Variety (Sep 1935)

'Wednesdayi, September 18, 1935 PICT ES VARIETY 31 Behind the Keys . (Continued from page ID) J. Payette continues as'.divisional manairer tor WB In this;territory as - "woH as product-buyer.- -"Py'-^nders will just take some of the burden off his boss. . .. Lou Jacobson ..1ms acquJuedr the Elektra, Pssex, Md., from Paul Caplan. .•' ■» • WB has taken the Auditorium, former legit house, from Leonard B, McLaughlin^ g.m. of the Penh Mu- tual Corp., for one-week^ 4-wa:ila rental with option for second week, for road-showing of 'Midsumiher Night's'-Dreai ,'-wh'ich -vt ill bo two- a-dayed here at $1.66 top; starting —~— •" Loew's vaudfllm Century has en- tirely sound-proofed its projection booth, one of few 'such jobs on rec- ord anywhere; Booth is now specially cooled and heated, with glass be- tween projectors and stage and screen, ^o.othmen hear from ampll- , fying system attached outside booth. Charlotte, N.. C. Managers arid assistant managers : of 2B tlieatres in the Carollras and executives of the home office here of North' Carolina Theatres,. Inc., held a two-day conference at the Char- lotte Chamber of Commerce. H. F. KIncey and R. B. Wllby, executives of the theatre chain, had charge of the conference. Spartanburg,' C. Cost estiiriateff .of .American Le- gion memorial-auditorium here slashed from $105,000 to $97^000, with city co-operatlrig as co-spon- sor. Bob Talbert of Palmetto Amuse- ments,. Inc., (Calrolina, State and Stirand) back from two weeks beach and mountains vacation. < With Rubin & Cherry Exposition BhoWs booked here a full week dur- ing county fair .(Oct. 15-19) arid other large competlsh. Palmetto houses planning big motion pix jubilee event, with colossal ad si>ace, paper display, top offerings, vod- yille, etc. Plaza (Publlx-Bamford chain) at Asheville, N. C, is resuming ama- teur nights once a week, which paid wipll last year. Denver. Fox Intermoiinta.ln has added the State, theatre at Boulder, Colo., to Its group. The equipment wag pur- chased by the "isis. Theatre Co., who leased the buHdlrig, from the Silver Staite Theatre Co. Park theatre at Grieeley, formerly owned by Bud Kelly, has . been taken over by Piibllx. A new theatre at Tererro, N. M., Fly United's "NIGHT-HAWK" Lv, NewYork 12:30 a. ni.(EST) Ar. CLEVELAND 3:12 a.m. Ar. CHICAGO 4:40 a.in.(csD Also new faster OVERNIGHT aervice to CALIFORNIA Reservations: Any United Air Lines Office, travel bureau or telegraph office. New York— 58 E. 42nd Street, MU 2-7300. UNITED AIR LINES JANE MOORE AND BILLY REVEL Betnrn, EngnsmK'nt 'Ithln Three AVeekB rOEWS STATE. NEW YORK ThiN Wepk (Sept. 13th) Opening Sept. SOtli. Parhdise ..Rest, New York .PerNdnnI Met. WAI.XKU BATCHEI.OB will be opened by A. Nelson about Oct.- 1, T. W. Couch has sold the Walsh theatre . at,. jy^l-ih,, .r.oJa,.. -ta. .DaJo Menafee. Iris theatre has been taken over from Paul V. Cull by M. L. Hart. -Coinjtruclion of a, new theatre at Tucumcarl, N. M., will be started sometime this month by Arch Hurley, who also owns the Princess there. Hurley will also lease from the government a theatre to be built at the site of a reclamation dam near Tucumcarl. D. E. Cpnriff ha^. openM the Roxy theatre at Palisade, ToToT "JUMBO" NEW YORK l^lncoln. Answer to the Indie Theatres $1,353,000 suit here in Federal Court was filed this week by- film company defendants asking in an exhaustive petition that several of the allegations be stricken entirely from the petition and others be made more . specific. Oflicials in both the Indie and State Theatres groups aire suing In the artiount of $1,797,P00 in two suits to recover damages allegedly aiccrued under the collusion' and. cbnsjp.iracy prac- ticed by defendants In the sale of films. Answering companies were paramount. United Artists, Univer- sal, Radio, Vitagraph, Fox and MGM. Trial is set for the first part of October. , John Quinh, who operates the Pilger, Pilger, Neb., goes to Bank Night this week. ,. Roy Headrlch, Lyric manager, Havelbck, Neb., gave oral notice of appeal when the muny court slapped him with a $50 and costs fine for Operating bang night here. ! Joyo, Havelock, Neb., is going two-for-pne several nights a week.; William Toungclaus. Grand I.sland, Neb., who has the Empress, is in- voking Nebraska's anti-picket law in the Hall County court, after labor troubles.Unlon operators