Variety (Dec 1929)

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Wednesday! December 25, 192d E D I T OR I A L VARIETY 49 Trade Mark BeffiaUj;$& • * PnbllBhed Weekly br VAUjETl. lao. ; . SIme Sllvernmn. FMBldanf , 1(4 Wc#t 46th Street Ne^ Tork City •AnnuaK..... .110 ffofita. .^Ili Inside Stulf-Vaude V0L.XCV11 1^0. 11 Hippy,New V««rl 15 YEARS AGO {Frcm VArietji Md Clipper) Lenor« Ulrlc, not yet under Be- iasco's wing, was playing "The Bird bf Paradise" on the Coast. She had just broken the record of the Oak- land, .Oakland, with week'6 gross, 111,584. Dajy*a theatre, Broadway Ifthd- anaik of the 80*8, went into pictures, ^arklner the end of Its class career. I With the start of ChrlBtmas pan- tomimes in JJondon, taking many comedy Bpecialties, town suffered ifrdm an act famine, war keeping foreign turns ou t. • Success of "Chin Chin" drew at- tention to the Informal niuslcrand- Bpedalty type of ^how called revues and they all went to it, drawing much' material from vaudeville, eodn to appear was Dillingham's '<Watch Tour Step." London theatre was at low ebb, sustained only by the hope of peace by February. . Even with prompt settlement of the war, it was re- alized that financial depression would make the going tough. Np- btjdy in l>bndon dreamed the strug- gle would last foW more years. Standard Polyscope, projected re- lease program of 20 reels a week, collapsed although It had as back- ing H. H.. Tamhien, Denver show- man-promoter, James Seligmah and James StiUman, New Tork bankers. Alia Nazimova was the newest recruit ttom the legit to pictures. Story, waft she had been offered «p,(JpO to do "The Doll's House." ' Survey of pictures in St. Louis abowed town had 121 houses ftnd IM0O,OO6 had been; invested in bQildings in the year nearing its 'endr ' .. An iiicldent happened recently when a sister team was playing Proctor's in Elizabeth, N. J., Which happened to be the home town of the act., Dialog Involved the mother of one of the girls whose furniture had been taken away because she had failed to make Weekly payments. An Unexpected Interruption occurred when an . enemy of the mother rose from her seat and etarloned In the thickest of Irish brogues: "Every word, they say Is true—she got all her baby carriaiges that Wiay.".■" ■. ■■■■ The audience was mildly amused, considering the interruption a part of the act, but no one—piartlcularly the sisters—was prepared for what followed.. The mother herself was in the audience and intended to let no such calumny go unchallenged. She sprang to her feet, brandished a fist at her detractor, and £rIn-go-\>raghed: . . y "And If I didn't have such a ^bod nam<, I'd never have been able to get five baby carriages op the installment plan.'' This Mammy Machree, according to one of the sisters^ takes her posi- tion of stage mother very seriously. Once when the sisters were billed ii^nder Lou Tellegen, she attacked the manager of the house with fulT. "The idea of billing, my girls under Lou Tellegen!" she berated. "I never heard of falm only in a divorce case." . Another time, when another pair of sisters were arinounced over the radio as the Greatest Sister Team In the world, the mother rushed to the broadcasting station and nearly smashed up the place because of what she claimed "sich a monsb'ous . lie." Inside Stuff—Pictures R-k-O production department is attempting to salvage some of the "nut" represented in costumes and scenery lying idle in th# warehouse by unloading to acts bt nominal rental fees. It's estimated there Is about $150,000 worth of material In Keith's warehouse. By turning these sets and costumes over on a rental to acts'not In a linancial position to buy outright, R-K-O flgures .it is rendering a ser- vice andi at the. same time, realizing a little profit for itself. Some li2 or-15 acts have been fixed up in this manner. SO YEARS AGO (From Clippery New Tork city was not repre- sented in the baseball league, but ^ad plenty of pro teams.. Business Vas bad. The Flyaways, one of the best local clubs, playing with the best team in its history drew so little at the gate it had to sell four of. its best men to Poughkeepsle, of all places, and disbanded In Au- ^nst. When Alexander Pantages operated Pantages theatre In San Diego; $8,000 was a good Week and he made money at that gross. The theatre was taken over by Keith's when Pantages sold oiit his circuit. The house now grosses around $11,000 weekly but due. tp excessive cost of vaude shows and the. circuit carrying charges it is operating in the-red. The same holds for the Keith houses in Salt Lake Gity, Spokane and Tacoma, vail former Pantages ball wicks. Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, under contract to Paramount, is now "Skeets" Gallagher. All credits and billing at his request have dropped the "Richard." Gallagher went into pictures from the legit. inside StutMiegit Eleanor Johnson got two weeks salary for one diay's rehearsal in "Maternally Tours," comedy by Clarence Miller and Ole M. Ness, with which the iHoliywood Music Box, Hollywood, reopened this week.' Miss Johnson was cast as lead with Phil Tead. After five days re- hearsal in the Hollywood show, Tead went to Edward Everett Horton to give notice on his part in "Among the Married" at the Majestic down- town. When Horten explained he would hold the piece in until J^n. 11 and then would take It'to San Prariclsco. it he, could get his picture date with James Ciruze set back, Tead agreed to stick with him. Made his excuses to Ness and left "Maternally Tours." - Looking for a new lead Ness considered Tfiylor Holmes and'Crelghtoh Hale. Miss Johnson wanted