Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1928)

February 11, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 41 which Dave announced Margaret Ball, who did a high kicking dance. Straight band number, special arrangement by Ferdie Grofe, of a popular number, scored. Mills and Shea, comedy acrobatics. Byron Sisters, with a special pianist, and Freddie Hill, all got away nicely with a flash finale sending the public away happy. Overture played was "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Dick Leibert did "Day Is Done" three different ways for his solo. Pittsburgh Grand Week Ending February 4 With a long feature picture this week, "Shepherd of the Hills," the two acts booked cut their time down to a minimum with Ann Popove, violinist^singing one number and doing a violin chorus then going into Russian dancing while playing the fiddle which terminated her short act to a nice hand. The other act was the Rehan and Faye Revue which included six girls and a pianist besides the two dancers the act is named for. The opening bit had the six girls doing a waltz with the pianist 6inging. Then followed a waltz by Rehan and Faye. The pianist then soloed by singing "Muddy Waters" which got beet hand on entire act. Six girls on again for a Raggedy Ann dance followed by Rehan and Faye doing a fast finish, all on stage at finale. Overture was "Countess Maritza" selection but the absence of David Broudy was missed as director. Hodge Podge and newsreel also seen. Denver Denver Week Ending February 3 Lou Forbes and His Jazzical Stagehand in a stage production entitled "Shadowland" assisted by a well balanced group of performers put on plenty of merry entertainment at the Denver theatre this week in connection with Ruth Taylor in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." The Denver Theatre Grand Orchestra opened the show under the direction of Joseph Klein by playing "William Tell." The piece with its crashing crescendos and varying moods was presented in high class fashion and was well received. The Foster Dancers, 16 in number, appeared in white costumes against an ebony drop which was very effective. They presented something entirely new for these parts in their aerial ballet on trapese and rings. Roy Rogers, tumbler extraordinary, furnished plenty of amusement with his freakish tumbling stunts. Someday he will break his neck. Collins and Hart also go in for some aerial thrills, pure comedy in front where you can 6ee the wire support of the man on top but breath-taking for those in the rear until the secret is out. Another something very new for the cash customers here was the performance of Pauline Alpert who with her piano flys all over the stage playing musical numbers. Miss Alpert makes records for Victor. Lou Forbes and his musical crowd are on the job every minute during the entire presentation adding harmony and keeping things lively. Mr. Forbes opens playing "Me and My Shadow" while silhoutted against a white drop. The Denver theatre presentations are already the talk of the town and filling the 3,000 seats nightly. There is no question here about Publix for sure shot entertainment. Kansas City Midland Week Ending February 3 Pat Rooney and his family held the spotlight in the stage program at the Midland this week in a skit titled, "Bring Your Family to See Our Family." Pat, Mrs. Rooney and Pat Rooney 3rd, made up the act, which was confined almost chiefly to dancing. Pat Rooney 3rd exhibiting clever imitation of the steps made famous by his father. The Midland Rockets, composed of dancing girls from Marie Kelley's Dancing School of Kansas City, again were frequently seen at intervals in the program. Hines and Smith had a dancing and a vocal number. Jack Sidney, as usual, filled the role as master of ceremonies, rendering his usual vocal selection which was applauded liberally throughout the week. The Midlanders, composed of members of the Midland Concert Orchestra, again were seen and heard as the stage orchestral attraction. The regular orchestra, under Director Carbonara, rendered a medley selection as the overture. Arthur Hays, organist, offered an illustrated organ solo. Kansas City Mainstreet Week Ending February 3 "The Fountain of Melody" was the title of the stage presentation at the Mainstreet this week in which Walter Davison and His Louisville Loons were featured for their thirty-second consecutive week. The Loons rendered popular selections as an overture. Ray and Harrison were seen in vocal and dance numbers, while Reed and Levere had a novelty act to offer. Jack Pepper had a dialogue number replete with humor, dance and vocal numbers. "Sugar" proved to