Variety (Dec 1934)

48 VARIETY V A U II E y IX L C Tuesday, Decembeir 18, 1934 IJM REVIEWS PHIL WIRTH'S CIRCUS (HIPP, BALTIMORE) Baltimore; Dec. 14. ' The Hipp- always brings in a cir- . cus week' prior, to Xmas' and ;doea pretty well with It usually. For- merly Shriners used to throw a ble- Indoor, show, but since the Armory went up in smoke town hasn't had an- Indoor circus for three years. There ar6 always ehough dyed-ln- wool sawdust lovers to, patronize one, and the kids are ready any ol' ^time;; ■.. . Show this season is Phil Wirth's Circus. Spurts freiiuently, biit lapses as pftenv It some! time were, spent with it, it would probably evolve into something worthy. .At .present Isii't so well routined; the socks are spotted at wrong Junctures; ilnale' is weak and personnel Is not altogether shrewdly chosen, ■ First factor that ishould be reme- died Is line of 10 chorines carried. N6 .plac9 Is this outfit for a line; The stage la covered throughout with gym mats, and girls . can't stomp on that, yet they attempt to twice—and it makes for sorry spec- tacle: Twice again the line just groups around. and forms back- ground for couple stunts by spe-' clalists; ' tliey look okay in such duty, buI w o uldn't b e . liilaa e d. A troupe , of tumbling Arabs or soine high-class clowns could be' cavort- ing In place of chorines.. There are but three clpwng, but poor. The humor dept. could be- greatly amplified, The Joeys supply the breaks for crew .when aerial hookriips are to be strung. Show is played before a nice cyc.i . depicting circus arena; proceedings roll through one la,rge ring. :Ohe act, Sandlno, trained camel, didn't show performance caught. Under- stood animal was fractious and at-: tendantd. and trainer Wouldn't risk '-.it on'Stage.' Show starts with Marie and Her Pals, a parade of. dogs iand .ponies, presenting la standard and agreeable : routine. Next,. Hazelle, in ^ome ' high-rope swings, suspending self .. fromi both manual andi pedal banigs; oke enough, Followed by a highly apt session of contorlionlstlc capers by Svelyn; gal has long and- solid set of body bends in repertoire. An . Australian boss, billed , 'Syd-, ^ey,' st^ppbd out liext and waltzed and played drunk to fair reception; this bit could be abbreviated. A Jap balancing-pole duo, Osakt and Taki, man and maid, followed with strong act which they piunctuated with manrdemionstratlng the swirl- ing of water-cups on, rope, and girl doing some pedal barrel-bouncing. Following came best bit, Bom- bayo,—Hindu -rope-bounder, with as- neat a tur|i ais has been seen around here. Brought down house. But there was nothing strong to, -followr^ : • •. The , Buttons (man,' two girls) circled , through , a long bareback- rldihg bit, but was too sluggish to Impress much, though good from spectacle angle, with myriad ap- purtenances and much tinsel effect. Dr. Bernards' elephants. (ft). were next and - were too cramped for proper performing, though the yery DOROTHEA ANTEL «2d IV. ISd St.. New Vork City CHBISTBIA8 CABDS , a d Statl oneryr eapeclally to suit the personalltias of ■ the Profession. ' . Agents wanted to sell niy cards and stfttlbnery. Write or call for details. Lilberal commission. elderly paciiydormis narrow - plank walk wag a winner. At this point kids from audience were invited up on rostrum to have: a try at bareback riding; a sort of ducking - stooj arrangement was erected in center, of ring and- kida were girdled with belts, aiid the rbpe, tied to 'em in case they top- pled from boss's back, which all did. .Looked like big fun for kids, but wasn't very mirthful to audi- ence; fastening the : kids in the safety Jackets and getting '6m oh anlnial seethed Just a stage wait. - Clocked in 66 minutes, Clrcue carries oWn-brk and batbneer. IRVING AARpNSQN (PARAMOUNT, ST. PAUL) ■ • - St.. Paul, Dec. 14. . Although this : unit Isn't excep- tionally wa;ilopy, it brought sus- tained applause, from a packed house when caught, and after all, it's box bfflce which makes those vouchers good. In this furiny show town, bliie- nbses kicked on Judith a;nd hier dance in'the Texas Guinan's .Gang show