Variety (May 1937)

Wedneulay, May, 26, 1937 VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS wmiETir 51 EMPIRE* PARIS Paris, May 10.. Not as many name acts as usually presented here on this bill, but the variety o£ those offered help it round into a show that pleases on the whole. Toppers are the Schwarz Sisters, who have been seen fre- quently in Paris and have estab- lished themselves as first-class enter- jhiriers. Openers are the Trio Vblaiir, aerial acrobats. Routine has riot changed since last time seen at thie Alhambra, but act has improved considerably; Comic still overacts, b|Ut his. drinks out bf pockets and lake, falls are' gpdd enough for fair (juota of laughs. PancetSi Joan and Steve, fplldw with an acrobatic routine. Both, are covered with coat of sparkling crys- tal, Avhiich reflects the colored lights played upon them. Beneath their glittering paint they reyeal a pair of hekrly peirfect: bodies which glide in shining mbvemeht. .As is the case , too frequently; the girl outdanced her partner. A' switch in the program, diie to the absence of both the. Mackweys, American comedy act and the Boyer Sisters, puts the Lai-Foun, three men, threes women Chinese acrobats, next in , line. Acrobatics of troupe zTz entirely different from those of the act before them, so hp conflict is noticeable. Their .stunts with plates balanced on top of slender sticks are well received; . Sanison Fainsilber- drops his usual picture drawing apd.imitatibiis this time for recitations. Offering in- cludes two of his, own poems which weigh heavy on the sentimental ^ide; The ^hort play, Avhich - invades the. miisic halls here; from time to time,; enters this trip in the form of a bur- lesque on opera. These, burlesques originated in England last ; 'ihter and were called operia. for business men. The,one on this bill, a con- glorrieratipn of opiera selections and semi-classical offerings, is sung by .^E. Savona, Jean Mourier and R. Tul- man. t'arce is . introduced . by N. Moyseenko.! .intermission entertainment at the .opening of the second halt is in the foirm of a solo by a trumpet player in the house orchestra under the di- rection of Serge Glyksbn. Miss Tamaira follows- with a cbllectibn of turns on the trapeze, .which includes hanging by her heels from a swing- ing bar. Her ahnoiincing each stunt in broken French helps, instead of hindering, a good hand. Lilly and Emy .Schwarz click ais headliners should with their songs, piano .playing, iniitatiohs and dancing. Part of repertoire includes mimicking tourists While visiting various citieis. On. night caught an onlooker voiced objections to the act more than once, finally causi iris to quit and walk 6S.. Lapp and Habei, silent comedians, open with some slow hat and cane tricks.' Faked acrobatics at close bring laughs in good quantity. Habel is one bf the best dead-pan artists seen here. Achilles arid Newman wind- up with a" combination of strong man and. comedy offerings. Achilles tosses iron balls around, catching them with all parts of his body. At windup he uses buUiet-shaped weight for similar stunts. Newman makes himself, general nuisance instead '.of useful assistant to Achilles during balahcing tricks to help the act g^t across, nicetly.. Girl toe dahcer now totes number cards for acts instead of them being placed at sides of stage. Hugo. CHIGAGO, CHI „ , Chicago. May 21. Good, clean-cut bill herie this week, packmg plenty of color, novelty; and, more important, plenty of entertain- ment. A number of changes have been made in the 'St. Moritz Ice Fol- lies unit, all seemingly for the bet- ter. And here, Balabaii & Katz has -J/.®^ ail Alpine scene production Which, somewhat related., blends nicely to unify arid lengthen the stage bill. Have spotted Alpine scehe first. Ppens with 16 Jgirls^working in the elaborate Swiss set, doing a n<sat, inpugh simple, routine to yodeling of George Pammert. While air still on the.stage Fox and.Lui, couple of 'H Swiss outfits, do a slap dance tngt s ^okay. Whole thing has color andv atmosphere. Also in keeping with the Swiss at- ;mosphere, but only because of their costumes, are Novak arid Fay, com- eay. handbalancirig turn. Turn by Novak and Fay is tops. The dead pans, timing, and smooth routine add to a standout. Working in one, for switch iri scenes, Paul Howard does a contor- tion^ dance routine that's okair. Best is^. the somersault to split bit, and encore leg throwing