Variety (Sep 1938)

VARIETY VAUDE—BURLESQUE—NITE CLUBS Wednesday, September 21, 1938 Burlesque Reviews GAIETY, N. Y. Georgia Sothern, Babe Davis, Ginger Britton, Helen Troy, Ah Ling Foo, Rags Ragland, Phil Silvers, chorus (10). Having transplanted Georgia Sothern and Babe Davis to this house from the nearby Eltinge, Herk-Minsky combine has added needed punch to its flesh flashes, and in Phil Silvers and Rags Rag- land they are also housing much stronger comedy. Both the punch and comedy were very much absent when house was last caught Biz improving. , ,. t . Miss Davis is easily most artistic peeler on the show. Why she isn't on later is hardly credit to producer since girl combines dancing ability with her smartly paced disrobing, in addition to having a moderate singing -voice. Does a mild, educated bump along with her other tricks, which include a quick change to transparent veil. Miss Sothern, on last, is still knocking herself out with her rough, tenderloin version of peelin'. How- ever, she manages to hold Gaiety audiences. Lesser nude incidents are fur nished by Ginger Britton. blonde, ■who indulges in swingy dance with her fast unfastening, and Helen Troy, glamour school type, -who of- fers a smooth, if uninspiring, peel, which is greatly aided by her height and looks. Management keeps 'em all under wraps; a quick peek and no encore. Production for most part is Gaiety's usual, slightly better than most houses. Costuming and props all look dean and new and include some little thought, which i$ more than can be said for the trite dances of the line. Statue contingent (five) in tableaux and for walkons are even less animate. By way of production, Ah Ling Foo, Chinese coocher. is presentee in. a three-stage setting. In the 'Dance of the Wine Goddess/ dressed only by plain drape setting, she does a hybrid wiggle and Polynesian --t'ance; 'Wine Goddess' is rung in "through girl osculating a cluster of prtificial grapes, which she speedily droos again to continue indefinable contortions. Does much of dancing -with her arms, being rather badly equipped in gam division and most of action coming from above hips Best, though questionable, produc- tion number is last, when all girls ?re decked in white and silver, with 'Serenade to a Star' the theme. Miss .Britton apoears again as a bubble dancer with big balloon but im- presses as little more than a minia- ture Atlas. Silvers has "better comedy lines than Ragland, though latter shapes up well. Bert Grant and Russell Trent help in the sketches. Chet Atland, -one of the better looking burley singing males and easily one of the better voiced, more than holds down his end. Sid Ausley, tap dancer, is in twice for relief. Hurl. interlude. Elaborate fan number by Mimi Reed and line next. Carney takes hold of his stew specialty and bangs it over along 'with his strong hoofing and knockabout. Makes hard spot to follow but film-making bit by Lamont, Barry and Miss' Brooks keeps customers laughing. Miss Jones in featured spot puts over strong peel. Finale, with line and Miss Reed on moving platforms, is sock Bum. RIALTO, CHICAGO PHILLY DAILIES HIT FOR HIKING CAFE ADS Chicago, Sept. 17. Kenny Brenna, Charles Country, Billy Reed, George Lewis, Joe Coyle, Jack Buckley, June St. Clair, Renee,. Leona Lewis, Dorothy Wahl One of the finest burlesque the- atres in the country is operated here by N. S. Barger, with the custom- ers being treated to more produc- tion, people and actual entertain- ment than in many vaude houses. Only the strippers is evidence that this is a burlesque house but, de- spite this, a large percentage of women regularly attend the theatre. Since Barger restricts the dialog here, too, he has developed a strong femme audience. Barker's theatre is now tied in -with five others in a mutual bur- lesque chain in the midwest, each house producing a road unit for rotation among the members. Fred Clark is handling show pro- duction for Barger and has done a good job. He has plenty to work with on the comedy end with Kenny Brenna. Charles