Variety (Sep 1938)

Wednesday September 7, 1938 VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS 47 STANLEY, PITT Pittsburgh, Sept, 4. . Tony Martin Orch (10) with Lola Jensen, Beau Lee, Sylvia & Clem- Jrtce Britt Wood; 'Four's o Crowd' (WB). ' crow's all Tony Martin .and stands or falls with • him. Currently it stands because Hollywood lad de- livers While no bona fide socko in the flesh, palpitating lemmes virtual- ly make him that here. Put a name- less batoneer in front of the medi- ocre 10-piece band Martin, batons, keep the supporting bill intact, arid the ushers would need alarm clocks to get thercustomers out. Martin has a nice, easy manner that cornea across the ■ footlights, much better than it does in cellu- loid; he lofts his ballads but at 'era. with loads of the old s.a. and the "dames cry for It. J -. Martin's stick is only for looks; he has another fellow in the crew di- recting when the acts are strutting. Gives the impression .'anyway .that he knows something about batoning even though his vocalizing and rri.c.- ing would be sufficient. Handles him' self expertly in both departments. Martin's carrying a femme vocal 1st, cute-looking Lola Jensen, Par stock actress, who makes up in de- livery what she lacks in pipes. Make up and garb bad at opening appear ance-but when she returns for the ' finale in long skirt for bit of hulaing, she's really a looker, hidden earlier behind shadowy facial applications and a short dress. Sings three num- bers, clicking best with the inevitable •A-Tisket A-Tasket.* A few mo- ments also allotted to the .drummer, Beau Lee; for some comedy song im- pressions. . Not too good, however; ' his I itations being in need of plenty of polish. • Only two outside turns on .the bill. First is femme knockabout dance team Of Sylvia and Clemehce, fairly cute, who will have a pretty com- pact routine.once it's scissored. They wear out the welcome they earn with their early stuff.' Some of their ma- terial is in , slightly bad taste, but never too emphatic, although con- stant repetition grows more tiresome thati unsavory; Next-to-closing, is ■vet harmonica player, Britt Wood, interspersing the mouth-organ trick- ery with his usual supply of corny cracker-barrel stories. ' Wood's still a satisfactory filler but he's being passed by in the growing parade. of younger harmonica whizzes. . For. his finale Martin goes into a South Seas semi-production, precede ing this with a nicely-developed medley, tracing'his film career via snatches of songs he's done on the air. and the: screen, . Dave Broudy's orchestra in the pit ..for an abbreviated overture on ac- count of length of bill. Biz terrific. Cohen. Embassy Newsreel,. N. Y. NeWsreel's are offering aid to other forms of advertising, which are be- ing employed'in . the present better- business drive- of the fllni industry. Inaugurating this newsreel activity, Pathe offers RKO's Ned Depinet in a precise, dignified closeup of the purposes of the campaign. 'Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertain- ment.' Fred Astaire, Norma Shearer, for- mer New York Mayor James J. Walker, and Ed Sullivan, Hollywood columnist, are. a few of those ; glimpsed in Movietone's entertaining clip on the Harvest Moon Ball, staged by. the New York Daily News. Juvenile boxers provide some laughs. Lew Lehr talks back at a leopard cub for a hearty midriff tickle; and up-to-date ■ domestic and foreign flashes cover a wide and in- teresting range. Paramount gives you some of the Srincipals in the James Hines trial, ut not Hines himself..' Stark horr rors of the Jap air bombing of Han- kow are by Pathe and Par.,. Movie- tone has the inside on German stuff, providing clear-cut shots of Hitler's tete-a-tete with Admiral Horthy, at Kiel, while the German navy steams past. Also, King Leopold, of Bel- gium, reviewing his troops. All of Which are intended to bring home the proximity of another war. From San Pedro. Metrotone re- calls the Panay bombing as Lt. An- ders, hero of that incident, is shown being decorated in front of his U. S. Navy comrades, in full dress. This jibes with the Hankow stuff. Movie- tone leads with sports material, giv- ing you. Patty Berg on golf, Ford- ham football practice, and a woman crack shot. A race by husbands to 'put out the cat' by Metrotone is"funny, and lat- ter also has an advance-season plug on Miami. Universal, is'exceedingly brash in advertising a model's agency: California - item, by Movietone, has the girls in California now wearing toe .jewelry. Among the