Variety (Nov 1926)

VARIETY REVIEWS Wtinttdax, Novwnber 10, 1926 dMlcned to lur« the stase. Bliffhtly In error. Only 12 ehoms lirla un- toM the bouse wm eountlns ita ush- «Mtte«» who M «r«MMd mdro like ohorinee than aisle prowlers. The chorus was okay on looks and danced well enough, but left no dmniaant tap r easlon. In their en* semble work the absence of the needed adagio or featured diince team was keenly noticeable. Win Iforrlaatir was also an- nounced out front, although inside another wore his silk lid. Midgle Iflller was present. Also Pierre tl^te and Walter Weems. the lat* Itr having the most diverting spe- aliJty by far and compressing the BiOtfl liMgha within th« ahortest ■pace of time. Tom Kelly earn* In for the local week. Joining the troupe here evidently to bolster It with the AbMnea of Morrlssey. In substance the "Pantages Nite Club Revue is pretty thin stuff. It had the element of novelty in pree- 90mdwik and given fh« «iiitMiiers respite from conventional running orders, but this ia offset by the lack of the snap so essential to the flhtrt skit and specialty style of en- tertainment. The laughs are spaced too far apart; n^kterial too ancient and familiar. It eadnraa Murly M^^^^^H much too long, Shortenc*' b|P ' .10 minutes and offered in conjunction With a good featupe picture, it prob- aft^ won't annoy tho^FiM MMi- M'^tea'woh. • YAUDEVniE REVIEWS •KELLEY and HEIT Rfvua (9) Songs, Talk« Dancing 80 Mins.{ Ono and Three (•iMeiat) Brosdway (V-P) Hodge-podge conglomeration of material, Skelley romping through hap-haiavily and elowiilng to mwe or less results. Before a "dead pan" audience of half a house he didn't fare so well but pushed the issue to ring in a flvo-mtejMa«Oiico1re, In- troducing thi« wHh an ttMali«d*lor speech. The act opens in ''one*' with Skel- ter amking i^one calls and getting comedy replies from the four grirls. Thence into full stage, where one •f tha flrlii offers kicks, two buck In phosphorova costumes and Miss Heit sings a pop number. Skelley, meanwhile^ la running all over the The enoora had tha fominlne quartet In costumes of yesterday, Bkelley Mting It for laughs and finally lIHng a gnn to gat '^ off atage. • All miscellaneous matter slappad into a iiormal 15-minute act. 1Vhai# thayra tn a bettor frame of mind tttalley can probably make 'em laugh more than he did here Monday night. The verbal gags ariin ao goo^ tha aaaqlo getUng his main play from carrying props back and forth across the stage while the others are routining. EDITH KLAPPER snd Co. (S) MusiCt Danca. Songs It MIns.; Fail-auge (Special) City Edith Klapper,. an attractive bru nette, undertakes versatility a trifle bayatod har aeopa tn tklo ^amM^ Opening in beautiful Spanish cos- tume she does a short dance to vio- lin, piano and banjo accom]pan^- mailt. Her aaali^ta i^t§-v^lSi04 malea in flipaiiiah aaattna sM a fbl pianist. Znaoarding a dress, she is under- draased for her nett na a sh ar , a mild rendition of "Say It Again." A piano solo follows. Comedy leader in the pit next attempts comedy by *^amMimaaiiiantai*' ^Mmt m Prm th accent and comedy mustache, etc. ♦1 Wish I Had My Old Pal Back Again" is Miss Klapper's next. For a aha ia dressed in shabby black, seated on a park bench. The inevi- table dramatic recitation is worked hi about the poor little girl who laat the boy back home. Vhidtng a gun on the bench, she attempts suicide and is saved by a passerby. He offers a drink, and a comedy awitch la obtained when ha ahoots her for draining his flask. A banjo solo well rendered by one of the males follows and the leader was at it again with a comedy speech. Miss Klapper. In fetching black short costume, bare legs, sells "Don't Take Black Bottom Away" and doea a ^It of tha dance. It Is her best number, and even this one Is delivered with a dramatic con- ception. She and the leader do an "Itch." — (Straight Vauda) Distreaa algnals are helnr flown from the Palace, New York. The house is shot and staggering from taking it on the chin from its own organization and the deaf and dumb parlors where they can get a course dinner for six bits top. Ten acta Monday night, probaMy the most colorful show that has played the house in weeks and the lower floor half empty. What an audience! Main Street, Sandusky. O., would qualify as a smart date in comparison. Maybe it's the hotel trade night but more maybe the former smart vaudeville audiences have departed for parts unknown or the picture houses^ Gags, that used to be snapped up and digested before they hit the apron, now drift mirthlessly up the centre aisle and out the front door unless they are allowed a half min- ute to penetrate. Arthur Prince (New Acts), the greatest ventriloquist who ever made a chunk of wood animate, spotted third, worked with a be- wildered look on his face that said as plainly as though he carried a lanner: "What am I up againstr' They apiHreolated tha exquisite finesse of his conversation with his wooden assistant, but the story of the turn, an unusual novelty, was utterly wasted except when it de- generated to the broadest kind of gags. Prince, originally spotted second after intermission, switched places on the bill with Beverly Bayne and Co. at night. Miss Bayne gave them something they could get their teeth into. A broad farcical skit about a husband who insists upon leaving wifey alohe while he plays poker with the boys. The former screen hand maiden has an unusual sense of eomady and brings much more to vaudeville than the average picture actress. She has a corking support In Louis Tanno and Hobart Cavanaugh, the latter a find in a light comedy role. The show ran until all haura, with the commuters blasting through the Clemens Belling act. assigned to the sacriflclal spot. . Just ahead the Runaway Four goaled them and walked off with the applause hit of the bill In their comedy knock- about acrobatic turn, more than fa- miliar around the corner but greeted like brand n^w Monday night. Both halvea held plenty of strength, every act clicking nicely. The show got away to a grreat start with Archie and Qertie Falls open- ing with their oomedy acrobatics, ground tumbling and rope work. Lew Murdock and Mildred Mayo deuced and danced to Instant favor. The girl is cute and can hoof. Mur- dock compares favorably with the best of the loose dancara and haa several slide and ankia atapa that look original. Robins, the walking music store, back from Europe, with his former novelty, scored sensationally. His imitations of various instruments, together with his producing of the various props from his elothea. had them gopgle-eyed. The new bits were a trick costume change from a "dame" to LisSt. Ha Wowed them. Joe Morris and Flo Campbell (New Acts) followed, scoring nicely and Hackett and Delmar CNaw Acts) closed the first half la a gor- geous new revue. Opening after intermission Frankle Heath finished In high favor slng- five songs, mostly specials by Harry Braan. An anoora aong, bow, was "Dat a Girl," cuie Idea. Miss Heath's delivery of "Butter and Eggs." •'Old Neighborhood!* with the patter about the Conway girl (no relation) and "Maybe" and the dramatic ballad was flawkiaa. Miss Heath has Improved greatly since leaving vaudeville for* musical comedy. It takes a full house to put a show over. Maybe that explains why this line-up, ordinarily a atar one, played so so. Bttt cheer up, folks, the new Paramount opens this month, and Cleveland ia packing th«m in with tha grind. > caniar of the stage. The leader shouldn't be allowed to butt la on her best number. "The Black Bot ^^om." One of the dramatic recita tion aonga eould be readily dropped for a jass or vppp .jiiiniber. It'a To all purpo-^'ps the act is ended here, but the loader announces Miss Klapper will s^ng "The Big Pa- rade" as John Barnrmora would. AftSr a change to evening gown she renders another dramatic reci- tation, a bit too much even at the «ttjr. • The art holds pome entertnfnment taliia with tha girl hogging the goulaah aa is. JEANE JOY Songs 16 Mlns.} Ona 5th Ave. (V.-P.) Evidently a ne% comer, probably from cabarets. Miss Joy. neat bru net, with hair a la francos White, has a nicely assorted routine of songs, up to her concluding num ber "Thanks for the Bupgy Ride, in which she essays "impressions of a Frenchman and Englishman singing tt.