Variety (Dec 1936)

V^IETV HMSE IIC¥IEWS MUSIC HALL, N. Y. , 'Winterset^s' ^RKO). unexpectei) failure to hold for a second we^k necessitated a last-hiinute' ciirreht, booking and left the stage produc- tion staff in a spot; The problem Was neatly solved by dusting off sdme stage items that were done be- fore, but: not so reciently as to look too familiar, and dressing therh up with, some standard specialty acts. The combination strikes .par; for Miisic Hall entertainment average: T^Fact is that only two of the quartet, 'are repeats, since th^ other pair are specialties on the short stage, while, one of the revivals: is, made to glisten artew by inclusion of the. Lime Tipio. Title this week is 'Qity ^trieets,' Which is Juist as good a reaisoh as anjr that can be given lor the group- : jng of four humbejis , maty have no relation to each bthti" into one . pre-. i ' se'ntation yith a 'thieme.' • : 1 is *57th street—Cbncert ifall,'; and that means Viola Philo singi Johann Strauss' 'Voices of Spring' ^11 by iher lonesomie in front of the ilrapes^ Miss Philo can thank Einstein's theory . relativity for her iaimost tiny appearance! on this big . ^eei arid even .those down front will^ b0 Svilling to pverlook the size ,-• arigfe when Miss Philo cominences to sing. 'A nifty set of pijpies' may not - be a fitting description: for Miss Philo's-type of work, but'she has •'? I *em just the.-satne. No. 2, called park Aveniuie' for no apparent reason,, is' th6 reflection > balliet dohe before by Hilda Eckler and tiie girl% a Ballet de Cooch in which brilliant lightiiig and spatkling cbsUime hueS' igive a striking effect. . ItVone of those Music' Hall produt- ^^^^.; that retain freshness in :--:-j^xi^iyal^:.' :■■:' is . 'Harlem,* persbnifted by :;v'i j*Dps and Loiiiiei who have recently ^own lip but:look like little: bbys ■ 4>t,ee more on this massive rostrum. Tlheic much tod lengthy and hardly discernible vocal opening is a .self-; imposed handicap. ' and it takes looser than, it should for the bipwoff •iidncing to bring the bacon home. As familiar as Pops and Ijouie are iA the' regular variety theatres, they're jifst that inuch of a liiovelty. in this house Ayhich rarely; plays their type act They land both thMiUgh novelty and the hoofing I finish^ ': ' ^ Closer ahd production flash .61 the ^ 'sbow'-'is.' Penn$ylvania Sta^<tn,' and ' the set isf ho worse for its warehouse, tenani^,:' Gliefi Club starts it .«fl as •^repertory company ahoiit to catch a tni^, with isev«rai- excellent individ- ^ Vial voices, particularly a contralto,^ ^ yeVcaled via this pickout route. Their Mng iis- a: special, with 'some standard.; -ail's Worked in. ... Tdttie Trio^ which vas discovered '"all over again' in-a recent French Casino hitery show after inany years in vaudieville; fit^ quite naturally into the railroad' terminal setting. Ihje . ^ /p rops roll iri here oh a haggage ■^Sf-^&ack.- Exceptionally big hand for fte act here. ^Hockettes, as redcaps this*time,.tdp it.off with the weekly *Off to Rockefeller:* Jt's perhaps the best closing: act the variety field has ever jpirOdu^ed, and the only bne that never gets a walkout . Joharih StraUss gets another^ hod currently,' • His *Die Fledermaus* is the current pit 'Symphony Overture, " Along with the feature,' 'More Than :a Secretary' (U), there's a iMlckiey; 'Donald and Pluto.' oh the gcreen. Business light Thursday .i^<ening. Biflfe.: HIPP, BALlriMORE . Baltimore/beCi li. inal frolic Friday evening found '(Bin' stranded <fn their stilts, upstairs aind vdbwn,. with;. ■Pennies From Hi?»veh' (Col.) the turnstile-twirler. Four-act flourish on the stage pre- . seBts nice, variety and smooth-ruh- hing ehtertiahmeht,: ; Clocked in 59 miris., show is m.c.'d — by Harry Rosei who for this date -'leastwise is-.freshening tip his 6U liwring by leading ai 'conimunity stng^ ""tfat outset. - Does: the .t:isiual jprowling :^<»f the aisles, with' mike soliciting ' solos from the less-bashful bawlers, aiid enticing the niob to do some nidiss 'warbling. :Stunt fits in nicely : here, it for no' other reason than lo- cals used, to eyidence