Variety (Jan 1932)

62 VAREETT VARIETY TuesdAj, January 5, 1932 CHICAGO Variety's Chicago Office WOODS THEATRE BUILDINQ-CENTRAL 0644-4401 . Loop-End - After two ': months, of vaude, Johnny JonOs Is reverting some- what to the glrly.rKlrly Idea of the house's former burleycue standards. Show shapes up as a cross between clean burlesaue and - presentations, oomttag out of the egg as a fairly entertaining tab outfit - ' Ijlfce most slapped-together "re- vues," show Jacked fundamental talent, and the one' or two solid per- formers In the Une-up stood out like <!au1iflow.ered ears. N.o. doubt that much of the attraction that the tab Idea had for the booker was the posslblTlty of cutting down on the talent cost-sheet Most of the acts in the show were short-coined cafe and club workers, of whom there are plenty in this burg. Nobody and everybody gets credit for. piecing this 'New Tear's Follies' show together. 'The 16 line girls were supplied and routined by Marie Petersen; .the comedy num- bers and blackouts were contributed generally by the various members of the company, and whoever hap- pened to be' around at the time. Ijadles of the - choriia had a good deal of work .to -Ao, tossing off an unusual array of routines. These numbers were conventional and ex- pected; the costumes rather, skimpy for presentations, being usually brassieres' and pants. But then, the show was advertised as 'mostly girls.' Spliced between the dance ar ranjgrements were a series of also conventional and well-known com- .«dy tidbits, delivered variously by Bobby -Morris, Johnny Cook, Franz Ruf,' Jack Dibel, Iris Monohan, -Baullne Belleau and Mario Florell% Besides their labors in the black- outs, they had several specialties; Pauline Belleau, known to: cafes : locally, had her standard tumba weaving to display, though Jt was toned down much at this house, . Backed by the -chorus In a Span- Ished theme, it summed up as one . of the better production numbers of the show. ' Ruf and Dlbel got together for their regulac .vaude act later' and mana^d u portion of ...giggles tor ■ their talk. Freddy Gordon, colored hooter,' understood to be under' a three-year contract to Jones, was on .for one terrific ankle-weaving short; a lightning fast dancer who wa» meat and drink for this audi- ence. Reno and Renette were on twice for ballroom stepping exhlbl tlone, but bring nothing stirring to the footlights. Strictly as cafe fare. Florence Brady was home With a pair of unhappy tonsils on the night ehow was nabbed, and her partner, Gilbert Wells, had to struggle with the nert-to-cloBlng spot on his own. A couple of jokes, a comedy song, a chorus and oft to see how the ton ells were getting on. One real vaude act on the show was the Fraser Brothers, jatrong-arm bal ancers, who grabbed the large por tlon of the public's approval. They are a neat pair of hand-to-hand pullers who have been around . In yaude for 10 years. In all It was a tab show that troved satisfying enough to this loop-end house, where the location and^ cheap admish attracts the not too-flnlcky slab of the population. Jones Is evidently quite' content with the reefWts, since he Is now weaving anotbi^r of these 'mostly girls" shoW^t-^f^ther.. Gold. Jack Martin organizing a dramatic stock company to open at the Ma- Jestlc, La Crosse, Wis., on Jan. 10. town for the holidays. Return to the road oii Jan. 10 downstate. H. Walter Van Dyke