asked to take a cut when biz sheered off were let but and replaced, which brought out the," picketing move. Platz, Plattsmouth, Neb., which has been dark for several months, has. been the target for piecemeal theft, thieves having carried iaway nearly all the booth equipment a bit a time. City Manager Milton Overman,, of the Westland chain here, promoted Willard Kramer to house manager at the Varsity and Leland Mischr nick, in the same capacity at the Kiya. In Kramer's case it was a wedding present. Plays Abroad (Continued from page 12) best burlesque comediennes In thi:! country. A very pleasing personality is I>or.aJ<l- ^St^wartr-en-Anw.'Piean-''A'li« ■ came over with the last Cfrosvcnoi- House cabaret show. He talks, sinss ., ^g,nd dances In thoroughly , masc t line fashion. Dominant figure is Douglas Byng. revue and cabaret artist, vrith ^n overweening penchant tor uncanny feminine characterization. He writes most of his matierial and has a flair for double entendre remarks. A generally competent supporting company has been requisitioned, at- tractive chorus, exciellently-drilled irmrtastefuT"i3eei(reify:-ttloTig~lmT)rBF- Libndon, Can. W. K. Trudcll, treasurer at the Capitol (P.P.), has been named man- ager of the Brant theatre, Brantford, which is being reopened Sept. 27. Kingspbrt, Tenn, Sunday shows may be legalized at the next meeting of the City Coun- cil following the introduction of an ordinance repealing Sabbath shows. London Legit (Continued from page 12) the Driiry Lane opened early in May and there was some uncertainty about it for a while. A big, spec- tacular production, and with a large cast, it has to play to considerably more money than the average medium-sized theatre can hold, to show any profit. First month or so business was excellent in the orchestra stalls, with an indifferent call for the cheaper seats. Tliis situation has been reversed now,, al- though top price seats are still sell- ing healthily. Emlyn Williams' hit, 'Night Must Fair opened at the Duchess the end of May and small house has been practically capacity since it started. Practically all the New York man- agers have attempted to secure the piece for immediate release in New. York, and at the present moment Brock Pemberton is negotiating. Author, who is also the star of the cast, refuses to let it go for New. York until he is ready to appear in It there himself. Announcements of the new crop of legit prpductlon.s for early fall are extremely impressive. All the standard managements are com- mitted to put on new attractions in the near future, and routes for a provincial toUr are at a premium. Bookings for a tour of the larger cities are impossible for an earlier date than next January. Col's Biornstad Quits Stockholm, Sept. Old Biornstad, Swedish branch manager of Cbiumbia Plcts., has re- signed. Is going to devote his en-, tlve time to the mahiagement of his nine theatres in Stockholm, the Rl chain, Columbia has not announced any successor to Biornstad as yet. sionistic style. Jold. Inside Stuff-Pictures (Continued from page 6) .abroad i\u]iy..Afier,.c£in.Lax;t,ijj^.ac«ne..JJ?...or,..mor« .dl.ffeKeTit-,parilea._lD. as many foreign countries. Even though understanding is that ,Faust' Is public domain material In the U. S., coverage on rights abroad woul make^ cost excessive, pix officials figure. Pararnpunt has 30% of the rights of 'Most of the Game,* new John van Druten play which Dwight Deere Wiman hopes to start into produc- tion in the next few weeks. Par also has a piece of 'Paths of Glory,' Sidney Howard dramatization of the war novel by Humphrey Cobb, which Arthur Hopkins is producing. Latter opens in New Haven today (Wt^driesday), —' COURRIER DE LYON (•LYONS MAIL') Paris, Sept. 6. Melodrama In 4 acts and 6 scenes by Moreaui Slraudln and;'Delacour. Produced at Theatre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris,, by, Lucten Rozenberff and laoltt Broi. -Staged by Rozenberg. Starring . Jose SqitlrtQUel... Joseph Leaurques ...Jose Squlnquel Jerome Lesurques,., . .-. .Jean- Dulac Jeanno Solange Slcard Chappdrd . .X>uclen Bbzenberg Daubenton ^J«an Reynols rourrlol ...Jacques Servieres bldler Raymond de Boncour Foulnard Antoine Stacquet Guerneau . . . .Louis Perdoux Postmaster Marc Roland joUquet ,. ......iiiiiwj... lerro Deata'llles Lambert .