Variety (Aug 1938)

46 VARIETY VARIETT HOUSE RETIEWS Wedoesdaj, August 3» 1938 CASA MANANA, N. Y. Ben Blue, Great Vacopis, Lucille Page, Buster V/est, A. Robins, Meta Carlisle, EUxel Waters, Smith & Dale, Eddie Stanley, Milt Brittpn orch, house orch with. Jerry FriedmaHi Ferde Crofe, Savoy Lindy Hoppers. Billy Rose has corralled a choice lineup for the. fifth edition of his. _ _ _ cabaiet-vaude. It's a calibre show Urgpic^i tunes, above even the 5a''n^„^ay!i°'y^,""*^' Vallee himself . is" more deadpan Included are^ '^?fP'"8. .smgina ai singing his songs in that clown, ^and turnbling alT liberally ^" ^^j.-j^^jB^^e^^^, Works hard seasoned with comedy. J^^spite ex-1 toxi-driver tune 'Where Tor. pected opening night 31) rough. *^2Mf^^5pSMW|»^'^^^ it look^oubtful. cow; There's a slow reaction to Chick Kennedy's mirroring of ZaSu Pitts, Greta Garbo and Hepburn, who have been overdone. Of the vaude acts, the best results are garnered by Ames and Arno with their knockabout dancing. There's plenty of stalling, but the gal's comedy mugging gets ■tlje femrnes. Carol Gould's voice is thin, while Edna Strbns's best dancing is dorie in. a tap routine to Oriental and. STATE, N. Y. Cdrtton Emmy, Broum & Amet, Walter 'Dare' Wahl, Belle Baken Mann, ■ Dupree & Lee; 'Holiday' (Col). line, 'Dance of Demons,' contrlbbed by femme and'three male compan- ion.s, gets over, neatly, in closing coj. Besidte the introduction for adagio act, the house line (16) turns in a swell beach-ball routine for opening setto, arid dfler a standard .tap mid- way. Sam Jack Kaufman, besides m.c.'- lunatic asylum theme is intermit- tently retained. As m.c, Bien Bluc] first appenred, wearing a cap labeled | 'Keeper,' and was careful to. intro- duce all the acts as crazy inmates. He scrapped the cap after the first night, however, and isn't stressing the lunacy idea so'much. Ferde Grofe was touted as direc- tor of the house orchestra for the show, but batoned only his own composition as an overture for the preem. Jerry, freeman directs the show proper, with Milt Prittoii's crew pulverizing the bandstand with its familiar fiddle-smashing, water- heaving: business. Although the act isn't as effective, as on a stage, it gets a howl, as always. Grofe, bowed out altogether after one night ' Besides his m.c. stint Blue injects frequent comedy into the other acts, as well as teaming with others in the show for skits, etc. Returning to live show business recently after a few years in pictures, he apparently has lost none of his hilarious goofery and with the few hon-combustible gags omitted, he should keep them &ughirig almost continuously. After Blue's initial brief appearr ance, the Great Yacopi troupe of teeterboard balancers is on.^ Standard in circuses for years, biit rarely in vaude, the Yaicopis do all the teeter- board stunts done by. other, troupes and add several hair-raisers of their own. Windup stiint is a complete double-up of. the familiar one of the man jumping onto a teeter to back- flip his partner into a chair held on the shoulders of a third. As done by the Yacopis, they're standing. four- high at the finish. Yacopis missed . with several'of their tricks at the round of ribbing from Granlund opeKtlrV'TWPfiiWiitty- J&ift ~W/.A9*'t' •9tr«Kd--4he -Slotc^vrvlwlvMs^.iatft.^^JllS, rehearsal 'on-rt'e,' (for theiti) . small- stage. Ethel Waters was held for five numbers at the .preem, then had to beg off. Opens with a medley, then scores with her. own number, 'Ain't Nobody's Business.': Next offers her version of 'Frankle, and Johnny' saga for another click and finales •with 'Heat Wave' and "Stormy Weather.', For the late show, she has added a racy number, also a sock. '• ■', .; Although they, p u 11 e d liberal laughs at the preem. Smith and Dale .drew a number of blanks. Besides some trouble in speaking their lines clearly' enough, they show a tend- ency to rush through their