Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

December 28, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 61 May you all have had a very Merry Christmas and may the New Year be the happiest and most prosperous you have ever known, that is my sincere wish for you. The holiday spirit that prevails at this time makes it awfully hard for a mere columnist to get down to the business of the day, but it must be done, so — during this week I saw and feasted my eyes on the "Beau Brummel of Boul Mich," Mr. Cliff Castle (in person, not a motion picture), only Monsieur Castle was not strutting his 6tuff on the well known "Boul Mich" but along our "Fifth ave." Cliff, who is the genial, hard-working (though gentlemanly) manager of the Chicago office of Robbins, had been attending the convention of managers of Robbins Music Corporation, here in New York. Assisting, pardon me, I should say, with him were Phil Wilcox, Sales Representative, Jack Bregman, General Manager, Sig. Bosley, Los Angeles Manager and the host, Jack Robbins. * * * Mr. Louis Bernstein, president of Shapiro, Bernstein's, informed me that Eddie Dowling's new SonoArt picture, "Blaze o' Glory," which is soon to be released, has in it three sensational songs from the pens of James F. Handy, Joe McCarthy, James Brockman and Eddie Bowling, himself. These numbers are : "Wrapped in a Red, Red Rose," "Put a Little Salt on the Bluebird's Tail" and "Doughboy's Lullaby." Jose Bahi has produced the show and made a score in Spanish for this picture. * * * Reports from all over the country, both professionally and commercially, point to at least two, if not three, instantaneous hits from Warner Bros, colossal, all color production, "Show of Shows." "Singin' in the Bathtub" seems to have caught on like wildfire, and though the picture has not been fully released, the demand by the trade and profession is very heavy. "Lady Luck" is the other outstanding number, which, in addition to being sung and themed various times throughout the revue, is also sung by nearly alt* the stars at the finale. « * * Ted Healy, star of "A Night in Venice," has written a song in collaboration with Mitchell Parrish and George Goodwin for Mills Music. It is entitled ("I'll Still Be) True to You," and Ted is featuring the number in the show, which is now on the road. * * * Joe Davis, president of Triangle, has taken over the song, that fifty well known music directors acclaim as the "Greatest singing blues song ever written," and I think it i6, too. . . . The number is "After You've Gone." This is certainly one song that should be revived and it has got into the hands of one of the few men in the business that really can do something with an old timer. » * * Jerome Kern, one of the finest writers in the business, has outdone himself in the score of "Sweet Adeline," which Harm's Inc., are publishing, in the numbers, "Don't Ever Leave Me." "Why Was I Born," "Here Am I" and " 'Twas Not So Long Ago." * * * Sam Serwer, the hustling publicity manager for Witmark and Sons, deserves a lot of credit for the original and clever exploitation stunt which he has devised in conjunction with a well known hot water heater concern in Chicago. . . . Three-sheet posters will be plastered all over different cities, singing the praises of "Singin' in the Bathtub" for "Show of Shows" and the heater. On the exploitation pages of this issue you can see reproductions of the posters. * * * Leo Feist, Inc., have published the entire score for Betty Compson's latest Tiffany-Stahl all talking production, "Woman to Woman." The numbers are: "Sunshine of My Heart," "To You" and "Parisian Doll." These are three numbers that should go a long way and gain a lot of popularity. ORGAN SOLOS Preston Sellers (Chicago, Oriental) offers a variety of pleasing numbers in this week's organ solo. The usual titled slides being shown on the screen are more clever than usual, and are timely set. He opens with a snappy number "Turn On the Heat," followed with that popular song hit "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine," which is beautifully done and receives a fine hand. His next is a novelty entitled "Singing in the Snow," to the music of "Singing in the Rain," as Commander Byrd at the South Pole might sing it. This kept the house in a constant uproar as the words are really very humorous. Sellers next offers "Love Me," the theme song of Gloria Swanson's most recent picture "The Trespasser." This above all the others seems to be the favorite of the audience. He closes his solo with "Tip Toe Through the Tulips," which he offers in his usual pleasing manner. Glen Shelley (Tebbetts Oriental, Portland) now offers a pre-matinee concert daily, his program being largely made up of request numbers. This is in addition to his regular organ solos. Scored heavily with gems of Victor Herbert's "Fortune Teller" "Blue Danube Waltz" "Kamennoi Ostrow" and "Trees." Harold Ramsay (Minneapolis, Minnesota Publix), who came here recently, is pleasing audiences each week with his organ solos. This week Ramsay presented "Talent for the Talkies." His first selection "You Were Meant for Me" he introduced as being a test only for