Variety (May 1946)

64 HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, May 1, 1946 State, N. V. Irene Bordoui, Block & Sully. Harold Barnes, Lncld Lyon (2), 3 Smoothies, Al Cou'iiii's Musical Mad- caps (.7), Rub]/ Zicerling's House Orc/i; "Gilda" iColV Stale comes up with another orthodox vaude layout coupled with "Gilda" on screen. Stage layout is topped by Irene Bordoui, French cluinteuse. making one of her infre- quent returns to vaude, with Jesse Block and Eve Sully featured in the comedy slot. Harold Barnes, youthful chap with pleasant personality, tecs off with some slick wire-walking that, clicks, his Cakewalk and rope-skipping standing out. Three Smoothies (Charlie. Babs .& Little) follow and go over nicely with close harmony session, interspersed with clown- antics. Open with "St. Louis Blues," follow through with a pop medley.. then a takeoff on the Ink Spots and "If I Didn't Care." winding up with satirical fling at radio singing com- mercials to send them off to plenty of salvos. Ladd Lyon, assisted by | brother. Harry, gets good reception j for difficult balancing and equili- bristic feals. I Miss Bordoni'-follows and a medley on the straw theme, and then gives out with winsome version of the "September Song," Gal goes off on a more sophisticated tangent with "I Can't Say 'No,'" arid "All That Glitters Is Not Gold," both In a- low-pitched intimate style. Gar- ners plenty applause. Opener, Pritchard and Lord, puts the galleryltes in a receptive mood with some nitty hoofing. They do a well stylized tango, a variation on the buck and wing theme,-' and an original in tern relation of ballet com- bined with ballroomology. Get over neatly. Colcy Worth is spotted for the comic touch and gels a shave of laughs and applause, although he fall's a little short of par for the course. He throws everything into his slint—impersonations, gags; hoof- ing and comedy fiddling—and uses stock props such as trick shirt front, pocket handkerchief with' hole in it. etc. He works hard to keep things moving, and is at his best with his sawcd-in-half fiddle and steady line of insanities. Marvollos. are still out in front for I a balancing-acre act. Two .couples keep, up a stiff pace, with the gals being deftly balanced and tossed goes nr ound in different cd binations and over neatly. An off-stage chorus of variations of the usual routine. Comic "Last Time I Saw Paris" brings her ' touch supplied when volunteers are on to good reception. Follows with garnered from the audience: This is a Mex number "Jose Gonzales," a OK i or the men but is of question- pop medley and I Don t Want -to ab , c taste-'when distaff side is pressed Get Married > parody on "I Wanna int0 service. Tossing around a plump Get Married," which sends her off to \ damc whosc skirts, refuse to stay solid response. It's the latter num bev that gives her the best oppor tunity to project the mannerisms that made her a star in hermusicom- edy days. Block and Sully score, as usual, with their funning and are particu- larly welcome since they're the only comedy act on the bill. Block opens with, a snatch of comedy monolog. with Miss Sully coming on and carrying on comedy repartee with him that has the outfrontcrs howl- ing. Off to solid returns. Al Cowan's' Musical Madcaps, sep- tet of Negro hillbillies, inject com- edy into their musical performance. Combo comprises piano, bass, drums, washboard and guitar, which proj- ects tunes in such unorthodox style as to defy detection, save an "Old Man River"' arrangement. Ruby Zwerling and pit crew give tcts customary slick backgrounding, liz good at show caught. Edba. Apollo, IV. Y. Row Eldridoe Orch (17) with Rita Grcnay; Dorothy Doiieoa7i,.3 Dun- hills. Wynoiinie Harris, Glenn & Jen- kins; "Dangerous Intruder" (PRC). down gets some bellies hut many give offense to many patrons. Loire. Strong part of this week's show at the Apollo lies in the act depart- ment which displays considerable variety, especially when Dorothy Bonegan, Three DunhlUs and Wy- nonnie Harris are on. ' Since that takes in the majority of playing time, display adds up neatly. The music is by Roy Eldridge orch, a recently organized crew which still has to iron out its rough edges. Eldridge. who has toyed around for a long time with small combos/'in embarking on a large crew has to make some changes among the .side- men before the orch will really register. He paces the crew with his showy trumpet on which he can hit notes usually taken by the clar- inet. But he doesn't have the back ing his own virtuosity