Variety (Mar 1939)

86 VARIETY VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesdaj, March 29, 1939 STATE, N. Y. Happu Felton'* orch. Grade Bar- rie, Hudson Wonders, Three Sailors, Terry Howard 4 Jack Talley, May Ertclcson. Lorraine Barre, .Louise Dunne; 'Mode for Each Other' (VA). This State show Is somewhat longer than usual, mostly because ot Boston's contribution' to stage bands, the Happy Felton combo. RtmiUng time is an hour and IS minutes, with the bandsmen consuming a goodly percentage of the Interlude. Friday night attendance for th^ last bill was okay. What the show has ot pimch comes at the start and closing, latter occu- pied by Felton's lively bUnch, Num- ber one are the Hudson Wonders, and well named.: Girl duo have plenty on the ball as athletic dancers. They can step onto any night club floor end more than make good. /Some of their acrobatic stunts look original and all of it Is skilUuL Good-look- ing kids to boot. Felton Is somewhat portly, but he's energetic and totes around aii assortment of talent that makes di-. version. Felton says that-a change of pace from blate is a' good idea, ana he follows along- such- lines. Opening combines impressions of otner bandsmen, such as Guy Iiom- bardo, Kay Kyser, Wayne King, Benny Goodman and Paul White- man. Of two girl warblers with the out- fit, liOrralne Barre has ' the m'ore popular type of numbers, starting wiui 'BlUy Boy.' Louise Dunne Is the sedate type, following out Fel- ton's plan by singing. Victor Her bert's operetta favorite,'Sweethearts.' But the weight of the act is carried by the musicians, coming to the apron as a trio. Quartet or quintet, as with 'I^gtlme.Cowboy. Joe?. ' Perhaps the best of the comic num- bers, however., is "Last of the Hand- some Cabbies,' with the leader lead- ing, while his mates' prop mustaches keep falling oS. Bill Galbraith, de- scribed as an Irish lad with an Irish voice, scores with . a medley-like number. Ken Nealy leads a crew with his accordion. This Thing Called Swing,' tracing the history of modem jazz, accords Ing to instruments and the number late in the turn, brings on. chubby. Jitterbug May Erkkson. Felton sale she had been hanging around when the b6nd played CoUege Inn, Chi- cago. She duets With the leader with Two Hefty People,' a parody •n Hoagy Carmlchael's ditty. Grade Barrle. carries the balance of the show's song content, spotted In the middle of the bill. She is a mistress of pop tunes, especially be- fore the mike. Starting with This Can't Be Love,' there follows 'By Mistake* and 'Penny Serenade,' her Idea of a 'modem Riomeo serenading his lady fair.' ' She climaxes with I've Got to Get Hot.' which she orlgl nated in 'Scandals' some seasons baciL Thriee Sailors are spotted fotirth to get lau<!hs and they deliver. The thin member's gob pants are worn through at the knees and may be used for luck, but, even so, should be replaced. On' second is blond Terry Howard, assisted by Jack Tal- ley. Her antics did not seein to get much response, still at the close thi house gave out warm returns^' Girl Is peppy. Maybe a i>it too much so, for some of the.material was toned down after the first show. Ibee, garbed In sky-blue tails. They're only fair, but looked bad opening night when the male missed his en- core cue, resulting in the girl'co'm- ing on without a partner. She had to retire very ungracefully. Production Is generally ' oS and lighting is Inclined to be too promi- nent. However, during the Kay chorus' 'Day Is Done' the subdued lighting is effective.. Sweetie Pie— that's uie way she's billed—Is a cute tapster. PALACE, CHICAGO CMcago, March-25. George Beatty, Evimett Oldfteld & Eddie Ware, Kim Loo Sisters. Ches- ter Hale dancers; 'Love Affair' (RKO). ^ Strictly a filler varied lineup' to §0 along, with the flicker, which was gured as the b. o. draw. Indica- tions are that everything will work out as Intended. George Beatty has been around many tunes, and the