Variety (Feb 1942)

Wednesdajt February 25, 1942 REVIEWS 41 New Acts LIBBT HOLMAN With Josh White Sonjs _ . Hotel Somerset, Boston Libby Holman is starting a come- back in the intimate Balinese Boom of Uie Hotel Somerset here, with Josh White, colored guitarist to ac- companist Presumably she is head- id for Broadway and that will be cood news lor loyal fans who will Set a nostalgic lift from her sultry, throaty singing. To the new set of suDPcr club habitues, which have been supporting niteries since Miss Holman's retirement, she will prob- ably be less satisfying than the cur- rent crop of favorites but she will definitely be something new. regard- less* Using only a chair as a prop and no mike (a welcome relief from the usual salvo of sound) Miss Holman has the assistance of a very able gui- tarist here. Repertoire is labeled A Program of Early American Blues and when caught, on the holiday din- ner show (23). she sang only four; 'Good Morning. Blues,' 'Baby, Baby.' •Han'some, Winsome Johnny' and The House of the Rising Sun' these are all real lowdown blues numbers which she embeUishes with gestures and posturings which are overstyl ized according to present standards. Balinese Room Is small, around 200 seats, and the pet night spot for the local young Social Register play kids. None of this crew was in evidence at 8:45. One reason could be that there are no shows in town and an- other is that the young crowd all scram out of town for skiing on this holiday. It would be a good Idea to let Josh White solo once on his gui' tar to break up the Holman act. Fox. JIMMT BUNN SlDKlnc M. C. Tower Theatre, Kansas City A smooth, competently trained baritone is. a major attribute, of .this youngster. Past year or more he's been featured vocalist with Freddy Ebener's orchestra at station WOW, Omaha, where he worked frequently on NBC red net. Now returned to bis home town, lad is just finishing high schooL Show gives a fair example of his singing prowess. .Toward's closing Bunn is spotted with 'Shrine of St. Cecilia.' Hks full voice and as en. core chooses "You Made Me Love You,' tones it down to an intimate pitch, and makes it a genuinely sweet bit Youth has a pleasing appearance and a certain personable appeal, but Is thus far (his third week) a bit handicapped in not being able to get over to the customers. When he learns, as he probably will with ex- perience, to put this across and to master the m.c. chores somewhat more, he should fit well into a spot which has needed filling at the Tower for several weeks. Quin. RAE & the RUDELLS (3) Trampoline 7 MIns B«my, N. Y. Two men and a girl in a particQ larly good comedy trampoline act Requires a little more room than most turns, but where there's enough it will click with any audi- ence, including those in night clubs. The Rudells are brothers, one of whom shoulders the laugh burden. All three members of the act take turns on the trampoline, with the rope-jumpihg portions of the routine standing out. A notably good stunt ^Is the somersault through a hoop while jumping rope, done by one of the men. Scored nicely here when caught. Cnor. HENRT SCOTT Piano Comedian le MIns. Rainbow Room, New York Heralded as 'a fugitive from Town Hall,' Henry Scott manifests his con- cert piano background but has wisely veered into the comedic, a la Alec Templeton lines. Thus he does silly keyboard stufT like 'Chopin the Citrus Belt' (orange and grapefruit props); classico swingology; old- fashioned player-piano; [lianorogistics with mittens on (why not caption this 'Mitten on the keys?'), and the like. ^ Per se, it's a frothy routine but Scott merchandizes it well, with emphasis on the lighter side. Result is a neat personal score which he .should repeat in any boite, class or mass. Abel. Unit Reviews DINAH SHORE Songs 12 MIns. Waldorf-Astoria, N. T. Dinah Shore is the hottest new singer of the day, a click on the air, the wax and ditto in the Waldorf- Astoria's Wedgwood Room. Holly- wood, next stop. Moderne songstress, as hep in her songaloging as a 52d street cat knows how to merchandize -her pops, and she peddles them .to fabulous returns here. The applause is stac- cato, the insistence flatteringly ex- uberant Her book runs from "You Made Me Love You,' an oldie in 1942 pat- tern; 'Everything'; 'Blues in the Night,' her personal No. 1 