Variety (Jan 1927)

WedtiMday, January 5, 1M7 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK VARIETY 19 LAURETTE TAYLOR and Co. (1) «*Th« Comedi«nn«'' (Comtdy- Drama) It MMnt.! Full 8tafli« Palaot <at. V.) I^urrtte Taylor, upon lior last vaudeville appearance in pantomine, found sh« was far and way above tbe concks of her now autlioiico, and as a result has profited greatly In her cun ent choice. Tailored ' ex- Quiaitelr by J. Hartley Manners, her current playlet fits without a crease visible. If thoro were enough straight vaudeville left to malce it worth while akd were she so in- clined, "The ComediOBne*' would be Audience-proof. As Lietitia Vale, come to convince a hard^'boiled producer that she would be equally successful in a dramatic role in his forthcoming production, Mr. Manners has given her material for emoting aH over the place. Miss Taylor convinces the pro- ducer by inventing a harrowing and fictitious past. When he is dim- eyed at her word picture, she In- forms him it's all the bunk and that she can repeat the deception on an audience. It made an effective and punchy curtain for an interesting and flaw- lessly played sketch of the w. k. Oarrick sort Richie Ling as Oeorge Palmer, the hard-boiled American manager, spouted a Lambs' Club accent but otherwise turned in an effective foiling. Con. MARIE VERO 9ongsy High-Class 10 Mffis.! One Pa!ace (8t. V.) Here is a star! A sweet young girl of liOtin type, modest, diffldent and of good ap pearance and personality as well ah perfect stage d»portment, sings four numbers ranging from semi-popular ballads ta the most difficult of ai^las, and takes the house by storm. Harely has a finer, truer, rounder and more fascinatingly thrilling voice been heard anywhere. In a film announcement, Keith- Albec claims the discovery. If so, there is something for it to tell the world about. Historians some day may be searching for her true dis- eoverer in biographies. For Miss Vero is destined to attain a career of note. Accompanied by an attractive girl pianiste, the youngster, seemingly about 17 or 18, comes forth modestly but not shyly> and trills a lyric farewell semi-classic in Spanish. It Is exhilarating. Immediately one senses more than talent—perhaps genius. Then a simple little up-co date song in Unglish, with a little medley therein better-known native folksonps. A triumph. And that is the test, for few really un derstand opera, but everyone vecognisea when homespun ballads are .<iung as no one has ever heard them sung. Follows "Lakme,'* a difficult and lovely coloratura requiring training as well as natural gift Little Vero might shame many an accredited prima diva with her rendition. Then "Story of the Rose." with again a few intermingled simple strains of familiar Uinef—and this is a sensation. She bowed and bowed and was recalled and recalled. She held up the headline name act after the namo was on for a full two minutes. An unknown had stormed a Mon- day night audience in Times Square, in the house whore Amclita Galll- Curci had once been given an audition and—turned down because she couldn't staigt • Nothing more important has hap- pened In or to vaudeville in years than the advent of Marie Vero. For the world will do Just what the Palace audience did. La<t EVELYN DEVANEY and Co. (4) Dances and Songs One and- Full Staga »th Ave. (V-P) Two couples, girls and boys, witb Evelyn Devaney as the leader. Rather peculiar in frame up, all costume stuff with the men leaning toward comedy In dre.ss without getting any laughs through clothe? or themselves or their dancing. Thp fflr! team does a tap dance as their best, and all are topother at the finale, wit h the oouples n ot mixing otherwisi. Miss Devaney as a single does a couple of imitations, announcing _oneas the "Lucky Day" number irom w lilieV ''Scandals." Later thf quintet do the s|ime show's black bottom without the words. A good fiash In work and dress •MJ the smaller time if that can Afford the salary. Nothing to espe- cially notice about any of the five ein^rly or In pairs. Aft lahl out well •nongh. but calling for more tu'eut Oian this ^mi now hold*; H'wiCn rRNEST R. BALL AND Gfb (H Piano and Songs 19 Mins.; Full Stage Falaoa (St V.) Ernest R. Ball, vot«.ian sonn writer, has assembled a double quartet of sph ndiil male voices for his latest vaudeville, "A Night With the Gang." The men, in evening togs, are seated around in semi-minstrel first part formation, on modem parlor furniture, with Ball at the piano. A cute girl page handles the sign board eajscl announcing the various numbers. Ball breaks up his contributions at tho piiino and vocally with ad lib remarks framed for comedy, all landing solidly. Numbers all Ball compositions, solos, doubles, with the chorus in on most, Included "Let tho End of the World Come Tomorrow," "In the Garden of My Heart," "111 Forget You," •'God Put the Green In tho Rainbow." A Victor