Variety (May 1933)

44 VARIETY VAUDE HOUSE REVIEWS Tuesday, M«7 9» 193S POLLY MOHAN Comedy 20 Mins.; One Palace, Chicago: Polly-Moran does the sort of ah act that, gives, even a professional observer the. feeling: that she has ho routine or settled sequence of gass, but simply follows the Inclination of the niomrsnti Actually, she probably ha$ a framework aiid ad. libs frbm performance to performance to ftU in.. Her gusto is enormous and the harum-scai'um approach . to things and stuff which has made her one of show business' most picturesque and obstreperous characters ia cer-r tain t9_cari'y_her in and over like ii 12-fopt wave tosses a swlmh>er. - \ She gagis that she picks up small change. washlhisr for all the musi- cians, that ;Mae West la 'sexrquisite,' that she doesn't know when to ge^t off the staire anymore than ppoljey and Sales do,-that she's borrowing a pair of Garbo's shoes to get a head - start in the Walkathon, that she aif- rived at thef theatre ^arly that morning by the light of a lantern. Every now and then she goes into a Hollywpbd posfe, slinks about with hauteur, pitches the voice for Park avenue, and pretends to be attend- ihg. a H oily wood premiere. It's. all a hodgerpodgfr of anything and everything. She makes comedy frbna her attire. laughs by twisting her hair. tuSius^jniient by kidding the pr- .chestra. Alt this she does in ia loud, visorous voice easy to hear and ren- derings her serviceability to the modern theatres of the great open, spaces gilt edge. _ She 'also 'has^^ a tlating herself with thie daily press, judging by results In Chicago, And that never hurt either the artist or the theatre. Heir radio appearance pn behalf of the Palace is separately reviewed in this issue under radip reports. Land- BARON LEE BAND (17) Orchestras, Specialties 18 Mins;; FmH (Special) State, N* Y. CPlored band of 13 men, plus leader (Baron Lee) and four spe- cialty. entertainers, twp -singles and a team. .Frphi Ohicagb and Harlem night clubs, with heat guaranteed, but alfiip showing ihpre tha,n the average orchestra of its kind in the' way of. melody and rhythm. Less of the loudness and ' mpre time seems to i)e Lee's idea and it's effec- tive. A meritorious turn for the average vaudeville bill. Lee himself: adds much to his act through peppy direction and nice appearaiice.- Additionally, he makes his' anhpuncements of numbers with polish and a clarity pf voice that's refreshing^ :. In the playing of . numerous num^ hers,.some special arrangements., the Lee'band oyershadows the -work of the specialty entertairters. A very hot trumpet solo a la Loiiils Arm- strone^ winds up. the, act; There's no flinale in which the jspecialty ar- tists return to the scene, but that trumpet number is all 'that's needed to prompt an encore., One wasn't taken Saturday afternoon, however. . Each of the specialty entertainersi is on but once, unusual also. Out- standing is Ida Henderson,, sihjging,. who could also have had an encore when caught. Others have less on the ballr including FlPrence Hill, SPlp dancer, and mixed, team of Bichards and De Leoj whose rhythm number suffers from too much, forte by the band. Char. PALACE, K Swellest thing about the Pala.ce is still the new girl ushers, and the funniest is a trailer about 'premiere vaudeville week, after week.* And only three weeks aeio the house was grinding 'Mussolini .iSpeaks' after a ruii pf tw6-a-day with Eddie C|qh- tpr's *Kid frpm Spain.' In view of the in after-week line rates a chubkle. HIPP, BALTIMORE | Baltimore, May 6. i Thla bouse Is worthy of censldw eration currently £or more tban one ored lighting scheme the new full- stage aettlngr la singularly eifectlve. No. 2 Is Le Paul, card manlpu" lator. A awell little act, which hasn't been seen around aa much as it should. In his handling of cards, ! iteni of Interest: First point is the particularly in picking them, out of installatlPh oi 'wide range' sound re- the air, Le Paul is on a par with production, the much heralded im- Cardlril, pf clff fame. Le Paul «ses ^j^^^gj^j^jj^ spund. Izzy Rappa- a cpuple of bpys from the audience, p^rt - has spread himself In sellin* whp are perhaps tpo obvious y this new Id^^ _ ^ - V , plants, but In order