Variety (Jun 1930)

Wednesday, June 26, 1930 TO THE LADIES VARIETY 125 New Yorli s a Year Behind By Cecelia Ager Idea^ flqwer luxuriantly In Holly- wood's tropical clime, Some of tbem are good and grow yp Into hie Btroni^^ds. Most die swiftly, Killed by, their own unbounded mad ness. Pushing their way out of the Jungle of wild ones, the hardy sur- vlvors develop quickly, for they g6t «11 the encouragement that an idea on Its way to becoming a fad could hope for. Hollywood Is fertile soil for fads Imitating engaged most of Holly wood's time, whether it be in the business of making pictures, throw Ing parties, or dressing itself. Any l^ea that is new 1b assured of an overwhelming rush. Because pictures must take their Idea of life from life as it is lived in Hollywood (for nowhere else do tilings happen as they do on the screen)-, whatever is done or worn in Hollywood is put right into pic iiires.*. Straightway it receives an aidvertlser's dream . of exploitation for Hollywood's picture cameras BiObd it throughout the country. In- record time the new Hollywood fad has been displayed to picture audiences. Oftimes it happens that a fad ppjrung out of Hollywood lushness strikes a responsive chord and .is taken iip by the rept of the nation ;Whereupon Hollywood goes all '■ to Itieces ajid pointing to the Bigns that t proclaim all over its i^treets "Holly wood is the style center of the world," sayStl^'There, what did we telf you?" But Hollywood is so busy making pictures that it doesn't stpp to ponder that there, is a, dif ference between a fad and style, and eve'n if it did think about it, wouldn't care anyway. In the Shops The Hollywood clothes fads that 4o crash into general acceptance are always thoSe that have to do with summer. When those who have the power to make them significant adopt Hollywood fads, it is always with the thought, "Now isn't this' just too amusing?" Since it Is fash lonable now for summer clothes to hp as fanciful as possible. Holly .Wood fads are getting a line break. ■ New York shops are displaying . some fashions for this summer that Hollywood thought up last year all out of its whimsical little head. Hollywood ladles shopping in New Tork can feel right at home, for they will see the fuzzy white polo coats that they like so much, parching for furs, they cfn And pairs of white foxes to snuggle around their necks. They can re plenish their store of berets with oiit sales ladles wondering what they're asking for. Gob trousers are waiting for them to be worn on the beaches. Hollywood men can get the same polo shirts in New~ Tork that was uniform for them at home, Ttfose piercingly blue shirts that were such knockouts in Hollywood can be bought now right on 6th avenue. Even the camel's hair coats that used to stamp a man in New Tork as a stranger from Hollywood are worthless this season for such ac- curate identification. Hollywood, Which gave all these conceits to the rest of the country. Is quite self-satisfied about its fash- lon originations. But where Holly- Wood takes these^ fads seriously, wearing them determinedly the year round for any and- all occasions. New Tork has approached them gingerly.. . In New Tork Hollywood Style has definite restrictions. It Is used for only the most informal wear in mid-summer, for resort or country tise, never in town. Looking over . the fads that Hollywood offers to the rest of the world, fashion-set- ters carefully discriminate, chosing the amusing ones. They regard them as such, to be worn only when It is appropriate to wear things of that sort. The basic difference between Hollywood fads in Hollywood and elsewhere is the seriousness with which Hollywood regards them, compared to the indulgence they meet elsewhere. In Hollywood they are work, but elsewhere, fun. If ttiey are any good at all they will nave every chance to catch on, for the power of pictures is behind them. BIRTHS ' Mr. and Mrs. Frank lane Bradley, J«ne 10, In Providence Hospital, Oakland, Cal., son: Father in pic- tures and vaude. Mci and Mrs. George May, Jr., »on. Father is attached to Loew Ikeneral ofBces. GROWN UP BOY SCQUT Sm CARRIES ON Times - change. Centuries ago explorers went adventuring to open up new routes to commerce; now they set out for deeds of deering— and on the side, go on location for a motion picture concern. It Is the constant reminder of that fact that keeps "With Byrd at the South Pole" from being a great picture. There can be no great suspense about four men stranded in snowy wastes, when one Is con- scious of a fifth ' who not only brought along a motion picture camera, but possibly enough food to tide'the quintette over until the arrival of a rescue party. Nor can one agree with Floyd Gibbons' monolog