Variety (Dec 1929)

86 VARIETY LEG IT I MATE Wednesday, December 4, 1929 Plays 9n Broadway SONS ©' GUNS Connolly and Swanstrom'H twp-act musi- cal, starring Jack Donahue and featuring uiy Dumlta. Book by Fred Thompson and Donahue, with music and lyrics by Swan- Btrom, Benny Davis and J. F. Coots. Kn^ tire production staged by Bobby Connolly, with scenory by Joseph Urban. Chorus; CO boys. 24 mediums, 10 show sJlrls and Raach l ullet (11). In 15 scenes. At the Imperltl. New Tork, starting Nov. 27; $0.00 top. Jimmy Canneld —Jack Donahue Mary Harper., Hobson. ner for, musical popularity and may develop sufflqient appeal to pull business. It's an odds-on choice as a "mechanical." Whether any other number develops for popularity IS guess work. In the theatre, "Over Here" rank.s a close second because of the male chdrus b&hind it» Its swing, lyric and Friiwley, who leads It. A decided asset is the orchestra- tions and tlie band In the pit. «?hiriev Vernon 1 Bonahue danced for around a half 'Svilllim Frawjey hour In one first act spot opening Miltori Watson I night. Later in the weelt this was ,Barry Walsb heavily i-educed, but his routine on Mary Horan I nvminfl a oViniiv not unlike Jack Arthur Ti^avers.... Carl Schrelber. 3emice Pearce wary itoran j around a'chair ^ll^rW"naV-Falcke:::bS?^5^^^^^^^^ Pow?irs drumstlck'beats^on a slm^ Pierre ..*aoul de Tlsne liar : piece of furniture, Is a cinch A British Tommy ..Joseph Spree any time and anywhere. Finale of Yvonne , ,.... .Uly Damlta | j.^^^ show Is a Victory Ball, which revives the Idea of a stairway Hieavily salaried show which may I parade of officers from the vai'ious hack out a season's existence on the armies, each with a girl on his arm, strength of its star. Jack Donahue. Neither new nor especially elab- Doesn't Indicate as rating smash orate. Extreme, climax has but classificatiQn because of its many Misg Damlta and Donahue on stage slow spots. Snough of these to hiht UvJth the male chorus ' warbling that "Sons O' Giins" may be one almost In the wings, of those musicals from under which T^ot much doubt that Donahue Is the bottom may drop some night, handicapping, himself by cai-fying Donahue Ig a geriulne,entertainer, the lovg interest. Tied so tightly and has b^fen since he started talk- t© the book, he can't romp as freely Ing to become soniething besides a as when unburdened with this re- hoofer. Wbllie .Donahue or Bill sponsibility. And Donahue, between Frawley, is on the stage, there's en- his ability as a comedian and a tertainment. When they're off, you'll (jancer, Is well on his way to be ilnd out. come the modern version of the This brings it down to Lily Ipred Stone the PX'eseht generation Damita. Picture girl's fllm publicity hasn't i?eeh. Dohaihue can't go can't hurt Ifhe show a bit, and she Kyrong staying behind the love In handles herself pretty • well, too. terest, Maybe it isn't her fault that they. . So "Sons O' Guns" is a pleasant permit, or make, her sing too often, evening apt to be .mentally .filed by Her first number with Donahue 13 most witnesses as "jiice" without .the tjonvincer that there's sufficient further comment. Those who hear iexcuse for her being In the cast "Why?" on a daiice floor will prob plus the fllm rep. But once Is ably ask the name of the tune, enough. It would give, the show a Uvrhere it's from, and then recall that •better break If the management Uhey'v6 seen "the show, it's that kind Rrorterlck Bcrambles right over the I Inc.," must depend for Its strength ?op S%ihy MUlion fJIS^^^ to solely and wholly upon the frequent iJSd among the first flight musical application of the old, well-whacked comediennes. She hasn't changed | percussion stick her former vaude style a mite, which proves she had the goods all the while, and gets her bellies with frank sarcasm. The digs she slipped Lester Crawford In the Wilkes Joe Smith and Charles Dale, from the Avon Comedy Four, are, mUes beyond argument, roarlngly, riot- ously comical. Their gags, their by-play, their perfect merging of Barres and Scrantons are slipped tp l deUvery _an others in this $5.50 musical. Here they register much more effectively. Crawford Is also present in the show and landing. ■ Gaxton does a swell job in his lead role, leaning on his bright person- ality to derive the maximum com Hebe comedy than • which nothing funnier could be asked. Upon their