Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 July 1936 — Page 4
Stage Show; Four Other Acts Are to Share Oisen-Nicholas Spotlight.
BY JOHN W. THOMPSON Starting Friday, the Lyric is to celebrate an important occasion with
gt E. Brown as cinema host in his latest comedy, “Earthworm
Tractors,
The Lyric's party is to be in celebration of the theater's having comd 100 consecutive weeks of vaudeville, a good record for any theater.
jes M. Olsen, Lyric* owner, enged Indianapolis theaterirs to support vaudeville shows pugh the depression and they S50 Mr. Olsen and his right-
> a little deserved bragging. On the Lyric’'s stage during the nniversary week a flve-act vaudele is to hold sway. “Heading the performers is to be IX Weber, comedian and ventrilouist Supplementing Mr. Weber's it 1s to be the Varsity Female horus, singers; Ross and Bennett, an act entitled “No Sense anc isense”; Bell Brothers and Cari, varsity act, and the Five Coras, acrobats.
Post Stories Used
“Earthworm Tractors” is a movie aptation,of William Hazlett Up’s stories which appeared in the turday Evening Post. They concern the galavanting of Alexander Botts, who claimed he could sell ing and got the job of distributing tractors. - To film the picture, a huge synthetic swamp was dredged and sev“eral miles of mountain trails manufactured. A half dozen 17-ton tractors were used as motorized actors, and also as pre-shooting set-making equipment. Tractors’ total weight 100,000 pounds. Mr. Brown, who, at his own ine, does his own stunt work, ve the tractors through some ty tough country. Mountain of 70 per cent, arroyos such war-time tanks had to cross, and fically large loads hauled acros: h-strewn country tested both Brown and the tractors.
Brown Moves House
One of the funniest sequences in film is said to be a house-mov-It features Mr. Browa ving a tractor and dragging be- | him a house in which Guy ' reads serenely. The climax fomes when a chain breaks, leaving ie house perched on railroad
As Mr. Brown's new leading lady.
irthworm Tractors” will present |?
Travis. 58 Travis never had appeared the professional stage and had absolutely no screen experience "she got her first film contract role in “Stranded,” starring Kay Ncis. In her second picture, she the feminine lead. She was in Chicago, the daughter of arry Grabiner, vice president and jeneral manager of the Chicago hite Sox. With music and paintfor hobbies, she still is considd one of the best woman hockey layers in the country, and she ormized a softball league in Holly-
thers in the cast of “Earthworm ractors” include Carol Hughes, ne Lockhart and Dick Foran.
Wig Producers Are Kept Busy
Historical and Biographical Movies Increase Business.
By United Preas "HOLLYWOOD, July 20. — The movies are in the throes of another “wig cycle,” which is hiking earnings on wigmakers who once depended almost solely on the vanity of bald-headed men. Historical pictures, biographical dramatizations of the long-dead great and Shakespeare have created a new demand for wigs, as well as revealing interesting data on their manufacture. : Hundreds of wigs are made annually in Hollywood by skilled workmen. Hair is imported from European countries. The laws of this country require that all hair sold in America be imported. It doesn’t matter if an American sells hair, but he must send it to Europe before he can sell it to an American firm. Movie wigmakers have made a thing of beauty of the artificial scalps, said Wally Westmore, one studio makeup man, who explained how they were manufactured. After taking measurements of the wearer's head and constructing a base of net and gauze, the hair must be crocheted into the base by & process known as ventilating. This is done by skilled ventilators who afterward make the front pare of the wig out of hair lace, the making of which is the most difficult part of all. Each individual hair is ventilated into the framework of hair lace and the finished product is so made that it scarcely can be: tcld from Ratural hair. Nearly all false moustaches are made of hair lace when worn by principal players. That is because they appear in closeups. Bit and extra players just stick on a hank of hair with spirit gum.
Played in Stock {Fredric March, co-starring with Katharine urng in ar f Scotland,” was'a well-kn leadft man for middle western stock companies before entering pictures.
Admired by Daughter
One of Bert Wheeler’s most ardent fans is his seven-year-old daughter, Pat. She visited him every Saturday during the filming of “Mummy’s
Boys.”
Duce to Boss Movie Making When Director Moves to Rome
k Powell's Popularity Hinders Relaxation When He and Joan Blondel Visit Park.