organizing a dramatic stock company to open at the St Charles, New Orleans. William Nye, formerly at the Par amount In Fort Wayne, this week assumes management of PubllZ' Great States Paramount in Ander- son, Ind. Bake Miller has been transferred to the Marlon theatre at Marlon,'O. . PubllT-B. & K. will not move out of the Iioop-End building quarters, but have reduced their space in that building from two to one floor. Lease on /this floor taken tor one year, starting Jan. 1. Adolph Fassnacht's Freiburg Pas elon Play company . Ji^ng . off in RKO STATE LAKE ^ctly Dishonorable'' with ^ilkUt LUKA8—SIDNEY FOX ■nd LEWIS STONE OTHEATRICAL CUTS v. Harry Walders, for some time short subjects booker with PubUz- & K., has been moved to the the atre operation division, and will go into the southslde Maryland as man- ager. Now studying, the Publlz sys' tern at the loop Roosevelt ORIENTAL, CHICAGO (Continued from page 39) cracks and overhead Innuendoes SiKh as 6'Keefe deals out As an example he borrowed- a gag that Bugs' Baer only pulled a day before in his column, the oiie about Kate Smith still not getting the moonr' over the mountain, and It lay there like a wet towel. Again O'Keefe went parody on Wlnchell by refer- ring to himself as Mr. O'Keefe's boy, Walter, and to,the band, 'Okay, Chi cago.' Dellv%Mng- pat lines In a $4.40 show Is one thing'-and talking back t3 a pictlire audience another. .Ap- parent that O'Keefe 'got his alpha- bet mixed with the result obvious. Tet B&K must have known they were gambling with an unknown quantity and why the production wasn't built to at least cover O'Keefe up; is probably another one of those fOollsh questions No. 999. 'With the Rltz Brothers on the same bill a lot of things might have been done. Instead of putting out O'Keefe In one, behind an invisible band, for his 'Tuba-tuba' song, the number could have been saved with a little production around It and the Rltz clan for comedy relief. It must have .been evident at the first show Friday that O'Keefe would have trouble selling the song alone, yet at the Saturday noon frolic every, thing remained as was. Rltz booking was a life saver on this show. Boys didn't get to do all they should ha-ve done, but i^tlll clicked big. Since last around the brothers have changed their routines for better results aiid bigger laughs. Their opening, burlesquing Greek classical dancers. Is a darb. Had they been rung in on the rhumba number It would have saved O'Keefe, the ballet ensemble, and the finale. The Rltz Bros, aren't working for apples, aiid since they weren't sold as headliners, why not have used them to better advantage ahd at the same time protect the rest of the show? Johnny and Bdna Torrence, re- peating h^re for the third or fourth time in a year, put on a suave and colorful flasli, as usual. Their first number, plenty hot and bordering on the eccentrlo type, put the brother-sister' dance combo over easily. Their regular rhumba, also heated, followed. Other specialty In the show came from Marcella Hardy, petite song and dance girl. Line-up of IS girls romp through simplified routines and for matlons without anything particular outstanding. Costuming was neat On the screen 'Delicious' (Fox) moved over for'a second, week in the lioop from the Chicago/getting, to be a practice, this doubling .from one house to another. Biz for the first ehow Saturday drew a. lobby hold out with