Inside facts of stage and screen (January 31, 1931)

Saturday, January 31, 1931 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Paue Seven (Continued from Page 4) tary blue short skirts led by a danc- ing chappie in white, also military. A minstrel of the old days held them with a voice and wit both mu- sical to the ear. This big good na- tured, pleasing and personable end man without the cork—don’t know his name as Loe*w’s State doesn’t put out a dope sheet to critics—is a magnetic natural. He did “Stay in vour own back yard’’ a la voice and goaled ’em. His. gag material, too, was effective but the old boy is a bit too ornery for the average audi- ence. Weed that material, fella, you're capable enough showman and performer. You don’t need so much of that blue stuff. The Idea this week closed with an Air Mail setting and the danc- ing ensemble white costumed and on rolling skates, with two acro- batic femmes doing their stuff in a trapezeial airplane above. Dance numbers on rollers is risky and tricky and the girls deserve a great big hand for holding the number up as capably as they did. Not a hitch and I was all nervous waiting for spills. Dandy show. McCOWN S DANCING F 577 Geary St. San Francisco Franklin 2562 Acrobatic, Stage, Tap, Rhythm, Ballet and Ballroom Dancing B«tttirfes for the Theatrical People Private Lessons by Appointment Children’s Classes Saturday, ll Young People’s Clases, Eves., 8 to 11 Ann Hofmann Dance Studio THELMA CROCKER Tap and Chorus Routine Andrew McFarland Acrobatic Tumbling 1151 Market St. SAN FRANCISCO Phone UNderhill 1122 for Appointments “MUSICAL TUG OF WAR” Paramount (Reviewed Jan. 29) The Paramount stage show this week took off with Earl Burnett and his Hotel Biltmore Orchestra. They ushered in the week’s stay with a cross apron neon strip and an illusion of the orchestra coming from a great distance that was very effective. This was fol- lowed by a medley and a series.of Burnett specialties that have aU ways found favor and didn’t fail to here. Well received. It was nip and tuck between Os- car Baum, the orchestra leader, and Con Maffie at the console. A nice enough novelty this “Tug of War’’ and interesting, ’but if you ask me I believe the Paramount patron- age get a bigger entertainment kick out of these two showmen when they work individually., A contest between two musical personalities, each a great entertainer in his own right, is novel, we repeat, but not practical. It would take a Morris Gest to blend an organ-orchestra contest properly for the effect de- sired, or deserved. A covered wagon prologue with an octet of banjoing cowboys. They do it well the twang and strum way. “The Lone Pine Rangers’’ they calls themselves,. pardner, and they are a colorful, musical roundup. The maestro of this bunch brought on Don Cummings, the w. k. rope twirler, and he filled his spot full of the things that surprise audi- ences. Marietta, acrobatic dancer, came on for a routine of bending that she seemed to be poured into, or floated through or something. She worked that apron with the most difficult back bending tricks and with apparently as much effort as. waving a greeting to her mother. Wotta dancer. The Fred Evans girls were conspicuous again with their talent and rhythm. Not a thing wrong with this show. LOEW’S WARFIELD SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Jan. 22) Backed by a plentitude of cur- rent publicity, Clara Bow in Par’s "No Limit” dragged them into this showhousc for beaucoup returns with Rube Wolf also making him- self felt at the box office. Fanchon and Marco’s “Icy Hot Idea” done by Larry Ceballos, held the stage. The famed Ceballos dance rou- tines were more or less familiar, most of them having- been done by the former Warner director in vari- ous Hollywood shows and pictures. Show opened with the line in a rain number that segued into a.spot, for Betty Lou Webb, who, attired in male evening attire, did “Here Comes the Sun.”- contributing' a bit of hoofing and later returning for a drunk version of the same tune. Here Wolf interrupted the show for a musical episode that included a medley of classics followed by a pop tune, “My Ideal,’’ which Ifar- old Harris’, sang and Rube trum- peted. Picking up the thread of the Idea again LeGrohs came on for their great work, the backbends of the taller man of the trio being one of show’s highlights. Larry Ceballos’ w. k. black and white number and then Vic Heras and Caesar Wal- lace came on for their comedy acro- batic. work of show stopping pro- portions. Wolf again picked uo his trumpet and this time did “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” working it into a novelty number with all the band. Betti' Lou Webb returned and with the girls did an episode reminiscent of “Turn on the Heat”' for a flash closer. B ,:k. FOX EL CAPITAN SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Jan. 24) Show was wrapped, tiedup and carried away tb.y jay Brower, who did a pair of.comedy offerings that were absolute show stoppers, dem- onstrating, not only Brower’s popu- larity