first entrance the tempo of the piny Is Immediately, accelerated, the laughs come like a fussllade of bull<ets. And laughs always were and, perhaps nnoria so edy from the numerous Jims and now than ever before, ate supremely slt\iations the book sent him into. ' '^^ Between Gaxton and Jack Thoinp her. She sings a song well enough, 3Ut when chancing a display of non- existing versa tlllty, Miss ToMn seems out of place. . It's after: her song in front of the ensemble that she gbes Into a waltz with an tin- bill'ed partner, and then her short- cbmlngs are spotted. Cutting of the waltz wouldn't, hurt. Book's 10 scenes toych various well-known tourist spots In Paris. The audience for that reason .is were satisfied to let it go at that, No reason to let the flicker name Impair a satisfactory flrst impres- , Bion by later straining for a top, note and dangerously slowing down, the performance for a lone reprise. BI^ss Damita looks good and handles Her lightweight dialog well enough, 60 why take chances? ' • ProdrUcets have given their flrst born a heavy production* studded ■With soothing-costumes and a big tWirsonhel. Connolly has fqund-at least one new formation for his 'numbers, while the Rasch girls un loose a sweet piece of work in the ' third scene, climaxing in a sure-flre exit as they wind off from a circle . all doing leaping pirouettes in'l ' sweeping peasant dress. .. Writers have tried to slip Insert ' dus touches to 'the war story In of a musical. 5O»OO0;OOO FRENCHMEN Musical comedy in two acts. 10 scenes. Produced by E. Ray Goets, William Gax- ton and Gcrtevleve Tobln featured. Music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Book by Herbert Fields. Book staged by. Edgar M. Woolley. Musical numbers, by Larry Ceballos. Opened Nov; 27 at LyritJ, New Tork. JI3.D0 top. Michael Cummins. Jack Thompson Billy Baxter. r..... Lfester Crawford Marcelle Fouchard..., .Dorothy Day I/0ul3.............. .. .leiiatio Martlnettl Joyce Wheeler..... ,^ .Betty Compton Emiriltt Carroll Thurston Hall Gladys Carroll............Bernlce Mershon Peter Forbes. .........".....William Gaxton lioolob Carroll. ,.,Genevieve Tobln Sylvia i..... .FlfI Lalmbeer May De Vere. ..Evelyn Hoey Mre. Pe Yere..^.....:^......Gertrude Hudge Mr. Ira Rosen^...., Robert Leonard Mrs» Rosen »....;,.Annette Hoffman Larry - Jason Ofec.ar Mone.' Pemasse., ■Le Sahib Rousslrt Grand Duke Joe zeiu......... Maiire d'Hotel... • • • • • • • • I • » • * « • a son, who does islnging and dancing straight as running mate of Betty Compton, another clicker, the wom- en will be' satlsfled. Thompson- Compton sbeclaltles- are highlights, with those alone by Evelyn Hoey the mlUc and honey of show busi ness. ■'; . •. Unfortunately, a play spans an evening and three acts, and In vaudeville Smith and Dale do 40 minutes. It's a conventional, thread- bare, hashed-over affair, this play, When divorced from its low-comedy: Miss Hoey has the hot numbers and purveyors shows why. Outside the moments Alexander Carf, third fiddle, can't when Genevieve Tobin, feminine make Mendel Marantz very plauSl- lead, evinces her bare knowledge of ble. This same character.a shiftless, musical comedy decorum and slight | lazy Jewish father with a poverty ability In that line, the cast is al- ways first rate, singing, dancing o^- reading lines. Miss Tobin, a star oh the dra- matic stage, is competent when act- surfeited, rebelUbus brood, w;as etched far more persuasively in last season's ''Poppa." . So many stage families, Jewish or Gentll^, find the "pharp-torigued Ing her part in the leading love nrtpther constantly nagging the easy- match;- That much Is expected from I golng^ jelly-backboned father that Lisa SUbert's squawks have a stale^ ness that will not escape notice from the seasoned playgoer. And in New York it's the season playgoer thaPs important. it has to simmer down in the end to just this: "Mendel, Inc.," is broad farce packed with laughs. It has the pace, the technique and the time element limits of vaudeville humor. There Is no genuine heart appeal. It's hokum rather than comedy, given a novelty lowdown on how: jnaking a distinction that ma.y sputtd things look over there. ■ Those- who. have been over may get a kick dut of "Fifty Million Frenchmen's" ^ re- productions. A few of the scenes, especially gelli's,. drew scattering applause, indiciating authenticity, You Do