Variety (Jun 1930)

iStAGE BROADWAY SCREEN Published Weekly at 164 Went Kth 8t.. New York. N. T.. by Variety. Inc. Annual subscription, tit. Slnsle copies, 26 cents. Entered as seoood-class matter December 22. 190S, at the Post ORIce at New York, N. T.. under the act of March S, 1879. IrOL; XCIX. No. 8 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1930 80 PAGES SEASON'S BEST CRITICS Dramatic Critics' Box Score SEASON OF '29-'30 (Ending May 31) Key to abbreviations: SR (shows reviewed), R (wrong), O (no opinion expressed). Pet. (percentage). SR. R. ^A^« BROWN (Post)... 88 79 9 GARLAND (Telegram) 95 81 9 GABRIEL (American) 98 80 15 ANDERSON (Journal) 103 83 19 RUHL (Her. Tribune) 48 37 • 8 MANTLE (News) 110 -37 18 LITTELL (World) 94 74 18 ATKINSON (Times) 91 70 18 DARNTON (Eve. World) 100 75 23 SELDES (Graphic) 8G 52 17 LOCKRIDGE (Sun) 9G 79 15 VARIETY (combined) * 17C 148 28 (This score based on 176 new shows) (right), W O. 5 3 1 3 5 2 3 2 7 Pet. .898 .852 .81C .806 .791 .790 .787 .769 .750 .720 .719 .835 Rival Dept Store Props Grow Musically Hi Brow For Prestige in Dallas Dallas, June 3. Eli Sanger, owner of Texas' . largest department store here, or- ganized civic music assn., then raised $11,000 by sale of 2,200 mem- berships at $5. Sanger goes to bring five concerts of group artists, none headllners, showing town willing to spend dough for music. EU -followed example of his com-, petitor, Herman Marcus, who last spring brought dii Civic Opera here for record run, under similar ar-. rangements. And, of course, it's not altogether music as far as Mar- cus and Snnger are concerned. Doubly Commercial Minneapolis, June 3. Faced with the prospect of their town having no picture theatre, merchants of Tolley, N. D., near here, purchesd the only showhouse and are operating It as an enter- tainment feature for their custom- eris. It is not only keeping Tolley resi- dents at home, but also attracting transients. , Customers- of 'the stores either are given tickets free or at certain price conces.sions, according to the amounts of their purchase. Yeah! Pine Bluff, Ark., June 3. Bozo, tlie famous picture goose, and his barnyard companions, Mike, the original Pathe rooster and Nel- lie, the comedy duck, made personal. '^^I'f''^'"'^"^^ here at Saenger theatre, fu ^•^'■^e famous fowls were on their way from Hollywood to the Paramount Long Island studies, ^here they will be used In nim productions, They are accompanied by Joe "-nern, comedian and trainer, and •Anthony de Bruce, scenario writer. THEY AIN'T SIAMESE, BUT $25, YES OR NO Atlantic City, June 3. Local magistrate knows his Siam- ese twins together or apart. William Williams was arrested for operating a freak show on the Boardwalk. He entered the defense of his freak show was devoid of freaks. "What do you mean, you haven't any freaks?" Recorder Altman asked. "Well, you sec," Williams an- (Continued on Page 57) License Revoked, Radio "Wildcat" Hires a Hall Portland, Ore., June 3. Biggest show compettish since Amos 'n Andy was Robert Gordon Duncan, the "Oregon Wildcat," of station KVEP. Over the ether for two hours nightly Duncan kept up a string of invectives, expletives and just plain dynamite that had the town leashed to Its radio sets night after night. Chiefly disseminating antichain store propaganda, Dun- can branched off from this Into per- sonal attacks on anyone who In- terfered with his racket. Running for U. S. congressman in the recent primaries he got 10,000 votes. The winner got 31,000. Federal radio commission has now revoked the license of KVEP. Dun- can Is out hiring halls, booking him- self "personal appearances" at 50 cents a throw. He broadcasts that he packs a gun and those who don't like his speeches better keep gentle. Town in general doesn't know whether to regard him as a menace or a joke. Billy Sunday Not Grossing in Loop? Chicago, June 3. Billy Sunday hit the town la.st week and has been holding daily noon meetings at the Cort theatre. Reports mention returns far below normal, with Sunday considering abandoning the loop for the neigh- borhood spots, , «y 'POST' 1929-'30 Winners of "Va- riety's" Box Scores—176 New Shows and 22S New Pictures — Rodenbach on Chicago "News" Picture Winner—Crewe, N. Y. HIGH PERCENTAGES John Masori Brown of the New York "Evening Post" is the sea- son's best drama critic in "Va- iety's" 7th annual Box Score; Clark Rodenbach of the Chicago "News" is in the 3rd annual Film Critics' Box Score the leading reviewer on films of the dailies in New York and Chicago. Scores are based on 176 new shows on B'way, and 