Variety (Mar 1939)

26 VARIETY VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS Wedneeday^ March 8, 1939 Frank Fay Vaudeville (44th STREET, N. Y.) George Honne/ord & Fomili/ (5). - . Glen Pope, Avis Anrdexvs, Smith & seats the customers, then the Ches- kissers. Lack pro finish in poise, also make-up. ■ Show's second half didn't get un- derway opening night till 10:30. Flo Mayo's punchy trapeze stunting re- Dolei TTie' Merry-Macs (4). Eva LeGallienne with Richard Waring, Flo Mayo, Elsie Janis with Nolan Cravat, Johmiv Barnes,' Frank Fay with Ahel Baer, Pedro & Luis, Rose Kessne, Corinne Doyle, Fred Hille- brand, Nino Verelo, Horru Hines, Cliester Hale Dancers (16) with Helen Lcilclie; presented by Foy; opcnino March 2. '39; top. Frank Fay picks up where this season's first straight-vaudeville at- jtemp left off, but he doesn't pick up enough. Kurt Robitschek's for- mula at the Majestic, New York, which folded in the red after three weeks, was wrong in not having names; Fay has the naimes, but one doesn't fit and the first-half plays like an anesthetic. Eva LeGallicnne's Romeo and Ju- liet" balcony scene tNew Acts) , clos- ing the first half, slows a slow show down to a standstill, but yet the to a presentation's'chief fault is psycho- , . u« • » « i logically Fay himself. He's the pro- an act wherein he travels a ducer, thie booker, the stager and ter Hale line and then Elsie Janis, wht> literally tore a sympathetic au- dience apart. She's on long, but wel- come, practically her entire routine being devoted to a song about pres- ent times being better than former years and entailing numerous) ex- pertly done satirical imitations. John and Ethel Barrymore, Cohan, Helen Hayes, Bea Lillie, Sarah Bern- hardt, Fannie Bricj and Will Rogers are included, and her cartwheels in- sure a smash click. Nolan Cravat is her piano accohip. Show's third standout, including Smith and Dale, immediately follows Miss Janis in the . personage of Johnny Barnes -(New Acts). He rates.as one of the top hoofers in the business. Fay, with Abel Baer at the piano, closes. For the finale whirl. Fay has a stripper on the stage and six stooses planted in the audience, in- cludmg Fred Hillebrand, as a heck- ler, and Harry Hines, once a stand- ard vaude single on his own. Plus Pedro and Luis, one of whom does tight- MUSIC HALL, N. Y. rope backwards iip to the balcony I m.c; th,e burdens tell both on himself and the audience. The latter isn't givon the chance at any time to for- get Fay's multiple importance and Fay is too busy protecting his invest- ment to be the flippant Fay this show requires and misses. Estimates place the show's first week's salary tiut at around $12,000. Plus this, Fay was plenty in the bag grlor to opening, for advertising, re- earsals and other production ex- penditures. That there was no stint- ing is evidenced by the nicely draped stage, there, being several tasteful eyes, side-pieces and drops. Chances of its getting back the in- vestment look slim. Opening night (3). the show ran an hour too long. Cutting should be simple. Spotting is poor, but that's something also easily fixed. But the Fay dilemma is quite acute. How to make him forget his investment is probably impossible but he can readily get booking and staging ad- vice, and he needs both. As for Miss LeGallienne's sketch, only an inter- mission, which follows her, could make a stage less inanimate. One of Fay's innovations is the complete absence of microphones. He got his answer quickly opening night from the balconyites, who kept calling for hiin to talk up, but instead Fay' asked the lower floor customers if they wouldn't prefer to see actors moving around unhamp- ered by the p.a. system. They could hear and naturally applauded In the affirmative, but the shelf seats will gather a lot of dust if Fay persists in' playing only to the top-price pews. „ . - The circusy George Harmeford . Family (5) tee off with their stand- ard equestrienne turn, but, except for the nostalgia it arouses, is hardly ft hurricane getaway before an adult audience, Irs corny; the comedy of Hanneford's tramp character may be okay in a sawdust setting, but in a Broadway theatre he might be bet- ter off doing his forte tricks straight, as, for instance, the other two men and good-looking girl. Mrs. Hanne- lord wields the whip. Here Fay puts in his first appear- ance. It's a sfieech about himself and his connections with the show. It's overlong, and only a first-night audience could have received it as kindly as (his one did. Then follows Glen Pope, magician, with more talk. He gabs about the stunts he has performed before European royalty and then* in order to demonstrate his pipe trick, walks down into the audi- ence and leaves the stage