Variety (Dec 1927)

82 VARIETY WitfalMa/, DacinAMr 18, 1887 VARIETY'S LOS ANGELESOFFKE ARTHUR UNGAR^in Charge Loew 8 State Bldg., Suite 1221-22 707 So. Brondwav Tn>ifv -^711 ?71^ LOS ANGELES ProfMsi«n«l« hav« th« frM wm off Vari»ty't Lo« Aiit«lM OfRo« for information. Mail M«y k9 addrMMd oato Varioty, Loow** 81040 mi§^ •yMo 1881-8^ Ut AngolM. H wIN to hold oubjoot to ooll or fomvardo^ or advor- tised fn Vari«ty'« Letter List. Door Marcus lloiman: Last wcM-k Momiuy this reporter happened to slroU by your Or- pheum aruund matinee time. He thou»?hl tlKit witli the Bchools hav- ing Wetianil a lioliday that you would liiive quite a crowd in the house. He Cound out t^t you had not. So lie k« i>t on strollinf? al(»nK the atreet and dropped into th^ hou»e that Mr. Pantaffea iiino, iUIOttt ^t^^ blocks from your OrphoiMiil* Well, Markie, he Mimd that Alex had them packed tb the rftfter«*an<l was compelled to open up his sec- ond balcony, for the first time in oevoral months at a aiatlaoe per- formance. That seemed peculiar to the reporter, so he inquired what was the reason. No oao olse but Alex Pantages. hUno^t; the reason. Confidentially. Markie. what do you think It was? Alex said he had an old lavorite headliner from the Orpheum performing a similar feat for him. If you have not already been informed, Alice Lloyd, English girl, who played your circuit many a time and who always did busi- ness for you. At your house. Mark, last week you had headliners. too, but they don't bring the buslhosii to your box office any more. Your show, they say, was not so bad, either, but looks as though that tte. tap in the aftenioon and 11.65 tap at niffbt you put on are a UtUe bit too htgli for thei quitllty of iMiter- tainment you have been glvinp When compared to the competition. Whtle Pantageo had Ibat Christ- mas spirit in his heart and offered Alice Lloyd and a number of other atandard acts Wliloh ooemod to be Biuch better value. Really, Mark, it Is too bad y.our dhowa all around eannot draw as WOU as they do over at the Pan- tagos house, which is not so new nor near so boatttlfm'at tii# Pftla<^ your Orpheum operatia. However, if you haiW not already been Informed a Mttto more oppo- sition cnme your way this week when the United Artists folks open- •d their gorgeous amusement pal- ace. Think that folks will sort of bead that way Instead of the north- Orly direction on Broadway in which your theatre is located. Getting back to Pantages, Alice Lloyd made good. She stopped the ■how after doing four numbers and had to come through with "Splash Me." a song which all of your old Orpheum patrons remember so well and would have been glad to have heard a^rain. Has Maxie Gordon ■eon Alice Lloyd work since she oame back to the Btatoa a few months uKo? You mifiht toll Max that the Lloyd act is the "berries" and means business In tho Pan houaos. Coming back to tHie rest of the bill, the opening turn waa tho Toi^* ans. man and woman. The pu> does rope spinning and conveisa tlon about Will Rogers, while the girl ohant.s a bit and hands him his working implements. Of course this act cannot be recommended as the greatest of Its kind. It is far from that, but not so bad for an Opening turn. Next came Lera and Spencer, a two-man outfit, who chant and mimic while playing musical in- struments. They would have been great for the two-a-day houses you bave left. After thorn wero the r Transfeld Sl.stors and their Jazz band. Band is none too good. The girls can play a number of Instru- ments well and ml^ht keep down overliead by operating on thiir own without a jazz band. They had girl (lancer with them, too, but she w.i.s only used as sort of space IHler while the sisters were making their change. Sisters, however, as a two- act could be shaped up into good merchandise for your clrenlt in j,'eneral. For the closing turn he had the Hungarian Troupe, three men and three won^en. Not a bad turn at all. As matter of fact, rather a fast pedal manipulation turn with one man carrying lot of weight by juKRling individually and collec- tively the balance of the troupe on various contrivances. Would be great opening or closing act for your circuit and a novelty of the type of which you have so few. On the screen they had "Wolf Fangs," a Fox picture, which is a pretty good one, too, as matter of fact much 'better than the general run you have bought for youh Hill- street, which is the so-called oppo- sition to Pantairea, but