Variety (Dec 1929)

Wednesday, December 11, 1929 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 69 fancy for Paris) for a musical pro- duction doesh't excuse the show. Mlstlnguett has nothing new or novel. As a general thing, the Cs^ aino and the FoUes Bergere revues nave managed to offer some novelty that American Impresarios would deem sufflWently worthy to buy^if they couldn't cop. But aside from one set, a roof-top panorama of Broadway, showing the chorus walking from roof to roof in the fBroadway Melody?'.number, there's nothing worthy. The people are so-soi Aime-rSimon Glrard. Henri Garat and Dandy are Sie native funsters. Earl I^slie (American). long Mistlnguett's Partner, is billed second to the star, but does his little, bit in average nianner. _ , » The Rocky Twins, Danish male •fit of twins, are gorgeous to behold, but just hoofers. The stunning pair of Danes riiight show up better if properly presented. , ^ . Pizella la a familiar local fav as a juv; Mona Lee, dance specialist; Ladd and Olive, okay adagio team; Eltzoff troupe, peculiar type of Rus- sian, dancing family, not suitable for anywhere but on the Continent or in a vodka tjabaret; and the juvenile Guett Bros, coniplete those who should be mentioned. •Vo Juvenile laws here, hence the •vogue to use kidlet troupers. One of the Guett youngsters, still of lower grammar school agfe; does a funny but unannounced take-off of Hal Sherman. One of the Jackson Gifls* numbers is very Russellmarkertlsh with the hand-ahd-leg drills; one of Ann Suter's comedy numbers from the previous Casino revues is done In Fi-ench by Garat; an old Berlin "home" song In English Is done (for no reason at all) by Mistlnguett; and one of Ahearn's boys reminds of Bill Robinson's stair-dance. Dufrenne and Varna Inaugurated their star, Mistlnguett, into the Ca- sino de Paris, now under their own direction, for a consideration of 10,- 000,000 francs, recently taken over from Leon Volterra. Francois Ah- dree; the gambling casino, poten- tate, is said to be the biggest angel of the Casino de Paris, and, in a syndicate of 14 . repi-esentatlve FreVichmen, is also behind the new show. Production costs 3,000,000 franca and looks the $120,000 it represents easily. Not worth four bits as an etertalnment. however.' Ahel. BLIND WINDOW Baltimore, Dec. "6. "Blind ■Window," a play In three acta lay Elemer Bbross; English version by B. Harrison Orkow. Featuring Beth Merrill. Settings by Joseph Wickes, Staged by David Belasco, and presented by Mv. . BelRsco at Ford's theatre, Baltimore, De- cember 8.- ' . Maria Levlton. .Beth Merrill John Kurzon.......... QJarKe Gabel GamarsUy. Leonid Snegoff Chaplain of the Prison... .Halllwell Hobbea Saltera v. .Bernard McOwen Prof. Zanten.^.. ;..,.,Conrad Cantzcn GabrlelU Antonio Salarano Brunnen. David Leonard Gompert Leo Hoyt Fedotln.i .Brewster Board Stevald... Thomas M. Hfeynolds Adrian.... Fred , Clampltt Tlbold V. Joseph Kennedy Turner. •; .John Irwin mil Perclval "Woodley StaVlll ..Philip Bishop Ne.sdanov. Anthony Knllllng Director ..Clyde Fillmore Commissioner..... Elmer Grandin Lawyer. .Bernard McOwen Doctor. 4.... .David Leonard Prosecutor...................Elmer Grandin Prison Guards Fredrllt .."»,, Arthur Donaldson Anton.... ...;A11 Lima Touseff Stefan Kent Smith Michel Schuyler McGulIen Gabor .Harry Gordon SAP FROM SYRACUSE Atlantic City, Dec. 10. "The Sap from Syracuse" stopped off at the Apollo last night to pro- vide mild entertainment. Play is by Jack O'Donnell and John Wray, based on O'Donnell's prize-winning short story of last year. The authors dig deep into the old theatrical trick bag for a good \>lt of material, but the wise-cracking dialog carries laughter enough , to give .the piece a chance, proyldirig a few of the more serious moihents are reduced to even less than the play now contains. The Sap is just a big paluka driver of the Onondaga hotel bus; before that he was an engineer on the old barge canal. None of the boys . take him seriously, although all agree he has a heart of gold. An aunt leaves him a "Michigan" bank- roll of $18,000, and the Sap, bearing the handle of Littleton Looney, de- cides on a trip to Europe, where he hopes for a few of the ''breaks" he never got at .home. The boys give him a farewell din ner, even to.presenting him with the bill, apd add to the fun by wiring the commander of the "Leviathan" that Looney rates special attention. THEATBICAL BEUGION Phoenix. Ariz., Dec, 10. New First Baptist church seats its congregation in the- atre chairs. Pulpit Is a mod- ern stage, with complete light- ing effects and a disappearing screen for