Variety (Aug 1938)

26 VARIETY VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, August 31, 1938 CASA MANANA^ N. Y. Ted Lewis Orch, Loretta Lane, Charles 'STiotbljaU' W/ilttier, Varsity Coeds (6), Cardini, Al Trahaii. Tip, Tap & Toe, Robert Wildhacic, Patricia £llts & Al Siegel, James Barton, ■ Shelton ' Brooks, Harry Armstrong. "■■ acquired from playing before the King and Queen of England several yearns ago has worn off—and it's all for the better. However, that tele- phone book-tearing encore is anti- climactic, to say the least ,It should go Out and quickly. Tip, Tap and Toe are clo^e to the top among challenge-dancers (on a boat-shaped platform),.: but' hardly needed in this layout, in which the Lewis specialties and Barton are LOEWS STATE, N. Y. Carr Bros. & BeHv,'Joe Laurie, Jr., Emma Francis, Boh Bromley, Mary Raye & Naldi, Don Redrnan Orch, luouise McCarreUi, Ford with Mar- shall & Janette (3 Mania<ls)\_.Ruby Zwerling's house orch; 'TMXtexans' XPar). The Palace Ghost walks the lush h!*'^„ fPfr^rTh^^^^^^ caroeLf of Billv Ro<:e't Casa Manana ^l^O on the hoof, Three colored boys carpets of BUiy Koses L-asa.Manana j ^ full-measure^ of audience re-! these next four weeks. What follows may be another thing, though not likely with Charles J. Freeman now booking the Shows here, but .cur- rently it's a throwback to vaude- ville's former Garden of Eden.' This layout is in the groove; it sends and it gives. It's two-a-day variety of the, Palace type and quality. Ace entertainment in a sponse at this catching, though the I military, briefs on two of. 'em are i plenty negative. Middle hoofer is in his now familiar Haile Selassie'get- up, but why has never ^een made clear. , Varsity • Cb-eds' medley, ex- pertly done, and Lewis' drarhatic rendition of 'Music, MaestrOi .Please,^ provide a nice vocar interlude be- tween the colored trio and Wild ?fnhl7r7*!lf'cfn^JPi'^'p^^^^^^ hack's. prrifcssorial snoring routine, unheard of s i n c e Reisenweber s ^^^y q Intro of Miss Ellis by Lewis; and her shb.wfeirl strpt to the front mike gassed out with , prohibition, in. 1919, ut now It's back in an even more gloirifled settih.g. It should stay, • Test of a nitery show is the reacr tion of the- drinkers; this one holds *em and keeps 'eni quiet A parade of ace. entertainment, it transcends the sending potency of the. booze; thus, the drinks are, forgotten arid the patrons are focusing on the stage, giving the actoris two strikes on the usual nitery curse, noisy inattention. This bill plays like the Palaicc and reads. like it; James Barton, Jed Lewis, Al Trahan, Cardini, Patricia Ellis, Al Siegel, plus others. Ea.ch name goes back to a grey hair on Martin Beck's head. For Barton, this is a first Variety date in several years, this most versatile' performer holding a four-year incumbency in •Tobacco Road,' from which he's, doubling into the Casa. t6 the vaude novitiates he's .a revelation;-a danc- ing, singing comic Jeeter Lester who they thought was strictly legit. Com- ments on. this were audible the first show (28). Ted Lewis, Cardini and Trahan were Palace regulars.. So was Siegel,; though he's more of an inner-trade name than publicly known. A Sven- gali of rhythm singers for years, Siegel brought Bee Palmer,V Ethel Merman and'Lillian Shade to the fore; now he's coaching arid accom- panying Patricia. Ellis (New Acts), film player .and blonde, beaiit. He's giving. her .the rhythril and she has the looks^'but her v6ice is only fair, and hardly robust enough for the Sleijelesqu.e. arrangements.. Opening show played to a near- capacity hdtise and, like- the usual Palace openers, was way overboard in running time and extraneous ma- terial.