Variety (Mar 1927)

20 VARIETY LOU CLAYTON, EDDIE JACKSON and JIMMY DURANTE (10) "Just for a Laugh" (Comedy and Song*) 34 Min VANNES8I and THE DIPLOMATS Song, Dance, Musical 23 Mins.; One and Full Stage line.; One and Full Loew's 8tate (V.-P.) Here's a tough break, because it la necessary to say that these boys went over to a hit Monday night at the State, their initial vaude ap- pearance as a trio. It's tough because this was the chance awaited to send over a re- ceipt in full for the many checks at their various sawdust Joints. These. Lou Clayton, Eddie Jackaon and Jimmy Durante, are cafe entertain- ers, by training, Instinct, nature, good nature, ability, disposition, love (of coin) and anything else you may want to add. New to vaude and how to frame a stage turn, with the cabaret or night club floor so familiar, the boys did exceptionally well in routining by the Monday night per- formance. They clipped down to 34 minutes from 44 at the matinee. Each of the boys got quite some on the solo efforts. Those started with Eddie Jackson in his two in- dividual tries, then Lou Clayton who bowled them with his fancy step dancing, and finally, Jimmy with his negligee tux or whatever It looks like. Not overlooking Harry Donnelly's Farody Club orchestra, doing and sounding much better on the stage of the large State than it does In the one flight down Parody room. And it may be further particular - that the Donnelly orchestra stand up with any In New _ or on the road now, of Its comparative sise (10 men) for music or versatility. It was some- what surprising to one who knows the band so well to hear how much better it did sound at the State than on the floor. With this trio of entertainers It's Just a matter of routine for the stage. They have enough to select a corking act before the week is over, and hold that in reserve until they accept another stage engage- ment. Previously their only Joint stage appearances have been for benefits, including their Winter Garden Sunday night engagements. Lou and Eddie are all set as they are. It's Jimmy who must set him- self, as he carries the burden of the comedy and nearly all of the ensembles. For instance the or- chestra directing bit; that panicked the balcony and seemingly down- stairs as well. But it wasn't so good and it wasn't Jimmy Durante. Jimmy can draw his comedy Just aa broad and much finer. And "Yucatan" will never be a sharp- shooting stage riot. Opening in "one" with Donnelly alone at the piano, the three boys gagged along with Jimmy in a Stetson, probably borrowed, and singing "I'm Going to Tell a Story," full of gags, helped by his two com- panions. When going into the full stage, a handsome set with the orchestra grouped in the center, it told that unless the "one" opening is nec essary. the act should start in the full set, the night club scene, and remain there. "She's Just a Cow" and "Old Broadway" were brand new to the house from their laughter and ap- plause. So was "Yucatan" and "The Noose" (news), also all of the nose (schnozzle) stuff. Lou worked the nose thing to the limit. For the finale it was "Jimmy, the Well Dressed Man," Durante's own sons, and a catch phrase around town now, picked up from one of the Durante dumps that started on West 58th street, moved by request to 51st street, and again leaving for more people and money at the Parody, where they are one of the sights of the town, that going both ways. For an encore Eddie did his "Hottest Boy" attesting that he and the others are as taking on the stage as In the club, and bring- ing up another fact, that the longer anyone watches this trio, the more they like them. There is no act in the business that grows on ait audience like these three boys, through their work and person- alities. Each is individual, and neither clashes. Anyhow, the Slate is only next door. It will be a pleasure to hop in at a supper show some day this week to see them flop. They all flop at supper Knows, And anyhow this settles the mooted point whether these un- questioned and unique entertainers will do for the stage. They will— for any stage. Simc. Palace (St V) Vannessi is slated for "A Night in .Spain," the Shubert revue, and is fllling-ln in vaudeville with The Diplomats, versatile musical septet Also In support Is Sonny Hlnes from the night clubs, a youthful contortive stepper. Vannessi is a "looker," vivacious, lithe, supple, gorgeous. She's an eyeful with plenty of "It," regis- tering from the start on the per- sonality. The composite presentation Is a glorification of youth. The dapper Diplomats are a model septet ta their toppers and cutaways, a rath- er ritzy affectation for a dance band, but they carry their clad rags convincingly. Miss Vannessi does her