Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

50 EXHIBITORS HERALD -WORLD January 12, 1929 W PRESENTATION ACTS Stereotyped Units Are Not Clicking STAGE SHOWS Chicago Tivoli Week Ending January 11 Frankie Masters at the Norshore wae a bis hit and attraction. Masters at the "Tower was another hit and Masters now at the Tivoli Ls proving to be a drawing card of both female and male sex. Go into the Tivoli any time and you will see all the front seats filled with girls casting dreamy eyes on that handsome band leader. Masters. This week's show was called. "Green Grass" although the weather thermometer outside registered 4 above. The 12 Foster Girls started out with a little hoofing and another little girl did a few spins that got a big hand "A Southern Vanity" was played by the orchestra and Masters sang the chorus. To make it complete the Trombone player. Drummer and Masters sang a melody that clicked. This trio no doubt should be used again for they harmonize well together. The Three Slate Brothers showed the audience some classy dancing. The trio started out with a plain dance, then did a better one and finished with a corking applause. Vivian and Rossette, love singeis. helped out by the Foster Girls, were a nice part of the program. The two did not receive enough applause for their act. Eight here the orchestra played, "Doing the Raccoon." It must be said that this orchestra offers one some hot numbers and novelties are their specialties. This number was good but "Must You Wear a Mustache," by the same orchestra will never be forgotten. Handers and Mills, a pair of comedians that are above the average offered a ten minute act of jokes and funny stunts. They hit and the orchestra played to start another act. The claps stopped. The ending was an eye opener. Two horses running on a treadmill proved a real novelty and it was well staged. It was a pleasing presentation and Masters will stick there. The patrons like him. San Francisco War field Week Ending January 4 Some good gravy was spilled on the stage of the Warfield theatre this week when "Chicken a la King" was offered as the principal attraction on the menu. As usual, this was a Fanchon and Marco presentation, and starred no other than Will King, a local favorite, who held forth here for years with a girl show, and who has a wonderful personal following. With Will King was his old sidekick. Lew Dunbar, and as fine a group of girls a6 has been assembled in some time. The act opened with Rube Wolf and his merry gang holding down the orchestra pit and they offered "Tambourine," arranged for orchestra from the violin number of Fritz Kreisler. Oscar Taylor, barytone, was introduced and sang a couple of songs, while ten dancing girls went through some graceful Oriental steps. If these girls wear the same gauze garments in the sunlight as they do on the stage they deserve the name of Sun-kist Beauties bestowed on them. A solo dancer in black offered an artistic performance to the music of "In a Persian Garden." A charming miss sat on the footlights with Rube Wolf and sang "Don't Be Like That," with Rube helping out with a few of the verses. Will King and company presented "The Three Sons," a skit that brought down the house. This was followed by another comedy offering in which Will King imi>ersonated an old woman, while Lew Dunbar was the husband. The curtain then went up on a cau Hyams {Continued on page Earle Billy Randall Above is a likeness of Billy Randall the singingviolinist-dancer, who just completed his third tour of Publix — at one time Billy was featured in the Gus Edwards Revue and is a product of that star discoverer. Randall has a unique routine and one of the few novelties that is now playing combination theatres. At present he is being featured over the Marcus Loew circuit. Nadina Borgi Booked Nadina Borgi, famous European soprano, is being featured in an elaborate singing act called, "The Mediterranean Singers." The ensemble consists of fourteen splendid voices ranging all the way from jazz to opera. Four of them also bear the title of Count and Countess. This attraction will soon be seen in deluxe picture theatres. ROY DIETRICH "The SUver Voiced Director" Featuring STAGEBAND PRESENTATIONS At the "Playhouses of the World" Rotating Between CAPITOL and AVALON CHI'JAGO Moven.ue. Book Better Acts WithBandshows On Long Tour Give Masters of Ceremonies More Leeway — Revamp Shows Along the Route By A. RAYMOND GALLO Does the public like syndicated stageshows in picture theatres? You have probably asked this question of yourself many times especially if you are a theatre owner or a theatre manager. Of course if you are an exhibitor of a chain theatre circuit it will not do you much good to even think about it for you will receive these syndicated units until the "powers" deem it advisable to make a change. We have always contended that a syndicated idea cannot and will not work successful in the entertainment field for the simple reason that a show put together in New York loses all its flavor and freshness by the time it gets to Chicago. We have tried to reason this matter out with the important executives on the various circuits and for a while things were going along smoothly with a local producer stationed in each territory. However since that time, which is close to a year ago, some efficiency expert has gotten the noble idea into his head that if Sears & Roebuck can manufacture suits on a carload basis and sell through the mail all over the country, why not work the same arrangement in the presentation field. That has been the main downfall of chain theatre operation and by that we mean that one individual or a group of individuals have tried to force the same type of entertainment, fashioned after one model, to everybody in the amusement seeking world. Whether these people were in New York City or Des Moines, Iowa, made no difference, for in accordance with th°;_ way of planning, the show was good enough for anybody. Public Taste Varies All Over There is no question that in every there has been honest intentions behind the moves and production of several stage units, but it seems that since people have been old enough to seek entertainment they have also been different in what they sought, and by that we mean that yo not expect an eastern stage offerin it has taken the public off its feet, to da the same thing in another territory wit' W"