- Running two: hours arid 15 minutes! on Its debut layout can take at least a 30r inute slice to look and play better.. Lewis' orchestra Is playing boQi for the ' hoofing and - show^ the maestro himself acting as leader and m.c. for the entertainment, while his flrst-fiddler .takes over, for- the cus- tomer-prar.clng. It's the same old Lewis; same songs, same gestures, same ingratiating personality. But ai little too much at .this- catching. He can cut. down., Specialties with him, and serving as breaks between the outside-booked acts, are the Varsity Co-eds, fine harmony sextet; Loretta Lane, blonde and- excellent .hot- hoofer, Charles 'Snowball' Whittler and his uribilled femnie dance part- ner. Whittler doubles as Lewis' 'shadow' in a couple of bits. These can be trimmed. Another drawback at the opener, but probably soon corrected, was Lewis' failure to memorize the in- troes of the various acts. Reading 'em is a slower-upper, Maestrb's' opening standby, *Is Everybody Happy.' cue's the. orches- tra into 'Lock My Heart' and the heat goes on with the blonde tip-tapper. The colored Whittler follows for his flr.st bit with Lewis and then into .a brief -Llndv hop with his femnSc gartner. Was enough for this point, ut instead Lewis sends Whittler into a miriiicry encore of 'When My Baby Smiles at Me.' Okay, but should be held for a later spot Cardini's suave mariipulatton of cards and cigarettes iS'the layout's actual tee-off. As Iriioressive here as In theatres, though handicapped somewhat by the fact that the side patrons are slightly behind him and can see the, card-palmin.ij. It's the fault of the Casa Manana's long apron, though Cardini tries to over- come it by working as far back as po.<;sible. The apron nt the Casa, In fact, is a handicap for nearly every one of the acts. Detracts frorri the impression on those customers seated uo front. This is f-speolally noticeable with Tr?han. Miss Ellis and Robert Wild- hack (New Acts). All of 'em are using' the mikes at the tio of the apron, which extends into the centre of the house, with the result that a good man-v of the custoiners are get- ting strictly A back view. Spotting 'em further back would ease the situation, though the present con- struction of the sta.<?e prevents com- plete alleviation-of this difflci'lty. Trahan. who since his split with Yukona Cariieron, has been workin? with Sandra Lynde as the Ooeratic foil for his hbke, follows Cardini. iss Lynde, blonde, is cciually as tall and good-looking as; Miss Cameron, biit not .as adept in the roughouse or narito.- She gets b.v, hiwevr, and Tcahan is his Usual sOck with the falls and knockibdut Ci^medy at the oiano. It's a . throwback, to the pre-London Trahan; the veneer he before SICgel, cotn'es on :with the; pia'rib, sounds and looks like a one- girl beauty contest. She'fits the. part and gives the bill a load of .s.a., but was visibly nervous and shaking be- fore she finished with her first tturie at the opener. She regained com- posure .after this and found smooth sailing, her looks. and chassis :in a skin-tight govirn overcoming some of the voc.al anemia. Barton's entrance is fromi the drummer's spot for. a gag and he's running the gamut of his versatility. Opens with 'Alexander's Ragtime Band,' then into his classic 'iri&d-dog gag, one ot the topnotch iomedy bits .of aU time. He tried to bow off at this point but was forced into a hoofing'encore, nerve taps and soft- shoe. Four years of the Jeeter. Les- ter shuffle evidently haven't slowed him up.. ■ As expected.and callet for, he winds' up with 'Anriabelle Lee,' also closely identified with him for years. He's a . orie-man show, arid just: about cops everything in sight ■ In the 'afterpiece,' '.supposedly Rector's in 1916, Barton agam walks off with all the honors. < In this, the' entire layout is seated at tables and Miss Ellis opens with .an. impression of Bee Palmer, rather weak and evi- dently, few of the dut-fronters . isre hep to the Palmer-Siegel tieup. When Shelton Brooks, colored song- writer of 'Soriie of These Days' and 'Darktown Strutter's Ball' is brought on to play - and sing these tunes. Barton goes to toWri. with ■ an imita- tion of Joe Frisco's strut that's bet^ ter than., the origirial. He takes the house at this libint arid later every-' thing else when Harry Armstrong, .composer, stretches his 'Sweet Ade- line' to' the-'breaking. point Barton, clowning -behind Armstrong, who tirled, When caught to stir up. a sec- ond community sing, took the entire; play. It was a brush-off for Arm- strong, but pOssibly the; only Way they could have gotten him