two weeks ago, and barked Just as loudly agailnst thei Mile. Caroline and fountain background Management must therefore feel Its way. Result this week is a show obviously toned down, especlaliy on the comedy end, making it top heavy, on music and-dancing. Phli Saxe emcees nicely and Aaronsbn, hahdies himself with pleasant restralht, tailing the spot only when necessary and hogging no bows. Marie Hollis Is an out- stander in dancing, which is rt»ore contortion thau acrobatics. Lewis and Van male dance duo Is Just as much a dazzler in Its own -way. . Jbhn Lee ahd the three Lees fur- nish what comedy there is, but the audiience could have Used about 10 mlhutes more of assorted,/- buf- foohery. - Aaronson's muslckers are versatile,' doubling in choral sing- ing and froht stage trick stuff. But they should stick more to their in- struments and the show should re- place with some rapld-flre comic talent - Jtaschiak. Rhapsody in Rhythm r (0»RPHEUM, LINtOLN) Llncolh, Dec. 9. . This iinit Isi built around Bill Hert and bis Ambassadors, Jack Mc- Brlde and Frank Starr. They're about, the whole show* although there is a lot of filler material pad- ding out the 43 mlhutes. —MoBride-la^the-en(isee and worlts before the band. He knows a lot of dirty stories, but has; cleaned up the gag lineSi^o he gets two laughs —one in antlclpatlon-and-the-other- when he fpols 'em.. This inob .likes 'em a little blue anyhow. He's bet- ter wheh working alone, his biz with Agnes Hassett being, nil. Starr, local boy, missed In the billing but frbnt and the ads. Is the show's stopper. He goes imperson- atioh stuff one better ahd debunks the sound effects of radio, as well as aping the voices of several celebs. Booked in from outside to aug- ment- the bill is the -Standard act, Noveile Brbs, and Sally (and the dog) and to them goes the-biggest share of the show's novelty. The hir/i gftt thft higg ftat reception . although too long. Other members of the Unit are the Luke Sisters, not even fair in sonjg and on the hoof; Agnes Hassett, sihger and ,Wayne and Hull;--hoofers . Samey. - NOW-^Third Return Engagement—NOW WITHIN THBEK HOMTHS AT . , AND HELD OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS BUOADWAY'iB NEWEST AWP BRiottTEST COMBiPIAN MASTER OF CEREMONIES ' ' ' PersonalDlreetloa' JOfe LEFKOWITZ, 125 W. 45th St, NeW York : ; li^ A I. k E R E a s: ■ Tonthftit Hannony and Comedy Team Formerly THE GISLON SISTERS Featured with Jack 6ldney's"BAMFI,B:S" LOEW*S STATE, NEW YORK. This Week (Doc. 14) ; (BlUbeard, Kov. 17)—"Fosslbllltles"—For .I.eKlt-MuRlcal . "dlBlbn Slsters-rstngtnK team now with Jack Sidney's 'Samples' In vaude, . Tounger .shows .great, possibilities as ia comeaienne, also contrlbutlnK Hotcha slnglns aiid. Imitations. Has plenty ot verve and personality and with a little more poUsKlnK would sock.'" . ! 1933—BirOUlMb, FBANOB, ITAXT^ IBJSLAND Mid UONOCO / 1034—AVSTBAUA NICE^ FLORIQ AND LIIBOW '■}- In "CRAZY PEOPLE" gItMTliif la FBAMK NXm/S B«viie, ''MBW FACBS*** Mvoll Theatn, MelboavBtt OtnetlM JOHNNY HYDE ; Schooldays on Parade (PITT, PITTSBURGH) Pittsburgh, Dec. 17. 'This unit ha,s a good Idea, but it stops there. With little talent, and less material to back it up, ottering drags and goes through fully an hour wlth(Ait delivering anything closely approximating a sock. Unit is divided into two sections, first the inevitable schoolroom scene, switching in second sectioh to-a jnlght'.club where prof's ex- pupils are having an alUznhi reunion and strut their stiifC for him. It's not hew, but It's still serviceable If the gobds are present, but they're absent In 'Schooldays on Parade.' Billed taleht includes Warren ahd Skinny Candler, Ruby Barth, Harry Richards, Cliff Carr, Xiee Kramer,\ Beb, Bebs and Bunny and. Nelson Maples' Collegians. ' Ork plays from pit during flrst, section, later mov- ing to stage. Chief comlo Is sup- posed to be Skinny . Candler, who, in the schooirdom scehci, delivers a succession of blue. ones. . : Kids Include the usual teaclier's pet, the sissy^ the Hebe youngster, the toniboy and the totugh mugg. It's chiefly dialog here, except for an occasional