Variety (Jul 1935)

18 VARIETY VARIETY HO«§E REVIgWi Wednesday, July 9, 1935 MUSIC HALL, N. Y. 'Twas quite a classy turnout for the new Grace Moore picture, 'Love Jle Forever,' at the Music HaU, with the specs doing a landofllce business In reserved mezzanine ducats, but It took a veteran vaudeville tumbler —Ben Dova—to net the best results on the current show. Dova has the huge breadth of stage all to himself and his lamp post here. It's plenty of room, for his tumbline and more to spare. His offering is the third Item in the cur- rent stage show, which is a second edition of a house pr^iduction idea, 'Magazine Rack.' The mastheads and covers of four mag's are repre- serled by four interpretive stage numbers. Dova 'represents' the Saturday Evening Post. Wliere the resemblance comes, in isn't clear, but the other three items are fairly true to .type. Harper's Bazaar is illustrated by Edwlna Eustis, contralto, with a vocal background of eight femmes, and the house - ballet corps. Girls ave using their arms more than their toes this week, but the num- ber is beautifully done and a sightly piece of staging. Robert Weede and the glee club boys aboard a prop sailboat are Yachting personified. The fourtb and last mag to rate a mention is Iji! Vie Parlsienne, which gets a spe- cial Apache cafe set, a 'Trilby and Svengali' dance by Felicia Sorel and Demeitrlos Vllan, who've become a standard team here; a song by Mlml; ah .accordion solo by John Scrry, and a Can-Can by the Rock- ettes, who are costumed prettily aiu" dance in their usual proficient style; A magazine stand setting, with Kobert Landrum singing, starts It off. Show has a special soiig, 'To Be Continued,' by Paul -McGrane and Al Silverman. ' Production Is one of the best at the Music Hall In a long while, and in addition to the customary beauty, it has some novelty. Ben Dova gives it most of -the latter. A visiting novelty act on every show wouldn't hiirt. Pit symphony plays popular stUff this week, and very nicely, too. There's also a Disney-Tech Silly Symph, 'Who Killed Cock Robin?' and it's a honey. Business heavy opening night. Bige, MET, BOSTON Boston. June 28. One of. the best things- that hap- pens on any Boston Btage io the amateur musicians' contest pro- moted seml-anniially by the Met. Not only Is It a sure ticket-seller, but for those of the audience who do iior htive relatives in the. kid orches- tra it's a swell piece of entertain- ment, This week,. Pabien Sevltzky, Met- conductor, presents 120 young players; of both sexes in his mid- summer contest overture, grist from 700 youngsters auditioned. Their rendition of the 'Raymond' overture definitely stole the show, even though' a professional vaude revue followed as the second part of tho stage offering. On each show Sevltzky features one of the kids as'sblo^st, and. when caught Theodore Pondnos, fiddler, was spotted for his playing of 'Gypsy Airs' "by Sarasate. Closer for the big group Is 'Stars and Stripes.' Everyone connected with this unique musical enterprise deserves a bow for a venture that has now become a Boston Institu- tion. 'Dancing Honeymoon,' produced by George Choos, is the current unit. It has its moments, but they're conspicuous because of the white apace of mediocrity surround- ing them. Hank Ladd, 'Beetle' of the Phil Baker air shows, is billed heavily, and doesn't disappoint. Ladd Is ably assisted by Eddie "Vogt (who's in and out of the show) with his lines, and they alternate as straight men. Ladd lifted a few from the Phil Baker routine, but rates credit for not annexing that 'bag-holder' gag that is now run- ning through vaude like an epi- demic. CUcklest skit with these two involved Francetta Malloy, who posed as the housewife while the boys sold various articles via trick lyrics. Funny, even if dirtier as It wont along. Miss Malloy Is oke on lines, but Is assigned two singing bits that appear a bit beyond her reach. Most unfortunite Is 'At the Wedding,' featuring the composer, Neville Flocson, at the piano. An utterly ludicrou.s thing with some attempt at production. Le.'is said the better. Fleeson tries again with 'His Majesty the Baby,' another light- weight scene; but the payoff for this comes in the unit's finale, when Fleeson hag himself wheeled across stage In a go-cart, singing a chorus. Pluto the Horse, with Andy and Fi-nnk Caruso as the front and rear buys. Is excellent In Its line, and a much-needed pIcU-up for the show In the deuce snot. Gal, In riding habit, handles t)ie lines, but v/eakly. AUhou^-h Pluto Is screwey enough fi>v most tastes, Frank Llbuse, billed as the 'Colonel of American Nut.q," fSOM th^m one better. Things hap- pen so fdsfthat'anythlng can bo ex- pected, arid Llbuse has- everything Ih his crazy routine except a balloon a'iccnslon, Open.s tis a gag conceri pianist, and winds, iip with some good, old-fashioned-horseplay with trick gags applied to himself and assistants. Assisted by a dumb man in butler costume and a girl who handles competently her burley operatic singing, and as semi- straight foil for Llbuse. Dance flash is the Danny Dai;c dancers, who lay down on tho job through two of their numbers, Charitable assumption is that they had a tough r.r. Jump, sans sleep; because on the third routine, an iidaglo idea, they clicked unmis- takably because of their flashy throws. Finale sold it. This mi.