Variety (Nov 1937)

Wednesday, November 10, 1937 VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY 51 STANLEY, PITT. Pittsburgh, Nov, 6. This is one town where Don Bestor can always park his hat. Top fa- vorite here at the William Penn hotel back in the days when- he was just getting started as a solo maestro, he's been money in the bank around these parts ever since. Couple of years ago he hit the Stanley twice in one season and did great, but that was at hf2ight of his 'Play Don' popularity with Jack Benny on the air. Now, however, he's getting the acid test, having been Off the waves save for dance sustainers ever since. And he's coming through. 'Alcatraz Is- land' (FN) on screen is helpful, too, bUtSestor can take most of the bows for an opening show crowd that stretched right back to the last row in the balcony and, had 'em standing in tlie aisles. Troubles haven't missed Bestorr of late, but he's managed to come back with a band.that sounds as good as any he's ever assembled. There's a suggestion of the Lombardo style about it, but plenty of the Bestor originality achieved through his vibraharo. a combo piano and pipe organ. He's still getting crack ar- rangementsy. particularly one of "'Time on My Hands,' and .has in Neil Buck- ley, vocalist, and Charles (Ducky) Yountz, comedy singer, a couple of soecialists who'll stack up anywhere. Yountz,. in fact, halted the proceed- ing's cold this afternoon in his spot. Bestor made a couple of mistakes at his first performance, but they were probably corrected immediate- ly. Outstanding lapse was Bestor's effort to put over a community sing at the finish, when the show was al- ready overlong and the natural cur- tain had passed. Slides went awry, too, which didn't help matters any, and by that time the customers were tired. Briefly, a case of not knowing when to stop. Otherwise the show is full of en- tertainment, with the acts surround- ing Bestor all of sock nature. Gets off to a flying start, with Fred Sylves- ter and his Neohews following the band opening. Sylvester's 'Nephews' are three midgets, and the acrobatic stuff he does with them is geared for comedy, with Jau^hs soillin*? gen- erously throu»?hout their 10 minutes. Next is Paul Gerritts,' looking class In tails and sandwiching a lot of suave, sophisticatied patter among his smart roller-skating exhibitions. Gerritts is a comic of the nonchalant tvpe, but he might have shown a little more wisdom in the selection of his gags. One of them, about the two robins, takes entiriely too long, and turns out to be the unfunniest of the lot. For the most nart. however, his turn is solidly effective and a pushover for night audiences. . Harris and Shore literally mop up next to closing with their antic, hilarious dance stuff. Gal's swell comiCdienne and her mugging, along with those grotesque ballroom steps. Is a constant howl. Team had to beg off, and even then had trouble get- ting away. Following them and an- noup'^ed as a surnrise, Bestor brings on 'Honeyboy,' sepia drummer who has been somethini; of a sensation here in the Hili district hot pnots for some time. Chocolate edition of Gene Kruoa repeats his nieht club success on st^ce. and .it was with him Bestor should have runf? flown. In- stead, he elected to tack on the 'everybody sin^' stunt and st''ictly an anti-climax. Dave Broiidv's over- ture, newsreei and a ."short donated in interests of Community Fur"!' drive here round out program. Cohen. PARAMOUNT, N. Y. Tommy Dorsey and his sweet-swing are solid senders at the Par this week, heading a strong stage show whose chief shortcoming is its em- barrassment of riches. Running 60 minutes all told, it's a shade too much. Besides the Hotel Commo- dore's current swing , maesti'o (doubling) at the helm of the revue, there are Helen Charleston (New Acts); Edythe Wright, vocalist- with Dorsey's band on reoord.s and radio: Jack Leonard, repeating tenor for further vocal interludes; 3 Choca- lateers, peckin' specialists doubling from the Cotton Club, and