Variety (Apr 1937)

5B VMIETY TARIETY WWWBB BEVmWS Lnihassj Newsreel, N. T. 'M«p:'.QUee ;SffitSic.e Is used <this .week ,r *March of lUmC' (!RJ£0) and/the lor Idea, Pins W«ti May Drop Spinsor Rfeviwal of the uonimempial stage «how adea-«n «xperimeitt iiried and lound laiKng.,by IiOeW's several years ago—is bieipg ;giveix A whirl by ©oc .Joe ILee at Si Fabian's Brooklyn Paramouirt. Tirst;shQ»r wfesjheld Fri- day might m, with a Jialfnhaur broadcast >undter the _«ponsorSbip .of iMibhael's, Brooklyn furjirturfe, store, over WMCA, and the jie^onse on an cytherwisfi cffl-night in Bc«)^oklyn was a aaearncimaoity house. . , Tagged 'Bnofiessional Night;' show is presented in a sftagerband seWing.. in'conjunction "withitthe flualbng of *King and ihe .Chorus ©ipl' ((WiB) and ''Her Hudhand Lies' (Far>>.; It's a ^pco- vaude aiBMont i(a twist on the amateur nighlbs); with "Viineent Lopiez as ^ar ianfl -piaholbging a couple . ot tunes. Idea is *to present •eimilar iihows ewety Friday nAgitt on a orier show basis, but it's'likely 1*rat Lee, in th^ diuliupe, -wifll cMrtail if mat ^entllrely .eliminate ihe jsommereial «nd. That paid .auflienceB wM oiot >go f or .coinmencial ^spiels became -very .evi- dent tti itbis iftrdt show .during the .sm- horuhoei'''S discourse \on -thie jnerate and .prices <oI Michaells jMittresses. It Wgan -to sound iike . escaping steam. This jcaine close tto the ^end ^of the Jaalf'hour broadcast jof the <dhoiw, wiilh another 43 jninUtes tagged on Stoictly .lor the . payees. . GfiEtild Griffin, c6.Tbo«flter .of the, show With iEiailly Maiifcus, Tmrt:*d .and ;tiifio was the drow's .sole -linger, >n(Mie too iorte Jix either departmeiit. -^No humor an his lintroductiom;, with this ajserawatedlby hisaethargy in ^eitting ito- Jind jfnom the th'flce.. Bis lenoring is <ortly istr .and,- ineadHtf ^the liwics of his first-sbtig, Trust tm iMe, 'didn t help Ms inamession.. Be^des ^Lopez i-est lOf the;acts aflHffttiised .Smith ahc jHEarIi, :'miKed xcoinedy- (team; Bob vHoward, coBiorad pianist-.dAgfa;, yrno .easily -scor/jd top honars ^xth his Xats KK^aitlet'^agoe scartrsiniting tkn the la^ut; Quby and "Brtiith, 'dP«™^- acrobats and also volMiy:, aad -the doising Dan €ostello and Co. w) flash, itftter isame «iea| dandng <amor|g its four lemmes and billed onaite. Costieno as fisspeciaHy £QDd 4h an AsltaiKB xpitfbie, Jhough Tidt jneoftioiiii^ it as an imitation. As .a b.o. .sturtt, 'Jinnfesflion^ jNight should,pan .ottttokay. iBroQklym iPax s ipBO m&it is jBt for Fridays «o as not to interfere with the Jttonday ama- teur JrtifiMs .at tthe nearby Foxj;;aiso Kahian-wesatefl, nor twibh the iTues- day -night danchxg contests -wtflch will ibe .started at the Strand, another - IWwan sites,-Ajprfl .13. ^ . . . . Par'« ^age .-show is beiqg woxked in lr.ont of Ben Jffeflflorits 12-)Piiece band, -okay finough in pttayung the ..show to evidence .ability to hottd doj^n a coufffle of sdlo .q)ots yiith straight anusical numbers, something the .7.3-min.ute proceedings CQifld have (Used fitiday flight. Broadcast^ starts wth the show at '9:30 ro.m.. fv^hich. added to. the dual *lm-ooli«^jr, keeps thie iRar's customers on the istreets for nearly four hours. ■ Bnookayn Paiamounts expense ane fij:st ^8h6w .entailed only Newon s band, -with Michael^ JieaaMag ilhe tap for -the aets. ;and a standby iradao iBuaLcal 'Cr.ew.