The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-07-23
GLEANINGS
--:s AND -
SCREENINGS
By jim RING


The passing of Harry Gram
dali from the local theatrical
scene takes the last local money
out of the first-run houses.
The retirement of the veteran
exhibitor and house owner means
that the last of the local giants
in movie development has
passed.
The great Warner Brothers
organization, now reaching out
to bring more and more theater
chains into it's vast body, has
taken the decisive action which
allows Mr.. Crandall to retire
and let somebody else do all
the work.
That Somebody else," as far
as the local situation is con-
cerned, is the popular John
Payette, whose general mana
gership of the Stanley Crandall
chain augurs well for the future
of these houses. For several
years and up to the present
time, Payette has been Gran
dalPs right-hand man. He knows
the business inside out, and is
a capable and Industrious adj
ministrator.
His career has been compared
to that Of an Alger hero, be-
ginning as usher in the old
Academy of Music, going up the
ladder in the ensuing years to a
position Of honor and trust.
Now he is the boss son-in-law
and his successor as head man
in a great theatrical organiza-
ton.
The Warmers told him he
didn't have to stay here. They
made him a flattering offer of
a high position in their home
office. But Payette likes Wash
ington. 1t has given him a lot,
and he has given it great deal
in return. So, luckily for the
town, he stays along.
To him this department
wishes a happy, successful and
prosperous career.
To the retiring chief of the
organization, we extend our
thanks for all he has done fer
motion pictures in the Nations
Capital, and hope that he will
enjoy many years of pleasant
leisure, out of the Kaleidoscope
hurly-burly of our liveliest in
dustry.
To Warner Brothers, we hand
our heartiest congratulations for
retaining Payette as executive
head Of the chain.
GOOD NEWS: Billie Burke
is to start rehearsals on The
Palace" new play written for
her by A. E. Thomas and DIR.
Karl VoImoeller Janet
Gaynor and Charles Farrell, the
priceless team of Seventh
Heaven" and ."Street Angel,
have clicked again in Lucky
Star" Harry Reichenbach,
the old gran'dad of most pub
licity stunts for stage and screen
stars, is publishing his secrets
in November. The books titled
"They Love 1t, or Phantom
Fame" Minor Watson,
former leading man of the Ma
tional Players, is in the cast of
a new Belasco production, ITS
a Wise Child" under rehearsal
in Atlantic City.
We'd like to know the result
of the demonstration of Para
mount Magnafilm at the Rivoli,
New York, last Thursday. This
new film is projected in full
stage width, and is said to have
stereoscopic properties.
The Magnafilm is. an inven-
ton on which young chap
named Lorenzo del Riccio be-
gan work in 1914. The demon
stration programs consisted of
scenics and a four-reel musical
play, featuring Johnny Burke.
Paramount has ordered a num-
Der of the new large cameras
necessary for the bigger film
to be installed in the West
Coast studios.
The producers hope the en-
larged motion picture will re-
move one Of the principal OBJ
stacles from making musical
comedies for the screen, All
those thus far produced have
been criticized because the full
stage shots, intended to be
spectacular, cause the players
to look like so many dolls.
It has been noticed, too, that
colored films show up better in
close-ups than in long shots, ex-
cept where the scenery is the
principal attraction. In the dis
tance, faces in colored pictures
have tendency to blur; the
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