liking for that ., sort of public laryhxing When Loew's Centiiry hduised vaude and singing- oi^nist -Harvey Hammond held forth. He would be at Century yet, " biif XiOcal 40 decreied him out .when ' house gave up istage-shows and, con- sequently, pit Ore. On his owh^ Rose rambles along with his usual stiiif. When caught, sevf ral of the gags were a bit gamey; Sititgs "Gypsy In Me.' Hokes—with jhjkierj(ected explanations^renditioh -aria 'Vesti* from Tagliacci' and wer pretty strongly. <r,eg^ flebras is a fine novelty turn t H VefOre seen here, hailing from ..ofinS ' Opens with man shbulder- aiancirig I2-foot pole with: feiiime di^rting at top; neict iis iswell, with imderstander balancing a pole With waist-cup, with gal iri a contraption atop pole ^riding a small bike around a -coupie of headover loops.. DeUcing, another, act not seen here hitherto, Dick-, Don and Dinah. Two lads in ^ri' lass leg off panto comedy dancing of the aci'o sort, witl^; boys doing some straight tumb- lii^ !alorig the route. Swell-looking trio* it really warriis: ujp neat close wnen the three do some sockeroo pj^ramidiilg and lifts. Act proved had wallop of the 'trouble existihg. .. Irene Vermillion, yet of many ap- pearances on . the . ickory at the Hipip, closes with iisual firm grip on assignment. Hoofs three routines, syncopated striat on: toe, acro-tumb-. liiig turn, and ..jazzique joust with some waLst-wiggles spaced in. She's backed up by Kermit Dart at piano, aind quint of girl trumpeters. Latter on throughout,, blistihg away through Miss Vermillion's numbers and play- ing .when h.bofer hops ' off for cos- tume changes... The' trumpeting is b.k;—but no mbre-^nd. 'gets a. bit mbnotohbiis: Pathe cli ilers' supple- meiiti Bert. TOWER, K. C. Kansas City, Dec. 11. With the town generally feeling, a tiiige of the pre-holiday slump, the Tower is holding itis own and Ibblcs to dip only slightly below average currently. Clientele is firmly intrenched and liothihg seelhs to <iis- courage it. this week flesh-ahd' film 'Plot Thiekens' (iRkO) stack up. to- igether as only fair. House, although, always! cirimpy on the dough for visitmg acts,' has apparently tight- ened eVen more so on that score. However, they are putting more time, attention . arid. coin, in the en- semble. Result is the framework is very nice indeed, but the iBlling not so hot - ' ■ . , Currently, the. show. imnresseis is using the acts: to pad andlspace the line's appearances. "Which is okay considering freight of acts now in. Two of the line's three innings are too. similar. On all aippearances line is .fronted, by two girl hippers-and^^ torsoersr whose irbutines are pretty g^ved. Coming on at the half tp model duds worn by ply stars in re-^ :cent films, some, of the yotingsters bear siniprisihg resemblances to their particular star. Costuming is^gobd. .Lester Harding continues in his Jri..c. role and does a couple 6f pop tunes. .The Three Pearsons, two femmes arid a: man, are on for some Indian club .flipping, that isn't sb •forte! Gals should decide on a dif- ferent sort of cQstume but of courtesy :to the "plump , one. . Barr and Estes do some eccentric' stepping. Mill run stuff, but nicely received, especially the gal's soloing. Floyd-Christy and Co. the latter a gent that doesn't, rate mOre than the anonymous billing, take up about 10 mihuteis Of everybody's, time. It's? a weak^giiy, iough-guy routine >Vhich never gets weak enough...or tough enough. Amateurs continue to haunt these pines. This week- two lads with tenor barijOs. Judy Conrad's band (12) turns in a better than usual job. Hoyt. ., STATeIaKE, CHI Chicago, Dec. 13. Indie State-Lake, operatirig strictly on its own, has worked itself up steadily, each; week drawing bigger and bigger audiences on vaude policy of giving: the public theii: full money's worth and iriOre. In the past six months the house has really 'zoomed into powerful grosses, jumping, ah average • Of nearly |5,000. Was formerly a regii- lar grosser of arOqnd $ll^$12,000; now nifts to $16,000; arid soriietimes $18,000. This is a tremendous take for a house, which operates