- Scho.. recovers to «ay that ^he 'susperted this might happen, so has been xtihears- ing sopie lads . he picked iip itms morniqg 'dowJa on Kater .street (PhiUy^ Harlem), With this framp band comes on. Boys are in tatieijs and play on wash tiihs, kazoQS, .etc Rehdei: it isweet and Jioitj led by a boy who .aut- -Stepins Fiotchit; .Members of hand each db ,a novrilty an4 leader works in swell «dcentric ■Tbtitjne. Act gets strongest hand of show. ■ Avis Andrews, bright blues singer, also intioed in somewhskt.Bame'anan- ner. After pattering vwilh ^Galloway for few .aaunutes, /ohiiips dirto 'IMy Copper-Colbr-ed Mari' drrerted at leader. This act is EvfQyn .Keyes, darlctown .tapper who iknbws , tthe way around. JBand pilays .such sure lavofites as 'Minnie .the Moocher,' With aud in- vited to join in ;hb-dfi-JiQs; 'St. James Inftrmary;' and 'I'v.e .Gat You Under My Ski with Calloway doing oiov el^ vocal. ''ic is •Girl OVerbbard' W) with inewsiteel, dxaMeflog, and short, CARLE, FHItl-y •pMladelphia, Apfii 2. Cab CaUbway swiing Unto DPhiUy and before ArSt of flv.e-a-day was dialf through Earle was jammed with customers^ Three-act T.eviue -which > the Harlem hotcha brings with hiiri .w.ell .chosen, £y£i:y .;Qne .a loip mim- ber, plus natural showmanship of Calloway ■himself, m^aking it a Wicket-clicTcing show. 'Despite crowded house, there -was a surprising lade of jpoiund-palmiing following . the • numbers. Applause Was morie than -polite, but never de- manded more than one encore; ThSs • -ebntrasts Sharply with four arid five years ago when Calloway troupe niade.T.egular appieaxances here, xat- tling the rafterjjr -with applause. Calloway's technique isn't slipping,. it!s better than every, if anything. Can it be' a Jshift in audience taste? Band -niakes appearance on ah EaMe stage better decorated than dt has been for long time.. Very sim- ple, gold hack .drop and silver; stuif on band stand, but pleasinig arid ap- propriate. Calloway works lieadihg . is men; dancing; trucking, Susy-qtieing and singingi WelT-known grin is ever- present to' add life to the affair. Most noticeable about whole Show, from tiechriical viewpoint, is the smoothness of its presentation. This is in large part due tb .Calloway's easy manner.' He <3oesri't walk up to niilce and sbielr-rlike so many other batoneers-^'The next number will be. .:,^■ " ; Acts are skilfully and showma.nly worked. Best example is intro of Tramp Fand. from Cotton Club <Ni Y.) tevUe. Calloway steps to niike 'as thou/?h to announce next number, arid boys in his -band lay down instruments and . swing . feet onto- music stands, letting him know they're on .sitdowh strike. Then they get up fUnQ walk-out. Cab appears n6ri-i>lUflsed-fbr' moment; birt quickly ■ dtlCAGO, CHI Chicago,. April 3, This^hoW 'is notew.orthjr*jtKajtw it exemplifles in icompletei .dqgree the 'High standard of, produoticfi :set Jtot thie Chcicagb 'by the Bailciban S^z producti^ .department, j)ilus excel- lence of the chorus Toxitihesi With the Oriental ^iater-hause iifiing ixsiy elihg; lUnits 4ih£ Hast loovvpite >Qif weeks, Fred dOvans ^as had the use vOf the 12 ^iifls dSrom that'theatre at his jdis- pbsail, and is usting them in iconiunc- itliDn with ithe Chicagol-s 16 <eiris -fo>r a jlBnfiiEl icombiziatibii that is .catHiing itki^y <ot wiQj^d-oof-mioaith iioi^ Line .smacks tlhe audience with itwo inifty .