Variety (Nov 1926)

VASIBTT VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS Wtdacidfty, Noftmber 3» 1926 ALL-ENGUSH BILL (PALACE) How about an All-American bill now or thenr This All-English bill at tbe KeUh-Alb«o Palace In a repeatar. not in all of Its acta, but In sehame and title. It appear* to be a standing gyp, to eitCh tlia Bnrlteb on the fly and be •ttre of a matinee crowd at the Pal- •ea on off-matlnaa daya at tlte legit. Perhaps that |0 im til* Monday matinee aoalt at tM PaliiM li tto highest. Or it may bo a job agalM Hkm lay-offs of the LamhH, and it's cer talJily something against the Amerl- oitti ky«olftr la iw ni irr l Ha. Hundreds of American acts walk- ing the street or liguring up next waak, both waya, and bera ia an all-English bill for the centennial of vaudeville, if you believe everything dopes out. But 85; a wise cracking agent re marked Monday evming: **Tho Ont Ita years are the hardest and now maybe K-A will go to work." As tha all-£nglish drew a capacity house and early Monday night, wouldn't an all-Americun maybe draw in the Americans? It's worth trying to get the Americans to pat- ronize the Palace, and it's apples this week for $3.20 <$S.90 Sunday). *^untry Store** at the aeO taudo- vlUe house of the country! A numbered ticket goea with every seat eoupon. Drop ona in the box and if you hold the right number, the Apple Growers' Association will send to your home "A Box of Won- derful Apples." Not a barrel nor a bushel, but a BOX. How many? Count *em. But first find who is drawing the number. If you see thf K-A boya mioiolUaf^ aWPloo this Ufaek, guess! ■ ' Jhe unlucky ticket that went with th'ls seat coupon was No. 87.764. That was Monday night, the second performance, so the Palace must have sent up to Proctor's at Troy for some of their left-overs from the last 10 **CouDtry Storea" For the first performances of an all-English bUl, It's useless to gauge applause. Monday evening the or- chestra sotfnded all-English, too. They applauded anything, and this Is what they applaadod: In 10 acta on the program were exactly 20 people, figuring in piano players and assistants. Of the first six acta In the first part but one woman appeared, and that Daphne PoUard <lla# :ilMs). closing the first part . Among tbei other first part turns ware two two-maa daafttog acts, daacing much the same, bat ant of tho turns holding songa. In the flrat yart two other acts were single men. one a singer and the other a ventriloQulst, following aao another. As an all-English bill it was the poorest lay out ever placed on tha Palace aMgra. In the second half of four acta, nothing but women, excepting the BMis danola^ iMTtaor of a toam. Two of the women were Maria Ca- hiU and Cissie Loftus in aaa act. If Mario Cabin to BaglMii; fmust have moved over lately. A couple of earlier turns, but English^ looked aa^lhough thoy-had bo«a ~ the billing allsgatlur la crabbing. lar yoars at tho Palace there has been no bill without a foreign tint. Try an all-Amerlcan and bring down tho vain blcstlaga thai have boon strivott far aa laac and fruit- lessly. Miss FoOard got tho hit of tho »how. Next came the dual woman turn of the Misses Iioftua and Ca- hlU. This was fanny la «Mr •*OM Flower Women." Two has-beens talking over their operations past aad jaosent A stdo bit rockod the house and Miss Cahlll asked Miss L«fiu8 what had become of Nora Hayra. Miss Lollai aaiwilpat' iho heard Nora had gone Into a convent Then the gag, **Jewiah Convent?" with anothor, *inio aoTir niarrlid. did ' and the answer,.•Vdh llW children wouldn't let her." MiPH Shields followed, it boiag said the English girl upon her »*etum over here refused to take her first pro- gram position, opealag tho second part and going into next to closing insteud. Miss Shields started some- what slowly, but flaishod a strong hit with her Englislj, French and Aanertean "Susia" A peach in male togai Miss Shields was aiwaya In front, and kept there to ask forbear- aaco for tho closing turn, danoors. Gasloii aad Aadroe^ now, but at a disadvantage through the position. It's a dance turn of merit, but docldodly Bnglish In tempo. Tho act should be seen In another house and spot, as it couldn't hold thia home going audlonco. The principals have aoaso catches In their adagio work , that border oa tho sensational It ' la a altsr thay wola tkoa opottod. In h«r own single act Miss Loftua — gave t^ uaual Imarossiens to much reception, recoiving plentiful flow- era, as did also Miss Pollard, and Miss Pollard was the first on the i)rogram with a speech. . • Tato' oundat bill to ao fOMlgn r that avan tbo Pathe News was all ■A