Stan Kavanagh with his socko, standard juggling and Indian club comedy. That's plenty of show and, while it jells well and paces smoothly, it's a bit overboard. Generosity revolves about the Par's 11th anniversary; which is keynoted by 11 candles on the Wurlitzer. Organist Don Baker's cavalcade of tinpanology marks the . milestones of the shifting pop song styles from 1926 on. Dorsey's 'Sentimental Over You' thematic commands immediate hand- to-hand recognition, thence into 'Mr. Gho.st Goes to Town,' plus a swincjo of 'Dark Eye.s.' very keen. Unlike some of the other dance and radio m.aestros. Dorsey has stage presence and a smartly routined staije act. Colored trio, Chocolateers, with their peckin' specialty, are a novelty interlude. Dorsey's clarinetist goes solid in the groove with .some fr>ncy riffing that gets to the kiddies. Then IVIiss Charleston, followed by .Ipck Leonard and Mi.ss Wri.j^hl'.s vncal'.s- then'cs. Latter e.s.says a 'Big Aoplc' vocal, but th" d/infe itself never ma- terializes. Would have bcrn a naUi- rnl climax 1o the pxplannlorv sonT. There isn't even a .cbrde of iVio pn-^lp seed. 'Trombone Man Is 1he Best M?n |n the Band* number is a plu'» for niaestro-tromboni.st Dorsey, but it's very entertainingly developed. Then Kavanagh with his expert jut?glery. 'Angel' (Dietrich-Par) ("reviewed in VAniETT, Sept. 15) on screon. Biz good but no wow. Abel. ORIENTAL, CHI Chicago, Nov. 6. Show doesn't stack well. It's over- long, and none of the act? click or even get started. There are a couple of good, solid turns in the line-up. but they- are placed next to others which slow the pace down to a walk. Much is made of the Viennese Queens of Hearts (6) by this house, given .headline billing in the ads. and accorded a special p.a. system intro- duction. Queens of Hearts vocalize classic tunes iri an attempted com- edy-burlesque manner. They take a song, such as Liszt's 'Hungarian Rhapsody,' iand try to comic it up with muggery, shrieks, pantomime, hand movements and burlesque sing- ing. This American audience didn't get it at all, and there isn't any audi- ence on this side of the Atlantic that will like it. Act was brought to the U. S. to play the International Casino, N. Y., but' failed to click there also. Three numbers here and walked off to-.not a ripple. Act is not a good vaude bet, despite its at- tempt at novelty. Opening the show are Mann, Dupree and Lee. Dupree has been around in vaude for some years with his Egyptian rubber-arm dancing. He does it excellently and it's a fine novelty bit in any show. Rest of the act has Mann and Dupree doing a couple of dance steps, while Lee comes in occasionally with other steps. But it doesn't add up to much. Girl is costumed-in siplendid fashion, and much credit on the act's side must go to this wardrobe. However, they could use some more striking routines. In- the deuce Dixon and Pal are better than they go here. Dixon was working too. fast when caught, and didnit give any of the. seal's tricks a real, opportunity. It's basically a standard and solid seal act. Eddie White is next-to-closing here and also doesn't punch through, for same reason. His songs are still hokey but good. Could use a couple of new jokes, however. . Good salesman and does well with whatever material he has on hiand. In the finale spot, following in roUerskating number by the Dorothy Hild line were Earl, Jack and Betty, skating trio. Some good stunts but work major effort for comedy with stout femme from audience. Should be able to get more- laughs out of this sequence- than they're getting now, since it's always figured as practically a sure- fire setup. Gold. LYRIC, INDPLS. Indianapolis, Nov. 7. Senator Murphy headlines this 5- act bill which plays second fiddle in ads to pic, 'Great Garrick' (WB). Shanghai Wing Troupe opens the show with 10 minutes of Chinese juggling and acrobatics performed by five men and three women a la the usual Oriental routine, even to the spinning plate finish by all mem- bers of the company. Standout