needs. Ar rangemcnts are little better than stock deals, and selection of tunes is often ill advised. Vocalist, Rita Grenay, sliows up well in a single number "Shoo Fly Pie" which she handles neatly. Showsfopper is' Wynonnie Harris, a blues-singer who knows how to make the most of the Indigo content of his numbers. Delivery is raucous and low-down and he punches all the way. Had to give out with tw extras before he could get off Pleasing newcomers are the'Three Dll " h ' lls JNew Acts) sole white act on the bill, who've been showin around since their collective div charge from "This Is the Army. 1 where they spent most of their mili tary career. Comedy is by the old- timers Glenn and Jenkins, who used t ? J d 2- t - l . , f il i,? ct ' in - bl ackfaee in the old Kcith-Albee days. They've re vised their act since then, and it's still a laugh-getter, but only for the family trade. ■ , ■ . Completing the line-up is Dorothy Conegaiv the boogie-woogie pianist who, while a strong keyboarder re- lies on sex to get across. She ogles audience to the point wher the there are wolf-howls throughout th notjfe. In^ fact she_ didn't need the piano at show caught Jose. Capitol, Wash. . , , Washinpton, April 25. Pnchard & Lord, Dorothy Claire Colet Worth. MhxeUas (4): "Wilis tie Stop" (t/A). Keith's, Indpls. Indianapolis, April 27. Novak & Fav. Hal Huff k Lorctla, Ollie Franks, Warner & Cole, 3 Kelly Sisters. Atlas' Trio; "Behind City Lio'ns" (Rep). Keith's is featuring an unbalanced line of six acts with fair results this stanza: Best clicks on the bill are a pair of balancing acts, the Atlas Trio 3nd Novak & Fay, who open and close, respectively. Their work is impressive and different to a degree, one being the sophisticated type and the other bucolic, but it's a little too much of a good thing for maximum customer satisfaction, especially since what comes between doesn't panic the house. The Atlases, displaying line pre-, cision and expert timing, were smart enough to gel a warm reception , at the first show, which is something here. They work up to a nifty triple-header for the climax,, in which the fop man does a stand on the bottom' man's hands while the ;irl goes into a back bend around lis middle. Novak and Fay . also have a good looking assortment of headstarids and other acrobatics in their line, which they. leaven with broad comedy touches tor some hefty laughs'. Three Kelly Sisters please moder- ately with a program of novelty songs that at least get them off the beaten Hit Parade route. Some of their lines are amusing, particularly in "Just Crazy About Radio Com- mercials." their closing, and best effort. Warner and Cole go away, back for their nifties in a routine of light patter. Ollie Franks shows plenty of vim in her starter, "All in ■Pop Goes the Cora (TOWER, K.C.) Kansas City, April 20. Now that popcorn has become a standard accessory to patrons in the "A" houses the way of a rerieioer has twderooiic rast chances. Yotir K.C. Varikty niupp, recently returned to re- viewing, found the conversation whispered 'between crtnic/iiiif/.t, • wit/i fricitd ici/c kibiciuy, went 'something like this at the Toiccr stage show last Friday (2G>: Friend Wife: That's pretty good stuff, isn't it? Mugg: What, the popcorn'.' F. W.: No. the acrobats (Thomas and Tricresol. Mugg: Oh (crunch)' yeh, sure.. ,>>• Let's give them a handful. ■fcW.: Of what, popcorn'.' Mugg: No, applause: they earn- ed it. .' F. W.: Okay, here, you hold the box. (She claps.) Mugg: Here, dear, you take the box. I have to make a couple of notes. F. W.: '('After crunching away n minute or two.) Boy. that's sure full of kernels. Mugg: What ,the popcorn? F. W.: No, those jokes (by Frank Bernard, the m.c.). Mugs;: Oh. plenty of them, aren't there? F W.: (Crunching emphatically.) What, old maids? Mugg: No. Joe Miller jokes. ,'F. W.: (Here a few minutes of just crunching as Bernard knocks himself out. imitating GI.'s and brings on Taylor Trout & Mickey with juggling and assorted wisecracks.) F. W,: This stuff is belter. Mugg: What, the popcorn? F. W.: No, Trout's gags. They got a bit of the cob in there, though. Mugg: Where, the gags? F. W.: No, the popcorn. Mugg: Oh, the popcorn. (Betty and John) Quinn. Cross, with his puppets, Imitates Charlie McCarthy, the Ink Spots and others and makes a nice comedy im- pression, Show nicely grooved throughout and generally better than the usual run of mill hand shows, though it's hard to tell one from another. Elic. Olympia, Miami • . " .' Miami, April 28. Paul Haakon, Bobby Pinktis Willi •Ruth--Foster,. Henri Therrcin, Mar- Ishal Bros., 3 Parks, Les Rhode House I Orch (131; "Tomorrow Is Forever" (RKOi. Current layout provides some good entertainment with neat blending of acts. Paul Haakon heads up the vaude. and despite weak accomp' by the orch. manages to get over, though on paper his type of dancing didn't look good for the Olympiu type of patron. Garner nice response hover with his ballet-type tei'ping. . Henri Therrcin clicks with tonor- ! ing or "Donkey Serenade'' "Road To ' Manclalay" and Beguinc." Bobby Pinkus essays some tried and true comedy, which would look and. listen better in a nitei-y. Muggs, dances, pantos with Ruth Foster as- sisting in the song and comedy de- partment nicely. Chatter stuff could stand some bolstering but overall good for some solid laughs.. Marshall brothers offer Impresses of radio plugs, crooners and film stars. A pleasant act, but they could use some new tyocs, to get away from those personalities that have been done here timeand again. 'Throe Parks close show with some' abrobalancing that gets over neatly. Vary. ing "Melancholy Baby" as "Sinatra with meat." Ballard and Rae add heavily to comedy side with hilarious knock-about antics as 'The Gay Inebriates" in 10-minute lost week- end. ' Their stuff has a novel slant and the customers eat it up. Diana Craig's crisp tap style also is appre- ciated in two clever routines. Biz was oke. Corb: Gayety, Montreal Montreal, April 29. Jerrn White, Pat Paree, ,Carleton & Del, Jack Liddell. Al Fisher & Co. (2) Pat & Sy'via, Jules & Tita. Harry Bee, Line (12) Leu Howard Orch (9). Favor Say Aye," bogs down with coyness in "I'm a Big Girl Now," tries hard with "No Can Do" and finishes, strong with a topical num- ber about current troubles with baby sitters. Hal Huff & , Loretta also rely heavily' on shop-worn material until they bring on their talking par- rot, which saves the day with its imitation and gab routine. Biz was fair. Corb. Cantor's 20G Continued. from pace ' 1 ; Capitol's bill this week is solid fare, offering variety and smooth performers. Bills clicks throughout, getting steady appreciation from the audience. Headliner is Dorothy Claire, with plenty of style and pep In her voice. Gal formerly did vocals with top- notch bands like Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby, but has been a single in clubs and on the air for the past year and a half. She leads off with a awing parody of "Reuben, Reuben," turning It into Circle, Indpls. Indianapolis, April 27. Glen Gray Casa Loma Orch, with Ronnie Dayton, Bobby Hackett, Fats Daniels, Betty George, Billi/ Gilbert; Ballard & Rae. Diana Craig; "Colo- nel Effingham's Raid" (20th). Glen Gray's Casa Loma band, ably supported by a trio of acts, brings life back with a bang to the stage at the Circle this week. In fact, there's a little too much life in his brass, which blares so loudly in the solid jive numbers that rhythmic values are lost. Outside of that, bill is quite a pleaser. Orch bounces "No Name Jive" off the back wall to open, then presents Betty George in vocal of "Crazy for Me" and "Apple Pan Dowdy." Bobby Hackett plays a hot trumpet to good applause, then clears , way for Fats Daniels, who sings "Personality" and "Reconversion Blues" in smart nov- elty style. Bob Barney, drummer, beats out a torrid tom-tom routine in a solo with sharp, recognizable rhythm for a change'. Ronnie Day- ton, band's new vocalist, impresses with pleasant romantic warbling of "Night and Day." "Here Comes Heaven Again" and "We'll Gather Lilacs," the latter an encore the cus- tomers really insist upon. Band winds up with another jam session, "Featuring the Boys." Except for vocals, there wasn't a sweet number on the program. Billy Gilbert gets a lot of laughs with his remarks on room shortage and explanation of what are beans in dialog with Mrs. Gilbert, then demonstrates bis variety of sneezes with good results. Finally surprises with pretty good singing voice, do- Jerry White is a funny lad, he's got a good sense of timing and delivery, and an expressive face that hypoes any dying gag. Why he has to do the kind of smut he's doing currently remains a mystery. The stuff he's yocking them with (and he docs yock them) is not only lewd,'but .it's offensive and , embarrassing. He doesn't need it and should cut it out pronto.. Besides White in the m.c. spot the current Gayety layout is very much up to par. Harry Bee knocks 'em dead with some semi-longhair and jive harmonicing but his. show stopper is "Hungarian Rhapsody." Pat & Sylvia are