Variety (Jul 1936)

Wednesday, July 1936 VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY 17 Stiii 'the same energetic Cab Callo- way with some classy . specialists aboard, a few familiar, With Ralph VBfown Viewed . around here first time as a member of the aggrega- tion. Leader's heated style, remains itbis APr though not so many hi-de- '■Sfr's jfcfaibellish his delivery; Instead there's Harlemese swing with a short dip into the quietly orchestrated 'Sylvia,' Bill is uniform for the most ■part, with stage stretch covering 80 ^minutes, the Calloway flash utilizing Vajj easy 30 minutes of it. Rdye and Maye Revue (4) for -opening purposes displays good dancing, a few numbers of which '.• -would suit diners in the more sophis- ticated spots. Main dance duo are j,flrst in a formal ballroom routine, ■ later expanding into character work ...which, gets the. best hand. Latin girl .'chants .hot via .the microphone with ^i' partner playing the,, accordion, 'alwx* break up the foot w6rk nicely. * act is dressed with taste, the clos- >; iihg visf a being rather eye-filling for ^itsrlise of brilliants for decoration. :->Brown and Ames (New Acts) next . and." while- no world-beaters, estab- lishes .themselves as laugh -getters. vr.ifvJSc-nehalants a \ ao j n New Acts, (tuvnext to closing groove; and hold- s' ing. if firmly for 12 minutes. Knbck- ', about antics are handed out with * s 'verve,.', being sure-fire for supper ,house this time. Applause ran well ^tntd^Calloway's presentation.. n. ; TftoSe' spotlighted by themselves *'1n the band act include Leitha Hill, 'r. Dynamite Hooker and -Nicodemus. :>Ralph ; Brown has stepping on hand > Which, should send him places. Well i groomed, he polishes off . clear tap chores to good results. ' Orchestra is mounted with a flair, players in. white summer garb .against a Vermillion drop. Leader (continues' to hanker for the. white 'tails. Miss Hill's rendition of 'Go i Back Where You Stayed Last Night' ■wound Up into' something interesting "for the audience. Incidentally, sing- er's tresses appeared hennaed, which caused some comment. 'Minnie the .= Moocher' dragged out,, though no , one missed it much, and it clicked ..'per. usual. After that the offering /seemed to taper somewhat Troupe '".'on'the whole maintains an extra "'high pitch of sock fare. Ruby ' Zwerling's contingent for pit per- "'formance. *Meet Nero Wolfe* (Col) on the. \ .screen. Brol. FOX, DETROIT . Detroit, July 24. , . Dull' holdover biz here- this week '"on' Shirley Temple's 'Poor Little I Rich Girl'' (20th). Stage show isn't " much brighter. Contains enough • talent/ although there's no big mar- quee names, but it didn't click with , the small and mostly femme audi- ence when caught (24). ., .Sid Marion's next-to-shut act with , Olive Sibley, soprano, draws some applause'. Miss Sibley's warbling is for comedy, and she sacrifices qual- ; itjy" for volume. ' r '•* With one or two exceptions, rest of Six-act bill gets by well. On the ■ ; Whole, however, hour's show , is one of the- least attractive house has > shown in a long while. Handful of people at show caught didn't help ,-imatters, either. ,= One of the. brighter moments is ... Franltie Connors, tenor, in the pit for" past three years, who has been upped to deuce spot on stage. Stuck in bill last week during Ed Sullivan's show, and promises to set well for spt.e time. Warbles two numbers. In Opening turn. Condos Bros, clip off some hot hoofing, varying the tap ) ( Routines. with a sittin«-doWn bit. •^Latter number . pulls 'em out :of ordinary tao class. . Jeanette Hackett grabs most of the /aoplause. with two nifty dances. The first.' which can't be classed in the II ordinary run of tap. aero or ballet, "•is-oke, but It's her 'chiffon butterfly' . turn which reallv wins; Swell light- ..''.•Wt effects are big part of number. ! oiAlso in the different .cjass is Dave Monahan. v;ho deftly plays the xylo- phone with his feet' as well as by hand. Does one number each with hands and hoofs, then closes on all ' mur limbs. Shutting are Six Max- ' ellos. neat chaps who get a lot of laughs while performing some oke acrobatics. j With Maestro Sam Jack Kaufman m the pit is Marian Shelby, soprano. Kaufman takes pit band on stage following overture, and emce oc i. Pete, a local radio station—for a year, and then hit the road. They appeared here a year'ago, but lacked stage experience and were somewhat un- comfortable. This time, however, they register. Ralph Duby does the comedy with the unit and just gets by. Probably due to fact that he might be more at home in