Exhibitors Herald (1927)

EXHIBITORS HERALD 47 September 24, 1927 Chicago Oriental Week Ending September 18 Paul Ash had one of the best shows he has given his Oriental fans in a long time. He called it “Midnight Merries/* and merry it was. The acts were all excellent and the whole was well staged. The band at one side of a fine cabaret setting opens with “Love and Kisses.** The members of the band were dressed in clown suite. The cabaret appears to be below the street level which can be seen through a large door in the center of the set. A policeman is seen patroling his beat outside the door. The Abbott Girls, dressed in men’s evening clothes, come on to do a snappy dance routine. A motor horn is heard off stage and Paul Ash drives up in a stage automobile before the entrance of the cabaret. He proceeds to lead his band through a good arrangement of “Sing Me a Baby Song.** He next introduces Marjorie Whitney, who appears to be one of the guests at the carbaret. She does some very fine tap dancing to a great hand. She is one of the best female tap dancers this reporter has seen. Irene Hillyer next does an imitation of Charlotte Greenwood with comic songs and dancing. She receives a fair hand. To the music of “IPs Up to the Band,** the Abbott dancers give a wonderful exhibition of toe work on a series of steps. The way the girls ascend and descend the steps on their toes is a wonderful sight for anybody’s eyes. The number goes over with a bang and the girls deserved every bit of the applause. The band next plays “Waiting for the Rainbow,*’ featuring Frank Silvano who sings the chorus, but the trombone player with his unexcelled playing walks away with the act and stops the show. The boy is the last word with a trombone. He brings down the house. Paul next introduces two charming young girls whom he called Sylvia and Clymence. They give some good harmony singing “Side by Side,** but when they do a tap dance together, they win a wonderful hand. They have personality to throw away. Then comes the act that is the big wow of the show. Charles Gregory, dressed as the doorman for the cabaret, plays “Russian Lullaby’* on a musical saw, and how ! I have heal’d the song played on every instrument, but I liked it best of all on Gregory’s saw. Next he pulls out a rubber glove and inflates it, and by regulating the escaping air plays “Always.** He got some wonderful violin notes out of the glove. Then comes the wow. While Paul Ash mans a tire pump, Gregory renders a snappy march number on an inner tube. Next Paul does the pumping and Gregory draws “Yankee Doodle” out of the end of the rubber tire tube. The act brings down the house and stops the show with the best applause heard in the Oriental in some time. Benny and Western, the two Pullman porters, do some good dancing and succeed in getting an encore. Then comes Myrtle Gordon, who in Sophie Tucker style, renders some good blues. She sings "I Ain’t Taking Orders,” ‘‘Baby Feet,” “Real Estate Papa” and “You Who, That’s Who.” Again the show is stopped while she sings “Grand and Glorious Feeling” for an encore. The young lady has lots of personality and knows how to put over blues. For the finale, the band plays “Gorgeous,” the Abbott dancers do a good dance routine, and all the others take part while flying tape coming from the flies covers the performers. Johnstown State Week Ending September 17 This week the State theatre presented a split bill, in combination with a “Fashion Show” by Glosser Brothers, one of the leading department stores of Johnstown, Pa For this fashion show the management secured Louise Becker, as the leading model. Miss Becker is the winner of several beauty contests, and recognized as one of the most winsome models. Opening the first half of the week with “The State March,” which was written by William B. Walsh, first trumpter of the State Symphony Orchestra, the M-G-M News followed, then the comedy, “All Steamed Up,” after which came the stage presentation : The Ten Voyagers, a jazz band of seven men and three women, with the women supplying the specialties in a novel way. Opening with The Transfield Sisters in a saxophone and vocal duet before a ship scrim, with the rest of the band in the background. Florence Reeves stepped forth in a cute little Dutch dance. This was followed by a medley of old-time numbers, after which the Transfield Sisters rendered a banjo duet, entitled “Cookee-Coo.” Then Miss Reeves comes in for a black-bottom, after which the band went into a hot blue number of which “It Had to Be You” as a finale with vocal chorus brought the presentation to a close amid good applause. Then followed the feature, “The Joy Girl,” after which came the Fashion Review. The second half of the