the girls in the audience. Very few Minneapolis sopranos could have been in the audience for very little response was noted. His next selection, "The Pagan Love Song," was a test for the male voices in the audience. In this the men showed no superiority over their girl companions. The final selection "I'll Always Be in Love With You" was, as Harold suggested, a test for both male and female voices. The response to this was much better. The response of the audience in singing can not be taken as an estimate of their appreciation of these organ solos, for at the conclusion they demonstrated their approval by a very hearty applause. Herbie Koch (Omaha Paramount) closed his program with "Merry Christmas from Herbie," and while this was not featured as such, it really was his farewell to the city. He opened just a year ago this week and has played here for twelve months except for the interim when an attempt was made to present all sound entertainment, when HerSie was transfered to Denver. The Omaha audiences demanded him back. Koch is going to the Paramount at Des Moines for eight weeks, after which he will tour the circuit. He i6 being succeeded here by Can Maffie, coming from the Denver theatre at Denver and opening December 26. Herbie's closing program here was the Christmas tree effect, lights on the tree flickering on as the audiences joined him in familiar Yuletide songs. fife. Hy C. Geis (Jersey City Stanley) billed as "The Eiffel Tower of Melody," offered one of his own original community song fests, called, "Everybody Sing, Smile and Be Happy." Hy opened his pleasing solo with a special explanatory slide which gave the reasons why one should be happy, sing, etc. The first number for the audience to sing was, "Singin' in the Rain." This was followed by a chorus of "Wouldn't It Be Wonderful," which the married folk sang, then "If I Can't Have You" by the single folk. For the fiinale, Geis had the entire audience sing, a rather old timer, which had been requested. This number was "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," and at its finish, the audience applauded their approval and gratification. THEME SONGS "Devil May Care" is the eagerly anticipated Ramon Novarro operetta, with music by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart. The songs featured therein are "The Shepherd's Serenade," "Charming," "March of the Old Guards" and "If He Cared." "Lord Byron of Broadway" features in its cast Charles Kaley, Ethelind Terry, Cliff Edwards, Benny Rubin, Gwen Lee and Marion Shilling. The songs, by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, are "The Woman in the Shoe." "Should I," "A Bundle of Old Love Letters" and "Only Love Is Real." BEST SELLERS Week Ending December 21 No. i "Tip Toe" — (M. Witmark & Sons). No. 2 "Painting the Clouds" — (M. Witmark & Sons). No. 3 "Singing in the Rain" — (Robbins Music Corp.). No. 4 "Love, Your Spell" — (Irving Berlin). No. 5 "All That I'm Asking Is Sympathy" — (Joe Morris). "Love Me"— (Leo Feist). "H'lo Baby" — (George & Arthur Piantadosi). No. 6 "If I Had a Talking Picture"— (De Sylva, Brown & Henderson) . "Congratulations" — (Green & Stept). "Aren't We AW — (De Sylva, Brown & Henderson). "My Sweeter than Sweet"— (Harms). "Piccolo Pete" — (J. W. Jenkins). No. 7 "Through" — (Donaldson, Douglas & Gumble). "Satisfied" — (Leo Feist). "Lonely Troubadour" — (Santly Bros, Inc.). "Chant of the Jungle" — (Robbins Music Corp.). "I May Be Wrong" — (Ager, Yellen & Bornstein) . "Rio Rita" — (Leo Feist). "Just You, Just Me" — (Robbins Music Corp.). "Am I Blue" — (Witmark & Sons). "SHARE YOUR LIPS WITH ME CHERIE" — (Davis Coots & Engel) — A French song that has been adapted for this country. An excellent melody and lyric. Orig. French version by Emile A. Bruguiere, melody by Jesse Crawford, lyric by Pat Ballard. * * * "TILL YOUR HAPPINESS HAPPENS ALONG" — (Ager Yellen & Bornstein) — A cheer up song of the type that always sells. With the stock market in its present condition we need a lot of these songs to cheer everybody. Words by Annette Hanshaw, music by Jack Miller. * * 4 "WHY"— (Davis Coots & Engel)— The hit song of the Eastern production (not a picture) entitled SONS OF GUNS and starring Jack Donahue. Written as a double number in typical production style. Words and music by Arthur Swanstrom, Benny Davis and J. Fred Coots. * » * "PLEASE COME BACK TO ME"— (Gene Austin, Inc.) — The publisher of this song and also the melody writer is none other than Gene Austin, the famous radio and Victor recording star, Will no doubt start this song single handed, as it's a very good number. Words by Eugene West, music by Gene Austin. * * * "A LITTLE KISS EACH MORNING (A Little Kiss Each Night)" — (Harms, Inc.) — The big song of the first Rudy Vallee picture. THE VAGABOND LOVER. A typical Vallee song and with his popularity should go a long ways. Words and musie by Harry Woods. » » » "DUSTY ROAD" — (Remick Music Corp.)— This title reminds you of the summertime in the country. Is also the name of one of Ted Fiorita's Versatile Musicians. The boys who wrote this song have written some of our biggest hits, so this one has a good chance. By Lew Pollack and Ted Fiorita.