skit with- out apparent timing. For later shows they've added more material. Buster West and Lucille Page each have a long single, then pair for ,a lengthy turn in the opener, but. that routining since has also been altered for subsequent show; Solo bits were cut way . down and the dtio portion compressed. West and Miss Page are both standard single acts as well as paired. Strong, as usual. A. Robins' offers his familiar rou- tine of pulling-an apparently endless array of articles out of his bulging coat ..pockets. He's been in vaude virtually since the middle ages and is always good. In addition to his various brief bits 'with the other acts. Blue does a crackpot challenge session 'With West, appears with his pert partner, Meta Carlisle, in a sketch about dime-a-dance halls, and teams with Miss Carlisle and Eddie Stanley in a burlesque of an old-'fashioned minuet Finale of the bill brings the Savoy Lindy Hoppers in their frantic antics, followed by a lineup of the whole company, dressed in kiddy tngs. Show ran, well over .90 minutes at the opening, but was radically cut after that Hbbe. HIPP, BALTO Baltimore, July 30. N. T. C. with Gliiquila, Caperton and Cofwmbus, Slate Bros., Fay Car- roll,. Rosita & Violeffa, GeraWine Ross, Eleonor Wood, Big' Apple Dancers; La Hart Arabs (V; .'Sky Cidht' CRKO). ' .[ Nils T. Granlund, a steady re- peater here, is back with another reviie built along familiar lines. Has a brace of new acts with the Slate Bros, holding dowh.the come.dy, but this time iising some hew material. Opening:show ran a bit .too long; but ■with pruning- and routining, should be good jentertainment Opening' informally and bringing on the inevitable gals, Granlund introduces Chiquitia, a Cuban, -in a torrid rhumba oh toes, 'with some, of the grinding and bumps'a bit too strong for family patrdnage.. Con- trasts nicely, however; with tumbling by - Geraldine. Ross, - Amazonian blonde, who socks'and is hard to fol- low with more dancing, by Harriet Caperton and Charles Columbus, ballroomers. . Latter work hard, though, to sell a Mex routine. Slate Bros, pick matters up here with okay gagging, three-way hoof- ing and a travesty on a wrestling match, new and- a' laugh piilier: Encore, a Southern song medley, al- though familiar, also well received. Vocal by Fay Carroll. next gets a Belle. Baker is. back on Broadway through 'Light tbplinmg and sewing up securely a cavalry'overture, with Frankie Con- good five-act layout'of standards. | nors, tenor, coming in at close for Nestling down into the next-to- a E9P- tjlZ close niche. Miss Baker at the final flourish opening day (28)..' Miss Baker, tastefully dolled in white or- ganza with flounces, tees off. by ton- siling..'Says 'My Heart,' and ' then does one of her Jewish dialectics, 'How Can . You Tell What's Going on B«hind Your Back?' Then 'Music, Maestro, Please! and a long medley of past songs with which she has been associated. Encores , with her old special, 'Atlas Abercrombie,' a satirically smart number, though possibly better -for, a .hitery floor. Mob wouldn't let her lam opening night; , so she fed 'em "Yiddisher Mama' and 'Irish Eyes.' First one is b.k. for the State. Running around a half hour is too long, though singer doesh't falter.. ' Opening are Carlton Emmy with his 13 dogs, a good start to any bill. Wally Brbwn . and Annette Ames deuce with a standard comedy two- act Brown does 'a faltering, be- fuddled monologist and could tighten and refurbish much .of his material. Partner, . a half-pint with dancing ability, needs better costuming and should desist from continuing her very poor imitation of . ZaSu Pitts. Bro'vvn exhibits; just enough hoofing; to suggest he has the stuff. Con- trasting sizes of -the' partners sug- gests rich comedy inaterial, though it's a vein not wholly jnined. ■ .. Walter fDare' Wahl's humorous, smartly routined comedy acrobatics, with unbilled