to ciuit the sixth day but was persuaded to stay one day and read her part with Hale. After rehearsal the authors decided only a kid would do for the kid part. Ralph Welles, was moved up to miale lead. The author-producers then agreed that Eleanor Johnson wouldn't balance. ■ Her seventh day's rehearsal put her over the no-play period and she collected : for two weeks. • She stuck the second, helping Lillian Sawin break Into the part. Martin Flavin, who authored two current Broadway showis, "The Criminal Code" and "Broken Dishes," has signed with M-G-M and leaves for the Coast. He has a $100,000 agreement to write covering a period of three years. The actual writing time is for liB mopths, how ever, he spending three alternate periods of six menths on. thfe lot< being free to do other work in the intervening six months.. t Spalding was ndt yet in business. Leading sports dealer was Peck & »*ihyder, remembered by this' gene- ' ration for its Ice skates and sport- ;lnB guns; 'then they also carried a "full line of theatrical goods, wigs, beards, etc." Store was at 124 Nas- ' sau street. " Peter Goelet died, leaving $26,000,- 000 and the hugeness of the fortune was page, one nifews. Railroads are.in keen competition .for show company movements, ^hree lines advertise in the Cllp- pbTi Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and Chicago North Western. Rock Is- ' Uhd advertises a , "regular dining . far meal for 75 cents." ■ Sporting taste ran toward trap I rtiooting at live pidgeons. Capt. ? Bogardus, champ In this . field, opened a school in the TivoU thea- [ ^ building at 8th street and St. Marks place. New Tork, where he Kave Instruction in shooting at glass balls to amateurs. Just like the ; tnodern dance schools The Baseball league In convention --?J?fiai^_st artea_^ fl-...m.o.vfiment. Jto. wpeal the league's own law against bunday baseball and it was defeated the league membership vote. S. Gilbert (Gilbert and Sulli- van) opened his own production of 1Pinafore" at the Fifth Avenue the- atre, New Tork, after scores of American productions had worn the ^Bsic out. Clipper regards Gil- J*rt's production as rather inferior * several others of American-make; Margaret Perry, baby leading woman, who stepped Into "Strictly Dishonorable" at the Avon, New Tork last Week and scored, received a picture pffer frort Harr^ Warner. Her timing of laughs and general playing impressed the showman. Miss Perry is heiress to $1,000,000. Her father was the late Frank W. FruehofC, utility man. She Is 16 and the daughter of Antoinette Perry, former actress who istaged "Dis" honorable." Jack Cliffordi who rehearsed with the second company of "Street Scene," withdrew from the show and accepted one week's salary. It appears Cllttotd Was called on to rehearse twp or threie. of the smaller parts and objected to be shifted from one to the other. Matter settled before It went to ?irbltration. Knickerbocker, New Tork, opened in 1893 as the Abbey theatre by Henry Abbey, with the name changed to Knickerbocker In 1896, is under demollshrtient. A 34-story garment centre building will be erected on the site. Inside Stuf-Husic (Continued from page 16) would be publicity. Even in a miserable case of a skunk actor told of to the Genei'al by a Variety reporter, the General while giving the actor the works would not consent to publication, and since the silent sys^ tem as told by the General was told In confidence it could not be printed without his permission.' With the talkers, however, and the producers tired of the bad boys arid girls df the picture business, if they let lt .be knowii they have gone badi publicity will probably be the outcome from now on. Without Poverty Row meaning anything any more. To be aired how from the picture field is finish for those.getting It. Sihce who get It deserve it, there will be no sorrow or regret's over their departure. As the film industry is tod big for any one person to run It, it is also too big for any one. or two persons to disgrace it. . Before the '29-^30 picture season. is over, Jack Oakle is more than likely to appear as a Paramount star. Whether he will attain this rating that quick or only go as high as a featured player will depend entirely on"Marco Himself," selected as the first of two pictures on the Par schedule, the casts .of which will be headed by Oakle. Oakie is under contract to Wesley Ruggles^ Pair director who dls-^ covered him in a tJnlversal picture he was making and placed him un- der a personal contract. - He came to Par by and through , an arrange* ment made with Ruggles. This director will not guide Oakie in "Marco Himself," EdwS,rd Suther- land having already been assigned to direct. Both the Oakie pictures are oh the Par spring schedule and will be released on the '29-'3tf program of the company. Publioity service company has opened offices in Hollywood with elaborate plans to grab oft all the screen personal exploitation in a big way. Oipenlng letter and follow-up system Informs the player that the service has been watching his or her work and has noticed that they are not getting sufficient publlcity-^"do not let your talent go unrecog- nized. Call al our offices for an appointment and we will tell you how we tell the world." / , .