Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 14, 1941 GOLDEN GATE, S. F. San Francisco, May 7. Borrah Mineuitch's Harmonica Roseau (0), High Priestess Mamba, Bornew Grant, Frank Gaby. Carlyle, Robbins Bros, and Margie (3), Noble Trio (3), Jodin and Lang, Noel Toy, Peggy O'Neill Line (12), Charles Kaley House Orch (12); 'Repent at Leisure' (RKO). George Biole nods toward oldtlme vaude formula on his Golden Gate stage this week, putting the band in the pit and pulling curtains between each act. House batonist, Charles Kaley, sticks strictly to his stick, acts bowing on and oft minus m.c. or other identification: Bill, however, is not completely nostalgic, line girls and flashes knitting whole Into a presentation ^nder billing of 'Re- vue International.' Honors for the week are split be- tween Frank Gaby, -next to closing, and the Harmonica Rascals (minus Minevitch) in the finish spot Gaby (publicized as direct from Copaca- bana in Rio) goes over neatly in his ventrUoquial routine. His finale, wherein a stooge seemingly sings into the mike while Gaby dons hat, coat and lights a ciggle, draws thun- der-clap applause when the stooge strolls and audience realizes it was Gaby all the time. Gag is ancient in principle, but caught the locals completely oft ^ard here. Harmonica nme features cowboy costumes and fancy mouth-organing in the . familiar pattern. Routine here Is smooth and Interest-holding, with half-pint blower taking brunt of knockabout stuff. Chap has plenty of personality and a flare for Santo which makes words needless. :est of the gang offer okay support. Opening acros this stanza are the Nobles' (3), two boys and a girl working on horizontal bars at 15- foot elevation. Complete flips and gag of sliding along bars as though going off the end provide a satis- factory opener. Barney Grant, yokel song-monologist, deuces for excel- lent results, revealing intelligent re- straint in selling his patter. Trey spot is a quicKie, being limited mostly to fast, traveling flips by the Robbins Bros, and Margie, listed as 'Europe's Dancing Refugees.' Not much dancing but the windmill stuff had the fans pounding. Chinese atmosphere occupies the fourth niche, opening with Jadin gesture-terping in a silver costume and purple spot, followed by Noel Toy, Oriental stripper from'the lo- cal Forbidden City nitery. Gal gives glimpses of epidermis, but lights are so dim and blue it doesn't matter much either way. Jadin, in low-cut full-skirted red, returns with her partner, Liang, in tails, for a ball- room number, Chinese pair making a neat team. Gaby on next, with Mamba and Carlyle following in a voodoo num- ber. Latter uses gold paint. With jungle background, purple spots, line girls in savage garb, stage is set for the jumping and posturing of the voodoo 'ritual dance,' which can mean anything. It's slightly on the corny ;ide, although revealing pos- sibilities. Line opens and closes- the footlight sector with stars-and-stripes rou- tines, using flag-trimmed costumes at first and returning in all-flag briefles. Biz- fair. Wem. HOUSE REVIEWS 47 Court Sq.> Springfield Spring/leld, Mass., May 9. 'La Vic Paree' with Roberta Jonay, Florence Hin Loiu, Latasha and Loto- ence, Flagg and Arnold, Dorothy Coudy, Charles Clayton, The Duos, Ha-ClM-San, Tayton Ballet, Ruth DurreU, Lee Royce and Bob White; 'The De«il Comniands' (Col). Bxcellent dancing and smooth tim- ing mark A. B. Marcus' 'Continental revue,' here for four days (8, 9, 10, II). Opening with Roberta Jonay's peacock dance, the show flows smoothly to a colorful conga finale. Miss Jonay's strutting terp is notable for the delicate exactitude of its imi- tation, accentuated by graceful use of her hands. Flagg and Arnold have developed a smooth, rhythmic muScular control that enhances their tumbling and balancing. The pair specializes in difficult hand-to-hand stuff. Act has class appeal. Colorful is the butterfly dance of Dorothy Coudy. Her manipulation of huge silken wings is made most effective by varicolored lighting ef- fects on a darkened stage. The dance ends symbolically as the 'butterfly's' wings appear to dis- folve in leaping flames. Latasha and Lawrence, Australian dance team, perform an ordinary 'Beauty and Death' routine, with Lawrence garbed as a skeleton. Their dancing is adequate, but Law- rence, appearing alone, steals the act with'a demonstration of bis flex- ible body. Similar contortions are presented by Florence Hin Low, Chinese whose ict features her ability to 'sit on her head.' The two acts, btth unusual, are separated on the bill but seem to make for a preponderance of this sort of thing. Clad almost solely in silver paint, 'T?.