Exhibitors Herald (1927)

December 31, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 33 Last week, with Paul Ash, Benny Meroff, Ahe Lyman, Leo Reis man, and a score of other big orchestra leaders from out of town, hanging around the ‘alley’ it looked like a convention of baton slingere in New York. . . . Maybe its a trust ! ! * * * And, by the way, Reisman, who hails from Boston, is the big Mogul up there without a doubt. Playing in the Hotel Brunswick, nightly, at all the sport events in Boston’s new arena, on the radio six times a week, and doing most of the society dance work in town, he’s the ‘cream puff’ alright. . . . * # ❖ The easiest fellow to ‘burn-up’ along the ‘alley’ is Lindy, who owns and runs that famous resturant at fiftieth street, bearing his name. . . . And make out the publishers don't know it too. . . . He suffers plenty. . . . All you have to do, is ask him about bullets in the soup, or racing charts on the walls, and he’s fit to be tied. Serves great food, tho, and thinks the New York Giants are the best ball-team in the world, (we can forgive him for anything else but the last.) * # * Did it ever occur to you, that first-class musicians around New York arc making big money these day. . . Broadcasting nightly on those big advertising hours, recording during the days, and playing jobs in between, 6ome of them knock out as high as five hundred ‘smackers’ a week. . . Plenty of opportunity for you out of town musicians who may be ‘cracks’. . . Just bring your instrument, your music and your lunch, — the rest will be easy. * * * Well, Christmas has passed, and now comes New Years day, then 1928 and its another year. . . day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, — what does it all mean, anyway ? (excuse me for getting melancholy.) «H # * Cliff Odoms, of the Leo Feist organization, tells me that “Blue Heaven” is the biggest and fastest tune that they have ever had. . . Figure that out, with the music business in the rotten condition they say it is. . . A great deal of credit must go to Walter Donaldson, he’s a marvel, no two ways about that either. * * # Campbell and Connelly, those youthful music publishers from London, England will be over here some time next month, on a scouting trip for American songs. Any of you organists or music men particularly anxious to have a hit over in England, send manuscript to them in care of the Hotel Forrest, West 49th Street, New York City. I’m sure your songs will be con sidered. « « » Lou Schreibcr, better known as A1 Jolson’s "shadow,” left New York last week for Los Angeles where he went to attend an opening of some new show: It seems that every once in a while, Jolson wants to give Schreiber the air so he sends him out of town on some foolish errand. . . At times the further the better, depending on Jolson’s mood. In all justice to Schreiber, how ever, he’s the only man that can keep Jolson in good humor, and keeping A1 laughing is a mighty hard job.. . . Schreiber certainly earn6 his ‘bread and keeps.’ . . 3 * # Haven’t heard a funny “gag” all week. . . Must be that every one is broke, after buying: Christmas presents, and they’re not in the humor for anything funny. . . Well, that includes me, so before I start to cry, I better end this column right now. * * »> “A Happy New Year To Ya.” STAGESHOWS ( Continued from page 32) number a fast step called the “Merry Widow Whirl.” Film was “Wild Geese” with Belle Bennett. New York Paramount Week Ending December 30 “Christmas Greetings” was the opening overture played by the Paramount Orchestra, with Irvin Talbot directing. Lily Marr sang the number to two little children in bed. The scene represented the interior of a bedroom while outside the snow was falling. The children fell asleep and the scene shifted to the outside of the house. A fairy came to the house and took the children from their beds to Toyland, where a beautiful big tree was placed in the center of the stage. The children, were entertained by live toys who danced for them. While the children wondered at the tree, Santa Claus was shown in his sleigh racing down around the boxes, onto the stage and off again on the other side. This was done in stencil with a white light. The children were then taken to a church and placed in regal robes in the seat of honor in the center of the stage high up at the top. This scene was very beautiful. All the niches were filled with live figures dressed as various biblical characters. The male chorus and the ballet assisted in this scene. The lighting was most effective and the whole presentation left the audience spell-bound for a moment, which was followed by a deafening applatuse. "Russian Revels” was presented this week by Jack Partington, featuring Louis Berkoff and the famous Berkoff Girls — Lou Kosloff directing the Paramount Stage Orchestra. Opening was a "Russian Folk Festival” assisted by the Berkoff Girls, the Don Vocal Four and Stella Stepanoff and M. Vodnoy who sang a comical song, I suppose, in