Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

December 27, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALDWORLD 45 Organ's Path 20 Years Ago Was Uncertain; Now a Feature (Continued from page 42, column 1) Wallace, who is familiarly known as Ollie, was born in England, coming to this country when he was 16. He married, and now has two charming daughters. His wife is also a musician, and incidentally an organist, and formerly she was on the faculty of the school of music at the University of Washington. In a number of statements which this pioneer of "organizing" made concerning the theatre and the reactions of people to music connected with the program, were included the following : "People today are restless. They want variety in music, as in everything else. They like to be lulled one minute with a dreamy melody, arid the next jolted in their seats with thunderous volume." And expressing a rather ultra-modern view concerning the coming of television, Mr. Wallace said : "Not so many years from now there will be only one or two large theatres in each of the major cities. They will cater principally to transient patrons. Television will give every family its own theatre." Wallace is a devotee of the far northwest, and much prefers it to the comparative languor of the southern states, where, he declares, "most of the scenery is made by man." Several attractive offers have been made him, but he would rather live on the Pacific slope. It is said that this advent at any of the leading first run houses on the Coast is a great stimulus to the box office, and he numbers both his visible and radio audiences by the thousands. Now Nebraska Paramount Houses on Coast-to-Coast Vaudeville Route (Special to the Herald-World) OMAHA, Dec. 26. — Nebraska's outside ParamountPublix theatres have been placed on the coast-tocoast route of the Publix vaudeville unit stage shows. Presentation will be fortnightly. Theatres which again are to have vaudeville include those operated by the corporation in Grand Island, Fremont, Norfolk, Columbus, Hastings, Kearney and North Platte, according to an announcement made by E. R. Cummings, Omaha division manager. Since August, 1929, the Capitol at Grand Island ha6 had no regular vaudeville, while the Paramount's theatres in the other Nebraska cities named have had none since October, 1929. The opening presentations for the outside circuit will be as follows: Fremont, Dec. 30 ; Grand Island, Dec. 31-Jan. 1 ; North Platte, Jan. 2-3 ; Kearney, Jan. 4-5 ; Columbus, Jan. 6; Hastings, Jan. 7-8; and Norfolk, Jan. 9-10. The unit goes to Iowa from Norfolk. Comprising thi6 first show are 15 people, Miss Dorothy Bush, popular "mistress of ceremonies," being featured with Johnny Ashton's band, described as a versatile group of peppy musicians who have earned an enviable reputation over the various vaudeville circuits of the country. F-M Stage Shows in the Portland Paramount On New Year's Eve (Special to the Herald-World) PORTLAND, Dec. 26. — J. J. Parker, president of Fox Portland Theatres, Inc., has appointed Charles E. Couche as assistant general manager of the company. Couche will install a new policy of FanchonMarco stage shows in the Paramount theatre on New Year's Eve. As assistant manager, Couche will have supervision over the Fox Broadway, Paramount. Rialto and Fox Hollywood theatres. ORGAN SOLOS WESLEY LORD | Omaha Paramount), "There Is a Santa Claus" was the theme of his organ program. Projected upon the screen during the organ concert were words for the audience to follow. The screen setting was in a blue color motif, with evergreens covered with snow as a background for the words. A bit of verse was first offered, the initial letters of which spelled P-U-B-L-I-X done as a neat advertising stunt and apparently received unawares by Paramount guests of the week, generally. Giving presents to the theatre's personnel was the theme of the song, in which the audience was asked to join. Because of its humorous vein, the song response from the audience was good. So the guests at this week's show "sang" their presents to the ushers, to the motion picture operators and stage hands and, last but not least, came the request upon the screen from Mr. Lord, "Now sing me a present and make it a good one." To this the response closed with the line, "We Can't Give Anything But Love." MILTON CHARLES (Mastbaum Philadelphia) at the organ, which was decorated with a huge, illuminated Christmas wreath, sang and played "Heilige Nacht" and "Adeste Fideles," with a stage presentation in color of the latter as the words were sung by the Mastbaum Singing Ensemble. In lighter vein, Milton Charle6 played and sang into the mike "Baby's Birthday Party." He then announced a surprise and drawing aside the center of the wreath above the organ, disclosed a small girl of about three years, who sang "Boop, Boop a Doop" in the most approved Helen Kane style, singing as an encore "I Have to Have You." LEONARD SMITH (Avalon Chicago), who must each week orginate his own solo, presented a very original and novel stunt this week. It was entitled "My Name is Smith," with clever material and gags using Smith Brothers and Al Smith and calling himself the Songsmith. On the console of the organ in large letters in a box the length of the console the name Smith was spelled, and when the audience sang "Sunnyside Up" the S lighted, "It Happened in Monterey" the M, "I'm Confessin' " the I, "The Kiss Waltz" the T, and "Happy Days" the H. Very cleverly executed and the audiences' appreciation was shown by the applause. Leonard has been at the Avalon since it first opened three years