Country, 0 Billy Reed, George Lewis. Joe Coyle and Jack Buckley, Buckley is an out- standing semi-straight, handling lines and situations for surefire re- sults. Brenna and Country ' are standard in this house and seldom fail, with former indicating plenty of future in other fields. Reed is a newconier to this house and smack- eroo, cleaning up with a rhythm- drum routine a la Jack Powell. He winds up on dishes, smashing them to bits. Great stuff whether in bur- ley or variety. On the stripping end there are June St. Clair for headlining. Renee, Leona Lewis, Dorothy Wahl. Renee is a redhead with plenty of s.a. while Miss Lewis goes in for bumps. None lacks avoirdupois. Biz good. Gold. Philadelphia, Sept. 20.' Blistering protest on what he termed 'indiscriminate rate increases' on nitery advertising was lodged with ad managers of Philadelphia papers this week by Art Padula, prez of the Philly Restaurant Assn. Sheets recently differentiated be- tween night club and restaurant ad- vertising, jumping rates on the for- mer, as high as 75% in some cases. Principal tilt was on the Inquirer, where 34c to 36c.-a-line charge was upped to 55c. Record pushed its line rate from 34c. to 45c. Padula, who operates two niteries here, the Arcadia-International and the Anchorage, declared the action of the papers was practically 'an in- vitation to get out.' GAYETY, BALTO Baltimore, Sept. 17. Bob Carney Johnny Barry, Jack Lamont, Billy Crooks, Evelyn Brooks, Mimi Reed, Carney Turi7is, Doris Weston. Virginia Jones, Line (W. Opening is 34th consecutive sea- son the Gayety, under Hon Nickels, Is currently tied in with Izzy Hirst's wheel and making a strong play for femme trade. Utilizing a permanent lineup of six showgirls, Nickels has Gus Flaig'vet producer, on hand to bolster production. Strippers are billed here as 'beauty flashes,' while comedy permits some spice, though it's carefuly watched for 4 objection- able material. Biz'opening show a sellout, Bob Carney has a strong layout. With considerable background as a comic in other fields of show biz, he lias a sense of showmanship. Princi- pals include Johnny Barry, boob comic; Jack Lamont, straight; Billy Crooks, singing juve; Evelyn Brooks, 6peaking parts; Mimi Reed, aero dancer; Carney twins, kid hoofers; Doris Weston, stripper, and Virginia Jones, featured peeler. Nicely trained line of 16 rounds out the works. Show opens with line backing up vocal of 'You'll Be Reminded of Me' by Crooks. Carney then gags in in- timate style and brings on Carney Twins, announced as his own, for a punchy 'Flat Foot Floogee,' with lihe in effective support. A. pick-up bit "by Barry and Lamont follows, earning a goodly portion of laughs. Parade number next introduces Mimi Reed in aero ballet, nicely pro- duced and an applause-getter," The twins return for well-.sold hoofing and set spot for Miss Weston, a blonde, in a brief peeler.. The 'love chair' blackout follows with Carney milking it for all the laughs pos- sible and giving it a bit of a new twist. A cleverly worked-out contortion num'ber by t'ae line scores and pre- cedes crao-fl.jooting bit by Barry and Crooks^ Jamiljar but effective RKO VAUDE FOR 2 N. Y. HOUSES RWO will try vaude in two of its New York nabes this fall, the 58th St. and 86th St. theatres. Former house will play a weekend policy of vaudfilm, while the Yorkville spot is skedded for small units one day a week. Both of these houses were im- portant links in the RKO chain of vaude houses until they went into straight pictures several years ago. . Day and date for the first show at the 86th St. has not yet been set, but the 58th St.'s first vaude show goes in Saturday (24) for two days. House isn't definite on whether it will continue this two-day policy, amplify or cut later. Three acts ar> a pit band will comprise the shows here, with Bill Howard, of RKO, and Billy Jackson, indie, collabing on the booking. Policy at the 86th St. will be flex- ible, playing shows only when a definite booking for the • predomi- nantly German nabe is