Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

50 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 2 3, 1 9 3 1 FEIST 1 SLICES €1= SON-OS Timely topical novelty MOONLIGHT SAVING TIME The top notch waltz ballcui THE WALTZ YOU SAVED FOR ME My word, 'ow they play THE KING'S HORSES Make everybody happy I'M HAPPY WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY Any audience can sing LET'S PRETEND WE'RE SWEETHEARTS For the ballad spot MOTHER'S APRON STRINGS Adds class to your program YOU'RE JUST A LOVER With a bow to Ben Bernie I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT Something to "croon" about A LITTLE LOVE SONG Chevalier's song RIGHT NOW! A great novelty idea THE BIRTHDAY OF A KISS Made to order for the kids THE SLEEPY TOWN EXPRESS It's beautiful HEAVENLY NIGHT Everybody loves SKIPPY Graceful, easy melody I'LL LOVE YOU IN MY DREAMS Delightfully different LOVE IS LIKE THAT You don't have to be Irish — everybody loves it THAT'S HOW I SPELL IRELAND JNC 1629 BROADWAY NEW YORK CITY MELLIN By BOBBY MELLIN Charlie Hamp, said to be the highest salaried star in radio, and who is now appearing on six programs each week at WBBM, started his wage-earning life as a grocery clerk. "Big Boy," as he was called even in those early days, refused to keep his mind on the flour and potatoes. Each evening he added to a meager income with an orchestra job. At the age of 20 he advanced to musical comedy stock. And then came the war — after serving 14 months in France he gave vaudeville a try and came admittedly close to the breadline, and then opportunity knocked. Hamp was trying his hand at announcing at KNX, Hollywood. The scheduled talent failed to reach the studio in time and he was forced to go on the air with a "one-man radio" show. His success was instantaneous. As his success mounted he was called east for network broadcast. He is now under exclusive contract with the makers of Dr. Strasska's toothpaste, which, by the way, is my new toothpaste. . . . The Frohne Sisters, conceded to be one of the best girl quartets, are now appearing over station WBBM. . . . Eddie Niebar and his Seattle Harmony Kings are also over the above station and doing a very good job of it. . . . Since Clem and Harry are well known to radio fans for their enormous size — each weighing about 250 pounds — and since they are on a program for a wellknown biscuit and cracker manufacturing company, it is with reason folks call them "the wise crackers who know their groceries." . . . Jim Holistein of the Jim and Bob Hawaiian guitar team, heard on a number of Chicago NBC programs, is one of 11 sons. All the brothers are guitar entertainers, but Jim is the only one appearing in the United States, the others being heard in and about Honolulu. . . . Lena, that character made popular to thousands of early morning listeners by those premier comedians. Gene and Glenn, over the NBC network, is happy. After weeks of reducing she confided to Glenn recently that she was "down to 301 now" with her infectious chuckle. . . . Because Al and Pete team boasted of his athletic ability he is getting what his partner calls the "Royal Razzberries." Al accepted the invitation of the NBC page boys to enter a game of baseball on the roof of the Merchandise Mart, atop which the Chicago studios are located, with the result that he hobbled about with a stiff back for several days. . . . Prinz Divides Times Between Stage and Studio Le Roy Prinz, who is staging the series of "Follies" at the Fox theatre, San Francisco, has a splendid opportunity of comparing the theatre vi'ith the studio. He has a contract with Cecil D. deMille which keeps him six months in Hollywood and leaves him free to do things for the stage the other six months. In his work at the Fox so far he has designed his stage productions to fit in closely with the feature picture on the screen. His latest revue has the South Seas for its background in keeping with the picture, "Never the Twain Shall Meet." Rehearsals and still more rehearsals is his rule and the smoothness of performances, even on opening days, are commented on. Stage productions are rehearsed four hours each day for four days before the opening and in addition Prinze directs the hanging of the scenery and the light effects. Philadelphia Fox Week ending May 14 Fanchon & Marco's "Moonlight Revels" occupy the stage. Curtain rises on a scene dominated by golden moon in a midnight sky. Tall buildings with illuminated windows make a suitable background for men and girls in evening dress. The revelers are having a high old time and their unison dancing is well executed. Charles Brugge is a combination musician and acrobat. His most outstanding feat is to balance himself on his head then play his violin in that position. Curry and Brown can dance, but the remarkable thing about them is the goofy postures and expressions which they assume. A funny combination. Three Melvin Brothers also appear as clowns, wobbling aimlessly about the stage between acts but showing perfectly trained and co-ordinated muscles in action. In fact their excellent acrobatic work is the best feature of the program and they deserved the enthusiastic applause which they received. Weston and Lyon pull a spicy line of jokes and wise cracks. Miss Lyon can sing, dance and play a mandolin. Weston also sings. The Sunkist Beauties appear in interesting make-up. The most unusual is an ensemble in which they enter as witches behind a semitransparent drop, with a black shadow suggesting the cauldron about which the witches gather. When the drop rises the ensemble dance on broomsticks while Freda Sullivan does some clever acrobatics. Pierce and Lazelle are tap dancers of unusual ability who received applause for their individual stunts as well as their unison tapping. Max Bradfield and the Fox Orchestra present a beautiful rendition of the prologue to Pagl iacci, afterwards playing the accompaniment as Richard Bonelli, of the Chicago Civic Opera, sings the aria in a short film. Ron and Don conduct a successful organ songfest of old, familiar waltz tunes. Oklahoma Cify Warner Week ending May 15 Presenting "A Timely Sermon," Joe Browning headlines by himself and proved to be just what the Oklahoma City public needed in a way of change from the usual routine of tap dancing and blues singing. Browning, rigged out as a country parson minus teeth, spends 15 minute? singing his comic sermon, which contains some worthwhile jibes at the modern generation. There is little time for applause since he keeps the audience laughing and permits no let-up in his lines until he leaves the stage. Annette Anderson, the mistress of ceremonies, brings him on with "Some people say Browning's crazy— but I'll let you judge for yourself." If there was some way of convincing the audience of fairly intelligent people that he is Russian, Paul Tiesen's Russian troupe would probably head the bill. Norma Gallo, who looks Irish enough, does some good adagio and acrobatic dancing, but Oklahoma City has seen acrobatics for the last many months. Miss Gallo is the feminine pulchritude of the Russian troupe. Alfred Brown, also on the Tiesen act, wows them with some perfectly keen American novelty dancing such as mimic ice skating and the like. The act's music is highly commendable. The Nine Kikutas, a Japanese tumbling troupe, receive much applause for their stuff, which is really good, but standard. Millard and Marlin do not click as a comedy team, which may be due to the Warner orchestra, which fails to register as an organized band this week. A local act, the Sooner Girls, is average.