entirely empty. It gives the customers a chance to study the blue traveler, but doesn't help the entertainment pace. His subsequent cigaret and thimble sleicht-of-hand is good, as is the encore clothes-snatching bit with a femme assist. Pope is young and personable, but that audience stroll is a stage wait. Some comedy cross- fire with Fay at the bows is also a luU. Avis Andrews is a nice colored sineer, but her selection of songs, •with the exception of 'Begin the Be- guine,' could be better. She ap- §eared hand'>aor!r-i bv a cold at the rst show. Then Fay brings on four girls from the Chester Hale line for a debutante comedy routine, that misses fire, chief.y because the girls can't talk. It's an appropriate cue, however, for the first of the line's two routines in the show. This one is a neat top hat-tails prance on toes. In the second half they click with a fan routine do..e in black, svelte eve- nine gowns. Helen Leitche is the soloist, and excellent Show's first real comedy comes with Smith and Dale's familiar 'Dr, Kronkheit' bit, their trademark for. years and a never-failing howl. That the audience was starved for comedy may have been a factor -in S. & D. tieing up the show the way they did, biit the laugh response they achieved ■ "Was legitimately deserved. They give the show a definite lift, but the subsequent harmony singing of the Merry-Macs, a feature of Fred Allen's radio program, drops it right ■back into the trou.fh. Three Mc- Vichael brothers and Helen Carroll dispense a nice sSaning interlude and don't seem .to miss the mike for tone, but they are as stationary as if an amplifier was staring into their and then does a death-slide down. Rose Kessner, Corinne Doyle and Nino 'Verela. this closing act is a laugh riot that comes too late. A good part of the audience had al- ready walked by the time Fay trotted out' in liis .tails, which fur- ther indicates how much cutting the show can take. In addition to the stooges in the finale portion, Fay has two audience stooge bits in the -first half of the show. They are reminiscent of those in Olsen and Johnson's 'Hellzapop- pin,' but not copies -'^ . plenty funny on their own. One is a photographic bit; in the other, a blonde becomes emotionally aroused when 'Waring, in flowery language, describes Fay s' love for her. Final impression of the show is that it may look better if the first half becomes the last half, and the latter took a trimming. That b.o. tap of $2.75 top also looks too high nowadays for a vaudeville show, es- pecially since legit managers now want to cut straight dramas down to S2.20 because of wanip" grosses. "The Palace theatre's top was $2i0, which is something Fay might also remem- ber. Also, those stooges in the audi- ence applaud and 'bravo' too loudly and long. Claques were passe long ago. Scho. APOLLO, N. Y. Sandy Bums, George Williams, George Wiltshire, Delores Brown, Jean Starr, Vivian Harris, Modene Jones, Al Cooper Band, Chuck & Chuckles, Buddy Saunders, Pegleg Bates; 'Gambling Ship' (U). This is another off week for the ApoUo. Since it's the colored name bands that primarily draw 'em to this Harlem house, the management has fallen short in picking a local crew, Al Cooper's Savoy Ballroom- ers, to head the show. Cooper's is the type of orchestra that's okay for sto'mpin' at the Savoy but as a stage unit it hasn't the qualifying earmarks. While the ag iregation is a possible draw for the Harlemites, there's the white audi- ence to be considered. The house draws a host of them, particularly Saturday nights, when upwards of 75% are whites. To this crowd the Cooper name means little. Manner of presentation is wanting this week, too. ' An m.c. seems to be the prime need since the turns are on and off without much pac- ing. Then again there's the matter of those grips: they can easily be seen by the audience as they ply their duties back of the band stand despite attempts to conceal them- selves. The house line is back after being off for one week. Modene Jones, girl contortionist, works hard but lacks, the pro touch. She's seem- ingly just a filler, which is poor booking, as. is . Buddy Saunders, white mandollnist-singer, who's ob- viously in a strange setting and doesn't hurdle the disadvantage. He's the only white act on the card. Chuck and Chuckles, the gaudily costumed tapsters, are smash, while little Jean Starr dances, and sings pleasantly. Cooper's band Is nine pieces on the stage, but when it plays for the first half of the bill, in the pit. It includes - three more men, as re ouired by the m'usicians' union. Cooper occupies an unobtrusive spot as one of the saxers on the stand Rudy Williams, unbilled saxer, gar- ners the gravy with his hot solo licks. For a headliner there's Pegleg Bates, the one-legged dancer, who is surprisingly agile despite the handicap. But the patter buildup to his dancing could best be eliminated, Delores- Brown, singer, opens slowly with her torchers but only when she swings out does she click. In opening sketches. George Wilt- shire. Sandy Burns, George'Williams and Vivian Harris borrow some stuff from burley, none too good, particu larly because of the indigo, and also because the material Is old. 