Variety (Dec 1936)

50 VARIETY VJmmE i-NIYC CLUBS W«diiefiid«y» December 23f 1936 Mighi Ctub R^WuJS CHATTERBOX (PITTSBUItGH) Pittsburgh, bee. 1$! New show at William Penn ;h6ter.sr ite spot gives Emmersoh Gi^ll's ]band its first big time;hre,ak around iiere. Leader has beeh around be- ioT!^ for one-nighters' and short stays 'summer roadhouse, .but this is his 4e;but in . what's considered' the (Choice band spot in town. He'6 in ibr indefinite stay, iollowihg Paul. Pendarvis. who washed up 10 weeks the other night to go back St. Paul. . fGiirs outfit is a sinioothie, iheets the ear nicely and fondles; the feet. Young crowd bent On dancing every i(«ii>urid should find it right Up their alley and oldstejrs who merely come •an to guzzle and listen should like>- Wise find the : neat arrangenxents easy ta :take. Features three solp- >firt^attractive Marion Maiin, Johnny: iJrake and Jack Bliss,? all of . whom *ate better- than average in delivery;: 'Oi pop tuneis. They're worked-in as well during the show and maii^ge to. register .as Well..in . a floor spot as they do on ;the stand. 1tiurrent iacts: are regulation, .with >riahagen:ient this ; time, howeveiv ■ passing 'up the usual .mai^c turn for - suggestion ot novelty. This ^is pro- vided by Simpson's marionettesi ex- celliBnt puppet acts, but with two ^^trikes against it in Chatterbox's bad layout Only a scatter«Bd few in the audience can siee wbat'$ going, on; ;v ©filersrmust,m ^ . ifeam^ and' Francine cs cKassy and dances • * Vtoo, pre senting a stri ing appearance. Their numbers are well chosen and have a lot of flash. Other act is Eleanor Eberle, clever little tap dahcer who has both s,a. and ability. , . . Chatterbox's still, sticking to, the buck minimum .week nights and half again that much for Saturdays, but the tariff may go up first of yeai: along with announced general rise in hotel's regular rates at that time. .Cohen. HEI.D MONTE CARLO WALTER **DARE!' NOW . Dir.: DIC^ HENST - CT SUAPIBO Slm^ rcaplo An the World Ovef WIU . 'Be latMcaM to Bjmw That THEIR <Voii»erly at S», Vrsrdbar'Str«et> ila "Nbir '^locateif ait If or*. Cdniroodlow ' V." Pr»mliio#''»tj 7S/77» ShaftMDury Avenu* nCOADILLTir-MNDON. mO. NICK I .JUfMi Appeartiir ' CHEZ PAREE HOTEL tAFt • (NEW YORK) .... The 1936-37 counterip.art of the chbwmeihery •yellow; peril' on Broadway during the Great Drought —B..A. Rolfe at the'Palais-d^Or, re- member ?-^is George Hall at the Ho- tel Taft's grillroom, BUt unlike the chop, suey scourge, of a decade or so ago, When they get six acts, a name band' and egg-foO-dong. for.- SSc^ Hall's vOgue is more staple. He's )eeh in this heatt-of-BroadWay Spot 'or seven years ahd still . going strong^ ' The liire is a $1 and $1.50 lable' d'hote for the proletarians (jatching d, dirte-andrdance before :;he 'TiTO'e^ SttUsir.e\theati'e or eihema. out of this sector Hall is quite a name via the aii*. He's a smart dis- penser ofcompielling dansapiatioii' hat runs the gamut from three- quatter time, to swing, and has one, of those ultra-niodern, songstresses with him inrDbliy Dawn. • He's showr manly, as -witness .hi$ Occasional doubling into Loew's. State nearby, and quite big league for all the pop priced auspices. Hall, packs 'efh in at the grill for dinner: particularly. Ropes go up at';7:15 like clockwork and the large capacity: and steady, turnover' alOne make it possible'for the hotel to give out fair, fodder with their - name dance, attraction at popular tariffs. MAISONETTE RUSSE (ST; REGIS, » Y.) One of