Variety (Sep 1938)

48 VARIETY VAUDE-NITE CLUBS Wednesday, September 28, 1938 Heidt Vallee Success at Mpls.' Orph Brings House Drive for Name Bands Minneapolis, Sept. 27. Record outpourings for Rudy Val- lee and Horace Heidt, and optimis- tic prospects at the Orpheum netft week, when Benny Goodman holds forth have sent Jjhn J. Friedl and Mort H. Singer scurrying for all the name stage bands they can grab. With the public making plair that it wants flesh, the sky seems to be the limit. Friedl and Singer have lined up three more stag bands to follow Goodman during the next two months. On Oct. 14 Jimmy Dorsey, augmented by the Andrews Sisters, comes into the Orpheum. Week of Nov. 4 brings in Glen Gray's-band, while Hal Kemp is underlined for the week of Nov. 18. Dorsey and Gray played the Hotel Nicollet Min- nesota Terrace nitery here last sea- son. Philadelphia, Sept. 27. Fox theatre here, after a five-week vaude experiment, will return to straight films Oct. 7. House, which for years was a regular flesh spot, returned to live talent Sept. 2 after a year and a half layoff. Reported that exit of Fox flesh is due to difficulty of Warner Bros., which operates the Earle and Fox to get leading acts for both theatres, with .competition of both WB houses also entering into the situation. Fox this week has the American Ice Carnival, with 'Straight, Place an''. Show' (20th), and is doing fair biz. Final show, coming in Friday (30) is Ina Ray Hutton's orchestra. House, in its opekung week, did nifty $24,000. Had an xcepti anally strong combo, however, in. 'My Lucky Star' (20th) and Mai Hallefs band on stage. Fell off the next week though, v ith *I Am the Law' (Col) and Con- nie Boswell on stage, getting a very weak $15,000. Harri t Hoctor, in third week, with 'Valley of the Giants* (WB) did $16,000. Riley, Millindcr Bands In Albany Music Duel Albany, Sept. 27. Fabian's Harmanus Bleecker Hall, Albany, which is playing name bands on Sunday to supplement a rotating stock policy weekdays, has booked for Oct. 2 a battle of music between Mike Riley's and Lucky Millinder's orchestras. Dukfe Ellington, Ina Ray Hutton and Mai Hallett have already played here. Ft Wayne's Vaudfilm Fort Wayne, Sept. 27. . Plans for a new nabe, styled after the Esquire theatre in Chicago, were announced here by Harvey Cocks, General manager of the Qiiimby Theatres. The company closed a deal for property last week, and will start work on actual construction soon. A brisk war is being waged by the Quimby group and Manny Mar- cus, who recently leased the Para- mount, second largest house in the city.. Marcus opens his house Oct. 1, with Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hil- liard heading the show. Theatre was remodeled to accommodate vaudeville. Mike Riley opens a new 52d street (N. Y.) spot, the Troc, in early^ No- vember. FITZGIBBONS BODY HELD 3 WEEKS San Francisco, Sept. 27. Remains of Bert Fitzgibbon, credited with being the first nut comic in vaudeville, were buried Thursday (22) near Palo Alto, Cal Fitzgibbon was killed near Ather- ton, Cal., Aug. 28 when hit by an auto as he was crossing a highway. Since then his body has been held at a Palo Alto funeral chapel pend- ing payment of a $270 funeral bill Although Fitzgibbon was said to have left a $30,000 insurance policy to his children, it's alleged that his mother-in-law, Mrs. Amelia McMil len, of Council Bluffs, la., wasn't able to raise the money to pay the funeral bill until last week. Nitery Reviews MIDNIGHT SUN, N. Y. Nils T. Granlund, Jack Melvin Orch., Michi Taka, Miss New Or- leans, Hilda Ferguson, Miss Phila- delphia, Geraldine Ross, Helena An- derson, Mata Monteria, Carol Bruce, Paul Marin, Elenore Wood, Charles Fredericks, Eileen Wenzel. WB SEEKS MUSIC UNION CONCESSIONS IN PHILLY Philadelphia, Sept. 27. Confab with the Musicians Union has been requested by Warner