- BY RUTH McTAMMANY Times Hollywood Correspondent _ HOLLYWOOD, July 20—Walter anger’s production plans for picmaking in Rome is unique. ving returned from that city, ere he made final arrangements Mussolini for construction of Im city. he now faces problems casting, making and releasing i¢ American-Italian product. ‘ He plans to make, during the ming year, seven Hollywood fea- , then he is to go to Rome,
he will make three pictures.
Sidney and Henry Fonda to be starred in the first Rome duction. American stars, Italian part players and “extras,” towith Italian backgrounds, pssitates use of stories which , themselves to this unsual The larger market for the will be in
h-speaking At the same ‘time, it is
next picture, “Gold Diggers,” in which he and Joan Blondell are to be co-starred. He has been on a four-day vacation, which he considers a rare treat. “I wish I could have several weeks of rest,” he said. “My mother and father are visiting me and mother has’ been waiting for weeks to tell me all the home news. But I can’t spend much time with her on ac-
my radio program and my next picture. “The other night Joan and I thought we'd like to play a little (away from Hollywood, so we went down to Ocean Park to ride. the amusement thrillers. . We got out on the pier where the roller coaster is, and the news went around that we were there. In a few minutes, 50 or 75 people began to edge us down to the pier’s edge, calling for autographs. I made a speech like this: ‘Miss Blondell and I are tired. We just finished a picture, and would like to spend an evening down here and forget we are actors.
+| We want to go about with freedom
on | just as you do. Now we will sign
if
10 books, and if the rest of you will
BEER. Biff
BEE i
BE od
‘tures only in English, but their films
{a cool
count of necessary preparations for.
in a hoary-jested item called “Mum-
ILMLAND'S UNNIEST. MEN
LAUREL an HARDY
(The seventh of a series)
BY PAUL HARRISON
OLLYWOOD, July 20.—~(NEA) —There have been 10 years of Laurel and Hardy. Ten years, and
something like 80 pictures, and uncounted millions of laughs for slapstick fans from here to Baluchistan and back. 2 The wild-haired little Britisher with the silly grin and the fat man with the bangs and Whitmanesque mustache comprise the best-known comedy team on earth. During a period of two years they made each picture five times—in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Knowing no foreign languages a! all, they read lines written phonetically on blackboards outside the range of the cameras. “And our atrocious accents made us all the funnier,” chortled Laurel. “Oliver was a Georgia Spaniard—" “And Stan was a British Frenchman!” whooped,K Hardy. The’ boys are like that—exuberant.These days the pair make pic-
5
remain tremendously ‘popular in ail foreign countries. The foreign dialcg, recited by interpreters, is dubbed into . the films exhibited abroad. Reason for the change was economics. : Laurel and Hardy now make features instead of shorts, and their latest effort, “Our Relations,” cost $400,000. Slapstick comedy, 1936 style, has got itself into top hat and tails, a plush environment, and the fhiddle brackets of Hollywood profligacy. v # 2 » TANLEY LAUREL JEFFERSON, born in England of theatrical parents in 1895, never had the slightest ‘doubt that he'd be an actor. But he had a slight lisp. None of the great tragedians, he knew, ever lisped. So he turned to comedy. : His professional debut was made in his father’s best suit after it had been trimmed with shears, to give it just the right touch of comic nonchalance. The hand he got from the customers was nothing to the one that awaited him at home that night. aE A A ‘similar triumph was scored soon aftérward, when he was given the task of igniting some gunpowder under the stage for a scene in which a safe was supposed to be blasted open. He put in plenty of powder and delighted the audience by blowing the safe and villain into the orchestra pit. He was trouper at 13, billed thus: “Stanley Jefferson—Quaint ‘Comedian—He of the Funny Ways.” At 15 he had a minor place in a stock company in which Charles and Sidney Chaplin were principals. They came to America on tour; and Stanley was Charlie's understudy. But the star's health remained discouragingly good. While they were playing in ‘Los Angeles the boy succumbed to twinges of homesickness, deserted the troupe and made his way back to England. A few years later, with Chaplin
ming Birds,” they again reached the United States. The company hired Chaplirrz So Laurel went into vaudeville and soon had a fling or two at the flickers. ; » » SE “ MEaFvanE Hardy, of the Harlem (Ga. Hardys, had been having a lean time of it. A lean time, though he was one of five fat sons of fat parents whose | forebears were overstuffed. Oliver weighed 173 when he was 13, at which age he had become a boy |
soprano. His voice changed while he was in one winter, 30
warbling | he went to work for a fiy-by-night e played comedy- {
movie company. He heavies, ]
spends most of his smacking a golf ball. Laurel weighs 139 and wrestles 200-pound swordfish for fun. He has a 46-foot cruiser, a pretty wife, and a mynah bird named Yogi.
