Inside Facts of Stage and Screen (April 12, 1930)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
- STAGE RADIO SCREEN PRICE 10 CENTS MUSIC Only Theatrical Newspaper on the Pacific Coast ESTABLISHED 1924 EDITED BY JACK JOSEPHS Saturday at 800-801 Warner Bros. Entered as Seconi Class Matter, April 29, 1927, at Post- Published Every Down 15 Vol. XI Saturday, April 12, 1930 St., Angeles, No. office, Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. town Building, 401 West Seventh Los Calif. REPORT FOX SETTLEMENT TO PROVOKE FILM BATTLE NOW IS TIME MERGER TALES FOR SMALLER THEATRE MEN SAN FRANCISCO, April 10.— The Fox settlement is regarded The small theatre owner, whose by independents to be an adroit business has been in a panicky but complete victory for Winnie state for the past year and a half, Sheehan. is on the road to .prosperity. If The appointment of William Fox he isn’t on the road at least he to chairmanship of the advisory stands a better chance of getting board for five years at a salary there than does the |srge theatre reputed to be half a million a owner, in the opinion of .exhibitors year, they say, is nothing but a ana exchangemen who have made scheme to keep him out of inde- a study of the present situation. pendent production. When sound and talking pic- They charge also that while the tures first crossed the horizon, Paramount-Warner Bros, merger is theatre owners who installed talkie held up officially, in reality it is a equipment, generally cleaned up, fait accompli. often at the expense of the smallie, Persistent reports in inside cir- whose trade flocked to the house cles give credence to the belief advertising the audible films. that independent producers, dis- Now the situation has reversed tributors and exhibitors are mar- with four reasons given for the shalling forces for an attack on about face of the public’s atten- both deals. tion. The reasons are: General Furore 1. The small house ordinarily The Fox settlement, far from has better sound than the larger resulting in a clearing atmosphere theatre with its balconies, arches and a settling down to routine and intricate construction. In any business, has resulted in a general part of a thousand seater sound is disturbance in all ranks. Despite infinitely better than in a three press reports from New York to thousand or a four thousand chair the effect that the organization as house. a whole will remain unchanged, Important Factors and the reported telephone mes- 2. Lower prices are an import- sage from Winfield Sheehan con- ant factor. Whereas the general firming it, it is the frank belief admission for a theatre downtown of all that an earthquake in per- is 65 cents, the usual tariff for a sonnel is in the cards and will suburban house is from 25 to 40 break any hour. cents. Add to this the fact that At the outset of the recent class suburban houses under A the squabble in high places William present zoning law, get a feature Fox is known to have sent out an picture within three to four weeks appeal to everybody in Los Ange- after its downtown run and at an les and Hollywood in any way average of 25 cents less admission, connected with Fox activities for these two factors alone will oorral sympathetic support, with the re- plenty of ticket buyers, for- who sult that as many as could strad- merly were wont to travel into the dled the fence, a few doughty downtown area for flicker amuse- souls taking definite sides either ment. with Fox or Sheehan. Those who 3. In addition to better sound sponsored Fox claim to have no the smaller theatre ordinarily has illusions as to their fate, and those better projection. One theatre man- GEORGE AND FLORENCE who endeavored agilely to stay on ager gives as a reason for this the the fence are now on the anxious fact that the chief of a smaller seat, wondering if they are to be or suburban house is in closer con- Ballet Producers Australia’s Leading disciplined fpr not supporting tact with his projectionist and Sheehan. therefore on more friendly terms F. M. with him, and generally the latter REMODEL CALIFORNIA NO U. THEATRE LAUGHLIN WITH Old Tales Rife _ There are persistent reports to will do his utmost to assure the Rumors that Universal is plan- the effect that the coming elec- house the best he can give. The California Theatre here is ning a theatre on the corner of Jack Laughlin has been engaged tion of a new board will see Louis 4. The suburban house has the to close down next week for com- Sixth and Western, just by Fanchon and Marco to train purchased B. key to the parking problem, a Mayer, Joseph