Variety (Dec 1926)

Wednesday, December I, 1926 VARIETY SI DISK REVIEWS VICTOR By ABEL Jess* Crawford Jess* Crawford haa a new Idea In organ recitals, his newest couplet, -Barcelona" and "Hello, Aloha!" be- ing In dance tempo, serving the •toppers In addition to the usual concert renditions. "Barcelona" is of the "Valencia" school and excel- lent for advanced dancers who know the new Valencia steps. Craw- ford, now a New Yorker, at the Paramount, will soon build up in the East as he has in the Midwest When at the Chicago B. & K. houses. Jean Goldkette Jean Goldkette hae a pair of brisk fox-trots in "I d Rather Be the Girl in Your Arms" and "Sunday," the former by Harry Archer and Harlan Thompson and an "answer" to the musical comedy song hit, "A Girl in Your Arms Is Worth Two in Your Dreams." Frank Bessinger tells it lyrically and the Keller Sisters and Lynch harmonize a chorus "Sun- day." Art Landry Snappy fox-trots are offered by Art Landry and his orchestra, pic- ture house favorites. "Hello, Blue Bird" and "Hugs and Kisses," one of the song hits in the new "Van- ities." are the coupling. It is a happy mating for contrast, the show tune being Jazzier than the melody -Blue Bird" fox-troL Vocal inter- ludes further relieve the instrumen- tation. Victor Salon Orchestra "Indian Love Call" and "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," destined to be perennial composi- tions of popular standard type, are brilliantly scored for the Victor 6aIon Orchestra's concert renditions thereof. Nathaniel Shilkret, the Victors general recording factotum, is the personality behind this particular unit, whJ"h is his pet outfit. The vibraphone and violin solos stand out among other features in a noothing pair of arrangements. Paul Whiteman Paul Whiteman delivers a four- barreled symphonic dance barrage In Noa. 202G6 and 202C0. * Tn a Little Spanish Town" and "There's a Boatman on the Volga" are one coupling, the syncopated Spanish waltx having Jack Fulton doing the vocal refrain It's the last word in waltz scoring. Similarly the "Volga Boatman" fox-trot adaptation Is beautifully arranged, with Gladys Rice on the vocal end. "Cho-Cho-San" and "Song of In- dia" are the other pair. Each Is a familiar number, this new release being a re-recording for the Ortho- phonic electrical method. The sta- bility of the "Madame Butterfly" and Rlmsky-Korsakoff adaptations Is best proved by the necessity to reissue this Whiteman classic. The exact same instrumentation and ar- rangement originally employed a couple of years back are used here. Book-Cadillac Orchestra \ Jean Goldkette unit, the Book- Cadillao Orchestra, headed by Ver- non T. Owens, waxes "hot" and * sweet" respectively in "Just a Bird's Eye View of My Old Ken- tucky Home" and "There's a Little White House." Some fine trumpet mute work and violin contributions •tand out. Dixon-Rice Raymond Dixon sounds like a npweomer, offering "The Little White House" from "Honeymoon Lane." His Is a pleasing tenor and he should register with ballads of kindred appeal. Glsdys Rice's soprano is made to order for the popular "Cherle, I Lov© You," waltz hit. Philip Spitalny "Bobadilla" is another Valencia dance composition, Philip Spitalny's Orchestra managing this and "Su- sie's Feller" quite welL Both are snappy fox-trots. Harry MacDonald is a debut Vic- tor dance maker. "Who Could Be More Wonderful Than You?" in- troduces Benny Davis, the author thereof, as a vocal soloist In the course of the rendition. "My Pal Jerry." is dedicated to Jerry Vogel, the popular musical wholesaler, who is plorifled in lyric and song here. Brisk fex-trots both, with some novel reed and mute effects out- standing. BRUNSWICK Goodrich Silvertown Cord >seph Knecht's Goodrich Silver- town Cord Orchestra has a cork- ing waits couplet in "Trail of Dreams" and "Falling In Love With Fou," two outstanding compositions of their type of the day, and excel- lently handled bv the Ooodrichers. In addition, the Silver-Masked Ttnor does the vocal interludes. Carl Fenton Musical comedy songs Brunswick No. 3281, by Carl Fan- ton's Orchestra. "Play Gypsies, Dance Gypsies," from "Countess Maritza," and "Two Little Blue- birds," a third-string number from "Sunny," are fetching fox-troU of distinctive order, and distinctively treated by Fenton. Ray Miller For the "hot" devotees Ray Miller offers "Dreaming and Wondering" and "I've Lost My Dog." Corking dance numbers and replete with some new and old Jazz tricks. Ben Bernie Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roose- velt jazzists offer "Why Do Ya Roll Those Eyes?" from "Americana," by Phil Charlg, a Bernie protege. Ber- nie has done much to exploit that number, and his seasoned handling naturally resulted In an ultra "canned" version thereof. 