Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 7, 1941 HOUSE REVIEWS 29 CHICAGO, CHI Chicago, Moy 4. Woune.Kino Orch (14), Rondall Sisters (3), Morgan and Randall, Tommy and Betty Wonder, Don Cumvxings; 'Night in Rio' (20fh). Unfolding plenty of class and some good entertainment, this week's bill stacks up as a flrst-rate attrac- tion. With Wayne King's band to draw them in and set the pace, the surrounding acts have little trouble in making the audience like the setup. King himself turns in a neat job as m.c. His band numbers are well selected and score solidly. Boys stick pretty much to the typical sweet waltzes that hcve gained dis- tinction for them and only fall short in entertainment when they try to swing. Outstanding is a rendition of •Intermezzo,' which features King's four fiddles. Morgan and Randall, two fellows who do hand-to-hand balancing dressed in cutaway coats and sport- ing monocles, have a good assortment of stunts and their presentation is different and plenty okay. Outside of the casual manner which the boys assume, the act is pretty much the same as other acts of this type. How- ever, the use of the formal dress and the fact that the boys never, once step out of cliaracter stamps them as above the average. Following another band number are the three singing Randall Sisters. They make a nice appearance and, while their voices are not outstand- ing, the girls are smart in presenting songs of the special-material type, succeeding in selling themselves. Best of the numbers is one called 'Sadie Hawkins Wedding Day,' a hillbilly tune based on the 'Lil' Abner' comic strip. Tommy Wonder and Sister Betty are recipients of a terrific buildup by King, but it's questionable if they're that good. Starting off with a jitterbug routine, they ."show plenty of life but that's about all. The girl takes over for a song specialty which L'i fair; and Wonder comes back for a dancing bit in which he employs a dummy and gets a few laughs. Clean cut appearance aids' them ma- terially. Don Cummings, who intersperses some old stories between a few rope tricks, scores well and suggests the living proof that the old gags are the best f&es. He even goes as far back as the cough followed by 'better gst a room tonight.' However, he has ? pleasant manner, works clean and the neople liked him. King closes the .<;how with a m^edley. Business good at second show Saturday (3). Cold. and attractive ballroom dancerg who wind up with cakewalklng and jitter, buggery. 'Sleepy Serenade' and 'Gojden Wedding' ara two more of the band's dance numbers preceding Gene Sheldon, who returns with mm show-stopping hick comedy, mugg- ing, clowning, pantamime and banjo strumming. It bears periodic repeti- tion. A young woman stooges briefly. The band's finale, 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,' provides a neat swing climax. Lower ■ floor fairly well filled for the opening Friday afternoon show, with the weather warm and the base- ball season under way. Reef. CAPITOL, WASH. Washington, May 4. V Potricia Boumwn, Arren and Brodertck, John Galtiu, Hollutoood Canines, 16 Rhvfhm Rockets; 'People vs. Kildare' (M-G). ORPHEUM, MPLS. Minneapolis, May 3. V/oody Herman Orch (15) with Muriel Lane, Moke and Poke. Gower and Jeonne, Gene Sheldon (2); 'That Uncertain Feeling* (UA). One of the topflight dispensers of blues rhythm, the Woody Herman band has climbed far up the swing • ladder since its only previous Minne- apolis visit four years ago when it played the Minnesota Terrace nitery. It was an obscare aggregation just getting started then, but the wild acclaim which greeted it here at the first show Friday afternoon (2) evi- denced its present high standing among the upbeat followers. As the chief attraction of the current stage layout, it gives a hot account of it- self. Comprising four saxes, six brass and four rhythm, the Herman orch gets right into the groove* and re- mains there most of the time. It really burns 'em up with some of the season's most torrid swing, pro- viding ecstatic enjoyment for the jitterbugs. There's only an occa- sional switch tp the sweet as a con- cession to the more conservative crowd. 'Woodchoppers' Ball' is a sizzling starter for the band, but the boys then mute the brasses for 'High on a Windy Hill,' which has Herman con- tributing a pleasing vocal. Herman demonstrates considerable versatility during the performance with his con- ducting, singing, clarinet sax toot- ing and emceeing. He's okay, too, in ail these capacities. 