Variety (May 1939)

54 VABJETT OUTDOORS Wednesday, May 3,11939 N. Y. Expo Attractions (Some of the major free and paid •?iowf at the N.Y. World'« Fair totU b« revietped in detail, in this de- partment, during the ^Irst weeks of the expoji GENERAL ELECTRIC (FBEE) General Electric gave a dress re- hearsal Thursday night (27) of its show at the N. Y. expo. 'Show* is the Fight word, for this Is no static in- dustrial exhibit but an entertainment of which television is but one item. The star event is making artificial lightning, a nerve-assaulting experi- ence that is too much for soine of the ladies. Television Includes a studio behind glass at one side of the huge recep- tion hall and, across the way, sets which reproduce. Thus, a husband and wife may; by altcxnating, see and hear each ouer over the air. All for nothing and certain to be a high point in fur interest, along with the sky-wrath of 10,000,000 volts. The G. E. entertainment takes place in a series of halls, one a the- atre with a stage-full of props that perform wonders in light and optical illusions. Many of the gadgets have; as yet, no practical purpose. All, however, are absorbingly modem and ' provocative. A glib spieler makes this a' diverting half-hour. Steinmetz Hall nearby holds the weird Mars-like machines from which lightning explodes with the force of a thousand Big Berthas. The audience is provided with wooden rails to lean on and to hold on, and the constant emphasis .of the spieler Is that it's not dangerous. It just seems so. Land. characters mimicking the wordage— which is wisely held to a minimum —and all coming through an excel- lent loudspeaker system that's A credit to Western Electric. Credits wouldn't be complete with- out Gilbert H. Knelss, technical di- rector; Arthur Mayberry, stage man- ager, and Perrln G. Sommers, stage director of the Railroads on Parade. Charles Alan, who has been with Warners and Metro, and is pageant director of this spec, was production supervisor for Relnhardt's Franz Werfel-Kurt Weill spec, 'Eternal Road,' from whence also came sev- eral others affiliated in this produc- tion. Harry Horner, another Relnhardt. alumnus, dating back to their days in Vienna, turned out some 800 cos- timies for this spec, besides designing the scenery. This pageant glorifying the evolu- tion of the railroads, from the primi- tive post coach days to present-day luxury travel, has been skillfully and showmanly sold. It's more historic than commercial, although baslcaliy that's the big idea. But it's done with suave showmanship, emphasizing the historic values. Therein author- stager Edward Hungerford excelled. A program note Identifies him as the foremost rail fan of the country; that he collects models to full-size trains (where does he keep the latter?), and that each year he travels more than 75,000 rail miles just for the fun of it He Is the author of a number of works on railroad subjects. It's a sock show and will easUy prove a top draw among the indus- trials. Abel. Railroads on Parade (25e:»l) Perhaps the most lavish Industrial show. at the N.Y. World's Fair is •Railroads on Parade^' a pageant drama of transport, sponsored by 26 eastern railroads and housed in the Railroad Bldg., where it will be shown four times daily to a 25c gen^ eral gate, up to a 60c and $1 re- served seat policy. If s truly a col lossal of this type of outdoor enter- tainment, authored by Edward Hun^ gerford, a r.r. enthusiast who has capitalized his choo-choo hobby with shnilar pageants at the Chicago and Cleveland expos, and a Fair of the Txoti. Horse he did in Baltimore 12 years ago. To Kurt Weill's music, Charles Alan and a corps of aides have put on a lavish cavalcade of ^e iron- horse, tracing the evolution of rail travel from the post coaches that were horse-drawn on fixed rail routes, to the early days of the steam engine. In five acts, that are com- pressed Into little more than an hour, •Railroads on Parade' are literally paraded into the hugh amphitheatre, appropriately depicting theh: respec tive periods. Many of the museum pieces have been borrowed from pri- vate sources; the rest, of course, are Sart of the railroads^ rolUng stock, icluding the latest in Pennsylvania RJl. streamlined travel, plus a cross- section of ultra, super-deluxe Pull' man equipment This