'A Wedding Rhyme,' produced by Russell Markerl; M. H. Sjmph- di- rected by Erno Ropee,- Glee Club Bollef, Rockettes, Sara Ann McCabe, Dean Murphy & Ted Lester; 'Stage- coach' i.UA), reviewed in Variety, Feb. 8, '39. With cowboys 'n* Indians gallop- ing across the screen this sesh, the Music Hall, by way of contrast, turns to lavender and old lace for its stage show. Tagged 'A Wedding Rhyme,' the production is better suited to June balm than roughriders. Aside from the standard stage at- tractions, ballet, glee club and Rock- ettes, two acts have been inserted into the production. They are Dean Murphy, mimic, and Ted Lester, who pulls all sorts of musical instruments from his opera cape.and plays them. As usual at Radio City., the whole affair cries for a touch of comedy and the single standout is the sole routine by the Rockettes. Opener is Sara Ann McCabe, seat- ed in a boiidoir-like setting in a side niche, singing 'Something Old, Some- thing New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue'. She's a looker, has a nice voice and a good tune to sell. She introes the chorus in a scene tabbed 'Something Old'. Group is colorfully dressed in the manner of a past era and placed in an old- fashioned parlor. Open with 'AH Through the Night' and then, curi- ously enough, go into a version of 'Heigh-ho' from 'Snow 'White.' Tunes have some native portions that are similar, but the audience'can hardly be expected to appreciate that, and it's out of character.. Miss McCabe's boudoir is relighted while she sings 'Something New*. The ballet follows in a striking set- ting, but instead of going into the modern routine expected, they do a Javanese-like number to Oriental music. It's Miss McCabe again to keynote 'Something Borrowed'. The. tag s not bad here, because the borrower is Dean Murphy in imitations of film personalities. Murphy's an oke mimic and is aided considerably by the stills of the person he's working on shot on the backdrop, but he does all the standard carbons, and they are beginning to wear badly. 'Something Blue' brings Miss Mc- Cabe out of her cubby hole onto midstage. She's backed by the Glee Club, made up of 20 males in morn- ing clothes, in a reprise. Then they step back, the ballet comes out, and with them Ted Lester. Lester, who recently completed a tour with Ben- ny bavis' 'Stardust Revue,' has a smart turn. Garbed in tophat and evening clothes, he brings forth Addle, clarinet, saxophone, harmon- ica and a flock of other instruments, doing a short bit on each. The Rockettes follow in one of their swell precision turns. It easily scores the most audible click in the proceedings. Entire company ap- pears for the reprise finale. •The house 'was fairly well-filled opening night: beinc recognizable. It's great for the cats, but puzzling to the majority of the auditors. Hampton is spark plug of both trio and quartet, giving tlie beat and working hard on anlmatM improvising at both drums and vi- braphone. . _ ,. Biz good at third show Friday, with standees in lobby. Kiley. EMBASSY, N. Y. (NEWSREELS) Outstanding subject of this week's bill is the new Pope. While the actual election and the current hap- penings in Vatican City could not be brought to New York in time for current showing, the newsreels have achieved a remarkably inclusive and cogent coverage via the libraries. Fox has . trotted out a variety of scenes of the Vatican and Rome dur- ing different ceremonies. Then a last-minute flash clip was added Thursday night (2), a few hours after the election of Cardinal Pa- celli. Shows the new Pontiff during his visit to the U. S. plus participa- tion in various rites in Rome. Much more alive than most such library revivals. Fox contributes a vivid clip of air raids in China, ishowing planes tak- ing off, then flying over and drop- ping their bombs. This series is highlighted by shots taken from the bombers themselves as they drop the missiles. Explosions below are dramatically caught Pathe clip deals with the Hines con- viction, showing the defendant leavv ing court after the verdict, but not affording much Of a look at him, and then a brief spiel by De.wey. Landing of the Clipper at Balti- more (Fox) after a trip from the Coast gives a fair idea of the ship's size, but would be much more ef- fective if a closeup