Variety (Nov 1931)

48 VARIETY TO THE LABIES Tuesday, November 10, 1931 Uncommon Chatter Bj Ruth Morris Heart Breaking Crosby No matter how happily the Para mount audience may regard Bine Crosby's arrival at. the Cross-roads of the World, the stage show Is Im- bued with a note of meloncholy be- fitting the dramatization of a torch singer. It's Mr. Crosby's own fault, for always apologizing and begging for juat one more chance,: that-the girls In his unit are In a subdued mood, misty with, torch-ballad tears, Mrs. Jesise Crawford cannot be gay accomi>anylng a voice as plain- tive and winning as the- Crosby baritone. She must wear black and be quietly sympathetic The plan- Iste to whom Mr. Crosby sings can- not be anything but ren^ntent as she bows her head, thoroughly ashamed of having; doubted him for a moment sind driven him to the humiliation of sad, tender pleading. « The Danny Dare Olrls make no bones about giving in to the lachry- mose liquid of Mr. Crosby's vocal- izing. They cover their eyes with blue velvet skuU caps from which drip strings of pearls,.each pearl a drop of sympathy for love unre- quited. Draped In slinky blue vel- vet, they writhe In. the tortuous throes of modem ballet, clawing the air with long, silver fingers that cry despair. VanessI, a perfectly formed statute posed under a weep • Ing willow: tree, comes to lite to ex- press gracefully the acrobatic ver- sion of sorrow,, later forgetting her troilbles in a rhumba, alluringly gowned in pale green and henna. ' Jimmy Cohlin's - new assistant is bafely Isolated from tears In her own valudevllle act - But she has ) troubles of her own, what with Mr. Gonlln forever Interrupting her solos and a host of stooges iK>pping in just in time to wreck her high notes. Well-dressed in a gown of cerise velvet, putting over at least the Introductory bars &t hot. num^ bers, she is a capable foil for Mr. Conlln's light-headed eccentricities. her entrance frock go a long way. Lorraine Manners knows that rich monotone satins do a lot, under stage lights, for a strawberry blonde. She chooses shell pink for a cunning leotard and plain black, relieved by green pumps and ker- chief chiffon, for comedy scenes with Mr. Price. iChattlng' with .a comedian . and rising above his unexpected com- ments are. not new tasks to Lady Tokoha Cameron. Foiling for AI Trahan has groomed her to accept whatever comes with unassailable calm and dignity. Her clear .vocal- izing and ability to wear gowns stunningly could rate her as a good single, but she probably agrees with the audience that It's more fun listening to Trahon's Impromptii- Isms than singing a full verse and chorus free of side-splitting Inter- uptlbns.. HeavensI A Teeth Gnasherl Pictures, gathering sophistication since the advent of talkers, no longer emphaalze black-hearted vil- lainy. Scenarists have gone so far as to indicate that ev6n the most abandoned wretch Is not wholly bad. On occasion they have hinted that wickedness may be romantic and delightful. Estelle Taylor, It would seem, doesn't know villainy is Just a little old-fashioned. - Miss Taylor isn't entirely to blame; she didn't write The Unholy Garden' nor create the bad, bad temptress She reproduces. But she does tOTow her heart inXo the thing, getting very drunk to prove how utterly unredeemed she is, baiting her prey with long, ling ering glances, gnashing her teeth ■ furiously when her wiles fall to en mesh suave Ronald Colman. Fixing him with a look, nasty as nasty can be, she calls him a "rotter,' her up- per Up curling back from its vltu peratlon. . Though dialog writers neglected to provide the asides dear to villaln- esscs of the '90's, .Miss Taylor's pantomime conveys them. Fay Wray's assignment Is as dated as Miss .Taylor's. The grand- daughter of a notorious embezzler, she is brought up In a desert sane tuary for . renegades, where she moons over magazine illustrations of Paris streets, orders her clothes wistfully from a Continental, cata log. A tin\ld miss, she weeps with delight when given a smile and trembles with fear when the dlrec tor tells her to. Miss Wray believes In her so thoroughly that she makes her a pathetically shy and appealing heroine. . . Ad Libbing Ladies Girls at the Broadway are faced with the necessity of performing . more than their established rou tines. They must learn to be aa libbers, sure of themselves, and the answers they give to whatever master of ceremonies happens to be in command. No girl stays in .her own act. She troupes in and out of dialogs and blackouts that do' thel best to establish revue flavor. Nobody expects a girl who dances as well as Betty Jane Cooper to ' be adept at reading lines, but Miss Cooper 4oes very well in back-chat with Georgle Price. Her sllmness is outlined smartly in a sleek gown of scarlet crepe, slit skirt weighted with a band of self-fabric to make it practical and graceful for acro- batic danclns. -Mlsa Cooper makes Left High In Atr IConsolatlon Marriage' ' which claims to be the picture that Sweeps 'Cimarron's*' Imniprtal Sa- bra to Stardom^s .Heights,' carries out its promise by starring Irene Dunn and leaving her on heights remote from the comprehension of picture fans. : .