commercial exhibit is housed In the mammoth Railroads Bldg., which takes up 17 acres of space, the *■ Urgest shigle exhibit at the N. Pair. As a show this is the Bamum of Industrial exhibits. It's lavishly Sreduced and staged, and dwarfs the naginatlon, no matter how elastic one's mlnd's-eye may be. Trains roll in and out, beautifully blending and synchronizing with the ingenious Hungerford Ubretto. He created and designed the entire production which embraces an outdoor 'stage' that Is about two-three city blocks wide, The scenery is mobile, shifting and changing on cantilevers as the vari- ous periods imfold. Harry Homer designed, both scenery and costumes; George A. Fuller Co. built the show; Eggers & Higglns, architects; con suiting designers, Howard Ketcham and A. Sheldon Pennoyer; Messmore & Damon and Studio Alliance built the scenery; turntables by Joseph Vasconcellos;'costumes lay Eaves and Helene Pons; dances. Bill MatonsL music conductor, Isaac Van Grove who, with Weill and Homer, are old Max Relnhardt associates and were tied in with him in "The Etemal Road.' Mary Drayton and Walter Folmer are the narrators; Joseph Eggenton Betiy Kashman, Don Lochner anc. Robert Lynn are in the sound room the chorus numbers. 18; ballet num- bers, 32; the female ensemble is 40; male ensemble. 60. Which gives an ideal Principals are Robert Harrison, Michael Owen. Leslie Austin, E. J. Blunkall, Frank Williams, Arthur William Row, John Morley, Charles Keane, Don DeFore. Robert Har- rison, Ailes Gilmour, Bill Matons (who Is the dance stagefr). Marguer- ite Chaffee Kent, Jack Gilchrist Mi- chael Kidd, Elizabeth Garrett Everything, musically and dia- logically, is sotmd-synchronized, the N. Y. Midway Shows Not Operating Opening Day Admiral Byi'd's Penguin Island. Amazons in No-Man s Land. Billy Rose's Aquacade. Cavalcade of Centaurs. Crystal Palace. George Jessel's .Old New York. I<ama Temple, Laffland. Living Magazine Covers. Norman Bel Geddes Mirrors. N.T.G.'s Sun Worshippers. Salvador Dali's Mermaids. Sun Valley; Time and Space Theatre. Arctic Girls Temple of. Ice. Only Partially Operating Merrle England. - Morris Gest's Miracle Town. Cuban Village. _ Frank Buck'STTUftgle." cars also miss a hippodrome clown, sitting on the ramp, miraculously. Preview night they ducked two pho- tographers who dared standing near the ramp for a thrill shot Entire show is.spleled by a sports announcer. It's a 'must-r ■'' entiy In thi> book for automobile-minded folks. Wear. Am. Telephone &. Tel. (FREE) Sound recording, voice reproduc tion and a clever long-distance phone call stimt; similar to the one at the San Francisco fair, highlights the Telephone building's free show. It's more a series of free demonstrations and visitor participation stimts than any one performance. And the whole thing is a natural for visitors. Dominating the entoance to the ex >ansive A. T. & T. building is the /'Oder'machine, invention which cre- ates the human voice. Much has been already said about it but if s a sure >leaser because of Its almost imbe- ievable workability. Trick of putting through a long distance call cuflo and arousing ^me unsuspecting friend across the con- tinent makes the large long-distance phone call display outstanding. Those picked to put through calls are chosen by a roulette gadget Room- ful of people are able to hear both sides of the conversation. Opposite large room has a cleverly arranged stage set where visitors ap- pear in a garden interview, their voices being recorded immediately, with participants in radio voice test then stepping oft stage to hear play- back of then: vocal efforts. There are other devices for' testing voice clarity and learning how one's voice is heard at the other end of the line. All has been framed with an eye to the theatrical, comely telephone ope- rators gracing every set or booth. The Instrument which records your voice after any number is dialed by some sort of an Instantane- ous playback arrangement gives the listener an exact reproduction of just what he has talked into the mouth' piece. Besides the entertainment inside the structure, the A. T. & T. struc- ture, located a stone's throw from the perisphere-tnrlon theme center. Impresses with its lavish decorations and artistic setting, what with some 100 pine trees planted along the walk