Variety (Sep 1926)

VARIETY REVIEWS Wtdneidaj, S«pt|Miiliir 8, 1926 FDJH HOUSE REVIEWS GRANADA (8an Francisco) A9KF0RE AND AFTER STRIKE) San Francisco, Sept. 2. When tb« musicians walked out In the vaudeville theatres last Wednesday the probleq» was only M bad as th« non-union substitutes. But with the presentation picture bouses (Warfield and Oranada), the problem was more complicated. In these theatres the entertainment had been constructed around stage bands, whose sudden withdrawal was like talcing the laces out of a |«lr of shoes. The Warfield, with the experienced Trixie BViganza, capable of aU sorts of improvising, bad the edge in the task of keep- ing the fires burning. The Gcanada was not so fortunate. They had lost their principal personality, Don Wilkens. leader of the stage band. The first day the Granada pres- isnUUon, **8o This Is Venice/' put wax figures in the gondola previ- ously occupied by Wilkens and his aynco-ssrmphonlsts. The second day of the strike (Thursday) they had found, or organized, probably the lattor. an elght-pleco orchestra. Collegiate in age and aspect, the new orchestra tended to confirm the olaim of tho union that all good musicians carry cards. They began with •'Valencia,- playing what sounded like the Hugo Freidenhoft {arrangement used by Wilkens. It was an* exceedingly long and not very accurate rendition. Immediately following, Bell (Bell and Coates). acting as announcer, Introduced the Argentine Trio, mandolinists. who also played "Valencia." Tbj^ or- chestra was tacit most of tho time tnm tbon on, while tho performers, rearranged for the emergfiency by Jack j^^ihgton, procesded to In- Jciot A fmr amount of pop Into the act. This, considering the psychol- ogy of the situation, with usheni prowling up «nd down tho atelori pn the alert for malodorous ''bombs." Don Carroll and Edith GrilCin sang, the latter adding to hor oarly In the week duties by playing the piano. Both have good voices and showed more advantageously on VbuMay than on Monday because of Increased responsibility. Mack and Long, tap dancers, routined to the acconipaniment of Uie mandolin. Clarissa Ganon assisted. Their per- formanco was on a par with the one first eaucbt bjr tbo Varlotj ro- viewer. • Tho Granada Girls were not so successful with the mandolin ac- oompanlment, and resorted to girl- Ssh shrieks toward tho ond of one of their ensemble dances. The sheer optical gorgeousness of set, costumes and effocts sarod tlie day. The presentation worked fairly smooth, maintained a measure of Speed and was treated politely by the audience. However, there was uncertainty and nervousness accon- tuated by the amateurishness of the makeshift orchestra. The fashion parade registered, although in the llniUo tbo eroseont moon wltb tno girl was omitted. Tho projection of the feature was satliifaetory. but the organ 'uraa not so well handled. Miss Iris Vlnlng, who has been at the Granada four years, was a ftoturo.' Uslnr ieomody slides and stunts to work the cus- ttmiers up. Tho organ Thursday pounded monotonous. The two performances, "before and after," certainly established that things were happier when the boys were at their jobs, but It also OStabllshed that a theatre can make P stiowing even under depressing conditions. A de luxe moving pic- ture theatre, operating during a ptriko with non-union musicians, Btape hands and projectionists, naturally interests both the unions Nelson "clowns." was next. After Nelson announced a bit of classical jass, the musicians snapped into it. The syncopated grand opera was not hard to listen to. Miss Babe Hoy was then introduced as a girl who made her start in a klddlo revue here and now has won a name for herself op Broadway. Shsls a look- er, but hor rendition of *'Tho Dream of the Big Parade" was nothing to wax enthusiastic about. A hot num- ber by the band followed this. The "elevator," at one side of the stage, operated by a small colored lad who later did a fahr bit of step- ping, then brought no Dorothy Hathaway, another local girl, risen from the stato klddlo rovuos. 