Inside facts of stage and screen (March 14, 1931)

Saturday, March 14, 1931 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Page Five SITTIN’ WITH THE PUBLIC (Continued from Page 4) entertainment value of that subject. Fanchon and Marco’s “Micky Mouse Idea'’ held the stage for the week. Sully and Thomas, Chrissie and Dalev, Louis and Chcri'c, Toots Novelle and Helen Fetch make up the roster with a chorus of F. and M. girls that left little to be de- sired in the way of unison work and looks. The girls started things off in yel- low and blue and a baby "Mouse” on the knees. Classy routine with “Micky, Sr.,” who is Toots Novelle, doing an acrobatic routine with the line. Bozo the dog, guided by fliat sweet bit of feminine loveliness, Helen Petch, trying to keep peace between . “Micky Mouse” and the canine, impersonated by Daley. Great turn for the kids. Helen Petch topped the turn with some remark- able back flip and tap dancing. Had to take two bows. An X-ray number followed, offer- ing all of the funny looking birds and animals made famous by the cartoons. This’ one clicked solidly. Sully and Thomas are a person- able team of funsters who can hold their own in any company with either gags or pedalistic work. They are packing a lot of new and funny material and they don’t miss.on the deliver}'. Plenty of class and whammed with a burlesque on .broadcasting. Later on. Toots Novelle, still originating new ones, did a hot and difficult stair step dance routine on his hands that threatened to stop the show. The Micky Mouse Circus was the set- ting for the Louis and 'Cherie bar artists. This chap is one of those acros who can sell slow lifting for big results. The team clipped through a routine of difficult and speedy tricks and unloosed the wrists plenty. Ted. OLD MAN RHYTHM PARAMOUNT THEATRE (Reviewed March 12) Oscar Baum and the greater Paramount orchestra gave the fol- lowers a magnificent Spanish dis- play musically and scenically. Some- thing tells this reviewer there’s magic in that Baum baton two ways; in the arrangement and the control. Qscar has given the.pit. en- tertainment at the Paramount more class and enchantment, glamour and wallop than any leader hitting these parts in a long time; you ap- preciate phrasing and timing after you listen to this Paramount en- semble. Con Maffie, organist splendide, repeated with “The Lung Tester” as his contribution to the “Unfaith- ful” hold over. Did as. usual which was par excellence. George D. Washington, colored baritone out of “The Show' Boat,” led off the stage doings with a solilo- quy on the spell of rhythm and eleven Dave Gould girls picked things up as “Kingesses” of rhythm, each in red and each with her own little crown of gold and a garter just below the knee— for what rea- son wasn’t apparent — very little to hold up. Dave White and Ruth Stanley de- livered a slap, slap semi-slue foot routine with a song number that stood out nicely and the Dave Gould girls on for another lot of look-see. Dave knows exactly how to bring out their charms—hoofing it and aw you know. Block and Sully, that delightful team of gagsters, hopped in next for a few belt agitators. Their clowning is aces and their material on the up and over without a miss. Also delivered some neat hoofing and bowed off to a pip of a hand. George D. Washington came forth to a big reception and did "The Song of the Moon.” He then drew on “Ol’ Man River” from his ‘‘Show Boat” repertory and gave ’em another handful of minutes. They pulled him back for a pop number. Dave White and' Ruth Stanley wowed them with a tap waltz for a cloesr and a grand finale with everybody on. ORPHEUM San Francisco (Reviewed March 1!) Staged by Jack Laughlin, this 28 minutes of stage show was one of the fastest oprys yet to hit the lo- cal boards. Under the title “Life’s Masquerade” (for no reason at all) this revue skimmed along at a rapid pace. Best of all, it got away from the usual prologue type of entertainment, and - brought into play a few of the variety acts. Setting was a Viennese carnival scene. The twenty male voices with just a few fern singers included and the dancing of Marietta were the show’s outstanding features. That vocal ensemble was particu- larly good and the few women in the group carried it along in great style. Marietta was the individual hit with her excellent acrobatic and contortionistic dancing. Rodriguez Bros, scored with fast roller skating, Joy Bros, did a few fast dance steps and Adriano Del- mar contributed considerable toe dancing throughout the show. Ken Kennedy did two banjo numbers and Donna, Arthur and Eddy did their body tossing act as another