Hitparad- er; 'I Said No' (wherein she show- manly asks the audience not to dis- close the now familiar punchline; and it's still highly palatable, incidental- ly), and, finally, 'Embraceable You,' Gershwin excerpt. It's a variety of vocal rhythmpatlon which she makes coiint all the way for heavy returns. Miss Shore works dinner and supper here; the fetching Harlmans, with their zany ballroomology, suppers only; and the new band, Freddy Martin (Band Reviews), is plenty OK for sound. Abel. ELAINE BARRIE BARRYMORE Singer ClDb Ball, Phllly Elaine Barrie Barrymore comes here from her nitery break-in date at the Tic-Toe club, Montreal, and is bringing in the customers who'd like to gander the gal who made the headlines awhile back. It's her first pro appearance in town. The ex-spouse of John Barrymore is restrained, personable and knows how to sell her talent. She talk- sings three numbers, a bit on the risque side, but not blue enough to be offensive. Dressed in a red-and-white gown, singer gets across nicely with 'I'm the Wife of the Life of the Party," 'I Said No' and "The Clause in- Her Contract.' Latter is a specially writ- ten number portraying the trials of a young actress in Hollywood. To dress up her act she should add a little patter. 'I Said No' num- ber could be eliminated, as it's being worked to death by practically every canary in town, with something orig- inal substituted. Otherwise, her act should click, especially in the in timate niteries. ShaZ. Fletcher Henderson Revue (APOLLO, J«. T.) Fletcher. Henderson Orch (14); 3 Rhythm Debs; 3 Businessmen of Rhythm; 4 Kit Kots; Dynamite Jef- lerson; Hatvlev * Lec; 'Mr. and Mrs. North' (M-G). Apollo this session offers a. new all-Negro unit built around Fletcher Henderson's band. Fredericks Bros, own the setup and plan to send it on tour. Harry Gourfain, former pro- ducer at the Strand, N. Y., has lent a hand in polishing.it up.- Apollo has added one turn on its o\krn, Cats and the Fiddle, to slretoh the 58- minute revue. Unit looks like it will have some potentialities alter Gourfain's expert hand has had further opportunity to work on it. but as it stands now it's pretty sick. Couple of the acts show sparks ol talent, but their showman- ship must be developed. It adds up tor a pretty dull hour In present torm. Henderson's exit as m.c. is one of the major changes needed to inject Illc into the show. Band leader of- fers nothing but the most mundrne introductions, isn't certain of him- self in bringing acts back for en- cores and generally gives the im- pression of listlessness. Sparkling personality m.c. could do much to give the unit the punch it needs. Band itself is no bell-rini!er, either. With five brass, four reeds and four rhythm instruments, supplemented by Henderson's piano work, it shows no originality in arrangements and rings up as just another colored jive outfit There's a complete lack of crispness to the playing. Of the vaudc turn". Ihe only one that reveals real orofe^sional qualit.v is the Four Kit Kats. Two guys and two gals run through slick tap pre- cision routines. They're niftily togged, too. Men are in tails and top hats, while gals are in silk suits, similar to those worn by the men, and-toppets. CABOT AND DRESDEN Dancing 8 MIns. Bnrrlcane, N. T. Class ballroom team has a clever novelty routine. Couple is smartly dressed and persdnable, girl in at- tractive lace gown and man in satin dress suit when caught They're okay for both vaude and niteries. °Ballroomolo<>y is combined with excellent acrobatic motil, man work- ing as understander in some of the climactic twirling bits. Strong-arm stuff is not made too apparent, how- ever, turn selling Itaell via last LINDA WARE Soiigs le MIns. Rainbow Room, New York - Linda Ware did a film with Crosby CStarmaker"); at 11, she sang with the Detroit Symphony, and in 1939 soloed with Stokowski at the Holly- wood Bowl which is an impressive enough background lor this blonde soprano, who is still in her teens. Thus, marking her nitery debut in such glamorous environment as the Rainbow Room she comes in with a strong aura, but somehow goes out in lesser glow. Just why she doesn't click is a bit indefinite. Her stance is letehing; her voice competent. True, those long red gloves don't go with the Elsiedinsmore personality. For that matter, neither docs her