8he has looks and also domonstrated talent as a dancer. Introduced as two jomg har- monists from New York and Chi- cago, "The Two Cadets," a pair of singing Juveniles, eoptributod two items. Their voices were off key much of the time, but they stopped tho Show oold. This house Is really a "pushover" for acts. Cy Landry was next and easily proved the class of ttio ontortalnmont. His makeup, eccentric comedy dancing and shuf- filing were a panic Jass dancing by all six of tho porforsMrs wound up the carnival. The feature photoplap, 'The Ama- teur Gentleman." followed as the last unit on the propram and dollgbtod tho audience. £ CAPITOL ^ (CHICAGO) Chicago, Sept. 4. Taking the small-price kids into CMisideration (every neighborhood house pets its share), you might say that this theatre drags In around |S0,000 weekly. Consider again that the Capitol is on tho out- ^irts of Chicago's southern civil- isation limits and tboro's qnlto a kick in that gross. This theatre Is no slouch In ap- pearance.. If you like the modem trend of pleturo bouso decoration (some artistic souls don't), you'd call it about the prettiest house in town. It has fountains, statues, in- tricate lighting arrangements and a sky effect for its ooilinp. It adver- tises 8,500 seats. < Capacity business Is the custo- m/ury thing' for this house. Undoubt- edly It Is the biggest money maker the Nptlonal Tb^atroi Corp. has. As a regular stage attraction, the theatre ofTers Al Short and his stage band in a "tour of the world" idea with inserted specialties. Sup- porting the band each week are a second run "spoclal** lllm,NBOws roel and comedy. There is no pit music, nor is there an organ solo of the type featured in practically all of >Uio local do luxe houses. "La Boheme,** tbo feature this week. Stage band presentation titled "In pohemia" (PresenUtions). HaU XTbolo Bob, advocate of child safety, wbo entertains on tho radio from a Chicago station, and Lafayette Del- phlho Co., dance turn from vaude, were the fare last week. Uncle Bob broadcasts for the ben- efit of Chicago's tots at supper hours. He sings llttlo dittys, tells stories, reads letters written to Mm by the children and teaches them nlghUy tho motto, "Stay op the sidewalk." New York also has its uncle. He works similarly and with the same motto. Both have a large following of children. Chicago's uncle having established a club with a membership of over 100,000 ohiX- dren. Uncle Bob seems to bo less at home on the stage than in front of tho "mike." This he admits. With no material other than tho relating of his experiences with bis little friends, the reading of some of the brightest letters and the singing of a song or two, he manages to im- press upon the adults of the audi- ence the worth of his work, and in that way scores. He was extremely entertaining in one passage, hav- ing portions of the audience ac- companying him In a song. The Lafayette Delphino turn looks "class" with the picture house stag- ing. The company includes three dancers, a man and two girls, plus a six-piece string combiziatlon. An Apache dance is well dono and wbilo not meant to be funny gets some laughs through tho very rough handling of the girl. The sextet ■MiBipiB soma ooiesilant music Overture and accompanying music by J. Walter DonaMson's house orchestra, organ bit by Chauncey Haines, news reel, com- edy with "'Pals First" (P. N.) as the foatwro Aim rounded out the show. J^^oop^^ " STRAND PRESENTATIONS (Extra attraciionM in pictmrm th^atrmM, when noi mciur€9»,wiU bm carried and daeeribed in ihi* depart* meni tar'the general iniomuxtion oi the trade.) 