Herbert composition, "Gypsy Lovo Song," followed by a medley of former hi*4i by Ball, which Included *«Love Me and the World Is Mine," "Mother Machree," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Sands of the Desert." The octet has Bob Jones, tenor: Charles Dalton, tenor; George Plank, tenor; Edgar Welch, bari- tone; Morton Sherdahl, bftritone; Chester Alan Moffett, bass; Dave Morris, bass, and Marion Lorraina, page. Ball has whipped together a first rate singing turn which makes no concessions to "hot" songs,, but is certain to entertain any intelligent group of music lovers. That goes double for the large picture houses, as well as the best in vaudeville. Con. MARY and PLOfllNCB NAM and Co. (1) Sketch, "Fate's Messen0er* 18 Mins.; Full SUge Palace (SL V.) This is the first appearance of these legitimate sisters and slster.<> of the legitimate In vaudeville, in which each has appeared before without the other. This time it If a melo l»y Edgar Allen Woolf. As a "namo" it should and does im- press. As actresses, the sisters Nash jiro attuned both ta tlMlr art itself and its adaptatlDii.-:l6 t|lis branch of expression. The one-acter is well suited to them. It pictures Mary as a desper- ate dope-tlend about to kiU herself. and Florence as a detective who runs into her while chasing addicts and finds it is her sister. The talk is hysterical and high-pitched but not too much so for Mary,,;|rt|CSe forte is tho heavy business. The skit would not withstand critical analysis. But as a punch script for these two girls it is ample and shows discreet judgment on the specific needs of vaudeville and the particular players assigned or fitted. It Is rather sordid, but in outward appearance Is classy, with no touch of slum or proverty. Thero are a few laughs, gotten by the deft touches of Flcranca aad attMrwlse despite the broad, specious charac- terization of Emilo Montrose (feminine) as a brownskin darky earth. MHw Montrose's m^ke-up was as off-shade as her acting. That touch did not show expert vattiifrtUa yiiWM This a^ Mil tilii ti^^ and do It and itself and Woolf credit, and should draw vpstalrs and down- stairs. LaiU PRESENTATIONS (Extra attraetiotu in ptehtrm fib«afr«g» wh^n not pccfurM, will he earrimd and deseribrnd in lAis dipoit- fiMfif for the ganarat information of </k« trade,) ABE LYMAN ORCHMTftA (1ft) Music and Singing 31 Mins.! Full Stage Uplawiiv Laa An^elea Abe Lymao is'^another picture house recruit and from indications looks as though his name will mean much in drawing trade to tha dllM^ ma palaces where presentations are stellar influences for the box office. Fresh from Cocoanut Grove, Hotel Ambassodar. where he haa bastt a permanent fixture except when on tour. Lyman, without changing a man, came into this neighborhood house and soM bimi^lf la asMOMit style. It was an out-and-out. pushover for Lyman, who has a magnetic personality and a faculty of selling himself and orchestra with ease. Fanchon and Marco, who stage the presentations for West Coast, Inc., operators of this house, made certahi Lyman, their protege, got everything necessary for a do luxe opening. They gave him a stage setting far above the average in cost in a weekly change picture house. They also added Edith Evans and the Gibson Sisters for feminin- ity and color, with the combination hitting in excellent atytoi Lyman's catalog for the opening week consisted of flvo numbers, two of the ballad type and the balance hot like no one knows. He Con- cluded his program with "Twelfth Street Rag" and left his audience cheering and craving. To stop the applause he had to add "Mary Ldu," an old standby, and HUit again stopped events. The outfit of 12 men, besides liy- man, are all specialists. With the trombonist and reed sections doing specialties. The farmer is one of the hottest brass men heard in many a day here, while the boys on the reed can hold their own against any similar combination. Lyman also has a new vocalist, Neeley, tenor, who can more than take the place of Charles Kaley. Yy- man's old standby. More fullness, sweetness and sincerity In tone to Neeley's warbling, with a graceful and Impressive selling personality. Tho Gibson girls indiilpre in a novelty danco routine which .