the overflow hitting the bargain price before 1 p. m. Span. Woodin asked tor .apd got stage shows, with this' the first under the new policy. The gargoylesque Wolf seems to be drawing them In from all over town, unusucJ In this nelghbor- hooder. Wolf has a' band of 16, with some of the ace musicians, of the town working to the • dying swan type of direction that Rube uses. They open with a good med- ley of' pops, 'Wisely confining them- selves to approximately. eight bars of each number, Morry Reed croons and 'cellos to strong reiums. Bobby Gilbert's familiar violin spe- cialty, seen two weeks ago .at War- ners' Hollywood, .'la now too famil- iar. Keena Sisters, high-voiced sing- ing trio, smartly costumed, fol- lowed and . rapped out a; couple of numbers that Were liked.. For a foil Wolf has Violet Bart- lett as the (emmie In several out? moded blackouts.. X3lrl also chirps pops neatly. Other, girl In the act, Senorlta Gonzales, In some Mex soiigs' and steps, could-be pepped up by shortening. Same for a tus- sle bit with Rube, ' > Three tiny kids with good Idea ahd execution were the Three Mickey Mice, who did their tum- bllhg in the well-known rodent costumes and over as. well as any thing else on the bilL Fddle Lankbert, featured, suffered from' the same complaint as Gil- bert use of familiar material. Wolf chaffed pleasantly and came through , with two of .his always surefire'brass solos on the French horn and the trumpet Show's lack, of danclngr Its greatest, weakness. Line of girls would, help. Tasteful drapes backed the band and spe .claltles. With a twice-weekly change pol Icy and no Increase in prices stage policy should draw 'em. Top is 60c, with the former extra dime for loges forgotten. Staff has been switched to girl ushers, with everyone In bright new uniforms. Loudspeaker system for singers has the horns spotted on the-stage boxes and blowing up the crooners' voices to audible proper tlons. . . Kenneth Orr at the organ with a Xmas medley ably handled. Picture 'Ambassador Bill' (Fox), Charley Chase comedy, Fox news and a Xmas trailer rounded Out a money's .worth program. BOULEVARD, L. A. (NEW POLICY) Los Angeles, Jan. 2, After six years' absence from that Jiouse Rube Wolf returns to a vastly different Boulevard theatre. Dur. ing his former stay the house,' just opened, was a proving ground for much of the West Coast talent, being literally and figuratively right un der the wing of the home office. At present it has. just undergone sev. eral changes of policy, last as the preview theatre for 'F-WC. With the Installation of Harry Woodin as manager and the return to-theatre rule by the house man agers, Boulevard looks as though it will pep up In receipts and activity. 1 If f"»~l T O ♦ I O H INTBBNATiett At4 TOUEDO Parsmoaat (•) "arMtlovs* I Del Chain J * R Qrifflth Iiambertt Buater. tt Browa Dorothy Thlene Collen'tte Bns TOBOMTO Imperial (■) Gay Vlanna' I [>qol da Karakjarto Baudamltb Broa Rena * Rathbum Woodland at Smoot Tomer Ens SAM AMTONltf . XexM (8> . Harohea Mllltalrea' Cbarlea Irwin Large A Morgner . Rodnejr Ic Gould Sunklst Bna SHBEVEPOST tMraad (SV Art Oallery' I Felovla-B Cole Bob, Andy Si Ti Josephine Gatbalots Olga & Leater Herculean 8 LaMarr Broa Mavia & iTed Marian & Kathr'ne SPB'OF'I.D, BIABS. Fw PoU <S) "Stars ot -Y't'y Bva Tanguay ^boes fir the Sutge and S^i^f^f MUSE, L. A. ^Nlekeiodeen) Los Angeles, Jan, 2. Like the