Variety (March 1926)

W*dnMd*7t March 31, IMS VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY 17 PALACE (ST. VAUDEVILLE) It was Holy Week for fair at the vroud Palace. Seats gaped empty 111 over the place like a 10-year-old ooy'a missing teeth. Far down In the third, fourth, fifth rows, and all tb« way back they were empty and remained that way. The butchers and scalpers, against whom the management tirades, must have taken many on the chin and the tirading management with them. The show reflected the business, all except two acts—Pat Rooney and a tab version of his show, laying off for the week (New Acts), and Ern- est R Ball and a collection of tal- ented girls. The rest was just vaudeville, and an eloquent com- mentary on what the picture houses have done to that racket. In its heyday the Palace used to SYLVIA, KOLA and CO. Dane* Revue 11 Mlna.t Full Stag* (Special) Broadway (Vaude-Picts) Neat production turn with much merit, nice costumes and one or two faults. The best thing about it Is a phosphorous effect, but this time centered in a pair of long gloves on the planlste. This girl had the lingers cut out up to the first knuckle. When the lights were turned oft as she was In the middle •f Mister Liszt's Second Rhapsody, her arms made a novel sight on each stroke of those mighty boom-boom- •oom chords. Opening Sylvia and her partner, Kola, did a routine together, the girl doing toe work to good effect while the man, though light, handled her capably. Then the pianists was given her solo, where she got gener- •us and encored with an unfamiliar number. She should figure that the shining gloves put her over big as all vaudeville regulars know that Second Rhapsody by heart. Two more dances and another solo on the piano. All the dances are okeh and that goes for the wardrobe and hand- some eye Good for early spots on big time bills and for the flash spot In the smaller house. Liked here. 8i*k. SAXE and PIERRE Talk, Singing and Daneing 15 Mint.i One ilst St (Vaude-Picts) Mixed team with fairly diverting comedy chatter and with the girl doing a Frenchy. The man as straight comes on in *one M for a vocal refrain. The girl follows as a bootblack. Snappy chatter ensues, stressed for comedy en the Frenchy's tussle with Eng- lish. It has effect as a laugh getter. The girl follows with a harmonica Jazs solo that got over with pep, leaving the man to plant a comedy vocal. The girl returns in fem at- tire for buck dance that also helps. A duet finish with the man singing In English followed by the girl In French takes them off to good re- turns. A class deucer for three-a-days 4nd one that may eventually even setter that grade. Sdba. ANN LEMEAU and EDITH YOUNG Talk, Song, Dance 14 mine.; One American Roof (Vaude-Picts) Two gals, one an elongated, angu- lar miss, who derives the most from her physique. They deliver thelr ■tuff spicily, with plenty of hoke, burlesque posing, strutting, etc., go- ing great with the American Roofers and stopping the show. Their material is specially cred- ited but hold nothing to rave about Carl McCullough is denoted as the author. The couple's style of work- ing accounts for anything they score. With material, they may develop. •As is, the pop house fans will fancy them as a laugh relief. Abel KATHERINE SINCLAIR Co. (3) Acrobatics, * Mine.; Full, State (Vaude-Piots) Straightaway acrobatic turn despite the oddity of the billing. Al- though the men go unmentioned "joy are the backbone of the turn. TLhe woman merely nets as an un- derstander in a couple of instances. The fast routining is an asset and ,ome of. the tricks are individual applause winners. Many of these are from a spring board with the male understands getting his start J«»m the shoulders of the woman, inence catching the mounter after JhH latter leaves the board as he hits It Surprising applause here for this *t t Monday night, in the opening fcpOL HMg. start going at 8.05 or thereabouts. By the time the regulars got In the show was in high. Monday night the overture rang in at 8.18 and kept ringing for 18 minutes. At 8.36 the opener came on. There were plenty of empties. Maybe the oponer was used to them. But the rest of the acts had them, too, this time. In all there were eight acts. Pretty thin Palace merchandise. Ernie Ball, with a flock of femi- nine soloists. Instrumental and vocal, who could all get together for cli- maxes, played No. 3. as carded. All turns followed the program routine, unusual for a Monday night. Ball's sunny and intimate personality got him over on sight with ihe few who didn't clap his name. When