feature. Minette singing, and the Sullivan Sisters, in more rapid dancing, completed the show. Line- up of twelve girls was the weakest part of the prologue. Show would have been better with the inclusion of a good comedy pantomimic dancer . . . that's what it needed: laughs. Preceding the stage offering Uzia Bermani was in the pit with his RK Olikns to do several Russ num- bers including “March Slav” and Rachmaninoff’s Prelude. LTsing the vocal chorus and with good lighting effects this number was very well received. "Millie” got a tough break on the opening matinees through rain but at this night show appeared to be holding its own. Bock WARFIELD San Francisco (Reviewed March 6) If the Warfield's total gross sheets at the end of the week don’t show the best intake this house has had in several months, check us off your lists as just another lousy prophet. With Keaton, Greenwood. Denny and Edwards in some 60 solid minutes of laugh in “Parlor, Bedrom and Bath” (Metro), and Fanchon and Marco’s “Love Let- ters” Idea m. c.'d by Rube Wolf, Manager A1 Warshauer has a swell show to sell. That picture got these customers in the mood for smash bang acceptance of stage en- tertainment and the whole darned thing w~as a pushover from start to finish. | First Rube and orchestra drew the spotlight with “I Surrender. Dear,” which included vocalizing by Frank McKee and trumpeting by Rube. Then the handcome ill. c. stepped on stage to gag through a number, the band boys giving him plenty of support and the cus- tomers giving him plenty of laughs. “Love Letters” had plenty of tal- ent including Limberlegs Edwards, Will Aubrey, Nelson and Knight, Georgie Ward and Jeanne Deve- reaux in addition to a line of 16 girls who hoofed and did a crash- ing finale on skates. Edwards scored big with a drunk dance, cleverly routined, that brought down plenty of solid applause and revealed Edwards as a pantomime comedian of note. Will Aubrey contributed his usual songs and gags with the same result: plenty qf hand organ music. And Nelson and Knight continued pulling the laughs further with a layout of gags that got over well. Georgie Ward worked throughout the show hoofing and singing in nice style. Jeanne Devereaux’s work as a toe dancer was outstanding and drew a heavy hand. Mildred Stencil and Jean Reynolds vocalized in a Colo- nial episode and Kathleen French did some flashy trapeze work dur- ing the roller skate finale. Vaudeville RKO HILLSTREET LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 12) First half of RKiO’s second week of the eight-act policy ran mostly to music, both instrumental and vocal. The last section made the offering balance with socko comedy both ho.ke and refined. The Lee kids, Jane and Katherine, furnished that just right touch of restrained, sophisticated yet riotously funny clowning, that-sends them into mild hysterics and A! K. Hall accom- plished the same thing without the restraint. These two acts along with Guido Deiro succeeded in stop- ping the show, which is a way of saying that the customers got just about twice what they paid for. Smiling A1 Erickson led off an- nouncing that the Erickson gang in the pit was bent on giving the folks something new in the way of a medley. It was an unique layout of babv songs that gave everyone a chance to air their own special tech- nique, and they did it well. Charles Bevnon topped the going with a trio and that just about oka}'s any orchestral finale. Paul Gordon, “Rollin’ in Fun” led off the stage show on a bicycle and pyramided the cyclopede for lots of laughs. Gordon really has something to sell in the bicycle tricks and collected both laughs and applause, but it is this reviewer’s opinion that he laughs too much himself. He clowns well, sings and announces that he is going to play the clarinet—he is a great bicycle stuntster. The Five Rhythm Girls, three saxaphones and two pianos, open- ing musically and five charming ladies as eye openers. Every man in the audience could be seen reach- ing for pencils, and they were not making sketches. The girls can play and if they had as much wallop in their act as a whole as they have : in. their individual playing and their looks they’d stop ’em anywhere. Murray and Alan, a couple of gouiy looking song salesmen bur- lesqueing it, started off with lyrics, did a couple 1 -eff store window dum- mies with the “Song of the Sap” and tickled ’em pink -and panicky with “Three Thousand Years Ago” dressed a la King Tut. A neat and classy singing turn. Guido Deiro, acknowledged the greatest of all accordionists, had no trouble convincing them he was just that. Fie was welcomed with the kind of a