Variety (Aug 1941)

Wednesday, August 27, 1941 HOUSE REVIEWS 49 STATE-LAKE, CHI Chicago, Aug. 26. ■ Earl CarroXl's 'Vanitiet; with Slate Bros. (3), Al Womuin, Bviter Shaver icith Olioe and George, Vfeire Bros. {2) Fay Carroll, Jeanne Devereaitx, Zerke and Wehr, Ann Lee Dorothy Bvton Dancers (6), Ballet (16); •DancehaW (20th). This Is one of the best vaudeville units to come around In some time. Earl Carroll has assembled a lineup cl standout vaudeville acts which score terrifically here and demon- strate once again the wallop of a vaude show properly arranged. The only' wealiness lies in the pro- duction accoutrements. The girls are anything but nifty, the costumes are oldish, and the scenery cheap and **'But these trappings are relatively unessential to a show that has per- sonality ' performers who take an audience and rock it. And no local audience has been rocked in the manner this one was at the last show Friday (22). It's indicated that the boxoffice will whirl to a dizzy height thi-; week due to this boolting. The Slate Bros, have never worked harder or better. Their material re- niains familiar in the main, but it's good stuff and their new items are consistently funny. Slate Trio re- . mains an act which could really go places, but which needs Ihat certain break to make good in the big-money brackets. Standout, however, of the entire show is Al Norman, who several years ago was going ahead fast, but wlio disappeared from the major the- atres for a time. Here he is back again, and he evidences a great com- edy ability and showmanship. A naturally fine comedy novelty danc- er. Norman has a wealth of person- ality showmanship. He handles this audience with fine skill and had to beg off. ' He works throughout the show, on his own and with the Slate Bros., and every time he's on he's dynamite. Buster Shaver, with OUve and George, again scores. The outstand- ing midget act in show business to- day, this pair remains a brilliant dancing team of little people, while Olive possesses the tops in show- manly ability. She's putting on some weight, but a bom pierformer on every count, she discredits the weight an?1e by ability. Three Weire Bros, are here only two because one of them is sick and remained on the Coast. The two aren't as good as three, and that's to be expected, because as a threesome they had developed much funny business. But the twosome does well enough and manages to get plenty of comedy from their eccentric dancing and burlesque violin-playing. Excellent toe whirling is the con- tribution of Jeanne 'Devereaux, and Ann Jjee has a good aero control spe- cialty. Zerfae and Wehr are an adagio dance act that's suitable. Fal Orroll is the comedy point of much of the Slate Bros.' clowning, but, oddly enough, the audience liked her sipping when the boys let her go. Dorothy Byton dancers are a sex- tet of acrobatic girls who are the one weak spot in the talent lineup, giving forth with motheaten chorus girl tumbling. And the 16 girls in the Carroll line contribute little, too.. Gold. several minutes at the opener, still had to beg oil. Introduced by the line in a garden frock-minuet routine, Uie O'Hagans close. Vet vaude couple, who re- semble a page from the family al- bum, are a heart-punch for the a.k.s with . their spry grandpa-grandma harmonizing and story-telling. Biz fine at opening. Wem. CHICAGO, CHI Chicago, Aug. 23. Jfforace Hetdt Orch (16) with Larry Cotton, Donna & Her Don Juans (4), Red Ferrington, Ollie O'Toole, Fred Lotoery, Mimi Ca- banne, Ronnie Kemper; 'Charley's Aunf (20th). CAPITOL, WASH. Wdshinc/ton, Aug. 25. RoUy Rolls, Afazzone-Abbott Dancers, the Btltmorettes, Rhythm Rockets (house line) (16), James Barton, House Orch; 'Ktldare's Wed- ding Day* (M-G). A happy combination, this, with the Jack Benny flicker held over for the second week and a stage offering of Horace Heidt & Co. which should make for rejoicing in the b.o. de- partment. And show really merits it Musically, the Heidt band is only average, but from the entertainment standpoint, it must be rated among the top. Heidt m.c.s creditably and gives his supporting company ample opportunity on their own. There is a neat opening production number, 'Queen in the Tarlor,' and show gathers momentum which carries all the way through. Larry Cotton, romantic balladeer, scores solidly with three tunes, as does Ronnie Kemper, h velty singer, known best in these parts for his version of 'Cecilia.' Ballads in the feminine manner are handled