oft, Scho. LYRIC, INDPLS. Indianapolis, Aug.. 28. Horace .Heidt orcn (16), Lou, Bush, Trumpeteers, Art Caniey, Agnes & George, Larry Cotton; Boh McCoy, Alvino Rey, Three Kings, Glee Club; •Speed to Bum' f20(h;. Horace Heidt orchestra played house in April, 1936, and turned, in just a fair week. C^urrerit engage- ment indicates the theatrical eco- nomic situation is improving,, or. that Heidt has annexed a lot of popu- larity through his radio programs, for week is a cinch to set a new record for the house. At Show caught, standees were present throughout with customers moved into the pit on Sunday (28) and on to the stage, where chairs had been placed, to accommodate the over- flowing audience. Entire company, about 30, is present on stage throughout with IC band members. Orchestra opens with a novelty tune, 'Flea Outflew the Fly,' followed by the Three Kings, girl vocalists, doing 'A-t|sket.' Alvino Rey is a big winner with his amplified guitar rendition of 'St Loiils Blues.' Bob McCoy steps from •Glee Club to lower. bass 'Wagon Wheels' to nice mitt-slapping. Lou Bush Is given a spot at the piano on 'Stirdust.' with trumoeteers folbwing to score solidly On 'Parade^ of Wooden Soldiers.' Only perforhi- ers which could be considered .as acts are Agnes and George. Youth- ful big apple dancers. Heidt gets some' laughs by joining Agnes io .duplicate the foot feats of George. Art Carney' gives impressions of Lionel Barrymore, Fred Allen, Ned Sparks, arid Presiderit Roosevelt scoring particularly with the latter. Carne.y also does a female comcd.-y bit in 'O. Ma-Ma.' Band follo-ws with 'Laughing Bo.v Blues'and.'Hi Yp Sil- ver,' in which band menibers do a comedy drama 'built around the characters in the radio script. Finish with ' ' ilding of a Band.', in which Heidt pianos "Bells of.'St Marys,' and works up through the different sections in - the orchestra ■telling, their purpose in the ensemble. Three Kings work with Glee Clufe bri vocal choruses of several tunes; gathering around a mike without leaving the .bandstand. Biz sock at last show Friday (20). Kilcy. As a respite from newspapermen, though he's threatening .to. import guest columnists, Joe Laurie, Jr.i was. dratted froriv his Fire Island clam- diggirigs to dredge for laughs at the State. He's a healthy relief froin the ihk-slingers, in stage deportment and talent even if that serio-comedy abbut. the Island makes it look as though he's trying to get rid Of some; real estate. Laurie, putting on the dog iri white cap and cream suit, is m.c.'ing,,turn- ing in. a forte lob on the introes but not hypoing the audience to the ex- tent they'll expect too much. At night LauHe- is apt to. don tails, biit With a-'dark cap.. It's a jiew high in class for the perennial kid. Biit in spite.; Ot his .sartorial elegance, Lau-. rie's gags are clicking between each turn and in his own next-to-closing session. Back: in 1919 Laurie started talking about his girl friend, and thisl continues, though brought up tp 'date. Also, back in 1919, Laurie started bringing on phoney; parents^ this, later branched- oiit into his youiig- sters* and then the old-timers'; acts; but now he has cut down to strictly his Aunt Emmy (Emma - Francis).. Her fast buck.'n'. winging-arid turn- over boW-off contribute a smash finale for Laurie's, turn. Show s.urr.ounding Laurie is not as strong as has'been handed rsome of the columnists playmg the State, but the m.c.'s shbwmariship offsets, at least to sbme exterit, the dead: spots. Layout starts well via Carr. Bros, arid Betty, ,a comblnafibn dancing and- hoke acrobatic act Femme . hoofs: while the two boys.are on the: muscle side. Their hand-to-hand comedy is excellent but they have a topper in their straight tricks, not many, biit plenty socko. Bob Bromleyi recently at-the Rain- bow Room atop Radio City, holds the second trahie with one of those rari- ties, a real novelty; , Plus the origi- nality, there's also plerity of talent in Broriiley's manipulation of three pup- pets—slriger, colored hoofer and pi- anist—with' an offstage phonograph furnishing the sound effects. All .his dummies- catch quickly, but his top- per is the opening operatic star.