to WJ^ff after the natlpnal publicity i factthat this Is the sljcth cliange I laughs that accrue the giveaway range received thrpugh its pplicy In the past year, the weokr I can't he helped. I stunt With Leeppld Stokpwski. There :er-week line rates a chuckle. Opening the Dfeguchls (New [ np questlpu that, the sound is But it's not a bad show- In spite Acts), quarter pf Oriental tumblers linprOved, but whether It's an item of a lack of name draw, and at the and risloy acrobats. with rain that can be sold as box-pfllce Is an- ehd of the second afterridbn shovf driving pepple oft the streets and ^thier que^tipii. It was regarded as there was still bait a hpuse down- I Jpan Crawford gettinig the balance, an item Worthy; of plugging and can stairs waiting to see the picture on [ business was unusually, good at the chalked up against good-will, the sUpper swing, and the house had secpnd matinee shew Saturday. been full an hbur before. That's net bad buislnesis as business gees these days, especially In view of the all-day rain.;. A showei' drives them in, but ah early rain keeps them frpm starting put; ElvB-act shpw and only twP pf CMr, even thpugh there are showmen in this city, who insist there's np such thing' as gpp.d-wiU any more. More than 'wide range,' the vaude show Is the thing that Will really, count up at the-gate and, in the end, pay for the hevtr sound im- »STRATFOBD and MAYBERRY Comedy, Hapmonica 16 Mina.; One (Special) Orpheum, N^ Y; Fenime cemedy team with mate* rial that sells, and in the selling gets maximum results. Act drew No. Z spotting up here with Mills, Kirk and Martin taking top billing, but ordinarily Stratford and May- berry Wpuld be strpnfiT enough fer next" tp, . shut at the Orpheum. Prpved a big ' applause-grabber when caught. Ladies of the team are opposite types. One' does a ritzy gal, the other a rpugh-ahd-ready character With CPllegiate prpclivities. Abeut all they have. in. cpmmpn Is that they've been put cut pf cara and find thiemselves On a road far away frpm tpwh, their plight fermlng the backgrpund bf the talk. Alpngr with the' gab there's cpnsiderable rpugh Stuff by the one girl in quest of laughs. This Includes seme kicks, etc. i Early In. the rputlne pne pf the team does an harmpnlca spIp. It fits In With the character her per -fprmance reflects, besides making her eligible fpr Borrah Minevitch's band. Harmonica comes Iti for the novel close, with the little Inistrumcnt giving an idea Of the train Vhlch finally comes along tp take ' girls home, team In single fashlbn slmu-. "lating a train as they make for the wings. Ghar, HACL and DENNISON \1usiealj Singing 11 Mins.;.. One. Orpheum,. N. Y. This is a mixed combination with Wilbur Hall, for years with the Payl Whiteman bandj on bne iend. --He's harnessed to a comely.' young lady, who, in addition to playinjg straight for Hall, adds instrumental and vo- cal elements to the act. A surefire little turn which did well up here, nearly stopping the shbw. Since leaving the Whiteman band, which featured his comedy viollh and bike pump specialty. Hall has been doing a single In the picture houses. After Miss Dennispn opens act singing 'Dinah,'. Hall does his solo on the trombone, turning to ..the guitar as background for . brief dance by.-his partner'.that .passes muster. Follpwlng a clarinet 'spIp> Hall drags put the vlblin^. getting a bi£: hand on the. 'Pep Gpes the Weasel' specialty which always has been surefire. After a . secpnd fiddle bit, Miss Dennlspn doing a spng. Hall returns fpr the one-minUte bike-pump mu sical number. It's a pretty well- laid out rpUtine, including cpnsider ably mere material than the aver age dping 11 minutes. CAar. PAVILION, LONDON LpndOn, April 24. th^m^^^hef^am^-burthese^ I movement. Fpt Rappapprt has., in acts are In adjPlriIng si)Pts, ppsslbly H^ret setting fpr t^^^ the past few weeks, been bringing to save the atage . crew the trouble I the program, which was used by to town, a series of standard vaude pf wheeling the piano pn twice. . | this hpuse since It Went cpntlnuPUs, bills, with acts. that .a re and . have Hfeadllnlng li^Garl Randall, but ^nd has substituted a Brighten Pier been standard for years. For Iny the stopper W.as l.Baror and; Whit- P,^* . , ntlerl *Pun on the 1 ^^^^j^^'^V ^'i^ ledge. They took three bows and setting. Show, titled Fun on «® La Belle Pola, Bernardo de Pace, then had to cbme before the- cur- Pier', devised and produced by jjal gherihan. ^Isp, Senator Mur- taln for another nod before the Ralph Reader. What Reader, whp phy and the ppnateUa Bros, and crbT??d was willing to stop. Material J.