-sessicins currently, vOpening on a 'V'iitler vbutine that's ioips, gerttting audience applause throughout. Girls just reach across the stage, and. the nutnber 4s an eye-filler that .deservses the IwJliqg it's . getting. Tuiale a gy^y-dajadbaurine x.outine. ithat . ihas the sta£e full .oS color atd flash. . House brings bade ttbnee .staodard tuJins land ithey deliver as iper. pite- scripbion. Especially itlie three Wiere Bros, with ithait Buropean Jfnack of /making. .an -act distinctive Wienes ihawe eccentric danciiig and comei^r .for the basis of Iheiir itunii but have added to that \with a icom aedy -cviiolih bit that iives tihe act tiddi- itionjkl laughs. . . ijbhn Tio has come a long way in Ithe ilast three years. He has .fftreiigth- ehed 'handling .talking pamrot and- is generally morie «ure <of:;'himself. Bird is still impersonirting thejdudk. Cat, dpg, Crosby, Durante, latc; Act locJcs a great bet for a nite spot Where the intimacy w.puld 'be a de- cided asset. I Dance , teaih of Stadler and Rose are dcung -a Mickey and Minnie Mouse routine (with Walt Disiaey's permiB-. .«ioh') .that has the basis >of a -genuine' •comedy number^ but th.ey just -man- age to rai'iss. the real cliiik that 'ds ffUstnovar-ilhe-aiiQie!. NuteibeT now, •consists of a burlesque trun-through -of -various types of dancing lr,om adagio to Apiache. .Team is ibaok in the iinale for .a -neat-lobking Spanish *outihe. In the deube spot are the Frazee Sisfters, always a gobd-^looking, nice- ■deiMveiy vocal team that catn-seW pop tunes. Picture is "Marked Woman* (WB). Business was excellent at the last show oh Saturday. Cold. XQEW'S, MONTREAL Montreal, April 4. .Current €0-minute Show at , this house is virtually Red Skelton, locally popular, who ra.c's thrbughbut and does usual, clowning turns which never fail .to'get applause. Most of the acts feature tapping of Which there is one stand-out pertbrmahee by Mattisoh Rhythms, three, men and !£©ut f emmes, who open the show and work ihto -calls, and encore; One of thiese; uhnamedj in tails, , taps 'Rhapr- sody in Blue', music to a .sensational ■finale, that gets otherwise cold house.' on its: feet.. Skelton has some new '.gags and sketches about at level of former pierformemces hete but house will take anything from him. Masters & Rollins in the deuce. Man and gal, latter something of a contortionist; go through the standard mayMm act. Sally; Irene .& Mary, hai'mony sing- erSi get coblish reeeptibri. in .third, followed by featured act. Owen Mc- Givney, who iJlays half a dozen parts, with -lightning changes of costume;. He chooses Oliver T.Wist, biit the crowd hot being Dickens tans* doesn't know quite .v,-hat it was all about. However, the quick chan.tjes do the trick and Skelton gets him his encore; Skelton then closes' show w.Ith. a clowning imitation of -Mc- Givney's act. Half a house first night, imoroved to good biiJ over weekend. \0n the iscreien 'Dancing . Lady' (Meti'o:) and 'Don't Turn 'Em Loose* (RKO). " ' • ' ■ Lfinc. 'Grand l«Iatib»al steeplechase -race Te ceittly Tun a* .Aiintree', lEn^anit, and admirably photographad iy. IRathe with Cleni McCarthy, announcing it in 'his expert, showmanlike style. This Pathe d^p, photographed in detail, -and t^he 'Time' issue deeSing with ^hildlabbr, Harlem otooddo and the\Coming xioronatiori, pltis one pf Lew Lehr's ibest dialectic .spasms furnish ilhe thrills of the present Show. iiChr owes much to Simians and photographs of the monks as (Bxicuse "lor Chatter that may .be -re- garded as .