Variety (Jul 1941)

48 HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, July 16, 1941 STATE, N. Y. Helen ReimoW Sytaters (8), Hos* Viyse, Jr., and Jutw Mann, Etta Logon, Berry Bros. (3), Senor Wences, Georges and Jalna (4); •Love Crazy' (M-G). This is vaudeville, piire, but not BO simple. . It's an achievement nowadays for a booker to lay out such a nicely balanced and blended bill as this, when talent of a strictly variety metier Is so scarce. And it plays with a sureness of purpose and dispatch that's likewise rare, there bemg only one mistake In the preceedings—but an act's and not the booker's. The error is chalked up by deucmg Ross Wyse, who overdoes a dirty bit with his partner, June Mann, that's a variation of the old foot-in- the-pants gag. What makes it doubly bad is that Wyse doesn t need that type of business to get over, his sock acrobatic dancing always proving sufTicient to attract, hold and wham an audience. It got him off to smash results here, another indication that he can hold the smut for smokers. Wyse was spotted mto the show at the last minute opening day to pad out the runnirtg time, the knockabout comic doubling from Billy Rose's nearby Diamond Horse- *'^o1herwise, the layout runs without hitch in material or pace. Helen Reynolds' crackerjack all-girl (8) skating act is a flashy applause- opener. Then the Wyse act, and in the trey Is Ella Logan, a tiny bundle of large voice. The cute little swinger of songs is apparently varying her style a bit via a stylized delivery of 'My Bill' with all the anguished hand-clutch- ing of Helen Morgan. That's too close a copy, but the singing Is okay. Ditto her more bortbastlc singing of Take Me Out to the Ball Game,' •My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean' end 'Loch Lomond,' latter done as an encore after repeated call-backs by the customers. Standard Berry Brothers (3) are a standout smash in the fourth slot, the colored boys' great dancing, prancing and cakewalking, held within five minutes, being delivered with remarkable speed. Senor Wences, following them, holds the applause meter at the top rung with his extraordinary ventriloquial work. His work with the hand-made dummy and the head in the box, with almost amazing changes and shading of voices, must stamp him as one of the top men in his field. He gets big laughs frequently and Is ati unusual novelty next-to-closer. Georges and. Jalna, with two bongo players for their closing rhumba routine, comprise the show's flash closer. Excellent ballroom team closed at Ben Marden's Riviera across the George Washington Bridge Wednesday (9) night and opened here the following morning, reoeatine their nitery click in a vaudeville house. They're smooth and good-looking, with more empha- sis on dancing than adagio, grace- fully delineating the waltz and fox- trot, among others. six acts- run oS well within 60 minutes, and that's as unusual as a bill so well-blended as this one. There's n« stalling and no milking; the nice house Friday (11) night was left satisfied with quality,- but not satiated with quantify. Scho. TOWER, K. C. Harding, is on this week as a straight act and his deep singing of a medley trio from "The Merry Widow' is in full keeping with the entertainment standard of the show. Little then lets his brass boys go hogwild on 'Sunshine* and works into a closing on Medley of his composi- tions and established favorites, such as 'Jealous,' 'Hold Me,' 'Shanty in Old Shanty Town.' While LitUe is not the biggest name to hit the Tower stage he gives more entertain- ment than some better known names. Quin. STANLEY, PITT Pittsburgh, July 11< - Sammy Kaye Orch (15), 3 Smart Girls. Billy DeVfolfe. Tommy Rvon, Arthur Wright. Morty McKenna, Maury Cross, Charlie Wilson,. Alan Foster; 'ReocWng for the Sun' (Par). LYRIC, INDPLS. indtanapolis, July 11. Phil Harris Orch (15), Patricia Kay, Ames and Amo, Paul Winchell, The Billingtons (2); 'Passage from Hong Kong' (WB). Phil Harris, corn king of the Jello program, moves his orchestra into the Lyric again on his annual visit, touring the provinces while the radio show has its summer layoff. Harris hails from Linton, Ind., and makes the most of his Hoosier birthright by digging his heels into the Indiana sod once more with many references to the 'native son' theme, setting him- self solid with the audience. It's Harris whom the customers paid to see, and he gives them full value for the amount deposited at the boxoffice by mixing in lots of chat- ter about himself, Hollywood, Jack Benny and others on the JeUo pro- gram. He remains a pleasing per- sonality and handles gags well. Har- ris sings on the band's closing med- ley, vocalizing 'Hut Sut Song' and •That's What I Like About the South.