Exhibitors Herald (1926)

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD December 11, 1926 it must be reported the conception was a shade better than the execution. Clem Dacy followed the girls, singing "For My Sweetheart,” “Breezin’ Along with the Breeze” and "Hello, Bluebird.” The house went strong for the last one and demanded, and won, an encore. George Givot, singing-dancing comic, followed, entering to a reception. "Hello, Swanee” was his opener, done with less bouncing and gesturing than he was using in his work a few months ago, and going over nicely. “I’m Single Again” was his second number; “How Could Red Riding Hood Have Been So Very Good” his third. Then on audience demand he sang “Peoria.” Plenty of steam in Givot’s work, much improvement, and enough comedy to spice it all. The manner in which “Swanee” was done hinted a switch into the type of ballad singing that would be another good addition to Givot’s list of talents. Maurine Marseilles was next up, singing "Sunday” and “My Baby Knows How” and doing her usual step-kick stuff. Walter Vernon, working under a handicap of tragedy, did a soft shoe and then a kind of burlesque B'lack Bottom and .stopped the show. On house demand he did an encore turn that was effectively simple. Johnny Perkins followed Vernon, singing "So’s Your Old Lady” and "My Dream of the Big Parade.” The second number landed for an encore, for which he did “Two Ton Tessie.” None of these is new, but the house liked ’em. “Lucky Day” by the band was used for the finale, in which the principal other-than-band performance was contributed by the four Abbott girls. Chicago Capitol Week Ending December 5 “Goodbye Blues,” Del Delbridge’s second show at this house, didn’t do what a world-beater does on the Friday evening it was caught, but it did show what’s wanted by Capitol patrons. That what’s-wanted is hot jazz and plenty of it, if reaction to the various offerings comprising the show is indicative. The show ran: Opening: "I’m On My Way Home” by band in somewhat spiritless fashion and without causing much excitement. Then Delbridge announced— Edgar Rice, singing "Roses of Picardy” to fair returns, Rice apparently battling a cold, giving "Just a Little Longer” for an encore. Axel Jensen, who isn’t Swedish but colored, came on then to step to “Stomp Your Stuff” and his hot hoofing contrasted with the preceding ballad to give the show its first good hand. He came back twice to do more. Then Delbridge announced— Brock Sisters, harmony singers, doing "I’d Love to Call You My Sweetheart” and “Tellin’ the World.” They played safe by not leaving between numbers, although they harmonize pretty well and need just a little more zip and color to collect handclaps. Rizzo, accordionist out of the band, then did “Nola,” “Sister Kate” and “Waiting for the Sunrise,” warming up as he went along and drawing help from a fiddler pantomiming back of him. Production: Rice and unannounced girl violinist back of scrim doing “Can’t Get Over a Girl Like You, etc.” This didn’t do so well, partly because of a seeming slip-up in lighting which kept much of it a secret from the folks out front. Esther Covington, announced as from Tennessee, singing “Ain’t Got Nobody Much” and kidding with Delbridge. One encore. Evolution of the Black Bottom — the opening dance number of which, a jungle thing, got rid of several customers and left the rest in deep apathy — closing with six girls doing the familiar stuff up and back and everybody on for a finale which somehow didn’t hit as it should. (It was getting pretty late.) Observation: Delbridge seemed a little better set the second week, personally, but his band doesn’t steam up, nor attempt anything tricky, and the talent doesn’t set any new high records. Neither does Delbridge play the piano, which is what he is best known for doing. The way the Friday night audience warmed up to the few hot jazz numbers and cooled off on the parlor stuff seems to give the cue as to what to do next. Chicago Nor shore Week Ending December 4 ( Last Half) This house, doing presentations under a splitweek policy, is one of the few remaining in Chicago that works the orchestra in the pit and keeps to the older manner of running off the stage shows. For the period here reported the program was as follows: Milton Watson, lately seen principally in the neighborhood houses, singing “Because I Love