Variety (Nov 1927)

WtdMtdayt Novwnbcr 2, 1927 FILM HOUSE REVIEWS VARIBTY LOEWS MIDLAND <KAMAS CITV> Kaum Ctty. Oct. St. GUtteiinff In Irideaoent lovellneas. gtrikkoglf onuitai Lmw's MidWad ^nts given lU introdaction to Kansas Cltj iMt •▼enins. CoL £. S. Schll- 1^ » le <-»rt»ldcnt of Loew'a, In hla presentation address, said "This Is the ftrst openlnir In 15 years that liarcus Lioew has not been with us." Distint^uished ffiiosts froBl State and city, as well as many prominent i» tMatrical and picture world, ^ere present It was 8.40 when the stirring eall of a bugle warned those mho wore still gazlngr at the works of art and Iweperting places oX in- terest in the hottfee fhat the time had arrived, and a moment later the 30- plOGO orchestra, under the direction of RubinofT, brought the assembly to ttm tef^t with the aational anthem. Tile program was divided into 10 units, starting with the overture, ^arche Slav." The news reels showed pict^^es of the Army and Navy football game, Col. Undbergh and other late evenw. Unit four was RablBoff In hla own composition, "Dance of the Rtisslan PefUMnts," vIoUn solo. He respond- ed with ^HaneluJah,** playing It 0rst as Straus would have dMMi It •ad then as it is played now. *Zioew's IfMNtead. Past and Ppss- ent^" was a series- of pictures show- ing the site of the theatre as it ap- peared two yean ago, the breaking of the g^round ftor the structure and different viewa of the work as it progressed imtU tlM flrst tMset i 9old. Number six was the organ log, •The Heart of America." by Hans Flath, who presided at the console. It was based on the history of Kan- sas City, and a couple of tableaux of •The Scout," a brooae statue in one of the city parks, were used effect- ively. Jewels of Venus,** Ufa short feat- ve, followed, and then the feature ste^e presentation, Anatole Fried- land and his Club Anatole Revue, no familiar eabai«t setting was «Nd with the tables occupied. The •ftorlng was introduced by Fried- laad, who Informed his audience that the reason he was able ot bring his artists to Kansas City was that his club was padlocked In New York. A nMty dancing chorus was the first flash. Rena Parker sang •NifCht Club Rose." Lucille Hajrea brought fortah the gasps with her seasatlofial toe dane- ing. Other members and specialties soored. including a hit by :U Jock- Lo Blane and Do Charm a wonderful adagrio team Beach complimented Herbert IC. Weolf, vIoe-iNresident. and M. B. Shanberg of the Midland Theatres Co. and Lioew's^ Inc. CoL Schiller tetvoiuoed RaiMm Novarro, who Is starred In the picture, "The Road to Romance.** He responded with a iMqppT IKtle talk. Afleen Prlngle was also presented. Novarro pulled a surprise when ho sat down at the ^ano and sang a eoupio of Spanish foUt songs In charming manner. Ilaxt to be presented was *'Buddy'* Rogers, Paramount star, whose homo Is hut M miles away. His taft waa Aort ftad happy. The screen feature wig **The Road to Xtomance.** hoofer, neat and with plenty of pre- cision. She seUem w Issue a tap. She took 'em lor two OMorea and a beg oft Newton and Morris, two-man booflng: team, worked In two sepa- rate spots in the performance, cotmtlng nicely each time. Finale had everyone on tlie stug^e for a scenic Anish. The effect of Verne Bock's absence was notfcoeahla^ COLONY ■ (MKW YORK) New York. Oct. M Broadway now has a ntnge band leader, western style. He Is the new maestro at the Colony, last of the Broadway picture houses to give in. He comes from Chicago, wears hom-rimmed glasses, and his name is Art Kahn. His jass Is the Jazz of a town half as biff but very un- like this trading post. His ways are the ways of the disdples of Paul Ash. He wiggles when he directs and wisecracks when he announces. He is hotsy-totsy. Having