** Her English accent would drive a lime Juicer to suicide and her "stage Frog" is equally far fetched. Rest of tha songs fitted her per sonallty and were all given a 100 porcont delivery. Opening with "Strike Girls." a comedy idea con taining sopfaisticated advice to frails sh e followed with "See If I Caro," a blues, equally good. "Those Are the Breaks 1 Qct»" which sounded spe cial. alao eontained a good idea and lyrics. "Calling Me Home" provldt^d the inevitable ballad with the inovitu bla recitation, this one being blamed on "Mother," as sure lira as a pic tnro of AI Smith, and WSS good for I a solid recall. * C'oa. STATE (Vawda-Feta.) Sensing the necessity of offsetting the weak Meighan-"Tin Gods" flicker feature, » strong hill has been bookod lata tha Stata this week. The show progresses briskly to a rousing climax with the closing musical act, although just preced- ng in the next-to-shut is Bobby Henshaw, an energetic and above- average talented uke strummer and vocalist, who tied it up completely. This made tha aaoond ahow atopper thus far. Henshaw gives contradiction to the bromide anent the unpopularity of robust individuals. He's a wicked uke artist and knows his groceries in peddling his stuff. Henshaw does voeaT oaliathanlcs with his trick larnyx and sells himself in grand opera style. A corking pro- duction bat, not to mention pictures, and worthy of the $4 managers' serious attention for a musical comedy specialty. His ability to handle lines deftly Is another asset. Henshaw was the second to ad lib anent the "Graphic." Seems there's a universal anathema back-stage against the Macfadden tabloid. Clay Crouch preceding sallied, keep my name out of the Graphic," and the manner in which that not particularly sage witticism was re- ceived by tha audience with a volley of applauaa la worthy of* that publi- cation's serious attention at a clocked series of performancea for the rest of the weak. However, It makes one wonder whethw Macfadden's tab may not attain a certain vogua, jtiat Mka Ford's well known tin caaa were exploited into universal popularity via the sundry flivver Jokes. Manjeau Moscow Troupe (New Acts), catapaultic aerial novelty, were fast starters. Hasel Crosby maintained tha pace, her prima donna soprano registering. Of fine voice and considerable schooling. Miss Crosby haa not progressed much beyond the pop hoaaa deuce spot grade, although a consistent favorite in that position. She is seemingly trying now for s<mia lyric novelty in her numbers, but her va- rious impressions of "O Katherina," a la Victor Herbert, Irving Berlin and Leoncavallo, are nothing be- yond parodies on the respective composers' past performances, in stead of being clever orchestral ar rangements of "Katherina" as they should be. Ben Marks and Ethel (New Acts) were the first show-stoppers. Clay Crouch and Co. with the Berg Sis- ters and Paul Murdock in support, mado mer-y although a bit over- long, followed by Henshaw and Johns. Brooke Johns, with a band, was featured among the acta. In total an excellent laugh show and one of the best the State has aftarad. faig atoppad tha ahow. No. t Monday night. They don't talk, they don't even sing, but demonstrate the ut- ter truth that unadaltamtad apa- oialty never fails to clique. (By the way, hoofers who cross-talk aren't aa eommon aa thay need to bo.) Frank and Townes came through with the first laughb and prospered abundantly. The ehafaetar old man of this mixed team is a gold mine of low comedy. Ue has been do- ing tha aharaeter for yeara with various partners and never fails to click, but somehow never gets the position. Somebody on tha hooka, perhaps, doesn't like comedy old men. The bright little girl partner is a capita] foil in this aombination and they can both dance to a fare- ye-welL The act also has all the support of neat, bright, unobtrusive dressing. Rome and Gaut came through with still more dancing. The com- bination of tall string-bean comic and dwarf has no end of good com- edy possibilities. This pair are really funny in their pantomime steps, particularly the dwarf's funny rush half way across the stage and his queer dancing retreat. The clowning over the broken clarinet may be effective low knockabout but it isn't up to the pair's panto- mime, l^aither ia IMir acattarad talk. Countess Mogenas* Fantasies (New Acts) Is a flashy singing and dancing revue. The FivS Betleys closed tha show with tUalr caatfng. Hero is an acrobatic comedian who has an individual style. |ils com- edy all eomaa out of hla tumbling, rather than business apart from the rteing. This comio haa odd falls and tttma la tha bounding net, such as a series of falls to the back of the next, throwing him into a forward twister and then a back turn or another forward to his ear. When the bearer drops him, he falls to hia nack, bounces up to kick the bearer in the face and then bounds up a second time to hlgf the bearer for a row of laughs. Ruth, .HIPPODROME (Vaude-Pcts.) Six-act show is a bargain at the price, if you leave out the feature picture, "Private lazy Murphy," as