Variety (Dec 1929)

Wednesday, December 11; 1929 NEW ACTS VARIETY 55 JACK PEMP8EY and Co; (3) *ipi Roadsfde Razz" (Comedy) 17 Min».; Screen and Full Stage P«lac9 (St. rV.) Even though Inactive as a fighter and «in ex-champlon for three years, Jack Dempsey still Is the most mag- netic person In the sporting world. Dempsey's record of retaining such a hold oh the public probably never has been equaled by a papse sports celebrity. . ^ For theatrics that makefi. Dempsey a freak drawing name, "with his slight abiUty as a stage actor emphasizing the freak classiflcatlbri. He is at the Palace for $0,500 and bound not only to dd' business for the house but also to secure, for it a volume of publicity that could hot otherwise be had. Which stamps Pempsey as strictly a box office name and a stage curiosity, worth |ff,500 for stepping on a vaude ros- trum. ■ ■ 1 Wlllard Mack's "A Roadside Razz" seems to have been written expressly or rewritten for the former? cham- pion. Every other line Is a grand stand play and prompts the players to wait for applause. Palace audi- ence responded with regularity. A country gas station Is the scene. Dempsey'Is in the roadster on the stage, his face covered by a newspaper, while his driving part- ner is . arguing with the rube gas station owner over the price. When Dempsey shows his face to contra- dict the rube's boasting story, it is a situation. Thereafter the rube, as the interviewer for the local paper in spare moments, asks Dempsey the routine questions. About every second line,: vlth Dempsey mentioning his ring rec- ord and future plans, brings ap- plause. The Interview blow-olt Is the question of whether he'll fight > again. "If I have one more good fight left in me," says Jack, "aiid the public wants It, they can: have it;" That'll continue to keep them guessing. ■ For a finish line, the gas nian gives Dempsey a wi'ong count on the gallons.. When Dempsey ob- jects, . he is Informed he has been ;giv^ the wrong count before. The stage action runs 12 minutes. A screen trailer of shots from past Denipsey ring battles runs five. The Flrpo kayo and T-iinney l4-count knock, down ^re the thrillers, latter in slow, motion and- splitting the house between laughter and apr plause. " . Two supporting men fl.re unbilled but competent. Johnny Dugan, tlie Weber-SImon office boy, on a stage for the first time, had two lines, and didn't muff either. Bige, WAITE HOYT (<1) Songs, Chatter, Piano 9 Mins.; One Audubon (V-P) Yankee pitcher accompanied by girl planlste who goes on ahead of him "with piano solo. Hoyt makes pleasing appearance and carries himself In way that, helps jwit over his singing which professionally is not quality stuff. . Chatter between pair runs along ba$eball and fan niall angles.. Hoyt's appearance and his baseball rep enough to make him worthwhile re- gardless. No. 2 and got. biff applause, good sign only of attraction value. Agnes AYRES and Arman KAUZ Comedy Sketch, Songs 20 Mins.: Full (Special) Sist St. (V'P) Agnes Ayres and Armaii Kaliz have departed somewhat from the usuar manner of film names enter- ing vaiide' by using a sketch that legitimately attempts to entertain on its own merits. The one bit In another mood is the screen iJ-aller preceding their appearance, a cneap-. ly cut conglomeration of unimpor- tant shots from forgotten films. Neither Miss Ayres nor .Kallz has been prominent picture personalities lately, .with Kallz never In the star or. top featured player class ever. He's from legit and vaude before films. The skit has a familiar ring and may have been in vaude before, used perhaps by Kallz.. It now Includes some singing. Other like it didn't. Orlehtal love idea Is burlesqued through Insertion of modern wise cracks and some hoke lyrics. Kaliz plays a Cairo sheik and the blonde Miss Ayres the American maiden he desires. Unbilled actor a servant. probable salary of this combina- tion might make It a buy against other past picture players trying re- turns through vaude. Miss Ayres and Mr. Kallz at least do an act. . Btge. SyVlFT-McWILLIAMS and Co. (2) Singing, Dancing and Imitations 16 Mins.; One and Full Victoria (V-P) A good .comedy turn If cut and re- vamped in spots. Songs, and dances by; mediocre sister team, could be dropped and not missed any. Porte of turn are the Imitations propelled bv one of the two men, probably Swift. Embraces, everything in the mechanical line from an auto to an airship; also guitar and vari- ous foielgn dialects. All good stufe that could be shoved into "one" easily.. Full istiage lay- out is ambiguous now; girls prov- ing no Incentive