'AL SHORT A BOYS IN BOHEMIA' Stage Band Specialties 65 Min.; Full (Special) Capitol, Chioafo Most of Gblcago's atago bvids. and tbors aro plonty. bavo put oor- tite limitations on their form of oBtortainment Their programs may bo defined as confining them- selves to song, dance, instrumental solos and orchestra numbers. And those of the laity who have pro- tested against the abundance of stage bands have been influenced by tl^ mdnotony oausod by thooo lim- itations. At the Capitol no limitations are recognized. It has been mentioned previously that a gag act <• used practically every week here. Its members clowning before the silent musicians who resemble nothing so much as a Jury boarinf a murder trial. It was also mentioned that the Capitol customers are so accus- tomed to this sort of entertainment that they regard tho muotelans the same most people look at aa olio drop—this is, not at all. As the crowning defi to stage band customs, this presentation blosaoms' out with Foster and his trained dog Peggy as the featured specialty. And Peggy, who has spent many years with inconspicu- ous "spotting** In smaU-timo vaude- ville, got what was probably the biggest reception sho over received in hor existence. *Tii Bohemia** la tho preo ontat lo n titling, a hookup with "La Boheme," the film feature. The musicians <Mii>iNCArai4it Minneapolis, Sept. i. ••Carnival of Fun" proved a weak land IneflCective attempt at the Paul Ash stylo of entertainment. W. W. Nelson, orchestra conductor, with 12 of his 20 musicians and Dund- atedter, the organist, comprised the jazz orchestra entertainers. The musicians were attired in black satin clown costumes and occupied a platform on the stacre. In the Ash role of master of ceremonies Nelson did not seem at all happy. He is an orchestra conductor—and a good one ^and not an entertainer along the Ash lines. The same holds true about his men, all of whom are first- rate musicians in every respect, but nary a performrr among them. Plenty of talent was revealed dur- ing the "carnival," but the entire affair gave the impression of crude- Biess and amateurishness, due to Nelson's awkwardness and the man- ner of presentation, B^alrness re- quires the statement that there was no lack of applause at any stage of the proceedings, each Individual number on the program apparently Winning high favor with thoso in ttpnt. , After an organ overture, "BoauM- ful Galathea." splendidly played, efthie tho Intematfonal hewsreei. The •*iOMi^vaI'iif Fuiv'* XtatuHns th4 RIVOLI (NEW YORK) Now Tark, Bept. I. The Rlvoli for the current week has one of the best all around shows It has had in somo time. "Hold That Lltfn" (F. P.), starring Dous las MacLtean, is a comedy wow and atop* of this John Murray Ander son's "Lovers In Porcelain" (Pres entations) is one of the best ynits that producer has given the Publiz Theatres. Tho opening overture was a bodge-podge of Ollbort and Sulli- van melodies, which ran nine min- utes. This was followed by a spe- cial Pitspatrick short subjoet, de- signed to meet the needs of Labor day, consuming four minutes. Howard Prestoii (Presentations), a baritone with a very pleasing voice and splendid diction, oftered two numbors, soorins nieols^ Six minutes. The news reel was totally com- prliod of Patho and latomatlonai shots, and toA 10 mlnutos of the bUL To MurtSigh, tho organist, went the biggest individual hit honors of the program. Bo worked out a •'Trip Around tho World** novelty in popular songs that had them all singing, laughing and applauding in turn. Nine mlnutos. Doug MacLean started them laughing early with a lollypop gag, followed it with a loss of his dross trousers and finished it with a cork- ing comedy lion hunt that sent the audience Into howls. Tbo picture ran €5 minutes. Frod. (NEW YORK) N^w York, Sept. S. A spoeialty prooontatlon of rather longer duration than usual, it runs close to SO minutes, and a feature that takes up an hour and a quar- ter, leaves little time In a two-hour show for short subjoets. Neverthe- less, thoro ato othot olomonts in tho I wear black velvet coats. Bohemian layout Ibat mako for variotgrin of- headgear and are backed by a drop t_i- At. . , depicting a huddle of small bulld- Cerlalnly there Is no lagging ino- i^^g ^ p^^ch is built out from one ?JS niJ^'thrf^t™'""^^^^ R?riS^ the buildings, and several the nrst place the feature. The Strong I _^„.,^,_^_ -^«»^ %m%\mm Man," which Is tho second plctui5h^f»*^**»» , ff*^**, li •55!!^ featuring Harry Langdon, is rich in r*"***"!