Variety (May 1942)

22 HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, May 13, 1942 MUSIC HALL, N. Y. Karrv Reso, Frances Wotlcina, P<i- tricto Bovaman, Paul Haakon, Marie Grtmaldi, Wilbur Evans, Teresita Osta, Ditto Daye, Ossy Renardy, Rockettes, Ballet Corps, Glee Club; Mxisic Hall symphony orchestra un- der direction of Emo Rapee; 'Sabo- teur' (U), reviewed in 'Variety' AprU 29. Produced under the aegis of Rus- een Markert, the four-part stage- Bhow biUed as 'A Portfolio of Art' is colorful and diverting though over- long, particularly the opening ballet portion. Running time is 52 min- utes, though this includes the violin BOlo of Ossy. Renardy, featured with the symphony orchestra in a Tschai- kowshy concert. It won Renardy a big $alTO. A pretty pastoral scene serves as background for the excellent, though lengthy, ballet session in which Pa- triwa- Bo.wjnanr—Pa'JJ Haeksn. and Marie Grimaldi perform. Miss Bow- man does a number singly as well as one with Haakon. Both score de- cisively. Miss Grimaldi appears- ahead of them In a ballet specialty. .Florence Rogge has very effectively routined the number, with the bal- let girls in very effective formations. Frances Watkins, coloratura so- prano, works in front Of some pastels that are hung on a setpiece to repre- sent an art gallery. She also is on In a long aria and gets across nicely. Laughs on the show c<»ne in good measure from Harry Reso, formerly of 'Helbapoppin*. His comical diuflle dancing, iuggling and magician pantomime combine to entertain strongly. It proves anew that .sight acts are best in the mammoth HalL .Closing represents murals, with members of the .glee club and Others standing -silently against. them to represent characters. They are im- mobile for some time while Wilbur Evans, in a Mexican costume, lands In a fitting number. They join him later, including Ditta Daye, who in- dulges in a vocal double wilb Evans. This -sft blends into a street scene where Teresita Osta offers a novelty Castanet dance. A cleverly conceived number. Rockettes, closing, appear as caballeros in a colorful and well executed routine. As usual, they rate good-sized applause.^. Char. APQ^LO, N. Y. Red Norvo Orch (16) with Kay Alien, Fron Snyder, Eddie Burke; Mildred Bailey, £arl 6 Francis, Calvpso Singers (2), Ford, Btfuiie & Daly, Bootsi« Suann, Pigmeat, Viwm Harris, George Wiltshire; 'To day I Hang* (PRC). other tap act with a corny Intro as to their Identity, then hit a fast pace with good challenge stuff which far overshadows their imlson work. Act was well liked. Pigmeat, Bootsle Swann, Vivian Harris and George Wiltshire, house comedians, were also heavily appreciated. Biz fair Wood. ^is -show -doern-t measure- up-ta -ment. 'wbfit might be expected of Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey (Mrs. Norvo). Norvo's new band,- one of the rare white bands to play this colored neighborhood bouse, and Miss Bailey are the main draws and they're—sfirprisfngly- ineffective- in spots. The band made a much better Impression when reviewed by •Variety* recently at Blue Gardens, Armonk, N. Y, Staffed by five sax, three rhythm, three trumpets and three trombones, beaded in only one group of tunes by Norvo's xylophone, the outfit should be much steadier and experi- enced onstage than it proves to be here.' It has played a string of thea- tres the past couple of months. Ma- jority of its '70 minutes here is in- consistent, ragged one tune and ex- cellent the next. Band has no spark to set the house alive, even with things like 'Jersey Bounce,' which it recorded. Too, its choice of tunes and tempos isn'' good; Norvo, however, has a host of originals, any one of which could knock out an audience of the type found here, yet he uses only one that amounts to anything, and the tlUe of that Is lost in his hurried, uneasy annoimcements which are frequently delivered through the ap plause for an act or preceding ar- rangement. / - Band still lacks- vocalist^. Kay Allen, femme, hooks up with an un- billed trumpeter early for a shot at •Don't Sit Under. Apple Tree.' It's n.s.g. She's fair on succeeding «olo ,of "Don't Want to Walk.' Fran Snyder,' Vocalist-arranger, makes no Impression at all on Tangerine,* but he's a good arranger. Sddle Burke's a fine young trombonist who should be widely know^ in a' fiew years. Miss Bailey follows Norvo In poor tune selections. Starting with •Beglzint,' original Yiddish number now done In English, she then does •Arthur Murray.' Neither makes any Impression, 'However, • R o c k i n ' Chair' and honeysuckle Rose,' type ICEITH'5 BOSTON Boston, May 9. 