- : He calls her Madame, and the'..way he handles her 'physical accoutrement makes the tag esoecially appropriate in a-55c house. This is really a new kind of puppet turn, and a fit for any type-of showpiece; Mary Raye and Naldi iare handi- capped by as drab a. background as could be given a ballroom team. That black eye smells of vaudeville Vay back; for that matter, Miss. Raye's sequiried gown is also reminiscent ol vaude as ft was instead of what It should be.- . On the .hoof,.-however, this pair click in four. routines—fast dancing of the semi-adaglo type, but gracefully so. On a cafe floor, they're tops. Also alumni of the Rainbow Room arid just closed at the Riviera, but due back after the State date. Somewhere and soriiehow Don Redman's orchestra loses its reefer effect; The colored crew isn't sus- taining the jitterburg tempo it's evi- dently strivinir very hard fbr, and without that lilt- it's strictly a cbrt- tinuous .blast on the eardrums. In a couple of instances the band seems nbbut to catch on. notably with 'Flat Foot Floogee' and 'I Let: a Song Go Out of My Heart,' but before the tunes are ended ^the swing dies in the weak arrangements. Two specialists are with Redman , for this engage- ment; Loiii.se McCarrell furnishes a couple of sweet vocal.interludes and Ford. Marshall and Janette, oliigged by Redman as ■ The Three- Maniacs, try to outshoiit the band; They're hoofers, but all they hold is a lot of noise.. Poor audience response at- tested to this at show caught State's biz this week will be only fair at best: the marquee hardly in- dicates anything better. S:lio, grins. Vocalizing, of which he does plenty, is: fair enough for a maestro. Lid comes off witb a straight one bv the band, then a pleasing novelty, "Two Old vets.' fteally off the regu- lation track and gives the footers good opporturiity to swing 'Dixie' and 'Yankee Dbodle.' Followed by dance duo of Pepplna and Camllle.. Pair are lookers and smooth per- formers. : Routines not complicated and neatly executed. After stand- ard number and -rhumba, encore with light airy bit full of kicks. It's good and should be loriger. Femme chirper with Harris' crew, Ruth Robin is cute arid pert and not without fairish pipes. : But, lacking above all, is Ihe spark that puts a number over. Does 'You Gci to My Head,' 'Music, Maestro, Please' and then a duo ' with Harris, 'Hbwz- aboiitit' Surprise ending and good. ' Ross Wyse, Jr., comic and eccentric terper, good but somewhat spotty in appeal. Works terrifically hard, tak- ing plenty of heavy spills and does swell trick hoofing. Humor , often doubtful, however. Stooged by Ruth Mann, who gets by nicely. Band winds up with 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,' Harris warbling, arid with a Negro ballad, 'Nobody,' accompanied by more nice vocalizing by the vander. Harris and Miss Robin close with dUo of one of the orchestra's originals; 'That's What I Like About the South.'. Herb. PALACE, CHICAGO Chicago, Aug. .27. Frnriccs Amis, Chaniy & Fox, Three Oxford Boys, Cass, Owen. & Topiy, Al Gordonh Dogs; 'carefree' (RKO). Not often that the Palace gets a good stage show, when a picture is on the screen that will draw them. Bill-this week, which remains for fortnight run of Astaire-Rbgers pic- ture, is well balanced and has arnpl^ comedy and variety; Frances Arms (New Acts) head- line^, and more thari does her bit to sustain bill. ' Al Gordon opens with a miscellaneolis collection of well- trained Comedy- canines. ;Repeats his Own gagS' too often but makes, up for it by having dogs do tricks away from ordinary irun of similar aCts. ' Oxford Boys, -in deucer, are back for their .second Chicago Uieatre ap- pearance. Unknown less, than ai year ago, boys have coriie a long way. With nothing" other than vocal organs and. one:, guitar, youngsteirs imitate theme songs of 'pop bands to: neiar perfection. Takeoffs include Busse, Kyser, Kemo. |Ieidt Kirig, McCoy and Royal Hawaiians. En- core with legit chorus of 'Dark Eyes' and go into orchestra accom- paniriient. Called back fbr several, bows when caught Cass, Owen and Topsy, one man and two