Variety (Sep 1927)

PRESENTATIONS-NEW ACTS VARIETY Monolog 24 Mint.; On* p.lac* (St. V.) Alexander Carr Is at th« Pal«e«, alone In vaudovllle at last It's the •Bly tim* t>a l>aa a single around New York. Previously, and he often appeared In other days, it was with a sketch, usually the late Aaron Hoffinans "Toplitsky," a dMtolt tiMt sever did less than 30 KlBUtes when Carr was p.aying It. •i with Carr At the Palace U Leo ■dwarda at tfio piano. That stops Altxander from playing a sketch, for 1*0 U * piano player. In this act Leo Is alsoT a singer. Leo played one number lor Carr, then played tor his own number, about a girl be bad who was strong for him but abe blew aa they mostly all do. ' Leo didn't even rtlok around to hear Mr. Carr's final bit, a recitation was about ".Takie's First Play." a vers* Carr said he wrote hImseK and let blm keep It. For at tife flniah from the applause he shottM have had "The Star Spangled" inatead. The verse bounded on and oS "Th* Merchant of Venice." Best of Oarr'a met, ineludloc the n;nder the Matsos Tree," Carr aald h* had sung once In musical comedy (and If only once why niifat in Tsude) was a story, Yiddish In part and well told by Mr. Carr, of a Jewish man and wife who wanted to go up in an airplane. This story got over so well that Carr might throw away the rest of ^Is turn thta week ud Jilat tell that one. His first was something about a moaning Italian that couldn't hul l interest, while hia second was In Scottish, with the>t>roKu* wavering between Scotch and Yiddish, but ending flat. The program aays this Is Carr's "Triumphant return to vaudeville." Those careless printers. ASE REYNOLDS and Ca. (t) -i A. M." (Comedy) a> Mint.; On* and '"ull 8ta«* 68th St. (V-P) Abo Reynoluj. long In burlesque, has a surefire act for vaude. In a comedy skit packed with laughter, Reynolds and » youns woman build up a little story with a moral at the Bnlsh. Mr. r.cynolds escorts the y. 1. home after a teed and a show. Me is frisky over ilia achieTement In etl^plng a pippin. Tl^e exchange of dlalag and comedy byplay that fol- lows when the girl entertains hlin in her apartment leads up to the ~ girl llashlngra badge, infe r mjng Mm she had been engaged by his wife to trail htm. He phones his wife he will be right home. As played by the couple the act is capital entertainment. Reynolds sets away from broad burlesque eren when certain hits and sltua- tlOBs oiter all kinds of opportunities ^ t* TOUfhen them up. ,^ A oUti member appears as a eop When Reynolds and the woman are in "one." At the 58th Stfeet the act scored tleanly all the way. Marie, WINIFRED and CLARE gueical - H Min*.; Full Stage Americsn (V-P) Girl and young man. apparently •elated. Open in evening dress playing duet on twin saxophones. Next girl goes to violin solo, playing with much eCCort. wblle partner ac- companies on xylophone. Seyeral numbers in this arraagement,-then Sin goes back to xj-lo and they An- TO in spirited duet. . Is not laid out for full value. Work is severely straight and has no change of pace or playing up of material. Olrl Is strikingly good looking, but her manner Is flat and _ colorless. Dressing lacks the right wuch. Need advice of experienced wach. Just aa openinc number for the American in present form. FLORES GIRLS (3) Weight Jugglers • Mint.; On* and Full ^nwriean (V-P) Three good-looking, shapely girls, prohaliiy less than 20, who open with * after the manner of the Tiller (Jirls, In one. and then go to •on stage to show a series of Jug- Jfllng feats with Iron balls. Ifs aU the (•■mi.lest kind of work. Prob- ably .171 experienced performer could _J£iLn ihr.-e girls to .lo the same stuff in a ,i,-iy and a half. Poiut about the turn is that the rns arc pleasant to look at, and When they appear stripped to a thin union suit they make some display, "je sh.Tpog are the tricks. Light number for light time. -HELLO AL" (SO) Band Presentation 60 Min*.; Special Norshor*, Chicago Excellent stage band bill work- ing at ail times In the dutiful view of selling . a new criTidurtor ami. practically, a ni w ilic itro. If Al Kvale needed a scndoft he certain- ly got one. Nicely staged and cast It had as the chief senUeroff, Le.st.