Inside facts of stage and screen (February 8, 1930)

PAGE FOURTEEN INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, FEB. 8, 1930 RKO LOS ANGELES (Reviewed Jan. 30) With First National’s Vitaphone “Dark Street's” featuring Jack Mulhall and Lila Lee on the screen and the usual bill of vaude, at- tendance was heavy at this down- town house. George Choos’ stage vehicle, however, was nothing to write home about insofar as qual- ity on the whole was concerned. Stage fare was captioned “Odds and Ends” and in spots had flash- es of brillancy, particularly when Sidney Marion, Chic Kennedy, Kathryn Irwin and the Harmony Trio held sway. Marion’s com- edy attempts were somewhat confined by the usual construc- tion requirements imposed on vaude and presentation unit revues of this description. Marion’s bur- lesque and dialect ability is too well known to comment on. Given a vaudeville spot or similar oppor- tunity cfnd this lad can hold his own. But in this one the limited time offered him for comedy reaps no real returns anid the results are negative. Brief moments on stage, however, are taken full advantage of, but they nevertheless are too brief, and it handicaps this capable performer. Chic Kennedy’s tough number was outstanding. Her deft and smart by-play with the audience, business necessary to deliver this number, was the usual sum total of a clever characterization. Kathryn Irwin delivered a brace of vocalizations that clicked. This gal’s stage deportment and voice quality label her a good bet for any stage work calling on these two departments. Harmony Trio, three boys with pleasing voices, landed okay. Billy Gibson’s Russian dance ditto. Karen and Xande, two gals with a stereotyped announcement duti- fully went through the obligation without a conception of what it was all about. Florence Simonson was no as- set in her brief bit as foil for Sid Marion’s comedy. Scenic sets were worthy of com' mendation. They ranked closest to Fanchon and Marco’s presenta- tion sets yet seen around this ter- ritory. The 12 line girls were smart looking and exhibited plenty of finesse during their routines. Cos- tumes better than average. Business capacity, a usual thing here. Eddie Meredith. CAPITOL VANCOUVER (Reviewed Jan. 28) Practically a capacity house saw the opening of the first even- ing show when Sydney Kelland, house organist, stepped off with “Life a Dream” to good returns. When the drapes separated a card girl appeared announcing the overture “Faust” by Gounod. This is a new innovation at this house. Selections were formerly an- nounced by Alfredo Meunier, con- ductor of the Capitolians. This number was well received. A re quest number followed, entitled GAYNOR & BYRON Sensational Novelty Skaters R-K-O CIRCUIT Week Feb. 5, Oakland Dir.: Max. Tishman, Plunkett’s Office Moraima,” which also clicked. A screen trailer announced “William Tell” and was followed by a scen- ic of cloud study and storm with the lightning flashing across the darkened landscape during the heavier parts of this overture. This one stood them up. A classic shouter, Sonia Podos- ka, was heavily billed in the news- paper advertising put out by this house in the Sunday editions, but was not in evidence at this per- formance. ‘Sunny Side Up,” with Janet Gayner and Charles Farrell, was the screen attraction. Mac. LOEW’S STATE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed Jan. 30) The “Eyes Idea” is composed of good talent performing in very tasty and pleasing settings. One-third of the act of Keo, Toki and Yoki, a Japanese trio, is good; Paul Olsen does a rag doll dance which is neat comedy; Bob and Eula Buroff have some neat dancing to offer; the Can- dreva Brothers are as splendid entertainers as ever; and of course the band, under the baton of the popular Georgie Stoll, gets its usual warm reception; but that’s all there is, there isn’t any more. The opening is exceedingly draggy, with Don Carroll singing some eye themie in good fashion but with five line girls brought on one by one to do specialties that are far front rating the time al- lotted them. Eula Buroff, a toe dancer, also works in the open- ing, with nothing more to offer than the usual solo steps -bor- rowed from the toe ballet. Following the five line girls, an unbilled personality girl made her bow, but a personality girl with- out an appealing personality is just too bad. And that’s her rating. Bob Buroff followed her to do some twirls, good and effectively delivered. After this he and Eula finished off with a few adagio gymnastics that were of most ef- fective brand. The Idea, however, would have been better if the entire opening slowed up by the line girl spe- cialties, had been chopped and proceedings started with the next number, “Singing in the Bath- tub,” delivered by Georgie Stoll and the orchestra. During this number one chorus was soloed pleasantly enough by the maestro of the bass viol; the entire band with the exception of the pianist line up down front with bath towels and bathing caps, keeping time to their own singer; and the trumpeter, accompanied by a man- dolin player, rendered the tune with the big end of his horn in a bowl of soapsuds, thereby pro- ducing a growing mass of bubbles. The number went well. Georgie then introduced Keo, Toki and Yoki, but three rendi- tions of their entrance music failed to bring them on. So Georgie explained that a piano was missing, and volunteered to tell a