Inside facts of stage and screen (March 29, 1930)

PAGE FOURTEEN INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1930 Vaudeville and ^Presentations R-K-O THEATRE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 21) The Four Cirillo Brothers opened the bill. This is their first ap- pearance in Los Angeles and they impressed with their smooth and effortless work. Open in one, in collegiate slickers and hats, with a singing and stepping routine; then the brother Arnold, a ringer for Nick Lucas, soloed with guitar and voice on “Painting the Clouds with Sunshine” in the Lucas best style and sold it. Then the other three came back to join him in some neat stepping, ending with spot specialties and edging off in- dividually. All back for an eccen- tric vocal rendition of “Oh, Hello Baby,” which brought a great hand. Came back in smart yachting uni- forms and offered a march-tap in off-beat rhythm that scored for the payoff. The act reflects quality. The Monica and Ann Skelly act was chiefly a series of settings and drops with four young people moving around and reciting some lines, most of them inaudible. Opened in two, girls at a ribbon counter planning to pose as socie- teurs while on their vacation. Next scene rear of observation car, meet two fellows and put on the ritz, stage darkened and film run show- ing railroad track and scenery while they pet. To one, while the boys come on to explain they are wise to the girls, then to full stage, hotel room interior, where the marriage license bureau gets a break. A light offering, weak voices, lines recited. They also danced. One curtain bow begged Scott Sanders, a Scotch come- dian who is really funny, took the headline honors with a line of new chatter hung on his two established characters, the old time actor and the Scotch Punch-and-Judy show man. Every gag went for heavy returns and he had to come back out of character for a curtain speech. Pepito, Spanish clown, brought a flash act for the closer, with an evening dress announcer and elab orate props, including a dog masked as a cow, a tiny bicycle and a headless doll. Lots of color and cute tricks. Punch of the act was a fern contortionist who first appeared in a doll dance .then went into rolling splits and con tortions that took the act. A pair of boys also appeared at times as supernumerary clowns and one of them offered a rubber dance the crowd took "to. Pepito’s best number was an imitation of a cry- ing baby. Biz was fair. Screen offering was Columbia’s The Melody Man.” Y eat es. featuring Bob Misner and Doc Ritter in trombone and vocal of- ferings. Number clicked heavily with the customers who go for Sweeten and his gang in a big way. Photoplay was “Painted Angel.” Bock. RKO GOLDEN GATE SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed March 21) The spontaneity and personality in the excellent work of the Four Diamonds enabled that act to eas- ily carry off honors for the show— an accomplishment made double difficult by the quality of the oth- er three R-K-O stage attractions. From a fast hoofing opener the quartette—three men and a girl— had the affair in a bag—and build- ing up from an average beginning to a fast moving, meaty finale it was a cinch for the turn. In ad- dition to the elder Diamond, who had a knockout of an acrobatic dance as his contribution, two younger chaps with plenty of good looks, personality and ability, had a sailor number with plenty of punch and the girl had a tap of- fering. All clicked heavily, and though closing the show, were forced to an encore and a brace of bows. Walter “Dare” Wahl, aided by an unbilled partner, deuced it with his deadpan comedy acrobatic which drew many laughs for its absurdity. Plenty of clever stuff scattered throughout netted Wahl an encore. The Great Rolle opened the show with his mystic act. The diminutive performer worked the disappearing lady, the cabinet and the floating lady stunts for good return, assisted by three other tiny women and a regular-sized lad. The girls in song and dance offer- ings of merit built up the turn which was flashily laid out in nifty settings. Vox and Walters in the trey with ventriloquist work notable mainly for the cleverness of some of the gags. Drinking water while work ing the dummy, and the crying baby bit were the outstanding spots of the turn. Claude Sweeten and his Orches- tra delivered an arrangement of love numbers as their overture, Meiklejohn Bros. ASSOCIATED VAUDEVILLE MANAGERS Fourth Floor, Spreckels Bldg. Phone.: 714 So. Hill St. TRinity 2217, TRinity 2218 LOS ANGELES VAUDEVILLE AND PICTURE HOUSE ENGAGEMENTS AVAILABLE FOR STANDARD ACTS WANTED—Acts Suitable for Vaudeville, Picture House Presentations, Clubs and Talkies THEATRICAL AGENCY AL WAGER (Arti.t.' Representative) 221 LOEW’S STATE BLDG., LOS ANGELES, CALIF. Phone: VAndike 3619 R-K-O ORPHEUM SEATTLE (Reviewed March 23) Tiny Burnett, house orchestra leader, and his boys opened a fast four-act vaude show with a medley of pop waltzes, old and new, that led into a rendition of “The Stu- dent Prince.” This last offering was executed with verve and was materially enhanced by the work of Myrtle Strong on the organ. The Kitayamas, mixed duo of Japanese acrobats, filled the ace hole with a routine of clever stunts that ran six minutes. Working on a special set in three, the male did a routine of clever hand-stands, back-bends and complete reverses that, while a trifle slow in tempo, got the applause. It is a well- dressed act, and the boy sold his stuff well. The gal was there just for atmosphere. Foster, Fagan and Cox, three classy-looking boys who know what it is all about, held the deuce spot in one for 12 minutes with a rou- tine of harmony that had class. The boys were