-, Overlooking sympathy for Its star, 'Consolation Marriage' plunges her into mechanical scenes that she must make the best of. Jilted by a young man who may or may not be a cad—nobody takies the trouble to clarify that point—Miss Dunn takes to speakeasies in a nice quiet way. There she catches a husband, also rebounding from a smashed love affair. Not until the broken heart- ed newlyweds have raised a gigan- tic Saint Bernard from a tiny puppy and given birth to what ap- pears to be a two-year old child, do they realize tliat love, true love, has grown out of their disconso- late marriage. Miss Dunn, awfully sweet, ten- der and understanding, copes with her part bravely, but she cannot make' it live. The baby is the most sincere member of the c&at. When Its mother awakens it in the mid- dle of the night to tell it the long sad story of her life, ' the child registers Infant annoyance' elo- quently. Did You Know That— Trix Friganza at State . Single women may come and go in vaudeville, but Trlxle Friganza keeps, rolling along. Miss Friganza has her own formula. She knows that any audience warms to an over-sized gal who makes fun of her weight. By under-dressing her en- trance costume, she adds to sub stiantlal proportions surrounded by silver lace and billowing chiffon ruffles. Miss Friganza will not permit au- diences to remain cool and distant. She beams' good humor the while she renders old-fashioned catch-llne numbers whose type has seen better days. She jerks off one costume after the other, finally stripping to a satin leotard for a Charleston, to convince the audience that. In spite of her silver hair, she Is still a gay soubreL Chase and La Tour depict the smooth and seamy sides of life, as the Bowery Bum and the Uptown Swell, each in his own fashion, woo their girl friends. The Bowery Belle is a dese-dems-and-does miss in a green beret and striped blazer.' 'The Park Avenue debby, regal in white satin and black velvet, speaks In the V6ry best of the phrases appro\u!d by Emily Post Democracy wins In the endl as the quartet knocks oyer social distinctions and joins in hotcha finale. Machine Age Gang Melo Small boys will have a breathless time watching the 'Popular Me clianlcs' style props the 'system' has thought up to strike terror In Its victims In 'The Ruling Voice.' The 'system' is a group of trade rack cteers so mighty they count their mbfitlily profits-In millions. Dressed lip with pearl stickpins and wing collars, with all the suavity of big business, these bloodthirsty villains hold board Of dlrectol-s' meetings in palatial suites of offices, turning faces full of evil toward the cam era. Best of all to the small boys will, be the diabolic Ingenuity With which the ofllces are fixed up,- A stranger on the premises might patise to admire an Innocent looking (Continued on page 62) Lilr Pons was simply «ac- quldlte at her recent Carnegie .Hall concert....She wore a lovely white satin gown with rufClea covering the entire skirt, and a band of gardenias over, one shoulder and down; the back... .for color she added a large dbairtreuse chiffon handkerchief.. .Fay Marbe -^as among those present, wearing an oyster white satin -with her usual silver: sequins and an ermine -tnap.... Peggy Wood looked sweet In dark street clothes....Bob Ritchie leaves for California this week.... They say that Ona Mnnson la on her way east and may play opposite BUly Gaxton in the new Sam Harris show.... Claudia Dell, so the story goes, was ao disgusted with Iter small part when she received her BCi^pt, In the same mu- sical, that she Immediately took a .train back to Holly- wood. . . i Joan Bennett , la Iove> Her than ever, this visit.... The emerald necklace worn by Mrs. Clarence Mackay, former Anna Case, at the opening of' the opera last week. Is re- ported to be the moet fabulous jewel ever displayed In this country....Borl sarig beauti- fully the other . night In "La Boheme', and Martirielll /was more than usually. Inspired... . A brilliant audience Included - many professional people,, no- table among whom was Deiro- thy Fields,' who wore a stun- ning black decollette and that new halrdress of her's.... Herb Fieldsi, Charlotte .Green- wood, who looked very striking in a nutgnlficent ermine 'wrap trimmed in sable; Mr. and Mrs. Max Wlnslow, and Cath- erine Dale Owen...,The Sat- urday night Mayfair gathering