Variety (Dec 1940)

5 J VAUDETILLE Wednesday, December 4^ 1946 Unit Ri^vietvs ■ (P A NT AGES|. BjrRIVilNGH AM) V:v, BmninghMi/Ata.,, Novi 30..: Three Takctas, Bob H6pkin«, Vein mid AfVbla, ! Spuy and . Prosper, Franceta, Carlos :au(^^ his South ^7)ieric(iiis (10) ; House -Line (10); 'Opened By Mis^fce'vCPar>^ Tan-Airiencan Revue^ is okay vay . riety, with -the . Latins; : interspersed freely with thei .Manhattans for 70 niiriutes running ■time..; Show opens on . background of Carlos and his . South American orchestra with , Bert Van handling m.c. : role.; - Thei Three :Tak6tas are oidtiniiers in Jyaudeville. whO: work atop a high pole with : grace arid surene^s: The. i6o\ juggling arid flash wind-iip : are as precise a?, if cut from ai pattern. Bob Hopkirisi offeirs imitations, of Wincliell, Fred Alleri, . Bergeh:. and McCairthy, etc. ..His singing was bet- . ter received Ihan the mimicry, which: is a bit stale. Van and Arvola prove to be: xylophone experts, as well-as .dancers. They > ar^ ; dkay in spot betweenvdahce; numbers by. linegirls. Corriedy acrobatics are the. forte, of Spay and ; Prosper. Much ; of their matierjai i^ pretty ■ancieht, but the acrobatics irivoked vmuch . liaug^ Fjrahceta is a .isinget" and models, her «origs .oh the brdCT of: Carmen Miran- da, but the .difference :is obviouis. . Line of 10. girls boasts J6oks.;:'and .ability in rhurhba,. conga and. tarigdi. Capacity . hoiase /furnished several: encores at both rhatinee and night shows on day .'caught. ; , ■ Wind. : ■ WAtER FOLLIES XAtbltORIUM, MPL$.) : V • ./Minneapolis, Jfoy. 301. .,, ArtHur W. ^pdulding, CHaflie DiehV, Cornelia Gilissen, Jean Smith, Madeline JCafson, Frank : Foster, Tommy McKee, Aqudfemmes Ballet (12). Buster Crahbe,: JOe Peterson, Jimmv'. kici, Peggy tite, Betty -Vf il- ion.Orch {12). \ Brought from'. New York by Sam Enyder, this shoW. represents, an; sX-': tempt - to capitalize .on the prestige attained by Billy Rbse'is Aquacades,: tnie billing being. 'Stars of (in isihall type) Billy , Rose's' Aqviacade/ with, the last three words played up' heavr: lly. It's in a Very small scale, the entire- performers' entourage' com- prising only 23, and is sans, names, excepting Buster .Crabbe,. reported as being on a leave of absence from his HbUywodd studio . .iat ..$650 per week: It apparently is ecdnomidally budgeted throughout, . Mihiis flash, elaborate production,, effective . lighting, flrst-riate staging, impressive numbers: of performers and the galaxy-of . singing- and var- iety stars and. name: bandi :: whichi .along with the aqUatic performance, made the Rose show the Ne>v Yotk World's Fair - ace'i^ttraction,, it re- solves itself simply, into ari exhibi- tion of: high-quality swimming,, div- ing and. group water /formatiohs dragged oUt Over . two hours, includ- ing an interrhission, and: reminiscent of the Lottie Mayier yaude ofEeringis. Show suffers plenty from lack of. variety,, slowness and the absencei of the Rose or almost any other show- manship. The performers are ex-, tremiely proficient, as far as swim- ming artd diving skill are concerned, and for anyone interes^>ed in. aquatic sports the show would. be ihterest- in^ enough, although pirobaibly not sufficiently . outstanding, even for them, to generate a large amount of enthusiasm conducive to substantial word-of-moUth boosting necessary to fill the AudifdriUm for; five nights, Because: of the publicity which ac-: crued to the Rose ■ Aquacades and the: use of the Billy .Rose aind. Aquapade niames. it-might be, good for a bnce- around. ;But it will not attain any-: where hear the vogue, of the. icfe : shows or repeat like-them because it hasn't the" color, costuming,, diver- sity, :elaboi'ate spectacle, size, speed, liveliness