'Td Love to Meet That Old Sweetheart of Mine" is the coupling. Ben Selvin Ben Selvin Is the comedy dance musks purveyor, "Any Ice Today Lady" and "She Knows Her Onions," with vocal choruses, mak- ing for lively entries despite the household titles. One of the best Ernie Golden and his McAlpln bunch have done Is "In a Little Garden," melody fox, and "I Wonder What's Become of Joe," a torrid discourse. Vocal choruses Ohman and Arden Victor Arden and Phil Ohman, the keyboard demons, with their or- chestra, have a novelty in "Polly" and "Dizzy Fingers," tricky piano ditties and handled as only the Paderewskls can do 'em. Bud Jackson "Messln* Around" and "Heebie Jeebles" are native negro "blues" and very, very "mean." Bud Jack- son's Swanee Serenade™ contrive some unusual jazzlque plus novelty vocal effects in the course of the sizzling "hot" numbers. Tadeo Vicente Tadeo Vicente and his Brazilian Marimba Band are a novel organ- ization, excellent for waltz numbers like "Thinking" and "I Wish You Jealous of Me": both with vocals. VOCALION Louis Katzman Louis Katzman, the veteran Voca- tion standby, struts his material with "I'm On My Way Home" and "In a LItUe Garden." via Tho Am. bassadors. Chick Endor Chick Endor, the Yacht Club Boys' leader, is essaying solo numbers with "Because I Love You" and "That's a Good Girl." He sounds better on the novelty numbers. Frivolity Orchestra The Frivolity Orchestra is Identi- fied otherwise on the Brunswick label as Jack Denny's band. "I Lost My Heart in Monterey" "She Be- longs to Me" are an interesting mat- ing, the former of the melody type and the latter snappier. Miami Marimba The Miami Marimba Band have two cinch assignments In "Blame It on the Waltz" and "In a Little Spanish Town," the marimba In- strumentation doing tricks with the compositions. Both waltzes, with vocal trio Interludes. Palmer House Band Jules Herbeuveau's Palmer House Victorians from Chicago cut some fancy Jazz capers on No. 15470 and it won't be long before Brunswick graduates them onto the major brand releases. The outQt sounds most interesting In "Fleurs D'Amour." their arrangement being a distinctive cxnmple of fancy or- chestration. "Why Do Ya Roll those Eyes?" by the Fleetwood Or- chestra, Is the companion piece. Blue Ribbon Blue Rbibon Quartet are excellent harmonlzers in "Tonight You Be- 'ong to Me" and "1 11 Fly to Hawaii," With the Revelers abroad, this combo Is making much of their op- portunity. COLUMBIA Howard Lanin Howard Lanin has two hit show tunes In "Little White House" from "Honeymoon Lane," and "Cross Your Heart," from "Queen High." Lanin goes In for melody fox-trots and this coupling is ideal. California Ramblers In contrast, the California Rsm biers are "hot" addict* with " Knows Her Onions" asU Again Gal." Ed Kirkeby, the CL F. business manager, takes a crack at it with a vocal chorus In the first number and Ernest Hare sings the refrain. Fred Rich and his Hotel Astor outfit are coming along nicely on the Columbia releases. Their radio rep is asserting itself on the sales as welL "Pretty Cinderella." and "I'm Lonely Without You" are of the melody school, but deftly handled. Singing Sophomore* Singing Sophomores* alias the Revelers (which name la strictly re- served for Victor release) have American disk representation in "Lay Me Down to Sleep in Carolina" and "Why Do Ya Roll Those Eyes." The quintet's "close harmony" Is again effective as ever before. HARMONY Dolly Kay Dolly Kay in Tuckeresque style warbles "It Takes a Good Woman to .Keep a Good Man at Home" and "How Could Red Riding Hood?" to Phil Phillips accompaniment at the ivories. The blues songstress has been off the disks for some time, her return being in usual breezy fashion. Confidential Charlie Confidential Chsrlie is a whisper- ing type of warbler at the piano. "At the End of the Trail" and "For My Sweetheart" are excellent ma- terial for his type of recording to trumpet accompaniment. A River Musician Evans villa, ImL, Not. St. Folks living In cabins along the Ohio River listen to old timo tunes with more real enjoyment than any highbrow gets out of grand opera. Some folks just have a natural