Palace Is a w. k. stamping - ground for him. He's working longer than .usual this week, due to the sparseness of the talent, but he stIU wmds up with the drunk- en sailor bit, which Is getting moth- eaten and could be dispensed with easily. Oldfield and Ware are a good bur- lesque hand-to-hand acrobatic team,- though there seems to be no reason why Oldfleld should work in white- tie. Could use more music in the turn to keep up the tempo and brighten up much of the early rou- tines. Kim Loo. Sisters are a neat looking foursome who toss off some dancing and some solo warbling. Can fit in on nearly any vaude Uneup. ^ey- are- wardrobed in the finest taste I and with, plenty, of showman- ship and their appearance Is a bright spot- Again there are the 24 Chester Hale girls for bulk and flash on this show, but the current routines are somewhat under the par established by other Hale lines in this house. Business was all right at the last show Friday (24). Cold. ORPHEUM, MPLS. APOLLO, R Y. Mary Bruce Boyt & Girls (21) George Wiltshire, Sandy. 'Bums, - Johrmv LoRue, Virian Harris, Sweetie Pie, Earl & Frances. Slim & Slam, Floyd Ray orch (14). with Joe Alexander & Ivy, Vem & Von, 'Strange Case of Dr. Meodle' (Col) 'The Apollo has a somewhat stac cato show this week whose main drawback Is lack of pace. Moreover, It's overlong, running 95 minute opening night Floyd lUy's Is the bang, but somewhat out ot jsorts here where they're accustomed to the name coL ored orchs. Biz Friday nlg^t (24) reflected the lack of marquee po- tentlaUty. . Ray's 14-pIece crew Is from the Coast, and played the Apollo about a year ago. It's carrying a vocalist, Joe Alexander, Who tenors pleas- antly enough, and a girl swing trio, Ivy, Verii and Von, who're excel- lent, albeit their styles are not par- ticularly original Ray is pleasant looking and dressed along with the rest of the band, in summer e\ ning wear. "The flrls, too, are dressed similarly. The and leans mostly to swing, but should tone down the brass section. Slim and Slam, ot 'Flat Foot Floogee authorship, are Just a stage wait for most of their stay. It's only In the last few moments that they click, with their "Tuttl Fruttl,' In which the Mary Bruce Boys and Girls join for a smash routine while Slim and Sam'shout from opposite wings. Opening , the bill Is George Wilt- shire's intro ot the Une doing the Cakewalk, in appropriate dress. Then there's a comedy bit in which Wilt- shire, ^Tohnny LaRue, Sandy Burns and Vivian Harris take part. But it's n.g., as is the material in their other sketch. Earl and Franoes are tapsters, . . MinneopoHs, March 24. ' Lou Breese's orch (12), Earl Hoff- man, Lois Harper, Billy Leach, Ful- ton & Wells, Consola & Melba, Ar- mida, Stepin Fetchit; 'Yes, My Darhnff Daughter* (WB). A local favorite by reason ot his long Minnesota theatre engagement and appearances at the Hotel Nicol- let Minnesota Terrace, Lou Breese takes marquee precedence over such names as Stepin Fetchit and Ar- mida in the current stage array, which has strong support in "Yes, My Darling Daughter.' Show Is long on entertainment and Breese and his orchestra, keystone of the proceed ings, plays no small part In stimu- lafmg audience appeal. Breese's crew not only pl^s the show to perfection, but their own musical and specialty contributions also stand out prommently. Brass- es are the order of the day and Breese observes the conventions. He has some showy arrangements of pop numbers and his swing is plen^ hot, but he also brings In a few of the old-time tunes, Breese suavely m.c.'s'the show as well as soloing- on the trumpet and banjo. He starts by introducing the orchestra members Individually and permitting each to take the spotlight briefly tor a solo, featured by &tI Hofflnan's performance of "The Flight of the Bumble Bee' on the slide trombone. Then I,ois Harper teU and attractive, scores with a difficult tap routine, high-kicking and one-foot