outdoor stuff that's in- teresting is some salmon catching matetial by Universal. Paramount gives you ;a closeup of the Lind- berghs in Poland and offers.the info that maybe Col. Lindbersh' is work ing secretly on a hew Washington pursuit plane, which Jacqueline Coohran (Mrs. Floyd Odium) will pilot In the Bendix race for women. Miss Cochrane makes a pretty, pic- ture.: Reels of the hew French flying boat, which recently arrived here from the Azores, are interesting, too. Shan. HIPP, BALTO ■: Baltimore, Sept. 4, Tomviy Tucker Orch;, Eddie White, The Voices Three, Amy Arnell, Jack Lenny & Statler Twins, Evelyn Wilson,' Don Cumrhinos; 'Carefree' (RKQ). ' " Tommy Tucker's orchestra, with Eddie White as m.c„ and several standard. acts combine to knock'out a. pleasing 45. • minutes'• of variety. Tucker, ■ with something of a radio name, has. assembled a workmanlike crew. ; Opens nicely with Well-arranged medley, followed by 'Butcher Boy,' with the Voices. Three' stepping down for a vocal,-assisted by Amy Arnell, band's femme- chirper,, and. okay'. . White, back here for steenth time! is welt received, taking hold -with some new gags. Brings on Jack Lenny and Statler Twins for legiti- mate 'hoofing, pleasingly sold. 'ArTisket' by band -next, not very startling * in -'; arrangement '• but an audience pleaser, and a good spot setter tor Evelyn Wilson, whose im- pression of a femme barfly gets a bundle of laughs and a begoff. White follows with good talk and a brace of comic parodies, sold to the hilt. Two more numbers by band, 'I've Got : a Guy' and 'Jitterbug,' nicely" contrasted; with clever handling of. vocals' by Voices .Three and Miss Arnell in the first, and musicianly treatment, by the entire orchestra in the second, send Tucker's outfit over strongly and precede Don Cummings in the closing slot. ... In tails and using some effective chatter while skillfully manipulating his ropes, Cummings is solid spot and audience likes him. Finale by band, Tiger Rag,' off the cob and a bit of a letdown;- Biz okay; Burm. Blake, who extracts comedy from'his trombone;- Ease With which he hits high Cs win him a well-justified hand. Next came the corpulent': Buddy Welcome,, whose comedy chatter is drawn Out, but who scores emphatically, With- the support of the orchestra, in . his 'Posin'' war- bling.- / Show's first major'hit, however, Is provided by Bud Bromley with his unusual puppet act. Ease and non- chalance with which he -manip- ulates his. three-string characters, and his veritriloquistic skill make Bromley stand out in any show. Al- though his act rah rather long at. the opener, the crowd- out front was still asking for more when he fin- ished. Jerry . Perkins, recent acquisition of the Hallett outfit, displays a pleas- ant personality and a nice tenor, in 'A Little Dutch Kindergarten' and 'I Married an Angel.* Joe Cabanero, bass fiddler., has the audience with him from. the start as he renders 'Nola' and 'O Sole Band's climactic numbor is de- scribed by Hallett as 'Xmas Night in Harlem,' In which the'lighting efr fects are particularly noteworthy. Miss Bard' solos 'Underneath a Har- lem Moon' as the finale of the num. ber. Dario and Diane, .'given second billing to Hallett i the ads, didn't apnear at the afternoon show caught. Fox orchestra registers strongly with Its overture, of George Ge'rsh win numbers.- Waters. STATE-LAKE, CHI Chicago, Sept.. 4. Ban fields, Soul Grauman & Co., Roscoe Ates, Cerrillo Bros., Nick Lucas, house line; 'Fast Company' (M-G). Show, tries hard enough currently, but the audience doesn't care. Open- ing and closing turns on the bill are the . only items which save the bill's face, while the other acts need apologies. ' Banflelds, formerly known as Alexander Bros, and Evelyn, are now a two-act, doing ball-bouncing jugr gling. It's an. old-fashioned type of turn but: gets by anyway. Couple make a fine appearance and deliver earnestly. A.novelty that can play almost anywhere. Closing is Nick Lucas, who - has added a couple' of new songs, but who, basically, continues with his standard warbling, including the comedy plant who keeps requesting 'Side by Side.' Old stuff but still solid. If Saul rauman keeps .adding to his act he's going to find himself with a unit on his hands. Starting from scratch with his musical stairs prop, he has embellished it with tap dancers, ;a duelling dance routine, a femme. canary, who doubles on the hoofing, and himself as. an' over-enr thusiastie m.c. It shapes up as plenty of running around and winds up pretty