Variety (Dec 1929)

2i VARIETY PICTURES WedneBday, December ll. 1829 Hollywood Chatter Dolores pel Rio may go legit. Doris Hill Is to marry James L. Stunston, Kentucky business man. Marjorle Daw (Mrs. Myron Selzr nick) Is preparing the layette. Bebe Daniels sent James Hall a pig for his birthday. Skeets Gallagher Says his name Is Skeet, not Skeets. Liouis Wolheim's bridge Is profita- ble. Nils Asthcr's dog freelanced, but picked the right papa. Russ*^rpwn hopped to New Tork and brought his wife back; George Olsen is figuring on oper- ing a supper club here. , Frank Fay has Drought his father arid mother out for the winter; Mike Gore is going to build a theatre In Santa Monica. Ham Beall now press agenting £o" Hollywood's official Santa Claus. Sam Cohn has replaced "Ham" Beall as p. a. at the Roosevelt hotel. Benny Rubin working on four at M-G. Charlie Chase made a personal at the' Publix theatre, lilllwaukee. Gorinne Griffith- refuseia- ;to work before 10 a. m. Her contract says so. Al Jolson back In town; One f0f Warners then to U; A' Owen Daivls.back from New York to resume at. Pox. Paul Nicholson and Angle >Jort6n are'motorihg. home from Broadway, Mathilcl^ Comonit back from Lun- non. Keiv Maynard to Cuba for CJirist- msia. : ■ / ., •' Marco is building a new-honte in Hblinby Hills. . r •Eva Tanguay broadcast "I -Don't Care" the .other night. J6ybe Carleton here from Memr phis for pictures. Latest expression for identifying Inebriation here is "all fried up." Alice Day Is cultivating her dic- tion. . Jkmes Cruzd will use a barking greyhound as' the trades mark on. his pictures; , - William Seiter la spending $100.- 000. for a house in Holmby Hills. TehtilS court, pool, etc. Tom Miranda, Jr., has definitely decided^ not to sail a boat around the .-world, Aileen' Rayj who gave iip pictures for matrimony, is seeking a screen coiileback. Bootleggers offering fancy sou-^ venir Vl>ackage3 gratis to those who purohasi^, holiday supplies early Charlie Chaplin would like to do "Oliver twist" with Jackie Coogan as "Oliver." • A talker of course. More sun arcs now sweeping the sky nightly than any one theatre ever spotted Xmas shopping. Actors! at U In their second child hood. Ha.ve to roll In the mud for "All Quiet." Harry Rlchman to New Tork. Back Feb, 1 for another U. A. pic ture. William'^ Beaudindr-will free liance after his current picture for First National. Radio ordered 75 extra girls for •'Second. Wife," and 25 were sent home to get longer skirts. Ramon Novarro will double to London when he gets a breathing Epell. Greta Garbo la the Hetty Green of Hollywood. She makes $3,500 a week and lives on $1,000 a month. Paul Whiteman so thrilled over a full-.night's sleep he stayed awake all the next one trying to figure it out. In addition to working on the screen treatment of "The Two Black Crows" (Par), Walter Weems 'will also appear in It, George Bancroft sings. Used to be one-half of Bancroft and Brosky, vaude. Paramoiint's looking for a story in which he can warble. John McCormack is the most democratic actor who ever worked on the Fox lot. Insists o^^ all play ers addressing hl?n as John. Song, "Lon Chaney Will Get You If You Don't Watch Out," changed In England to "Lon Chancy Will Have You Siaon.*' . . M-'Q boys and girls cash their weekly checks at a pawnshop - "Uncle" charges 10 cents, per cash, Irrespective of size. Wlieri called upon to talk over a : radio at. a cafe opening, former film girl safd; 'T wish I were home read Bert Levy, vaudevlUian, Is the dean of newspapei* cartoonists on the Coast. He always m. c.'s vrh-^n they appear in public. R.Uth Renlck, head of the Actors* theatre, Is looking for someone who kfiows his groceries. She's got grocery store In Oakland. Ed Rowland wants to Droducc "In Tour Hat." Farce with Holly 6-Camera Control Hollywood, Dec, 10, A device designed to control six. cameras simultaneously, with rheostatlc starting to eliminate jamming of the mo- tors, has. been Invented by William Johnson^ chief elec^ trical engineer at Radio/Con- trol of markers, which show the starting and stopping of the player's action/ as well as - governing stop lights and sig- nal bells which give warning., throughout the entire studio that quiet must prevail, are other features. . Device Is especially adapted to photographing large sets where mor^ than two cameras are used to get all the action from diflferent ahgless at the ■ same time.' • wood locale, based on the iFrench ''Dans Je Chapeau du Papa." Antonio Deijarco had his nose de-eaglelzed and left for Europe, Musichall dates in Paris and Ber- lin. ..