Variety (Nov 1938)

44 VARIETY ▼ARIETy HOUSE BEVIEWS Wedneadiiy, Noviember 23» 193^ MUSIC HALL, N. Y. Nicholas Daks, GauUer's. Steeple- chase, Ffanfclyn D'Amore, Robert Weede, Rochettes, Glee Club, Ballet Corps, Music Hall SymphtHiy; Ertto Rapee, conductor; '60 Glorious Y tars' (RKO), reviewed in Variety Oit. 26. There iwi't much body to this week's platform program. However, Leon Leonidoff's psesentation is fairly interesting in spots and will get by. Franklyn D'Amore, doubling from the International Casino, proves one of the bright spots with his iiovelty acros, albeit- some stalling slowed his turn when caught He works with an unbilled girl. Robert Weede, Who has an impressive baritone, is in a spcfcial operatic interlude, as a lormer great who's now pushing a hot-dog wagon. The* show is in three parts under main billing of 'East Side, West Side.' Thus, it starts^ in the Garden, provide ing the setting for Gautier's Steeple- chase act and a routine by the ballet corps. Nicholas Daks, regular hete, leads the toe dancers in a novel num- ber in which they create the appear- ance of being on horseback, old stufi, but- effective. Gautier tops with his dogs. His act needs tightening, A Street scene, with a cop char- acter dhd polyglot others in a choral bit, leads to a glee club song and talking intttlude aboard a- subway train. Effect of the mpVing sub has been cleverly conceived and exe- cuted, though the interior, ot the car is not'exactly standard. The 14th street (N. Y.) scene, with a shooting gallery and other, conces- sions baddng, is employed for Weede's special, t Must Be Going to the Dogs,' written by Maurice Baron and Albert StiUman. Bockettes, as gallery objects (day Indians), wind up the proceedings in affair routine. Char. (aided by stoogers). All the drinks be magically makes are passed out to the .audience by four comely waitresses. It's fast,- mystifying and amusing. Dick Foran (New Acts) is last of the Hollywood grou|^ to appear. Tall, gpod-looking leather lothario shows nice-pair of cowboy tenor pipes, but first shot behind the footlights in five years finds him a bit stiff. Herb. STATE, HARTFORD EARLE, PHILLY Philadelphia. Nov. 18. Roger Pryor and Orch, Dicfc Foran^ Ann- MtRer, Pert Kelton, Patricia Norman^ Dr. Hoffman^ Red Hodgson; 'Service de Liixe' W). Hartford, Nov. 20. Lola Lane, Bert tValton, Con- tinental Thrillers (3), Mai Hallett Orch with Jerry Perkins, Ruth Barnes, Sam Kaplan house band; 'i Stand Accused' (Rep). State this week is the first stop in a personal appearance tour ot Lola Lane—her initial stage assignment since she went to the Coast several years ago. Mai Hallett is the other marquee attraction. Strong supporting act is uncorked" by Miss Lane. After a diort spiel by Bert Walton, pne of the best emcees to> play the house in a long-time^ the screen is let down on a scene from Tour Daughters' in which- the-Lane sisters have prorninent roles. Miss Lane is then introduced by Walton, as comely across the boards as in the films, she goes well with the audience and exhibits a likeable per- sonality. Eeminiscenses sbont her- self and her sisters, though a couple of her gags about sisters fall flat Vocals 'So Help Me' pleasingly. Back to screen for a short scene from •Hollywood Hotel' in which she played the role of the temperamental Mona Marshall. Back again to stage- with MiSs Lane finishing the scene. Here she is especially forte and clicks solidly, getting: a strong.hand. Show opens with an overture by the ■ house band following which, Walton chatters about the divertisse- ments- to come. Curtains part on the Hallett band in a swingy opener. Unit gives out a pleasing mixture of instrumental and stage entertain- ment, mainly for the jitterbugs. Blast at' the ear drums is given by the trappist .who beats away- at the hides for some time while--the- remainder of the crew goes off&ttfge.- Jerry Perkins, vocalist with the Earle show this sesh again dem- onstrated the axiom that has So often been proved here • recently—a flock of mediocre, marquee names doesn't necessarily make half so . entertaining a. bill as one socko.act There can be na actual complaint about the combo this, week, which is really entertain- ingj but m too mild a way to be productive df word-of-mouth biz. Only one acti: Dr. Hoffman, might give the audience something to. tell the folks back home about, ana that's too early in the- bill to obtain the extra sock it Vrould have in a later position. Roger Pryor brings in a 13-piece band, including a femme at thie piano, an unusual bit Neat blond also does a bit of .chirping. Pryor himself is an eflecfive stick-swisher and m.c., ahd is good at retailing