The Washington herald., 1920-12-15
V''iews.O Of
Visitors in
Capital
Interviews with Guests
From ALI Parts of
The United States.

1fano opera ana the spoken
drama are growing in popularity
In this country. and particularly on
the Pacific Coast, according to will
lam H. Leahy. manager. for Mme.
Tetrazzini, at the New willard.
Mr.. LeahyI who has owned tho
famous Tivoh Opera House. in San
Francisco since 1898. speaks with
authority for the Pacific Coast, since
he has been foremost among West
erners in the promotion of theatre
cal and musical productions in the
city by the Golden Gate.
The Tivoli Opera House has been
used as a motion picture theater for
several years, but will soon be re-
stored to lovers of grand opera, Mr..
Leahy says.
IAN evidence of the growing pop-
ularity of grand opera in San Fran
CISCO" said Mr.. Leahy, "is shown In
the recent performances given by
Scotti in that city. Although the
eight performances were given In
the municipal auditorium, with
practically makeshift facilities, the
production brough $4,000 per
week.
WAR MEMORIAL HOUSE
PLANNED FOR OPERA.
When We can have such audi
ences In a structure that was never
Intended to house grand opera, 1t
may easily be imagined what could
be done with regular opera house."
San Francisco plans the erection
Iof huge 100000 war memorial
which may be used as a municipal
opera house, Mr.. Leahy said. 1t
will be erected near the civic CEN
ter. The building will be a COM
bination OF art school and an aduito-
rum for the production of grand
opera or In which symphony con-
certs may be given. 1t will be built
around a court, in the center of
which will be building in which
the various veterans organizations
may meet.
The art school will be under the
direction of the San Francisco Art
Association. which Is affiliated with
the University of California This
removes its administration from all
FRISCO MOVIE CENTER
AIM OF CITIZENS.
San Francisco may ultimately be-
come the center of the moving pic
ture industry in California, Mr..
Leahy believes. A concerted effort
Is being made by the general pub
lie. commercial organizations. and
the press to attract moving pic
ture producers to San Francisco and
its environs. The daily papers are
backing the movement and many
of the large producers declare that
they are anxious to move to Cen
trail California.
The reason is obvious. Mr. Leahy
explains. Practically all of the in
teresting places in Southern Cali
fornia have already been filmsd SO
many times that the moving pic
ture audiences will soon tire or
seeing the same scene, picture after
picture. From its very nature. in
the opinion of Mr.. Leahy. the busi-
ness of moving picture producing
must be an itinerant affair. New
scenes are demanded by the pub
lie and the producers must get
them.
San Francisco and the bay region
afford an infinite variety of set
tings for pictures. For Italian
scenes there is the bay, pronounced
by tourists the rival of the Bay
of Naples. Mount Tamalpais, ris-
ing in the background, may well be
compared with vesuvius. Mr.. Leahy
says. An ideal setting for italian
fishing scenes is Fisherman's Wharf,
where the Italians, with their little
fishing smacks. daily set out on
their trips outside the Golden Gate.
NATURAL RICHES AFFORD
SCENERY.
The Cliff House, the Seal Rocks,
the Dutch windmills in Golden Gate
Park, the park itself, all offer an
endless variety of backgrounds.
Across the bay in Berkeley is the
Greek Theater, for the filming of
Greek or classical scenes.
Below San Francisco, down the
peninsula, are the palatial homes
of the -city's wealthiest citizens.
These afford French chateaux and
Italian villas for other pictures.
Mr.. Leahy pointed out that sew
eral large companies are already
erecting studios at San Mateo, about
twenty miles below San Francisco.
other producers have signified their
intention of coming farther up the
Coast soon
Mr.. Leahy, who is accompanied by
his wife, will return to New York
with Nine. Tetrazzini Friday morn
ing. F. W. G.