Variety (Nov 1926)

November 10» 1926 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK VARIETY 17 MOOT GIBSON 7iv HopI U»di«n« It Mln«.| Fu" ^ Calviiv M«rtlUMiiptwi, MaMi Tkit Mt has bMtt travellaf mroUoA the outlying theatres of IfaMachuAetla. Am a week-end at- traction for vaud^vUI* t straight plotur* hoiMM It la a atronar one. 9bia If because of ita educational angle that can be turned Into a big play in appealing to school pupila of kindergarten to high achool agea. For the older persona it's not so Biuch. but the novelty of seeing it la a theatre has some appeaL Xri. Hoot QihaoB. at tho atart of the act. ia announced aa the cus- todian of the five Indians and also aa the wife of the western film atar. •nien alio rolatao tho htatonr of the tribOt oto. One Indian bangs a war drum and sings as accompaniment for the dancing b^ the other four. There are a Tarloty of daaooa. The climax of the act ia reached by the Indians doing the Hopi snake Altnce. Bach drawa a anake from m cage oad they danco about with UiiWii. laying the reptilea on the floor and tickling them with, a feather to arouae them, and finally holding tho anakes lor thoir mouths as they conclude the danco^ Two of the Indiana sing native aongs, and one gives a talk to demonstrate their laiiguage. The act cloaea with tho Indiana doing their idea of the "Charleston." A live-wire houae manager can turn thia act into a real money- getter by going after tho achoola In ballyhoo fashion. At the matinee at the Calvin there must have been 1,000 children. MORRIS and CAMPtlLI. Muaioal Faroe It Mina.! One and Full (Special) Maoo (tt Vau^) Lewia and Young aithored thIa new one for the rejoined Morris and Campbell pair. The farce calls for a aupportlag oaat of two. Katharine Malley and Phil Sllvera It has a wisp of plot and an "audience" twUt Opening in full atage^ aon telle mother pop ia in front of the Palace, looking at a picture of Flo Campbell, his for- mer wife. Opo (Morria) cornea homo in timo to waah the diahea and be bawled out Getting out on a pretext of shop- ping, he and aon appear in a boa. Miaa Campbell atepa out la *'obo^ for a song and crossfire between her and the pair develop consider- able comedy. At this point Morris haa aomo good gaga and pulla laughs by bribing the boy with nickels every time he howls. They mount the stage ^fter a bit and papa ahowa aonny how he ean act. His wife walks on aa he Is embracing his former partner. This cues them into a song by Flo with Morria being Importuned between linea to "Come on Homo** by his spouse and ofTspring. A finish is both women objecting to their« roles fii the act as both want to sing the same song. It develops into a quartet for the finale. The act, aa concema plot,«ia far- fetched, but alibied by the farce classification. It should work out into a satisfactory akit Morris haa plenty of scope for comedy and lines. Miss Campb'ell never looked prettier or sang better. Con. WISER and NEWMAN Comedy Variety Turn 16 Mine.; Full and One (Special) ilil <V.*f».) Al Wlaer (Moran and Wiaer) and liou Newman compose this new turn, with Wiser ge,tting top billing and Newman "aaalatlng." A full stage aet used for the bpenlng includes an imitation tee. Wiaer handlea the trick golf ahots. . HrlTlng off flvo halls In a row into ttio wings. He also doea an "ap- proaOh to the green" series with Newman catching the balla which too 'lottpod.'' ' Newman handlea comedy and wears eccentric garb. The "boom- Orange hats with the audience in- Tolf led Into ir by being aliowod to throw hats, sini^lar to tho old Mo- ran and Wiaer bit, also works up laughs. For a llnlsh ^o pair* atop down Into '*one." Newman changes to Scotch get up for a aong while Wiaer plays a saxophone and twirls h drum majok^s baton. ' The new act should please any Taudeville audienca. Bovel and coIorfuL It is fast, C(M. FABIANO Mandolin Soloist 14 Mine.; One and Three Mark Strand, Brooklyn, N. Y. (Pc^) •Fabiano wisely calls stressed at- tention to his instrument in the bnilng, it being a smart stunt. As a Tfartuoao of