Variety (Jun 1930)

Wednesday, June 4, 1930 PIC T U R E S VARIETY PAR-RADIO FLIRTING? lilinisters' Move to "Blacklist" Trenton "Sunday" Houses Not Hot Trenton, N. J., June 3. Meetlne again to renew protests over the "Open Sunday" policy which, for the first time In the toJwn's history has permitted film hduses to exhibit Sunday perform- aiices, members of the ministerial uJiloit hit upon the idea of asltingr Trentonians to boycott picture hbuses until they close on the Sab- bath. Plan is to appoint a permanent committee, raise funds to help them in their fight to combat the open- Snnday policy of theatre Interests, arid distribute literature asking everybody's co-operation. •Proposition not likely to succeed, as the town now seems to want Sunday shows as demonstrated by huge turnouts following State-wide ndtoriety due to protests of W. C. T. U. and ministers. Police do not want to interfere, deeming Sunday pictures legal. "Where the whole thing will end, no one really knows—nor do the vast majority of people care as long as the houses stay open Sunday. HALEY'S 2D TIME IN HOSPITAL, BUT BETTER Hollywood, June 3. Jack Hollywood Haley was re- ported grreatly improved at the Hollywood Hospital last night. He had to return there for an operation for appendicitis immediately follow- ing another for kidney stones. "When Haley was released from the first hospital confinement, he had been home Just 24 hours when reordered back for the second. Afleen Pringle's Column Hollywood, June 3. It is reported here, but uncon- firmed, that Alleen Prlngle will do a column of film chatter for Paul Block, the eastern chain newspaper publisher. Whether under her own or fictitious name is not reported. Miss Prlngle has the reputation of traveling with the literary crowd. How Hays Stands Los Angeles, June 3, Reporter told to check up on a Hays conference reported to his city editor that it was about adultery. "Well, what did they say about it?" asked the ed. "They're against it." The Major Was Cruel And Lost His Wife San Francisco, June 3. Miijor Elliott Fullerton, publicity director for M-G-M in this terri- tory, was divorced here last week by Mrs. Adolphine S. Fullerton on the grounds of cruelty. Mrs. Fullerton, daughter of the late- Adolph Sutro, one time mayor of San Francisco, had her mother, Mrs. Cora K. Sutro, as a corrobo- rating witness. The Fullertons were hiaiTied in Solona County in 1921. , Moody Tries Again Hollywood, June 3. Alan Moody, son of a local mil- lionaire, and recently a playwright, ■^•ill try his hand at writing again. Moody wrote and produced "The Questionable Elaine," which ran for two weeks at the Vine Street the- atre. It left $7,000 In the red. He is now working on a new piece, which he intends to produce next month. TifF Wants Benita Hume Hollywood, June 3. Tiffjuiy i.<3 dickering with Gains- borough, ICnglish production com- pany, for Benita Hume. f^he played the lead in "High 1 reason," released in thi.'! country Tiff. The Mpntagues are Coming Paris, June 3, I'etcr and Helen Montague sailed irotn London May 23 on the "He do i'ranoo" for Paramount to Holly- Wood. I'iillc^rs. 'i LOIS MORAN'S NEW FOX TERM AT INCREASE I RCA Reported Having Made Direct Buy Proposal for Paramount - Publix — Sar- nofif's Proposition Immedi- ately Zukor Landed Hollywood, June 3. Lois Moran gets a new Fox con- tract today. Her work In "Not "Damged" is reported to have been the clincher. Her first picture under new con- tract will be "Basquerle," with Alexander Korda directing. This was originally Intended for War- ner Baxter, who will not now be In it. At present Miss Moran Is in "Red Sky," leaving tomorrow (4) for three-week location in Jasper Park, Canadian Rockies. Her former stipend of $2,000 weekly goes up under the new contract, It's under- stood. Slow for Extras Hollywood, June 3. Sales conventions and the holiday are blamed for the slowest produc- tion week since January. Only 3,127 extras were placed by the Central Casting Bureau in the past five working days. Saturday was' the best day, with 594 extras in action. Loop Flaps Walk on Ash—Club Disbands Chicago, June 3. The pashes who claim they made Paul Ash have disbanded that once stirring flap organiscation, the Paul Ash Fans* Club. Whether A&h or the skirts who followed his blaze trailing career as ni. c. was to blame wasn't de- termined. After