whirls, encoring with some unusually fast stepping. Billy Leach, the band's singer, has a robust baritone voice hearc to advantage In "Hold Tight' and 'Miss OHs Regrets.' To the accom paniment ot almost constant ap plause, Fulton and Wells perform sock balancing teats. For the finish, one of the pair, draping himself backward over a chair, raises his partner from the floor on his out- stretched arms. ,The band gags up a imedley of old-time selections topoed off by a 'Florodora' sextet burlesque. ."This bit is one ot Breese's old standbys, but always welcomed here.. Consola' and Melba, ballroom dancers, familiar because ot a Min- nesota Terrace engagement land strongly with their soeedy spins and wWrls- .They follow a fast tango with ballroom "version' of 'Darktown Strutters Ball.' Tiny Armida un- leashes a bushel of pep, personality pnd ' enthusiasm in her song and dance numbers. Her Spanish rhumba with castlnets, aiid her Mexican son!?s, bring big returns. Stenin Fetchit gives his familiar lazy depiction, but his monolog and business are only moderately tunny, The recentlon accoi-ded him. how- ever, indicates that he speUs box- office. Breese winds up the show with several hot trumpet contributlor.-; and. his familiar interpretitt'on o* the 'Second Hungarian Rhapsody' on the banjo. A ^o-thlrds full house showed up at the openhig matinee, Rees. STRAND, N. Y. Jimmy Dorsey Orch (14), Bob Eberiy, Helen' O'Connell. Ray Mc- Kinley, Condos Bros. (2). Harry Savoy; "You Can't Get Away with Murder' (WB), reviewed in VAiUErr Jan. 25. Dorsey pere and mere, in their fondest flights, probably never dreamt that when they told their Tommy to take trombone lessons and Jimmy to toot the sax that they'd one day, circa 1938-39, become the Idolatrous objects of the affections of a specie that was to become known as the jitterbug. For theft matter many another, close, to or re- mote from the Dorseys, or any of their oresint-day jazzique contem- poraries, probably never conceived such antics as. have greeted the sun- dry nanie bands on occasion, in the recent revival of the band thing. The Broadway Strand- this week parallels the didoes and screwball deportnient of the adolescents at the competitive Paramount when that house first essayed bandshowman- shlp for b.o. lure. -Apart from the fact that one won- ders how much work the truant of- ficers could do ot a Wednesday mati- nee at the Par, or a Friday opening day at the Strand, it's also continu- ously amazing .with what tenacity .the swing thing holds. If anything, judgbtg by . ttie enthusiasm' tor Jimmy . Dorsey's saxophdbia, the vogiie Is seemingly engulfing the adults as well. - Dorsey's band, presentation Is not particularly ostentatious In-its show- manshi:*, but packed with forthright bounce and buoyancy, and this seem- ingly more than sufflcesl To the de-' gree that Harry Savoy, fast-talking quipster of burlesque antecedents— and that's no orchid bunch to cope with, at times—almost had to plead with .the jitterbugs to give him a breakl Savoy caiAe through to an ultimately healthy applause score, punctuating his 10 minutes on the rostrum with a marathon ot mirth- ful response, but those swingophiles were strictly on rhythm bent Jimmy I)orsey seems to elicit a rhythmic hand-dapping, staccato ac- companiment whereas the other maestros inspire them to shag in the aisles. Of the two audience evils, perhaps this is to be preferred, yet the audible clapping almost broke up the stellar attraction itself. Ot Dorsey's fast company, the blonde and comely Helen O'Connell, with her cycle of pops, scores solidly on her own. Ditto Bob Eberiy (used to be spelled Eberle) with his barytoning ot the current taves. A nice bit was with Bobby Bums, muted trombonist accomping tor 'Smoke Gets in 'Vour Eyes.' Eberiy has a nice, easy vocalizing style, fur- ther enhanced by a well-poised ros- trum manner. Jimmy Dorsey directs with his hands, alteraating on his trusty tenor