^hows these two youngsters to be clover and convincing. l^Mith Evans, re- cently with Percy Bronson, appeans to have found herself as a .single and disposed of lu-r ciiants in charming style. Both her endeav- ors with Lyman helped to stop the prof ^^eding.s. Fanchon and Marco are training l.yir.an In Ftage conVersatlf»n^HHm and gagging. It looks like an easy stunt from his first week's efforts, ai be toaa through hia routine in as simple and saleable a manner as a fish does through water. Within three months Lyman will undoubt- edly ba d s i rs l opa d la tiM aoaversa- tlonal field so strong that it will be hard to find his peer with his sort of combination. He came here to a neighborhaad hatiatb whieli la gambling heavy on him. and there Is no doubt that Lyman and house win both be big winnera. Ha has tha triall aff briiiginc them la at the matinee, somethlttir unheard of the stuff and brings them back on repeats. He has also accomplished "THE poMMDouiri rAir cm 14 Minutes Paramount, New York John Murray Anderson devised and itagai tMa priiaMiM, draiit^ Ing his inspiration for It to Austin Dobson's verses *On a Pan That Belonged to tbe Marquise de Pom- padoorl** la ita oonoeptloa the fine hand of Frank Cambria Is also seen, for the fan setting used Is so like those tricky lightings Cambria has mi^ Am t>m pm $1^ ductlona,' There are It people presented, with the utilization of the various platform effects posslcle on that stages Th|i appear The outstanding personal con- tribution is by Stella Power, colora- tura soprano, who Just about stopped the proceedlncs iHth tha flrat nitai- her ths^t i/b/§ m Wish." Opening in "one," Eileen Hoyt sings the title number and at the conclusion, lights behind th^ Can come up slowly, revealing the flg- urea of four couples who appear as though painted on the fan. The fan parts and folds onto tha ataga, with the couples coming down for a dance number. At the conclusion of this, tho Pampadour appears in a w ond e rful whita p a a la r lo wii studded with rhIneetoBaa that makes a wonderful picture. A violin solo by Rosa Polnarlow Power's number. Carlos Peterson with a Harlequin dance closes the entertainment just before the finale. The final picture haa tha mem- bers of the east, with tha axdaptlan of four In th#» forejrround, back In their plflrcH for the closing of the fan to bring about the picture. •iSSLB and BLAKK Songs snd Piano 22 Mins.; One Stste (V.P) T^ck in 1919 a New Act review was written of Noble 8i8Hlc and Kabio r.l.ike. colored entertainers, now cardt'd lcatur«s in picture houses and also pla.\ing the Loew houses. This talented pair are pre- senting a program nnicli alonj? the oUl lines altliouKh th« y are holding the stage for about twice the time In If It; JHaiaak Jnel ^ck from overseas service a« a commissioned otllcer, was using a war number about tho midnight patrol in No Man's Land; that song was not only sunK with feeling but Mr. Sis- sle acted it, getting? down on all fours to illustrate the stealth and activity o' the man on patrol and that song got the house. Rlasle Is now slnping "Tho I^lg Parade"' and has injected a long stretch where he recites about the boya who went to wlar. It It en- tlrely original with him and sweeps through a channel that reminds one oC the vivid way Sisslc dashed of! hia '^patrot^ number. The ^timk'* ber Is given a real, personal tOil^li that will not bo denied. There is also a ballad to replace his "Little Chocolate Child" of other yeara; tha naw anai Pickaninny Shoe,'* «l>elhir dloliai In SIssle'H effective style. A number away from the Sissle and lilake routine was "A Sure Cure For Jjova,*^ about tha nearaMt to a "hot" number that the duo uses. For an encore they uae a topical ballad and pep it up for the flnala tintli bath asas dalttg a strut to tba wltiirs. Throughout Blake plays the piano accompaniment and has one inning at the ivories when he whales over an emphatic httr For the picture housea Slssta and Blake stand out Al; they entertain, do not tear the stage to pieces nor shout like Georgia camp meeting exhortera and alfo hayf a tum that will not flop In tha atralght vaude houses. Mark, BERT GORDON snd Co. ($) Sketch, "Desperate Sam" 25 Mint., "One" and Full, SffL Palace. (St. V.) Morris & Greene present this favorite ffaba comedian In a skit by Harry Charles Greene, with special numbers by Charles Maxwell Smith. Those are pretty long names for a pretty short entertainment that runs a pretty long tima. Gordon Isn't as happily niaterialed as ho has been In the past. Includ- ing when ho did It single. He has a lot of deadwood around him In iinaa as wrti #a paa^Mk Ha awltchea from a front scene to a full, to the front, to the full, to the front, to part front and part full. And his tfatip^ la a Mp in diia Oilnir. ahd that la to cut up tha ezoait bag- gage for the drapes. As a Yiddlsha cowboy of no par- ticular character, ha first eoHiao back and brags what a bad guy he was. then a flashback of his ver- sion, then his old pal comes back and talfai tba truth; and then a llaah* back of that version, then In front once more and a part of tho back set lit to reveal it as a "memory" and leit the Other three men Jeltt him In a quartet song. The singing Is nothing extra. Gordon has a rich voice, but It means nothing on tha t#o piffling, unftthny and unmusical songs he solos. 