Exhibitors Herald (1927)

August 20, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 41 GALLO SAYS: I^EORGE GIVOT just completed a Vitaphone arrangement which will be released next month , it is also rumored that he is soon to be starred in a series of two reel comedies. , . . Jules Alberti, formerly of vaudeville has replaced Sam Kaufman at the Piccadilly, Chicago. . . . Rita Norpell is now organist at this house due to the resignation of Joseph Alexander, who is now featured organist at the Indiana theatre, Indianapolis. . . . Edmund C. Fitch, featured organist of Ascher^s Sheridan theatre, Chicago, is on his vacation and Nellie Williams is taking care of his organ for two weeks .... she also broadcasts over WIBO. . , . Grace Aldrich of vaudeville is now breaking in a new “single” for the Jr. Orpheum under the direction of Phil Gordon of the Harry Danforth Agency. . . . A1 Belasco has replaced Lou Kosloff at the Senate and Harding, Chicago, two of L. T. houses. . . . Kosloff has been transfered to the Michigan in Detroit. . . . Charles Hogan, booking manager for Cooney Bros., moves his oifices from the Billy Diamond headquarters to the Johnny Jones offices in the same building. . . . Jones represents the Marcus Loew Circuit in Chicago. . . . Don Santo and Exie Butler of vaudeville are breaking in a new band act for picture houses and will soon open it in Chicago. . . . Jennie Cohn is the featured organist at the Metro theatre, Chicago. . . . Teddy Duerr, a new New York presentation producer is now spending a month's vacation with Gus Mulachy his friend now touring L. & T. houses. . . . Harry Gourfain, formerly bandshow producer for B. & K. at their Central Park theatre, Chicago, is now producing the presentation shows at the Norshore also a Chicago house. . . . A1 Kvale starts his first show there next week with a huge cast. . . . Atlas Greenfield, brother-inlaw of Nick Lang of “Lang & Voelk,” and his family were Chicago visitors last week. , . . Mr. Greenfield is a theatrical transfer man in Evansville, Indiana. . . . Anthony Amedio formerly of vaudeville and now directing a band at the “Four Seasons Cafe,” Chicago, has been signed as stagehand leader of the Indiana theatre, Indianaix>lis. Amedio starts his new job on Sept. 15. . . . Mike Durso, trombone player of Paul Ash's band replaces A1 Kvale as first assistant to the famous jazz leader. . . . Otto Frankfurt, vicepresident of the Mohawk Radio Corp., of Chicago, will give one of the best model set free to the winner of the Dempsey-Tunney fight. . . . Sam Herman, the novelty contest man now supervising the 20 barrels of fun at the North Center theatre, Chicago, is representing Helen Pepper, sister of “Pepper” of “Salt and Pepper,” and Benny Spector, known as Ted Lewis, Jr, . . . both of these people were discovered by Sam Herman, . . . Buddy Fisher opens the new Avalon theatre, Chicago, a Cooney Bros, house, as stagehand leader. . . . Fisher formerly toured vaudeville with his own band. . . . Ben Bernie and his Broadway orchestra are featured at B & K Chicago theatre, Chicago, this week, A. RAYMOND GALLO. Lewis Leaving for London Ted Lewis, “The High-Hatted Tragedian of Song,” and his band of musical clowns who headlined at the Missouri theatre, St. Louis, Mo., last week while Brooke Jones was on his vacation, sails for England, where he will tour London music hails for eight weeks in what is considered to be the first intact stagehand show ever to cross the big waters. Loew Bandshows Now in Effect The new booking arrangement recently gone into by Publix and Loew Circuit will take effect next week at the Century Theatre, Baltimore, with Phil Spitalney and his band, who formerly held presentation shows at the Loew's State, Boston, for the last two months. Commencing with this show, the band will travel intact with a stageshow making a tour of all the Loew’s de luxe theatres, returning to Boston again at the end of his tour. Stageshows {Continued from page 40) another girl dressed in a gown of blue plumes does a waltz specialty. Kaley assists in this waltz — another demonstration of his versatility. This was a very beautiful number, the rendition of the two numbers by the orchestra being especially good. And then comes that popular young fellow with the wild gestures, George Givot, Givot made the house beg for more, and it got it. He does almost everything and all to the huge enjoyment of the audience. He has a good line of patter and while he is delivering it, he is never still for a minute, dashing from one wing to another and from the footlights to the back drop. Givot keeps the house in a constant chuckle. Kaley was forced to stop the show for Givot to satisfy the audience. The Finale was the hit of the presentation. As scrim curtain parts, an arc of lights representing stars descend from above and reaches across the stage, at either side of which are three girls posed on a revolving pedestal. At back center a girl dressed in white ascends, through cloud and star effect, out of view. The scene was extremely beautiful and won a big hand. Observation: The entire presentation was snappy, well put together and beautifully staged. Engine Trouble Compels Givot to Take Parachute Jump George Givot the wild eyed and wide panted stage comedian of many presentation shows pulled a