sax—only essays one clarinet bit— and gets in a personal socko by ttie difficult saxing ot Rimsky-Korsa- koff's 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' in swingo. Ray McKInley on the traps scores early, individually, and repeats twice more to personal clicks. Here's an- other 1938-39 phenomonen—the rise of the man on the skins. Was a time when George Olsen, Abe Lyman, et aly were considered corny when'pre- sidlng,at their drums, and not imtil they 'threw away the sticks and picked up a baton did they click. To- day, there are dmmmer stars such as Krupa, Cole, Chick Webb, et aL, and, where lacking, each swing band features a Leedy drum specialist McKInley stars with 'It Ain't 'What You Do, It's the Way That You Do It,' a rhythmic oddity. So much tor the '-band. Early, among the added specialists, the Condos Bros. (2) with their legmanla beat out a mess of tricky taps. Harry Savoy, foUed briefly by a blonde, clicks later with his eccentric com- edy. Savoy seemed to suffer from holdoveritis—the stayover kids knew the 'answers and made no bones about calling 'em out, but loud, with ■result Savoy had to pull ad' lib switches in the igab, Just to keep things fresh. •Can't Get Away with Murder" (WB) on screen but Jimmy Dorsey seems to be doing the bulk of the b.o., which looked bullish opening <Jay- -•• Abel. PALACE, CLEVE. ■ ClevelaTid, March 25. Lany Clinton's orch, .Biea Wain, Ford Leary, Benny Ross & Maxine Stone, Franfc Paris. Dixie Roberts & Marlon; 'Bta cftwell' s Island' (WB) Going swhjg-batty, this BKO show box is trying hard to steaim up the local jivers for current Larry Clin- ton, making local bow on heels of Kay Kyser and Vincent Lopez in last two weeks. There's the rub. Clin- ton s jiving has far more heat, but its more or less ballroom stuff, minus stage novelties and person- ality<« Dipsy-dpodlers are about the loud- est and brassiest articles to blow their way out on this stage this sea son. They get the youngsters in balcony into a foot-stomping mood with title-sons raiser, followed by Chant of Jungle' and quieter 'Poor Little Buttercup,' with Ford Leary's Gilbert St Sullivan take-off register- ing mildly. PorUy vocalist sings en- tirely too straight Fat iilen ar* ex- pected to be funny and he Isnt Better flash is team of Dixie Rob- erts and MarUn, breaking up music pattern nicely with some brisk shag- ging. Bea Wain comes on in red evening gown tor couple of sonfs, featuring Clinton's own 'Reverie' and 'Sometimes I'm Happy.' Gal Is okay as swlngstress when she hits lower registers. She returns to decorate 'Com Pltklng,^ in which crew opens up with socko trap-drum obbligato and tricky work on trum- pet riffs. It's also a show-off piece for the maestro, who doubles on clarinet, trombone and trumpet Frank Paris cuts In then, display- ing set ot tour large-sized marion- ettes, hurt at first by poor lighting effects. The poor illumination hurt his Zorlna puppet, but his manipula- tion of Jossphlne Baker and Sonja Henie dolls is clever enough to hit a high-applause spot In show. Dopey number is such a howl that it-would make a brighter finale than his skat- ing bit Leary commits homicide In swing- ing 'Old Man River,' retrieving honor by Joining Clinton, B^a and drummer'In an alligator quartet It's a typical dancehall stunt whoop- ing up only the rug-cutters- when they rip off 'Shadrach,' 'Rusty Hinge' and 'Hold Tight' in staccato style. Leader's announcements are rather colorless, reflecting his tmobstrusive role In entire bill. Exception occurs at' time he does some ribbing from back-stage mike to rattle Benny Ross and Maxine Stone, next-to-closing, . Miss-Stone repeats the same lazy routine with'Ross that they offered here last season. Chatter's slightly off the cob, but her high-kicking and yawning gags are a relief after so much swingoopation. Pullen. STANLEY, PITT Pittsburgh, March-24. Janis Wiilidms and her Coquettes (11), Viola Smith, Eddie Peabody, Cass