Variety (Dec 1938)

TTednesday, December 21, 1938 REVIEWS VARBTY 41 Night Club Reviews GLASS HAT, N. Y. Joe Venuti Orchestra (11), An- drews Sisters (3), Pa ul Rosinu Now that they're waddling at the Waldorf and swingin' in the Sert room. Ralph Hitz figured there's no lelfon for keeping his Hotel Bel- jnont-Plaza's Glass Hat room parti- cularly conservative. Thus comes Joe Venuti, regarded as a super- kiUer-diller by the ultra cats. He s undoubtedly the premier jazz fiddler, iustiflably famed as an advanced jaz- ziQue virtuoso. So, with his own combo, he's doing all right m this *^What makes Venuti click with the alligators, as well as the professional fraternity, is his informality, which borders on the screwball. He may- hems the language when ad libbing the titles, but there's nothing stutter- ing about his swingology. He has a heated team that knows how to keep it under wraps most of the time^ though it does get over-enthused to- wiards the end of each set. He Jias a dandy team of swingsters, including an out-of-this-world drummer who looks" and works like a fugitive from 62d street. The Andrews Sisters (3) with their advanced swing-singing, which first brought them to attention on the Decca disks, are in the proper groove with a combo like Venuti's. Paul Rosini, doubling from another Hitz hotel, the New Yorker, rounds out the corking divertissement with some amazing magico. Rosini's suave style- of yrorking his card and rings illusions are as much an asset as the basic legerdemain. Venuti already has become a col- lector's item among disk fan.s, especially his old violin-guitar wax- ings with the late Eddie Lang. Long before they called it swing Venuti and Lang were fathered oy Paul Whiteman as exponents of an ultra- modern something in jazzique. Some of the phonograph companies have been repressing some of the old recordings, labeling them with the original dates when 'first recorded.' Venuti-Lang's stuff merits that sort of reprise. Ahel. MOTHER KELLY'S (MIAMI BEACH) Miami Beach, Pec. 16. Owen & Parco, Warren & Bodee, Mickey Barrie, Bennett Green.^ This spot, a favorite bar" in the past, has been completely remodeled an^ for the first time is presenting a show. Heretofore, room was strictly a late spot, with no entertainment, but very popular for after-club nightcaps. There\ a stage, in the center of the bar, and 'Mother,' as Kelly is affec- tionately known to the habitues, Is omnipresent with his genial person- iality. Since opening, spot has done top biz on the Beach. A singing duo, Owen and Parco, is the top attraction in the area. Team works slightly risque, but still stays within bounds. Owen, in front of the mike, while. Parco accom- panies, Is particularly deft with ma- terial written by the team. Warren and Bodee, vocal swing- sters, keep the show running at top speed. Mickey Barrie, a baby-voiced canary, .is okay, although her bad cold when caught retarded her a bit. Bennett Green, m.c., is satis- factory In his vocalizing' and "his {>resentation of the show is fault- ess. Thorn. BAL TABARIN, S. F. Son Francisco, Dec. 17. Gary Nottingham Orch, John Tio, Beverly Bemis, Modie & Lemoux, Gary Nottingham, who for some years whipped a number of bands into shape for others to front, has decided to get some of the glory him.self. Although someone else is waving the stick and m.c.ing, the orchestra is billed as Nottingham's directed by Roland Drayer. Band Is the typical hotel setup, dis tinctive in Nottingham's arrange- ments, and not unlike Richard Himber In style. Drayer Is a blonde, with an easy manner and trained tenor pipes. He's currently warbling for NBC here over which the band also broad- casts from the Bal Tabarin several times a week. Drayer looks like a comer and will overcome a nervous- ness evidenced opening night. The floor show, m.c.d by Drayer, is headlined by Beverly Bemis, local hoofer, who formerly teamed in vaudeville with her brother, Billy. Miss Bemis has youth and plenty of talent. John Tio, talking parrot- featured In the past on Rudy Vallee's and Ripley's air shows, presents an unusual act for a club floor show, and it clicks. John Tio answers questions asked by his master. It also does imitations of a dog's bark, a cat's meow, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante, among