With weak talent and little looks.. Span. PRINCETON IANS (13) Band, with Dancing 15 Mins,; Full Hippodrome (V-P) Just fair band act, helped by two girl and two boy dancers. For mid- ":dle-x:las3= housesr Leader playa no instrument, wav- ing, a stick at eight men and sing- ing now and then with' a pretty good voice. JDancers carry along in the same grade of middle-class quality, showing some originality in routine, though Allah knows not In Idea, with a collegiate hoof fest. Some day some student will throw a, justified egg at a hoofer's conception of university life as It Is danced. Bang. WHITE'S NEW REVUE (20) Singing and Dancing 42 Mins.; Full (Special) Fox's Academy (:V-P) . This Is the best singing, and danc- ing flash which Al B. White-has pre- sented to date. .It should please with Its variety of talent every- where. White -has dug into his vodyil knowledge, as well as his pockets, and brought forth solo and. duo en- tertainment besides a chorus cf 12 sprightly gals. The chorines are a finely trained bunch, vai-ying from the usual iiianner of three-a-day girlie mob dansapation. Ghly names billed under that of White are those of Vale and Stew- art. Other monickers were only caught as announced, though many deserve to be sub-billed. Flash opens back-stage and be- gins as thpuierh It would be a skit with White Gomplainihg he is unable to put on his showrthe talkers have raided his sta.rk He is told to go on the show with only Ills'featjired players, and .that they will carry it. There's where the skit ends and the revue begins, .' In .a nice looking brunet, Doris Elixson, White ha:s a warbler and hit of the act. Effective tonsils and appeiars t6 have been schooled in the higher realm of music. . Vale and Stewart, sub-featured, didn't step until near the close. Then they cut loose with some fine duo taps and eccentric and Inter- mingled solo exhiblsh. Mai'Ie Calhern and Margie Reeve, blonde and- brunet; duoed what ap- peared to be a contest for high front and back kickology honors. Miss Reeve later returned for a . fast acrobatic. DeQuIncey and Adams, niixed cohaedy pedimanla couple, with male of stiltrlike proportions • and femme of opposite build. On twice and for hoke legmania,' but a bit weak in comparison with the rest. Lillian Alec^ cute diminutive Miss, warbled In kittenish" tones and showed oke taps. Personable and over. . White solo vocaled once and put", his song across. Otherwise ni. c. . ■ Choral and specialty work weaved for the best results. When: the dos- ing citrtaln dropped revival received just that. EDDIE LEONARD and Co. (3) Song and Dance 20 Mins.; Full Stage Academy (V-P) Eddie Leonard, back in vaude In blackface but without his mins- trelsy, has a fair, pleasing turn. -On his name and recent picture release Leonard may be expected to capital- ize somewhat, partlcula,rly in the neighborhoods, but It's not the Leonard display • of yore. Whether pictures wrought a change, or something else, doesn't matter. Fact remains Leonard's isinging Is much subdued, his foot- work so-so, leaving but the Leonard personality and style and the three additional people in the act, Of these Guy Stewart, formerly with Leonard in the mistrel turh, is still a crackerjack stepper, unloading plenty hot stuff, Betty Gardener doubles with the latter, on soft shoe and goes it alone nicely. Art Soreh-: Son, at the piano for .Leonard, is an able accompanist, but that piano would look much. better in the pit. Leonard sings most of his old. re- liables^ bUt not with as much gusto as when he was flanked by a big act. Still uses "Here . I Am Back Again" for the opening, and it's the best, Leonard in mlnsti'el suit next does "Talking It Over" and "On My Way," the tramp number. "Mandy Jane," "Ida" and ''Old Man River" are others, . 'Evident that Leonard misses the minstrel background, &pan. HARUM and SCARUM Comedy Acrobatic 7 Mins.; Full Prospect, Brooklyn (V-P) Two gals In kiddie skirts with fast acrobatics, Prattfalls of one plus other intentional laugh flops help results. Same gal kids by strutting around in'an ape-like manner. Other femme dishes a bit of istraight Jumps, and turns. Otherwise an acrobatic foil. Gagging at the finish, ^Ith the pit band leader, Is superfluous and slows the closing. Probably done for a breathing spell, but since nothing much- happens later, could close that much sooner. , Both work swiftly. . ■ Fair neighborhood , opener. SNOOKS MONROE Mistress of Cieremonies Belmont (V-P), Chicago Attractive girl, 16 or 17, bears wachlng. She can tap dance neatly, but her voice is weak for solo work. At present