buffalo, bock beer and bustleis, nickelodeons have been consigned to the .dint,' dank past. Presence of one of the last remain- ing'five-cent houses In the country here in this founfaln-hea!d of plc- turedom Is another of the-paradoxes that makes California what it is. That this, nickelodeon Is making a nice profit for its owner while other Main streeters are crying the blues adds to the anachronism. The Muse is between Fotirth and Fifth on Main, seats 276 and si- lently grinds away from -9 a.m. to 11 p.m.. -with a nut of $82 dally and a gross that must average Abe Levy, its owner, 110 net. a week. Complete programs cost f 7.60 to %i a day for the daily change, with Saturdays and Sundays having a two-day booking of some Amklno or other foreign silent print which draws the Russ colony In for i gimpse -of the old country. Faced 'with the problem of keep Ing supplied with the fast-fading silent pictures, Le-vy has just bought 160 old prints from local Co-operating Exchange, has 70 for- .elgn' films 'coming from New Tork- and owns about 80 features of his own. This will keep him going for well over .a year,' since a picture plays as many as. four times at the house, bookings spaced six-or seven months apart with the drawing population ' so fast-changing that there are no complaints. Staff consists of two shifts of one operator and one cashier-bouncer- candy seller-phonograph manipula tor each. . Shows, Including either a feature and two shorts, or two features and one short run an hour and a half, with the foreign film programs running to two hours. Candy sideline Is a nice profit since Levy buys his sweats and gum In wholesale lots and sells it at the door with the admission, Sole ticket recorder Is a bicycle speed- ometer that jumps a numeral every time a customer lays his nickel on the line. - Peak hour at the house Is from 6 to 7:80 p.m., with the morning hours almost as big because the police vag squad rounds up the Mdln street bums at that time, and anyone of the lads with a nickel rushes to cover until the coppers have gone to lunih. Clientele ranges from the oddest driftwood the city can offer to the thrifty working man and his family. House Is the conventional shoptlng gallery. Picture w'hen caught. 'The River Woman,' a G'otham silent vbr- slon of two and a half years aso. Cashier reports that even at ec top plenty of chlselers who couldn't tell an acrobat from an oHo come u7 and ask It be recognizes the nrnfrflBh. Bilh Next Week (Continued from page 41) Corlnne Hank Brown ' Tom Kelly Rloe A Caddy Cbo Cho Freddie Ward Harrlaon Co Ales'd'r & Evelya ST. I.OVIS XWK <8) Uontmartre' I Joe Jaokeon Dol's, Douglaa £ E* Julian & Marjorle Dave Rebel Jamea DeLucca . B DeValery Bna WASaiMOTON Xta <•> 'Tomorrow Stara' I Bernle & Walker Mary MIlea Wanda. Allen . Zelma Fern Dale Buddy ft Qretel Cblyo' Kadomatan Helen Ireland Dorothy Weloh Tbeal Neleon . Rudy Kaye WOBCE8TEB PalMC (S) •Modern Minatrela' Tyler Maaon Bruce Jordan 3 Page Boys Harry Von FosMn Uark Nelson Bather Campbell Sunklat Ens London Week Tanvaiy . l ASTORIA Brixton Colombo Be Blere Old Kent Bond Pep Graham Topsy Johnny Nit nnsbniy Park Darkle Paradise David - Evans 8 Eva Hudson ' Chris Wortman Graham Crawford SarronI Sis Buddy . 