Variety (Nov 1944)

84 HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, November 8, \9M Paramount. >. 1. Tony Pastor On-h (ifjt. with Stubby Pastor; tim LeRov. Marion Htiiton, Bert U'licc/cf; '•/ Love a Soldier" (Pni). Rci'ieu'ed in tins week's issue of. "Vu fic.ly." : ;i ■ Mv Country" Final encore istake; j lltixv, flk* oft - oil Judy Garland singing -Strike j-.--. q u( , Foster dancers, Carr Bros., Up the Band" and Beatrice Kay, Gal Matter Nilsson, Grade Barrie, Ray In iis vaudevtHereon!ent.' bill' is quite satisfying, each of lite three act's working well and solidly, two of them, Mai LeRoy and Bert Wheeler, .just about turning in bof- feroos. .Outside of .;onic gooctdrum- minfi by Jimmy Vincent, however, Tony Pastor's baiid fails to .distin- guish itself or, lend, much to the pro- ceeding's'.. VrhccnC wholooks like -a Youngster,: beats like a vet. giving the band plenty 61 drive and. foun- dation."'and' .'scoring ■: we'll' - , -With his solo pounding in "Pavadicldle Joe. ••Pastor does his:-customary scat sing- ing, one number, a G. I. version ol • Making Whoopee" having a heavy blue tinge. Leader'.-'announced he recorded it for the wen . overseas and while its double .entendre lyrics are okay for their- earthy tastes, they're. oiV-br.^e here, . . ■< : Pastor is featuring his kid brother Stubby, on the trumpet. Pastor the younger is a blare addict, blasting through several solos, and every once in a. While .coming near What sounded like a 'clinker. Some day. judging from Stubby's grimaces, he s going to -blow the top of his noggin, clear iip to the proscenium. Trouble with the entire Pastor oll'ering. how- ever is that'■ straight music, .unless atra it's truly:stylistic,ordistinctive. Msn t enough for a doluxer any more: Pas- tor needs some novelties and show- . manly guidance. ■':'•• First of the acts is Hat LeRoy. probably as strong , a 'lidoflpg single as there is in the: biz today. His in- genuous personality; class and sales- manship,' coupled With his superb tapping ability.; strongly display his triples and eccentrics. Han the house rocking for more: > > '.- . .'■- ' Warbler is .Marion Hutton, erst- while Glemv Miller vocalist, recently in "In Socie v" (U >, Abbott & Cos- tello. starrer. Looks well and. wears an attractively revealing gown.^ - ' Opens with "Dance With a Dolly.' follows with "No Doubt About It," a tongue twister from "Society" and then introduces a good change of pace and an effectively, saleslike touch With "Had a Talk with . the Lord." using an organ .accompani- ment and ■ a- .scrim chin ch back- ground. : It's a good switch. ■', An- other reason her turn.'jjv taken out of the straight songstress-routine is her closer. "How Many Hearts Have •You Broken?" Special lyrics ex- plain that because of the spots, .she never sees the audience. . Follows this up by using a mirror to shoot the beam back at the - , audier.ee, focussing 0 on service men.as lyrically inaicated. Both she and the gag went over welt. She'd do well, though, to change" her second num- ber for a pop—possibly one identify- in'' her with Miller,: Bert Wheeler, is working .with Warren Jackson ■;jxs. His, straight; Artie Rice, in top hut: garb as stooge, and Patty Orr for sweater girl s.a. It's a funny turn, good enough to close the first half of any bill, aided considerably by a good heckling 30b by Jackson and Wheeler giving an excellent demonstration Of how to goes over big Cappy Bari-a Boys (4i do. clever harmonica work on,:- V'Bolero," "Diane," "St: Louis Blues." etc., also .throwing in comedy bus-and chatter. "Evelyn Parney is a .pert tap. dancer Bolger;' 'Irish Eyes Are Smiling' 120th). Renewed in "Variety" Oct. i;.'.:-.Vv - ..-,.