much of a jumble. Roscoe Ates hasn't any act but is getting by oh his comedy and stut- tering. He has a tough time con- vincing 'em that, he's doing comedy. Girl he has with him is fine, having, excellent diction and good showman- ship; However, her costumes are disappointing. There used to be three Cerrillo Bros., but now there are two and they are in need of material. They work hard but fail to make grade. Comedy attempts are pretty sad< too. Business lair last show Friday (2). Gold. FOX, PHILLY New Acts CHANEY AND FOX With Camille DeMontes Dance Team 12 Mlns.; Full Palace, Chicago Always an outstanding dance team in vaudeville, the act is again show- ing its ability to keep abreast of the times by coming through with a fresh and bright set of r6utines~that will fully satisfy. The acme of grace and taste Chaney and: Fox open with a waltz number that is an eye-filler, being extremely well-planned both in musical accompaniment and in exe cution. Finish with a series of whirl wind ins that is surefire. Follow- ing this standard stuff* the : team re turns with a melange of modern steps,that fits in with the tempo of present-day likes. Under the. label of 'a dance lesson,' it's a neat medley of tru'ekin,' the scrbnotch, Susi-Q, tango, rhumba; shag and wind up with the .newest, the Lambeth Walk. Just enough of each step to get the meat out of if, and then go on into the next bit. of 'instruction.': It's a nifty variety trick and Will score with audiences anywhere. In between the two dance sessions there Camille DeMontes plays the piano and warbles; She comes through with a:.Mexican flower song that has plenty of novelty, and mel- ody, and then winds up the number by tossing flowers among, this audi- ence. She does well. In all, -a smart, up-to-the-minute act that will make good solidly With any audience. - Gold. MAURICE and BETTY WHALEN Dancing, Acrobatics 8 Mins. Astor Roof, N. Y. Maurice and Betty Whalen, youth ful brother-ahd-sister combination are from Minneapolis; They ,were at Leon & Eddie's for a couple of weeks, but -were, unbilled there and are given more of a major opportunity on the Astor Roof as a spot act. Team has a crack act. routine of which in- cludes a ballroom waltz and. ari ada- gio. It will do well in the east or elsewhere, and fits for floors as well as theatres: It is the adagio principally which makes the Whalcns a smart little act, More acrobatic basically than most, it is distinguished by unusually fine form as well as by grace, plus the roied with "which, it is executed. While Maurice Whalen, a rather smallish lad, handles his partner in a very competent manner, it is the sister whose acrobatic noses ; and po- sitions stand out sharply. The waltz, up ahead, is prettily done and serves as a nice curtain- raiser for the adagio. No; doubt the Whalcns were originally schooled in acrobatics. Char. Nitery Reviews RIVIERA (FORT LEE, . Eddie Garr, Gr-acie Barrie,. Mary Raye and' Natdi, Enric Madriguer.a Orch, Vincent Pirro Orch. Ben Marden's cliff-top rendezvous on the Hudson,, -changing shows every two weeks until closing, plans to/ end' its : season' Oct 19.. It got an unfortunate start this summer with a rainy July and, toward the end of August, ran into cool Weather. - Current show is a bit less preten- tious'and less costly thati others in front of it. Eddie Garr, mimic, who isn't performing, as effectively here as he has on other occasions, and Gracie Barrie, singer, are heading the - small lineups It -may be that Garr appears to better advantage in theatre?; being at - closer ' range to many, of his customers here. Most of his chatter is;satisfactory, and im- personations stand up satisfactorily, though not so socko as he has made- them 6n prior 'occasion's..- His fight announcement, as Roy Aiwell would do it, is tops in his. repertoire. Jimmy Durante also very good, but W. C. Fields, with, the same hose as for Durante, is of lesser importance. In addition to his regular, sli , Which closes, Garr m: c.'s, bringing on Miss Barrie first. Song stylist; is attractive, modest type, who per- forms without any exaggerated flash,: and is doing four numbers. Routine is varied. and includes 'A-Tisket-A- Tasket,' 'You Go to My Head,'.'Alex- ander,' and 'Weekend of Private Sec- retary.' Miss Barrie is doing .a - not- so-effective . arrangement of 'Alex- ander.' which in its new swing form; as prepared for;.