burlesque. Betty and Boone handle the dancing with the unit and manage to get by okay. - Six line girls are included, and while nothing out of the ordinary, their number in 'radium' costumes offers a novelty for the customers. Al Quirk handles the xylophone sticks for good reception and Harri- son Kimball is the m.c. and also feeds Duby. Band this week has 15 tooters, working on the stage plat- form. One number is featured, and is more or less of a fill-in to make up time lost when cycle act was dropped. Cap management bas invested in some new stage scenery that adds to entire offering and brightens up whole stage. Noting loss of interest and no perceptible b.o. increase, theatre has discontinued Friday flight amateur contests. Pic is 'Nevada' (Par). Cap patrons go for horse operas. With stage portion taking, up 45 minutes, whole show runs two hours and 34 minutes, which is just about right for this house. .CAPITOL, ATLANTA f;i w Atlanta, July 23. ■Ay, Management ran into considerable j trouble with this week's stage offer- , ing. 'Girls in Radium,' when the y-ycimg Rosans, in to carry top spot snow * P roved to be a dud- Alter two performances act was eliminated entirely. Act blamed fact inat stage was not large enough on w$L to pedal their bicycles. :., w «hout what was supposed to be , ine sock of the show, a fairly well E r .f se , nted show wa s saved from the * XT?? 15 wi th Lcmpi Pernu, blonde ,'£^ rtionist ' who "works with her S^t s - cuffed « and three girls, John- son Sisters,, taking top honors. These Riris are local product, appeajfcd on CHICAGO Chicago, July 25. Good show here, without any talk in it at all. House leaned backward plenty in order to insure a com- pletely clean show on the boards this week to accompany Shirley Temple's 'Poor Litle Rich . Girl' (20th). And it has done a good job in lining up a presentation which is suitable for the kids who are jam- ming the theatre this session. Not only clean, but the type of stuff that the kids fall out of their seats laughing at Schictl's Mario- nettes are" perfect for this audience, and so are the Briants. Briants with the pantomime knockabout are up early in the show and had them yelling. Well-rounded and beautifully timed routine that has a beginning, middle and end with a continuity that few acts pos- sess these days. . Hal Sherman is doing strictly dancing comedy this week after he 'had learned how to talk. But Sher- man holds the audience with clean- cut entertainment for 12 minutes. Schictl's Marionettes are a surefire entry for the kids. Marionette. acts always a cinch for the youngsters anyway, but this one is particularly suitable, being strictly down-to-level with no attempt at being high-brow or satirical. Basis of the turn is. quick changes of costumes on the puppets while they're in sight. Single dancer and singer complete the show. Dancer is Dorothy Dick- son, who is in the first production number for a snappy military tap specialty. Youthful performer who shows plenty of promise, having a sense of footwork and showmanship despite being obviously a newcomer. Vivian della Chiesa, local name through her buildup on two radio stations, is a repeat here. Played here last year after she won a WBBM contest. She shows consid- erable progress. Did only two num- bers when caught, but both effective. It's old home week for Fred Evans, being. a return after an ab- sence of nearly a month, and his hand is noticeable in the excellence of the line and production. Espe- cially good is the final number, in which the entire scenery is painted by colored lights. Another fine pro- duction note by Evans is a one-way traveler used to disclose the Mario- * Business good at the last show Fri- day. Gold. DENVER, DENVER Denver,"July 26. Harry Huffman has given Donnelly James and his orchestra a tough as- signment, but James clicks. He puts on a stage show on the orchestra lift that will entertain the customers week after week, and the only help aside from the orchestra boys most of the time is only a soloist. Edna Dodd, organist, renders valuable as- sistance. James orchestra usually delivers. Currently the show opens with a medley, shared by different members of the orchestra. Leonard Weldon, clarinet, does a neat job. during which he takes his clarinet apart, getting down to the mouthpiece, and then putting it back together on the same arrangement for an encore. Janet Bible, torch contralto, is popular in Denver and always good for encore. , Band's part winds up with several of them singing 'I'm Just an Old Cowhand' in different ways. F'rst by a trio", Leonard