Variety (Sep 1938)

S2 VARIETY VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday* September 28, 19$8 MUSIC HALL, N. Y. Richard Leibert, Glee Club, Rock- ette&t. Jan Peerce, Mary Raye and Naldi, Sunshine Sammy, Sleepy Wil- liams, M. H. Orch., with Brno Rapee, conductor; Mischa Violin, Lamar Stringfield, associates; 'Carefree' (RKO>, reviewed in Variety Aug. 31. This is open season on salutes to Irving Berlin. There was one, the wideawake pupils will recall, that was broadcast more as a parade of egotists saluting themselves than a genuine gesture towards the com- poser. Leonidoff organization at the Music Hall has committed no such offense against good taste. It's Irv- ing Berlin's music all the way. A good deal of affectionate devo- tion went into this presentation. By the 9 p.m. frolic Thursday (22) it was tight as a shoelace, handsomely mounted and dressed throughout. That turns the beam momentarily on Willa Van, Marco Montedoro and Hattie Rogge. Blends of color in fabrics and designs are set off by Bruno Maine's backgrounds. - Vin Lindhe's glee clubmen con- tinue to act unlike themselves.. Or maybe they are just newly becoming themselves. Once they are living statues as rigid as the Buckingham Palace guards. .They occasionally pace off a fixed number of steps to the left, then to the right, then re- form for another group photograph. They are singers. That's admitted. But are they actors? Watch them gag up the 'Tin Pan' Alley' medley this week with comic by-play, pan- tomimic mood-setting and general moving about It's progress of a notable sort. Marble continues com- ing to life. 'On the Road to Manda- lay' (may it get mislaid in the li- brary!) is again forgiven. A clever way of showing off the mannequins js provided by represent- ing intermission in front of a thea- tre. Sunshine Sammy and Sleepy Williams, two Negro youths, begin by working as sidewalk huskers, with their backs to the audience. Pair perform an assortment of acro- batics while keeping up a locomotive pace in hoofing. They register sol- idly. Mary Raye and Naldi come on in the subsequent scene to arouse a burst of admiration, not alone for what the audience sees in a finished performance of ultra-smoothness, but in the unseen hours of grueling re- hearsal and creative dancing show- manship that such composure sug- gests. Here is not one, or a few, but a whole basketful of unusual lifts, leaps and steps. It would be a dense and purblind audience indeed that, without knowing the fine points, of technique, did not spontaneously recognize the sheer muscular dis- cipline involved. The Music Hall hails them as talent worthy of en- thusiasm. "'■For "tneir "workout this week the Rockettes are doing the Yam, from the- dance routine in 'Carefree,' star- ring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This has the girls bibbed-and-tucked in shoe-bows, arm-gloves, hip-frills and general pertness. Routine is cal- culated to break down the toughest critics. For a touch of added show- manship, girls remain on stage to quietly beat out a hot tempo as the opening series of credits for 'Care- free' comes on. It's a brilliant, final touch, warming and perfectly car- ried through. Other items are Richard Leibert's organ and Jan Peerce's solo. Land.. LYRIC, INDPLS. women and two' men, score with foot balancing on tall poles. Part of the action takes place in the flies, which is missed by balcony customers. Featured number by orchestra is 'Blue Rhythm Fantasy,' in which all bandmen beat tempo on small drums attached to music racks, with Krupa holding the lead. Idea is good be- cause of drum theme behind show, but no melody follows and tune runs extra long, l .nding non-swing cus- tomers to a psychopathic ward. Leo Watson, Negro scat singer, is spotted next to closing. Singing of 'Midnight Ride of Paul Revere' sounds more like clatter of horse's hoofs than any articulate vocaliz- ing.' Follows with a jam bit on slush-horn, then goes into another jibberish vocal of 'Mulberry Bush.' Krupa has talented aggregation but band needs front man or m. c, Krupa has to read part of his an- nouncements from paper held in plain sight of audience. Set also needs lighting. Biz good at last show Fridav (23). Kiley. CAPITOL, WASH. Washington, Sept. 24. The Commoders, Barr & Estes, Stan Kavanagh, Starnes & Anavan, Chester Hale Girls (24); 'Lucky Star' (20th). STATE, N. Y. Twenty-four Chester Hale Girls, who have been booked by house for indefinite stay, give body and color to a talent-filled 11th Anniversary Revue; with has plenty of ideas hut never seems to hit the mark, at show caught, before a cold audience. Bill opens with football overture, which goes right into first number, with gals in colored shorts repre- senting various colleges. Much wasted time consumed by having each girl take football and march about while offstage voice states col- lege she represents. Eight Com- modores prance on to ttke center mike and warble 'Something About A Soldier' and 'Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride.' Barr and Estes out for nut hoof- ing that's clever and patter which isn't. Full stage again for gypsy campfire number, Commodores giv.