capably by Mimi Cabanne, and Donna and Her Don Juans, quartet, offer some harmonious vocalizing. Whistler Fred Lowry does the difficult 'Flight of the Bumblebee' to excellent results, and encores with a rendition of a cowboy song, ac- companied by the yode'ling of the Don Juans. Socko comedy relief is offered by Red Ferrington, robust novelty singer, and a diminutive chao, Ollie O'Toole, for whom a real future can be predicted. O'Toole does unusual impersonations, treat- ing them all from the comedy angle, and kibitzes around with Ferrington throughout the entire show. For something different, Heidt in- vites a few of the audience onto the stage for a little game of musical guessing. Idea is good, and situa- tions crop up which lend for plenty of laughs. Finale number includes the enlire company in a satisfactory 'm"sical comedv' offering. Biz strong at second show Satur- day (23). Gold. GOLDEN GATE, S. F. San Franctsco, Aug. 20. Gleason's Royal Guards (7), Carl- ton Emmy's Dops, Britt Wood, The O'Hagans, Flagg & Arnold, Charles Kaley Orch (13), Peggy CfNeiU Line (12); 'Jungle Cavalcade" (RKO). The recipe this week is uninspired, the routine of the staging ordinary, but topnotch ingredients make this excellent vaudc\ille entertainment. There's plenty of variety and no one lets the pace lag. Youngsters who know only the "Tobacco Road' billing may find James Barton a surprise, but those who remember vaudeville can al- ways shed another tear for its pass- ing at a glimpse of one of the able veterans. Barton's of a breed not being developed in great numbers by night clubs and today's variety, a smooth and sure performer who wins an audience immediately and takes it with him all the way. He opens singing talking "You Made Me Love You,' goes into that drunken Irishman bit that seems to grow fun- nier instead of more familiar, tosses in a bit of the slick hoofing that isn't seen often and winds up leaving the customers wanting more. . Roily Rolls, Continental music hall performer seen recently at the N. Y. Rainbow Room, and playing his second vaudeville date in this country, is another skilled performer who's a surefire applause winner. He's introduced as notable concert Night Gub Reviews CHEZ PAREE, CHI Chicago, Aug. 22. Carmen Amaya and Co, (8) Christine Forsythe, Hollywood Blondes (4), Sara Ann McCabe Cross and Dunn, Fred Evans Ballet (16), Boyd Roebum Orch (14). Bobby Ramos Orch (10). Again Joey Jacobson and Mike Fritzel score in Chicago with a new attraction, a booking that took con- siderable nerve and will redound to the continued success of the Chez Paree as the town's outstanding in- dependent nitery. Carmen Amaya was an item in New York, but in Chicago she was an imknov/D quantity, and it look plenty of heart by the Chez Paree operators to take a chance on the billing of -this girl. And it wss a good booking. The Chez has been the hangout of the old faces year after year, so it is smart to come up with an entirely new name for the customers. " Senorita Amaya herself is an out- standing performer, while the other seven people in the act, merely back- ground, are members of the family. Amaya rattles4hose castenets as they have never been shaken before in . . ^ . . . , ^■u , ■ this town. She has a fiery, innate ?'e"^fiJ^l:t^"f^T".'t^^'^fi'■„^l" ^^nse of .ypsy rhythm that had. this LYRIC, INDPLS. Light summer show on the boards this week, supplementing 'Jungle Cavalcade,' and it filled the house with kids" and greyheads for the opener. Line is on first in bright new cos- -tumes, backed by excellent lighting for an okay start, followed by Flagg and Arnold, hand-to-hand control acros whose liquid motion in white trunks drew half a dozen sponta- neous outbursts from the customers. Get off nicely by saving a neat one- arm lift for the encore. Charles Kaley's band deuces with Trey goes to Carlton Emmy and his ajamsesh that's solid with the jiyers. 