a nice-looking warbling duo who have lo beg off after some standard commercial items like "Carousel" medley, "Don- key Serenade" (duet) and "Bells of St. Mary's." Gal warbles "Back to Donegal" to solid ■ mitting. Al Fisher & Co. do takeoffs of Sinatra, Andrews Sisters, etc. But too much time is wasted before they go into their surefire stuff. Carleton & Del's terping is much along the standard lines but it's boff entertain- ment. Better costuming would help. Jack Liddell registers. in some standard juggling aud balancing as do Jules & Tita in a legerdemain stiiit Latter act needs at least one sock routine to really sell it. De- corous Pat Paree's stripping is very much okay. Lines "Pirate" number .rates a nod as does Lcn Howards hot showcutting. Laza. surprise in view of fact that Cantor, in his long time B-M association in the Wednesday night 9 o'clock NBC slot has consistently batted in the top IS. and has yanked more than one show out of the opposition slot. On the other, hand, It's a break for CBS, which will welcome the star with open arms. Of interest to the trade, too, is report that Cantor has divorced himself from Music Corp. of Amer- ica a\ispiccs, after a four-year asso- ciation, and is returning to the Wm. Morris banner. His split with Mor- ris occurred about eight years ago. Cantor gets full say on everything in' program except commercials. Pabst; through Warwick and Legler, has assured the comedian that it will fully cooperate with him on his various public service , programs, which have characterized his long service in radio. Cantor's parting with B-M is on a friendly, basis and he is finishing out his contract al- though Pabst was eager for him to start next fall. 'Summer show to follow Kaye in CBS spot is being scouted by. agency. Cantor deal was set by'Henry Leg- ler, who was on Coast last week to complete negotiations. Cantor's com- mitment with Pabst is on a straight two-year basis with options for two additional two-year terms. Mirror Deal ; Continued from page □ Orphem, L. a. Lot Angeles, April 28. Earl "Fatha" Hinei Orch (17), f ea . turing Essie Scott, Delores Parker Arthur Walker; Harry "The Hin'. ster" Gibson, 2 Black Crows, Hi-Hat- ters (2); "Live Wires" (Mono). Orphcum stage show goes Jive this week, ranging from solid swing mu- sic to specialty material. On the more popular side is Earl "Fatha" Hincs and his orchestra delivering jive and blues on the commercial scale. More 'limited is the appeal of Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, a pure- ly local "holshol" who has- the con. troversy over "be-bop" music to help his following and rate this second Orphcum booking. ' Hincs' crew Is in the popular groove, balancing swing and blues for good, if not sock, ap- peal.. Orch features three voices, only one of which is worth okay rating. Maestro opens show with "Straight Life," giving himself a , workout at the piano. He's a good, key-boarder who should expand his particular forte instead of turning over so much time to sidemen. "Slompin" at the Savoy" features Bill Thompson at the vibraharp for good results and closer is "C-Jam Blues". Midway, orch really breaks loose with "I Got Rhythm." which proves the most solid bit of musicianship it offers. Number features rhythm quartet, .Hincs and Clifton Small al piano; Scoops Carry at sax. and Chick Booth, drums. Piece is wrapped up solidly and pleases '.mightily. On vocal side Essie Scott's high teitor voice sells big on "Symphony,'' '.-Here Comes Heaven'' and "Prisoner of Love." Delores Parker gets.so- so ■ results with "Gypsy" bul fares belter with "Sittin' and a-Roekin'." Arthur Walker, trumpet,' vocals "Why Was I Born" and "I Cover the Waterfront." He's better al the trumpet. Gibson, who's gained considerable notoriety for his "Who Put the Benczedriene in. Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltinc".and similar odd lyrics, has ■ a lot to learn before he can figure as worthy fllmvnude single. There's no doubt he's a local fad, but as such rates no serious uttcntioit for general engagements. More attention lo boogie, which he could deliver in top form, and less to proving himself a Vine Street character would help. What he docs now limits his appeal to the fadists; but a little broadening of his work would give him the mak- ings of a hep vaude single. . It's merely a question of toning down his mugging and jive talk, which is a showmanly idea off the-, bcaleh path, but as displayed proves lo be noth- ing but unintelligible boredom for those outside 4hc "initiated" circles. The