Russian, although I doubt if even any Russians in the audience understood them. The Don Vocal Four is one of the best vocal choruses to be heard on Broadway. Following the Paramount Stage Orchestra, directed by Lou Kosloff, played a “Russian Fantasy,” which was very beautiful. The Ormonde Sisters rendered an original arrangement of the Parade of the Tin Soldiers which was most effective and well done. This met with great applause and the girls were recalled again and again. The Berkoff Girls danced the “Rope Dance” while one of the Don Vocal Four sang "A Russian Lullaby.” The Berkoff Girls are undoubtedly gifted with a marvelous sense of rhythm and of balance. Lou Kosloff then directed the orchestra in a piece “I Love My Volga Boatman.” The men donned Russian faces behind which were megaphones through which they sang. The Ormonde Sisters appeared in blue costume •and sang “My Blue Heaven.” These three girls seemed to strike a sympathetic chord in the majority of the audience who recalled them repeatedly. The Berkoff Girls appeared again in a dance number followed by Frieda and Louis Berkoff in dance numbers of their own and then in dance numbers with their girls. The Don Vocal Four closed the presentation with “Rose of the Volga,” sung in Russian, assisted by the entire company. Kansas City Midland Week Ending December 23 “Dancin’ Around,” by Irving Berlin, was the stage feature at Loew’s Midland which featured Jack Sidney this week, Sidney acting as master of ceremonies. The Midland Rockets, which are Marie Kelley’s dancing girls, again were seen in frequent chorus numbers throughout the program. Butler and Leach offered song and dance numbers. The Texas Redheads are seen twice in contrasting numbers, the first being in a “Bowery dance” number and the second in military ball costume. Johnson and Hewitt are a pair of acrobatic dancers who win much applause, while Pauline Gaskins is a veet pocket edition of Sophie Tucker. A medley of selections from "The Student Prince” was played by the Midland Symphony Orchestra, directed by Carbonara, as the overture. STILL ON TOP AND GOING STRONG “My Blue Heaven” (Leo Feist). NEXT BEST SELLERS “Among My Souvenirs” (DeSylva, Brown & Henderson). "The Song Is Ended” (Irving Berlin). “Charmaine” (Sherman Clay). “Just a Memory” (Harms). “Baby Your Mother” (Leo Feist). “The Desert Song” (Harms). MINE, ALL MINE — (Irvin Berlin, Inc.) — Marion Harris is featuring this song with quite a lot of success in “A Night in Spain,” now playing in Chicago. Though I haven’t heard her sing this song, I can imagine, as Miss Harris is one of my favorites. Words by Herman Ruby and Rubey Cowan, music by Sam H. Stept. * * * THERE’S A CRADLE IN CAROLINE— (Henry Waterson) — In my second review of this number I again claim it to be one of the best Dixie songs ever written. Like rare wine, it’s improving with age. Words by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young, music by Fred E. Ahlert. 44* OH LUCINDY — (Chappell-Harms, Inc.) — A typical darky .song that has enough merit to create quite a demand for it. We haven’t had a song like this in some time. Lyrics by Thekla Hollingsworth, melody by Jessie L. Deppen. 444 MY STORMY WEATHER PAL— (A1 Pianta dosi) — The title proves that this waltz song is about “Mother.” A1 Piantadosi, who wrote and also published this one, is also the writer of “Pal of My Cradle Days” and “Curse of an Aching Heart.” 4 * * SOME DAY YOU’LL KNOW (Spier & Coslow) —A pretty little number of the sorry type with a fox trot melody. Words by Sam Coslow, music by Pinkie Hunter and Maurice Spitalny. 4 4 4 HOLLYWOOD ROSE— (Irvin Berlin, Inc.; Written by A1 Jolson and Gus Kahn, not a bad combination. Jolson, who is on the coast making his Vitaphone picture, still found enough time to study the girls of Hollywood and therefore this song. Reminds one of “Broadway Rose,” which had an Eastern setting. * * * DAWN — (Paul Whiteman) — Two well-known writers, Raymond Klages and D. Savino, have given Mr. Whiteman a good piece of material which he no doubt will create quite a demand for. A fox trot ballad. # * # I SCREAM — YOU SCREAM — WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM— (Shapiro Bernstein & Co.) — The house that gave us “Yes, We Have No Bananas,” has just issued this song with 2,000,000 extra choruses, count them. Plenty of laughs and might be another one of those things. By Howard Johnson, Billy Moll and Robert King. 4 * 4 LADY OF HAVANA— (Harms, Inc.)— A pretty Spanish tune. Paul F. Van Loan, one of America’s leading orchestra arrangers, is one of the composers. Saul Bernie and Jack Vail complete the party. This combination of writers has turned out a very meritorious composition. 4 4 4 IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROSES— (Cal De Voll)— A ballad by Harold G. Frost and E. Clinton Keithley, who have written a lot of good numbers. John Steel says it’s a beautiful song, and to back up this statement, he’s singing it. • • • Success for the New Year.