available. Here also Howard and Jackson will do the booking. Burley Circuit Set in Midwest On Co-op Basis Chicago, Sept. 20. Biggest burlesque upturn in years is getting underway in this territory with the organization of the Mid west Burlesque Co-operative circuit, which takes in Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland and Cin cinnati. It marks another attempt to es tablish a circuit • whereby burley theatres can obtain new shows each week instead of relying solely on stock companies, which quickly have become pretty tiresome for regular patrons. Under terms of the deal, each house builds a unit, with the latter then circulating to each of the other five houses. Each house pays the expenses of the unit coming into the theatre. Each unit carries 10 principals They carry no scenery or chorus, with the receiving house supplying the scenery and keeping a chorus in stock. While the theatres have these roac shows for their new faces and ad value, several of the houses do no 1 ; rely, strictly on the road groups for the show, but also have a stock company of from five to eight prin- cipals for added strength. Milt Schuster booking office here is supplying the talent for the units No Chill (Continued from page 1) rule of U. S. pictures doing well, be- cause of favoritism of stars, was 'San Francisco,' which ran an extra week. Greta Garbo long has been a big draw here but Clark Gable and Shir- ley Temple now are. coming into their own as magnets at the box office. All American pictures are shown with Danish sub-titles. Shows are held once nightly start- ing at 9 o'clock, excepting on Sun- day when one afternoon perform- ance and shows at 7 and 9 p.m. are held. Now nearing completion is the National Theatre which thus far has cost about $250,000. A tax of 21% has been placed on all amusements, including picture houses, to raise the money with which to build this structure. Local stage productions, concerts and other attractions, many of which will come from' Copen- hagen, will be shown in this house. Moss 9 Plan (Continued from page 43) club-date acts. Out-of-town bureaus are currently busy with licensing problems akin to N. Y., with a mee ; due to be called shortly. Moss's activity in trying to license agents has been extended until Oct, 15. It had originally been skedded to. close' Sept. 15. Lou Randell, at torney for AARA, formed last spring in N. Y. to combat agent law violators, will call his group (nitery and vaude agents) together in about a fortnight for final approval of code of ethics and constitution on which he has. been working all summer, Above group' is working with the American Federation of Actors and is seeking an arrangement with the American Federation of Musicians whereby acts and musicians will not be permitted to work for agents out side .the licensing fold. .AFA is now franchising agents who may deal with its acts. Already, EMA is in as a body and others are coming along. Graduated scale of $10 and expenses within .25-mile radius of Times Square has fccen set for club-date acts. Only areas with AFA closed shop agreements similar to N. Y., Chicago, San Francisco, etc 'will be sought by AFA. Niteries to some degree are in the AFA closed shop agreement, par ticularly around N. Y. and San Francisco and to some extent in Chi cago. AFA is banking on this in ducement to percenters to deal only with AFA acts in turn for acts dealing only with AFA-franchised agents. AFA meets agents today (Wed.). Deal between Carl (Deacon) Moore and Meyer " Horowitz of Greenwich Village Barn, N. Y., is for three years opening date in mid-October. Cancellable after six months at manager's discretion. Ni tery Revie ws BENNY THE BUM'S (PHILLY) Philadelphia, Sept. 17. Johnny Howard, Dolly Kay, Oshins & Lessy, Tfiree Marshalls. Castaine & Barry, Johnny Graff Orch., Line (12), DeLloyd Kay. Following three weeks* shuttering for alterations. Benny the Bum (nee Fogelman) reopened this week. Renovations of the interior, which were much needed, help consider- ably to transform the spot into