is the appearance of a five-year-old moppet who joins oldsters in some tumbling and balancing tricks. He is plenty cute in his Chinese cos- tume and queue, and is largely re- sponsible for the big hand accorded the 3ct* Harriet Hutchins appears in one to do a series of comedy songs with a male pianist for accompaniment. Opens with 'I'm the Farmers Daugh- ter,' built on the time honored trav- eling salesman situation, then goes into drunk deb in barroom panto- mime, and finishes with an impres- sion of the way a torch singer would do 'My Man's Gone.' Ross and Bennet do a dumb gal- smart guy routine in which her gig- gles point up his gags, latter being somewhat tepid. They are best m their dances. He does a single, and they finish with a unison dance which is patterned step for step after the famous Wheeler and Woolsey routine. • Senator Murphy was experiment- ing with his lighting at show caught, working with only a few stat?e lights on, and house lights very dim. His act is preceded by a voice offsta.ge explaining that it is all in the spirit of fun, an expedient unnecessary :in the face of the broadminded receo- tion of New York's 'I'd Rather Be Right.' The Senator covers politics, war and pedestrianism in his talk, some of which is rather blue. When- ever a laugh is needed, he gets it with some scrambled talk, or a stut- tering try at pronouncing a three syllable word. Saul Grauman's 'Musical Staira- tone' flash closes flash the bill. Act consists of four girls and a man. The femmes step out of a wine bottle drop to be introduced. One of them does an acrobatic specialty, and is followed by two girls in fencing out- fits who do a tap routine with foils, a good novelty. Grauman introduces his 'stairatone' with a speech statin'? that it's a new invention which he is submittint? to the audience for ap- proval. Traveler is drawn to reveal stairs, with lighted bell-rinrring con- trivance in rear. As .stens are pressed by dancer's feet. belN rinv musical not-^s to permit simple tune.'^ to be played. Biz thin at last show Fridnv C'j). Kilcy. ORPHEUM, MPLS. Minneapolis, Nov. 5. Current five-act Vaudeville bill Js j built around Freddie Fisher and his .six-piece Schnickelfritz' corny band which skyrocketed .frqm an obscure $90-a-week Winona, Minn., tavern engagement to a $25,000 five-week Warner Brothers' film contract as a result of its success at a small Twin City nitery. This single-week, first theatre engagement represents the Orpheum's effort to cash in on the tremendous amount of publicity, local and national, captured by the band while it was creating a Twin City furore. Show is not smooth because the 'Schnickelfritz' band fails to click •j-trongly in its new and strange sur- . oundings and because, with the ex- eption of the old reliable Bob Du- pont, the supporting acts are very ordinary. Bill proves unimpressive, not- to say blah. But even though the show doesn-'t deliver sufficient entertainment goods and despite the headliner's stiff $2,500 stipend, the box ofl'ice looks set for a healthy seven days. This is in consequence of the band's word-of-mouth boosting from its night club patrons and from so- ciety (which took it up), as well as attention from dailies and national publications. Large opening attend- ance reflected the curiosity aroused among the populace unwilling or unable to attend the comparatively .small Midway Gardens' night club, where the orch formerly held forth. Good looking Dorothy Byton girls (12) got away well enough with their dancing and acirobatics. While nothing to rave about, their stepping and tumbling are snappy and pleas- ing. O'Connor Family, two young men and their mother and kid brother, offer tap dancing, clogging, a bit of acrobatics and some clown- ing—fairly acceptable. Dupont is far and away the show's outstanding performer, measured by applause and laughter response or any other criterion. As usual, he performs adroit juggling feats non- chalantly and effortlessly, embroi- dering his contribution with adept