-r Alien. No need of a.'iklng Le.'-t.r liu.v li.< likes picture houses. They gobble his faoke wholesale and cry for more. Allen was legit In a dance for his first number. He wowed wilh that and came bnck wiili tli.it restaurant tuxedo. The tux was the best piece of scenery In Le- Alnlre's show last year, so Allen re- tains It, shirt and all. It's the lonfc*St shirt on the shortest name in show business. So with Allen and Kvale's pleas- ing personality and ■ quiet ability, this show would have found it more touKh ti) miss than to hit. Only one bad Item In casting and easily overlooked. That was Clem Dacey. song plugger. Despite abili- ty, I)Li<-ey remains a phigger. lie has pl.iy.'d almost evei\- pitiM house in town half a doaii-n tii,- Few picture bills around Chi .. wiihiHit one of the boys, and some are difileiilt to separate i'-oni a regular siim'le. Hut the >.iso of Dacey has become different. He ha.i worked too much local stuff, a manner of theatrical suicide. Forgetting Pir. y, the balance of the show- ' a-d a solid kick. Ilonny bo h recently developed name, b<- : .led Allen in honors. ■Six m''n!> i ago Mlas Bailey was a floor IV performer. Miss Bailey has a clear sopriino voice, sings a blue ballad as It should be sung and, if she would drop tlie operatic urge, would stand within reaching distance of single stardom. There Is an excellent chance for feminine singles In the new Held of picture houses, especially 1|| this, town where there are not enough to ful- fill the demand. Charles liuey, kid W hi*tier, la Just another lip and tongue expert without the youth angle. He whistles prettily, but a whistler Is a whlstlenir If the art does com<» back. Ilucy will rate. X'ntil then he's a reliable off and on quick step for stage t>and shows. Clifford and Elmore, ' highbrown dancers, were showstoppers with a short but speedy routine. They st.age one of those contest bits In outdancing each other. The double finish Is better than either of the solo hooflngs. Abbott Girls, eight, who will probably be permanent here, were In and out on occasions and upheld the sight end whUe CO- Ing through standard routlnea. The Kvale band, 15, Is as expert as can be desired. Carefully picked personnel and shows It In playing. The pianist on the audience's left is a pip. Kvale's training uiuler Paul Ash sticks out all over him. He directs not a little like his former .boss and inserts enough of Ua-wwa rhythm to be a pleasing flgiire In front of a band. The orchestra numbers were all excellent, especially that announced by Kvale as dedicated to Ash. Barry GaurtaliCs production was creditable. A novel scenic finish completed the show in st\io. "Hello Al" was an all around aid to Kvale and wUl M defi^ bring the patrons back. MACK and TIVOLI Song* and Talk 12 Mins.; One 68th St. (V P) According to the MllIng Htjk «ni1 TIvoll have a new act entitled "Once But Not Twice" by Eugene Conrad. Young woman and young man meet on a bench, to exchange fly talk, with love and divorce up- permost To each remark by the m.an tho girl rosponds with a wise crack. Ballad by the man, a ballad slowed up the fast gags, but as usual goes over in the neighbor- hoods. A quiet little a^-t but effective, with ni.-iltTi.'il niodi rn. 3farfc, HARRY MORRIS and CO. Comedy Skit 10 Mins.i Pull Stock American Roof (V-P) Yiddish Comic with a toothache in a dentist's office. Does not get the results of the LeMaIre and Phillips act, which, whiU;_lili'L In »n osfopatli'.H office, is essentially the snme coincly Ide.a —the abuse of a small and frantic patient by a large and tactless prnetll loner. This skit c,an be Improved. There Is plenty of room, need and oppor- tunity for doing so. It Is b.ised on tlnie-hnnorcil prtt^clp1»« of hokum. ROSE'S ROYAL MIOQETS (M) B6 Mins.! One and Full (Spaeial) Earle (V.-P.), Washington, D. C. Ike rtoso knows midget acts. T\n' veiti.in showniau's present line'-iip has many new faces and a conipleti- ,new routine of material, It hold.s entertainment the kids will scram- ble for and to do the scramblini; bring their parents along. Here at the Earle (Stanlci, tIiom;h the much needed circuslng wa.s impossible, tlie house got Sun- day matinee business throughout the entire week, while the nlght.