tho mandolin, this heretofore unknown (to this re porter) instrumentalist rates with tho beat, if not of ultra proportions Tho routine la oaanlly laid out •Waters of tho Minnetonka," med- leyed with "Tea for Two," is the •tarter of a cyciS of favorite pro dttotlon and popular standard num hers. Follows Toselli'a "Serenade," which permits Eldora Stanford, the •opranOk to vocal aolo the number With the Mark Strand Ballet Corps Hi the background. •Indian Love CaU" and "Who" Is amacking cloaer, forcing an en- eoUNTESS MOQENAt FAN^ TASIE8 (•) Tab Revue 20 Mine.; Full SUge (Special) Hippodroaif (V^F} Tabloid roTUO differing flrom the general run in having more class in personnel, musical quality and pre- tentiousness in dressing. Turn la made up of three women aingora acting as show girls and three chorus men who have splendid voices, a coloratura soprano, wo- man violinist (soprano and violin- ist probably ara the same), and mixed team of dancers, Bishop and Lynn. There Is. aa taitroduotory olt of song by the six men and women, upon which Bishop and Lynn break in for a Spanish dance^ lively and sightly. Coloratura haa « Solo, one of lighter arias, before a drop in one." Back to full stage, where mixed duet in a transparency pose and aing another operatio number, While the dance pair, after a change, do a bit of stepping, partly adagio, partly acrobatic. r Woman vlollniat aoloa for another change of scene to fancy interior, with, the six doing a minuet and singing. Dance team back for an adagio la tho form of a sort of Apache arrangement, doing their best in this specialty. The woman of pair is small and shapely, looks well la acant oostttmo, and- both in her atepa, leapa and J^oalags looks particularly trim. The singing, both ensemble and solos, is far above the grade usual- ly found in this type of act, being the classiest group of singers noted in a tab revue. They would fit nicely In a presentation for the beat prrade of picture houses without a change in the present routine. They would do- even better, in that field than In fast. Jazzy, eateh-as-catch can vaudeville hill. NED WAYBURN CO. (17> "Variety Show"* (Revue) On9 and Full Stage (Special Sets) •Ik Avo. (V-F) With 12 choristers and flvo pria* cipals, Ned Wayburn appears to have built "Variety Show" in revue style to ahow off hia dancing achool pupila. ThIa It does. If tho torn had the assistance of aome real comedy, a very good tab would havo 'l^fi tho reault. A couple of apeciallata and both girls are attractive in dancea One ia Virginia Bacon, who toea very well, and the other Shirley Rogers, a girl who kicka ao prettily front- wards with both feet, withal look- ing well, that she should coach up on back kicka and aook aomethlng better. In the choristers Waybum haa a sturdy loL They must be sturdy as well aa youthful to go through theao ezorclaea of Waybum*a three times daily. One .of the early num hers for the girls alone, a sort of first lesson for amateur dancers as might be given in tho studio after a few hours would ordinarily tax any girl not in perfect condition. In- cluded are not only ezerclaea but limbering up and reducing move- ments. This number is good enough in that way to have an announce ment, either slide or verbally, giv- ing it more importance aa move- ments for women who want to take off weight. Alao it might go down nearOr oloainir. In other numbers thw girls do good work in the chorus and Way bum way. Some Black Bottom stepping is tried for and one num beryls entirely of that, but«thero*s not a good black bottomer In the act. A nice little tap dancer comes out la tho person of *3uater' Mason. "Buster" can tap but it look too hard and haa not been taught anything evidently except "tapping.