'Streatham RMS Astoria David Bvatis 8 . Rego Twins Gene Morelle Dennis Four Charles Rolfe Provmdal MAMCHESTEB PnraaMmnt . Company as booked MEfVCASTIX Paramonnt "Pyjamaland' J Lawson Four WARNER cmcAoo Stntford 2d halt (e-S) Whitehead Co Stone ft Lee Bnos Frazler (Two to All) CHESTER, PA. . Btaaley (7) Carter Bros Co Monge Tr EUZABETH ^ BItx 1st halt (e-12) . Baby Roeeiharle Bobby Plncus (Two to nil) 2d halt (13-15) Ben Marks' & Ethel Vanessl Helino ft Davla (One to All) 2d halt (6-8) 3 Little Words Brooks ft Philson Geo Fawcett Co Rome ft Oaut Rhythm Revels EUUBA Keeaey (T) Kay Hamlin Co (Two to nil) <1) , Reynolds ft White Crowell ft Allen Bonhair Co . EBIB Waiaer 1st halt (10-13) Betty Jane Cooper Sully ft Thomas Hugh Bkelly 2d halt (14-16) (To All) 2d half (6-S) Roft ft Romans Donovan 81s ft B Wally Vernon . Colby ft Mnrry Rev HOBOKEN IMtaB 1st halt (9-12) Ben Marks & Bthel Vanessl Melino ft Davis .(One to fiU) 2d halt (13-lS) Baby Rosemarle (Three to All) 2d half (6.8) Holt & Torre Fine Feathers Bobby Plncus Erifi'a Ward Co JAMESTfVN, M. T. Palace (2) Kay Hamlin & K Sen Murphy Lois Torres JERSEY CITT ' Stanley (8) Sue Carol Nick Stuart LANCASTER, PA. Capitol (31) Wan Wan San Tr 3 Gobs Rogers ft Donnelly MIDDLET'WN, CT. Capltol (8) Pat Daly Co Bert Walton MONTCLAIB, N.JI. Montclair (8) 4 Warners Gautler's Toy Shop BIILWADKEE Warner (2) Art Frank Co Rome ft Dunn Gus Mulcay 3 Cossacks Fulton ft Parker 8 O'Neal Girls NEWARK Moaqne (8> Agemoes Irving Edwards 20lh Century Rev Jack Randall Collins ft Peterson Larson UcN & W (1) 3 French Misses W'rthy ft Th'mps'n Carl Emmy Baby Rosemarle Maddox ft Hack White ft Anita ft B Mel Klee. Maxellos NEW HATEN Roger Sherman 48) Galla Rlnl ft Sis Bob Albright Vlo Oliver Bentelle ft Gould Foster ft Van Geo McKay Co Jack Pepper Jack Randall Co Brltt Wood Freda ft Palace Honey Tr -. PHILADELPHIA „ ,Earie <») Harrison ft BImo Geo McKay- Brltt Wood Primrose Semen Lewis .ft Moore Bob Murphy Ruble Bis T'get'ra of Tst'rd'y Collins ft Peterson *^--"-fnim (8) Qlenn ft Jenkins Duke Ellington . Robert Chlsholm Leonard Slllman' Shaw ft Lee Joe Cook Jean Harlow Teddy Joyce riTTSBUBOH. auight 1st halt (»-li) Harmon ft Sana Geo Beatty (Three to All) 2d halt (13-16) (To All) 2d halt (6-B) Crockett's Mts Nice Florlo' ft L Nate Buaby Co Sid Marlon Harrison's Circus - Harris <») Nice Florlo ft Ii Nat Busby Crockett's Ht'n'rs (2) Bobby Rollins Spence Doris ft J Primrose Semon 4 Robeys Stanley (8) Jons Fenner . (Others to All) . (2> Buddy Rogers Barnett ft Clark Stan JCavanaugh Vera Marsh 1! Am Tappers READING Astor (9) Mel Klee M'rcu's 91s ft M B'e (1) Melva Sis Calvert Iring ft H Lionel Mike Ames Wm Ebg Harmon ft Sans Georgia Hayes SHARON, PA. Columbia (31) Kay Hamlin ft K Nee Wong Cnrdlfr ft Wales WARREN, PA. Library (31) Buddy Roberte Nate Busby Co Paxton WA8HIN0TON E«rl« (»> Cass MacH ft Owen (Three to All) ' (2) White-Ftaahea Frank RadoliSe Roye ft Maye Belle Baker WATEBBVBT Strand (SI) Lang Bros Lola Revet Pat Daly Co Jerome ft Ryaa -Any Fam Bert Walton a Smith Co WHEELING „ Capitol (B> Harmon ft Sana -Harrison's Circus (Two to All) - <»»> De Kos Bros Nee Wong Saul Brilliant Betty Jane Cooped Cabaret Bnis HKW TOBK CITY Beaax Arts Rath Goodwin Ivon Bouvler Alma-Ouldo Louis Borsonl Trazato Cmtral F^k CaalM Morton Downey Velos ft Volanda Bddle Daohin Orch -f!