Bros, here to go over contract for next year. Present termer expires in De- cember. Meeting, originally called for last week, was postponed until next week. WB indicated it will ask conces- sions because their profits have al- legedly been'seriously cuf during the past year. Union execs declare that there can be no concessions because •we are getting too little now.' Prin- cipal WB demand will probably be for a better break at the Fox, which now has a 35-piece Symph. » 15 YEARS AGO • (From Variety and Clipper) Ted Lewis dropped about $100,000 on his 'Frolics,' but planned to try it as a. summer show. WILLIE and EUGENE HOWARD "Hollywood Hotel" Revue TOURING Fuller Circuit, Australia Per. Address WM. MORRIS AGENCY NEW YORK Best Coffee in England QUALITY INN Leicester Square LONDON, WEST-END Wini Shaw Too Sick, Cancels Philly Date Philadelphia, Sept. % 27. Wini Shaw, skedded for the 21 Club this week, was forced to can-, eel her booking because of a sudden attack of laryngitis. However, she made her appearance opening night, despite the fact she couldn't do any more than whisper. Cancellation left the spot without a name for opening week, Messner's N. Y. Vauder Johnny Messner's orchestra, now at Hotel McAlpin, New York, and broadcasting three times weekly via NBC network, is set to open Oct.' 7 at the . Strand, N. Y. He will take in balladist Jeanne D'Arcy; Pro- fessor Koloslaw, toy piano musician; the Three Jacks and Vibraphone Sam. Chester Morris, from films, and Mary Small, latter from radio, also scheduled for same Strand show. One week only for this bill. Mary Small goes into the Strand, New York, with J. Messner's orches- tra. Former kid singer, now 17, opens Oct. 2 with Ben Bernie on the Half and Half radio program. Also has just been screen-tested by Metro. Bert Lytell headlined at the Palace, N. Y., in 'The Valiant.' Made a pro- found impression in spite of over- length and grimness of story. Flor- ence Walton, back from Europe, was the draw, and a big one. Clayton and Edwards were jumped into the show at the opening mat to supply badly needed comedy." Edwards was Cliff, of that ilk. FASTEST return engagement in history of Warner's Earle, Washington FLORIA Return by Popular Request—Within One Week First Engagement Sept. 9, and Again Sept. 23 AS AN EXTRA ADDED ATTRACTION AT THE SAME THEATRE; • Thanks MR. JOHN PAYETTE, MR. HARRY MAYER and MR. HARRY ANGER Direction: MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA Julia Sanderson topped at the Riverside, N. Y., with Aunt Jemima fronting a seven piece band and Clayton and Edwards supplying the big laughs. Eddie Cantor at the Alhambra re- marked that the previous week there had been, numerous cantors em' ployed, but this week he was the only one. Reference was to the Jewish high holidays. Doubling into the Royal. Changing neighborhood put the Colonial, N. Y., into the grind class Six acts did two shows daily, with pictures filling in the remainder of the time. Pretty good acts, too. Loew's State, N. Y., celebrated its second anniversary by going to full week status. House orchestra- was getting almost weekly notices for its novelty overtures and regarded as part of the bill. Ben Bernie and Belle Baker topped the Palace, Chi. Miss Baker topped Bernie in the billing. Sang with Bernie's band as an extra stunt. N. Y. theatres limited to one col- umn inch in the Sunday papers, due to short issues on account of the printers' strike. Los Angeles was mulling the idea of two picture shows daily instead of continuous grind. Sounded well but did not work out. Capitol, N. Y., pulled down $53,000 on Elinor Glynn's 'Six Days.' Rivoli took $28,000 for .'Zaza.' Betty Hill, of 'Greenwich Village Follies,' had her costume ignited as she passed a switchboard on her way to a number. Stripped off the dress and finished the number in what she had left. Marie Dressier preparing to open in London. Some opposition due to the fact that 15 years previously she had left without paying debts con tracted. Explained she was pros trated over her failure and knew nothing of the unpaid indebtedness Paying up again. Capt. Irvin O'Hay and Eddie Garr back after a . 