and actual entertainment. . In this instance, rhah'agement' was In hands of local promoters, one of therh a very: popular former news- paperman, ,iand the- newspapers went overboard in the matteir :df gratis publicity. Hpwever, the enterprise got,:off .to ;an liriforturiate start be- cause the water in the tank could hot be properly .heated in time .:6n: . account of a late start and the; first- night: audience, after' being: seated; had to be idismi'ssed. Oa, the :thii'd night, .when c&ught, audience num- bered approximately 2,2(j0, takings being around $1,500. Gross for the four nightS:and two. niatinees is esr timated at $8,000, which probably' W:duld mean a ;small deficit or^ at best, nb: profit fdi* anyone concerned. ■ A 40 X 90 tank in which the per- formers disjipri is set :up on the Auditorium lower floor, seating of tuistpmers. being, confined to the b^l-, roriies. : Banked by- imitation grass, the tank has the.'appearance of a large pool in the garden setting. A 12-piece local orchestra and a fem- inine isihger, l»€ggy Lee, recruited here* are stationed oppiosite one end of the t&nk. Performers haive ia con- siderable'xlistance to travel from the stage to the diving platforms and tank, contributing to the amateurish- riess and crudehess of much of the proceedings. . Arthur W. : Spaulding,, erhceeing, refrains Horn much gagging and, for the most part, eonfiries himself to plain introduct.idns; "and. anndunc- iments: ol tlie viarious stunts. He is ^a smooth,: convincing talker, but he does nothing to: pep up the action. After , an opening " parade: there-* a: 75-yard ■ rhedley sWim . with husky Charlie biehl ,pitted ,against a six- girl team. . Cornelia Gilssen, Jean. iSmith and .Madeline Karspri iare next, offering yaridu'S' dives. \ Frank Foster,, cdniic;:Ayho pops . in at ' dcca'sional intervals, . combihes with Tommy - McKee td... illustrate world-famous stroke's; . 'For: his. in- itial effort Crabbe shows the: evolu- tion of swimming, shdwing.hdw .man took hii cue froi)! the animals., The 12 aqiuafemmes then c.o n tr i b U t e. rhythm ..routines ^ arid ,:a nUrhber of. formations. .\ Miss, Lee ■ w a.ir.b le s thrdUgh the mike and Ci-abbe comes dn again to demonstrate faradus swimming strdkes. The first part ends with. its, best feature, 'a fire- men's night shirt relay race' between tvvo- tisams of girls, each led by a man; Hacers :must conie out of: the water and doff the; ted -.night. shirt which is put on : by: ainother .team member . before she can " jump . iht'd; the water.Godd f or ' laughs and ex- citing, too. ,V ■ • Dual, diving by. Diehl and: Jimmy Rice' is ptodiietive of .several, nifty stunts.- Inti:dducedas':Eleart6rHolrh's. '.uhderstudy,': shapely Miss Lee joins' Crabbe: for some; rhythm swimming," Precise formations by: the water bal-r let are similar to. those : performed in the first patt, the: lack of varia- tion in the routines; and, performance being one of th(? show's stiags,:, Jde Petiersdn, a tirick diver, is: easily :the' compiany'S star, his . work meritirig the adjective 'extraordinary.': He first performs : with "Rice and then with Diehl. ■ The; Sock ;df the. entire shoW; however, is the n.eat trick comedy diving. of P'eterson and Fos- ter. The finale brings. out the en- tire, cast. ■ Rees. Broadwa^ PaMiiig Show; (brqadwAy; piiAjititOT^ . ChuTlotie, ;N. C, Noi). 