week opened with the M-G-M News, followed by the “Tropical Heat,” with A1 St. John, and then the stage presentation Gladys Delmar and Her Boys. After a medley opening by the six piece jazz band. Miss Delmar stepped forth in a vocal solo, "What Do We Do on a Dewey Day.” After this the band went into “Me and My Shadow” with the violinist playing a chorus on a musical saw, a novel effect, which earned him good applause. Several dance specialties by Miss Delmar brought this presentation to a close, after which followed the feature, Blanche Sweet in “Singed.” Chicago Diversey Week Ending September 14 This is the second week of the new bandshow policy featuring Austin Mack and his Century Serenaders. Johnny Perkins is now permanent Master of Ceremonies here. In this last half stage presentation Shannon’s Playtime Frolics were featured. The balance of the program ran as follows: Opening: Band number, “Just Like a Butterfly,” with Ralph Kirk doing a vocal solo, this chap has an unusual good voice, and fine personality for this sort of work. After this number, Johnny Perkins, the fat joy boy, made his entrance wisecracking as usual and introduced Shannon’s Frolics, who offered one of the most novel acrobatic routines we ever saw on any stage. The turn consisted of two little girls and their father, who put them through a series of clever stunts, some that very few grown-up acrobats are able to do. These youngsters are cute and clever and possess such a fine sense of humor and pantomine that ought to make them sought for in movie productions. The crowd here seemed to go big for their work. The next artists introduced by Perkins were Wells and Winthrop, two boys who are well known in theatrical circles as dancers. Their routine has somewhat improved since they were last reported and as usual proved favorites. Austin Mack and his Serenaders were next introduced who offered a comedy routine of six boys supposedly in a school room, Mack playing an accordian in soft harmony as the boys 6ing. Jimmy Julien, one of the boys, sings the “St. Louis Blues” and is well compensated for his efforts. George Dewey Washington is next brought on who was held over from the first part of the week. Washington is a colored singer who has made a name for himself in picture houses and again repeated his success here. Bernice and Emily, two of the former Abbott Girls come on next with their specialty of eccentric steps and acrobatic high kicks, these girls are cute and clever and never fail to click. The stage show was closed with Jonnhy Perkins in smart chatter and comedy songs, who closses the evening’s fun with a community sing of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” which he manages to get the audience to sing with him, something entirely new and entertaining. Milwaukee Wisconsin Week Ending September 17 Schools and colleges all over the country are staging their grand openings within the next few weeks, and with this in mind, Dave Schooler and His Playboys present “Rah! Rah! Rah! Week,” opening behind the curtain with “Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here,” followed by one of Marquette’s songs and a Marquette cheer. The curtain is parted and shows the Six English Tivoli Girls sitting atop a stone fence in the regulation grad’s cap and gown with the college buildings in the background. They go through a clever dance and drop from the wall to allow the curtain to close behind them. Next we have the orchestra in collegiate checked jackets in front of a drop of all kinds of school books with side drops of all the college sport paraphernalia. Dave Schooler makes his appearance in a prfessor’s frock and sings a little ditty made up for the occasion. He then proceeds to act as though the orchestra members were his pupils and engages each in a bit of sight reading, each playing a few notes on his respective instrument. He also asks for sentences containing certain given words which provoke a great deal of laughter from the audience. In front of the back is a large book, “Whatsit,” by “Whoosis,” which opened before each entertainer made his appearance and carried a short Solo Presentations — JACK MARTIN Featured Organist TOWER THEATRE, MILWAUKEE — Photoplay Synchronizing MURIEL KAYE “The Distinctive Dancer ” For DeLuxe Theatres Now Featured in Presentations Direction WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY Through Max Turner and Phil Tyrre*! Originator of the New Organ SCRIMAPHONE PRESENTATIONS Albert F. Brown FEATURE ORGANIST Alternating at the MARBRO and GRANADA Theatres, Chicago All Solos Conceived bv Albert F. Brown and Staged by RAYMOND Q. DALTON REPRESENTS A NEW ERA OF DE LI NE THEATRE ENTERTAINMENT HENRY MURTAGH Chicago Theatre CHICAGO