stories. Baud doesn't get riiany large opportunities to exhib its stuff, "with.all tte other acts, but its outpoiurings are oke on the ears. Doesn't seem to. have'quite made up its. mind as to s^le, sway- ing between a'mild form of swing and sweet Lacks the blaring,- pxmchy jive at both opening and close that is necessary for an effective comie- on and sign-oit ait the Earle. Its arrangements of Tschaikowski and •Whistler and His Dog* (by Boger's father) are both good, but not si>ot- ted correci'y- fdr maximum effect. A papella choir work of the band on 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' very neat. Red Hodgson, trtunpet-tooter in the band and qo-author of 'Music Goes Rotmd and Round,''provides pretty good load of humor and neat rendi- tion of his own ditty. Pert Kelfon, who leads off the singles from Hollywood making their p.a.'s in the show, is not entirely ef- fective. Femme comic was on the boards nine minutes when caught and had enou'^ material for about two. Chan":»es hats to portray several dijfierent characters, most notable be- ing Charlie Chaplin. Murders 'Star- dust' on the trombone,' tells a few pretty goo'd gags and is off. Had nothing for an encore. Patricia Norman, gal who made 'Ole Man Mose'.popular with her waxing of it, good on tttait nuifhber but only fairish on the rest Starts with ^Heart Full of Rhythm' then goes into 'So Help Me' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band,' .latter best. She makes a nice appearance and has personality. Ann Miller, dancing daughter of 'Can't Take It with You,' does a couple smart tap routines, but fails- to dick, big; (1) because ' she's not given enough build-up by Pryor as having played the pic part, and (2.) because the film hasn't got around to the nabes yet Without that bally, Miss Miller is pretty' much only another tapper. Most amusing portion of the show prdvided by Dr. Hoffman, Vorld's highest paid amd moist famous bar- tender.' Guy pours water into ap- parently empty glasses, making any kind of codktMl adced tor* . Also makes glass- df milk, ,cup ,of coffee, Coca-Cola, brdmo* and chdcolate ice cream soda on demand of the house unit, sings *My Own' and "My Reverie.' Nice set ot pipes and well received. Ruth Barnes comes through with fast, excellently rendered rhythm taps. Band finales with *a 'Christmas in Harlem' number, in a blackout in which members of the unit wave about phosporized . props which form figiues of colored enter- tainers in varied pose's.. Walton, who knows how to milk his audience for laughs and hand patter,, iises a Ismky, seedy looking stooge .who appears .read^ to fall apart in a sesh of funny talk. Scores solidly.' 'The'Stooge; Michael Spryn, vocals effectively, "Now It Can Be Told' and 'Starlight' The Continental Thrillers, standard roller skating trio, complete the bill. Two men alternate in spiuiling a gal around via leg holds.' Act leads up to a comedy cli max with a heavyweight femme stooge from the audience collecting cash from Walton for volunteering to be dizziedt Biz good at show caught Saturday night (19). Eck. ORPHEUM, L. A. GOLDEN GATE, S. F. San Francisco, Nov. 18. ' Jay. Brower*s house orch, Baptie & Lamb's Ice Camivol o/ 1939, with. Norvdl Baptie, Gladys Lamb, Claire Simone, Bobby Duffy,. Walter Ridflfe, Gene Retchel, Leo MacDonald, Rube Yocum & The Skating Co-Eds, and the RKO VoudeDillc Revue with Pinkie Lee & Co., Mary Minten„ Bert Lynn,. Geroldine & .Joe. and MmIo; 'Man to Remember' (RKO) and Dis- nct/'s 'Barnyard 'Symphony' (RKO). First San Francisco appearance Of Baptie and Lamb's 'Ice Carnival of 1939,' headlining the show which opened Nov. 16 at the Golden Gate, only house in town (outside of the hurleys) using flesh ccts, provided the novel spectacle of more than a dozen skaters skimming around on a large slab of ice on the theatre stage. Ice, however, was hardly enough td give the performers the. freedom and space necessary for the- execu- tion of any large scale feats of skill. The hiost remarkable thing, ahout the carnival, perhaps, was that the performers were able to do as much as they did on the 18 by 25-f oot ice block. Outstanding were the druiik act of Walter Ridge, the barrel- jumping of Leo MacDonald, the Bobby Duffy-Claire iSinjione duo, and Gladys Lamb, billed as 'The Pav- lova of the Ice,' with Norval Baptie, in an exhibition of grace and skill. Cxolden Gates' own dancers, the Peggy O'Neill 'Glorified Beauties,' Erovided an atmospheric introduc- ,on to the Carnival with a routine in which filckering lights helped create an illusion of actual ice skating. The Carnival, while a nov- elty on a. theatre stage, is handi- capped by lack of space, and