12 dogs, a smash click. Leap-frog routines, done entirely on a long, waist-high table, are full'of laughs. Pooches are remarkably trained, hardly waiting for cues and seeming to enjoy the show as much as the payees. Gleason's Royal Guards, sextet in white and blue cape uniforms and knee boots, are next, .with their femme arranger batoning the band. Lads are husky-appearing, evenly matched and give out with plenty of harmony on standards ranging from 'Sweet Mystery of Life' to 'Song of the Vagabonds.' £ach of the six gets India-napblts, Aug. 22. Jan Garber Orch, Lee Bennett, Fritz Heilbron, Herman Hyde and Sally BurriU, Whitson Bros. (4), Lloyd and Willis; 'Ice-Copades' (Rep). In this age of priorities it is com- forting to refiect that no govern- ment agency has as yet taken Jan Garber off the list of good things still to be obtained. Garber and his boys have been making the town for a long time, and while there have been some low spots in the chart, he, nevertheless, never fails to bring out a numerous band of loyal followers. This week, the goods on display behind the footlights is nicely bal- anced ' to provide payees with con- siderable entertainment. Three acts are added to the band, consisting of t""1 ♦-u—ns'', tv'-- ''■omb'^ne'. t'vo pianos, drums and four sax. Garber still retains his two popular vocalists, Lee Bennett, for romance, and Fritz Heilbron, comedy. Bartd opens with "Girl Friend,' fol- lowed by Heilbron singing "Goodbye, Dear,' with the 18-month draft,ex- tention built into the lyrics. Later, Lee Bennett sings 'Hindustan,' 'T -,ve'i' ^a-" Tom'rr w' and 'Mana Elena.' The two pianists get the spot for some fancy keyboard work on a Pr^^f-ru's'-i's n^i-'^oi*. ^"''»i!br"n re- turns to sing 'Daddy," followed by a red-wig impression of the way Mary Martin might sing 'My " " for something tod good for them only as long as it takes him to get wound up on his version of 'Hallelujah' as I>ebussy might have done it. Fol- lows this with another impression, then into his portrait of a new pian- ist at his first concert, neatly timed for laughs, with explosion within the piano a sock finish. Playing of 'Old Man River,' while blindfolded and with cloth covering the keyboard, provides a solid climax to the Rolls turn. Mazzone-Abbott dancers are spotted where they should be, in show's finale, their spectacular Anache dance, with plenty of may- hem and gunfire, making loud and fiashy ivind-up. The three Bilt- morettes are on early, after first Rhythm Rocket (house line) num- ber, good, as usual, in their acro- batics. Rockets make three appear- ances, mainly as punctuation be- tween the acts, but come through with an expertly performed garland number in mid-show. Lynn Allison, local soprano looker often used at the house, takes over, with organist accompanying, in 'com- munity sing' spot usually held down by Art Brown, vacationing. It doesn't work out so well, however, from audience participation stand- point. Miss Allison's pipes are just too melodious for amateur barber- ship tenors to have the nerve to in- terrupt her; they just listen. Mac. ORPHEUM, OMAHA Ortuiha, Aug. 26. Gene Krupa Orch (17), Wally Broum, Walter Dare Wahl, Virginia Austin, Johnny Desmond, Anita Day; 'Million Dollar Baby' (WB) With Johnny -Desmond taking over the Krui^ vocaUst spot va- cated by the grafted Howard Du- Lany, Gene Krupa's band opened tft sock returns at the Orphcum Friday (22), and by Saturday night was headed for a big b.o. week Desmond, recently with Bob Crosby's band, delivers effectively in two spots. Walter Dare Wahl's comedy acros with his unbilled partner are still smash though long since standard. Wally Brown's comedy talk drew hearty guffaws. Virginia Austin's clever puppet act was good for some big applause. Krupa is generous to his band and qo-artists on spotlighting, never hoggin); it while doing two specialty numbers on his drums. His jungle ranged set. ar- Routining is clevor, too Rach. rhythms catch the popular fancy af do his quieter numbers. Band (17) •a^JU'^Tt/ is especially effective In the trumpe' f?*^^„'"A^='i',iJ'!"V»rh*r^w<: sectiS^hcaded by Roy Eldridee. longs to Daddy (Jarber bows the ^ beautifully fiddle down in the bill in a medley of tunes ranging from waltz favorites to hillbilly. The whole band goes boogie-woogie for a closer with Lee Bennett returning' to vocalize Gar- ber's theme, 'My Dear,' for a final curtain. The acts, in order of appearance, are Lloyd and Willis, boy and girl team, who do a ballroom tap and -waltz tap. He then demonstrates the buck-and-wing, while she exhibits a ballet tap. The Whitsons do some whirlwind risley work. They mix littl* Towne and Knott . shows thought or originality. Charles Valda's tenor soloing 1j okay. Very s.a. pipes have held him over most of the summer. Gesture* and stage deportment appear some- what mechanical, however, and can be improved. When this apparent .self-consciousness is overcome he'll be excellent bet for any class cafe. Two blonde lookers, the Statler Twins, also show to better advantage here than on the