>. held no room for complaint. in all tho routines with 11 spe cialties backed up by 19 different set changes. Little Kurt to the out- standing performer. A close second is a colored midget. Ivan Turner. These two practically carry tlie turn, with seven of tlio otiiers con- tributing the usi»l vaude. Juggling, ball balancing and violin soloing. The finish l.rlngs on the entire bunch C! stoning. This gets them for ilio miniature dancers' feet ar:<: legs give a new twist to it. Many of the specialties are worked out via a minstrel Scat part. frhUe ii<- others appear In the tisuii^ '^e" . .1 "three." Everything Is excellently timed. Kose evidently figuring it better to leave-^tlKH give te» miith. Not only are the midgets a sure bet In the vaude houses, but. If properly handled, would be a dis- tinct, mreitjr'te picture houses. Jfeafctn. "POST CARD FROLIC" 22 Mine. Mark Strand, New Yerfc Joe Plunkett has strung A MrWa of song and dance spcciaHtaa Mtd dance numbers on a neW walon of tha peat ears tSea, etfUnft it "Post Ciri Frollca." Runs U min- utes. Recently the Strand used tlie same device. Introducing numbers by means of settings representing foreign postcards. Here the num- bers are tied tip to American locali- ties. A mammoth picture postcard Is shown, perhaps 10 by 20 feet, the a<3dress side first, and then when it swings around a typical scene. "'Cal- ifornia" Is an orange grove. Orville Rennle singing and Beth Calvin do- ing a solo, dance, featuring her re- markable front and SMk Meka. . "Grand Canyvn" to aa elaborate painting, with an Indian song and the Strand chorus In ensemble step- ping dressed in Indian costume, led by Muriel Stryker In acrobatic fig- ures. For Chicago Kose and Arthur Boylan do a comic "Amche" dance as guuBM and Ma siiL ror New York, instead of the post card turning about. It unfolds up- ward revealing a skyscraper, and then turning about, brings Into view the Indiana Five, Jaxz ori-hestra, for a number. Curtain of metallic cloth descends back and the stage becomes a cabaret floor with the Bourman Steppers doing ensemble work and Layman and King acro- batic, ballroom dances and adagio bits. Neat pictorial Idea nicely carried out with swift succession of special- ty people and working up to a cap- ital flash climax. Jtvsk. LEE MORSE (1) I Song* I 10 Min*.; On* I Mark Strsnci, Brooklyn, N. V. Four or rt\e ,\o,ird ai:o 1.*^-^ .Morse ■ came from the west ami iinpi e.«seil I in the sm.allie vaudeville time. Seen j al Proctor's 23d Street to good ad- ' vantage, she was given the tisu.il ; K.-.\. go-by, although cliiUitig ful- ; somel}' a season or two later at tlit^ ! Parody Cliib. Her trick voice roni- I mnnded {he night rlubbork' ntti n- ' lion and also registered on the 1 disko. . .Mi.-^s .Mor.-'e is a show woman of ' sm.'iir order. Hfr manner of st.ng s.alesm.lhshlp, the ' trick of I t itzing the atmosphere with a per- 1 stmiiMo jM.iiio ar.i'inpanlsl. l>ob Downey, in immaculate full eve- ning dress: and the variegated rep- ertoire evidences the artiste's com- pi.-hension of what it is all about. In a zlpi'V 10 minutes Mis.s Morse opens with "Side By Side," followed by what she afterwards "If You Don't Shoot Straight With Mama I'll Take a Shot at You." a clever rag number. Instead of trad- ing on the kind applause announce- ment, she exptaina after ;t)ie num- ber has registered that she Is pleased with it« reception, consid- ering It's her own. Some novel blues cronlng to self- accompaniment Wttk SUUar pre- ceded the finale, a txtlUtil announced as one of Miss Morse's best selling recordings atid tleservedly so, ac- cording to the treatment of the rendition. Miss icorse UCOm bwadljr la ,the contralto clasdScatHMIt i Sut; tt Is actually a trick vetee^ fNalV IB Its fluctuations from reaoBant aeprano (falsetto) to nt a nnto li dee p aes s and character. Miss Morse Is Ideal In the pic- ture houses and an asset for any announces an original composition, revue. 