3,000 mile barnstorm- ing tour in a truck. Left with $10 Got back with $18. But they had a whale of a time. Following extensive alterations on the site of the bid Montmartre, in the Winter Garden theatre building, New York, Nils T. Granlund re- turned to Broadway last week as the purveyor of Swedish Smorgas- bord. Despite his past record for presenting lavish girl revues, Gran- lund is concentrating on appealing to the palate rather than apprecia- tion for undraped flesh, as the main lure for his new spot. However, there's still plenty of pulchritude. Granlund retained most of the lookers with him on his re- cent theatre tour and added more, including three Atlantic City beauty contest winners. Nitery is intimate and softly lighted, seating about 350. Dance floor is of average size, serv- iced by Jack Melvin's orchestra, which plays well for the show arid dansapation. Show is pleasant enough, but out- side of a couple of turns, boils down to the usual'girl parades:' Presence of the three beauty winners, includ- ing Miss Philadelphia, national champ, is the excuse for a bathing number midway, which puts plenty of curves in the spotlight. Of course, the Swedish motif wouldn't be com- plete without a native entertainer, which brings in Helena Anderson, blonde, who sings in her native tongue, then encores with 'A-Tisket.' Accented attempt at the latter is even- laughable to her, and patrons take it in the same vein. Three beauty winners try to con- vince as being something besides easy on the eyes, but fail. Miss New Orleans sings 'Pocketful of Dreams,' then reproduces Clyde McCoy's trumpet version of 'Sugar Blues.' Latter is okay but the vocal n.g. Miss Philly contributes 'I'm Gonna Lock My Heart' and falls into the same category. Hilda Ferguson, representing Baltimore, is intro- duced by Granlund as the daughter of a former star he discovered. Con fines herself to an interpretative dance that doesn't mean much. Michi Taka also shows in semi- interpretative stuff, mixed with taps, okay. Geraldine Ross, easy working Amazon, does high kick and . aero routines in' two slots, coming on early and 'again near the finale. For a dancer of her type and size, she makes difficult twists and flips look simple. A 'natural comedian, -she mugs and handshakes her way into favor. Mata Monteria is a Soanish dancer. Elenore Wood is handi canoed bv too much interp stuff pre. ceding. Her style is in the passion vein. Show, running slightly less than two hours, is poorly paced. Eve-fill- ing end of show is up front with comparatively little in the second half, which lists Carol Bruce (New Acts), singer; Paul Marin, artist, and Charles Fredericks---(New Acts), baritone, would be better to spread the three throughout instead of hav- ing therh so close together, Marin is versatile with a crayon, using ringside natrons as subiects for cari- ratures drawn on the bare backs of the showgirls. Statler Terrace Room (CLEVELAND) Both convey the Impression it's ex- uberant fun and not an assignment While it's tops in class terping, and appreciated by the socialites, revue needs at least one more act to give it balance. Dick Barrie's orchestra and his soloists try hard to fill out an extra 10 minutes. Music is strictly mellow-sweet, with a lot of muted trumpet and con- trolled clarinet, which gets 'em, but it's still lightweight. Youth of en- semble is. in its favor; so is Barrie's affable manner, ' Band has a few corny tricks which are hangovers from its dancehall junket but with a good Music Corp. of America buildup and more Individuality, it may click on hotel chain. Anita