be another novelty act which met with approval. The Four Chocolate Dandies offered vocal and dance numbers, spiced with humorous dialogue. Des Moines Capitol Week Ending January 28 Probably the most uniciue stunt ever attempted on a motion picture theatre stage in Des Moines, or anywhere in the country, was successfully put over at the Capitol when Herbert Lee Koch, organist, played the Wurlitzer by "remote control" as a part of the bill, "Listening In." The spotlight was directed on the organ console but Koch was not in sight. He played popular music, however, and appeared on the stage for a hand immediately after his last number. The secret of the stunt was not made public although the management promised that it would be reaveled during the show a week later. A great amount of comment was generated by this performance. Dolores and Eddy entertained with dance eccentricities. Carlos and Inez, ballroom dancers, made much of their graceful movements. The radio girl6 with Jerome Mann were popular. The girls with their ensemble dancing and Mann with his engaging character songs and dances. Herman and Seaman did a comedy acrobatic, pleasing when it was not too suggestive. Paul Spor and his band gave a laugh making rendition of, "Henry Made a Lady Out of Lizzie." "The Private Life of Helen of Troy," was the feature. San Francisco Warfield Week Ending February 3 The stage presentation this week was billed as "Hoke" and Rube Wolf and his merry makers lived up to the name in real Barnum fashion. The curtain announced this leader as the greatest showman since the famous Barnum and as soon as it went up Rube came running out on the stage as the Cheer Leaders, a quartette of young men, started singing "Among My Souvenirs." A huge fan in colors formed the background for the act. Gae's Sweet Sixteen Girls, 10 in number, danced and posed to "The Dream Melody," with two of them offering a specialty. Johnnie Dove, who dances on roller skates, gave a truly wonderful performance. Maxine Doyle, held over from last week, sang "What'll You Do?" with Rube assisting her by making funny noises and dancing. Both received a great hand and Maxine thanked the audience. Harry Verne, a singer, offered "It's Raining Tonight" and "Without You Sweetheart," together with a character sketch written by a group of McAllister street boys. He was recalled three times but offered no encore. lew White Chief Organist :3p Exclusive Brunswick Artist Gae's Sweet Sixteen Girls and the Cheer Leaders, assisted by members of the orchestra, danced the Varsity Drag, the Cheer Leaders showing unexpected terpsichorean attainments. The act came to a close with the offering of solo numbers by different members of the orchestra to discover what instrument the audience likes best. There were trumpet, saxophone, oboe, xylophone and harp solos, with an excruciatingly funny argument between the harpist and a jealous fellow musician. Rube Wolf ended the fun and music fest with a selection from "page eight of the green book." San Francisco Granada Week Ending February 3 A Fanchon and Marco "Lampshade" idea ilium inated the stage entertainment at the Granada thi week, this feature fitting in well with winter nights and rainy weather. Owen Sweeten headed the stage presentation as master of ceremonies and directed the Synco-Symphonists in several telling numbers, including "Rain," the overture to "William Tell," played in bizarre style, "A Shady Tree" and "Together We Two." In "A Shady Tree" he played a trumpet solo. The Sunkist Beauties offered something new in costumes, everyone a lampshade, with designs ranging from grotesque Oriental shades to those of Colonial days, or the dainty French boudoir shades of today. The animated illuminated lamps, weaving in the graceful movements of the dance, presented a beautiful picture. The headliners of the act, and deservedly so, were the Original Cansinos, two Castillian dancers whose art has won them international stage fame. They offered the "Dance of the Whip," the "Sombrero Dance" and "La Jota," three wonderful numbers. David Reese, a silver voiced tenor, was entertaining, and Lewis and Kellogg, girls doing simultaneous dancing, received a full measure of applause. Don and Dorina also offered a dance, a rather unsual one, entitled "The Dance of the Flame." Director Owen Sweeten demonstrated that he can sing as well as lead an orchestra and joined with three of the Syneo-symphonists in presenting a vocal number. MARK FISHER Featured Band Leader IN LUBLINER & TRINZ Stage Bandshows Rotating at SENATE and HARDING Theatres, CHICAGO UNIFORMS FOR HOUSE ATTACHES COSTUMES FOR STAGE PRESENTATIONS BROOKS 1437 B'way N. Y. City