Variety (Oct 1939)

5* VARIETY VARIETY HOUSE REVIEWS Wediioi^day, O«>lober 11, 1939 EARLE, WASH. (Continued from page 53) called from past year. The Vii'- Ciniaiis take it again, as travcloi-s ol'.lso.. lu . warble. 'Niglit aftd Day.' 'L'iinohouse Blues' and 'God's Coun- try" for nice plaudits. Bnl>y.* 'Blue He^iven,' 'After You've Oonu,' "Nobody".<! Swoethcart,' 'Marie' inii T.ook Down' is best received p»rtioi\ of the show. Arrangements and background music by the 11- picce Auburn (college) -Cavaliers orch is adequate, and in its quar- tet tlic band has a bell ringer. Obviously, in cutting a two-hour tent show to stage-unit proportions ROXY, N. Y. A. Robinn, Ceorgie Tnpjw. 'Red' Donahue & Uno, Thf Trojans i:ti, Que Foster Cirts (24). Pniil Ash House Orch; 'EternaUii Yours' (UA), reviewed in VAHifnv, Oct. i. MINNESOTA, MPLS. (Curtains open again on murky i Austin .(>iccs a severe problem, but Oriental set, six gals helping atmo-1 dcsoile its rough spots f.e Tower si>here with Arabian hip-swishing in | show this week is on the better side, front oC Frakson, perched atop pile i Presentation ot the revue is a tem- Ol'pillows and puffing.a cigaret Blue porary deviation from policy, but spot follows magician downstage, | from improved boxoffice returns, at where he goes through disappearing. appears, to be a wise choice. Next ci;;aret stuff, drinking water and pro- week house returns to straight ducing cigaret from inside mouth vaude. Qum. snoshing. Travelers close on harem I — and Frakson, still clad in turban, score-! solidly by tying and untying scarfs, breaking egS into folded newspaper and making oversize playing' cards hop out of pack at his command. Two gals slink on to drag travelers open again on huge pmricn shelf of bocik titles, with Goodrich and Nelson, in heavy suntan and white shorts, posing as bookends. B.)ys go through straight strong- - arming. I Line, takes it again for fop ballel ; number of season, done against bril-, liant blue backdrop with gals in red-: orange chiffon druses. attached to thrde-toot wands, as Virginians war-' ble "Red Sails in the Sunset' over. otTstage mike. Gals melt oR and' four of 'em return in jaunty blue; sport frocks for multiple presenta-: tion of Stanton and Curtiss. The i mala gets 'em with his vocal imita-! , ,, . . . j j tions of Mickey Mouse cartoon j acts and the theatres standard lea- Miiiiieapoli.'!, Oct. 7. Jnil: Mnlerich House Orch (18), Wi;iiii Dancers (12), Jack Hill'nird. Roily * Vcrno Pic/cert, Sum Bni-/oii, LorcDe Nystrom, Olive White. EveUni Brent & Harry Fox; •H1irl;eij the Kid (Rep). Boosting its stage show budget, this 4.000-seatcr is running in more names. Admission scale of 15-25- .10c. remains.the same. Current pleasing bill has Evelyn Brent, oi films, and her husband- partner. Harry Fox a personable-pair, in the top position. Plus three other sound effects, and when the blond • ture.s. including Jack Malerich's 18 appears lor the turn in which earh ' for the piece orchestra, the 12 Patricia . Wym> dancers and m.c. Jack Hilliard, ventriloquizes nut voices ■otli-.;r. it's surefire. l , » , Line takes the finale in 'Roxyetta , togetlier with a film, the Show stacks Cavalcade', in which gals alternate | i,p as niCtv entertainment for the ill sets of eight to wallop snare- ia,.jtY drums, swing megaphones, fence; MaVerich's overture, 'A Musical with foils, bounce rubber balls, drill Melange," is an ear-arresting medley with rifles, ride fulNsize bicycles and | of pop by the 18 musicians, with the walk atop ladders. All 16 are on i,maestro batoning and ticking the to Hnish in complicated formations i-gyboards for a snatch of 'Over the while walking on three-foot balUs. j j^gjtriimpeter. unbilled, also rehearsed falling-ofi. creating sus-.:^.a^ves briefly on "Apple for the tained bedlam and closing curtains Teacher" Malerich also plays re- to a riot Biz okay TOWER$ K. C. _ . -quest numbers on the organ. Craxg. ■ i„ y,i3 second week here, Hillliard introduces the acU. sings and also dances. First of three numbers by the Wynn line finds it in boy and- girl Alpine costumes for some fast prancing. Several novel and varied tap rou- tines comprise the offering of Roily Kansas Cifv, Oct. 7. C<»ne Austin with Candv ond Coco ^ . ._ B'.tty Bonnie, Swinging Gates, Three ! and'Verna'Pickert, w-ho finisji strong Rerelers, Slim Wilttams, Rusty : with jitterbug dancing on high stilts. Wright. Aubnm Cavalier's Orcli,' The boy also taps out a bag punch-. Noble, Little Buch, 'Hero for a Day' ing hit that's okay! *-^>- Hilliard sings 'Lamp Is Low,' 'At —: ' Last Goodbye' and "Beer Barrel 'Models and Melodies,' brought Polka' before bringing on Sam Bar- into the Tower by Gene Austin j, j ton,. tramp comedy cyclist who has ,ki,..»