'Frenesi' and 'Return to Sorrento' also are on the milder order atid give Herman further opportunity to exer- cise his pipes. Moke and Poke, mad- cap Negro tapsters, fit perfectly into the show's swing pattern. They dance with complete abandon, infus- ? ing effective eccentric comedy twi-sts Into their fast and intricate routines. Muriel Lane, the band's swinger, handles 'There'll Be Some Changes Made' and 'Let's Get Away From It Air with plenty of eclat, and Steady Nelson from the band joins her for 'Adam and Eve.' Then Herbie Hay- mer lands strongly with his sax solo, 'Moonglow.' The 'Four Chips, a boogie woogie four-piece combo from the band, toss restraint to the winds with a jazz session that has Frankie Carlson knocking himself out on the drums. The group expands to seven for more ive that's right up the cat's alley. Gower and Jeanne are youthful This is another of those shows to recall the apt naming of "variety' There's everything but a tumbling act in this one, everything from a dog act to Patricia Bowman at her airiest, plus, an overture dedicated to National Miisic Week and. an organ- log-community sing. Miss Bowman's-are the brightest moments. In addition to one num- ber in standard ballet mood, she has another called 'Ballet in Swing,' ample evidence she knows how to adapt the classical dance for a vaude audience. She shows a knowledge of her customers' likes all the time, for that matter, depending not alone on her finished ballet technic, but peppering her numbers with flashy bits that bring to life even the guys who don't know a balletomane from a fouette. Revue gets under way, after over- ture and Art Brown organlog, popu- lar weeklv feature here, with Holly- wood Canines. It's a slow turn, but pooch imitators of Mae West, Stepin Fechit (he's dropped the 't'), Ginger Rogers, et al., get warm reception," especially pup that twirls in a Rogers dance routine. Rhythm Rockets are on then for first of three numbers, not too impressive about their, doings with Charlie McCarthy dolls, giving way to John Gallus, which doesn't brighten things up any. His talent is for playing a clarinet while bal- ancing a ball on the end of it, with an encore consisting of beating time on miniature stage with line of chorus girl marionets. Rockets are back in flowing ballet skirts to set mood for Miss Bow- man's first entrance. And there is a contrast. Arren and Broderick are next-to-closing, billed as comedy team from 'Broadway Melody.' Cus- tomers get over wondering if they haven't been doing anything since as soon as gal lets go with her clown- ing in daft version of 'Egytian Ella* and burlesque of operatic singer. She's liked, too, in straight version of 'Kiss Me Again,' which she evi- dently feels she must do to remind that all is not laughter in the world. Fnale is solid, with Miss Bowman s 'Ballet in Swing.' , , Biz not so hot, but fair enough for Sunday (4) supper show caught. Mpo. Quickening tempo of the United States' efforts to make itself the arsenal for the democracies and to build up its defense is dramatically reflected in the current week's un- reeling of newsclips. For the second successive week Paramount snags top attention in this direction; first, with a pictorial sunAmary captioned "U. S. at the Crossways,' land then with some views of the huge stacks of defense bonds and stamps that the Government put on sale last Thurs- day (1). In sharp contrast with the placidity surrounding the two movements on this side, defense preparation and security sales in Fox's latest report of an all-out bombing attack on Lon- don. When during the course of the latter's showing the soundtrack nar- rator, Lowell "Thomas, remarked thit the British were determined to take reprisals on Berlin there, was a thunderous outburst of applause from the Embassy's audience. Another section of the newsreel parade that brings quite a demon- stration is the 'Crossroads' compila- tion. The subject poses three questions and seeks to answer them either pictorially or by excerpts from public pronouncements. T h e s e questions are (1) 'What steps must be taken on armaments and other support that she requires, (2) Can we deliver the goods in time, and (3) De «, or don't we want to get these goods over safely?' New Act in Theatre