forolga Monday, mostly shots of soi- 1 diani»ar atber aolema aiiaaa*^ — 4 < • Can* and Parr (New Acts) were tho opoaora with tho Throe Swifts difgir Acta)« Mag aa ald-ttea aet for over here in a club passing turn, although making it more modern through Ulk and attempted com* edy, with Robert Chisholm (New Acts). Australian Baritone, third wholly smothered in the position and Arthur Prince (New Acts), No 4. always the urbane Arthur, cer- tain of himself and making it cer tain, while the DuFor Boys (2) are back again, also doing their double stepping, even though they had to follow the other two hoofers. The new Paramount opens Nov. 19. Llaiaillftig, Pat, dearr dime. STATE (Vaudo-^icts) Good show at the State this week. Packed house and standees Monday night with the screen feature. Douglas Fairbanks in "The Black Pirate" credited for the draw. 8ts acts that looked good on paper played ovtll better. The combination is a good buy for the money, and tho answer why the Hippodrome has ahroady labeled it opposish. Palermo's c:anines, class dog act, manipulated by mixed team, opened and more than held that spot through clever manipulation of the canines and the stunts of the latter, especially the balancing feats of the Jeweled collarod animal. Jessie Millar, next, scored with her instrumentation, employing cor- not, piano aad acoordlon, sending over hot pop numbers with the latter that made her a cinch hit. Monte and X^yons, wop dialos* ticlans. held trey to a nicety with their admixture of comedy bhatter. Toeallsing aad playing of Instru- ments. The preliminary small talk plants th^m with the duo getting right after tho mnsleal staff and holding to finish. Cook and Oatman, mixed team, next, also contributed thoir share of comedy In a bride and groom number for open^, with the song Interspersed with comedy chatter that set them pretty. After that into a straight aong routine that pleased for tho romalador of their time on. Hawthorne and Co<Ao, nut comics and swlng-ovors fnom the K.-A. Circuit, proved a wallop in next to shut, getting over surpris- ingly well In this big house despite their offering being one better | suited to Langdon, tampered Barry's some- what similar attire, and tha acts don't jibe when placed within tO niinutas of each other. Lots of head work In this layout—for the picture houses. If the shows don't keep 'em away pugilistic patrons will. And the doorman stopped two clean-looking youngsters after they had their tickets, asking "When were you IB?** Ho would have done better to let the- kids in. They needed 'em. and two refunds are two refanda at thia house these days. Matinees are brutal with 300 peo- gle at a Friday matinee giving the ouse an estimate break. Half a house Monday night. A couple of more disturbances and there won't be any youngsters to turn down. But give the doorman credit. Ho was right. They need guardians up there. 15 or over. Tho Zclllaa Sisters passed quietly with aerial work la opening. Rus- sell and Marconi failed to get much through their accordion and violin ducting, while Jimmy Russell, aping Langdon as near as possible, walked off to very light applause. Campbell ran into the flreworkH over which he had no icontrol, al- though certain lyrical feting' drew a rumble from the balCony, where they were ignorant of the listicufCs below. Campbell drew a heavy hand when finishing after five songs. Most of it was from downstairs and seemed a token for his having car- ried on during the warfare. Johnny Barry ran away with the ahow in tho dosing spot* Mlaclag up gaga in revue-like blackouts, while stick- ing to a comedy catch line, sent him home easily. The K-A boys had better dig out that educatHmal reel on how to han- dle chewing gam la tbo thea t re ■ ■ and add a aaapla af paragraphs. BMg. AMERICAN ROOF (Vaude-Piota.) They dropped one act eit^o Roof tho first half due to the length of the feature picture. *^arlety.'* The picturo araa probably responsible 'or the business, near capacity. Jako IjUbin kaowa that Roof bunch and has thorn figured Just right. Jake's prescription is to save his heavy comedy turns for tho sec- ond half of tho bin. leave name and add at the box The bill this first half runs to intimate houses because j thia formula. Masters and Grace, of the comedy undertono asides employed and supposedly ad Ub wisecracks, but which seemed to carry far out at the Monday night shuw without straining on the boys* part- Tbe nutty routine of chatter got them from the start and held them with the collection of antique instrumenta that followed, sending them into a panic of laughter and with the boys smart oaoagli to give