- ing 'em 'Smoke Dreams' while gals flit about walloping, tambourines. Curtains close and reopen on dark- ened stage for Starnes and Anavan adagio bit, effect of having girl and two men in phosphorescent costume with invisible third stalwart step- ping in to hold dame in midair be- ing first real punch of show. Stan Kavanagh follows with juggling of balls and clubs. Even Kavanagh, who is local favorite, couldn't get even more than a mild titter, where he usually gets roars, at this show. Full stage again, with Commodores tearing through 'We Are the Mus- keteers' and the ensemble clicking in spectacular fencing routine fin- ishing the show. Biz fair. Craig. CENTURY, BALTO Benny Fields, Block <& Sully, Fred Craig, Jr., Six Honeys* Pritchard <fc Lord; 'Three Loves Has Nancy' (M-G). Five-act show holds to the tradi- tion that this house has built through alert bookings. Benny Fields, who created the crooning precedent, is back after a 10-month lapse and gets a big re- ception. For at least 30 minutes he dallied to the delight of Saturday (24) nighiers and the show ran overtime on the fourth of the day's five performances. State's show is something of a family affair with Jesse Block and wife, Eve Sully, on the bill, too. Miss Sully insists she's the m.c. and Block doesn't object, wisely, it seems. They start mildly in stride and introduce Fred Craig, Jr., 'devil with the numbers.' Craig holds the house spellbound, writing figures upside-down on a-' series of black- boards. His type of act is disap- pearing from vaude, therefore doubly welcome. •Your Minstrel Man,' Fields, with suave style, ever-folding, opera hat and little bamboo cane, is one of the positive personalities of the present- day stage. He can do without sugar, he says, but not without 'My Walk- ing Stick.' His 'Now It Can Be Told' and 'Sentimental Story' are gems of their kind and so is Ttelovely.' 'Alex- ander's Ragtime Band' tops his rou- tine. It brings him back for several encores and, of course, the inevitable 'Thanks a Million,' which really speeded him into the limelight. He also gives out with 'Melancholy Baby' and only when Block and Sully come on again to relieve him does Fields get off. The duo get their best stuff in then, changing their pace adroitly. 'Thanks for the Memory' highlights for the pair, who had not appeared at the State for three years. Laughter is their theme and that's what they get over. The unusual Six Honeys close with dancing and acrobatics. Opening are Ann Pritchard and Jack Lord with a ballroom routine that earns them feature billing. Show at this per- formance ran an hour and 20 min- utes, about 10 minutes over schedule. Ibee. Indianapolis, Sept. 24. Gene Krupa Orch, Irene Daye, Leo Watson, Bob King, Antaleka (6), Smith, Rogers & Eddy; 'Meet the Girls' (20th). Gene Krupa's is a solid sender on the skins, 14-piece band. Running mostly to brass, it's a big session for the alligators all the way, with 53 minutes devoted to unrestrained jive. Cats in the audience take it big, but more sedate customers are a little bewildered by the cacophony. High platform set has Krupa cen* tered and spotlighted on all band numbers, with band's doghouse thumper stepping down to handle stick for acts and, vocalists. Band opens with neat arrange- ment of 'Don't Be That Way' and goes into medley of 'Now It Can Be Told,' 'Change Partners' and 'What Goes On Here in My Heart' For these, crew turns almost legit, go- ing out of this world later on strictly swing tunes. Deuce held by Smith, Rogers and Eddy, two men, who do comedy dancing, and girl, who feeds their pantomime and contributes second- rate tap on her own. Followed by orchestra in ^ swing tune with Krupa shining on brush work at the snares. Irene Daye garners enthusiastic salvo with her rendition of 'You <3o to My Head,' 'You've Got to Swing' and 'So Help Me.' Band then gives out on 'You Know That I Know.' Bob King <does a ventrilo- quist turn, two dummies, first with a feminine Charlie McCarthy: other, "a very tiny figure