Variety (Sep 1937)

Wednesday, September 8, 1937 VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY 27 MUSIC HALL, N. Y. Not much to brag about at the big house this weekj. the shQW being, just Stents, ^J^^^^^'&.SS^ bv Nat Karson. First item is 'Japa- nese Lantern,' by the corps de ballet and distinctly weak. Against an ex- ceotionally clever set, which helps some, with June Forrest soloing and Jack Cole doing a bit of a dance. Music for ballet was composed by Claude Lapham and sounds genuine, but the choral work is weak and seemed under^-rehearsed at the show ^caught (lagt show^ opening day). This is unusual for Florence Rogue's group* but maybe they're entitled to an off-session;-occasionally. ' 'Carriage Lantern' has a song, •Once. Around the Park,' especially written for the occasion by Pem Davenport and Albert Stillmani Tune ■ is- cute,, set is interesting, though under-Ughted, and handlmg by the Music HaU singing ensemble okay. Certainly a great improve- ment on the jnale glee club, this combo of femme and male voices. -'Working Lantern,' for no reason at all, moans .Paul Gordon, cycle act. Works in tails, in the most approved modern manner and okay all the ■way. He's been around for years, and shows it. •Venetian Lantern' finales. along rbutinie lines. Caesar Nest and June Forrest Sing 'Chiribiri' and neither has an outstanding voice. Singing ensemble helps out okay, but twice in one show for this combo is tOQ much. The Rockcttes finale and, as usual, are 100% sockeroo depend- ables, being the only unmitigated click in the proceedings. 'Prisoner of Zenda' (UA) is the feature; Richard Leiber at the con- sole, as usual, and Ei-no Rapee leads the orch through a lively rendition of Lizt's 'Thirteenth Hungarian • Rhapsody' to start things off. Kauf. CAPITOL, AYASH. Washington, Sept. 5. House makes valiant effort this week to weld a lot of talent into a ..peppy, revue, but too much of the punch depends upon dirt and the customers are giving gag after gag the cold shoulder. Johnny Perkins, around for second seven days as m. c, is hep enough to town's" taste to keep his stuff pure, but the others run wild. Medley played by pit band and U^ing solo breaks to mtroduce five new faces in lineup is smart nov- elty. Also gives Perkins chance to Vse Maestro Phil Lampkin for banter, ^ little difficult to handle in big house from pit podium. Show opens with the Guardsmen, eight male voices that bounce a couple of medleys off to sock hand. Next on is Georgia Hayes, who gets nice reception for toe dancing up and down 15-foot staircase, hauled out and stuck in front of band. Striving to hit the same stride that wowed 'em.last spring. Perkins brings on theatre's uniformed Negro porter, who stole show when audi- ence singing gag was used on Perk's last trip. With proper introduction, chap is just good enough to bring down house with 'Old Man River,' and Perkins is smart enough to shoo him off quick. Fifi D'Orsay, who gets top billing with Perkins, is on next, maintaining oo-la-la idea through half of act but then explaining she is U. S. citizen now and setting out to be exponent of swing. No question but that clip- ping those bangs 'and going in for stream-lined sophistication is im- provement, but without the old props much of the. house diBn't ken her exaggerated Parisienne gyrations, body and vocal. 'Bon Jour, Monsieur.' for which she donned sport jacket and hat with cocktail bar chair for atmosphere, was best number. They liked her, but she should get more for the effort she expends. Wind-up is turned over-to Lew Parker with girl and three stooges who have new stuff that gets real laughs, but they also excursion into off-color. Girl handles lines well, the bald-headed imitator is fair as ^. C. Fields. Pic is 'Big City' (MG) and biz oke. Craig. STATE-LAKE, CHI Chicago, Sept. 5. . As State-Lake shows go this One isn't so hot. But State-Lake audi- ences seem to take pride in their leniency. Maybe that's why they're nappy. For instance, the top headliner on bill is Edith Fellows, bold-typed all- over the place as the kid screen star. She sings, not good but with plenty of willingness. The mistake here is the girl's attempt to warble the more difficult tunes. She'd make every- body feel more comfortable if she etuck to pop melodies. ,For final number she sings 'Pen- nies from Heaven' and does a time step and an off-to-Buffalo with the Chorus line. She is introduced by Jf^-c. Verne Buck who ^Iso asked her to name her fav picture leading men and women. Then she sings. It's a playable act for the family time nou.