stooge, score. Closing, Manh;, Dupree and- Lee. who have been solid, dependable :flash act for years, with two men-and girl keep- ing abreast of the times. Set now be- ing toted -by the . turn v is excellent. Neva Chrisman pianos for-the act. : Biz good when caught. Bert. LYRIC, INDPLS. ■*ntvl'laWe bathing beauty" parade,.,a bit off the'cob by now. Makes spot, though, for Rosita and 'Vibletta^ who are .nice appearing, 'with Spanish vocals, sold. to the hilt. Arrange- ment of 'Siboney'- skillfully/handled. More hoofology and, kiibckabout by Miss Ross: a modernistic inter- pretation, of 'Rhapsody in Blue' by Eleanor Woodi and a 'Cavalcade of Dance' by (japerton and Columbus, in 'Which dance styles through the years are ably interpreted. Follow in -order taking the edge,off of the Big Apple Dancers, three pairs of youngsters. Satiated with dancing, the audi ence takes to the; La Hart troupe of seven Arabs, in the usual pyramid building and tumbling. Encore bit with the Slates clowning to good re- turns,'precedes the finale, a reintro- duction of the principals. . With Miss Ross,' Caperton and Columbus coh- sblidating their contributions into single spots; and the dancing portion of, the revue spaciid but in more showmanly fashion, Granlund's cur-, rent doings would do , better. Biz opening day fair. Burm, ORPHEUM, L. A. CHICAGO, CHI Chicago, July 30. Rudy Vallee orch, Bob Miller, Cliicic Komedi/, Carol Gould, £diia SLTong, Avies Hc Arno: 'Amazing Dr. CtittcWiouse' (WB), For five straight weeks now the house has been, doing, boom trade. And currently nb exception with a combination headed by Rudy Vallee, that will garner coin at, all times. Switch in policy, from low nut shows to names, has been responsible for the upward trend Los Angeles. July 31. Dr. Hoffman, Rex & Betty Powers, The - O'Connors,. Whitey Roberts, George West. Al Lyons orch; 'Wojiuin AgniTist Woniaji' (M-G),' 'Pandmint't Bad Man (Par). Seme good, up-to-the-minute vaude currently, with plenty of nov- elty and oft-color patter; Bill runs heavy to comedy and dancing, with several of the turns back with all new material. Topping is, Dr; Hoffman, last here with straight magic, who,devotes his entire offering to dishing out any kind of alcoholic oi- soft driiik. pur- portedly transformed from ordinary water. It's great audience stiill. as Hoffman passes out the various con- coctions,, and he. puts over his act with exceUent showmanship. Rex and Betty Powers, rollsr- skaters, open, and reveal plcnly 61 skill. Whitey Roberts, in the deuce, is an excellent tapper, showing par- ticularly-well while skippin.t; rope. Also batons well and comedy juggles. His gags, however, are off and have no place in an audience like. this, that is usually made up largely of wonieii and childr«fn. George West presents a . novelty musical tiirh, 'utilizing a clarinet tin whistle, rubber hose,,and a drum Indianapolis, July 30. owan, Brach-'Dr. ClitterhoxLse' (WB), Pete. Stanley; pitt. Pittsburgh, July 30. Gene Autryy Frankie .Marvin, Btltmorettes, Collins & Peterson,- Troy & Lynne;: 'Tropic Holiday' (Par). This isn't a good show, but .it inakes little difference.. In Gene Autry,. house has a name that's amazing even show business' smart- est, insiders. House hasn't had a draw- like this - since Jack Benny. - TCids in' the -majority and they're cbming in droves.. For them, 'the. current display is-sensational, with, of course, everything Autry does tying up the shbw. Autry's cbrny turn is what they expect-and'what they get He cbiild wiggle his little finger and the rafters would rock. Autry rides, out on his horse. Cham- pion, in frbnt of. a hokey-bapkdrop,' puts the steed through, a few simple tricks , and then pulls out his guitar and gives them a few. western bal-: lads in a nasal voice'that's just in- different First tune is-'Ride, Ten- derfoot Ride,' which- he says was introduced by him on: Eddie Cantor's program, several weeks ago, neglect- ing tb mention that Dick Powell did that in the film, 'Cowboy From Brooklyn' (WB). Late in the act he's inteirupted from the audience by Frankie Mar- vin, Who tosses off. some old jokes. Then, with an unbilled violinist the. three of them finish off with a hill- billy flurry that suggests a third-rate radio progi^m; Just what Autry has is a deep mystery. Other cowboy stars are better-lobking, have better voices and loads inore personality, but he's in. the saddle and cashing In as few western heroes before him, _Jl^e:TdnT^S<ffVX^tft^^ of show -really Bowaii, iMilcfred"Ti'enJbn,' M'a)/sff"Si count.-but all :go-»veif-ti£ be< House htis gone in for a little ex- perimenting. Happy Felton m.c.'s and, leads; the house' orchestra which works on stage. Of the five acts, four are singles aha one a double, which make the ftase seem rather deserted wlttiout the orchestra. Show opens with Feltbn singing 'Flat Foot Flobgee.': Then he goes into a cocktail number. In which each member of the orchestra-plays a few bars of a song as an ihgredient. Felton also closes show, with the orr chestr'a dbing a chorus number as background. He waves the flag for final curtain with a: patriotic parody, in which he extolls - the advantages of living in America. .,: Maysy and Brach, deuce neatly with some unicycle acrobatics and juggling. Followed by Mildred.Fen- ton, who torches 'Anything Goes,' 'Music, Maestro, Please, and 'Please, Mr. Toscanini'. She also appears in closing number for song chorus with Felton. Roy Atwell, in street garb, does his tongucrtwisted explanation of noth- ing in particular, closing with his Rarbled version of *LlttIe Red Riding Hood' to click. Sibyl Bowan has own new character impersonations, with the exception of Mrs; AooseveU, which she uses as a closer. Changes wigs and costutnes on stage, as usual, doing a small town society woman. Swede songstress, Music Hall girl and straight highkick dance. Gets plenty of laughs. Show runs 55 minutes and is okay as stage inter- lude witho'ut exerting noticeable in- fluence on the boxoffice. House full at last show Friday (29): ■ Kiley. FOX, DETROIT While 'Vallee rates, supporting effectively. He slipped in one very lineup is under par | off-color gag at the opener; marring Bob Miller, ventriloquist must an otherwi.sc corking diversion. pick his spots. With Vallee acting as a willing stobge the turn has en- ough novelty to get over. Without Vallee, or latter's equivalent Miller would be a doubtful entry, This is Indicated by his work when he has to manage without the m.c. ; During that time he devotes himself to two- tone 'whistling, sneezing, etc. The dummy itself lacks personality de- spite Miller's ' earnest: endeavor to live jth^ plotbespin snappy answers. The O'Connors are back, minus Donald, who's working in pictures, but utilizing a, new .hcmbcr of the family, Patsy,, a mite bf a girl, with loads of talent and- personality. Willie and Jack O'Cbnnor uncork some excellent comedy and dancing. Patsy; who looks around seven, has a powerful, tuneful voice, and has all the earmarks of going places. ."Trade at opener slightly above average. Sduia. Detroit July 30. SaTJi, Jaclc Kaufman's band, Fran kie Connors, Line (16), Emerson Frbmc, Frank Paris, Willie with West It McGinty, Loretia Lee, Syl- via Manbn & Co. (4); 'Little Miss Broadway' (2Cth). Respite from name bands which have studded house most of summer is, a. ,i3leasing five-act combination, plus house line. Smash at early show Friday eve- ning (29), was Frank Paris's Mario- nettes, who've been playing at a De- troit nitery for sbhie time. Has three sockaroo presentations in own crea- tion, Polly Hotcha, who turns ■ in a swing terp, and puppets aping Dopey and Sonja Henie; - Begs off. Loretta Lee, eyeful balladist from the networks, offers several tunes with po\yerful pipes. Emerson Frome, who's