■ ■■ ■ V ■ Vic Mciiaglen won. a. diclslon over.Eddle Lowe In being named XTiie most populfuf . screen iliug by tho middles at Annapolis. • Roosevelt hiotel now pirohiblts th^ boys from wearing sport sweats-; ers or sweat, shirts In the lobby, liiii;^ less -covered by a coat. Reason,' don Contad. : ■; Bill Collier's lifelong stiperistl- tion of knocking wood before Walk-' ing on a stage fhas him In a tough spot out here; with so many con- crete stages- Party, of motorists left New York in '17.-.for a tour of the world, and are still traveling. Walter Catlett claims 'they're still looking for a .place to park, Charles Irwin acted as m. c. at the P. G. A. tourney at Hlllcrest last Week, Gkive all the pros a great sendofC as they approached the first tee. Arthur Hammerstein got lost so many times on his way home to bis mountain retreat, he has had signs painted "To HiEimmersteln's" stuck along the route. ; M-G has two E. J. Nugents on the payroll, Eliot and. Eddie. Both have unique. three way contracts calling for their services as "actor, writer or director." Inside comment on the reported honeymoon bickerings of a film stage couple. Trouble is not who wears the .pants, but who wears the publicity. Casting bureau has to find 80 Brltls}! Parliament members, In- cluding English accent doubles for Sh* Edward Grey a.nd Prime Minis- ter Asqulth. New scene for "Hell's Angels" shows .the House of Com- mons declaring for war. Discovery -that Bess Meredlth^s room leaks Is causing talk of an In- vestigation by the Academy of Mo- tion Picture Arts and Sciences. Floor of Miss Meredith's. apartment Is the ceiling of the Academy's Of- fices. . ' TWO JNDIES GET COURT VERDICT IN PITTSBllRGH nttaburgb, Dec. 10. Declaring the arbitration clause In film contracts Invalid and Illegal. Judge S'rank P. Patterson handed down a : decision In common pleas court here last week In favor of two Independent exhibitors, H. E. Hammond, trading as the Lyrlt; Amusement Company and operating theatre In Erie, Pa., and P. J.; GorroS and others trading as the Capltol-Lyric Company, Operating two houses in McKeesport, Pa, Judge Patterson's . opinion states that the provision which requires exhibitors to submit disputes' with the film supply exchanges to arbi- tration is "an undue, unreasonable and Illegal restraint of trade," i Actions In equity had previously been filed by Hammond against M-G-M, Tlffany-Stahl, Columbia, Pathe, Fox, Vitaphone and the Standard Film Service, and by Gorros against Pathe* F. B. O., Uni- versal, Fox and TlffanyrStahil. Court found that In- both' cases the plaintiffs ref used to comply with the findings of the arbitration board in matters submitted to It under, the contractS,;and the demand that the theatre owners give security for films in their. care, They refused and. were then notified that service to them had iS^n suspended. Judge Patterson "found that the rule re- quiring the ; deposit of ■ security aniounted to , an illegal .boycotting or blacklisting and branded it an unfair practlC'^ on the part, of the exchanges, the' enforcing- of which would work undue hardships upon Indie owners. Order/of'the court restrains the exchanges from sus- pending service under existing con - tracts,, or from terminating the con- tracts or demanding security under theion. Several of the local exchanges, placed under the ban, are contem- plating an appeal to a higher court while the exhibitors