Variety (Mar 1928)

VARIETY P I C T U R E S Wednesday, March 7, 1028 BOOTLEGCING TOPEKA SUNDAY SHOWS ON SCIENTinC LINES "Silver Offering*' for Free Gate—Box Office Open as Usual and Tickets Issued----Theatre Has Own Charity Fund for Donations—2 Refuse. Chance ' . Topeka,- March 6. • ■ Suiuhiy uniuscmcnls arc being bootl'cKf;''J Topok.i. Thougli tljorc is. a. law prohibiting Sunday theatre openiiiss the theatrical In- terests have, found a. way arotind the law by. givinj? Siinclay benefits. The latest to join .the list of Sun- day benefits is the Novelty, owned by. the L. M. Crawford interestf. and On a vaudeville policy^ Th.e. first benefit show at this Iheati-e ■ was Sunday, Under the law benefits can be plven on Sundays if there is no ad- nii.sf^icri charge. . The . Orpheum, •Cozy, riem and Princess theatres have been giving Sunday picture bills fiir nearly, two years. When the scheme was first evolved differ- ent charitable organizations' names were xised in'the atniouncements. With' the abandonment of this part of the scherhe, the theatres be- gan, a new way of taking up the "silver offering," the patrons made their "offering*' at the box ofllce and .received a ticket which passed thci.in through the door. Official.'i of the National Theatre Co., owners of the Orpheum theatre and part own- ers in the Novelty, have made statements that the pro(it.s from the Sunday benefits have been placed in the Charity Fund of the corii- pany, from which the donations of the company are made to charitable causes.' -. , There are now only two theatres which will not open Svmday. They arc the Jayhawlc ann the (!r;ind, owned" respectively by (he Jayhawk Theatre Co. and National Co. The latter has a contract for the man- agement of the Jayhawk. Pure Reading Matter IjOS Angeles, March' (?. The Gideon Society Is dlB- t.rl))utlng more tlian- 3,000 Bibles, to be placed . In tho dressing- rooms of all coast motion picture studios. WEATHER FORECAST Washington, Mai-ch 6. Weather Bureau states in answer to queries that the outlook for the coming week, from March 7, east of the Mississippi, Includes cloudy and warmer weather Wednesday (7th.) with prpbability of Ught rains in upper Ohio valley and lower Ihke region that .day, and i.n. portions of the North Atlantic states aiiil pos- sibly Middle Atlantic states Wednes- day night or Thursday. Another period of rains except possibly snow, along the northern border Is Indicated for the week- end. Colder weather is indicated for northern sections Thursday, followed by rising temperature by Saturday.. Friendly Argument Grew Into Fight With Cop Washington, March 6. What started as a friendly argu- ment as to who should put the ladles Into a taxicab developed Into' a free- for-all fight, and a night in Jail for Le lloy Sherman, manager of the Stanley-Ci-andall Karlc (pets), who is a son-in-law of Harry CrandaU. Affairs happened in front of a dancing place In Chevy Chase, resi- dential surburb, with Mrs. Sherman Included in the party. Friends" claim the manager was not to blame. A 6-1-year-old pollnoman preferred the ohargoa against Sherman after his bad.ge had disapjioared and he had opened a: cut on the manager's head with his night stick. The cop- per lost his nl.!?ht.stfck, too. and then attempted to hit Sherman, who, by this time, was reported fighting iiiad and held by two men, with his billy. In the mellee the copper also drew his giin. ■ Charged.with a.<isault and larceny .o^ l>istrict, of . _Co.l.umbia_ _pro growing from, the allowed theft of IhCt-CDp's shield, .cau.sed it .cash bond to bo.'refus.ed that night with the result that it; was the next mdrning before the $1,000 ro.il estate , bond could be rni-sod. Sherman also spent a day in the ho.spltal with the hearing scheduled for. Saturd.ty, . In an attempt to prevent his plc- turo ft'om being taken, Sherrhan Is said to have smashed a new.sman's camera. To get out from under Uils charge he had to pose until the •boys shot him from ievery angle. Mother Gets Children In Washburn Divorce Los Angeles, March 6. Damestlc difficulties in the family of IJiyant Wash.biirn oulihinated In SupiM'ior Judge Cook's court with •^7Mabel--I<'orT-OKt.