UNA MAE CARLISLE Songs, PUnolog 12 MIns. Apollo, New York Colored songstress, who first at tracted attention when she waa at the original Cotton Club in Harlem, has come considerable distance since those days. Una Mae Carlisle now is a polished balladist and pianist, switching from straight warbling to the swingeroo type of singing with equal skill. She is also deft at the ivories for her own accompaniment. More recently Miss Carlisle began composing tunes and offers her latest, 'Walking By the River,' at the Apollo. It's thoroughly sold by her and indicates some chances. Others she sings are 'I Lay Me Down' and 'Mean To Me.' Straight piano solo gives her full sweep in ragging 'St, Louis Blues.' She is a Bluebird recording artist and makes a personable appearance, being tastefully garbed and perfectly at ease. Plenty okay for night clubs and stage work. Wear. Joe Cook —Continued from page lion Co. Symphony Orchestra' of school's revue, to fill spot in 9 o'clock show lor duration of his local stay. Brady's contribution to the Cook show is the famed 'baseball story,' which Cook, who sits on stage throughout, enjoys as much as audi ence. Brady displays professional timing throughout yarn, selling It like a vet, even though It's his first time on a pro stage. Brady follows the monolog with Fuller orch bit, which requires serv- ices of Indian, ape and several stooges. EMBASSY, N. Y. (NEWSREELS) Tallulah Planes to Reno ^Continued from page 3; higher than the proverbial goose. Tallulah's temper joined the altitude of inferences and geese when a photog decided lie was on a news- paper's payroll rather than the Bank- head salary list and fired away his flashbulbs. Weekend biz again was soaring to new markers with everyone at the airport's concessions making more currency than the fellow who had an orangeade stand in the Sahara. The Aviation Terace, affording those who came to eat and look a box-seat at the great daily aerial show going un in the backyard, played to a line of customers that ranged from Emanuel List, who sings opera to the public's friends, to J. Edgar Hoover, who sings uproar to the public's enemies. The Kitty Hawk lounge was glorified by such Glorias as Stuart and Dixon, of Celluloida;on-the-Coast: The European argument over who has the greatest guns and biggest bullets had another echo at the air- port when -Gertrude Lawrence and her friends staged a ben^it party for the RAF.Benevolent Fund that swept through all of the New Yorker's air- port restaurants. Roger Wolfe Kahn, First "of fhe i "^°hn Hertz, George Jessel, Harvey I man (Andy) Gosden, United Air- lined in trom L.A. for 10 days here I 'just visiting.' Andy tried to amuse the reporters who came down to say 'Hello' with a card trick and proved he really has a sensahumor whea the trick flopped all over the run- way. Filmers East jContlnued from page 3— public pronouncements is the Col Lindbergh speech at Madison Square Garden, in which he held that Britain- was doomed and that the United States could do nothing to save her. These statements, at the performance caught, drew some ap- plause but this was easily drowned out by hisses and booes. In the suc- ceeding item Secretary of State Hull sarcastically rebukes this viewpoint and the reaction was a noisy round of approval. Other pertinent clips on the de- fense front are Pathe's views of soldiers going through the toughen- ing-up process or at recreation on the west coast, the middlewest and the east. Paramount's glimpses of coast defense guns in action at Fort Barry, Cal., Universal's survey of bomber and tank manufacture in Detroit and Fox's showing of one (Texas) of the many flghter-plahe repair shops maintained by the Army throughout the country. An interest- ing sidelight is Paramount's dis- closure that the demand for shipping plane bodies has caused a boom for the wooden ship industry along the coast of northern Maine. Paramount also underscores the goodwill relations angle as -far as Latin-America is concerned by offer- ing a series of clips showing what some of these southern neighbors have done recently to cement peace and reciprocity among themselves. From Fox comes a clip of a decidedly different mood. It's a picture of Admiral Lais, the Italian naval attache who had been ordered home at tjii^ country's request, waving farewell from the ship that was taking him away from the United States, and