* The boys in the orch are okay, too, doing 'Poet and Peasant' to open and 'Intermezzo* later In the bill. Patri- cia Kay, femme band vocalist, sings 'Daddy^ and 'Rhumboogie,' but needs a little more polishing before hitting It off big. The three added acts appearing with the band are topnotch. Stand- out is Paul Winchell, who handles ventriloquist's dummy expertly. He doesn't try so much for the frozen- lip delivery but depends on reactions of the dummy and good material to put him across. Also to the good In a band show are the Billingtons, tap stylists. They do two numbers and pleased at show caught to the extent that they had to come back to put the tootsies through an encore. Ames and Amo are standard knockabout dance comedians, being one of the best man-and-woman combos. "They played the house re- cently. Harris is second-to-top grosser at this house, his previous record hav- ing been bettered only by Horace Heidt. This trip he's still a magnet at the boxoffice with the patrons standing at fourth show opening day on a five-show schedule. Running time .of 55 minutes is well placed. Kiley. ORPHEUM, L. A. (BOWES' UNIT) . Los Angeles, July 9. Major Bovoesf Unit with Lenny Gale, George Gillette, Dorthy Zane, Michael Dore, Mlnda Lang, Frances Lacey, Curley Williams, Three Rhytnmeers, Three Graces; Jean Porter, At Lyons House Orch (9); 'Roar of the Press" (Mono), Tbty Met in Argentina' (RKO). Kansas City, July 12. Little Jack Little Orch toith Kath teen Quinn. Kirk Woodt; Lester Harding, Charlene, Wagner Tunns; 'San Antonio Rose' (U). I Entertainment is present more prominlently In this show' than in any the Tower has bad for several weeks, and it's pleasantly reflected- at the boxoffice. Responsible party is Jack Little holding forth as the stege band and seeing personally that most o£ the responsibility is fidfilled. As m.c. Little plays it in vein of slight satire and tomfoolery to suit the Tower crowd, and it ate it yp. In the 45 minutes there are only a couple of sags caused by the injec- tion of rube routines by. the Wag ner Twins, amateur entries, and a very corny "You Are My Sunshine' by the Little brass section turned vocalists. Medley of old faves Including *Dinah,' 'SUrdusL' "Lady Be Good' and 'Limehouse Blues' is the opener, but it doesn't take long for crew to get into 'Hut Sut Song.' Novelty presentation -with satirical gestures and some ribbing by the leader sock this over. Mood is changed with Kirk Wood in a specialty on 'Sum- mertime,' with band tossing in some flee club backgrounding. Wagner oy and girl follow, and Little re- turns to vocal specialties -with Kath- leen Quinn In a nifty arrangement of •Yours* and encoring with 'Do I Worry.' Lass Is blonde looker and singing more than .qualifies. She's back later .to lead a novelty arrange- ment of 'Daddy.' Both crew and audience get some fun out of little's imitations of con- temporary bandleaders slightly cari- catured, including Sammy Kaye, Lombardo, Wayne King, Shep Fields, ZiOpez and Goodman. (Tharlene as second amateur entry display some skill at acrobatic and «ontortionlstic roDtlnes. Regular house 0.0, I^ter The major amateurs still' pack them in here. It's the 21st Bowes show at this house and business on a Wednesday afternoon (9) was at capacity. Show has all the elemental appeal of old family-time vaudeville. A large variety of talent is jammed into approximately 50 minutes, every minute on stage being turned to good use. Commendable also is the method whereby each act Is neatly bundled off stage after one or two numbers regardless of applause volume. Lenny Gale m.cs adequately but stands in need of more polish. For this current chore he nils the bill with somewhat stilted gestures and mugging which are scarcely noticed by the customers. Also going on solo as a personality imitator, Gale would do well to limit himself to two or three more studious takeofts instead of trying six impersonations with but indifferent success. Curley Williams, colored hoofer, came through with a socko routine on roller skats which can stand up in more important spots. Minda Lang scored heavily with her novelty whistling act, dishing it without mov- ing her lips. Frances Lacey, lower- case songster, went bi$ with a couple of Irish ditties while the Three Graces sold themselves solidly with acrobatic dancing and tumbling. One of the Grace femmes, a double- jointer, has a standout in a slow cart- wheel holding one foot. Michael Dore's trick violin recital, playing the instrument upside down and manipulating the bow with his teeth, jelled for heavy returns. George