Snooks Monroe, lacks the poise and stage personality to be fefCectlve As a single. Also needs to be more alert. Never .ya^rled on presenting each act with a "Now, folks, this act Is—" It grated after the second time.. , Should be in a unit for the present. The. gli'l'will learn she can hoof Just as yrell in fema:ie as in men's clothes. Loop. "HOLLYWOOD BLONDES" (8) Dance and Sohg Flash 22 Mins.; One and Three (Special) Englewood (V-P), Chicago 'Shapes as a.pieaslhg flash-turn to go over the family houses. Needs new billing, as label of Hovick Sis- ters and Bud, and "Hollywood Blondes" is too long. Coi%tuming and settings excellent, girls hiave some nice line routines, and manage some cute song and dance specialties, Particularly good is'the double dancing of Bud and a femme. Entertaining throughout. Loop. : M ANS FIE L D a n d MXd E L I N E (5) " Talk and Songs 16 Mins.; One (Special) Englewood (V-P), Chicago Weak chatter and vocal turn. Talk tries to be both sophisticated and nonsensical, and succeeds only in being dull. Close with a couple of songs, vocalizing proving act's best bet. Must build from this huae to get anywhere. Loop, CULLEN LANDIS With Helen Wilson "There Goes the Bride'» 17 Mins.; Two (Special) Riverside (St. V) CuUen Landis is cf pictures, but made his ttvst a;)pearancos in the flesh in legit, reversal of procedure for Hollywood talent. He comes to vaudeville in a light skit authored by Will . Hough and. nicely assisted by an attractive oarrot-to|), Helen Wilson,. / . . i Scene, pretty one, is before a churcij with stainded glass window effect. Girl is upset over her im- pending mai'rlage to an elderly gent she does not fancy, and boy, carry- ing a flor.il anchor, is looking for his uncle's fiineraL Cl-oss-flre sequels into liiitati.on and a finishing intimation of mar- riage for the two: younglings. Laughs ax'e present, and the whole business is sufficiently smooth and presentable to i'ate on its own,: apart from what previous film reputation Landis may have that reniaihs of any b. 6, value, as a nice filler for third spotting. This act has played previously without Landis, ' . Land. BILLY and ELSA NEWELL Comedy and Songs 12 Mins.; One and Two : Palace (St. V) Before a beach drop in "two, " Billy ?Lnd Elsa Newell, as bathers of 20 years ago, do a .satirical com- edy talk routine that Is ah Iniiprove- ment over their former garden wall opening, and further Intrenches them in the • list of big time mixed comedy acts. From the beach they go to a piano "one" with Miss Newell sitting on the upright in an announced b\ir- 'lesqu© impression of Helen ■ Mpr- gan. She holds over the prop legs bit from the former act and twists the gams into many hbwls. They close as formerly with a song. Applause In No. 4 at the. Palace brought them back for a gag speech and hiore laughs. Bige. MEYERS, LUBOW and RICE Revue (9) Dance Flash 14 Mins.; One and Full (Special) Loew's State (V-P) Nicely staged dance flash; leaning partly to biallet routinies and shap- ing up as fllUng requirements for theatres In the State class. Prob- ably not very costly but the kind of turn that sa.ti6fles as much as some that may demand more douig'h,. Act has a certain class and by virtue of the ballet numbers i& in- vested with a bit pf that de luxer touch, the producers apparently having been impressed with what's done by picture houses with the girls on their toes iand acted accordingly. Ballet stuff is not new to vaude but this act gives it ai refreshing flavor and there .Is no'adagio stuff. Opening with a dress <^owboy number, specialties are sandwiched in "one" between what's offered In the ballet line. Thesft specialties include a fast dance by a mixed team; acrobatic buck novelty; two juves (mixed) in a wooden soldier number but as goodie-goodies rather than warriors and an over-sized shoe specialty, outstanding for nov- elty. Same dancer (male) is half of the juve duo. The girl in that com- bination is nothing to go jubilant over but the man tops their double with a brief acrobatic routine that's notable for 'excellent form and smoothness. This bit merited ap- plause, and will niost anywhere else. Two difiCerent ballet numbers. One has six girls In pleasing relief and the other for the close and leading up to the flnale. In latter, silk rib- bons hung from the flies are woven into various unique patterns for ef- fect. Costumes in closing number very sparse and gossamer, also rather daring, but nl<3e. On end of six-act bill here. Char. PULLMAN, CALVERT and Co. (9) Revue ■. 