decided to climb on the band wafTon the Colony made a per- fect choice. Art Kahn has a type of entertainment unlike any now be- ing purveyed hereabouts. He has. also, one of the warmest of orches- tras. There is. after all, nothing quite as feverish as the Chicago tempo. The Chlra^ro bunds h4V0 a knack of getting to the feet. The indications are, and the pre- diction Is. that Kahn will prove a winner. At the Harding and Senate Theatres In Chi he absorbed a world of experience. He has a solid foun- dation of musicianship. His piano- playing is almost as sensational in the nimble digit department as the famous Angered Zev Confrey. He has a nice personality, is something of a comedian and very much of a showman. A composer and a mu- sician his orchestrations are out- standing. He gets plenU 9ilt oX his 12 assistants. Also from Chicago where UNy appeared with Kahn and other stage band* are Vale and Stewart, two boys, and one of the classiest hoofing combos to hit this burg in recent annals. Their routine.s are wows. If the3r*re not grabbed, the talent scouts in the speakeasy belt are not making the rounds. As a gesture of admiration tot the b usi ness aggreshreness of sales manager the Colony this week, along with several other Broadway cinemas, lii playing a Fiithe lecture. It Is called **rhe Angel of (make jrour own pun). LAWNDALE Chlcapo, Nov. 1. Ha by Diehl had it ail her own way at the lAWndale theatrs last week. Ahorit six months ago the bu.9ine8s men around Crawford ave- nue and Roosevelt road decided a clase theotre was In demand, and set out to tinance one. A bond com- pany floated a $450,000 bond ismie and up went the house. The place laid Idle for six months, when C. K. TK-ok of the Castle theatre got the lease at a 140.000 yearly rental and a stipulation that the lessee should have 40 per cent of the profits. So much for the house. After all. "The show's the thing.** "Rags" Rubin, the aesthetic danc- ing band conductor, calls for com- ment, because his actions and limb movements are inclined that way. He Is a good director, but backward at present. Ho is popular with the crowd, and that's enough. The "Jass Jesters," Rags' boys, con&lsts of 14 pieces, and of all the two cor- nets supply the entire punch. Two other members . t he druauner and the banJoist--Hl#ii^ # gggig ber. The aurroundlng Utet aWvaged somewhere bctweeh good and medi- ocre. The chUd in the show, six- year-old Baby Diehl, copped the show, doing nrst a couple of pop sonsjs using gymna.^tlc movements, and tinlshed up with a real acro- batic dance. She was swamped with applause. Kret Low's ballet girls opened. Six Kirls — young, pr«>tty and working well, each taking her turn at a little acrobatic danee stunt —were fair. Constance Duln. vio- linist, is charming and presents the nicest appearance. She Is an all- round good looker and works with the will to please. Coster and Rich, mixed dance team doing society and apache numbers, were holdovers from last week. AuMl Roinalne. a girl with m -^ii^Wit/lyiii^jWas liked a lot. v.;.:-v.;: Loop. nin^' used It is ono oC the best iieti* Held has evor sthgod. Between tlie pumpkins, behind the caldron and before the cat are seatrd throughout the 20 members of the Cola &into Orchestra led by tVancesco Colasanto. All are clad in clown suits with pointed caps. They are heard flrst in opera numl>ers which they play well enough, but it is rather futile for a stage band to play straight in competition with the MosQUd house orchestra. A burst.of thunder removes tho witch and from the sitb of tlie lire (at! the dancers come from there) enter Fayette and La Verne. The girl dressed briefly in green does good aerobnile dancing and posing, with the BiaA ngCIng ohMy as underst&nder. The progrsm Is not followed, but a singer, i>ossibIy Victor Poeo, ren- ders the "Toreador " song to good results with Kilda. contortionist, do- inff frocr stuff. After a ^and number the Kight Dancing Fla.