stuff. Carnival set is snow covered pine ■ M background affair, and opens V.Jth scrim for first few seconds of girl routine. When raised, the 16- girl. line on skates does ,a formation routine that ha.s class and novelty. * inish IS a .wheel fbrmatiori icalled snowflake here) with overhead spot lighting, . Specialty performers include Doug- Jas puffy, on twice, once for a drurik loutine, and again to dance with a life-size rag doll; Bobby Hearn. bar- 'ei- ]umper; Dick and Irene Meister, exhibition team, and Kit Klein, for- mer Olympic champion. All have plehty of stuff, and sell it with show- maiiship. Kit Klein, especially, but she shouldn't he allowed to talk. While dbing her impersonations of Japanese, HvrSsian, ■ Swedish and Scotch skaters, a better effect could be obtained by having a commenta- tbr talk over musit. Girl firiishes with speed deriibristration that is shbwriianship itself. Picture is 'Prince and. Pauper' .(WB), arid busiriess last ishow. open- ing day almost capacity.; Loop. HIPP, BALTIMORE • Baltimore, May 21;. It's Majbr Bowes again at the Hipp, this time the International Revue. Working full stage jn cyd, acts eriter through globe centered on platform. and-»banked by flags of all nations on both sides. Doings run a bit over 45 minutes.. Jack Squires b.ack as im. ., using- straight introductions throughout with no attempt to gag or be funny; Show moves along at a fair pace presenting the usual Bowes type of amate;ur entertainment, mild and rather mediocre. :• Opens, with the Riissiah Dub, ,two girls iri some so-so hock stepping, followed by William McCollough in an bid time Swiss bell ringing stunt. Next in order are Huey Kong, Chinese singer, in a native number, followed by 'Mandalay'; The Cana- dian Caparettes, two fenime hoofers, in ordinary hoof rbutines- and the Rigoletto Qiiartette, two men and two girls, givinig out with that well done selection. Johnny arid Juliiis,. two youths, one with a trumpet a la Clyde McCoy; arid ttie'other imitating a similar in- strument, follow to itair returns, with Joan Zap{>a, on her. toes, in a travesty on a ballet dancer showing some fair spinners as a finish, next. G.bod spot hiere for Rby Richards with some okay impersonatibns inr eluding all the old standbys Of Wi - chell, the Shado.w, Penner, Arliss, F. D.: R. and Arm6tta. Earns a; nice seindoff for his efforts. Danny Drayson, iriost professional appearing, member of the cast, on next with well-sold hard-shoe hoof routines rounded out by fair comedy. Supplies only real sock in the show. An instrumental foursome follows >with' simulations of Wayne King, Casa Lpma; Rubinoff, Ted Lewis and Fired Waring in Order, bringing on the finale, shpwing tableau of Spirit bf '76, Statue of Liberty and Colum- bia ori a shield lowered through the flies. The barid plays 'Dixie.' And how! . Film (RKO). Headlines' Burm. LOEW'S, MONTREAL Montreal, May Acts mostly new to Montreal and a girl line so well turned out and drilled that it puts„Qn,an extra act that gets a rousing hand ffeature the show hbrb currently. Every turn is well risceiyed, although the holiday week-end (Victoria Day, Monday) held down attendances. £ddie Sariborn orch is good iri sup- port throughout, leadeir. stooging and ad li.bbing as needed. Sixteen-girl line raises curtain in formation of fours, sixes, tens and full line in stamping routirie to range itself in half circles front stage for opening turn of the Little.iohns, Melba and Frank, jugglers, who have standard- act varied, by going through stunts standing on silver-clothed baUs. They toss clubs, balance p{ates oh parasols and .fling sharp axes and get a brace of call.s. Barr and Estes. in the deuce, clown freak dances r(nd tap; the femme a looker who makes a hit imriiediately on face and figure. They build -up to a fa.st whirling finish that brings a bunch of calls and could have had an encore. This team returns in the next to closing act and gets encore. Line com<»s in for butterfly diarice with painted silk \yings, which; with light, effects; make one" of the pretti- est turns seen bn .this stage in years. Maude Hilton arid Gladys Fox- well kribwn here and liked, have a ribbing act with Eddie Sariboi'n stooging that the fans find quite to their taste* Some of. the. gags are oldish, but: anything, goes- and the turn takes several calls. The Girls iri the Moori, well lighted arid staged, ing out over the stage and first couple of rows in front, new here, arid well received, making a nice variety turn. Show closes, with Lester Cole arid his eight midshipmen siriging in iriike. from 'Lucia Sextet' to college songs. He gives the crowd plenty and gets plenty in return. 