pictures. since he's a pal of Al Smith, Frank Roosevelt and Jimmy Walker, Aboard the ship the Sap meets a gold digger, who induces him to ac- cept her as his private secretai*y. a real countess, owner of a few Bo- livian mines, and a big American business man. The Sap manages to turn all jokes of his pals to some good use for himself. Hugh b'Conneil as Looney de- serves most of the credit for what interest "The Sap" holds. His work is striking. Ruth Donnelly has some Of the fattest lines.. Elsa Ersl as the Countess acts as nicely as she looks, and she's a very handsome young woman. A little livelier first scene and better curtains in each act would do much to help this play of Robert V. Newman and Arnold Johnson's. Welntrauo. PARIS PLAYS (Continued from page 3) divorce, becomes a vaudeville star, while her ex-husband remarries. His wife dies soon and he still loves the first mate. He visits the the- atre during a performance hoping for a reconciliation, but finds that his former wife is in love with a giglo and Is addicted to drugs. He attempts to save her, but she com- mits suicide when she learns that her boy friend really loves an Eng- lish chorus girl. Back stage locale represents that of a provincial music hall and Is not verj- convincing. Germalne Rouer, torch singer from vaude- ville, plays the heroine with much vehemence; Gaston Severln is poor as the husband, while Damia Role, in the character of a cynical act- ress. Introduces morbid songs. Several of the reviewers pro- tested when the collector demand^ the guests' tax usually paid by the manager, but neglected here by Marcel Paston. Some of them with drew and never mentioned the piece, which was a break (maybe inten- tional) for Mere whose literary po- sition may have persuaded some of the Journalists to pass up the silly play. Americans' Pi*emiere ^ Carol Saxe and her American players opened their season suc- cessfully at the Femlna with "The Torch Bearers." Jessie Ralph did particularly well In the role of a Little theatre directress. In for six weeks .and the house in figuring on additional . time. Triangle Study "Durand" is another new one, fa- vorably presented late last week. It Is a character- study with, slender plot. Jeweler and his wife have iJeen mai-ried ten years and are contented in mutual confidence and candor. Husband grows weary of mo- notony of family life and starts an expensive affair with a deml- mondaine. The faithful wife shuts her eyes to the obvious scandal waiting patiently until the husband is cured of his brief Infatuation, whereupon the couple return to their original state of contentment. This lavish Belasco production from the Hungarian reveals the old hokum bucket filled to the brim with allusions to dear old mothers, off-stage organ andantes, candle- lit chapels, a squad of long-termers reciting the Lord's Prayer, tender mentions of approaching mother- hood, an eleventh hour staying of the executioner's hand just as the rose borderf- tin thf> back drop with dawn. "Blind ."VVindow" is a melo . of: prison life somewhere in post-war Europie. Maria Leviton, one of those good little bad girls, goes for a ride with a gang of "Reds," and, Ins&ired by a Marxian harangue and vin rouge in a cellar lyceum, she at- tempts to assassinate the President. As a result she Is condemned and sent to the death house. While she's waiting for the end a "habitual" with a swagger that . recalls Llllom ducks pri.^on chapel and, armed with a . cribbed "an- opener or something, starts. carving his .way through the masonry. He take.s the wi'ong direction, however, and tuniiels right smack into Ma- ria's cell. Then comes love, an awakening and more .sentimental Beth Merrill is the feminine so- loist and runs the gamut from Kiki to Pollyanna, with an bphelian touch thrown in. A painstaking pro- (lurtion of a play of no grpat im- portance. Tall. 1 I N • f I 1 O t I, O M INIVINATtONALC HOSIERY S A V E on our Three Pair Price , SERVICE IN A MOMENT Welcome tJiougJttfor hus^ shoppers! 2Tp . waiting, no crowds. Helpful, interested salespeople eager to see you pleased. THE SHOWFOLK'S SHOESHOP IS JUST BRIMFUL OF GIFTS So handy to run in between rehearsals or performances and swiftly accomplish practically all your Christmas shopping! Hosiery! (Who ever has enough stock* ings?) Bags! (Always a welcome gift). Perugia Perfume from Paris (an exclusive I. Miller importation!) Buckles and heeld and boudoir slippers . , . Or if you re very pressed for time, and can*t make up your mind, how about a Gift Bond? Showfoik's Skoesliop BROADWAY at Open until 9 P.M. If ^" " -I't .VilvortlH«* in Yon rum't, Adverttne