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

February 25, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 39 Chicago Granada Week Ending February 19 Charles Kaley calls his presentation this week, "Lavender and Old Lace." The stage is draped in huge lace drops as two girls, Taylor and Lake, come out to sing, "Beautiful Laces." The band is heard from behind the lace drops. The twelve ballet girls enter in colonial costumes, six of them dressed as men, to do a charming minuet. Then Kaley, dressed in Colonial costume, enters to announce a song and dance team. Sands and Claire, who enter and sing a short song, and then do the "Varsity Drag," as this reporter has never seen it done before. They get a fine applause. Frankie Harriton is next and sings, "Ain't That a Grand and Glorious Feeling," which is quite ordinary, but he brings the house down with a comic stuttering song. He takes three calls and then imitates a small girl 6inging, "Bye Bye Blackbird" for an encore, and then takes another bow. Taylor and Lake, two young lady harmonizers, sing, "Kiss and Make Up," and "Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark." The second wa6 a bit too ambitious for their voices, but they win a fine applause for their efforts. This is followed with a band number, "Without You Sweetheart," with Kaley singing. After the end Kaley is forced to sing it all over again. The Rath Brothers, gymnasts, follow with a good hand balancing act which draws several rounds of good applause. Their act is topnotch but their costumes are a trifle behind the times for presentation policy. Their work is smooth, difficult and pleasing. Kaley next makes a curtain talk in introducing Bee Palmer and her entrance is paved with as much ballyhoo as if she were the Queen of Sheba. It is really a good bit of showmanship. She is accompanied by her piano player, Al Siegel, and Eddie South and his orchestra of several colored boy6. South opens the fireworks by singing "Hallelujah" as it was meant to be sung. Miss Palmer sings several blue songs, one of which is "Sweet Georgia Brown." Her blues failed to make a huge impression. Then she does her dance and had the dance lasted more than a minute or two the house would have caught on fire. The audience didn't get the meaning of her blues interpretations, but they got the meaning of her dance all right. As an encore she 6ings the Jewish song, "Eli, Eli," and this turns out to be her best bit. She puts everything she has into it, and it held the audience spellbound. It was really a fine rendering of the famous song. Then follows a band number in which each member of the orchestra is featured in a bit. This affords high entertainment for the Granada fans and each member of the band comes in for good applause. The finale is like most Kaley finales, being a display of costumes. The twelve Granada girls promenade in beautiful lace gowns as Taylor and Lake sing the opening song, "Beautiful Laces." and again, like most Kaley finales, this one is gorgeously beautiful. San Francisco Warfield Week Ending February 17 This week Rube Wolf, monarch of mirth and melody, took the Warfield audiences to New York, the second stop in a musical journey around the world. The act opened with the playing of "Rose of the Lane," one of his own compositions, and then Jack Hurley, taxicab tenor, sang it. Rube offered to autograph copies of the song bought in the music stores, when brought back with 50 cents. The curtain went up back of the orchestra, revealing a huge book, the first page being marked TYLER MASON "America's Sweetest Singing Blackface Comedian" Still Playing the Best Picture Theatres Direction Wm. Morris Agency "Columbus Circle." New York. The popular Cheer Leaders 6ang and closed with "Rose of the Lane" in which Rube joined. A trip to Greenwich Village was made by merely turning a page and dancing girls gave a colorful performance typical of the 6tudios. Lucille Page offered a barefoot dance, aided by a beautiful scarf, and won hearty applause. Next by subway the audience was taken to Times Square, where Way Watson played the ukulele and sang "Everywhere You Go" and "What'll You Do." The orchestra played "Barbara" and the Cheer Leaders joined in. Different members of the orchestra asked if they couldn't sing of their girls, too, and "Emmy Lou," "K-K-Haty," "Sweet Adeline," "Rose Marie" came in for attention. The Bowery was next visited and the chorus girls did an acrobatic waltz clog. At the Bronx, White and Manning do an acrobatic dance and get a great reception. Next Park Avenue came into view and the orchestra played "Hit the Deck" in honor of Edison Week, although the reason is not evident. The act came to an end with the girls and Cheer Leaders doing a lively dance to the jingle of tambourines in the semi-darkness. Kansas