Variety (Feb 1930)

broadwayI SCREEN PubflBhed Weekly at 164 We«t 4Gth St.. New York. N. T... by Variety, lac. Annual oubacrlptlOT. ^10. Single co^^^^ Enfered u ■econd-ciaM matter December 22, 1906, at the'Po«t Offlce at New York, N. Y., under the act ot March S, 187J. iVOL* xcvra. No. 4 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1930 64 PAGES FOR LEGIT ButflinteikdWffl The Woolworth building la really a relic of the past. To busy New" Yorkers^ who never eee anyjthiner but the sights of Paris -or Hollywood, an ascent to Its tower is not nea,rly as exciting as one's tnoming ascent to the office. Wool- -worth "elevators practically creep. But it will be a long time before the' Wpolworth legend dies out in the Bticlts, Sightseers still go in droves. Be- twfien 800,000 and 600,000 a year. Tfijey pay 60 cents admission to the' toir^r iand buy all kinds of souvenirs of the building -when they get up there, including a booklet explain- ing Its wonders. Others Higher The management of the Wool- worth building firmly believes that it will hold Its own as a landmark. . "Of course," Variety's reporter was told, "there .are two buildings right now near us that are taller, but not ihany. people in Oshkosh are going to: flftd that out. Besides the Wool- Worth building has the name. Visit- (Continued on page 45) TIOVRE MONEY" NOW BWS HIT PHRASE That Old Urge Los Angeles, Feb. 4. Rice Brothers, once a stand- ard vaude-team; but In lecent years grown affluent in the. hotel business . In Chicago, came out here for a rest. Be- came bored and so accepted a booking for the first half at the Hippodrome. They got $50 for four shows daily, and drove to the theatre In a limousine with chauffeur. FHIH THEATRE FOR N. Y. SOCIETY ON 50TH FLOOR "Picture Money" is the fashion on Broadway now. Everybody, has •picture money" behind them, whether they have it or not- In fact pictures seem to have com- pletely subsidized Broadway. Those producers who are known to have , ^picture backing are conisidered the lucky chaps with an assured posi- tion. So all other persons in the legit field want to be considered in the same boat. . Seems to be a certain prestige at- tached to the very mention of "pic- ture money." An open sesame to the doing of big things. Hardup legit (Contimied on page 7) Gen. Motors Angels Show Indianapolis, Feb. 4. Newly formed United Circus Corp., backed by Oeneral Motors and incorporated for $100,000, will send the Gentry Bros, circus out this season on. trucks. Trucks were built, by General Motors. Sam B, Dill is president and general manager of the United Corp. He formerly was manager of John Robinson circus. Other ofH- clals are Ben Becoyits, vice-pres., and Sam Hutton, sec. Outfit leaves its winter quarters In West Baden, Ind., the latter part of April. PEMME CAENIVAL P. A.'S Montgomery, Ala., Feb. 4. Rubin & Cherry carnival will have girl press agentis this year. First time idea has ever been worked on carnys. Femmes, who, It is said, will be youn^ and experienced newspaper v^omen,'will-work ahead and back. An auditorium seating 200 on the 60th and ^Ist floors of the Chanin building. New York, has been leased by the Cinema Guild as ah exclusive film theatre for the society mob. Only 100 yearly memberships will be offered at over $300 for the re- ported 20 showings, to be^held once weekly. - Backing the project Is Jeanne Boiichet Gowen, world traveler, authoress and society'wonuln, liittle theatre will be known as the International Cinema Salon, with showings Thursday evenings.. Start$ in March when the crowd returns from the south. House has been wired by RCA. First foreign dialog film may be Palramount's French version of "The Big Pond,'-' Maurice Chevalier- film. Idea is to show both, foreign and American product for a two-hour performance starting at 9.30 p. m. Fad for little society film theatres was apparently started by the open- ing of a similar house at Grosse Point, near Detroit. This Detroit spot is dotted by estates of the wealthy. Co-op Mice Starve, So Village Show Bows Out "The Short Cut" fplded at the Cherry Lane Playhouse, Greenwich Village, New- York, last week (Feb, 1) after having been in a week. Cast was on co.mmohwedith, but intake was Insufficient to cheese the nilce acting as night watchmen, so they began eating the fecfenery. Kid Flops as Jonah . Denver, Feb. 4. Raymond Crawford, 16-year-old caiifarHia-"iad,"tfi6d t6 steal a^^^ to the west coast in the mouth of ah embalmed whale that has been showing at the stock show here. With sandwiches and a couple of (juarts of water he started. But the montser was being moved near the union station for another stay here, and there the boy" was found by police. New CoiistruGtion Methods Make It Plausibler-^AdTO^ cate Circus Billing' and Low Prices, to Bring Back "The Road*^^ivic Sup- port foir These Edifices as Come-On for Conven- tions $2 MUSICALS AGAI^ Chicaao, Feb. 4. . An auditorium chain, over the im- portant key cities' may be the mean* of bringing b9ck the road for legit within the near future. These indoor stadiums built in the theatre style c^n be utilized to play large musical shows at $2 top to 1>iff profit. •Legit showmen familiar with the country's theatrical layout already have taken cjognizance^ of the chances. While a few profess to believe there is too much capacity to fill continuously, the belieVerS claim that .with circus exploitation on top of the return of the $2 mu- sical the project holds all the ele- ments of success. A substantial background to the plan Is the civic support any at- traction In a city-owned auditorium would receive. The auditoriums may (Continued on page 46) . FRIARS^LAMBS' FINANCE MOVES About 20 members of the Friars are being sued by the club In Muni- cipal Coijrt, New York, for back dues. They are from a year to two years In arrears. Yearly dues for members of the Friars amount to around 980. Total.the organlzatipn is attempt- (Continued on page 40) Too Good Los Angeles, Feb. 4. Folding of a dramatic stock compan;^ in a Los Angeles re- sort town was caused by too much business, according to inside reports. V.....JIOUSC Js^part of_a fllm.jchaln..