20. Mickey Qerard, Charley. Tdye, Ed West, Jimmy Gerard aiid Tillie. Mar- co,^ ■■Patricia Lane, May Wynn,. Nat Draynor, W a I I y: Wynn, : Johnny Vance's Broadway Swingsiers, (8): Line (8); 'Calling All Husbands; Warner Brosi '.Vv New S. F. Vaode Try San Francisco, Dec. 3, ; Frisco will get another vaude try Christmas Day, according to Joe Meyer, who haS ' leased the downr town .Tivpli. Plans a weekly change of around five acts plus a single, fea- ture :pn.:Screen;..:.V ::^ I : Only regularly operating : vaude house in town is RKO's Golden Gate •■j|fof7*)f;y^^ Paris .Continued from pare 1>, INDICT 4 ST. L CAFES FOR BOOZE VIOLATIONS St. Louis, Dec. 3. Operators of fpiir niterles, three in the ddwntpwn - district and the other . In :midtdwri, were among Wi ijersons indicted last week by the local grand jury pn iiquor violation charges. All but brie; of the true bills charges misdemeanors in the sale of : liquor after, closing hours or on Sunday, and these violations are punishable by :iines ranging from $50 to $1,000 arid imprisonment in. the local hops^gow up to one year, or both., The one felony Indictment charges sale pf intoxicating liquor in a :3.2 beer establishment. '■ The ■ nitery operators named are Steve Cady, of the^Steve Cady Club; Ray Gooris, of the Circle Club; Garmia Fariana, of the Coconut CJrove Club, and . William Selim, of the Golden DragPn Cliib. DeL Vaude Spots Switch Getting away from the. standard way of. p r e s e n t i n g vaude acts, 'Broadway Passing Show' is pre- sented effectively in two, scehes-f^a magistrate's court and a night club, Shdw opens with nitery performers hailed before 'Judge* (Charley Taye for indecent exposure with result Taye and policeman Ed West go to club to piass bn ..decency of acts; : Taye sells himself as an above-the- average comic in the role of the sawed-off judge who is not immune to the appeal of a shapely thigh. He gets off some fast lines with the aid of his judicial props in the opening scenes and contributes a comic dance to' the night club perform^ance that is riear-socko. -.-lid West feeds him the lines. ; Jinmmy Gerard and Tillie Marco, with err^cee Mickey Gerard playing straight, contribute an average comic turn. This trio then sings *It Looks Like- Rain On Cherry Blossom Iiahe' in a fashion. that pulls plaudits. Featured is Juno,. mind reader. Who. gives one : performance from stage as a buildup for. appearance in lobby for mind-readirig sittings with customers. Act went over sp-so. Pert Patricia Lane, featured vocal- ist* makes two appearances,' one In acrobatic-tan specialty and once with the .May Wvnn Foursome In : tap routines.' Although she tries hard and Injects a • lot of persohalitv into delivery. Miss: Lane's vocaling is slightly , better than mediocre. Her >Hancing. is, rriore clicky.. The Wynn Foursome, which' also , coritain,s. Nat : Drayhbr. and Wallv: Wynn,' is better than average;. with each , taking a sDOt for a tap specialty. Gerard Is Dleasing as emcee, althou.gh style of show doesn't give him much to. do: One of the best tiirhs :is: Whitey Potlcher, bass, player in band, when be solos with bass and whangs- It from all angles. He has strong comic hossibiTlties.: Johnny. Vance's: orch nlays" frorn stage and is highlighted by bass-thumping of Potlcher. Line gives better than ■ average performance In three standard pp- pearances, cortiirig dut biice tri nifty prison costumes in ludlclal' scene, once for a conga number , and finally for a Hawaiian shake. Various acts take part In musical, patriotic finale. Show did fair biz, . Just m for Xmas Charity Detroit, Dee. 3. The first week. in many moons that the . Michigan .and ■ Fox, first-run houses, both cditte up with stage shows will find the two houses trad- ing . talent. What happened : Is. that the annual Old Newsboys' campaign for Christnrias funds for the needy kids falls the same week that the two houses had shows bopkedl ;. So for: the Dec 7 midnight charity perfprmance, the Pox's fStr^ets of Paris' will plaiy the Michigan/ while: the . Michigan show, headed by Bob Chester's band, will visit the Fox