City Midland Week Ending February 17 "Steppin' High" was the title of the stage production at Loew's Midland theatre this week, featuring again Jack Sidney, styled as the "joy boy of K. C." The Midland Concert Orchestra, under Conductor Carbonara, rendered a medley selection as the overture. The Midlanders, composed of members of the regular theatre orchestra, again were seen and heard as the stage orchestral attraction. Hinds and Leonard offered a dance novelty, while the Kitkutas Japs were seen in a tumbling act, which was featured on the bill. Louise and Andrew Carr offered a variety of dance numbers. Arthur Hays at the organ was featured in an illustrated organ solo. Milwaukee Wisconsin Week Ending February 17 "Valentine Vanities" is this week's offering by the Playboys and opens with Billy Meyers singing "When Love Comes Stealing Into My Heart" before a beautiful lace drop. As the drop is parted it discloses the orchestra in white clown suits with red hats and a back drop with a large lighted heart surrounded by smaller red hearts. The Eight English Rockets make their appearance one at a time from a door on either side of the upper stage. As they come on in green costumes, Meyers sings snatches from several sentimental ballads including "Just a Little Love a Little Kiss," and the number ends with Billy singing, "When Love Comes Stealing Into My Heart," and the dancers stepping their stuff, augmented by Ruth Pryor who does a pretty bit of toe dancing. The leader then makes his appearance and tosses paper hearts out to the audience and engages in bits of pleasantry with the audience. He then directs the band as it plays, "Dear, On a Night Like This." with Billy Meyers singing the chorus. Hughie Clark, a large personage with a pleasing personality sings "Everybody Loves My Girl," "Four Walls," and for an encore "Everywhere You Go." He has a good voice and makes a hit with the audience. Now the Eight English Rockets in blue soldier suits with plumes in their military hats do a clever dance number which meets with the approval of all. Their dance is followed by the Kellar Sisters & Brother Lynch, celebrated Brunswick recording artists, who engage in a bit of harmony singing, "You Don't Like It — Not Much," "Just A Memory," and they then sing "Black Bottom" and one of the sisters gives and exhibition of the step. The three voices blend nicely and they interject numerous frills and chords into their songs which make them just a little different than one is accustomed to hearing them sung. They 6ing for an encore, "Henry's Made a Lady Out of Lizzie." The next number, an overture, shows that the Playboys are not above classical music, and the selection is well done. It is the first time in quite awhile that the band has presented a classical number, but the audience appreciated it, judging from the applause it received. Two Black Pots tap dance their way to the audiences applause and to "My Blue Heaven" and "At Sundown," by the Playboys. The two boys are clever, light on their feet, and know how to dust the boards. The grand finale is similar to the opening number with Meyers singing "Dream Kisses," while the Eight English Rockets, this time in red costumes, make their appearance in a similar manner as at the opening of the presentation, and stand aside to allow Ruth Pryor to twinkle her toes. Then they all dance while the band and Art Richter at the organ i carry on the 6ongs to the end. The presentation is well staged and well executed and on a par with those which have gone before. The photoplay is Richard Dix in "Sporting Goods." Philadelphia Carman Week Ending February 18 The Nightingales of Melody, the charming Giersdorf Sisters, headed the bill and delighted the audience with their popular song hits which they put over with individuality and appeal. The attractive personlity of the sisters never fails to make a hit with Philadelphia audiences. Billy Dunn and Violet West offered a series of brilliant dance numbers, including ballroom and classical dancing and several novel dances of their own. George Lyons, the comedian with a harp, amused the audience with his delightful nonsense and his harp music. There was an atmospheric prologue, "On the Banks of the Amazon," in keeping with the feature picture, "The Gateway of the Moon." The Carman Grand Orchestra under the direction of Charles C. Verna, played selections from Victor Herbert's "Fortune Teller." JOHNNIE DEVINE Solo Organist PATIO THEATRE, CHICAGO P. S. Who started this community singing? Why Henri A. Keates, of course. For further scandal watch this space. CORNELIUS MAFFIE Gennett Recording Artist Now Featured Organist at Publix's METROPOLITAN Theatre, HOUSTON, TEXAS ILOMAY BAILEY "The Golden Voiced Prima Donna" Now Touring PUBLIX THEATRES Direction — William Morris Agency