decided lack of enthusiasm by the flaps for Ash's one week at the Oriental, the club's officers called a conference and burned their con- stitution. Claire Luce Westward Claire Luce starts westward to- morrow (5) to commence upon her six months' studio agreement with Fox. It holds the usual options for •future periods. Miss Luce's stage career records her success in Both the musical comedy and drama divisions of the legit. She returned 'from Europe last week. So far the young woman has not been cast for any Fox talker production. Jenie Jacobs acted for Miss Luce in the Fox matter. Billie Dove in Europe Hollywood, June 3. Billie Dove will leave for Europe late this month. She will be ac- companied by Lillian Akers. They were together some years ago in the "Follies." As the European tour will take up the entire .'.'vimnior it means Miss Dove will not ai)pear for Ciuldo be- fore late fall. Ina blaire's Next? Hollywood, June 3. Paramount easter.i studio is re- ported seeking Ina Claire for "The Royal Family" to ho done there dur- ing the summer. This connicls with Mis.s Claire's annonnc(-d intention to do "Re- bound" on the stace in Los An- geles. ZUKOR'S CONDITIONS David Sarnoff is said to have broached a proposal to Adolph Zukor for the Radio Corporation to buy Paramount Publix hardly be- fore Zukor had a chance to recover his land legs, after reaching New York on the "Europa" last week. Proposal was for an outright pur- chase. It is said that Zukor is con- sidering it and seriously. Deal maybe concluded one way or the other within 10 days. One of the conditions laid down by Zukor in- this proposal, as with others of the past, that did not go through, is that all executives of P-P holding the company's stock shall receive, if they wish to sell, the same price per share that he does. That condition is understood to be agreeable to Sarnoff, with no price as yet quoted, however. Nor is it stated whether the deal hinges upon a cash and stock exchange or all exchange or all cash. Belief is that If there Is any substance to the negotiations, with the lender- standing that there is, the price Zukor accepts will be satisfactory to any other P-P m.en who sell their holdings. Zukor's other condition (Continued on page 75) Hi^e Talking Sign on Coney's Boardwalk Heard Half Mile Away CLUB WOMEN AS LOCAL CRITICS Pittsburgh, June 3. Warners have arranged locally for a series of picture previews for prominent clubwomen, with women encouraged to write their opinions of films and turn them In at door. Some of the opinions are designed for use in advance exploitation, while it is also figured that word of mouth, especially when picture strikes femmes' fancy, prior to opening won't hurt any either. First of pictures to be shown in advance to women is "Courage," which opens shortly at Warner. George Tyson, exploitation director for Warners, co-operating with Miss Grace Bonii, of Congress and Clubs and Woman's City Club, who Is hand-picking the women to look over the pictures. Plenty of ritzy names among the pre-revlewers, who jumped at the opportunity. Their opinions are ex- pected to mean something with the carriage trade. 500 on ''Location'' Hollywood, June 3. Edwin Carewe, Gary Cooper and Paramount's unit for "The Spoilers" left here Sunday for six weeks' lo- cation outside Oxnard, Cal. A special village costing $40,000 has been constructed with bunga- lows for the principals. Company will spend two weeks in other lo- cations before returning. About 500 people go with the unit. Bill Hart's Eeturn Hollywood, June 3. William S. Hart Is reported ne- gotiating for a releasing outlet. He Is figuring upon returning to the screen under his own financial backing. Hart Is now recovering from a recent minor operation. Fixing !the Wife Los Angeles, June 3. A vaude actor out of work for longer than that, got one week up north. Arriving at the theatre he cald to the man- ager: "i haven't enough dough to stay at a hotel, .so I'm sleep- ing in the car. Will it be al- right to fiy the wife?" Another Society Film About Mexicans and With Pofitical Angle Hollywood, June 3. Society, with a yen for something different, is going strong for'picture production. First it was "The Un- seen Enemy," made by Park avenue dough. Now it's "The Heart of Mexico," financed and produced by Mrs. Juliet Burnett Rublee, wife of George