the two. smartest vodka boites in New/York isi the -Jftotel, St. Regis' -.Maisonette Russe. The. other is General- Lodijensky-s .. Russian Eagle - in the SherryriNetherland. Both are Ultra—$3 table d'hote, coUyert, vintage trimmings, etc. . St. Regis,- under Pirince "Obe- lenSky.'s directioni Js inaking; hotel hi$tory. Vincent AstOr, whO owns the hoteli ' acquiring it unwillingly when receivership reverted ' the property unto himself, put his ex- brother-i -law •' as general isbow man^-director, and the Viennese Roof, the Maisonette and the. Iri- dium Room havie all been clicks. Succeeding the Indefatigable Char lie with his TeUtOhic isongs is Paul! Duke, standard card niahiipulator. Cornelius Codolbaii continues ivith his versatile' gypsy music that can als6ii--segue into, moderated -swing as occasion demands. But it; always iniit«>Ru9iIah:Y.^bcofr?<^i Hp^^ -^jitJ*;; ,>.;{$uljtor|9illIe;ififlltofC<iaikdAPet^ .Rh^Wfrftt! ^iQasa^ho-wla^^erj^H ;T#»ba tet' rouqd out the div<^rt)s^e^ent> A neW'feat'ure 'tKi^'year, in -this.other wise dinneir-at-9 ■p.m.. rOohi, is a spe- cial . theatre sUpper ($2.50 table d'hote) from 7 p.m., with guarantee to get the; party cut in time for the curtain.: Biz is very goOdi A.bel. MERRY-GbwROUND (BROOKLYN, N. ir.) Haroljl Stern has opened his own hitery in the heart Broolclyn's Broad- way (Flatbush Avenue and Fulton iStreet), ■ in a good spot, adjacent to all of Brooklyn's first run theatres. No cover or piinimunrl and a good show. Stern should do well with locals Site, formerly a Chinese restau- rant, retains little resemblance Of that with the exception of the kit- chen. Latter is Operated by Celes- tials. Menus feiature Oriental dishes along with a $1 dinner :and a la carte service. Prices throughout are ribin-: inal.' , ' •. '■' Show proper, aS profluced by Arthur- Khorr and Flo Kelly foir Fahchoh :& Marco, is preceded by dinned, music played on a portable electric organ an4 wi^Uen Ray's string trio with vocaraccorripaniniehi Mifce system could stand an investigation. Most of .talk and lyrics of songs until high hotes are.hit are; unintelligible .and ofttjmes inaudible. Another de- fect is a pillar rUnning thirough the center of the. show and dance floor. Took plenty ot stuff to build the show ajroUnd the obstruction but it was mahagied. $tar attraction, Armida, is spotted ire the-'middle of the- show, singing thiree -numbers and rendering a^Mexf icah terp v/ith castanets: Dropping of inane 'chatter bit between, m. c. Bill Steele and Armida would help since the resUlt is negligible. Tiny Mexican's ' singing- and dancing is where she excels. Bill Steele in the m, c. role and .singing •hear the close manages, to hOld. hii pWn' -with a. moderately good tenor- voice. S^oes little of the smart, gab of his calling, sticking to straight ihtroductiohs. , Katherihe McKeiina, acrobatic dahcer, follows Steele's entry/ Her iappeafance is hardly.. more than a ^mpse in the traditional speed pf the aero. Does enough to aroUse in- terest ; LOu. Spencer, ta^ specialist, alleg- edly; protege df Benny Rubin, clicjks . .with his dancing; -Armida's bit in the third runig :is/follawed by a young:ballroom team, Nadine Gae and Kirk Alyn. .After a turn of their own they mimic Fred. Astaire's terp-' ing in his latest films to gbbd results. Roy, Lee and DUnn, roughhouse male trio, top oft the entertainment with; their plenty rough and funny .comic dancing with dummy partners." Steele' concludes, with well delivered 'I Got Plenty Of Nothiri' from 'Porgy and Bess' of last season. F. .