'No Man of Her Own' (Par) and 'The Hills of Old- Wyoriii (Par) on screen. ne. Harry Lauder .(Contiriued front page 1) New College Inn Show Chicago, May 2.5. New show for the College Inn (Hotel Sherrnan) bpening Jiine- 2 wjU -comprise ~ the Paul Batcheller line of girls, Paul and . Eva Reye.s, Three .Heat Waves, Stanley JacobsOri and the Coleman Clark- table-tennis h.o., plus th<e 23-piece orchestra led by AI Tracie. Set through Music Corp. of Amer- ica, here. turie greats, in the eritertairirinent field will be Great Britain, and Aus- trali . In those coufttries. burlesque is not dead. Understaiid riie, 1. dori't niean burlesque as tho word is .understood. iri. this country^ By bur- lesque I. riieari- high class farce en- tertaininerit with music. "The condition in Ameirica is bad because the individual finds himself buried , in a crowd arid does .not any longer have an bpportunity. to show Ayhat .his do. V^iriety shows dovetail the revue and; tht! whole is p.otpouri'.i. Performers, can no longer hold the stage by them.selves. The single has van- ished.'. ;. 'Personality is ing that gets a perfoi-mier over,'-says Sir Harry- arid 'hjerice 'th^ popularity of Harry Lauder yeafr after yeair.' - He recalled early struggles when he imself out of the Lanarkshire coal Mines onto the stage of the Scotia Music Hall in Glasgow ais a ybung iriari of 231 . 'Th^. night- I did my first turn.' he said, 'I went to'Mrs.. Bayiis, the proprietress, for the verdict on my future,, She said to mb, -Laddie, gO home and practice.' I made up my mind that mtist have .Seen sonjething in me to go that far. I y/erit home .and did practice,, rid I've been practising ever since. I'rii still pracitisi • The Hjiiiban Touch secret of projecting onesielf across the footlights, he asserted, is, to get the sincere human toiich into your work. Laudei^: is doing for the Scottish people and for the wOrld via the medium of the stage th^ same thing that Bobbie Burriis id for, ari earlier generation with the pen. He has constantly felt for the heart of humanity. To illustrate his method he delivered a parable, one of his favorite ways of pointing up what,lie has to say.: The first: time Sir VHarry iinder- took to portray .the character of a baker and sing a baker's sOng he took counsel with his brother-in- law, whose ife- was a baker's daughter. He bouight a suit of clothes and daube4 it over with dbugh and flour for. his characterization: of 'Doughy, the Baker^ He learned all there was to be learned\bf the chat- aOteristics, thife problems, the life of the bakier clari. A Rib-Bashin* Dame The night he introduced the song the parents bf hi.s brother!s wife were there> sitting in the third row. All through th^ performance the wife kept 'bashing her man in the [ ribs .until by the ti ' the show was oyer his. ribs were well bashed in.' The wife wouldn't speak to her hus- band for two weeks. At the erid of that time he asked her what was.the riiatter. 'How,'-she demanded in a dudgeon., 'would Harry Lauder know so much about our lives and what passes be- tween the two of us if ybu didn't tell him?' Sir Harry told the aniecdote to illustrate why folks helieve in him because he will be at no end of pains to make hi.s material ring true. 'That's why,' he says, 'when I was earning 21 pounds a week in my early, days in London I was .getting anothiir hundred guineas every night from; the biggest iords . of the N vri at their after-the-theatriB parties. No matter .how high they cOm^ '^^ bow low, it's always, in human riistture to recpghize umari ' riatUrei. And they love it;' A William Morris iscovery It's all of ; 30 year.s^ arid more now since William 'Morris first heard of a droll little Scotch .comedian Who was having, great success, on thb other ide, went over there, . and bought up all of Lauder's. British contracts; ,In the. yeairs hetweeri; Sir Harry claims to have Seen .mOre of the! United Stales than probably any- other personality. in the amusenient biz. He's. ti;ouped from the St. LaWr. rence headwaters to Puget Sound arid from Edmonton to Florida, Hence he clai s to knbw America better than "riio.st. The years have brought him a philosophicalmellov- irig despite that 'I feel that I am as