joke to cover the hitch in the mechanics. Two of the trio appeared after the piano had made its entrance, a male playing it while a girl perched atop and sang. It didn’t mean a thing. She then left, and he did a fast uke number which likewise rated zero in the way of good entertainment. But then came a good moment with the third member of the trio, male, doing some Risley work with a barrel while lying atop of the piano. The pianist of the trio played his music and between them they sold some good comedy. They encored with “Turkey in the Straw,” causing the Risley worker to do some fast stepping, and their exit was to good applause. Six of the 'Candreva Brothers then offered the “Lucia” sextette on trumpets, getting it across neatly and to good applause. These boys can certainly play. They followed with a dance assisted by six girls. The line came on and several of the former performers and it looked like a finale was coming. Several of the door-rush- ing brigade actually made the break. Bob Buroff was on again with some more excellent dancing. Dancing of the girls who worked in front in this number was very ragged, and it looked like the steps required were a little too much for a couple of them. Following this came another good moment, supplied by Don Carroll. With a rag doll attached to his feet and held upright by his hands, he did a fast dance, drawing lots of laughs with the shakes he caused the doll to make. It was real entertainment for the afternoon fans. He fol- lowed this with a sheik waltz which topped everything else on the bill. He did his part with a restraint which was far funnier than the burlesque which is usu- ally the standby of the rag-dollers, and his sheikish looks and gestures toward the doll were the big laugh of the day. The “personality girl” followed with another eyes song, what it was not being clearly distinguish- able and entirely unimportant. This girl puts a blues shouter rasp into her voice which is very monoton- ous and trying in the constant use she makes of it. Her “per- sonality” left the house as cold as an ice box. She tried to wake ’em up with the old tried-and-true of coming out on the runway and singing -to a boy in the front j'ow, but it fell dead and the hand she took was a weak -scattering. The Candreva Brothers livened things up again with some trum- peting while doing some neat and fast stepping, and this started the finale, during which Don Carroll sang, Bob and Eula Buroff did a few more good adagio stunts. A new drop was the only flash in the finale, other than the usual flash provided" by having the en- tire company on stage. Not a strong “Idea.” The feature picture was Marion Davies in “Not So Dumb,” M- G-M. A. H. F. GEORGE and FLORENCE BALLET MASTER and MISTRESS Australia’s Largest Theatre — THE STATE, SYDNEY— PRODUCING WEEKLY CHANGE NOW S4TH WEEK And Still Going Strong Address—State Theatre, Sydney, N. S. W., Australia PHIL SYLVIA WHITE and NOIR TENOR Booked Solid Over R-K-O Circuit SOPRANO In “Songs and Steps” FOX EL CAPITAN SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Feb. 2) Here’s a house that makes a habit of excellent business, Re- gardless of the picture you can al- most always count on, finding a holdout at any night show, a fact attributed to two factors: first, the excellent exploitation, advertising and plugging by Dan McLean that puts over even the most mediocre celluloid attraction; and second, the drawing p.owers of the classy stage shows headed by Jay Brower and staged by Peggy O’Neill, all selling for 40 cents. This week’s stage offering had a number of highlighting mo- ments, chief among them being the overture presented by Brower and Mel Hertz; a band number that is the composition of several of the musicians; the singing of Jimmie Barr, and the comedy of Davis and Larue. After a number of weeks. of straight clowning, m. c’ing, sing- ing and directing, Brower finally picked up his fiddle and stepped out on the apron, where, with Mel Hertz at the Wurlitzer, he gave ’em the Intermezzo from Cavalliera Rusticana, a bit over their heads but well done and con- sequently appreciated. Follow-up number was Chant of the Jungle seguing into the stage show. Opening of the stage show proper Brower introduced War- ren Lewis, Bob Kimic and Lou Shaff, brass section, who wrote the melody to “Wishing,” with Brower contributing the lyrics. If folks didn’t remember the tune later it wasn’t the band’s fault for the trio sang it, trumpeted it, mellophoned it and the girls danced to it. And all good, too. A great big guy called Big Boy Williams, who made funny little noises out the side of his mouth in vocal imitations of Sousa’s band, etc., accompanying himself on the mandolin, stopped -the opera. Step- ping out of the line Myrtle put over ‘a tap toe to good returns calling for a brace of bows. Then Jimmie Barr, in his fourth week at El Cap, sold the folks on “Wild Irish Rose” and tapped the bell for plenty sweet returns. This boy gets his entrance ap- plause when he comes on now and invariably he tops the show his his dynamic vocalizations. Brower next introduced Charlotte and Juanita, new recruits to the 16 sweethearts who led the girls through “I Don’t Want Your Kisses” and did it nicely. Harry Rappe, hoking it up with his fiddle, a uke, songs and gags, had a hard time getting away. He’s out of Overtures Idea for this week and rejoins it next. Davis and Larue were plenty speedy. Opening