<?es. Other film player on the bill is Roscoe Ates who stutters in the right places, handles a fair amount ot monolog gags and then goes into a erossi-fire routine with a nifty look- ing fgmme partner. His rep is a solitV foundation fa.t audience ac- •jpeptance, aM.h^ manages , to satisfy oh nis owri irbm that poml on." For ;30lid vaude the Bredwins in trey and the Libonati Trio opener rate mention. Both acts have bean around for years, but at present have developed to the highest state of ef- fectiveness. The Bredwins rate as the nxanager's pet act anywhere. .Are not on too long, work fast and quick, get their job done in a flashy, socle manner and scram. Their comody acrobatics are socko as usual. Libonati Trio is fundamental inusic hall stuff, with plenty of 'stars and stripes forever' banging on xylo- phonss. Marches for the masses, with a session of torrid hoofing by the boy and girl. There is a difference between solid punching in vaude and overstrain- ing. Doras and Primrose are guilty of overstraining. Doras has a good entrance laugh and does well with his Bolgerish routine. The crossfire is weak, however, and could use both new gags and some sapolioing. Picture was 'On Agaiin' (RKO). Business was all right at the. last show Friday. Gold. ROXY, N. Y. The Big Apple, that nondescript mixture of this and/that from the Charleston down, is the big. thing here this, weak as 20ch-Fox takes over the theatre and Fanchon & Marco gets away a bit from the routine mould of presentations. Thei-e is just one set which stands throughout and the Gae Foster girls are not doing the routine chores they had. been doing. F. & M. labels show 'The Big Ap- ple' and features contest winners from North and South Carolina, in the region where the dance orig- inated. Eight couples participate in the B. A., a dance that reminds of ginned-up Belgian Congo natives trying to warm up to some- thing. It is fast, conglomerate and feverish. A half of one of the twains, Billy Spivey, introduces the dance while the Foster girls provide suit- able collegiate background. The set consists of large columns as expan- sive fronting for a college back- ground and is effective. Rose Marie, who used to be Baby Rose Marie, leads the Carolinian Big Appiers to their stuff, singing 'Big Apple' as girls back her in the dance. She also tries her hand at a few of the gyrations. Ahead of that she sings two pops, both of. them well, but 'Remember Me' is not her type of selection. The show up to this point includes the Five Co-Eds, acrobatic dancers, mostly' acrobats, but good; Bob Du Pont, comedy juggler,.who manages to be fairly funny and the class Six Debonairs, who for a time were at the Hollywood restaurant. Debs are smart tap dancers with a clever rou- tine. l^icture is 'Thin Ice' (20th), re- viewed in Variety, Aug, 25. • Sortja Henle and Tyrone Power teamed in thi;s-4ce musical should provide draw.. ov6r the Labor Day week. Business good Friday night. • ' Char, LYRIC, INDPLS. Indianapolis, Sept. 5. Depending on the influx of visitors for State Fair to take care of tlie b. o., management has gone plenlj-" light on talent in booking this bill. Five acts presented with Nick Bella's Sweet Swingettes,' 12 passable fem- mes. Show is tagged 'State Fair Frolic' O'Connor family top the show, with John O'Connor doubling as m. c. In their turn, O'Connors -hold down next to closing, with Patsy, moppet, stopping the show. The five- year-old platinum blonde sings and dances like a veteran. Park and Clifford bolster" sagging bill with their hand balancing act Both men work smoothly and with polish. Show opens with the Swingettes giving out 'Merry-Go-Round Broke Down.' Horses' heads are carried on and off for merry-go-round tie-in. Otherwise routine is standard timed to rhythm of the pop tune. Girls appear later in luminous outfits m Butterfly Girl number. Marjorie Greely, with lighted butterfly wings, sings as she swings out over audi- ence. Kirk and Lawrence, billed as'Whoa Horsey,' hold down deucer. Appear- ing in cowboy outfits, man and girl are apparently mounted on miniature steeds. Man does a couple of rop- ing tricks. They have some comedy lines. Only laughs from adt were secured by man with his repeated efforts to quiet his unruly horse, Indiana University Glee Club closes show. Group of 22 young men sing unfamiliar .songs under the di- rection of Professor Nye, Choice of son.!?s is had. Only saving feature is lusty singing of University song for final curtain. Picture is 'Footloose Hclre.ss' (WB), and biz iii.st f;iir on closing Friday show. Kiley. PARAMOUNT, N. Y. It's Shep Fields back for his third stand since the house went name band. Threaded through the profu- sion of bubble-blowing are some turns of passable status but which prove to be no great shakes with t: e Paramount's customers. Everything is cut and intetipijlated to the set stage pattern aijfij?'the proceedings make for a mild 