others, Modie and Lemoux, ballroom team, open and close the second show of the evening, making only one ap- pearance, earner. The gal, tall, I ) 1 . I t > slender redhead, Is unusually good and is-attractively costumed. They look well and get a good reception. The line of girls, long a feature at the Bal, is out. Biz here is bad, which accounts for their absence. Milt. RIPTIDE CLUB (MIAMI BEACH) Miami Beach, Dec. 17. Al Parker, Harry Nestor, Wanda Dawson, Elaine Maye, Earl Leslie Orch. Harris Levison, long an operator on 23d street, the hub of Beach nitery activities, reopened his Rip- tide, and for the first time in the spot's history presented a show.. Less said about it the better. Spot, heretofore, has operated on a smaller scale, with a sweet band, strollers and a girl vocalist. Such a setup is ideal, for this spot, and Levi- son is consideriifg yanking the show and reverting to the old policy. Al Parker, m.c, has little to offer. Henry Nestor, baritone, is miscaist here, since he', has a concert voice and lacks nitery technique. High spot is Wanda Dawson, whose war- bling is okay. Elaine Maye pianos and vocals, but misses. Earl Leslie's orchestra is okay for dansapation. Thorn. FRANKIE PALUMBO'S (FHILADELPHIA) Philadelphio, Dec. 17. Frank Hall, Beth Calvert. Casper, & Roth, Rodney & Gould, Line (6), Bobby Morro Orch. . Annual remodeling at Palumbo's has given it one of the most advan- tageous setups in the city for its show presentation. Show is neat, too. With the budget limited, offer- ing is held down to 35 smooth min- utes. Frank Hall m.c.'s and chirps well enough, warbling 'We're All Pals Together,' 'Donkey Serenade' and 'AH Ashore,' good choices. Beth Calvert is a satisfactory looker, but her strength lies in her song sales- manship. Casper and Roth are a mixed terp team. Femme's blonde, but only so- on phiz and gams. Stick mostly to fast tap, tossing in some adagio cmd acrobatics. Routines, if n.s.g., are at least fairly original. Comedy supplied by Rodney and Gould, long- and-short team. Get off to a good start with their comic appearance— brown derbies; racetrack suits and difference in size. Sing a djtty, terp and end with knockabout. Lose con- siderable strength In gabbing. Would do much better to stick strictly to deadpan pantomime. Line (6) makes two appearances, opening and closing the show. Gals are lookers, pretty weU-gammed and w6rk in fair precision. Bobby Morro's six-man toot crew capably plays for show and terps. Herb. Bermuda Stock (Continued from page 1) island to import a Broadway com- pany. No names-will be taken along, but a troupe of about 10 young ac- tors will be recruited, with the walk-on parts cast from among the members of an amateur group in Hamilton. Latter organization is erecting the theatre, which it will rent for the stock enterprise. Idea is to play, four performances weekly, since there are estimated to be sufficient audiences available for only that number. Schedule calls for showings Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights and Thursday matinees. New productions will be offered weekly. First bill is to be rehearsed in New York. If business for the initial 10-week season war- rants, an additional stay Is planned for the following July, August and September. Intervening months will be used to line up more plays and cast replacements in New York. Lea- man figures on going to Bermuda about Jan. 1 to look over the start of the theatre construction and other- wise inspect the setup at first hand. He plans to buy a permanent resi- dence on the island. i Idea of a stock company in Ber- muda has been considered several times in the past, but always dropped because of the cost of erecting a the- atre. Last such proposal involved the' Surry Players, who have op- erated a strawhat theatre at Surry> Me., the last two summers and last season produced 'As You Like It' on Broadway. Dwight Deere Wiman, who has a home in Bermuda, was to have backed the venture, which called for a year-round schedule of Broadway, Bermuda and Surry, Me., engagements. House Reviews APOLLO, N. Y. (Continued from page 40) identified with radio, plays the bad- die convincingly, and Wiltshire the sheriff. Skit's well done. Kirby Walker tosses