Variety (May 1926)

34 VARIETY _. ^V- VAUDEVILLE INSIDE STUFF ON PICTURES (Continued from page 10) the convention meet tiers were not open to the trade press a Variety reporter pot into the room aeridentally as the convention was about to adjourn. Marcus Loew made the final address and they cheered him to the faretheewell. Previously Louis Mayer had talked for two hours. He pot right to the boys and they admitted It. A long wire from William R. Hearst was a bearcat as a boost for M.-O.-M. and Its people. An unusual thing about the M.-U.-M.'s Is that one appears to blame pood results upon another. The reporter listened In on a couple of these blamer.s and asked an executive about it. He replied: "That'*-the -Kroatest J.h*«K -about our organization—toam work. No onr Is looking for credit, no one tries to steal credit. We all work to- ['('lli'T am! that means result. I remember one instance where the credit was blamed upon five different fellows down the lino as I tried to pet to the source of a particularly pood move. Then I prow tired of asklnp but I was tickled to death over that kind of a spirit." M.-O.-M. has had a preat season: others in the trade also know it. And they claim that it was not accidental; that M.-O.-M. will repeat. "It's not luck," said one of the big men of the company, "it's organiza- tion backed by experience." Sidney I,ust. owner of four downtown "prind" houses in Washington, D. C. has turned his Leader theatre on 9th street into a "smoke house," without music. Patrons can smoke. Lust made the switch due to an altercation with the local musicians' union, which insisted that he use two union piano players on threat of pullinp out his operator. Lust retaliated by cutting out the music and claims his business has since increased. The Virplnia on 9th street is the first house to follow the Leader in Its new policy. Lust, who owns the Leader, Hippodrome, Elite and Grand, all "prind" houses, says the use of two union piano players at the regular scale would increase the overhead of his house, which has 300 seats and a 10c: admission, wiping out his profit. Ho contends that if the union succeeds in its present drive it will force the majority of small house owners out of business. The present non-union rate for piano players is $20 per week. The union players draw $47 per week more for this type of house for the Bame time. It is said the union is now on tho trail of other 9th street exhibitors who furnish music for their shows with mechanical pianos. Due to the labor involved in changing rolls they require a union man on the job. The possibilities are the other "grind" houses will follow Lust's lead by letting the films flicker without the usual musical accompaniment. Some picture directors are more tempermental than stars. One di- rector is making a picture at a studio in Hollywood. He was recently on a stage where another company was working, insisted that the other company do no labor while he was directing a scene. This director felt that any noise, such as the playing of music, talking or hammering, in- terfered with his work. A plan was worked out whereby a signal would -*be given from his part of the stage by the ringing of a bell announcing he was ready to "shoot." When the bell rang all work on the other set stopped with the tempermental director shooting his scene. Com- pleted, the bell rang twice, announcing the other company could go ahead and also that the carpenters could work. When the other com- pany finished, they of course, showed the director the courtesy by signaling with a bell. The result naturally was perfect harmony on that stage and no friction, only the extra cost of the temporary sus- pensions. North American Theatres, Inc., of which Harry Arthur is general manager on the coast, is not pleased with the business the new houses they control through their subsiduaries are doing in northern and southern California. In northern California, they have two houses, both new, Campus, Berkeley, and Wilson, Fresno. It Is said business in both these houses has been light since they opened and the company operating them has been trying to figure out a way to protect itself. They have a similar situation in Pasadena with the Bard theatre, operated through a dif- ferent corporation than the northern one. The southern one is under the banner of Far West Theatre, Inc. It is said that through the instructions of Frank C. Wilson of the Motion Picture Capital Corporation, who