'fiiljd cloying passage between the showings of 'Double or Nothing' (Par). Fields' fadistic style again inspires the house stager to big things in the way of lighting effects. During most of the bandls number the effect of rippling water is projected on the backcurtain, while the performance of 'Swamp Fire' brings the eft'ect of shooting flames, but without any ac- companiment of smoke. It was that kind of swamp fire. ' Out of the grooved but melodious mixture of reedy brasses and loco- motive-chugging saxophones the in- terpretation of one number captures the ear. That. is Duke Ellington's 'Caravan.' All else sounds sliced to rote when it comes to dansapation and the tonal juggling of the various modern rhythms. Act's standout touch of showmanship, and there isn't a wealth to cull from, is the novel presentation of 'The Flight of .the Bumble Bee.' The attention is focused on the nimble-fingered and melodically sensitive accordionist of the band and what he conjures out of the composition provides a crack climax for the Fields repertoire. For the vocal numbers there is the pleas- ing, if not impressive, baritone of Bobby Goday. In for secondary marquee blessing are Jane Pickens and Barto and Mann, the former from radio and a Shubert revue and the latter from, vaudeville when it had need of. a fast and surefire pair of clowns. Miss Pickens, having 'gone tragedienne and high-powered prima donna with a bang, wallops 'em in the high C's with 'When a Gypsy Plays His Vio- lin' and "The Man I Love.' For her final item she steps down with much grace and bharm and warms 'em up solidly with 'Cuban Pete.' Hightone or lowdown she takes the outfront- ers in full and telling stride. Barto and Mann still prove the extreme long and short of knockabout non- sense, with the customers going as strong as ever for the leg and head tangling byplay. Another fast worker is Johnny Woods (New Acts), who mimics 'em from radio, the screen and public life with close Approximation and a keen sense of humor. At the show caught Woods was the applause top^ per. The terpsy side of the bill, went to a couple of amateurs brought in to demonstrate one of the latest dance crazes, the shag. Mixfed youngsters are billed as Nicholsberg and Roberts. Their routine blends a sufficient amount of grace and pre- cision with -. the- 'tap-hopping which characterizes the ballroom fad. Business very .good -opening day. Odec. number, they epitomize grace in three varied routines, lend a million dollars worth of class to the whol-e turn and click fii*mly. Some poor lighting hurt their first two numbers; gal's too good to Took at to be buried in a dark spot. Record-holder for. returns, how- ever. Is Vic Hyde, the one-man band who threatens to do for Niles, Mich., what Bob Burns did for Van Buren, Ark. Hyde's musical accomplish- ments would be enough in them- selves, but he's also a crack comic, with that rustic wit- of his keep- ing the crowd in stitches all the way through. Ruhning gag is losing an article of clothing each time he goes into his jam session and almost had to do a strip tease to get off. Picture 'San Quentin' (FN). Biz big, full downstairs and three-quar- ter? balcony, despite intense heat. Cohen. STANLEY, PITTS. ■ Pittsburgh, Sept. 5. It's a first time for Eddy Duchin around here,' but he can write his own return ticket. And what a break for the WB deluxer, too. He was booked^ in more than a year ago at his prevailing salary, but couldn't fill the date until now because of hotel and radio cohimitments. In that time, Duchin's rep has tripled and his salary has doubled, but he's' here at the original figure and Stan- ley's cashing in plenty on dance- crazy mob's current,pash. House is a piMi-over for name orchs anyway, so Duchin has an easy time of it. He's an extremely per- sonable fellow and handles the m.c. duties with an ease that stamps him as possible musical comedy timber whenever he decides to hang up the baton. Band numbers, of course, are all shaped to show off leader's crack piano-playing, and his sharpshooting at the keyboard had 'em crying for more this afternoon. Had the crowd in his hand all the way and when near the finish he suggested the gang sing and whistle a couple of choruses, the rafters literally shook. For the close, Duchin's still doing his fav, 'S,t6rmy Weather,' augmented by the light- ning-and-rain electrical effects and a sock job both musically and for showmanship. He's carrying two vocalists, Stan- ley Worth, a sax player, and Pa- tricia Norman. Latter is a pert, lass who's improved considerably since she first came here' some years ago with Paul ■ Pendarvis' band. She's a definite personality youngster with a neat comedy touch that should take her a long way. Norman gal gave out