in okay pianology and vocals during this and in other spots. Green, Wiltshire and Miss Harris, do another excellent bit prior to the band entry. It, too, is devoid of blue tint. Jean and Joan comprise a blonde tap team and draw favorable reac- tion. Fresh appearance impresses al- most as much as their routines. Lat- ted are standard for the most part, but well executed, varying from good unison work to challenge. Ovie Alstor band works impres- sively after shift from pit to stage. While- predominantly sweet, crew sock.s over a couple of hot tunes that are something. One, however, is so unlike previous and following numbers, that it's glaring and could be dropped. That's an arrangement of 'One O'clock Jump,' similar to Benny Goodman and Count Basle's way of riding It. In attempts at informality, how- ever,. Alston's crew goes a bit too far. That reference Is to the bass player. His antics are annoying, es- pecially in the sweet tunes and back- ing Froshine Stewart, crew's vocalist. Latter gets her tunes off in swell style and voice. Does 'Cocquette' and 'Old Folks' and could safely have piped more. TOWER, K. c NEW ACTS Kansas City. Dec. 20. Herbic Kay Orch. Wynne Fair, Fuzzy Combs, George Ramsby, Del Rio Trio, Don Cummings, Novak & Fay, House "Line: 'Down on Farm' (20fh). Although biz is typical of the sea- son, house Is offering a better than average show combining the youth- ful Kay aggregation and the Jones Family picture, which outstrips the usual run of films here. Band is essentially a dance unit, numbering 11 players, and conse- quently is able to offer a variety of music as well as a large repertoire of novelty .numbers, Emceeing of the leader also a bit different, as his work is on the In- formal side and clicks with a less rigid and more down-to-earth appeal. Mostly contents hirhself with baton waving, but gets- into the clowning and takes his pick at the banjo In closing. Wynne Fair as a tqrcher fills the bill neatly, piping a trio of pop songs in accepted fashion, and being above par on the eye appeal. Male singing by George Ramsby, tenor, and Fuzzy Combs, scat singer, Is ade- quate. Half score of band numbers is first broken into by the Del Rio Trio, who perform their adagio acrobatics In evening clothies. Their output nears the mark of a finished product. Don Cummings, billed as the cowboy in tails, uses some rope twirling as a background for line of gags and satire, nicely done. Novak and Fay make their bid near closing with a pantomimic and clowny acrobatic turn. The Ador- ables house line in some snappy cos- tumes offers a precision shag mid- way, and in for a flash in the finale. "rhe -63- mmutes might well be trimmed by five, although the route shows no particular drag. Quin. EARLE, PHILLY Philadelphia. Dec. 16. Benny Davis Star Dust Revue with Rexer Twins, Tell Sisters (3), Ted Lester, Gill & Bernie Mason, John Elliott, Leonora Colstons, Bon Bon Buddy, Three Freshmen, Lou Schra- der's house orch; 'Hard to Get* (WB). Regularly as Santa appears on the corner at Christmas, Benny Davis turns up at the Earle with a flock of kids in his 'Star Dust Revue.' While some of the acts belie Davis' hoke that he's giving them their first break in show biz (fact is, one of the acts he bt-lngs was at the Earle as long as a year and a half ago; the faces are all young and most of them are new to -these parts. Earle, as in the past three years, is the troupe's break-in date. And, rather despite Davis than because of him, the overlong 76 minutes are fairly entertaining. It's not high- powered stuff, but fills the bill more than satisfactorily. Curtain ups on the squad of 16 kids weakly warbling a ditty tagged 'To Be or Not to Be a Star,' ask- ing the audience to be the judge of whether they'll get ahead in show business. They are backed by Lou Schrader's neat house band trans- ported from pit to stage. Set is made up, not too appropriately, of college pennants, while in front of the band are cabaret tables at which the troupe sits. Davis bounces out with his usual line of patter and squeaks a lengthy tune of his own, 'Sunny Side to Everything,' then introduces the Rexer Twins. Gal and boy are so- GILL and BEENIE MASON Dancing, Dogs 10 Mins. Earle, Phtlly. This turn easily carries off top