good at my. business as. I was 30 years ago.' He'll i ulge him.self these days in a maxi two. He has the true Scotsman's complete faith in his own sagacity. .skeVl. vi^hat his greatest pleasure is nowadays, he said: uildi up my performances and writing and composing iriy songs, talking about myself.and my cajr^er.' is proudest memory is bf a day i 1904 when his mother came to j visit him. in London and he drove ' her around Hyde Park and through Vaudeyille Marches On (CAPITOL, ATLANTA) tlanta. May 22. is unit i» the ., third one Art GleasOri.has brOught to Cisp this .sea- son and takes the . palm over his other tvyo,^ 'Town Scandals' and .'FoUes de Jour.' It boasts .sock acts that please the custom^r.s and moves along snappily in 48 minutes. Traveler parts to re.veal band on car behind scrim follow.ihg farifare. Gleason,: backstage, spiels, over p.a.: system anerit 'Vaudeville; marching bn' despite vlci.ssitUdes that, have be- set it in . last decade' arid that's cue. for Lillia'n Mayfairi Viyiari Manrier.s, Irene Roriier and Julie Alien tb comei on for military dance number,;finish- irig up to routine done to commands frotri Gleason, still backstage. Femmes are followed by Ray Zeller and Ruth Wilburh who juggle hats individually and collectively, Zeller working in a lot of comedy. They are on 11. minutes/ a lot of the time being taken up Avith Zeller. hurling hats into audierice, including the balcony, Bobby Graham/pehsonablelfl-ybar'^ old band leader, takes over- at this point and moves down to mike and sirigs 'LoniesOme Road,' .ericOririg by rattling th^ bones to- 'Chinatown,' while steppirig oft a fast tap routirie. The four girls come back with baby dolls in their arms and after offeririg a bit, of daribe to 'Sirig; Baby; Sing,' puttinig the dolls throiigh their paces to the tune 'Doll Dance.' ' Nick Darso and Marie Leed follow with a comedy act, former uses Italian dialect to good advantage in. his cross-fire with femme. Sings a parody on 'Oh, Marie,' wbrking 'in bits of arias frorri practically every pbpUlar .opera., Lillian Mayfair arid Vivian Man- ners are back in change of costiime and go through a quick challenge daribe routine that scores well and Graham brings band car down frorit for a number. Spot is' placed ori Steve Rogers,; who tootles, clarinet and sax 9t same tinie, Rogers is then joined by Bandsmen Gay,, Hackler and; Sbrenson in a novelty ocarina number that clicks. Lillian Mayfair trots i out and warbles 'Hqw Could You".", U!?ing Graham as her, foil, and they dance a b|t to close the num.ber to a good harid' Honey Payne,, nb'stranger :to Cap customers, is on next with impersona- tions in front of the mike Of Popeye, Olive Oyl, Stepin, F6tchit, Joe Pehrier, Bob - Burns arid winds up with iibund effects .'of :an airplane battle. Lad fixes himself up to lOok like those he's impersonating and audience like;.<i his Work -tremen- dously. Scheduled for eight minutes, he was forced back to go through a comic routine of a lady taking a bath and then had to rieturn for an imi- tation Of a drunk Watching a vaude show. He was Oh 11 minutes in all and had to beg, off. With - audience yelping for more, Payne, Mayfair and Mariners. cohie on for a speedy acrobatic routine that finally quiets the house, the other two girls walk their doll babies on for a bow and the re.st of the company comes on for a perfunctory finale. There are 18 In the company, riot counting Gleasori, who take.s no par in the show outside of making thai backstage anriouncements. Iri .spite ot two ll-minitte acts, show'.s tempo is all that can be desired arid unit ranks big calibre. Music, too, is better than ^vlsual. ' vcc. PARLEZ VOUS PAREE (FAY'S, PHILLY) Philadelphi May This j.s a good iriiddlc-cla.«'.«; variety show, billed as predominately girl .stuff,, but actually a well-rounded 59. minutes of terping, hinsic. novelties arid acrobatics. It is all prelt.y clean, well away from the blue, but flexible as to aud,, Featuring 22 girls, they pr sented iri three production numbttrs: at curtain raising, iniddle arid finale. Make presentable line and back- ground without being thrown al and. Precision stuff is a little better than iri avbrage uriit.; Top billing goes to Babette Fori- tairie, who, does girl-in-'bionze act. Painted golden brown and wearing, fig leaf effbbt Orily, burtain.s part on tableau ,of hier standing on a pedestal as fountain, with line in frbrit; Afteii' girls dance, stage lights sink and Babette, spotted in deep blue^ gets off pedestal and does revealing terp number. Near fini.sh. lightis come up to red and curtains in back* ground part for a tableau. Opener Is nothing pretenti u.