actually is not. as Pan has never considered it so. Honestly, Pan knows that his opposition Is the Orpheum, and he has been standing It off in great shape, making a lot of money, while you, as It is understood out here, have not been using much black ink in your statement columns for your crack house on the eoast. Of course, the new year will be here soon, and undoubtedly a new loaf turned over, with the proba- b'Mtv that you. Markie, will take the Pan type of bill seriously, and you should try to give three times aa good a one for three times the admtesion price that he charges. No acknowledgment for this re- port and advice required. Markie. t's a part of our work to point the.se little things out. That you and the other former big time "mo- guls" didn't listen aro your wor- - • Um§. COFFEE SHOP la the Ootdea WeeC Carl—MULLER'S—Lill *<TWO OLD TIMERS' Dlreet frem Ynta e» Tieatfe Yoa Are Weleome 724 8e. Hill gt Loa Angolot backed the show with Will Mor- rissey and Midgio Miller. Spence donlod bobiff partaor la tho produc- tion, claiming his Interest in the show was limited to tho extent of ooatributiag aomo money towards Its aucooaa. Suit was brought to compol Bponoo to aid in paying off farther dabta of tba idMW. Just another one of those mis- Night At the Club," with Hollls Devany, tenor, and Francis J. Tyler, baritone, featured out of a grodp of 12. The choral society went from one singing bee into another with- out a let up, dlshlag ovt some pretty old ones and apparently in all earnestness. Their efforts*failed to connect in spite of evident energy behind it. Contributing to the audience's reaction might have | Opening of "The Desert Song" at been the reflection of the Florentine fho now Windsor Squaro Choir, also a choral body and on | from Dwk 98 to Dea St. these same boards the previous week. I Ronnie Crawford, proprietor of a McKay and Ardine spread the museum at 828 South Main street, next niche with some w. k. wlseU^as nipped by a rattlesnake; one crackin' and what not. Miss Ar- of four he had bought as "fanged." dine foiled neatly for her partner, Crawford was taken to Georgia Re- and also getting the most laughs, ceiving Hospital for treatment after Cutting in on honors with Toto one of hia employees saved bla life were the Yacht Cluh^Boys, opening by sucking moft ilM JMyhMI out Intermission. George Walsh, atjof the wound the piano; Teddy King and Tommy Purcell, with vi<nins, and Eddie | a. V. Perklnson ft Co. were Thomaa fighting a swodlen uke, awarded the contract to build the were the class portion of the show, ^ew West Coast Theatres Circuit The New York boys who make house to be erected In Qolden Gate Brunswick reoorda in their spare square at Atlantic avenue and time showed plenty-and took as -vvhittier boulevard. Total cost of They handed out pop and the building when conuBlaiid , WiU special dlttioo that had tbo mob approximate $270,000. ^'^'^ ^ hanging on for more each time and the boys were in an obliging mood. | j. h. Millsteln, special home of Next to ihat bad Pat Henning representative for M-G-M In and Co. taking care of the prize southern California, has been ap- spot with Young Pat excelling pointed manager of the Los An- hUnself in oomo rapid soft shoe ^^i^ exchange of the company; He work and otherwise gagging with succeeds Arthur Lamb, head of the his old man. The latter and Ma K^gjc^ jor the past three years. Henning threw a handful of In- Lamb, it is understood. Is manag- dian clubs at each other before Pat , ^j^^ q^^^^ night ex- strolled on; after that sitting backK.jj^ ^j^^, taking a four-week in the wings for the most to watch vacation their offspring do his stuff. Young Pat can handle lines as^ well as 1 j ^uuams. local theatre ^^T.P/' though hoofing Is h s forte. ^ «ow house In "A Chameleon ^Caprice, flash Q^^ard, Cal., on B street In back dance turn w th Mollie Dood eye ^j^^ Angeles First NaUonal P^^^f^"^?"^T^^S^®r' ?"J 1 "i"! Bank. It win havo n tegadlty of tight. Miss Dodd is assisted in her around 900 A. gnt J ftldjr It the terpischorean gyrations by Tommy ^J^JI^tor ^ ^'^^ Rush and Leo Conway, youthful • and sprightly. A sextet of^instru-1 Portland. Portland. Ore., and Jlf^^fi "JLi^^S S^^f.^?? «*j!?lSr Seattle, Seattle. Wash., now under A«7 w! i°^*i5£S'i25r ?nS^nw conatnicUon, will open Act is well - staged and for color r^^,^^ p^^. 