makings are there but he needs wising up to fact that the world is broader: than Vine Street is long. The Two Black Crows, are back* for vuude bookings after a long tour of armed forces dates. . George Moran, original member of Moran and Mack, has a new partner, Pie Sadler, to replace the late Mack. Routining still is the same—and still pleases just as much. At show caught act had the house in an. up- roar, proving ' that time-honored gags never lose their flavor when cleverly done. Team, tells its famil- iar yarn of the dog's tail and others just as well-remembered for solid response from an audience more toned to brassy music of the featured attractions. The Hi-Hatters, dance team, please with precision soft-shoe terping. Boys' routines are well worked out for fancy display and they combine into a smoothly operating pair with showmanly pres- entation. Brog. RKO, Boston Boston, April 2G. Charlie Barnet • Orch with Fran Warren, Danny Payne; Robinson & Martin, Criss Cross; "Deadline at Dawn" (RKO). Another band show deviating lit- tle if any from the pattern but en- livened by the brassy, noisy and hep Matting of the Charlie Barnet band with Barnet himself catching kudos for his smart leadership and sharp sax soloing. Show's also un- derscored by "County Fair"' radio contest consisting (on Sat.. P. M.) of audience participants trying lo .punch their way out of a paper bag. Barnet audition's a new ' number called ■ "S k y 1 i h e r." and follows through with a number of tunes like "Cherokee," "Andy's Boogie" and "Drop Me Off in Harlem." Danny Payne and Fran Warren, band vocal- ists, click with the customers. Specialties are offered by Robin- son and Martin, whosc tap-ballet dancing is fast, nicely routined and attractive. They go especially big for a dance team act here. Criss arc ready to pay as much as $12,- 000,000 for it. Since the plan envisages keeping the Mirror in its present groove, journalistically, the backers will try to make a deal with the Hearst- owned King Features insuring itself as the New York outlet for all King Features for at least 25 years. Difficulty is seen in the fact that the Mirror's printing plant is con- sidered inadequate for wide expan sion of circulation. Several scouts for the syndicate are how looking around to see whether they might be able to buy enough printing equip- ment to make the Mirror deal prac- ticable. They are also looking around for a -site to which they could rhove the Mirror plant and offices, since the Hearst organiza^ lion had already planned to aban> don the present quarters in the next rive years. Three top editors have been con sidered for the No. 1 job, should the deal jell. One of the three is said to havd agreed to take the Job at $75,000 a year. . So careful is the planning of the project that, in addition to a num her of financial and technical details, certain "psychological" factors have also been weighed carefully by the syndicate, The backers have ruled out of consideration as intimate par ticipants such people as Marshall Field or Henry Wallace, so that their paper should not be labelled as "too New DeaUsh." Adams, Newark Newark, April 25. Cab Calloway Orch (17) with Tyree Glenn, The Cab Jivers, Peters Sisters, Moke * Doke, 3 Palms; Caravan Trail" (PRC). Jive of the oldtime, knock-'em- dead variety is on hand in this, un- even setup. Cab Calloway concen- trates more on his personality projection, with its eccentric leaps and jitterbugging, than on produc- ing solid rhythmical effects. The orchestra didn't seem up to. par at the opening show (25).. The start is the bill's lamest part. This section deals out "Hi-de-hi"' and "Smokey Joe" stuff all over the place, but the expected audience antiphony isn't worth a papier mache razor. Emphasis on sniffing or ■smoking the stuff is fairly unfortu- nate. Bellor things emerge when the numbers become more up-to-date. Maestro does a fine job on "Shoo Fly Pic," and his "Hay-Baba-Re- Bob" rates similar honors. Another newie, "Honey ' Drippers". -lacks warmth but has lots of drive. A novelty, "Minerva," features an in- strumental trio with nice harmonies. The Cab Jivers, a septet of. sidemen, play New Orleans style in a piece called "Cab Jiving." Tyree Glenn, trombonist, plays "Don't Blame Me in the season's slowesi tempo. Peters Sisters, looking like a range of mountains, get in some hat licks with "Gotta Be This or That' "Rainy Sunday" and "I Got Rhythm. Moke and Doke flounce around the stage in an amiable, footless fashion. The Three Palms put on some fast tapping. Bran.