repertoire, which essays to be zingy, including a Irank boogie-woogie tune, but somehow it all doesn't come off. The somewhat saccharine Miss Ware just isn't the 'Scrub Me Mama' type. In short she needs belter presentation •of her wares to jell for the .cafes, whether it's a polite or hot room, and certainly at the RR she's given the most dignified auspices. , She opens with Blues in Night then 'Strike Up Bind' and finales with 'Embraceable You.' another Gershwin excerpt. She also essays a piano interlude. Aoel. JIMMY AMES Comedy and Song 27 MIns. ' Hurricane. N. Y. Ames is a young comic from the Coast, resembling Orson Welles in appearance, and indicates potential nitery values on occasion, though currently handicapped by rambling, overlong routine which becomes tiresome. He briefly flashes vocal power which would also be effective straight and properly modulated in- stead of the gagging manner hes adopted. .„ . , His cllmaxer is a nifty, a girl being brought to mike, after intro- duction as coloratura soprano, war- bles 'I Love You Truly,' then walks away revealing that Ames has been doing the number ventriloquially. Chain gang routine, while singing 'Chloe' and walking among tables, is about his best earlier effort, Dynamite Jefferson offers a novelty routine by lifting chairs and tables with his teeth. It clicks mildly. Three Rhythm Debs are harmony warblers, with one of them extra-fat and rather cute, getting laughs via her antics. Team looks like it could be develobcd into something were the one femme's comedy built up further and all of them taught to make better use of the mike. Another potential is Three Busi- nessmen of Rhythm, trio of zany tapsters. Exceptionally fast they bang awav with their feet from every conceivable position, including prone. Comedv provided by Hflwlev and Lee is wepk and tiresonnc. Lee does con- siderably too much shoutinr of un funny lines in the two-man talk rou ""(:ats anfl FiHdle, who will not to on tour with the unit, are four lads with wltars and a bullfiddle . They vocalize also, but none of it mMns Hero. Alan Gale: Jimmy Ames; Cabot & Dresden; Chester Dolphin & Co. (2); Jane JVIatchews; Honevc'iiles (10); Dave Dennis Orch (9); LoUta Cor- bado (6); Shtrley Deane; $2-$2.50 minimum. As currently routined, following a quick change opening night (18), when Shirley Deane was suddenly pulled after the first show. Hurricane provides plenty of entertainment for the visiting fireman. Lineup in- cludes a nifty .tcrp team. Cabot and Dresden (New Acts), who look good for vaude bookings; Chester Dolphin nd Co., standard click ju.ggling ti<rn; Alan Gale, comic and m.c; Jane Mat- thews (New Acts), a neat taDpe>-. pnd Jimmy Ames (New Acts). Coast comic end warbler, who can double as m.c. Alan Gale, emcee, who wound up engagement here Feb. 17. was called back to round out the new show after Miss Deane was released and he's holding over. Cabot and Dresden, with their slick ballroomology. »re the out<itanding turn on the bill and rang the ap- plause jackpot repeatedly. Gale is at his best with the Yiddish-dialect union organizer soeech where he has a smart bit with a stqoge waiter. Gale's Bert Williams Imitation in panto, which follows, Is fair but? anti- climactic. For the rest there are the Honey- chiles, line of 10 girls in three pro- duction numbers of conventional pattern, and the two orchestras. Dave Dennis batons .smoothly for both show and dance music, while Lolita Corbado ' outfit is alternate Latin dance unit. Miss Deane, warbler, formerly in pictures, looked good but nosedived with unsuitable song material. She rang 'Who Cares'. 'Of Thee I Sing, Baby.' and one or two other num- bers, winding up with 'Remember Pearl —Harbor'—in—dramatic -music- dialog style which fell flat She re- quires careful grooming. Mori. much. though too long, returns. Bowed off to good Mori. JANE MATTHEWS Dancing 5 MIns. Hnrrlcane, N. Y. „ , .,. Femme tapper handles familiar routines smartly. She's last on her pins, holding attention with rapid and prolonged twirling. Okay lor opening slot m less pre- tentious vaude and nitery dates. JMori. Sweet, Young & Terrific (BROADWAY, CHARLOTTE, N. C ChoTlottc. N. f., Feb. 21. Ross Sisters (3); Star & Lcc; Niion & Sans; Martin & MarBO;. Esquire Girls (6); Barney Rhi;thmites (7) 'Date With the Falcon' (RKO). The Three