comedy touches and pantomime. Morin Sisters (3) warble behind a mike. One does a bit of stepping and then the trio wind up with a risque number^ 'You've Got Some- thing There.' Out of character for the girls and out of place for the house. • ' Six small-town 'Schnickelfritzers,' such a riot at Midway Gardens, evoke only a mild response with their music and,clowning here. Spon- taneity and zip seem to be missing and there is an impression of crudc- ness and mediocrity. Perhaps allow- ances should be made for an initial theatre appearance and a flrst show, but still it is difficult to figure how they can establish themselves on the sta.<ye or radio or in pictures. Their sphere definitely appears to a certain type of night club where liquid refreshments help to put one in a properly exuberant mood to join in the whoop-te-do that tends to over-value the quality of the. enter- tainment and where dancing is part of the diversion. Undoubtedly their hot playing has good swing and rhythni for light, fantastic stepping and there i.s- novelty to the queer sounds, including grunts, groans, honks, com-pahs, screeches, etc., which all add up to music, but it may be that novelty lent enchant- ment in their old snot. 'Schnickelfritzers' haven't here what apfjarently was an advantage of the blue stuff that tinged their songs and clowning at Midway Gar- dens. They do the same numbers that were such a hit at the nitery, including 'Tiger Rag,' 'Red Wing,' 'Listen to the Mocking Bird,' 'Turkey in the Straw,' 'The Winona Express' and 'Red Hot Mama,' mixing their vocalizing and tomfoolery with their playing. But there's no sock in the act at any time and the finish is lame; The screen holds 'Breakfast for Two' (RKO), Pathe News and a car- toon comedy. Business good. Uee^ CAPITOL, WASH. Washington, Nov. 7. Hou.se has done a little work in the production end again this week and comes up with another example of the way six ordinarily straight acts can be whipped into a well-knit revue perfect for large-sized spot. Transitions are smoothed out. by :jiving Jackie Heller, always a fave here, a crack at emceeing, althoui?h mo.«;t of it is done via off-stage mike. Gil Lamb mtrpduces Heller's regular turn.' Overture climbs aboard the old patriotic urge with medley of tunes from 1776 throuc:h 1862, 1899, 1917 -id 1937 served up as Armistice .eek offering with slides of Wash- in.aton. Lincoln. Lee, Teddy Roo.se- velt. Wil.son and F. D. R. It's an old sa". but good for whammo response. Harry Crosley Girls back for one of their monthly appearances to nnon bi'l with high-hat and cane tap. Heller bouncin*; on early in routine to make welcoming speech and i warble chorus of 'Posin'.' Selma I M;ij-]owc breezes throu.eh from rear I nf line to take downstage for tap as Tlcllcr announces her off-.stage. Travellers clore on girls and Mar- lowe picks Uo red cape from wings rinri rolos in Spani.'-h tap to oko >innd. Ofi-,stage announcement, by Holler hrin.trs on Val Sctz. jui?gler. to do the hat. cane and cigar business, toss the NEW ACTS MARY BRIAN With Arena and Fisher D.ancin? 12 Min!>-. Met, Boston Here is one Hollywood per.sonality who prepared for her per.sonal ap- pearance, and made it coinit. Avoid- ing all the customary blab and work- ing more as a vaudeville star than a cinema glamour girl, Miss Brian .says hello to her audience, swaps brief chatter with Dave Apollon, m.c. for the show, beckons to her partners;. Arena and Fisher, introduces them to the audience, then all-three go into a precision tap routine,; Obviously her fans are .