Variety (Aug 1926)

18 VARIETY REVIEWS Wednesday, August 11, 1926 VAUDEVILLE HOUSE REVIEWS PALACE <8t. Wmu4:) Eight old acts and one new one. Well, after all, the old one« aren't •o bad; they must he pretty good to get old. With Georgie Price all hoarscd lip, next to closing, the show was top heavy up front Monday, the majority of hlto clicking before In- termlBBlon. Deno and Rochelle, -^'!:i2ed third, ran like a house aflre, and Charles Withers, always the tried surefire, closing the first siesta, all to the good. Gus Mulcahey. with his harmonicn and some dancing, scored in the deuce slot. The boy can sure mouth that organ, and the way he torture.*' blues out of it is positively wicked. He has nice curly hair for the girls to admire. He would be a smash In England. Jay Dillon and Bettie Parker, with their sotto voce little parlor turn. flnh?h( d light. Hettle is an adorable girl, an intelligent and cute "straight," cunning little comic on her own when she does the few mo- ments allotted her, and has that Indescribable thing called a "man- bolng the chief offender with grunts and flnger-snaps and the like, to nuike the tricks seem even nioro intricate than they are. The stuff will get by better with loss UUly- hoolng. but stands up as it 1^ AMERICAN ROOF (Vau<l«-Pcts) A good hot weather show on the Roof the first ha)/, eight acts and th? usual short subjects and feature picture. The vaudeville section held but two new acts, something un- usual for the Roof, where they take a -peck." but probably due to Jake Lubin's desire not to experiment too much when the thermometer*Is bit- ting In big league style. liurns and Kane, next to closing, waltzed off with the comedy hit. This act, in those by-gone days when some houses could pay the nut with straight vaudeville and two frolics da.ily, would develop into a standard big timer. Now they are a pipe to keep perennially busy in the combo houses. It's an Ideal ^ , . . ^ .duet of straight and comedian, both ner. " Jay didn t work at his host. Uj^jj^ji^jr plenty, and both past mas- somehow. His smgle ballad seemed k^j.g at delivery. Some of the ma- abrupt and cued in wrong. He was k^^j^, is new and some not so new, palpably n^'f^^""^- "^'n? »>ut it all goes. They wowed, them good "material badly Jhc present L ^j^^^ . j^^^ line of gags are JPala^^^^ De Voy and Co.. In "The Diplomat" JJ^PW^^^^^^ contributed the In- class they should penetrate, further. ; -i^etch Jak^ Ukt^m sketches They need direction and some quali- -Itable jjjetcl. ^ake H^^es^skeUh^s The beno and Rochelle act needs Voy sings two songs and the sketch nothing. It has everything, and Pj^as©^ >ho customers, so that s come more. Any team that can do '^at. . . an Apache In 1926 and bring down Ahead Ot De Voy were two girls, a hot and blase Broadway crowd Hilton and Chesl«1gh. who also fln>- has plenty. They have the most Ished in high favor. The girls have fascinating way of kidding the fa- heard them all and picked what mous old knockabout tragedy dance, they, n^ded. but they get it over yet doing it better and more vivid- o» personality-and breezy surenees ly than all those who took It so in of delivery. The act consists mostly earnest. When Ihey actually bur- of double songs with one at the lesque it. which they do before they piano for a time. The songs are do it, the effect is delicious, with broken up with fly chatter, which is the little beauty clowning in ging- made important because the house bams and rompers. liked the girls and their personall- The string quartets—two Addles, a I ties, cello and piano—flts the tout ensem-l The first hxilf opened a la Edna ble and plays hot music. The cello xug and Ledegar. the rope walker, solo is eaquislte. Pepino ahd Dll- doing a scrub woman in "one." worth, filling in with several dances, 'After some chatter in a German are big time, and neat. Then, for an Ljlalect the Impersonator goes to the J'h^rwJr f*^fn"^^l 'o'' bouncing, using a wn^HSr*^^F^^^ and keeping up a continuous exclamations of wonder. A bearcat \„i,i«u V act from uny sta^ndpolnt. line of patter which would outpoint favorably on as well as off. On the other hand, Rose seems to have gone In so much for his affected fluttering and primping that the majority fall to appreciate the broadness of his "nance" affecta- tion. In time, no doubt, with Rose s professional progress, the carica- ture kjots over, but the negative