reach- ing his classic compositions he hard- ly needed them. The act had gone across on Us entertainment merit* Irrespective of past performances. His girls have been picked for de- livery rather than display, which doesn't mean that they are hard to look at. But each one has a gift and a trained specialty. Ball is con- tent most of the time to work straight to his troupe. When he says something it registers and when he does something it clicks. Some of his new numbers are prom- ising, and the Hollywood ditty is surefire. The finale, with the semi- sacred old song hits, kicked it over for a clean goal, bows, speech and a show-stopper. Pearson, Newport and Pearson, with their tap dancing and trick hand and foot rhythmlng. deuced and got away with it. The act has plenty of speed and goods, but there is something old fashioned about it that could stand some heavy think- ing. A dash of the modern some- where in it would enliven it and help it. On sheer quality It stands O. K. But the showmanship needs brushing up to hold the pace, Ro- maine opened and sped along nicely. On the rings he is a wonder of ease* and daring, and his nifties, all "in the act," land. Bert Lahr and Mercedes took the comedy honors almost without com- petition In the first part. Lahr is an eccentric comic with a Dutch dialect (which he doesn't stand by always) and his partner Is a flashy Spanish- type girl who is an ideal straight of not much shucks as a single-handed performer. Lahr uncorked many a laugh. .Some of his whimsical busi- ness Is new and individual. If the routine had a finish up to the rest of Its material. It should go far. As It was it stood out in this bill as a big-time combination for laughs, pep and vaudeville class. Edmund Breese and Co. (New Acts) closed the first siesta rather dismally. Dare and Wahl opened the second the same way, getting little until the legitimate trick on the encore. Billing themselves as the "late feature" of Ziegfeld's "Pol- lies'* didn't help. When one thinks back of the Immortals who have been In the "Follies" and weren't featured, this program matter does read pretty tall. They have some laughs, but burlesque acrobatics are pretty bromldlc these days. They were spotted poorly, moreover, open- ing cold after the Topics, which, by the way. Inhaled the spirit of the time and place, and were unusually stupid. A series of slides advertis- ing N. V. A. Week, tagged on, didn't get an assist either toward the gaiety of the occasion. The Taketas. In a swift run of typical Jap entertainment, from rls- ley up, closed. Following Rooney's act, which woke up the house, this outfit got a break, furthermore helped by ringing up at 10.S0, when the next-to-closing headliner usu- ally goes on here. By 11 the house wan dark and the mob out. Editorials on straight vaudeville are feeble. Now they are unneces- sary. Anyone can go Into the royal castle of that famed and smug In- stitution this week and look at the darned thing now. LMt. HIPPODROME (St. Vaudeville) One of those happy combinations at the Hippodrome this week with the hits following fast and furious on the evenly balanced and flashy r-re-halves of the bill. In the V*-*^ Jiajf, Percy Grainger (New Acts), the co»iC*?* pianist and composer, and Linu 13asq>?t**, the beautiful ex-"Follies" dancer, were the hits, both aided by presump- tous presentations. Miss Basquettc closed the first half In a flash turn conceived by Alan Foster which called for the assistance of the ever- youthful and useful Foster girls and Wallace, Cappo Brothers and Pas- tor, the No. 2 act, who were used all through the lirst half. Their own specialty was cut down to a min- imum .'is a result and spread over three turns. Miss Basquette, a wholesome pretty brunet, captivated her audi- ence with her graceful toe work and pleasing personality. She ran the gamut from toe pirouettes to a bare- legged Charleston that clicked like a bear trap. The Hipp babies wore on dancing and fur stage dressing, in rute costume*, and the four boys hoofed acceptably. Hobby McLean, No. 3. the Ice- Fkating champ, also was givn a shot with the Hip girls as skaters in wintry costumes. MclA'in jumped barrels and showed as m- ny of his I racing strokes a* the phoney ice would permit. The act was pro- loged by a short picture of the American sliding his stuff in com- petition. The turn fitted into the Hip nicely and the bill also. An Easter feature was the open- ing, "The Bunny Cabaret," another Alan Foster ensemble with a Charleston wedding for a finale. The Charleston incidentally got an over- plug on this