— • Apparent that the conductbrs of the publicity , instltution iire uhfaniillar with picture routine. Players .under contract tb studios turn-.thiese letters over to the studio press 9gent as a gag, others take the tip In a more serious| vein and demand that thq studio press agents give them more publicity. No ocean-going film executive has been booked up with xffore doings^ abroad than Sid Kent. From making French pictures with Bob Kane to working a British in for: Paramount's acquisition of the Gaumont chain have been the report; published and rumored duirtng the piist week. ' At the Par office in New Tork they re-dust the superlatives for Kent's prowess, but'In response to. any thing officially definite they ttre telling the mongers: "Kent didn't go abroad Just to play ping pong on the Biverlai and he Isn't a drinking man. ^ — "Paramount doesn't talk untir after things happen." Executives of an, important Chicago chain arei-said to he highly dignant over-accounting methbds used by operators whos^ hou!3i§s were recently acquired by the big chain. Juggling included several large bills not shown ainong the .debits, • ai);iong them ohs'^for $17,000^ for decorating. Big chain aIs6 discovered, after taking oyer the houses, that salaries of several employees were, boosted a few days before the transfer occurred, in direct violation of a-verbal agreement. _ . - , Whether action will be taken was one of last week's topics at film row luncheon'tables. Since arbitration has been called ofC for the time being, awaiting Judge Thacher's final fiecree, Chicago local,exchanges are resorting tp .the courts ^nd legal methods ■ to. force payment for bre^clv of contract oil the part of the-.exhlbs. Leader, of the movement is Felix Mendelsohn, for M-G, 'Who h^^sev^. era! cases pendlnig In the. courts. Though the* .legal and statutory pro'o ceedings are aximittedly slower and more expensive, the Exchange meii feel that they will secure some payment in return. Exchanges are not entirely united in this move, and there is no concerted move'made to 'Withhold tiroduct from the exhib. Dave Stern, of the United Artists Pittsburgh exchange, and C. C. Fin* ney, Loew district manager, are reported, a little constrained because of Stern having squawked to the.New!Tork and about Xoew's Penii billing Charles' King's persdnal appearance above the Plckford-Pairbanks pic- ture, "Taming of the Shrew." Somebody in New Tork talked to somebody else and Pittsburgh was ordered to discontinue King's top billing and give the pictui'ei preference. Stern. felt handling by theatre was Injuring, prestige of Pickford . and Fairbanks in Pittsburgh. » A standard for the highest point of efficiency and economy In picture' production' is being established and practiced at the Mack Senhett studios. Heretofore two reel comedies were cpnceiyed on the. set, which often held the company up for days at a time to prepare the nei^t gag or piece of business. Now Sennett assembles his troupe, and pliays the subject to be filmed from every angloi. Before a scene Is shot, the troupe knows Just what to do, with every actor knowing his lines and cuies. , This saves studio technician time and Studio operation. Universal is considering the propositions of a number of music pub- lishers with a view to either acquiring controlling interest Of one or more of them or to effect a tie-up under ^yhIch songs from U. pictures would be exclusively handled. Among the'publishers whose propositions are being considered are E. B. Marks & Co., Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Sherman, Clay; Jack Mills, Gene Austin, Bibo' and Lang, Al PIanta:dosl and Hartman, Kemp and Goodman, an official stated. U. had a deal pending with Irving Berlin but dropped negotiations when Berlin insisted his own numbers be included in the deal proposed. . ""^n^bsfacIe^W^ to picture companies which lately has become more prevalent. Is that the publishers of the original music are demanding 5% of the amount realized from the sale and the publishing rights of numbers which may be interpolated Into the original score, The office of the arbiters, handling the sales of these musicals to film companies, have maintained that the publishers should receive no part from the sale and have no ground to base a demand for it. The arbiters claim, during these transactions, that the only right held by the pub- lishers is that of the sales of sheet music and the mechanicals, and since there is ho divisible copyright law, the composer possesses all other rights for his own profit solely. King Vidor stopped oft in Chicago to attend a dinner for the picture critics, following which "Hallelujah'' Wais screened, for the guessers. Move was ihade to try and force Publix-!1^. & to give the all-negro fllih a loop showing. Company had refused, fearing to bring the negro ele- ment into the loop. M-G figured that rave notices would Influence B. & IC, Just as good notices for "Mysterious Island" sold the picture to this firm, after it had ttirned the feature down. President's conference with reps of over 200 trades, industries,. etc., on • how to make America's business bigger mean plenty of work for press agent-s. According to producers with Washington contacts almost every rep. had a p. a. and enough copy in suggestions was turned in to eclipse the encyclopedia in size. Eddie Klein. of the AMPA attended with Will Hays. . It wasn't revealed who had the most to say but Hays' sources say that Will didn't turn In much copy. ^="Featured="Comedy^ead at-'Parj^arguing^for^-more^r Gallagher's $1,250 insult. "He had stage experience when you were in the chorus, young feller," was the. stall. "Sure, and Clara Bow started as an extra." "Remember, you're young, my boy." "And I know the answer to that, too," said the comic, "Jackie Coogan retired at 11." Hearst is ufcing Talking Picture Epics as a .sales machine for two filnas, "Around the World With the Graf Zeppelin" and "Testerday and Today," historical newsrcel.