Variety (Oct 1931)

Tnesday,, October 6, 1931 VAWE HOUSE REVIEWS VARBUY MOSS* BROADWAY New TorttOct 8. A $20,000 flrat veek an^t $17,000 . second, both iat a loss, lia;ve started to. dlscourase B. S. Mobs in hie latest search for abmethlnf new In enter- talninent Going into the Sd wedc trith its first change of progrrcun, the, policy has the odds against it xiddle Bowling is the headllner and Tiffany's 'Murder at Midnight' the talker on the second of Broad- ^y's bills. At the fourth and last show Saturday (opening day) busi- ness wa» . very good, both iloors filled and standees hugging the rail into the final' stage performaitice. The crush bruke one of the glass partitions at the back of ^ie Or- chestra. ' Nobody'hurt Sf.turday night <vapacity at $1 ad- inisslon all over and. an audience that appeared to be pleased with both ends of the combination variety layout, might mean an out- side chance for the Broadway it enough films like the current mode- rately good mystery talker can be secured. But the picture source is doubtful, while it also looks like the current Broadway program, , if do- ing business at ai:, may do it for the fli'st week only. This shoiv is no two-weeker from any point of view, since it doesn't even carry a first week guarantee of exceptional or profitable grosses. Other houses on the street,- and in direct opposition to the. Broadway besides, with larger capacities don't chance holding over equally strong and ' sometimes superior shows. Weekly changing Is easier for them aq circuit membership does' away with necessity of paying oft the stage production overhead in a single week. The only exception Is the Roxy, whose long grosses each week provide a heavy money foun- dation for the producer. Two''. weeks for all Bvoadway shows are probably necessary for the overhead reason and doubtlessly must continue us long as this policy can stick. If Moss changes every Saturday it -would force extreme cutting In the jroductlon end, pos- sibly in half, and that would draw the theatre away from its original stage idea- _ Another handicap and bad enough' Is the cold opening.'-of. the stage shows with no advance -work or breaking in.' That can't be success- fully accomplished with a produc tion. Even a routine vaudeville bill with no production continuity and all acts doing just what they've al ways done will play oft form at 9 out of 10 opening shows. 'With tlie acts coming in on Saturday mom ing and given lines to read and songs to learn for the first show two hours later, mishaps caii't be avoid ed, and as on Saturday, they'll fre .quently occur as late as the last night show. Bowling was said to have declined to use one of two special songs written for the show by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel Saturday. In the oiie special he did use DowUng was not always certain of the lyrics. Current stage bill has ite strong and weak moments. It misses be cause the bad ones fall in the last half. Up to the Three Sailors' mid way spot things move along fast and entertainingly, making it soft for the sailors, who, in turn, make it tough going for the rest of the show. 'What they did to the audi ence wasn't tied for the balance of the evening, nor could ianyone or anything approach it. The finale, therefore. Instead of building up, tears down. The other name with Dowling- Dooley,. is Ginger Rogers, former picture house single with a rep now from pictures and the musicals. A elite ingenue, Miss Rogers would have been perfect for the bits, but ' the only bit in this show is a black out and Miss Rogers was left out of it. It's a husband return thing with a gunshot finish, one of those blackouts that never should have been lighted up. Maxlne Carson, ac^irano, playing the wife, was burned on the arm by powder "dis- charged from Bowling's revolver for ' Saturday evening's second accident. Miss Rogers first does a specialty in "one," following Bo-wllng's Intro iluctlon. She imitates herself and others from 'Girl Crazy,' giving the program a chance to say 'Music by George Gershwin.' One of Miss Rogers' imitations Is of tester Al len and another is of Ethel Mer man. Still another Is an imitation of "Willie Howard, as he would 1ml tate Chevalier and Jolsbn. She closed with Jolson, using the white gloves. For Chevalier she used the Mtraw hat. Miss Rogers' mimicry, like most others, takes nerve mostly. "When Ginger Rogers next goes Into a special material show she aliouia determine in advance wheth- er they have material for her. Oth- erwise something else than the imi- tation r9utlne Would be a lot more advisable. She should then revert to her old makeup^ for her present heavy painting doesn't fit one of ine American stage's sweetest look- ing girls. Miss Rogers has advanced welly far in her line. There Is no "lense In sending