can hardly be expected to thrill audi- ences accustomed to the magnitude of the Son] a Henle ice spectacles in the flesh or on the screen. Previ- ously the Carnival was featured at the Trocadero in Hollywood. In addition to the Ice Carnival, the current bill presents a vaude revue topped by Pinkie Lee & Co., in which the lisping, little gob is aided by two stooges, man and girl, in a comedy, act- very much like that in. which he was seen here.several months ago. Lee clowns and danees a bit - in a snappy routine and the gal. . Mary Minten, does a neat .acro- batic dance niunber. Lee leaves next month for a vaudeville tour of Australia. . . The other acts are both above average. Berty Lynn, playing his vibrolynn, an electric stringed in- strument, displayed cleverness in imitations. of an air raid, barnyard animals and' other items, and in his perfoiTiahce ' of . several strai^t numbers. ■ With him was an eye- filling: blonde- who did a 'hula rou- tine. Two juvemle dancers, Geral- dine and Joe, excellent in several intricate and difficult routines. Kids have plenty of talent Although bill was one of the best at Gate in some time, probably due to competish by Rudy Vallee, doing a p.a. at auto show, biz was n.s.g. Milt. Los. Angeles, Nov. 19. Sally Rand, Bob Hall. Kee & Tuck, Burns & White, John Galltis, Charles Edwards, GaTia Lee Moore, Al Lyon Orch; 'Smashing Rackets' (RKO). House extended itself this week in supplying a strong supporting stage show as adjunct to Sally Rand's fan and bubble dance. It's first appear- ance at the theatre for Miss Rand in several years and audience at opener relished her endeavors. Act runs 10 minutes, first part of which is devoted by Miss Rand to manipulation of two large fans, while finale is the bubble-tossing episode which enables patrons to get a much better view of her semi-draped body, Offering has lost none of its artistry and it's presented inoffensively. Copping the lion's share of ap- plause is Bob HaU, who cleverly im provises songs on topics of the day. Show's opened by an overture by Al Lyon's orchestra, followed by Gana Lee. Moore, "Realist with per- sonality, who does one number. First of the stage acts is Kee and Tuck, mixed Korean team, with girl dis- playing shapely gams while hoofing and Tuck offering a . diversified, rou- tine of barrel-juggling and upside- down dancing. Billie Bums and Dennis 'White are a-graceful dancing team and pave the way for Hall, who at matinee caught had a stuuewhat earlier spot than Usual, to-x>ermit him to ph^ another date. John Gallus offers novelty clarinet ing, •Juggling and' balancing balls whQe pl^ring the instnunent Winds up with manipulation of quartet of marionettes while playing. Next to clofi^ iust before Miss Band, is held down by Charles Edward^ Los An- geles amateur barit(Hiei who reveals a strong, pleasing voice. Edwa. DUQUESNE GARDEN (PITTSBURGH) (ICE REVUE) Pittsburgh, Nov. 18; Tntemotionol Ski Jumpers (12), Dr. Beverly SprouVs Siberian Huskies, Seilor Bros (2), Vera Hruba, Ken Suhl, Hazel Franklin. Alex Hurd, Randolph Duggan, 4 ManniguiTis, Alf Trinkler, Jerry May- hall Orch. Successive clicks of 'Ice Follies* shows has led Duquesne Garden management to jump the gun this season and get in early with its own production. 'Winter Sports Revue' demonstrates folly of trying to slap these entertainments togeOier be- cause with exception of couple of in- dividual turns, carnival isn't in same league with the Tollies' or Henie spectacles. It's a hodge-podge, with no pro- duction, just a collection of skate, ski and comedy acts that consistently displays crying need for judicious cutting. Runs well over two hours and most of it on the dull side through no psirticular fault of per- formers. Feature is supposed to- be a ski- jumping exhibition, with Ifr perform- ing, but only Strand Mikkelson and Clarence Oleson register well. Run- way has been built at one end of the Garden but short surface makes it pretty dangerous and boys are forced to hold back^ In addition, they're on too often and their ap- pearances could have been -wisely cut to the fleeting- second-half thrills. Demonstrations of different tech- niques £ure slow and- general^ pretty uninteresting^ Star of revue is Hazel Franklin (New Acts), 13-year-old English skating whiz, who cops top honors. Featured also is Vera Hruba, Czech champ-, but gal's grace- is more studied than natural. Has what it takes on looks, but in talent not in a class with Miss. Franklin. Seilor Brosl and Alf Trinkler look uter the comedy. Seilors, who were with Henle shbw last year, are doing their standard vaude act on the elon- g»ted barrelstave skiis, but make a mistake in