«<hes dressed in omago elown units with pumpkin fnres. dance, succeeded by a quin- tet. Magda Dahl. RafTael Cavalier. Bertha Clarver, Victor Poso. and E. Palarzl.. who sing the sextet from "Lucia." For the finale Ren Hamld'.s ^ix Arnbfl (one girl and Ave men) do wild tumbling and rlsley work flanked by the puiftpkin girls as decoration. The one hand and no hand somersaults wowed them Twenty-flve minutes of good enter- tainment. accompanl.Mt cenu*r.>d against silk drop in two. iAian Mortte delivered her blue songn working on and around the piano that was spotted against a darkened stage. The act was pleasing but not big with tho local audiences. This was followed by an animal human intt rest reel that st ored, getting a nice hand from the houaa. Following this came Clyde Doerr and his Davis Saxophoni< o. t. tte. The stage was dreaseU down with a squared black inner proscenium with a back drop of the same dark. Iridescent texture. Low lights played on this drop created the proper color moods f«>r the numbers. \ scrim in one with grotesque snow- fall effect featured the flfth number of the turn. The act went over wqlL "Liifs of Riley.'* screen feature. LONDON UPTOWN SHERIDAN (CHICAGO) Chicago, Oct IT. With Verne Bu^Oc away for a %reek, special emphasis was placed tipon production to camouflage dele's absence. Buck has a tre- mendous north side following, and his leave probably caused concern for the box office. Attendanoa at this matinee waa fair. Edmund C. Fitch, house organist, faUowod the flicker, rrhe Angel of Broadway" (P. D. C), with a clover set of community singing slides, bu^ they availed him not. Fitch had hotter give up alntlng tildes, at the aaatinees at ltaat» and gtMi to •tralght solos» ^Pirate Pranks~ was tho presen- tation, with Hal Hiatt, the band's first sax. in Verne Buck's place. Blatt is Just a good>natured kid, and went over for that reason, but he is no showman. What he does is amateurish, but it is probably bis flrst crack at doing a musical m. c •o allowances must be made. Curtains parted, revealing the band in a mountain set, with only the heads of the musicians perceiv- able. Music racks and instruments were hidden. Hiatt walked down a runway built in the middle of the set. lie was dressed in a,costume, obviously meant to be pirate. Joo Kdth dahesrs (•) opened working in and out of the show thereafter. Cora Walsh, blonde nengstress and noeordlonlsto, was the only member of the talent who wasn't tjedecked in a pirata outfit, the rest of tho people all uncaring oostumes. She showed a mean blue voice, plenty of volume, and played an encore on her accordion. Tom Faxon, bass singer, sang a couple of dMrusea of a "baby song." The band played it as a special, dancers hoof in I t.^ and Fuxon sang It^ paxon is a plugger, but a little better than average. * Philco and Sebastian, male duo, warbled their best but didn't sat lsf\'. Seba.stian formerly worked ■ingle around town. I'hilco has toir set Of plpen hvt no stage pres- ence. Babe Morris, dainty tap dancer, »red heavOr. Baho a STATE (MINNIAraU*) Minneapolis. Get. ST. When It comes to putting on the Paul Ash style of show this house does It In tip-top style. In talent, staging, costuming and snapplnees of routine theoo State shows, mod- eled along the Ash lines, do not have to take a hack seat for any of tho entertahnnent offered In this vicinity. This stago ehow was called **A Syncopated Vtesta," and It*had plenty of sippy Spanish flavor. Garbed as done, with Les Harper, the leader, in a flaming red outfit, the stage band of 14 waa in an at- tractive set representing a patio. The It State girls—young, pretty •nd peppy—wore Spanish costumes for a brief dancing number at the outset. EMIdle Cox, master of cere- monies, proved a different sort, es- diowlng tho usual wise cracha and Jovialities. His Introductions to the various perf o r mer s were straight- forward annoimconieBts. He has s pleasing personality, and the audi- ence liked his manner. It liked him even more fbr hla nvmbers. Following Cox's flrst song, the stage band contributed catciiy selec- tions from "Rio Rita.