Variety (Sep 1936)

50 VARIETY WmETV HOWfg REVIEWS W«dnesdayr S^ptenilier 1936 MUSIC HALt, N. Y. Anyone subject to intoxication by suggestion can get a good stew on at the Music Hall this week, where the lour parts of the stage show each represents a difterent kind of flre- watfer-. It looks like something a bartender might dream about, pro- vided his dreams run tp the ex- tr^kvagant There are two full stage settmgs, both corkers, and a pair of numbers in one in between. 'Napoleon Brandy' is the .starter, and a startler through the Albert Johnson setting, with the action provided by Edwina Eustis, the Music Hall Quartet and the Corps de Ballet, all of the house staff, plus outsjde assistance from Bernardo de Pace. Latter is a vet mandolin player from the varieties and, with mandolin players almost as rare as the varieties themselves ■ these days, de Pace is quite a nov- elty. Some tasty ballet work ends the first part. , , V 'Scotch', has Robert Topping lead- ing the Glee Club in bonnie lassies set . to music, with a long line of knobby knees peeking out *tween the kilts and the golf socks, i/-". v'Champagne Cocktails' -which fol- ■ lowS, offers the Barra Harmonica Ensemble, seven or eight boys who omit the usual comedy from, their mouthorgan routine and just play. It's probably, the first harmonica troupe to fip in for full dress, and that OU^t to be good ne'wis. for Gut- tenberg'Si After a pair of niunbers by the boys, both well done, the champagne item concludes - with some solo tapping by Miriam Verne, who - looks tiny , on this huge ros- trum, but whose taps are broadcast clearly to all comers of the house ' by the sensitive p.a. system. ..Jlar- monjicaists were formerly with Carl Show winds up, and prdperly, with *Fium,* a stageful of brilliantly cos- tumed people studding a striking West- Indian Setting; Alan Speer, ; who starts, things^ is a good'enough contortionist to prevent arguments as t<y whether his type specialty fits ' the sutrolindings, and he grabs him- self a big hand. Robert Topping has ' another-vocal chance here and, for the - finale^ the Rockettes dance a beguine. • ' . What Hubbell i» to the Giants the iO'Ropkettes are ta the Music Hall. ^^Their beguine this week seeihs more difficult ibm their vsual routine, but ' Ifs danced with no less precision. -■When they finlsli, tlie house and the, -txuttln come- down together. Pit sympVs ovftrture, 'Rakoczy March,' ia preceded by '*Kol Nidre,' saered Hebrew composition; played . by -Gaston^ Dubois on the cello. *My Man Godfrey' OJ) is the pic- ture, and'doing- business, with the newest 'March of Time'- (RKO) also on the screen. Blge, Martha Mcars No. 2 and Don CosteUo and Co. (New. Acts) the opener. The CosteUo dance flash of five people is an attractively staged and costumed 12-minute act, that scores nicely. The Don Costello liamc isn't new, but this act is. Miss Mears, who, fike McCoy, has been on the air, registers with a voice and personality in a routine of three numbers, taking 10 minutes to do her stint. She opens with a swingy melody, unusually well sold, entitled 'Sing, Sing, Sing.' This might better be Miss Mears' closer, she does it so capitally. Other two tunes are 'Until the Real Thing Conies Along' and "These Foolish Things.' The middle of the bill gets numer- ous laughs from the Carr Bros.-Betty turn.' Aroimd a long.time, this act, and funny, boys getting a lot from their comedy acrobatics, Betty does a tap.'in one, proving okay. Business fair Friday night, but in- jured by heavy downpour. Char. HIPP, BALTIMORE STATE, N. Y. Al.Trahan ia here this week with .his lau^rgetting ways, his piana and Lady YOkona . Cameron (Mrs, Trahan);-latter just-recovering from -fllnesd. which forced some idling for the act 'nrahan heads the display and together with Clyde McCoy's or chestra (New Acts)r there are two show-stoppers on. the five-act layout and . minutes of good vaudeville, The other three turns serve as suit able support fdv Trahai) and McCoy. The Trahan liame and>fep forms the principal bait +he sta*''- as as sistance for the'feature, 'My Ameri can Wife- (Par), which played the Music.BW on its first-run engage , taent four weeks, ago. ,"'' In excellent shape,, but obviously taking^; it easy with Miss Cameron Trahan kept things going for- 25 - minuter Friday night, and then, in .