stage. Both stage shows will be en- hanced by the top acts from the night clubs. Detroit's New VaudnhneF V Detroit, Dec. 3. ,- : Having gotten away to a fair start with its showing of 'Pastor Hall,' the Town Hall here, which for many years, was Orchestra Hall, home of the city's symphony orchestra, closed for a few days to remodel the front more in keeping with, theatre archi- tecture.: A hew electric , sign and large niarquee will be. Installed. The house resuniCs oh Dec. 6 with ,a combination of first runs with vaudeville. \. Cincinnati, Dec, 3, RKO Shubert, burg's sole vaud- flim house, will add stage shows Dec, 27 for a run of from 12 to 14 weeks, which' Is shorter than last season. • Opening yreek's show not; set as yet. Qii MiiBtini Front - Miami, Dec. S;: Bert LoWii Is in town for a rest, after filling' year's engagement at Copacobana Palace In Rio de Ja- neiro. May grab spot here for sea- son, returning to Rid In May. . : . Ben Brooks has signed Ina Ray Hutton's band , and the Valero Sis- ters for formal, opening of his Car- rousel bar, late in December. KAREN COOPER Songs 8 Mins. ::■■ Rainbow Grill, N. .T. ; Karen Copper effects a semi-exotic tui'baned head-dress with her simple white dinner gown, while giving out rhythm songs at the mike in stand- ard rtllanner. A nice looking girl, she's partial to Cole Porterisms like Got You Under My Skin' and ^Get a Kix;k.:Out of You,' aljohg with Great Day Coming Manana' arid the like. Of strong vocal range, she should tone down her mike approach as it's inclined td blast a bit. In a measure she reminds of the Ethel Merman school of vocalizing, doing Phe.of those Al Siegfelesque high- pitched crescendps to cap one of her tunes. The turban, etc. Is a question sar- torially, as she Is personable and can stand .more orthodox attire for cafe values. , ■■. " Barry Winton's expert band gives her a good orchestral assist, for the backup, and incidentally he has a good Vocalist in Jean Murray on the pddium. Hblding over are Don Jul- ian and Marjorl : with-their better- than-average ballrdPmPlpgy. Mar- jorl is especially photogenique, and their- new routine eclipses what they've shown in the past, opening with a w:altz, then a very Cute flir- tation conceit, and finally a yester- year can-can. Abel. turn only creates ; unempibyment, therefore would the jpublic 'restrain' itself.. ;; : ; - ■ At the sanie time, lights reniain up for' the newsreel- prbjectipri,; .and ai'e only, doused when, So'me yester- year French film (usually one. with bi-lirigual Lilian Harvey) is pro-, jccted. Just to make sure, further, ushijTs, managerial attaches, find, it is suspected, Gestapo representatives march : up . and 'dowri the aisles/ to see who dojes iriake any demohstra- tidh while the' hewsreels are oh. For the features, lights are doused. : Georges Carpentier; is back in Paris, but has refused to reopen his. pppular bistro In the / Champs-Ely- seeS sector because of his objection - to -greeting': Geriinian patronage. -.: Cafes ; are .doing landdffice busi- ness because of escapblogy and it's the only; place where pre-Nazified Paris can. still dine but with a sem- blance of yesteryear gaiety; but food cards are being more sharpily adr hered to. .