Daley, Michon Bros. (2); 'Cafe Society* (Par). This WB deluxer breaks up the monotony a bit this week by slipping in a temme band tor a change. It's an outfit headed by Janis WUllanis, who's obviously been watching Ina Ray Button pretty closely, for she ?;oes in for the same sexy body weav- ngs, the hip-swinging, the restless baton and even a session of tap danc- ing. She packs loads of s.a. and looks plenty good up front which helps cover considerable. Musically, Coquettes are a pretty average organization. Not so bad collectively, and they frequently send across a hot platter, but solo work IS 'weak and shows, up too many shortcomings. Four brasses^ four reeds, bass fiddle, piano and drums m^e up the aggregation, with no deflmte style, just a willingness to try everything. Necessary polish seems to be missing, and Miss Wil- liams herselt. while plenty eye-easy and sexrappealing, still hasn't the sock personality that occasionally carries an ordinary temme crew over the rough spots. Opening band number leads Into novelty song, 'When I Swing.My Stick,' by Miss WUliams, who has Just a fair set ot pipes, and makes way tor Michon Brothers, standard springboard acrobats. Boys are doing Ijore talk than usual and have cut their tricks down to almost nothing. Comedy stuff remains plenty potent but spectacular stunts that marked team apart flock of seasons back have been minimized, and to Michons' dis- advantage. As they stand now, Just another good turn and not the wow of old. Next band number Is Take An- other Guess,' which brings trio ot tnimpet players down front tor a bit of harmonizing that could wisely be eliminated, since It's a pretty sorry effort Gals, however, come through brassing, and then pianist takes it over tor a bit dissolv- ing, to some trombone soloing on ■My Reverie.* Femme follows this playing two clarinets at same thne, with wind-up a showy drum session by Viola Smith, only girl outside ot leader billed with Coquettes. WhUe no Gene Krupa, she'll do. . Miss'. Williams makes change In meantime and comes back in pair of attractive pajamas tor some ordinary tapping, setting the stage tor Cass Daley. She delivered show's first sock. Gangly comedienne's face, fig- ure and lack of inhibition, all of which she uses smartly, put her Into the crack-brained class and she comes up solidly' with bull's-eye. Not much of a voice, but she sings loud, and screws her face and tosses those ungainly limbs of hers around enough to draw attention away from the pipes. Mob went tor her hook, line-and sinker, and Mis? Daley could have stayed on Indefinitely, being forced to beg off. Another drum-session by Miss Smith precedes Eddie Peabody, and veteran string wizard is a pushover here, as usual. Same act, same little gestures, same material and same tune selections, but they're good enough to win him layout's top hon- ors. Anyway, It's been couple ot years since he was' last'Ti'tofe, and mob's forgotten. Not that it would make much difference, for Peabody's stuff doesn't wear thin. Orch went right into his applause tor finish, a fast number, with Miss Williams tuming it on again nicely for the curtains. Biz way off at open- ing show Friday. Cohen. PARAMOUNT, N. Y. Dorothy LamouTi Miseha Auer Charlie Barn^t's orch ^^ith Judy EUinptotv Lewis '& Van (The Speed- sters), Catheritie Westfield A Marion- ettes, 'I'm from Missouri' (Par); re- viewed in 'VARIETY March 22. Charlie Baraet and his crew Jam away so loudly that the walls almost shake; Dorothy Lamour sports a sarong and sln^ 'Harry Home,' 1 Gq tor niat,' plus a medley of her film numbers, and Mlscha Auer tumbles around with some dialect imitations, rolls a coiiple grapefruit across the Ivories and cUmaxes a monkey routine with a leap from the plaiio-top to the apron. .That's the gist ot. the Paramount's stage dohigs currently and the component parts- neither, blend smoothly nor does the layout as a whole come up to the standard-of entertainment that has marked this spot tor some time. Miss Lamour and Auer between them take up- about 20- minutes ot the 70-mlnute runoff. 