Ross Sisters, cuties with plenty ol talent, apparently inspired the name of this unit. They stop the show. . , , The girls are out first for some nifty harmonizing on 'Down By th<: Ohio' and a novelty, 'Papa's in Bed They return later in gym attire for clever pretzel-bending and dextrous backbends. » -.v Star and Lee close layout with some nifty song-clownlng. Star, who heads band, comes on alone lor pleasing accordioning, being joined by Miss Lee. a vaudeville edition of Kale Smith, who gives out with some okay throaty song-sclling. Nixon and San?, comics, deport themselves ably in a standard com edy turn. Carl Nixon, who also emcees, is a vaude vet and gets plenty of laughs with some fast com- edy, with the Spanish Miss Sans straighting. Chief criticism of act is ihat it Is on too long. They open with some fast gags, followed b-- dance by Miss Sans. Nijon then brings out a dummy for 4 ventr,!.) quist act in which he stuffs his own mouth with crackers while dummy sings. Voice turns out to be coming from Miss Sans. Act gets plenty ol laughs. Miss Sans docs another dance and Nixon comes back with a femme front to do a gag bubble dance. This last could be cut. Martin and Margo satisfy in stand ard terps highlighted by their Ca valcade of Dance," in. which they run the gauntlet of popular American dances, winding up with some fast jitterbugglng. They follow with a Russian novelty and conclude with a last tap. Line, short on girls (6), Is on lor three standard appearances. Band backs up unit nicely Irom stage. Fair house on show caught Just. Night Gub Reviews HURRICANE, N. Y. ai'.d styles i>re all different so there's ■ no conflict—and no moiiotony either. Heller, who look: hfter the m.c.lng aj well. Is in top form and singing better than ever, knocking off. those hl.;;h falsettos right on the nose and giving the ballads cverythinf?. Bringa the house .lOwn with his 'Embrace- able You," his low-downing of 'Blues ' in the Night' and swrnscrooing with 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo.' Miss E1-' llngton Is no mean balladeer herself and she knows how to seM while B'rr' Prince and Clark specialize in special lyrics on the blush side but do them wlth'c ough apprecia- tion tor the niceties that they're never offensive. Nattily garbed in white tie and tail.s, \vh f-'. adds class, and" they're a pi'shovcr f-r tVe smart crowd. Room here may be just a little bie lor their type of s'^uff but not so big that they don't get over with room to spare. ■ Gwynne, with a fe;-n.T:e assistant belongs among magis' upper brack- ets, a gay an(? clever deccivei with a bag. of tricKs ample enoi-jh to sat- isfy the most critical. He mixes 'em up fast, packing into 10 minutes the foundation of a full-lcn:;th magic show and tears the house apart with the bit where he makes a pyramid of seven flshbowls disappear into the" thin air. It's a showstopoer here .-nd would be anywhere. Other act is Doll" Bell, tall, good-looking blonde who turns In some tough- acrobatic stuff but makes it look easy and graceful. She's on first gets the show off to a fast start and things never lag thereafter. "Terman middleman band, with Shirley Heller doing vocalizing on. dance sets, plays for show, doubling on the dansapatlon with Don Ostrow band, just a fair rtiumba crew. Latter outfit has an attractive singer' in Sandra but she looks very un- happy on the stand, as If she'd- rather be anywhere but where she Cohen. CLUB BALI, PHILLY Philadelphia, Feb. 20. Eltfine Barrie Barrvmore; Vol Irving: Rossilianos; Peters Sisters (3); Al Fielding Orch <8); Lo.i Caballeros; Nino Bio .o; Penny. Davis; Hoi & Honey Bee; Line; no couer, minimum $1.50 toeeic nights, $2 Saturdays. Florentine .Jjijiirdens ~ (HOLLYWOOD) Hollywood, Feb. 20. Nils T. Cranlund, Prof. Lombertie; Sugar Geise, Fred Scott. Kay May- Held, Vera Lee, Evelyn Sloane, Mur- tah Sisters, Lorrie Elliott, Ozzie Nel- son Orch (15). Admission. 