operation. Free Wheeling ., Hollywood, Aug. 29. Radio is using four six-day bike riders in 'Sport Page.' Studio hunted for two weeks be- fore it could locate such a quartet, and Had to buy three hew tires be- fore the bike men could work. Sid Blumenatock Rejoins After being disconnected from Warner Bros. fOr about three months, Sid Blumenstock has re- joined the publicity department, working on exploitation under Lou Goldberg. Ho is a brother of Mort Blumcn stock,- In charge of theatre publicity and adyertldlng. 'Nother Pigakin Actor Dutch Hendrian, tech. director on Columbia's 'That's My Boy,* foot- baller, gets his histrionic unveiling in same studio's 'Vanity Street.' Lowe, Junior's, Jobs Edward T. Lowe, Jr., adapting and dlaloglng 'Betrayal* and 'Mon- ster Sta,lks' for Majestic. For Indie Financing Sol Lesser and Frank Wilson have organized Principal Finance Corp. to back 16 indie films for Principal Distributing release. Madge Evana Back Madge lEvans, back on Metro con- tract after becoming Mrs. John Gil- bert, expected to be opposite W11-. Ham Haines in 'Let's Go.' But No Whiskers . Daniel Boohe went to work for World Wide. He's minus whiskers, being four years old. • Actor-Author Nat Pendleton has. sold his story, 'Cauliflower Alley,' to Bryan Foy. Also himself as an actor In the picture. L. & H. Returning Laurel and Hardy due back Sept. 12. Will be in New York for open- ing pf their feature, 'Pack Up Your Troubles,' at the Capitol Sept. 3. Band's Picture Spota Finishing at Gocoanut Grove, Carlos Molina and his. tango band will play pictuf-e houses on way to New York; Negotla;tlng with Cen- tral Park Casino and Embassy club there; Eddie Managing Benny Eddie Rubin has left the Lew Golder agency to. manage his brother, Benny. From 'Bad' to 'Wife' . Hamilton McFadden will direct 'Second Hand Wife,' co-starring Sally Ellers and John Boles, in- stead of .'Broadway Bad.' Latter film temporarily off at Fox. Carter beHaven'a Act Seven, people vaude act beinfi( broken in by Carter DeHaven, ^ Roland with Bow ! IndlcatloQs iare that Gilbert Rp<t land will be opposite Clata Bow inj 'Call Her Savage'at Fox. Fineman Geta B. R. Al Fineman back from New Yorlc with bankroll to make six indlo features.. Budgets to be under $26,000. /. ' Waiting for DaWiita lilly bamlta at Warners fotj 'Match King.' Production of J. G. Bachman's 'Goldle' postponiBd awawting her return for the leading part. 'Checkers" Treatment Screen treatment of 'Checkers^ (Fox) being handled by Alan RiV'it kin and P. J. Wolf son. WaCburtoh's Break Replacing Nils Asther in Radio's 'Secrets of tjje French Police,' John Warburton given contract when execs viewed first day's rushes. Beahah Denies Charles Beahan; U's eastern story editor,- denies he is hegotiatlng wltli Radio for a studio berth. Story for Kate Smith Murray Roth and Paul Gerard Smith working on different ideas at \Par for a Kate Smith story, titled 'Queen of the Air.' Maurino Watkins adapted 'Story of Templei Drake' from hovel, 'Sanctuary,' at same studio. Beaudine'a 'Palooka' William Beaudlne directing 'Jo«i Palooka' for Edward Small's Re- liance company. Exhibs Join Bhienoses Favoring CaL Race Law Los Angeles, Aug. 29. ^ Both theatre men and reform ele<4 ments are backing the amendment to California law perniitting parN mutuel betting on horse and dog; races which ■ will be on the ballot at the November election. Exhibitors favor the new laW; as it would limit these events to day- light hours, and the blue-noses are for It since legalizied gambling could be controlled better than.pres-. ent option system. Chinese Background Leon Brltton, former film pro- ducer in China, returning there' to film background . material for Metro'o 'Good Earth.' Friedman's ^Carnival' Circus yarn titled 'Carhlval' to 1)6 mado by Sam Friedman, former U Bupcrvlaor, for World Wide re- leaHC. From original by Robert Bhanrion and Harold Shumate. . Va. Exhib Must Come Nprth in $85,000 Suit Justice Julius Miller, in N. Y, Supreme Court has ruled that El-i nier D. Heinz, Roanoke, Va., plcturai house owner must come to New; York city and stand examtnatioa before trial in . a suit by Charles Wise against Heinz, the Sun In- vestment Corp. and the National Theatre Corp. These are claimed to be Helnz's companies which own and control three the.atres In Ro- anoke. House have since been leased to Paramoun't for operation although two years ago Warners was set to purchase them outright for 11,700,000, Computing 5% of this sum. Wise, as assighce of Albert M. Greenfield. & Co., Philadelphia and New Yorlc. realtors who negotiated the origin-, al Heinz-WB deal, is suing for $85,-; 000 commission. 1 Heinz denies obligation lii that the Warner negotiations fell through and Publlx now leases his three theatre. Greenfield's assignee. Wise, however, is suing on the premiset that a, deal had been efltectcd re-, gardless. and that specific services, had been rendered. The coinplalnt, by Abeles & Green sets forth that, the contract Avlth WB was ilready drawn up waiting signatures when a last minute hitch scrapped the proposition. . Emergency Ending . Tiffany has a special ending ready . for 'Last Mile' in the naborhood houses. It's a happy climax. Won't be used at the Capitol, NcW York, and possibly other deluxe 'houses.