Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-06-17
Liqhts Of New York
by L. L. Stevenson

Those who, for one reason or an
other, do not care to mingle with
the common herd at the cinema pal
aces or neighborhood theaters, have
fallen into the habit of renting films
for private showings in their w
homes. Some have their residences
fitted up with sound and projection
equipment but most rent the entire
outfit from films to operators. The
practice is not entirely new but
Variety reports that within the last
two years it has grown into business
of considerable proportions. Screen
executives started it and others who
can pay have fallen into line. Dis
tributors do not care to rent pic
lures for private showings but there
is nothing that they can do about
it save jack up the price so that
the cost may be as high as 5000 a
night. Few of the pictures are rent
ed for large parties. Usually the
renter and his family are the only
ones who see them. Some of the
addicts want only pre-views, while
others rent pictures which have re
ceived rave notices.
Among those listed by Variety as
frequently getting pictures for pri-
vate showing are President Roose-
welt, Jock Whitney, Irving Berlin,
Eddie Cantor, Tony Sarg, T. Wal
lace Orr, John Evansville, Mrs. G.
V. Whitney, Jules Bach, Walter
Chrysler, Adolph Zukor, Harry M.
Warner-and numerous other film
heads-Frank Henderson, Marshall
Field, A. c. Blumenthal, Paul
Block, John Hartford and the Nc
Cormicks of Chicago. Jock Whit
ney is said to eye virtually every
major picture, always getting them
long before release. If the fact
that the President had ordered a
certain picture could be advertised
the box-office response would be
tremendous. But the Will Hays Of
flee refuses to permit such exploi.
tation.
Many old-timers are extremely
Interested in the comeback of Gus
Edwards by means of the radio. Ed
wards, who fostered the e Of
Eddie Cantor, George Jessel,
George Price, Groucho Marx, Ed
die Buzzell and others, found it
rather tough shedding a few years
ago. The country scoffed at senti-
ment and everything smacking of
lavender and old lace. Continual
whispers that the stocky, gray
haired Gus was no longer in the
chips went up and down Broadway
and surely must have reached his
ears. But Edwards merely smiled
and limited vaguely of annuities soon
to become due. Performers, who
started under his aegis and who had
more dollars than they needed, en-
deavored to come to his rescue but
Edwards declined all offers with
thanks. Then came the turn, and
recently he went to the West Coast
to assail that front. Sixty years old
and fighting with the stout-hearted-
ness of youth!
Speaking of entertainers, there
are Jack Benny and Jack Pearl.
Whenever the two meet, there is a
poker game. But when Benny came
here from Hollywood, his time was
so fully occupied that the usual ses-
sions of the great American game
had to be omitted. Recently, Pearl
received a check from Benny for
$500. A note explained that though
there had been no game, Benny
felt that he should pay his usual
losses just the same.
Holding to the theatrical world,
one more paragraph, the matter of
cameras comes next. When John
Gielgud returned to England, he
complained that the candid cameras
of theater-goers drove him almost
insane. Up to that time nothing
had been done about them though
they were an annoyance to many
theater-goers. Following the Giel-
gud complaint, however, there was
action and candid cameras are now
barred from most theaters. But re-
Gently a variety house reversed the
rule by offering prizes for the best
pictures taken in that theater by
patrons. It seems that it would be
much more to the point if something
were done about match lighters.
Subway eavesdropping: "He acts
like he's in the dough but all he's
got in his pockets is holes"
g Bell Syndicate.-WNU Service.