bill when the second half opened with a picture lesson in the dance by Arthur Murray. Murray has effected a Ueup which should bring him pupils. The pro- grams contain cards informing that the $30 course can be secured for the card and $15 at Murray's studio. The lessons are run off each week and are interesting to any one in- oculated with Charlestonitls. An "Our Gang" comedy, featuring the monkey comedian with the kids, proved one of the funniest of the Hal Roach series. The monk chauf- feurs a taxi in wild fashion and ex- hibits human Intelligence all through the picture. The Pa squall Bros., one of the sweetest ground tumbling and equil- ibristic trios in the show business, started the second half of the vaudeville on high. The three only did five minutes, but they crowded enough whirlwind somersaulting and hand-to-hand routines into the five to stop the show cold. Elsie Janis followed and dupli- cated her last week mopup. Miss Janis gave impressions of John Barryraore and George M. Cohan singing "Yes, We Have No Bana- nas"; Impressions of Fannie Brice as Peter Pan; Jeanne Engels sing- ing a pop song; Sarah Bernhardt singing "Remember"; Ethel Barry- more singing "Mamma Goes Where Papa 0008," and concluded with Will Rogers. She was forced to en- core with a dance in which she sur- prised the uninitiated with her grace. Miss Janis begged off In a speech in which she Introduced Will Ma- honey, who romped on and off w4th another hit. Mahoney works harder than a pitcher heaving a double- deader and deserves all he got. He sings comedy songs for an opening and then tops them with comedy dancing in which he features an "Off to Buffalo" fall, very funny and made funnier through repeti- tion. "Spanish Dreams'* (New Acts) held them In unusually well, closing a bill that ran until well after 11 p. m. Business was considerably under capacity, but healthy for Holy Week. 0e#. STATE 5TH AVE. (POP VAUDEVILLE) There certainly wasn't much In the first half show for the K-A book ers to lamp, unless they wanted to refresh their memories. Monday night the house was about usual— not capacity, but there was room only in the back rows. In that sec- tion a young woman slept peacefully through the performance. However, the show was a good enough six-act bill, minus a punch. Solely new among the acts and recently reviewed from Chicago is Ralph Whitehead, assisted at the' piano by a slender redhead. Miss Pennington. Both were in Al Jol- sotTb "Big Boy* When the show shut down out there Whitehead framed an act and returned to vaudeville. He Is a neat chap with an easy style of telling stories. Whitehead seemed a bit nervous, but had no reason to worry. In ad- dition to mention of "Big Boy," he also hooked an English story onto his appearance In London with "Lit- tle Nellie Kelly." An ill song, which was well reported from Chicago, is out of the routine, but that may merely apply to this house. Morris and Shaw were next to closing, with Irish hornpipes, thou- sand dollar clgarets, dialect and vo- calizing. The team won its allotted share of laughs, and it was apparent there were some new customers for their stuff in the house. The Jack ADyn and Alice Tyrrell Revub closed nicely. Tt is a turn the picture houses could use, but the singer with the act could never make the grade In the big film palaces. Her vocal register Is so low it Just got by here. The three-cornered French opera (Apache) at the open- ing was a novelty, and Miss Tyrell stood out in both adagio work and at.obatlc dancing. Hhe is most graceful at SOV erSGlilting. This for- eign guitar and mandolin band is different, but might be made more effective. Arthur and Morton Havel and Co. In "Lover's Lane." on third, was a bright spot injthe show. The Havel.s romp through the Kong skit. lending the air of youthfnlness which Ih theirs. Helen Lock hart, remains the principal support, but Katherinc Carrlngton and 73eui.se Pooley are new since the original showing. Cosria and Verdi furnished a strong No. 2. Cornedy mixed with the fiddles and cello wooed the spring night customers into pood humor. They were on 16 minutes, and could have made good equally later down in the bill. The P.illy La- inont Trio op^n^d with some snappy light-wir»» work. The young girl in •he art is n wonder on the wire. The young girl In tlx- ;n t is a w«.n- I>>oked like a mistake to .spring her In r dance srwdalt v. for the darns-"! Isn't proficient in that art as v.