\ed dance chorus gave the Impression on show caught that the boys were handling department store dummies Instead of live partners. Best dancing bit by Georgcanna .Jarvls, who pulled off a nice rapid- fire tap routine that won her a heartening reception. Migs Jarvls put plenty of sock into her specialty and spiced up a rather cold dish the Dare dancers left on the rostrum after their 'Love In Bloom' number. Femme singing trio, lending mu- sical embellishments to the unit, arc the Happy Sisters, who hold up their end of the parade satisfac- torily. On the screen: 'Stranded' (WB). I'ox.' Earle, Philadelphia Philadelphia, June 29. Despite sizzling weather, new Earle bill opened to good trade yes- terday (Friday) and afternoon au- dience tended toward the enthusi- astic. Presence on bill of three winners in the Earle's recent prize contest may have accounted for that. Chief trouble with stage show when caught In the afternoon was the halting pace, with two or three Inexcusably long waits between numbers. Unusual for this hou.se. Show opened with the prize win- ners, Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in the S-W contest, for which Graham Mc- Namee acted as Judge. First to appear (No. 2) was Charles Con- nor, and he displayed his class from the start. A bass-baritone, Connor sang 'One Alone' and 'Wagon Wheels' and the crowd whooped It up. No doubt but what young Connor had his own follow- ers there, but the entire audience gave him a strong okay. Although not. overflowing, with personality, Connor certainly rates on voice. Next camiB the Kell Sisters. First they do a sister-crooning act with .'We've Got Love and a Dime'; then, they offer an instrumental duet with one playing a banjo .and the other an accordion. Finally; they offer a tap dance, hamp'ered to some extent by their long, gl(].'graduate dresses, but marked by precision. The fourth place winners conclude the amateur part of the program. They are Lee Bt-lan, Charlie Rose and Lew Aniorosl, harmony boys whose material is uneven. One of them goes in strongly for the Blng Crosby voice-style with 'Take Me to Paradise,' but doesn't quite reg- ister. Another does better with 'George Brown' and the boys also get the old harmonics working on 'Shine.' First regular number of the pro- gram Is that of Sully and Thomas. Some of their comedy Is pretty sad, but speedy taps, both a solo by Johnny Sully and a duet, help. His 'bedtime story' with the orchestra supplying the . 'sound effects* Is good for titters! although not new, while Muriel Thomas does a Rae Dooley bit at the end. Next is the Norman Thomas Quintet. It starts rather tamely with one of five Negroes warbling 'Hands Across the Table,' but from then on It picks iip steadily. A comedy trap-drummer gets plenty of laughs with hie acrobatic manipulations of his drums, two ,lad8 do some fast and neat step- ping, and then the piano accompan- ist takes! the spotlight himself, playing the old favorite 'Listen to the Mocking Bird' for sock returns. Man's a corking player and knows gtU the tricks, besides including a one-handed stunt that's tops. Tenor returns to sing 'Pagliaccl,' with plenty of gestures. He's got a swell voice and audience gave him a big tumble, but number seemed Inap- propiate. Dancers again performed before the end as did the comedy traps expert, A topnotch act. Carl Shaw followed with a num- ber that had some of the earmarks of a sketch, but was more often a monolop. He called it 'Gotta Getta Girl.' Another man and a gal, 'both unprogrammed. worked with him In straight capacity. Of- fering was altogether too ioT\^ and a lot of It was painfully unfunny. A rough-and-tumble dance fol- lowed by' a necking scene between Shaw and a well-made dummy got laughs. It was plenty dirt. Whole number had suggestlvenese, but not much sharp amusement. Final offering was Irene Vermil- lion, who worked with the Dart Ensemble, five femme trombonists, and the usual accompanist. This was a pretentiously staged act. nicely dressed and generally show- ing class, although too long. Mis." Vermillion did three solo dance.i