H. Rublee, general counsel for the Morgan Interests. Rublee also was associated with Dwight Morrow, former Ambassador to Mexico, in his recent trip to London at the disarmament conference. The picture was made in Mexico and deals with the natives and their revolutionary habits. Cast recruited from local favorites on the Mexican stage, and was directed by David Klrkland, former Indie producer. It Is now In the process of editing and It Is rumored that It Will be released by Paramount. ^ound and music will be added, but no dialog. Brook.;-n, N. T., June 3. With millions stamping over Coney Island's three-mile board- walk, the Brooklyn Paramount wi.l this summer be In a position to tell the swarming millions what's going on every day at the Par by install- ing what is really to be the first tremendous talking sign in cap- tivity. Paramount on Monday unveiled this huge talking display board about 180 feet long by 28 feet high, and erected 75 foet from the ground on the Dreamland parking ' space. Back o[ the sign has been con- structed a hanging house filled with radio receiving sets and record re- production devices. Programs will be offered every afternoon from 3 to 5.and in the evening from 8 to 11. Whole affair can be heard a half mile away. It cost $45,000. Loud speaker arrangements consist of three electric-dynamic units on a baffle board. Sign can be seen three-quarters of a mile away and at night Is Illuminated by 17-600 watt lamps. A 2'1-sheet. of the current week's attraction Is completely lost on this sign due to the .immensity of the background. House In rear of the sign will have a 'phone and other conveniences for the operators. Coney Island draws up to 2,000,- OOO people dally. B. COMPTON'S SHORT; THEN RETURN TO N. Y. , Hollywood, June 3. Betty Compton, who arrived here last week, will make only one two- reel short for Warners. She re- turns to New York Immediately after, for a Bobby Connolly musi- cal. Miss Compton was to have done the Mary Hay part In First Na- tional's "Sunny." " In the Warner short besides Miss Compton will be John Hundley and Jack White. Sam Marx Promoted Hollywood, June 3. Samuel Marx, former editor of "New York Amusements," hotel giveaway, has been made scenario bead of Metro. He succeeds Robert Harris. Owen Moore's Lead Hollywood, June 3. . Owen Moore, inactive for several months, will be opposite Mary Nolan In Unlversal's "Outside the Law." Tod Browning directing. Breon Back to England Hollywood, June 3. Edmond Ereon English actor, brought here by First National, sails for England June 13 on thi; "Homeric." He will appear over there in Tom Wall's I'roduction of "On Approval" for Ilrllisli InU.M-na- llonal. Bmon later returns to First Xu- Uon.'jl. Miss Loftus' Delay C'ffilla I-oftus, under a contract with Vox for throe years, may noL go west until November. She has-- rofiuested the contract be sot baek until then. .MImk I^ofiu.s iH appe.'xrlng in "Lost SViecp" at the SoUvyn, Now I'oik. HOUSE MGR. ELECTED TO U. OF TENN. FACULTY New Britain, June 3. Hurlbut A. Griswold, of this city, doubling between class rooms at the University of" the South, Scwanee, Tenn., and picture the- atre management in that town, has been appointed to the unlvferalty'B faculty. Griswold has been using northern methods to put the theatre across and la said to have been successful with his pep programs. 1,000 Floating Screens An aquatic circuit of 1,000 screens, that win swell filmdom's present ir. S. land box office representation by exactly 10%, Is being now nego- tiated by the elcctrlgs and the Hays Onice with the U. S. Navy. An Initial appropriation of $320,- 000 has already been made by the Government for this purpose. Un- der It tlie first contingent of ships, numbering around XOO, will be wired. So far RCA's Photophone heads "he U.st of talker equipments con- sidered by the Navy. INDEX I'ifrturcs 2-49 Foreign Films News..., 6- 7 Picture Reviews 25 39 Film House Reviews ... 57-59 Talking Shorts 24 Vaudeville 50 56 Vaude Reviews 58 New Acts 59 Bills 60-61 Times Square 62-64 Editorial 66 Women's Page 65 Legitimate 67-72 Legit Itoviews 73-79 Literati 73 I''orelgn Show Sewn .... 68-69 •Music ■ 47 01)itijary 79 Corrosiionderico 77-79 Hiillesfiuo 56 lladlo 72 . .\ight Clubs 72 News of naille: 61 Outdoors 76 Letter Li.st . 79 Sports 64 Insldo \'uiido 6iJ Inside Pictures 66