Variety (Oct 1938)

42 VARIETY VAUDE-NITE CLUBS Wednesday, October 26, 1938 Unit Reviews HAWAII NIGHTS (FOLLT, BROOKLYN) Harry Savoy, Paul Nolan, Ann Paige, Lei Aloha, Tom, Dick & Harry, Princess Luano, Royal Ha- waiian Orch; 'Dark Sands' (Mono). With one McCoy Hawaiian girl, a six-piece strumming crew, plus American acts and some nutty stag- ing, "Nights' stacks up as a half- cooked mess. However, it will prob- ably, do business in the provinces, thanks to producer-manager Anton Scibilia's trick advertising come-ons. Usually heading out of Chicago (last year he had 'Waikiki Nights'"), Scibilia produced his latest gambol WILUE and EUGENE HOWARD ''Hollywood Hoter Revue Fuller Circuit, Australia P«r. Address WM. MORRIS AGENCY NEW YORK in New York three weeks ago. Unit offers much that's hackneyed and little that has native color, outside 6f some kootching and music. Effects and production make very little seem like a lot. Show opens with American line of 14 doing a nondescript Broadway dance routine. They're dressed in sharpie outfits of gray skirts, red jackets and blue.hats. Tom, Dick and Harry, knockabouts, back- grounded by pier and ship drop, work themselves -into a froth with their poking, slapping and dancing as eye- openers. Hawaii comes into her own for first production scene. A paper mache moon, scrim drop and phoney palms comprise the setting. Four guitars, an electric guitar, a bass and line augmented by Lei Aloha, all do- ing stale wiggle, is the act. Girls are in floor length, flowery attire, while 'star' is dressed in silver grass strands. This and succeeding dance numbers are similar in movement and quality, and n.s.g. Girls' don black wigs for local color. Lead is only real shaker in what's little bet- ter than a burley bumping crop. Harry Savoy pulls a burley black out with Ann Paige,.gal pickpocket fooled by chap who whips out a pair of under-pretties, supposedly lifted while she took his watch.' He also goes into his familiar story-telling, all of which is in same, double entendre vein as opener. Qot some mild laughs. . Paul Nolan, another 'Hawaiian,' juggles in No. 3 rung. One of few The.THEATRE of the STARS BOOKING AGENCY GENERAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES LOEW BIDG. ANNEX 160 WEST 46^" ST. NEW YORK Bi^attl 9-7top J . H . L U B I N GENERAL MANAGER SIDNEY H. PIERMONT BOOKING MANAGER OPENING TODAY, OCTOBER 26th ANN MILLER Oj Stage and Screen PARAMOUNT, NEW YORK, FOR TWO WEEKS — PICTURES — "STAGE OOOR" "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU" "RADIO REVELS" "ROOM SERVICE" "MIRACLE RACKET" Direction WM. MORRIS AGENCV—Abs LastFogel egit pieces In entire show and he bows off to heaviest applause. Sec- ond dance scene, with offstage voice calling for sacrifice, as per native tra- dition, brings Princess Luano to the : ore. Winding stairs draped into card- board mountain brings girl to crater of volcano. Lighting, explosions and smoke partly cover her semi-nudity as she leaps into prop oven. Very poorly done. Miss Paige, as prima donna, also is unimpressive. Perhaps it's the blasting mike, but she seems to offer nothing but uncontrollable .volume with her 'Got Swing for Sale,' 'After You've Gone' and 'Joseph.' Too, the selections are not for" her. Hurl. : HOT HARLEM REVUE (FOLLT, BROOKLYN) Gary Lee Orch, Swan, Lee and Jackson, Rubber Neck Holmes, Six Vhirlwinds, Rhythm Brown, Pearl Harrison, Janes Sisters, House Line (12); 'Hunted Men' (For). 'Running show. Sophie Tucker took a full page ad to tell how much she loved Califor- nia because It loved her. Had done eight months on the Coast. Actors* Fund faced a deAclt of $30:000. Reported from Chicago that Jones, ![iinick and Schaefer were preparing to' close their Chicago enterprises. Changed their minds. Fairly well produced unit is play- ing a split week at this nabe vaud- filmer, finishing up tonight (Wednes- day). It's entertainment of a sort, 3ut not powerful enough to carry it into higher scale spots, Show" carries no m.c, utilizing the land leader for that chore. Producer is inclined to drag it out in spots, especially with dances. Twelve-girl line, the Harperettes, Is capable enough but is hampered by poor costuming. Standout of the line work is a Scotch number midway, done to a swingy 'Loch Lomond/ piped by a male backstage via the public ad- dress system, Swan, Lee and Jackson, pair of comics and a dancing straight, get over. Best number is their last, which includes comedy, harmoniz- ing, and rhythm tapping by the straight. Janes Sisters are