Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

46 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 20, 1928 W PRESENTATION ACTS Stageshows Here to Stay — Marco STAGE SHOWS Minneapolis Minnesota Week Ending October 13 "Step Right Along," the stage presentation at the Minnesota this week, is infectious. It catches the audience with its humor, snatches of song, and snappy dances. The Foster Boys and Girls are just as pleasing to the eye and just as well trained as ever. They open with a cute number in blue and gold. The men, dressed in blue, face forward, while the girls, dressed in yellow, come out from the wings with their backs to the audience. A dance on the order of a military drill follows which reveals that the suits of all the dancers have blue fronts and yellow backs. Bee Sarche is out next with several songs which she gives in a not half bad voice. Miss Sarche, however, might improve her method of entrance. She is a bit too business-like. There is a hint of the tomboy stride that doesn't fit in with the "sweet young thing" character she is portraying. With "Deep River" Al Mitchell and the Serenaders make their official bow. Al takes the boys through the "Deep River" and then lets them come back with famous river songs. The violinists play "Missouri River," the banjoists. "Beautiful Ohio," bass tuba, "Beautiful Blue Danube," slide trombones, "Muddy Waters." and the pianist confesses to no river song but substitutes instead "By the Waters of Minnetonka." The Four Dictators complete the song presentation by giving an excellent presentation. The young men have fine stage voices, easily understood, carrying well, and at the same time pleasant to the ear. The Foster Boys and Girls come on with an old fashioned and quaint dance number which offers the extreme in contrasts to Frances Wills, the acrobatic dancer of their party who arrives on the stage via a basket contraption from the bridge of the stage. Miss Wills is one of the finest acrobatic dancers seen in a long time, and this includes dancers of both sexes. For limberness, grace, and variety of stunts, there is hardly an equal. Her crowning achievement is the back bend in which she clasps her right ankle in her right hand, making forward somersaults by throwing herself onto the left hand. Bob, Bob, and Bobbie, two tramp comedians and n smart dog. give a new turn to old jugglers' tricks. The Foster Boys and Girls close with another dance, which is only fair compared to their first two numbers, but good, nevertheless. Meet "Doc" Webb Boston Metropolitan Week Ending October 12 John Murray Anderson's revue. "Blue Grass," comprising Rosette, the Slate Brothers, the 12 Foster Girls and John Thomas, presented a lively whirlwind of songs and dances. Gene Rodemich, as master of ceremonies, added to the pleasing entertainment. Gene's band featured with several musical numbers which revealed the various abilities of the men comprising his band. The curtain went up on Rosette singing, with Rodemich's band in the background behind a thin golden curtain. The curtain slowly arose as Rosette's «ong came to an end and revealed the band dressed in light tan summer uniforms. Gene then made his appearance and wan greeted long and loudly by the patrons. His band played a snappy musical number. "Too Busy." The Slate Brothers featured with a series of tap dances which were clever and loudly applauded by the patrons. The Footer Girls, dressed in party dresses, presented old time dance steps. Two other times they (Continued on fage AS) After creating a demand for his services over KOIL, one of the largest radio stations in the State of Nebraska, Louis Webb, better known as "Doc," took over the organ duties at the Rialto theatre in Omaha — his success there was more than he expected and in 1925 be transferred his place of business to the Marshall Square theatre, Chicago, where he now is celebrating his third year as featured organist. Webb has won for himself the title of "the organist with original ideas and solos," and for that reason he is called "Doc" by his many friends. Victor Grabs Sam Coslow Sam Coslow, part of the firm of Spier & Coslow, music publishers, and known as the Broadway Minstrel, just made his debut as a Victor recording artist in New York. His first release met with such success and approval of the executives that he is being sent on tour on a coast-to-coast tour which will be broadcasted over all highpowered stations in the following towns: Chicago. Minneapolis, Omaha. Kansas City, Denver and Los Angeles. Tune in on Sam and hear his latest successor to "Was It a Dream" called "My Window of Dreams." Cordon Back at Lawndale Don Cordon, formerly a featured organist with the Coston circuit, has returned to the Lawndale Theatre, Chicago, as solo organist. Don originally opened the Lawndale a year ago when it presented a policy of pictures and stagehand shows. "Paradise," a Theme Song The Sam Fox Music Compiiny of New York and Clevelnnd have released the theme song for the Paramount film railed "The Wedding March." The song will be known as "Paradise" and is an originnl composition of J. S. Zamecnik, the chief scorer and musical editor of the publishing firm. Film Prologues Have Healthy Future Ahead Presentation Is a Natural Growth In Answer to Public Demand As told by MARCO of Fanchon & Marco Far from being on the verge of being cast into oblivion, as some motion picture producers are opining, the stage presentation introducing films, is yet in its infancy, with a healthy life before it. Such is the opinion of Marco, of Fanchon and Marco "Ideas" fame, who is supervising the stage productions for some 40 playhouses reaching from San Diego to Vancouver, and from Salt Lake City to San Francisco for West Coast Theatres, Inc. If the fact that the Fanchon and Marco producing organization has a pay roll of some $125,000 weekly and employs in the neighborhood of 3,000 persons was not a sufficient argument of the present state of health of the infant, Marco offers a few more evidences as to its permanency. "The motion picture presentation is not a mushroom idea that sprang into being, but a natural growth or development in answer to a demand on the part of the amusement seeking public," slates Marco. "About five years ago. when I first was called in to take up the problem of augmenting the films with stage entertainment, the theatre managers were aware that the public was demanding more diversity of entertainment. "No matter how good a motion picture program was provided, it was evident that the public were wearying of sitting through three hours of solid concentration on a black and white screen, with no color or perspective to vary the monotony. The Public Wants Life and Color "Our first revues with only eight girls and one or two principals substantiated our idea that what the public wanted was a little life and color in the entertainment to vary the tension on the optic nerve and the mental visualization necessary to follow the motion picture plot. In other words, something