*' Frankle James, attractive blonde In a stun- ning black gown, surely can sell song numbers. In begging off, after stopping the Ohow, tfhm gagged that she had Just received a telegram from Al Jolson asking-her to return as leading Uidf, ^ White and Manning ne<t Iflth n comedy tango number featurod by burlesquo aerobatics and falls. The girt Is a pretty little thing, and the boy, who does comedy, does not look unlike Harold Uoyd. This was a feirly good .oomady. nv&iher of Its sort. Cox sang and flnlsli' d with flrst class stepping. Tho 16 girls next In nifty abbreviated Spsnlnh cos tumes of an original de«i{pn. Tho short ballet skirts were of the same ehlny leather materlat as that used In their Spanish hats. A pleasing dance number paved the way for an effective IHiate, with tile curtains hnck fltncre parting to rex'cr^l girls posed atop huge step.i on two sides and wielding tambourlnea With the ref^ilnr orchestra out on strike there was the "Xlrht Cav- alry" overture by the Vltaphone symphony orchestra. Another Vita- phone number was that of Reb Slkes and his cntertfilners. well re- celved. 'The Road to Romance,' ffie feftllire itliDiuplny, si wai no knockout. Supporting Gilbert and Adoree !n "The Cossackn," M-O, are Ernest Torrenee, Joseph Ire Borln, Dale Puller. Paul Hurst. Robert Sher- wood and Xeil Neely. Ceorge Hill directing. (TORONTO) Toronto, Oct 28 Red Carter, a hold over firom Ipkst and Jack Ktdm, dance man. are abov| show here this wek. Carter falls Into a dud opening be- hind a pop by the hand that didn't mean a thing. Jack Arthur has a good band but some of the new mu- sic sounds tinny. Carter in rompers does a kid stunt despite a chest that lo<^s like a bear rug. One of those 8#rittg-baa-camo daaosa with a bal- loon mado a hit aa dM another Ik de da hoof. The crowd got a belly laugh when Re<* takes a nose dive on Hm hal l eoo a . A hurlesQue on opera snared a few laughs and rather spoiled the later attempt of the same nature byj Bthal Nowton Jack Kates, as a sap, did some of the nl^iest hoofing seen In this neck of the timber. One of those skin tight coats and wide pants as a get up. Hokum ad lib during the hoofing that covered everything in the book ttom m.mm m^>ot torn up. ~ T A couple of yams with Jack Arthur as tho foil got over. One that tried to ha nnnglitr without saying anything flopped. Ella Marvel was weak in a pair of songs. Over affected In the opening, she settled down in a Mammy hu- laby but the house was cooL The band, with Indian music, built up a real entrance for Ethel Newton who waa spotted against a back drop paddling a canoe. Indian togs and a couple of Indian songs went over In a big way duo mora to tha band than anything else. The fade out was a burlesque radio broadcast by Carter, Kates and Miss Newton with the honors going to Carter in an original bed time story. If Red can make them up aa ho goes alona like tiUs one, the movie folk should get him busy on scrips. An announcer in the studio he takea over Arthur's job as mater of eewnioiilea, hands them a couple of songs and brings on Kates as a health professor. The prof is on his last legs and re- peatedly caves In a la Leon Errol. Miss Newton shows class as