also tapsters. Initial effort could be cut a couple of mins., although the leg work itself is okay. Rhythm Brown, also a tapster, does his stuff on roller skates while on a table. He worked in New York burley last year and has improved since. Well liked here. Flaming red suit heralds the en- trance of Rubber Neck Holmes. He opens with a tune lost due to poor diction, • then goes in for soft shoe toe work and semi-acro routine. On again later with the line and Pearl Harrison for more terps. She's bet- ter at the latter than handling vocals. Her diction is poor, delivery worse and mike knowledge nil. Six Whirlwinds precede the usual grand, finale bringing on the entire imit. They're Lindy Hoppers, passe by now, but still well-liked here. Gary Lee's orchestra backs the show and shines alone midway. It gets to the jitterbugs with swingy Harlem favorites, namely 'Plat Foot Floogee,' 'Honeysuckle Rose* and 'For Dancers Only.' Twelve-piece crew is plenty loud but plenty, hot. Wild/ colored musical Swain, animal trainer, called his act 'Friendly Enemies.' Worked cats qnd rats. Balaban & Katz's production staff in a jam. Louis Hooper and Harry Goitrfain resented what they thought were Frank Cambria's high-handed methods and quit the combination. St. John, N. B., Paramount ex- change in a jam. Manager used the projection room for wild parties until the police Intervened. All cleaned out. Sam Goldwyn given permission to use his name in picture ventures on condition he added 'Not connected with Goldwyn Pictures Corp.* Pavlowa did $77,000 in. two weeks at the Manhattan opera house, N. Y. Only eijght shows a week. E. H, Sothern, Martin Harvey; Walter Hampden and John Barry- more all threatening B'way with per- formances of 'Hamlet.' Sol Bloom working to get $25,000 from show biz to bring the Demo- cratic convention to N. Y. • in '24. Money back if the convention went elsewhere. Saranac Lake By Happy Benway Ben Hughes here at the Ala-vlsta lodge and doing well. Chris Hagedorn Is making a nifty comeback. Marion Green, who's' Hotel Sar- ftnacing for checkups, was okayed. She's an ex-N,V.A.ite. After years of hospifaliftg, Bobby Graham, of Toronto, is now hopping around without a .crqtch. Alice Carman, who's bzoned for over 10 years, Is doing nicely. • Joseph Vaughey; 6t Denver, who saw many moons of ozbning here, still selling men's wear in a depart- ment store. Herman (Rogers Fund) LeVine here ogling the san. Joseph Reynolds, formerly with Warner Bros. In the Milwaukee area, aiid Mike Cojohn from RKO's 23rd St. theatre, N. Y., are new arrivals at the Rogers! Jack Edwards, who visited Broad- way with his frau. Is back at the Lodge. Etta Major, Mrs. Sarah Clark, Leo Abbott, all of N.Y.: Mr, and MVs. Morris Fidler, Chas. Farlow, Francia Farlow, of Reading, Pa., and Mrs. Frank Howard, of Detroit, were Rogers oglers. Irvihg Wilbur left with "an ok. Will resume work soon. Alice Carman holding up fairly well under the bed strain, (Write to those who ate 111) About 30% of the subscribers to the'Jewish Art theatre were gentiles. FRANK PARIS AND HIS MARIONETTES PARADISE CAFE NEW YORK ExcIuaIto Hanoffement SHERWOOD & MATHEWS Direction t U^GAXXB ft DATIES • 15 YEARS AGO • (From Variett and Clipper) Palace and State both had Russian revues, following 'Chauve Souris* lines. Outside the band, the State had the better act of the two, but the Palace band was tops. Joe E. Brown at the Palace In a five-person act which Lalt described as 'a first-class single.* Thought his hands funnier than his face. Praised his pantomime and figured the 15- minut'e act too short. Dick Himber at the Riverside In a three-act with Corinne. Hurt by hav- ing to open the bill. Still some dis- tance from bandmastership. Cardo and Noll, mixed team, had a novelty at the State. Borrowed from Staley and Birbeck, ' Opened as wops and a quick change to formal evening dress. They could sing, too.. Mighty Glad to Be Back Again Atter Rve Years in Hollywood BENNY BAKER TmS WEEK (OCT. 20TH) LOEWS STATE, NEW YORK NEXT WEEK (OCT. 28TH) PARAMOUNT. NEWARK Personal Direction, LOUIS SHURR C'Vaudeville, I Love You'*) Colonial, N. Y., in its last week as a 'vaude housei Going revue w*th NORMA GALLO CLASSICIST OF SBNSATIONAI. DAKCERS NQW PLAYING RETURN ENGAGEMENT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL. NEW YORK (Week Oct 20th) ORRIN TUCKER r ORCHESTRA Bonnie Baker The Bailey Sisters The Bodyguards ■ EMPIRE ROOM 2ND WEEK HEADLINING CHICAGO ^THEATRE °nov.% PALMER HOUSE CHICAGO Management: MUSIC CORPORATION OF AMERICA