threaten to carry their case further unless the film men are willing to abide by Judge Patterson's decision. Monthly Studio Sonrey Hollywood, Dec, 10. . General opinion among stddlo workers here is that film ■ produc- tion for November was at lt«i lowr est level In years, but this doesn^t hold true in figures. Average total number of units in work shows a total of 64' units as against 66 for October, or only two less than that reported for November Of last ye^. A big reduction in studio forces was made during late November, and will continue lintU the . first of the year, yet this will not Interfere LOCAL NEWSREEL TIE-IN R-K-O Orpheum Spokane, ranges .with City Daily Ar. Spokane, Dec. 10. R-K-O Orpheum here has' made a-tie-up with the Dally Chronicle in the form of a. 24-hour neWsreel, for local events. A local photographer will work through the editorial office, ban dling accidents, conventions, visit- ors of prominence, athletics and other . .pvents worthy of screen showing.; The reel, to be . shown Weekly, will tie-ln with the regular picture program arid nationally advertised news service. Lawrence J. Carkey Is resident manager fOr the Orpheum, Essaness* Pantheon Chicago, Dec. 10. Essaness, through Emil Stem, has taken over the Pantheon, north- side, from iB. & K., wilch holds the original lease on the theatre. Entire property belongs to the United Cigar Company. . . Sub-leasing, deal cialls for an an- nual, rental of approximately $68,000, plus 60% of the profits, and runs over ,a period of eight and a half years, HOuse, seating • 2,200, has been-dark for some time. .Esaariess plans to make the Pan- theon the ace house of the circuit HAWKINS WITS DE FOREST Pinehurst, N. C, Dec, 10. Col. Edward Hawkins is attending the convention of the MPTO of North Carolina, In session here, as a representative of the DeForest Phpnofllm find General Talking Pic tures. Hawkins came here with R. F. "Pete" WoodhuU. He resigned from RCA, Where he was sales pro motion managerr-last week. His definite place In the General Talking Pictures outfit has not yet been decided. P. 0. Station in Film Theatre as Xmas Stun Dallas, Dec. 10 Manager Vic Lrf>wery of Publix' Melba, now has a sub post office station In his house. Open the same hours as the the atre and is on the mezzanine floor with a regular clerk In charge. No admission required to get in to use It. B. 0. STAMPEDR-GOING OUT ... Syracuse, Dec, 10, While' flames swept- through thC: projection booth of the Palace, Eastwood neighborhood house, causing $10,000 damage, 250 pa trons remained In their seats to watch firerijen fight the blaze. The fire over, the majority stampeded to the boxoffice for refunds. Film jammed in the projection machirie and Ignited. normal, .tut within the next montii all except Wameni wOr recover tc normal production. - Other studios slated for expansion activity ix« Cruze, Cdlumbla^ and United, Artipts. ^bese plants have plaq« for Increased production and it !•"'' now believed that before the year ' is over they'wlU be working more companies than ever before. Leasing, studio group hold ^ - optimistic view for the future with a number of new Independent pro* duoers In final stages.of prepara* THIS TABLE SHOWS SUMMARY OF PRODUCTION ACTIVITY AT THE 19 ACTIVE STUDIOS ON THE COAST DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 1929, WITH COMPARISON OF AVERA0E ACTIVITY FOR THE SAME STUDIOS DURINQ THE YEAR 1928. STUDIOS. ARE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAIN PROpUCT. Average Average Total ; features shorts units' work* work* work- ins No- ing No* ing Nqf N.a.ine of Stiidio Featut*4» Group Average eetab- Totals lished. stories iii for the final prep- vember vember vember year, 1928 aration >.'>'^ •*•••« «.• • >«...., 4 Universal ••Foi^^ •..,■»; . Flrsib National M-QM - . . Pcuramourit Rii d id . . . . 