them sufTlciency. Rose and Moon Revue, 19-people dancing flash, pg o ^ o d tooth dress and diveraifled stepping in tbe closer. Rose and Moon are a mixed toam that know their stopology and demonstrate It, but do not hold the act to themselves, providing oppor- tunity for. oovOfal of tho mixed octet in support to uncork some clever solo as well as ensemble work. Tho act Is a fast ono^ taato- fully costumed, adequately mounted and a good bet for this spot on^any of ■ 81ST ST. (Vaude-Piett) Polite and refined vaudeville draws class audleneoa. Bo some of the booking men claim. Monday night two men half way back in tho list Btroot'a orchostra stood up and took a swing at each other. Craig Campbell was on and doing a quiet song. Tho girl uslMra tore for help; elderly women In the vicinity became unnerved; the male portion of tho houso staff strolled down the aisle to quell the rum9tt% and Campbell kept on singing, Tho pubUelty attendant to tbo vehement sock quieted he of the flsUo urge, but ho might aa well havo lit It goh as whsa ho sat down bis opponent took him from the rear with a woU-tUaod push to tho head. Tos, ahr, aoUta wudeviUo—but bring your gang! Maybe tho boys were fighting over the box of apples in tho raffia. "National Apple Week," lOOth year of vaudeville, the aauco that goes with that and a bad flyo-act show for the current week—not counting what the odmlsshm payon auiy pull on the sido. The scrap thing was the second time tlie usherettes felt duty call. Both Instances came during Camp- bell's sojourn with his pianist. It didn't do thia singer any good, naturally, nor the house either. Tbe previous disturbaaoo was trifling. Just a couple of youngsters talking their heads off in the balcony foyer, but audible aU over the lower floor. What they really needed Monday night up hero was a piano with a nickel slat, gamohody aUght have danced. Not a step on this bill, ynlaai you want to count Johaay Mtrf^9 aaa* ceptlon of a buck, and that lAust kMt aH of to aoconds aayway. Bo-, sidoo tha Barry ii o m dH ^mmp'^kM were Russell and Burke la Harry Laagden's "Johnnys New Car.** B ma eira aMtatrla makeup, much bowayor, In third position, aro a comedy turn, but tbe girl handles most of it. Tho act ia novel in setting at leasC Tho pair make an entrance, he Hding a bike, and she sitting on a trailer behind. The girt *^uts^ all ever the place and makes them like It. Maulers does straight and also turns in two neat dances In doublos with her. Ahead were Sang and Ah Chung, duo of pleasing singers in Chinese costttBM. TiMy formorly appeared in a quartet billed as Orientals. Tho turn without tho latitude al- lowad for Chlnoas, would qualify aa light. A sure fire finish retained from the old turn ia a double Scotch song aad daaeo with one member revealing women's under-apparel beneath his kilts when ho spins. WUI Aubrey aad Co. (Now Aets) closed the first half strongly In "Show Business," credited to Dar- bey Aroaaen. After intermission the Fen wick Girls opened to a recaption and closed to strong applausa from oao section of the house. Tho presence of a couple of employees of a music puMlshor may hava oxplalaod It. The boys need no rehearsal. Wilkins and Wilkins, sure-fire duo always^ held tho next to closing position and walked off with the hit of the biU. What a straight woman that blondo Is! Tho matorlal dr.esn't count with this pair; it's delivery, feeding and personality. They novor muff a point and aovOr talk on a laugh: Wilkens' tap- dancing is flawless. Most of the ir cross-flro was familiar but dMMbr big returns aided by the man's mugging and the w<»nan*8 excellent toning. Watklns* *'Clrce La Petite." a fast, clean, snappy dug and pony turn, closed the vaudeville portion. The leaping; greyhounds, three in num- ber. Include "Blue Boy." announced as tho champion or the world in- doors. He jumped C feet. 10 inches on the Roof with a very short take- off. June and Irene Melva opened In a swift, likable xylophone double turn. The girls after a numbttr on the xylo. play upon bottles con- cealed behind a drape. When thi.s Is lowered the lineup of boose con- tainers Is good for a lau^h. The music from the anLi-Volsteads sounded sweeter than any combina- tion of bells and also out-toned the xylophone. They liked the afit^here for two aacoros. office. Tho apple growoflT ^fHifl- tlon is making its annual dma. At this huuse In particular this is all-fun w§ek, so stated on tha house bills, which probably meant the first half show. Fairly successful. That was so bocauso Dr. Rock- well himself was present. Dr. Rock- well, press agent of the spinal col- umn and knight of the tin whiatic The doc was a tiit fast for tho na- tives, but there were plenty w^ho got him, and the giggling was gen- eral when ho toe^ hia broawlng exercises In accompllrillnff tho finale of the "ovorture.'