in sailor suit. Gags ^are did and King was having 'triJuble remembering his lines at chow caught. Six- Antaleks, four Baltimore, Sept. 25. Don Albert House Orch (40), Roy Smeck, Preble & Branson, 3 Drews; 'Boys Town' (M-G). Second attempt at newly devised 'musical divertissement* stage flash, still must be rated neither fish nor fowl. It's certainly not vaude in the accepted sense, nor is it a presenta- tion. Therein'lies its inherent weak- ness. Given only 20 minutes by a special deal with the local musical union, which permits a scale of $35 per man, and restricted to such special- ties that may be termed 'musical in- terpretation,' development of idea will take further experimentation to correctly guage its possibilities. Not as long-haired in the selection of musical repertoire as the first at- tempt, current program calls for de- cidedly lighter treatment and more popular appeal. This may be a step in the right direction, but a potpouri of excerpts only must disappoint strictly musical auditors, and lets the vaude fans down as well. A skill- fully selected musical rendition in its entirety, plus one or two fully developed and sock solo spots, rather than the conglomeration now at- tempted, might be one of the an- swers. Orchestra on graduated platforms, opens the show with 'Park Ave. Fan- tasy' and 'Oriental Nocturne' after which Preble and Branson sell a Neapolitan medley. More orchestral stuff precedes the 3 Drews; Two boys and girl, at miniature piano in pit, dressed,a la collegiate, give out with scat vocals of 'Dipsey Doodle' and swing arrangement of 'Old Mill Stream,' just fair. 'Toy Trumpet' puts orchestra In nice groove and sets good spot for Roy Smeck, also spotted in pit and strong with standard electric steel guitar arrangements of pop medley. Follows with impression of Bill Robinson, deftly finger-tapped, on stringless uke. 'Moon Over Dixie' by orchestra closes pleasingly. Biz big, but still no indication of. drawing power of new attempt at flesh because of marquee strength of 'Boys Town.' Don Albert guest conducts the house orchestra with showmanship* Gene Ford's produc- tion also good. Burm. ouently here with film personages ill the past. Main fault, as with most film people, lies in poor ma^ terial. Following Herbert's setto, Miss Daley has 'em rolling in the aisles with her lame-brained antics and vocalizing. Ex-Follies' performer's parody on pop tunes, plus zany con- tortions, et al, brings on deserved encores. Senor Wenches; ventrilo- quist and juggler, otters a clever different routine. Tops it off with some quiet wit while spinning-plates. Lafayette add La Verne's snappy Apache number, in closing, is in- troed by house line, which also con- tributes two othev neat routines during 50-minute show. Condos Bros, maintain standard of taps shown on previous occasions here. Sam Jack Kaufman batons pit band through overture, besides m.c.'ing show. Frank Connors, house tenor, turns in pop following over- ture. Fair crowd at early show Friday evening (23). Pete. HIPP, BALTO PALACE, COLUMBUS Columbus, Sept. 24. ZaSu Pitts, Cliff Hall, Red Skel- ton, Edna Stillwell, Helene Denizon, Texas Jim Lewis's Lone Star Cow- boys, 12 American Rockets; 'Four's a Crowd' (WB).- With ZaSu Pitts for the marquee and Red Skelton to carry the show. Manager Harry Schreiber should have no worries with the fall in- itialer of the RKO house's now-and- then stage policy. Skelton, a hard worker, m.c.'s the five acts and breaks his own turn into three parts as well as keeping the show moving at a fast pace with his clowning. Takeoff on a woman dressing is his first solo. Midway he does his dunking routine, which he did in 'Having Wonderful Time' (RKO), and for the windup, a series of embarrassing moments, with the assistance of a blonde stooge, Edna Stillwell. Cliff Hall introduces and straights for Miss Pitts. Hollywood come- dienne tries to take her turn out of the usual personal appearance grind by adding a couple songs to the .customary gab and gags, but fails to register solidly. A trick hat helps to get laughs. Songs are a recita- tion number about her fluttering hands, followed by 'A-Tisket.' Texas Jim Lewis's Cowboys are on to as- sist with the latter. Five cowboys brought on with a courtesy line for NBC. A novel turn for this house, the swing hill- billies score for laughs as wSIl as getting a good hand for their yo- deling, train whistle imitation and a washboard contraption fitted out with horns and bells and called a 'Texas hootinanny.' Helene Denizon keeps her solo dance routine laudably. brief. If s good but she's smart