Variety (Apr 1928)

62 VARIETY Wednesday, April 11, 1928 VARIETY'S LOS ANGELES OFFICE ARTHUR UNGAR in Charge Loew'8 State Bldg., Snite 1221 -22 707 iSo. Broadway. Trinity 3711-3712 LOS ANGELES Professionals have the free use of Variety's Los Angeles Office for information. Mail may be addressed care Variety. Loew's State BIdg., j^iiite 1221 •22« Los Angeles. It will bs held subject to call or forwarded, or adver- tised in Variety's Letter List. It has been ai, long time since the lost unit show played the local Or- phouni. Also more than a year since Ole pl.son and Chic Johnson left the Coaat xvith their ■ musical show, "Monkey, Business." The .boys re- turned two months ago from Aus- tralia and. went right to work , for the K-A-O circuit. Olson and Johnson were a not Sunday night with near capacity house. They closed the show in 45 mlnute.s, without an afterpiece. Olson and Johnson received strong support from their Co.. wljw-h m- cluded Clyde Hager. former Chicago radio announcer. Mager's extempo- raneous comedy talk simply wowed and legitimately, too. The Norman Sister.s', two cuties. were on their toes,Hal Finley, Baron Hopper and Sidney C. Glb-son helped out im- mea.^urably. „ v ^, » m Credit for the first half, of the bill being a success goes to. J^y C. Fl.p- pen. The boy has an easy .style of working; can sta:nd and deliver, any- . thing In the way of ; songs, talk, etc. After wallVng through his own spot to a hit. Fl 'inen set himself In even moi-e .solid Ijy continuing with "A Klghl at the Paradoxy Theatre." Plonty of gags in this turn, hold- ing Ray Kavanaugh's orchestra and featuring a very clever kid, Ruth_ De Quinoy, in panto-acrobatic, dancing. Another gal in the act is Hazel Shelly, neat buck tripper. - . Opening lntermis,sion was Frankle Heath, with an almost new rout ne of song stories for her second week. The new-ones w^re better than those of the previous week. Harry. Breen's material helps her style of putting 'em ovei\ Ray Kavanaugh's nine-piece combo, collegiate and musical, doubled at the ante spot, while. W. Cromwell Knox,' another English humorist, lyfis not .so funny in the "deuoe." .Eastman Kodak Co. gave a four- day exhibition of amateur home movies at the Beaux Arts Audi- torium. Music for the. flickers were supplied by a double-disc electric phonograph with a radio amplifier, a recent creation. Admission, com- plimentary only, resulted in 60.000 invitations being Issued by local photographic concerns. David Bennett has been engaged to direct the dances, for Robert Woolscy's ninv musical show, com- ing to the Flguerpa Playhouse soon. Marta batman Players produced "Ed-th Comes Home," three-act play •by Eleanor S. Lawson, at the Am- bassador. Principals included Dor- othy West, lead; Jean Reno, Theron Orr, D. C. Gould, Elizabeth WJlson, William Robertson, iFtalph Matson, Eugena Renard, Kirk Bond, Wanda Grazer,. Joseflne Perea, Lucille Mc- Murrin, William Fenwick, George Beldon, Geneva Thurman and Gib- bon Ash. Corihno Griffith, who sold her home in Beverly Hills recently, bought a new residnnce. on Nopth Rexford Drive. Is an aiinunl eyoiit to comraciriarat<; rebulUlitxi? of ■ San Frnncisco after the tire of iPOC. .In 1910 the City Council of Lo.m Ang<>lt^s pa.s.s'i-d an ordinance pro- hibiting theatres from keeping re- movable lobby displays in the front of theatreH, and also furniture in the lobbies. This rule was hot en- forced until recently,., when . Fire Commis.