^aiie, but this week the Fox Movietone compdian -makes fit y^rjr lunny. He has .another .cUp .for laughs that isn't as strong a mirth- prov6kei;; but f airly gbod results are wriung from, shots of gii<ls at Miami ,Beach jon oskirsoobters. Management gets its show, a-J?.olil- mg -with a specially .pr.eptu'ed' loot- age frorri Paramount recalling- decTa- rafioh of war just' 20 years ago. Files iiave. yielded -Shots that make that war seehi even fttrther back tbJtn --thirt. Peacei Tn'oves of today and alitt' ' it withCoL House tops it. alloiB^. The hissers werie in .evidence at Saturday afternbo'rt's Show, giving the :snake graeting to Mussolini .on two different occasions and bnce to a Catholic prieisit. The heavy-jowled Duce jgets it iflrsl -When Hea-rst's News -of .the Day considers the nur reiaet -wonries of' Britain over Italy's moves, -Witii shots showinig .-the ssyn- thetic Caesar in Africa indiilgent^y .eyeing .a demonstration in this ^behalf. 'These .^Ots are (Mpansi-ve and w^l .done. .Later ©h, Pathe . .cameras watcii A -d^oristratiori in Home in celebration of the 18th y^ar of Fascism. INone of the cameramen found the girl Whc irecohtly -splut tered tor the public prints about the Duce. '"That may come later. Ziord Tweedsmuir, visiting Wash- ington; is .an interesting camera sub l^eot ibut jie Wouldn't talk. .^5ther per-sonaMtes lin this wee'k'.s newsieel ^ws are 'scbitce but, 6f course, in- clude T^resident Roosievelt and Ado^lijlh Ztihor, lattef's jeCent dirtner being attended by Paramount Dlews. Win Hays is rocbrded tm film tfor a jfew ieet hut .dipped gather .abruptly. -Somertlhing -dilfferent is Ear's first liictures of .a (television broadcast, done from the 3*hilo .T, Farnsworth studios in Philadelphi , with j Sihgier and - a jnusical trio peiifoEm ing. Txom the clip the public might be led to believe they have aome thing there. .Amateur photbgrapber tuirned over to Hea:rst .some interesting footage taken aboard a Coast <Guard 'Cutter when .rescuing ^sailors from a sink ing ifreiighter off the iHew Englalnd Cioast. Another' f reighter disaster .on European ^^ores is also tossed lin' by Mearst, but Pathe's recent^tes'cue pic- tures are Still tops. Of a cute .hature is the Pa^e contribution on a 13-pup lit .tar. The little pooches create some fun by having a licking spree with .a little baby. The field of ^orts is represented, in addition to the Grand Itlatioinal race, by a knock-down, drag-out wrestling .battle royal (U); New York's, recent ice carnival (Hearst-); a boxiing ■match between Chicago and H. Y. glove '^contenders (U); Ojofiord- Camihridge oarsmen competing on Uie Thames v(Fox); football practioe by Northwestern (Par) and a ski- train to .puU the enthusiasts back up the hiiills. Fox sends in some fairly interest- ing action scenes on the Spanish con- flict, showing the shelling bf a town ' near Madrid.. Chdr. luge piatfbrm in which she leans >ackward 'Sai jbands jand taps with feet. . , .. CiUy Fvfii^dt ;Biid jher bosses,, spbtted trey, is an okay turn, 'hut oses sbme of its effectiveness «due to ^ack of a clinchihg climax. Bosses, are well-trained ackd terp ■in nioei time, especially the 'Blue Danube' number. Miss Fi.ei»d!li, appearing' nicely, gets off to big hamd. So do Arretns 4Be . fBroderiClc, male aiftd femme comedians:. Male is bn ac- complished pianist, while femnie yoontr^^utes some -noilsensical -war- blic^, Aic, Four Craddocks go wier big from lime they fimerge from dummy sa'il- boat in drop until curtain. lt!s a round of fast-moving acrobatics iand panitomiime vcomedy. and four tfelilas receive (deserved big hand. (OpeniDg ^bt 'as filled by"Ili^h.blds & White, with novelty miusical- comedy turn. Duo, garbed as. -hoboes, >birt with ttfiled ted -coats and caps, lave. plenty .on the iball. Can play viiotliDs and ^arin^s, plus some sodlc oome^ Muff. • Ovv^ititre, consistihg of medley of S^mund lIRombLerg's inumbers, fea- tures: JEduard "Werner's pit )bahd, plus Virginia Hooper^ .soprano. House well AUed .Friday evening <(2J. Pic is 'Marked Woman' (WB). f?et€. PAnAMOVNJi L. A. *Los Ang€Jles,,.April 1. Kenny Sakiei;,. --warbler witti the Jack Benny -arir progracq, is msdu-ng ^his local stuge debut (jDurreDtly.,.liead-< ing jfitst .straight vaude >bill this FamJhon ib Marco , house hds offereid in .aoitke imonths. Baksr is «a^ily .djass Of the .