Oh a nut of $11,000, or thereabouts. This week's show isn't a great show, or even an expensivie one, but it's just the type of entertainment this audience likes. Opening turn is.the danpihg tearii of McDonald and Itoss. Man and woman, neat appearing and with an easy style who do. most Of their work in a stair-dance routine. Over nicely and start the show, off oh . the right foot Swiss Bell Ringers in the device make a good novelty session. While bell-ringing acts have an old- fashioned air, there / are so few of these turns in vaiide these days that they rate as di^inct, playable novelty.. : :;, ' '' ', -" Paul/Malt closes the vaiide half and opens the stage show half of the bill. First part of his blackface act is done in 'One,' while he Anishes his, act in the full stage setting of the show; Carries a stooge for some box cross-fire, but has dropped the /gag of havihg a double for the danc- ing bits. Sticking strictly to his talk- mg arid singing; all okay and over with this mob. Full of pep and. action, but with na real act are tha Ryder Sisters/ who make a nifty appearance and who toss: their hips and arikles about in rapid enough tempo. Every vaiide show, these days has an act like Haig, HoWe and Haig, three hoofers who have turned out to be knock- about comedians. These; boys try ariythmg once, and get a sufficient quota of laughs out of their various prattfalls, eye-sticki and head- bouricing; Whitby Roberts closes the liarade with his comiedy single; tossing the audience bits of juggling, dancing and monolog, all good. Word of praise must be handed to the Niggemeyer line at this house. Workmg in restricted space, this line comes through with- two: routines that have everything, finesse, style; novelty and workniariship. It's an asset to this show and house. ^Picture is 'Jane Turner' (RKO). Business good at the first show Sun- day. CrOld. PALACE, CLEVE. Cevelaijid, Deci 13. With *Wiriterset' hogging all the ballyhoo and screen, the Palace allotted 'Fats' Waller 55 minutes of running tiriie and didn't go to any trouble in the way of a . buildup Or extra . acts. Without the. latter. Waller's *Harlem; Hot-Shots' get by better on their Own feet apparently than they did in Chieago's Palace previous: week. It's padded but by two too :many band numbers, -.but tiriit runs, smoothly and still has. a. plenty hot teiriiib for the slummers.; w1k> have a Harlem yen. Waller has his Offensive hanky-wi ihg bit. At' iriitial'.. per-; formance. however, he .again: went over the boundary line by .wrapping; himself in:' stage's siderdrapes; doing a, back-coochv'while Myra Johnson swingis . it vocally. Didn't look: so good, only- :a few laviighed; so Kenneth'Means blue-penbiled it but Sepia singer take!! 'em to town, but manager also asked her to; tame her lowrdoyn blimps a bit Podgy pianist-ihaestro has worked up some, new repartee to rib Ford, Marshall arid Jones, new team of cake-walkinit ta£»pers who ^are: about as restrained as a-Kansas'torn^dbl Trio strut in hot-diggity : marooh suits,: which are good foif . another laugh in a couple specialties, More bluesrshbuters,might provide more Of 'a contrast to the battalion of hoofers, since three Lang Sisters follow the/male trio with some okay tai>ping. A long barid sp^ialty. on •lllarlem ' Shuttlie' rings in Waller's rippling piano work, /pliis Georgiia James in a 'sax solo and.Al Washings tori blowirig a record long .clarinet note; Bandleader's topper lis a Harlemizied version of'Tea for Two;' heightened by swingy liclcs oh black 'keys.