-Cha-San dppendi mo.'tly on this fact for tb« appeal of her dance, notable only because of its smooth- ness. The Duos, pair of jitterbug couples, whirl and stamp through a dizzy few minutes, "rhc Tayton ballet, In a conventional few min- utes, demonstrates that this sort of dance falls short of appeal on such a bill. Bob White, m.c, and Charles CHayton carry through the comedy bits which, though weak, get by well enough. Much better than average is the singing of Ruth Durrell, Lee Royce and White, providing background and setting mood for the rest of the Viow. White's smooth patter as m.c. is unobtrusive and capable. Business was excellent at second show-Thursday (8). Lynch. EARLE, PHILLY Philadelphio, May 9. Jtmmv Dorset/ Orch (14)^ urtth Helen O'Connell, Bob £berll); Buddy Schutz, Hector and his Dogs, Stump and Stumpy; 'Washington Melodrama' (M-O. Majestic, San Antonio The effect of Jimmy Dorsey's phe- nomenal rise as a jukebox fave was shown by his reception at the open- ing of his current stay at the Karle. Less than eight ' months ago he played the house, and, although his gross was plenty in the black, there was no close comparison to the type of outburst he's evolung this sesh from the crew haircut and sweater set; The kids jammed the house tor the opening, and for the first time since the hectic days of the first Benny Goodman opening, the gen- darmes had to be called out to keep order. Dorsey's crew puts on a show that's almost an exact facsimile of their offering of last October. It's a combination of their best recordings, a couple of ballads by Bob Eberly, a few tunes in the jive manner by the beauteous Helen O'Connell, the Dorsey solos on the sax and cliirinet plus the energetic thumping on the skins by Buddy Schutz. B.ut the cus- tomers go almost frantic for more. Eberly scores with 'I Hear a Rhap- sody' and 'My Sister and I.' Blonde Miss 0'(3onnell nets the kudos with a trio, of novelties, 'Sender On a Bender,' 'Minnie from Trinidad' and 'One Sweet Letter from You.' The pair doubles on a duet on 'Amapola,' Dorsey's No. 1 jukebox hit, Dorsey's standout tunes, judging from the reaction of the crowd down front, were 'John Silver' and a brassy hunk of jive called 'Sewing the Wild Oals.' ■ The supporting acts also are plenty clicko. Hector and his Dogs are a novel animal turn in which the stags seems cluttered with pups of all sizes and description. 'They wander around in a hit-or-miss manner until they're given the word, and they wind up in amazing formations. But the show-stoppers at this catching were the sepia-hoofing duo of Stump and Stumpy. A couple of local lads who got their start terp- ing for handouts on the midcity side- walks, these chocolate stompers have really developed into topnotch showmen. Their pantomime, sense of timing and comedy are really Class A. They rated three encores when caught, the applause almost tearing down the rafters. Standees filled the lobby at this catching Friday (9) supper show. Shal. EMBASSY, N. Y. (NEWSBEELS) American newsreels, albeit unwit- tingly, may become increasingly dangerous to U. S. defense. By their diligent reporting and by their in' trepid picture-gathering of arma- ment factories and in commentary descriptions of their localities, the work that American defense has tried so hard to conceal from espion- age is being tipped off to the world at large. There's no gainsaying. that what the newsreel companies have to say, or photograph, can be perhaps just a small fraction of aid to enemies from within, since indubitably there are many fifth columnists and espion- age agents working in this country, who are already aware of defense plant locations, But why aid them unneccessarily. The aforementioned is brought home particularly this week in the newsreels, where, for instance, two companies clearly indicate the lo- cales of plane factories, though they art probably sufficiently prominent on an international scale to defy news extinction. The rest of the bill, of course, is constituted mainly on the defense of the U. S. and the war abroad, with nothing out of the ordinary. The de- fense question even invades the sports news, where one might think it would be too far remote, by catch- ing Hank Greenberg, the $55,000- salaried outfielder of the Detroit Tigers, in his final game before de- , parting for $21 per month and the Army. At that, Metro caught him in a rather perfect setting, since he hit one of his two homers on his final day. Nakn. San Antonio, May 10. 