Exhibitors Herald (1927)

September 17, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 39 Chicago Harding Week Ending September 11 A clever presentation was staged here this week by Charles Niggemeyer and Dave Gould. “Aces High” was the name and featured Mark Fisher with his Music Masters with a cast headed by Tyler Mason and others. It ran as follows: Opening: In full 6tage setting with back ground giving the effect of huge polka dots In typical card style. The Gould Girls come in in black bodice costumes, novelly decorated with Aces. They do a Tiller routine to the band’s tune of snappy number as the background drop displays four huge Aces. The first band number to be introduced by Mark Fisher was “No, She Don’t,” which was sung by the boys with violin variation by Jules Swartz and many other novelties by the rest of the boys, which was well played and well received. After this number, Fenton McAvoy was introduced this time dressed in complete white Pagliacci outfit, singing “Worrying,” one of the latest hits. McAvoy has been seen in this house before and he is always a big favorite. After an encore he was followed by the Arnaut Brothers, who presented their same novel routine that has been reported in these columns before, as usual. The boys were a real success and were asked to come back later. Billie Gerger followed the boys this time singing “Grand and Glorious Feeling,” intermingled with eccentric soft-shoe taps. Billie was also reported in these columns many times before and it seems that she is getting more popular each time. The next scene was a blackout scene performed on the level platform with Fenton McAvoy and one of the Gould Girls. The scene was a short comedy take-off supposed to be in the Shakespeare Avenue Police Station, and, as usual, the last line was the punch line, as all black-outs are. A clever idea and was well liked. The Gould Girls came on next, wearing a novel set of costumes to represent the Royal Fusileer costumes of white backs and black fronts. These costumes were worn once before in an earlier stage production here, but the novelty of their make, as well as the clever dance routine, makes this a very picturesque view from the front. The dance routine was stepped to the band’s arrangement of “Yankee Rose,” which secured an encore that was fulfilled with Major Drumsticks. Tylor Mason, the dark joy of song and chatter, appeared next. Mason has been reported in these columns before, and although this is the second appearance in Chicago picture houses he has already created admirers of his work. Mason has a clever line of material that, besides being witty, is clean-cut and worth-while entertainment for any family audience. He again was a big hit of the show. The Arnaut boys were brought on again for a little more of their tomfoolery, this time their love-bird pantomine, which went over very big. Mark Fisher next stepped up in front of his band to sing “Waiting for Ships that Never Come In” and after a verse and chorus delivered a recitation that was aided by a scrim effect that took place in a background platform with drops rising on each verse to illustrate the lyrics, each one representing “Aces” in human form until the final drop rises displaying the Gould Girls beautifully attired decorating the second platform as four girls each bearing a color and design of an “Ace” card fill the center background for the final curtain. Observation : A very clever bit of staging and one of the best finales that we have seen in a long while. Kansas City Mainstreet Week Ending September 9 George Dewey Washington, Negro singer, again headed the stage program in his third return booking at. the Mainstreet this week. Walter Davison and His Louisville Loons celebrated their eleventh consecutive week as the orchestral attraction, playing popular selections as the overture and being featured in virtually all other stage numbers. Johnny Perkins, the rotund comedian, had a humorous dialogue, while Bernice and Emily had an acrobatic dance number. Wells and Winthrop did some syncopating strutting. “Radiology,” a musical skit, subtitled as “marceling the ether waves,” closed the bill. St. Louis Missouri Week Ending September 9 The Siamese Twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton, were the principal stage curiosity of the week, offering their usual bill of singing, dancing, saxophone playing. The Missouri Rockets, the Burns Twins and Ball also appeared in the stage production surrounding the twins. Leonid Leonardi and his orchestra had a very pleasing overture for the week. Indianapolis Circle Week Ending September 10 The unusual reception accorded the Waring’s Pennsylvanians last week was repeated in the second week of their engagement. With a new drop and an entirely new program, they again established themselves as one of the most popular jazz aggregations that has visited this city. Special solo numbers by Tom Waring again are presented and the versatile drummer with the trick voice is again in evidence. The act has proved a real drawing card at the Circle. BERNARD COWHAM the ORIENTAL theatre of MILWAUKEE “Just Another Organist Who Fell For Gallo’s Sales Talk” Now Serving a Life Sentence with Balaban & Katz ADELAIDE HALL (The Versatile Artist) Just Completed a Tour of Marks Bros. Theatres Now Playing Deluxe Picture Houses Direction — Murray Bloom and Charles Hogan New York Paramount Week Ending September 16 Jesse Crawford and his organ again start things off this week at the Paramount with a group of popular numbers which drew the big round of applause that seems to be his invariably wellmerited lot. The stage show is built around Paul Whiteman and His Band, who have returned to the Paramount for a limited engagement. They play a group of popular pieces in their usual distinctive fashion featuring a number which they call “A Study in Blue,” which consists of a clever arrangement of snatches from the most successful “blue” songs of the year. There are also specialty numbers by two boys who play the piano and clown a bit, while a third hoy sings. These lads are sure fire entertainers and got a big hand from the crowd. Solas by various members of the orchestra and some excellent soft shoe and acrobatic dancing do their share towards rounding out the bill which is of a first class order. One of the most enthusiastically received of these specialty acts is a song in which eight members of the band j'oin to put over as effective a bit of close harmony singing as we have heard in a long time. Washington Palace Week Ending September 10 Into a pick up from last week, which marked the first let down since the Palace started presentations. The bill, supposed to be direct from the Capitol (New York) was not up to the standard usually put on by Colby Harriman, presentation manager, and some one did some tall scurring around to dress things up this week. Tom Gannon opened with his house orchestra and did Victor Herbert’s favorites with organ coming in for volume at intervals. Wee Willie Robyn did Drigos "Serenade” and the audience wanted more from this delightful little tenor. One song, three bows. The Rouge and Noir Revue turned out to be a Rouge and Blanc Review as viewed from the first row in the orchestra. Four dainty misses in red and white costumes with card board banjos did a pretty toe dance, while four more in red and white ballet came on for the encore. Practical staircase built on stage and decorated with red and white triangles and partly covered by curtains of same design was the nesting place of 12 ballet girls until the finale, at which time they tiptoed down to join their eight sisters before the footlights. A solo dance by Joyce Coles was beautiful. She is exceptionally graceful in ballet work, and so far surpassed her work of last week there is no comparison. Same is true of all the Chester Hale Girls. Phil Spitalny is bowing himself out of Washington this week and offered three numbers minus his usual flash. Opening to small returns with Caucasian Sketches, he introduced his tenor in “Broken Dreams.” This tenor, name still unknown, is always good for a bow and could easily do an encore. William Tell arranged a-la-Spitalny was hardly accepted, and Mickey, the dancing cornetist, was brought out with an eccentric dance to save the day. Seven Chester Hale Girls in scanty yellow marabou costumes did an effective Chicken Caper to “Chicken Reel’’ played by Spitalny’s Orchestra. This closed the stage presentations with one bow. Feature, “Hula,” with Clara Bow, was a wow and a newsreel and “Jewels of Venus,” a deep sea scenic, with screen announced organ music by Dick Leibert completed the show. Billy Randall the “Singing-Dancing Violinist” FEATURED IN “Montmartre” A Publix — Stagehand — Unit This Week at Newmans Theatre, Kansas City, Mo. Direction — Wm. Morris Agency