Something to Me" is the freqiiently reptiised theme song and sounds likely as a pop. "Where Would You Get Your Coat?" deliv ered in "one" by Miss Broderlck, is academic^ but Is very real. On a guess It will be charactec ized by audiences not in evening, dress or swanky " petrol, buggies. There is no fashionable a.ppeal whatever, and as the'comedy Is all surface tomfoolery without deeper meaning than a pratt fall, it's lim ited despite the generous quota of laughs. No denying, however, Its a skill a comedy lyric that single men and fully contrived apparatus for achlev voice and looks. Opera prima donna is Alice 'Mackenzie, jpood In the part. Among tl» 14 musical numbers are several worthwhile tunes. "Till Met You,!' lovey-lovey tune; "i Love You'* and •'Shoe-Clap-Patter" are engaging interludes. Music gen- erally maintains a nice average. Leroy Prinz achieved a few at- tractive ensembles through manipu- lation of colorful costuming, and dance routines are bandied well. 'Merry-Go-Round," circular num- ber, best. . ; Male chorus of 18 has the edge on equal number of girls. Ballet of 8 works the more Intricate ifoutines. 'With a dirt play and an operetta now running, Gantvoort. may pull another: turnabout by announcing himself th6 real author of the "Roiver Boys" series. Bang, YOtJNG SINNERS Comedy In three' acts by Elmer Harris, presented by the Sbuberts at the Morosco, Nov, 28. Directed by Stanley Ix»g;an: settings by Rollo Wayne. Three sets; 93 top: Madge Trowbridge*.«..<.• •••"•Carol March Bud 'Springer .Robert Beyers ' Betty Blddle,;...k Muriel Belasco Jimmy Stephens,.; i .»....... .Paul Nugent Butler.'....-, ■..., ,EdWard Foreman Constance Sinclair^,,....,Dorothy Appleby Mrq. Sinclair. ... .......,Hilda Spong Baron yon Konltz........Alfred A. Hesse Gene Gibson.. ,...1,...Raymond Gulon John Gibson,,,,,,..,,,,..., ,Percy Moore Trent,............. .. . .,.. • .Arthur Bowyep Manaser ■ of-Apartment House. Edward Racey Alice Lewis. ,Faye Martyn Tom Magulfe......John Harrington Maggie Magulre.-i...J.....G-wyn Stratford Tim. ..Arthur Scanlon women in vaude would give their right arms for,, "Find Me a Primi- tive Man" iahd "I'm Unlufky in Gambling" ate nifties as sung and danced by Miss Hoey. They are the ing guffaws and evidencing the acu- men of. Lew Cantor, late of vaude- ville, Anna Chandler, from. vatidevUle, does nicely with a small part, and standouts of a score that doesn't Joseph Striker, formerly of HoUy.^ ' wood, later In English pictures and now in a beautifully tailored suit, ';^Sfch the principal complication I vto/et Hu'deg^ii-dV;.'. ..'.^^^ Broderlck • sevolyes around the innocent-release | Bouie De Neige ;,,,Biiiy Reed oitvGerman oairrler pigeons by Don- ahue.' Those who aaw "The Better 'Ole',' will recall the situation. It's a i>rJson camp for thie comedian after . • that; and from which he . releases himself by out-talking and,,think- ing a British ttiajor, who Ukes-hls grog, in a strong comedy scene, -Yarn starts with Donahue' as a Lou Diithers . .Mario Vlllanl ...Jena del V^l Manart Klpten ..Jean Del Val .,...Os4:ar Magls sock hard but pleases all the way. Two novelty chorus routines, pro gramed as staged by Larry Ceballos, the coast, picture dance man,' excite unusual attention. That In which the costumes change colors under changing lights was the show stop- per. The black and white number Is In "The Show of Shows," Warner talker. The same girls from the picture are in this stage ftumb'er. makes an extremely able juvenile. Jjand, SILVER SWAN "Fifty Million Frenchmen would be a hit musical under any condi- tions. With Broadway holding so wealthy iS;r who"fifr^^^^^^^^ finds his mild valet (Frawley) turned Into a raging top sergeant. Miss. Damita is the French bar- maid, and the other half of the love Interest with Donahue, Shirley Ver- non is the star's society fiancee in love with Milton Watson, Mary Horan is opposite Frawley with one aopk gag line, David Hutcheson, as the British major,, gives a very good performance and foils* Dona- hue excellently. Frawley Is only paced.for prominence by Donahue, "Why?" is the show's front run- DOROTHY LULL 7TH with EDITION OF "EaH Carroll's Vanities" NOW ON TOliR shows this season it should have no trouble selling itself for a healthy New Y'ork run at the |5.60 top at which it's scaled, > Whatever doubts th6re were after the Boston break-in have been