■lurpri.sed at her hoofing ability and to offset any possible su.spicion that Miss Brian might be faking her steps' a bit, there is an extended encore routine, with a challenge bi'cak-in. Miss Brian holds up her end in the challenge with the finesse of a veteran dancer. One of the most entertaining p.a.'s ever done in this city, and of cour.sc. Arena and Fisher come in for plenty of credit in making it a success. Fox. jTRYON SI3TERS ' Adagio Team 10 Mlns. Hollywood, Kalamazoo Unustial femme adagio team has been made more socko through high- voltage routining. Versatile. " the girls do hula, oriental and orthodox acrobatic turns but accent is on their fast acrobatic adagio terping. Girls know all the flashy body whips and flips in the book—nl.so a few not in the book, Mixing tcmnos effectively, they do these grncefully. •smilingly and with no hint of work in even the fastest and moat difficult effort. Before closing with a fa.st-moving windup, in which each girl alter- nately 'gives' and 'gets' on every- thing done, Doree.n does an n^riazing body lift, holding her sister diroftly over her head, with one arm, while dancing. Well-done and pracofull.v no.sed, this has class rarely found in lift feats. Brunettes are well matched, young, shaoely and nersonable. T><eir act is unu.sual and has class. Fonrd. HELEN CHARLESTON Comedienne 5 Mins. Paramount, N. Y. Helen Charleston has been around, in and out of other acts, notably Ken Murray's, but latterly has been es- saying a solo.. She's developed into a comedienne of promise and is still schooling. Cute-figiired trick, she's moderne in her stance and material, with a generally fetching personal- ity. Possessed of advantageous stage presence, Miss Charleston must yet assimilate the. niceties for 100% smooth impression. She strives too hard. It's hot noticeable until the tag end how hard she really is try- ini? to sock it over, when she could achieve the same thing by pitching her voice down and not straining. 'Play a Love Scene With You' Is good foundation for her Judy Can- ova, Jackie Cooper and Martha Raye hoke, with Tommy Dorsey foiling. It's in the 'BluiB Danube Blues' swing arran.^ement that she lets her- self go, militating against an here- tofore smoother imoression by try- ing to Lilypons it. But, in toto. Miss Charleston bespeaks ' potentialities for stage and cafe work and, with seasoning, possibly the Coast. Abel. FLEURETTE GILBERT and BOB Dancing, Singing: 12 Mins. Club Cavalier. N. Y. Here's a dance team that's quite different and has a future. Its a combination of uncle and niece, but not billed that way, and looking more like brother and sister of Mr. and Mrs. Gilberts not only fit ex- cellently for night club floors but would go well in picture houses or vaude. "team is doing a modernl.stic Congo here, very different and effective, as well as a paraphrase on the Sadie Thompson-Rev, Davidson characters from 'Rain.' In latter, they do a sing-song version of the characters, topped by a dance. Bob Gilbert's characterization of Davidson reminds of oldtimer Joe Browning in vaude. Both have a lot of personality. RAY and GEBALDINE HUDSON Acrrbstio Dancing 4 Mins. R. C. Music Hall, N. Y. Femme flip-floppers are hif'hli'rht- ed in the current Music Hall .show in an 'Aquarium' number. No no- ticeable connection with their act, although the idea permits them to sport snappy outfits of gold to re- semble fish scale. Gals have been around under the tag of 'Hudson Wonders.' Their stuff is plenty showy. Pair offer all the customary turnovers, v*rith a few unique twists tossed in, then finale by prancing off on their hands, kick- in/: their feet in the air overhcrd \n unison. Sock flash for a strong act of the type. While the act Is .standard, it has been chiefly in productions p"ri re- vues, here and in Europe. Kobe. RAYE ROYCE Acrobatic Dancing 8 Mlns.; Band Set State, N. Y. Not precisely a new act per so. but a flrst catching for the fil^s. Sand- wiched in the Ted Lewi.s presenta- tion, Royce's 'drunk* dancing routine lends staple support to the show. A1- tired in. the customary tic-and-lniLs, wRlch have gone awry, Royce rolls all over the stage. His faulty-foot- ing and fall-aways are good. The, standout stuff is his adept tumbling. Act can qualify neatly in niteries as well as presentation stage layoiits and units. And as a deuccr on a vaude show, the turn will hold them. Beri. TOBY WING Singing, Talk 7-Mlns; One State-Lake, Chi. Personal appearance of blonde pic- ture performer shows her having more stage presence than is usually expected in p.a.'s. Worked in front of the stage band here, and fully half of the tlme was spent in gagging with Verne Buck, housie m.c. Both songs and gab well handled. Miss Wing has a sense of comedy, and her delivery of songs, while talked rather than sung, is okay. Would probably go even better in niteries than vaude. Her delivery and material has more the cafe .