„-»t- . i . .". the customers chuckling over his a.. abl)iev.ation of .a two-hour unit i .i,ou,,les' with a bicycle that con- toured by Austin last summer under : liimally falls apart, canvas. Forte of the 57rminuter is ' I" \ong black dresses, the Wynn music and singing of first caliber 1°^!^ then score with some modern- h,.» f«n J » - , • istic terpmg. During this number, ^, - 3Ir^hVi'^^,^^-i^» ^^ J"'^*^'}'''''"" i Lorence Nystrom, winner of a Merle l^^fon «^-« nSI"ri"l^^^ Potter radio talent contest, warbles LMHoff^if £vT.?;*.- V through the mike. She's Somewhat po^"wXs;ia'/of\%'{rt g»at! '°'„.%:.-'^-' "° ^"""^ « « neXVonow^''-!i?h - ??Sr'^ O'ive White, musician and singing shadows the muiic iA this case and ! ^\'=d"',-larine? '"="'*°''°' Management this week is leaning heavily on the picture for boxoffice draught. There are only seven peo- ple in the four acts, plus the Gae Foster girls and Paul Ash's hou.se orch. Consequently, the setup lacks much variety. Georgie Tapps. tapster, the biggest clicko on this bill. Introduced by a slinky, modernistic 'shadows in the dark" ensemble nuitibijr by the Fos- ter girls, he does some fanciful lerps. Then a straight tap. a- Latine.sque tango with the familiar ballet whirl and for an encode, a concei)tion of the vaude stepper of 14 years ago. Solid returns all the way. 'Red' Donahue and Uno present their familiar mule-kicking turn, the audience going strong for the clowning. Differs little from the way the act has been done for years; still Jias an Irish cop and Negro trying to tame the animal and get him to move. A. Robins, billed as the 'comedian with a thousand. Idca.s," is strictly a pantomime. Quick-change artist still is grabbing'infectious chuckles with the countless musical instru- ments; gadgets and fruit he drags out from hidden recesses of his coat. Bills opens with-The Trojans, three tumblers who have, been drawing at- tention recently in the east. Somer- saults and half-spins make up their brief efforts. One lad does a slow- motion trick that deserves further development. Newsreel on the grid games segues into a colorful setting of foster girls acting as football cheer- leaders. Only simple drills are used though the number should have amounted to move. Here it gives the orchestra a chanej^i to play college tunes and bear do'wn on the brass. Finale is a Tyroltsan costumed af- fair, having something to do with a boy and girl saying-'good morning,' with the 'Beer Barrel Polka' siing in when the Foster chorines come out for a wooden shoe routine. Mighty unoriginal even though the uni.sou tapping is slick. Foster ensembles seem ordinary because they're so much like ones done recently. Singe show runs 45 minutes. Biz near capacity at Friday's (6) second show. Wear, costume of muttonleg jacket and short skirt doesn't enhinMthi"num"- '■■ f"" '^^^^ ^t* "^u°^^°* his songs, ber cuuaiiw: me num delivering each with showmanship. Mai* vomI fniircnina His gags are none too obvious and frim'^hTttten? to'^'^esenra i come^ast^.grabbing plenty of laughs, snappy arrangement of the 'Bee? i"« ^'f Brent, whose charm is Barrel" and to encore with a novelty . aPParent across the footlights as routine on 'Must Se Annie' To- ^ 2" ."'^ VJ^^-\ '?8age in amusing night." The swinging Gates handle ' ^""'V " V ' T^i^*** """^ u.sed by the lads is bit misleading. 'he s'^<'*f°';Pl?"'l;*':',,., ... while their singing and t>resentation „,^°^ Hilliard and the are first rate " " Wynn damsels engage in a lively Unusual novelty by the Three ' swing number in which the m.c. has Revelers, man and two gals, is'Phan- ' aPPavent trouble in keeping up torn Golliwogs,' in which they use a ' ^"'"^ routine. Biz light at open ing matinee. Rees. Broadway, Charlotte Charlotte. Oct. 5. Ezra Biiitinsjlon. CedTir. Weehnnt, Sallij Deagins, Campbell 5tslers, "Mister Wong in China to tun' I (Mono). black backdrop and lighting for ef- fects on bizarre costumes. Dressed in black himself, male member tosses gals about in a. scarecrowish acro- batic terp. This far outdoes later hillbilly slapstick routine 'by the three; which succeeds only in