^W.a^liijLUm^AVJJlc^^^ a divorce.decree from the actor on grounds of cruelty and indifference. Wasbliurn was not-in court to con- test, and decree was granted by default. Cusiody of their two Children, Franklin B.' . Washbui+I, 1^, and Dwij'.iit L.. Washburn, eight, was given to the mother after a prop- erty settlement wai.B aubiiiittcd to the com t. The Washburns were mar- ried in Chicago in .1914. 3 Hollywood Divorces; 2 Actors 1 Too Many L.03 Angeles, March 6, "Tide of., domestic troubles in Hollywood's film colony seems to be rising by leaps, and bounds. Three feminine members of screen families have made up. their minds to disentangle themselves from marital bonds and step out on their own. . First is Sue Carol, Wampas star, and daughter of a wealthy eastern family. She has started -proceed- ings to obtain a divox-ce from Allan H, Keofer, buyer In a Chicago stockyards concern, whom she mar-- rled three years ago and separated from a year ago. Her grounds ai'e desertion. XiOuise Lorraine, active on the screen, too, besides being married to Aj-t Acord, western flicker hero,, has separated from her husband after tAvo years of marriage and di- vorce proceedings are now pending. Two actors In one family are too much, according to Charlotte Mer- riam, who married Rex Lease, young leading man. Lease has gone to live at a hotel and his wife visited an attorney. She Is the daughter of Col. Henry Clay Mcr- rlam, attached to the army general staff in Washington. M CENSORS TO GO EASY; PUBUC FIRST, SAY PRODUCERS Cel. Joy for Hays Making Trip to Convince Scissors Workers They Often Are Film Butchers—Cost Film Makers $3,500,000 Last Year ROSCOEAILS "Rosc&e Alls scored the biggest comedy hit ever registered at the State, Harrisburg, Pa. vwhat Lindy Is to aviation, Roscoc's act Is to vaudeville. The crowds waiting at the box offlce extended for blocks, Harrisburg will not forget this real artist iri many a day;" (Signed) C. M. Oibble, [■' Mgr. State Theatre; BARRYMORE DENIES SLURS OR FIGHT Phoned Attorney in New York After Report of Lawn Scrap With Myron Selznick "Just feeling good and fooling around. Said, meant and did noth- ing," is the statement Jack Barry- more authorized to New York over long distance for his personal at- torney, M. L. Malevlnsky,. to Issue. Barrymore'a phone call resulted from a wire sent him by Variety, following the receipt by this paper of a report ofi a scrap Indulged In betweein Barrymore, as the aggres- sor, and Myron Selznick on the lawn of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles,. as reported below. Mr. Barrymore was given the import of the story, in the wire with the sug- gestion It might be advisable for him to make a statement In connec- tion for publication as a report had been wired to eastern dallies on It. In phoning'to his counsel,-Barry- more requested the latter to make a full statement in reply to the pub- lished stories which Ipslnuated Barrymore In the Selznick unpleas- antness, had employed slurs. "Anything of that sort is em- phatically refuted by ' Mr. Barry- more," said Mr.. Malevlnsky. "All of us who know him know him.bet- ter ,and I say that also as his at- torney. What the exact circum- stances were 1 aim not aware; neither is Jack., tte says It was all playful during a pleasant evening, and I haven't read anything from Mr. Selznick to the contrary." Circuit in Switzerland ~ " Mentioned for Stanley London, March 6. John McKeon Is here with Sen- ator Max Aron, of Philadelphia, and Jcseph Cohen, pre.sideht of Sentry Safety Contrdl, to close contriUits for the rights to Continental Europe Gpi=;slp is that. McKebn also came over in connection with the takine: over of a Swiss theatre circuit by Plrist National, scheduled , to go through some time ago and to have become a part of the Stanley chain. It has been known here that thl.s deal was called off by Stanley and that this same company was to have acquired a Great Britain chain, but since the presidency of .the St.anloy company was taken over by Irving Hbs.sheim, it Is understood hl.s pol- icy is to keep out of the Euroii(?an theatre market and coniVne Stan- ley's a' tivitles to the U. S. w Los Angeles, ]\faroh (5. Annual election of olhcors by the Wanipas inako.s ]\Iark Larkin pro.