^ i.-^ aoTaa very eppd work in rCarmen had been booked tor. the is not 'much in thla turn, but the . ■ . ' ti„oi„»io v.oo girl puts the show-over on person- numerous West-End musicals, has ality and drags he.r partner with dbne hiere is hot apparent. Only her. With a really gopd. routine thing Visible is a JUmble pf 'sutera' they <;'?W^olle<JJ)g^^^ pn the stage wko do very little but I thpse current, there's genuine enter- RiSdall wL hPt fw behind with detract from the work of the artists talnmenV^f^^^^^^^ jaude fans. a.nd Barbara Newberry and Jay Velie. on the bill. these yiat used to wander in tP grab Stter Is^luOT when at the piano Entire offering is more like reg- a peek at those In.person people than when he raises his voice in ular vaudeville, with only difference whP drag'eni In but can't entertain spnir but he stooges WeU and the being the last part pf the prpgram 'em. It's a system of vaude book- dancers scored npt only :wlth thb^fthat carries the 'Brlghtpn' setting, ing that has worked OUt extremely clever mask dance but with their Show has quite a good deal of com- well here, an ether or picture name clbsing number edy, in. fact more than, has been without stage capabilities, surrcund- Front end of thb bill Is stag, the rule here lately.. Outstanders ing by genuine variety turns who bpening with the'Four^ TrPjah satisfy.. some really good aero wprk that got both old timers, and seasoned per- r^^ier^ was plenty bf entertainment applause item by Item, and deucing former?, with Farr sitting in_ a box I " " with Cookie Bowers, who did better and doing the •silly ass interrup- here'than he often fares in the nabe ti<^s. k« V«r houses. He was. not helped any by I Horace Kenny, supported by Ver current Week bookings but were switched for various reasons,, the Sehatoir's being lat^ngitis; With consldteht' turns .such as a whistle that deVelbned In the am- npn Klngsley, has plenty, of coniedy plSSS at tlmer^ & It in his ^Trlal Turn' offering w^^^^ Sp, static and all.. Works a neat Kenny attempts lots of. Jiings t^ insurance for a recatt by opening the annoyance of ^"^^^^^l^V'^^l^^^^ with gilt chahrs which he doesn't manager watching the. offering, iise in the first section, so it's the Reilly and P^^^^^^^ on this bill, headed by the Three X Sisters, an ether turn that has been playing vaude rathier consistently, this being a. repeat engagement. They are, nevertheless, bhe of the weaker acts currently, a»id ho won- der, with the competition. against them. Their straight warbling, even with effects, has been become so P„« he can do more He held dbwn house which set theni for English stereotyped, so familiar, it has lost 5vminu^svSth ndkic^ vaudeville, did not strike off too all life and color. It once more Randall fflts the trevw^ warmed up^ In the end demonstrates that just plain singing Whitlfdlft fourt^^^ no longer counts as l>?«t^S?i?» cfoaine entertainment. That era is swiftly iiri fli«h w^^^^ Wright and iMarion are playing passing. I?^t?'?p«r^ flr«t ah^^ the rare ahimal acts Brbadwkv' They JSwently^ave still rely on old malerial. which around these days Is La Belle Pbla. Broadway, aney apparency »»vfU,,^„ ^„„^ i,^^v, ,ininer for veara. I ^jth pseudo-spontaneous comedy still the basis of the act in the make a eood aboeScI^^'ha^^^^ ^^H. surely .exhaust the pa- organ-pumping and shaving bits, make a good appearance, nave , ^^^^^^ PavUlon audience cibslng dance by the monk has de- The first costumes the 1 soon, 3mes_Ev^^ | cllned in Importance In ratio to the BERRY GURRAN TRIO .Songs, Dances, Violin 10 Mins.; three (Special.) Circje, New York Boy and two girls who try very, hard but need a lot more deVelopr ment before they may be considered for better spots than the Circle. Those impersonations of Crosby and Valley which the boy tries, to bur- lesque are just; the things he Bhouldn't try.'