with three numbers, topping off the trio with a slick arran{<emetil of 'Old Man Mose Is Dead,' and had to beg off, something a femme .singer with an orch hasn't had to do around here in a long time. Duchin presentation also Includes three acts and each one of them de- livers a wallop. First is Miriam Verne, a local gal who had to go elsewhere to get attention. She's getting it, too. She has looks, hoofs smartly in Eleanor Powell manner and makes 'em sit up with her slick array of trick.s. Following is dance team o£ Mario and Floria, with as much .swank and stuff as any of the name ball- room terpers. Handsome couple, with femme a particularly stunning EARLE, PHILLY .Philadelphia, Sept. 5. For fifth week in a row Earle has 'em on their brogues upstairs and down. This'time the show is topped with Hal LeRoy and Clyde McCoy's band. Right behind are Marjorie Gainsworth, Sheila Barrett, Marty Collins and Harry Peterson and the Bennet Siisters. Also 'Wild ahd. Woolly' (20th) on screen. » McCoy's outfit is sweet and hot. And there was no holding the house when the stick-swisher grabbed his trumpet and let go 'Sugar Blues.' That trumpet does things. The guy blowing it should try to emulate it. As batoner of a band as hot as his, McCpy is entirely, too unperturbed. He ought to hypo with some personal showmanship. Band was neatly set and nicely lighted on a movable plat- form. LeRoy, W.k. here, was real rafter- ripper. Just stepping out won him., resounding applause. And every number he did got more. Those long,, loose legs of his can be positively eye-blinking. He doesn't make the error of keeping at one step too long, either. Best was 'Sweet Sue' number, followed by encore, 'Jam Session.' Distinctly boyish person- ality plus easy presence help him sell. * . Marjorie Gainsworth, tall blonde ^prano,- .who was at the house coupla weeks ago, back again with a new routine. Second only to .Le- Roy in quantity of palm-whackingt Uses good operatic pipes to chirp trivia, which tickles Earle aud. She's more at ease and self-confident this trip. • Sheila'Barrett's a comic of strong proportions and won solid response with her. now-famous miming of a tipsy Southern gal touring the nitery belt. This is the -number which Daughters ■ of the Confederacy thought insulted Southern woman- hood and forced out on her Washing- ton date last week. Despite apparent approval of the house. Miss Barrett's presentation was a little too ultra for this house. Bennett Sisters, three femmes, do some cute terping that was fair qual- ity as a curtain-upper. Mary Col- lins and Harry Peterson, vet hoofer- comic act, register some fair humor, but what is more important, give whole show a strictly informal aura that .reaches an already willing house and makes for universal gaiety- Some of this informality meant reaching so far as to get LeRoy to come out after his turn and give a hot-foot to Collins; who is puffing on a trumpet to outdo McCoy! Le- Roy makes a second appearance eating an apple with aplomb behind Collins, which has the funny-man wondering why the house is giggling. It's bewhiskered, but they liked it. It's this nonchalance, especially when acts come out to take their bend.s. that gives untold aid in pack- ing entertainment. Herb. FOX, DETROIT Detroit, Sept. 5. Set in for two weeks with flicker, 'You Can't Have Everything' (20th), Rubinoff and his fiddle figure to do nicely on their end. Act had plenty on the ball, and at the wickets, too, on opening day so two weeks' stand should be plenty profitable all around. Supporting Rubinoff are Four Eaton Boys, songsters; Diaz, Don, Do- lores and Deemis, adagio quartet; Cirillo Brothers, hillbilly hokum; Ben Berri, juggler, and the 18 Gae Foster line. These acts, too, are set tor two weeks. All work in as smooth a setting as seen here in many moons. Consists of a huge winding stairs in. white, with off-stage entrance to the left high above Sam Jack Kaufman's pit orch situated- on stage. Rubinoff has whole- show to him- self. Showmanship bursts out every- where, and fiddler's short spiel be- fore encore sets things pretty. His work with the violin, as usual, is nifty ahd rendition of 'Sweet Mys- tery of Life' tied audience in knots. Entrances dawn long stairs is a good stunt, payees giving their palms a good wanning up before Rubinoff gets to mike. Eton Boys, in the next-to-closing, contrib several harmony tunes. Ap- pearance is added asset. Specialty number,. 