Variety (Nov 1928)

pTAGE BROADWAY NEW YOKK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1928 Rehearsals in Speak as Best Guard Against Equity- •Tayrnates," with Joseph Byron Totten producing, went common- wealth - when unable '. to plost an Equity bond. The commonwealth anglo about deleted the original cast, with the gambling substitutes culled fronrt unemployed stock actors. The piece, opening last week in New Rochcllo, N. Y., will lay ofC for repairs this week and open at the Totten, New York, next week.. Totten had engaged his original cast on a salary basis. It was catled out"by Equity when Totten did not post the usual bond covering two weeks' salary. To avoid further Equify an noyance Totten took his common- wealth: troupe to a speakeasy In We.st 49th street for the remaining rehearsai-s, W'*-^ assurance that Equity oITlclals could not get by the doorkeeper of the Joint. The speak, which has been doing light afternoon business, was sold on the rehearsal hall Idea, figuring the players would give the place some trade. That failed to ^mate- rialize, but the bartenders enjoyed the rehearsals. More Joy Than Dough Standard compensation for hymn writers is, and has been for years, $1 per hymn. Mrs. Ida L. Reed of Moatville, W. Va.. has dreated .2,000 religious lyrics during her career, re- ceiving top price of ?2 on a few. Mo.st were purchased by publishers at the regular $1 scale. In explanation as to why lyricists wlU remain In such a poorly paid field, Mrs. Reed states: "We cannot hope for any but the smallest financial reward but the Joy of knowing that we have reached and helped many on their home- ward way . is beyond all price." $22,000 and $18,000 Nite Club Grosses TALKING FILMS Actors Must Now Be Fitted to Pictures and Not Pic- tures to Stars — Talent Counting More Than Paces—-Hollywood Picture Executives See Doom of Long Standing Star Sys- tem HOLLYWOOD'S P A NIC Flu Epidemic Drops Biz 40% in So. California Log Angeles, Nov. 27. Influenza epidemic which hit the- atre business a body blow in San Francisco has now blanketed the entire southern .California region. It is causing the biggest slump of the year in theatre attendance. Some theatre chain operators estimate that business has dropped 40 per cent., in the .pa.st tw,p. vy.eeks. / Spread of the flu has been so gen- eral that schools have been closed in Banning, Santa Maria and Alham- bra, with the word out that other schools will be closed if the epidemic continues. Mutual Arts high school, Los Angeles, was closed for several • days. ^ ■ / Warnings have been issued urging ■people Vo avoid gathering in public places and the theatres have been among the first places avoided. Info iot Married Men; How Wemen Spend . WiishingtQn, Nov. ^27. Fair ones of the nation spent more than 11 million dollars in 1927 for the stuff that makes their cheeks rosy, act?ording to Com mcrcc Departniont figures on the sale of cosmetics. -..==.Aa_ indicative^.of_^.th.e_. tttal ..dousli there is in this material, statistics disclose that in addition to the ?11, 000,000 for , rouge, $8,000,000 - Was spent for talcum powder, $3,000,000 for other toilet powders, $15,000,000 for piTfiunns, $8,000,000 for toilet waters. $ll,oOO,000 for hair tonics. $3,500,000 for hair dyes, $1,000,000 for hair removers and $3,000,000 for shampoos. Othor toilet preparations not clas'- slfiod brought in another $30,000,000 Probably the record high gross for. a nite club's ordinary, weekly business is the $22,000 at the Club Richman, New York, last week. The figure is obtained from a source other than the management's. The Richman- is considering tilt- ing its $5 and $6 couvert (latter on Friday-Saturday) to $7.50 straight. Turnaway trade almost nightly., Harry Richman, IrVing Aaronson'a Commanders and Frances Williams the stellar floor trio, with the first two chiefly credited for the extraor- dinary draw. With Richman's personal draw topping the big five in Broadway •nite life past and-present (including Clayton - Jackson - Durante, George Olsen, Texas Guinan and Helen Morgan), the augmentation of the Aaronson entertainers and dance purveyors accounted, for the extra dollar on the couvert charge and also topped; all . previous grosses iji an abnormally poor cafe sea.son. . At the.Silvej.:Slipper,..tbe-I>u.r?.nte. trio in their first.week, a;t $2 and $3 couvert, did a' gross of $18,000. Toward the end of the period the couvert was raised to $3, with $4 On Saturday and Sunday. Previously to the Durantes going in the cafe, and without; a special name attraction, the Slipper had been averaging aVound $5,000 weekly. Richman draws a flat salary and has a piece of his club, with the Schwartz boys as his partners. The Durantes are in the Slipper at a flat salary of $3,000. It's one of Bill Duffy's places, L<>« Angele«, Nov. 27. - Film stars are commencinfl to fade. The fadeaway is contem plated as a permanency by the lead ing producing executives of the Hollywood colony. Talking and dialog pictures wi push out the beautiful but dumb and Qtheris of both sexes who have depended upon their faces or vogue with the fans to maintain a spot on the screen.- Talent is becoming supreme. No longer are pictures bejrtg fitted to stars. Now it is. the actors being fitted to pictures. In the legit this is called ^casting" and the same tl.ing is'coming into the Hollywood studios to change the entire com- plexion of the picture leads and principals. The star system dominating the picture in(3u.stry since its inception is- about to be tagged for the junk heap. One of the most prominent pro diicing companies will allow its op tions to lapse on nearly one-half the stars now under its banner. Talkers have Changed everything Difiicnlty in.