'Water Follies o/ 1942' with Buster Crabbe, Joe Seymour, Corky Gillc- sen, Hopkins Sisters (2), DiUy Dol- lies (4), Frank Foster, Art Spouldinp; Oxford Boys (3), Max and His Gang; 'Mr. V (UA). A peppy, tank show. It's long on comedy and short on girls, preceded by two st^ndard vaude acts, adding up to satisfactory entertainment Anything would be a relief from the long succession of band units, though this ■edmbtr'WOUia-Tre- welcome any- way, a far departure from the unit's opening dates in Hartford and Ne\v York, where it skidded. Buster Crabbe is top-billed in the water show, and does a modest turn of^ swimming styles after a brief spiel about ni$ contest for kids to name bis horse in coming oats operas. A huge glass tank, flood- lighted inside, gives the customers a fair underwater glimpse of the natators and adds glamoar to the show. ■ Straight dives by Joe Seymour and Cmky Gillesen and underwater rhythm by the Hoiddns Twins pro- vide the usual splash and color of a show of this ijp^ -and tbe comedy dunking by the Dilly-Dallies and Frank Foster supply the expected com-on-the-board. Oxford Bojrs, immediately pre- ceding the water spectacle, -do well with .their band impressions and radio ribbing routine, and only ttie stage manager prevented fiiem from holding up the ensuing proceedings with the extra bows ana encores that were demanded. Blax and Ss Gang, dog act, were warmly re- ceived as opening-act' Fox. EARLE, PHILLY Philadelphia, May 12, Les Brotwi 'Orch (17) unth Betty Bohney, Ralph Young, 'Butch' Stone; Lynn, Royce tc Vanya, George Pren- tice; 'Rings on Her Finger/ (20th). Novelty nimibers are the forte pf Les Brown's orchestra, making its first stage appearance in these parts. Still to win its spurs among the big name aggregations. Brown's gang does a workmanlike job of putting across the pop tunes of the day with an accent on the wack depart- Standout Is 'Butch' Stone, sax artist who recently joined the band He gets a big. hand with the down- fronters on his familiai^but still funny—renditions of -'Feets to Big, 'Good Man Is Hard to Find' and 'Zoot Suit' His tricky slide, remin- iscent of burlesque's 'Sliding BiUy' Watson, also gets .laughs. Other vocalists include baritone Ralph Young, who features •Xu- germe' and 1 Remember Yoti,' and pretty Betty Bonney, who netted a nice hand wifii her warbling of Said No,' "Somebody Else' and 'Jinupln' Joe DiMaggio^ Among tite band numbers;, most of them featuring maestro Brown and his sax are 'Jersey Bounce,' "Blue Skies' and 'Anvil Chorus.* Supporting acts are the comic bdlroom - trio, Lynn, Royce and Vanya (lately of "Banjo Eyes'), and the hilarious puppets of George Prottlce. House almost capacity - filled (Saturday matinee). Shal. CAPITOL, WASH. Washington, May 10, CardinI, Fred Keating, Jack Gwvnne, Duval, Vol VoUane,Bh|/thm Rock«t*; 'Finger vt the Window' <M-G). Ibglc — and then more magic! Maybe too much but nicely routined to^uild up to -the clever Gardini, who la worth anybody's admission price. At no time during the hour presentation was there much ai)< plause, but the -customers still evi- denUy -enjoyed this all-magic setup. Fred Keating sort of missed at the show caught, some of his material bouncing bflck, but lie's still a good showman and he turned those misses around to bis advantage. Keating does the Introductions and works with a plant from the audience, Duval concentrates on the little big. She's heavier and her black' gown is unbecomingly designed. Earl, and Francis, mixed opening tap act, got unsteady backgrounding from Norvo when caught They're a flashy pair and made a good im- pression on this audience. Unsuit- able for white houses, however, un- less routines are smartened. Calypso Singers, diminutive boy and girl, had the patrons howling; what it was all about Is still vague. But they took an encore, when caught. Ford, Bowie and Daly precede an- whlte balls in his fingers to some laughter and then the yards and of material this house wants, are yards of silks from the little metal tube. Val Voltane operates his bar with'-four youthful girl assistants to good results.