4M> PALACE STANLEY and KERN Songs, Comedy 16 Mint.; On* * Am*rican Roof (V-P) Lights discover man In dinner Jacket seated at grand piano. He introduces himself aa A writer of ipopular songs and presents his credentials Immediately, winding up with "Knee Deep In Daisies." about the only number from his catalog ringing familiar. This Is okay to start, although the lyrics should be rearrangett to omit lines that might appear egotlstie. Girl m.akes appearance In an un- godly rig and sings a song aljout the things she has never done. In- cluding making page one in the "Graphic." This to a good Idea, but dres.-ied wrong. An exaggeratedly short dress burlesquing the present trend of fashion or some simllur get-up would carry out the Idea better. Iloth members of team make nice artpearnnce and Impression. Mr. Stanley, doing what he announces as his pet number, slapped bcru£:i a recitation in connection with ' Vou Can't Be a -GooU Little Fellow," etc. Coming as a surprise to yery- one beliind the front lOWa to the revelation Just before the bends that Mr. Stanley is one-legged. A traffic rop bit, with the man In a mini^iture auto-scooter, serves as a second helping. Popular at the American and should be elsewhere. Serviceable for the picture houses, with th<, necessary eondension acrnm- pHshed. MARMEIN ENSEM8LB (•) "Th* New Ford" Dane* Interpretation 10 Mins.; Three (Special) Colony (Pet), New York This Interpretive dance of Amer- ican industry, conceived and pro- duced by tlio Marmeln Sisters, brings to the picture house* a new standard of cultural presentation which, one fears, is a bit too con- cert for average film fan fare. Picturesque, futuristic, novel and majestic before an impressive set- ting by John Wenger, nine terpsl- chorean artists In sturdy attire sug- gesting coats of mall and armor, are shown rhythmically assembling the new Ford mrtdei. Huge dynamos are suggested by the brilliant 'Wenger settings; piston rods, gl- gantie hammers, forges, cranes, der- ricks, intricate cogs and wheels and massive machinery h.ave been strik- ingly caught In the scene and vig- orously iBtarpreted b|r tke Mamein dancers. Unlike the general run of aesthet- ic and Interpret.'itivo dancing, much of the dance requlrles little ■tnter- preutioiw What tt lacka la aup- piied by A program netatloik Were it projected on thi. screen aa an an- nouncemeftt it would be even more elTectlve. The sptalal mpsle br Ouataf Hoist powessea a majesty and color high- ly suited to this contemporary American dance Interpretation of the great Ford plant's return to ac- tivity ■with the assembling of the long-awaited new modeL Abul. TOCK and TOY Songs and Daneea 12 Mins.; Two (SpaeM) State (V-P) N Two entertainers from the Far Blast. Man and woman. In native garb the man ainga fltft. Joined by the woman, the lag HA* being some- thing about a pretty Chinese girl. D.ance solo by the girl, of grace and skill, a little waltz clog stand- ing out. The man spectoltses in aong and has a flno voice. It's cultured and lie shows oloee training of the King's , Knglish. For the OnliAi the man appears In Tuxedo and the girl In a bridal out- fit, a wedding number giving them an exit scng away fi^m the usual topical humJrum. (>t. vul.-o the man sends the act at. - e the average. Tho turn could be used In picture houaea. At the state it scored. Mttrh, THE OLYMPIANS (•) Jazz Orchestra 14 Mins.i Full American Roof (V-P) Boya work hard but self-con- sciously to be funny. Results are pretty much flat and colorless Conventional f-fforts to prnvole comic Interpretations of pop nitm- b*rs start with one of the boys (St. Vaud*) Not n bit of quc.sti.Mi but there's some taletit at ilie I'.il.iL-o iliia u^'ek. li a smothered. If the rai.ie.. huok- • 1-3 are trying to fool tlie picture P"opl,. in the opposition T.'.. hou.■^e^ iti'.o h t\v to not franie .i bill by f ol- iol>i|,^ 111,. l':ilaie. it's no lise -the pillurc iioople havo stopped golne there. Through l!lo.~som SeeUy dropping out for at least both performances .Monday, through bad thrt.at or els«- Klizabeth Brioe doubled from tht S6th Street, show in^ how ia.'