- 'Ragtime Band' (20th), couldn't easily De improved upon, if at all. Mary Raye and Naldl, exotic danc- ers, who have, come lip fast and last week played Loew's State on Broad- way, have been brought back. They're a very smooth, ultra modern team, with rich performance and poise in- cluding them with the topnotchers. Enric. Madriguera's band con- tinued, with its smooth dansapation, relieved by'Vincent Pirro, with his accordian arid orchestra. Both out- fits carry-soloists. Char. prohi ittori era, and he's more at home than ever In the intimate sur- roundings ,of the Hi-Hat. \He has a tremendous following in town, and the Falkenstoin boys have to dust off the SRO sign early. Spot has increased its seating capacity to 300. Other 'than Lewis, this northside, eatery has little to -recommend It- <■ The line,, five Pal-Mar girls, open with a. Park avenue fantasy. Gals, all lookers,' have booh together for ■about four years and, have a largo stock of routines and work well together.. Jeahe Walker, tapstress. is okay, in the : deucer. Could . use better choice of music though. Terry Lawler,. throaty: swlngstress. sizzles latest pops well and with deep fervor. Lewis follows , with a parody :pn Miss Lawler's rendition of 'Weekend of Private Secretary.' Some of his others include 'Lady Is a Tramp' and 'Who- Are the Brothers Ash- kenazi?' all socko. . Also has a grand takeoff on contemporary nitery stars in 'Genius.' He makes his getort with his bid standby, "Scm, you made the pents too long.' Pal-Mar girls close with a mixture, of acrobatics, tans and strut iii a jockey routine. Sid Lange's orches- tra-has been at the spot for some time; Six-piece combo pleases for dansapation and show. Loop. Philadelphia, Sept. 4. Mai Halletl's Ofch with Lola Bard. Charlie Blake, Buddy Welcome. Bud . Bromley, Jerry Perkins, Joe Caba- VINCE and ANITA nero. House Orch; 'My Lucky Star' (20th). VILLAGE BARN, N. Y. Walter Donahue; Mitchell Ayres Orch, Mart/ann Mercer, Theodore & Denesha,. Zeb Carver's Hillbillies, Fordham Colleglates. Now a Greenwich Village institu- tion as 'New York's only country nite club,' the Village Barn has been a consistent- clicker with a'canny variety show to a bargain scale. The constant radio plugging by its sun- dry bands has been another factor, the management disbursing $164, at the rate of $3 a man, for its : multiple broadcasts over. WOR .and the Mu- tual network. Show is brightly paced by Walter Donahue,' a ringer for his late danc- ing brother-star, Jack 'Donahue; Former looks now as Ziegfeld's No. 1 hoofer looked in the heyday of his career. He affects the same terp style and. has the same engaging front, which should carry hirh far. Mitchell Ayres band, from the Hollywood, gives out. with' the dance rhythms and okay, tob. : Maryann Mercer; from the band, does a solo specialty during the show. Theodore and Denesha, last at the Rainbow Grill, are ; as ever,- satisfactory ball- roomblogists. Zeb Carver's Country -Cousifis are a hillbilly quintet from the Bronx and Brooklyn that seem- ingly go with the lease. Combo has been here for seven years, off and on. As Meyer Horowitv owner of the Village Barn puts it, 'The Jcves and the Italians make the best hill- billies; the real McCoy doesn't seem to have the necessary floorshowman- ship and stage presence.' For all their Ozark misfit; getups, the boys have staple salesmanship, and enter- tainment substance to their stuff. Hotel Walton Roof (PHILLY) '. Philadelphia, Sept. 2. Jeho Donath Orch, Vincent-Rizi Orch, Violet Love, Crawford. & Cas- key, : Paul Itosini.- Gil Lamb with Tommy Sanford, Jimmy Blake, Rosa AfcLean, line (6). Heaviest nitejry bill In Philadel- phia, particularly during the current mercury spree, show here runs above an hour, and 40 minutes but keeps full .steam ahead nearly, all the way. Innovation here is the-.overture Joe Lynch -regularly provides before each show, played by 19-piece or- chestra batoned by Jeno - Donath, former, podiumist at the Fox theatre , here. Crew for this bit-is made up of Dohath's own 11-piece hoof-muslc combo; Vincent Rizzo's four-man. rhumba band, which alternates with Donath's outfit in the main room; Paul Neff's three-piece squad, re- cruited from the cocktail room and Agnes Tolle, who regularly harps the lull music. Overture,' when caught,, was pleasantly light arrangement of Viennese' waltzes. ,c. is Ross McLean, no Apollo, but clear and straight with his in- troes and baritonlng. Does 'Stout Hearted Men," 'I Love You Truly,' 'Song in- the Air' and encores 'All Ali\ 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling* and 'Home on the Range.' Franklyn . Crawford and Joe Gaskey, terp duo, follow; - Pair are both nifty lookers, femme particularly , striking. Offer- usual hoofolbgy, with a touch of adagio, in smooth, graceful style, and then two swell novelties; First is a Ginger Bogers-Fred Astaire -takeoff with, masks and, second, a magic number, in which they change colors of kerchiefs and wind up with the still-mystifying bit of. tearing up a newspaper, rolling it together and finding, ft whole once more. , Violet Love, chirper, cxhibs plenty of what it takes in.'Every Day's a Holiday,' 'Private Secretary' and 'Music, Maestro, Please.'