of the exotic variety and differently costumed. Trombonists were ex- cellent in their line. Just too much of it, that's all. Waters. ROXY, N. Y. Henry Armetto, making a per- sonal here, la draught for tho stage show, but he's far from being the big hit of the rostrum display. That honor goes to Pegleg Bates, who stops tho show with dance routines. Armetta "gets a big ovation, not unexpected after how he's taken on as a character comic in films; but he has been supplied with weak material for lils engagement here. The laugh-getter of pictures draw.s some on the stage here, too, but they aren't much, and he can't expect to touch for as high a finish as Pegleg Bates works himself up to. Tliis Bates fellow Is quite a showman. He now opens his turn with a song introductory about his handicaps, but being a smart show- lad, it l.sn't a sympathy fishhook. Bates Is on ahead of Armetla, house staging a big Italian street scene for latter. Comedian works "with a girl who's supposed to be the wife he accidentally rung Into after five years In Hollywood. She confesses she has remarried, think- ing him down under and that she now has several kids. After trying to steam this Into audience profit, Armetta breaks down to tell he's also married again and a pappy, the wife now going aggressor on the conversation. Then they own that each was kidding and there's a happy re- union—a very brilliant idea some- one figured out between odd Jobs. Armetta doesn't disappoint, people Just wanting to see and hear him, anyway, but his ability Is away above what he's doing on the per-, sonal: Rest of the show adds up for a total that Is above the Roxy aver- age. Including, in addition to hold- overs, the novelty comedy act of Pansy, the horse, an.d last week's winner of the Fred Allen amateur contest, William McCullough, who gets appealing music out of a flock of bells. The kids will get what they're looking for from the Pansy boss act. Joaquin Garay, young Mex, here for some weeks now, does ,'La Cu- caVacha' this week, in addition to a pop and a number, ahead of that, which brings on the Foster line In an effective toy soldier -routine. iGlrls are over big again In the opener, a dance production' effort of. class, which was retained from last week's layout, with three ball- room teams alternating In numbers with the Foster fllckas. They are Nadlne Gae and Harvey Karelf, Ma- rie Hanlon and Paul Taggart and Gloria Quayle and Jack Melford, Teams are so closely matched on performance they can't be graded one, two, three. 'Alias Mary Dow* (U) Is the fea- ture. Regular U news release,aug- mented by a Silly Symph, 'Tortoise and Hare' (UA), and a two-reeler, 'Alimony Aches' (Col). Char. ORIENTAL, CHI Chicago, June 28. They should have yanked out the seats this week and put tables In to orientate 'Midnight Roundup,' a conglomeration of acts from local nlterles. Femme dancers, particularly, work under disadvantages. In the nite clubs they loosen up, but with obvious orders from B.&K. execs to calm down on the grind, the dancers devoted their first show endeavors to cutting big bumps down to little bumps. And the little bumps meant nothing at all. This goes for Arlene and Norman Selby, with a 'Harlem- ania' routine, overlong and over- loud, but close to zero In vaude- ville entertainment. It worked even greater hardship on Trudy Davidson, who was all alone with a grass skirt and no op- portunity to whack it. Miss David- son rates as one of the top cafe money-getters in Chicago. Billy Gray was this m.c. and In- sistent upon getting the audience to give these artists, of whom they had never heard, wild receptions. Gray was on the stage too long and too often, givin' 'em that ol' per- sonality all the time. He hurt him- self by overdoing himself. He contributes a fair soft-shoe dance and an over-long Impression of Helen Morgan. On the comedy talk end of this part of the show was also Jerry Bergen, diminutive performer, whose entire routine consists of giving the audience the old Australian double talk. It grows very boring. On straight performance three acts got by, Muriel Love, Billy Bailey and Don Davis. None of them stayed too long or tried to step out of character. Miss Love sang well enough In her nite club fash- ion. Davis did his regular vaude, routine of violin burlesque and travesty playing, while Bailey was a cinch with his colored hoofing. Bailey appears a standard hot dancer who could do even better with wise choice In music. In between, the various perform- ers got together for bits, slapped together in parlor style and should not be passed off aa professional entertainment, Thftse nitery acta were the pres- entation half of the show. There were only two acts In the vaude