Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 9 , 19 3 1 1 MUSIC AND TALENT III, : .„; , , :. „ Ij ,| ||llllllH!nillllllilllOllilllllinilH!IIIUI!ll1 1,000 ARTISTS PLAY LOEW CIRCUIT STAGE SUCWS New York Paramount Week ending May 7 The program at this house this week was very diversified and was very entertaining from every standpoint. The feature picture, "Ladies' Man," WiUiam Powell's latest, packed the house all week. Rubinoff conducted the Paramount Orchestra in "Comic Opera Gems," and it was well done. Rubinoff's violin solo of "My Hero" was well received, as was the entire overture. The Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Crawford organ concert followed (reported on "Organ Solo Column"). The stage show featured Charlie Davis and His Joy Gang, and Shaw and Lee as added attractions, who do their bit in the Cambria-Publix production, "Contrasts," together with Rome and Dunn, Ray, Ellis and Larue and the Sanford-Martin Girls. The show opens to Charlie Davis, the popular m.c, introducing the Sanford-Martin Girls who perform a "hot" jazz dance routine as the band accompanies them with a "hot" rendition of "St. James Infirmary Blue." As Davis put it, Ray, Ellis & Larue, in contrast presented a graceful waltz. Their work was done well in what appeared to be a "floating" dance. A background lacking in beauty put them at a disadvantage, though they received good applause. Rome & Dunn, two husky men, proved entertaining with their fine singing of "The Peanut Vendor" and "Song of the Fool." Davis and his gang of 14 musicians follow with their usual entertaining playing and singing. The outstanding bit of their presentation this week is the "human" organ, in which the boys' hands, covered by gloves which resemble the "stops" on an orgaii," are played by Davis as different tones are emitted by the boys. Davis also leads the boys in the fine playing of "Sweet and Hot" and "I Surrender, Dear." Shaw and Lee, "dumb pan" comedians, follow with a lot of laughable stories and gags, the best part of their act proving to be their inimitable dancing." The Sanford-Martin girls, first appearing like a huge bouquet of roses in a setting of painted roses, take their places for a ballet routine that is well performed. Ray. Ellis and Larue close the show with new and sensational adagio stunts. Omaha, Des Moines Made Unit Towns in Publix Policy Omaha and Des Moines become unit towns, as a result of Publix's new stage show policy made possible by reduced unit cost, with shows built for smaller towns. Units will disband at Chicago and new shows constructed. Western unit towns will be Omaha, Denver, Des Moines, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans. Eastern nn!*towns remain the same. Le Roy Prlnz at Fox San Francisco — Le Roy Prinz, "vagabond producer", is at the Fox for five weeks, after which he will leave for New York. Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Crawford The above perfect likeness of America's premier organist and his charming partner and wife appears here, because this week brings a reunion for them. This is the first time in eleven months that they have presented a twin organ concert at the New York Paramount theatre, where they have been featured since the opening of the house. In this concert, this popular team featured Mrs. Crawford's new composition, "A Lonely Cavalier." Here's hoping that they will be heard together more reguarly hereafter. Tab Shows Out at Ybor City Tampa — Musical tab shows have expired at the Rivoli, Ybor City, after a four weeks' trial. According to Manager N. V. Darley, the first week brought heavy receipts and it looked as though fans were hungry for this addition to the regular picture fare. Receipts started to skid the second week and kept dropping through the third, with the fourth week showing up worse than usual picture takings. Lange New Head of Musical Dept. Hollywood — Arthur Lange has been appointed director of the musical department at RKO Pathe studios. 25 Theatres Now Using Bands and Acts 400 Men Employed in Orchestras In Houses Adhering To Live Entertainnnent Policy By ED DAWSON Loew, Inc., is now using more than one thousand artists in its theatres, not including organists. Of this total approximately 500 are in the pit or in the stagehands, many doubling in brass with assignments both for the overture and the show. There are 25 houses in the Loew circuit playing either vaudeville or stageshows. In the vaude classification are: Orpheum, Boston; Loew's, Montreal; State, Newark; State, New York City; Metropolitan, Brooklyn; Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; Pitkin, Brooklyn; Loew's Boulevard, Westchester; Gates, Brooklyn; Orpheum, New York City; National, New York City; Triboro, Astoria, L. L; 46th Street, Brooklyn, Loew's, Yonkers. Stageshow situations include: Paradise, New York City ; Valencia, Jamaica, L. L ; Jersey City, Jersey City; Palace, Washington; Century, Baltimore; Penn, Pittsburgh; Ohio, Columbus; State, Cleveland; Great Lakes, Buffalo; State, Syracuse; Rochester, Rochester. In those houses with the vaudeville policy, there are at least 172 men employed in the pit, with an equal number in the stageshow houses. The latter houses, however, increase their personnel to meet the requirements of presentation. Fourteen theatres of the Loew circuit adhere to a straight vaudeville policy, while 1 1 play stageshows. Michaels Ousts Tab Shows Buffalo — Dewey Michaels has discontinued his combination stock burlesque and talking picture policy at the Palace for the summer, and has gone first run, at 10 and 20 cents, with split weeks. Considerable Warner product not otherwise spotted downtown has been booked. Shows to Return at Publix Toledo — Although unconfirmed, it is understood that the Paramount will resume stage shows which were discontinued a month ago in favor of double features. The double feature policy has not been a success. M. C. Is Transferred St. Louis, Mo.— Ed Lowry has closed his m.c. engagement at the Ambassador and goes to the Philadelphia Mastbaum. UNIFORMS ^??a3S^i^ costumes i°.h?^r%,o.s BROOKS {."Vc-;'