the burlesque prima donna. Ten minutes of Fox and Pathe 'news, mostly British shots and the Hal Roach •'Sailor's Beware" pre- cede "Mockery." The show is a bit longer than usual The stago un- dressed except for a half jiitipn canvas in the Indian scene. Tumaway business most of Sat- urday despite warm weather and plenty of opposition. Binclair. ^^^^^^^^ M (NCWARK) Newark. N. J.. Oct. tl. After several weeks of big pic- tures with no presentations beyond a slnprer or two, the Mosque springs an elaborate show this week to counterbalance the rather mild fea- ture "Figures Don't Lie." Using the full stage, A. Gordon Reld has staged a striking Hallow- 'e»^n !»< ttlng b'^hind an arrh of trees A gr*»at black cat tak's up m<>y* the background with a l.jrf'*^- f.-^l to its left and another owl hhovo and to rlrht. These three hav« winking yellow eyes. The wirit,"^ are flankrd by two groat illuminated pumpkins while in the center is u flr*s with caldron suggested, above which Is a wltcli swaying to the movements of the music in the ftrst wmher. Thunder gftd light- ' MARK STRAND (BROOKLYN) Brooklyn, N. Y., Oct. SO. A novelty presentation program surrounds the F. N. feature "itose of the Uoldea West" (Mary A«tor- Gilbert Roland) whioh missss aa the tlicker attraction. Beside the Happiness Boys (Billy Jones and Ernest Hare) fidward L. Hyman has two novelty stage in- terludes. As part of the overture, in conjunction with the James Fits- patrick Music Master film dealing with Charles Gounod, tho reel is twice broken, once for a ballet corps interlude to Gounod music, and for the finale.^ an excerpt from "Faust" (prison scene) featuring Kitty Mc- Laughlin, soprano, Amund BJovik, basso, and ESverett Clark, tenor. In the ballet number. Mile. Rudolph xh the premlero ballerina. Sho la pro- granimod aa fOnnerljr of tho Motro- politan Opera. The news reel la preceded by a corhing Orantland IUco*Chlek Moo- ban sports short, a Pathe series on "FootbaU Sense" with the N. T. U.'s coach Introducing a patent appnod for process of play demonstration. The tboory la to watch the running players, alid hi whito to diatlngulih their maneuvers firoB tho in dark uniform. The Tiullahiea of tho World sentation, a Hymon production, is worthy of adoption by exhibitors for Mother's Day week program and kindred seasons. A variation of the "Mothers of the World" scenes as done in Btoadway revue in the past is the Oriental, Russian, Irish, Italian .and Southern, and concluding "Ave Maria" lullabies sung by Ever ett Clark and Amund gjovik. Mise Endora Stanford Is featured In the concluding two. Appropriate flashes through tho scrim of suitably garbed "mothers" aoeorapany oi ditlon. The Happiness Boys of radio rep are repeats at thia houses Tho hoys sell their pop songi snossssfully if not esnsationally. AM viTA:n:MPLE ' (TOLBOO) \ Toledo. Oct. 2S. Movietone and Vitaahono offer- ings run away with tho p e r f orin - ance. Movietone's newsreel tho fea- ture of an evening of good enter- taimhont with tho Notro Dame* Navy game and Ruth Elder's take- off on hot Atlantic flight furnishing tho highlights • Rockne's grid warriors are shown sinking the Navy and Movietone puts the CfuatouidlB or ^e sidelines. Signals are heard plainly; the thud of body against body; cheers of the spectators and tho ffofsree's whistle all fuml?!h real accompani- raenL Rtith Elder and her co-pilot. George Haldeman, make a speech nnd then aro shown hopping off. Army maneuvers at Ma*7land are also realistic, with the Ut-Ut-tat of the machine guns and the more loud l^ark of tho artillery providing the background. Ben Bej>nle and orchestra and John Charles Thom- as offer acceptable entertainment on Movietone and Vltaphone, while a quartet of RoesUui Cossncka are also included. Feature picture. "Sflk Stockings" (V), accompanied h^ tho ViU Tt*nple orchestra. (Con tinned "The Perk River." by John Knipo. The theatre has formed fk SUmlsy society on * gilgoripthNi IMd U Liondon, Oct. H. The new Noel Coward play, "Home Chat," is being presented the Duke of York's 0«|. SI. irltk |^ cast Including Madgt "Vlllh^lt^mfl^- and Dion Bouclcault. / Anmer Hall Is producing another work by the Spanish author of "Tho Cradle Song" at tho Strand Oct. M. Granville Barker has translated the piece under the UUo "Tho ii.ingdoni of Ood.