225 new pic- tured. Both of the victors finish with a high percentage. Mr. Brown's high Is exceptional, as contrasted with the drama Nvinners of previous years. Out of his 88 new shows the reviewer for "The Post" had 79 right, and muffed only on nine, giv- ing him a percentage of .898. The season ending is Mr. Brown's Ini- tial period as a metropolitan critic. Mr. Rodenbach watched 136 pic- tures. He guessed 116 accurately; wrong 13 times ,and expressed no opinion over seven, to a percentage of .853. Reglna Crewe of the New York "American" leads the New York column.. Her total on pictures caught was 174, with 129 right, 38 wrong and seven no opinions. (Drama continued on page 70) (Pictures continued on page 4) DAILY TAKING LOCAL POLL OF STAGETASTE Dallas, June 3. Dalla.s "Nf.'W.s" is taking poll of readers on attitude towards talkers vs. legit and vaude, laying special emphasis on the "flesh-and-blood" angle. No theatre tie-up and Info strictly condcntlal. Idea )B to give local houses a low- down on what the public really wants for entertainment. Pleaders respond quickly. One day brought 175 answers, most of them calling back the straight vaude and leglt, with thumbs down on talker revues. , Poll will continue until good per- cent of population answered. Fdm Critics' Box Score SEASON OF 'ZS-'SO Key to abbreviations: PC (pictures caught), R (right), W (wrong), O (no^^inion expressed), Pet. (percentage). Chicago PC. R. W. O. CLARK RODENBACH (News) 13C 116 13 7 CAROL PRINK (Examiner) 125 100 18 7 DORIS ARDEN* (Times) 139 100 37 2 ROB REELJ (American) 145 94 49 2 MAE TINEEt (Tribune) 137 84 63 • Muriel Vernon, t Frances Kurner. J: Hazel Flynn. New York REGINA CREWE (American) 174 129 38 7 QUINN MARTIN (World) 154 113 34 7 BLAND JOHANESON (Mirror) 200 14C 47 7 GEORGE GERHARD (Eve. World),. 1G7 120 37 10 ROSE PELSWICK (Journal) 165 IIC 27 22 JULIA SHAWELL (Graphic) 169 115 42 ■ 12 MORDAUNT HALL (Times) 150 101 31 18 JOHN S. COHEN, JR. (Sun) 198 131 50 11 RICHARD WATTS (Her. Tribune).. 141 91 41 9 IRENE THIRER (News) 102 104 57 1 THORNTON DELEHANTY (Post).. 5G 34 20 2 WILLIAM BOEHNEL (Telegram)... 114 CO 41 7 MARGARET TAZELAAR (Her. Trib.) 62 34 18 8 VARIETY (combined) 225 179 40 (This score based on 225 new pictures) Pet. .853 .800 .719 .649 .013 .741 .734 .730 .719 .703 .680 .673 .662 .649 .042 .607 .579 .548 .790 TELL 'EM AND FOOL 'EM ON SAUCER-LIP COPIES With the publicity and the freak draw for <the Ubangl savages the saucer-lipped negresses in the Ring- ling Circus, outdoor shows are car- rying disc-llpped troupes In Imita- tion of the originals. Duplication is worked with ne- groes who wear a complete mask over their heads to which is atr tached disc lips cf papier /nache. It looks natural and usually fools the hoi-polloi. Imitation troupes are billed under various names. A natural recently pulled by a circus act playing in Boston was to bill its Imitation disc lipped troupe as the "Humbug Savages," with none of the hoi-polloi giving the title ■•Humbug" a second '.houglu. "WISHING TREE" UP IN HARLEM LAYING DOWN Tlif old "wishing tree" in front of the Lafayette theatre In Harlem is bf-;<inning to lose some of Its tradi- tional r'restige. All l)€cau3e it has bf>en rubbed, patted and talked to by Negro professionals anxious to find Immf'diatf; stage, screen or ra- dio, ernployniont. Two Individuals have.been rnak- ln(r dail.v pllgrlmmages to the tree and still giving it the wishing treat- ment. The tree has made good many times and It's the Harlem belief it will take more tliafi a lot of un- employed actors to shake down its hold on thp bunch up there. Hebe Bull Fighter of B'klyn, Spain's Big Hit, Falling for N. Y. Vaude When Sidney Franklin, the Hebe bull fighter from Brooklyn, returns from Spain for a month's vacation In his home town next October, he'll .Ipend his time playing vaude. Billy Jack.son, R-K-O agent, cabled. Sidney a proposition last week. The kosher matador answifr- ed it's oke with him. R-K-O has made a tentative arrangement with Jackson for a couple of weeks for Urooklyr.'s Spanish sen.satlon. After the vaude and vacation In New York, Sidney has a date with a bull In Mexico City. Ciiicago for Laughs Chicago, June 3. Clil slIU continues to lead as the nation's laugh Jerkcr. licasous: Gunmen are now waddling about In plus fours and using the golf bags to carry their rods. "Big shots" mean good shots any place outside the Loop. Jacfiues Gordon, making merry, (Continued on Page 62) BROOKS THE NAME YOU GO BY WHEN YOU GO TO BUY I COSTUMES CLOWNS ANO UVIFOUV1S U37 B WAY. N.y TEL. 5960 PCNN.