- " C ' Despite over^^alotundarice of dancing. Chuck arid Chuck]^' eccentric stoifl. got a socko resporise. Tall, lanky dancer carries: it off 'with his rubber- legged footwork, •warming up in ,tth amusirigly slick arid accurate, teke-ofl ori Stepin Fetchit Act would be stroriger if he added : another .comedy impersonation like it; -. PUlfen, "' ROXYr N. Y, Roxy production staff's ability to make a little look like a lot—e«c9ri though the lot; itself doesn't look sb very good—-apparently meets with the fiavor of the theatre's audiences. Current show, for example, drew steady approbation Friday night from the paj^eeSj who, for a low ad- mish were given i;he opportunity. tO get but Of the rairi for three hOurs or so. ■'■ ' Heijping. most towards ihe elas- ticity of the short budget for out-? side acts is the house line of 24.girls, trained by Gae Foster, who this week are being' split iip into trios and. foursOmes for. dancing special- ties. . :Lirie in toto works hard! and well, its precision being somethini^ that - the ' hoUse cari well be proud of..' Biit as specialties,^ the girls are something else again. . . Added acts this seriMlster.afe jSeri'or Wences, • veritriloquist-juggler who uses his hand to manufacture a duinmy; Cappy IBarra Harnioriic Eight, which at this catohing wias only seven beeause its leadei: was missing; Chester Fredericks, stand- ard knockabout dancer, arid ' the Charioteers (New. Acts), colored quartet introduced 'by the courtesy of National Broadcasting Co.' None of the acts impresses'greatly, with the exception , of Fredericks, whose one: shot whams towards .the dose of the show. Working against Sienor Wences is the size of this theatre. With his' , hand-made doll -barely discernible front': the back of the house. ./Cappy Barra act holds but one distincti9n,. the- playing Of 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' and sing- ing, by one of the boys. Charioteers, as a narmbriy, quartet, are only fair on a 'sta|!e. . .Missing fi>bm this per- formarice was Ford Bbnd^ liewstator. with result show didh't have.an m.c. ,:Line has. two .routines that are resil good; first is the dance ih Whi.tie tie and tails at the opening of the show, second the can-can. at -the (dose. I^atter, ./though, Was . incon- jprUous in a Showboat scene that led direictiy into the Screening of 'Banjo on My Knee' (2dth). , .Biz. igbod; AMBASSiWO^^^ ST. L. St Loiiis,, Dec, Ben Bernie; with' all his lads and only orie gal;' came, saw-and con- quered natives at Ariib'^^sador Thea- tre Fridiy (11) with V.j min.-show. although the 'Old maestro' sub- merged his individual talents for benefit of youngsters with him. After newsreel and as elevator platform arose, riiob out front began palm- poundirig for Bernie even before he came into view.' Band' opens With 'Old Organ Grinder Swing,' with Billy Wilson warblihg chorus. Ne::t Ray . Hend- ricks sings 'Love, What Are You Do- ing To My Heart,' Audience liked his style. . Another member of out- fit, introduced as Col. Manhy Prae^ ger, delivers with French: arid . Ger- man dialects for 'Oh, My Goodness' Three California Playboys, strum- n.ing .iguitar, banjo and cello har-< monize for 'Hold That Tiger' and •Tl Ra Ra Boom De Ay.' Danny Meehah scores With 'Rose of Tralee/ ai^d then the only femme on bill^ liaMni O'Oayi a looker, does a nifty tap/routine in limited space. ,-. Wilson comes gack to do 'fiasin Street Blues' in acceptable style and then the. band does a medley of pop tunes» Playboys return, for another close harmony bit, followed by Meehan, who clicks again With .Til Sing You a Thousand Love Songs.' 'Make Way for a Liady' (RKO) oii screei>f Biz flrie. ,Sahu« STATE, N; Y. " • ili ihis week is split '.between a, few seasoned acts and. some people .whose'major claim to fame is, that they have .. either done . well/, by fhyniing .'June, with moon or gar> nered newsprint publicity, by mix-: ing champagne with 'water. State's Friday night audienc^ liked the iriixi- ture and the. applause and laughs spread Over the runoff at, a con- sistently high leveV Headline attention is given Eleanor Hohh Jarrett and Arthur Jarrett, spotted midvtray in a five-act setup. Badly phrased ^iags are there to tie up the turn With the bhampiaghe^ drinking episode which convei^ed an Olympic ehamp into a : temporary topic :of debate, but the cape£ilities of-Jarrett as a: crooner easily re-^ mOye the stamp of freakishhess from the act Jariett's fraU proves ,that she is rapidly: becoming staigewise and that what she lacks in voice she readily makes up in the torridness of her iriterprtetation. The girl knows hpW to; give oirt tl^ swingeiioo arid the husbarid still pae^cs the knack for warming all over a romantic dit^. The; result spells better than fair- some entertainment which equation suggests that perhaps the less / said in the act about 'champagne waltz' and'shijp tanks^ the better.'