'Funzafire' unit with Benny MerofS Orch (10), Four Sailorettcs, Joe Bennel, Louise Shannon, Ken and Roy Paige, Terry Howard and Jock Talley, DtanTia Abbey, Billy Morosco, Al Spiro, Ai de Vito <fe Co., Eight Daughters o/ Satan; 'The People vs. Dr. Kildare' (M-G). The poor man's 'Hellzapoppin,' 'Funzafire,' with Benny Meroff and his merry madcap crew is touring the Interstate circuit and this week is playing the Majestic here. It's a well rounded 60-minute show, with socko' entertainment all the way. From the opening till close every- thing goes. And this audience loved it. Al de Vito and Co. open the show with their bits of nonsense, with stooges placed everywhere in the house, to nite laughs. Curtains open to disclose band on stage, and it goes into a nice bit of rhythm. Meroff in- vites one of the audience up to lead the band, and a draftee, at showing caught, managed to garner some nice applause and laughs for his attempts. Billy Morosco,. in tramp costtnue, goes over in a session of jokes with Merqff and then is into a nifty tap routine oh' roller-skates. Joe Bonnet, pint sized saxer, follows with a sax solo while dancing to get nice re- turns. The Eight Daughters of S^tan are hoofers with nifty looks. Meroff joins them and doesn't do badly. With the leader at their head, girls play follow the leader, and he takes them in their scanty costumes into the audience, shaking hands here, stroking someone's head there and climaxing with a kiss on a man sit- ting in the front row, all eight girls following the leader. To 'Donkey Serenade,' Louise Shannon, shapely redhead, gives out with a nifty tap. Orchestra comes back with several outstanding im- personations of well known name bands called out by members of the audience. Best of these are Glenn Miller, Kay Kyser and Artie Shaw. Interspersed here, too, are several stooges, giving out with their im- pressions of Rudy Vallee. Sally Rand and George Givot, to garner good laughs. Comedy slightly corny is that done by Ken and Roy Paige, although the fight scenes and eccentric dances are well done. Terry Howard with Jack Talley have a familiar routine of a young girl with fidgety feet and hands who -always wants 'to go.' Pair shows nice voice in vocal to 'Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me,' with (Continued on page 54) New Acts in Theatres VICTOB McLAGLEN Talk 11 Mins.; One -' Strand, N. T. This is Victor McLaglen's - first gop - priced stage personal on roadway and it's a sad mistake. The film player is knocking down $3,000 weekly and he should have spent a fair share of this for an act, something he's completely minus. McLaglen got an ovation here on his entrance, a volume of applause seldom heard for a picture person- ality, but the bowoff plaudits were far less. Per the usual Hollywood routine, he first told the audience how glad he was to be in ■ N. 'V., then an audience stooge, a near- midget in misfits, hopped on the stage and demanded his autograph. From this evolved a lot of alleged comedy chatter by the stooge regard- ing McLaglen's- past flhn perform- ances, while McLaglen stood by and contributed shy grins. The talk was unfunny and McLaglen, no beaut in the first place, merely looked like an inanimate mountain of fiesh. The stooge business runs nine min- utes. Then, for an encore, McLag- len does a two-minute dying scene from The Informer,' the picture role which won him an Academy Award. Had the Oscar been predicated on McLaglen's re-enactment of that particular scene In person, it's un- likely the judges would have handed over the statuette. It's too bad there's no such thing as a retake in vaudeville. Scho. EDDIE BRACKEN Comedy Paramount Theaire, N. T, Bracken's entertaining brand of humor was part of the Broadway musical 'Too Many Girls,' last season and he's in 'Reaching for the Sun' (Par), running concurrently with his personal at the Par. This, ap- parently, is his initial try at a major theatre stand as there's no file evi- dence of prior dates. Comedian socks his stuff over solidly. He has a very ingratiating style of delivery, speaking his lines softly as if he were