^ion took it up after *^hG Sun Francisciuito dam disaster. Just why, nobody known. Notice was sci'Vfd on the local theatres all lobby dl.Hplay.s would have to be removed and that furniture would also have to be taken from the foyer.'v and lobbies of the houses. Theatres ai'ipointed a committee to confer with Fire Chief Scott. They explained to the ciiicf that at the time this ordinance was passoi? tliere- were no tlitotres with big lobbie.s „and . spacious entrances as they have now. Thoy told him that whateveiv. display ., there , was in .either entrances or .lobbies .would not hinder any of the t^atrons in case 'of an emergency in the the- atre. Scott agreed with the ;m£in- agers and requested tl.iat they ap- point a committee to meet with him arid draft an.ordinance which would modify the one in. lOl.- Sid Orauinan is chairman of the committee to draft the ordinance. -■ Garfield Alhambra, .playing slip week vaudeville under the manage- mc'nt : of John P. Goring, has changed policy. The first half the Ralston Players will be used, consisting of the father, mother and three brothers of Esther Ralston, Paramount pic- ture star The latter part of the week Vita- phone and Movietone, In addition to the feature picture program; Ivan Bankoff, .Russian dancer, on the coast for over, a year, is pro- ducing vaudeville and picture house .lets. He has started with a flash dance ttirn of 10 people, featuring Vina and Arthut*. Univor.sal has taken over the lease of the Mifssion Court, theatre at Fiallerton,. Cai., from C. Stanliey Chapman and C. C. Chapman. Henry Duffy and ^Dale Winter, his wife, came here from San Fran- cisco for. the opening ol| Duffy's production, "New Brooms," at the El Capital!. Upon closing at the Belasco, April 15, "The iScarlet Woman," With Pauline Frederick, will move intact to the Garrick, Detroit. Beverly Hills Comhiuriity theatre, recently organized, will . produce "On the Shelf," by Christopher Morley, April 16. at its third show. Ethel Jackson, film player, will play the lead. Jack L. Warner (Warner Bros.) bought the northeast corner of Santa Monica boulevard and Beverly drive. He will build a tlii-ee-story ofRf'e building on the site. Following the closing of '"Wlng.s," film, at the Biltmore in two weeks, the house will go dark for a week, Etliel Barrymore then comes in with "The Constant Wife" for a run of two weeks. After that "A Nigh t^iii -Spain;": - the - shuw ^ now playinfT in Chic.igo. Cliestcr Conklin and Mary Brian will b(;. guests of honor' at the San Franoisco Press Club's 2i:d annual show to be held at tlie Warfield the.itre midnight of. April 21. This AltTHL'R Fv SiMITII I'rrMCnts "EXCESS BAGGAGE" By John McOowan Directed by K.ilph W.. Bell Featuring nOIIKRT IVOOLSiET NOW PI.AYINO Figueroa Playhouse, Los Angeles . ' Phone Va. 7344 Sock and Buskin Drama Club, juyenlle organization, will produce a new . play called "Tatters" as the feature of a program to be given by the Virgil Junior High School. Jerome Sheldon, New Yoi'k, has been engaged for "From Hell Cariie a Lady," opening at the Hollywood Pl.ayhouae April 13, as early as the first show Monday at the Pnntages, while the vaude- ville, one shy the usual, six acts, proved satLsfactory. Paritageg la staying; close to :his pet house here: these days and Is personally picking; and laying out the bills. ... . . This layout introdubed William Desmondi screen actor. In a new sketch (New Acts). Desmond, .ap-. peai'ed here some months ago In his- old opus "The Dude Bandit," •Two flash acts on. both ends of the bill giving the ante spot the edge, not alone by virtue of prece- dence, 13ut also by proportionate caliber, Ruloff and Elton, versa- tile adagio team, were the open- ers. Full stage' layout was neatly dressed for the couple who carry a corking violinist-conductor in the pit. The latter soloed from his po- sition arid drew attention. He is riot billed but should be^ The team is. capable with the man diversify- ing the routine with a nice pair of pipes aind m'anipulatting a balallaika. The turn is smoothly routined to the. finish. An