«i, merely showing bff of line and terp- irig. FoUbwed by Harry Harper^ barijo plucker. Starts off- .slow with usual stuff, but Wiris hand at end on trick iriiitations with the instru- merit. Two guys arid a girl tapping, Con?* nie Cella and Boys, follow. Gbod hoofers with eritertaining routine, but nothing, socko, -Production num'^ ber next, iritroed by girl chirping into mike. After usual hoofing, get Rome baritone singing and theii biallet; All warbling and co.stumes are Russian. Why they go to Moscow in a unit tagged 'Parlez Vou.s Paree' isn't exiplained, but it's riOt a ba4 hit. Comedian Roy Sedley is next turn* Starts off with some gOqd belly stuff for Fay's arid by working witJi stooge in a balcony box. Presentation- is too matter bf fact and gag.s too fast. Much of his stuff is pretty old and what wiasri't went Over house without a ripple, Few gag.s rather darkly tinted, but not particularly, offensive. Followed by Curley Slade. who uses two roUed-up pieces of bris<tol board to do some imitations of mu- sical instruments. Final bit, mimic of entire Wayne Kirig signature, a pipf Bronze girt bit on next, -arid then Murray, King and Roberta. Trio, consists of two felloWs and a gii'l, who terp and roughhouse. Thby're tops on this type comedy stuff, .especially the femme. Parker Bros, are showmanly pair of. acrobatic hand-to-hand strOng men. They are followed by Sedley agairi and then the repiribe. Unit is owned by Earle Taylbr, Has two Other routines with same company, billed as 'Oo LaLa Conti- nental' and 'The Taylor Show.* Booked for about half the suriiriier. Herb. Piccadilly Circua In his . own motor car, with the shouts of the London! populace's acclaim ringing in both theii- ears. , 'I ^yas a wee boy jUst when my father died and my mOther said to me. 'Harry, you're the head of a faniily riow and ybu'll have.to earn the living for all of us.' Maybe that's how I know the butts-and-bens of Scotland so well—I lived in them. So, being all of 11 years oid, and doing a man's, work, 1 bought me a mari'.s ipe and tobaccO; the brand I stilt Sir Harry plans to remai r lywood. until, .around, the fir.st of Jurie! He has to get back to London and Glasgow .for erigageriienis arid looks forward to being ' occupied much of riext year by appearanices at the World Scottish Exhibit iri Glasgow. Scottish population of Los Angelas and-all Southerri Calif ornia heard Of Sir Harryls advent here with glee; /They have .kept the telephone in. his suite ringi s.tantly ' itll J-e- qiiests for personal speeches, ■ ., here It wouldn't be. so bad, Harry, 'except that lot call up collects*. Johii Schiiltz Ailini^ Schultz,. head Of Faiichon & Marco's agency end in New York,: has been confined to his home with ain eye ailment. Expected back at his in the next couple of weeks^ Helen Meinardi and Hoatiy Car- michaei collabed on 'April in My Heart' <ContInued trom page 33) as possible out of the hands of Pi'esi- dent Petrillo when he goes to face the national (convention of the American Federation of Musici ^ in LbulsVille next month. No Employmeni Aid By refusing .to make whibh Utiiize uniOri musiciari.s recorders feel that Petrillo will n be able to gO before the AFM and .shbw the asSbmbled unions what he .has -bc^ri able to accomp.li.s thi Way of obtairiing control of reeor ed niusic in Chicago; .specially in the .way bf getting standby rrui- sicians for recorded progiamj; other: local union )urisdiction.<>-; cago "recording studios ar to. illustrate: to the Unio throughbut the Country that Chicago recording ban has not tey suited in increased employment for' mu-siciaris in other cities through the enforced booking of standby musi- ciaris, but has actually resulted a lo.sS of work to Chicago music- makers. To this end, they are doi with riiusic entirely wherever .sible. For music' they ar ukeleles,. .sweet potatoes, har A Cappella choirs, and whi.stierH. Some' of the recording studios are talking among themselve.s possibility of^ making a general protest tb. Jo- seph Wbber, president of the AFMi against the Chicago musicians ai)ti> recbtd'irig campaign, by stating that nori-recor-ding drive on the part of the musicians' union is restraint of Uade and unfair trade practice.