telling gags in a living room. Best portions of his routine are panto bits in which he imitates an ineffective baseball pitcher' and another which takes off I a cocky boxer being flattened. He's a quick change arti.st too, doing each bit in appropriate costume. Act is a "Inoh for anneal anvv.'hc>-p Wood. Mght Club Reviews BLUE ROOM, N. O. (HOTEL ROOSEVELT) New Orlcons, iWay 9. Joe Venuti's Orch, Dawn and -„ Darrow, The Pitchmen (3), Luba theatre.stages with Hal Kemp's band French doll number, with the girl portraying an automaton, is tops. Better wardrobing of Maarcya, how- ever, would improve the act. Tiny Judy Starr, who was well- liked when she appeared on local Jtfaltna, Maysy Starr, Hcrbie Lewis. and Peer Bracli, Kay; and Charlie Butterwbrth,' has a ond Tommy voice, style and repertory which are . not adapted for this sort of supper ! club. She appears in juvenile attire, This swank nitery, with good : instead of the usual' type of gown shows as a policy, maintains the I'^us'°"'a''y here, and her arrange^ standard with Joe Venuti's versatile crew. What may be considered lack- ing in quantity is more than offset by the quality. Show moves in good tempo and is high in entertain- ment value. On the strength of previous visit here and an entirely pleasing, work- manlike aggregation, Venuti is draw- ing them in large nui^ibers. His booking at a time when, thousands of conventioneers are in town was, consequently, wise. Venuli is no-slouch on the violin and he batons the band from Strauss waltzes to the conga. Young and old went for his music in a big way the opening night, and the tables were kept empty and the food left to get cold at the dinner perform- ance when the show was caught. The minor fault with Venuti's band was that it was a wee bit on the loud side, fivery new band here has this trouble at first. Band's music is a nice blend of wind and string de- spite' the heavy brasses. Combo also provides excellent background for the show. Dawn and Darrow, dance team, run the gamut of routines, from the waltz to the Latin. Their whirls and spins differ from usual run and ■pair got plenty of palm pounding, being forced to give two encores. Pair's work is smooth and clever and they make swell appearance. The Pitchmen, a pianist who is no slouch at the keyboard and two players of kazoo-type instruments with which they imitate bands, vari- ous instruments and sounds, prove one of the most enjoyable acts seen in the spot in months. They throw in a dash of farce and slapstick that got plenty of laughs. Audience re- fused to let them go untiPthey con- tributed a couple of encores. Luba Mallina, also a repeat per- former after several years, has nice pipes and clicks with several songs, especially with The Last Time I Saw Paris.' (Sal is looker and got nice response. She sells a song nicely. Maysy and Brach, unicyclists, gave the big crowd some thrills. Besides some hair-raising stunts on the wheeled contraption, Brach bal- ances girl on shoulders and spins 11 hoops on legs and arms at same time. Act proves socko entertainment. Venuti's vocalists. Kay Starr, Herbie Peer and Tommy Lewis, are a versatile lot, performhig a shade better collectively than individually. While the show is well paced and highly entertaining, the important ments of threadbare numbers like 'Beat Me Daddy,' 'Mean to Me' and 'Littte Flshies,' flavored with a smattering of unsophistication in de- livery, are ordinary. The two Arthur Murray dancers illustrate and teach the n » dance steps. Rees. HI-HAT, CHICAGO Chicago, May 6. Jacfc Hilliard, Georges and Jo Aim, Calgary Bros. (2), He.leii Morgan, Billie Younger Dancers (6), Eddie Fans Orch, Ben Vera Orch. Reverting to the policy of pre- senting names once again after a siege of slow business, the Hi-Hat has seemingly chosen a winner in Helen Morgan. The room is the right ■type for Miss Morgan and well adapted for her individual talents. Jack Hilliard, singing m.c, keeps the show going at a smooth pace, and in his solo spot displays a fine voice and good choice of numbers, A likeable chap, Hilliard seems destined for better things. Rather ordinary dancing efforts of Georges and Jo Ann do little to benefit the show, Routines are clull and too long, Avhile dancing tech- nique is just average. Out of vaudeville, the Calgary. Brothers prove themselves to be a satisfactory cafe act, and grab plenty of laughs with their comic portrayal of two