was gay aW Included Mary DUncaii, Laddie Sanford, Flor- ence Rice, Joan Bennett, His Honor, Barbara Bennett, Mort Downey, . Mine.' Francis, Irene Delroy and her new hubby; Grace Brlnkley, Ethelyn Terry Vlvlenne Segal, Doris Duke^ Louis Shurr, Georgle White,. Gertrude MacDoijald, George Jessel, lioulse Groody, Bobbie Perkins, Herb Harris, Inez Courtney and Stan Pascal. Going Places By Cecelia Agcr Only 3 Girl* Wlth.a platinum blonde, a . little brunet and a regular old fashioned blonde, .the Palace bill concocts all the Ingredients of an Intimate ;Broadly revue.. Just three gals make the audience believe theiy're a -whole galaxy. One platinum blonde can give off the radiance of a gross of chestnut haired ladies. It like Janet Reade, Bh^ fixes herself up to the same temperature as the heat of her hair. Clothes good and'flashy, cut down to bare' essentials, fitted slinky over her hips, lush make-up to direct at- tention to her emotional generosity. . Miss Reade supplys the bill 'with Its strip number,, leans against the proscenium arch for some Helen Morgan style aching for love, is the tempting source of its. knocicabout physical comedy, and comes through for the finale with that mean low- down torso writhing. As for an opening chorus. Serge Flash's assistant manages It all by herself.' While she neither sings' nor dances it Is enough that she Is pretty and blonde and that she smiles. Dressed this week in blue lace, she walks 'on and off with her shoulders held high, just the way good dancers should. ' Rexy Goes Exetle World travel In the Boxy stage shows has hardened the Boxyettes against the rigors of any climate. Sturdy creatures, they've learned how to keep their cool self-posses- sion under every circumstance, even the hot rays of the African sun. It's the Roxy ballet corps who can't take it \ For example, this week the Roxy has gone to 'Sahara.' The Roxy- ettes eiillst In the Foreign Legion, put on foreign legion uniforms, grab their rifles, and go right Into their taps, as civilized ^nd level- headed as you please. Just once, for the'finale, do they lose their, grip on themselves, when they clamber up the fortress walls the' better to train their guns on the Liazeed Arabs,' whose wild spin- ning Is the one thing, that seems able: to unnerve their admirable calm. The ballet'corps and even Patricia Bowman, on the other hand, haven't the'7stuft in them to combat the desert's Insidious heat 'Sahara' Hollywood Halloween By Grace C^een Hollywood, Nov. 6. They say Hallowe'en becomes quite an Important holiday, all through the west, a surprise to easterners. Hallowe'en Is some- thing like ^iew Tear's out here, with everybody planning for weeks ahead with elaborate house parties and dining put functions. At the Hlllcrest country club, Mrs. Hari7 Rapf and a number of Metro executives' families, cele- brated with elaborate entertain- ments. Mr. and. Mrs, Oscar Strauss had a party at'their north Beverly re- treat with one one of those unique international gatherings. Maurice Chevalier was there, also Marlene Dietrich beautifully gowned in soft purple velvet with long tight sleeves and high neckline; Pola Negri, looking rather wan and pale due to a slight Illness, was garbed In a long sleeved black velvet with dainty tracing 'round neck and cuffs In crystals; LU ' Dagover was in flowing silver chiffon. Jeanette MacDonald, sporting one of her Paris creations of long, full black velvet skirt with bodice and pepliim of heavy -white lace, was exceedingly vivacious and beautiful; Ona Munson, with her mother and Ernst Lubltsch, waa de- murely lovely in a short sleeve multicolor laihe; Lothar Mendcs escorted Lady June Inverclyde gowned In a lovely, plainly-designed white satin gown; Anita Page was escorted by Edgar Allen Wolf, whose Imitations were well received, Vickl Baum, Samson Itaplmclson and his charming wife and the Mil- ton Cohen family also present. Jlprr Doktor Strau.ss played a few snatches of a new theme waltz from a forthcoming picture and Chevalier did Imitations of his Imi- tators. A late hour stop-off at the John P. Medburys saw Frank prsattl's spagettl dinner, entirely devoured by Ethel ShutU (Mrs. George Olsen), Lou and Ida Clayton, Dell Cohn, Murray Smith and others. Those Radio Co'ps Those touring radio . cops can sometimes become quite a nuisance. At a more-or-less quiet non-drink- ing party at the Ralph Raingers the cops requested less noise al- though it was only 12:30 and the house Is situated on a hillside. Before that Jesse Lasky, Jr., Nora Grcgor, Marjorle Moss, Regis Toomey and Mel Shaiier were thor- oughly entertained by Ralph Ralnger, Leon - Rains, Sam Cbsl6w and Ray 'Turner. Miss Moss Is sailing, soon for Paris to rejoin her partner, Georges Fontona. Gossip Harry Burns and. Chuck RIcsner