were included to highlight the contrast between the giant ship and an ordinary plane. Paramount supplies a clip of scenes frorh the WPA 'Swing Mi- kado,' of timely interest. Same out- fit also offers a bit on the birthday of the tiny Italian prince, easily topping, the artificiality of most roy- alty scenes. Other better-than-average clips include an auto race on ice (Uni- versal), wreckage after a North Carolina tornado ' (Fox), smashed street car in Roxbury, Mass. (U); Glenn -Cunningham winning a 1,500- metre run (U), and Paramount and Pathe clips of the amateurs punch- ing each other in the Golden Gloves Ijoiits to increase newspaper circu- lation. - Most of the balance is the usual assortment of novelties and staged subjects. Hobe. STATE, N. Y. LYRIC, INDPLS. Indianapolis, March 4. ' Benny Goodman orch, Eunice Healy, Wolter Dore Wohl, Martha Ttlton, Lionel Hampton, Ziggy El man; 'Secret Service of the Air' (WB). It's strictly a session for the cats with Benny Goodman providing 59 minutes of solid sending on the stage. With the band divided into four trumpet four sax, two trombone and four-piece rhythm sections, accent is on rhythm from the start, and gates have audience swinging along with them all the way. During many of the tunes, band sticks to melody for chorus or so, then takes off into un- recognizable jam, getting back to melody once more for the finish, Those tunes which may be recog- nized from start to finish are liked best by the Ickeys in this town, but the jamming also seems to have its followers, with many of the jitter- bugs going out of this world during penprmance. Only two extra acts are present on stage, Eunice Healy doing a nifty tap routine in eye-filling costume shortly after opening, and Walter Dare Wahl, apjpearing in a two-man team of familiar aero comedy mix- ups. The rest of the time is given over to music, band opening with 'Hold Tight,' followed b.v Ziggy El- man, given the spot for some of the hottest trumpet playing heard in these parts on 'And the Angels Sing.' Elman is a standout. on the brass throughout Band hits a high spot on 'One. O'clock Jump,' followed by JMartha Tilton who sings 'Deep Pur- ple,' 'Cuckoo in the Clock,' and "Hurry Home,' effectively. Goodman takes off for a solo flight on 'Sing Sing Sing,' bringing cheers from the more rabid swing fans.. Lionel Hampton comes on to take over the skins, joining Jess Stacey at the mothbox, and Ooodman for some hot trio work o'- 'World Is Waiting for Sunrise,' following with 'Body and Soul.' Hampton then transfers to vibraphone, while drummer re- turns to make it a quartet' jamming out a strictly swii-t- tune. Encore with-Tlat Foot Floohte,' ■with 'Don' Be That Way' for. begoff. - Quartet work is strictly swlngaroo with only few bars of tunes played STATE-LAKE, CHI Chicago, March 4. Toy & Wing, Ed Ricfcert, Britt Wood, Peplto, Mitzi Green, Novak & Fay, Audrey Corley's Batoneers. (6), Al Kvale orch; 'New York Sleeps' (20fh). House gives its customers plenty of bargain for their money, both in volume and in entertainment Head- lining the current bill is Mitzi Green, a grown-up performer who some- what unwisely is endeavoring to for- get the stuff that ma'de her a click when she was a youngster. She is splendid performer basically, which she proves with her comedy material and her clever impersona- tions of Fannie Brice, etc. But she does, not 'fit in with any straight warbling of such numbers as 'Get Out of Town'. Miss Green has a natural gift for comedy, and that should be the foundation of her routines. Toy and Wing, Chinese dance team, open cleanly and to the point. Make a fine appearance and clip through with a highly pleasing ballroom and hoofing routine. - Can play almost anywhere to guaranteed results. Ed Rickert brings back the shadowgraph to the variety stage, but his hand- shadow stuff is only so-so. Slow and skimpily routined. Act needs polish and considerable revamping. Through the years Britt Wood re- tains a great stage personality and a solid sense of showmanship. His talk is rather dated and could be brightened up considerably for pres^ ent-day usage; but the .harmonica playing is still surefire, as is Wood's shrewd handling of the audience. Had to encore and speech away. Also registering solidly is Pepito, the clown. Gives *em a smattering of everything . from acrobatics to juggling and vocalizing, mixed in with regulation clown comedy. Good variety stuff. Another click provided by Novak and Fay with their burlesque hand- to-hand work. Had the audience rolling and also had to -plead away. For the finale, six young Batoneers give a bit of sight flash, but mean nothing in entertainment on their baton-twirlers. Too much repetition and no sense of routine. It isn't an act