'The Inughfl are f<>w. despite Gordon's known surefire delivery of nifties with the Jewish twang to thetn* Tha aupportlmr cdnpany la undergrade without exception; those who don't act villainously, sing only luk<9warmly. Thla is tea inMi Mt by far. and not funny enough or melodious enough or clever enough to stand the gaff of such a big cast. In- stead of playltilp Qordon up. It seems ta ehoka him oft. Laii, HCrS $13,500 (Continued from page 1> share, while the two weeks in San Francisco gave thero $17,500. with $11,000 for the flrst week. The Los Aiigebs eng.iFrement retted the girls $22,0^0 wiU) Uie LraL week over $18,000. This la the largest money that an act of this hIzo (2 people) has drawn in a picture house in any part of the country. It Is unfV'rst«»od that tbe jdeliire bouMo |»er.pl«! tlirfMighout the coun- try arc now after similar name at- tractions— If thoy can be found. BABE RUTH 28 Mins.: Full Stage Pantages, San Francisco Hugs liiier tailored a luonolog for Kabo Kuth but between Minneapo« ll.s wln>re l'.;il»e broko In and San t'ram isci*, tho monolog cvaporaled* Of it nothing now remains. In his present routine the home run Itabe nfors to the disrrirded .spifl by mentioning that he i.s try- ing to do his little turn in his own natural personality and not pose as a nurchr.nt of fly shatter, tt seems the wiser, more showmanly way particularly as it 1^ tho kida mora than anyona else he plays to. Five minutes of a movie preceiles Babe "in person." The laovle Is titled **The House r.abo Jluilt," the answer to that gair being a long shot of tho Yankee Stadium. As- sortnjent of slu«ts. apt.arontly ex- cluiiives. A shot of iiabe siiaking hands liHth Ty Cobb drew sharp and enthusla.»jtlc ai>plaus'\ Babe made direct referc nee to Cobb in his talk referring to him as one of his best pais of whom he ab« solutely refuses to believe the "scandal" charges. The kids echoed that sentiment to the raiters. Baba aUrpriaed with hia stage poiao. He chats easily, puts over his anecdotes for laughs and holds Interest consistently. His conclud- ing Ml li iiHIIMIiy built up for laughs around six kids, all under 10, arranged for In advance but different for each show. Tho kid.<i go Upaai this stage tc gat free base- bails autographed on tho spot by the mighty bambino. Here is where the baseball idol, him.self an or- phatti gala iiiider tha akiha of hia audience as the way he chums up to the kids Is human Interest plus —and apparently on the levoL Araund a aleMi routine Babe builds up giggles out of the actions of the kids that Is worthy Of an ez- perlenced trouper. A short technical demonstration with the bat and a ball suspended In mld-alr by a string. Babe wal- lops the pill to illustrate how he gets left fleld, right Held and cen- ter. He also explain his theory as to why he Is able to get greater distance on a hit than some other bataaian. Ha altrllNites thla to hia grip on his bat which permits greater follow-through. It is all Interesting with Ruth making fre- quent coanpariaaMl la fom In golf. A couplo of hanging pieces and a few props are carried. Babe makes his entrance by breaking through a paper aaaHoH ta the screen after the movie Is completed. Effertlve beginning. The whole act has been neatly done and Is one of the most entartalninir aver p r eae n tad by m star from the sports flrmament tak- ing a flyer, for an Important con* sideratlon, in the varieties. Ubiqultdoa pvaaa agentry la Babe's case has not overlooked plenty^of side rackets. Irving Ber- lin's ancient ditty, "Along Cama RttUt,*^ svrlttaB originally about a young woman, has been revamped! and is on sale in the lobby aa is also a confection bearing the great's name. Tha aiillNiaa la also las* pr< ssed with the name of a cer- tain sporting goods company pre- sumely favored by the Babe, both ways. Tha Baba'a okafv ROOT. T. HAINB8 and Co. S) •You Can't Win** (Mailfr), Four (Barroom) 6th Ava. (V*^) Melodrama of tha subdued type. No pistol shots; no ezclamatlona; no roughneck stuff. Btir irlmiali^y, a bar, booaa^ and no women. If Robert T. Haines did not write as well as play the lead in this very current topic of stick-ups, liquor and detectives, then It may have been re vised from an old script. It'a certainly up to date. Though the central scheme, hyp* notism, of forcing a oonfesakm from a crhnlnal, may not bo alto- gether a novelty in playdom, the manner here of working it surely la. Entirely interesting as a lesson In the flueney of the booze and the ease of banditry In Jersey, perhaps elsewhere, the playlet goes to a dull and show flnola With this rectlfled, Mr. Haines may have his oppor- t'lnlty and should along the vnude- vUle lino for bringing out a timely subject not treated In a comedy or bolst'^Tou.M mniinfT. Tbero i.s not a flaw In the support f»f three men, and of course Mr. I lai nes Is flaw less, not only in hia very fine plnyin;r r>ut in appearance, .^^eeing a real nctor on the vaude- ville stage is like a drink of real Scotch. m a f>et that If It isn't a perfect qpf'il:< risv Tuay be sncressfully eof'ied anyv\liL-re from 34th to 72d^ comes 'J'ony, with only the bar- ter der ^'.ih^n. Tony talks a bit. 1