GlUette, In the deuce spot, whammed across novelty comedy and instrumental numbers, getting good results with bicycle pump .and balloon music. Three Rhythme'ers, tappers, open, while Jean Porter, red-headed songstress introduced as winner of a local radio contest, war- blea twp tunes. Mori, Whatever it is that makes Sammy (Kaye) run, a lot of people appar- enUy like it. WB deluxer was Sacked this afternoon (Friday) for rst show despite the blistering heat, and at the break they, were standing two and three deep in the lobby. Anyway, one of the things that makes him run is obviously plenty of schmaltz, or restrained oomph in his music. In other words, the stuff la here but it's smouldering, like Annie Sheridan playing hard to get. Kaye's rhythms go along even, quiet and melodiously, but some of these days one of his guys is going to play a note that isn't muted and there'll be mutiny to pay. His vocal ists—an"d there must be dozens of them since somebody's always sing ing—warble with off-beat catches in tlieir voices, which is recognized in some quarters as the low blood-pres- sure school, and his arrangements all have that curiously attractive quality of suspended animation. It's a style that goes with full moons, mint juleps and pretty girls. Say this for Kaye anyway, he dots his i*s and crosses his t's, musically speaking, and never pollutes his music with anything but the barest of whis- pers. Sometimes it grows a bit monot onous, particularly after a steady parade of vocalists, all of whom key uieir pipes to the Carmen Lombardo quaver, but generally Kaye has mastered a schmaltzy medium that pays off, and Rouble in spades. Crowd at getaway show couldn't get enough of his music; of Maury Cross, who accompanies his gibberish with something that resembles the, St. Vitus dance; of Marty McKenna, with a pretty legitimate delivery; Alan Foster, with an appealing bari. tone that needs only a little cultivat- ing, and, of course, Tommy Ryan, the lyrical Beau Brummel of the Kaye outfit. They all registered like a ton' of bricks against a beaver board wall and could have stayed on for ever this afternoon. From a band standpoint, Kaye's outstanding clicks -ere his gypsy medley, the inevitable 'Daddy* and brace of tunes with which he's come to be closely identified, 'Hawaiian Sunset* and Until Tomorrow.' For a finish, he's still using the 'So You Want to Xjead a Band?' stunt, picking two boys and two femmes from the audience for a session at the baton, and it continues to be an entertain ing idea that packs a lot of fun and a flock of unexpected laugtis. On the personal side, Kaye himself is im- proving by the season in showman- ship and delivery, which was natur- ally inevitable considering the phe- nomenal success he's been having the last few seasons. Ther^ are two outside acts on the bill. Three Smart Girls, a hoofing trio, and Billy DeWolfe, t)>e satirist' Latter is a clever young man who has an articulate, intellectual ap- proach to things and people who lend themselves to caricature and he squeezes his subjects dry lor maxi- mum effects without overdoing any- thing. Three Smart Girls have a brislc dancing turn, sticking to the conventional collective followed by .the challenge in their own spot, and coming back later for an effective in- terlude during Kaye's gypsy medley. One of gals is a local, Jean Schafer, who used to teach dancing here. Biz was good all day, indicating that Kaye, who really got his start here—at . scale—at. Bill Green's Casino just a few years ago is in for a hot week at the wickers. Cohen, received a shot of grade A embalm- ing fluid many eons ago. Oorge Prentice's turn is billed 'A Peep in the Past.' and tbat's too much. It's a Punch and Judy show with Punch still lambasting the day- lights out of Judy and a menagerie of animated animals. Probably was 23 skidoo in its day, but it's dated now. Prentice should either dream up some fresh angles, or stick to a mop- pet circuit The perennial brother and sister team is represented at this sitting by Buster and BiUle Bumell, who aside from the fact that they are a pair of freshlooking tapsters, have little to offer. Buster can't seem to make up his mind whether to dance on his head or his feet or perhaps he's just getting over the bends. Most of his tapping is done with his mitts almost touching the board. His sister just watches, occasionally joining In to •keep from getting stiff. Barr and Estes are another doublet of hoofers, but eccentric. Same as in the case of Buster and Billie, the distaff of this duo. is just for decora- tive purposes. Barr occasionally doe%uncork some nifty taps, but the effort must wear him out, because