leading to the entrance and terraced falls spotted in another portion of the grounds. Wear. Goodrich Tires Racetrack (FREE) Although this ostensibly is a gl gantic outdoor bally for Croodrich tlies,. the elaborately constructed racetrack, brilliantly illuminated at night with its daredevil tricks by Jimmy Lynch and his expert drivers, offers a ^ow that will stack up with the best in the amusemmt zone. (lOodrich building, located near the entrance to the Transportation area, is constructed about a large amphi- theatre for visitors viewing the tire- testing. Hitting abrupt curves at 30 to 40 miles an hour, Lynch and assisting drivers demonstrate with actual per- formance how the tires sttind up because a blowout means a turn- over of the auto. These Initial tests are simply preliminary to dives off runways, Roman chariot stunts (two autos going .off runways together separated by only a foot) and final ly the remarkable auto leap over truck. Then the drivers duck each other' cars i>y inches as one expert jams on b^ brakes just when the two seem certain to collide. It's a. case of mechanical control of the autos being so well timed that they de- ceive the human eye. Twin racing Radio Corp. of America (FREE) Because of attention centered on television just now. RCA garners plenty of visitors with its well-con- ceived, brightly projected handling of subject' Equipment on display in Radio Corn's mam room of Its build- ing as well as a glass-Inclosed typi- cal television set to expose funda- mental parts whets interest In small but adequately-arranged miniature theatre, some 40 to SO can view one show at a time. Films are employed for the test program tele- vlzed on some 13 sets. Additionally, the same short subject simultaneous- ly is pushed tiirough the projector lens and thrown on an 8 by 7 foot screen. Opening day, the Fair's dedi- catory services were caught at the exhibit Television demonstration' is a convlncer; it shows clearly just how far the sight-sound broadcast .has. progressed -and leaves no illu; slons about what has oeen accom- plished to date. Radio Marine Corp., a subaid of RCA, has a boat display in the rear that Is as interesting as other fea- tures of the main display in the main building. RCA's 'facsimile of the air' is possibly the other hl?hll<fht of this principal room. Weor. STRANGE AS IT SEEMS (40e) This is one of the several Dufour Si Rogers operations on the Midway, and looks as though it may be their most successful. Bearing the title of John Hix's syndicated newspaper strip on himian oddities, the layout is attractively dressed inside and out, with its classy presentation greatly nullifying the curse usually attend- ing a freak show. Hlx Is in on a percentage arrange- ment 'With Dufour ft Rogers han- dling the actual operation. Latter pair of outdoor showmen have five other exhibits on the midway, in- cluding one ride, but the display of oddities carries the greatest nut Around 45 freaks are on display on individual stages In the large, bara- like structure, two or three oddities occupying each cubicle. Latter are eauipp«d with individual travelers, which are opened end closed elec- trically by the spieler, and are dis- tinctively wall-papered in different colors and designs. The human oddities run the gamut from fire-eaters to a human pin' cushion. Included, among others, is a tatooed lady, bearded lady, hand less pianist petrified man, strong man and a head-hunter. Spielers are Xtuite restrained and nicely uni- formed. Adding to the nut of this show Is one of the few .air-conditioning sys- tems on the midway. Itll come in hi>ndy when the steam begins to rise off the Flushing Meadows. Scho, This layout through and VICTORIA FALLS («6c) Located close to the end of the amusement zone, this concession is as much an exhibit as a show. Although not stated to be scale- modeled, the falls of the Zambesi River, South Rhodesia (Africa) is billed as 'undoubtedtar' the greatest waterfall in the world. It is a walk- through and can be viewed within a couple of minutes, except by those fascinated by the descent of large volumes of water. For the admis- sion charged it should make plenty of coin, for the apparent cost of jnahitenance is light .t^.*5''.