with a drunk dance by the male followed by an eccentric acrobatic the turn kept speedily on with a fast song and dance by the fern, closing with a double number. Great re- turns. A burlesque on a musician’s life from rising to retiring was next offered by Brower and his gang of excellent melodists, the cus- tomers getting a great boot out of the hoked up sequences. Finale of the show was a military affair with the 16 girls working the drums for a noisy curtain. Mel Hertz was at the organ. The flicker was Fox’s “Romance of the Rio Grande” with Warner Baxter. Bock. FOX BOULEVARD LOS ANGELES (Reviewed Jan. 30) The regular stage show was eliminated for the picture, “Sunny Side Up.” The orchestra, under the direc- tion of m. c. Slim Martin, rendered the Light Cavalry Overture, with the assistance of Miss Stoll at the Wurlitzer, introducing each mem- ber of the orchestra in incidental solo work as follows: Paul Tits- worth, piano; Everett Chappelle, trumpet; Harold Schock, trumpet; Bill Kelly, trombone; Roy Dean, sax; Jack McPhee, sax; Frank De Michaele, sax, and Shorty Davis, drummer. Considering there were only eight pieces in the band, the boys made this heavy number stand out nobly, with the help of Miss Stoll at the organ. Judging from his reception, Slim Martin is growing in popularity at the Boulevard and it looks as though he might be here indefi- nitely. Woody. FIFTH AVENUE SEATTLE (Reviewed Feb. 2) The “Carnival Idea” was head- ed by Countess Sonia and her Troupe. Outstanding among these are Alexi Sherer-Bekefi and Byron Poindexter. The trio presented an acrobatic adagio offering along the apache lines that is by far the best bit in the idea. George Dennison opened the proceedings singing “My Russian Doll” and got the show away to a nice start. This boy has a sweet pair of pipes that smacks of more than one trip over any circuit. Alexander Kandibe and U. High Sandidge pair with Bekefi and Denison as a quartet with a bur- lesque of a Russian opera. A wooden soldier number, is embellished from when seen over the Pan time, with the assistance of the Sunkist beauties, who, to- gether with Sonia and her Troupe make this a very picturesque of- fering. Sonia got in a nice toe number here to heavy applause. Sam Linfield and his troupe of clowns, which included a couple of dwarfs, drew the laughs from the gang. ‘ Peabody’s offering this week, which was spotted early in the show, knocked ’em over for a be- ginner with “Hungarian Rhap- sody.” The diminutive flaxon- haired m. c. proceeded to wow ’em with a brace of pops, and had to give ’em “St. Louis Blues.” This is one they don’t tire of because he killed ’em. Had to encore and used the 1812 Overture which fit- ted in nicely with the idea. He begged off to allow the show to proceed, proving he’s still pop- ular and that he is the actual magnet for dragging ’em in. The picture was Corinne Grif- fith’s “Lililes of the Field” and the joint was packed. Jean. CASINO SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Feb. 2) Almost reversing his previous policy of holding down the num- ber of acts Sam Harris virtually did a right about face on this week’s show bringing in six acts—- five of them with dancing—to aug- ment regular Casino standbys. Sylvia and Clemence aided in staging. Show opened full stage while Dewey Johnson sang “Caroline” then dropped back to one for a brief entrance of the line girls and then back to full again. This idea of working full stage throughout the entire show becomes rather monotonous—it being much more pleasant to see at least one act of the entire show work in one— but in this particular instance opening in one first and then dropping to full would - appear to be much less complicated and faster. Helen Cuneo followed the line girls w’ith a classy toe number done on the stairs and then Jean and Jacqueline, tastefully dressed ballroom pair, presented a neat terpsichorean offering. For her fourth return engagement Dottie Roberts did 'another of her nifty tap and acrobatic dances that marked her as a bet for still more work here. Another dance team then, Grant and Wallace, clicked with acrobatic stuff. Jacqueline Brunea next singing “Dance Away the Night” while the line girls worked in the background and Helen Cuneo was again featured. Number faded into “Kiss Me Again” while Jean and Jacqueline returned for a pretty waltz num- ber. Another dancer, this fast moving and cute Gladys Kane, who put over a snappy toe offer- ing. Sylvia and Clemence in a nicely presented version of “I’m Fol- lowing You,” featuring vocal and foot work, clicked nicely. Don Smith, singing Ernest Ball’s “In the Garden of My Heart,” sold his nice tenor work to good re- turns, following it up with an Irish tune aided by the line girls. Sylvia and Clemence returned for a collegiate song and dance with the girls assisting. Spotted right next to closing and following plenty of hoofing was Arthur Ward, who landed solidly with comedy hoop jug- (Continued on Page IS) PAUL MALL “HOT DOMINOES” Idea Elsinore Theatre, Salem, Ore. Thanks to Fanchon and Marco SYLVIA D0REE Featured in Fanchon and Marco's “JAZZ TEMPLE IDEA” Tabor Grand, Denver, Colo. MURIEL STRYKER Fanchon and Marco’s DESERT IDEA TOOTS NOVELLO Fanchon and Marco’s “Overtures” Idea Direction Wm. Morris NORMAN SELBY AND ARLINE LANGAN ARISTOCRATS OF THE DANCE Featured in “SUNSHINE IDEA” at LOEW’S STATE—LOS ANGELES—THIS WEEK Many Thanks to Fanchon and Marco