-t. Jbrc (POP VAUDEVILLE) The tli Ht night of Holy Week had some effect on this 45th street cor- ner, but It was around a three-quar- ter house at that. Only a five-act bill for the current schedule. Sara- noff and his troupe using 32 minutes in tho closing spot. It wan mostly a woman's hIiow. The feminlna understands in the opening act was featured; two more "sister" turns in Barry and Rollo, and Norton and Melnotte with an- other such team (Meryl Sinters) in the Saranoff revue. Too much simi- larity and especially for a live-act bill. Neither were they so appreciative over here Monday night. Barry and Rollo forced an encore, while Dixie Norton flashed a snatch of Charles- ton to make sure she and her part- ner could do their extra added. Katherinc Sinclair Co. (New Acts), opening, won hearty acclaim prin- cipally on the acrobatics of the two men who receive no billing. Miss Sinclair "understands" at various intervals, but that's alL Cleaned up in Ave minutes and makes a nice opener. William Ebs, doing his diminutive dummy with the surprise finish, ac- complished that when hopping off his partner's knee and running for the wings. Foiling with a voice close enough to thwart suspicion, It enhances the value of the climax. Replenishing of material, inas- much as some of the present gags are obviously labeled "released," would help the early passages. Barry and Rollo, preceding, showed themselves as nice looking girls with one particularly standing out for appearance. Nice, but not startling, voices harmonize average- ly for the pop numbers used, with one selection a medley to special lyrics. An emiore song was too weak to justify the extra time "sneaked." Norton and Melnotte, No. 4. have bid their "Washington Square" drop farewell, tho act now openlnej wltji the girls giving the boy friends air off stage. After that It's a matter of Miss Norton delivering intended punch lines during a discussion of the male sex in general. Some of it Is funny and some not. The male impersonation of Miss Norton and the encore were a substantial aid thin night, although the act should regularly click for entertainment value. SaranofTs troupe galloped away in the final spot, the former's violin playing being strong enough to cause a definite pause in the run- ning order. The dancing of Cal and Ethel Norrls stood In relief, the strength toe work of MIos Norrls causing comment during the climax. Other than announcing for comedy, Saranoff confined himself to his fiddle bit, while the Meryl Sisters got two chances, and a tenor also found time for two songs. Set in "one." "two" and "three." the act looks good and holds sufficient merit to demand and get applause. The opening 111. songs, for the au- dience to sing, are now billed "Vocal Athletics." Not a bad gag. Bkig. BROADWAY (Pop Vaudeville) Good vaudeville and bad picture this week. Of tin* various acts, Glenn and Jenkins mopped hardest, although the Long Tuck Sam turn came In for its well earned approval. Opening were the Perrys, man and woman with the man doing fancy sharp shooting. Ills work here con- sisted of shooting small chalk tar- set* with the rifle in regular posi- tion, judgment shooting from the hip. the various shot* made with a mirror, and. in addition, some extra special fancy stu^f done while he was spinning a rope. Over excep- tionally big lor an opener and looks to be that kind of an act which would click anywhere-. Peter Htgglns, tenor, was spotted in the deuce aad with those Irish ' tenor tunes he did well, although he would have done better with a bet- ter selection of numbers. Now he's leaning too much to the Irish stuff. But good at that, with an accom- panist, presenting; a nice appearance In "one." Third were Glenn and Jenkins, be* fore their special drop and milking the gang dry of laughs. This colored turn, which builds continually, won't be in vaudeville much longer, be- cause pretty soon It's coming revue time. Irene Ricardo, four, and stopped the show with the regular routine which begins with "Whoa. Pagliac- cl," and then into "Society Butter- fly." Long; Tack Sam and his troupe followed, full stage and with set- tings that goaled this mob, so Ions; used to seeing plain eyes and every once In a while a special curtain. Ann Codes and Frank Qrth worked sixth before the house drop, getting laughs and doing fairly well, getting the worst of it In position. Sylvia and Kola Co. (New Acts) closed. The picture, "The Other Woman's Story," held no names of box office value. Although the be- ginning of Passover and the serv- ices held Monday night were mainly responsible for the wide open spaces, the picture can also take it's share of the blame. •Business badly off all over, with the first balcony about one-quarter filled. fliik. 