beins corny. Freckled faces and gals" ruffled pants were undoubtedly in the groove for the tent show, but are out ot place for a stage revue. Betty Noble follows l ith a isolo pli;?,ed^?o'^toAio7i"«m1>'nX ^^^"-'^ <'-'>°^-8 "-^ takeoff on colored preacher is pre- '"ause of connection with the Lum sented by Slim Williams for fair and Abner radio team, *Th« Pine m^?,.;, I?"f5^' ^i*""* °^ ^''} \ Ridge Follies' sells a hillbilly show material treads on off-color ground, i . .. . . .. Hillbilly routii^e by Three Revelers is inserted here. Austin then has his piano moved out. brings on Candy and Coco, and remainder of show is wrapped around his vocallng. This is biggest slock in trade of the revue. Mixing couple of timely pops with his long list of old standbys, Austin, with his , aides, clicks off final 20 minutes solidly. ■ Ii this session some guitar and doghouse strumming are featured by the accompanists, and Rusty Wright, singing cowgirl, works out a vocal Spanish tune, yodels and plucks gui- tar and bullflddle. Most recent addi- tion to Austin's troupe, gal aopears at her best singing. Little Buck, col- ored juve from the ' -use's Monriiy oppdrttinity night, ^ets his inninr; lo dick off a tap. Work on presenli- tion and stage manner)<;ms would helu this youngster greatly. Austin's warbling of his well- known repertory r>l 'Melancholy at the boxoffice and hands the cus- tomers, willing -to brave the yokel consequences, a well-rounded 43 minute variety show. The 'billy headlincr. through whoTn the unit jusitifles its name, is Cedric Weehunt, mer Lum and Abner fire chief, who does a walk-on. Outside of Sally Deagin.s. Oklahoma cow-^glrl who yodels acceptably, there is noth- ing in the show to suggest the rustic, save the barn backdrop. Ey.ra Buzzinglon emcees the show nicely and fronts the 12-piece band, which delivers well with a neat arran.gement ot pop numbers. The Campbell Sisters contribute two nice dance routines that are well re cjivod. Unit had a bad day at the box office on show caught. Competition from local football game and fact it lu4s shown here twice previously cut 'jtleiidance. Just STANLEY, PITT Red Lane, bird-whisUcr and animal imilulor, who"s on much too long for what Jillle he has to offer. First act.even approaching a click is the Skateomaniacs, boy and girl, ill some lightning stuff on rollers. It's a good flash. At this point, Max Adkins" house orch, playing from stage, takes over- for a hot job on- 'The St. Louis Blues,' with Adkins soloiiig first on sax and then clarinet. Bob and Betly Bradford, turn up next with a brisk, good-looking tap session, preceding Helen Moran, who has a fair operatic voice. Harry Robinson, who tells audi- ence he's 7(! and an old railroader, kicks iii with a bit of novelty in his old-fashioned buck-and-wing, always good audience stuff, and then George Bell (New Acts) comes oil -for one sock turn of the afternoon. He's a talented kid who does tricks with trumpets and a violin, mixing his double-lipping and stunt fiddling with a bit of dancing, and rnakiiig all of it look good and hard, too, from out front. Rigoletto 3 close and their finish brings the gang back for a' flag-waving flnale in which the backdrop goes up to reveal a lighted Stiitute of Liberty, which fades into a big image of Uncle Sam. Birthday motif composed of a drop with five huge candles lettered with the years the major has been, in the unit business. With shows like these, there won't be many more candles. Cohen. Pittsburjrh. Oct. 8. Major Bouies" Fifth Anniversary Revue, tuith Dave Barry. 5 Barbecue RoncUers, Mildred Maye, Bums Sis^ ters (.3), Red Lane, Skateomaniacs (2), Bob & Betty Bradford, Helen Moran, Harry Robinson, George Bell, Ri^olettp 3, Max j4dl;ins orcli (16); 'Espto7ioge Agent (WB), The Major Bowes amateur formula is beginning to wear a trifle thin, not only in entertainment but at b.o. as well. This is about the 18lh to play here since tyro units first started coming around and the enthusiasms atid interest have diminished sharply. Bowes shows used .to be the signal for. SRO at this house; opening crowd today (Thursday) was way off. Thetjfe's too much sameness to the Bowes stuff. Not^.that the hopefuls Still aren't ambitious and, in some cases, fairly talented, too, but it's getting so that an audience knows exactly what to expect every minute. There will always be the fellow who imitates Ned Sparks and President Roosevelt, the