her backward with misjudgment. Ray Boolcy (Mrs, Bowllrig) has two spots, .far enough apart for two ■■>Pcclaltle8. Her last Is the baby Al \ bit with Harry Short atraighUng. The first and best is a burlesque adagio with a comedy tossing team, Andre and Sanger. A new idea for Miss Booley and she's funny while working hard all through it, plus the good supper r by the team. Bowling does three monologs, t-wo on the stage an<1 one in the balcony box. Tnc' latter Is ended by a duet with Miss Rogers, after which the two wind up on the stage with Mies Carson and "William Langan as a quartet. Burins his . box monolog, Bowling gets his heaviest laugh with his dirtiest Une. He tells about a lady who ci-ied so hard at a show that she had to put on her rubbers. At least he thought' she was crying- says Eddie, An attempt to cash in on the same gag with a repeat line during the finale ihlssed. In this Bowling plays Major "Walker at a banquet, with the rest of the caist seated at a horseshoe table, an old English music hall idea.. Like other bad moments the finale needed action. Not even the 18 Rasch girls gave it. enough of that. Bolng surprisingly little tills week, these girls might have been used mere to strengthen several fmil Etretches. After one routine in street suits during- the opening liumbor of the show.'they don't return until the finale. On the return they step on the table top for a rumba. More cooch than foot movement; with all forced to stick to one spot on the yarrow table. The- producer psssed something iip by letting this gord looking bunch of girls off' so easily. FoUnwIng.hls first monolog, Bo-w- ling gives a mrdlfled version of tlie 'Staffs of Yesterday' idea he brought into the Palace last season and which continued playing without Bowling. Here he's using two old men, one dancing and the other a contortionist, announced as being 74 and 82, respectively. They natur ally rocked the house. . This and the Sailors grabbed the top apiplause. Nothing set to follow thiis show on the stage, though for the screen Moss has several talkers to select from. ' His idea Is to balance draw- less stage bill(> with draw pictures, if any, and offset the bad films with stage names. The Moss', boss has picked a pretty big Job for himself Bige, 86TH ST. Midsummer heat simply knocked the Saturday afternoon biz to a whisper. Though the 3d day of October and the cooling system in' mothballs the outside torridlty was felt inside the house'.. . "Vaude of customary stage calibre with a duo of radio singers,' I/Cs Rels and Artie Bunn, and Borrah Mlnevitch's harmonlcal rascals ex- pected to be something of a draw in the nabe. The afternoon crowd, ho-wever, didn't give the former a ripple when they walked out, which showed that the younger ele- ment there in the majority not up on their radio knowledge.. How- ever, the singers closed big and did with a' medley of topical song choruses which they have used on the air. Rels and Bunn are really a war- bling combo of the old vaude days, who have gained faster recognition by radio and still at it. The boys were at- the Coliseum the night be- fore, and they did their air stunt just less than an hour before on the Coliseum stage. This might have worked a hardship, yet at the Coli- seum the moment they appeared they were acplaiided. The Chick and Chuck of radio might have found the night patrons at the 86th more familiar with their names, but that Saturday mat crowd acted al- though they were total strangers. That's a peculiar angle to. get from a team that has long been on the air, and almost dally, too. Mlnnevitch closed the show. His mouth organ hoys mixed their mu- sical pace with comedy, and both scored, especially . the symphony orchestra bit That is something that similar harmonica outfits will find tough to either copy or follow. Three Tokoes opened. This blke- rldlng turn pleased,- ailthough the musical accompaniment seems pretty old-fashioned. Rels and Dunn were second. In third place were Betty Jane Cooper - and the I,athrop Boys. Miss . Cooper has changed her routine, arid In place of a singing femme there's a ground tumbler, Joe Reems, In the act. Reems has several corking tricks. Miss Cooper did very well with her tapping, although her opening Isn't so hot. In the Lathrops she has two good. hoofers, the team work especially being effective. "When they are doing their stud the audience almost forgets Mias Cooper. Medley and Dupree iii familiar vaude hokey style uncorked the first dash of comedy, and the man's rough clowning and use of property bits, such, as the explosive gramo- phone, proved laugh-getters. That bit, however, where he's picking up things on the fioor near the woman's exposed gam seems pretty burleshy. Surefire, and why not these days7 On the screen rathe sound news and '50 Fathoms Beep' <Col). Mark. PALACE (^t. Vaude) "Tou can tell how. of ten you go to the Palace by holdovers. This week's quota Is three, led by Kate Smith, an all-time record breaking stay-o>ver for that ace house. Miss Smith Is in her llth week at the Palace, one week ahead of the rec- ord to this time. 