/ ' v It's upl to the male Workixtg miem- ber of the Two Daveys to get the show Under way, and that he does ui amply fast fashion. :The sword balancing and the cannonball tossing make an interesting accompaniment to a'.Spituce running4reef wisecracks, ttoce Diayey's line of chatter statts to /^ke, , the path b^cbriies well greased and the Iftughs build to a strong sehdoff. BUI lias Moore and. AeVel as the second item; but the spotting didn't" prevent them from plowing up the chuckles. Theirs is ballroom danc- ing burlesque skimmed of all non- essentials and retaining a fine sense of rhythm arid form. The tbutirie' is compact and brief, with the pratt bUmt>s and other comedy business so deftly interwoven as to make each bit count for :a laughi Following the Jarretts is the sea- soned/Marty Mdy and the stuff he feeds the customei-s is equally .Well seasoned, but from the broad arid spioy angle. May's current forte is his impersonatiori ' of hiike tenors, baritones and prima dbnnas, and the business he. goes through with his coat , pulled up and the lapels pro- truded proves an especially big mid- sector tickler for the dames. What really tops hds efforts at dishing out the lowdown in coiriedy is the belch- ing bit incorporated in his baritone takeoff. May has everything going his: way from start to finish. Lois of . recognition applause greeted the routine put on by the quintet in the closing turn, Sohg-< writers on Parade. The flvesome, consisting of Charlie Tobias, Gerald Marks, Al Shermian, Murry Mencher arwL -Walter Samuels, strUm or sing bits from their past hits and account for an ohroh holiday for the close fidlowers of the Tin Pan Alley mills. 'Coriie and Get If (UA) is the fea- ture. Odcc. PARAMOUNT, L. A. Los Anj^eles, Dec. iU. Duke EHingtoh:and his band, sup- .pOrted by a nUmber of other colored performers,- are giving the Para- mount a stage show currently that's :wprtb Walking several miles to see It s the snappiest fastest moving show house has had in many months and is. presented with shbwmanly expertpess, reflecting credit on all 'conqerned. •■ ; . it's Ellington's , first time here in about three years. Lavishly staged, unit clicks for sblid returns arid will get full credit for whatever draw house has for the Weekl Screen :feature is 'Jungle Princess' (Par). Opening of act has band on; dark stage, with only irisiru'merit bbard of Ellington's piano illuminated, and individual soloists flashed for elTec- tiye results. It scored for tremen- dous returns. Supporting the band are the Five Hot Shots, quintet of snajpipy dancers who romp to heavy applause; the Five Jones Boys, in diffeirerit har- miony that clicks solidly;.. Corihie Hiirris, torso dancer, and Ivie Ander- son, California torcher with a large following, who mopped with ai ven- geance. Particulariy good is a so-. lilOquy about other man, which brings some smart: asides from the wings. Cobty Williams, from the band, does a hot trumpet soIq that nearly tied , the show this p. m., "and band's novelty nuiriberi giving im- pression of a trai in motibri, also pariidked. ' Screen also has Paramount News, Pop-Eye cartobn and other, shorts PARAMOUNT^ N Y. Art Shaw'* orchestra (New Acts) takes up the pre-Yuletide watch at the Paramount These stage shows that aren't stage shows vary but little in form or content Orchestra gives out There's invariably a girl heatwave, a comedian, and a hbofer. Put 'enx all together and the enters tainmerit total is consistently ekay^ Nobody p<erhaps Will care that the pattern never .alters, arid that the wobbly tent through which specialty: people enter and exit is the tops in awkward stage devices. , Shaw bunch have some arrangements but obyibusly stage experience. Leader's diction is gobd and his appearance is natty, but. he does hot take eharge with the vigor implicit in an authoritative personality. Pechaps for the