also been appearing'at local nite spot, opens with some nifty tapping. Perennial building blunders of Willie, West and McGinty con- tinue as hilariously as usual, but .some antics are questionable. Evi- dent in audience - response. Sylvia Manon and Co. rates in the front rank of adagiolsts. Introed by house _ because of: the eager expectancy with; which they -await Autry's appearance. Corse Payton could have recited Hamlet's Soliloquy here today And gotten over big. ^Collins and Peter- son, with the latter m.c.'ihg, back again after an absence of several seasons and going in for their cus- tomary bldrfashioned vaudeville non- sense, with Biltmorettes, three at- tractive, agile - femmes, 'Who open fast with sonve slick acrobatic dan- cing. ■ . -Hits: are Troy and Lynne, ballroom satirists. First two numbers are good without being distinctive, setting the stiage .for their college swing, as done at a 10-cent dance-hall, and a howl that ties things up, so tight they have to beg off a couple of times. Autry closes,, and wisely so, since nobody can follow'him. This week marked first. Saturday in years that Stanley was forced tb run Six stage shbw's. House capacity, with standees and window lines a block long at break, pave Broudy's-house crew'on Stage, with maestro back from a vacation. ? Cohen. COLISEUM, LONDON London, July 22. Sir Oswald Stbll inaugurated the 17-act International Circus at the Coliseum last week. The setting and accoutrements meet the require- rhents, but there seems to be an ab- sence of the speed that surrounds first-class circus prformers. The clowns appear between each act. thereby destroying the Cumula- tion of entertainment, which, isn't enhanced by the turns. - Most bf the acts, while competent lack novelty. Two, acts repeat differently clad, one under a different name. The Magyar troupe, springboard acro- bats, were recently with the Ring- lin,g Bros. Carl Hagenbeck'.s 16 horses are di- rected by Alfred Petoletti, who does some picturesque riding, making several .appearances. There is an 'Elephant Revue' of foiir pachyderms, presented- by- 'Mr. Oscar.' They go through a very good routine, one do- ing a,single-foot stand oh a pedestal another walking a 'tight rope' cbn- sisting of a ,plank less than a foot wide. , Gaudsmith Bros., although they have been . here in two ice shows, are enlcirtaining with their acrobatics., , Three JovclUs, two men and a girl, do aerial gymnastics and appear later: as the Three Anjolys, doing equilibristic stuff on a high perch; Nino, Theodore and Clements, French clowns, appear twice, in different rou- tines; Les Giovannis poses on horse- back with a burlesque rider; mile. Lou, with her" iinridable mule; Michael Koncel, with four- trained sea lions; Ida May's Four Sy'Iphides offering'teethholds with a revolving apparatus; the Casi Family of three girl.s, - four men, acrobatic eqiies-^ trians; Pym's Navy, four trampoline Derfoi-mcrs. and Duncan's Scotch col- lies. Jolo. PARAMOUNT, N. y. Gene Krupa orchestra, ConfcHn jl Thomas, Irene Daye, Nouafc 4 Fa? Al Beniie. Leo Watson, Don Bai?lt at organ; 'The Teittns' iPor) « tiicuied in this issue.. . ' * One of the jorcmpst citadels of swing, Par's Broadway show-win dow, currently exhibiting 'Texans* IS giving^Gehe^ Krupa his first bia opportunity and he measures up ts the demands of the jitterbug trade He's aided and abetted oh an enter taining show by sevcrar sureBr» specialty acts. »urenre Krupa organized his .band only « couple months ago and played hi? first date at the Steel Pier.: AtUnti'e City, April 16. He has changed mu- sicians several times since then and at present has a pretty fair workihe organization, although hone of the 13 men yrith him have anything in the way of specialties to offer ex- cepting a sax solb." ' Krupa;', a colorful drummer, one who slightly suggests a rnan who's going niits when he works, was for- merly