* It seems as though the doctor was best when en.sconsed In a chair, so that the "blood shall leave my legs and rise to tho tonsils for tho hem- orrhage of hokum." Not only in his own act but during that of tho dancing Merediths, who closed the [show. They are always on the bill with Rockwell, and his observations of their terpsichorean efforts while he was planted in an upper box seat got aa much if not more laughter aa when tho doc was on the stage. The Merediths are neat workers, but it's a great idea for Rockwell. C. B. Maddock brought out a new turn, "The Final Rehearsal (Now AcU), which showed directly ahead of Rockwell. On third to rather good effect was Grade Deagon, who now has Charles Cannefaz -doing straight. The routine foUowa close- ly to that formerly presented by Miss Deagon and her former part- ner. Homer Dickinson. Cannefax has developed considerably in the last year and seemed a very good foil for the little "nut girl." Allan Reno (New Acts) was sec- ond and the six-act show was opened by tbe Blum Trio, one of the neatest of acrobatic trios, who moved down from the Palace, where they closed tho show last week. The feature picture was "The Campus Flirt.'" Business Monday night good but not capacity. ibee. 5TH AVE. (Vaude-Picta) At Ubis point and elsewhere it is anple week, so those were reminded who dlanced at a booth in the lobby., A fellow with haysoed olothoa waaM proffer a glass of cider If asked, aad a basket of ap- ples was sent to tho patron ho'kling tha ticket aumber that aomebody dt^w backstage to save time. At least. Dr. Rockwell announced the aumbtr and told tbe winaei' to HIPPODROME (Vaude-Pcts) Looks like the show of almost tliree hours for 50c. if making more of a hit with the men than with the women, judging from the audience at the HiM>odrome Monday night. Lower floor of the big house was filled as curly as 7.46, and 76 per cent, of the audience wora men. That being true also at tho mat- inees, from reports made on the house It would indicate that tho combination vaudevUle and picture policy is taking the pUco of the burlesque show la tlm ailoetlOBa of the men. Just why the women are passing up the Hip ia something of a mys- tery. They give Loew's State a good play. It is possible that they don't, know where <tb avonua la or it's too Tar from Broadway. This week's show proves to be a mighty good little vaudevlllo bill of its kind. Entertaining, and the two outstanding hits of the evening from the six acts offered wora WlUie Solar, who singled down next to closing and cleaned tho audience (they asking for more aroa after he had made his usual speech) find the flash act, "Around the World" (New Acts) which preceded hhn. Tho lat- ter was a solid hit and is a corking turn to be considered for a picture house presentation as it sta|ids with only eight people, but people who can do things. They looked as though they flUod tha big Hippo- drome stage. Julius LenEberg and his small aggregation of musicians tried their beet with two minutes of an over- ture and then played the accom- paniment to tho Pathe Newq Reel, tho Hip management trying to give the impression that this news reel is something special through the medium of a bpecial aimouncement for it. It didn't fool anybody. Opening the show the iM Varrc Brothen and Miss Plngree man- aged to intei*est. Miss Pingree doesn't mean anything to tho act but the two men certainly doUYor In acrobatics and comedy. ^ ^..-ge Rosley and Helen Qunther presenting "A Group of Songs" fared decidedly well on second. The pair harmonize nicely and look good, although it wouldn't hurt Miss Qunther to smile occaaionally and try to Impress the audieneo that ahe really enjoyed trying to enter- tain them. There were five num- bers contributed by this pair, a fea- ture of the turn being the rapid changes which they made through underdresslng. The latter possibly not understood by the audience and therefore the idea clicked. Handera and MlUlm in "This and That" were a comedy hit with eccentric stuff. The boys worked hard and kept the audience on edge. Closing the show John R. Agee's Performing Horses proved to be most interesting, and the work of tbe trio of broWns earned frequent applause. Agee's opening with a corking looking black caught the fancy of the audience, and when he started to work the three horses without commands the audloaco was i^dy to believe everythhlf that he told them about the act, Vnlvorsars feature. "Mm It ffeta Me.