^ which, in this town furnishes its own opposition. The legit show, was packing them in at a modest profit and the straight film house suffered. - Result was involuntary fold- ing for the dramatic com- pany. Opera More Concerned Over ysini^ dioruses liiaD ''Names" to Pictures Camouflage Ace camouflage for a speak- easy has been discovered In Brooklyn. Windows are board- ed over with heavy planks that have obviously; ,been in a fire. To all outside appearances, the joint looks as if it's recently been through quite a blaze. Film studios fscorch every- thing with torches when they want that aged effect. IT'S GETHNG TODGH ON THE PRESS AGENTS Hollywood, Feb. 4. ' Hollywodd press agents are flocking to New York, grabbing Jobs on daily papers or wherever they can get a break. One of them, a prominent member of the Wampas (film p. a. organization on the Coast) has this to say about tho migt-atlon: "Producers on the Coast are get- ting wise to newspaper salaries. The average reporter getting |35 a week on Los Angeles papers figures an extra $16 a fortune. In most of the studios, as a result, they're cutr ting press agent salaries )n half compared to what they were even a year ago. "Reporters, while they know noth- ing about publicity, quickly get into the routine because they eee in It a future which, experienced pub- licity men know, never materializes for the average press ageiit." Press agents who have devoted their lives to leg^t have been ac- cepting menial Jobs in press de- partments of the film companies. Many haven't had four weeks' con- secutive work in several seasons. A rebent reduction of the press staff of the Shuberts leaves only Manny SefC as Claude Grenecker's sole assistant. Formerly eight or 10 press agents were employed by the Shuberts. At the Theatre Guild 12 of the clerical stall have Just been let out. Stock Blows^ Troapers Settle Down as Locals Scranton, Pa., Feb. 4. Members of the stock troupe which was disbanded when James ^hateher-called-^itTa'-season-'at^the Academy last week have decided to camp here, despite the blowup. Joseph Remington, who did char- acter roles for the company for two seasons, has Joined a local automo bile firm as a sale«man, -Vvhlle Jo seph Pawley, another trouper, has formed a partnership with Tom Malarkey, local dancing teacher. Grand opera, as represented In America by. the MetropoUtaii and the Chicago Civic companies, has not so . much apprehension abotit Hollywood stealing Its principal singers, because of the line outside these inside portals, l)Ut it.is un» derstood a-twitter ot real concern has been experienced by the opera impresarios over their choruses. Individual tenorct or sopranos could be replaced, and with.few ex- ceptlons would hardly be missed, but the opera chorus la* something- else '.again. At the Metropolitan, New York, where the chorus aver- ages $60 weekly, th^ ndembers have been trained for periods ranging; aa high as 10 and 15 years, the, choris- ters are familiar with from 40 to 60 complete operas and cafi sing ^th equal fluency in Italian, French and - German. Such a chorus could not h& replaced overnight and anything that would deplete, upset, or weak- en this foundation might easily cripple an opera for an entire sea- son. Opera chqruses constitute a labor union within themselves. Diluted Screen Opera That Hollj^ood will eventually attempt opera, perhaps slightly di- luted, Is now in the wind. Already three opera singers, Lawrence Tib- bett, Grace Moore and Jose MoJIca, are allied wlth\iilms. One company Is understood approaching G. R.I- cardl, the Italian music syndicate, for the screen rights to one or more of the Puccini operas. At the opening of ."Rogue Song" at the Astor, New York, most of the Metropolitan singers not fi^nging that night were on hand to hecu: and see Lawrence Tlhbett. Curiosity runs high among the operatlcs, pos- sibly inspired by the* tremendous advertising campaign waged by M- (Continued on Page 4ft) Cross Country Dance Chicago, Feb. 4. Dancing on a box-car floor is a wrinkle that a special tralnload of local society people have thought of Cor their trip to Los Angeles. Everything is all set for the party which will transform two box-cUr floors Into a dancing surface and hire a hot band to supply the music. Party leaives early in May. 35c FLOOB SHOW , Los Angeles, Feb. 4. Solomon's Pert^ny dance hall, oldest in L. A., has Installed a revue with a line of 10 girls to entertain between dances. . . Top. is 35c., with dancing free. BROOKS THE NAME YOU GO BY WHEN VOU GO TO BUY 1 COSTUMES ..Ci O'W NS.ANU urviFoiuvis 1437 B-WAV. N.Y TEUSSftO PCNN.Ii - ...ALSO U.00O COftTWMU T» — "