Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

jApril 11, 1931 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 51 STAGE SHOVS [San Antonio Majestic ' Week ending April 2 f This week's bill is good, clean, wholesome ;«rfitertaiiiment throughout, and if RKO con' tinues to put on such lengthy programs in the ; future, the patrons can't kick about not getting I their money's worth. Dave Smason and His R-K-Olians are in the I pit and start this peppy vaudeville presentation j off with a bang. Doris Girton and Girls, three women and a I man, with the aid of as many bicycles, did i some whirlwind feats of daring on one and two wheels. The man and one woman did a few acrobatic turns that drew a good hand. Rita Burgess Gould held the deuce spot and was accompanied at the ivories by an unbilled gentleman who didn't have anything to say, as Miss Gould said it all. She offered a most pleasing impersonation of the life of a French prima donna from her start to when she arrived in this country, then on to her elderly days. Miss Gould also presented some good, sound advice and philosophy that made the audience pay close attention to what she was telling them. She blended this with a song, "Here Comes the Sun," and she put it over in big style. This was followed by a curtain spiel and she took three bows and received a nice hand from the patrons. White and Manning were on the trey spot with the Three Bernie Brothers, who did some fancy tap dancing, a military drill with footwork well above par. The girl was clever as a toe stepper while the male did comic antics and later they both got funny. One of the unbilled men in this number possessed a pleasing voice. Two bows and one encore. •y Britt \\'ood, billed as "The Boob and His Harmonica," headlined this well balanced stage show and scored a show-stop with his little French harp. This instrument brought Wood out eight times and he was forced to do several encores before the patrons would let him go. He also did a guitar solo and yodeled for good measure. His hilarious monologue and dance, with other chattering talk, went over in a great way. His songs were "The £hoeolate Soldier" and "Under the Double Eagle," the latter on the little mouth organ. Britt is about the best liked comedian and musician to come through here so far, according to the applause and curtain calls that he received. As an added attraction. The Earle Cobb Kiddies, a dance revue and recital, with about 20 or more children of all ages, presented a series of neat ' hoofing, songs, tap and toe steps, Russian dances, soft-shoe and struts. These youngsters are all pretty fair for local talent and most of them show real signs of developing into professionals. Cincinnati Albee Week ending March 27 With "names" of screen and stage featured, ,and practically all the acts billed in heavy blackface type, the current bill measures ud to the ■RKO standard. Alice & Sonny Lamont, two men and two women, announced as a family, occupy the "hello" spot. Sonny, who claims a weight of 268 pounds, and looks it, opens in one with a round of wisecracks, after which the act goes into full stage for some more or less conventional wire work, later returning to one with additional wisecracking, closing with some really clever tumbling by the corpulent Sonny. Rin-Tin-Tin and his master, Lee Duncan, hojds down the deucer. Practically the first half pf_;the..act is' taken up by a film showing "Rintv" dbfng many of his unusual stunts. After a short talk' by' Duncan, the dog is put through his ' paces, and seems to have lost none of his audience appeal since seen here last season. "Vaudeville, Please"! Dayfon, O. — Backed by a petition containing 20,000 names of local residents, John F. Ahlers, president of the chamber of commerce, petitioned Joseph Plunkett, head of RKO, to return vaudeville to the Keith here. Beside the Lyric, a burlesque house, which closed several weeks ago, but recently reopened, there is nothing even resembling a stage performance in the city. Leavitt & Lockwood, aided and abetted by Eddie Cassell, Fred Kuhlman and Vera Dunn, present a tab musical comedy turn. Opening in one, they use four flash back scenes, a living room, a doctor's office, miniature golf course and dance hall to get their comedy effects across, some of which is accomplished with several "dumrnies." Closing in one, they offer a few songs, some ambitious hoofing and considerable clowning. The act runs unusually long, and the running time could be reduced without detracting from the net result. Dora Maughan, on next to closing, is heralded as a late star of "Fine and Dandy," Joe Cook's stage play, and is billed as "The Bad, Bad Woman," which impression she tries to convey in her songs and chatter, the former being rendered in a semi-talking style. Although somewhat handicapped by a cold, she had no difficulty in registering with the aid of an unbilled accompanist at the grand. "Can This Be Love?" one of the songs she used in "Fine and Dandy," was especially well received. Sammy Cohen closes the show. His act is preceded by a movie trailer showing his screen work in "What Price Glory" and "Plastered in Paris." He does considerable wisecracking before introducing his recently-acquired wife, who projects a couple of songs. Cohen also offers a few dance steps and body gyrations, all the while featuring through his action the generous size nose with which nature has endowed him. This becomes rather monotonous. Providence Fay's Week ending April 3 Use Marvenga, blond songbird of the musical comedy stage, headed the vaudeville program at Fay's this week, presenting a colorful act that scored an instantaneous hit with all classes of patrons. Despite the fact that few in the audience knew of her reputation, Marvenga's personality is so magnetic that she clicked on her merits alone. She wisely uses a romantic therne in her repertoire. With her are two clever dancers, Rita Townsend and William Bold. A speedy adagio spectacle is second in the spotlight, the Six California dancers headed by Jack Randall. The act is spectacular in the extreme, with pretty girls being hurled through the air into strong masculine arms. This human juggling is done against a pirate setting with picturesque costumes. The comedy on the bill is provided by Al Tucker and Manny Smith, "Two Gentlemen From Nowhere." Despite the fact that they are gagging all the time, the two put across some real musical numbers that score mightily. The Cyclonic Trio, claiming the roller _ skating speed record, is a good opening attraction, and a diminutive trapeze artiste, Flo Myo. has a nice little swinging act that takes her high into the wings and over the audience. Books 8 Vaudeville Acts Milwaukee — RKO Riverside has booked eight acts of vaudeville, starting this week, to revive the old stage entertainment. SLICES cr MELMN By BOBBY MELLIN Leon Bloom, director of IVBBM studio orchestra, is a wizard at the piano. His complete knowledge of music and composition was gained as a student and later as a concert pianist in the leading cities of Europe. He lias directed, both symphonic and theatre orchestras in Chicago. His is one of the few studio bands in the country that is a complete symphonic and a full dance orchestra in one. . . . Theo Alban, the Lucky Strike Tenor, had his palm read by Josef Ranald, world famous palmist, this week. Ranald predicted that when Theo finished his Lucky Strike contract next February, he would be engaged for operatic work. . . . Louis Lipstone recently returned from a vacation in sunny California. . . . Duke Ellington returned to the Oriental theatre for a return engagement. . . . Austin Mack and orchestra have replaced Johnny Consfantine at White City. . . . Harry Bloom singing his hit song over station WJJD. . . . Ann Cameron doing her part to put over Bernard Granville's programs with her beautiful voice. Getting up in time to rehearse and broadcast a program heard at 7:30 in the morning may be tough luck for Ford and Wallace, nationally known harmony crooners, but it's good luck for a number of more or less antiquated milk wagon horses posted along the route taken by the two radio entertainers to reach the NBC studios. Antoine "Tony" Wallace and Jack'e Ford both hail from the wide ouen spaces, Miss Wallace from Colorado and Ford from Canada, and neither has forgotten his early love for animals of all descriptions. Believe it or not, each usually carries a pocket full of sugar cubes to give to the milk wagon horses they meet in their early morning dashes to reach the studio in time not to disapoint a large audience of early rising fans. . . . Added to the Blue Book of radio aristocracy is the name of Sing Loo Brown. Sing Loo is the latest addition to the family of Bobby Brown of WBBM. Sing Loo. presented to Bobby by Paul Whiteman, is a Siamese cat, from a long line of ancestors owned by celebrities. . . . Clyde McCoy, with his irresistible personality and his perfect dance orchestra, has become a great favorite of Chicago audiences. Clyde, renowned as a trumpet player, is heard in thrice nightly broadcasts. Morgan L. Eastman, pioneer Chicago broadcaster and former director and manager of station WENR, has been named assistant to the vice-president of the Chicago division of the NBC. Niles Trammel, vice-president and manager, announced today. His appointment is effective immediately. Eastman is credited with having put the first radio program on the air from Chicago. . . . One of the most envied men in the radio in the eyes of many people is Bill Hay, annoimcer for Amos 'n' Andy in their nightly episodes. Fans often say they zvish they coidd know vuhat's going to happen like Bill does — hut the funny part of it is. Bill doesn't know any more than the radio audience. Just before going on the air Amos 'n' Andy hand him the synopsis of the preceding program, which he reads — but he never sees the vumuscript for the program being broadcast. Of course, Correll and Gosden always write every word of their episodes and akvays have — and no one but themselves has been heard in their broadcasts. Vaudeville for RKO House Seattle — RKO New Orpheum inaugurates its policy of eight vaudeville acts this week, in addition to the feature film.