not to. drag it out because of its limited appeal. Twelve American Rockets, six men, six girls, open show with a Ha- waiian dance and are on again for the finale. Biz good. Otis. FOX, DETROIT Detroit. Sept. 23. Dansonettes (16), Condos Bros. (2), Senor Wenches, Hugh Herbert, Cass Daley, Lafayette & La Verne, Sam Jack Kaufman house orch, Frank Connors; 'Straight; Place and Shou? (20th). Advance postings notwithstanding, current acts finish in about this order: Cass Daley, straight; Hugh Herbert, place, and Senor Wenches, show. Even at that it's nose-and- nose. for the last two spots. •Herbert's skit, something about a befuddled guy trying to send a tele- gram, not only fails to show his 'woo-woo' stuff to best advantage, but likewise is pretty hackneyed. Film comedian dishes out couple of jokes, not' too original, and takes a bow with *nis wife.'. Herbert isn't to be blamed too much for cool recep- tion,-for that has been the case fre- Baltimore, Sept. 25. Ina Ray Hutton Orch, Steve Evans, Novak & Fay, Emily Van Loesen, Winsted' Boys A Elaine Mer- rit; 'I Am Law* (Col). Current setup looks like nice lay- out on paper but skids a bit in its playing. Ina Ray Hutton's band, on throughout, presents a nice flash but shduld adjust itself with, better con- trasted repertoire of shorter num- bers. It's difficult to stress brass in an all-girl ensemble and that seems the inadvisable aim of the Hutton style. Off to swingy opener, band goes into too-long medley, which includes vocals, instrumental solos and sec- tional interludes. Makes good spot for Emily Van Loesen, who's in fair waltz aero, Vocal by Miss Hutton, 'You Go to My Head,' follows and is nicely received. The Winsted Boys and Elaine Mer- rit scat sing to accompaniment of guitars of the two boys. 'Lullaby in Rhythm,' 'Small Fry' and 'A-Tisket' earn a begoff. Band number next builds with Novak and Fay, dead-pan hand balancers in hayseed outfits, who work smoothly for a flock of laughs and cash in with okay com- edy panto. Steve Evans follows more band stuff and goes to town with his im- pressions of Hugh Herbert, Joe E. Brown, a hunky on a tear and Mus- solini. Encore of contrasted dramatic stuff, impersonation of late Lon Chaney, scores strongly. Evans re- placed Marjorie Gainsworth who pulled out after first show Friday (23) after a tiff with the Hutton style of music accomp. Scream number by band closes. Biz just fair open- ing day. Burm. FOX, PHILLY • ; . Philadelphia, Sept. 23. Dorothy Franey, Douglas Duffy, Norton Wait, Frances Johnson, Dick & Irene Meister, Bobby Heam & Ballet (12) Loretta Lee, Frank & Pete Trado, Adolphe Kornspan House Orch; 'Straight, Place and Shoiv' (20th). Fox this sesh presents one reason why its experiment with vaude dur- ing the past four weeks has laid an egg and will be dropped following Ina Ray Hutton's appearance next week. Except for the first week, shows in many ways have been drawbacks to the normal Fox audi- ence instead of added attractions to bolster the film. Good example* is the present combo. It's all right in its way, but it has neither names enough to at- tract the mob nor sufficient enter- tainment value to maintain the in- terest of the audience, which comes predominantly to see the film. 'American Ice Carnival' is bright in some spots, weak in most and pretty slow throughout. Its limita- tions lie in non-name value and in- adequate room. Outstanding is the military number performed by the ballet gals, dressed in attractive Scotch kiltie uniforms. Ballet, while pretty fair, is on too frequently though. Femmes, on a whole, are lookers and work in swell precision. An interesting flash is given by Bobby Hearn, barrel jumper, who, despite the tiny space, gets up enough speed to vault six of the tubs. Douglas Duffy exhibs some swell ice- slashing, but his rendition of the drunk has been done to a frazzle, both on and off skates. Dick and Irene Meister, in their figure-skating duets, graceful but lack personality. Norton Wait, in a skating exhibit, is young and a nice looker, but appears clumsy. Dorothy Franey, star of the show, is a speed skater but naturally can|t be expected to do much on the limited space. Frances Johnson is just another skater. Preceding the show, the Fox pre- sents Frank and Pete Trado and Loretta Lee, CBS chirper. Trado Bros, are fair, although their routine of two people in a dark theatre is overlbng. Their tall man. in which one brother sits on the other's shoulders, with a gigantic overcoat covering them, is good. M'iss Lee is most powerful on the bill, although hampered in warbling by the 35- oiece