Weldon, Lilbum 'Koch and Eddie Krick. Then the dead pan of the orchestra, Chet James rolls a cigaret in pantomime and sings. Edna Dodd. organist, furnishes a bit of comedy. .. I With 'Suzy* (Metro) on the screen, house was packed for both the first I and second shows Saturday. Rose. HIPP, BALTIMORE Baltimore, July 24. For some time it has been noticed that Will Caborne was a bit in hid- ing, and now is revealed just what he has been doing: putting together a swell band. Out in the open for ! the first time in vaude, outfit is wowing at the Hipp this week. Osborne,, formerly, a singer who carried a band chiefly as back- ground, has to a great extent sub- jugated his vocalizing and is now concentrating on selling the orches- tra, which .he accomplishes deftly. Calls his brand of music 'slide,' which is an o. k. idea and lends dis- tinction. No radical difference from standard syncopation, 'slide' utilizes a glissando effect on the horns; ! makes for a nice touch. There are 13 in Osborne's aggre- gation, all brass save pianist and drums. Tuba player occasionally doubles from the big horn to slap a bull fiddle. Bulwarks in the crew are three slide-trombonists, .all able, who keynote the 'slide' motif. Trio plays against a bank of three trum- peters, and between the two groups and their work the band gets its dis- tinction. It looks sealed to go places. Osborne sings but one piece, e,?rly in the show: Carries Dick and Dor- othy Rogers, both young and per- sonable, who can jointly or singly polish off a novelty, blues or swing song. Girl is a looker who works with the boy for one number. Toots to Me,' later solos a combo of'Soli- tude' and 'Stardust' done SO. .well that age of the songs incidentally, isn't noticeable. Band gives great support. Dick Rogers does "Listen to the Glisten of the .Three Trom-. bones,' self-authored, which explains 'slide' music. Another specialist is Ruthie Barnes, titian-tressed rhythm tapstress seen here before. .Over strongly with her sharply defined stepping. Other outside act brought in to broaden out the band act and which fits In nicely in the presentation-type show that has the band on throughout is Frank Conville and his Very able femme foil, Su^ny Dale. In last couple years Conville has been around Balto about half a dpz times and alwavs wows. Especiallv worth noting Is the ore's rendition in %: time of 'St, Louis Blues* The old tune takes on a new lustre under treatment the swell arrangement gives it .Crew also lampoons styles of several name bands, and Osborne do**: a bltmg satirical travesty on Vallee. Plenty of blare for finale, with hard going barrelhouse in th» old- fashioned way.', with a takeoff on manner the-jazz bands sent off about 15 years a?o. On screen, *Half Angel' ^OthX Bert. ROXY, N. Y. Two repeats at the Roxy this week, the Jess willard-BOl Hurley badmin- ton match and Gaudsmith Bros., with the rest of the stage layout rather skimpy though plenty flashy. Only other acts in the show are a Fred Allen, amateur winner, Robbins Trio and Dawn O'Day, with the Gae Foster mixed line making the quan- tity seem greater than it is. Pic is Joe E. Brown's 'Earthworm Tractors* (WB), with biz okay Fri- day evening. Gaudsmith Bros., working with their two poodles, are one of the show's highest spots. They're doing the same comedy routine they've been dishing out in vaude for years, but it's still appealing. House held a large number of kids at this view- ing and act was a natural. Same for the badminton match, though the an- nouncing of Jack Megley seems un- necessary for a visual event His description of the game is usually about four strokes, behind the action. Flanking of the badminton court with the Foster femmes adorned in skin-tight bathing suits of various hues is good showmanship. Some-, thing of a beach fashion parade, but a couple of months after the regu- lar shopping time for such things. The girls step out for and okay legr drill on miniature steps after the match, which Willard won,, and that's the presentation's closer. There's plenty of dancing in the show, Dawn O'Day contributing hoofing as well as singing in front of a mixed chorus: Robbins Trio, mixed, dispensing their sock danc- ing routines, and the colored ama- teur dancer on skates. That's pil- ing on the terping a bit too much, but little else seems to. count in this huge theatre. Scho. FOX, PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia, July 25. Slightly longer than usual stage show is on tap at the Fox this week, with the four contributors hitting about a 50-50 arrangement on qual- ity. Pic is a revival of 'State Fair' (Fox), experiment which the au- dience—fair in size—seemed' to like. Show is opened by the Elida Dancers. 