stage. Gals uncork some nifty footwork, and underpin- nings provide a pleasant distraction. Whoever tabbed this house line New York's 'loveliest' girls really went overboard. They'll get by, but if they continue to bill 'em as Man- hattan's best, and Mayor LaGuardia ever gets a look, he'll probably call an investigation. Gals' hoofing will stand inspection though, and nifty costuming helps. Dansapation is spilt between Dave Lester's combo and Jimmie Christie rhumba group. Lester did a fine job batoning I,atiii Quarter show last -anson, hut nresent aggregation is a disappointment. Xjeslie. VILLA MODERNE, CHI audience rocking and forgetting about jitterbugs, conga and the rhumba. It's a new dancing style for local consumption, a hypo for the blase mob which is sure it's seen everything. Two of her sisters dance nicely, a cousin plays the guitar, and other members of the family also play guitars while Amaya holds up the entire family by her own brilliant flamenco terping. As shrewd as is the booking of Amaya is the setting of an old-time local standby. Cross and Dunn. They come up with a lineup of songs that are fresh ^nd up-to-date. Most of it is excellent, funny stuff and, as ever, sold it in great fashion. Bui for all the new. stuff, the customers still remembered and demanded some of their oldtime favorites, such as 'One Hamburger for B^dam'; Cross and Dunn wisely satisfied this demand. Opening is Cliristine Forsythe, a looker with a million dollar figure and a fine tap dancing style to match. Another single is Sara Ann Mc- Cabe, a vocalist well established in Chicago. A radio name of several years' standing. Miss McC^abe is backed now by personals in vaude, shows and niteries that make h'er surefire as a satisfying vocalist any- where. With fine, clear-cut pipes, she runs through variety of tune styles, covering the pop and semi- classical field with equal ease. Hollywood Blondes, girl roller skating turn, are a good acrobatic turn, a good novelty in the Chez, where acrobatics are seldom seen. Fred Evans continues to produce outstanding chorus ideas and rou- tines, his current layout remaining on the high standard he has estab- lished here. ' Boyd Raebum orchestra plays a long, tough 'show with remarkable deftness for a band new to this place. Raeburn is yoiithful and makes a bright appearance in front of the band. His orchestra comes up with excellent styling for the customer hoofing. Bobby Ramos m.c.s the show and' tries much too hard. Ramos has the rhumba orchestra for the tropical dance sets. Gold. PAGO PAGO ROOM (DEMFSET-VANDEBBILT HOTEL) (MIAMI BEACH) Chicago, Aug. 18. Winnie Houeler Dancing Darling* (6), Dick Gordon, Don Orlando Orch.(8). Going into a show policy for tho first this summer, this outside-city- limits nitery presents a short, but interesting show certain to catch on. Strength of the show lies in the Winnie Hoveler Dancing Darlings. Six lookers, these gals offer some distinctive and beautifully costumed routines. They open with a gaucho number that has plenty of Aire and requires some deft dancing by 4he girls. After a quick change, the gals return for a circus number and aerial ballet. A complete circus scene is depicted, with various mem- bers of the turn appearing as a ringmaster, a trained leopard, a clown, and the three remaining girls as aerlalists. These gals swing back and forth on ladders suspended from the ceiling, doing their stunts with extreme skill. Number Is one of the best performed by an act of this type. Rounding out the bill are Dick Gordon, tenor with fair voice and delivery, who also m.cji, and Don Orlando, who In addition to leading his band, contributes two ^accordion solos. Band goes over. i.oop. Miami Beach, Aug. 19. Alan Carney, Toume and Knott, Statler Twins, Charles Vatda, Hdute Line (6), Daue Lester Orch (6) Jinimie Christie Orch (4); $1 mini- mum. HAMID'S PIER, A. C. (HIPPODBOME) comedy with their muscle work, winning some giggles along with a nice mitt salvo. Herman Hyde and Sally BurriU have had a spot on the house pay- roll for years. Their turn is always surefire for plenty of guffaws. Hyde a crack at solo passages during the I breaks up his partners attempts to act and all have nifty pipes, boys sing with the introduction of trick doing five turns before they could ' musical instruments, tossing in an get off. Britt Wood makes his annual visit In the next-to-closing, with just enough variation in his routine to keep it up to date. His nifty har- monica, rube gags and .'