-iaix-act. hill. Has a ;clean.cut ftersonality, -with easy style >of sopg delivcj^y and a -<voioe that 'is tops^ Puts ov£r four pop JaiaUads lor £XQel- lent >returhs. House -is intiroduoing -somethirig differemt -fflais week by wli-liBing ser- vices xd tSeorge Byroi^t,: news an- nouncer &om KNX, to T^ead a aeries of late neiiMS iflashes. It's novOl but not aiew, and failed Hb Elicit any :gr£ait .tonouht lof enthusiasm tttiis p. m .Syxon also f unofiiohs as emcee during texD^Qcary absohoe. Of Rube WfM, laying ioff f br the weeik. Vaude acts !are bacAcgrounds by the Eddie :Bareia^ld's all-cblored band, whidh-jMptens with .a bot rhythm over tur£. Tta&e JDlanhridge £islerSi ;col ored crooners and steppers, foUbw to good fettums, >then Rogah and Brownj comedy steppers, with a line of hoke cOmedy, that gets across •so-so. MohrOe .and the two Adams Sis ters, jugglers, have a nieat turn that is. ■dhai'arterizOd by nov^ty all the way through. .Trio juggle balls atop snare'drums: and do sonne fancy ^ug gling wdiile :stepping. Boice and Ladd, comedy talktmg pair, jpitfl a lot of good .atuff, with femme feeing tjust a .'hit rough in spots. Male jmember .-does a 'Negito spiritual thirt's Well put across. Screen -fesfture is '.Outcast' (Pari), with Paramount News, ;Three fitooge^, shortj Paramount PiBiprial and Bop-eye <cartoon f or AUer. 'S'l'ade mot too hot at .opener today. ISdwd. MICHIGAN, DET. Detroit,. Pleasant sur:prise at this spot cur- rently. Not because anyone ques- tdohed the Roxyettes^ .iability or pre- cision, but due to the fact the 16-gjal line is not-only top-billed, but gar- ners more genuine applause, than, has been accorded a chotus in sev- eral . years here, A lot mbre; in fact, than . that > given-- wad higher- priced acts in past Nor can.,th6 acclaim be attributed tb a paucity of good acts on current bill. Show, to' be sure, has no. big names, but there is plenty' of talent in the foUbwing: Foin- Craddocks, acrobatic comics; CiUy Feindt, plus her dancing horses; Lucille Paige, acrb hbofer; Reynolds & White; nov- elty dub, and Arrens &- Brpderick, comedians.; . Neat wei 1-baianced. show- is tagged ■*Revue Montraarte' and runs out slightly more, than hour. Has benefit of appropriate, though not. elaborate settings, arid, 'except for. several rough edges at early show caught (2), tempo- is swift and smooth. Turns spbtted nicely and costuming is above average. Roxyettes, who've been signatured for a two-weeksl^ . stand with a change of routines next stanza, ai'C on three times! First for a. French routine,. .followed by fehcirig arid fi'ee-ban numbers. Latter routine is a knockout.. ;Niftily garbed; gals, atop bi wooden balls jiggle 'em aiiound into several formations. Planted stunt, .whereby, one gal has a tough time keeping on; ball, is so realistic it puts dudieuce in ^stitches. Lirie off to rocking, applause. . •Lucille-.