°'^"'*'*<'° J*"*" the impression that Victoria rivals Niagara and the actual drop is claimed to be greater. Roar of water is something of a ballyhoo and can be heard on the outside. Some native flora and fauna are Included in the setting, pheasant and other bird life being spotted here and there. The animals were docile and hardly moved, prob- ably scared by the noise of the falls. Being one of the few concessions operating on the opening day, at- tendance was fair, but there were curtailed crowds in the zone and the draw possibilities were not indi- cated. Interior is on the damp side, the water dropping in enough vol ume to cause vapor. Lights change the view from semi-daylight to night ttae. jbee. SEMINOLE VILLAGE (25c) This is another of the Dufour _ Rogers operations and a reprise on the Seminole VUlage at the Chicago World's Pair in 1933. Around 40 Florida Indians take part, the showc except for an alligator wrestling match at the finale, being practically a walk-through. It's an inexpensive layout and hence probably profitable. Indians are situated in littie thatched huts, showing the public how they manu- facture various articles, mostly l>eaded necklaces and scarfs. They also sell 'em. The alligator wrestling Is In small pool set In the centre, four bucks taking turns at subduing the beasts. Being an out-of-doors propo- sition, there's no biz when It rains, opening day illustrating what the weather can do to a show of this type. 5cho, GANG BUSTERS (25«) is a partial walk- partlaily animate. Dufour & Rogers, the operators, re- enacting an electric chair scene as a tlpoff to the public that crime doesn't pay. Otherwise It's an exhibit of G-man and gangland weapons, plus '>lenty of gory newspaper lllustra- ions of how famous thugs met their end at the hands of law-enforcement bodies. Juanlta Hansen, once a silent film star, spiels on the ravages of dope. In the electric chair scene, three pris- oners take part, plus a minister and three coppers. One pseudo thus is actually strapped in the chair and realistically goes through physical contortions when the juice is turned on. Prior to the electrocution, there's a wordy battie amongst the prisoners on their soH:alled bravery, one of the caged guys evidently hav ing studied the James Cagney pIC' tures pretty thoroughly. Scho. SAVOY THEATRE (2So) Moe Gale's concession on the mid- way, something of a takeoff on the wJc. Savoy Ballroom in. Harlem, shapes up as a terrific money-maker It's a 20-minute sliow of hot music and hotter dancing and leaves plenty of leeway for a rapid turn over. IfU probably find its l>est business at night when this sort of jazzed up entertainment will be looked for, though the daytime biz should also be okay. Chick Webb's orch played the opening show, but thereafter Teddy Hill's crew took over. Besides this musical aggregation, there's a tramp colored band playing on a balcony on the front of the building for a come-on. Savoy's only fault lies in the spot's inner constmction, the flooring be- ing all one level, with the result that the vision is impaired for those sit- ting on the rear, backless benches. There are six shag and six lindy hopping mixed teams, plus a mixed pair of strut dancers and a couple of dwarfs, also mixed, and also lindyhopping. Opener is a trio of male jungle dancers, with a femme capping them with a torrid cooch. Following this quartet, the remain' Ing exposition of Harlem dancing appears very tame, but the idea is to show the fransformation of Negro terpsing, from the Congo up. The Savoy was doing about the best business on the Midway opening day, but it would have rated big even if the rest of the amuoement zone was fully opened. Scho, PERISPHERE (25o) The City of Tomorrow' show In- side the 20D-foot (in diameter) Peri- sphere is in a peculiar position as an exposition attraction. Being the focal point in the Fair's theme center—the Perisphere-Trylon—expo visitors in- stinctively want to 'get Inside the big ball.' Yet it is easily topped by at least two nearby free shows pat- terned along the same lines—General Motors-Bel Geddes' diorama and Consolidated Edison's 'City of Light' And latter two are considerably longer. Exposition visitor for two-bits gets a stroll along the lengthy circular walk outside the Perisphere besides the traveling walk tour around the globe's interior. This affords a nice view of the grounds, but not the