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

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE FIFTEEN FOUR DIAMONDS HUGHIE — TOM — HAROLD — MARY PLAYING THREE MORE YEARS FOR R-K-O Presentations (Continued from Page 14) color effects. It got over well, the line being exceptionally well trained. Evers topped off the num- ber by doing a solo dance, with various perilous stunts atop a small stand. It was novel and also good, and the boy took nice applause. Chaz Chase didn’t take but a second to have the house his way. He started the laughs off at their usual appreciative tempo, and easily worked up those hysterical spots which play an overtone to the comely-rewards this boy draws with his individualistic material and equally individualistic method of selling it. His first dance brought an overwhelming demand for an encore, and he took it with some more comedy, including his sure-fire omnivorous appetite. That made another encore necessary, and Chaz handed them another load of laughs which took him off to a big hand. Closer was a beautifully cos- tumed number featuring George Prize and his wire-walking ability. The first part of Prize’s work was Spanish dancing on the wire, and the second Russian, each niftily done and well sold. Both, backed by the good effect of the assembly, got over well. Four girl wire walkers also had some stunts to offer, and finally the whole line took a fling at it. This brought on the finale, with no other flash than all on. The feature picture was M-G- M’s “Chasing Rainbows.” Business on the first show of the new run was capacity downstairs and a well-filled balcony. F. A. H. FOX SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed March 22) For the past seven or eight weeks Walt Roesner has been cre- ating “symphonic poems,” as he calls them, and each has been an outstanding feature of the entire show. Current offering was “1812” overture, embellished by scenic and lighting effects, and under Roesner’s baton the number be- came something more than an overture—it was a masterpiece and a creation that, incidentally, is a vital club in the American Feder- ation of Musicians’ war against canned music. Any one who doubts the merits of “in person” music should have gotten a load of the tremendous applause that rewarded Roesner and his 40 mu- sicians at this Saturday midnight show when the customers were reluctant to let them go. The rising orchestra pit brought the concert orchestra into view, playing strains from the Tschai- kowsky overture, building up into a great musical extravaganza as the curtain parted to reveal a set- ting of Moscow with the flames enveloping the city as the Na- poleonic army advanced, the guns roaring and the bells tolling. Any instrumental limitation that may have hampered this overture, which is usually at its best in a group of 60 or more musicians, were over- come by the impressiveness of the settings and Roesner’s excellent direction. Two organs further Fanchon and Marco Route List of “Ideas” Following is the Fanchon and Marco^ Ideas route schedule, with the opening dates, all of the current month, in pa- renthesis besides the name of the town: PASADENA (27) Colorado Theatre “Smiles’’. Idea Castleton & Mack Eddie Hill & Eva Thornton LOS ANGELES (27) Loew’s State The Famous Singers Midgets SAN DIEGO (27) Pox Theatre ‘ ‘ Gyp Gyp Gypsy’ ’ Idea Chaz Chase George Prise Jose Gonzalez LONG BEACH (27) West Coast Theatre Doc Baker and Eva Mandell with Art Hadley 12 Broadway Beauties HOLLYWOOD (27) Egyptian Theatre “Coral’’ Idea Maurice & Vincent Frank Due The Royal Samoans La Petite Marie FRESNO (27-29) Wilson Theatre “Broadway Venuses’’ Idea Mel Klee and 16 New York Beauty Winners Wells and Winthrop Aerial Bartletts Freda Sullivan SAN JOSE (30-2) California Theatre “Broadway Venuses’’ Idea Mel Klee and 16 New York Beauty Winners Aerial Bartletts Wells & Winthrop Freda Sullivan SAN FRANCISCO (28) Fox Theatre ‘‘Skirts’’ Idea Neal Castagnoli Ruth Silver Julia Curtiss Up in the Air Girls OAKLAND (27) Fox Theatre “Marble” Idea The Harris Trio Roy Smoot FloBelle & Charlie A1 and Jack Rand Georgene and Henry Francia SALEM, ORE. (27) Elsinore Theatre “Sunshine” Idea Bailey & Barnum Richard Wally Vince Silk Mary Lou Arline Langan and Norman Selby PORTLAND (27) Broadway Theatre “Eyes” Idea Don Carrol Six Candrevas Paul Olsen Bob and Ula Buroff Keo, Yoki and Toki SEATTLE, WASH. (27) Fifth Avenue Theatre ‘ ‘Trees' ’ Idea Naynons Birds Mavis and Ted Terrell & Hanley Esther Campbell Christal Levine and Ted Reicard SPOKANE/ WASH. (28) Post Street Theatre “Peasant” Ieda Diehl Sisters General Ed Lavine Johnson & Duker June Worth Belcher Dancers GREAT FALLS, MONT. (29) Grand Theatre “Manila Bound” Idea Harry & Frank Seamon Stella Royal Samuel Lopez Romero Family BUTTE, MONT. (27-30) Fox Theatre “Overtures” Idea Edison and Gregory Louise Manning Toots Novelle Huff and Huff Helen Hille DENVER, COLO. (27-2) Tabor Grand “Desert” Idea Ed and Morton Beck Muriel Stryker Cropley and Violet Manuel Lopez Carla Torney Girls ST. LOUIS, MO. (28) Fox Theatre “International” Idea Frederico Flores Osaka Boys Billy Carr Markel and Faun Mignon Laird MILWAUKEE, WIS. (28) Wisconsin Theatre “Hot Dominoes” Idea Les Klicks Pall Mall Dexter, Webb and Diaz DETROIT, MICH. (28-31) Fox Theatre “Carnival Russe” Idea Countess Sonia Alex Sherer Bekefi Russian Sunrise Trio Sam Linfield Co. BUFFALO, N. Y. (28) Lafayette Theatre “Let’s Pretend” Idea Tillyou & Rogers Florence Forman Ed Cheney Jimmy Hadreas George Green Rita Lane NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. (29-2) Strand Theatre ‘ ‘Black and Gold’ ’ Idea Four Kemmys Arnold Grazer Maxine Hamilton Lee Wilmot UTICA, N. Y. (2-4) Gayety Theatre “Black and Gold” Idea Same cast as above. WORCESTER, MASS. (29) Palace Theatre “Jazz Temple” Idea Wally Jackson Sylvia Doree Van De Velde Troupe Gus Elnore Nora Schiller SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (29) Palace Theatre “In Green” Idea Born and Lawrence Moran and Weston Franklyn Record Doris Nierly Way Watts and Arminda HARTFORD, CONN. (29-4) Capitol Theatre “Baby Songs” Idea Penny Pennington Rose Valyda Pearl Hoff Alene & Evans NEW HAVEN, CONN. (29) Palace Theatre “Far East’ ’ Idea Frank Stever Helen Pachaud M. Sanami & Co. Ruth Kadamatsu Joan Hardcastle BRIDGEPORT, CONN. (29) Palace Theatre ‘ ‘Arts in Taps” Idea Myrtle Gordon Johnny Plank Rodney & Gould Eddie Lewis A1 & Hal Brown & Willa Jeanne MacDonald WATERBURY, CONN. (30) Palace Theatre “Accordion” Idea Burt & Lehman Then. & Katya Nat Spector Mary Price Arnold Hartman BROOKLYN, N. Y. (28) Fox Theatre “Types” Idea Trado Twins Harold Stanton Carlena Diamond PHILADELPHIA, PA. (27) Fox Theatre ‘ ‘Kisses’ ’ Idea Joe & Jane McKenna Will Cowan \ Mabel & Marcia E Flat Four Mitzi Mayfair Helen Aubrey Dave Hacker Wallen & Barnes WASHINGTON, D. C. (29) Fox Theatre “Drapes” Idea Frank Melino & Co. Jerome Mann Dorothy Kelly TULSA, OKLA. (28) Orpheum Theatre “Hollywood Studio Girls” Idea Three Gobs Miles & Perlee C'has. Rozelle John Vale Lorris & Fermine OKLAHOMA CITY (28) Orpheum Theatre “Screenland Melodies” Idea Karavaeff Franklin & Warner Lambert! Lucille Iverson Sherry Louise Everts & Lowry David Reece Jack & Betty Welling Melodists, banjo quartette from NBC in two numbers; Dell Sisters from KLX, Oakland, in harmony offerings of average merit; Henry agile pair of feet and who had no trouble in stopping the show and encoring; following all of this came Doby and Lou of KFRC, built up the offering. In addition to Fanchon and Marco’s “Marble Idea” the stage held five radio acts comprising a better than usual midnight show. Roesner, in the pit, m. c.’d the ether artists who were the Dixie Starr, NBC’s “hot spot of radio,” who stopped the show with his excellent interpretation of “Old Man River;” Ray Vaughn, xylo- phonist of KFI, who, in addition to his musical work, featured an SHOW PRINT MA. 1681 -224 E. 4th St., Los Angeles- MA. 1682 who, in a return engagement, halted the show for the third time in 15 minutes. Their comedy harmony got for them still another encore. “Marble” opened in tableaux form with Roy Smoot, in Pag- liacci dress, singing “Love” while Francia, suspended in midair, con- tributed vocal embellishments. En- semble and featured dancers were posed about the show for an im- pressive lot of eye appeal. Here the radio acts were interploated, and A1 and Jack Rand picked up the trend of the “Idea” with com- THE GREAT ROLLE The Only Midget That Presents BIG ILLUSIONS With a Company of Three Little Ladies and a Big Man PLAYING R-K-O CIRCUIT Direction: TISHMAN and