81st ST. - tVauds>^Pcts.J One of the slimmest of Monday night assemblages. Scarcely a third of the ground floor occupied. Plenty of room upstairs also. This might have something to do with the three-a-day policy recently in- ducted for Sundays, with the extra session calculated to partially offset the weekly deficit. Those in the know claim the mid- dle show on Sunday means nothing in their neighborhood section. It's spun off to an audience the size of the proverbial corporal's guard, while the regulars are home dining. It means un extra show for the per- formers, but that's okay with K-A. This show Held three familiars and three new ones, the letter be- ing Saxe and La Pierre, mixed team, in the deuce; Marty Collins and Harry Peterson in hokum comedy in next to shut, and Margaret Sev- ern and company In a ballet diver- tisen:""* (New Acts). The main standouts were Mar- garot Romalne, operatic soprano. No. 4, and Collins and Peterson in the follow-up, each with offerings as wj/jniy different as possible. Yet these were ttfrV i.'.'iC'J. Miss Romalne, looking^* charm- ing as ever and In ex« ellcnf voice, strutted on for a repertoire ran£inp from operatlcs to a pop medfcy cloH^r that clicked from the st:n't. and held them throughout. In hi-v enil instances A'ilss Romalfw handled her own accompaniment, firHt on piano and then on cello, dis- playing almost as marked ability as a musk J m as a vocalist and Click- ing both way*. ^ The Hrlants, two m*»r.. In precede, also helped the comedy section lu}* 3 with their patomlmlc skit, "DreaP> of the Moving Man." it maintainr'' Its value .-is one of the best panto- mimic n< i ob.i tic nkitu rotating i>J vaudeville and as big a hit as ever. Roy Mack and Piggy p.iantleyi opened with a speedy routine of^ n.llor skating, Inenrporn tin:; d.mr-« ing and other fancy stuff. This nw\ pa* kH much in It* mix minutes oh running time, and gets .,v< - nlcly as an opener. lldba. AMERICAN ROOF (Pop Vaudeville) Average small time stuff on the Roof the first half. Nothing to get excited about was disclosed In the entire proceedings. Sid Hall and His Entertainers, toplinlng, went for two encores, but shape up only as a small time flash. Carrying 11 men, they can make themselves more valuable If they'd build up more around the "enter* tainers" end rather than the musical values. The current vogue In band popularity Is for the versatile com* blnatlons. Two of the best known band men spot a phony sons; and dance specialist in the ranks, giv- ing him an Instrument for a prop* Just for the psychological kick. The Hall combination has plenty of talent to work around with, and the picture houses as well as'vaude- ville will welcome it If properly de- veloped. They don't care so much nowadays for a sweet muted trum- pet solo or that otherwise satisfac- tory trombone interlude through the horn. What went best was the old-fashion schoolroom gag, where Percy with his falsetto does an im- possible "nance." In the second half were Ann Le- meau and Edith Young (New Acts?, who hoked around to a nice score. Their material, although specially written, is negligible. Reopening with Lorraine and Howard, formerly of Lorraine and Kits, and with the same act routine of dnncer vs. singer, the latter doing; "imitations." The act brodled more or less, the 10th avenuers miscon- struing the Eddie Cantor manner- isms, although the team handi- capped themselves from the start through an attempted familiarity with the audience. They had not tho personality to sustain It. It's a wrong psychology at or away from the American Roof. Charles and Grace Moratl, doing the same act offered by Morati and Harris before, have nothing but the singing. It attempts novelty through the woman entering to "In- terview" the great Moratl for a musicul paper, the laughs resulting from his misinterpretsIon of que- ries and garbled English. Just a so-so turn for the pop houses. The linndow Trio closed. K va Thra and Co., mixed team la loose, tape aerial danclnK, etc., opened, ivlwards and Allen summed up as Just fnlr for the deuce. Khe i* eomely nnd handles herself well* hut that's about all. Jack Strouse (or Strauss) under fork ns.'d a prop 'phone as excuse for some off-color lines, the idea l/t injr all rltrht, but not developing any too brilliantly. However, as with tho rest of the show, clrcum- sl inc* -i wre against him. An Idea may he gathered from his crap- •Ii.m. lev's number, which was met with .':n audlenr«» erho of a pair of !•■•»•'I • I f'•••m a patron. Musi> ■ ,; I; feature film, pVP.ntn* is A^ain." AbcL