-:■;;.v:"V- ;'-:^'-:': v . Ro.w voted a straight entertain- ment ticket, with this lineup, show well-liked, and the Martingales, male j having four-standard,turns and each and femme hand balancers, sell smooth turn. , Bmg. T«w - t. K. C. , WashinuiOHi Noi\ 2 • Toiunw Wonder, ' Jerry Lewis. Jane Clement-,, the .. Roxyettes. Jo LdmhurdVs House O r e h e sX ra.l ■•Frenchman's f ee!," (Pari. Shcnt and lively show with, Tom-, mv Wonder a tower of strength to the routine The Roxyettes open with a. clever ensemble, They in troy, cluce Tomm'v Wonder. Latter is a. crack soft-shoe dancer of the ballet school. His" routines go over big. For encore he brinrs on Suzanne, a diimiiiv fetchily garbed, and follows through with dance specialties -with his inanimate partner All adds up to solid hit. ' ',.' ■ "Jem Lewis comes on in a long wig and goes through the various motions-of conducting while, singing a song. The, imitation of Frank Sin- atra, which he uses for an encore, has been done here so much it failed to register Jane Clements is rolled on in"a portable pagoda for a medley of songs. Then the Hoxyettes for a final routine,: short and snappy: - '•■:■.•."■ Arke. Shin's Buffalo ■'. '.; Butja'o, Nov. 3. Summi, Kaxje Orch (Hi' Paul VViii- cltell. 3 Welles; "Great Moment" (Pan. :-..■.;•'■ ' '::.' hold, tickle and satisfy an audience. Maybe it's just because --Wheeler, dominates the mike, and hot the cus- tomary vice-versa, but its good, that';' for sdre. The act needs sanolio. badly, especially for those week-end customers at this family house : The. blue stuff is funny,.but too blue, especially some of the busi- ness with Hie prominently displayed girl and a handkerchief gag given to Jackson:' Turn , closes -With Wheeler's standard sandwich munching bit- -V'-"- Merr. Back at the Buff after a years breather, Sammy, Kaye again demonstrates his showmanship with another topflight band show. For his.p.a.s, Kaye is smart .enough to snap out of the schmaltz which trademarks his radio offerings, and his present act is overflow with com- edy bumps and musical bounce. Us- ing 16 pieces, including 12 brasses, bass, percussion and 2 pianos, the melodic routine is full-bodied and well diversified. Each member con- tributes in extra something (mostly comedy) in addition, to his musical bit and all adds up to a nifty stage- show package. ; . ■•..■■':-,' As usual,: Arthur Wright. Billy Williams. Nancy Norman arid Sally Stuart carry vocal assignments in streamlined style, tonally as well as in appearance and deportment. Win- chell and. the Welles provide some happy added ingredients for a top fizz, the latter being three dancer- acrobats' sporting a winning non- professional manner. Winchell, orig- inally caught , and favorably com- mented upon in an early appearance here seasons ago, has whipped up his ventro-mimic routine until it crackles with class and comedy bril- liance. Whole show is bright and slid delivering, for strong results, Add the Gae Foster dancers up to their usual par. with one especially sprightly number, and the result is a more than pleasurable hour. Show opened, yesterday (Tiics;), ahead of sked. on Election Day. MiSs Barrie emcees the. show and fronts the Paul Ash house band; up from the pit onto the stage. Some- what refreshing to have a gal m.c. She also has her own spot, as singer, doing "Tico Tico," "White Christ- mas ' "FJl Walk Alone.", ami a me version of 'Pack Up Your Troubles." latter especially good, with special lyric interpolation to the time of Gilbert &. Sullivan's "Titwillow." Lines deal with Hitler. Mussolini and Tojo. Miss Barrie is handsome- ly .gowned and her long-accepted song delivery put her over easily. Carr Bros; and Walter Ni'ssbn ar e proven attractions, former doing their hahd-to-hand comedy and straight aero work, and ; .Nilsson- his familiar: trick linicycling.. Cyclist would definitely improve his act, though, by eliminating some of his excess" laughter, gets grating after a while Ray Bolger. just back from over- seas GI entertainment, did about 20 minutes ancl still' couldn't get off. putting