. -All three dance, in solO or' to- gether, and m one scene the boy at- ^empts_.fi^_mfigaphone singing solp DJLLEY SISTERS (2) Songs, Dances 8 Mins.; One Circle,: New York That Circle audience which pays 15c on matinees fbr four acts plus two features and other accoutre- ments enjoyed this earnest werking pair when cteught. They sing and dance, and their best number Is a chain duet wherein the girls tap tP- gether while their ankles are linked by chains. Apt finale, and while their sing- ing is slightly weakish, these twP shpuld find something to do around the multiple changers that may pc- caslonally go .for vaude or the spots that may decide tp f OUpW the Circle type of entertainment. Otherwise, it the girl should re- frain frbmi singing, that pne chain numiber should make thi^m eligible for a solo speciality bit anywhere. Shan. ^teps and the ideas, and they cUck oi leneral the-team Is smartly turned time for a costume change. Through on the bill w^^ though his concert work on the Simple process of ^ not giving up glorio ^"^^^^^^^gt^^^e the^ strings was net as much appre- her advantage by quitting the stage, f «l%Sei HeXt SSnlSe °Is I ^'^^ed at the first show Friday_as she got t^o songs out w^^^ second week, held over on was. ample. Had she^ walked on the l^^^t^^ yAs act. In- first, she never w^ould have gotten oon^^^ ^^^^ . back. Her voice is far from gp^^^^^^ Henlere Is given an alarm Istage presence if Bauche._and a sejf- ^ ^ the management, and told | conscious perspnaUty^^^^^ vacate when the clock rings, fyf^^?!^*! was his mimicking of speech. It's the hoke they want still. Following the three lady radio cana.ries came Hal Sherman, .still 'just rbturhed from Europe,' but the ter spacer-could be found. It might | J.'^t Then h'e'Tets"goIngrhe*^uT-' I ^l^eS? ^"d*e£ons'?r"SJ "«/ff-'Dlplpmanlacs' (RadiO. Us *^»^^^SvlS^'"S; R^?^^^ mpved over from the R. C. Roxy; gf"°f This is eood^ f^^^^ ^.^^V' 1" hoofing, which is the newsreel and a sharkfishing, P^l^^'• J^^^^ dual -reel. Vaude, dncluding thf h^if J^JJ^J^^g J^^^ ^jy^i^^^^J^f' small taste of his cpmedy dancing brief overture, runs <Si mins. and J^^^^^^^^ enough to satisfy. The audi- rqu^tef^'^'^'^^ '^^Ji^^^^^^ -?e "S*' ?S?"lle?rn "VST^ a quarter. v ' Jl™tnf 7^^^^ r^^^f-^®-^^-'!*!^^^ thi «f th^ clever turn, with the gags fast and CTATF N Y l 15*^ 4^y??^m°wol LlHnnJ^^ii5 without a mlss, and talking about OlAlby n. I. I week, as the bill was overlong, any-1 „«i t,^..^ 1= a. .. while ; one-of , the girls fiddles and .-another dancig. Just the same the Circle audience liked them when caught, althpugh not tbb heartily. Finaled here pn a fpur-act layput. One of the girls dances only en toes. Other high- kicks. Both lookers. Lighting couldn't be judged as house looked .'S*to be having trouble that way. Shan. THE DEGUCHIS (4) =rTnYnblingrR'»ley^ Stnger-Ames -Gircuit' Has Old prpheum, Ji^. Chlcagb, May 8. Mbrt Singer aind Morgatf Aines are' now operating the OrpheUm, Sioux City, Iowa, as well as the Or pheum> Davenport, >and the loWa, Cedar Rapids. Three houses.cpn stitute a week and a half pf vaude-. ville on Dick Bergen's RKO bpok. Deal.-Whereby Singei: and Ames, were to take bVer the Celumbia, DaVenpprt, fell thrpUgh at the last moment when the receiver for the prpperty was rempved. 7 Mins.; Full (Special) State, N. Y. Orientals in a cbnventional rou tine of tumbling, risley acrobatics and balancing. Presents nothihg at all original, but oke to Open medium time shows and probably a better buy than most of Its kind through having only fouif people. Still serves the average p'urpbses. DeGuchls carry a nice-looking set and eauipment. Under the gun on this Khow and over satisfactorily .Saturday afternoon. ' ^har. .. ^ , ,. . I way. Despite length. of program, A typical show 'or ^ this house, . ^ jg t beyond average, which, of course,, would mean that' " » ' misses, the gal here is for once a it included a dumb act. opening an^ a band, closing. State has had that type of attraction tb open and end many a bill. In entertalnmeht ap- peal show la ^h^a par- ■with what house hfw struck as an average genuine asset to the turns, and not just somebody to ask the questions. Sherman has