Inside facts of stage and screen (February 15, 1930)

SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE THIRTEEN Seattle, Feb. 13.—After four suc- cessful weeks at Fox’s Fifth Ave- nue here, where he officiated as m. c., Eddie Peabody goes to the Broadway Theatre in Portland where he is penciled in for a one, and not more than two, week stand. Eddie, while not under con- tract to Marco, is being moved around by the impressario in an effort to boost the gross at sev- eral of the coast spots. To date, Eddie has been of some value to Fifth Avenue here, but it is gen- erally believed that this continu- ous shifting will continue as long as the diminutive banjoist pulls in the shekels. Jackie Souders, local lad who has been officiating as m. c. for Canadian interests in the Strand, Vancouver, for the past 33 months, comes into the Fifth Avenue here for a limited run on February 27. The Strand has eliminated F. & M. units in order to place a huge 28-piece stage orchestra in op- position to the flash 22-piece band housed at the Capitol, opposition house in Vancouver. The interim between Souders’ opening here and Peabody’s clos- ing will find the Fifth Avenue without an m. c. This has hap- pened twice before — the first time during the week elapsing between George Lipschultz’s closing and Ollie Wallace’s opening in 1927 and the second last fall between the regimes of Max Bradfield and Owen Sweeten. Karl Horne, like- able concert master of the band, handled the shows on these oc- casions, as he is expected to do this time. The coming week, though, will find him being as- sisted by Pall Mall, feature per- former with the “Hot Dominoes” Idea, the current F. & M. show. CHICAGO.—Jimmy Green and His Orchestra, well known to Chicago and radio fans through his broadcasting over Station WBBM, has been contracted for the Cocoanut Grove here, an ex- clusive cafe on the South Side. The orchestra will broadcast now over Station WMAQ. STRAUSS FOR KFWB KFWB has hopes of putting Oscar Strauss on the air soon. The famous Viennese composer is here to fulfill a contract with Warner Bros., as most people know by this time. U. BUYS FOR AIR Universal, when buying stories for the screen, now includes radio television broadcast rights in its purchase contract. Nell Larson, organist and pian- ist over KHJ, is now in her fourth year at this station. June Parker, known as “the girl in blue,” receives an average of 100 fan letter sweekly, as does Jackie Archer at KFI. HERB KERN Organist-Master of Ceremonies FOX WEST COAST Long Beach, Calif. WM. (Billy) KNOX SOLO ORGANIST Fox Oakland Theatre RUDOLPH N. SCHRAEGER PREMIER ORGANIST Chinese Theatre, Hollywood INDEFINITE Organ Reviews BOB HAMILTON ORPHEUM THEATRE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed Feb. 9) There could have been much stronger competition on the cur- rent Orpheum bill and still Bob Hamilton at the console of the Wurlitzer would have wrapped up top honors. As it was, with a weak feature, “No, No, Nanette”; a Columbia “Silly Symphony,” which is a very repetitious short; a not unusual newsreel, and one other bright spot in a good Sport- light, but Hamilton so far walked away with the award for the best part of the evening’s entertain- ment that there was not even a good runner-up. Favorable word- of-mouth on the current offering will belong 99 per cent to the organ recital, the rest of the bill won’t get much of it. The organ number, holding down the spotlight for 15 min- utes, was entitled “The Organ Speaks,” and was as nifty a popu- lar-appeal organ offering as this reviewer has ever heard. Opening portion was a self-in- troduction of the organ, with vari- ous phases of greeting put over by the vox humana. Following smoothly was a bit of the or- gan’s history, first being an imi- tation of that in Plymouth Rock Church in Pilgrim days; a fol- low-up with the hand-organ; a raising of dignity by being in- stalled in Cathedrals; a note on its first theatrical appearance in San Francisco, and so on down to the present immensity of this in- strument as a medium of enter- tainment. The bit of history was put over niftily by a combination of organ playing and screen ex- planations. At this point any lingering doubt as to the popularity Hamil- ton already has won with Or- pheum patrons was removed. An- nouncement on the screen was that Bob Hamilton would give his interpretation of a parade com- ing down the street. At the sight of Hamilton’s name the house went into loud and spontaneous applause which well showed how the audiences rate him. The following episode was one of those things which just natu- rally hit the bull’s-eye for audi- ence appeal. Opening with a fife- and-drum corps in the distance, Hamilton brought the sound parade nearer and nearer, and, when it came very near, out broke the band into “Marching Through Georgia.” It was all there, the sounding of the cops’ whistles to stop traffic, the shouts of the spectators, and the swagger of the band as it passed in review, gradually fading into the distance and ending on drum taps. The legerdemain of the instrument had the people rising out of their seats to see how it was done during the playing, and when it was over, Hamilton was given a tremendous hand. Not only this but, judging from the conversation around this reviewer, just how the number was accomplished in all its de- tails was' a subject of discussion for many minutes. Hamilton doesn’t yield second place to any of them in the mastery of the organ, and, com- bining this talent with ideas full Jay Brower Master-of-Ceremonies FOX EL CAPITAN of audience appeal, he is a big drawing card for any house. F. A. H. RON AND DON PORTLAND THEATRE PORTLAND (Reviewed Feb. 7) After 34 months as featured or- ganists at the Publix house in Se- attle, these two opened their local stay with a huge ballyhoo cam- paign. The lads chose a medley open- ing with “How Do You Do, Everybody, How Do You Do” as they came up on the console. They segued into “St. Louis Blues,” which was rendered with the voxs, horns and tibias fea- tured heavy in nice combinations. After nice applause, the boys went into “My Fate Is in Your Hands,” a pretty ballad featured some out- standing string and xylophone work. During the playing of this number, they unfurl a line of snappy chatter on the screen. The turn is closed with “The Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s “II Travatore.” Ron beats an anvil charged with electricity from which sparks emit, lending a flash to this colorful tune. A lot of volume that literally shakes the rafters brings this number to a close. Ron and Don look good for a healthy run here. Frog. GAYLORD CARTER UNITED ARTISTS THEATRE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed Jan. 30) Entering his third week as a featured organist, Gaylord Carter offered a collection of Victor Her- bert favorites, introducing the Richard Crook’s record of “Sweet Mystery of Life” for the vocal spot. Carter’s slick handling of the organ’s resources is making him more popular with his audiences at each performance. His spoken introductions reveal a voice of convincing calibre, with showman- ship qualities. Woody. COACH RESIGNS Will Garroway has resigned from the staff of KHJ. He has been vocal coach there for some time. ON SENATORS’ TRIP Harry Ruby, of the team of Kalmar and Ruby, has left for Washington to take the training trip with the Washington Ameri- can League baseball players. Ruby is an ardent diamond fan, and this is his seventh trip with the Sen- ators. He recently concluded work on RKO’s “Radio Revels.” OPENS AT BALLROOM SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— John Wolchan opened this week at El Patio Ballroom, succeeding Walter Krausgrill’s orchestra, a move that was made in accord- ance with Wolohan’s contract signed immediately after Kraus- grill went into the dance spot. NEW CALIF. ORGANIST SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13.— Louis Flint has succeeded Grace Rickards as organist at Publix’s California. Flint, for a time at the Granada, has just earned the Bachelor of Music degree at the College of the Pacific. San Francisco TEX HOWARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA Now Syncopating Nightly—Trianon Ballroom, Seattle RHYTHM THAT PLEASES! PERSONALITY WITH PEP!