-..Pierre Gamier Farm boy.. lerro Harment Dumo:-1 i TalUadc Julie tesurques..Chrlstlane Laurey Daughter ,..Jeanne Dumont Big Sarah Bernhardt theatre has jumped the gun on the 1935-36 sea- son with this meller, in which the villain shrieks 'Hah, hah' and hero cries in dispair ,'My father! You have c-c-r-r-rusliehd me,' and playr house hasn't done as badly by Itself as might have been expected. It's pulling in a certain public which might go to lower priced nabe cinema, and which prefers this be cuase quality of French film. Is so low. With $l;7b.top, brought down to half by cut-rate tickets distributed liberally, show Is getting, not full and profitable houses, but as much coverage of seating, space as the average Piarls theatre can expect. And that's something. They don't laugh at the show, either. They don't go wild with terror, but they take it. It's a costume piece, laid In the directoire period. Holdup of mall coach on the stage, and arrest and trial of the hero, who looks Just like the. villain,- the man who 'actually did thie job. This gives Jose. Squln- quel a .chance to act both hero and heavy. TJiis actor, who played Frank Harris in the Oscar Wilde piece last season, which William Harris Is put- ting on this year in New York, is made for meller. He roars, gesticu- lates and rants like no" other. They love It; Bterh. AS BAD AS I AM London, Sept. 6; Farce-comedy In three acta by. Brandon Fleming, presented by Efydney W. Carroll at the Ambassadors theatre, Sept. C, '35.- Produced by Maxwell Wray. Hon. Mrs. MelUower ..May Chevalier EmmCline MelUflower Barbara Cavan Duchess of Reculver........... Grace ' Lane Parker. McArthur Gordon Duke of Reculver....A. Bromley-Davenport Doris Haslamc : Elizabeth . Inglls Dr. MelUflower.. i Andrew Leigh Sir Donald McMurray ..Gavin Gordon Lady Elfreda Dewhurst Pamela Stanley William Blundell., ;. .Jack Hobbs Footmnn. ...' John Redmond Lord Inchpln .'... .Walter Fitzgerald Jennings. Plxle RawUngs Mr. Rickaby Valentine Rooke Marie... Alyce Sandor Kuatace Calverdy Philip Desborough Olga Ranelagb Agnes Lauchlan Installatloiroi 'rarKfng'inctures ip espe'ciaiiy "equipped parlor cars bper-: ated by crack trains would serve as a talking point in sale of train tickets if idea of one picture company executive is carried out; e fig- ures trains like The Chief, Century and Broadway Li ited can ballyhoo that relaxation period spent viewing pictures lops off an hour or two spent on trains. Were it not for the fact the man^ agiement employed the best talent available for interpreting the roles feeding the central characters, there le small likelihood the audience oh tl*e first night would have remained to the finish. Audience Is asked to believe that the up-to-date daughter of a wealthy duke Is such an incorrigible hoyden that she commits forgery; blackmail, .cheats at cards and ar- ranges to steal her mother's jewels. When absolutely- cornered, this playful young woman says every- body in the htiusc is dishonest, even the high church dignitary whom 8he accuses of "grounding hief niblick In a bunker. Piece cannot possibly Ist African Color Pic Paris, Sept 8, rirst color film to be made in Africa is being shot by Pltrre Ichac, newsreel cameraman, who is accom- panying an expedition to climb the .Mount of Genles in the Hoggar dis- trict of North Africa, for the first time. Mountain Is about 7,000 feet high, istnd is in heart of the Sahara. Lotd of color supposed to be avail- able in cbstumet) of natives and In landscape. Ichac's camera uses the French additive system of color cinematography, and film will be put out by General Agency for Color Films for Rainbow Prod. In Paris In, Oct, New art service sending clip-sheet direct tb 900 film , editors oh .news- papers throughout the country has been launciied by; Bill PJne at Para- inount. Sheet carries line, and \yash drawings by Winn Meggs, staff artist, and photo reproductions. Editors have option on using stills, reproducing Meggs' art or asking for mats front .studio. A. departure in previews is Warners screening of 'Midsummer Night's Dreahi' at this Burbank studio tomorrow night (Wed.) with a promise exacted from the selected .group of the press In attendance that they will refrain from writing reviews. TThose who make eiiitorlal comment on the fil , however, will riot be regarded as breaking faith. Out-of-state picture people who