15. These houses were effect has white face changes Into . Publlx. Loew and West black by manipulation of nc^hta | P»"t^ lelfti ^ImJSSttm as^* wier'"Lok!"d ^irlnv''e?o*'d "o'^ I »>iV novS" to"Twde "iut' here I SSS^^^ ^ ast week Looked pretty ^ood on ^ ^ impression. A«!t bold paper but turned out somet^iinglrr" elsT again when on view Sunday 7|;'°r,,*"/^*^^^ Mtthanna Mathleoon. te tfHMgd af night and before a three-quarter ,^^^^fF, °^Jg^5: i the wardrobe department at Unl- fllled house—i^ving it a wide mar- ™ "ngw pic turo -w aaia «a versal studios, and Elmer N. Woolf. gin—who were In a none too Map- ■ aaooeteilMI, witti tho Wootora Cos- tive mood. Who would be with a Six new stage attractions opened tume Qompany, announced their layoit that has two singing acts here this week. Sunday night saw engagemint. Wedding in the follO^Hfig oaoh Afhw eaffy opening of Thomas Wilkes' gpring. first half and calls It an evening's Production of "The Vortex" at the entertainment by succeeding a Hollywood Music Box; at the Or- Hollywood Bowl Association ap- dance tont with ahothor and so ange Grove "Kongo" ushered in. pointed tho following new commit- to bed. Monday got the brilliant dedicatory tee to act" on the advisory board for Not hard to conjecture what the opening of the new United Artists ^he 1928 season of summer con vanguard of Orpheum patriots theatre, with Mary Pickford's film, ^^^i: Abby doAvirett, Blanche opined about this little faux-pax on "My Best GUrl," and *The Merry Rogera Lott, Frieda Peycke, Jay the part of the bookefs, moreover Widow," first of 10 light opera pro- piowo and Dane Rudhyar. Mrs. when these occurrences are by no dictions, at the Shrine Auditorium. Lieiinng j^herton Irish, general means unusual. The extent to Tues^V n»fht 'Undertow,' new chairman of the association, is also which the squawks might have Pi^V by Zelda Seara. at thO Bgan; member ez-offlcio of the music reached was abated somewhat by w^*" A.1 Jolson In person and on the oommlttoa, * the saving grace of Toto, one of | scree^i ^ bringinjr in 'The Jasw ' the indissoluble names yet linked Singer to thO Crltonott Waflliaidoy 1. r^jj^ $3,000,000 theatre to be with the fast vanishing traditions "»*bt. ' | erected by West Coast Junior Cir of vaudeville. Toto is still an in- I cult In Redlands, Cal., will be built imitable artist In the art of clown- Superior Judge Burnell issued a by the Bellah Construction Com ing. He pleases adults and ehll- temporary injunction at request of I pany of XiM dren. ]^rom the moment he un- Tally's Broadway, pictures, re- rarelled hhnself out of a toy taxi straining the World Museum on I Norman L. Sper, former picture to his parting curtain bow Toto Main street from using the title of press agent. Is now associated with held the center of attention here 1 "The Naked Truth," being shown the Los Angeles office of Lyons and from oreryone. Thera #aa no mn- lat Tallies. Tho complaint alleged | Lyons Agency of New York. taking the genuine applauditory the title is copyrighted and belongs comment. On the closing end of 1 to the Public Welfare Picture Cor-1 ^"Saturday'a Children," Theatre the first aeetlbn tho «lbwii loft all^^ producUon. will follow breath of frt sh air for the depart- lll^Nu^ attiag It. "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" at the Be ^^^y JQ""^ ^'''- T wo male as- 1 lasco Jan. Douglaa Fairbanks sistatkta aaa a «»«ia idoKffig , Jill Quorrlai A Co ACCORDION rAOTOOV a ae Ueltei stsa» W-Vt CelMSMt A* ^ , , Central Theatre Company, newly Jr., will head the cast. made up the rest of the company, formed corporation, wiU build a new ()pening the show was Pagana, 600-capacity picture house on Fred Maier of tho Carthay Circle, viollniate, skilled on the instrument Broadway, across from the Million wld buflld a theatre In Regal and living up to her billing aa "the Dollar in the Wistaria Sweet Shon square, opposite Metro-Goldwyn- Kirl with the piquant personality^ hulldlng. Incorporators are Moses Mayer studios in Culver City \\ orks in "one" and handles a deft and deorge Srere, J. B. Schwartz- P1M» being dtawa. nnni^a^'''''^^*** '^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^ Goldfarb and Esther her prograrj. vr o . Goldfarb, The first two head the H(»yle and Delia were No 2 in srer* realty Corporation, owloera of V'"!^\.^*^ ^^""^ ' H the property. The five are nSne^ pipes show no HiK'ns of weakening \ tha Mtonk ^^.^if 1....^ k Vu^ as yet an<l his delivery catches on i^.iT* ^iS^EffS?!