bent for music rlvermen say, and Gene Luna, pilot of the steamer "EvansvlUe," is one of them. It's Gene's pulling the whistle cord that sends shrill notes of "My Old Kentucky House," and other tunes, reverberating over the In- diana and Kentucky hills every Sunday night. Gene has a wildcat whistle en the "Evansvllle." The high soprano and low base notes are produced by pulling the whistle cord easy or hard as the melody demands. The boat makes a trip every week op the Green River. When folks way back In their cabins hear the wildcat like cries echoing over the hills they rise up In bed. "Those folk know music,- Gene Jimmy Flynn Jimmy Flynn, erstwhile song plugger, has a tenor that "takes" well on the wax. He should be given increased scope. "Who Could Be More Wonderful" and "I Never Knew" are good numbers of the type the sympathetic Flynn voice can handle nicely. Tommy Christian Tommy Christian and his orches- tra have a brace of novelty numbers In "Bolshevik" and "How I Hate Bulgarians," the orchestra singing en masse in accompanimept to the syncopation. NOTES Bookings for the Sunday concerts at the Fulton, Brooklyn, N. Y„ have switched from the K-A Fam- ily Department to Under. It plays six acts and pictures as a continu- ous performance. ■ Bert Leighton, vaudevllllan. la In New York hiring the help and counting the receipts at the Tlvoll after a protracted session as man- ager of three theatres, Capitol. Grand and Middlesex, Mlddletown. Mm a. Adelaide Herrmann has been routed for the Orpheum Cir- cuit opening at the Palaoe, Chica- go, Dec. C. Strong for "Ruth" George Dam roth, producer of "The Book of Ruth,- which had a brief career at the Central Park, New York, is unshaken in his faith in the production and will revive It in January at a downtown house. Dam roth figures the uptown lo- cation was its greatest handicap and figures with better spotting the production would have a chanoa. Stock at Richmond Richmond, Va-, Nov. **. A stock known as the Academy Players has opened at the Academy. Leo Wise Is manager of the house. Ruth King is leading lady and Authur Howard leading man. Other members of the cast are Miriam Cordell, Romaine Callander, Ray Raw lings, J. Arthur Young, O li- berie Faust, Harry Fischer, Her- bert Curtis. James Doyle directs, assisted by Robert Stud In. Salvatore Dana will be scenle artist. "Pay Dirt" Lapses "Pay Dirt," produced for a pre- liminary showing of two weeka last spring with I^lle Morosco, casting agent, figuring as producer, has re- verted It to Its author. Bennett Sou- thard, with the Morosco option ex- piring last week. "Pay Dirt" was originally sched- uled for production by Oliver Mo- rosco. but later taken over by his brother. It played a week at the Rlalto, Hobokcn, N. J., and Hudson, Union Hill, N. J„ following a stock showing in both places. After the two weeks Morosco ordered the show off for revision, and haa done noth- ing about reproduction sine*. Mrs. Mansfield, Crusader Chicago, Not. 29. The American Theatre Associa- tion, an organization to promote cleaner plays and to oppose nudity and objectionable language on the stage, have formed a chapter in this city. Mrs. Richard Mansfield is one of tho officers and chief advocates. Joseph Howard and Anita Case have reunited and win In a new act. Paul Blaufox has resigned as manager of Loew's Melba, Dallas. E. A. Vinson, formerly In charge of Loew's Temple, Birmingham, Ala., succeeds Blaufox at Dalian. Meyer GoltJen's "Revue Fantastic" has been routed for a tour of the Loew Circuit. Cast Includes Cas- sel and Lane Golden Metropolitan Quartet and Sam Crlvltt. Bart Hogan has resigned as head of the vaudeville casting depart- ment of the Murray Phillips Agency. Hogan leaves for Chicago this week to enter into the casting agency business. Don Msrquis who wrote "Tho Old Soak," has completed a play called "Everything Is Jake." Arthur Hop- kins may produce It. VIENNA CAFES MAY CLOSE Vienna, Nor. li. Local proprietors of night clubs clone down their respective establishments. The action would be in the form of a protest against the heavy tax- ation levied on these places by the Government, and the owners are seriously contemplating the The production of Charles Mere's melo. "Le Plalslr." win be shifted to the Madeleine theatre early In December. "Potash and Pcrlmut- ter" will contlnuo at tho Theatre do Paris. Owner Responsible for Injury to Race Driver Rochester, N. Y., Nov. 2S. Decision of the New York