«tyle than vaudeville. Loop. three little while balls, twirl a spangled doughnut on a pai'asol, swing the Indian clubs and finish with kicking four coins from his foot to .stick on his face. Mis.sed con- sistentl.y, but standard patter covered o.k. and they liked him. Line on again in beach .set for down by the seashore number. Diaz, Don, Dolores and Demis on as girls fall back to sit it out. Run through usual adagio routines to get nice hand and slide off as line gets up for fla.«-h finish. Heller does inlro off-stage for Gil Lamb who vocalizes half a chorus and then breaks into swift nut dance a Ja Ray Bolger. Taking bows at mike he is interrupted by Tommy Sanford with letter saying Tommy is worlds greatest mouth organist. Lamb off to let him prove it and audience is satisfied that he does, es- pecially when he begins pulling 'em out of his nbcket in .snap succession for flni.'-'h. Lamb back on with set^of harmonicas him.self, swallowing tiny one and breathing pantomime while kid furnishes the sound off-stage. Kid back on to work side mike while Lamb works out all over slaf^e in another hoofing bit. Lamb is plenty oke as hoofer, gagman and panto- mimist and with Sanford as con- .'iider.'ibly more than a stooge he registers solidly. It looked pretty tough when Little •Tackie walked out, but he gave 'em the bounce, the smile and the arm- wavin"? and if he didn't top Lamb he made 'em completely forget while he wrs out there. Opened with 'Feelin' Like a Million' which was weakest niimh^r. but routing 'em .successively with 'Harbor Light.s' and 'Any Castle.c Paby.' encoring with 'Vieni, Vieni.' After tearing off his collar in ap- nrocialion. which didn't quite get •"cro.s.s, he a.sks what they want and 'h-^n f'ivo.s 'cm 'The One Ro.se' and 'That Old Feeling' tn clinch his sales job Lad's emceeing .still needs poli.sh. but when >>f "pi* the lineo down, he ll have something salable. Pic is 'Live, Love and Lenrn* (MG) and biz light. Crrtiy. ROXY, N. Y. Fair to mlddlln' stage show, hwt one that may go over okay with the kiddies, is tossed those drawn by 'Heidi' (20th). Dorothy Stone and her hubby. Charles Collins, are at the head of the current Fanchon & Marco unit They have a pretty little number biiilt around a sung, '10 O'Ciock Town,' which they sing, topped by a dance, and then return for a reprise in a setting that suggests a village where the streets are rolled Jn at JO bells. Why their whole routine around the song is not done in the setting used as a topper is a question. Except for this little scene, with small set-pieces, suggesting buildings in a hamlet, action of the stage pres- entation takes place on the deck of a boat whose host for purposes of novelty rather than m.c. desi';nation is Collins. He's a fine host, being missing most of the tim^e. Poss'bly a good bookin»». bec?>u.se it will delight the Temple frns. is George Prentice's clever Punch and .Judy act, but a little unusual is the fact that he's here after havin'r re- cently nlayed the Music Hall. N. Y. From the latter he went into 'Vir- •rinla.' recent flon musical at the Cen- ter, N. Y. Prentice stretches his rou- tine considerably here, a min'^r fault be'rau.se of the renetition ent?iler'. Re.st of the .show consists of the Th';ee Nonchplants. slan.stick rcro- h'^tic-nct' of only na.ssinT imnort"nce: Mar"ie Knaoo, who docs .citic Ic^-^cr "•nr^in" oh'^ros for nroduf''''>n num- bers, and the Gae Foster Girls. Ihnt T^.'^rd-wr.'-king line of ladies, '^h^y r'o a rr^thor unique number c-'-'" in ihf p.r'^''ecd'n"s with lnr"'-> n-'i^nr balls. Business fair Friday r>' (5).