Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

October 6. 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 47 PRESENTATION ACTS This Stunt Will Fill Your Seats STAGE SHOWS Eddie Hanson Chicago Oriental Week Ending October 5 After five successful months on Broadway. Paul Ash. "The Rajah of Jazz." returned to Chicago and his Oriental theatre, where this week he resume' his post as master of ceremonies deluxe. A reception befitting a king was accorded Paul, in which the Orientalites and numerous professional friends turned out to pay him homage. Indeed it was a royal welcome, and if anyone doubts that his return doesn't mean a thing to Chicago, just try to get a seat at the theatre any time without an hour's wait or more. The stage show was named in Paul's honor and was staged by that surefire producer. Louis McDermott. whom Balaban & Katz can always depend upon to rig up a 100 per cent stage entertainment for the Oriental. It opened in a novel way with black plush curtain in background and huge grabbag occupying the center stage. A large hand slowly descended from above to lift the top part of the bag. Another clever McDermott idea was carried out in this setting by not lifting the entire bag out of sight until the ballet, who emerged from within, brought forth Paul Small, who sang a special number dedicated for the opening show as a tribute to Paul Ash. The reception . accorded Small proved that hi is still considered a part of the Ash gang and always finds favor in Chicago. The last line of the song brought Paul Ash on the setting and from then on for nearly two minutes the house was the audible personification of welcome. It is doubted whether Al Jolson or any other famous stage celebrity would have received such a tremendous reception as was accorded to Ash by his followers. It is remarkable the record held by this phenomenum of show business, who came to Chicago nearly four years ago practically unknown, and today is one of the outstanding figures in the amusement world. It happened that hundreds of high school students were in the house at this performance and to be correct, they were from the Austin High School. When this fart was made known, Paul Ash brough: the cheer leaders on the stage to give the school cheer. This helped to make the program more lively and enabled Paul to display his versatility again as a master of situations. The Merry Mad Gang next presented an arrangement of "Back in Your Own Back Yard" which was an ideal number for the return of Paul to the Oriental. Paul Small obliged with a vocal chorus of the song. The next specialty on the program were the Luckv Boys, six athletic young men who performed some tumbling feats hitherto unknown in picture house-. Their rizley and acrobatic balancing is one of the best routines ever performed by a group of tumblers. The comedy instilled throughout their routine brought fcrth many hearty laughs and helped considerably in making their act a show-stopper. Paul Ash next introduced a young man by the name of Johnny Payne who he claimed had never taken a piano lesson in his life but would give his conception of red-hot jazz. Both stepped up to the footlights with a plush curtain separating them from the background. The tunes which this young mar. procured from the ivories were so hot that they almost burned the asbestos, as one of our wellknown local critics once said. His "St. Louis Blues" was the feature of the offering and won him the instant approval of this audience. The next band arrangement was a scrim presentation of "Chiquita." The setting was an exact reproduction of that which appears on the title page (Continued on next page') After studying at the Lawrence College in Appleton. Wisconsin, and continuing at the American Conservatory of Music. Chicago. Eddie Hanson started out as an organist who has over ten years' experience to his credit as a motion picture theatre organist in Chicago. He has been featured for nearly a year and a half in several Balaban & Katz theatres and in between solos has found time to compose such songs as "Will You Always Call Me Sweetheart," "The Song of the Chimes" and "Just Like the Dawn." B & K Gives Special Kid Show Baer Bros. & Brodie. one of the largest suburban clothing houses in Chicago, arranged for a special 9 :30 a. m. show for more than 5.000 children, members of their club. The performance was held at the Paradise theatre, the newest Balaban & Katz addition. Mark Fisher, the singing bandleader, and Eddie Hill, the fat comedian, with the assistance of Hal Toten, the baseball announcer, contributed to the stage entertainment, which also included a photoplay and several short subjects of special interest to children. Youngest M. C. Director Dan Garamoni, formerly a musical director in several Chicago picture houses, is now completing his first year as musical conductor of "A Night In Spain." Dan is reputed the youngest leader in the musical comedy field. Fay Resumes Post Frank Fay, the Broadway comedian and recently master of ceremonies at the Missouri theatre in St. Louh. has returned to his post. Fay was recently married to Barbara Stanwyck, star of "Burlesque," the latest Broadway success. Kvale 's Koo-Koo Klub, Packs 'Em A t Nor shore Grown-ups and 2500 Kiddies Attend Saturday Matinees Regularly By A. RAYMOND GALLO If you are planning to organize a patrons' club in order to increase business in your theatre on some particular dull day, it would pay for you to investigate Kvale's Koo-Koo Klub which now holds forth a weekly meeting every Saturday afternoon at the Norshore theatre, Chicago. The members of this club are all children ranging from three and one-half years up to fourteen and are just as regular in attending the club meetings as any grownup should be in regular fraternities and other organizations. More than ten months ago the Xorshore Theatre, where Al Kvale is now presiding as master of ceremonies, felt the need of some stimulant to build up the Saturday matinees and at that time the Koo-Koo Klub was conceived merely as a goodwill booster in the neighborhood. It happened that this sudden idea later became a box office asset. Before this club came into existence, the Saturday matinee performances were usually played to a handful of patrons, but in the past ten months it is hardly possible to gain admission at this performance without a considerable wait. This has been due to the popularity of the band leader who was responsible for the origination of the club and also for the likeable personality that he displays in the community that makes him such a well-liked character by the children as well as the grownups. This Club Has 2.500 Members More than 2,500 members ranging from three and one-half years up, mostly children, faithfully find their way to the Norshore Saturday matinees and in most cases generally bring some other member of the family as an escort. The interesting part of this club is the fact that Kvale calls upon the various members in the audience to contribute to the afternoon's entertainment by rendering their own specialties. By that we mean that several children are requested to step up on the stage and display whatever talent they possess, whether it be singing or dancing or any other form of amusement. This feature alone seems to draw considerable adult patronage inas