-.gracious, and .serious manner, did . brief curtain speech. It is an im pressive few words that the comedian does «ft6r sewing his audience up tight. IVahan lets 'em know the Lady Cameron is the missus, also, which may give him more license to do some of the-things he does, in case-audiences should feel thi& way or that. Trahan^s act, with a little added here-and there, is better than it ever wais. And it's strictly vaude villy. Even to Trahan getting laugh from the microphone that jumps up at him as he's rolling the tonsils aroimd in song. The comic made one refer^ce • to Miss Cameron's illness, but otherwise made no alibis. She didn't look as though she could stand much kicking around, however. The McCoy band, carrying two Ujiolo singers, is k demonstration ^largely oif what young McCoy can do with a trumpet, which is plenty, but . otherwise has much to merit it for footlight work. . McCoy can make trumpet scream and he can tone it down to a lullaby- point, all the while retaining a swing and modern treat ment that sets him apart from the ran of thfr mill. On 'Sutfar Blues, McCoy tied the show up Friday eve ning and had to do another encore before proceeding with. the final number. His band is a swingy, competent organization, members of which double for solos and special instrumental numbers as well as vocally. Two singers are Bill Hawley and Gloria fay, former the better, of the two. .The McCoy orchestra closes, ALHAMBRA, PARIS Paris, Sept. 13. If the Alhambra management can I Wintergarteln, Berlin Berlin, Sept. 13. Wintergarten-has gone all-femi- I nine for the current month, which sathi «<SaMe-breasted jdcket and white ffyuliers handles his announce- ments iMbirmfilly and without gush, and lauiiiihes the show with a very f .„„„i K;n» i!iri» ♦h.-eijammy arrangement, or derange- L^u^ ^uiicm inuiiuu, wmcn contmu^ present bOla ^^ggp Rag/ Unlike jnost deludes the pit orchestra and the opener It should havenothmg^ out^ts, the. Redman band stage hands, but also includes the for the season. Hairy p^son, new changes pace, and the next best tune total absence o£ comedy in the bUl. manager replacmg Kurt^Robitchelc, ^j^g RearThing* in a softer There jg charm and loveliness in who la now managing the Victoria j^jq^^i Tenor with the band gives a abundance offered by 14 acts, and Palace in London, has assembleci a g^^^ account of himself and most of ifs different, especially to the de- well-balanced, varied bill that runs Uj^g boys are soloed for hot licks in votees " of the fair sex. Idea, put the entire gamut of French audience tije hotter numbers. Pianist and a into practice by the Winteigtrten likes. This first .offering of the lau spotted trumpeter rate nods, as does once every year, is not npw, having • season cqnsists_of 14 acts with a | the drummer, who does amazing' been done by Martin Beck at" the tricks witti only a few traps. Palace, N. V., and in London ,by the Miss Bro-wm, in ne^t-to-close, had victoria Palace long ago. Winter-, a goodly number of friends in the garten seemingly Is still figuring on house when she walked oh, and at foreign tourists, since its program her exit evidently added a few hun- dred more. Opened with 'I'll Take troupe of 16 French girls, set by Floyd -Dupoht,' who. will be kept permanently. , Joe Laurin does some classic jug- gling for the opener. Working en- tirely with balls, Laurin does some unusual head and hand balancing, the South' and. kept the pace with ' Baltimore, Sept. 18. 'Swing Time' (RKO) sticks on the spools for a tlitrd week, with a new four-act bill as its stage support. Three of the acts are standard, but foturth turn, one never seen here Ijefore, didn't get a firm foothold and, because of it, bill as whole came near tumbling do-wn. .Eddie Sher- man':; layout wasn't shrewdly select- ed, either; and that's a contributing factor in the listlessnesa of bill's ef feet. Opening are the vet comedy tram- polinists, Monroe and Grant. For niearly -score of years the lads have been solidly entertaining 'em, and there's no surcease in sight. As usual, lend bright start to show. Ventrilocmists Vox and. Walters deuce and over very strongly. Miss Walters aids Vox on the double-talk very well and between 'em they manage a strong click. Hiey've adopted a mike nOw, specially rigged with couple of arms on sides upon which • the dummies may be rested. Getting dummies off ventriloquists' ! cnees makes for novel change, which audience seemed inclined to favor. Helps enunciation of the talking, too, as well as permits special meas- ures to, heighten illusion, such as bending the dummies' phizzes close to instrument upon occasion for low- tones. Jeanne, Jack and Joe, dealing chiefly in knockabout and hoke hoof- mg, next. Turn's tempo much too torpid first half, with repetition of stuff further chilling. There are at least two excellent comedy touches, but that's not enough to . carry the route. Closing, travesty on a- ball- room waltz participated in by trio could hold more humor for stronger bow-off; Closing Is a good flash, Stafford and Lt)uise revue. Last lamped here at the Hipp and at loop nitery last wmter under biUing of Don Lee and Louise.