* singing at tb* opon- actlon and comedy, and It holds up I ^nCT. . . the body of tho bllf. It would bo a I Amedio, accordionist, at the oon- draw, no matter what the show of- | elusion of the song, plays •'Light fered by way of surrounding pro- of Cavalry" with finesse. This is a gram. Hence, the Incidentals are all I tough break for Amedio—no an ®',*2?®* .w. , nouncement as to who bo la, and en^%S* fni ^dlSnlnrSl^S ^iLcU*^^ thinking he's SSSoitcomeSraiTd^^^^^^^ the orchestra If he had let displays tho strong bid. TheM*^" introduced and his Victor re- results Justify the system abundant- oordlngs mentiOBOd both bo*and the ly. Tho Six English Tlvoli Girls show would have benefitted. , Al with unison dancing, such as the Short entered and led his men in Tiller groups show were a full sized a medley of request numbers, all riot in a dancing ensemble that pop and featuring tbo *?BUt" drum- would do credit to a much more am- some kazoo work. Clicked bltious enterprise than a Picture p^n^^^,^ ^ j^^ck and Witt. Juven theatre revue. These girls and the . „ .^^"L ♦kIi,. *ona Langdon flature make tho whole "^.f^^^^^^^^ show critlclsm-proof. well onough and boeomo original ^t The news reel gives nearly all Its times. An eccentric bit by one of footage to International, which has the boys had quite a few new twists striking views of exercises on a in it. Then a number with real European athletic field of 25.000 quality in its orchestration, a selec- gymnasts assembled from all the tion from Mile. Modiste." The world, slow motion views of a polo strings did excellent work here, game at Rumson. N J., also a lively Qlenn Bennlon, announced ks a SLt. •««on|from tho same Lowboy and droned to lit the part. An educational subject of Inter- Possesses unusual vocal ability, est Is a combined travel and scenic W^^sh and Clarke, vaudeville gag single reeler from the Fox output, act. worked an altered routino be- entitled "Around the World in Ten fore the band, witli the gagging Minutes." It is made up of brief missing at times. The man's com glimpses of the great ocean ports edy dancing toward the close hit of the world from New York harbor tho bouso heavy. **BeSldo a Garden to Shanghai and is full of meat, hpy-^jj ^^x^^ m wblch Short had r fr^^ fjpir" T>lo^f, J,n.fJn!!Va"^'n^^?i^ ^and at Composition, was played by from tneir picturesqueness and for . ^ .^i. , i ». the touches of action worked into orchestra with a closing chorus Stroupe. Mulroe and Kuehling are another effective duo of specialists. Tex Hendriz does a brodltablo fo« rtialo impersonatiott that Is a com* plete fooler because it does not at«« tempt to be too studiously efTeml- nate, "roughing" it up as befits an Amason eolorod wonob. Irvlav Kane does the tried and true but ever effect soup-spoon soloing; Al Roth, eccentric, dances briskly, and Harry Namba tops ovonrthing off sensationally with a literal dancing- on-his-head specialty that la * show-stopper. Obviously, Herman baa aooa to It that his supporting trOttpo Is oC high caliber that is capable of ex- tended offerings. Limited for pic* turo botiao running time, bo paoka plenty of show into the half hour on the rostrum, being perforce com- pelled to curtail his own nifties, and thoso fiimillar wltb Herman's vaudo- ville sesolom that bavo averaged S> minutes or more by himself will appreciate tho extent of the star's hooverialnv of bis talents. Herman suggests limitless possl* bilities with the minstrel idea on the order of a traveling Al O. Fields outfit, as a road attraetlon on his ownsome, with but ono or two mora stellar attractions recruited to round out tho present nucleus of 14. ▼arioQs novelty onsomblo offoebi aro essayed, such as prop "trom* bone" (actually kazoo) instrumenta- tions. -The "Rose-Colored Glasses'* numbor was offoetlvoly droaaod up with a glass hat rigout for the troupe. The personator was fol- lowed by Herman's own monolog- Istib apooialty: ■ thenoo • a llaiby Charleston ensemble. Namba's stunt was impressively heralded as a continental novelty, <^the youth "dancing** tipsldo down on bis cranium, complicating the feat by bouncing up a flight of prop steps. Withal a smacking pictuoe houso act, vorontilo to Its oomponont on* tertalnment acd showmanly >pre- sented. Exry^llent for • anybody's