cliorus specialty, and limps all over the place: Second section is a little better, but not much., Richards gets oft a neat dance specialty' and there are a couple of . male songsters who get nowhere at all. : —M^ples-tftndHMs—eotte giana liav r no eliance to dp anything, ^ slrnply providing the. music for the various specialties. "There's no punch any- where, along the line; unit just kieeps going along patlehtly until the time is. up and then dissolves. ... Cohen. Saranaclake By Happy Benway ' i : ; Bofbhy Qrahani, of 123 Bond street, Toronto, Canada, is plenty under the; weather. VaUdevilHans and; burleSqiierS should drop him ia letter. ■.■ Joe; DabrbwskI, of Warhers, just hit the 20-year-oid mark. Boy is curing here. Eugene Powers, remembered with ,TJncle Vjinya^ .and . 'Children of Darkness,' now bzonlng at the Ala- Vista lodge. " Manhie Lbwy, 'Rudy Vallee's ex- fiddler, avers the chiange of ozone from Saranac to South Pines, N. C, Is doing him a world of good.; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bigelow :~ahd the little Bigelow Camp Intermls- sioned it for ia coiipla days. . Liasses and Honey, broadcasting over WSN, Nashville, Tenn., never fail to shoot hcsHos and-good cheers to the gang up here. Marlon Cannon, who did a lot of airing Up here some two years ago. Is back as a new arrlvair Under general ofbservatioh. Dir. V George Wilson and Dr. Agrippa Robert have been added to our Good Samaritan club. Also voted in was, Ruth Morris. Lawrence McCarthy, ex-planist of the old: Kramer and Boyle act, comes back to the lodge as an ozoner after a two-year absence. . Marilyn Miller, winter-sporting at Lake Placid, opened the. Christmas Seal- drive at the-Stadium -Pleld by selling the first sheet of stamps. ^-Sahtar-wIli-be-^ble-to-make--Sara-^ nac pn high as the thermometer hit that low of 20 below. ■ Write to thoMi thait you know in SarahaCi- , v^" ■ .. Blackstohe Ass't Hiirt ^ Rpfchester, Dec. ■17. Ralph Dbremis, assistant to 61ackStone.;thi» magician, was-badly injured in-a - fall down an, elevator pit iat the RKO Palace theatre. He was on his way to his second floor dressing room .a.nd stepped into the elevator doorway at the stage level thinking the elevator was tliere. Dpremls was talceh to the Genesee H,n.splta1 w<th . a fractured lei? and pelvis. Heller Back in Pitt. Pittsburgh, Dec. 17. Quick repeat here for Jackie Heller, wlio; played Alvln only a couple of weeks ago. ; He opens a fortnight's stay at Joe Hlller's mUsIc Box, hitery, Friday (21). Heller was to have come In with a band, former Buddy, Rogers, outfit, but deal fell through and he's in as a single. Heller is due back In Chicago sliortly, after first 6f year fbr a new NBC assignment .,; Brice Sues Noser Fannie BrIce has started suit to recover. $1,500 on a note from Dr. Juiius i;empert, nose specialist. Comedienne Is proceeding through Attorneir; ^ y. Ahelefc Not» fa datoA NEW ACTS MOORE ahd REVEL Comedy Dancing 6 Mins.; Two v State, N. Y., Moore and Revel, standard pic- turei house and cafe specialty team, are worthy of niore attention in the way of presentment than they*" re- ceive here. As satirical ballroom dancers, they are clever enough to look good under any conditions, but that does not discount the fact that with proper handling they would be an even more. valuable piece of property for vaudeville. At the State they are tossed cold- ly onto a bare stage, do their stuff and depart. Their stuff consists of two dance numbers, both speedy and funhy, but both basically^^.the same. That one follows the other with no Interruption, except a'change in music, tends to create monotony during the latter half of thei slx- mlnute running time. ■ For vaudeville Moore and Revel deserve a: complete Vaudeville act, and should be given one, or get It themselves. It would be worth- while, even for what remains of vaudeville, since Moore and Revel possess the, sopt of talent that's suitable for any theatre. Bige. RUBY OLVERA Aerial Mtna.. .Th>*li7, _. _ Orpheum, N. Y. A. good single, doing some of the usual stunts and one or. two that carry a special thrill; High spot is standing balanced on. the bar and swinging without holding on. A.keen sense of showmanship and a finished performance give the turn smooth- ness and help put it across. Oke for average bills. 