** Some day Ned may ao* cure an Instructor who can teach his pupils to sell their stuff on the stage after they have learned it. Eddio Foley Is tho oomedlaa hut if h^ haa any material to oommede with, he does nothing with It. His two-act partner. Lea Leture ia alao la tho yrodaotloa tarn wtthovt ean- ing for notla%r JTmIe LateaOk la the Juvenila Thia ia atrlctly a girl chorua aet, with aomo of Waybum'a former numbera In it. However the girls themselves may be able to put it over for in the dancing and nalson work Waybm kai a* act Sottlnsa Hupa thSM la snfllelent quantity at least and at times the oostuming ia pretty, making the girla look ao much the better for It, bat tho glEla aaa yoaag and comely in the main even if their sinking la almost aa terrible aa the comedy. The latter oonaiata of a couple of blaok-outa aad a tia tos ly strong" bit, all flopping. Aa the Wayburn turn carrioa two specialty acta (Four (Htoaa and Foley and Leture) It could take up the entire portion of a pop vaude- ville bill that divMea he perform- anoo with a picture^ Anyone who can use a girl act with 13 real danc- ing girls who can do a little of almost every kind of atepping in- dudinff ^ Waybura standard steps, also a suggestion of Tiller's and the buck besides toe dancing and the Black Bottom, won't miss with this turn. But for real Importanotf aa a vaudeville attraction It must have comedy in place of that now called that,"^'" . ' r (Spec. WHITING and BURT (1) Songs and Talk 22 Mins.} One and. Three Set) Orphoum (St. V), Los Angoloa George Whiting, having se^ him- self in the oil drilling business, and not t>eing mechanically inclined, re- united professionally with hia wife, Sadie Burt, and returned to vaude- ville after about six months' ab- aence. The duo have a new routine of apeolal and pop aonga uSIng Ed- die Weber in the pit. They have some smart talk by Al. ?<'visbers and one number by Blanclio .Merrill, la a aort of 'Mascot** to this Open with a lyriclzation of a Mexican scene from the Willard Mack play, "The Dove.*' Whiting doea the gay Mexican cavalier, while Miss Burt is the dance hall girl. The lyrics are constructed in sell- ing fashion with the number a "wow" to start with. They do sev- eral pop numbers and single with one, a "Bulgarian" done by Whit- ing, not suitable to his talents. With a turn breaking In cold at this hoUSe that Is easily remedied. The Blanche Merrill "Jumping Into Something** number Is one of those matrimonial affairs and a per- fect gem. Another double number In front of a fireplace setting -is "A Little Thought,** one of thoae talky affairs which alwaya hitf. tiKi sentimental. Turn la nicely droaaed and mount- ed and most suitable for thia atand- ard turn which always garners a feature spot on any of the bljg bills. HACKETT mni DIWMAII lUvua ''Luxuries*' 20 Mine.; One and Full (Special) Palaoe( St Vaudo) Jeanotio Hackett and Harry Del- mar have produced another win- ning scenio and entertainment revue in "Luxuriea.** Miaa Hackett ia eredited with doaigning the acen- ery and costumes. They are gor- geous. Delraar put on the dancea^ on the same high plane. The chorus of eight includes Hel- en Miller, Gladys Miller, Irene Grif- tith, Mury O'Kourke, PrlacUla Thompson, Edna Norria, BlUlo So« dore. Betty Relman and Marglo Hulllok, and how they can dance! Mo»t hold over from the annual Hatiiott and Dtimar acts, whlsli as- plaina their proflciency in tho bal- lets and ensemble dances. Miss Ilackett looked ravishingly beautiful in "Fine Feathers,** posod high up stage In white silk tights surrounded by a gigantic feathered fan. Her other costumes alao were in oxQvlall* taste and set off her blonde beauty. Her singing and dancing got over to nice returns on every appearance. Delmar also turned in two cork- ing solo dances In addition to hia downstairs split dance at the fin- ish. Tho chonia, in addltloa to their work in back of the princi- pals, stepped out with applause- landing apecialUea in the finale Fabiano is -an unassuming per- former, strumming hia mandolin Without any pretenaiona and letting the effect of his muaio speak for it- aelf. It aaya plentTr aa doea the| aadionoe reaction. AbaL ALLAN RENO Comedy and Violin 11 Mins.; One Fifth Ave. (V-P) •Allai( Reno la probably froia Bng- land. He said, after a scoring finish, that he had not been Iii port long but, anyhow, would do the