'With the chances even Kate Smith miy hold over not only for next wee& but other weeks. Not, the least of the current Pal- ace freaklshness In bills and popu- larity may be alttributed to the sev- eral Broadway columnists on the New ITork dallies.: The Palace' 'was heaven-sent for' them during the summer, and seemingly still is. At the same time the abundant atten- tion given' the Palace by the col- umnists no doubt started the Holtz- headed long run bill there,' with the extra advertising. . There's plenty of entertainment, some scrambled in this week's show, and also variety. Edward G: Robinson as-the film attractor, and Rlciiy Craig, Jr. as the m. c. -are the other hold overs and centre of most of the best funmaklng, along with Miss Smith.' Four of the other acts on the current bill are new to the Palace. Of these,, two are new to the eastern stage. Mills Rhythm Boys Band and Gloria Foy sjid Co., both under New Acts. The colored Rhythm Boys Band is a fast growing radio attraction. This is its first in vaude. Rhythm Boys: disc is often employed by the hideaway radio stations for the hot music they cin't afford to pay for in person. At the Palace with in- terpolated colored turnis, the band by Itself and -without any m. c. as slstar.ce or from others did very well. It's a bit too brassy and high pitched, however, when going hot. Miss.Fo.v, a musical comedy en geniie, has a well set turn with her two boys, each of whom can act or dance. After intermission the Ross 'Whyse, Jr. trio in 'Bringing Bp Parents' with the other two of the group his mother and father. The boy is an exceptional acrobatic dancer, of nice apjpearance and de- portment on the stage. His work carries the turn, naturally, but the boy looks ready to leap alone, v It's the first turn since the Three Keatons. where the mother plays a saxophone alone. Oddly enough. Buster Keaton of that act was .also the acrobatic son.' Myra Keaton did the saxo bit. The sub-billing of Iiee, I/ee, Lee and Lee says, 'Four Lees ToO'Many' but without a question' mark. It might result in kidding, since this is likely the only vaude act on earth where each member of a dancing quartet tried to be a comedian Four comedians In the No. 2 spot may say that if not too many Lees, then a': least too many comics. The Lees . dance and - counter-dance,' slapstick and . prattfall, . with the one who gets the slapping as the pianist: developing as the Russian hocker at the finale who gives the turn its sock with his o-wn dancing. Turn very much liked by the Pal ace Saturday matinee house. It could stand a vaude director to make It less comical perhaps and of more vaude stage value. Olympia's Bogs opened the show in their fast and high Junciping way. The Robinson and Foy turns transposed their programed posi- tions. Miss Foy went on No. 3, with Robinson in his 3rd week do- ing his act No. 4. Robinson's main dependence a couple of times ap- pears to be the kick in the pants business from his 'Warner talker, 'Smart Money.' It's not as big a laugh on the vaiide house screen as in the picture, since there can be no build up for-the 60 feet or so only shown here. Robinson looks lucky to be three weeks at the Palace. That's just a break for him at his $6,000 salary, whether he realizes it or not. It's no criterion for any Hollywood name to calculate upon; Robinson is doing the routine picture etuffi for his own act, that hastily thrown together material most all picture actors hop upon for the easy way. . Robinson 'talks about his screen gangster characters, saying what one would expect him to say. Chaiices are not so many of the $2 payees at the Pal- ace ever saw him on the screen, which explains why he has been no unusual box ofllce draw there. Rob- inson is an actor, from the legit, so at least he is not the dummy on the vaude stage most picture actors are, thobe picture actors only who are not and never will be actors In that sense. Robinson mixes well with the others. Miss Smith and Cf^lg, but probably Robinson Is tickled to death he brought the 'Smart Money' bit east. If there has been a real individual drawing card of box office value at t)ie Palace within ^he past three months, that person is Kate Sniith. She equaled. If she did not even excel, Holtz at the b. o. 