'Tiffany United -Artists..... ... Columbia ..Chaplin Cruze .. . Pathe .. .'Warnere^ Leasing Group Metropiolitan T^GC*A.rt . ••«•«•• ' Short Subjects Hal Roach,.. Mack Sennett... Educational .... Darniour • • • • • I A: 6 A 3 4 8 a 3 2 1 1 1 3 3 • • • • • • • Totals 40 1^ Summary for Current Year Totalsfor same peribd^j last year with the number of pictures, now in production and those In final preparation, Universal maintained an average of six units last morith, but this has already been reduced to two and will continue. until the two iblg U productions "Al Quiet" arid "King of Jazz" are completed. Studio, is concentratii^ all Studio space and facilities on these two films. » Warners, Pathe, Paramount and M-G all worked below average tion, while the short subject group of studios, the only batch to main* tain a consistent schedule of pro* ^ duction throughout the year," promise nothing more than the usual line-up. . Of 90 stories now In final prep- aration outbcre. It Is estlnaated that 4o% will begin shooting d]j^lng the current nionth. If so, thMia^verage for December will be grrcBtly in- creased and surpass , any previous corresponding period. Atlanta Stunt Los Angeles, Dec. 10, Fox theatres and American. Tel. & Tel. will tie-up Christmas/Day. Negotiations Underway whereby personal appearances of Hollywood stars at the opening of the new Fox theatre in Atlanta, Ga., will be made by long distance phone. . Players. Will talk Into a mike 8,t the Hollywood end, amplifiers spreading it to the first night house. A radio pick-up will also possibly be arranged for the Georgia district. Execution In harids of BrUce.Fow-. ler. ■ ■ ' .' ■• •■ ■ R-K-b'S Beach House . . Dps Angeles, Dec. 10. R-K-O is dickering for a site.at pine and Broadway, Long Beach, owned bT the Bank of . Italy, Ask- ing price is $1,260,000. Tenants of present structure have beeh-given: notice "to 'vacateiDeCi=31. Ree's Long Term iRadio has placed Max Ree under long term contract. He has been art supervisor at the studio for the past eight months. ^ Dubin Leaves Schatlcin Dave Dubin, brought on from Chicago, to act In an assistant ca- pacity to Dave Chatkin, director of theatre management for Publix, Is back In the state right field. He is now associated with Henry Ginsberg. ADDING STAGE SHOWS Syracuse, N, T,, Dec. 10. Empire theatre will add stage shows to Its filrii programs, begin- ning Friday, it was announced today by Frank Sardine, operating the theatre for the Sallna Theatre Corp, Contract was signed yesterday (Monday) for a 30-people musical stock company, which will present bolled-dowri versions of musical plays. Three stage performances dally. Empire is nOn-union, - and stage sbo.ws=wIlllnDtjaiange..that=status..;^ Serials on What? U Is conducting a check on ex*' hibltors through all the company's- branches to ^ascertain how many- theatres playing Its «eriais oould^i play them If tfxey were synchronlzedJ ;0n .4islt. only. . . The Idea Is. to cut out the sound* • on-flim versions If the number is'in / a position to play the product O**^^*;' by this system o* recordlngr is rela^; tlvely small. - . ♦ ' ■ U has five serials on the currenC^' Iprogram. Sihce sound, , they hay^i been made In three, .versions-** eound-on-film, disc and silent T. J.' W. B.'S AKBON 3,600-SEATEa Akron, 0„ Dec. 10. Town's biggest picture theatre was. announced this week by "War- ner Bros, for South Main street. It will have a capacity of 3,500. Expected that ground will be broken about March 1. NEIGHB'S FEL CHANGE First neighborhood house in the east urider consideration for change of prbgrarns on Fridays is the 3,000- . seat Beacon, taken over by Warn- ers, which opens Christmas Eve. All-sound policy with "Tiger Rose" (WB) the opening atraction, plus a singing organist, v House organist not yet signed, , i Theatre is located at 74th streett and Broadway, (1 T '■ —^" ^ ■ . ilABKS AS LEO'S ASS'T . Harry Marks, formerly general theatre manager of Publix, ha^l^ aligned with Fox MetropolitaJl Playhouses. Marks becomes assistant to Jo6 Leo, general director. He was origr-' inally brought east by Publix from Chicago, where he was associated with Balaban & Katz.