on a terrific act. a clever mixture of comedy and his superb dancing. Opens with a takeoff on a political orator, then does a sock eccentric and aero routine and closes with a comedy: dance cavalcade, in- cluding, the Charleston, black bot- tom, boogie-woogie, conga and lindy hop. Even though .. the house was lightish : at the: fust show, with the populace still but voting, Bolger got strong laugh returns. : Actually, for a first show, it played unusually smoothly. Crack Gae Foster number is done to Miss Barrie's "I'll Walk Alone," girls and boys wearing old-fashioned, costumes, the girls with huge bus- tles abaft! Actually, the "bustles" are other Fosterettc5. bent over in prop horse fashion. "Bustles" break loose, hook up with the men and finally dance on their own. It's an ingenious twist and an effective ensemble num- ber. ' •■ ; . Band gives a good account of it- self throughout, and chances are few will realize, from the way Miss Bar- rie introduces each man. that it's not her own band. Singer, who's the wife of Dick Stabile, now in the Coast Guard, maestro'd the Stabile band for a while after her husband's induction. 1 Herr. sax and leads the band capably, while Peanuts Holland, colored trumpet ace does, a couple of vocal and instrumental choruses for a big hand from the customers Kay Starr sings "Is You Is." "I'll Walk Alone" and "Come Out," all a little stridently, but she clicks nicely. Phil Barton sings "Where pr When," making the mistake of try- ing to improve the tune and failing; '■Time Waits for No One" and "I'm Lost" '.<■"•' Bunny Briggs. colored tapster, ,does a whirlwind routine tilled with sharp gestures, and has to beg off alter repeating the same steps Needs more dance material, but is a solid boy nonetheless. The Three Sailors finish the show in high key with their standard acl,- - ; Kite: Oriental, Oil Chicaoo, Nq«, 3. Laicrenee Well; Oreh Ui> with Jayne Wnlton aiid Bobby Beers- Lenny Gale; Jean, Jack 'ft Judy- Florence Hin Loe; "Strange Affair" (Col). '-';.'„: : . ; : . " AdaniN, ^i«»»ark . Newark; Nov. 2. Tommy Tucker Orch (16). tcitli Kirtcin Somerville. 3' Two-Timers, Don Brotmi; Burns Twins. Evelyn. Coley Worth; ""Call of the Jungle" (Mono), ' (Irnii^Hin, I.. A. Los Angeles, Nov, 3. Velo~ & Yolaiida, Christy & Gould. Jiidy Manners- Cappy Barra Boys (4>. Evel'w Fir.-ney. the Martingales (2), Pi! Bond 112i; "Kiid o/ Road" ; (Rep). ; ''--./-■'.:■■;:''•■-' It's not often white-tie entertain- ment finds il~ way to the Orphcum stage. Attractions such as Veloz and Yolanda arc usually seen at places like the Philharmonic audito- rium. Nevertheless, class dance team is pleasing solidly in this jive film-vaude palace, proving that ace attractions aren't ...necessarily re- stricted in audiences. Team was handicapped at opening show by badly organized pit crew of 12. but •-s'trent'OUi rehearsals after- wards strai 'lilened-: out ■ tijsuble. White-tied Veloz and evening- gowned Yolanda warmed house up with rhythmic poetry of motion in one of their standard:ballroom num- bers, then went into a Mexican folk dance. Team jived up a minute un- der label of "old-fashioned jitterbug- ging" and fi dished ttirii With a grace- ful tango. . , Supporting acts are al! good vaudeville, : .Next - to - closing . are Christy and. Gould, a pair of zancy acrobats, wh:' do. their strong-arm- ing in comedv ; -fa>-hibn. rating big re- turns: Judy Manners sells personal- ity trid ..talent: vocally, delivering ".The Trolley Song": a ccmedy bit about a ifoldicr who. "If He's Good Enough to Fight for. His Countrv He Shouldn't H: - ve to Fight for His Love" a .ni-i number, "I Want You the! surefooted timing and. delivery giving it peak form and maximum effectiveness. Midsummer temps boffed opening day b.o.. but tall takings arc in order for the stanza. : - ; -. ''.