Santa Maria Times from Santa Maria, California • 17

A PASS EY NAMING THE MOVIE IN Section Three Theatre Edition Good Luck and Congratulations WEEKLY VOL. XLV No. 58 DAILY VOLUME 10, No. 351 SANTA MARIA CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1928. 1 THE NEW SANTA MARIA THEATRE, OPENING THURSDAY, APRIL 5 Says He Oozed in Rather Than Broke Into Movie Game By BUSTER KEATON I can hardly say that I broke into motion pictures; rather I oozed in.

Practically from birth I had been on the vaudeville i stage with my parents, who dit a rough and tumble act, using fne as a sort of foot-ball. It didn't me, for I was trained from babyhood to like it, and to know how to take falls. Two world-famous actresses took exception to this parental training, or.e theg reat Sarah Bernhardt and the ether the beautiful Lily Langtry. 1 My father introduced to Bernhardt, who on the same bill with us, and when he bent to kiss her hand 4 Valley of Destiny One of Attractive Coast Regions With the opening of the new Santa Maria Theatre Thursday afternoon an era of prosperity for this city and valley is likewise begun. Since the beg'-irmg of the year, this city has progressed marvelously in the matter of population, building permits, post office receipts, and every other conceivable statistical barometer of community development.

There are approximately 100 new residences under construction in the residential section of the city. In the downtown district, there is not a street on which a new building, or an enlarged buildr ing is being put up. The vegetable industry for the first quarter of this year has brok en all records and reports an increase of nearly 30 per cent over the same period for Situated in the Central Coast region of California, 80 miles from Santa Barbara, 179 miles from Las Angeles, and 273 miles south of San Francisco, the city of Santa Maria is in a position to be a metropolis in itself. Among the large merchantile stores located here are the following: A. C.

Lederman Department store, Ames-Shamhart Department store, W. A. Haslam groceries, J. B. Byars Department store, Stewart Brothers, and Brown and Mayfield, the latter firtos mens apparel shops.

The Los Angeles First National bank and the Bank of Italy are the principal banking institutions The Santa Maria Inn, far-famed, hostelry, is the mecca for tourists, up and down the Coast highway. Its quietness i and, beautiful surroundings plaice it in a class by itself among California Inns. The vegetable industry is: not Santa Maria valleys only forte. Besides, there are the Cat Canyon oil fields, and a dairying industry which brings thousands of dollars here every year. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is one of the most active organizations of its irinri, while another pride of the valley is the Rosemary Farm, a model institution where nearly 200 head of prize cattle are kept.

The Santa Maria Valley railroad provides freight connections with the Southern Pacific lines at Guadalupe. The city of wide streets and beautiful homes, not to mention the magnificent high school located on the Coast highway, is destined to become one of the principal communities in the coast region of California. FORMER MUSIC HALL STAR Did you know that Ernest rence, who plays the chief sup- porting role opposite Buster Keaton in the United Artists laugh feature, "Steamboat Bill Jr. used to be a comedy star? Torrence, an Englishman by birth, is world-famous as screen villian, but Steamboat Bill Jr. provides him with his first straight comedy role.

she said haughtily, Are you not ashamed to make ze money from so, great cruelty to ze little gar-con? But she was later convinced that 'my parents loved me and cared jfor me as jealously as any parents could. The second, Lily Langtry, did object to any cruel treatment accorded me rather she was prob-jably tempted to give me some her-self, for I sat on her long train when she majestically walked 'across the boards, causing laugh-iter which annoyed the lovely lady. I was just twenty-one years old when the Schuberts made me a very fine offer to enter musical I comedy at an attractive salary. It 'meant separation of the Three 'Keatons for the Jifpt and at first I hesitated. I finally accepted and was waiting the call tq rehearsals when 'I had a visit from Joseph 1 who suggested that I I make series ot two-reel comedies under pienagemfent.

He Offered me' forty, dollars a week, but, in "spite of the, great difference in this Sum and what the Schuberts offered, I last decided on the movies and right1 here may I state that Ive never regretted my; choice; I made my first pictures at the Comique Film companys studios, but my production plans were cut short by the putbreak of the wTar. I had only made five two-reel comedies when I enlisted and went to Camp Kearney. After a period I sailed for France, where I served as a private. I was abroad about a year, seeing some interesting service. er the Armistice I helped entertain until ordered home.

I When I got back to the goad old U. S. A. I resumed work Tinder Mr. Schencks able manage PROGRAM THURSDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 5 Doors Open at 2 oclock Performance Begins at 2:30 p.m.

Evenings, 7 and 9 oclock STEAMBOAT BILL JR. OPENING ATTRACTION OCAL PLAYHOUSE Seven Thousand Feet of Film Full of Laughs, Thrills, Romance, and Suspense for First Presentation Here OH, YOU MOVIE FANS! HERES CHANCE TO JO TO SHOW FREE! Santa Marians Who Name Correctly Most of Screenland Stars Whose Pictures Are Printed Here Will Be Given Passes I. II. III. IV.

V. Organ overture, Frank Barron at the keyboard. Newsreel. Comedy. Color classic, Comrades On the stage.

The Marimba Maids, offering a Musical Spectacle. An unusual musical novelty presented on a pretentious scale by the Ten Marimba Maids. JOSEPH M. SCHENCK Presents BUSTER KEATON IN STEAMBOAT BILL JR. United Artists Production VI.