50 Mins.; One and Full Lincoln.Sq. (V-P) Katie Pullman, foi-mer corworkcr with Roscoe Alls, has surrounded herself with a loose singing and dancing revue of .eight or 10 people ■ including a stage band of !3orts, act probably sold on a price basis and serving nicely for this grade, of bill. The material is rather awful, but ' Miss Pullman puts a vast amount I 01.cergy lnto her own dances and bits, several simple specialties help and the total is satisfactory for the time and place.. Personnel (nobody billed, at this house) includes one straight man, Calvert dbirig eccentric comedy, six-nian stage band aind boy and girl, solo dancers. Opens in "one" with CalVert and straight doing the flirtation bit straight. from the bur- lesque/Wheel, blended with a bbob- trlmming'blt to finish. Takes about 12 minutes with Miss Pullman, act- ing as. feeder. They go to full, stage, a battle- jship deck scene with six-man band in background. Miss Pullman does her dance bits here, first In sort of trim dphilno with silk hat and later ^tripping to bai'e legs, making many c6stutne changes. Calvert clowns around In what looks like ad lib style'. Introducing Ethel Murraj', acrobatic da,ncer who does the usual front-overs and splits and the boy dancer who-steps nicely/ . ' . Finish Is rather silly. There are explosions oif stage . while bands- men as ship's crew manipulate two big cannons which after much preparation make rather foollsli noises. Tiien a mask falls, blank- ing the center of the scene and the company goes into ah eneemblie down front. ' For the small time, arid gets over principally on Miss Pullman's work. ■ Rush. RADIANTTRIQ Songs, Comedy, bances 14 Mins.; One and Two (Special) Hamilton (V-P) Two men alnd girL Played opener here; only spot available for turn on four-act bill. Pair act. Old gags and little better in way of dancing. DO altogether too much chatter. Try old-fashioned tin types that would , go better ivith only barie announcement or none at all. Girl rates nothing. Best for act. to prune turn and give others chance befoire taking up Spots. Girl , opens In orange-colored co- ed outfit wlth^ong shifting to males in hick costumes who dance. An- other song by girl and pardles by boys,, tin types, chaitter and another dance and act is overboard. AL MARDO Instrumental. Talk, Dances 16 Minis.; One Englewood (V«P), Chicago A Single' who will satisfy the less criticaL Mardo, foi-merly of Mardo an'd Ray and Mardo and Wynn, does wop with tnorlglnal material but manages to sell his chatter for laughs. -Opens with harmonica bit, then comedy hoofing, bpth numbers get- ting across. For ehcore, uses a dumb dog for. laughs. Act, in gen- eral, is a conglomeration of familiar talk and hoofing, but which was liked in this family house. Loop. EARLE HAMILTON (2) Songs, Dances, Comedy 14. Mins.; Three (Special) Hamilton (V-P) rair~ac^ho"p\Iirehrwith^neTnian- getting aU billing when girl in act rates nearly eveiTthlng. No. 2 on four-act layout, Stuff built around girl who plays all sailors, so these two birds, one a P.O., the other a seaman, try com- edy stuff to win girl's Attentions. Comic is way off and straight's stuff doesn't mean anything. Retting Is drop of interior of girl's cottage home. Billy GREENE and BLOSSOM Comedy and Dancing : -14 Mins.; One: . 81st St. (V-P) Billy Greene , and his btonde girl partner, Blossom, are 9, mixed com- edy act of No. 2 classification for aijy bill. Their .past, and future love-making bit, around which the turn Is constructed, is an aged l^ea and handled in . the old-fashioned ■vyay, yet the roygh stuff and ifalls that distinguish, this team's work throughout provides the necessary comedy. Greene Is a talking and tumbling comic, pleasant In appearance and manner, Miss Blossom sings a bit and does a. t£^p dance besides foiling for her partner. Did nicely in the deuce. Bige. THE GREAT ROLLE (3) Midget'lilusion, Singing, Dancing 16 Mins.; One and Full (Special). 58th St. (V-P) Midget noyelty that will stand up easily on any bill. Rolle works with three femme Lilliputians, Inter- spersing his Illusion stuff with song and-danc6-specIaltles-from-the-glrls.