an intimate, inviting nitery. Show, put on by Noel Sherman, equals the - atmosphere in quality. Topping is Johnny Howard, m.c, a nice looking lad who's virtually a floor show in himself as well as be- ing a capable introer. Starts off municing, going through Jolson, Boake Carter and Lionel Barrymore, all fair. Then does swell copy of Louis Armstrong singing 'Ole Man Mose,' follows as comical preacher leading a Holy Roller meeting, and winds up with trick whistling, which is good but too loud and shrill through the mike. Line, the Noel Sherman gals (12). open the show with a pretty good ditty written for Benny's. Femmes are all lookers, and work in pre- cision. Best in the finale, 'Alexan- der's Ragtime Band' number. Punk- aroo in a corny bit tagged 'Sym- phony in Silk,' in which costuming is very bad. Hot torchy chirper is Dolly Kay, only so-so on looks and with slight speech impediment, but has nifty pipes and knows how to - sell. Does 'Home Town Blues,' 'Music, Maestro,* Alexander' and 'Some of These Days.' "Would do better to chop a chorus or two off each. Oshins and Lessy are a two-man comedy team, doing patter and songs. Timing and presentation are okay and they get over with their adroit buffoonery, although their reper- toire runs thin. Castaine and Barry, dancers, are excellent, both nice-looking American types who go through strong routines, mostly fast. Lull music provided by Three Mar- shalls, male pianist and two femme chirpers. Entertainment in the cock- tail bar by DeLloyd McKay, formerly with Lew Leslie's 'Blackbirds.' Gal's nice appearing, dignified, and rattles the piano and warbles well. Herb. TWO O'CLOCK CLUB (BALTIMORE) Baltimore, Sept. 16. Allan Gale, Priticess Dorinne, Ruth Wayne, Janet & Kalin, Nan Woods, Milton Lyons Orch (8). Again under Sam Lampe. the Two O'Clock Club, ushers in town's nitery season. Strongly-built, shows and topflight dansapation drawing good business. An intimate room, spot is informal and has a fairly moderate tariff. Current layout features four acts and a sprightly line of six. With Allan Gale as singing m.c, show is presented twice nightly, opening with line in nice routine, followed by Princess Dorinne, semi-nude aero. Ruth Wayne, with legit pipes, socks out an operatic medley and intricate arrangement of 'Alexander's Rag- time Band.* Looks well and sells to the hilt. Janet and Kalin, ballroom duo, hold pace and bring back line and Dorinne for good flash produc- tion' number. Gale, taking hold for his spot, is assisted by Ben Tracey at the piano. Uses a fast, flip delivery and has a brace of fairly clever special num- bers. Does 'Gable, Durante, Taylor and I,' comic travesty on a stripper, and a legit, if somewhat corny, 'I'm Glad to Be One of Life's Clowns'; all nicely received. Style is well suited for spot and should build fol- lowing. Also handles show skill- fully. Nan Woods fills intermission with old favorites on the miniature piano. Show and dance music capably handled by Milton Lyon's eight-piece combo. Burm. TULANE ROOM (JUNG HOTEL, NEW ORLEANS) New Orleans, Sept, 16. Art Kassel orch, Marion Holmes, Billy Leach, Marco & Marcia, Terry & Walker, Dorothy Dixon. The Tulane Room of the Jung Hotel doesn't shortchange on this show; which reopens the spot after it was dark all summer. An over- flow crowd turned out at preem to hear Art Kassell's orchestra in its first visit to New Orleans. Kassel m.c.'s well while the band and rest of show also click. Kas- sel band's 'St. Louis Blues/ inter- preted in the tempo of music of various countries, is a high spot. Marion Holmes, warbler with band, has the patrons asking for more. Billy Leach gets over with 'I Hang By a Thread,' one of Kas- sel's compositions. For floor show, two dance teams share top honors. Marco and Mar- cia start with a fast rhumba and wind up with 'Minuet in Jazz.