with the Benny Goodman baiid and. on the drums. wiUi this swing leader, was one of the big as- sets of that outfit Continuing the same feverish, hysterical manner of working, Kriipa is at the- drums with - his own band, only taking the fioor for -a moment to announce one of the acts. On . One : other occasion a mjusician from the band steps down to conduct: otherwise the band plays 'Without a leader. Krupa plays some moderated, so- phisticated swing but generally it's on the screamier side, and frequent- ly not so musical. Band is made up of a lot of brass, including four saxes,, three trumpets and three trombones. Additionally, there is a bit of - tromboning by Leo Watson, three other men on this instrument' joining , in. Walson indulges in hi- ,de-ho red-hot; swing and a lot of stomping, plus other forms of nerv- ous energy which are conducive to getting the jitterbugs to clap hands in time.. He does three killer-diller numbers. ' It's the sort of thing, that goes, with the audience drawn here biit outside of being flashy, isn't much. : Al Bernie; mimic, not so lbhg ago at the Roxy, is the top act among those booked with Krupa. He is doing 21 minutes here, which is -d4icsi>:t^,nvH<;^ tQnJQ[}^^l},,f Ithough most Of his ,im^ietaonaUoris._aj:ft4y''^l - '^<^^'-'eild,^ sell lor big results. Sorne,of his rbu- .tine Is excellent; some, could be dropped, including ' the Hepburn, Cantor and Charles Laughton im' pressiohs. Aping of Bergen and Mc- : Carthy is outstanding, with the talk also good. 'Mimic's Lament' a song number, serves as, pleasing relief, although Bernie does not have the most ingratiating personality or much of a voice. Alsb that plug for a Hollywood -night club at the open- ing bught to be - discouraged. ' Comedy tieam of Novak and Fay are on about middle in adagio, acro- batic and haiid-to-hand mixups. 'While the antics-are' along familiar lines, it is quite fUnny and well exe- cuted. - ' Up ahead is a shag team, Conklin and Thomas^ which represents good booking with a band, like Krupa's. Yo,uths,do two numbers, both rapid. Krupa carries a singer, Irene Daye, who does, three songs, two pops and an,arrangement of ah old-tune. She., is the weakest part of the show. ■While seemingly getting by here with her swing singing, she is lackt ing in both voice and technique. At one point. Miss Daye leads the band, but why? - Krupa's orchestra ha's five sessions, playing four popular swing numbers and a medley built around three others. He has a good arrangement of 'Blue Rhythm Fantasy,' which lends itself to a specialization on the drums, Kruoa getting in some clever tom-tom effects. Don Baker this week is doing 'Melody Flight Around the World for his organlog-commiinity sing and it adds up to an entertaining session. - Char. APOLLO, N. Y. Claude Hopkins Orch. Beverly White, Lips Hackette. Mills Bros, (5), Four Step Bros., Jean & Morion, Modelinc Belt, Dusty Fletcher, Sandy Bums, George Wiltshire, Chonu) (16), 'Who Killed Gail Preston?* (Col.). While its length, is average, about an hour and halt current setup falls short However; a Xew outstanding turns cover iip to some extent Claud^ Hopkins' orchestra is in the pit as usual, for most of the show. Opener is a rather long Parisian nitery setting, offering a.chance for' a French Can-Can by the line, solo toe tiiriss by Jean and Marion, ana taips by the Four Steps. Latter ^is a quickie,-promising more later. Line changes and returns in, a dawdling tap. Ponies vindicate themselves later, howcvci-, in a welf-^liahtcd'woodland .setting to 'Girl in the Bonnet or Blue.' Brings-on Jean - and Marion again for high kicks. Bit is well .staged with ponies in suriimcry flow- ered outfits. Mills Bros. (5t introdiiee a coupie of new tunes that impress, especially the opening '60 Second.s.' Since tne death of one brother and addition o', father to quartet a guiUrist outside' ' (Continued, on page 55)