terrible as anything ever planted In a Keith house, which is saying a mouthful. nTo get the value- of the specialty entertainment, it's bet ter to duck before the picture, which appears to be a common oc- currence in Keith houses and get ting ta ha tha rule at tha Hip. Monday night there was room in the back ot/Jjhe lower floor at the start'of tha mideville bill around 8. This represents a decline In busi- ness. Until lately 8 o'clock found both orchestra floor and balcony oc- cupied and more people in the lobby. For its grade.. it's a big show. There are 89 people concerned from first to last, or enoup^h to make the roster of a traveling revue. It's a fast dancing bill. With fair comedy values and from start to finish bright, fast specialty material. To be sure the comedy responsibility weighed almost entirely upon one turn. Frank and Townes, but snappy dance acts made up in speed for shortage of laughs. There isn't a very wide range of comedy that tits Into the Hip, but a stf^pping act Is always good. Clomens* Hawaiian Ramhlerft (New Acts), orchestra of 14 native string musicians and two hula dancers, started the show in sprightly fashion. Rood and Duth- ers, two young men who iflra oM- rnsliloned In their dressing and the routining of their material, but who are dancing demons, get down to tbrfr sporlnlty wlthcMit n. waste of time and witii their clean-cut danc- ffm AVE (Vauda*Pata) But five acts on this first half bill at the fith Avenue, with'three of thfm in tha Nod Wajrhurn pro- duction turn, "Variety Show** (New Acts). Xha two indudad acts arc Foley and lialltfa JMf"IM Four Or- tons. Additionally are the Reyes, No. 2, and Harris and HpUey, also "The Last Frontier** as the feature film. Monday night the biouse down- staii^ was not capacity^ with no one standing and the audience looking very much "stag." In fact, the 5th Ave. ia growing more and more to hold what one would believe to be a burlesque audience. Perhaps that la tha aolntlon far m fth Ava., burlesque or to clean fqp gaga on the semi-vaude stage. In mentioning gags and nerve, Eddie Foley had both. If any of his gags were his own in the two- act he didn't taka tha trouble to mention their ownership. There could be considerable doubt after his bold lift fov Bobby Clark's "Poison Ivy" gag. one of the best on Broadway this season, and only employed by Mr. Clark (Clark and McCullough) since "The Ramblers" opened less than two montlis ago at the Zjyrla^^ That'a aapplag is a hurry. Otherwise the Fbley and Leture act was mostly noisy and suffering for and from material, the same as Foley did when trying to be the comedian of the production turn. The Four Ortons opened the show with their tight rope. The Reyes are a boy pianist and a girl vio- linist, who will have to ba content with the smaller time. Harris and HoUey, tha colored two-man act. cleaned on the show. They open with the piano shoving bit and the talk is excellent up to the crap shooting, when it sags a little, bu^'builds up on the encore. In the dancing the tall colored man had better call en Buddy Bradley to find out how to dance the Black Bottom. The Wayburn production turn is a great plug for Ned's dance school. It's probably one of thoaa pay off Wayburn acts, perhaps carrying as many mothers as chorus girls. The girls make a good showing for Way- burn and themselves, but the main fault appears to be that none knowB anything about ataga warknMMapt- ing to dance. Rather a good act. though, in sight and dancing, but weak com- icallir, so noticeably also that that must weaken the value of the act as well. The comedy, however, can and should be strengthened, time. AMERICAN ROOF (Vaude-Pcts.) Picture did the trick for this house Monday night with a com- plete sell-out for the first time in weeks. Douglas Fairbanks. In "The Black Pirate," was the magnet. Vaudo section laid out to conform with the 93 minutes' running time consumed by the feature, cho^>ping from eight to seven acts, and most- ly short timers at that. Agents and scoutfl out front figured the acts were chopping. It was not the case, but merely one in which a short bill had been booked In to balance a long picture and keep within the stlpulatad rwuiing tima. Louise and Mitchell, mixed team gymnasts, wefa pacemakers for tha va»da divlaloB, aantrthnting soma clever balancing with the hefty feminine member as understander, whlaH raadlly aamere d the sulfra- get vote on the roof. • Bud and Sleanor Cola deuced to