■:' ': Burt. Aallonal. l/vill«' l.ov.isvihe. Nov. 3 Milt Britton Band, Bonnie Baker, Bdrr tt Estes. Kurt RoUini; "Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (Mono). • «c* : Christmas,' "Getting Corns ion (3). Britton paces through the same routine of slap bang comedy busi- ness, with the Rube Goldbcrgish comedy playing of the classics, and alldting plenty of stage time to a clever comic who gets a lot out of a novelty version of "Old Man River." Lads also give a sock version of "In- dian Gill Heap Hep." which the band did in the films. They've elim- inated the Water squirting business, and the old composers business, but Britton retains the fiddle' smashing routine, for a flock of laughs. Vocal- ist is Suzanne Carroll, blonde looker, who pipes "What D'ya Think I Am" for a nice hand. Instrumentation is more on the quiet side than formerly, with several new members in the personnel. Even "One O'Clock Jump" is not so blary as dispensed by Britton's current bandsmen; aiid sounds plenty okay with the more subdued treatment ' Kurt Roll in i does something dif- ferent in the way of balancing. Main- tains his equilibrium mounted on a platform, arid rocking. back arid forth on a small cylinder. Gets good applause, Bair and Estes click with then' comedy dancing. Boiniie Baker fills closing spot okay, her distinctive, small; voice be- ing particularly adaptable for mi- crophone delivery. Warbles to good effect "Talk Me Into It. Baby," and a medley of tunes with which she has been identified in the past, in- cluding "Especially for You," "Walk with Billy." "You'd Be Surprised." "Resistance Is Low," and. of course. "Oil Johnny." All for click results, Bi/ light .at show caught Friday- Hold. Tommy Tucker's ace showmanship plus nifty stars-and-stripes back- drop, good lighting and clever ar- rangements add up to a wham show. Three Two-Timers, young and love- ly, score hi* with "AU .Things Come to Those Who Wait." ending in topi- cal election lyrics, and "Swinging on a Star." BotTo presentation of latter via luminous-cut-outs of mule, pig, schoolhouse. moonbeams, fish; etc.. garners hefty applause. "There's a Man Comes to Our House," sung by sax player Kirwin Somerville, is a solid comic treat; After crooning three pop tunes. Don Brown is shouted down while begging off and has to stay put for encore. A husky fella, his deliberate Sinatra posturings brought shrieks from anklet crowd and their mamas. Burns Twins and Evelyn please with precision tap dancing and Evelyn's toe-tap feat in ballet slippers. Coley Worth mixes quippage with knock- down-and-drag-out dancing with his unbilled stooge, "Marcia," closing with first-class miming of Groucho Marx. v , . , "Sing for; Your Supper" gimmick brings four amateurs on stage to identify and sing tunes, winner, picked by audience mitting, getting two dinners at Frank Dailey's Ter- race Room.Tucker handles ams in slick fashion, aided by clowning of pudgy Billy Dee to put 'em, at ease. Biz good on second show opening day (2); Colt. . Si, C.'liarl«»s. ■ JV> 0> ' —.," ■/. ■:. New Orleans, Nov. 3. Tex RUler tiul/i Mux Terhune & Elnier). Mifo rtctiis. Slim Andreivs, 3 Swing Stars, Bonnie Dodd. Tex Ann, Diib "CannohbaH ' Taylor; "Gangster oi the Frontier" [Mono). Lively bill on tap this week head- ed by Tex Hitter: horse-opera star, and a host of "Wild,West" support- ing acts that prove solid entertain- ment, .'■':■-.' '■'■-'"--...- ■ Bitter. a big personable guy. brings down the house with his drinkin' song, "Rye Whisky." and a slightly bluish description of his first movie* kiss, which gets plenty of palm-nounding. ,.; , Max Terhune,: featured with Ritter in the "Three Mesquiteers" flickers, is clickeroo in his ventriloquist act in which he is aided by Eliner. The Milo Twins, good-looking lads, play, sing and cavort with good results. Slim Andrews is a one-man band that is something different,, and scores. Three" Swing Stars register well- with their hillbilly interpreta- tions, while Bonnie Dodd makes her electric guitar do everything but talk: for her share of the applause. Tex Ann yodels "Wink at Me" and other sagebrush tunes to get several encores. Dub "Cannoiibair Taylor is a w.iz at the xylophone, and. the bravos are profuse ," ,' There's not a dull moment and the capacity audience ate it up. ,: Liui. Ciil«ago,Chl Chicago, Nor 3. Andreivs Sisters \'i); Gaudsmith Brothers (2); Tip. Tap and Toe; Lou Breese Orcli (16); "Double Indeiiir ntty'' (Par). , ..