the sudden shift of dis- position as this officer faces the camera will cause much bepuzzle- ment. One moment he's brimming all over with cheery smiles and the next he's pleading pantomimically with some one below to lay off. The narrator doesn't make It clear whether the object of his plea are the cameramen or some demonstra- tors. No. 1 tidbit In the novelty depart- ment Is Paramount's review in its, specially contracted nursery of the i rnajor domo, recently-born Brown quadruplets. Odec. D. Gibson, Bruce Powell, William Rhinelander Stewart and Marion Gates were just a few of the hun- dreds in attendance at the fete. I Hi-lite of the party was a 'hoop-la' game, a new version of the old sport of horseshoe pitching—but the ad- vocates of the iron shoe never had an angle like this one. Take a quartet of New York's most beautiful mod- els, with opera length silk stock- ings; have them r;ecline on a huge pink velvet array that resembles a bed; give the guests hoops, be- ribboned to resemble the fancy round garters of the Lillian Russell era and you have 'Hoop-La.' The guests try , jonal to ring the gals' gams with the garters and get paid off in silk stock- ings. The whole stunt was offered to the late World's Fair but the idea was nixed by W. F. officials who felt that there wasn't enough currency to be made in that manner. Saturday's (3) transatlantic clipper carried George Backer, publisher of the N. Y. Post, and Charles A. Smith, associate manager of the London Bureau of International News Serv- ice. The former City Councilman 'said he was bound for Londontown to 'see for myself while Smith was en route to the same sector to put a new ribbon in-his typewriter. Trans-Canada Airways shot out a courtesy flight from N.Y. to Toronto un Sunday <4) to give the local news- paper talent a look at the route they will'soon operate for passenger traf- fic. The scribes found the Canadian ale to be superior to Sixth Avenue's beer but rnanaged to return to the Monday morning mill. ijorothy Thompson, en route to dispense her opinions to listeners in Buffalo and Toronto, took an Ameri- can flight out Friday (2) and the same number on the calendar saw Norman Hommel, barkeep at the Kitty Hawk room, move his apron off the airport to Olney's, 12 East 49th Street, where he takes over as to Florida to start work in The Yearling'; Ann Sothern, who's in to have a look at 'Panama Hattio,' in which .she'll start next; Norma Shearer, who's resting up before \ starting in 'We Went Dancing,' based I on Noel Coward's sketches from 'To- ! night at 8:30'; Dore Schary, Metro ( writer doing research for 'Joe Smith, American'; Norman McLe:d, who's also looking .at 'Panama Hattie,' which he'll direct; and the William Powells and Lana Turner, just visit- ing. Arthur Hornblow, Jr., and wife, Myrna Loy, likewise are look-seeing on Broadway, as is Harrison Carroll, syndicated Hollywood columnist, and frau; John Garfield, Irene Duime and film ad man Paul Radin. Others currently in from the Coast are Ben Piazza, RKO's'studio talent chief; Leo Spitz, in for two weeks to complete final details of Sam Goldwyn's deal with RKO; agent Myron Selznick; Warner Bros, publicty head, S. Charles JBinfeld and wife- Edward H. Griffith, producer- director for Paramount, who's on his way to the Bahamas to start filming i 'Dildo Cay'; and Gene Towne, who's I on the verge of transferring his pro- I ducing activities from RKO to UA. { Victor McLaglen arrives tomorrow (Thursday) for two weeks of per- appearances at the Strand, N. Y. Unit Review FOLLIES UNIQUE (BROADWAY, CHARLOTTE, N. C.) Charlotte. May 3. Radio Ramblers (3), Herbert Dex- ter, Jerry McCinly and Susan Page, Wilfred Mae Trio, Duke Art, Jr., Bal)ette, Hitzi Royal Dancers (8), Robert Moore's Bond (4); 'Scatter- good Baines' (RKO). Joe Karston's 'Follies Unique' opens at a speedy tempo, slows l3 a walk and Anally manages to generate enough steam to get off the stage under its own power and leave a fairly pleasing taste in the mouths of customers. 