«uie** Io». Fats Wallar Bd Louise Cook Cora Green Mae Alex Baby Cox Olennle Chetinnao Paul Meeres Snakehlps : Tocker ; Lois Deppe . Hal Bokay ' 3 Sepia Songbirds 3 Rhythm Kings' Cotton CIO . Cab Calloway Leitha Hill Alda Ward Cora La Redd Henri Weasel Swan ft Lee Anise: Boyer ' Roy Atkins Wells M'rd'cal ft T Bailey & Wilson Bernlce Short BImer Turner Jimmy Baskette Bobby Sawder Norman Astwood El Cbico Manuel Gomez. Bd Carmenclta Salazar Spavento Trio Crllloa . Brito Br'vo C'nslno Hllyw'd Bestanr'BI Maria Gamberelll Rerl, Frank Hazard Dolores Ray 3 Speeds - Caesar ft Mliiil At-Katz Orch Janssen Bofbraa Harry Hatts, M C Myrna Waverly Burns ft Swanson Mann Sis Noyce. BIs- Betty I.eonard- Llttle CInb Jack Osterman Danny Tales Oroh Oakland'* Tmmet Buddy Kennedy Parker ft Babb A*!* Winston Frances Mlldrea Uaok Owena OrcI| Nat CInb LaBelle Rose Nutsy Fagan Eton Boys Jerry Bergen Arthur Wilson Al Parker Helen Manning Enoch Light Orch FBramoBM Grm Geo GIvot Bernard ft Rich Addle Seamen Jimmy Ray Robert Dawson Gold ft Raye dob Plata Josephine Earl Rayi-Hart Patsy Shaw Diana Dearlng Volmer Sis Ruth KIdd Ray Bis Alrin Sis Iris Brynes Eddls Ashman Or Booslan Arts MIsha Markolt Sliecha LeonoS Gypsy MorkoK Paul Haakon Balalaika Bd . Strollen Club Nan Blackatone Joey Ray Maurice ft Cordoba Village Bars Riley ft Comtort Luther ft Nell Pred Byron . Hollywood' Horse Josh Medders Paul Miller Barney Grant Arthur Rogers Chester Gunnels Dave Abrams' Oroh Tillage HUl Ev'l'n Nesblt. thaiT Ernie Goldman Lou Springer - CHICAOO Ambassadear Bdna Ii|ae Morris Vaughn Sis Bffle Burton Al Handler Orchi Cafe 4e Alex Maria Alvarez Paco Parafan Sllvano R Ramos Morrelll Sis M Csstllllan Orch CInb Alabaaa Gypsy Lsnore Mary Thorn Phil Vlltanl Del Bates Al Wagner Billy Meyers' Blmer Schobel Henry Mack Anton Lada Orch College lu Charlotte Arren Genevieve Irwin Blanche ft Elliott Fran Prinz Ben .Bemie Orch ColoslaiM Herble Vog^l Mary Btone Hendrike & Peggy Chlckle Stanley Elvira Morton Jimmy Meo Orch CoBgraas Hotel La Tova ft Veauv'le Virginia Cooner Carolyn La Rue Paul Specht Orch IMxto CInb Joe Allen' Sally Osman Ruby Abbott Dotty Leroy Jimmy Moon Or ' Frolics Jack Waldron Vercelle Bis Myrtle Gordon LaFayette-La Verne Doris Lenlhan Ted Cook Orak . Grand Terraee Billy Mitchell Jennie Dancer Vivian Brown Maud Russell Earl HInes Orch Fnrsnonnt Club Harry Glyn Lottie Kroll Blllle Jean Brittoa Jean GUI Jerry Ellmaa Mae Baxter 4 Horsemen Orch ^ FlaaM Ibn Texas Outnaa Lanrette Adama Elinor Smith Rosemary Sill ailnor Ross Jean Burke Inez Pu'rdy Fteurette Cherle & Tomaslta Irving Sewitt Or Babalyat Johnny Lee i Dottle Dale I* Beralce St Jobif Harry Linden Bddle South OrA Terrace Garden' Barry ft De Albi' 3 Blue Belles Billy ft Jerry Cottf Minnie Sherman Gene Martin Don Pedro Orch' ' Vanity I^lr Jack Edwards i Nolle Nelson ■) Reynolds Sis Madelon McKenzIa Leo Wolt Orch -Winter Oaide* John, ft E TOrrenctf Ivan Morrow Allison ft -Fields Irving Aaron Orch lnterni|tional Letters Before going to America, Caresse Crosby, widow of the poet Harry Crosby and owner ahd founder of the Black Sun Press, announced th* forthcoming publication of a new and inexpensive series of books. First will be 'The Torrents • of Spring, by Ernest Hemingway, with the aim of the series to present modern works from all countries at a small price. DOROTHEA ANTEL 316 W. 72d St„ New York City The Sunshine Shoppe New Assortment of CHRISTMAS CARDS READY IS Cards In Box—Sl.eS rostpald Tke LetdlsB aii LetdlsB LariMf ACCOROIOS FACTORV . la till UnltKl StafH nw self Puten ttul miket ttit Kt at Rudi —nudt to band. Guerrini & Co. tn-m CMsakn Ays. ,S>a -FrsMlee*. OaL n*e CitalogoN