spend more tha,n six months of taxable year in California will be nicked by a new state income tax lia,w. Assess- ments also will be made against those who maintain permanent residence! here. Taxes will be computed on basis of ea.rnings from Jan. 1, 1935. Lon Chaney, Ji:., promises to be a successor to his fathef In the art of bizarre makeup, And like his father, the son insists on .doing the Job without assistance. Initial opportunity for the younger Cbaney came in the Commodore picture, 'A Scream in the Dark.' Ignoring precedent for bperatic pix stars, Jan Klepufa, Polish tenor,, imported by Paranvount, gave demonstration of his singing ability al; press luncheon. Ignoring smoke-filled room, Kiepura sang two numbers when asked by fan mag writer. Death of Huey Long created a brisk demand for 'The Kingfish,' reel Subject on the Louisiana senator. Picture was produced by Pictu^'res Corp., Indie concern, and Is state righted. l^j^ hltcK is expected in the proposal to increase the outstanding stock of Columbia Pictures from present total of about 300,000 shares, to ,1,^ 000, dftft. when stockholders meet today (18) tb act on the matter. Television (Clontiriued from page 2) ^ stall an under-water coaxial cable linking New York with London and then to distribute pictures for any conimercial use In the U. S., the Commlsh is preparing to launch a fight to make certain that this country is not placed in a position of havirg to be content with only such service as Great Britain sees fit to provide. Commlsh is alert to discover any evidence of tie-up be- tween U. S. and English interests which might have the result of comr pelling Amierlcan pic consumers tb pjfy heavy royalty or rental charges or which might lead to discrimina- tion betwieen this country and other nations. Deep International character of any such eventuality is likely to be- come a major headache for the FCC, particularly sin i the State Department on occasions in the p'st has shown disposition to play ball with the. A.T.&T. and has made a policy of attempting to placate other naMons at the expense of in- dividuals here. ' What can be done if .such a situation arises In the fu- ture is just another Comniiiih worry tb which there is no answer yfet. Although nothing tangible has come to light regarding any pro- posed A.T.&T.-Brltlsh television tie-up, government officials follow- ing' the wire-pic development note that there is no practical reason at the present time for. Installing, co- axial cables for domestic use. The New York-Phllly .installation, it Is believed, will be made more with a view to using the new tra,nsmls8lon process in the interna,tionial field. This opinion is based on the fact ■that even oyer the New York-Phllly route, one of the heaviest-used tele- phone circuits In, the country, exist- ing facilities arc riiore than ample, with only a little more than half of. the possible volume being handled by wires now In operation. Ju.st where the Bell .system would find a practical n.sc for circuits carrying 250 or more phone messages and having a relatively high installation and construction co.st is a pha.se of the whole matter which deepen.s tiie rhy.stery and inten»ifies- apprehen- sion. In nuthorlsiing the expcrlnfiental installation, the FCC Impo.sed strict condition^ on the cortipany to pre- vent a monojpoly. Besides being re- quired to file periodical reports, the A.T.&T. Is required to: make any discoveries available to all inter- ested parties and is prohibited from denying competing researchers from using its equipment. Before iany coihmercial service can be started, the Bell system must again appear before the Cbmmish and obtain government sdnction for Its terms. BILLY AND BEVERLY B E MI S The Boston Globe, Sept. 13) 1936 "Judging from the, applause of the delighted audience and the number of entertainers who 'stop the show' until additional en- cores are given, It l.s all-star week at the RKO Boston the- atre. Tho.se '.show-stoppers' are the explosive Sophie Tucker, the .ever-popular radio artist. Vlnr' cent Lopez and his orchestra,. Billy and Beverly Bcmls, two classy dancers ^yho .speed up the .show; Stan Kaviinaugli, the top.s of the Juggling profession, and Fred Lowery, singer with Lopez.' Alahnirement MILES INGALLS CURTIS A ALLEN OFFICE KKO Itullding, Rorkefrllcr Onter Now Vork CUy, N. ,V.