the rest of the time he's strictly a fugitive from insomnia. The surprise of this gasp is Charley Shay's house band. One-horse Shay, they used to call him. After a couple of tough seasons, It's begin ning to click as a solid driving unit Shay has added some now tooters, and the combo re^sters soundly both in its curtainraiser and accompany- ing the acts. Leslie. HAMID'S PIER, A. C. (HIPPODROME) Atlantic City, July 13. Harry Hichman, Molly Picon, Three JJovick Sitters, Al Mardo a-tid Kaye, Arthur and Morton Havel, Eddy, Jack and Betty, Goldte's House Orch (9); 'County Fair* (Rep). ORPHEUM, MPLS. Minneapolis, July 12. Paul WWfeman Orch (17) with Dolly Mitchell and Frank Howard, Jack Gilford, Flo and Bob Robinson; '5he Knew All the Answers' (Col). OLYMPIA, MIAMI Miami, July 12. Gloria Blake, Stone and Lee, Barr and Estes, George PrentUe, Billie ond Buster flumell, Charley Shoy House Orch; 'Puddin' Head' (Rep) This is the first time since the boom that the Olympia has extended its seasonal stage show policy into the summer. It's been an experi- ment .to determine whether or not vaude has any b.o. value during the slack months. Okiy biz would indi- cate that it has, but manager Al Weiss is beginning to find It tough to entice any names here in the sum- mer. It seems majority of ace turns are not yet hep to fact that this locality is beginning to take on a year-round entertainment aspect, Current bill is a pretty mediocre affair, utterly devoid of names, and much in the same slot so far as talent is concerned. Gloria Blake, a colora- tura soprano, has a limber larynx, but appears stiff and lacking in socko appeal. Only time she exhibits the slightest animation is when she whams over 'Ciri Biri Bin,' Her choice of songs leans towards the operatic, and these are hardly cal- culated to stir the locals into any wild pitch of enthusiasm. Not only does Al Stone emcee, but he also is in a brief exchange with bis femme partner. Gags are strictly for the honkytonks and shotild have Apparently falling in line with the musical trend of the times, Paul Whiteman has turned bis former pop symphonic aggregation into a swing band with heavy eiQphasis on the brasses. A section of three violins, banjo, piano and bass viol tempers the transition a trifle, but what amounts almost to a Whiteman metamor- phosis undoubtedly will come as a shock to many of his fans who will watch him take his boys into the groove and down the hit parade. However, he's making the younger element plenty happy and it isn't just another swing band, because Whiteman still has an organization of superior musicians, arrangements are standouts and much of the typi- cal musical stuff that always has been associated with his name finds its way into the proceedings and gives the more torrid swing plenty of run for the money. . The 16 musicians comprising the present band constitute a normal- sized swing outfit, but one misses the size-impressiveness of the 30-piece orchestra which Whiteman brought here last season. The boys are strik- ingly garbed in red jackets, and the lighting and staging are tip-top. Most of the musicians play several instru- ments and all have a chance to take the spotlight, for Whiteman goes in for much individual solo work and group interludes. The maestro him- self conducts faultlessly., announces the numbers and' acts and plays the violin briefly during one number. Among the band members most heavily featured are Murray Mc- Echern, who is announced as a one- man band' and performs on numer- ous instruments for a specialty; Buddy Weed, a master of the ivories: Willie Rodriguez, hot drummer, and Mike Pingatore, vet banojist. In addition to the band with its girl and boy singers, the current show holds only two outside acts. Four band numbers follow in suc- cession at the outset They include such old Whiteman favorites as 'Rhapsody in Blue,' of course, and Three Blind Mice' in swing. 'There's a swing arrangement of 'Old Black Joe' which evoked an enthusiastic response, along with the lively 'Let's Go Home,' too. The last named at- tains sufficient heat to satisfy the more radical jive hounds. Dolly Mitchell, the band's girl 'Singer, is young and a looker and she sells 'Daddy,' 'Mean to Me,' 'There'll Be Some (Changes- Made' and the 'Hut Sut Song' with effective torch touches. -First of the two acts, Jack Gifford, is a comic who doesn t aim at belly laughs, but who tickles plenty of risibilities with his gags, patter and depictions of various ath- letics as seen through the slow- motion camera. After McEchern's Instrumental contribution, the Robinson twins, redheaded, personable youngsters, stop the show with their lively