dance specialties with distinction. Her charms are no secret and they en- hance her terp contributions. She puts the peacock to shame with her own simulated peacock strut to the "Paavo Beal" accompaniment employing a prop pheasant for the picture. She should retain that number In the Shubert revue. The Diplomats are versatile back- ground. They harmonise In en- semble and In solo. They strum guitar serenades; also Inspiring string accompaniments on a battery of violins and Insouciant aax ap- peals on the reeds. To top this galaxy of youth at its gifted heights. Sonny Hlnes steps sensatlonallly. The act cant miss, and what is vaudevill's loss is the Shubert revne's gain, whether it remains intact or not. It should. THREE VAGRANTS Musical and Singers 15 Mins.; One Palace (St. V) Apparently a male trio In eccen- tric Italian regalia, one proves to be a woman. She handles the ac- cordion. The others play clarinet and guitar, the latter also vocal tz- {. It looks like a continental turn. They overstayed their welcome, forcing an encore to IS minutes, apparently for no other reason but the unwlgging of the girl. The musical stuff runs to the same general Idea of fancy clarinet variations In accompaniment to the accordion, with guitar contributing mildly. The act needs re-editing and cut- ting. Should do better In picture houses where they like the musical stuff. Abel. "JUNE BUDS" (10) Revue 20 Mins.; Full (Special) American Roof (V-P) Nine out of ten of the latest crop of musical flashes have 'em. What? Fern musicians which suffraget- Ically speaking means that woman's place Is no longer in the home— but in vaudeville. This latest one scores doubly through having lookers as well as versntlle girls In the outfit. Although patterned somewhat after the given formula for acts of this classillcatlon, it's a likeable flash with plenty of entertainment that can hold its own in present company. The lone male, probably owner, doubles trombone and leader i slgnment. But it's mainly the girls and what they do that count. Two In particular, unbilled, handled vo- cals and dancing, Individually. Those not permitted to strut or warble, held up with instrumental specialties. The music combination confined Itself to five selections aside from accompaniments with the special ties intermingled. The turn kept at a pacy tempo throughout with a fast dance finish by two girls and the music blazing away at the finish. Spotted No. 4 here mopped up. It means a lot to those in the know since this house Is no paradise for hand flushes. Vdba. Arvid Glllstrom will direct F. B. O.'s next series, "The Beauty Par- lor." Al Cooke, Kit Guard. Danny O'.Shea, Thelma HUi and Lorraine on will be in the entire series. -VARIETY—1887" (14) Old Time Show 30 Mins.: Stage Within Stage 81st St. (V P) This effort to picture accurately the sort of show given at Keith's flrst theatre on Washington street Boston, in 1387, turned out to be a Broadway starring piece for Mike Scott, 68-year-old Dublin minstrel who has been clpgglng It for 47 years and never until Monday got on Broadway, The piece itself is rather a crude burlesque In places, but it as- sembles some real old timers and turned out Into an agreeable novelty from the silk drapes or crepes of modern vaudeville. In particular it was a gala occasion for Mike at length to get his pedestal clog on Broadway, still In Its pristine purity, untarnished by Charleston corruption or black bottom In- fluence. Forty-seven years of trouping and 68 years of not the softest liv- ing In the world have taken toll of Mike, but he stood as erect for his statue clog as when he left Dublin nearly half a century ago. Even money la offered that then Mike took the dust of no clog dancer as he started on his travels, his clogs In all probability hung over his shoulders. Monday night he danced his full routine with taps as clear and neatly timed as a drummer's. Something of the free hand ease of the adagio have departed from Mike, but he still has the little square of marble and he hasn't compromised an inch with his artistic standards. The marble Is still only 12 Inches square and Mike doesn't fake a routine or cut the tough, rippling series of taps, even at matinees. The audience recognized him in- stantly as the absolutely pure variety specialist and greeted him accordingly. His finish was a riot, and he took another demonstration at the finishing bow of the whole troup. The Great Frazee opens the min- iature show given on a tiny stage built within the regular platform. Still tearing paper into fantastic designs and still spilling his patter. George and Mary Wheeler playing tunes on seried ranks of bottles that In 1887 meant something were No. 2. They don't look old enough