dressed alike, are keen lookers and understand the show racket. They diversified their numbers by injecting comedy bits with their legit renditions. Two tenors and a baritone, with one of the gents pounding the ivories, made a pleasing combination. Among the numbers offered were “Sunnyside Up,” “We Know It Just the Same,” a comedy bit; “Good Old Sunny South,” “He’s On the Verge of a Merger,” an- other funny one, and “That Boom Boom,” into which was interpo- lated a comic oriental dance. Danny Duncan brought his troupe of five players, three ferns and two males, for a musical comedy tab bit titled “Old Sweethearts.” The story of the turn was hackneyed, but Duncan himself is very comical and his assistants are capable in handling their characterizations. Mrs. Duncan is a sweet looker and sings well, too. Danny handles that skinny body of his in a way that sends the house into a panic. Harriett Hilliard, Jack Easton and Billie Long are the supporting players for Mr. and Mrs. Duncan. The act is set in full and ran 20 minutes. Ken Murray unfurled 34 min- utes of extemporaniety to close the show. This lad gets better every time he shows here, and the fans just ate up his stuff. A few fast gags, unfurled with clever show- manship, for which Tiny Burnett was the foil, opened the turn. Helen Charleston sang “The Break- away” and did a fast bit of hoof- ing for an interpolation that clicked solidly. The girl looked pretty and displayed her wares with grace. Murray offered some more gags and then went down into the au- dience for plenty more laughs. Milton Charleston came up from the auditorium to work with Mur- ray to plenty hot results, after which Ken brought on the Foster- Fagan-Cox Trio for some nice work, in which Murray himself did a hot clarinet solo to “When You and I Were Young, Maggie Blues.” More hokum that got the guffaws ran for several minutes, after which the girl, with the assistance of the trio, sang “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” Sev- eral curtain calls and heavy ap- plause for this, after which Mur- ray brought the turn to a close with still more comedy that was sure-fire and well sold. A great act for any place. Screen presented William Boyd in Pathe’s “Officer O’Brien.” Siegel. “GYP, GYP, GYPSY IDEA” LOEW’S STATE LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 20) This F, and M. “Idea” went through with zip, zoom and rap- id-fire entertainment, having Chaz Chase for the big laugh-getter, a Punch-and-Judy show holding sec- ond rank in this category, and a mimic bullfight rounding out the laughs for the patrons. Opening was what was to be expected, viz: a general gypsy jamboree of singing and dancing, done amid an au natural setting which was effective, and which, with the exception of drop cur- tains, was the only one of the show. Jeanne Alexandria, fern singer with a voice of good timbre, did the soloing during these fes- tivities. During this opening Greta of- fered some prettily done stepping, and later was joined by her team- mate, Frank Evers, who opened fast with a belly-spin, went into a dance with Greta, and then they alternated at some well-delivered Russian steps which won them hands. Climax and close was Evers doing the hoch step with the girl on his shoulders. It was a nifty, and so rated by the house. The Punch-and-Judy show fol- lowed, under the management of Jose Gonzales, who worked be- hind the scenes as usual. It went along a merry route, proving a thoroughly neat bit of entertain- ment. Georgie Stoll then came on stage front the pit, where the orchestra was ensconed for this “Idea.” and the house m. c. and another mem- ber of the orchestra, playing a guitar, offered two numbers. Backed by a line of girls in bullfighter costumes, two males, clowned up for the event, had a burlesque bullfight with a dog, appropriately dolled up, as the bull. This was a little too repeti- tious but otherwise okeh. The bullfight girls followed this up with a nifty tap dance, with the capes used for some pretty (Continued on Page 15) PATRICK and MARSH (AGENCY) VAUDEVILLE—ORCHESTRAS WANTED! ACTS SUITABLE FOR PICTURE HOUSE PRESENTATION AND CLUBS WEITE—WIRE—CALL 807-8 Majestic Theatre Bldg., 845 South Broadway, Los Angeles Phone TUcker 2140 Walter Trask WANTS STANDARD ACTS and ENTERTAINERS for THEATRES. CLUBS, LODGES and SMAROFF-TRASK PRESENTATIONS WALTER TRASK THEATRICAL AGENCY 1102 Commercial Exchange Bldg. 416 West Eighth Street Los Angeles Telephone TUcker 1680 WILLS-CUNNINGHAM GLadstone 9502 7016 Hollywood Boulevard Studio of Dancing Professionals Taught by Professionals Routines Created and Perfected for Single, Double and Ensemble Dancing Acts Walter Wills Theatrical Employment Agency Talent Booked for Pictures, Vaudeville, Production, Clubs RADIO- KEITH- ORPHEUM CIRCUIT OP THEATRES VAUDEVILLE EXCHANGE General Booking Offices PALACE THEATRE BUILDING 1564 Broadway RKO FILM BOOKING CORP. General Booking Offices 1560 Broadway NEW YORK CORPORATION 1560-1564 Broadway, New York Telephone Exchange: Bryant 9300 Cable Address: ■ ‘RADIOKEITH” RKO PRODUCTIONS Inc. Producers and Distributors of RADIO PICTURES LAUNCHING AN ERA OP ELECTRICAL ENTERTAINMENT 1560 Broadway New York Ackerman & Harris EXECUTIVE OFFICES THIRD FLOOR, PHELAN BLDG. Ella Herbert Weston, Booking Manager Market, Grant and O’Farrell Sts. SAN FRANCISCO LOS ANGELES—20 Film Exchange Bldg. Washington and Vermont — Telephone: BEacon 7966 LYNN YOST Artists Manager Telephone ORegon 5071 Address: Bank of Hollywood Bldg., Corner Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. Artists and Acts Register For Theatrical Bookings, Orchestras and Club Entertainment IRA F. GAY AGENCY 206 Majestic Theatre Building 845 South Broadway FA 3421 Los Angeles