- Flash act piled atop an- other hoofing group on so smaU a bill is not the happiest thought, but, once this five-peopled flash got un- der, sail, audience was caught up by swift pace and clean-cut capers. Against swell ,set of hangings and two pianos manned by imen, chap and two femmes start off with, med- ley of steps and snatch of song; one of the lassies, a blonde, hi-kicks through an o.k. routine. Then a stumpy boy skids forward from one of the keyboards and zips through an acro-tumWing session that tops all other offerings- in ^ct's kit. The male dancer links with the brunet for a pash prance. Then, with^U individuals doing their specialty bits, and male dancer some unusual cape twirling, act flashes out. Pathe clips and trailers. Biz way off Friday.aftemoon. Bert. but gets the best hand by his ma neuvers with a ball on the end of a long cone shaped holder manipulated ■v ath. his teeth. The Alhambra Girls then t_te the stage to step a number equipped with tennis racquets. Divided info two groups, they do a slow , motion emulation ot two play- ers in contest. Frankie and Eugenie come next, with ' ankie doing some interesting balancing on a suspended hair. He stands on his head, shoulders and knees while the bar is still and then does practically the same routine while the bar is swinging. His risks bring him a fair hand. Birdie Dean turns 'some graceful cartwheels next in an imannounced appearance to give way to Grace and Nico. This dance team didn't click as well as deserved. Their routine goes without a slip and for its type is well executed. La Mome Piaf, who was .schooled for the stage singing on the side walks of-Paris, had to leave the show because of illness. For a hand shadow act, Les Joannys haVe a good offering and gleaned returns accordingly. This ^Plenty of Nuttin'/ 'Snake in the Grass' and True About Dixie.' En- core is her usual truckin' bit that always clicks, is still printed in three lihgos, as in the Ol^ntnpic month. Show starts slow with a warbler, liOle. Maguy, singing behind curtains in masculine voice to shock the audience, who expected all females. Surprise falls flat. Girl Is a voice Edna Waters in the trey delivers phenomenon and would do Tjetter to , —^ select ia more snappy routine when changing to soprano. Seven Maravillas follow with military drill and going into gym- nastics to fair results. Mariora jug- ^es in the Rastelli style all sorts of sticks, balls, etc. A pleasing act. Victoria Ballet (12), who make four appearances during the show, open with a quaint dance in the Bal Musette style (the gay 90's) and get the best hand with a Viennese offer- ing. Troupe 'is headed by Brigitte Hartwig from the Monte Carlo Bal-- let Ilusse, .'an exponent in classics. Colorful' settings and costumes. Glsela and Helga, dressed as Eton boys, look very cute and do some tapping that rates fair considering their age, which is hardly more than 14. Else Elster, known from the flickers, warbles some old-fashioned PaulLincke songs. Too bad that no particular sock is noticeable thus far. Six acts in succession, and show a mess of bumps, grind and-splits in the approved Harlem, manner. The big stag gathering at the ojpeu- ing show approved. Three Lang Sisters deuce with a truckin' num- ber that finds the gals not too weU unified. Although the routine 'shapes up okay, the girls appear to be on the verge of a challenge bit all the way. Eddie Rosenwald is conducting the house band. House .band's overture of "Swing Time' medley is very good. Screen: .'Two in a; Crowd' (U). Fox. A. B. C, PARIS . Paris. Sept. 13. Mitty Goldin's opener this year goes one better than the usual A. B. strong C. standard.' Always strong oh B*cm,c« *ctuv,« ^.^i!?^Sers, heoffers^a diw^^^ v * * . i let uses colored screens wj^'painted | ti?S.2j]:i„nr.,,*lL!^°i^l.te I ^'^E.f^'^^lHi^^f} ^t^^'Jt. backgrounds manipulatmg hand made characters in the settings. Comic dentist and bull fight scenes were best Uked. They give -way to Miguel VillabeUa, tenor from the Opera, who is making his first ap pearance in a music hall. Singing has appeared, he gets the best re- turns for the first half. Petley Jones and Co, with Petley, a long skinny Englishman, catehlng all of the laugh$ with his comic acrobatics, comes next, A three man. PARAMOUNT, L A. Angeles, Sept, 17. with house goiag into a temporary dual hill policy, Fahchon & Marco stage show is pruned to the bone, with stress laid on return after some weeks' absence of the 24 Fanchon- ettes, Rube Wolf's stage band, and Larry Blake, mimic, who tops talent list. . For their new debut, Fanchonettes wear grotesque, two-faced heads which they partially revolve for some startling effects while cavort- ing-about stage. Band follows with a combination classic-swing rendi' tion, well handled. evening turn is Vicky Joyce, pre- sentable young torcher, who, how- ever, is weak on voice and doesn't add much to the bill. Then Carl ton and Miller, mixed team of step pers,^who combine speed with knock- about $tuff that register.?, particu- larly man's fast-stepping and femme's acrobatic stuff. . Highlight is Larry Blake with his impersonations, delivered in a differ- ent way, and registering for solid returns. For finale, band is back in pit with line gals on for another step rou- tme, rounding out a so-so show. Screen features are. 