>i- Idont. Harold Hurley and B.irrou Kel.sllhg are vice-presidents; Charles West, secretary, and George Thom- as, troa.Hurer. Board of directors Include Harn Beall,Hal .Wallis, Joe Steele, Iloiuy Arnold, Oliver , Garber. ('liarll<^ Kurtzman and K. G. Van Pelt. Los Angeles,^ March 6. With Owen Moore as the only witness, but with plenty of reports ensuing, although none of tlie direct parties has said a word. It Is claimed that Jack Barrymore and Myron-Selznick went to-the -mat or the lawn at the Hotel Am? i.assador following . the closing of the WAMPAS ball there last week. The stories give Barrymore all the worst of It, as the Inciter and the . recipient of the hardest blows struck. .Barrymore Is said , to have immediately disappeared after the fracas and refused to comment to reporters, If they loftated him. Talking Business Lionel Barrymore was the other one present, -with the affair starting In .Lionel'B bungalow adjacent to the hotel. Selznick Is assistant to B. P. Schulberg,- production director for Paramount. He was Invited by Moore to step oyer to the bungalow to see Lionel and talk business. As Selznick and Moore talked with Lionel, It Is said that Jack, quiet until then, suddenly broke in upon TlTe"??5TlvmfatiDn:;"^-;"^^---^=---^^ Solznlck, the story relate.'', passed up .lack's remarks at 11r.«t. .When they were continued, ho starteil lo leave. Whereupon Jack grow an- tagonistic and Invited. Myron out. on the lawn. The invitation was accepted by Selznick, who Is said to have proven himself an amateur boxfr of more skill han iiarrynioi.,. Moore, from the .story, .sciiarafd thf* combntanis, but not imtil aTt- r HAYS SITTING IN Washington, March 6. The Herbert. Hoover camp- paign for head of the Repub- lican ticket Is being conducted by the same group of political tacticians who pUt Warren Harding In the White House, and this distinctly includes Will H. Hays. Hays was national chairman In direct charge of the Hard- ing campaigny .and it was he ■who directed., the strategy of the .party. As a reward fo^ this service he drew the post- master generalship, from which he stepped . into his present berth as producer and distrib- utor dilef. In Waahingtoh Hays is re- garded as the original Hobver boomer. As far back as early fall he Is reported to have> dei- clded that Hoover' was the moist promising presidential timber In sight, and from the moment of Coolidge's. "Do not choose to run" statcineht Hays has been busy drawing together the ablest arid strongest party leaders to foster the .Hoover boom. Hays' sponsorship is valuable to Hoover, for tho ex-national chairman probably knows nipre. about Republican war chiest promotion than any other man in the party, as Indicated In his recent testimony before the Senate oil Investigation. HERSHOLT'S HOLIDAY Los Angeles, March 6. Jean Hersholt, character actor, is squawking to Univer-sal ofHcials for being forced to. take a two-week lay-off Immediately, without pay, as provided In his contract with the company. Hersholt contends Uni-. versal has made thousands of dol- lars from his contract by loaning him. to other producers, and more; consideration should. be extended to him in the selection of the two- week lay-off period. Hersholt wanted to have two weeks off at the time of the open- ing, of "Abie's Irish Roses" in New York in order to make the trip ea^t. Hersholt has one of the principal parts In that. picr.ure. Universal figured it had no pictures coming up for some weeks in which the actor could be used, and it was impossible to farm him out to other producers at this time. Hersholt goes Into Griffith's "Bat- tle of the Sexes" the end of this month for at least six weeks. -The. LaRoques CoTStar:^ Rod LaRoque will make at . least one picture foi- Samuel Goldwyn as. co-star with his wife, Vilma Banky. it Is understood DeMille. Is re- leasing LaRoque who will first ap- pear In a. United Artists picture for John W. Considine, Jr., prior to. the Goldwyn asslgiiment. ELINOR GOT'S NEXT SCRIPT . lios Ahgeles, March 6. Elinor Glyn will write an original screen story for M-G-M and start immediately. The writer is still listed as a staff writer for Paramount, with a con- tract providing for delivery of two more Originals for that company. PORMAN AGENCY SOLD Los Angeles, March (J. Florence,. Humes has purchased the'Fred Korman casting dgency on Bfte-chw:Ood^drh'jir.j:iQhli;mulal^in^ larglng quarters .for casting picture talent for independent companies. Fi'cd Fornian. foi-nior owner, will turn producer and make tWo-'reH comedies.. Jack had been 1)iitt<rod up quite a 'uit. Muore will say nothing eitln.