- - Jack Gwynne went wfell and then comes (^rdinl, who still gets them though he's played here a number of times. Sam Jack Kaufman's overture Is another well done affair with clever .arrangement depicting vari- ous composers' styles on ^Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.' Lynn Allison vocal^ for the finish to excellent returns. Business good. Kely, STATE, N. Y. Morton Downey, Ken Murray, Os- wald, Rollo and Vema Picfc«rt, Dioia Costello, Park and Clifford, Ruby ZwerHnfl House Orch; 'CoufuMp of Andy HardyT ( M-G). Until the final portion of Morton Downey's closing act, this State bill is the familiar efforta of standard acts, with both the flood and bad qualities that indoles. Good because such established vaudera f* Downey, Ken Murray and the others are com- letent performers who' can alwaiys }e dei>ended on for a professional performance. But also bad, because i hetr very dependability and famili- arity tend to make their work seem stereotyped. Thus, when Downey sings "Hose O'Day.' 'Street «f R««ret' 'Every- thing I Love' and, inevitably, Irish Eyes' in bis characteristic ballad style, the audience neither expects nor gets any surprises. The same is true of 'Muri*5T5"'or«4 ■<aD(i«JilSK. with his bluish patter, desned up smoking car stories, his inescapable cigar and bis perennial stooge, Os-- wald, the dea^&an with the tliread bare 'Oh yeah' rdoinder. It's un- doubtedly standard vaudeville and much of It may be good, but con- tinued repetition has long since worn off its original luster. But when Downey goes to the piano to recall some old songs that passing time has given a sentimental value, and when Murray lounges on tile piano top offering casually flip- pant comment, the .show becomes seemingly -extemporaneous and con sequently alive and vastly enter taining. Indeed, that closing portion of the openine night's final per- formance was so unexpected and so obviously captured the enthusiasm of the audience that it immediately suggested tbe possibility of Downey and Murray-leaming as a regular act It this show was an Indication, they should be a ' solid click anywhere. They left this audience storming for more. . Otherwise, the show is as would be expected. Rollo and Vema Picket do some lively tap dancing, topped by a skillful routine on stilts. Dlosa Costello offers her violent combina- tion of West Indies and cooch dmoes and songs, and Park and Cliflord re- peat their impressive balance vaa lift rouUne. It's aU good, but until the Downey-Murray uproar, jniflpec- tacular. Hobe. ORPHEUM, MPLS. MinneopoU*, May B. Woync Kino OrcH <W, Criss Cross, Berry Sisters (3), Dm Cum- ■nUngs; 'Twin Beds* (UA). ^ -e always expects top sfaowman- ship, along with highly Ustoiable music, from Wayne King. ,And«ne is never disappointed. This oecas ion is no. exception. The maestro of sweet swing comes through again with notable arrangements and dis- tinctive touches to enhance his ear. beguibng, restful melodies. . The three supporting acts are adequate, but without them there'd still be a fuU money's wortii. King, as usual, is a suave, quiet, unoh^usive emcee who conducts, vocalizes' and solos on the sax with equal facility. Hi& uutfit is the same polished group that surrounded him on his last visit here, and its three rhythms and : rimilar number of saxes, brasses .and Violins ■ again blend perfectly in the livelier swing numbers as weSl as the quiet sweet fare which is the orchestra's par- ticulai^ forte. " A familiar Viennese waltz medley for an opener puts the customers in the proper frame of mind for the type of music that predominates during the show. Cris Cross, flcst of the acts, is a ventriloquist whose dummy joins him in impersonations. For novelty he trots out a pair of miniature fluorescent dummies. Witti himself concealed on the darkened stage, he has one of them imitate the Four Ink Spots and the other warble 'My Man.' The' orchestra has another typical King medley comprising.'Moonlight Cocktails,' 'Josephine' and •E«y Dreaming,' with Buck Blvens from the band Introduced as the 'Jo- sephine' composer. On tbe sax. King lands solidly with 'Don't Want to walk,' "Do You Ever Think < of Me' and •White Cliffs,' all popular and familiar, but given treatment that sets them apart. 'Oh Pedro,' Tfliss You,' "Heart of Texas' and *A-1 In Armj^ are nicely sold by the thred Berry Sisters, agreeable harmony emgeis. Espe- cially outstanding Is the orchestra's rendition of a hangup arrangement of 'Sleepy Lagoon,' with a back- drop on which the effect of rippling water is produced. The music here attains almost a symphonic quality. King hits the bull's eye with his singing of 'My Sunshine,' and 'Won- der Who's Kissing. Her Now?' Then comedy has a big inning when Don Cummings gags and clowns before and after essaying several rope- twirling tricks. His material, routme and business are unchanged from previous visits, and some of the pat- ter and stories are of ancient vintage and too blue, but the customers ate it up. For a finisher