accompanying the Polar flight when he describes a note sent by the Admiral to his pilot as be- ing "a matter of life or death"— and the excursion takes time out to take a close up of the note... Aside from the fact that its never very tense, the picture Is interest-. Ing, photographically fine and re- lieved In spots with light comedy touches. ' Byrd Icjioks • grand-rr-Just like a darling Boy Scout who, hav-' ing grown up, has gone right on Scouting. Dolores Del Rio Awfully Good Despite Ogling If the Jury that condemns .Dojores Del Rio In "The Bad One" could only have seen the preceding reels of the film, it would not have mis- judged the heroine. Even though she Is a dancing girl In a Mar- seilles dive, flirting outrageously and brazenly flaunting her cliarms, she Is really as pur6 as a lily, the script wasting no opportvinlty to es- tablish her innocence with touches Just a little too naive to~ be con- vincing. I The picture is a studio's idea of a great lual-part picture for Miss Del Rio and Edmund Lowe. It im- plies a. lot of so-called Wickedness, but pauses every so often to smile at the censors and say, "See, we're only fooling." It has a prison re- volt in accordance with the now ac- cepted theory that there must be a Jail break for every film on Broad- way. MARRIAGES Mary Blair to Constant M. Eakim, June 16, at Redding, Conn. Miss Blair is in cast of "Lysistratai^ She was recently divorced from Ed- mund Wilson, .editor of "New Re- public." ' lEaklm is sales manager for Frlgldaire Corp.- Roslna Gain to GluUo Gattl-Ca- sazza, June 18. Miss GalU Is bal- let mistress of the Metropolitan Opera. Alda Emily, Robson to C. T. Spen- cer, recently.' Bride is daughter of Clarence Robson, Eastern Div. gen- eral manager F. P. Canadian Corp. Groom mariages P. P. house in Wakerville, Can. Virginia Cass to Stanley Davis, in McGregor, la., recently. Bride Is daughter of Hazel M. Cass (Cass Repertoire Co.). Groom Is an actor with the Cass troupe. Ruth A. Peiter to Raymond Knight in New Tork last week. Bride is Toledo Times book review- er and feature .writer. Grooih is playwright. ^ Hilda Hairgrove (Tiny Waites) to Samuel ' Mass in Indianapolis June 12. Bride is with Tishman & O'Nell's "The Big Parade (vaude). Groom works with Sid Lewis (vaude). Helen Schwartz to Kenneth T. Collins, in Fort Wayne June 11. Groom Is manager Apollo, Ft. Wayne. Muriel May and Bob Carb^gh, both of Loew road show, "Eton Days," engaged to wed in July. En- gagement announced while playing Syracuse last week. RITZY Conde Nast started as advertis- ing manager of "Collier's Weekly." He bought "Vogue" and revived It successfully. He made another hit with "Vanity Fair." and proceeded with other periodicals. With financial triumphs came so- cial ambition. He engaged Frank Crowlnshleld, society bachelor, as managing editor and soclpl adviser, Crbwnlnshleld acunged parties where fashionable lolk were enter tcdned, and society women were flatteried when their pictures were published. Nast was divorced by Clarlsse Coudert, mother of Natica and Charles Coudert Nast. She then married J. Victor Onatlvia, Jr. Ona- tivla had been divorced by Clara Barclay, who then married Andre de Coppet. Nast manied Leslie Foster, considerably his Juni(or. "Vanity Fair" recently published photois of persons humorously nom- inated for " oblivion," Including Henry Ford and Bemarr Macfad den. Ford straightway directed none of his Interests ever advertise in Nast papers, and Macfadden de ctded not to proceed with his plans to have "Dance Magazine" ' printed by Nast Consuelo Flowertoii has a few lines In . "Lyslstrata." Formerly a "Follies" beauty? she divorced Dirk Fock, well known Dutch composer and orchestra- leader, father of her daughter Nina. ' Dirk then married Editha Simons, who. had been a close friend of Con- suelo. More Lines With a few lines also In "Lysls- trata" Is Gloria Bragglottl, society girl of Boston and Newiport, where her sister, Francesca . BragglpttI (how Mrs. Johii Davis Lodge), she conducted dancing classes. She has two brothers, Isidore and Se- bastlano, the latter named after his grandfather, the late Sebastian Schlesinger. Grandmother Schles- Inger later married Count James de Pourtales. Gloria was reported engaged last fall to Frederic Cameron Church, Jr., Who was divorced by Muriel Vanderbilt, of JTewiwrt. Dangerous Boop-a-Soops "Dangerous Nan McGrew" is Everyplot soaked In. laughing wat- er, farce as the pictures rarely get it but as audiences readily under- stand it. Helen Kane is back to heroine size and Stuart Erwin is most of the feature. "Dangerous Nan McGrew" could shoot, but her menace lay in her bodp boop a doop. Preventing Confusion Donald MacDonald, of 260 West 72nd