*-. - - The new Wodehouse play, whloh l« to bring Smest Truex hack to tii West End, will be based on a Hun- garian piece and titled "Good Morn- ing, Bill.'* It will flrst have a try- out at EhMtbourne Nov. 7. Support- ing Truex wiU bo Dorothy ^Minto anA Vmm MmmmtL ' ■ ■ .A Zena Dare, who recently mado a successful comeback after many years' absence from the stage, is to play opposite Noel Coward in 8. N. Behrman'e comedy, **The Second Man." aaiMU J^MMi Witt KOdaoo Ito The flrst real West-End theatre to reduce its prices wiU shortly bo the Strand, owned by Beryl Bellow* wife of the late Arthur Bourchler. when Amner Hall produces "Tho Kingdom of God." in which GlllUn Scaiffe win hit|flg4 BUm wOk ha around U. ' '^^T^ • ■ Strlndberg's "The Father" loolca like lasting for several mora month% and, therslMre^ win delay tho fo rlP M of Arnold RMley, a bootmaker, who came into prominence as a writer by his mystery play, "The Ghost Train." has written a new one, on* titled "The Wrecker." which will also have as lu big scono a ffhtt* way station. In the cant M Molllo Kerr. Edna Davle% fttlMNlii^MI, and oooiia laiMb /-'/i Lord Lathom has written the flrst play since his marriage, which win be tried out by tho Play Actoti^ Society tMi SMMfe. H ti " The anHdeal version of J. Hart* ley Manners' "Peg o* My Heart,* which Norman J. Norman is pre* seating, will star Peggy O'Nell. In her support will be Neta Under- wood. Ardath de Sales (American), Evan Thomas and Dennis Cowleik who playod "^iMrtfT tUt iQl4|Mil In London. '-^■■7^:'':^*r y- v??^.; AMERICAN ROOF (Continued from pa|p S7) STANLEY (SALTIMORC) nalflm^-re. Oct.. L'^. When tho new Stanley's orc-ii< tr-J vat(»r rarne up from the has* - ment la^t week It was to affo fd Ph il the opening and hit into the feature feats. Salt was second. This young chap with his uke models his ron* tine somewhat after Cllft Edward^ stuff that no longer Is a novelty since Ike was responsible for count- less copyists. Salt works hard, sings fairly woB and ^oi tmmm UkW well. Watson and Woods, comedy, songs and dance, pleased In a way. The act is of the famllUr type that depends on familiar gags. Thea the Carr orchestra. After Intermission the show got a running start with Marty White, This boy has been at the American before, bi't the surprise finish with his "douMe" was a wow again. Marty gags and sings and he works as he does l^ith and It was a push- over for him when he pulled hla •*twln." UJlH and Clark scored. This act has Improved In the past year or so: MIfS Clark pf-ts more nut of her eomedy nnd they work t»r more sdvantnceDU^Iv In their csosiflfg and »(<r\^:». Jirnrnv T'lnto nnd Co. ' fNTi.w Arts) were the outHtandlng i luJa and thp hoys an of>r»ortunlty to do what they could with <*.erKh- wln's "Oh. Kay." They did verv well end it was a welcome relh-t from von Suppe overturea. Following this came the nown reel and then the flrst stage net. I^ MoTM with a grand piano and comedy hit and ^*f* lUlluned b.f the Ranti;a,'o Trio Tl^e ln»»t tvro trirks whero the v-nrnnn is the un- derstanrter proved tho feature. Tho d.'infing nri mr-H put Of plOOO In Oh , act of this type. I The screen feature, "College.* fKuster Keaton*U. A.) MmH»