King and the boys fat part way Into tti* groove with lively, mterpretation of 'Chatta- nooga Choo Choo.' King deserves special oommandation for refraining from platter plugging. A well-flUed lower bouse at the opening matinee Friday. Rees, OLYMPIA, MIAMI Miami, May 9, Itex Weber, Ben Beri, Hector A Mm, Gilbert Kussell, Capello A Patricio, Harry Reser House Orch; Trwt to tlie Army' and 'Our Russian Front" <Amkim>). A Hve-act stage bill, plus two fea- ture piz, makes this quite a sizeable entertainment for one sitting. Most, however, will find considerable in it to recommend. Since Capello and Patricia are cur-, rently doubling from the Royal Palms ^mboo Koom, and have garnered favorable attention in btiier b0ltes"~ihls past -i9cason,--*.eiF- monlckecs on the marquee constitute about the only b.o. voltage this bill bas to offer. They -are a talented pair of south-of-the-border terpers, evidencing considerable originality in their colorful choreography. Standout musical arrangements also enhance the footwork. Rex Weber's standard vocal mimicry still packs a punch with the sittees, and while his feat of singing with his trap shut is pretty familiar by now, it, too, is still good for a :iggle. As for 'Brother Can You Ipare a Dime,' it'll- look good ki the bottom of a trunk, and sound better. He's been doing it too long. A comic juggler, Ben Berl also flulled a heav^ hand. The accent be- ongs oQ comic though, not-juggler. He drops practically as many balls as he catches, and the front row of the house band looks relieved when he tekes his bow. Apparently they're expecting to find an Indian club in tiieir horns almost anytime. Gilbert Russell closed strongly at the Hollywood Beach hotel and im- presses as a vocal' comer. Nice ap- pearance and fine tenor pipes keep aim busy replying to encores. Smart move on his part will be to cultivate better control of customers. As an emcee he lets them get out, of .hand. It's a tossnp as to who barks the loudest. Hector or his pals. Pals in this instance being a kennel of mutts,, most of which ai^arently just trot out to look at the custom- ers. MidwayT i^lel Hector adopts to pot them through their paces is okay for a carnival, but in a theatre Ifs annoying. The few pooches thiat do perform are devo' but other nal Mts caught here outclass them. Biz en the upbeat Leslie. ORIENTAL, CHI Chicago, May 8. /immy Dvrante wUh Eddie Jack- soii( Jmie Carroll tc.Buddy Howe, Albins (2), Howard Nichols, Nancy Healy, Kovak Sisters (3), Roy Long's House Orch (llj; 'Bom to Sing! (M-G). Jimmy Durante Is back In town after an absence of some years, head- .ing • stage presentetion that's okay for laughs. Durante holds down lat- ter part of show with first half turned over to standard vaude turns. June Carroll has been drafted as emcee, and even though she worked with hoarse throat gal turned in first-rate job of Introductions. In- itial turn, three Novak Sisters, do some datey acrobatics and routines move at rapid pace. Howard Nichols, tapping juggler, has a smart line of hoop tricks. He teps in rhjrthm to his juggling tricks. Act is well timed and highly enter- taining. Nancy Healy delivers a clever tap routine, closing with a couple of ddtime steps. The Alblns, comedy Itallroom team, seU^ solidly with their falls and misses. Miss Carroll and her partner. Buddy Howe, show some fancy taps and aero dancing. Pair have a neat line of patter with Miss Carroll carrying the bit. She sings and does a Louis Armstrong trumpet imitation tlwt brings the house down. ' They dose with straight hoofing. From here on it's Durante and company. The minute the Scbnoz is brou^t on he has *em rolling in the aisles. The showman that he is, Dbrante uses every member of the orchestra, show and audience as his foils. And the result is continuous laughter. ' Durante ha^ one of his old trio (Clayton, Jackson and Durante) partners, Eddie Jackson, along. And the letter can stUI handle his feet House band had a time keeping up with Durante's rapid style, but a few shows should Iron that out Pace Is terrific, with every minute of it Durante. Business i^t Friday matinee good. Loop. STRAND, N. Y. . Jimmy Doriey** band with Helen O'Connell, Bob Eberle and Buddy Schutz; Billy DeWolfe, Condos Brosj "In This Our Life' (WB), reviewed M •Variety,' AprU 29, '42 . The Strand's boxoffice currently If strongly and doubly insured. On the screen is the film version of EUen Glasgow's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, 'In This Our Life,' with Betto Davis an added hypo for the coincl.i dental publicity break of the