Variety (Jan 1934)

Tuesday, Janmary 16, 1934 VARIE¥Y HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY 17 MUSlC HALL, N. Y. I playing the cornet while dancing. Line girls open the show in an 1q< This is the first anniversary show I troductory for Wolf, topoing that of the Badlo City Music Hall, and the first sans S. L. Rothafel's direc- tion. With Roxy out, Leon Leonl- dofC Is the aicCredlted director of production; Vlncente Minelli and Montedoro are also billed for the settings and. costumes function with a strut number. They are also on for the close, doinj one of their best routines in a long time. The girls are on roller skates and no falls Friday night at show caught. , Were it not dragged out so far, the talent on current bill would Show is a flash, if not particularly make the unit far more entertaining novel. Still of familiar pattern ™^^®.V*^„"""^^ although its forthright . simplicity .*Arr^**^« ®h Rr^Jfn^^S has something of an appeal. In se- t^am of A^^n and Broderic^^^ Suence an oftstage mike voice vide the humor, both acts keeping heralds the Radio City Symphony, \ ^^^^ Proper limits, whereupon the symph elevates from ^ Two other acts are Ray and Ru? the pit and the cantilever stage man and woman acrobatic team moves it back into position until with 9, novel routine and Audrey Brno Rapee makes his entrance. WyckofP, dancer, with two older Then the Corps de Ballet, then the men, one Introduced as her father. Choral Ensemble, and .Tack Powell; the other as her grandfathen Wye- (Uid the Roxyettes, and the Unl- koft. act is up front on top of the formed StaflC (ushers to you) of the. opening. It might havo been better Music Hall are likewise introed farther down, ahead of the Three into turn, All, save Powell and the sailors who bring up the clbse. ushers, rise from the pit, then move Balabanow Five, billed oh the back on the trick stages, with the I progran^; is . apparently, mixed up rear guard being elevated a bit Upitii the girls in the production more, so that all in all it s quite a number in which Wolf himself takes picture. , a vital part It's good flash show considering Friday night's Jones and Hare weciTly??7ir»-^^^^^^ I broadcast for Taystee bread, better Auto Showfolks special eye to making th0 visiting ^^^""^J^^^^."*"-^^^^^^ Auto Showfolks advance agents ^ts that went a llttfe fartiS- In they tetiim to Detroit. Pontiac and |f|| ^^5^ jent a little farther. In points west. For it rings In every- ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^ The presentation is labeled'Music a Spy' CGaumont-Fox) and news- Hall on Parade'and the overture by reel, house Is playing 'The Pied the Rapee symphony leads the pa- Plper* (UA), a Silly Symphony car rade with 'Virtuosi', yclept 'Carnl^ toon, which had Its first run book val of Venice', scored by Maurice. | Ing some time back. Char, Baron. The main idea of It all Is I occasional giggle. Douce sloi brought Johnny Hymmi and hiis nice little parlor divertissement in I which he takes a blackboai*d, u RIVOLI, HEMPSTEAD ('Sweef and Lowdown* Unit) Hempstead, L. I., Jart. 14, , , - . „ , „ . a X XT -1 Ai. piece of chalk and an eraser and Arthur and Morton Havel ^re the pi,gg exhibit of word building basis of this, the third of the mod- that sums up as cute but dull.: erately priced, non-name units pro- Sheila Barrett followed with her duced fot" an-early opening on the impersonations, which led off with Interstate ih the south and any J Bert Lahr and singled out GeOrgq other time that eventuates. 