trying to talk in such a big place. Should stick strictly to pantomime and it wouldn't hurt them to scissor their turn a little, too. They looked much better play- ing the Stahley stage here a few months ago. TWhMer's a' diminutive Hans Brinker in clown get-up, > with a natural talent on ice and a willing- ness to take plenty of falls for laughs. Makes them all look pretty artistic, however. Four Mannequins (Martha Carter, DeLories Ziegfield, Sohja Garvin and May Judels), who were at Hotel New Yorker, New York, couple of years, jut some pretty figures and make a good appearance while Alex Hurd, late of International Casino, N. Y., goes through- his barrel-jumping, to nice returns. Both turns, however, seem more-elective for the more in- timate surrdundings of the niteries. Here they appear just average. Ken Suhl, in baggy clothes, bur- lesques the skiers for -scattered chuckles, but goes legit hear the-close for a thrilling somersault off the jump, landing uprights Some effort at production made for the finale, with skiers biazing down holding torches aloft and principals skating out while boys circle the- rink with * their blazers. Shows such as these need plenty of production and a set routine. Otherwise, they seem quite oirdinary, like this one. Cohen. STRAND, BROOKLYN Teddy King Orch vyith Midgie Fellows, Lucky MtUinder Orch toith TretM>r Bacon, Avis Andrews Nichols & Roberts, Joe & Jane Mc Keuna, ChocaJateers (3); 'Swing That Cheer'^ (U). Heavily advertised as a 'battle of swing,* with Lucky Millinder's or- chestra squaring oft against 'Teddy Kingis house band, this wedc's offer- ing, indiiding fdiir acts, is diverting but not sock. Musical 'battle' re- ceived the most exploitation, and that's .where most of the 'battle' re- mains—in the exploitation. The other turns give the biU its only ap- pezd. That doesn't mean the two bands, dont turn ^n a good job tiying to foree the swingH>-meter to blazing heat Millinder is still in the throes of settling, a comparatively ' new band into his s^le^ and evidence of his work is apparent. King's crew is much improved since the Strand reopened it's vaude policy couple of months ago and he has several ex- ceptionally capable musicians, but it doesn't Steele up as being able to compete with Millinder in outright sv^o^k ; Fact that King and the house har- bor no illusions on that score is seen in the arrangements selected for each and the antics of the swing-o- meter, set up behind the two outfits. It hits the top once—^when Millinder gets off his 'Ride, Red, Ride.* At the fihale, it blows its top when the two bands combine. .Controlled from backstage it would be stretching the imagination and gullibility of the audience to have King's crew force it to the top. Another glaring discrepancy is the batoning ability of the two leaders. Millinder makes King look amateur- ish. Stickwaving a crew these days, when bahds are essentials of most stage shows, caUs for smoothness and showmanship. King hasn't got it; Millinder .has. As his main contributions, King uses two medleys that take most of his time. First is a combo of some of the late George Gershwin's clas- sics said the second involves a 'Cavalcade of Swing,* presenting various styles from ragtime to 1938. Both are well done, a trombone, solo in the first standing out. MiUinder doesn't stick to current stuff either, one of his selections being a swing arrangement of Rachmaninoff's 'Pre- lude in C Sharp Minor.' Midgie FeUows and Trevor &acon, respective vocalists for the King and Millinder bands, don't get much chance. Miss Fellows is on during King's Gershwin medley, piping The Man I Ldve.* Follows it with an ar- rang^ent of''Dear, .What Can the' Matter Be,' which is' closely asso- ciated with Ella Logan. Bacon im- presses handily with two also, in- cluding 'My Reverie.* Avis Andrews, who's been with Cab Calloway, clicks strongly with, three songs. Opens with 'You Went to My Head' then Millinder profers the usual cigaret to lead her into 'While a Cigaret was Burning' she has to encore when caught 'At Your Beck and Call' satisfied 'em. Joe and Jane McKenna and the Chocolateers are click comedy dancing turns. Former are aptly in- troduced as "Two Slap Happy Peo- ple.'