** with Reginald Denny sUrred. proved the comedy hit of tho bilL Laughs galoro for tt. Whole show rag twa hours and 5t minutes. /Ytd» BROADWAY (Vaude-Plots.) No question about the Hippo* drome hurting this heretoforo money maker. The merit of the show this week with a Fiist Na- tional-Colleen Moore feature, not sensational, but above Broadway average grade, seemingly cannot competo with tha lllp*a M-cont admission scale. At least two of the acta at the Muss house currently can step into the Palace, if one proceeds on tho ancient premise that the Palace is a graduation into faster company, and click as resoundingly aa they did at tho Broadway. Five of tho seven acts ara now and all worthy, including Fuller and Striker, The Four of TTh; Shaw and (Carroll Revue; Fenton and Field (new skit) and Les Gems and Co. In between, "Amateur Night in London" is a sure-fire hoka act that permits for a multitude of vaude- ville sin dependent on the facility and mental agility of the box- "plant** and his audible commenta- tions on the Inferiority of the gosh- awful "entertainment." One of t6m pulls a fast one by switching to a sympathetically effective tenor, tho change of pace from tho anslsttng sextet's studied putrl^nsoa mittna for happy returna. Lillian Morton, an energetic pop songstress, got to 'em strong, fol- lowing the "amateur" turn. She should eschew tho balhids and go in only for the novelty and the comic. She registers particularly strong with the dialect. Colleen Moore's "It Most Bo Love" is below her standard but above par on the Broadway's flicker sehodule, this house, along with the allied Keith, Proctor and Mosa theatrea experiencing a dearth of availabla film matorlal. . AbfK WTH SI. (Vaudo-PMaliJ Among the privileges enjoyed by residents of the middle east side is that of relaxing In one of the 58th street box seats and reveling in screen announcements of tho good things the house is going to have tho last half of the week. It gives ono something to anticipate and practice in relaxing in one of those kitchen chairs is warranted to steal one agalaat tho other adyarai- tles of lif*. ■ This week to make it even harder, they screen a long trailer provided frea of cost to the management by the Apple Growers' Association, showing an acidulous old gentle- man drinking cider. This is to ex- plain that Oct. 30 to Nov. 6 is Na- tional Apple week. What It has to dp with a vaudeville show, you can search this faithful reviewer, unlesa KeithrAlbee is promoUiMI « dry campaign on its own. After they had propositioned tho customers for a repeat later in the week, they put on a six-act bill, mixed in quality and mostly very small time. Three turns were new —Nita Calvi. straight singer; "Al's Here,." singing comedy sketch from Charlea B. Maddox's workshop, and Janot Rippen Revue (all New Acts). Belleclaire Bros, opened and proved to bo tho boat specialists In tho ruanlng. This pair of finished gymnasts are the last word in hand to hand acrobatics. One item of the routine Is a half turn !n the air by the top mounter from a hand- to-hand to a hand-to-foot hold. They havo a great applause finish in an elaborate mochanical ap- paratus that takes them fron *'oBe'^ to full stage. The top mouatsa slides down a chute. Koes through a loop-the-loop and "flies" to a hMd* to-hand catch. Spectacular. NIta Calvi was No. 2, a very light number anowed under partly bc- cauao It waa tha second number^ without comedy. "Al's Here" helped by holding laughs. Joseph £. How- ard couldn't miss with his routine of "the songa I wrote In the good old days," especially here, the para- dise of old timers. Anita Case at the piano and seconding Howard in his songs with an impressive so- praao la a yalaablo aid, both by her voice and her classy appearance, thily she didn't take tho trouble to drees very well for this data. How- ard starts with a couple of Irish dialect stories, only fair in sub- stance and manfter of telling. Raw* ever, they liked him riotously. Smith and Sawyer have a nice looking young woman who does the feeding to a rather self satisfied young man. The talk is rich tn puns and heavy gags that have served the profession In general, but the talk routine has a eort of flash merit, partly beeaime It la put over with supreme self confldenco by the young man, who is a com- posite of George M., Bert Wheeler and Jack Osterman. They finish with a fair eccentric dance and a comedy number and of course, draw applause. Janot Klppen'a Revn* r!ftii#d_the bllt "Campne wSf^^miMkM^ Daaiela waa the ieatara. Capacity. i(a«k. If Yai Das'l Mntt^ k VAUm Dw't AMie