'With Rob- inson coming in at the end of Miss .Smith's eighth week, the Palace box office calls for advance tickets were Rtill way In favor of Miss Smith. While without a question this sud^ den radio fav fcmme heavily helped to carry along the Holtz run with her Individual draw. Like in pic- tures, the Palace mob as a rule doesn't go for the radio-names, but Kate. Smith and Morton Downey somehow draw them. Another angle about Kate Smith— she hasn't tried to hold up a Palace management for a raise of salary, since in that Jiouse. - Richy Craig, jr., is In a spot itow he deserves. A hardworking boy. with- a .natural comedy head, he danced and talked his way in four or five night clubs every night some years ago, doing as many turns as. called upon, always rushing,. .aiwEiys sweating—and Saranac got him. He wouldn't heed advice; he had to work, he said. He lifted himself out of Sara- nia.c, with' Richy now in a position where he will advance, but he should also watch himself. He quit Saranac. okay because he did what he was told to do,whlle up there. : Craig hais a sense of humor that's worth a bankroll and spot It will get him. both in time, for this boy probably win yet write a musical revue or show. His comedy is com- ing out at the palace, where he works -with Robinson and Miss Smiths Besides his own dialog with laughs in it all of the time, while his new plant in the.'box with a type- writer asking, him how to spell lousy was a hearty laugh, even if the ma- chine did go. wrong. His entrance ahd exit In a wheel chair -was an- other smile. MIss'Smlth Is a great low comedy mixer,. tob, disclosing It with the two men in a blackout where she does slapstick or anything. She can .go right back Into musical com- edy, if'-radlo won't prevent, and take thie comedienne's place never filled, there after vacated by Stella May- hew. 8ime, ACADEMY 'Broken Dishes,' F. St M. Idea cur- rent was originally slated to play at this theatre last week." Unit runs a little longer than the average F. & M: Idea, using 42. minutes, but sj^ts a nice pace. Includes a few solid acts, mostly vaude veterans. Four acts preceded the. unit Opener and eloser were strong, but the two middle turns sagged. Six Pashes (New Acts) fill five min- utes full, of ground - acrobatics and whirls. Unusual speed. Bobby Ccu-bone, wop comic, as- sisted by a mature and stately blonde and a young boy, just soso. carbons is supposed to be the blun- dering prop man with the youngster an usher and his brother. Carbone's mannerisms and phrases arouse the most response. Patter between him and the girl is flat Comedy sing ing, solo and harmony and hoofing by the young t>oy. Attliough the blonde Is a natural foil for Car- bone's style she Is being used im- properly. Reed and Lia'Vere are both good musicians, the former using the vi. olin and the latter guitar. It ap pears as though they can't make up their minds whether to stick to comedy or do all straight Both are garbed In misfit clothes and 'Inter ml^tently throughout try' for laughs. Again at other moments Reed in dulges lii. expert renditions of classical ^nd seml-clEisslcal airs. La 'Vere's attempts at comedy, aren't very-successful. Boys should decide whether they want a comedy Insthi mentation turn or a straight, and secure proper material accordingly. Herbert Faye (New Acts) followed with a nice comedy turn. A boy and girl support. Incidental songs and dances help. : Curtain lifting on 'Broken Dolls' Idea disclosed a huge drop on which the figures of a doll mender, dolls and toys, were painted. Sun- klst Girls are draped in front of the scene in petrified doll-like po- sitions, from which they go into a dance routine. 0>ie girl Is In this number for a doll dance, following which she keeps the same manner- Isms for a bit of cooch to 'St. James Infirmary.' That may be an ultra- modern doll dance, but somehow it doesn't Impress as belonging, .of all places In a' doll dance number. Mowatt and Hardy are the first turn of the unit. Two boys, doing boomerang hats. Follow this with more comedy business.' Indian club Jugging too, but boys need much more practice with the clubs. They dropped plenty the first show Sat- urday. Chorus girls trouped on next in a novel crutch dance. Each girl sup- porting self on crutches, from which position they perform their dances. Three Comets, conventional two- man one-woman adagio turn, con- sumed, a short time throwing the girl around. In between the boys were supposed to be battling among themselves over possession of the femme, which gave them an excuse to do a few I-andSprlngs and body throws. Nothing out of the ordinary In this adagio trio. Charles Bennington and his gang of harmonica players performed in a style too closely reminiscent of Borah Minnevitch's gang. Not only are the Bennington and Mlnnevitch mannerisms while leading alike, but both acts feature 'Rhapsody in Blue.' Bennington doesn't get much comedy out of his act but gets a sufllcicnt quantity of class har- monica Instrumentation. Gautier's Dogs was the last solo turn. Nice act which the