highest one on the site. Tomorrow* metropolis covers the entire base, with panorama extend- ing up 50 to 75 feet high from floor, being an expansive diorama with ef- fectual coloring and lighting aiding general effect Andre Kostelanetz's and plays music for the sound track, while H. V. Kaltenbom does narration for the continuous descrip- tion. Okay, but music Is either too loud or geared too high for reverber- ations of giant shea Fair visitors may leave expo site wondering, after seeing this show and the several free ones of like pattern. Wear. Dailies Went Overboard On Boosterism Most of the New York dailies went overboard on their local, boosterlan ipproach on the World's Fair open- ing Sunday (30). It was obvious from the early reports also that the staff men were recording some of the events from press dept handouts^ without actually making a survey of the. Fairgrounds. The midway was given credit for having a fuUer operation than was true. The dailies reported some shows as being open which weren't in more than a partial state ot con- struction. Billy Rose's Aquacade, which never did give a show that day, and the Amazons in No-Man'i Land, which is still structurally un- finished, were among those declared to be operating. Yesterday (Tuesday) dailies, how* ever, emphasized the midway con- cessionaires' squawks and 'Whalen's promise for a special 'premiere' for the An^usement Zone on May 12. ROCKFORD SOLONS BAN CARNIES AFTER JUNE 10 Rockford, HI., May 2. • Carnivals will be barred from Rockford on and after June 10. Ban has been set up by the city council, following complaints that disreputa- ble caraies have been suckerizlng the qitlzens here for years. Leading town folk have stated that they have no objections to. camlea generally, but the city has been forced to take this regulatory action due to the number of such carni- vals in the business. Feeling 'is that as soon as tiie carnival business eliminates these units the city will once more permit local dates. U. S. STEEL (FREE) Big Steel has divided Its show off onto two floors; first shows how steel is made from the time it is taken from open pit ore mines imtil put into finished article, while the upper level depicts how steel wiU help build the world of tomorrow. Dio* ramas are employed freely to stress various features, different window displays being set off for as many different scenic effects. The "hall of the future,' as the sec- ond floor is labeled, is ingeniously arranged to show the factory, city: farm and housing of the future. HaU of Resarch features a piano suspend- ed by a single piano wire strand.' Possibly the real display is the building itself, aside from that tricky balcony t>orch, which affords a nlcc^ view of the grounds. To illustrate the role steel plays in modern con- struction, architects turned the - structure virtually 'hislde-ouf the 350 tons of supporting steel trusses form- ing part of the sveamlined evterior. Weor. CUBAN VILLAGE (25e.) The only dancing girl attraction featuring paprika to start on time opening day, this grind floor show, spotted outdoors in a Latin-Ameri- can setting, has a swell chance of catching on, despite its distant loca- tion and, until yesterday, lack ot proper midway street lighting. Man- agement has spielers spotted up near the middle of the midway yelling: 'It's darker down there, but hotter.'^ Present routining calls for a new dance ensemble or soeclaltr every 20 to 30 minutes, with about seven such in lineup. Most sensational is 'Sacrifldo.' Voodoo rites number, with semi-nude Spanish girl, Dolor^ waxing torrid in a rhumba amongst Cuban and Negro males and femmes. Opening day, as a press stunt nude white dancer was central figure in sacrifice "rituaL' Show also spotlights Roslta Con- sola and Princess Aurella in livid dances. Rhumba terps techniq and movement is stressed m others. Team that offers 'Shoeing the Mare' at- tracts much atiention, pair being Cuban vets with this specialty. There are 20 in the Cuban lineup, equally mixed, six colored male dancers and four colored girl dancers, plus about six speclaHstfl and a six-piece drum outfit Neat costuming Is noticeable. Oscar La Rosa's rhumba band plays from a balcony for the show and guest-dancing on a raised tile floor. For the 25c. tap, the show is a real'midway buy. wear.