1 Arliss for the finish. Her repertoire With the Havels as a foundation, did hot include Mae West or Jimmy Sweet and Lowdown* to long , on Durante. - That at least made her comedy. In style it differs coiisid- act somewhat different from the efably from the Johnny Perkins nsual run Of impersonators. P^sr- 49how which preceded It In Hemp- formance she uncorked gave the.im- stead and which will set the pace | Piiession that shie has gone' arty, for it oh th^ southern time. The Perhaps the makeup affected has departure is in . line with Charlie something to do tcith the shift in Freeman's intentions to mix 'em up .style.. ah4 avoid the simeness that was I I Were;Free* (Radio)^ an Ethel responsible for presentation enter tainment in the past. ; While tbe Perkins linit is without a regulation girl line, '$weet and LoWdown'. has onie, a troupe of 16 trained by Chester Hale,'who staiged all the utilt's humbersi Producers, were John Hickey and Harry An-, ger. Including the Havels^. company numbers 28^ .i>lus a musical director .(Lew EYohraan, former RKO vaude pit. leador), and a traveling back- stage crew of two, Waters' short and a newsreel.com- pose the week's screen feire, ..Odec. to prove that the flutist, the clarl* aetlst, the trumpet soloist, the con- certmaster, the violin battery, the Teed specialists, et al. have been brushing up on their music lessons; each does a snatch of plain and **The ^allet's^'waltz, 'Poppies', by I Fred Waring's outfit is closer to the Henry Hadley, Choreography by unit idea than some units. Also it's RARAMdUNT. N. Y. With the screen fairly oozihg.legs. Par-bookers probably felt it was' a good time to book In a band, though 3'lorence Rogge, next. Oke on the Qhor, but somehow that costuming was klnda Koster & Blallsh. Follows Jack PoWelli billed to ap closer to a band than a.lot of.bands. They flir in about. 47 minutes, \irhlch is all the stage show, but better Sear after the choral ensemble, and than piling in a couple of strange 30 announced, but making an en- acts, aiid plenty to stretch the show irance first. Powell is the corking Uq 142 minutes, which is about the oork-up drum specialist who^makes average. 0, comedy feature and a display of what Waring didn't know about ■yirtuosity with a pair of drum pitting a sho.w together some one sticks, a chair and a fine sense of j^^yigt have told him. With the Lane jhowmanship. He was the brightest gig^grg^ 'Babs,' the Three Smoothies, 4pot in the proceedings. . Poley McCllntock, Johnnie Davis. That comedy has always been a g^jj^ ^j^q (^^jgg qiu^ chorus, he has the ■rravely lacking quality of the M.H. makings of a full program withotit presentations is no secret. Poweu s outside aid, and he knows how to introduction may be along correc- ^he material, which is the im- Uve lines, but it's not enough. ^.j^^jj^ pj^^.,. Amidst all that terplng, chorallng Q^^g ^^^^ g^^^ a brisk num- and symphonlzlng there s dire ^^eett k 4,^^,^.^ ^j^^ Money,' then into dor something punchlly bright. goft and low and a roll over to That niay explain in part why the .gj^j.j a Log/ varying from Roxyettes, with the nearest^ sweet to jazz, but only a couple Of :»roach to anything of the old-fashioned jazz and Music Hall, always register such big headache instrumentation even PALACE, CINCY ('Greenwich Follies' Unit) . Cihcinnati, Jan. 12. While far removed from the run of-mlne tab .musicals, this 46-peo pie show played here on a four-a- day basis in -connection with plx at The Havels utilize thelr. own ship [a 44c. top. , quantity and deck set for the principal comedy I quality of scenery aiid wa^drobie^ item, <to. which the unit adds a rail- L,-^ «ift«Ti a■nti,^^a{,^^,^„t tV'^ ;^»a4.t»_ 4...^ ^.