^ They open belling each other around and dose the same way. In between it's a laughable drunk bit by the male, followed-by a burlesque of adagio dancers. Girl really looks like she could .flatten the average male. Chocolateers. introduced 'peckin' at the Cotton Club, New York. Their knockabout nonsense is swell. Doesn't seem to be any definite pattern to their antics, but closer, observation shows it to be as cleverly conceived Slapstick dancing as there is around. Nichols and Roberts do smooth shagging and Hndy hopping at the (q;>enlng. PARAMOUNT, K Y. Buddy Cloric, Eleanore Whitnev Ford Leary, Bea Wni^. tA^I^^Y* Travelefi* (Par)^ Risry Oct 5. Wain; 'Afkaiisai rc«t€tucd in Va- Not the - i>est show this house has placed but one that's entertaining and in Larry Cllnten particularly should have good draught with the jitterbug trade; Staged, well, with colorful effects by Harry Rubin pit presentation has nice pace, fiash and in spots; considerable punch. It's tighter than most shows, running 55 minutes, with considerable of the time devoted to Buddy Clark (New Acts) and Frank Libuse. Clinton has been here before and since has picked up a substantial f ol- Idwing among swing enthusiasts, the type that spells strong morning and matinee business. A quiet, unassum- ing leader, he specializes oh the brass. Clitktoti's band, whose swing pulls the punches advisedly a little on the blasting, is well-knit and gets effec- tive results, Ford . Leary, instru- mentaUst, also sings 'Ol' Man River,* done in swing, and 'Shad Rock,' a novelty, to score stoutly. Bea Wain (New Acts) is carried by the 13-piece orchestra and closes powerfully with thriee-songs, a sopie- what dated pop, 'My Reverie' and 'Martha,' done in swing. She's a comer. Libuse, recently . at the Casa Manana, N.. Y.. is^ forced Ihtd some- what cramped surrdundings here but it doesn't seem to matter since none of his comedy slapstick is lost He's one of the best laugh acts here in some time. Libuse's piano- por- tion is on the band platform tather than on the narrow pit strip in 'frpnt Clark and Eleanore Whitney (New Acts) are ahead of Libuse. Clark, who has been on the 'Hit Parade' and did- a stint for Lucky Strike on Mutual also, is doing four niunbers where three might, suffice,, particu- larly since It Ain*t Necessarily So* is so longi His others . are recent pops. He has a good .voice, ex- cellent diction and makes a nice ap- pearance, but puts little selling into his work. Miss Whitney, from films, does two dances, a rhythmic tap and a shag novelty, to .get across oJc. Band's numbers include 'Study in. Brown,' 'Chant of the Jungle.' a jam session and 'Chinatown.* Clinton's drummer attempts to attract notice by actings jivesy with a lot of mouth motion, but it's tebu. Bob Baker, organist, does a caval- cade of song hits from pictures of the past 10 years, very good. It's in line with celebration of 12th an- niversary of the Par this wedc. Char. ORPHEUM, MPLS. Minneapolis, Nov. 19. Hal Kemp Orch (16), Mickey Bloom, Shag Dancers (4), Bob Al- len, Saxie Dowell; Eddie Kusby. Jimmie Shea & Guy Raymond, Paul Remos & His Midgets (3), Judy Storr; *I Am the Law' (Col). Hal Kemp's radio aehievements and reputation apparently have bxiilt him a considerable local fol- lowing, according to the manner in which they're turning out foe his crew presently. Augmented by sev- eral dandy acts, the orchestra pro- vides an hour of lively entertain- ment. Kemp is a snappy conductor and m.c. with plenty of showmanship, employing familiar numbers that are given novel twists by effective ar- rangements. Above all, theire's plenty of comedy throughout. After the band's lively medley of current bits, Mickey Bloom gets hot on his trumpet. Pace speeds ind the jitterbugs have a treat while two ydung couples, announced as New York state ^ag contest cham-, pions, click big. . ' Bob Allen warbles 'So Help Me' and 'You Go to My Head' well. Corpulent Saxie Dowell puts- across two comedy numberst '10 Little Bot- tles' and "The Butcher Boy,' -with clowning and original business that give these sock selections new values. Kemp joins the saxophone section for a sizzling band number. Tower House,' during which there's individ- ual solo work by most of the musi- cians. Band also scores with 'Star Dust' and Eddie Kusby trombone solos 'Mood Indigo.' Shea and Rayihond are excellent dancers. good for laughs. Loose- jointed youths do a burlesque on a tango that's riotous and then wind up spectac;ilarly with the. tall boy swinghag by his feet from the short- er one's neck to get big plaudits. There's even greater applause for Paul Remos and bis midgets. Their muscular and contortion feats are climaxed by daring balancing, with one of the midgets playing a xylo- phone high atop a pole balanced by Remos on Us shoulder while the other hangs suspended from the pole. Tiny Judy Storr bums 'em up with her vocal interpretations of 'I Went to Havana.^' 'The- Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' and 'A-Tisket' For its finish, band has a novelty arrangement of 'Nice Work If You Can Get It* that hasn't quite enough zip. Reef.