street, hjis become engaged to Dorothy Roberts <ft 1112 Park ave- nue. He Is not to be confused,with Donald'MacDonald, society man, of 760 Park avenue, nor with Donald MacDonald, actolr, who married Ruth Hammond, actress. Nor Is Arthur MacArthur, society man of 84 Oramercy park, to be confused with Arthur MacArthur, actor. • News From the Daflies This department contains rewritten theatrical news items as pub- lished during the week in the daily papers of New York, Cliieagor San Francisco, Hollywood and London. Variety takes no «redit for these news items; each has been rewritten from a daily paper* , NEW YORK Jtenlel Frohman will supervise final reheai'sal of "Trelawny of the Wells" for the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Bristol, Conn. It was Frohman who produced the original production. Walter Hartwlg is In chai-ge of the company, already fully cast. Players Include Margaret Wycherly, Curtis Cooksey, Hugh Miller, May EdisB, Octavia Kenmore, Kate May- hew, Carl Reld, J. Harold Porster and Anton Bundsman. N. T. dailies carrying story of death of Tivadar Nachez, 71, noted violinist. Died at Lausanne, to which- place musicians from every part of Europe traveled ta attend funeral. He was born in Budapest in 1869. cording to cables In the dallies. Lord Chamberlain denied permit on grounds said to be that a Deity la represented in the play and there-, fore blasphemous. Play liberally adapted, including dialog on Roark Bradford's book, "Ol' Man Adam an' His ChlUun." Irene Armitage won a divorce trotn Merle Armitage, director of the Los Angeles Grand Opera Assn., on charge that Merle told her he didn't love her. They had beien married only three months. Metropolitan Opera has gone American. Out of eight new sing- ers, three are Tanks. Two women and one man. One of the girls Is Beatrice Belkin, soprano, and of "Roxy's Gang." She Is native New Torker but brought Up in Lawrence, Kan. Myrna Sharlow, other girl. Is from Jamestown, N. D.; edu- cated In St. Louis. Man Is Claudio Frigerlo,'baritone, born in Faterson, N. J., but spent much time In Italy. He is 26. Miss Belkln formerly sang .with Philadelphia Opera and In St. Louis. Miss Sharlow made operatic debut with old Boston Opera. • Frank Parker Stockbrldge^ Mil- waukee veter^ of some kind after spending 60 years in tbe 6o-caUed Jourhallstio profession, had the temerity to look 60 years ahead. He predicts newspap^riS then will be written by Impulse and sUpplIed with news by radio. . And—the pages will be transmitted to sub- scribers by radio. Dispatches from Washington, D. C, tell about new litigation over patent rights for talking' pictures. Group of foreign, and domestlo cor- porations.and German citizens have brought suit Issuance of pajpers pat- ent to them, naming as defe.nda,hts General Talking Pictures Corp., De Ii'orest Phonofllms, inc., and Dr. Lee De Forest. Plaintiffs are American Trl-Brgon Corp;, New Tork City; Tri-Ergon Holding G. of Switz- erland; Josef Engl, Joseph MassoUe and Hans Vogt, all of Berlin, Ger- many. Trio claims to be original Inventors and claim De Forest was given. patents "Inadvertently and erroneously." Ernest Westmore, makeup totlst, won custody of their seven-year-old daughter from his first wife, Mrs. Vebda Westmore.' He claimed she was Incompetent In caring for the- child. He was also freed from pay- ing $60 a month alimony. Hinton Phillips, Negro, withdrew a labor complaint against Congo Pictures, producers of "IngagI," for 120 claimed due for playing a gor- illa In the film. Phillips said he. feared a boycott In pictures If he pressed the charges. Jost a Picture Actor with- everybody loving a b^dlt (the bigger and badder, the. better) the odds are greatly in favor of Kod lA Rocque who dons deUrk paint and a sombrero %o pUty the Kiad" in "Beau Bandit."' The only hltcli'Is that Mr. La Rocqiie never seems to be a bandit. He is Jusf «u picture actor masqusrading. That Is enough! to keep any. performance from being' taken seriously, Doris Kenyon hais little to do; ex- cept ride with the grace and confi- : dence of a trained ' horsewoiuan. Aside from being in rare mobtents too consciously sweet, she givea a' likable performance. Walter Huston, under contract to both First National and United Artists, goes by prior right to U. A., after which he fuUflls for F. N. Ex planation goes because of reported conflict on contract dates. Lonely iii Register nka Chase Is the- only film ac tress recorded In the Social .Reg- ister. She plays one of the sextet In "The Florodora Glri;- Daughter of Edna Woolman Chase, ddltress of ''Vogue," she Is the stepdaughter of Richard New ton. No Immediate Worry Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. F. Mc- Cann have