dis- pelled. All lose ends • have been taken up, apparently, and how it Is in. In Its favor are the snappy title, commonplace farce book very well staged, some sniart lyrics, one par- ticularly catchy tune, the playing of Helen Broderlck and William Gax- ton, and general production excel- lence. As this show strikes the eye, reports of the Warner Bros.' "In' and a $200,000 pre-opening nut sound true enough, with the quoted coin to be discounted or added to, at will. Since Goetz'g show depends a lot on comedy. It is greatly dependent on Miss Broderlck and Gaxton, who hiindle most of the laughs. The former, of the erstwhile mixed com edy team of vaude, Crawford and PAUL WH ITEM AN Booking Exclusively Through His Oji>n Office 1560 Broadway Nem York Cii}) JAMES F." GILLESPIE Personal Represenlative Viennese operetta, presented by. Herman Gantvoort. Music by H. Maurice Jacquet; lyrics by William S. Brjidy, aWio collabo- av«.=.« ...^.a..,^*. I rated with Alonzo Price on the book, Ai -^ i« iT« nnrh Staged by Alonzo Price; dances and en- Alco In the dance line are Keed amr {.^ T.^mv Prinzconductor, au- Duthers, xwo-man hoofing • combo from variety. Girls, show and dancing dressed In the current long-skirted style. None of the usual short wardrobe and nuisical uhdreissing, but the looseness of the gowns up above makes for more suggeistive display than all of the nudity in a Shubert show. While the girls in "French- men" don't permit the skirts to. handicap them. It's a departure-ln look stuff and shapes up well to the masculine glim. Bige. MENDEL, INC. Comedy In three acts by David Freed man, adapted from his own novel, "Mendel Marantz." Presented by Lew Cantor. Opened l^ov. 26'at Sam H. Harris, $3 top, *Joe Smith. Charles Dale and Alexander »Carr co-starred, wlh Lisa SUbert aiyi Anna Chandler featured. Mendel Mrantz-.i Alexander Carr Zelde, his wife ...Lisa Sllbert Their Children— Lillian Helen Dumas Mlml.. Evelyn Galle . Jaltle .Master Lester Salkow Bernai-d Shrtaps, Zelde's broHfer.,Joe Smith Sam Shtrudel. Bernard's partner • Charles. Dale Bessie Bloom, a Janltress.. .Anna Chandler Milton Kahn Joseph Striker Oscar Gassenhclm.., .Elliott Both Klgmund Gassenhelm, hJs father,,,,... Maurice Freeman Nathan Krauss Richard Claik A Butler......... WUlInm B. Calhoun A Woman Bertha Byit The Marshal......... 4... ., .Ralph Sanford An Engineer,.*,. ». .Ted Athey sembles by Leroy Prlnz." Conductor, Au- gustus BaiTatt. In two acta, with two sets. At the Martin Beck, New Xork, Nov. 27. Lieut. Berthold. Robert Roltner Adolf David D, Morris Lieut. WaHher.,.. .Alexander Leftwlch, Jr; Lieut, £rlch,,., .Walter Munroe Seppel Harry Miller Denlse .'............Lalne Blair Hortense Zorma.........., Alice Mackenzie Gurlltt.. Robert G. Pitkin Alex'ahdrlne Ninon Bunyea Capt. Richard Von Orten..Edward Nell, Jr, Tiger , , Paul Joyce Princess Von Auen Llna Abarbanell Gabrlelle .Vivian Hart General VOn Auen Florenz Ames Marie ,,.., Lucille Constant Theresa ,,,, Jill Northrup Lieut. Karl William Dillon The Dancers Fawn and Jardoh Without knowing the novel from which the plot skel«!ton has been borrowed, it seems probable that the original David Freedman story ap- proached its subject, as its charac- ters, with a lot more sincerity and patho-s than this play. ' Sincerity, meaning by that fidelity to probability, is the one,thiiig that does not exist in "Mendel, Inc." It may or may' not be missed by the average person. Indeed, the ques- tion can be propounded pertinently as to the need, place or value In an entertainment frankly devoted to belly laughs of such an extraneous consideration as sincerity.. : That simpl y, mean s ,tha t„'S^Icndel, TRIXIE FRIGANZA METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIO Personal Managers, THE BLANCHARDS •Herman Gantvoort, who thr«e jveeks ago told the street its dlrtiv-.st story With "Primer for Loyers," be comes a reformed and cleanly ambi tiouS' sponsor for a pleasant and moderately pretentious operetta "Silver Swan." No hit, but It stands a chance to crawl into profit. Cast not bur dened with salaries and production even In Its flashiest iponients kept an eye on the nut. At opening , two Items were quite obvious: Edward Nell, Jr., Is a good tenor 'and the show's standout, and ,the story has a tough time getting started. That it took the entire first part to plant the characters^Is a handicap, but. pretty well sub- merged in-divertirtg music and light comedy. Story is set In a Vienna Inn; where the girls of an opera com- pany reside and the Austrian offi- cers naturally congregate,. Capt. Von .Orten is a boy who likes his women. He Is annoyed at royal de- cision he must marry a comtesse he has never seen. Titled girl arrives at the inn unannounced, gets a load of the Cap's gay doings and joins the opera company to get . a line on him while remaining unidentified. Cap falls for her. Nuniei'bus mis- understandings caused by interfer- ence of his former hot stuff—prima donna of the opera. It all ends In a -Sw, eet, lo .ve■_bj^ll.ad. - „..' 