girls in comedy acrobatics, waste ho time making, themselves highly entertai ing. Their slow mo- tion bit is-a pip. Chaney arid Fox, dance team, with unbilled piano accompaniment have to' bvercoine hurdles' before they catch on, name-, ly. Miss Arms. C)pen with minuet which they do charmingly. Pianist solos while cOuple make change, singing Cuban love lyric. Moves over to mike to m.c. team's next number in which- she . describes dances as they executle them. Chaney and Fox are the current White House faves, playing 'com- mand' perforrriances. several times a year for the Rboseyelts. Hoi. HIPPODROME, A. C. (MILLION DOLLAR PIER) Atlantic City, Aug. 28. House line, Harry Rose, The Whirlos, Fi^l D'Orsay, Smith, Rog- ers & White. EARLE, PHILLY Philadelphia, Aug. 26. Plvil Harris Orch, Ross Wyse jr. & Rttlh Mnnii, Ruth Robin, Pieppino A eamille, Lou Schroder house orch; 'Keep Smiling' (20t)(), Show at opening sesh was toosiiort in. time and, too short in talent. At- tempt was made at later shows to toss in a few more numbers by Phil Harris', orchestra, already w.i t h plenty to do; but this is hardly a solution. There's a weeping demand for another good act to briug the time up from. 49 minutes to risarer the regulation' 60 and to more s-3lid entertainment. Biz. however, good when caught aV opener. Harris' 14 - piece combo Is satis- factory both on st..ndard swing ren- ditions and novelties, ot which it has a fair collection. Stick-swisher, himself, Is a good and exoeriericed Showman., extracting every thin.? pos- sible out of the whole business, which' he.m.c's in.cleir, straight- forward manner, tossing in lust enough hoke to make things -amiabje. Hi.s personality, iiowever, is one of .those that riia.-y or. may not appeal, according to the individiial; He's a teelh-tosser In oversize personality 'Million Dollar Laugh. Parade' is the first departure of the season from the Hamid style of family vaudeville presented here all sea- sori. Show will be the longest run of the season, if present plans call- ing for a Labor Da.v weekend hold- over go through. Straight-act show returns after the holiday. Harry Rose, making his first ap- pearance here in .some time, m.c.'s the Show and is given a big buildiip by the line. Gae Foster girls open with a 'Girl in Bonnet of Blue' number, which goes over effectively. Rose, following the flash, has plenty tough going but wirids up strong, A fast novelty skating act the Whirling Whirlos, hit the second spot and ,click with rapid-fire de- livery,, including a pants-off laugh- getter. The Foster girls then put on a clicker^an organdy evening dress routine. Serves to introduce Fin D'Orsay, whose act was too long at the opener. However, reported that it was later cut. She gets her top laughs in a skit with Rose. 'You can Never Say No On a Tropi- cal Night' sung with some success. She. also gets over a. couple of good French numbers. The Foster :glrls go to the golf club for their next routine to bring In Smith. Rogers and Eddie, who get by. They go through a fast rou- tine of knockdown; drag-out stuff. Girl is a 'nifty and shows she can tap plenty. ' Rose takes the ace spot for his own act and by this .time has the audience warmed uo. His talking ooeratic number clicks. The Foster girls close with a London Walk number. STRAND, N. Y. Ben Bemie Orch (16) with CoL Manny Prager, Bobby Gibson; Bettu Bruce, Art Frank, Harris & Shore Sara -Anri; McCabe, 8 Ladies in Blue' 'BoV Meets.Girl' (WB). rewiewed i* this issue. If opening day's business on Fri* day (26) of the Broadway Strand's new bandshow policy is any cri^ terion, it will mean plenty of op- position, to the Paramount and niiist inevitably force Loew-Metro's de- luxer, the . Capitol, back into some sort of presentation policy, band- vaude or something else. Ben Ber- nie, with his new band, did five shows opehing day, maintained al-. most, tiirnaway tempo all day and- with 'Boy Meets Girl' (WB) on screen, augtirs a strong first week. He's in for- two weeks, idea- being fortnightly changes on an. average, unless the b.o. is. abnormal either way. Since comparison with, the Para- mount is inevitable, first it