Hardy usually Laurels to see the ice box. There's always something tasty. Most of the team’s pictures hava been thought up over that pool table. .
» x other a perfect comedy roll and they have been together ever since. Indeed, they vow they’ve never had a quarrel.
Hardy weighs 270 pounds and Jeisure time
When you say “Stan Laurel,”
Yogi responds - with ~ “Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy Ha-ha-ha!” When vou mention Oliver. Hardy, Yogi says “Ah, Nuts!”
After it is too dark to play golf, over to the hat Ruth ‘has in
Then they play pool.
And now they're planning a
‘round-the-world personal appearance tour.
- NEXT: Irvin S. Cobb. '
Some of the publicity stuff that comes out of Hollywood is, to say the least, a little hard to take. But it’s not hard to believe pictures showing stars at lunch. Here's a trio of hearty eaters, who were caught by a studio “Snoop-shooter” in action. 1. Ted Healy, who is seen on an average of once every two weeks in a film af Loew's, shown sipping his soup without the aid of his stooges. You may not recognize him because he has a tie on, and yes, that’s a dress handkerchief in his pocket. 2. Milk is good for growing boys and so Frank Lawton, seen this week at “Loew's in “The Devil Doll,” is hoping that a daily glass will boost his screen work. 3. Leo Carillo was so hungry that he couldn't take time to remove his costume before his noonday soup course. Leo is another of the film colony's standbys who rarely gets a day off,
Radio Programs and News’
Are on Page 15
Picture Produci
ng Requires
Much Capital, Even to Start
Many Studios List 2000 or More Employes, Including
“Many in High Salary: Classifications. pl ae
tof always returning the wallet with
By United Dress
HOLLYWOOD, July 20, — Much has been said as to “what it takes”
to break into moving pictures.
.Most of the discussion, however, centers upon the attempts of in-
dividuals to become screen stars. requirements of entering movies as a full-fledged business venture.
In the light of recent surveys at
ma jor Hollywood studios, it seems a bankroll on the loose would suffer a sudden and complete extinction if its owner decided to enter the mo- | tion picture industry. :
~ Payrolls in the business ar
nightmare proportions. !
A Wall Street colossus, for ine
stance, would find he needed a nucleus of approximately 215 highsalaried persons even to make his first sortie toward picture production. Then, after signing this group, he would find that some 2000 additional persons were needed before he could get a picture under way and production on a paying basis.
'
_ Work Is Complicated @®The necessity for so many em-
ployes, amazing though it is even to old-timers, arises from the fact that at least 68 different departments must combine efforts to tu out a picture. ‘
At one major studio the official
personnel list contains only the names of 19 departmental heads. Of the other 198 persons on this studio’s “No. 1 list,” eight are major executives, seven associate producers, 15 are contract directors, while 75 are players: under long-term contract. -
Then there are some 15 employes
who constitute the studio's stock | group, 45 writers under contract, | 18 cameramen, 10 assistant directors, nine composers and lyricists and 10 musicians. :
For each man on this list there
are at least 10 not even mentioned.
: "Employes Borrowed
Most of the studio telephone di-. rectories of permanently employed persons contain more than
of |
2000. : t in- |developed under the hot California |
Little has been said concerning the
WHERE, WHAT, WHEN
APOLLO
“State Fair’ (revival), with Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, Louise Dresser, Lew Ayres, at 11:22, 1:25, 3:28, 5:31,
7:34 and 9:37 - CIRCLE “The Green Pastures,’ Marc Con-
nelly’s famous fable, with Rex Ingram at 11, Lid, 3:20, 5:35, 7:45,
LOEW'S
“The Devil Doll,” with Lionel Barmore, Maureen O’Sullivan, at'1, 4 11, 1:52, 4:44, 7:36 and “We ‘Went to Herbert, Charles 12:41, 3:33, 6:25 and 9:
KEITH'S ; “It’s a Boy,” Federal Players pro-
duction under the = direction of Charles Berkell. Curtain at 8:15,
LYRIC
“The Crime of Dr, Forbes” on the screen, with Gloria Stuart, Robert Kent, Henry Armetta, at 11:26. 3:09, 5:13, 7:56 and 10:39,
Vaudeville on the stage at 1:09, 3:53, 6:56 and 9:39. ; :
e e’’ Butte d 9:17
ALAMO “The Law in Her Hands,’ with Margaret - Lindsay. Also ‘Melody Trail” with Gene Autry. .