Torrence in his most interesting role. Photoplay-goers who invariably associate the noted character actor with villanous parts are due for a shock when they see him As many laughs as can be crammed into seven thousand feet of film, romance, suspense, thrills these are some of the elements which go to make up the years surprise comedy, Steamboat Bill sharing the laughs in his portrayal Jr. which stars Buster Keaton of Busters hard-boiled, swash-1 ment and have remained with him and presents a number of noted buckling dad, a modern river pilot supporting players of the calibre of w-ith a hatred for mollycoddles, Ernest Torrence. with a penchant for getting Keatons new United Artists' into trouble, laugh feature is to be the opening- How his nuw ms son, Steamboat Bill ever since. Before I was elevated -to stardom I was co-starred with William Crane in The Saphead, a picture which made a great hit.

After vertisement, state this in yonr answer. If the picture is in the news columns, state what page and what column the picture is in. 3. ALL ANSWERS MUST BE SIGNED AND ADDRESSED TO THE MOVIE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TIMES. They must be in the hands of the MOVIE EDITOR by Wednesday evening April 11.

You have one week from tonight in which to figure out your answers. Get busy now. 4. Any reader of this newspaper, whether a subscriber or not, is eligible for this contest. Members of The Daily Times and of the Santa Maria Theatre forces and their families are ineligible.

was given my own company Schenck. My first picture this arrangement was One THE PLAYERS Steamboat Bill ERNEST TORRENCE Bills First Mate TOM LEWIS King TOM McGUIRE kings Daughter MARION BYRON STEAMBOAT BILL JR. BUSTER KEATON Directed by CHARLES F. REISNER Story by CARL HARBAUGH of my most successful pictures have been Three Ages, "Hospitality, Sherlock Jr. Tha.

Seven Chances, Go Battling Butler, The and College. 'Hes Older Now Somebody Knows How much of a movie fan are you? If you think you are a real veteran, how many of the stars can you identify from their pictures? In this edition of The Daily Times are reproduced the photographs of many well known players of the stage and screen. Manager Harry Dorsey will give three passes, good for two persons each, to the ones who can name the greatest number correctly. Send your answers to the Movie Editor of The Daily Times. There are pictures scattered throughout the paper, in the advertisements and elsewhere.

They are movie and stage ce'ebrities whom everyone knows. Some of them are quite active at present; others are living modestly on their income and are not on the screen all the time, such as Bill Hart, the Barrymores and Charlie Chaplin. Youll remember them, though, if you once start looking at them Remember, you dont have to name them all! Write down tbe answers to as many of the pictures as ou can and send them in. You may have more than anyone else. To the person who names them ALL and CORRECTLY, Manager Dorsey will present TWO passes for two persons.

In case more than one person names them all, and correctly, the prize will be given to each. The rules of the contest fol low: 1. The names of the movie stars must be written legibly and on one side of the paper only. 2. The number of the page on which you find the picture and the name of the advertisement, if the picture is in an advertisement, must be put down opposite your selection.

Hence, if Lon Chaney's picture is in the Santa Maria Inn ad feature at the New Santa Maria as by Keaton, turns theatre Thursday afternoon, and frora sap to her0i wins the town the management takes pride in es- belie, defeats a gang of river row-pecially recommending Steamboat intent upon ruining himj Bill Jr. as one of the season inaily rescues the entire pictures. ity from a tornado and flood, forms The fast-moving story of river a background for scores of mirth-life is Keaton at his funniest and situations The settings in the big comedy are as spectacular as the action itself. A typical lower Mississippi river town suddenly given a new lease of life by a bitter war between rival steamboat owners. Thousands.

of townspeople taking sides in the Tend. Buildings swept into the river by a cyclone. Large packets helpless in the storm. And a laugh a minute throughout the excitement, which starts with the first scene and reaches its climax in 'the wildest, funniest ending ever shown on the screen. I The director of Steamboat Bill Jr." was Charles Chuck Reismer, former right-hand man of Charles i Chaplin and the megaphone ex-'rert responsible for Syd Chaplins cutstanding comedies, Charleys Aunt," The Better Ole" and The Missing Link." In the opinion of critics, Steamboat Bill Jr," has more laughs than any feature in either Keaton's or Reismers this I by Mr.

under Some Navigator, West, General," PLAYHOUSE ONLY ONE IN WOULD HEATED WITH NEW ELECTRIC WIRE SYSTEM! hf I Manager Harry Dorsey carried over which all air entering the 1 W'-W-rYj 'j ft t- v-, 4 ventilating system must pass, and is carried to all parts of the auditorium by a blower system, with 1200 vents, so that every seat in the theatre is individually heated. The advantages in the use ofj heating by electricity are numer- lout his code of giving Santa Ma-jria the very best in everything iconected with the theatre, when he ordered the installation of a complete electric heating system in his new building. As has been rtated elsewhere, the new Santa jra '1 iMaria Theatre- has the distinction Ions. The ar is not vitiated nor being the only theatre so heat-destroyed, either by the generation ted in the entire world. of fumes or by the combustion of Oxygen.

There arc no disagreeable! odors. The temperature may be Some I The system, which was supplied But he used to thrill you and the by Ace Heating Ventilating kiddies. His last name doesn't be-jef Los Angeles, is what is called gin with K. Now guess! Win a the "mushroom type of heater, pass to the new theatre! jit consists of a central healer In addition to the star and his The litUe lady above lives near bat Whats chief supporting player, Torrence, not In Hollywood. Tell ns wh; controlled manually or automatic- the rest of his title? If you can the cast includes Marion Byron, she is and the names of others ally, as in the case of the Santa name him, you may win one of the petite leading lady and Tom Me- tured In this edition and win a (Continued on Page Five) prizes jCuire, veteran character actor.

to the new theatre. Whats her last name? Weve given you the first.