to go back to '87, besides which Swiss bell ringers were the class about then, but they were accepted sn faith. Joyce and Daly did an old fashioned sidewalk conversation turn with several of the sentimental ballads of the period interpolated. Charles Loder, veteran "Dutch- singer and comedian, was funny on his own without reference to his- toric significance. It can't be that "Dutch" comedy has changed much since 1887. Loder had as good a line of talk as most that Is current and a voice that is much more agreeable than several current comics who might be mentioned. The Apple Sisters were a couple of bustled serio-comic girls who made no pretense of being on the level and killed their turn by bur- lesquing it. They sang "She May Have Seen Better Days" and other old boys of the kind and then- grotesqued a long-skirted dance so crudely the effect was lost. Then came Mike Scott for the hit of the act and the bill—this Is on the level on the word of a reviewer who dates almost back to Mike's Dublin debut. The Four Boston- lans, four young men in white satin minstrel get up, went through a ballad—they must have had noth- ing but ballads In those days, closed except for the finale bringing all on for a bow. It is represented on the program that this is an actual reproduction of the 1887 style of show. To the left and outside th» Inner stage footlights stood an announcer in- troducing each specialist and bang- ing on a suspended pan as a curtain cue for the act. Ruth. BARTO and MANN Comedy Dancing 15 Mins.; Ona Palace (St. V) Dewey Barto and George Mann are the names. The bookers will remember them. This is one of those once-in-a-great-while combi- nations that happens along and takes vaudeville by storm In sen- sational style. There have been dance acts be- fore that depended on their ex- treme physical statures to register. The long and the short of It have essayec 1 comedy before Barto and Mann happened along, but the man- ner In which this male team sells its material is nobody's affair. They reopened the second half. To quiet accompaniment an elon- gated youth came out and stepped energetically. He impressed with his legman la and his height, al- though not freakish either way. He exited distinctively and they began to sit up. Entered the diminutive Barto. Not a midget, but hooverlzed on stature, he was a contrast; but even then it didn't mean so much, although Barto tap-danced sensa- tionally. He stopped the show on his own. When the elongated Mann re- entered, the fun really began. The falls, the wrestling, the knock- about the studiously awkward hand-to-hand stuff and the general hokum won for them the evening's honors. Vaudeville needs Barto and Mann more than vice versa. If K-A has not protected its hold on the team, they're production-bound. Abel. MARTHA PRYOR and Co. (1) Talk and Songs 19 Mins.; One Loew's State (V-P) A new single turn for Martha Pryor, hardly old enough to be- lieve everything in It will remain, especially some of the talk. Harry DeCosta Is the pianist and Joins in the talking, besides using Bobby Clark's "Mother-ln-Law" gag. Mrs. Pryor. looking charming in as handsome a gown as vaude knows, with cloak also, opens with an announcement of a beauty con- test In the theatre, that providing for DeCosta's entrance. After that it's songs by Miss Pryor, pops so well sung by her and sure-fire. A husband-wife catch line f&r a closing number sends them off nicely, with Miss Pryor's ballad being "Bags." For an encore Miss Pryor explains the beauty contest thing doesn't go. The Pryor turn is perfect for the Loew, more so through straight vaude missing it. How and why they ever missed it, who can tell? ULIS and WHITE Songs 15 Mins.; One American (V.-P.) Two men, main strength lies in the vocal department and topical numbers pretty well known In thi neighborhoods. They appear as "hi ynllers" but there the imperson- ation ends. Just ordinary voices and the routine along the old "two man" type. Dnl fahly well at the Amer- ican. THREE KEMMY8— Equilibrists 13 Mins.: Four Hippodrome (V-P) Three men. Open with pose* a la statutes. Unusually good act In routine, balancing ilgurts used by the trio being away from the other general run of nets of this type. For poise and equipoise the Kem- mys are almost matchless: their composure, equanimity and balanc- ing lifts, holds and adjustments holding rapt attention throughout. The Kemmys will look nice In any house. Hark. GILSON and SCOTT Singing 10 Mins.; One American, Chicago A new hookup, Scott coming from the former Macy and Seott picture house act, and Gilson previ- ously plugging songs for the music publishers in picture houses and radio stations. The team is good for vaudeville. They might retain an eye