Boyer is a' pert chirper but needs more poise. Eddie Metcalf, baritone, and John Kent, whispering tenor, get together with her in some nice harmonizing. During lulls, Hayder Hendershott's Trio send up enough sweet melody to cover the long waits. Pullen. Hawaiian Blue Room (ROOSEVELT HOTEL, N. O.) Little Jack Little Orch. Gomez & Winona, - Lee Wiley, Meymo Holt & Howard Brooks. Col. Seymour Weiss has changed his Hawaiian Blue Room policy* of • Hawaiian music and native hula dances to strongly-built shows and name band with good results. Packed house on tap Wednesday (21) opening of Little Jack. Little's orchestra and new show. Little dominates the show with both his m.c.ing and pianoing. His interpretation of an old-time saloon piano playing 'I'm Sorry I Made You Cry' is his biggest applause-getter, while he's adroit enough also to mix in a bunch of old favorite tunes with the newest ones. Dance music, too, gets over. A mirror above the key- board to show the patrons his deftly moving fingers is good showmanship. Crowding Little for first honors are Gomez and Winona, who respond, to continuous applause by running the gamut of ballroom numbers, from the stately 'Caprice Viennois' to the rhumba and truckin'. They drew five encores when caught. Lee Wiley, warbler, draws a flock of en- cores, while Meymo Holt, held over from outgoing Hawaiian group to carry out South Seas motif, con- tributes a graceful hula. Howard Brooks mixes with his legerdemain in a clever magical act. His needle swallowing turn takes- the house. Liuzza. PENTHOUSE, BALTO Cleveland, Sept. 24. Dick Barrie Orch. Georaes & Jalna, Anita Boyer, Eddie Metcalf. John Kent, Hayder Hendershott Trio. Statler Hotel's Terrace Room, de- spite its small show, consisting of one class dance team and band novelties, reflects its smartness. Hotel ^aiming at tophat trade, which turned out in full force at re- opening. Specialized talent, as well as sophisticated atmosphere, suc- ceeds in making the Terrace the town's showcase besides boosting the hostelry's prestige. Latter point is mainly achieved in first edition by Georges and Jalna, from Hollywood's Cocoanut Grove. Duo's ballroomology gets a world of slick originality in their dances. Baltimore, Sept. 24. Mary Brady, Tania & Kersoff, Isabella Dawn, Milt Mann Orch (8). Located atop the Stanley theatre, Penthouse has been a nitery standby here for more than a decade. Oper- ated by Len Trout, vaude agent, and Milt Mann, who conducts the or- chestra. Fair show has Mary Brady, hoofer; Isabella Dawn, capably vocaling 'Meet the Beat of My Heart,' 'Your Broadway and Mine* and nice arrangement of 'It Can't Be Anything But Love.' Has robust style and delivery is similar to Sophie Tucker's. Should make friends here. Standout is Tania and Kersoff, in character dances. Hindu number, in which a live snake Is employed, to strong returns, and dagger dance, in which blades are tossed at femmi, excellent flash. Music for show and dansapation by Mann is adequate. Burm. Dressed by BARR and ESTES SIDNEY FISHER 75/77, Shaftesbury Avenue PICCADILLY, LONDON, ENG. FRANK PARIS AND HIS MARIONETTES HELD OVER STKAND. NEW YOKK (2nd Week) IXGAIXS & DAVIES Direction: If You Piny Vaudeville. KlKht Clubs. Hotels. Motion ricttire Presentation Houses, Showboats, (IriUHcs, Carnivals, Fnlrs, Private Entertainments This Is Official Notice from AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ACTORS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1, 1038 Initiation lee will be $10 (for principals) $ 5 (tor chorus) Dues will bo ?18 a your (for principals) payable $4.50 quarterly _ $12 a yeur (for chorus) pnynble ?3 quurierly Death, Benefit Fund membership remains $1. JOIN NOW AND SAVE MONEY! Make Checks and Money Orders Payable to American Federation of Actors, 1560 Broadway, New York) (AFA Is affiliated with American Federation of. I<abor^