unusual "deuce" was Dotson, colored hoofer, around for ycai-s. Dotsbn's ability r&ted much bettey position.' Comedy with plenty of hoke, but good, Was the reason "Winehill and Briscoe igot over. Winehill, comic, formerly teamed With the late.Gtiy McCbi'mick many years. The now cbmbiriatlon is suitable. Radio Fancies,. the other flashy closed. Company of seven, includ-. irig dance team, sister team, juve- nile and two male hoofers. The girl with the. fan number stands out in this turn, arid capable., in di.Torcnt departments of danclnig. The rest is fair to middlln.' Gaston Glass, screen actor, is re- hearsing a sketch fpr vaudeville. Nick Stuart arid Sally Phipps (Fox), who went.to New Orleans, to make personal appearances with "The News Parade." their currorit feature, have returned to Holly- wood. • Dr. J. Lewis GlUIes, pastor. First Methodist Church of Riverside, rapped what he termed indecent films arid vulgar newspaper comic strips before a. meeting of Metho- dist ministers.. "The Marquise," Noel Coward's play which starred Blllle Burke In New York, opened at the Morosco this week. Kay Hammond is iri the lead with Gayne Whitman. Sup- porting cast includes James Bush, Jane Morgan, Harry Garrity, Fred- erick Pymm, Russell Hopton, Linda Ann Carlon and Frederick Harring- ton,. Augustine Glassmlre, director. Reginald Pole, stage actor- and director. Joined the Hollywood Community Players as director gen- eral... Next attraction is Arnold Bennett'.s comedy, "The Great Ad- venture." Clifford A. McDougall, former .salesman in the "Times" display ad.vertisinig department, is now connected with the Al O. Barnes circus. 'I • "Lo^ Angeles Pago.'tivt"-As.sociat^ organi/'-ed by a gi-oup of civic lead- ers, plan annual outdoor spectacles. Mrs. Ralph Waldo Trine Is presi- dent; Dr. T. Perciyal Gerson, Francis W. Vreeland, Edg.ar L. Hampton, vice-presidents; . Mrs. Ri-lph W. Ruclvnam, secretary, and La\vrcnco Hill, treasurer. The first pageant is schodulod next summer at tlio Hollywood Bowl. - "QiiniuiK'.vs," .comedy by Arinesley Vaeholl, will be produced by the I'asfuU'na Cumiviunity Playhouse foUowinf; the showing of "Lazarus Laiiglu'd." by Eugene O'Neill. A re-.i.-^.siifl of "The irun<;hl>ack of Notre.Dame" (U) drew th/?,crowds PAUL NOTE NEW ADDRESS FOR & SON .steamship Accomodationt, Arranged on All Lines at Lowest Rates Foreign Excliange Al.so Ttiken Cure of, UoutJht and Sold Oldest Agency in U. S. Specializing on Theatrical "Travel BUROPRAN CONNECTIONS—PliKsiiRe TitkMi Cnre of Itutli Wiiy^ TIMES SQUARE TRAVEL BUREAU PAUL TAUSIG & SON Management Seventh Ave, & 40th St.^ Times Square Trust Co.—NEW YORK PnONE PENN, SBM Allan C. Balch, president, Holly- wood Bowl, announced plans of the institution at a luncheon at the Biltmore with the board of direc- tors, committee members and news- paper representatives present. Balch stated that the . Bowl Is starting this year practically free of debt Albert Coates, English musical di- rector, will open this summer's concerts July 10, followed by other guest conductors. Edward Halperin, picture. pro duoerT-is engaged to wed;Cathetine Browri, San Francisco society crirl, in Los Angeles this month. Lionel Belmore, screen, actor, signed by .Joseph Schildkraul for a part in "From Hell Came a Lady, Rohildkraut is producing this a I the .TroUywobd. Playhouse April in. Eddie Leahy, reception room clerk at M-G. was spotted bv Monta Bell and (riven a part in "The Bollarnv Trial" after test. L. J. Selzriick, former picsidont of Sol'/nick Pictures, Inc., is acting as fisc.ar agent for the Gaylord apartment house, and other high- class building enterprises neodlrig nxoney to retire debts. San Francisco By JACK EDWARDS Variety's San FranciiCo Office Loew's Wai-field BIdg. (Room 615) ProBpect 1363 Iniperlal, Market street house un- der lease from West Coast Theatres by the Markowitz Bros., started an- other policy April. 