State Industrial Bureau hero in the claim of William Pierce, reversing tho decision of the Compensation Court, hits all owners and drivers of race horses. Pierce drove a horse owned by William Bowen, of Gene- va* N. T., in the race meet at the Dundoo Fan- In October, 1925. Pleroe was thrown and dragged sev- eral hundred feet and severely injured. Claiming that he was In the em- ploy of Bowen the injured driver filed a claim for injuries with the Compensation Court. According to Pierce, Bowen promised to pay him $21 if he won the race and $11 If ho "also ran." The Compensation Commission ruled that Pierce was not entitled to compensation, on the grounds that as a driver for Bowen he was an independent contractor, acting at his own risk and respon- sibility. Tho Industrial Board reverses tho ruling of the Compensation Court holding that Pierce at the time of tho accident was employed by Bowen In such a way as to be recog- nised by law as entitled to com- pensation as would be given to ployee. A revue is listed as the successor of "Dlvln Mensonge" at the Capu- clnes, signed by Felix Ganders, Max Eddy and La Fouchardiere* The probably cast Is PIzanI, Clara Tam- bour. Marguerite Pierry and Man- ager Berthez himself. Leon Oaumont, French picture pioneer, has also returned after his visit to the United States. HARVARD'S THEATRE OPEN Cambridge, Mass., Nov. IS. The new University theatre here has approximately 2.000 seats and Is located at Harvard Square. Charles EL Hatfield, treasurer of Middlesex county, Is head of the group which erected the theatre. The manager Is Stanley Sumner. Mutual's Last Chance To Play Syracuse Syracuse, Nov. 28. A truce. If not peace, between the Savoy and the city authorities was effected when Emmett Callahan, of L BL Herk's personal staff, stepped In to actively manage the local Mu- tual house. Callahan replaces Morris Fitzer as house manager, although the Fitzer ownership and financial con- trol of tho theatre remains un- changed. With the Mutual representative In charge, the city administration announced that the Savoy would have one more chance to operate with a burlesque policy. Callahan pledged his word that the Mutual's own restrictions on material aiTd tho cltys ordinances would be rig- Idly enforced. Adolph J. Rschell has been ap- pointed a district manager for the Bernstein theatres In Kirn Ira, N. Y. George H. Vendemark will be the manager of the firm's lately acquired Keeney's in that city. Bert Mendellsohn, for many years one of the chief sellers on the As- sociated Exhibitors' New York ex- change staff, has gone with Com- monwealth. Neville, of Miss Amerlqoo and Neville, dancing currently at the Twin Oaks restaurant. New York. Is not under contract to First Na- tional Pictures but to Jules Levy personally, according to recent ad- vices from the latter. The Stanley Fabian circuit has taken over the Fort Lee* N. J„ theatre. 'VEILS' LIFTED THEN DROPPED "Veils" came within an ace of returning to rehearsal recently when Irving Kayo Davis, author- producer, figured new capital had been Interested, with the new ''an- ger promising to Iron out previous Equity entanglements. Later Is was found that the "an- gel" had either been spoofing or had encountered chlllblalns. Straight'. $1,900 Chicago, Nov. 21. Charley Straight and orchestra have been signed on a long-term contract at the Frolics Cafe for $1,900 weekly. Ash "Find" Is -Csnning- Chicago. Nov. 21. Milton Watson, one of Paul Afh'a "finds," and who la now appearing with ths "Rajah" at the Oriental, has started "entitling" for Columbia 'Ussher* in Canada "The House of Ussher" which closed a seven months' New York engagement, has been routed for Canada, opening In Toronto with a new cast, a number of players de- clining the out-of-town enguKe* ment Clarence Dorwent will continue In the lead. The show Is under his direction. It originally opened in the Fifth Avenue, a little theatre, where It closed suddenly. Derwcnt put the show on again at the May- fair, also a 299-soater. It was moved to tho 49th Street and back to the Mayfair, making a surprising run. TRAY MFG. DIDN'T DELIVER Ann** Nichols was given Judgment for $1,68« In her .vuit against & A. Greene, an adverti^ing tray manu- facturer. The "Abie's Irish Tlr^a" author- ess-producer Ordered 1,<»00 of these ad trays with an "Atria" imprint thereon, bit I ;»f t • • * - paying Greene $1,500 she did not receive her mer- chandise, being forced to sue for recovery,