O’NEAL 1560 Broadway, New York edy stuff built around two sol- diers, following with rapid fire hoofing that they sold well. In another full stage scene be- fore a black drop Roy Smoot and Francia again sang while the show cast, garbed in white, were in a Bowery sequence that was the weakest part of the entire thing. Hector and his Gang, the gang a bunch of dogs, were put through their comedy paces for plenty of laughs. Then, before a white setting and backed by the line of eight girls, the adagio teams of Flo Belle and Charlie and Georgene and Henry in impressive posing and adagio work clicked for good re- sponse. The Harris Trio, two men and a girl, got over with their adagio work followed by the line girls doing their first heavy work of the evening—performing on rolling balls and drawing a good hand. Finale was pretty but not climactical. A packed house greeted the picture “Montana Moon” (M-G-M) with Joan Crawford. Charles Wilson was at the organ. Bock. FOX EL CAPITAN SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed March 23) Show was shoved off by Mel Hertz at the organ doing “Spring- time in the Rockies,” a big favor- ite tune here and one that drew heavy applause for Hertz. Ended his offering by getting the folks to sing and they followed his lead in a surprisingly big way. What the stage show lacked in adequate talent was made up for by Jay Brower and band, who covered up a lot of the vacant spots with some effective work. Ray Vaughn and Jimmie Barr highlighted incoming acts. “Love Made a Gypsy Out of Me” with the girls singing behind a tam- bourine scrim opened the show. Scrim up and Jimmie Barr took the lead in the number carrying it with a nice voice. Then Nolly Tate in eccentric clown makeup and aided by two dogs in a hodge- podge of tumbling and canine tricks got over fairly well. Inaugurating a contest among the band boys Brower introduced Lou Shaff, trombonist, who put the band through its paces in se- lections from the “Desert Song” with Shaff tromboning and singing and Bob Kimic and Warren Lewis aiding in solos. Number took a warranted nice hand. Armant and Myers folowed in mediocre hoofing and then Ruth Hayward stepped out of the line to lead the 16 sweethearts in “Talk of the Town.” After an absence of several weeks Jimmie Barr returned to sing “Mighty Lak a Rose” which he did in a brilliant voice that drew heavy returns for him. He’s plenty popular here. Brower and the band in their version of “Singin’ in the Rain” and plenty of comedy'interpolated won an en- core. Ray Vaughn, then, in a fast moving group of xylophone num- bers, clicked heavily. In addition 'to regular mallet work the boy has a lot of novelty stuff and some classy foot work that aided him in encoring. With Mary Jane sing- ing and Virginia Spencer toe dancing the girls returned for an- other number that segued into the finale. Show was nicely staged by Peggy O’Neill. The picture was Metro’s “Devil May Care” with Ramon Novarro. Hal. ANN HARDING IN ROLES SET FOR DOROTHY, INA Ann Harding, Pathe star, is cur- rently playing the title role of “The Girl of the Golden West” for First National, with, it is under- stood, plenty of extra shekels in the Pathe treasury as a result of the loan of their star. , Dorothy Mackaill was to have been the Golden West Girl, but work she was doing at Fox lasted too long for them to wait for her at F. N. So they’re going to put her into a similar vehicle, “The Bad Man.” Miss Harding’s next at Pathe will be “Holiday,” which had been in- tended as a vehicle for Ina Claire. However, there was a time limit on Ina’s contract which wouldn’t have been met had she started on “Holiday,” and so a settlement agreement severed her and Pathe. Miss Harding is expected to start on the picture in about three weeks. Edward N. Griffith will direct. IN U. PICTURE Carmelita Geraghty has been added to the cast of Universal’s “What Men Want.” WALTER “DARE WAHL FORMER ZIEGFELD COMEDIAN In a SOLID COMEDY and APPLAUSE HIT Booked Solid — R-K-O SOON AVAILABLE GEORGE and FLORENCE BALLET MASTER AND MISTRESS Now Vacationing After 68 Successful Weeks Producing Weekly Change in * AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST THEATRE THE STATE, SYDNEY Producers Desiring Originality WRITE OR WIRE Permanent Address 5126 Director, Seattle