1 _,. L ; Comedy theme is carrlefd by Flor- enz Ames as a cocky little general who divides his time between fool- ing with dames and . dodging his princess-frau, played by Lina Abar- banell. Ames Is a neat cartoon comic. Harry Miller as the young inn keeper teams with Miss Lalne Blaire for more humoi', but it's mostly carried by the girl. Vivian Hart, playing the femme i love, is an attractive combination of Another diatribe on the fallacies and importunities of the younger generation^ with all the fancy trimmings of modern freedoip and spohtaneoiia youth. Elmer Harris has jotted down a pretty accurate mirror of all this, with distinguish- able touches of conventional and unconventional humor, some of It not so'deleotable to the squeamish but good fun for the others. Ac- cordingly "Young Slnniars" may stay over the holidays, .not' much , longer. Good talker title. A weak and wobbly flrst act can stand plenty of rewriting. It runs much too-long, ♦ . Connie Sinclair, flaming daugh- ter of the ultra rich, is about to be married off by a Victorian mamma to a Teutonic baron, who carries on in native articulation to a hazardous degree. As Connie de- cides to sacrifice herself at the altar her secret passion, in the person of. Gene Gibson, n'errdo-well son of society, bobs up and out when he believes he was given air, Second act picks them up for .a punch half hour of action, liberally sprinkled with all the current ques- tions and answers to that thing called sex. Some of It Is pretty hot stuff, but excusable and InoflEenslve the way done. . Last act not as potent but nicely ordered and climaxes^ With a laugh. ThJLt closing .scene of the second act takes the edge off everything else. Boy and girl ar^ on a. hot necking party in the cabin, with the girl forcing the situation and the boy telling her "not until you're 18, baby." - Dorothy Appleby turns out a nifty ."Connie," With a corking performance from Raymond Gulon the leading char- acters are ta.ken care of with tooth- some nourishment. Rest of cast up to standard with John Harrington rating top nientlon as the Irish trainer, liogan's direction Is well defined and executed, while the three sets"^ are slghtfully designed and leave significant impression. In the mad scramble on Broad- way this season the chance of this one is limited. Evidence is that the Shuberts were taking no chance.s by dropping it into the_Le blang bucket after the night. opening Span. THE AMOROUS Ar^TIC Comedy In three acta, at the Masque Dec. 2, by Sam H. Harris; written by Ern- est Pascal, who also directed. . Sena Balsam , Phoebe .Foster Perclval BedinBOte.,,,..,..Alan Mowbray Harlow Balsam., Frank Morpan. Emily Gunning..........i....Vera NIel?"" A model...; Harry Clnrke Another model.., .Mortimer Le Pey Highbrow monkey business, that s what this Is about or that is what the characters talk about. There is plenty of language dished by Ernest Pascal, whose "The Marriage Bed should have made the grade last season. The first night didn't Indl- , cate, however, that "The Amorous Antic" would fare much better. The people of the play are artists and quite artistic in their expres- sions. Two of Its principals are married. The wife, a painter .01 some sort, is attracted by the me- tabolism of a sculptor who happens to be.--the,-husband'B-^.bcst..friend. ■Through It all such a little thing as ' the contemplated affair, which never comes off, would not disturb the friendship between the men, or so the author would make It seem. "The Amorous Antic" Is a curious blend of that triangle Idea, Sex i" rarely mentioned as such. Play started as. though It would bubble with fun, but despite the unusual dialog it tapered off, quickly. The third act was easily the best uiiu