& M. line girls, 14 ponies and 6 -showgirls, are spotted between, .acts in three well-execUted routines. All good-looki ,. girls do Avell by their instructors. . .Finale chorus , number, in typical F.. & M. fashion,. is' a knockOuti Entire formation bit is done while girls move about , atop huge) solid balls. i)iscoUnting a .couple of expected flops, stunt ;is car- ried off' to unahimous <cheers. Called the 'Orange Blossom' nunibet^. it's been -a-tepeat cequest at the .ROxy theatre,. N: Y. . - - . Stern's niusicking for the dancing is ho mean asset Show's music is handled by a Substitute leader. . Show on the: whole is: well done . and, considering the Ibw tariff,, local cp^nye^ journey •^^It^im-i ■ 35.tt l(t>.il(V- jiOt JinKr-:;. Hurl,. The THEATRE of the STARS • 15 YEARS A!CO« . iFrom Variety and Clipper) I ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ N, Y. managers frowning on ciga- rette smoking by women in those houses -with smoking balconies. But the girls puffed right on and in, in- creasing numbers. Company was being formed guarantee theatre showings of films.' to ad Nc Y; dressmaker: took the back page in Variety to advertise she had supplied the wedding dress for Wini- fred WeStover when she married W, S. Hart Exhibs kicking oyer excessive cost of von Stroheim's 'Foolish Wives.' Release length represented , a cost of about $100 a foot. But most of them pulled in plenty coin. 'HOW TO LOSE AT CARDS' 'Mysterlons Mr. X' and Don Fox Club Act CO Mins. Harvard Club, . This act,,ought for men's clubs, niteries, etc. It's to be a natural private soirees, a well presented Some talk of Metro being absorbed by Paramount a.s an economy measr ure. Never went places, Mr, and Mrs. Charles COburn took a ■ flyer in vaude at the Palace: in a. sketch by George V. Hobart. Three versions of a. sketch .idea i various trjeatments, 5Mot a bi . it ite of finished acting. Jack bsterman - the N. Y. Al- hambra and over nicely idr ; a 15- minute stay, lliat Included one song. State had. four acts in. one in ai row, opening and. closing yrith a girl and a man at the piaho, Vaude rou- ti ing was slipping. Johnny Burke was the laugh act at the N. Y, Pal'ace,_ but his morior logue was 15 years newer then. Shuberts booked a .flash, to close the show at: the Winter .Garden and then' . $et it next-to-shut, putting Willie and Eugehe Howard, to close. Not so good for the Howards-—or-the bilL rancis X. Bushman took a page to. wish Merry Christmas, and ran it the week before the Christmas issue, when he cOuld get prominence. r In New Vande Combo Ramona and the Kings Men have quit the Paiil Whitemstn Organiza- tion to go out on their own as a four-people act. They open for RKO Jan. 7 in Boston as the start of five weeks of^booking at $1,500 per, set by Artists Syndicate. Following Boston, act plays Chi- cago, also for RKO; Washington and Pittsburgh for Warners, and the inr; die Hipp, Baltimore. Whiteman,^ through his couhs a; - Julian T. Tbeles, has .served no/ / upoii Ramona and the '.Kings ' .in that they: are still under contr?; t to him and that they- must riot accept any engagements without his ap- proval. Notice was also served upon Artisits Syndicate of America that it would be held liable for ' dam- ages accruing from a breach of the Ramona and King Men contracts arid that any bookings would be acted. the injunction route. Eddie Cantor offered $4,000 lor a week, while his show/laid off before Christmas. And no percentage, either, Terri