^-.i-ij,, I ana clean entertamment it s the road station drop for the comedy t bargain ever dished out in opening, a Pullman upper and lower cincy. A notable highlight is the layout, and a prize fight ring. Pro- Uj^ienai^ routine of the youthful and duction is not elaborate, but everyr good-looking Chester Hale Girls, 24 thing looks clean, and neither scei>- bf whom make up the chorus. By ery nor-costumes ^re permitted to Uv-ay of distinction, there's nary a interfere with the actlOn. Flash, is hlackoiit during the running time of a spangled gown number under dim 175 ntihi^tes. blue lights by the Hale girls. Chick York and Rose Klhg, vaude Thelnia Temple, Audrey Gibsan vets, supply the bulk of the comedy and an i^nbilled. eccentric boy . dp ani romp gaily without hogging the dancliig. Honey Boys, black- Front their variety; vehicle of recent face quartet, 'h)a,ndle the slhging. I years they inject the sure-fire sleigh Principal member of the Honey.s, |and Inflated rubber horse skit and was out Saturday night with a the always funny King takeoff of bkd: throat, leaving a gaip in the the oldtlme Amazon pHm. True total effect, but there was enough York, their: daughter. Is in several left Without him to satisfy the bits, as ingenue. Hempstead audience. Coley Wirth, with Y. and K; for Miss Temple does the talking in-I some seasons, abets capably in gehue straight work, along with the paugh situations and Edith Drake . ^ „, . Havels' own male straight for tiie 1 well as prima donna. Top story' starts with Mario and Florl* comedy team besides her tap dahc-I ^^^'^ vocal chores are done by I In a silhouette flrtation. Top'^hattod Ing. Miss ■G'ibsOn is a trick kicker P^'^'^®^^ Charles, lyric tenor, and a gent, lady in crinolihe, business Of who taps her shoulder blades with| !*?^?J? male quartet, billed as the dropping her kerchlet a rose pur her tootsies. Unbilled.boy gives an h^* J^*^*^' 9*^*®*: Plpes .sweeter than chased frOm a flower feirl who thei imitation of a train in onl of the P„^,,t«n^^J^^Itl^A ^^nJ^K^^^ ^*J^r2! h^*?^. ^^'t?*, a gUmpse of screen and stage combos. Ayres ballet while the scene is chatiged. CAPITOL, N. Y, At the Capitol this week Is a fea«i ture, 't^igitive Lovers' (MG), wlios* faults SIS entertainment are adver* tised audaciously as virtues. WltH that stencil of something taken from' the archives the house has a very pretty but slow presentation of pure classicism^ ientltled, 'The Romance of a Rose." And acres of empty seats. Greatest expense apart from the rehtai oh the featurfe is the 50-pleco pit orchestra. A worthy ensemble of tooters and flddlers, they attacked Gounod's 'Faust' under, the directioa. of Don Albert with: considerable, ef- fectiveness.. This . led . logically enough ' into • an excferpt. from . the; opera rendiered In f ull operatic tre-' molO by Leona Corl, Gulseppe Bar7 sotttt "and Arturo Imparato in the costumes of four centui*ies ago. Since the Capitol se^ms flounder- ing around hot suire wiiat to put oh its stage and running the gamut from Harlem hl-de-ho to.Harleqiil and columbine, It might, receive WQMe suggestions, without soHcit- ing^uiem than to. try more Of these operaa and go after the, music crowd intensively;' Obylousiy business be- ing not too ehcouraglng these days the Capitol stands in need of hiisi-^ ness-getting schemes for those weeks when the screen suffers from 'nice little pictures' that make the great . big theatre look like Primo Camera at a children's party. , Pop Opera did well at the Hippo.-? drome. There is certainly an audi- ence for it and a regular schedule of lyric drama in combination with pictures might have value: To be sure It's h.othlng; new.: Excerpts have been given intermittently at the Capitol and at the houses fid- ministered by Rothafel. Still the Hipp and the so-called Venice thev atre a,re'not without, their lessons. : Anyhow, it's a cinch that 'The Romance of a Rose' and others like It.aren't qualifying either tLa poultry; or seafood. It throws all the bur- den Upon the screen when the screen is least able tovsustaih the weight. This sihglhg, dancing, pantomihiic G. V. F. Octet.' pipes Sweeter thain chased frOm a flower feirl who then ■ ■ ise day3 of steps into 'One' for a glimpse of OS. Ayres ballet while the scene is chahged. and later ah eccentric jig. They all r""*i ^<^*sio Inevitably the rose is symbolized land on their o^^^ ^ '^^^ routine that smacks of class and ky the Chester Hale girls . In multi- few sand da.nc(^q wiinf^qqArl in vparo' ana jsiaew win a«d ff-*".