Black Bottom. Stzeept for aomo of] the hand motlona. It wasn't that at all, but the dancing got the young ■aan ofC to a very big liand. Hono opened with allk topper, monocle and auch, ofTerlng a snatch B ong, some chatter and then J*ther neat tap dancing. He lost nls accent when announcing an im- pression of a French bandmaster. S'cp it he tousled his hair and car- rted a violin. After travesty stuff, no Aowod atraight fiddle music and jh*n as he played went Into danc- ing. Reno finished a lot better than no atarted In the No. 2 apot. CAGNEY and VERNON ''A Broadway Romeo* (Skoteh) 11 IMina.; Two (Special) American Roof (V.-P.) Combination ia newer than the skit despite dlaguiao In chango of title. It'a none other than "Lone- pomo Manor,** which Frank Dixon did over the big time, supported by two others. In rearrangement at least five minutes running time has been lopped off. The action centers around the out-of-town newspaper ataad In Times Square, represented fii the special drop. Cagney makea a worthy substitute in the Dixon role of tho native wlaeraokor, handUng the glib remarks to a nicety. Miss Vernon is attractive as tho little "hick" from Kokomo but seemed too wen droaaed for a damo sup- posed to be up apraln«t It In the pruning process some of the chuckles have been edited out, which d e can^t h e lp th e g e n e r al re suit But It's new to the time It's playing and ought to go over on U»e smart stufC. Did well In No. 5 on this seven- act bill M^^Tv TiT ht. Jffdbo. IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE IN VARIETY DONT ADVERTItS RACINE AND RAY Talk; Song and Danoa 1 11 Mina.; One Hippodrome (V-P) This two-woman turn was re- viewed aomo three years aia and chlded for their risque material and obvious burlesque antecedenta. Keeping thia in mind, the preaent routine auggeata that the team took it very much to heart and consulted an author to outfit them with a de natured vohlcla. The reault ia very much without a Idck.**' One enters on a rickshaw, this planting the globe-trotting idea and tho talk from then on If as univor- aal in acopo aa their Cook'a tour. It ranges from national customs to the usual romance wiae-cracka, a suggestion of tImlaasL nameless, ahameleaa "feeda" and "cracka." The trouble waa that the laugha on the pointa came few and far ho- Several beautiful beflowered dropa, huge Sphinx from which Misa Delmar made an entrance for her snakO daaciai aai a grand atalrway, were a few of the acenic flashes. The act Is elaborately produced with no cheating. It will have to got fjieaty ponalea In vaudevilto and If It doesn't would have no trouble booking the best of the picture houses, where it should be a senaa* Ilea, «■ ■ ■■ '-'Coat BAM< ARTHUR PRINCI "The Love Affslr* Ventriloquist 1i Mina.1 Three (•poelall Palaoo (tL Vaudo) Held over for a aecond we^ at this house Mr. Prince introduced a new ventriloquist turn, writtaa by himself and titled, **Tka Love Affair of Yussif Hassan." The act oarriea a apodal set, of a scene laid between tho first and second cataracta on the Nila Don Prince (son of the English artist) played Yussif Hassan, Arab prince; Arthur Prince, tho eomaiandlng omcer of IL M. S. Dahaboyah, and "Jim** the dummy, an English sailor OWAL and full of "haaheesh** until discovered by hia eommaador. "Jim's" explanations of his move- ments for the three days he has beon missing ia one of the most humoroua things ^rlnoo has over created. His duolog with "Jlra** Is aa realistic and artistic aa In his other turn, whJch has beea pointed to as th e high e st e« aa i p l e e l v ei triloquial perfection. The new turn has "atmoapherev" plot and the Prince personality and class, hut It ia doubtful If It will find the same favor with present vaude- ville audiences over here aa his former atandard, due to the locale. €fon» They interpose a eoupJe of dittlea and top off with a tap dance to a legitimate curtain and a atolen aec- ond bow. ' . AUik LOUit WRIQHT Sonoa .' .. 