'When caught opening day (22) the screen comic had to contend with no Wall handi- cap. The swing maniacs .that doml- nated the auditorium .wanted Bamet to .give 'em an encore on the jam session his cats had- just finished, and Auer. once introduced and out on the stage. Insisted on doing his act Even- though this Is his first personal appearance In liew-York,. Auer proved a ready hand for the barrage of heckling. .He'had a top- per for every crack that was flung up at him, and in a tew momenn - had them quieted down sufficiently tor the rest of-the house to tune in on his series of dialectic imitations. They are all hurried and give little in the way of point or humor. His . grapefruit interpretation of Debus^ got all the Silence it deserved both during the playing and afterwards, all of whIrJfc.hfilpe.dUn.^.iBdIteci, way to produce the sock effect ot his tadeout bit, the simian antics atop the piano. The sudden switch In mood and the brevity of the -bit had much to do with the noisy send- off that ensued. Miss Lamour doesn't proceed far lu her routine without making ref- erence to Charlie McCarthy. Her openhig selection of songs land solidly, but the Interest zooms when she returns to the stage stripped to sarong and. a gold neckpiece. At this point she goes into her medley. There are lighting effects, dealing with stars, moon and moving waves, but it all s^ms like wasted effort The figure within the six>tllght's cir- cumference- makes tough competi- tion for anything around It Bamet, whose stay at the Famous Door, 52d street nltery, lifted him into major attention as a sax tech- nician and leader of a coming swing unit reveals a good sense of musi- cianship and showmanship In his stage repertoire. The numbers selected fit the talents of his aggre- gatioa With the brass section domi- nant at all times, what comes out collectively Is hot punchy, lowdown rhythm. Through this same brass section, Bamet produces an effect which la closely related to battering ot a row ot tom-toms. For the Jive addict It's potent Stuff. Judy Elling- •ton Is there for the vocal interludes and she gets awSy With them nicely. Spliced Into the forepart of tha runoff are a crack team ot tap dancers, Lewis and Van, and Cath- erine Westfleld with her dancing marionettes. Though Lewis and Van make - use ot the old staircase rou- tine, they have more than enough oh the ball. Their whirlwind assort- ment ot hardshoe hoofing, which, rounds out the act, earns *em an unanimous ovation. Miss Westfleld's routine, i>erformed out on the apron, projects a nattily attired' set of pup- pets In a mixture of rhumbas. waltzes and foxtrots. There's also a Donald Duck in a roller skating bit The act Is slickly carried off and the response was highly favorable. Odec. KEITH'S, BOSTON Boston, March 23. Emerald Sisters (2), Ginger Dulo, Milton Douolas with Priscilla & Perry Mayo, Smart Set (2), Steve Evans, Eddie Rosenwald house band;- 'Strange Faces' (U) and •Renegode Trail' (Par), dual. Milton Douglas Is handling the m.c. Job satisfactorily this week, and winning hefty plaudits with his own comedy session, when he feeds to Priscilla, a sharp-tongued come- dienne, and Pany sSayo, a dead-pan comic in seml-burley rig. featured act Is Steve Evans, back after a year's absence with the same routine. 'Whams, as before, with his caricature ot a drunk. His imper- sonations ot w.k.'s round out a fin- ished turn; Emerald Sisters in the opening spot rouse the customers from the dual bill lethargy with a showmanly ris- ley-acro offering. Ginger Dulo fol- lows with swing-scat vocaling that Impresses, but she got tepid response to her comedy stuff at the opening show. Smart Set, mixed team, has rou- tines, a tap session and an adagio flash tor the flnale. They rate only fair, evidently needing polish. Fox.