or so ago, and is more popular today than ever before. Each of his solos are originated by himself and each satisfies the audience. LEO WEBER (San Antonio Texas) played the following song slide numbers for the Fourth Anniversary Show recently held at the Texas theatre, a Publix house: "Dardenella," "Washington Post March," "Halleluiah," "The Kiss Waltz." "St. Louis Blues," "Swanee River," and then wound up with 'You Darlin'." A slide preceding these selections announced where Weber was when he featured these solos on the organ. All in all this was a clever idea of his and he put it over in the usual well-liked manner. ARTHUR GUTOW (Publix Fisher Detroit) has been shifted from the Michigan this week to the outlying house, and as his organ number offers "Who Lost the Lost Chord." The slides start out with "Good Evenin' ", and swing into "Sweetheart of My Student Days," with a vocalist singing from the organ chamber, causing the audience to look everywhere except at the screen. "Make You Happy" is the final song offered. The number is not up to Gutow's usually outstanding specialties. HARVEY HAMMOND (Kansas City Midland) is the boy who is bringing organ music back to Kansas City in such a big way that the management at Loew's Midland has been getting phone calls daily from patrons congratulating the theatre upon the return of the feature. No organists or audience singing have been heard around town for a year or two, despite the popularity of this feature in other cities, but the Midland hopes to stage a return to favor with Harvey Hammond. Harvey had several gumi parodies prepared for this week, particularly one od "Sing You Sinners" which he called, "Sing You Singers" in order to entice the audience into warbling with him. He called for contributions from patrons in the way of parodies upon popular songs, the best of which he promised to use. After the parodies, Harvey fell back upon some of the real old favorites of days gone by, such as "School Days," "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "Swanee River," and "Smiles." Given a few weeks time to get folks brushed up, he should have us all singinn again out here in Kansas City. JOHNNY MITCHELL (Warner's Enright Philadelphia) calls his organlogue "Gold Diggers," and starts out with a parody on "Go Home and Tell Your Mother," with the boys and girls alternating on the song lines. This is followed by "I Remember You from Somewhere" (an old favorite here). Next comes another parody on "That's All It Takes to Make Me Happy." And still another parody, called "The Gold Digger's Theme Song," the words beinj; written with a local flavor and sung to the tune ol "Three Blind Mice." Johnny finished with the three biggest hits of the present time and had the audiences singing in great fashion. These numbers were: "I'm Yours," "Little Things in Life" and "Three Little Words." JESSE CRAWFORD (New York Paramount) presented an organ concert of "Selections from Tschaikowsky" which included nearly all the works of this accomplished composer. This was done as a straight spot-light solo and Mr. Crawford's wonderful rendition of these difficult numbers, proved conclusively, that he is still King of the Concert Organists. Opening with "Marche Slav" as a prelude, Crawford then played, "Andante Contabile," "Waltz of the Flowers," "Barcarolle," "Mazurka," "Chanse Triste" (or "The Song of Sadness") and closed with the "Marche Slav," that most difficult of organ numbers. Mr. Crawford does not speak to his audiences, but a full stage scenic E-Fect slide on which explanatory slides are superimposed takes care of this end of the solo. The audience (by the amount of applause) appreciated Mr. Crawford's efforts in this line of presentation, much more so than in his usual type of work. DON MILLER (Publix Riviera Detroit) celebralo his birthday with the full cooperation and assistance of the audience. The organ console is gaily decorated with festoons and balloons, on which are directed colored spots throughout the number. Against a background of a huge birthday cake topped by tall candles the slides are projected. Special lyrics open the presentation, with an off-stage voice singing and inviting the patrons to join in on Don's party. "I'll Be Blue" and "Kiss Waltz" start the ball rolling, with "I Still Get a Thrill," some gag slides and "Three Little Words." The audience then sings a parody on "Those Awful Neckties" to the tune of "Little White Lies." Baby Alice, four-year-old singing star makes an appearance and sings "Peach of a Pair" and "Maybe It's Love," stopping the show in a big way. The final number is "I Still Get h Thrill Thinking of You." The offering is unique and nicely staged, with Miller at his best. There is no clowning insofar as the birthday thing is concerned, for Don's cake, an 8-foot bit of temptation, is on display in the lobby of the theatre, and the gifts he has actually received from his admirers will take care of most of his Christmas problems thif year. DALE YOUNG (Circle Indianapolis) presented a solo entitled "A Variety Concert." It opened with a patter on "Letters reached me every day, from certain folks who've heard me play, etc.," which was played to the tune of "Bambalina." After this, a letter from an opera fan was flashed on the screen requesting the Toreador's Song from "Carmen." Then followed the "Desert Song" and "Nola." horh (Continued on next page, column 2) A Record-Breaking Radio Stage Attraction OTTO GRAY tz^j^j and his OKLAHOMA COWBOYS Now Broadcasting from General Electric Station WGY, Schenectady, N. Y. Permanent Address, Stillwater, Okla., or care Exhibitor! HeraldWorld, Ghdcago _