- ' Revue Houses Buliish ' -: Revue theatres, despite the 8 p.m. curtains,; likewise are bullish, but Sascha Guitry cbiildh't make a' box- office success of it virith legit at a (5 p.ni; Ciirtain; "The 10 p.m. curfew obtains for Parisians;. after 11 p.m. Paris. is almost • its old self, ' but it's strictly, for Nazi • males' and the French deml-mpndalnes. '. But cab- aret dinner business (somewhat bar- baric tP yestermpnth Paris, where fashidnable dining only commenced at 9-10 p.m.) Is the-paradoxical sUcr cess. ..::•■-•- ■.;;;" rienry Lartlgue, the Paris agent and :■: restaurateur, . w.k. to Ameri- cans through the Clifford C.Fischer- Lartlgue- representation of William Morris (U. S.) . and Foster agency (London) acts, has been mustered out of the French medical corps and has. reopened Giro's. . Formerly he and Fischer operated Les Ambassa- deurs as :well. : Maxim's Is still the fashionable restaurant fbr whatever morieyed natives tTT&re are^ plus of course the Nazi :officials, rrillitary, diplomatique, et al. Pilcer saw Sandra Rambeau, American showgirl, regularly in Maxim'Si and denies ihe; published rejwrts of a rbmance with or mar- riage to a Nazi General Von Eppb. Also states, he thinks that could hardly happen with any American showgirl. : • Lartigue's whereabouts will be news to Clifford Fischer, whose 'Fblies Bergeres' unit has been tqurr irig America. Fischer is at present in: Beverly Hills, and a shock also will be the. fact that his home in BougiVal,. Paris suburb, likewise w.k, to Americans visiting Paris, is a complete shambles, along with other fine residences in that sector. Furthermore, somehow Fischer's home was singled out for raiding pii' his wine-cellar and a swastika made of emptied vintage bottles now decorates his lawii. Albert, "Trenet Alive ;Albert, famed maitre d'hotel. at Maxim's,.Is very much alive despite contrary reports; ditto Charles Trenet, sorigwriter and cafe star, likewise repdrted killed in service. They want Maurice" Chevalier .baqk into-Paris music halls from his Can- nes' retreat, where, presently, most Ftench showfoik have sought refuge. His manager. Max Ruppin, ha^ com^ municated with the Nazi fuehrer of the French theatre, one Herr Reid- macher, but the Nazis don't want ;Marie Raye, Polish showgirl friend of Chevalier, to return with him.: Guitry, despite a legend about a Jewish grandmother, seems a spe- cial .character with the . Nazis' and is onie pf the very few rtoh-officials whd has been given; a motor car and petrol rations. Others, yof course, travel; byv bicycle, aiid ' taxi'cycles, with an enclosed miniature caboose on a tandem effect, are now the popular. means of transportation. Furthermore, all ,. vehicles must travel set main boulevard routes; rib detours. . ; ;:--..^..:'':;: -. ■ V Scarlni: Students -; Sorbbnne University deriioristrators against the invaders. were given. a 'lesson^ by having certain youths- lined up against the wall befbre a Nazi firing squad, but they shot up in. the air,; just to scare 'em. . Paul Derval, of Folies Bergere; re- turned to Paris to find somebody had 'bought' his famed theatre arid he had to 'buy' It back V for 85.000 francs. : That,. like the Casirio ' de Paris, is" doing good music-hall busi- neiss. Latter, instead of Henri Varna management, has. a coopera- tive show headed by Spafol Spado- Imi, the dancer. ;: 'Fhe Lebn arid Samy Siritzky cir- cuit of ciriemas (largest in France) has just been taken over. The Siritzkys* whereabputs is. still a mystery. Mltty Goldln, of Rottem- bourg & Goldln, Is very persona npn grata with the Nazis and he's hiding out in Vichy. His ABC va- riety theatre runs 'apprbved' Vaude- ville. Odette, famed cafe satirist, whose takeoffs on Hitler before the Invaslpn were very popular, is also 'lyanted/. Lucienrie Boyer'i; Chez Elle is doing turnaway smart cafe trade. , .- ■■:;•■ --;■.::■. /.;' Pilcer, who was in 'Honeymoon Express' (Shiiberts) In 1911 with the late French star^ Gaby Delys, was brought by her. to Paris In 1912 for a Palace (Pariis revue theatre) show; Pilcer has been thefe ever since. He has only made a few trips back to the States, and has been away; from New York the past 14: yea is' ;corisecutively. Tp American, and ' ternational Sho\yfolk he's known as •the perennial :juvenile,' looking, cdnsiderably under his 52 years of age. ';. - " --"V ": ■' ;,.' :.. Fiiads Gaby Delys' Shi:':!