but merely a little novelty stunt that , doesn't quite come off. Kvale continues as m.c, and man- ages to keep the audience well in hand, though he is beginning to stretch out. his announcements. Business flne at the supper show Friday (3). Gold. Milton Bcrle, Mary Jone Walsh. Five Jansleys, Joe Morrison, The Smart Set; 'The Shininig Hour* fM-G;. • Plenty of laugKs this week in the Loew top spot, Milton Berle being on hand again, and Friday night it seemed like he had his gang with him. Big house in tor the final stage show. There are comparatively few peo- ple' on the bill, for there is much of Berle during the 65 minutes. Per- haps the comic is workinjg more in- tensely ti-ying to forget, that five G's he dumped into 'Off to Buffalo,' a le- git show that stopped fast Anyhow he is recouping on the coin by this engagement - alone, and he made no mention of the flopperoo. Berle is using a trailer as m.c. for his emceeing. He goes into a lyric that might be called 'Roosevelt La Guardia and Me.' Part of the mel- ody is from 'Franklin D. Roosevelt Jones,' the standout number from Max Gordon's revue, 'Sing' Out the News,' the fall tenant at the Music Box. There is more from 'News', for on hand is Mary Jane Walsh '(New Acts) one of two warblers in the current Berle assemblage. Comic an- nounced Miss Walsh would sing the 'Jones' number, which he claimed she introduced in the legiter. That is incorrect 'Jones'. Jiavlng been a colored ensemble affair that high- lighted the show. . ■The Five Jan.sleys risley turn is made into one of the best laugh in- terludes of the Berle gang. The pedal acrobats have been going in for comedy for some time on night club floors and that element is as important as their feats, if not more so. Berle in playing stooge and clowning with the comparatively tiny toD-mounters, had the house bub- bling in good humor. Before Berle went into his get- away stuff he brought on Joe Mor- rison, young baritone, who clicked strongly. Lad started with 'Begin' and followed with 'Deep in a Dream,' flnlshing with his standard "The Last Roundup.' For an encore Morrison gives 'l Have Eyes,' the comic clown- ing throughout this time mostly leading the orchestra in the pit. Berle did not introduce the fir.<4 act apparently forgetting the bill- ing. Turn is the Srnart Set a double quartette of dancers, They start with an acrobatic waltz and finale with adagio. Routine is cut because of the show's running time.(which also ' is the reason for dropping Al Gor- don and his Rocketeers, dog act Gordon goes in tomorrow CThiirs- day) due to accident to act of Har- ris Twins and Loretta.) Berle leaves 'em laughing with a parodied medley and no mention of Hollywood. Ibce. KEITH'S, BOSTON Boston, Morch 2. The Smoothies (3), Hcnnon Hyde and Thelnia Lee, Don Rice, Four Novas, Saul Grauman Company (5), Eddig Rosentvald house orc/i; 'Spy Ring' (Col) and 'Silver on SagcT (Par). One of the best stage shows here this season brings in a quota of good comedy, hoofing, and action. Fea- tured act Is the Smoothies, talented . swing trio that socks with swell ar- rangements af such pops as 'Um- brella Man,' 'Cowhand,' 'F.D.R. Jones' and 'Hold Tight.' 'Jones' is a' good encore, but 'Tight' sounded lilte their best offering, when caught Two boys and a gal sell their stuff solidly. Herman Hyde, an old fave around here, is currently working with Thelma Lee, who replaces Sally Burrill (his wife and regular part- ner), very capably. In addition to some of the familiar dizzy musical instruments displayed here on previr ous occasions, Hyde brings in a very seedy harp, with loose strings, a stuffed squirrel, and a mess of stuff hidden in the butt end of the thing. Another new fillip to the Hyde act is a gag of raising his partner's skirt - by a hidden string, and^ another one on his own pants. . Saul Grauman's 'musical Staira- tone' provides a good flash finish for this show. After some preliminary tapping by the four girls (and a sen- sational aero specialty by triple- jointed Betty Jane Walters), Grau- man and his partners tap up and down a musical staircase, punctu- ating the orchestral .background with single notes and chords from an electrical bell-ringing device atop the stairs. - Good novelty. Four Novas, differing from other teeter board acts in that it has three women and one man. open the bill with some gasp-getting dives and somersaults, One of the women acts as groundman, and added interest is found In the fact that one of the top girls is quite tall. Don Rice, in his single turn, un- corks some oft-heard gags, and good impersonations of Roosevelt _ and Mussolini; but as an m.c. he misses. Criticizing a morning audience for being cold, during most of h'S in- troductions, became tiresome. Fox.