drunks. An encore bit In slow motion is somewhat lost due to the layout of the floor, but for the most part the act shows plenty of punch. Rounding out the show are the six girls of the dancing ensemble who currently offer nothing unusual ill appearance, costuming or routines. Eddie Fens and his band play the show music well and Bea Vera and her group are there for the devotees of the Latin-type dancers; In all, not an outstanding supporting bill for Miss Morgan, Gold. Unit Review MARDI GRAS NIGHTS (BROADWAY, CHARLOTTE, N. C.) Charlotte, May 9. Pepito, Valdez and Peggy, White Sisters (2), Trini^ Lurene, Milton 'Ma'rdi Gras NighU,' making its debut here, looked ragged on its in- itial performance, but showed prom- ise of building into a pleasing tab. Show also hurt by fact it was short two acts, Hickey Bros, and Alice, zany comics, and Johnny Bryant, Minnesota Terrace (HOTEL NICOLLET, MPLS.)^ Minneapolis, May 8. Del Casino Orch (14). Judy Sfarr, —^ _ ^ , . Maarcya and Gunsett, Arthur' whistler. Unit wasn't scheduled to Murray Dancers (2); uieefc-day min-1 open until- four days later in Ports- imum $1; Saturdays, $1.50. ] mouth, Va., but pushed up opening ' date to cover for local house, caught New layout at this swanky spot is, without a unit for the weekend, unimpressive for the most part. Del] Missing acts, working at Tower thea- C^sino's band, organized only nine. tre, Kansas City, were unable to months ago, passes muster as far as make opening date but will join show playing the show Is concerned and shortly. for dancing without calling for any Pepito, billed as the 'continental salvos but the abbreviated floor en- clown,' is on twice and Is the main tertainment falls below the room's works. Working with line, he opens usually high standard. i with a circus turn and with girls One reason for the show% failure' dressed in clown costumes, going on to jell sufficiently is the fact that, ■ stage through mouth of clown's head aside from one member's vocalizing, set in center. Working with a half the band contributes nothing in the, dozen changes of costume, Pepito way of novelty numbers, solos, \ balances eggs,, imitates a crying babv, specialties or effects, confining itself; rides world^s 'smallest' bike and put to conventional music. In view of on a menagerie aqt in which line re-' the small number of acts and their turns in animal sidns and he whip- weakness, this deficiency becomes the cracks them through routines. Act more conspicuous. { is okay, but should, be after line Casino, erstwhile radio warbler, i gets routine down pat. Pepito comes vocalizes and emcees, foregoing the; back later as an opera singer for a baton-handling. Band runs largely I come stint in which he displays an to brasses and goes in mainly for: excellent baritone, swing, but with a smattering of Valdez and Peggy are amusing in tango' and rhumba stuff utilizing their burlesque waltz routine in hand drums, etc. Orchestrations are i which he roughs her up a bit when okay for dancing—an important item' they go in for a whirl at adagio, here where the guests are on their j But they're, on-(oo Imp. toes much of the time. | The Wlijte Sisters, - duo vocalists. As for Casino, the .band's only are on for a_pleasing_piping of singer, he's good-looking in the romantic manner, extremely person- able and charmingly unassuming Siboney' and 'Ciri Biri Bin.' They put a lot of stuff into their singing, plus showmanship which registers He possesses neat pipes, particularly solidly with the bald-headed row, effective in the higher registers. Such numbers as 'Smoke Gets in ; Your Eyes,' 'Beguine' and 'R.eturn to Sorrqn'to,' especially the last-named, are well sold. But, instead of open- ing the show, he'd close it to better advantage. Maarcya and Gunsett are a flrst- rate ballroom dance team with novel Lurene, of the line, conies out for a br'rf single ip'^r'^re',"'--.-!; dance, Trini is Impressive in a semi-nude with the line, who melt off stage to leave her by herself. Somehow, she manages to wind up on lop of piano for a bit of pretzel bending and pash terping. Line is seen again in finale in Latin number, and show ability and striking routines, featuring and training. Band, playing from . thrilling lifts, spins and acrobatics, pit, backs up show fairly well but al- 1 Their waltz and tango contributions most drowns out vocalists, .attain a high degree of smoothnes.s.t Good b.o. house on shov -.aught.