■f'aige, workiriff with lirie, gets off soiiie'neat cbritrol hobfirig. I climaxed by a flashy turn atop a TOWER, K. C , Kansas Gity, April 2. Things are Mttirig .a new high, cur rentay, with -Qrie of - jthe best flesh bills .since Fox .occupancy biere. It's bang-up entertainmisnt all the way and should igdt a job -done at the b.o. Pic is ''Time Out for Romance (20th). Bob Hall, .whose specialty is ad lib rhyming gets pretty biased on topical affairs (apparently flailing a topic, makes it easier 6q- the rhymi- ster). He bas a Fourth of July de- livery style arid bites off large .chunks 'Of verse that please the customers. He as brought on when the line (12) stages a sit-down istrike. This gives him an bppbrtunity to unleash his own sentiments anent the strikes. This town has had suf- ficient first riband experience with the sit-do-wnefs so that Hall's .i-emarks put hiiji/iolid with the payees. Frank Conville and' Sunny I>ale get by nicely with their clo-wnirig. Cori ville's Charley: Chaislih impersona tiph is fine lor the older'crowd, bu : plenty of. the young .'uns'probably thought it was just a character get- Up ;bf .ConviUe's. Miss Dale, an okay looker, fills an all-^stooge aissign- mejnt Team is strictly patter all the way. Joe Arena , and Co., blbhde and a ; Boston bull, hav.e another patter turn int(erspersed> with cart-wheels and. acrobatic didoes. 'Cfribilled girl specializes , in the latter. For sheer grace arid rhythm she's tops^ here Areria coritinually plucks filled liquor glasses from his pockets afteir his falls and Spins. Gags are so-so. House band, . under . Ted Cook's direction, gets off 'This Year's Kisses' in fine.style; Musikers, who' haven' had much to live. for hei-e; should be happy this week as three of-their number, are slotted for specialties Gaylord Bentley, sax-playerv vocal- izes 'Kisses' and Max Tiff and Les Beyer, trumpeters.- are dpwn front , for the finale with some scat arid hoi; licks. By utilizing these bandsmeri iri short bits bill is giveri a riice swift pace. . Lester Harding, a heavy fave these many months, baritones a pop tune to great'retui'ris. Here's ia'guy that's held his job foi' a long time arid orie reasori is because he . keeps getting better. Hoyt, STANLEY, PITTS. Ri(btsbur£h, April 2. SO(«kevoo's *he «iord Soy this lay- out, and Stanley's first-show mOb lasriH had such a palm workout since 'Sopihie .Tucker was ah ingenue. It's <foilled as (Donltedman and his Cpttort tClub a'evue, but that's merely a vharquee lerbel since, in the stix, amr- tluQg of A £epia natur£ .out of iug town must necessarily stem from the Cotton Club. The Cab Calloway .unit, jQOW tpuriqg, is alsp using that ts»g. . But. Cptton Club needn't worry about its rep lorlthiis slick uhit-wotald more than do; Scusttice to thait cele- ?rated . nitery. It's in . three. parts; 'fiedmifth -and .-bis 'regular band act' anda ibra(te,i.Qf i^ecial'ty turns. Berry Bros, and Bu(^k..& Bubbles. That's a. line->up .ito. try .and top and so. many -sooks d^Vi^Qp that a -GS-ijcmnute pre- gentaliion ran 15 onlnutes bejyiond ibat. JJdbOdy seemed, to mind this after- noon, J»ow(eM,er. iBedman jipakes only one lOrror. He carries too tmany vocalists, four of 'flm, .and ;w!hile they're sill diffierent types, ffihene's a hit-ioi Arocal inohptony in the icarly jsedtions. ^ Band is .si smart l^jpiece combo With a .craofceriack. brass section. ThatlsthB sbrt of thing thevoustomers expect lOf a <dusky ovrtfiit and IRedmah doesn't disappeiiBt. Taking -.credit for (the ibQgjuaning i6f chbral :singing-T:'sp suocesaCUl that iit's.. ibeen .vduolicated by others,.-parHicularly Fred Waring* •he says—'is ta >nustabe. 