'Hollywood Boulevard' (Par), and 'They Met in ^ - . - , a Taxi' (Col). Also Par News and -Tr»rrahan Is next to the sign^off, while color, symphony. Trade fair at open- .Cajqr, BrpA; .flhd .Betty ( ar* third,' hig stanza today. i JCdwa customers in the line-for what is to I Resua Sisters (6) close first part follow. A full house took well to his with roller skating on a platform, efforts on the opening afternoon, Good technique and first act on bill with Andre Baiige, singer from the that woke 'em tip. Opera-Comique and screen, having a A surprise is sprung by the open- hard time getting off the stiage. lng>act'-of the second part, Johnny Show opens with a rhumba num- Lang's Musical Maids (16), who. were selections from operas in which he her by Grecia and Mario, Although down in .the pit so far. and accom- - - 'no extraordmary steps included in panied the aqts remarkably. Con- their routine, they cateh fair with gregatibn is grouped on stage to fine the cold, house which warms a little settings and brought the house down to their second number. witii their brilliant musicianship. Ded-Rysel, story teller, political Renderings from 'Broadway Melody* ^„ „. tieaser and singer follows. His com- easily put them alongside the best two woman act, two men work On I ^^"^ts on French internal conditions foreign girl- band that has ever suppoHfed bars and swinging, by —sarcastic io say the least—could played Berlin. Led by dynamic their knees, throw one woman back only be offered on a French music Elsbeth Koenner, band hasfffe flair and forth between them over a hall stage, but they are liked here, for harmonic and'rhythmiclore. trampoline. Birdie Dean operg the Songs, also of the political odor, Mang.ean Girls, American, have a second hall-R'"' some slick acrobatic hrmg good rrturns, ^ swell opening in tails and change dancing; Graceful and supple, she 'K"'^"* H»u comes-next and ^oes afterwards to female dressing, doing grabs her part of response tor an well. ^ Audience did not take much their excellent acrobatics to big re excellent performance,' to b>s trombone, but got excited Uuitg. oily Gebauer is an entertain^ LavPetite, Mircha, a-young lad with about his fiddle playing.. His tune jng Viennese chanteuse and a looker, a sweet voice, follows.-The freshness Playf* automobile piwnp five Herzog Sisters perform on the of- his iuvenUe presentations, com- caught best, wim his two-horn flmsh triple trapeze and on ropes, A good - ■ - ... 'slipping to a-let down. He's the' - . . . x- . former comedian with Paul White man's orchestra. A^nes Capri, femme warbler and ^ ^ reciter, then takes the spot With ■ a canvasses are -well I'^'^oll, almost sad, offering; But the French like to have'their emotions bined With a good singing voice, puts him over. Powel and Nedra then offer their powdered crayon draw' ing act. Working-quickly, and eftec tively; the fivfe pictures they throw on two large liked act. Dolly Arden,: American, spe- cializes in control dances and clicks'. Only comedy is pirovided by the closing film short, Walt Disney's' 'Water Babies,' FOX, DETROIT Detroit, Sept. 18. Gobs of names and talent here this Florelle, singer, follows for her worked on, so she gleans fair re- first appearance ' in this house, turns. Voice not too strong, show Blonde and good to the eyes, she manship -little better than fair, pleases plcn'. with songs well pre- Drawings by Georges Bastia fur sented. "Ish the following. Also politically, , , . Cass,-Mack, Owen and Topsy get tied up with chatter, Bastia presents week, but somehow things don t add good returns for their knockabout his product as animals—Herriot as a "P to what they should. No mistake offering. The first time seen in bear; Blum as a dog and Harry Baur about the b.o. strength in Fred Stone France; their type of humor caught as a bull. Cleverly executed; quickly and daughter Paula.N plus Connie onslowly, but .woundup with plenty done, interesting. BosweU; nevertheless,. the five-act of returns. Captain Willie Mauss Therese Dornay, comedienne, then bill runs off rather choppy. puts over-some-comic songs with otone iiimself wasn t up to his old- little voice but good presentation, time form at show caught Friday. Just a little-overdone