must be mentioned; that the rising-pit idea is the same. That, means no fiUl. stage crew and is a managerial exigency for economy. House Was refur- bished for a couple of. days, the Strand going dark. until reopening with the bandyaude idea; The band shows here are an elabo- ration on the Par in that it's more nearly- vaudeville than picture house presentation in. idea. The. Par plays a couple or three acts; there are five units here, not count- ing Col. Manny Prageir arid; Bobby Gibson, featured witn Bernie's lads. The Strand, sartbrially. On the other hand, must take'; a cue from the Par, which presents a more at- tractive rostrum than does the WB. house,: although that's a nicety which future polishing, should take care of. Berrile could well go. under New Acts save for his standard style of fiddle-funstering. The 16 new lads with the ole riiaestro have been obviously , picked for adolescent value. Manny Prager is the lone holdover from Bernie's formeif combo,-and the 'Col..' is no a.k., nor, for .that matter, is the ole maestro, despite his benevolent billing. But palpably, the boys are potential killer-dillers, and while .Bernle doesn't go out of this world, he has a -virtuoso oh those traps who's in the ;Krupa class, arid, what's more, rate's individual billing. -The drurii- mer is -giv^n showniarily attention, in. the. numbers, so Berriie seem> ingly hasn't overlooked any show- manship values. . Combo , includes five brasses, five reeds, two pianos and the usual accoutrement. Of the sub-acts, Betty Briice does rhumba taps - In bltierspangled Eleariorpowellesque slacks. She clicks on the rostrum, as she has in niteries. Bernie engages in: a little by-play wherein he mildly ribs the Ed Sullivan /penchant for having ' 'discovered'' everybody thli side of Santa Barbara, and the top- per. Of course, is that. Miss Briice admits that the N. Y. NeWs' columnr ist. columbused her. "The -columnar foi-de-rol is inevitable, in view of the Bernie-Wlnchell publicity.' "The ole maestro makes his own cracks .about the Mirror's scrivener, -which register for nice returns. Art Frarik's standard A.K playboy is a standout and his satire on pres- ent-day pop song lyrics makes, fojr some nice chatter in between the eccentric hoofology. Norman Harris and Sylvia Shore, last at the Riviera, are iri the pres- ent-day cycle of hokumlzing the ballroom teams, such as The Hart- irians. Pierce and Harris, et 91. They're an engaging pair, although some of the satirical mannerisms are strongly Hertriiariesque. Sara Arin McCabe is a looker who swingsings the operatlcs. Gets over nicely if not socko. 'Says My Heart is her opener: thence the swingoed coloratura. The 8 Ladies in Blue are chiefly a stage wait dressing the left side of the rostrum and joining in a couple of chpral bits once with Miss Mc(i;nbe and again with Bernie s ex-CBS singing usher, Gibson, who discloses a nice baritone. Bernie's band routine, iri between, Is as effective as his veteran show- manship would suggest. He mixes 'em up nicel.v. gags the announce- ments effectively,, ner usual;, gives out with an prudite bulldub and then delivers, 'Flat Foot Floogee' and the like. His small talk isn't out of the trunk., and his nostalgic ballyhoo for the vaudeville that was fetches a hearty and sincere sailvb th.it au»- gurs anew a rekindled public in- terest in flesh. True, these manifes- tations have bsen evidenced from time to time'Of late, without much eventuating, but maybe these rum- blings will materialize in something concrete after a while. Bcrme urges them .to make the Strand their hancont; h?ve vour mall sent here.' he adds; and the screen tran.?r is even more Invitatlonnl to the li'* terbuRs by- sloganing 'dance In aisles,' as oart of the heroUi for 07'ie Nelson.; next Incoming ojno. FrOm the Warners' viewpoint, tne public, which had been voicing opinions .that WB sends its best^ pic- tures to the Music Hall, shouldre- vprt bick to the Strarid's boxoffice. with the handshoWs as lure, ana .brovldinR. of coiirsp. that the P^"' "ct maintains p "fair, fverarc. Par has certainly made it b.o. lor two solid, years with the same policy. Aoeu