roller-skating demons, the little lady , with the. operatic voice, the run-of-mine tap dancers, either a 12-year-old or a 75-year-old (this time it's the latter, doing an old-fashioned buck and wing). Some of the major's birthday re- vue is pretty good. Some of il's ter- ribly ordinary and a lot of it is aw- fully bad. Talent, of course, should always be encouraged, but there are times here when the general feeling is that encouragement ought to be- gin—and frequently stay—at home. Since the novelty's worn off the last couple of seasons, it might not be a bad idea for Bowes lo confine his tours to the minor spots: certainly one like this, in a deluxe key, is an imposition. . For one thing, it's much too long. Anyway, show should clip a couple of acts. M.c. is Dave Barry, a Bowes veteran, who also doubles as the in- evitable imitator, going through Fred Allen, Lonel Barrymore, Wal- lace Beery, Ned Sparks, Donald Duck, Hitler;.Mu.ssolini and Presi- dent Roosevelt, few ot which are readily recognizable vocally. Unit starts with Five Barbecue Ranchers in some bucolic and rather indift'erent harmonica playing, moves to husky Mildred Maye with some Kate Sinithish warbling and then stops at Barry. These three are sup- posed to represent the cream ot the Bowes 1936-37-38 crop, with the re- maining talent hailed as newcomers. At least one turn, colored Ri.^joletto 3, swinging opera, has been here be- fore. Burns Sisters (3) follow Barry with some average hoofing, a mili- tary tap routine, making' way for EMBASSY, N. Y. (NEWSREELS) Something different in baseball coverage of the World Series was promised, but it proves a dud, Paramount presents what is billed as an 'eye analysis' of . the first game's highlights, but without any commen- tator explanation, merely some inu- sic dubbed in. So unusual a contest might be made exciting on the screen. Par's idea was to let the game's action speak for itself. When Cincinnati scored the flr.st run, .when that team's Berger threw to second instead of third base, al- lowing the tying run to come across the plate, when Derringer passed Di Muggio after Goodman dropped Keller's fly, which accounted for three bases—all this should have been explained. Except those who" saw the game or followed the radio account, if not the dailies' stories, would find the picture little more than that of an ordinary ball game. In comparison there are Lew Lehr's contributions to several Fox clips, all his material helping. . Program covers a wide range. There are two cattle clips, one show- ing a huge herd of longhorns and an- other flocks of sheep in migration. Nearly one-third of the program is relative to the war. Not as stirring as some of the receiit releases from the war zone but generally interest- ing. Paramount's 'Behind the War Front' details activities of the French army tanks and the method of drop- ping bombs fi-om planes. Some of the big guns are seen in action and there are several shots of Holland getting prepared to guard ita fron- tier. Belgium's activities are along similar lines. War scenes are followed by the 'Peace Front.' with closeups of Sen- ator La Follette, who opposes lifting the embargo on war materials, and Al Smith, who agrees with the Presi- dent that the neutrality act should be changed. A Fox shot has Secre- tary of State Hull advising travelers about European trips. Universal's clips range from scenes of Cardinal Miindelein ceremonies to 'Stranger Than Fiction.' From the same source the Notre Dame-Purdue Southern California-Oregon football games are teamed with U's Pitts- burgh-Washington and Mississiopi- Arkansas contests. Each has explan- atory comment. Pigskin shots seem more sectional in appeal. Off the Coast of Chile is revealed as a new fisherman's paradi.se in a Pathe clip. Princinal human interest reel shows the children of Paris being evacu- ated. Ibee. STATE LAKE, CHI Chiraflto, Oct. 7. Chester Morris, Ga.sra- Bros. (3) Marion Ryger, Haiilon- & Claru' Goldi'n Pair, prilclinrd & Lord* Mirtfi <fe JWacfc; 'Coast Guard' (Col)'. Seven acts current are a typical lineup here, and contains sufficently pleasing vSrigly~'and ehlertainmeiit' for the 25c. tariff atleriioons or 40c. nights. Chester Morrs is bacli in town ti> headline, being without any changa in his act. The way he goes over here suggests there's no need for a change. Act is in two parts: first, a comedy monoloe depicting Morris visiting