Stan nullifies much of it for a t;me. K^v»e has been going in for that stylo of performance for so many sc.usons, those who know his style take It for granted. But sit- ting back Monday night, rubbing shoulders with the average cash customer, it gave one a new slant on Rose's entertainment. It leads to the conclusion also that Rose miKht advantageously shed his pres- ent mannerisms and bud forth anew UM naturel, sans the hokum he has so long been Identifled with. It is favorably prophesized that Rose might be pleasantly surprised if his talents were better appreciated with the toning down of everything. He has a nice appearance, a good sense of showmanship that has been mis- applied, and a pleasing voice which, in its energetic manlfestatlorts. be- comes raucous arid overly forte when the reaction could be so much enhanced with subdued delivery. So much for Mr. Roqe. The rest of the vaudeville was an imposition, and the dwindling attendance of an already meagre Intake spoke reams for the stuff perpetrated on the au- dience. Then there waft that feature film. A crook meller. not so good, not so bad. But how It's presented! A regular film house manager would tear his toupee and shed crocodile tears at the brutal butchering of. the orchestral accompaniment for one thing. Kelth-Alb^e is turning to pictures as a vaudeville life-saver after bragging that vaudeville has been the cradle of everything. If so. vaudeville bids fair to become the tomb of everything, including the icellulold life-savers. If K-A wants t>icture8, why not furnish intelli- gent musical accompaniment? Why trust to last minute cueing or makeshift scoring? Why not take notice that photoplay music never includes sax parts and why Insist on that orchestral reed and "fake" it from 'cello parts? The Broadway bill this week Is a "bust." The Hedlevs oi»n^^ men and \^^^ c»V«»P»on lip reader. The a girl. The girl ta pretty, far more * somersault to m than most, supporting frails liv P, •'^^"^ ^« '^OP®- was the con^ silent Acts, and does some 9pins and 'Vl^''* x ' i rolla and wheel on her own. showijig ,^j*9f Lawlor breezed on No a sw^t little figure and some pep^y PY"" nashy wardrobe, a good rbu little stunts. The boys do head-to- P*"« songs and a likeable person- head balancing and other difficult ^^^y ^hat clicked. Miss Lawl6r has Ufts and walks. Ended strong. been cabareting lately and has Withers had a piece of comedy snioothed her delivery. She could business ^Ith a bird, about the only have held a much later spot. All of recent Interpolation, the good taste her songs were liked. She carries a of Which Is questionable.' Several male pianist ."who does not play a ot his nifties are bliilsh, too. Of piano 90I0." They liked the r^d all acts in show business, Withers- headed'single here, least of all needs anything that has Rody Jordan, with the germ of an the remotest chimcc to offend. His idea upon which is draped his black hokum worked flawlessly. It is still face monolog and bass saxophone a comedy wow. specialty, was third. Jordan wears Marguerita Padula opened after minstrel convict garb and In the the unclever "Topics." She worked downstairs theatre whero they can the two-piano routine, with Monroe see, probably carries a special set Purcell at the other one. She would of a prison cell. His patter is mostly have had to Juggle thenri to get much about Jail, with frequent allusions to with the tame lame stuff she uses, the Six Brown Brothers. Jordan Is She should do either a rough versatile and win work out a neat ^^J'^'ImS^^^^^^^ ^^^'^^^^^ SomS of one; this is neither of either and a | tw^ ♦niir ^avninn. v..* ^ little Of both, or a tepid mixture. [S® t^i^,^.!? i tl'- u^S"""^^ and it hasn't a high sjot. Purcell J^®*"!? '^^^J,,* ^fj**"^*^^ V plays the piano fairly enough, but He did nicely, as i performer otjierwlse Is out of I . "f" f"^^^^^ the picture, exhibiting nothing but M:^*f> ^}^^^^ half tumult- wavy blond locks. Miss Padula's t®"^'^* ^ Perpn and Co., two men songs are badly chosen, being [^"'L attractive and graceful neither great nor popular. Her f^o?