6 when it began showing first run Unlversals on a weekly change basis. "The Chinese Parrot" is Initial offering. ■. Scale is 2G-50c, with the Granada directly across the .street giving a full stage show, in addition to screen feature for 65c. "Jjazarus Laughed." . George €. Warren, dean of local drama edi- tors, covered the new play both foi* the San Francisco "Chronicle" (hie paper) and. for the New Tone "Times." Edgar Walte, critic for the. S. "Examiner," covered it for the Hearst publication. Jack Campbell, press representative for the Embassy here, fepresented Warner Bros, local interests oh the trip./--.- • ■: "Wings," playing as k $2 road show, got under way at the Colum- bia April 8, figured for from four to slit weeks. . At the Geary, dark for two weeks, "Interference" opened a brief stay April 9. Horton Kahn; manager Imperial, during, its operation by West Coast Theatres, lis .now in the general publicity department for the circuit, at Los Angeles, handling the pub- licity- on FanchOn arid Malrco stttge shows. •» Recommendation has been, made to the Board of Supervisors (city) by Dr. William C. Hassler, pity health officer, that an ordinance be. passed barring radio loud speakers from store fronts and opon windows on Market street. Edna May Rose, with. the' coast "Burlesque" recently at the Geary, will be married here to RInaldo Pucclnellii North Beach bfoHer and politician. .v PantageS is first of the local first run showmen to revive one of the bid road show pictures, booking "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (Univ.) for Easter week, In. con- junction with regular vaiide. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have just opened in Melbourne, Australia, their new.-Regent. It's a 2,500-seat- er, with "Flesh and the Bevil" (M- G-M) seleeted as initial screen fea- ture. . Ray Devane sailed from here to become chief organist, with stage productions in charge of Byron Bid- well, former assistant to Jack Part- ington, New York. First minstrel show tO' play this burg In three or four years is the Alabama Minstrels, which opened April 7 at the Capitol.. Cast in- cludes ; "Duke" . . Jobnson, Buddy Brown, May Richards arid 'Theresa Malse, with a 12-piec© jazz band. It's an all-colored outfit. Henry Duffy announced changeK in casts and house personnel, tha. takes George Lefflngwell to Seattit opening April 22, in support of Lec Carlllo in "Lombardl, Ltd." Lef- flngwell replaces Howard Gibson with the Seattle company, Gibson being transferred to .the new Duffy company at Vancouver, slated to open April 30, with "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney." Ronald Telfer, now. at the President here, will be stage manager at the Vancouver. Frank Gable and his wife ("Two- Gun Nan" vaude), currently at the Cameo (Universal) . here, have solved the transportation problem to a nicety. Tho pair do a roping, shooting- and dancing- act,^ and ap- pear in conjunction with their own round-up pictures. They live and travel iri a 21-foot specially , con- structed Pullman house on wheels. Interior i.s 14 feeit, 10. inches long and contains everything, even to a portable bath tub beneath that runs out into the car proper. There's a complete kitchen,'with steam jjre.s- sure for cooking. Car is fitted with callope. L. M. Goodstadt, casting director at rathe studios, taking a five weeks' vacation, the first he has had in 12 years. l^abe Morris, Chicago dancer, hi^Ald^ J>y-xFa nc^^ 1 I Weeks in W.esf"Cbast thoatfesT^ Paul "Whiteman and Jiininie GU- lespie are hosting for Gene O'Brien's coming-out party at the Tavern, next Friday, April 