tap routines, most of thehi difficult and out-of-the-ordinary. For a fast fln- ish they essay a bit of jitterbugery. Frank Howard, singer, is a good- looking baritone who had the cus- tomers eating out< of his hands and had difficulty In getting away. He does seven ballads, and still the cus- tomers clamored for more. A med- ley of numbers that have been as- sociated with Whiteman bands is a strong closer. Lower floor nearly flUed for the first show Friday (11). Rees, Harry Richman and Molly Picon turned on the personality spigot at George Hamld's Pier theatre and the seashore crowd called each of them out for an encore and two bows. Other four acts uniformly well re- ceived by full house at Sunday after- noon's (13) performe; ce. Richman, ever a tiood showman, appeared in afternoon attire, cane and stiff strawhat Got big hand even before he sang a note, then did 'My Sister and I,' lapsing Into dra- matic recitation after singing few stanzas. Rest of act is standard Rich- mai) material, which' pleased the crowd. For an encore he gave 'That Old Gang of Mine,' weaving in imitations of Al Jolson, Eddie Can- tor, Fannie Brice, Sophie Tucker ('She mothered our gang, that stage madonna, and she'll always be our Red Hot Mama') and himself. Rich- man booked for Saturday and Sun- day shows only. Miss Picon, booked for entire week, pleasingly surprised the cash customers by devoting her whole act to song and dance, entirely eschew- ing any dramatics. Dressed in white, sunflowered net over black under- skirt, chartreuse waistband and white flowered tiara, she sings some songs from her early stage career and then for contrast lets go with some of the latest hotcha numbers, punctuating them with high-kicking. Much ap- plause greeted this in addition to considerable laughter from her next performance: a song with ° gestures depicting 'a day in the life of a woiking girl,* including goodnight prayer and girdle removal. She wound up with her song about 'hands,* and the audience clapped for more without success. Three Novick Sisters, blondes in blue, velvet dance costumes, are okay in hand-balancing and rapid- fire acrobatics. Al Mardo comes out with bulldog that generally disobeys. Canine later walks off in complete disobedience, which drew laughs. Then Irene Kaye harmonica artiste, pleased the crowd. She was later joined by Mardo, who accompanied her with a four-note harmonica. Eddy, Jack and Betty got little response with their straight roller- skating, but brought big guffaws when they summoned two stooges up for a whirl. Arthur and Morton Havel, vaude vets, give an amusing lesson in box- ing and wind up with a singing bee that went over very well. Morton emcees.' Gray Gordon's orch, Eddy Morg- an's band, Sylvia and Her Debs, animal and circus acts and fun houses are gther attractions on pier. Carter. EARLE. PHILLY Philadelphia, July 11. Gene Krupa Orch (IS) with Anita O'Day, Howard Dulaney, Roy fldridge, Cass Daley ■ and Bobby May: 'She Knew All the Answers' (Col). It's a tossup whether top honors this week should go to Gene Knipa's superb skin-thumping or Caas Daley's whacky warbling. An ap- plause meter would find it hard to choose between the volume of duke pounding which greeted the efforts of this pair opening night (Friday). Miss IDaley is a hometown product, born and raised in the mill district of Kensington, and she has been a local fave for years. Her last ap- pearance here was in the ill-fated revival of 'Yokel Boy' last winter, with the late Joe Penner. At her current stint. Miss Daley gives out with all the stage business that's put her among the tops in her particular field. Grotesque posturing and facial contortions certamly don't add to her beauty, but sure bring the belly- laughs. Comedienne, leaves them begging for more, limiting her vocal stint to just three numbers, 'Yeah Man,' a comedy parody on the current hit tunes and The Lament of a laun- dry Girl,' Latter is particularly sockeroo. Bobby May's Juggling act scores mightily, his flair for comedy en- hancing the turn. Krupa pilots the show handily, coming off his perch behind the hardware department to intro each act and number. Band tees off with inevitable 'Drummer Man,' the maestro thumping it out to the de- light of the alUgators. Outfit fea- tures the expert trumpeting of sepia Roy Eldridge, his version of 'Body and Soul' bringing salvos from the jukebox followers. Anita O'Day vocals satisfactorily, her best tune being 'Let Me Off Up- town.' Howard Dulaney is fair in the baritone section. With a film that's way above the Earle's regular 'B' diet, the house was almost flHed to capacity at Fri- day's (11) supper show. 5httl.