75c' lorcfc nights; Saturday and holidays, ft'^s. Val Irving, entering his twelfth week at this stand, continues his ex cellent job of m.cjng. almost knock ing himself out piloting this 'crazy show." He greets the customers, makes the old ladies in the audience act-giddy and the a.k.s feel like wolves. Using a member ol the Latin rhumba crew lor a stooge. Irving has concocted, several hysterical bits in which the guy continues circulating through the club in shorts—'on his way to Trenton." Elaine Barrie Barrymore (New Acts) and Irving top the billing, be- ing backed by the Rossilianos, dance team who portray the Continental style ol dancing, and Hal and Honey Bee, youthlul aero-terps act. The lemme member ol latter team is an extra-special looker and both she and her brother are above standard lor this type ol act. An 'added attraction' are the Peters Sisters, sepia heavyweights, who have appeared here on In- numerable occasions. They register their usual click with their boogie- woogie rhythm. Accompanying the show in work- manlike lashion is Al Fielding's band, -which also plays lor dansapa- tlon. Los Gaballeros. headed by Nino Blanca, Uke care ol the lulls. Penny Davis is the rhumba-eonga instructress. The Bali-Lovelies, chorines easy on the orbs, have some new production routines that are plenty okay. The gals, who are much above the run- ol-lhe.mill in terps ability, also take care ol the 'Boomps-a-Daisy' finale, with the customers as partners. Mil- dred Rcy staged the dance numbers. Shal. YACHT CLUB, PITT Pittsburgh, Feb. 20. Herman Middleman Orch (8); Lit- tle Jackie Heller; Jack Guiynne; Judy Ellington: Dolly Bell; Barry; Prince & Cark; Shirley Heller; Don Ostrow Rhumba Band (5); Sandro; $1.50-$2 minimum. Nilty little floor show at Little Ja(:kie Heller's river spot, with everybody suited to the room and clicking in it as well. Heller him- selt is back in town, alter several weeks ol out-of-town bookings, and while he seldom sings when there's another vocalist on the bill, half- pint's working late enough n6t to interfere with Judy Ellington, who's on early. Lot of warbling, on cur- rent bill, what with Barry, Prince and Clark also around, but mediums Nils Thor Granlund falls to live' UD to his programmed billing, as America's oremlere cabaret Impre- sario' in the floor piece, aptly titled 'Victory Girl Revue.' Extravaganza also carries the tabbing ol 'his great- est laugh bit' That's also doubtlul. Headman hasn't changed materlal mi.'"h since he took over two years ag(. and some can nn bark larther than that. It's more flio than wow, and sometimes too rou-Tfi on the cus- tomers. • ■ Lambertle (he's added an 'e' since he was at Earl Carroll's) is still a sock perlormer and rates leatured billing he gets along with Ozzle Nel- son. He wrings laughs with lacial contortions and skloi around the in- strument board with a woo-woo flourish. For those who haven't seen him belore he's ton h-^'e; the others take him good-naturedly. Show gets Its prpatost retback Irom the singles. Kay Mnyfleld anc^ Lorrie Elliott, vocalists, are run-of-the-mill, and the leatured dancers. Vera Lee' and Evelyn Sloane, lall to uncork any expertness. Murtah Sisters gri- mace and cavort In the manner of three Martha p.iycs. but their stuff .'cems dated and strains for laughs. Fred Scott is still .nroHP'I with his robust pipes, and ,'!u<rar Poise sparks the line ol girls. Snmp rTort should, be made to improve th» room's acoustics, which puts the singers at a Hisadvantage. Granny i.sn't oh too l^n? this time, taking over early to fo'l how he dls- covercl Te-'as rp^ipn fnd started her off at the E' F.->v r'nb in New York. He uses 'his b?i-i{r,att)ng de- vice to intro the first production ■number, which Miss Geise In the Guinan imiersonatlon. She's lively and keeps the others h-iuoinp. Best mass spot In the revu# Is a Victory number, with the lull company shar- ing in the natriotics and the sitters lending voice to V. S. marching sonss. 'Easter Sunday in Harlem brines out the strutters in a lively session. Nelson's music, is well liked around here lor its dansablc Quality and re- liel Irom hot licks. It's geared lor this clientele, mostly ol the stolid citizenry, and the crowded floot at dance time testifies to the leg Iteh. He also plays lor the production and gives it the necessary lilting lilt. Inlormallty ol the room and care- free romping of. the chorines have long been major as-icls to the Gar- dens' success. Quality of the floor show matters little, so this issue ol NTG's 'premiere impresariolng.' should do as well as precedlni! ones. Helm, . Rlti, Root, Boston, oper.a May 10 with Manager Ed Wyner Uylng tp decide lor first band from this trios Henry Busse, Freddie Martin and Guy Lombarde.