good one last week. It happened on his way to Chicago where he was bound to fill an engagement at the Granada theatre. Here's the way we get the story from the boy himself : “’When I finished my tour for Fanchon and Marco on the West Coast, I secured passage on a private airplane from California to Chicago and on my way near Green River, Wyo., we had engine trouble, well the pilot became alarmed and instructed me to jump. I certainly was glad I already had my parachute on for it was some attempt. When I landed I was told by the pilot later who also came down safely that we came down from a height of 8,000 feet. That was some thrill and something I never expected to do in my life,” concluded Givot. Uptown, Chicago, Observes Second Birthday The Uptown theatre, Chicago, a Balaban and Katz theatre, will observe a .second anniversary next week with a huge stage attraction headed by Bennie Kreuger and his band. This house is located in the midst of Chicago’s Uptown district and is the house that features the policy of stangeband shows and feature films since the Riviera, formerly a Balaban and Katz hou.se, was taken over under the Oi-pheum Circuit management. IN CHICAGO IT’S ED. MEIKEL’S ORGAN SOLO CLUB of Community Singing With Weekly Meetings Conducted at the HARDING THEATRE ORGAN SOLOS Eddie Hanson (Chicago Senate) presented for his second week's organ solo a clever idea called “The Haunted House,” wound around the weird experiences of ghosts and goblins. This was illustrated by clever comedy slides conveying the idea in the form of a dream and requesting the assistance of the audience to assist the good Fairy in demolishing the ghosts if the audience would sing her favorite .songs. “Hello Gutie,” “Just Like a Butterfly,” “The Whisper Song,” “Moonbeam,” and “Sundown” as an encore, were the numbers selected. The idea was very clever and admirably presented by Hanson with his clever organ manipulations during several medleys. Albert F. Brown (Chicago Granada) presented for his organ number this week what he called “The Marriage Riddle,” presented with slides. Brown writes his own slides and they are clever. His song numbers for community singing are “Sundown,” “Always,” “Me and My Shadow,” “Russian Lullaby” and “When Baby Feet Go Fitter Patter.” The last song is also used in connection with the scrimaphone presentation which is thoroughly charming. The scrimaphone presentations, originated by Brown, are proving very popular. Mary L. Davis (Houston Isis) inaugurated into Houston the unusual vocal-instrument feature, using the slide number, “Side by Side.” Her voice is a clear lyric soprano, and the unique effect of the organ and voice was appreciated by Isis audiences, attested by the applause. Organ solos are one of the most entertaining parts of the program in Houston theatres. Grace H. Clarke (Chicago Crown) presented for her organ solo as a musical theme to the photoplay, Captain Salvation,” the classics, “Nearer My God to Thee” and “Rock of Ages.” It is very seldom that these type of songs are selected for theatre music, but it was nevertheless appropriate for the picture and despite the fact that there were tears streaming down the cheeks of many and lumps in the throats of several, the silence was broken in the end by a hearty applause for clever interpreting of these numbers. Johnny Devine (Chicago Patio) is the main musical attraction at this theatre, who has become quite popular with his weekly organ selections. This week he offered “Bye, Bye, Pretty Baby,” “You Don’t Dike It,” “Evei'ything Made for Love” and “Hoosier Sweetheart” as his community singing program. J. Virgil Huffman (Chicago Irving) has a novel stunt that he puts on every Saturday afternoon called the “Kids Club.” The offering is an ag-. gregation of children’s voices who follow Huffman’s directions and accompaniments to popular .songs. His program this week was “Sundown,” “Nesting Time,” “Fifty Million Frenchmen.” “Red Lips” and “Crazy Words.” The idea of this stunt is that only children come in Saturday matinees to sing after the film. A clever idea for somebody else to follow. L, Carlos Meier (Chicago Terminal) offered a straight classical solo called “El Captain” by Sousa. Tlie number enables Meier to exercise all his musical ability on the Wurlitzer. Ray Turner (Chicago North Center) had a solo called “Modern Heroes” for his community stunt. It opened with comedy slides on “Gertrude Ederle,” kidding her along on her English Channel swim, using the phrase that it takes more nerve for the audience to sing, using the same layout for “Joe Powers,” and “Lindy.” “Your Don’t Like It.” “Just the Same,” “Highways are Happy Ways,” “That’s What I Think of You” were the numbers used for the weekly exercises with Turner encoring as usual. Turner is very popular at this house and his organ solos are as important features as the rest of the progi*’am. Preston Sellers (Chicago Chicago) gave a “Song Style Show” the week ending August 14, and his program was comprised of “songs we all know.” First came “Ain’t She Sweet,” with the community singers lisping the chorus. “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” followed, with the old type of slides being shown. One interesting stunt was the use of 10 titles of songs in a parody on “That’s Why I Love You.” Try this.