AMBASSADOR
“The Case Against Mrs. Ames,” . with. George Brent and Madeleine Carroll. Also ‘‘Specidl Investigator” with Richard Dix.
OHIO
“Captain January” with Shirley Temple and ' Buddy Ebsen. Also “Lawyer Man” with William Powell,
Pith Helmet Habit
Times Special
_ HOLLYWOOD, July 20—Habit
sun on the “Ramona” set in the
"got his name. He tossed the purse
lars—and he had banked on at least 1 $25
J taken a cab to the station and
| he’d have to hike across town and
{morning punctually at 5 o'clock.
‘next town.
‘busses left on the hour. He quick-
{liceman. He was shoving Willie
* Cause for Ribbing
{cars—specially when he got such swell description. » - in : : : 3 3 {you
DAILY SHORT STORY
Willie t
HE weapon was leveled at the old man’s heart.
“Stick em up!” Willie the Gent |,
snarled. ; . Willie was under a strain. He had
to be on his way out oi town as soon as possible, because he had. been tipped off that the police were looking for him. But he had to have money to make his getaway. The police would choose to get after him when he was broke—down to his last cent! “Come on—make it snappy’ and hand over the wallet,” he ordered. The old man’s parchment cheeks showed white even in the dim, before dawn light of the alley. As he reached in his pocket and pulled out a black jurse, a spasm caught at his mouth and twitched it. ; Willie the Gent grabbed the purse
tered hoarsely. Still holding the gun in one hand, he opened the wal- | let. with the other and saw a folded square of bills and a few loose coins.
y
. vi E took out the bills. Slowly, he unfolded them. There were only three—each of $1 denomina- |. tion. Dismay crossed his features. “This all you got?” he barked. The old man nodded. : “Nerts!” said Willie, fairly spitting the word out. : Then he remembered his manners. Willie the Gent had the reputation
carfare money. That's how he had
back to the old man. When the old man turned, like a sleep walker, and staggered out of the alley into the main street, Willie swore under his breath. Three dol-
$25. With that amount, he could have made a speedy exit. He could have
boarded a train. Now, with only $3,
take a bus. | ® =»
WEARING again, he left the alley and began his trip to the outskirts of town. Three dollars! And only a little while ago, as he waited in the alley, it had seemed that nothing could go wrong. The old guy was one of the night watchmen at the mill. Willie knew his habits. He left the plant every
And last night had been pay day. That's why Willie the Gent had laid in wait for him. : “Funny how the old geezer looked when he handed over the purse,” Willie thought, as he made his way
through the early-morning streets. | | “Guess. I logked funnny, too, when 41 seen what was in it.” Well, the
$3 would, at least, take him to the
o s #
T was full daylight now. As Willie neared the bus station, he was relieved to see a bus waiting to start. It wouldn't be long now! The
ened his steps. And then—a hand gripped his shoulder. “Let go o’ me!” Willie lashed out. | The hand tightened. It was a po-
toward a radio car. “Wé thought we might find you
By RUTH LOUISE AYRES
away and might have given us the slip.” | .
officer commented, as he Willie into the police car. funny thing is that you yourself muffed. it.”
STATE BELMONT |
he Gent
” » » “N77 EAH—I know,” Willie said
bitterly. “That’s the way it goes,” the
“And the
“Me—muffed! Whatcha mean?” “Well, it so happens that today
is the old watchman’s fiftieth anniversary at the mill. So, last night, when he reported for work, he found himself mobbed by a whole gang of workers, with flowers and a cake and everything. There was so much excitement, he didn’t have a chance to draw his weekly pay envelope. that when the boss made a speech and presented him with five $10
“Lemme see what you got,” he mut- | gold pieces for his 50 years on the vs job ”
But he forgot all about
Willie gaped. “Gold pieces!” The officer laugher uproariously.
“Yeah—and you passed ’em up! Didn’t ‘even bother to look at ’em! The same old Willie the Gent—you toss back the purse and tell him to keep the change!”
THE END (Copyright, 1936, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.) (The characters in this story are fictious)
Outing Scheduled
“by Variety Group
The third annual Variety Club
picnic is to be held at Northern Beach Monday, Aug. 3. The committee in charge includes Marc Wolf, Kenneth Collins, Carl Niesse, Claude Penrod and Al Blocher.
