Variety (April 1926)

42 VARIETY PICTURES Wedneidajr, April 7, 1929 was scored for a Pathe Review tour number that followed. "The Night Club Revue," the ■tai;e show, featured Irving Aaron- son and his Commanders, and brought in Christine Marson. Aaron- son's bunch has Just about tied this town up. The folks are goofy about the boys. Their specialties In vocal Interpolations and comedy are clever and make a big hit. This was a holdover week for them. Miss Mar- son, an added attraction, does a Charleston that's a darb. The two- piece fringe costume she wears was very eye-fllUng, for the girl is pretty and well built. The stage setUns for the presentation deserves men- tion : it was the beat in manjr, m^ay weeks; 21 minutes. The feature kept the crowd sitting en the edge of its collective seat tiiroughout. A good show. RuebeL McVICKER'S, CHICAGO Chicago, March 31. One of the worst blizzards of the year had no influence whatsoever on a crowd of rabid Paul Ash devo- tees, who shivered outside waiting their turn, and for a Tuesday mati- nee at that. Guv'nor Ash's public won't be downed. This week Paul is In "April Foolies." The stage was decorated as the king's court, with the orches- tral boys outfitted as Jesters. Two trumpeters announced the appear- ance of Mr. Ash with a blare of bugles, and the show was on. Something unusual this week, an eight-piece girl orchestra, Elsie Meyerson and her Californians, vied for honors with the Ash aggrega- tion. The girls' specialty was slow blue stuff. They did very well for female musicians. They sing, too, but not well enough to talk about. Peggry Bernier, hanging around McVicker's for some time, head- lined again. Her peculiar type of beauty Is represented In motion pic- tures by Clara Bow. probably with voice to match. Peggy can talk a song good enough as she sways Jazzily in her kiddie costume, but ,'vijion attempting to sing, the show ta off. The customers call her "cute." and memt>ers of that spe- cies don't have to be able to sing. Therefore her popularity Isn't Jeop- ardized. Prank Judnlck. Jazz accordionist. Is another of those who have been developed and exploited to popular- ity by the redhead. Lots of talent and about an equal amount of con- ceit, Muchly in favor here. Too bad that the Charleston Is on the wane, as one of the cleverest teams seen In these parts. Chilton and Thomas, are Just breaking into the limelight. The boy and girl are colored and go through their rou- tine in true native style. For the time being they are an excellent bet for presentation houses. Pearl Dahl, one of the Abbot school glrla. executed a contortlve dance in as brief a costume as propriety per- mits. The costume alone would draw a hand, and it was filled by an at- tractive and limber bit of fominln Ity. Scored well. The Chicago Ja2X king, noting that his body wiggles brought a laugh, went at it to excess this week. The laughs faded, so the wiggles should be absent for a spell. "The Social Celebrity," picture. BaL STATE, BOSTON Boston, April S. Walter Hiers proved to be a real drawing card, even during Holy Week, thereby surprisinK everybody, including himself. In addition to the draw, he made the grade with four shows a day, his chatter being mild- ly humorous and happily free from ego. He was the outstanding bright spot on a rather dreary bill, as the Elinor Glyu feature. "Soul Mates" (M. O.) was thin and featureless for a film which was over-advertised. Philip Spltalny once again did his beet with his recording orchestra, working his team ragged to save the bill. Spltalny is being given little to work with other tlian a stage platform, a few stray drapes and some lighting. Week after week Spltalny has apparently been ex- pected to save the bill with a lim- ited budget and a couple of stray bookings, mostly dug up at low cost from local talent and planted with his team. It will not surprise Bos- ton some week to find a trained seal sitting upstage with a saxophone. Spltalny. in this show, planted Denny Looney. a lyric tenor, and Ray Bolger, a limber comedy dancer. who was a wow for a oovple of weeks earlier In the season. This boy Bolger has the makings, and his return engagement showed evi- dences of some training by a show- man. His make-up was a sure laugh, and his new routine is sure- fire, being smooth enough to stand vaudeville touring with very little building. Spltalny also trotted out half a dozen dancing girls who acted as if they were the pride of a small town amateur minstrel show, ending up their bit with that novelty