in the dosage. Daughter Paula, however, brightened but entirely liked. up turn with her s.a, and warbling. One of the few tap dance acts that Her solo tap shows lack of experi- has recently caught a . good hand in | ence, but father and daughter to this town is then done by Hal Men- ken, Menken first .tries closes -with his bicycle in a loop the loop. Short but dangerous, Fred - Mele, in the pit, liked usual. as KEITH'S, BOSTON Boston, Sept, 17. One of the top colored shows ever booked into Boston opened, this morning (Thursday) to a capaicity house. The-eager birds came to see Bill Robinson, headlined, but they also-sftw a-pack of ol^r talent that brought out thunderclaps of applause as the fast-moving show galloped on., Robinson's entrance is the tip-off gather. . „ , for a virtual ovation; and, although nearly stop the show. smging' a tune in English which misses con-, nection because it is not understood, but his dancing does not miss the I train. His stairs steps, were drawn out too long, though. . The Three at the Cabaret, a farce, two man-woman dance act. opens the second bracket. They teke a lot| of tutmbles for the returns they Andre Bauge follows to I He sings his favorites and is fiooded with replies He - finally quits, with customers yowling for more. Bauge gives way to Georgious, an- his send-off was not'as tremendous, fwn selections, and^ tiien asks for he brightens up his act by bringing lip a juve-hfeckler on stage and put- tmg him through some paces. Robinson's, taps, buck, soft shoe and eccentric line of hoofery con trasts sharply with the heated step ping that precedes him on the bill (namely, from Chuck and Chuckles). Although his old fans thoroughly en- joyed his first visit here in three years, the younger crowd didn't warm up to his stuff as-they did for the goofier hoofing. . Robinson does not handle his turn as a Hollywood appearance. The billing takes care of that nicely,, He refers to Shirley Temple as his meal ticket, but other- wise lays off the Coast chatter. Strong clicks in this line-up are Chuck and Chuckles in the midway spot. These tall and shoi't eccentric hoofers flash through a sizzling three-part routine that left them breathless. For an encore the boys oblige with a bit too much chatter, but it at least lets the rest of the show move on: gether come through with a nifty 'Stepping Stone' routine. Quite: obvious, however, that majority of audience, was enticed into house by Stone's presence, for crowd cheered about every word he uttered and every hoof he lifted. For genuine acclaim, too-billers met a worthy foe in Miss- Boswell. She appears well at ease in a cool setting, despite her forced sittinT. and the several torch numbers oc- casioned a lound resnonse, Beg'Te^ off. Maestro Sam Jack Kaufman, who m.c's nicely, batons pit ork throuRh Von Suppe's 'Morning, Noon and Night' for the overture, followed bv other singer but as different as two Frankie. Gonners, teBor. singing presentations can be. Geor- _ 9Pe?i"S spot is filled by Bobbins gious, known for. years to Parisian Trio, twp^males and a femme with music-hall and theatre audiences, is Plenty of flash on rbller skates.. Indi- genuine comic and writes his-own vidually and in duos, they whirl off songs. He also had trouble getting some nifty feats. Not the least of away. A Frenchy French act. his their attributes are spiffy white would go in the States if he could formal clothes. ^ « „ translate his French argoistic words " ^eucer is Billy Wells and the Four into American slang. He has plenty Ifays. This is everything rolled up of verve and carries the audience | with him. The Calgari Bros, close. This act, good as it is, has been seen too often in Pari$. Considering that and the tough spot they have on the bill, they gathered good returns. Hopkins* 'Ladles' Entrance* Hollywood, Sept. 22. into one, with mimicry, acrobatic hoofing, comedy, etc.^ of the better sort. Wells presents a neat mur.i- mers bit and comeS hack for some swell impersonations.. Three femmes are standouts in aero line, as is the other male, Harris and Shore click with a couple -of. comic ballroom numbers, the femme bringing down the house with her antics. Got several curtain c&lls* Individually, the acts stood out, but, collectively, the hour's show Dawn Powell has been signed by Sam Goldwyn to adopt her play, i » .w-. - Don"Redman's band plays for all Tries' Entrance,' as a starrer ior I i"acked"?he"us'ua'l smoo'thness. " oid the acts, except Robinson and Ada Minam Hopkins. scenery didn't liven things up any. Brown, and rip off a few specialties Actress is due back in three weeks either. Nice house at late- show •themselves..-1 Bedmasv, in vm > black'from a«picture'job-in England^ *" ''tAvt^Vfldtty-eirtnine.''• ' retiJ