- Flrst is the /'floating" stunt, neatly performed by Rolle, who pat- ters smartly and m. c.'s the golngis- on. Rolle also, plays a miniature xylophone with aptitude between tricks. Midgets all Id youthful and cuto and don't tr.v lo appear oyer-smart or wise cracking. For a finish Rolle does the "van- ishing lady" deftly and with speed. ROXY (Continued from page 54) of the singers. Lighting unusually good but a bit too long. "Brlc-a- Braic," dainty ballet item, next. Three huge lamps with dancers .at the base and others in silhouette on the shades as though they w^te stationary charactei'S on this part of lamps, Fii'st lamp comes to ac- tion, then another and finally the third. Patricia Bowman, George Kiddon, VolodSa G.ueral, Ann Flem- ing, Charlotte Mount, Lo Iven, Anita Gordon, Ma.Kine Williams, Claudia Lotova, Sunya Rice, Lillian La Tonge and Rosalie Spatcher appear in this number. Markert troupe do a Bowery routine as 16 couples in front of street drop. Labeled "Side- walks of New York," with this tune used. Organ number an elaboration of "Just a Dreamer," and sound news, made up of five clips, four of them Fox-^Movletone and oriii . Hearst. Fair liouise at 7.30 p. m; . . Char. BRANFORP Newark, N. J., Dec. .7. This show leaves ,one. with the, definite, impression" that Charlie Melson returns to the Bran ford next Aveek, The newsreel , starts Its ©fit with a special showing Charlie, os- tensibly in Hollywood, with chorus girls hugging him. He is enthu- siastically applauded. Harold Hieder a,t the console takeis six more, beginning with a parody on "Wailing at the. End of the Road," all about Charlie's return, and makes 'em sing, it, too. George Morgenrdth and his con- cert orch of 20 fall down by doing nothing for Charlie but play fa- mously "II Guarany/' Here is ari orch worth hearing. The trailer explodes for minutes about Charlie, but,. although anticipated. Buddy . Rogers In. the feature, "Half-Way to. Heaven," never mentions Melsprt and doesn't Interpolate a line for him. Professional jealousy! The Publix Warner unit, "Coconut Gi'ove," Is acceptable and enjoyable, although naturally lacking the . In- timacy a,nd Imaginative.toucheis that used to go so well with the. ^old shows at this house» Tlie 12 GoxfW girls Were d, strong feature at this performance (Sat. niat.). going ovfer Very big In their opening. Radlj^t In ostrich feathers of many hues, . they stepp.ed out a! vigorous number that waked 'em right up. The set was. a naoonllt grove. Benny Fairbanks, from the B^tz, Elizabeth, was m. c^ staying for a, ■ week. He was formerly .saxophOnldt with the !Brahford.band>.an1^ gAln&H popularity by his singing. The War- ner people expi^ct to build him Hp .into a big driw If he keiepa working; At present he Is ia ple0,sant youiig man, Ingenuouis and dlsarmlngly slncere. He laeks class and power, but he may lose his attractiveness It he acquires much sophistication. HO; leads the band in a good nuniber' during which he playa the clarln^L Goes right into a song, which be renders with a pleasing voice not notable for, range or power, fie stops tl>e show, but. finally trtclca them Into letting ^Karanofl on with his miniature accordioti. Much liked. V CecHe Blair . registers., with brll* liant acrobatics, while Christie and JtJ^elson smash with burlesciue efforts at acrobatics. Curiously, the hieia4- liner, Keller Sisters a.hd ■ Lynch, brought on piano and all oh a roll- ing platform with a gorgeous back of gold palm leaves, mildly received, Lyncii and the Goilld girls do a 8on£^ with the girls using stepladders for their routine; which clicks. Set Is changed chiejly to let down , a lat- tice effect of flowers, and the whole ends tamely. .Benny Fairbanks astounded the house by a surprise announcement- that Charlie Melson will be here next week. Austin. . SHERIDAN SQUARE '. KeW York, Dec, 6. To see the folks pop up from no- where ^nd form a subway line ta the b. o. draws Interest In Loew's Sheridan Square, a block- away. And the picture Which was doing It, even around supper time, was M-G's little publicized "The Viking," In.'slde this 2,500-.seater was half occupied at seven p. m, Housfe. draws from the Village, with a lot of the bonaflde Greenwlchers taking a night off now and then to pay Ini. Rest of the patronage comes from Washington Square. Old-timers working around the place, which , is fairly young Itself, not dating over seven blrthdays,- claim that sOund pictures have'^ all oyer the old split policy, When vaude majored on the stage. After the. vaude bunch were shut out, sound finally pulled the dobr on the orchestra. Latter's derhlse was last spring. Then a trick organist, who could yodle, came and went. Nearest competition Is four blocks away, . the Village ' theatre, also -fttralght^pIcturesr^DoesnU^-^Jworry^ the Sheridan much. Even the mati- nees, or most of them In the Loew house, pay running expenses, fre- quently more. They get 20 cents at the mats here, with evenings run- nln from 25 to. and 60. House clean and well dressed. Reproduc- tion over W. B. equipment okay and evidencing attention of the manage- mf'nt, JTaly.