had' an up-and-down career in vaudeville, l>ut now looks Strictly on the upbeat. Closing the show was. Jacqueline .r —r , ir Riiy aud Co.,' which secms. to be ft Having conclusively demonstrated ne.yy. name for an'old act. .It's a PALACE, CHICAGO Chicago, May S. m ii. .T^A^^ TWI*°>^^ sundry that two weeks competent dancing fiash turn, with Together with 'Today We Live for any picture Is all wet for the three girls and two men. Specialty (MG) on screen program. hits the paiace, the house is back to nor- bits were turned In nicely by Dor- valUe State audiences ^^^xpect. malcy and sanity with five eoPd othy. Brady fpr pne and Betty and Draft pn the up. side with Joan acts and a good fiicker, 'Kiss Refore carter for the other. There's Crawford and Gair Copper In the the Mlrrpr' (U). Appropriate fiscal Un m. C who could be better if screen . feature. . Length of Today support Is .predicted. silenced. He recites lines which are We Live' doubtless explains why fKing Kong' which did okay the amazing examples of bad show- the vaude WU is Hve acts, instead first Week and died the second, topk manshlp. For Instance, wheii he of the ftequent-six-of late..-—. ---^^ a^way^^sWollen-rental--fee-that-com-- Calloway No Like Pan's Bid for L. A. Engagement Hollywood, May 8, Asking, guarantee of $5,600 for his band, Cab Calloway turned down Alexander Pantages' twb-week offer of ^3,000 per, plus 50-50 si>lit over $14,000. Aggregation is currently playing flye Woeks on the Texas. Interstate circuit. Baron Lee band (NeW Acts) is polled the house to use a cheap vaude a colored outfit that's been around revUe With it. All in all it wasn't the night spots, in ChiciBigo as well sO good. Now Balabah & Katz, who as In Harlem. .It's a warm and Wanted the film In the first place melodious combination, aided by and bid agaliist the Palace, has several specialty artists whose ef- taken second whacks and .shoved It forts, while fairly merltprious, are Into McVickers following 'SWeep- overshadowed by the Work of the ings,' another picture to play the bandsmen and the pep of Lee, di- Palace first. recting A It is now pretty generally accept- -ciif^ nr^A M-.,rr»Kv TtrAq 6d. that tho feest ftssct of the.Palace Brems-F^^^^ ^"^^ JSPtLi?^^^ its consistent policy of depend- long standard and weU^^ vaudeville plus averagely good Loew audiences, draw next^o s^^^ I features.. To that law may be added whero^thelr-quarter. "Singing^-Clown ing and' slaparpund reaches a re- sponsive .chord;. This act has changed very little with the ytsara, at least of late years; Mlddle-pf-the-bill act is that class dance fiash Pf Chaney and Fox's. it*s been given fresh dress- ing, providing the smartest back ground carried, , ing this happy pplicy is sinful. . Fast bpening act, ChriStensen Brpthers plus Wiora Stoney and Elyse Crockett, Russ Brown and Cornelia Rogers deucing in a man- ner well ahead of the typical Palace deucing manner; Gus Van, able to noisy, likable win three encores; for team's dancing ever I PoUy Moran (New Acts), next to Set In full.reminds of the clcslng, and equally nplsy and ilk interipr of the Radio City Music able Diamond. Brothers lambasting Hall, while a drop at the back goes each other for comedy' howls, was up and dPwn as required, much as the. roster and the report of the a theatre curtain. In; its varl-col-' proceedings. Land. goes': Ihfo hla own dancer^herptpes^— 'Applaud if ypu will, hiss if yo" must, but. please den't Ighpre me. Just a dance- Miss Ray tops 'em in acrobatic wbrk and control work; she manages to' db contortiPh stunts WithPut making it Ipok like the contortion, which is a trick in itself. F eat u r e was 'Dlplomaniacs (RKO) and Pathe news and the RKO release of the .filmlnfik pf the Grand Natlpnal Steeplechase, which was billed, heavily by the house in JJ]ieJbLQPeiAL-jnighJ^ntiee^,a.Jm^o^^ the nag-minded gentry in toWn_to watch 'em run out at Plmlicp. Biz was fair at the first show,.which is the usual thing in Baltimore, where heavy matinee crov/^ds arc as Republicans below the Mason- >Dlxpn line. Charles Klsco, Hollywood com- poser, elected to membership in the AS CAP. Current tune is 'It's No Secret,' written with Al Hoffman and Ralph Freed. Keit-Engle pub- lish.