You,” “I’d Love to Call You My Sweetheart,” “Cherie,” and, for an encore, “When the Apples Fall Off the Lilac Bush.” He went over as usual, and it seems there are folks even this far out who know him. Following Watson was “Topics of the Day” after which Joe Wong, Chinese jazz singer, was discovered in the pit giving his clever imitation of Cliff Edwards and his uke, and of Sophie Tucker singing “Turkish Towel.” It is quite certain he would have gone over better if he had omitted the dirty story. Someone seems to have sold him a poor idea and someone else doesn’t seem to care that he follows it through. Next on was the Demeaux and Hamilton Revue, with the Dean Brothers. This is a vaudeville act, and was run off in the vaudeville manner, featuring comedy, classical and acrobatic dancing. Demeaux and Hamilton are themselves clever, but the act is greatly bolstered by the good work of the Dean B'rothers, two well-appearing young men who are among the ablest dancers currently appearing in Chicago picture houses. Chicago Oriental Week Ending December 5 Paul Ash did a handsome thing this week by way of tribute to Paul Whiteman, who’s at the Chicago a block away. Ash used Whiteman’s “Rhapsody in Blue” for the big item in his presentation and built upon it the best production bit (and it wasn’t a “bit”) that he and McDermott have turned out. With Whiteman using the thing as a straight musical number and Ash dolling it up in this fashion, there was no possibility of the folks comparing the orchestras. This left the Ash effort as just what he announced it, “a tribute to the greatest of all jazz leaders,” and shat a tribute it was 1 Henri A. Keates at the organ — still using the deadly “Clear Your Throat” slide and — but why go on? Opening: Orchestra in pit playing for Paul Small to sing lyrics introducing madeup David Belasco, Ziegfeld, White and other producers before leading up to Ash as best of all talent pickers — title of show being “Ash’s Pickin’s” — each producer appearing with two gals and making big flash. After this Ash announced— Blackout — the one about the cop and the dame who steals his pants — which didn’t do a thing so far as applause is concerned but gave the orchestra time to get backstage in position to play — “Song of the Vagabonds” — the Chicago hit of hits since the Army sang it at the Army-Navy game. The Foursome followed and could have stayed on all night. The boys are running low on numbers but getting better (if possible) and don’t need A1 Kvale’s good but misplaced comedy to get them over. It was hard to shut off the applause so the band could play — “Hello, Bluebird” with Ash’s pianist decorating it like a birthday cake in a solo stretch. (Boy’s a whale.) Production: “Half a Moon Is Better Than No Moon at All” with Paul Small and lots of others singing while a set up and back is used to work the thing out. Not great, but good enough in view of the bigger production later on. Peggy Bernier, back at this house after a West Coast run and welcomed by the fans, singing “Everything’s Made for Love,” “Rags,” “O, How He Can Play His Ukulele” and “Me Too.” “Rags” is a sobsong she shouldn’t sing. The others are deep blue, lyrically as well as harmonically, and in her line. Ash broke the news that she’s making records now, “Me Too” being her first. Wells and Winthrop, dancers previously reported in these columns, young men with fleet feet. Paul Small singing “Where You Worka, John” with everybody getting on for innumerable extra choruses. Earle and Bell do it better— much. “Rhapsody in Blue” played by the band while allegorically costumed dancers work out spoken dramatization of number in which Music (feminine) meets Jazz (masculine) and romance ensues. Felicia Sorel and Senia Gluck did the leads, with a big ballet going along, the whole being staged with utmost class and disregard for cost items. Any producer in the wide world should be glad to sign his name to this effort, and it hit ’em like that. Observation: This new show business is getting on. Los Angeles State Week Ending December 3 Loews State theatre presented Gene Morgan and his band in a Fanchon and Marco idea last week. Though it included no elaborate stage presentation, the bill was accorded an enthusiastic reception, possibly due to the good work of Gene Morgan, and his popularity. The show ran as follows: Band started playing a hot number before