12 girls well above aver- age as to looks, who first do a uni- son tap routine. Girls are attrac- tively costumed and know their places. They're followed by Paul Rosini. magician, who does all the old ones, and then makes a big ado over the familiar hoop bit. Has a man in the audience tie his hands together and then heave the hoops at him. Audience didn't go wild, over that one and he announced, famous Hindu' basket trick.' Girl disappears according to specifica- tions and Rosini passes a sword through the basket. Nothing new in the whole act and none too well presented. Sylvia Froos, headliner, if the bill has any, warbles three numbers into the mike. Toning down of-volume by the house would have helped. The attractive vocalist, clicks neatly, however, Elida Dancers appear, again with a number in which their legs didn't move a fraction of an inch. They' are dressed in long,_ winding white gowns with accompanying fans. 'Dance' consists in fan evolutions with bodies and arms swaying in accompaniment. Sort of a 'Methodist fan dance.' • Three Sailors give a badly-needed touch of low comedy to the bill. In fact, outside of them, the show has nary a snicker. The three boys have some new stuff and some old. but all good. Seem to emphasize comedy above the strictly acrobatic, stunts more than formerly, but handle plenty of plain and fancy prattfalls and high-diving just the game. - Show concludes with a final rou-' tine by the Elidas. nothing startling but a satisfactory cnrtain-puiw. Bill also includes 'March of Time,' Orchestra, under Jeno Donatn. plays a medley of rural numbers as an overture. Waters; FOX, WASHINGTON ('SPRING IS, HERE') Washington, July 2C.' Tabloid version of 'Spring Is Here,' Rodgers-Hart musicale of a few sea- sons back, makes novel and pleasant change from straight vaUde here this week. Fact that show was pro- duced here and was in papers .daily for two. weeks accounts for local in- terest but it should get by on its own. Ernest Tfuex heads cast recruited from, legit and vaude ranks and working together surprisingly well. Vaude acts, accustomed to playing in 3,000-seat houses to film audiences, set pace opening day, but legit crowd caught on before long and held up its end admirably. Lack of proper amplification first day also gave legit players handicap its inability to hug mikes at - proper times cost them many laughs. In cutting show lo 74 minutes, many gags had to be sliced to squeeze in enough of plot to make story, cling together, but players give plenty 'in their lines. Truex does nice job as distracted father who scurries about trying to keep his two daughters from marrying the wrong boys. Barbara Towne makes a pretty heroine. Ralph Magelssen does a smooth job as the romantic lead, Alex Courtney scores heavily as the timid boy-next-door, and Dorothy. Scott towers effectively over Truex as the wife. June Carr and Chester Fredericks, supply a generous amount of com- edy, both vocal and terpsichorean, although they never overdo it. Show uses seven scenes, alternat- ing between 'one' and full stage. Only- important. sets, a garden and a bedroom, are effective though not elaborate. Tunes. Tours Sincerely;' •With a Song in My Heart,'.'What a Girl,' 'Why Can't I?' and 'Baby's Awake Now* are old but not stale as delivered. Line of 20 girls has three brief routines, which are pleasing. Gene Ford produced and staged show, with Ned McGurn handling dances and Lew Parker, who also does an abbreviated role, responsible for dialog direction. Show will play Baltimore next week with more Loew houses, in- cluding some not regularly playing vaude. expected to follow. 1 Picture is 'Suzy' (Metro). New Acts BROWN AND AMES Chatter, Songs, Dances 15' Mins.; One State, N. Y. Girl -and boy act.'former a half- pint in stature against her partner, who is tall. Girl does not appear until act is well underway, 'but, she lifts it along rafter that. Chatter, be* forehand is of the .befuddled kind, none of which got over well; It Wee piping of the gb?l is,no bet- ter, excepting that she's got that tracious something which lands, Whatever laughs are contained come oui when she clowns against her six- footer. Both are young and full of pep. Average audiences will approve. Ural. NONCHALANTS (3) Acrobatic Comedy 12 Mins.; One State, N. T. Male trio in next to closing posi- tion on current program and coming. off well, Knockabout stuff with threesome displaying their, muscle power via the