* Terry and Walker burlesque ball- room dancing, including a howling interpretation of the rhumba and a tongue-in-cheek shag. Their danc- ing is interspersed with a few jokes that skirt the narrow edge of censorship but got plenty of laughs and applause from the ringsiders. Dorothy Dixon taps to 'The World Is Waiting For the Sunrise' and then makes the rhumba a unanimous favorite by trucking to its time. Liuzza. ' VILLAGE BARN (PHILLY) Philadelphia, Sept. 15. Frank Hall. Diane <& Winton, Patti Cranford, Emerald Sisters (2), Happy Valley Cowboys, Harry Wharton house orch. Spot, which has just opened here, is a copy of the Greenwich Village (N. Y.) nitery with the same tag. Operating is Harvey Lockman, who utilized a jungle atmosphere at the same locale the past two years and called it the Ubangi Club. Show is pretty standard, only concession to the rest cf the tall corn being a hillbilly crew. M.c.ing is Frank Hall, quite a looker and, in addition tp his introing, he has fine pipes. Unusual atmosphere leaves him a little aloft sometimes, however, as he isn't quick on the ad lib stuff, frequently necessary. Entertainment otherwise consists of Diane and Winton, okay terp duo; Patti Cranford, warbler, and Emerald Sisters; knockabout aero pair. Dance team is a pair of fair- looking southern kids. Shag rou- tine is best, although they're pretty good in a rhumba and a heavy tap set. Miss Cranford's chirping is of the deep-down style, mediocre. Emerald Sisters, who take a terrific pounding from each other and in rolling off chairs and tables, get off a few neat stunts. Schnoz-twanging cowboys—and one cowgirl—have worked on vari- ous radio stations here for the past few years. Bit in which- they strip one of their members down to his winter underwear not so funny. Herb. CHEZ MAURICE (MONTREAL) Montreal, Sept. 17. Hal Hartley Orch, Jeffrey Gill, Eddie Richard, Ted Lester, Tanya Lowa, Milray Dancing Girls (8). Jeffrey Gill m.c.'s a standout show at this ace nite spot here currently, having the personality and voice to get the last ounce of effect from each of three excellent acts besides reap- ing good audience reception for his own singing. The gal line of eight smartly backgrounds each turn. New to this city, Eddie Rickard, shadow picturegrapher, has also enough voice to sing an introduction. He then produces his shadowgraphs, building up from onerhand pictures of animals to double-hand cartoons and comics, swiftly paced and realis- tic. Sets the tempo for one of the speediest shows ever put on here. Tanya Lowa, held over from a pre- vious five-week run, is a blonde looker, possessing a soft, appealing contralto and who chooses her songs to match, holds the crowd well in the second spot and has to beg-off. Ted Lester, slight of figure and whimsical of expression, sidles on for the third turn* a spell of freak instrumentation. He pulls 12 instru- ments, freak and minnies among them, from under his cloak and wheedles a tune out of each, all smash, customers calling him back repeatedly. Closing is Gill, who baritones well a wide selection of songs. He finales the show with the gal line and all acts. Hal Hartley's orchestra is rated one of best in city, playingjo.r show and dancing. Biz good. ' BOULEVARD TAVERN Elmhurst, N, Y., Sept. 13. Dave Fox, Thelma Nevins, George Krinog, Cameron Crosby, Vince and Anita, Jan Frederics Orch. Dave Fox, m.c, heads the current bill at this spot which, with a seat- ing capacity of 850, will enlarge to accommodate 2,000 before the open- ing of the New York's World's Fair next April. Floor show is a fill-in unit, be- tween the spring and fall revues, and is only mild. Fox is hampered by mediocre material, which in- cludes a meller tune on the Pagliacci theme and 'The Tattooed Lady.' Thelma Nevins delivers torch bal- lads well, but is inclined to crowd the mike. Her voice is pleasing when held down, but tends to be- come strident when she lets it out. George Krlnog's legerdemain in- cludes some neat card palming, the inevitable color-changing handker- chiefs, and familiar stunt of produc- ing numerous-lighted clgarets and threading 10 razor-blades in his mouth. Cameron Crosby in organlogs, Jan Fredericks' orchestra and Vince and Anita round out the bill. GUb,