.il>- nov. Keith-AllM-e cm liwuble an aei Iron a griiiiler to a log timer, in' course, th" nite ( lobs haven't opened yet. W illi .Miss i!ri. e and a Umd No 3, Kilii I l>a\is and a pi.anist No. 4. .Mex. «a[r and a pianist openini: after ml. i iiiisli, with a dance act and a band after ilieoi, there wa. not an argument left as to the va- liety you now find at the Palace. In the ^.pa<e for the Next Weel. announcement is pbnty of sollii type. It sa.\s thi' Talace progriui for next we, k will be the slronBes. ono of the \ear, prob.tbly an error meaning (he season, but two week.- old. It also says Ibis ' ai-e muslt hall" is booking in eoniliiiiation with the I'alai e. Chicago. Whoever know» the combination should tell it. In looking over the I'alace pro- gram you run across Mr. Joe Frisco, and If able to sit through to next t< closing you'll find that's Frisco. th< orlglnaL Frisco from tho sawdus as Frisco to the Koitli-.\lbie Tulac. (remove your hat) and .Mr. Jo. Frisi o! With his ' t^igar and Derby and making 'em call him Joe wa putting over aomcthliig, but to taci n that Mr.I That's iHiat they ge: for pretty dressing rooms and ele- vators. ^ The next act that gets a hundi will probably send for Mr. Albee t<> come down to the dressing room an<' nut go on until he geto there. NIc actors! Don't get Cross! No mor. cut weeks If you're amart. An please don't write in about the aup- per shows. it looks as though, too, that th Orpheum Cireult Is Ixx-oming Im- portant—to K-A. And it ilkewlH- looks as though wilh the Falac< New York, iiooklng in combination with the Palace, Chicago, that th'- acts Insisting only on the two-a- day, meaning names or what you can get, will have quite a little Jump to start with, making that l"^ ma.\imiim transportation sound foolish. One wouldn't expect that Mis- Davis would do as well as she did following Miss Hrie-e and the Brlc«- Kessler'H Music Weavers or some- thing likiT that. Miss Brice look.- good without doing miKh, and th" band looked less, with the act look- ing on the Palace stage like one of vaudeville's trouble e. SonKotie on the ensehtng line ap- peared to have muffed cues Monda>' evening. Knough clnqners in tie house, but they scmingly didn'i knew who had bought them tlie tick nts. The .npplause was liglit enougl- to Indle.'ite they were uneert.iln. \n<' .Miss Davis got a l.-irge brisket o flowers, picking out the smnllef among the big ones to toss to Benn.\ Rot)ertp. He ciught It. Johnny Dnoley got some laugh-" and would h.avo had more withou' two women singles ahead of him as Mlsn Brice's turn now looks ■' old style as does the Caprice Cha- meleon dance act with Mollie I>od<i and others mentioned or billed. Th' bitter's sole novelty Is the Ucb' transformation as done in one of tb. Music Box shows. It happens twleo here, but Isn't big enough to st.'ind for everything else, Just as the slide hit In the firiee turn seemed silly. And while the Urlce net had th" orchestra play "Hallelujah" to coa- an encore that wouldn't arrive, b<' did the skimpy siz-ptece band of th<' dance act play "Hallelujall'' ai- something that should get over any way. The six pieces of the dancer- presented a much better appearand through grouping than the elghi pieces with Miss Brice. Following the trouble of concen- tration on the first part. Alexandei Cnrr 0|>ened the second b.ilf (New Acts), and then commenccl to slip to do a nip up with Mr. Joe Frisco who did considerable of his fituff Including dancing, but taking o chance with some business in the amateur singer . song Burl Shepherd with hta whip made a nice closer, as did Watfclns' animal act at the opener. The lat- ter has a greyhound leaper for Uk safety flrst. Prakson, Importation of last fall playing a return here, is a fah palmer of cards, d<>lng his be^l palming with the gloves on (ne^fi and cin'hing himself with the cl- gnret. lb* wa:^ r.ver easily No. 2. Prob.'ibly Johnny Dooley didni know It, as timt was but the seconi' show, but his "love and paralysis" Cuiillinied on pag) 2S) rllnil.lng Int., b.;iby car!t,u:» anir_ saying "Da-da." Thais a fai. xampln. The rest of the clowning in^hide- tho Inevitable ounce in bad arttotr: (with taste omitted from consider* tlon). One of many of Its geiraa.