eye-jabbing, face-slap^ ping, nose-gouging school. Worked up smoothly. Fare is contagious for laughs, and certain of a good hand at finis. They wear grey suits, and somehow man- age to maintain a semblance of neat- ness in spite of their : heavy duties. Act was in the French" Casino show last season. • Bral. PARAMOUNT, N.Y. Stage show at the Paramount this week consists of -the Red Nichols band, which is a pretty good band, too. They were among the first to popularize swing and they're still swinging and the audience seems to like 'em. At the Paramount the audience likes most- any band, any- way. It used to be that picture houses had an orchestra which played a fancy piece or two and then the sheet came down. Then the theatres got ambitious and hired stagers and dancers and comics and scenic designers. And, eventually, most of them also had to hire bookkeepers to figure how to stop using so much red ink. So for awhile, at the Paramount, it v/as just pictures. And then someone thought of going-back to bands, but, name bands instead of just a pit crew. The house has been doing well with the system. This week it's the Nichols band. There's also a girl who hugs a mike mighty prettily and intones some numbers. She's Loretta Lee. The audience liked her, too. There'.* also a pretty good boy and girl hoofing team. But the specialties don't count. It's the band that counts. And if the picture isn't - any good, the band doesn't count so much, either—but that's another story. This week shouldn't be too sad. Picture is 'Spendthrift* (Par). Kauf. TOWER, K. C. . Kansas City, July 25. Nice • show all around this ■ week. Jack Lester has some better material to work with and has cemented the melange into a pleasant 60 ^minutes of entertainment. " - Toppers are. the Six Caiidreva Bros, trumpet ensemble, who are in- troed as the official trumpeteers of the 1932 L. A. Olympiad. Boys could easily drop the worn out: tag. Nixon and Sans, mixed team, dance and sing. Act is loosely - put together. They, finish, with girl sing- ing while man, with sawdust figure tied on, does a bubble dance. Final gag with fed balloon belongs in one of the. 12th, street nlteries. • Art Barnett, only single' on the bill, is a capable imitator. He also takes a whirl at a comic song. Jack Carson, house m.c, brings on Tommy Wells, former, vaude partner of Carson's, for some gagging and a. newsreel burlesque. - Carson dis- play£ a- ; nice knack for. comedy. Both boys-work with assurance and.get the biggest hand. " - , Three Negro boys, this week's anj- ateurs, are hoofers in Harlemesque coats. They • lack originality. Judy Conrad and his band 'get' a- spot of their own this week, doing 'Star Dust' a la Rubinoff.-King,' Madxe- guera and Goodman. They handle the assignment , nicely. ", ; : , Line (10) is on twice. Lester has . given more attention to the finale, this week. It is, a well worked out. bit of nonsense "with Carson in .role of'a pirate rounding up the : visiting acts. Pic/'Three Wise ,Guys''(MG). ■■Hoyt. CENTURY, BtALTO Baltimore, July 25. Benny Meroff > and his versatile band of 13 musikers were liked 'well enough by a capacity house Satur- day, afternoon that, ducked' the heat of the steaming sidewalks' to - see 'Suzy' (MG). But a stronger specialty array needed by Meroff. Only one in present company thai audience particularly noted was the hoofer Peter Ray, 'licorice lad with an assortment of swell routines. Other specialties are Babe LavaX comedy contortionist Joy Williams, novelty singer, and the Swingtet As usual, band boys barrage mob with constant stream of hoked musiking and antics. " Trombonist Jack Marshall, with his robust zany humor, grabs the honors.' He has a runner-up in an unprogrammed trumpeter. • Meroff still doing his yeoman duty as jack-of-all-knacks, playing half a dozen instruments, a little : hoofing, imitations and concluding with crayon sketching. , Preceding the .vaude, the theatre's Harvey Hammond brings down the house with his singing-ofganlog. Bert. STO£Y BUYS Hollywood, July 28. Edgecumb Pinchon's 'Sam Houston. Pioneer' bought by George Hirliman for George O'Brien starrer. 'Miss Customs Agent' by Tayloi Craven, purchased by RKO. Columbia purchased Hazel Christie McDonald's A Warrior for Richard. Barry Trivers' 'Shadow of Glorj taken by Par. Larry Bachman and Darwin L Thieblet sold They Wanted to Marry' to RKO. Leonard Lee sold his Sateveposi yarn, 'Master Mind,' to Grand Na- tional. Original screen musical by Barr> Trivers and Sam Coslow peddled t'> Paramount. J. P. Marquard's novel, 'Now Thinl- Fast, Mr. Mo to,' purchased by Metro.