honors in the new Benny Davis re- vue at the Earle. It has pretty much all that, it takes to please practically anyone, although it could use build- ing up somewhat by additional mate- rial and perhaps more dogs if it has to stand alone without the aid of the surrounding revue. Essentially an animal stanza, it gets under way with an exceptionally smart-looking boy and gal in col- legiate garb briefly hoofing in cur- rent jitterbug style. Femme trucks off and ^uy calls his dog, Benny. Medium-sized canine coi^s lazily out of the wings. More the lad shouts for it to hiurry, the slower It wialks. When it flnally arrives in the center of the stage, it is put through its paces, responding • tQ- each ord<?r by doing the opposite. Although pup Is plenty good, briefly smoking a ciga- ret, among other things, it's not so well trained in'a variety of tricks as many other stage animals. Strength of the act lies, however, not alto- gether In the dog, but In the line of swell patter, exceptionally neatly gagged, which the kid gets off in working with it. His clean, youthful exuberance also helps. Second pup, a chihuahua, much smaller, is brought on by the femme. Adds up numbers for a gag by mak- ing a red light in its tail flash (via a leash In the gal's hand). Also bal- ances on forepaws on guy's.hand and stands on hind legs for as long as five minutes at a time.' Meantime, lad produces a tiny chichuahUfi, which also does . some balancing, then streaks off the stage in opposite di- rection when it is sicked on Benny Davis. Team's, hoofing finale takes them off. Herb. THREE FRESHMEN Knockabout 8 Mins. Earle, Fhllly . One of the better turns of the new Benny Davis revue which started on tour this week. Needs plenty of work on it yet, but when set will compare favorably with such well-knowns of this type as the Three Sailors. Has an advantage even over them, how- ever, in the youth, spontaneity and comparatively good looks of the lads, giving it more class. . With two medium-sized guys and one tall one, Freshmen succeed in grabbing quite a few chuckles by their hand balancing, terrific falls, tumbling' and general slaparound. One of the primary elements they lack is good music. Stuff they work to fails to provide the proper buildup for their bits. Much more impor- tant, though. Is their poor timing: With some of the qualities of the Ritz. Bros., they fail to click an3^hln£ like the better kno-wn zanies who depend so much on excellent timing. This trio seldom does the unexpected, al- most always tipping 6ft their getgs. Too, all their actions need a general speeding up, which, like the timing, should be gained with experience. Herbi THE COQUETTES With Viola Smith, Frances Carroll, Terry Corrigan, Kay Hamilton Band 30 Mins. State, Hartfprd Co-operative all-girl band that has been playing the midwest for eight years under a variety of names. First theatrical date for the unit,,, consisting mainly of youngsters. Band is strictly brass and is mainly for the jitterbug traffic. Feature of the unit is Viola Smith, trapplst, billed as 'the female Gene Krupa.* Gal is placed in a prominent spot, being stationed on a high platform to the rear and.above the band. In a couple of numbers she beats the skins solo. Of course, she lacks the finesse and polish of Krupa. Frances Carroll, a looker, waves the stick In front of the band along the Button style. N.s.h. as a singer, but personable. She vocals only one song.. Terry Corrlgan, rug cutter, In a solo spot, gives an exhibition of. a jitterbug on the loose. Also taps. Kay Hamilton, vocalist, possesses a nice set of pipes. Presents her songs in the Martha Raye manner, al- though her voice is more stentorian. EcJc. so tappers. Mediocre appearance Isn't aided and by a silly type of costume. Three Tell Sisteris fol- low. Native Philadelphians, they're pretty w.k. here, lor a long time on KYW and having appeared at the Earle before in the KYW Revue. Harmonizing, with two at the mike and one at a Tom Thumb piano, is marked by good arrangements, but very little else. Davis' hope of set- ting one of the femmes the proper distance from the mike Is particu- larly ahnoying here, inasmuch as she's probably warbled into more of 'em than he has. Ted Lester needs some additional routine worked