- ''-. Short on acts but long on talent, current bill looks like a sure hold- over, Andrews Sisters, who cele- brate their 12th anrii in show: biz Tuesday (7 V have the crowd with them all the way in some new ones and a goodly share of oldies. Former include "Hot Time in Town of Ber- lin," "Is You Is," arid "Corn for My Country." Latter shape up in a medley of "Bei Mir Bist du Schon," "Well All Right," "Strip Polka," "Hold Tight,'' "Roll Out the Barrel," "Rhumboogie." "Apple Blossom Time-," and "Pennsylvania Polka." They also tear a page from Burl Ives; harmonizing "Down in the Valley" for good applause. None of the old power is missing; in fact, that 12-year -patina doesn't show a bit! . Gaudsmith Bros, and two French poodles, comedy balancing act, and Tip, Tap and Toe, sepia tapsters who work on a platform, round out the hour-long show ably, with Lou Breese and orch in for a cut also, dividing their share eloquently be- tween a hot "Spain" and a sweet "Holiday, for Strings." Breese is spotted for some neat triplc-tonguing in a trumpet solo for two choruses of the former and plucks the mandolin with a two-violin accompaniment in the solo spot of "Strings." Mike.' Welk's combo is a welcome change from the brass and boogie bov» who've held sway here of late. Be- sides the band, session includes two novel aero turns and an impersona- tor, all heartily applauded. Strings get a big play, as usual, in all the band's numbers, with the fiddle-wielders (one a gall especially soothing as backing for Welk's socko accordion olio of "It Had to Be You." "Stumbling." "Carolina in the Moni- ing" and "Oh You Beautiful Doll" Combo of "Is You Is" and "Dance With Dolly" opens, followed by "Hot Time in Berlin," Welle, .and squeeze- box also share a spot with Bobby Beers, teen-ager with a powerful . pair of pipes, on "Bobby Sock Tune," and the maestro's shenanigans with Beers as the kid warbles "Then Yoii Kissed Me" go over big. » Sammy Aron, orch's bass-beater; Jayne Walton, honey-voiced thrush, and Johnny Galicchio, pianist, get a spot with, respectively, a falsetto "Italian Street Song," slow and easy- to-take "Walk Alone," and a boogie tune that gets nice applause. Thrush also gives with "How Many Hearts Have You Broken" for two bows. Patriotic airs in dance tempo winds up the band's stint and the show.- Town is alive with impersonators this season, but Lenny Gale's hard work on Fred Allen, Gildersleeve. Benny. Boyer. C. McCarthy. Ink Spots singing "Maybe," Lionel Barry- more, FDR's spouse and Andy De- vine earn him a powerhouse baritone encore as himself in "Without a Song:",:, \-; - - Florence Hin Loe and Jean, Jack and Judy are the aero turns. Kimonoed to start, former quickly gets down to biz in a sequined jumper, pinwheeling, splitting and handstanding for two bows. Trip (two femfnes and man) are a comely team who go over with comedy tumbling and balancing. Mike. ' Earle, Wash. Kansas City, Nov 3. Paul Burke, Grace Ross, Gilbert t Lee, Peters Brothers (2), Rickey Herrington, Tower Orch (9) toitn Les Harding; "San Fernando Val- ley" (Rep) and "Bordertown Trail" (Rep). HKO. Boston Boston, Nov. 3. Charlie Barnet's Orch (17); Bunny Briggs, 3 Sailors, Peanuts Holland, June Lorraine, Kay Starr, Phil Barton; "Merry Moiiahans" (U). Differing in personnel only over last week's show, this one nonethe- less proves satisfying to the custom- ers, of which, there were very few at opener. Band is very .big what with • 17 sidemen to unleash themselves on the final chord of whatever they happen to be playing. It goes in for plenty of tension., but it includes a blues turte, a jive number and an all-outer to, finish,, Charlie Barnet does, a Jew choruses fjii'^he- soprtyio KellltN. InilpN. . ■ . .