por- tion, but .they delivered at least two tiiin.s of genuine value. Opening was the sock trampoline act of Munroe and Grant, about the tops m the bounding business. In the deuce, and doalng the vaude half, was Harry Savoy, still selling 'em on comedy chatter. First show Friday was ragged with nitery acts disappearing when they should have been present, everybody missing cues and drag- ging the show out. Picture was 'Baby Face Harrington' (MG). Business wasn't so hot. Gold, ALCAZAR, PARIS Paris, Juno 16. This Intimate revue is 100%, played by women, including tho pit band, and is about 90% nude. Shows chango once a month. It's a com- bination of Mlnsky and music hall." From viewpoint of staging, and as entertainment, it's miles better than the first effort Henri Varna made In this house to Introduce to Paris 'nude reviews In the manner of the burlesques of New York.' There's talent In it, and an attempt baa been made to give It something In the way of sets and to put on a show instead of a more exhibition. Var- na's first show here put him back on his feet financially, and this one is raking in the coin at Just as fast a rate. Joan Warner, American fanner, .continues to be featured, together with a colored girl from Martinique called Miss Bartlra, who sings and dances. Bartira's speciaUy Is pep and humor,, not s.a., and she puts the right leaven Into the show. For actual class the best number on the bill Is the Sldell Sisters, a pialr of rough and tumble aero dancers. One of them plays- ia combination of catcher and understander, and she has all the lieft of a man. She takes off her hat at the close of each num- ber to show hci* hair and orove she's female. Their . stuff consists of mauling of the little girl by the big girl, and they do one oriental dance In which a whip figures; also an apache number. Far west In stripping Is reached by Mile. Sokolska, a girl sleight-of- hand performer who starts pulling cigarettes out of the air clad In transparent drapery and continues to yank ribbons out of paper fun- nels as she lets the dranery fall. Only fiilly dressed femme In the show Is one billed as Mignon'hett (pun on Mlstlnguett) who sings a song in praise of asparagus and fol- lows It with a series of two or three of the dirtiest stories ever heard from a public stage. Sketches > are particularly brief and few in - number. Outstanding one Is a burlesque melodrama In which the girls play -men, dressed almost exclusively In moustaches. Judith Gllmore, American girl Is one of those who takes part m this number. She speaks Frensh. and no emphasis Is placed on her nation- ality. Sketch Is a medieval parody in which figure an old count, his daughter, her lover, a monk and a couple of beef-trusters, almost stark naked, as swordsmen. Rest of show Is mostly dancing. Ballet work, done by Wronska Alperott crew, Is pretty good. Btern. PALACE, N. Y. Not many giggles provided by this bill, but it has variety and all five acts got across, which Is what counts. Show seemed rather long on hoofing, of the better kind. Three male singles In this set-up la un- usual, but one really isn't all alone —ijJapt. Mauss being introduced bv an attractive blonde lass. Dorothy''Crooker and her dance aides closed the show well, turn running longer than average! Miss Crocker's own specialty, a routine which has her right leg off the floor, alone takes more than four minutes and le somethlfig of an endurance test. She ■ Is a graceful kicker. Roy Tracy's tapping, the acrobatic specialty of Jackie Bickle and the neat sister team of Flor- ence and ITelonda in toe routines provide effective support. Chester Fredericks, a busy little dancer who has. been around, is now teamed with Bubbles Stewart (New Acts) plus two other girls leaving curly headed Fredericks handling most of the pedal stuff. George Bcatty, a tall .monologlst. on next to closing, clicked with a roi'.llne that Is along-the lines of former chatter singles. His mate- rial impressed ks original and three duties were furnished with special lyrics. Beatty's stuff didn't earn much, but several gags including tho 'three touches' aroused smiles. Act seemed several minutes over- time. Rnv Smeck, the musicker, wap -a cinch on second, a distinct hit. The three banjo Impressions got 'enl first while his steel string guitar se- lection of a favored disc recording was the bell-ringer. They liked the Rll! Robinson bit on a uke, too, and he could have stayed longer. Cai t. Maues' cycling thriller Is one of the shortest acts on record but it serves the purpose and there were few out front who failed to get a kick out of it. Feature film Is 'Our' Little Girl' (Fox). The preview picture night this weqk will be Wednesday because of th6 Fourth (Thursday), pic coding be- ing "Becky Sh.nrp.' Ibre. STATE, N. Y. It's Soph herself, in person, and also In some classy wai-drobe and plenty of powerful singing, at the State this week. Miss Tucker, i.sn't exactly the whole works, for there's a regulation variety layout around her; but it's Miss Tucker who makes It a show. There Is also Larry Rich, m!c.''lng In addition to contributing hl.s o'wix company as an act by 4tself, and though the betwcen-the-acts busi- ness Is mostly padding, it's the kind of padding that i.sn't- hard to take. The former fat comedian has done a ^yhiteman, Vvelghlng in 100 pounds lighter and hardly recoiJnizablo on the stage. The advoirdupoig reduc- tion doesn't hamper his appearance, however, since he's still a big fellow with plenty of size remaining: But' he's not as effective a com- edian with the sylph-like figure as he used to be, since most of his best material Is based on the- bay window theme, and he's atJIl using them. With the object d'art having departed, a more fitting set of gags would be mot-'e appropriate. But middle or no middle. Rich still Is a good showman. (?ood enough to- day to overcome, inaterial that is mostly poor. Homer Romalne, the vet trapezlst, opens up the show with a new front, but with the same act and chatter while flying. He' has switched to a mustachioed 'Man on the Flying Trapeze' makeup, which probably sounded like a better idea while the song was popular. He gets no laugh at the opening, a sure tlpoff that the novelty Is gone. Once the makeup gag has run its cobrse, Romalne goes out artd gets 'em with his thrillers on the bar and rings, Johnny Lee and the Three Lees, formerly Just plain Lee, Lee, Lee and tiee, which was far catchier billing, is an act that has. gone backwards or stood'still, and right where It belongs playing No. 2. Not so' long ago It looked like certain next-to-cloBlng° timber. 'There has been a lot of knockout stuff in vaudeville the past three or four years, and most of the tricks have been washed up.by constant pound- ing in- an average of almost one act to every vaudeville bill. ] It's the bookers' fault as iriuch as the actors', of course, but the Lees would do better to try for im- provement on their own volition. They are having a tough time:get- ting the response that -once, came so easily to them. Up until the long-haired pianist's hock-stepping, which finales, the act,-the contrast between audience silence and sta'ge racket Is frightening. The Lees can do an act, as they'■\re demon- strated ih the p^t, but they need a better one to do. Miss Tucker Is third, giving, them four songs, three of which are spe-! clals, plus a chorus of 'Some, of These Days' for a finish. The cus- tomers liked everything but the exit—they wanted Soph to stick around and 18 minutes didn't seem enough. It's an amazing singing pace that Miss Tucker has main- tained all these years. A couple of decades of stiff competition and she's still right up there on top. Those new songs on ever.v return engagement have had more 'than a little to do with It, and the sus- tained ability to sing them has ac- complished the .rest. The present act Is all Tucker, with Ted Shapiro and the songs. Everything through the mike, with Miss Tucker a stranger to that radio implement no longer. .^.^ Rich's act, next-to-closing, con- slats of Cherle, who still dresses up a stage; a red-headed i3ong and dance cutle, a blonde buck and winger, and a young boy, singing, whom Rich Introduces as hls'. son. It's a pleasant little company, and well dressed except for the .boss, who lost 100 pounds but forgot to " change his suit. Norman and Lee, witb Young, Blair and Page, is the closer (NIbav Acts). Spirted dance flash with exceptional color and a fa.st- moving finisher. 'The Glass Key' (Par), Is the pic- ture, nn/e. EMBASSY, N. Y. (NEWSREELS) Most spectacular clip of the week's melange Is Pathe's coverage of the Tacoma lumber strike riots. It's an impressive piece of report- ing and without the trite editorial- izing of the narrator the message conveyed by the strip would have been equally as effective. Pathe scores again with some midair shots of the Key Bros, setting a new en- durance record. •■ Politics plavs a minor part-^in the gencr.al unreeling. Of four Washing- ton pickups, three .came from Universal. James S. O'Neill, the only new face to newsroel addicts In the batch, related what he ox- pects to accomplish as the new NRA chief, while Senator Wagner, de- .scanted on the social srciirlty bill and Huey Long reiter.afd bin''prom- ise to qiilt politics iC .('ongroKS passed the inheritance nnd super- Income legislation ui'gcd by' the Pj'csident. Accounting for the four'i ii polit.l<'iil (Continued on p;ig<> 2tj)