-r way, Icnving.tlu' affair in the centro nf n i.'()lif.ctii>n (>r nDvcrifiod stories. Col. J.. Joy, of the Hays organ!*, zatidn, has started on a tour , to visit picture censors lii statvu vvhere censorship Is In force with a view to determining whether the .censors can not bo prevailed upon to limit i the number of censorable sequencesi There are, at present, 13.3 censor- able sequences. '• .Up to and including la.st year, producers have been losing around $3,500,000 annually in . sequences which have been eliminate] in the six .states and 130 munioipalitieB * where censbrship Is enforced. Fully 20 per cent, of the iUin lerri-. tory in the United States has cen- sorship. Abroad 64 per cent, of the territory has increased .censorsiiip reBtrictlons. Last year. 57 Amcrican- mad(^ pictures were banned entirely abroad of a total of 94 barred pro- ductions. • . Cutting has often resulted in the ruin of a picture to an extent where grosses on these picture.s, In the six censorship states, have been negligible. A.recent case was Ha.ri'y Langdon's "The Chaser," from which flive or six sequences were cut, spoiling the entire continuity. Moral Lessons •Col. Joy Is asking for the allow- ance of sequences which are ab-. splutely essential for the building of a moral lesson. A concrete ex- ample of the elinAination' of such seq-uenccs wasi in '"The Angel of Broadway." The girl was. lirst shown high-hat'tlng the Salvation Army thing and later incorporating the idea into a floor sho%y. She finally saw the light and Joined the S, A. on the level. The censors al- lowed the girl to join the S. A., but cut most of the continuity .showing the depths to which she. had fallen. Elimination of the rontra.';t killed tlie picture. On hils visit to the coast, the one preceding his niost recent trip, it 1« reported Will Hays established a system known . as "studio censor- ship." He appointed an executive In each studio, either in the .story or production department, to give special- attention . . to .cciiKor.ship angles and query Hays on doubtful scenes. Foreign Attention Special attention is b^ing given the foreign. field by Majfn- F. I* Herron, head of the Hays foreign department. . With 64 per cent, of the continental field censorod, close contact is being kept with the foreign government repi'c-sentativea in the United States; Stories with 1- European locales are being refeired to authorities. In his meeting with the I'ensors, Col. Joy will endeavor to show that as guardians of public niovals the censors sliould give closer study to the demands of the public rather than attempt to Inflect p<>rsonal opinions in editing scre-on copy. Dorothy Cuminings May Remarry 0iv6rcexl Hubby Through Cecil B, I.)e Millc's .mach- inations, Dorothy eummiiii^.s, who played the Madonna in "icing of Kings" and who Is under contract to De Mllle, may remarry hr»r husband, Frank Elllbtt,; En^lLsh. picture man, whom she divorced In New York several months ago. Be Mille's contract with Miss Cummlngs specifically pruyidos that she should not figure In ilivorce or other matrimonial proceedings for a period of seven y6ars. Wh<'th»>r the afflliatlon , with the Madonna role has anything to do, with it or not, De Mille's personal and pri-fo^.^ional interest In reconciling t)"' t^lHottJ Is keen. The couple are on ,sp'nl<iim ^<'i''^ ag.'iin and in New York, wiih a poS" .«!lbl(> rounlon whl.<!pc)-cd .vi'-'iH. Los. Ansi'h"- >TT^^ir6f From the DeMill'' .^'niHii cdmes till.' aiinuuncemont .lh;i 1. '.'s >> of It* iiiCiiitK'rs are planniiTL', i. "uuo-rlaiii" step durin;.-■ fJ.'irrolt Fort, .s(M^7iari" • bo liitcliod to Mary S'" I aclrc-^ii, March 3u. ai.. I (''idiici-, director, will • ■ I''(.msnolo Kirlcpiltriclv ir^n. I'li ) the ' ITth. that iKintli" • r. wlU ..oroen 1 ;()i'fl0D . to