20, which also winds up Whlteman's three weeks at the Paramount, New York. O'Brien, who is photo news editor of the •'Times" service, has been in l)pd .'ollowlng an operation for appendi- citl.s. Mrs. Harr.v P. MuHer, wife of the American rc;i)resc'ntative for J. C. Wllliarinison, Ltd., is due from Aus- tralia April 19. Trial date h.'is been set for M.iy 14 for Fred CHesoa's suit for dam- ages against Kolb & Dill, growing out of .the coniics eliminating chorus from "Queen High" show and after GlesQa and West Coast Theatres had bought the original show for date a;t Stockton. . Through Howard McBride, who handles exploitation and publicity for Universal here and in Los An- geles, being tied up in the latter city working on "Uncle Tom's: Cabin," P. P. Vincent, (Bxploiteer for "U" in the northwest, was sent here from. Seattle to help put oyer re- opening of Imperial, pla,ying Uni- versal first runs. . Carl Lamont, Pacific coast man^- ager for Ager, Yellen & Borristeln, With headciuarters in. Los Angeles, is spending some time In tho San TYancispo territory. The new T; and D: Junior cir- cuit house, State,: seating i.BOO, in Oroville, was formalily opened Sat-, urday. The housio will play vaude- fl Im' wi th road sho.'Ws.. Fred Pink is manager. Jttmes Lynch, organist, was brought from .Fresno. VARIETY BUREAU WASHINGTON, D. C 610 The Argonn* 1629 Columbia Road, N. W. V Tejephene Columbia 4630 By HARDIE MEAKIN Belasco (S h u b e r t) —''Splder- (Lewis & Harris): next, Robert B. Mantell in Shakespea,re. National (ttapley-Erlanger)—"Rio Rita" (Ziegfeld)r next, "Porgy" (Theatre Guild). Poll's (Shubert)—Dark. , Gayety (U Burlesque)-r-"Speed Girls." Pictures Columbia^—"The Crowd"; next, "Drums of Love." Earle—"Mad Hour"; next, "Stand and Deliver." ' Fox—"Dressed to Kill"; next, "Reno Divorce," Keith's—"American Beauty" and K-A vaude. . Littl»—"Lucrecia Borgia." Met —"Speedy": next, "The Noose." Palace —"Time's Puncturied Ro- mance"; next, "Big City." Rialto — "Lovelorn"; next, "We Americans." •MUountess Maritza" scheduled for current week at Poll's was suddenly canceled after big spread in dalles announcing its coming. House ap- pears to be shut for balance . of season. Three adagio teams working as unit are at th© Fox this week. Girardi and Adair, Helen and Burt Garger, and Ganon and Lane make up the sextet. Meyer Davis is staging a big night for the Washington ball team at his Le Paradls. Annual event at the opening of the new season,. New dance floors are being in- stalled in the two dancing pavilions at Chevy Chase. Meyer Davis, op- erating the park, is planning o,n. an early opening for this venture. Colby Harrlman, continuing to do the "Staging "at- the Palace ^(Loew pots), though Publix units are of- fered as stage presentations, had had Richmond added to^^hls list doing the supervising of she new house thisre'as well as In Baltimore. Guernni & Cq» Th* Leaitlrit M* . Largest.' ACCORDION .. FACTORY In the Uhltfi) StatM The onlj Faototy Ihnt make! anj B6t it Rccda.— made by linnrt. . 277-279 Columbui Avenue San Franclaeo. Cat, Free Catalogue* Large delegaUon of San Fran- ce is Go^-^tl 1 citti; i Gal=^p CO pi e^an d^d rairiii^ critics went to Pasadena for the world premiere April 9 of CNoill'S MO.ST ORItilNAT. COFFEE SHOP In tlir Golden Went Carl—MULLER»S—Lill "TWO OLD TIMERS" DIroRt from Train of Theatre =You=Are-Welcoine- 724 So. Hill St., Los Angeles FANCHON and MARCO COSTUME CO. Designers and Creators of Special Show Girl and Chorus Costumes for many of the motion picture producers and all Fanchon and Marco West Coast priesentations. These costumes for rent to respon- sible musical stock and tab show companies at reasonable prices. FANCHON and MARCO COSTUME CO, 543 So. Olive Street LOS ANGELES, CALIF.