^ o'^"f^^^^^ RenQ contribute .Havels'^shlp.scene is their regu-I^^gu"& Norton scor^ fS^^^ fluttering lar full stage vaude turn, modified, K^ae West. - - lieatner lans. score. But One can tire quick of seeing 32 concerted tapsters doing rhythmic Markertizing if it's madeji steady diet. However true to .M.H. , j,„aience" wants, at least they did tradition, again the Roxyeties 1 ^^^^ laughs were frequent there. Few numbers without some com edy Interruptions, but that's what mopped up, and deservedly, • But little wonder. They followed laie Choral Ensemble' (directed by Leon Rosebrooke) in •Liebestraum. Viola Phllo and Jan Peerce soloists, and while tip-top ensemble yocal- ibing it's not exactly hey-hey. . Following the Roxyettes in turn, ffhe ushers paraded on «or the grande finale. A grand flash it and generous; A big hand for the elaborated domino bit and,a riot for the encore for the act end. with half a dozen of the boys whooping it up with comedy costumes and the girls out Of their long skirts at last. That finale could be a riot in a deaf mute asylum, and they were ■ not deaf, hero* Warlng's male chorus Is about as with the Misses Temple and Gib- I Red"hekds7 ferSS, I?e'o^ "^J tJS^'^S'l^ S^S son, both nice lookers, on the^re- fast soft shoe and-clog specialties. ™;„*S"*f™*^^^^^^ ceiylng end. The rest of their talk. There are 35 hangini pieces and SJ^^l!5 J^^^♦hL°,mJi ^'^J** sprinkled through the three oth3r the troupe carries Its own switch- P-'^P^" waltz In the ultra-mod- comedy Items, is Ih the typical board. Standout prbductloh num- rf""® manner of a Park avenue Havel style, but mostly new. Fact bers are 'Shadows on the Wall,*' *^?"^"P*,^"® P^-rlpr. that there's a Uugh sequence be- 'Pirat^ers/ 'Kiss the Bride,' which) niost decorous, extremely tween each musical, dancing «r is beautified with a waltz by Ayres ^"^^e, inarked by the best Of singing bit Is the essence of the arid Rene, and mainly the reproduc- P"" desperately dull for competltlyo unit's pace and merit. tion of the Original Weber and P'Jrposes in an aggressive theatrlcfU RIvolI was playing fDahclng Lady* Fields military chorus, executed by set-up. Indeed, the entire "Capltol with the unit the first half. ThOy I the Hale gals. The last number em- show from; overture to the final were standing In the rear down-iPioys tights and below-the-knee I iiappy ending of the feature cOn- stairs all through the last stage I carters. As .pirateers the chorines rtalns scarcely one: item that isn't show and into the start of the pic- sported wide-topped boots that af- serious, ture. The coming first half bouse ^°'v^™o" ,'*PP®' i®& ^'fP^^'*"' ^ nored. plays Harry Krivlt's 'Modem M "i^^sic special save for the] • 'military chorus drill, which is ac- An ho« d'oeuvre to the main stage Important as the ^^^i^Z'^'^f.^i^H «ou?se was Dick Leibert at the not go in for the usual a capella of ttKln ^ItS Jan Peerce vocalizing the college glee clubs He scores 2fre^s' tMtefully productloned and and directs the jocalists as though Kftifully lighted with approprl- their stuff had been written for the ate light and lightning effects and instruments, and gets away from all the trimmings. It was beautous the mass chorus effect into some M its simplicity and highly effec- thing as sensitive as a symphony, Sve. The newsreel followed; then and with his judgment of pace he the main stage show. Feature, "Man | does not use them too much at any one point. A good Show with plenty of va riety in selections and pace, and accounting for the draw. Film has no b.o. name, so he hsLS to haul all alone, and the business Friday sug- gests, that, he's doing that. Feature •f Two Worlds' (Radio), an Inaus- picious American introductory for Francis Lederer in films. A6ei. 