}'■' Indianapolis, Nov. 4. Fisher's Elephants. A Cordovas. Shavo Sherman, Ricky Mason, June Carr & Ron Orniond, Sotiilierii Sis- ters; "Wine Girls" (Col). Judy, the elephant star of Fisher's pachyderm troupe, is the main click in current layout. The nimble- footed husky dances in waltz time, juggles - a bottle in her trunk and walks back and forth across a nar- row board to cap a versatile per- formance that makes a hit with all ages. Talent on the human side is bke but depends too much on imper- sonations to get the best results,, two of the: acts mimicking celebrities. Ron Ormond, who does a good job as emcee, imitates Winchell, Heat- ter. Sinatra and others in a' tricky radio dial routine - with his partner, June Carr. Shavo Sherman does take-offs on Ted Lewis, Hugh Her- bert. Groucho Marx and Jimmy Durante, to top a. long list. Both boys are clever but have bad luck not only in appearing on the same bill but in following each other. . Rickey Mason gets some laughs with his comedy magic routine and lifts some eyebrows when he quits kidding long enough to swallow a string and several razor, blades and cougnts them up with the blades on the string. The Cardovas have a thriller in their barrel jumping act. The two Southern Sisters contribute a snappy acrobatic dance routine to round out the bill. Biz fair when caught, , .,' ■■;;'■; ,Corb. Tower supplements its dual horse- opera screen bill this week with a fast 40-minute stage revue which rates hibh in entertainment values. Les Harding fronts house orch, and Paul Burke, crayon artist, doubles as m.c. ; '■-,.,-' ; -v.' Band opens with an arrangement of "Together" with its 88-noter, Ray Hughes, and Harding scores with his vocalizing, Grace Ross, shapely ac- robatic terper, contribs a smooth routine which clicks, Paul Burke pleases with quick sketches of cartoon characters, most of them upon requests called by the payees. His getaway bit is a nifty portrait of General. MacArthur. Peters Bros., on next, score with their hoofing, but weaken turn with feeble comedy biz and off-key war- bling.. Rickey Herrington, juve ban- joist, wiiis a good hand with his playing of "World Is Waiting for the Sunrise." Gilbert Sc Lee close with.an acro- batic control act which they point up with clever comedy touches, Bir okay. Earl. Capitol, Wash. Washington, Nov. i. Dick Buckley, Patsy Garrett, Art Brown, the Appletons, Milt Slower, Sam Jack Kaufman's House Orch; "Marriage Is Private Affair" iM-Gt. Milt Slosser at the console opens show with comedy lyrics and then shows how the old masters would have treated "Farewell to Arms." Trailers part to reveal Sam Jack Kaufman, who serves as a supple- mentary emcee to Art Brown. Former organist at this house seats himself in the audience and heckles the vari- ous acts, then comes up at the finish for a session on the organ. The Appletons contrib a lively dance ses- sion in the Apache manner.' Patsy Garrett offers cycle of songs for click results, followed by Dick Buckley with his "Amos 'n* Andy" routine. He selects four members from the audience, brings them up on stage to a continuous line of pat- ter, then impersonates the charac- ters in the A & A airer. Registers for heavy applause dividends. ..:■;■ Arke. $17,000 New Orleans Blaze ■ New Orleans, Nov. 7. Fire of undetermined origin iast : Thursday morning gutted, the small Arcade theatre here,_burning s:uo- bornly for hours before being brought under control. Loss is esti- mated at $17,000. - 'House was owned by United Thea- tres, Inc. ^: f - _ ,,- . : '