**^"' wound up the bill in hand whistling Is the best bit. This tum [^°""^"a Atrong man stuff, wasted itself. \ Con, Wallace Eddlngcr (New Acts) perished In his tracks with a poor 1 titkr\ A r\^%7 a 1^ ■kit called "Things Could Be Worse." UKiJAllWAY Worse things have been seen, but I (V»udm PJ«* ^ not much. Price oiiened Immensery | , vv«uae-ricx.; with his first number, a fiash of l . ^^^^ First," First National, was speed and typical Qeorgie Price I ^"^ feature film. Also seven vaudc- stylc. Some of his stories there-l^**'® acts ^t the Broadway, all of after wer.o lengthier than they so-called .Kelth^Albee type, which should have been, and'lwo were in f^ntureri a trade slogan, "world's poor taste. | best vaudeville." but the appellation In his ballads, done In hie usuan ^'^s a secret Monday night. It fashion, intensely and with all the "^♦'rely evidenced the futility of a superb dramatic and vocal qualities fancy cognomen with no merit to which have long stood this boy back it up. forth as a star, he shone, though the seven acts, Harry Rose there seemed a similarity between l^as a standard. Rose, a veteran the two ho chose, whereas they were ' yaudevllliaii, who should know unlike In themes. He perspired as though he had done a tank act be- fore he was half through. He had A bad cold and may have been fever- ish. He was half-undressed before finishing, probably part of the J0I- •onesque way of working. In all he rang the. bell. No telling what Georgle might not do if he exhib- ited a littlo modesty, told polite stories and let somebody lay o\it his materiill—somebody' who knew, somebody who had some discretion Und a .44. The Oronto^, three men, closed, co^itiQtlng: somewhat wJth the W^rK of the Hedleys. b'ut getting t'hrfoViVh iiicely with extremely hard head and hand balance^ with mu< h ap- f»aralius.. including (lafjdprs, .balanc- ng handlf'S, ffslpy "p^destat. ^tc. Much' "ffhowmanship^ thht Is too better, disitlayed poor Judgment in material. Some of it is new *nd not particularly efTectiv© nor cn hancing. Rose being fully aware of his Hopping through sotto voc€ a.«<ldos thhf he was "dying His profeeslonnl demise Monday night, to carry out the self-con fcusod idi«m, is laid at the doorstep of the comedlaa. For some strange |e;;son, for one thinK. he has «c quired a stoon-shoulder crouch which he mAy think is "cute," but rep^lstors n<^Ra*rvtly rut fr'ont. It hunches his apT>w»rnncr and Is by no means-an asset despito Rose's otherwise- clean-cut "front." .Rose is .ao .anomaly profesnlon- qlly^ His fiy witticisms off the ros- trum are cojrki,ng,, ^omewhat of a parallel fo 'iViSco's nifties to his profosBionnl ' friends. although obvious detracts, the understander Frisco manages to rr^glster quite STATE (Vaude-Pcts) It may have been a new variety show to many of the State audience Monday night, but to those long familiar with vaudeville it was an old bill repeating itself. There was littlei novelty. j Several changes noticed around the State. Joe Leonard, assistant manager, has left, and in his stead s Kenneth Graton. who came down to the Square from Loew's Boule- vard. And Joe Jordan was missing from the orchestra pit. In his place .was John J. Gremmo. For the first time in the history of a New York vaude house—and this doesn't apply to political candidates —a news shot brought forth both applause and hisses. This referred to a scene in the Mexico City re- ligious controversy with the gov- ernment there. There was applause and then came hisses. An unexpected laugh came during the overture. As a novelty injec tlon, an orthophonic reproduction of John McCormack singing a ballad Was used. The machine ran down and there was a dfawn-out gurgle from the famous singer as It ended And it wasn't meant for comedy. The show itself ran along con- ventional vaude lines. Kitamura Brothers started proceedings. Three men. A revolving bar upheld by one Jap with another taking the whirls put them in good with the house. And ih five minutes the trio drew applause with umbrella Jug gling and some lofty ground turn bllng. The Murray Girls, second, may not be beauties, but gave a good demonstration of two young women trying to get along with topical songs. Their main forte was the kind of numbers with a catch or twist in the lyrics. The girls over stayed, but that didn't feaze them a bit. Not bad voices and they didn't go In for single numbers. Most of their songs have ,^een radioed to death. The ModermRevue Is some what misleading In billing, but stands up through dancing. One of the two "girLs" Is most adept, and her terpslchorean specialty Is c worth-while feature. There is one of the men who stands out heads and shoulders in legmanla. James Watts and Co. is Jimmy doing hill familiar dame and sub- sequent burlesque dance. The screamed at his hoke ballerina stuff and he got away to genuine ap plau^e. La Zar 'and Dale held their own with comedy patter, with Dale effectively handling the stuttering blackface £ol-de-rol and the skunk bit. The musical closing proved versatile chang^, but devoid of comedy. Charlotte closed, the skater hold Ing everybody In. At times'the Ic^ seemed snaggy, but the blonde skater went airily about h#r work with results largely in her favor Charlotte appear.