^ Gone . . His,: deep regard for Mile. Delys* membry endeared; hini to the ^eriti- ■ mental .French, who got to know' of the permanent shririe ;hurning in ; front of her rare portrait at Pilcer's Left Bank house. When in June he walked to Vichy (tbdk hirii six days) and was. succored by friends at a • chateau, he figured none would desecrate the shrine. When he re- turned in October,- going froni-I the ; occupied to the unoccupied zone, he. found :his ' belongings stored -in his cellar; his hbuse occupied; the shrine dismantled and the painting gpne.^; The . Nazi authorities have promised to search for the Delys portrait and return it. His persori:ar belongings weren't molested nriuch save for the locks of his trunks being shbt off, but. othervkrise little! was taken. , The Folies Bergeres' spacious foyer Is the site of a cafe, eritertainment; the major auditorium is closed. The Empire, best known 'bigtiriie! vaude-, ville theatre on Averiue Wagram, near the Etoile, Is 100% for Ger- mans, only. The Cafe de la Paix, Weber's, Vatel, Fo uquefs, Le Select, Le Dome,. La Coupbule and kiridred famed sidewalk cafes are as Is, Le Triomphe, on the Champs-Elysees, is one of. the few *JuIf Iriterdit' ('Jews barred') cafes. The shops carry Trench malsori* or :'JuIf and Jude' cpnnptatlons, to; dlstlhguish the 'Aryan' aspects. Business Isl good, if the musical coriiedy folding money (marks) mean anythirig, on a . 20 francs-per-mark exchanger It's 107. francs tP the U. S. dollari Normally it was 35 to the dollar. 7 Thb. Nazi soldiers'; excellent disci- pline, hbweyer. Is rinaintalned in their 'very correct' deportment, excepting when native Paris goes to! bed and they cut up in the nite life. Bomb Scares In Paris •Alerts' (bomb alarms) still go on, .with: rnusical" comedy manifestations also. British bombers stilt fly bvei* Pairis, more or less at will, but do no V damage. \- Pilcer, whb Btartlcd frequently when he. heard the whirr of an ambulance or police siren ph New York streets, because they sound so much like the 'alert,' rcr calls a Thursday lalert' drill. It was scheduled a week In advance and everybody was warned not to be scared, for it was to test out the. new sirens. : On Wednesday, British bombers flew over Paris three times.. . mornirig and evenirtg, evidently en route to Italian. objectives. The alarms worked very efficiently. But just the same, the nbxt day, Thurs-. day, per schedule, for. purposes of the drill, they were sounded, again. Blackouts must theri be strictly en-, forced. If a light's showing; the :- soldiers shoot at the window, Slhort- waye radip listening Is tabu, whether. to U. S, or British kilocycles. News; pf course. Is scarce. Anti-Semitic campaigns are unsubtle, but don't rest well with the populace. Many Harlem Americans, tb whoni Paris was truly a Negro paradise. - there formerly being no cblbr line ; because of the French Senegalese and Martinique eitlizehjry^: are amorig ;; the; nibre pathetic strandees iri Paris. There are many Impepuriious ofay Americans also stuck,; unable to. whangle the proper crederttiais and '; wherewithal to get out. Reported one boat, may shortly evacuate ihem^ . Getting put' of; France Into Spain; eri route to Lisbon, Is another ex- p.erienc.e. At / ndaye; the Nazi au- thbrlties:. . ey^n looked between Pilcer's toes to see If he was": smuggling anything put. .'.■■: Sellirig clipper reservations frorrv ; Lisbon to America, when no seats arc available, Is another racket that has burned up many an evacuee, but once they, hit U. S, shbres It seems all's fprgiven 6rid forgotten—gladly.