theatre and ^bound to attract un- usual attention, tho mlnstrol Moa being a.d«0artiiro for; tho picturo^ houses. A5e2. NORSHORE (CHICAGO) Chicago. Sept. \, In presenting two vaudeville acts, this l^.ilaban & Katz theatre sue cecds in entertaining highly. The acts are used in place of a pii!Bi!iitiilluii,«iur house show ar- rangement. While they are stand- ard vaudeville turns, they fit per- fectly in a pictur*> theatre with the advantages loaned by picture the- atre starring. Thi^t such acts will fit well has b«eh pointed out In re- ,oont' rovfsws tAudtvillo shows. PROLOG TO ''BLACK PIRATE* (11) 11 Mins.; Full Mark. Strand, Brooklyn, N. Y. Edward L. Hyman has devised a picturesque and highly appropri- ate atmosphoro prolog to Fair* banks' "Black Pirate." the feature at the Brooklyn Strand this week. The Amphion Male quartet, Amund Bjovlk, bass baritone^ and the Mark Strand ballet corps are featured, with the singing four making impressive buccaneers as spotted and costumed. Bjovik with his "O'er the Billowy Boa" solo/ scored individually. '"Sea Fever" (Andrews) is an ap- propriate ensemble opener, followed by Bjovik's solo. ThO ballet's pirate dance next held up and "The Sail- or's Chorus" (Parry) was the en- semble flnalo. An Important feature of all of Hyman's stage presentations are the lighting effects. £ven before tho them', a~trick the Fox editors seem I Bennlon to a girl before aJ prosentatlon. Just preceding the or- to b«vo •podallaod in. ^n»K special set. ^ - Foster and his dog closed the specialties. This familiar vaudeville act was new stuff as far as the Capitol crowd was concerned and it took the applause score on the bill. A hot number by the band Com "SERENADE'* Songs and dancing 6 Mine.; Full (Special) Loow'a tttto, St. Louis (P) A handsomely staged scene as a I pleted, with Amello and his acoor- setting for tho^ orchi|if|itra1 overture dion featured. of Drigo's compositi^ The stage This presentation rates a little Is bung with filmy silk hangings, under the average set by Short and pillars, etc., multi-colored lights his band in prevloua offerings, playing upon it all. In the center | Dragged at Intervals. HoL background are steps leading to a grated ffHto, behind which is a i ^ back drop of Hch blue. Tho sing- AL HERMAN A HliS MINSTRELS ers, man and woman, are sllhou- (15) etted against this. A ballet dancer 35 Mine.; Full (Special) comes on for tho final eborus. In its entlret/T very pretty. It was Don Albert's idea; Edna Wagner and Chester Mertens were tho vocal dubt, and IiOrotta Clark tho danaouse. If you don't advertise in don^ advertise Evidencing possibilities of be- coming a minstrel road attraction, Al Herman's minstrel revue is a corkinp picture house flash. Pack- ing a. lot of variety entertainment, it runs tho gamut in dlvortlsso- ments, ranging from harmony sing- ing to eccentric stcpplnpr. with tho st ar's own unique comedy intelli- gently interspersed. ~~ He has a proocl linrmony quartet in Jaclt Murphy's Broadway Four; a dance specialty team in tho Brady Brothers: Mickey Arnold, ondman, dolng^a Gprdondooley Apache, and ibsb a fiashjr tsnor la - Jaspo^ chestra's overture, when a fetch- ing color effect was in view, they started their plaudits, . This prolog is an oxoollont sample for exhibitors (and they are many) who have yet to play "Black Pirate." With Judicious shopping aroeind for suitable costumes, a singing and ballet nucleus akin to Hyman's out* fit, and Ingenious lightings, the prolog can be made to take on an important production aspect. AheU MARK STRAND FROLIC (22) 17 Mins.; Full and One Strand, New York a A fast, sparkling singing and dancing entertainment has been condensed into a little over quarter of an hour. The bIJou specialty bill has impressive production set- tings as well. John Quinlan, tenor, dors one number, a sentimental selection, with the singer standing in a neat aocorativo transparency arrangea In a drop In *'onc." The 12 girla of the house ballet have a formal num- ber in the ilaring net skirts of tho old school set off with white wigs, tho number Introducing the sold (Continued on ^age *80) , .