'No, a Thousand Times, No,' is a honey, end sends quartet off to big hand. Diaz, Don, Dolores and Deemis are a quartet of swell adagio artists. Fellas, garbed In white trousers and striped sweaters, have smoothness on their side, while the petite blonde is the cute eyefull. Opening stanza goes to Cirillo Brothers (3), who appear as hill- billies and offer lotta hokum and then strip to formal garb for some meritorious hoofing. Ben Berri, Eng- lish juggler, minces plenty of suave comedy into his cOntrib as deucer. Three out-of-the-ordinary routines are Ciae Foster line's contribution. First is a hillbilly number serving to intro the Cirillo Brothers, followed by a mask routine ahd ending up with an old-fashioned number. Kaufman^ who moves his pit band on stage for 50-mlnute show, also handles the m, c- chores nicely. Good crowd at early show Friday evening (3), Pete. HIPP, BALTIMORE Baltimore, Sept. 5. To accommodate the two hours necessary to showing 'Lost Horizon' (Col.) current on Hipp screen, stage doings this week utilize 32 minutes. Augmenting pit band and bringing them up on stage with Leon Navara as guest conductor and in. c. show takes on presentation form with three acts, Harris, Claire and Shannon, ballroomologists; Ross Wyse, Jr., and Roy Campbell's Ambassadors, male octet, participating, Navara is a bet- ter pianist than m. c. Show moves at better pace because of time being held down. Opening, a special arrangement of 'Cherry Blossom Lane' nicely han- dled by orch. Harris, Clare and Shannon, smart appearing blonde, brunette and male piartner, next with two sock balh'oom routines, a waltz and a -tango, adequately, sold. Na- vara, then taking hold of piano, gives out with 'Gigolette,' announced as own composition and follows with the 'learning to play the piano' bit to nice response. Intros Ross Wyse, Jr., in his usual punchy melange of gagging and strenuous acrobatics, ably assisted by June Mann, elongated and equally agile femme foil. Scored heavy on .show caught and had to beg off Roy Campbell's Ambassadors follow with repertoire of musical comedy and college selections. Proved an adequate cha.ser end gave necessary tin.cje of variety to 11t> c:c.t-ui>. Burm. Embassy Newsreel, N. Y. War, either actual or threatened, bulks large in the newsreel bill at the Embassy this week. Scenes of fighting and its grizzly effects com- prise .the first few clips on China. Then, the scene shifts to the U.S. and what this supposedly peace-insisting country is doing to arm the com- batants. Windup of the siibject shows • the inevitable Mussolini speech . and the launching of an Italian battleship. In importance as well as length, those early portions of the program overshadow the rest. For the first time, shots of the ac- tual fighting in the Far East are reaching- this country. Universal and Metrq. clips which open the bill give a. far-off view of the hostilities. Mostly they are the familiar scenes of running troops/ batteries of are* tillery and. planes sliding by over- head. Other shots of burning build- ings begin to bring the horror of the conflict closer. All such shots are Japanese-censdred, Clip that follows, from behind the Chinese lines, is uncensored and be- gins to bring the screen to horrify- ing life—or death. Apparently the more revolting portions of the clip (Par) have been scissored. But enough scenes of corpse-strewn highways, ditches filled with mangled bodies; men crawling in agony tow- ai-d motors that may carry them to hospitalization, at least hint of the carnage and suffering that Is taking place in and around Shanghai, Alongside it, the following clip, possibly a stock shot of Eden 'pro- testing in the name of international law, is tame stuff.. Gen. Smedley - Butler is then shown in a speech for active American neutrality and thei% shots of American scrap iron ship- ments to Japan, plus scenes of muni- tions making in Europe illustrate a ' farhiliar fact. Mussolini speech and the Italian ship launching merely add a touch to the overwhelming evidence that a general war is not long in coming. Effect of the whole series is strong. Out-of-the-ordinary clips which, follow are ones of Honolulu candid camera bugs (Fox), a German trick flyer (Fox), a radio controlled plane target (Par), plane landing on an auto (Fox), and a polo match (U). Surprising number of publicity shots sprinkle the bill—baby parades, big- gest di.sh of mashed potatoes, ac- cordion fad, pro-football sea.son opening, etc. Lew Lehr has two comedy <bits, each fair., Departure .of the Girl Scouts of other nations frorh New York also gets a laugh. Paramount short on Popular Sci- ence is the novelty. After showing a number of ingenious methods of utilizing power from the sun, the reel illustrates a whole flock ot weird gadfjets, mostly for the sl2ooer and nearly all comically impractical. Sound track is cleverly scripted. Sirio-Japanese Special First newsreel .shots of actual fight- ing at Shanghai were received in New York by Universal Friday (3) morning. Let ether method of (Continued on page 29)