50 YEARS AGO (From Clipper) - Chicago museum reopening. Had 3,000 seats and a stage 33x40 with 36 feet helgiit. Steam-heated and electric lighted. Dime to get in, but reserved seats extra. Steamboat owned by Buffalo BUI and carrying, his troupe to New. pr-. leanis was rammed'and sunk by an- other boat. No onejost. Slg. Farranta was presenting opera comlque at his New Orleans pavilion at a dime admission. New low. Capacity made price profitable, able, ■ • Mr. and Mrs. William Peak, whose Peak's BellrlngerS were 'standard for -years; still trouplngr-. He was 87 and she 75. 'H azel KIrke' Anally petered out, playing only 13 weeks of a 35-week season. One of the Madison Sq. theatre troupes. Play had ma,de top money for several years. Farini, the circus man, had a troupe of six African pygmies—^two men, two women and two children. Playing the museums. MIxup over the. various versions of the German original still gblnigr ^trpng,— A.- M. -Palmer had obtained a court decision giving his 'The Pri- ^t'e—Secretai^yS-^e—rigHt--<>f--wayr Field of the Boston Museum paid (Continued on page 5.0) DUNCAN SISTERS (4) Songs, Comedy 24 Mint.; Full State, N. Y. ' Back on Broadway and together once more after a lapse of four years or more, the DUncan Sisters waded Into the Loew's State audi- ence like the old acquaintances that they are. They copped, mopped and stopped in such a fashion as to present living,, breathing evidence of the glories of vaudeville when vaudeville waa vaudeville. The treat which the Duncans have to offer ia. nearly a half hour of special material. With even five minutes of special material rating as an extreme novelty In vaudeville these days, this act alone is sufficient to give the Duncans much dls- tlhctlon. . At a time when tfie typical vaude- ville singing single or team knows or owns nothing but pop Songs, with perhaps an imitation thrown in and only a 'dlffierent' arrangement of the same old plugged-to-death number to break the monotony, a pair of girls stepping out Upon a stage with 24 mlhutes of their own^ their very own, stuff, are a cinch. So no wonder Rosetta and VIvIenne Dun- can wowed them as they did at the State on Friday evening. -^tosettar^ito-caaayod a whlteface- slngle for a time during her sister's retirement. Is back under the cork now In order to mix her Topsy char- acter and material in with a wealthy of other material. And VIvIenne Is still doing Little Eva. For the Topsy business the Dun- cans carry a tall straight woman. Fourth member of the act is a pianist (girl) who works in the pit and Is visible only from the balcony. , Along with 'ropsjr-Eva, tlie other standard Duncan bit in the act Is the Spanish onion and vegetable tossing number, which got a lot of laughs, particularly. when Rosetta winged one up to the shelf. Other- wise their stuff sounds new, es- pecially an 'Adam and Eve' lyric that was used as an encore and. clicked. Judbred by their strong State per- formance, the Duncans are still the Duncans and ais good as new. .. ,' . ■ ; Biae.. : CARROLL and HOWE r - Chatter, Dances 16 Mine., Three Orpheum, N. Y. ^ Some funny material here but long-winded in getting across. In fourth spot and retarding the gen- eral speed of the bill. Team on a deep stage which again devoured most of their gags. Voices none too strong_eUher_tpJ.fll,i A^ expanse: ■ ^'" ;■ Male partner does an acrobatic dance which leaves him worn out, And_the_gIrLJthen_jabbers away at. great length. Both .into a varsity drag at end, which seems out- moded in these rumba days. Team makes a neat appearance and with considerable pruning here and there, should hit its stride. Not to forget the right kind of a set also. ■ ■ PAULINE COOKE Presents • -■ :BOB RIPA Tenth Week, Paradise Cafe Opening Dec. 20th Palmer House, Chicago "COOKE & OZ" General &Kecutive Offices AN N E X BRyant >7ao a NEW YORK CITY J. H. litJBlN 'V/-oinnEBAi, jiAjrAon:'. MARVDi H. S(3IENCK Boosnro MAirAm;