'This is a, good place in which to I fg'•Eight Girls in a Boat^ (Par), a Set your watch run down. Or to condensed. Paramount.' news and Kake a sandwich along in event of about four minutes of trailer, which getting hungry. It takes over three | ig rather under length. Cntc. hours to sit through the show this week, as clocked Friday night., ofA^fi? Kf V Length of the program is caused orAlli, IN. T. SlS^^uf L W Xn U shSSd iz - is so good here th.t 1. mugg AOt be running much more than 30 had to watch the show from the nilnutes for good Compactnfess, on j^gt yow {n the balcOny, But he* the strength of the talent the ftage things. Customers are holds. In view of the 15-mlnuto . . laqf .row Two broadcasts from the Roxy platforna neighborly in f ^^J^? thrice weekly by Bill Jones • and girls siti ng ^Tthe Ernie Hare, it would seem deslrabl. | conversa^tion^ ^oT^cSueano' Hi the reirular show I muffed that forward somersault of ftjbrwolf came in Friday on the JJf./^US'cauSS kt^h^^^^ new program as the new master of muff fXTJ^ &U^ni&t blS^^^^ ceremonies and band leader. S"^- Ker at SJiehf (M^^ ceedlrig Dave Schooler, who's , been | <i"e>o Dinner at i!.ignt (.m was here on that assignment a long time. Wolf is best known on the west coast, with substantial followings In both San Francisco and Los An s.r.o. Nifty, nimble footed CoUeano of fers a thrill beginning, but Adair arid Richards, doing a song and adagio act in three sections, get geles.-,. He's^ . a.,di9 tl nct J yBe^.wlth g^^pp ^^^p^H^ mug that's become something of a pj^g ^j^g Btuft they present has no trademark, and if getting the proper relative position on the program material and background should Qood act by Itselfi (New Acts), build himself up well on this stage. program suffices with comedy Wolf makes a .good start cur- material. Leavltt And Lockwopd in rently, proving among other things deuce and Buster West in next-to that he's just not a band leader as shut provide satisfactory humor some m.c.'s are. In a girl numbsr Each on and offs easy, about middle, the west coaster I Lester Cole treys with his Texan mixes into the routine, dancing with Rangers. Cowboy outfits on open various member.s of the ensemble. Ing change to marino suits later. Ho> lops U all In a neat double, I Hian A bumble bee syni- Comedy Is practically Ig- Land. Nights.'- Vaudeville has been de^ , ^ t ^ .ai i, ,^ j. clared out.here entirely, with the {''^'^J^Jt'^^^^lt'^^^^^ •^J^A'^ffj house on the unit pOllcy 100%. Bige. PALACE, N. Y. Compared to the, level tUat has A near-closing smash is the bur- lesque operatic. version of .'Horsey I Keep Your Tail Up,' revived from the first. 'O. V* F/ and cleverly TRANSLUX (Also Fox New«reel) Current program Is one of the best the Luxer has projected In principals. Show was produced by Curtis & nrAvaiioii v„_„ .„ *u | Allen, With CarlctOn Hoaglahd and ?,irS^l =tol? i^f.T^^'t"! ^"^^f ^^^\ Chester Hale staging. Ha^^y Carroll f.J^^ovl,^S,f4«^*^,?o,ff ^".f*5 and George Bennett wrote the music a^ersiVSttS^^s^tirSf 3a^ !}?'."d^.®d,^y niale octet and nine | months. The house seems to have gotten wise to the fact that with the Embassy dark it has not only a chance to recruit new patrons but PARAMOUNT, L, A. L08 Angeles, Jan. 11. With the Four Mills Bros, on for to . retain them. Furthermore, the management Is Increasihg the amount of news, stepping up the usual 28 clips to 35. If it were customary to award a medal for the best, edited subject of the year, Pathe would stand an excellent chance to grab It with its present analysis Of government or the mood of. the audience the bill can be assured of at . least two surefire reactions. And the acts that will do the delivering In a big way are Reggie Childs' orchestra arid ,5^***^®^ *" l a return eneaeemerit foUowlne an I debt. In the few moments which closing and the MiUs, (Jold and Raye f "tuni eng^^^ occupies It gets Over a madhouse which precedes. Interval of a week, and Richard and d^art of figures as far ahead at 1936. Friday rilght's attendance had Prlrigle's Georgia Minstrels as an it dpes riot Overlook the^^^u^^^^ l!i«!f l^i^^^ ®*«i*«d about un«l the added Paramount Is glv- or the war debts. Plus the report- proceedings reached the fourth \ ^ ^„c.