. Swell look- ing. - Her voice is nasal and metallic but good choice of numbers .and clever arranging more than compen- sate. Weak point, if any, in the show is.the line.of six gals. Gams get .by, but figures: and phizes gener- ally second rate.. Production weak throughout. Beach umber cute and. although rials h.ive only two lines each to deliver, all the gab is muffed. Rosini, magi, is very good. Swift manipulator, he's extra strong on cards. Bafflers include uncanny mind-reading when he asks someone in the aud to 'Think of a Card,' and then pulls it out of the pack. Also does i rope-cutting and produces chicks from under cups; In filial spot , is Gil Lamb, comic terpcr, aided by Tommy Sanford, harmonica-nViffer. I-.*mb is built and After a hiatus of a year and a half/ the Fox has returned to its old stage-show policy. First one. caught Friday (2) was enthusiastically re- ceived by a. good house. Mai Haletfs 'double rhythm" or- chestra holds the spotlight through- out. Suave and agreeable person-. ality of Hallett soeiris to click neatly with Fox's more or less conservative of the Dancing: 9 Mlns. Boulevard Tavern, Elmliurst, . . Boy and girl 'lean?-of hoofers, billed as 'the fastest'steppers; in'the world,' have plenty of speed and enough showmanship to. get by with mod- crate success. The;; taps arc fast- clicking but. could be sold more ef- fectively a little slower with more eye-filling .steps. i'nging, for in- stance, even at the sacrifice -of some .speed, would have garnered heavier applause, although ■• the duo clicks Combo is. said to be a very much in-demahd unit for club dates. Rounding out is a sextet of big j hoofs in sinvlar fwhion to Hay Bol aoplers,. in typical sharpie getups. »cr. Comedy cu-lly ''ood. narticu- Th'e b.a. is still potent here and for a i iarly in' his mit^'Tv of nosipi'sleger- finale Ihcy dolt their shoes and ' domain, wilh'a deck of curds: Sanford stockings and go into the peelin'-, exhibs lechr'"uc on'a dozen mouth the-peach routine A feature of the bucolic folrde-rol at this no-couvert ■ spot. are the ■ square dances, musical" chairs, po- j tato games', live-turtle jaces and other homes okum. Abel. that clientele, although some . , . show's, 'ingredients would probably ; satisfactorily, recister more heav.lv with the jit- irl docs a solo acrobatic iei-hiiB f ms of the Earle. > opens with a walk across on hands. Band o en the p.oce'cdings with legs in a split, and continues w,lh ils w"cll-known 'Tiger Rag,' which , chest rolls and a body twist or two hits "the bill)'* eve solidly: First per-/; for r.oulinc. material; Climax is a ' former ■ introduced by .Hallett is- leap to floor in a split-.Boys spc- to^oscow route by I ^/war^M ciaTtyi, a rope^um ingclo: a\iauon sum incniHw , njc<5 ,- y - wUK - hcr . ^j.. 'Bctwccn-the ...tempo. Host of aviation stuff Maior Sovcrsky leaving Flovd Ben- nett Field. N. Y.. and arriving in Burbank, Cal., with hi army I at rapid , •Between the . . Devil and' thc Dcep:Blue Scar | Both Next ipecialty is that of Charlie ,-smoothly together. HI-HAT, CHICAGO Chwmjit. S';pl. 3. Joe E. Lewis, Terra Lnvldr, Jva,ir Walker, Line <3). -Sid Lumje Orch. ith a nev/- iddln initial and a lot of Hollywood pilish. Joe E. Lewis returns to his own bailiwick with fresh'.material-and tin; same old- Lewis personality to wham it across. Hp's still the excellent perf/ir er Who earned the title of 'Clown Prince of Night Clubs' durlna the brr'aas and 1'-—' ''eu; Off,a swell bit with Lamb, Lnlt'.T apparently swal- lows a tiny harmonica and plays it by. pressing his stomach. Herb, Yates Repping CRA Charles Yates represent all OoiD.nlidylcd It'i'li Artist's' bands for thb.'itrK bookings. N. Y. vaudc agent will not giv;; up his present, office, but. will work from thorc as exclusive theatre rep for CT(A. Theatre dates were formerly han- dled by the ills Artists office for CKA. Yates takL-ovpr makes final M.vcrancc of C'llA-Mitis lie, which has been dissolving piecemeal for p.-i' t yrar.