The big event of the day is to be
a baseball game between motion picture distributors and exhibitors. The program also is to include races for stenographers, shippers and bookers. Dancing is on the evening bill.
Tall Timbers Now
e
Open for Business ‘Tall Timbers, cafe and night club,
resumed operation with opening of State Road 67. Dancing is a nightly feature, with extra entertainment. Buddy Adams and his band, Louisville, are dance rhythm specialists at
Chorus Girls
Have Little Time for Fun
Movie Dancers Work Too Hard to Enjoy Hollywood's Social Life.
By United Prcas HOLLYWOOD, July 20.— Many
| things have been relegated into
the past during the driving rush of picture production in the last seve eral years. Among old-fashioned | figures now
reported extinct is Johnny of the stage door—he of the top hat, stick and flowers. The passing of Johnny is reported by those who should know, the young girls of the picture choruses. Even worse, according io the ree port, than the absence of John is the rumor that no nice men taking his place at Hollywood's figs urative stage doors. : It seems, according to girls who dance through the complicated routines of motion picture musicals, tnat working to screen fame by way of the chorus is not conducive to love and marriage. The explanation is easy and une derstandable, chorus members say. “We have only one night a week that we aren't required to work at
| { the studios,” declares Esther Brodo-
let, petite dancer. “Men aren't interested in a girl who can’t go out more than once a week. And there doesn't seem much we can do about it, as we must be up at 6:30 o'clock every morning, which means we have to
ed | 89 to bed early.
“With no time to go out, most of us must say farewell to thoughts of romance,” declares Miss Brodo-* et. - Forgotten by Boys
Another dancer, Lyun Bari, echoes the plaint of Miss Brodolet. “When we are fortunate enough to meet a nice boy one week, he has a whole week to forget us, which usually is what happens. “Some of the girls, of course, are too intent on their careers to give thought to romance and marriage,” explains Miss Bari. : “People really would be surprised to know how many of us spend this precious free night of ours each week,” the dancer said. “We usually get a bunch of the girls together and go to a movie— there isn’t anything else to do.” “Pretty Dorothy Deering, howsever, softens the tale of ihe chorus
| girls’ plight somewhat.
“None of the girls wishes to remain in the chorus, and getting out means .long hours of dramatic study and constant attention to work. Thus, we have a substitute of sorts for the missing part of our social life.” ; :
Robert Dohat Gets New Assignment
Times Special LONDON, July 20.—Robert Donat, rapidly rising movie star, is ta be cast with Marlene Dietrich in the Alexander Korda production of “Knight Without Armor,” it was announced today. This will be Mr. Donat’s first screen appearance since “The Ghost Goes West,” also under the Korda banner. Miss Dietrich left for the Denham studios after completing work in Hollywood in “The Garden of Allah.” “Knight Without Armor” is from the story by Robert Hilton, author of “Goodbye, Mr. Chips.”
Discovered Valentino Robert Z. Leonard, directing Rob= ert Montgomery in “Piccadilly Jim,” was the discoverer of Rudolph Vale entino when he engaged him in 1918
as Mae Murray's dancing partner in “Princess Virtue.”
Tall Timbers.
WEST SIDE
02 W. 10th St. yuble Feature Ww d
“SUTTER Wheeler-Woolsey—**SILI W. Wash. & Double F Irene Du: “SHOW BOAT”
“THE PRINCESS COMES ACRO - “THE LAW IN HER HANDS”
NORTH SIDE
here,” he said. “And it don’t take long to trail a guy in these scout
) ] 9” 2 A “Yep. We were on the lookout for you, anyway, and when that old atchman
d eb f e and gave a of you, didn’t have any trouble, Bt
because if you'd had more,
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50L_ OZONIZED Al
Chester
omit FRE RICK
R a aaLE Le
‘| TUXEDO
4 |EMERSON
EAST SIDE 2442 E. Wash. 8 TACOMA pl Ah ig : “PETTICOAT FE 3" “BIG BROWN EYES”
4020" E. New York Double Feature °: Kibbee 4
“LITTLE LORD FA ¥’ Jimmy Allen—“SKY PARADE”
“DON'T GET PERSONAL” Irene Dunne—All Star Cast in » “SHOW BOAT” -
E. 10th St. mae) VE ORE : Ted Healy—"SPEED"
HAMILTON ‘Bek Fitials BUR OE Saion
Double FL LB
L] EE
mount Be