the curtain went up. After curtain went up, Morgan came on for a dance and song number. Good hand resulted. Stadler and Duffin in a rag-doll dance put across one of the niftiest bits of terpsichore the patrons have recently witnessed. A good hand here. The Connor Twins, two pretty girls who can harmonize, sang “Red, Red Robin,” and then danced delightfully for a couple of encores. Alexander Akimoff, Russian basso, sang “The Volga Boatman,” and a couple of other semiclassic numbers, while Morgan gagged at his expense. This portion of the bill was extremely entertaining. Murray and Levere, girl and boy with an accordion, a holdover from the preceding week, made last week’s mistake again. They are good, extremely good, but they stay on too long; they do so many encores that their earlier good work is forgotten. Edythe Maye in a singing and dancing number fell flat until she teamed with Morgan. As soon as she did this there was entertainment, especially when they danced the Black Bottom. Morgan is an expert buck dancer as well as a subtle comedian. These two practically closed the show. A huge floral offering was presented to Gene Morgan and judging from this enthusiasm at this performance West Coast will do well to let him occupy Rube Wolfs’ job permanently. There were no elaborate stage decorations or sets. The orchestra occupied the usual shell, while a huge black velvet curtain hung at the back. There were a few bright colored drapes overhead and at sides. Los Angeles Met Week Ending December 3 Publix Theatres presented “Way Down South,'’ at the Metropolitan last week and the stage spectacle was about the most elaborate yet presented. It consisted chiefly of a huge watermelon, onethird the size of the stage. A knife was run through the melon, apparently. The outside half was drawn aloft, disclosing a colored band in the heart of a huge red melon. The presentation closed with a great burst of applause. Eddie Peabody has been sent to San Francisco Publix theatres and a youth from the band made the few announcements. The bill ran as follows: The band played plantation melodies and ended with a hot jazz number which was applauded roundly. An orchestra member sang the chorus of one of the songs. 12 Metropolitan girls did a buck dance which brought excellent results. They did an encore. A colored male singer sang “Caroline,” nicely and did an encore. Another colored man danced a hot buck dance and repeated the chorus for an encore. The band next played a hot number and each member sang, for fair returns. Lee Kent sang a couple of rag songs and complied with a demanded encore. 12 Metropolitan girls, each carrying a miniature darky girl dancing doll, stayed on too long for good results. Their work was clever, though. Drury Lane sang “Tonight You B’elong to Me,” and got a good hand. He sang another song for a demanded encore. Vernon Country Club Serenaders occupied the watermelon mentioned above and closed the show with all lights darkened. The silhouette added beauty to the finale. Omaha Strand Week Ending December 3 Danny Graham, eccentric dancer, featured solo at the Strand last week, is as nimble as anyone on his feet, but he does not confine his performance to his feet. Dancing on his knees is his specialty. All in all, his entertainment pleased patrons at the Strand during the week. Graham recently completed a year’s engagement in England. He enjoys being back on the American stage, saying theatrical conditions in England and France are “spotty” — sometimes good and sometimes bad. Americans, however, are steady theatregoers. The music of the week was furnished by Sutton’s orchestra, which played “II Trovatore” as its principal number, and Albert Sand at the organ with “For My Sweetheart” as a special number. Abe Lyman Will Do 20 Weeks with West’ Coast (Special to the Herald) LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7. — Abe Lyman and his orchestra will play a 20-week date with West Coast Theatres at the local Uptown theatre under the terms of a contract just signed by the orchestra director and West Coast. Lyman’s engagement begins December 24. Leonardi Directs Skouras Music (Special to the Herald) ST. LOUIS, Dec. 7. — Leonid Leonardi, Russian pianist, who has been in the United States but a short time, has joined Skouras Brothers as general director of music at the Ambassador theatre, newest Skouras house.