money for' those days, Rooriey a^nd B^ht got $2,500 week tot three dates. Troupe of 20 women boxers as nounced as coming' Over from Berlin. They never got here. Vaude managers thumbing down men stars from the legit. They could not make good for the salaries asked. Only women wanted. John Charles Thomias Pleading the bill at the Apollo, Chi. Got away with.seven numbers. Now it was Stair & Havlin who were mulling the idea of a pop priced circuit for road: showis. Prices not pop enough to fight pixv There were 47 ..dramatic and mu sical shows on B'way, EVA ORTEGA'S EOUTE Eva , daughter Of Fi-ank Ortega; itor of the Spanish film magazine. Cine Mundial, and who recently made her bb\y at the Rai - bow Room, N. Y., goes into the El Gaucho in the Village, to be followed by an engagement at the Roney- Plaza, Miami. Miss Ortega recently started a series of broadcasts in . Spanish as hostess on NBC's station W3XAL, which eoes into Central and South American countries. Phil .Sax, m.c, set at the Colony Club, Philadelphija. leROY IN CHI. icago, Dec. 22. Hal LeRoy comes into the Silver v^.prest Room 'at the Drake Hotel Jan, /for four weeks. Set through MCA. lecture expose demionstrated by a card manipulator who shoWs. the methods used by the slickest handlers. 'Mr. X' handles the cards while his partner, Don FOx, lec- tures,, explaining the moves with the- platform angle being the moral twist,. 'Don't play cards with strangers. For . the feirime card- hounds It's a natural. Audience c a h s e.e everything clearly. 'Mr. X' sits at a table at- tached which is a large mirror with special lighting equipment Avhich gives - good visibility. It's placed at a 45-degree angle in front of 'Mr. X,' who is out of sight ex- cept for his hands. Effect on the audience is that of standing directly" behind.the player. Lecture arid..demonstration expOse bugs, crimps, switching of decks, marked cards, second and bottom dealing and other gambling cheaters' tricks, Despite revealing clearly how it's done, it's so, well executed and packs so much information in the hour that probably few can remem- ber afterward just what happened. DIANE iSENISi; Sopisrs 10 Mlns. State. N. Y. French in appearance arid to some extent accent as ivell as in name, Miss Denise is a looker -with a top note and. a pretty good idea of song ' salesmanship other than a slightly labored delivery at times. 1 Her .voice is musical and well- placed and in a bit with Buddy Rog- ers she evinced possession of a sense Of huriior.in a medley based' largely on- the 'gagging application of song phrases. Can. liold her own. \ Chic. "SPIKE" HARRISON <OOMEI>IAV) CAY 90's, NEW YORK ALWAYS WOBKING AL. 'WIIfEY^ ROBERTS ., IT J t -, ■ . State Lnke Theatre. ■ week Deo. 12— Uyrlc Tiieatre, IndlanapoUB, wieek Dec. 20—IndlsnnpoIIs, week Deo. iiStli Thanks ta JACK HTI/ION For Solid Booklnr Ib Ensland TIU Aprliri93t . JOHMNY HOWARD New ITork Sep.—i.EW WEISS Rath Dennlnr is at the Club Es- quire, Toronto, for four weeks, and then into the Park Ceritral, N. Y. CHRISTMAS CARD AGENTS t-arge -prbflts easily earned ..aeUlhg new 21-Polder Assortirient. Sells on flight for It.po, Write for particulars,. DOROTIDBA ANTEL 226: West 72nd St» PAUL DUKE PresiidigiUUQr Presenting .-"A SYMPHONY IN SMOKE'> NQW-ST. REGIS HOTEL, NEW YORK Opans at Tbwer Theatre, Kansas City, Jan. 29—and State .Lake Theatre, Chicago, Feb. 6 COVERING THE CONTINENT — FROM COAST-TO-COAST niMicusiiiuii cnc Awtfcittc/y« ■■Aiwg«¥ dRciarr or syaoc MEL OA THEATRE iiLDG