pic* ture's opening almost day 'n' date with the award. For another dis- tinct marquee asset there's the top- filght Jimmy Dorsey band and the up-and-coming comic, Billy DeWolfe^ gracing the pit platform. .Collec- tively they all spell big grosses for the four weeks this combination is scheduled to run. Opening night - the house was capacity, with standees in all sec- tions of the theatre when the last -show went on. There was a big audience hoopla when the theme song of Dorsey's orch came out of the rising pit, and the customers' en- thusiasm didn't abate at any moment It was also evident that there was a flock of holdover jitterbugs in the audience, with many of the young- sters in the front -rows appearing to anticipate every piece of stege busi- ness. The show as a whole is short with- in 54 minutes and rather light only two acts supplementing the band, but what it misses in quantity it makes up for in quality. DeWolfe, for one, literally got screams from the mob with what is now a set stege routine for the recently-discovered come- dian. He's using much of his nitery act at the Strand, but sidetracking such comedy impressions as the booz- ing and flirtatious dames in the cock- tall lounges, and it's' surefire, quick- paced . bokiun. A " definite smash her?, DeWoUe.will soon get a crack at still ^iioihi^ entertainment me- dium when lie departs for the Coast in June to fulfill a Paramount con- tract. Presently, .he's also doubling at the Rainbow Room. Second outside act is the rapid-fire dancing turn of the standard Condos Brothers (2), and they rarely miss. This is challenge dancing of the old school, and the Condos boys were among the originators of the style. They do three numbers, building all the way and finally had to beg off. Dorsey's band, sectioned in eight brass; five reed and four rhythm, plus' Dorsey's own sax and clarinet- playing, is a full-bodied, high-scoring swing outfit The maestro does > clear, impretentlous job of m-cing and has a sagaciously-chosen reper* toire of music for this date, espe- dally masterftil work being showA with 'Cherokee' and "Jug." The sing- ing end is likewise well taken care of by Bob Eberle. a good looking, vel- .vetrvoiced: baritone -who's evidently a fave with the femme jitterbugs. Ha- delivers with Tm Glad There Is You* and then essays a patriotic number, ■This Is Worth Fighting For,' which clearly Indicates why there hasn't yet been a socko tune of the type Ih this war. It's not Eberle's fault but the composer's, that "Fighting For* sounds more like a funeral dirge than an Inspirational piece. Helen O'Connell, blonde song- talker, has her appearance as her strongest asset Her looks and h*e> personality, but hardly her hesitation style and unmelodlc voice, keep'he^ in the forefront among band singers. She's assigned to "Take Me' an4 'Arthur Murray,' and later, wltl^ Eberle In a seml-comlc duet she does Fm Going to Take Little Bobby in Hand.' It's cute, but their subse- quent "Tangerine' is far more appeal- ing. Then, too, somebody might tip off Miss O'Connell that wearing re- ligious 63rmbols on a stege is poor showmanship. Buddy Schutz, Dorsey's drummer, is billed, per usual, but probably be- cause of the picture's length and the time restrictions for the pit show he doesn't get a spotlight opportunity. Scho. Hub Names McCabe Boston, May 12, Bernard V. (Larry) McCabe, for- mer vaudevilllan,'has been appointed assistant director of public celebra- tions by Mayor Maurice Tobln, He will serve under-Lou Brems, erstwhile vauder. SHEA'S, BUFFALO . Buffalo, May 9. Guv Lombordo Orch with Carmen, Licbert and Victor Lombordo, Kenny Gardner, Rose Marie Lombordo; Ciilgary Bros., Don Tonnen, Toy ft Wing; 'Gentlemen in^fhe -Dark' (UA), The Lombardos and their slick. Royal Canadians are back at th^ Buff again with their streamlined melody. The ensemble looks an^ sounds like the peak in this millei^ In its instntmentation the Lom> bardos ■perform with greater polish than ever and the whole performance is about the tUtlmate in sweet musla delivery. As staged and lighted at the Buff, the presentation, with its two pianos and somewhat different instrumental makeup, is a highly at* tractive package In eye and ear at- traction and appeaL Kenny Gardner's outstanding tenor Is the top item among the vocals ana his opening choruses of 'Happy » Love' and 'Rose in Ireland' won over the customers pronto. Later, his Mj Gal Sal' was also roundly rewarded, but it remained for Trankie ano Johnnie' near the finale, a la the band's current cutting, to hit the ap- (Contlnued on page 48)