present it is well to be conservative. But for the future, a less self-effaciiig style Will be requisite. Considering . the fact that this band, is only a few- months old; it /is doing' extremely well. '' Vaudeville talent comes through solidly. Betty Jane Cooper, tall and slide, hoofs with that ftee^andreasy class. she has deriionstrated ; hereto- fore. She belong; in the uppermost tier of rhythm mistresses. Al Berni displ«tys a labile knack for lampoon- ing familiar: personalities. He hais a isnappy tempo, gets done: with his impressions quickly , .and into the next His encore* of Charles Laugh- ton as. Capt. Bligh is a guaranteed; socko and also evidence, of his vcirs3 ti 1 i ty • Peg LaCentra, ifrbm radio, rustles in a fetching /taffeta/ affair and scorches a paii: of . Pops in zingy' fashion. She^ a gal that's been due for some time. Her vocal, equipment; is excellent; her appearance an asset, her showmanship improving^ From radio also is the Mbdernaires (New Acts). Male quartet and very nice. Stage shovir was a trifle slug- gish Thursday . night COuple loo many straight orchestra numbers. Columbia's 'Pennies From Heaveri' x>tL the screen. Biz not bad; Land. MiCHiaAN, DEtROlT Detroit; I)ec. 11. drice inside, paitrbns here'/this Week Arid plenty thatll amuse 'em; But the tough part is that compara- tively few will come: in» whiat with no .big name on. the s'taige, little ^r$w-; ing pbwier in the, flicker, 'ttideaway CJirl' (Par), and the current Xmas sjbopping splurge.^ • There's plenty/ of -variety on the program,: which runs 75 minutes hew, high^ here), froiu the opening note of Eduard Werner's overture, to the final. screwy bit of Mljt Brittoii's band, - Sandwiched: between these is, sOme congregational siniging Under Organist Merle Clark, and; in addi- tion to the vaUde and feature opus, a 'Popeye' cartoon is thrown in for good measure. Withal,, the show runs'smobthiy.. /Working before some nifty drops; Sit Orchestra i>fesents' cbupla Far ast melodies. In his congregatibnal singing, which patrons Seem to love, Clark includes a swell parody on .'Orgah Grinder's Swing,' in several difXerent languages. Clark also han- dles' the m.'c. duties well. To crowd in three additiorial acts so that there'd be time enough for Britton's maniacs, the first trio- of turns are pared down to almb.st' nothing. And maybe it's jiist as well, because none of the acts shOW nriuch,' ialthough , it's also true they don't get a chance to: get sterted. First." of these is Jack and Jane ^laii'y who appear as just ordinary riin-of-the- mirte tap. dancers until their closing Astaire-Rogers takeoff, which sets bke. Manning and Mitzi, a male and is dbg partner, bcciipy, the deuce spot and get.by with a 'drunk*; and a balancing bit Final: oif the additional aots; all of which Wbrk in 'one,' are the Duffins, male and femme, who contribute a Smart rajg-idoll dance but areri't al- lotted enough; tiine. Twenty solid, iiiihutes Of ribtou comedy is provided by Britton's nit- wits. Opens With seven members of band in front of .curtain and wear- ing sweat shirts^ en which are letters spelling'We Stink.' It's a good sCnd- the nonsense which fbllbws;' including some nice singing, by Dava Van Horn and Sybil Kaye, bke a'c-; cordion-playing by Tito, and reams of laugh-prbvbking stuff by Walter Powell and cohorts. .Fair-^sized crowd on hand for final Show Friday evening (11). Pete. EMBASSY, N; Y. _ ... (NEWSREELS) L, Of the 32 clips on the current Emb bill, not counting the fea- Uirettes-r-Educational-Fox's 'Natute's Songsters' and the December issue of March of Time—the boxscore is *^P^^J^oy^etope, 16 clips; Univej:sal, eight; Metrotone, four; Paramount three, and Pathe, phe But it's Pathe s lone contribution that's the l^il i^^.^^ obviously by its titled, 'Life of Edward VIII,' a cork- ing ip^minute featurette . which could well be sent out on its own and serve as a l^o. 2 sub-rattractioii With b;o., proportions^ , And of Par's three clips, iunner- up in the low-scoring contributions, its special on 'Edward Abdicates* need take no backseat to anythi (Continued on page :19)