(Covered Wagon' song are still just what the folks want, and though he ran over the strings froni a fiddle to a harp. The bass viol that lays an egg is still the sock of their turn. Running time of 58 minutes is swiftly paced, and at third show Friday (22) house had full upper and lower decks with standees. Kiley. Atlantic City, Aug. 24. Ken Maynard, Lone Star Rangers (2), Eddie Roeckcr, Joey Ross and Gladys Bennett, Harold Boyd and 3 Jigsaws, Grace DrysdaU, Dan Goldie's House Orch uiith Herb Sands; 'ice-Capades' (Rep). Ken Maynard has the big billing at George Hamid's amusement cen- ter this week, with Eddie Roecker in second spot and serving as emcee Dressed In flaming red shirt and all the other trappings of a film cowboy, Maynard makes his appear- ance astride his horse Tarzan. He alights and puts the equine through a series of tricks. Then the two Lone Star Rangers, guitarists, strum and sing a cow tune, later joined b." Maynard and his fiddle. They got a big hand with their rendition of (Continued on page 55) N. Y. Nitery Fdlownp With biz generally bullish on the t>each this summer, the Pago Pago Room is drawing almost as large crowds as during height of last sea- son. You can't get in for dinner without a reservation, and this is something that even Ben Gaines, the operator, could hardly have antici- pated when he decided to keep the room open during the summer. Judged by seasonal standards though, the current revue is under par. Only standout Is Alan Carney, who scored heavily in recent Olympia stage appearance. Working in this smaller room, Car- ney is an even bigger click than on the stage. He's a versatile mime with an apparently inexhaustible repertoire of impersonations and easily the best thing in the show. Not only does Carney sound like the characters he's dubbing, but he looks like 'cm. Clever rhyming mono in- troduces each subject and eliminates stage waits. Ht is also a smooth- working emcee, getting off to good start with a 'please don't bother to applaud me, I'm paid to entertain vou' pitch. Welcome relief after shilling most turns do here to cull pjilmpatting. The Brazilian ballroomoloav of Eddie Davis is vacationing, so his ' partner, Leon Enken, has lined up a substitute bill at Leon & Eddie's, which,'^lf not possessed of quality, is certainly attracting a quantity of business. Its general mediocrity sustains the ' current adage that they're hungry for diversion and stepping out regardless. L&E line- up Is a cheater, basically, and not particularly distinguished. Oscar Davis (no relation to Eddie) is an inept emcee. Adrienne Parker, toe dancer. Is so much hors d'ouvres. Bee Kalmus, seasoned songstress, is the professional highlight, but Rose La Rose, stripper, may be presumed accounting for some of the business with her frank style of working. You gotta be in the mood for MUe. L9 Rose. The 5 Crackerjacks are a Harlem combo of acro-ijround tum- blers, in the Arabian school, but too slovenly attired for intime cafe work: In fact, just slovenly, period. They'd be wise to perk up their nondescript garb by some pretext to cleanliness and professional neat- ness. Otherwise, the Bobby Sanford line of eight backs up the proceed- ings and also participates in the boomps-a-daisy finale. Lou Martin, sax-maestro, again heads his snappy dance sextet, and is featuring a new upright form of Solovox that pro- duces a fetrhinc effK~.t. Narita heads the conga-rhumba combo. Marlbel Vinson and Guy Owen, iitst returned from the ice revue at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana, are added starters with the ^ca .show at the Hotel New Yorker, N. Y., along with another recent augmentation, Adele Inge, reolacing Belita, the blonde English beaut, who rejoined 'Ice-Capadts' in Atlantic City. Miss Inge is a wow of an acrobatic Skat- ing novelty, easily the highlight of the revised blade revue here. Run- nerup is Guy Owen with his amaz- ing and easy style. Peter Killam is the juve lead, with an effective Top - Hot' soecialty In rhythmic precision; and DeLorleS Zlegfeld, Angela C^r- sons, Elizabeth Cravens, Billy Kling, Grace May and Florence Walter! comprise a versatile background for the ensembles which Don Arden hat imaginatively staged and produced. 'The Frenchy cancan finale, the open* frig Dixie-Belle routine, the Pan- American stuff, including the flashy Mexican-hat double by Vlnson-Ow^n, Dunctuate one of the best Ice revuat here. Johnny Long continues with brisk dandanatlon. Ann.