a fan in lattcr's home. Ha wnds up with his magic. Personabla and easy on the stage, Morris regis-' ters solidly. The Gasca Bros (3) open and .score clearly with their all-around acrobatics. They do a flock ot tricU-j on globes, on their heads and with ii'on-jaw. Marion Ryger is a radio singer who doesn't belong.. Work» amateurishly, singing, three songs quaveringly. Hanlon and Cla.rk are a hard- working comedy couple and warm up the audience after a while. Girl is particularly adept and needs only the right material to prove a genuina value personality. At least she has original material. Golden ■ Pair ara an adagia hand- to hand couple who work at a snaiTs pace. Make a good-lookinK picture and contribute some good adagio tricks and holds, with tha girl as the occasional uiiderstander. Pritchard and Loi-d score with their ballroom numbers, particularly ef- fective being the girVs toe-work, which rates as a novelty in ballroom acts. Tap dancing and comedy imper- sonations form the bulk of the Mirth and Mack turn, two young men who make a good appearance and handia the hoofology capably. On tha comedy they are over best with their rapid-fire work as Durante, Croucho and Harpo Marx. business strong supper show Fri" day. (6). Gold. Backing Legit .ConllDued from page 3_ ^Siegfried Line * .ContlDued from page 1_ til it did there wotild be no decision. Decca added the proviso, that if the number became a hit it might then change its viewpoint and record ,it Skidmore is a subsidiary of Sha- piro, Bernstein 8i Co. and the Amer- ican and Canadian rights to the tune had been . obtained from the Peter Maurice Music Co., of London. Al- though realizing that the song would be taboo in American radio, the pub- lisher stated Monday (9) that there had been much hesitation about put- ting it on the domestic market but that heavy requests from Canadian music jobbers and the publicity that the tune has been getting in the United States press has caused a change of viewpoint. Cables re- ceived over the past weekend from London tell of the song selling 60,- 000 copies a week. 'Siegfried Line' was written by Jirniny Phillips and Michael Carr, while Peter Maurice's real name is ^ Peter Koch de Gooreyiid, He's ot ! Belgian royal birth,i erate under the. existing niinimuiu basic agreement. For instance, Warners ara already understood to be backing Georga Abbott's productions fur tha season, as well as tha forthcoming Sidney Kingsley production ot his own Tha Outward Room.' In each instance, the deals are said td bs under tha terms of the mininiuin basic agree- ment, rather than under the pros- pective alternative plan. On tha other hand, at least oiia studio is reported to be opposed to the terms ot the proposed new plan. It has been fighting against adoption ot the terms during the vai-ious con- ferences and is understood to hava indicated it will refuse to back any plays under either tha existins minimum agreement, or tha alterna- tive plan. However, that is tiia only company believed to be plan- ning to continue the so-called 'boy- cott' of Broadway, . Metro May B.R. 'Escape' As Play Ahead of Pic . Metro is leading other companies in negotiations for purchase of screen rights to 'Escape,' novel Rrit serialized in Salevepost. Screen play will probably be pre- ceded by presentation on tlia staga, possibly with Metro flnancing under the new Dramatists' Guild agree- ment. Owen. Davis,author and. producer, is also said to ba Inter- ested in staging the play and if .said to be attempting to arranga a deal which would give him 40% of the screen rights.. 'Escape' was written by 'Ethel ■Vance,'-a pseudonym . for a well- known author who has relatives in Germany who, it .is feared, might be harmed because of the anti-Nazi angle of the story. It i* a novel based partially on fact. Preminger to Direct. WB's 'Woman Brown* otto L. Preminger was tentatively set last night (Tuesday) as director of .'The Woman Brown,' which War- ners will produce in association with Margaret Hewes. WB bought the screen rights for Bette Davis, at her request, after she saw Its strawliat tryout this summer. Selection of a femme lead is now' holding up rehearsals. Helen Claire is desired for the pari, it is under- stood, but is under contract to tour with 'Kiss the Boys Goodbye.' It i-s almost certain -that- arrangemeiils i can be made to relea.se her. howevai, , and she'll be slotted, into tha 'Brown' 1 role.