symphony outfit. She's a looker and is especially hot on 'Ti^er Rag.' Herb. STRAND, N. Y. . Ethel 'Merman, Jan Garber arch (19), Patricia Norman, Rudy R n ** till, Frit* Heilbron, Lee Benne* Serge Flash, Lorraine and Rogman' fjordeit of the Moon' (WB) ret viewed in last week's issue. ' The sweet and the hot make a good b.c+. combo at the Strand, with 'Garden of the . Moon' (WB) 0 n screen. Jan Garber is the long-un- derwear dansapation attraction in itself a novelty in these days of th* 52d street idiom, and Ethel Merman is the rhythmic super-saleswoman ot song. Garber's been away from Broadway .for about a dozen years, and Miss Merman was last 'noticed*, in Variety with Al Siegal, in 1930, henee both are encoring under New Acts. In 1924, when Garber is first re- corded in this paper's annals, he was of the Garber-Davis band; in 192jB he essayed his first solo billing as a maestro. Through the cycles of symphonized syncopation to killer- dillering, he's been doing all right even though his present attempts at stage showmanship leave something wanting. The show in toto is a well-knit unit of surefire talent. Most notable are Jean Lorraine and Roy Rogman with their expert comedy and knockabout of the type which be- speaks seasoning and long-tutoring before living audiences, since com- edy acts require that spark for proper smoothing and kneading. Miss Lorraine is a particularly clever comedienne, a cinch for any smart revue and very worthwhile .HoUyv wood timber. She has looks,'a nict chassis, despite the fact her comedy hokum calls for considerable contor- tive exaggeration, and can work, seemingly, as legit as she does clowningly. There's more dividends clowning, so she's on the right track. Her vis-a-vis, Roy Rogman, is chiefly a straight. Her entrance with the pooch as neckpiece is laugh No. 1 and there are plenty thereafter. Their 'Blue Danube' is by now the classic highlight of their routine.' Withal, a good low comedy entry for anybody's rostrum or cafe floor. Patricia Norman, who came to at- tention with her somewhat startling vocalisthenics of 'Old Man Mose,' with the Eddy Duchin band on a Brunswick waxing, is opposish to, her ex-maestro at the Broadway Paramount, by fitting into the Gar- ber combo. Her swing-billy med- ley is akin to the one Durelle Alex- ander did with Duchin before she dropped out and Nan Wynn suc- ceeded her, and this is, of course, explained probably by both girls working with the same maestro in the past. Both also do *Mose,' but Miss Norman's energetic and pep- pery manner of working, further linked with the recording name' value, takes on an extra shade of significance. She's a comely song- stress and, unlike many of the chirp- ers with the band's* who get all the breaks of presentation but rarely come through importantly, Miss Norman bespeaks of rosier pros- pects. Only other act is Serge Flash, standard juggler, who, as Flacto, when he first came over, made much of the fact he's the first ofay to par the Jap technique of jugglery. That was in the g.o. days of vaude, but somehow that doesn't mean as much these days. Lee Bennet of the Gar- ber combo, along with Rudy Rudl- sill and Fritz Heilbron have solo op- portunities, former being best known for his vocal solos on radio and disk. Harry Gourfain, who is staging the shows here this week, employs a sliding bandstand "to attain greater depth, and as a buildup for Miss Merman, augmented Garber's regular band of 11 with extra men. t Miss Merman climaxes the hours presentation with a bell-ringing cycle of standout warbling in her now w.k. superlative manner. Biz good opening night. Abel. STATE-LAKE, CHI Chicaqo. Sept. 24. Roily & Berna Pickard, Sonny Lamont & Betty Burgess, Sammy White, Lynn Chalmers, Oswald & Co. with Ernie Stanton; 'Men Are Such Fools' (WB). Looked like it was going to be a show of unbilled impersonations from the way the lineup started. Roily Pickard did plenty of Will Mahoney and Sonny Lamont tossed up just a bit of Will Demarest. But otherwise, the Pickard couple has good solid variety idea in their stilt work, mob going for the shagging and truckin'. Lamont is recently back from the Coast with Betty Burgess, who sings and hoofs. La- mont tops the act with his acro- batics and comedy. Sammy White whams home a smash comedy hoofing turn, necessi- tating an encore before he can get away. Lynn Chalmers supplies the s.a. and tonsil-work, and proves to the liking of this audience with her pops. Has to encore, too. Oswald, with Ernie Stanton and ' femme foil, finales the show wit" Solid comedy. Biz good last show Friday (23).' GoW..