'i'he Wilfred Mae trio, veteran hoop jugglers, open the layout with their fast-moving and sometimes dazzling juggling of gilded hoops. The act, two men and a girl, go through all the regular hoop routines and then throw in several novelties that score solidly. One of these is a turn in whicb the hoops are spun so as to make them hop about the stage in best acc3pted jitterbug fash- Mex. Favors ir.Oix sContlnued from page 12; house where a certain picture, is billed they sometimes won't wait for the doors to open, battering their way in to find seats. There are seven new theatres under construction in Mexico City, with the building boom growing di- rectly out of the election of Avila Camacho as President. Camacho is friendly to show business and his Improvement of relations between Mexico and the United States is re- flected in improved business. Houses , ion. Act drew a big hand, i Herbert Dexter, ventriloquist, fol- Arthur Hornblow, iTr., and his I lows, putting his dummy. Jerry Mc- pride-of-joy, Myrna Loy, Strato- : Ginty, through a barber shop routine, linered TWA from Los Angeles 1 aided by Susan Page as manicurist. Thursday (1) and on the same super | Dexter is a polished straight man to cloud-chaser rode Irene Dunne and ^ sassy block of wood anc although nr Fr,r„.iQ frifTir. v,»«« K»»r. matcnal IS goud,-Ihc repartee is con- Dr. Francis (Iriffin, who have been ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ f^^m its one for so long; and Elizabeth Arden, rapid-fire beginning. Miis Page, of the -Liz who put the beaut, back in the trim stems, handles herself nicely beauty. ' in feeding lines to the dummy, but Also reporting present on the Karston missed a bet in not putting Thursday roll-call of the City of her on in a special in which to dis- Lights, Laughter and Lasses, were norl the limbs, reputedly insured for Dolores Del Rio and Fay Wray- in 525.000 for modeling purposes. from L.A. on A.A. for an indef stay; and Arnold Weisberg. Carol Bruce left on TWA for the end of the tracks and Leo Taub of the Hollywood The- atre Alliance left the West Coast to see how far TWA flies to the East. Ann Sothern caused panic in the in Mexico City are elaborately built i local beauty mart by taking off Wed- and oversupplied with architectural gingerbread. One, in a poorer neigh- borhood, the Colossal, seats 7,000. Admissions (tor second run pix) arc eight cents, American money. First run houses charge between 30 and 40 cents. American. Mexican stars of importance are Arturo de Cordoba, Fernando Soler, Esther Fernandez (how under con- tract to Par in Hollywood), Emilio Tuero, Pedro Armendariz, Ramon Pereda, Su.sana Guizar, Gloria Marin, Margarita Haller and Joaquin Par- dave. Esliblished producers include -Jesus Grovas, Raul de Anda, Miguel Conlreras Torres, Miguel Zacarias. nesday (30) for Charleston on East ' crn Air's local and George J. ■ Schaefcr. proxy of RKO, and Leo ' Spitz, another film tycoon, skyplaned . in from L.A. on TWA's Super-Sky Chief. The same cargo-list mentioned I Orson Welles' arrival and the aerial ■ deposit, plus a few of last week's I passengers, lent Bagdad-on-the-Hud- : son the look of an RKO convention town. ! The early hours of the week saw ' Al Jo'.son off to Miami, where he has . been lounging all winter' with the ; exception of a sleeper-jump to La- Guardiaville. ' Al allowed that he was going back to see if any fish were left and that late in August he Fernando de Fuentes, Raphael J. i \5ould reverse his steps to resume Sevilla, Ramon Pereda, and Eladio action in 'Hold On To Your Hats.' Rivas. I Charles (Amas) Correll and Free- Whether this is true or not, Miss Page is by all means a nifty and has a plea.sing stage personality. Duke Art, Jr., next is on in a clay- modcling turn, similar to the one done by his father. Although he dis- plays plenty of vim and vigor and I turns out pleasing models, his failure I to inject a Snappy line of patter into ' his routine slows down act. as there i arc several long silences as he fash- !-ions faces on his modeling stand. He : also is enthusiastic emceeing. ■ The Radio Ramblers, Irving Lane, I Sid Rico and Sammy Vine, are on I next to last with their songs, zany i imitations and clownir.g. Although I they succeed in jerking the show i partially back to the fast opening ; tempo, their overuse of blue material I hurts. Sid Rice proves himself an I able comic and burlesquer with his ■ imitations and clowning. The Mitzi Royal. Dancers disport ' Ihnm.selves plca.siiigly in three turns. ; Their best is an Indian dance in v/hich they go heavy on acrobatics, : They also are seen in a semi-nude ■ veil waltz ' and a French can-can. Robert Moore's band, curtailed by an ; accident, backs up the acts so-so from I the stage. ^^ul^ous^^ho^^^^^^^^^^