women in the audience labeled at 'cute.' Fox's 'Merely Mary Ann' on screen. STATE One thing that can be said for th« Loew State bookers—they're con- sistent. Only a few months ago they were criticized for booking Tex Gninan's little girls In together with Paraniount's little boys in 'Sklppy.' This - week they even things up. "With Connie Bennett be- ing In 'Bought' CWB) on the screen and wandering from bedroom to bedroom, the State has: es nice a five-act layout as any lad or lassie • In early teens can ask for. Maybe there's an angle to that. Maybe the Loew bookers figure on getting the flap and sophisticate trade for the picture and the kid trade: for the, vaude. If either - set hangs on for the others' part. of. the show its their own fault . Things start out brightly, with Hill's Elephants (New Acts) one of the better opening acts seen around In some- -time. Harry Kahne next with his mentallst.act. Kahne is one of those fiuld-mlnded gents who can do four or five things at once, and most of them upside dowii. He seems to like himself just a bit too nf\ich for adult audience consump- tion; -but maybe he figures vaude- ville customers -won't know" how good he is unless'he tells 'em. Gordon, Reed and King, classy threesome of hoofers, follow. It's the' first evidence of anything like speed In the show, but it's the second dumb act of the first three, and still nothing resembling a gag or a laugh.. Just to prevent the show from- getting anything like speed Into It, Caesar Rivoli with his.'Melody Pa- rade' act is brought on next. Rivoli Is in the pit with a half dozen ma- troiily people on the stage strug- gling. through some operatic arias. In : between Rivoli puts on some - masks in the pit to do.'Imitations of famous composers and conduc- tors. It's an act that has been around for years. Not one minute too late Charlie Foy comes bouncing on -with his . army of stooges. Anywhere except on Broadway Charlie might have saved the . show with his conglom- eration of nonsense. But even at Loew's State the mob Is: too smajtf. - hot to recognize the material. Bor^' rowed gage don't matter so much. ' They probably were'not new in the first place. "When a lift from the Borrah .Mlnnevitch act should at least be credited. Business not good Saturday after- noon. - .- Kauf, HIPPODROME The Hipp Is giving the customers a fast count this week.. Technically there are eight acts billed, but ac- tually there are only six. Discrep- ancy comes in the fact that the Lucky MlUender orchestra, has two intra specialties which, are included in the lobby census. Just to be fair about it the show cheats itself out of credit for one- act, for there really are three spe- cialty numbers. The MlUender number is an elaborate band, stag- ing comprising a colored show, run- ning 36 minutes. That and the five seperate acts carry the show and filni, ' together with a short and other items to 10 minutes less than four hours, which is a union day for anybody.' MlUender Outfit supplies pretty much the whole show for the s.ur- rounding bUl is mild, except on number of performers, totaling 82. That's its principal merit Doubt- ful If the MlUender group, appar- ently from Chicago and great for their style, means anything oh the marquee downtown, and certainly the rest of the show doesn't Fea- ture Is 'Skyscraper* (Fox), a first run, with 'Thomas Melgban getting the billing. Stage show doesn't blend well and has a peculiar arrangement with a troupe of tumbling Japanese ap- pearing next to closing in full stage and Eddie Hall, monologlst, doing the finale In one. ' Downey and Clarldge have an opening turn made up of a comic tramp bicycle rider and a singing girl assistant, alien elements put together without skill although the comic Is funny in. his red-nosed, pantomime. 'Wilton Sisters, look- ing trim, get good returns on their qiilet, class specialty Involving har- mony and piano and violin duets, fitting well enough here and making their simple bit satisfying even in this Sixth avenue hangar. Bayes and Speck are one of those two man sidewalk conversational arrangements who are not altogether justified in their eelf-confidene«, Subject matter of their talk ex- changes . has been picked up here arid there and some of it goes back a long way. Not a bright or fresh gag In the routine, and they try to make It up In rough knockabout and uninspired hoke. Only fair, even to this crowd of drop-Ins. Boys sug- gest they could dance If they tried) but they only suggest Then.the MlUender group called the 11 JazzoUans. A fast and ex- uberant colored aggregation who play bliies and jazz pops as only genuine Afro-Americcan specialists can. .'Work straight, both as to mu- sic and action, with Lucky himself extremely straight in a loose silk blouse and manners to match. Ab- (Coritinued on page 43)