is financing the North American Theatres, Inc., that Arthur called on Abe Gere, of West Coast and made various propositions whereby West Coast take over these houses on a percentage basis and operate them. The matter was taken under ad- visement. Among those in the know, much surprise was expressed at this move on the part of Arthur, who about a year ago left West Coast. "SUNDAY" INR.L (Continued from page 17) most of the residents of "Little Hhody" peek the amusements at the shore • resorts. Sunday's crowds were attributed merely to the "nov- elty" of the situation, for most of Khodo Island's blue laws date back to the era when the colony was first established. Under the existing rules providing for Sunday movies, the legislators have stipulated that the programs shall be of an "educational" or "dig- nified" nature. The new Sunday movie bill has the approval of most of the churches and in the fight for the removal of the theatre ban, many preachers were prominent on the side for Sunday shows. The theatres ran continuous shows from 3 t o 11. Sunday movies were a novelty *n Providence alone.* Other cities and towns of the state have run Sunday shows, usually consisting of two evening performances, and billed under "concerts," for several months past. Under the ban, "concerts" were permlssable. An example of the Sunday concert, as run in the Keith theatre in WoonsocHet re- cently consisted of five vaudeville turns and two sex pictures. Similar programs were billed in nearly every other theatre of the state with the exception of those in Providence, where the law was rigidly enforced. As an example of the manner in which the anti-Sun- day movie law was enforced an Arctic explorer was scheduled to give a benefit lecture. This was deemed satisfactory as under the heading "concert" or "educational." But when it was announced that movies were to be used to Illustrate the lecture, the police stepped in and forbade the fulfillment of the program unless no admission was to be charged. Sunday Bills Moving picture operators wel- comed the introduction of Sunday movies, as most of them worked a seven day week In any case, some 15 or 20 operators being kept busy on Sundays at the churches. Providence picture programs shown Sunday advertised as "se- lected, educational, entertaining films" were: Victory: "The Exquisite Sinner" with Renee Adoree and Conrad Na- gel; "Lazybones" with Madge Bel- lamy and Buck Jones Liberty: "Hit and Run" with Hoot Gibson. Rialto: "The Night Cry" with Rin-Tin-TIn; "Oh, What a Nurse" with Syd Chaplin. Emery: "The Earth Woman" with Mary Alden, Prlscilla Bonner and Johnnie Walker; a Mrs. Wal- lace Reld production; turns. Albeej "Brown of Harvard" and turns. "Strand: "The Dancer of Paris"* "Clothes Make the Pirate" with Leon Erroll and Dorothy Gish. Majestic: "The Blind Goddess"* "Hearts and Spangles." ' Fay's Theatre billed a benefit con- cert for the Irish Sisters of Mercy with Ft. F. J. O Donohoe as singer and Sean Nolan, pianist. GLENN C. BURT Booking Manager for the Keith-AJbee Western Circuit for the pa«t thirteen years WISHES TO ANNOUNCE THAT HE IS NOW BOOKING HIS OWN THEATRES and is in a position to give his PERSONAL ATTENTION AND KNOWLEDGE TO THE BOOKINGS OF A FEW MORE HIGH-CLASS THEATRES PLAYING VAUDEVILLE HEAD- LINERS AND ATTRACTIONS MANAGERS—WklTE OR WIRE ME WILL CALL ON YOU PERSONALLY STANDARD ACTS—WRITE OR WIRE CAN GIVE YOU TEN WEEK CONTRACT # PHONE—STATE 7210 Suite 705, Woods Theatre Bldg. CHICAGO, ILL. Lewis Hamilton, Juvenile, has left the legit for pictures. He will be known on the screen as Lewis Hall, through so many Hamlltons now getting picture type. Fattest Act in Vaudeville WEN TALBERT and him GhoooUto Fiend* Now Headllnta* r»ntarrii Circuit BAND DANCERS BINDERS JTNEMAJTS 'FOREVER AFTER' Los Angeles, May 4. First National has made arrange- ments to produce "Forever After," a B. F. Fineman production, at the Metropolitan studios, beginning there May 6. Hnrman Weightman will direet. KITTY DONER With JACK CARROLL at the Piano ii 20 MINUTES IN PARIS" THIS WEEK (May 3) B. F. Keith's PALACE, New York Direction HARRY WEBER JUST RETURNED FROM AUSTRALIA, AFTER A FOUR MONTHS' SUCCESSFUL TOUR OF THE WILLIAMSON ENTERPRISES. THANKS TO MR. JACK MUSGROVE AND HAROLD BOWDEN. HOPE TO RETURN AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL TIME. THIS WEEK (MAY 3), GRAND RIVERIA, DETROIT, MICH. Eastern Rep., ROSE & CURTIS Western Rep., JOHN BILLS BURY; Associate, LEW KANE