of novelties for trained elephants, the playing of a tune on sleigh bells at- tached to their anklos. The orchestral Teature was the long-awaited "Meet the Ir.stm- ments" specialty of Spitalny'a, in which the various little known in- struments are given a solo bit with a screen explanation of their namee. The stunt is an idea, but wsls not worked out thoroughly nor worthy of this guest conductor. Handi- capped by the absence of an ele- vated pit. the spot failed to reach the Individual players. They did not stand and the front of the down- stairs audience oould not even see them. When the time comes that this idea is worked out to its logi- cal eonclualon with an effective blendlnc of different Instrumenta in duoa and trioa. Spltalny will prefb- ably have a real novelty to offer. A couple of newa reels, a short reel tour and a Fells cartoon com- prised the balance of the bill. Matinees are still off at the State, and it Is going to take a better show than the last two months has shown to put this house on the plane of real competition to tlie Publix Met. To date there has been no evi- dences of competition between the two houses. I/ibbeyu capito!l, n. y. New York, April 4. With nearly every other fllm house on Broadway changing pol- icy, spending barrels to attract trade, the Capitol goes along, de- pending upon a classical overture, an excellent ballet and some singers for the stage ends of its shows. Business is as big as ever, capacity all day Sunday and almost that Sat- urday. Overture this week was the Inter- mezzo from "Cavallerla Rusticana," At the conclusion of this short num- her. (beautifully played) canm Louise Lorlnff and Carlo Ferretii on the stage, singing a duet from tha same opera. Settings nice and num ber well liked. News reel next- three from Fox, one from Kinograms. one from International and two frnm Pathe. Also good. Then the main presentation time, a ballet called "Carnival Mont martre," into which a Kikl character was introduced, leading up the film feature^ In this Doris Nilca and Vlasta Maslova shone. Miss Nllea doing an Apache number, and Miss Maslova going over heavy with toe work. The full ballet was used and with varl-colored tights on the girls, the act was a riot of color and ac- tion. The film. "Kikl,** went on Imme- diately after this, a scrim taking up the titles, etc., with the screen lowered to get tfie first picture. Business Sunday was capacity long before the end of the second show. At the beginning of the third (really second de luxe), the crowds back of the rails must have num- bered a thousand. Lobby also packed, line outside and the boya continually crying "Standing Room Only." aiak. A BOX=OFFIGE, DE^LIGHT! RIALTO There is an hour and a haJf show framed for this house for the run of the latest Harold Lloyd feature, "For Heaven's Sake," which opened on Sunday and sma.sho(l the house ricord. The picture Is in for a run. the Puhllx executive looking for pos sibly 12 wooks, and Indlc^itions from business the flr*?t two days are to the effect that records will be estab- lished. The result of slipping over a show in 90 minutes will make It possible to grind 10 shows a day here, five of tliom being de luxe performances, and becau.se of that speed it's mighty good entertainment. There have been a number of chanties effected Innide. The 22 men in the pit have been crowded over to the left to permit of a wide flight of stairs and a platform to be placed on the right. The bunehln^ of the men seems to make for greater vol- ume. The overture comprised sev- eral topical numbers and ran for four minutes. Another innovation Is n fountain which has been placed to ^^e ris^ht of the stairs. Okay when the warm woathtfr arrives. In tlie news weekly there were seven nhots which were run off In 8ix minutes. Fox walked off with the lioiiors, with live of them, while Kino^'rams supplied the other two. At the Wnrlitzer. Ily C. (Jels got a comedy kii k with "1 Won't CJo Home ToiiIi;lit" /or aniUliCT six nilnuti'.s, and thl.": van 'cllnu'cd with three mioutes of a scenic "Sons of Ihf l^Icven minutes were devoted to the prolog- of "I^'or TIcsaven's Jj^ake." with the Melody Sextet and Drena Breach, the dancer, working. It Is a show with lots of pep nnd laughs, and the hou.se, J.'iin!ii»'d to the doors for tlie llrst show .Monday night, enjoyed it iVcci. WILLIAM FOX. presents 9) WED % sptuTfiofa newly^imrrk^coufk Huffing OnirwartlimSoeiify 1; £V£m C/IMPBELL WITH MAH MOORE-ZASU PinS-'KATHRYN PERRY FRANK BORZAOE *Tro4wHon, Fax Film Corporation