*«w.^i!- » >i»..ki^ i,<>»^<.ii^^ ing, It Is one of the biggest boosts niche and unloosened the M. q. & ing the customers a double-barreled ^^^'^j^^ Roosevelt administration, as R. : combine. Antics of this three- stager this week. In addition to well as one of the clearest and most some quickly pulled tbe show .out"^^e Last Round-Up' as the screen convincing analyses either screened of the slough arid the laughs and feature; or pririted. applause kept popping right up to Mills Bros., addirig a few songs Paramount lists- as exclusive^ the curtain that faded oiit the childs ^® preylous repertory, came views of 'Nazis releasing political entouta^e. Despite the waning P**'*^ strong reception, with the prisoners and rioting In Palestine, popularity of the ditty , Childs M**®'*^® '^'P^"^ ^'' ^^^^ the Both are unusual Subjects, the Pal- opened them wide and hekvjr with r*P®"J"?^^°^' 'I^zy Bones, some- estlne ^cllp Including, close-ups^ Of a cleverly devised and hlefalv dl T'^'*** clowned, again proved the fa- police being mauled by the public, vertlne connnit on "tha Thr^ T uhI vorite number, others beirig 'We're The other subject is one of the first PiKs ' -rhrchilda act snPlTs^m'onVh In the Money,' the hauntlngly mel- to come out of Germany In months. foutininV^^ «ripk^«^^^^ ROckin' Drys are getting over a heavy sweirSSwSiw^ We.' 'I Only Heard,' campaign in the program. There iS-ound^^lid'a t^Vn f« «ir of and, 'Tiger Rag.' Songs Xvejre fre- are five or more clips on the sub- eifl*;^ that T« ^»^^fiJf,4^K^^^^ ipplause for. Ject. As Usual they are In the com- fit Wo t^«,,^KT *^«>"eli Individual member's coritrlbutlon. edy class, the pans of some of the dan^r^KU- K^^o ' * % t''^ rfi^V"^ Mills are preceded by the Georgia leaders getting laughs. ;even b«ore ft.^"i.^ l,F"^Y'f^^, a'^d Ciskey Mingtrels, featuring Broomfleld arid they open up. Fox Includes a por- and the warbling interludes of .r>on.h(3reeley, with a company of 40, scor- tion of this campaign but the Luxer. Howard. Both the rhumba concep- a nice variety of offerings, through Paramount and Pathe is tion and an acrobatic whirligig un- Effective clowning of Broomfleld able to get in , deeper. While It limbered by the Crawford-Caskey and Greeley cltaaxes where the looks like a frame, that Judge who partnership did plenty damage to pair invade mountain stronghold of NJivea stews the alternatlce of dfinkr the onlookers' palms. Howard; who . gayage Indians—represented by the inft castor oil iristead of . going to •has-both--the=^oice-and=^thevappear=' iiire==^lrljr=="ffl ance, also landed solidly with this teach the chief the fine art of shoot-^ I Pathe covers part of a Billy Sunday bunch. Childs' laist .hotel' connec- ing c^ap. Situation is wowed for tion was the Roosevelt while the big laughs;. dance te|tm is an importation from Minstrels are lavishly presented, the Petit Palais nlterie. with Creole chorus flashy in. strik- Things went quietly for the prst Ing costumes, three turris. Arthur Petley put his Added Bcre( stringy self through heaps of ehen- | Crosby's two-reel miniature address. There are several kid subjects in the program which also win out- bursts. The fat-cheeked two year- old who recites the nursery rhyme Added screen attraction is Blflg l Is a certain bet. A-title that brings mu- the planes to Hawaii introduces ™" ' — •• ' of. the naval nanlgans on the trampolinO and | sical.'Just An Echo'. SU^'e PJ^^jn ^ it the way of casting and collected an.' tertalnment. ' (Continued on piigf 21/