good rasulta in thefr familiar pot* pourl of singing, dancing and In^ Btrumental numbers, clicking heav- ily In tha latter two. They acored a sizeable hit With tha upatalra cuatomers. Ray Walser Trio, two men and girl, followed with vocalizing han- dled mostly by Ray with the girl filling two dueta with Walzer and with the other ahap handling tha music box throughout. Walzer*8 comedy numbers, of which there were two, aapoelally wall relished. The Ford Dancers, six people, stepping flash, featuring E^win and Lottie Ford, kicked up plenty of dust, closing the first half. Crisp Sis- ters, dancing sister team; Lucretla Craig; and Herbert Leslie eomprlsa the support. The act incorporatea fast stepping, featuring soft shooy buck and whig and tai^ dancing. Thm numbers are well routined, giving each of tha dancers opportunitiea fo^ aalo work that pnt aaeh over Individually. The ensembles also went over with a bang that brought tha tmi» tha lovdaat lagitlmata ap# plause of the show. ^ James Cagnay aiKI i^Ntnces Veri* non, new combtnatiOB for Titudovilla opened after intermission with "A Broadway Romeo" (Kaw Acta). It got over neatly. Lubln, Lowry and Mandy held next to shut to a nicety. They packed more genuine entertainment in tha nine minutes alotted than those consuming twice the time in most instances. Lowry and Mandy effect a "high brown** make-up with Lubln an ebony hued complexion. Opening clowning between Lowry and Lubln with the latter's impedi- ment In speech effected for laughs set the boys pretty. Some harmon- izing by both, with Lubln also han- dling uke had the mob going. Mandy. attractive bru'net, in zippy |azs costume started the stepping division with both of the boys top- ping her contribution at the finish. Waikdd off to yella and prolonged handslammlng, the short time of aet figured for a return, which didnt happaii. Cook's Circus, horse and dog act. closed with tha aaimala being put through i di thi a g at psalAg^ |aan»* ing and other stuntf agnanv^oua of this typo of act ^ . IWfto- BROADWAY (VaudeiPcts.) Not much in a vaudeville way at the Broadway currently. That stabemant* ta baaed opon thamaa* ner in which the acts were received. Jay C. Flippen, next to closing, finally mllkad a fair Quota of ap« plause and then asked the familiar Juestion of '"Whero were you when startedr* Monday night was overboard with silence, the only act catching any- thing resembling spontaneous ap- preciation being O'Hanlon and Zambuni. The physical effort this duo put Into.thilr mutjk can't ha denied. A Universal picture. **Piiaoners Of the Storm," was the screen feature, and a waak one. Besides this there waa a-' waekly and th4^ arniounha* ment of the finals of a Black Bottona contest, with the winner to receive a "taudavllla booking^ mbraa men- tion of where or for how long. That may do a regular act out of I62.G0 for the last half somewhere. Corradini's Animals (dogs, pony and monkey) opened, not doing so well. The migiature horse was about the only animal routining normally, the others being pron e to miss. A woman paced the catypaa and monk through their tricks. Phil and Ekldie Ross trailed and had a tough time of it. Five songs for the boys who harmonize with Cliff Bdwardsf imitation by tha tenor dying minus a hand. The pair are addicted to counter-mel- odiea and handle one such vary nicely. The rest follow the general trend and rate as strictly pop time stuff. Skelley and Heit are not new, yet augmented by three girls the troupe may rate as a New Act. Placed third Skelley did five min- utes more than he ahould have, but got away wttn it* iaa: ta a cac- finish. " Daly and Maee (New Act), two women, lingered for only eight min- utes in songs and talk. Then OHan- lon and Zambiml. A five-piece band, acrobatic dancer and two 'girls ac- company, the main pair stepping thrice in tango, waits and Apache, an of "Which are liberally sprinkled Wtth adagio work. The turn built as it progressed and the finish caught the first rral applause of the night. The Apache, plus ita skeleton story for novelty, was re- cently seen in a picture. Peter I^oAnna Co., mixed four- some, cloKod, hinting at being a family affair in offering risley, toe dance and a bit of tumUing. Tha girl is the filer, both man taking turns at pedaling. Little more than half a house Monday night and quiet. Kvrn Fllppen's stories, scaling pretty closo to the border, couldn*t ar nso thrm. Maybe it was because ' tho < old onea included. Sf^*ff'