on the picture houses, from whence they came, as the act Is suitable for either. The boys come out In tuxes, derbies, yellow gloves, canes, etc., and display their picture house training by breaking right into a number still in the bloom of newness. Their numbers vary from com- edy pop to sentimental ballad, all up to the minute. Each of the boys has a solo spot, Gilson for comedy and Scott for a ballad. A breezy singing act, routined to hold the Interest. Lonp. THE ANDRESENS (2) Equilibristic 8 Mins.; Three Palace (St. V) Nice couple In rlsley routine. Rather quiet but effective. Not par- ticularly sensational as Palace open- ers but that Is no criterion since a good three-a-day show ofttimes plays better than a Palace layout. They qualify as intermediary standards. .4 &w. IF YOU DONT ADVERTISE IN VARIETY DONT MAKER-REOFORD and Co. (4) "High Lights" (Revue) 24 Mins.; One snd Full 8tsgs Loew'. State (V.-P.) A revue sketched out by Paul Gerard Smith, without continuity and one of the few which does not need it. Jessie Maker and WilUam Red- ford as the principals stand up and out, with their support of much better calibre than usually found in vaude turns of tMs type. Besides the dancing and inci- dentals, there are two distinct pieces of business. One is a series of blackouts, of illustrated reasons for Justifiable, murder, with tha audience invited to reach their own decision, while the other Is a nice- ly thought out acting and singing bit with back stage effects of '"The Big Parade." That "Big Parade" announcement alone protects It* and It Is well done, plctoriaUy. noisily and In performance. Recognized at once it seemed by the audience they went right to the "Parade" and cinched the of a very good vaude the Loew Circuit this is doubly, for the work and for the Either one of the two special bit* mentioned could go Into a Broad- way show. No Variety New Act report Is in the files for this turn. It may be showing at the State for its first Broadway time. But the New Act files does show that since 1821, this is the third act production Maker and Bedford have produced. So straight vaudeville drove them out for that eh? .No wonder. In reviving straight vaude, how are the lost acts to be revived? "CAPTIVE'S" SUCCESSOR (Continued from page 3) In this way she also consoles her unhappy husband. "Baccarat" "Baccarat" opened March 9 at the Mathurians, making a poor impres- sion. It is presented by Bene Saunter. Probably the most Inter- esting angle in the production Is that the heroine wears long hair, and this detail has been exploited as a forerunner of the disappearing bob. The story is to the effect that a guardian ties up the resources of a gilded youth nicknamed Toto to prevent him ruining himself by gambling. Thereupon Toto elopes with his cousin Micheline, daughter of the guardian. The couple remain In plutonlc association while Toto flirts with an American girl. Toto manages in the meantime to ruin himself over the gaming table, but promises to reform when his cousin agrees to marry him. The marriage is arranged, but friends encourage Toto to resume gam- bling. They finance him and he rehabilitates himself. The piece was apparently especially written for Jules Berry. Suzy Prime and Vio- lette Bowe are also in the cast. "Masques and Faces" A French version of Luigl Chia- relli's "Masques and Faces," by Vic- tor Andre Ossi, was premiered at L'Avenue, March 10, to poor results. The cast includes, besides Pierre Lambert, added late, Jacques Bau- mer (also producer), Dubosc, Jean Wall, Nadine Plcard, Betty Dauss- mond an-1 Alice Goury. "La Poupee Francaise" "The French Doll," by M. and Mine. V. A. Jager-Schmidt, was presented March 12 by Mme. Made- line Carlier, being fairly well re- ceived at the Daunou. A pretty di- vorced woman Journalist declares no man can resist a clever woman, and In test wagers she can force a proposal from a woman-hating re- porter within a week. She makes good, but her plotting raises a hur- ricane of complications. In the end she capitulates and avows her love for the reporter. In the cast are Mme. Carlier, Ranee Rosier, Capel- lani, Robert Baatl, Mondos and Merin. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Herman Loins, at their home in New York, Feb. 17, son. Father is a theatre treasurer. Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Boss- kam (with Chicago stock Co.), a son In AVesterly, H. March fT~ Grahdaddy is operator of the reper- tory company, Mr. and Mrs. Ben L. Frank at their home in Los Angeles, daughter. Father Is manager of tho Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles. Mr. and Mis. Archie FoulR at the Boston It. I. Hospital. March 10, d urthter. Mother was Bonnie BOSS* ley in pictures.