- obtaining good stories and the imperativeness of fitting tljjp actor to the role hits especially hard those screen star.q' or featured players with no previous stage ejf pcrience or poor speaking voices. All-star casts will probably be the rule in most of tlie. future talkers. The field will be wide open for •th<' development- of new talenL -Tolal eclipse of many' old time faVorlte.s seems Inevitable. Hollywood actor colony ik In a panic because of the drift. "Con- nections" tlireatep. to moan nothing as the new forces bear down with increasing pressure. . Meanwhile the companies are mo;re concerned with suitable story material and are not worrying about film actors, who are prob- ably lf;.ss important In the film in- dustry at ll:o pr(-scnt tinrie than in years. Detroit s Police Censor Issues Decorum and Dress Rules for Shows ' ' ■' ' Detroit. Nov. 27. Lieut. I^ester Potter, police censor for the stage In this city, recently Issued a code of rules and regulations on conduct and costume for local theatres. The code has been approved and is now In effect. liieuL Potter occuplcB the same position censorlally aa does Police Censor John M. Casey of Boston. Both cenaora appear to secure Im- mediate attention to their Instructions. Lieut. Potter has made his po- sition one of authority here through raids on the stock burlesque shows. The Potter idea of regulating the stage for decency rieads: Detroit Police Department Censor In order that there will be clean, wholesome and moral entertainment In the various theatres, the Department of Police requests that the man- agement co-operate with the Department In enforcing the following: iobn't change your act without permission from manager ot theatre. Don't ridicule any creed or nationality. Don't try to embarrass any person in audience. Don't have spotlight thrown on any person In audience. Don't address any remarks to,persons In audience (use a plant). Don't come on stage with abbreviated costume; body must be covered in keeping with decency. The upper portion of the body. Including the breasts, must be com- pletely covered to within two Or three Inches of the lower covering. Don't u.«je Immoral talk &t words. Don't use suggestive actions, shimmle. co'och or sensuous dancing. Don't cotae into the al-sles unless property dressed (three-quarter dress, evening dress, or street dre.ss). D6n't lose your head If anything unusual happens In theatre. Keep right on with your business, as your Indifference may prevent a panic. Performers coming on the stage must not use a cloak number, opening a.nd closing the cloak in order to show the outline of the humian body, and no strip numbers will be allowed in the future; performer must continue with the .same costume, except in trapeze, acrobatic tumbling, bicycle acts, etc. No suggestive songs must be sung. Bedroom scones must be carefully i)rosentod. Scenes of Infidelity mu.st be eliminated and. only presented In dramatic sketches, within the bonnd.i of decency... The presenting of scenes representing disorderly Iiou.soh, or the opera- tion of same. Is indecent, unlawful, .and will not be allowed. Presentation of pervert characters, commonly known as "Nanre." will not be tolerated. Under no' clrcum.stancos should the mode of preparing or administering narcotics be permitted when dope characters are represented. Remarks or words of a sacrilegious or profane character will not b<" tolerated. The word God in irreverent manner must not be used. No performer .-should be allowed to ad lib, especially In bits and scenes whereby it may bo offensive to public morals. Lester Potter, A Snappy Widow Chicago,. Nov. S7.. First arrest unddr Evanston's- new ordinance against keeping the radiir on after midnight ha« been made. A snappy young widow w;is haiiled out of her home by cops for listening to the music, but not un'.ll the policewoman who pinched her got .slapped In the face and liad to call the reserves. A Bum's Drink Act Refused to Dress in Booth; Canceled Date • Mahon.oy and Ileihel cancelled the ia.st half.at the .Sumptf-r, Brookl.vTi, ol.'iitriing thf> house had nut proi»er dn-SHing room facllitlfs and rnfu:-'- irig to (U-"vs in Xhc proj<i'':tlori bofith. Tb*"; act had hf-r-n s'-nt in by in- depffudent bookers. , '.Safi .Francisco; Nov.'27; Mix one pi^il of gasoline. ' .dnf*. liint of milk. —- - -• IlesUlt: The latest drJnk con- f(jcllori imbibed along Third street, where bos and bums make their rendezvous. They say it's a pretty sLIfT Jolt, but tiie drinkers soon get u.scd to it. BfHides, one can easily swipe a bottle of milk off some frorit porch, and getting gasoline Is easy. The milk is .said to act as a counier-lrrilant to the gas, leaving Just plumb loonyness. Reopening Ballyhoo Closes Club Before It Opens ChlcuKO, Nov. 27... Too m.uch ballyhoo and advertising of-women- -on- po.sters--spolled .-the reopening of the Frolics, local niglit club. . Padlocked by the government lasi May for one year, the place wa.- about to be allowed to. op.cn again within elgiit inonths when I.^'eder.'jl Judge Wilkerson rescinded his okay order at the last miiiulf.. Ileopenlng was with tli" under- standing tiiat tho place be coti- (luctpd Htilctly as a high class res- l.-uirant. The big noi.sc put on for t he. opcniriK Hpoilod the idea. It Gets *Em All Lo.s Ang(;lf;s, Nov. 27. , - \' Terry Ogdr^ii, Hollywood iihfiLog rarfher, Is disposing of hi.'; businr'^:!-■ to become a pi-Mire acior. ()i.'<\<-i\ played in a picture or tv,o a oonpl • of years ago. For four cr>;nfratloris b.'jfk ii;s family li:is b((:n fngag«-f] in th" i>b''- tograj>hy Lu.sin<.-sB. I i i TME NAME YOU GO BY WHF.N YOU GO TO BUY 50STUMES '. V//..'. IIV. TEL') -80 PENN '