reminiscing about those ole vaudc vllle days. Harry is the I-thlnk you-touoh comic and Rlesner is now a Metro director. Jack Holland and June Knight a sensation at the Cocoanut Grove as they obliged with a dance, number. Handsome Richard Tucker at- tracted many gazes at the Chinese theatre the other night. Buddy Rogers says he'd like to put on about 10 pounds; Bert and Bernlce Wheeler hurr rlcdly .dashed home when they heard a few homes were on Are at Mallbu beach. Theirs wasn't, but the Stan- wyck-Fay and the Joe Santlcys' were completely demolished. Sad Over Robt Williams Next to Clark Gable, the gabble (,'abble atnong the girls has been Robert Williams, and his untimely death was a great shock,~ A sort of an aftermath to the Oscar Strauss dlnnor was Nita Mar (Continued on page 62) gets them. There they forget an their Roxy manners and shamefiX turn native. They want to tear their clothes, they long to pran^ with wild abandon, they yearTto lose their well-guarded dlgnIty.«BS fiowerrlike personallUes. 'Sahi^ rouses the prlmiUve In themaS jubilanUy, they give in. With wWt. nautoh skirts whose cohvergliieiiBB! bring their undulating hips Si cellent focus, gold spangles on theili hems, alluring harem veils for tSSi faces, they quiver with unified cm vulslons, as African as a Harl^ floor, show, Jnst children of nataS once again. , ^ Miss Bowman la so affected, aha gives aU her classical training over to a movement known commonly as 'the shimmy,' although at the Roxy there must be a more rarefied name for It Her expert execuUon of this universal reacUon to heat la a splen- did argument tor the benefit of earnest ballet practice. She endows her . elemental writhing with a deU. cacy that comes only from being Serious about one's work. Yet for aU her excellence, the Roxyettea are the ones to be commended, for their seit-abnegatlon. They , stay right on the spiritual plane fighUng aU temp, tatlons, always remembering de- vouUy that their life and emoUoni are dedicated to the service of the Cathedral. Dramatic Bathing Beauty Lily Damita; has learned not to act in •Friends and Lovers' (Roiy) and it's a great Improvement The la4y la suffidenUy lovely Just as she Is. Histrionics from her only be- cloud 'What she really has for ple< tures—ripe and pleasanntly pro- portioned figure, splendid legs, a passably pretty face, and a.great deal of 'personal cbla She pan ^ear precious furs as If theiy were her own and not the costume depart- ment's; her allure triumphs In aatln chemises as surely as In. cllngliig black velvet Watching her step glistening from her modemlstlo shower and present' her shiny wet legs to her maid to be dried may do nothing to further the plot but It is a sight unquestionably aesthe* tic Beauty doesn't have to excuse itself. friends and Lovers' spends little of its alotted time on Miss Damita. She is introduced early as the femme for whose honor men are glad to pay 6,000 pounds, who has such quantities of sex appeal that without trying, she is the cause of the smashing of fine old friend- ships. The picture vouchsafes a glimpse of her, then expects you to believe in the havoc she wreaks, and it's no task at all;' That ga) could do it, all right She returns for the last sequences to remind you hovr potent are her charms, and also to prove that she never meant any harm. Her role is a little mixed up in its moUves, but Miss DamiU herself leaves no doubts that she la a warm, and friendly screen person- ality. War Influence, Maybe Weary at last of swimming pools and garden parties, pictures are now establishing 'class' by speak- ing French Instead. This week alone three Broadway screens spas- modically break out in the GalUc tongue, assaulting unsuspecting au- diences with their fancy foreign language, then quickly changlne back to English before the sur- prised listeners can figure out what's happened. Lucky for tli« audiences that somewhere, the dia- log is always careful to refer to the afctors' prowess with French' Without this tlp-oir, even a Parisian could never guess. Tne two so- ciety' girls' in . 'Compromlsea (Strand) are so in the hnbit pi bursting Into this alien speech, tney get Rose Hobart, the lowly m™ heroine, to studying French in secret so that ghe can try to cope with them. Miss Hobart learns ner French by the phonograph recor method, but she's smorter thon « society girls. She doesn't 8pea» her French In public. Seeking, self-Improvement frj>* the days she used to be a boarci™ house slavey ur til she goes to "T^ In her rich father-ln-law's home Boston, Miss Hobart Is always lous, always earnest, always aln- cere, and always a little nea'J Her good qualities have such aP^ on her that oven when she nn^^ luxury, she doesn't seem to be a to do such a frivolous thlntf as P» (Continued on page 82)