«i to be as animated on stage Ice as ip yesteryeaf. nn( .she stepped on It hi'cordingly. The picture was "Mhntrnp*' < Famous Players). Mark, NEW ACTS WALLACE EODINGER mn4 CQ. (3) Things Co^ifd Be Worse" Sketch, full stage, 24 mins. Palace Al Lewis presents this. In the legit he bills himself as "Alfred." "Al" wiU do for this one. It is titled "Things Could Be Worse." Miybe they could. But not much. Kdwin Burke, who has written some good one-acters (they are that, not vaudeville sketches when Burke writes them), mlsAed widely ^hls trip. It isn't a one-acter, and. for all that it has two famous lead- ng men of the dramatic stage, it fiasn't one actor, either. Geoffrey Kerr, supporting Eddinger, Is so woefully British that there fthouId; be some allusion to it in the text.' As it Is. one doesn't know whether Ekldlnger is an American abroad or Kerr Is an Englishman over here. Eddinger enters as a "stew."" It Id the most ordinary sort of a staggering souse. That he soon OSes all the "character** out of It Is rather a relief, so the artistic mis- demeanor of it may be condoned if not forgiven. H© enters Into a shabby plot. His friend Is about to take carbolic aciid; the <)^unk tells film things coUld be worse, and to prove it brings his own wife in to I ;ive the despondent one a bdwling out for a supposed znisdeed'to cover the husband's sin. No part of it rlngd plausible, the 'complications" unwind themselves.' as they wind themselves; all in talk, talk and palaver; at the end nothing has happened and still'nothing hap- pens, except a long spieakfierit -hiais aken up a lot of time with liere and there a laugh, fiddinf^ler does rib "acUng"; he gets littl^ chance to be broad, and in light effects he rarely clicks. Tne skit would be as in- teresting if read off the script; and then it would be boresome. The audience registered its opin- ion with scattered hand-taps that scarcely warranted the single bow. Lait. FRANK FARRON 8ongs and Talk 20 Mins.; On^ Rivtrfide (St. V.) Five years ago Farron was. play" Ing. pha small Unxe, doing much of the same sort of an act as now.; A Variety notice complained that alr< though he kept the audience laugh- ing, his method of approaching a gSLg or a Joke kept bim from claas company—that he began them all like an announcement. , That's all changed now. and open- ing intermission f^t the Hiverside this week, Farron shares qomedy honors with Mobs and Frye. He turned in a heavy score for himself at the conclusion of an enjoyable turn which he handled in a soft voice and which was at times rem- iniscent of the correct and reliable way In which George Austen Moore used to tell yarns in dialect. The^e dialect stories take up a large share of Farron's time and inasmuch as dialect story tellers seem a rarity In vaudeville, this fellow's stuff clicked. Two song numbers, both handled in a talky, soft manner, with only a melodious shout, filled in the act, oi\e of them near the opening and other near the close. In addition to the stories, which were new. good and inoffensive. ' Farron had soine gags which were clever and regis terod slowly but with effect. His dressing consisted of tan shoes, blue serge suit, straw hat, etc.. and his nonchalant manner coincided nicely with the outfit and the matrlal. Fine for the better class vaude- villes and intimate enough in de- livery to click Just as well in the others. Farron might also qualitfy as a novelty picture house turnt. if he could sing several songs as,softly, and yet as distinctly. Jack Smith, "the whispering barl tone," made a good Impression here and in England with that sort of stuff and Farron's Is almost in Smith's line. Whether he could accompany himself at the piano Is unknown, but if Farron could, it would be an added two way ad vantage. Bisk, MLLE. pDALI CARENO (1) bperittic Spprano 13 Mine.; ''Two" (Special) Riverside (St. V.) This diva's billing hails her as "the mtbrnatlonaTly ffcmous grand opera dranoatic soprano." Despite the fact that the Mile, sings her material well; that billing Is an<ex aggerationi ier -she Wasn'twOn l«er fame with eith«r of r. the (major Ameiiican operatic troupes^ the Met. the rhioapo, or the San Parlo tour ing companies. Reports from other sources fail to Identify hor as being "intemalionally famous." Can she be Ganna W^alska in disguise? Whoever she may be, her excellent voice Is .at it^ best while taking tl^e high, j^oaring notes, and her pro- igjram, which consists of a number each in Italian. Spanish, French, Russian and English, revealed but one familiar item, that a ballad "For You Alone." given in English. The opeiatlc stuff consisted of an aria from "Cavalleria Rustlcana" and Parassla's song from an opera by the Russian Moussgorgsky. A French song. "Tes Yeux" and a Spanish tune, "Estrelllta." finished her Uoeup, As as exponent of wha^ the mii-! piqiai^s caU vpcal , pyrotechnic^, the Mile, qualifies. She awes her audiences with her technique but. doQ9 .1^01 warm them with her songs, i^he keeps thefn at'a distance witlx her farmalt cqnccrt manner^ which necessitates the clasping , of tho*^ h^jods ,/or each high nptc and which, also calls .for the flawing gow^ •with the train, held up by a string (While the Mile, is taking bows. It is prain to see that the K>-A office, which has played her in sev- eral out of town dates a$ a head- liner, niay figure her a bet because of the linguistic ability which is combined with her vocal work— flashy and all of the same type. At the Riverside Monday-night, as the >headliner, she drew good ap- plause, yet it was spotty and from Certain sections. And because many other operatic . names have . come into vaudeville, only to flop and get out a^aini it is hard to believe that her act as it now st^jnds .wilf be generally successful. Maybe one or two of the larger houses may be able to play it with success, but as matters now stand, there aren't enough of these two-a-day houses to make it worth the singer's time, and i^ie le utterly beyond |he ken of the intermediate time. Biak, HENRY GENDRON and Orchestra Ot) Pompeien / Room, Congress HoteV Chicaoo Henry. Gendron and his orchestra seeni Ideally placed in the jPobipeian room of the Congress HoteL The environment flts. Since last hearing Gendron a marked' change has occurred. AN most an entirely new combination, that if anything, is Just as good as his former organization. As for Gendron, he is at home in this room. He's an artistic musician with a yen for the bigger and better things in. music. The boys are versatile and enter- taining, running through a ganriqt of musical moods ranging from the "heavy" to light pop.' In both they excel. Gendron's artistic conception, his novel arrangements and correct tempo, with the band workiivg as one, serves to produce a beautiful and harmonious synchronization. All of the boys look good and cah sing. Th<d atmosphere is such a^ to make them want to give the best. GendrQn is as good a violinist as has been heard in the^e parts for quite a spell. His appearance counts a great deal in his favor. All indications tend to show that the patrons are well pleased. In giving them a wide and varied se- lection of numbers, coupled with some novelty bits here and there, Qendron shows good Judgment. By dotng this, everyone's taste' is sat- isfled, Bein^r a new aggregation, every- thing Is not altogether set as yet, but as they possess the stuff, it shouldn't take long before the band Is whipped into shape. ' The best thing that can be said about them is that each man is an . excellent musician and knows how to handle his instrument Gendron's direction is very good and his men give him their full support and. co-operation. They are a regular broadcasting feature over KYW dally. Eleven men, two trumpets, one trombone, three saxes, violin, piano, drums, bass and banjo. C-R FOUR Male Quartet 14 Mins.; One American Roof (V-P) The alternate bUling Is C-R-4, a la a submarine vessel's identifica- tion. The boys are manly chaps but otherwise average in ensemble sonir presentation. They do manage to accelerate to- wards the getaway with some non.- sense and stepping that relieves the tedium of the forepart, but at beat It shnpefi up avemgely, although satlKfactorly enough for the grade. AbcU 1 \