Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 11, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 59 W MUSIC AND TALENT Chicago Set for Vaudeville Treat STAGE SHOWS Chicago State-Lake Week Ending October 3 Here is a bill so uniformly good that it is hard to find any act that stands above the rest in merit and just as hard to find one that is outstandingly bad. Don Zelaya, a pianist with a classical bent, but one who also handles jazz like an artist, was a big hit, there can be no mistake about that. Coming onto the stage he launched into a discussion of music, why certain people like certain types of music, how it all started and so on. In fact, he gave an evolution of music. Then he sat down at his grand piano to illustrate. Perhaps his most interesting number was a jazz version of Chopin's funeral march. Freddie Smith and June Rogers gave a pleasing performance in loose-jointed dancing, never cracking a smile or uttering a word all the while. Their eyes and their feet did the work. From the ugliest to the happiest feelings — all were expressed in their eys. Miss Rogers did a solo dance that deserved a lot of applause — and got it. A pleasing style of "radio singing" was introduced by the Keller Sisters and Lynch, who overflowed with harmony. Their voices blended into an excellent trio. As the curtain went up they stood before a fake microphone, which was really a spotlight two or three feet in front of them. The costumes of the two girls and Lynch gave ideal atmosphere in the powerful light. Among their songs were "Where'd You Get Those Eyes," "If I Had a Girl Like You" and "Miniature Golf." One of the sisters also danced while the other played the piano and Lynch the saxophone. Buster West and Company was the name of an act by a youth named West, but Buster was pretty nearly the whole act. He and a partner are apparently men of the navy out in search of a good time. They don't have to go far to find it. Buster is not only a very good clown but an excellent acrobat. He even tries to sing, and actually makes a success of yodelling. Bert Ford and Pauline Price, a pair of tight wire artists, offer diversion in the program. Their way of introducing it is clever. Two huge telephones are shown in the background, holding between them a taut wire. Ford comes out on the stage carrying a small telephone. He gives the effect of receiving a telephone call for his partner, Miss Price, and promises he will put her on the wire, which he does, but on the taut wire. Together they go through a series of stunts on the wire and Ford winds it up by dancing to music with a large parasol for balance. Bob O'Brien leads the RKO-lians in the overture. San Francisco Fox Week Ending October 9 Jan Rubini comes to the Fox this week as guest conductor of the Grand Concert Orchestra, pinch hitting for Walt Roesner, who is still in the East. The offering is selections from "Faust" and is presented without the usual tableau or vocal artist. The closing strains are particularly effective and arouse such applause that an encore is necessary. The stage show of Fanchon and Marco, entitled "Rhythm-A-Tic," is presented with the orchestra in the pit and is marked by some especially good ensemble work on the part of the Georgia Lane Dancers and by some remarkable feats of memory and concentration by Harry Kahne. An airplane landing field forms the opening scene and when the whirring of motors comes to an end girl aviators in the garb of 1996 appear and do an ultra modern dance. This scene fades into a [Continued on next page, column 2) This is a perfect likeness of the two boys who have been the talk of the country for the last two years. They incorporated their talents, sold the idea to Paramount Publix, and in the early part of 1928 opened at the PublixSeattle theatre, where they met with success. Their "Baby Console" idea (which was discussed in last week's issue of Exhibitors HeraldWorld) gave them added prestige, and Fox finally got hold of them and brought them East, where they are meeting with the same kind of success. Incidentally, they are bachelors (and eligible, too). \jM hello folks: arlo speaking, straight organ solos still go over with the aid of a "mike," chatter and singing. arlo hults organist Chester theater, new york city RKO Palace Has Unusual New Schedule Four Marx Brothers, Jack Pearl, Ruth Etting, Irene Bordoni Among Those Coming In conjunction with its picture policy, the RKO Palace theatre in Chicago has an unusual lineup of vaudeville talent scheduled for the coming months, a lineup which will give Chicago the cream of the profession, to all appearances. The Palace, which last Spring adopted a picture policy, as a supplement to the regular vaudeville program, will now be the only house in Chicago showing vaudeville, as the State and Lake theatre, a former vaudeville house has been slated for a straight run picture policy, the idea behind this change being that the two houses were in useless competition with each other, and consequently, it was decided to put all effort into developing the calibre of vaudeville at the Palace. Thus, a rather amazing series of appearances are set for the coming season, heading which series is Olsen and Johnson, who began their week's appearance on October 6. This pair is very popular in Chicago, and with a new line of gags in a revised act, they have been going over big. Following them comes Ruth Etting the week of October 11. Irene Bordoni, piquant star of "Paris" will arrive for a week's engagement on October 18, with a new series of songs. On October 25, the Watson Sisters, and on November 1, Dave Appolon, known for his versatility in the realm of song and terpsichore, will give his first performance of a week of appearances. Following him, on November 8, the blackfaced comedy team, Moran and Mack, who recently finished their film entitled "Anybody's War," will entertain during a week's stay, with a brand new batch of foolishness calculated to tickle the funny bones of Chicago. On November 15, Gus Van, carrying on for that famous team, Van and Schenck, is the headliner for a week's stay, and after him, on November 22, comes one of the big treats of the season, the 4 Marx Brothers, with all the foolishness in the world, and most of it new. November 29 is the date set aside for the appearance of Tom Patricola, and following Tom, Jack Pearl is scheduled for a seven day stay, beginning December 6. The next week, beginning December 13, an All Girl Show is the story, featuring that very clever entertainer Rae Samuels, and also Babe Egan and Her Red Heads, who will probably burn up the stage with their hot music. And on December 20, the Weaver Brothers will be here for a week's stay.