in this house but his ability as a creator of laughable comedy. Elis first was a burlesque on oper- atic medlies, all lyrics of which were written by Brower and done by several of the. band boys. It started out seriously enough but when the m. c. started to play a ’cello—and not a very good one at that — the laughs started heavily and grew as they went. He had to en- core and could have done so a sec- ond time. Second contribution fol- lowed an Apache sequence and had the diminutive Brower with the husky Pic Smith in a slapstick rough and tumble affair that was apple pie for the Missionites who like their hokum with a capital H. Show, staged by Peggy O’Neill, had Johnny Morris and Edna Towne" in their familiar comedy turn; Rudolf and Chiquita in a pair of dances, Jimmie Barr singing “Song of the Fool” and Marvin Jensen in a brace of hoofing num- bers. Sweet Sixteen Sweethearts did several dances. Flicker was “J list Imagine” (Fox). Mel Hertz whammed home with another of his immensely pop- ular community signs. Bock. TEL. 6121 DljNKSBIf, N.Y.—STAGE and DANCE DIRECTOR and PRODUCER—L. A. « FACULTY—Bud and Gladys Murray, Byron Cramer—(BALLET I—Mary Frances Taylor PRACTICAL DRAMATICS AND STAGE DANCING TAP, Off-Rhythm, “Modernized” BALLET & Acrobatics Only AUTHORIZED "Bay District Branch”—JANICE SPRAGUE SCHOOL. 127 Marine St., Ocean Park—Tel. Santa Monica 63115 ‘THE ORIGINAL MURRAY SCHOOL” oF NEW YORK. CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES PARAMOUNT SEATTLE (Reviewed Jan. 23) Last week's “Espanola Idea” was a hard spot to follow, nevertheless the “Moonlight Revels” troupe per- formed a pleasing stage show. The cast included the Melvin Brothers, a trio of fine acrobats who earned the plaudits of the fans, and Freda Sullivan, one of the hardest working acrobatic danc- ers seen here in a long time. Freda presented a full body twist in her presentation and landed solidly with the folks out front. George Broadhurst did some snappy stepping and could have en- cored if given the time. George is well liked in these parts. Hermie King eliminated the or- chestra overture to offer a piano- logue, and went one hundred per cent of the way in satisfaction. “Three Little Words” and “An- chors Aweigh” used, and the pa- trons ate it up. Paul Pierce and Peck LaZelle of- fered a smart tap specialty, while Sam Brown and M. Curry present- ed a good eccentric. The 16 Sunkist Beauties looked like the money. Oxman. Vaudeville RKO GOLDEN GATE SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Jan. 28) Despite the fact that there were no big flashes or smashes this was a neat, pleasing vaude bill with plenty of laughs spotted through- out. and all acts getting over well. Laugh hit of the entire opera was Joe Besser, who, with a company of four, unfurled a comedy charac- terization with some breezy lines that totaled about IS minutes of continual haw-haws. The rotund Besser’s portrayal of a nance Ca- nadian mounty was a pip and one that should win a permanent and outstanding niche for him when he hits Hollywood and the movie stu- dios. In addition he had a great gag line in his “cra-a-zy” accom- panied by ail upward swooping mo- tion of the hand ... an action that won a flock of laughs for him. In- cluded in the turn were two girls who contributed singing and hoof- ing, tod two heavies who worked with Besser. The Ross Wyse, Jr., act with Mr. and Mrs. Ross Dyse served as an excellent means of exhibiting the varied talents of young Wyse who had the tag lines of every gag' and the featured spot when it came to some okay hoofing. Kid's best stuff, however, was his acrobatic, and contortion work, the latter feats be- ing a great closer for the turn when he made a complete backward and around turn of his body as he picked a handkerchief off the floor with his mouth as he stood solidly on his feet. Frank DeVoe was on early for this supper show and worked easily, chanting but three pop tunes. Will White was at the piano. Hap Hazard opened with a (Continued on Page 10) Artistic Scenic Advertising Curtains By Far the Best in America CURTAIN PRIVILEGES BOUGHT FOR CASH OR SCENERY Chas. F. Thompson Scenic Co. 1215 Bates Avenue Phone OLympia 2914 Hollywood, Calif. Tommy Harris Roller Skating Nightly from KFRC to the ROOF GARDEN SAN FRANCISCO and Giving All the Publishers a Break EINSTEIN DISCOVERED Relativity But Who Will Discover That HAP HAZARD IS A No. 1 Transport Pilot (14 Years Flying. 4 Years Flew All Vodvil Jumps) A Great Wire Walker Rotten Sax Player Ditto Bridge Not a Rope Spinner Writer of Own Material Needs An Agent Finishing 4 Years RKO at St. Louis March I5tn Week Owner of Stinson-Detroiter Cabin Plane Co-Pilot Mary Hart—Can Handle Plane But Not the Co-Pilot R.K.O. Hill Street Feb. 12. Wk. CARTON KELSEY Musical Director RKO ORPHEUM LOS ANGELES, CAL. The Boy That Sells His Songs With—A Punch JIMMIE AMES THE SINGING VAGABOND At LOEWS STATE, LOS ANGELES, Week of February 11th My Sincere Apprecition to FANCHON and MARCO, RUBE WOLF, HARRY WALLEN, GEO. FLAHERTY and LARRY CEBALLOS P.S. WATCH ME GROW