had a theatre built on their estate at Oyster Bay, and plan to engage artists to appear there to entertain guests. Dr. Russell, of Princeton University, will give a series of recitals on the fine organ that has been installed. Mr. McCann commutes to^and from New Tork on his'yacht.'lklrp. McCann was Helen Woolworth, heiress to half of the 'flye-and-ten" millions, the other half going to her sister, Mrs. James B. Donahue. The net Income of the Woolworth Co. tor 1929 was $39,664,262. Heir for Pos^ A son was bom to Mr. and Mrs. Langdon W. Post; Before becoming an assemblyman Langdon was film critic on "The Evening World." Son of the rich and fashionable Mr. and Mrs. Waldron K. Post, he is a nephew of the exclusive Mrs. Hamilton Fish Webster, of New Tork and Newport. His wife was Janet Klrby, daughter of Rollln Kirby, the "World" cartoonist. John P. Medbury, newspaper col- umnist, has been signed to wtlte two short stories for Columbia. Transmission of daily stock quo tatlons and weather reports by radio to liners at sea Is being mapped out by Radio Corporation. Daily picture service is to follow on ships of the U. S. Lines. Crawfords Celebrate. Of Paramount Importance this week Is the seventh wedding sin- "nlversary of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Crawford which they are celebrat-^' ing on blossom - decked .Console^,' saying It with songs past and pres- . ent. Their applause was extra g^erous In congratulation. Of bourse the fact thkt each half ct:'. wedding cake carried «even candles complicated' the situation unless it. was meant to be two cakes which : lit up for the finish. . Ordinarily brown Is a dull colpt for the stage but "Ginger Snajiig" makes It tastey occasionally as ta the buftant ballet by the Gam1>y . Girls. Remarkable toe tapping .by*- a mixed team whose names were never announced .and not caught,, on the screen put the reial snap In this presentation. Harrington Sisters tried for the ginger aiid made It. A tray passing' routine went smoothely for the Gambles. Jefferson De Angells, appearing in current "Apron Strings," cele- brates 60th anniversary of his first stage appearance June 26. Big party planhed at theatre for performers who appeared with De Angells forty years or more ago. These Include De Wolf Hopper, Jennie Weathers- by, Willis Sweatiiam and John Hen- shaw. • William Fox's 60-foot cruiser, "Mona-Delle," was dashed against the rocks off Far Rockaway when the ship's motor went dead. About $6,000 damage estimated. Tacht was en route from Bayonne, where she had been stored all winter, to the rocks at Fox's home In Woodmere. L. L Aubrey Eads has leased a large anartment at 30 Sutton place. He is the husband and partner of Peggy Hoyt, the milliner. Gilbert Seldes, adapter of "Lyslstrata," has. leased a bouse at }0 " Henderson place. Authorities are trying to discover what happened to millions which passed allegedly through the hands of Harold Russell Ryder, Wall street broker and familiar on Broadway as a night club habitue and spender. His firm. Woody & Co., failed for $3,000,000. Ryder has admitted a loss of $3,000,000 In the big stock crash last fall Several Broadway show girls and actresses were linked by the papers as having received gifts from Ryder in his heyday as a spender. He was one of those $100 tippers on the nlte club route. LOS^NGELES •The Green Pastures," by Marc Connelly, America's Pulitzer prize play and smash hit of the season on Broadway, where It has been , play- ing at the Mansfield sincd Feb. 26, has been banned In England, ac- Hays' Own Ideas (Contlnue<* from page 100) read it literally believing that only the most emasculated pictures may be produced under It." Most censors like to see their pic- ture heavies regenerated rather than taking the rap, the Info further states. This Is true of all boards except New Tork, Ohio and Chicago. Divorce and Infidelity Is absolutely out so far as Quebec and Ontario are concerned. This Irrespective of moral values Involved. Unnecessary dressing and bath- room scenes are in for a tougher break than ever. ' As for drinking, It will be fallowed generally only where the booze hound is the "heavy.* One censor explained his stand on this question thusly: "Liquor should be used only as a bullet is used—whomever it strikes - drops." Country wide censors are watch- ing comedies closer than ever, and the message warns that cartoon comedies, heretofore untouched, are in for the works unless the Ixend toward warmth is curtailed. Advertising paper is ou the pan aplenty, the tip-off ° further stateiw In states and Canadian provlnc«% . where billboard advertising Is regu*'. lated by legislation, the censors axe threatening to get busy unless tH sex tinge la cut. •