hand that tells those who are not. acquainted hereabout that Deiro has a big following and a lot of admirers on the Pacific Coast. He rendered three classicais and they wouldn’t let him go, so he finished off with a pop and had to take a hit of bows. What this boy doesn’t do with the piano accordion isn't be- ing done. Can hold down any spot anywhere. jane and Katherine Lee, oiic time sweet and charming flicker kids, have certainly developed into first talent funsters and all ’round stage performers. They have a style about them at one and the same time charming and finished. Their clown- ing white they sing, dance or get ready to do both or either has that certain big time touch that only first line performers can boast of. They -stopped the proceedings cold. How come they are. not in feature pictures; none of the now com- ediennes are topping them for either style, talent or looks. A1 K, Hall and the Junior need no ballyhoo from this reviewer. AI K. has post-graduated in the tech- nique of building for laughs and the offspring is going- to be a swell dup- licate. Their burlesque dil an Apache dance, a jazz drummer and Trilby vs. Svengali are all three classics that haven’t as yet been successfully imitated. Everything from mugging to hoofing is indi- vidually Hall marked. Al’s argu- ment with the drummer is a gem, ami he doesn’t open his mouth. Madam Olympia closed .with a troupe of well trained dogs and pa- raded a trio of Russian hounds that drew a big hand. Act leans to pos- ing and leaping tricks and well re- ceived. Ted. HT PPG DROME LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 8) Nothing unusual in The Hip show this first half, the acts work- ing to the usual capacity house, which probably explains the hefty applause given all turns. Harry Robettas worked like a sea- soned trouper to get things started, succeeding fairly well, and getting a i nice hand at the finish of his dizzy doings. Adams and Rooney, in the dcucer, offered a musical oddity, their se^ lections sufficiently light not to rasp 1 the temperaments of this Main Street house. Could have.-ruiig , up an encore had-they- willed to-do ,spy but left them easy for the trey spot to follow. Oliver and Lee corraled laughs a-plenty. Billed as “The Rube and the Girl,” Oliver tied things up cold with his chatter, effectively straight- ed by Miss Lee. Material used was none too modern, but the laughs came plenty fast, so what more? Another juvenile act this half. Minz Twins arid Brother, while not a “find,” are clever kids. The twin girls presented a stepping routine which held up well. Accordion playing by the brother sold nicely, hut rather heavy for this house. Using the "Bill Robinson” finish of step tapping, the act went over very well. Frank Rogers, a colored vent, wowed them with his dummies in the next-to-closing spot. Seen and heard many times in this house, Rogers still goals them with a veri- tiilloqual imitation of a sideshow barker, using it for an applause exit. Closing, The St. John Trio, had no trouble in pulling a hand with their exhibition of hand-stand and balancing stunts. LTsing a trampo- line for a get-away finish, these three boys scored a solid hit. Betty (Tompson in the RKO “Midnight Mystery” furnished the canned entertainment. Til and.: MILLION DOLLAR LOS ANGELES (Reviewed March 8) Offering Ted White, brought over from KHJ as the chief attraction, this vaudefilm house had an all- around good bill, the entire show moving with speed and swiftness, with the ether Romeo deserving major part of the. draw credit. , Spotted in the opening, Colster and Hewlett, harmonists- of more than ordinary caliber, presented a variety of old melodies, operatic and pop songs in a pleasing manner. Following a black-out number of “Darling, I Am Growing Old.” the silver-thatched duo changed to bits of opera, well freighted with mel- ody. Closing with a pop tune; they scored easily. A little toning down cf the male voice (in the opening number especially) would accom- plish more pleasant results. The Three Silvers deuced it, danc- ing their way to instant favor. These boys have plenty of poise and are fast steppers. While their present (Continued on Page 11.) Hollywood Custom Tailors 5622 HOLLYWOOD RLVD. HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. Phone HEmpstead 6 2 2 4 “We perforin what we promise ” SOL STEPT W. J 4 A DOC" GOODLETTE AND HIS 11—EBONY SERENADERS—11 America’s crack colored band. Ballroom and Nile Club sensation from New York to California. Just closed successful run at Rose Room Hotel Butler, Seattle. Now open for engagements. 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