around the essen- tials of his turn, but is one of the best of the newcomers, playing a variety of instruments drawn from his pockets and a dress cape. Act has novelty and deftness, but patter would help. Femme tabbed Leonora does mimicry of Hollywood names, several pretty good, but weak as a whole. Some of them a bit too ob- scure. Colstons do a comic knock- about waltz routine, Fairlv humor- ous all the way through. Davis is pushing John Elliott as a romantic baritone. Tall, blond lad is certainly an eyeful and gets *ahs' from the femme trade, but is letting out with entirely the wrong type numbers. Hasn't range, volume or flexibility for such things as 'I Love a Parade,' 'Heart and Soul,' 'Night and Day.' Would be a pipe as a crooner of stuff like 'Reverie.' Worthy of watching. Best turn of the show Is provided by Gill and Bernie Mason (New Acts) ar ' their dogs. Has comedy, class .and finish. Bon Bon Buddy, Negro lad, pecks at the piano, and waxes hot on 'F.D.R, Jones' and 'Ole Man Mose' sizes up as fair. Three Freshmen (New Acts), knockabout trio, com- bine antics of thie Three Stooges and the Ritz Brothers and have th stuff. What they need is expert guidance. Davis finales with the usual line of songs he's cleffed, then adds a,. anti- climax In a slow one he's recently written, 'I'm Grateful to You,' which takes the edge off and should be dropped or routined before the other set. Herb. ED BICKARD Shadow Pictures 8 Mins. Show Bar, Forest Hllb, N. T. Here Is a novelty for the better niteries. Ed I^ickard, east after film bit3 in 'Double or Nothing' and 'Souls at Sea,' works between a port- able opaque screen and a two-carbon light, manipulating his hands for unusual effects. Numerous small' props are used for atmosphere and minnie slides at- tached to a headband are flashed in front of the light' and annoimce the numbers on the screen. Other ac- cessor!^ are moustaches, hats and a queue in the sequences wherein a Chinese visits a dentist to have a tooth yanked. Good comedy build- up in this number with the dentist having trouble getting put the molar. Finally manages it with a wrench. Other neat bits are 'Harlem Flir- tation' and a cat on a back fence, Rickard Is dexterous and versatile and the act moves along rapidly, against a background of subdued mtisic, for a solid salvo at the close. Cilb. TEMPLE and LAUREN Danolnf 7 Mins. Nixon Cafe, PUtsbnrgh - Couple of classy newcomers in ballroomology. Still need something distinctive to set them apart from the pack, but they have everything with which to do it—looks, class, grace and a natural terp fine^se.^ Gal IB particularly an eyeful. Routines of Temple and Lauiren are still pretty conventional, but they make even the ordinary look good. Have a lot of ease and poise, make a dazzling apj^earance—male is a sleek Latin t:^6—and do a waltz, a little collegiate flurry and some whirlwind spins all in flawless fashion. Just a little novelty for a trade- mark and they ^ould be on the way. Cohen. GIBBONS and OABBOLL Dancing.-Sinelnf Five Mins. Apollo, N. T. Dance team employing a copy of Moore and Revel and other turns that burlesque ballroom routines. It's not of the calibre and smoothness of the topnotchers at the same game, but Is nevertheless suitable for clubs, etc. Pair tip off the knockabout terps with an opening tune. It's a parody in the jnelody of 'Two Sleepy Peo- ple' with the words switched to 'Two Drunken People.' Lyrics are com- ical. NATALIE GILBERT Dances 7 Mins. Show Bar, Forest BlUs, N. T. Undistinguished tapping isn't aided by the routine switch between the two expressions this gal manages to essay: a straight smile alternating with a look of Injured innocence. 'Susie-Q' Is her best number but she Isn't the type for bumps and could do better with straight rhythm work, if properly costumed and rou- tined. GiW. DEANE JANIS Songs 5 Mins. Slate, N. Y. Although she has previously been known only in radio, Deane Janis knows her stuff in front Of an audi- ence. She has ease, fair looks and a pleasant—^though unspectacular— personality. Agreeable voice, clear enunciation, ability to sell a number and unusual taste in choosing heir songs. Manner with a mike Is skill- ful. Miss Janis wUl do lor either vaude or niteries. Hobe. » ' f , 1 I