14 Mine.; One ' Slat fl|t. (V-P) Feminine aongatreaa offering apo- dal material with a powerful vaudeville voice that should rate an early apot on the preaent-day bill. An Introduction ia framed about Miss Wright's imitotloaa hotog ao good the orlglnala have asked her to eliminate them, after which aha does a Dutch lyric, then an immi- grant, the same girl a year later with the final number listening as the only released song ia the routlnew The wordings are aimed for com- edy and connect but lightly. Miss Wright'a voice, a certain amount off aelf aaauranoo and coatumo Ohaagoa outscore the lyrical phraalng. Spotted No. 2 and playing, to less than 400 people at a matinee. Miaa Wright fared aa well aa oould ho expected In lieu of tba ualaapirlng circumatancea. 4Mf|P» BEN MARKS and ETHEL Comedy and tofiga 18 Mins.; One - State (V P) Ben Marks haa yet to really find himaelf. He haa done a alngle. atarred la k Honaaa Tlmberg flaah act and la baok again in a new ve- hicle, -Crossworda," by Dolph Sing- er, with Ethel aa the feminine atraight alao contributing voeally but not aenaationally. Marks Is a Juvenile Tld romlr with a spotty manner of working. He ahifta pace and reglstera with each nuance of comOdy vein, more a tribute to hia Btannorlams than manncra It*a a cinch the erossword puzzle tAma. tm a M» « W « h^fnr^ WUrlr CLEMEN'S HAWAIIAN BLCRi (16) Nativa Orchestra 11 Mins.; Full Stage (Speoial Drop) Hippodrome (V-P) Biggeat and beat-looking outfit o( Hawaiian musicians so far. Voar^ teen msa aro la' tho group, five playing thoae slurring harmonica oa the guitara, one at the piano, leader with vlOUa^ and others with adxod native instruments. ^ They run mostly to American popular numbera, with only ahori bll•^«f Mklag BawmMaa maiadlaB. The routine ia up to date from cur- rent lists. For. the finish they play accompaniment for a alim hula dancer la havi Hi* aad Sh r s d d ed wheat, who l9 Jfetty loose around the hips for the sedate Hippodrome clientele, but gets by because aho Is young and tft» la Utum, A sec- ond hula dancer, also baro of leg and plumper, takea a few diacreet ahakea but doesn't puU anything siliUtaii^ tasaass with her physical ptfoportlona it would start a riot. Musiciana are in formal dothsa with tho paper necklace aa tha mark'of raca Music ia alwaya agreeable and charming la the Ha<- waiiaa fashion, which haan't tha vogue It had. This explains tha position, opening the bill, probably. The dancing girl gives the act its punch. They liked it emphaticalir at tho HippodroSMk TJottom—In this post-Charlfston era. As far as tho royalty end of it is concerned, Marks forgets that Once ho geta Into atrida. It mattera even irss. That he stopped the show '^f'^'^'K^ well for hia comedy flare and docs not credit the libretto. Abel "NITE CLUB REVUE" (21) Road Unit PantOffosi Baa PN ms la aa Up ia Spokane thia Pantagea show Is reported to have tied tho house record. Eiaenlioro prior to ozhlhlting oa Ifarkot Btraai It haa done very well at the box office. Yet aa an entorjUUnmoat U'a flal aa a pancake. Tho gathered ap odds aad aala at the late Will Morrissey Music Hall Revue make poor material, and with Will Morrlaaey and Eddie Bor« doa mlostoig If s proCty hopoHoa. practically all of the scenery, cos- tumes and bita, as well aa many of the participanta of tho Muaio Hall flop aro la oa tho Taadavllia flyer. It probably coat no more than the salaries, fares and hotel billa of tho troupe to launch it on tho Pam time, aad U oortalaly oaa't bo ox* pensive to operate. That'a mostly what*a wrong. It*a cheap and looka it Pantagea had been bringing out too many crack* orjnrk acta and stellar headllnera for this to cut any figure on hia whole circuit It's tiUe la the beat b. o. thing about it AlthouKh when revel wed It had lioen playing locally several days^ the performance was indifferent as r«nrawi« ffft.rfwdination between nlav* rr3, orchostra and stage crew. Nu« iitorous stage waits, delayed cuca^ and not one of the black-out aklta properly timed. The performanco wus further handicapped by dls- ttirb.inces in the audience, noisy children, etc. Outside on the marqueo ''M ebo*