'howevei:, 'be- cause arbund .'here they remember Wariitg ^d jhis .Hee olub wJnen iRed- mari was merely, ^ynbhibmous -with a Sioux. Maestro Ihiihsi^lf keeps well in the ttacbfiround, Heitttirigritihe -'laand -aneak for 'hpinni--ana 'lit does, with plerity -to- sbare. Arrarig^ments are smart and effectiV£,-and(cre.w igoes to town oh a Aock of pops like a blues cyclone. Aedinan iias loiis Cbur ^ncjers, tl^tee ifemmAs <and von^laoy. vUo front. .s.tart- ing off with Ella May Walters, who winds uo a blazing .truck, through Johnny 'Porter,. Maude Rus- sell and Louise McGarroll. Lqttpr' ■has ah 'attratitive deen voice th»»t's •ho&ey to a iGMe Sorter ^luhe like T.ve iGot i\OU Under My Skin.* . Ibusafill femme - is . .aAQther A-1 saleslady, feut Porter'.ishowld Jighten. .up the repertfure a bit. -iDoes three numbers. "WAjen Mv Direamboat Cornea Home.* 'Gypsy Tea.Bbbnf and 'Gbbdhight My Lbve.' and they're all in thei saine .slow temQao. whichi is a mistake. Berry Brbs. are on in the middle, a snvell snot and-a pushover (for .therii with Kheir .claiss 'ltot*ng. (©Ide^ narticulariy., is a 'w>ithihis«ttortr less .^jDlits and lo#s6!^Ii*<ibBd «iagi'* and they beg voiff iftgi^lI^'-jmlnUtes of torrid letjrhanla. Back "in town for'-thtsir first visit. Rince playing !Nix««h iiti' >iPorey and Bess,^ Buck & BUbblp^; Kkewise, found the igoing *8ST. Team^ 'mix- ture of tcle>wmhg. tabplng, singing, Diahology'and ^general nonsense, is a nerfect -ejicaniole Of ■accurate timing and ^their -varied stttff has an enter- tftinment ooiosistency that's tov^t. Turn's essentially the same .as it's been loi: .years but they, make It seem frwih. . .J. i Picture is 'Her Husband Lies (Par), with . newsreel and cart'^f^n . comedy winding iio wrogram. Biz nomJortable but not outstandine. with three-otiarters downstairs ^nd a scattering in balcony. 'Cohen. PALACE, CLEVELAND Cleveland, April 3. Nbthihg So high nor sb low in RKO Palace's 55-mihute bill, but combo Of .Stepin Fetchit with Fran- ces Arms and three dkay acts is . a perfect balance for '-"Nancy Steele Is Missing' (RKO). It's built like an old-time Tsrude bill, sati ing 'em. that likeis it that way. First 'item as Duval, who sets right tempo with light chatter and magic illusions, leading Up to gilk-handker- ehief tricks. A pereriniar visitor who might jget *ome new ones, yet it has plenty; of eye-appeal. Faster and hewer' are precise military taps by SamuM and Harriet Hayes, who also do *a- whirly. acrbbatic spot. '■ •Four-'- .'some Shows it's only been reoi-gan- ized . recently; hits stride in hi-gh goose-step. A good warriaer for .the ■deuce .act. Stepin Fetchit, plut exactly in mid- dle, certainly gets 'the -breaks. for a build-up. Seen here, before three times, sameness bf skit and lack of fresh gags counts against him. Easy- Chair bit and bellboy helping him change suits still rate most laughs. Harlem shuffle and stumbling ^alk- Off not as effective as: return in a . rickshaw. Boy steals two more bows, from him. . .. Frances Armis, follo-wingi ; takes advantage of audience mood by go-.; ing to town on Yiddish, song charac- terizatiPrt, adding extra verses at first show. Firie . shbwmanshi throughoxit in her Irish and itali . portraits which' vitalize entire show; At opener she had to .turn down re-*- quests for encore. . . For next to closingj Mells. Kir and Howard whoop iip noisy bauds with hoked-'March-of Time' travesty. Sharp, breezy stuff that's well l'ke.<:*; ;its about' time, however, - they get another song tb take place of 'Music Goes Rbund.' ' Gbimez and Wmolia suffer a bit by final position, -al- though their shoulder-whirling tevp. work has real color. Business pick ing up steadily.' • • --PuUen.