Schenck and plete remodeling. The work is by Carl Laemmie, were denied at the all-male chorus for the “Good- W. R. Hearst installed as the tri- bugaboo in the business life of any the studios this expected be completed early in week. U., which fellows” Idea. Laughlin downtown film palace. This alone to formerly umvirate, with Nicholas Schenck recently got rid of all its theatres, wielding is responsible for a large part of May. produced at the Carthay Circle, presidential authority, is not planning any new ones, it the district theatre’s Fox remaining chairman of the steady busi- was stated. In addition to this also in Chicago for Publix. He ness. advisory board according to the DAUGHTER INJURED strategic corner, said to have returned here a few weeks ago New Theatre Trend terms of his contract. The ex- brought $400,000, Laemmie owns and Marco picked him up as soon tent of actual influence on such a So evident is the new trend in Leona Marie Ogden, 6-year-old the excellent theatre spot at the as he found he was available. board, if elected, requires theatre attendance that several little daughter of The Wonder Girl,’ corner of Hollywood boulevard speculation. men, formerly prominent in the playing the Million Dollar, fell and Vine street, valuation of which Frank Sebastian is sporting (Continued a When confronted with the ru- on Page 2) and broke an arm last week. is set at $1,500,000. new 16-cylinder Cadillac. ( Continued on Page 2) -YOU’LL SEE IT IN FACTS — 11 ' ' ^ - PAGE TWO INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1930 LIGHT .OPERA SEASON PLANNED ‘PROPAGANDA’ IN NEWSREELS STIFF BATTLE E FOR HOUSES IS IS MEETING WITH OPPOSITION 01 HOPE POP DUE AT BEACH; $50,000 OFFER Charges that so-called propa- ficial and one from Halsey, Stuart Some of the stillest engage-- One offer of $50,000 was known ganda shots in newsreels are stir- and company were attempting to ments in the picture exhibition to have been made this week for force him and ring up some resentment among out take over all war which is due to break in a chance to select a choice spot his properties. Rumor had it that theatre audiences have been re- Southern California probably will in Ocean Park, and other similar the A. T. T. was in of ceived among film row. back this center at the beeches. offers are to begin floating around move, intending A summer season of light opera The exhibitors who brought word to go into picture Already scouts are giving these other of the beach places soon. production and distribution on is contemplated for Los Angeles of the attitude toward various of the growing little metrops the care- The $50,000 offer was made to most elaborate scale of any the shots stated that the particu- of the and San Francisco. Ferris Hart- ful once-over, and it is expected Jim Sams and Jess Kramer, who companies. that theatre building will lar matter under discussion is the man is sponsoring the move here, programs hold a 25-year lease on the Casino numerous alleged militaristic shots with Frank W. Healy fathering be launched there almost at once. Ballroom at Ocean Park. The of- in the Hearst newsreels. the San Francisco movement. fer included the provision that the It was said that a big anti-war In Los Angeles the plan is to ballroom activities would be trans- sentiment seems to be the gen- open June 8 at the Shrine Audi- ferred up to one end of the im- SBBMOBTS IRE torium season eral feeling of the nation just at at a dollar top, HIT mense building, all furnishings to present, and that complaints have tickets 12 for $10, and it is chiefly SALESMEN ARE be ultra-class, with the theatre to been heard from mothers that they through advance sales of these be installed in the building. at the tickets that funds are to be pro- would like to have their boys be MOUNT'S PL! other end. able to get an afternoon’s or eve- vided. Louis B. Jacobs is busi- Name of the party making the ning’s entertainment without some ness manager. offer was not made public, but, so The intention of is of that “glorious soldier stuff” Paramount to Casting proceeding, and it was pointed out, “Warner those are: Estaleah, thrown in. go heavily into the short subject among chosen The lot of the film salesman Brothers are the ones wbo are Earl Askaan, Naomi Fielding and The attitude is not one of lack field, after having temporarily working out of the exchanges has hot to duplicate the Fox .program Sidney Jarvis. Louis Gottschalk of patriotism, it added, but become an uncertain one, except on the west coast, and they was given it up, develops the fact that is musical director.