^ *""^J^y A plant in the audience'i^'^UU I^ commission, used, providing some cross fire. In strumental accomp Delia manipulating the banjo PORTLAND, ORE. By SAMMY COHEN Broadway—"The Gay Defender." Pantages—"The Wlsard," vaude. Orpheum—"The Ro«0 |U1- showing a capitalization of $50,000, • * '"' With the group holding 500 ahares h**^'''*''" vaude. accompaniment has of »tO«lc M P^^^vfiSi of $100 OiSh Liberty-Vaude, pteturea strings. With the vocal strains of Rivoli—"Man Crazy. Blue Mouse—"One Round Ho- thls turn still echoing, a male en-L_ 5^harles F. Lowy, deputy state, Movietone and Vitaphone. Up vestment of over 1500.000, em- phaUcally denies that he will dla« pose of his house to any producer or circuit affiliation. Tebbeta states that the house, opening Dec. tl, will be IndepoBdOBtly operated by him« self. It was reported Unirersal weui dickering for the house. The commercial radio advertising stations are finding the going rough in this territory. U Is said that a canvas made by solicitors of these stations for advertising through the "mike" did not luring the ex- pected results. The only one that seema to be holding its own Is tho Oregonlan KOW atation. •Rodney Pantagea will be in town within the next few weeks, making an inspection tour through tho northwest houses. Alexander Pan- tages recently floated a bond issue of 11,600,000, which was under- written by tho Robert Smith bank- ing house, the Issue to get funds for the erection of the Fresno Pan- tages. - West Coast Theatres reported making another change in policy at the big Hollywood. Thla house has been losing plenty recently, with W. C. reported to be wanting to let the house go. The policy that Is being'planned for this house is a stage band and presentation type of performance, something on the order of the Fanchon Ik Maroo shows. The Walnut Park theatre, inde- pendently owned by I. Oeller. who is also building a large suburban houae, la to be managed by S. H. Cohen, former director of publicity ^ ^mit Liberty and RItoU theatrea. BUFFALO By SIDNEY BURTON * Teck—"Oh, Johnny." Erlangef^"Ni«rhtstIck." Buffalo—"My Best Girl." Hip—"The Poor Nut." Great Lakee—^"On Tour Toes." Lafayette—"Hero For Night" Loew's—"QuaUty St" Qayety (Coluinbia) — "Cock-A* Doodle-Doo." Courl 8t (atock)—"Old Home- itaadi*- ■ Following the "News," recently Inaugurating a dramatle column, 'HUourler-Express" (morning) is carrying local theatrical news under the heading '"Babkatage and Out Front," by the dramatfo editor, William Martin. Al Beckerlch, manager of Loew*s, has a nervous breakdown. His place is being filled temporarily Ig Carl Levi, xif the Now Toilc hoi&W offices. M. Norman Beck, of Rochester, held in Batavia last September for operating a ."donation and refund betting system" at the Genesee County Falri was convicted in County Court of the violation of the state gambling law. A 60-day Jail sentence was Imposed with the case f^oing 6a J ipii H t» th» Appellate Division. V Manager Robert L. M( NaJb, man- ager of Shubert-Teck, only local theatre maaagor to capitalize on the new Ford Interest. McNab had one of the new models in the thea- tia lobby. Rumors are current locally at a complete change of policy in one of the large downtown picture thea- tres which has recently been con- sistently In the red. Out of town representatives of the operating company have been on the ground foroiia^Mt fortaight "Night Stick," at the Erlanger next week, establishes a new prec- edent locally. The play Is here lor this week only, returning to New York, and re-opening at the Cohan Jan. S. At the Selwyn. New York, the ahow made money but the houea lost, ao It had to go out for a week. NOTE NEW ADDRESS FAUL FOR TA U SI G—SAILINGS it BOH Steamship AcodmiMOtfatlens Amnoid en An ttneg ^ i.ov7fit fistea >.,• ,. ..■ Porttlffo Bxchang* also Taken Car* Of, KouKht and Fold Oldest Agency In U. 8. Specializing on Theatrical Travel " BVBOFBAN CONNECTIONS — PMiiiace Takes Care of IU>th Ways TIMES SQUARE TRAVEL BUREAU PAUL TAUSIG A SON Management •Mntb J^m A dOth St —Times Square Trust Co—NEW YORK PHONK PKNN. 2S00 sembie of singers picked the M^.^^r commissioner, waa swamped 1 Heilia—"The Cradle Son^" threads up and continued with more ^"5 requests from local theatrical Music Box—"The Family warbling. The act Is billed as "A P«'o<'"^ers during the Xmas school Ltainr. (Duffy Players). I vacations for permits to use chil- x-wypf /. notS«""^T!^J*' "^^^ ?"r" ^«>n Smith, former principal with IrZf fV^ZLJ^?^, T ^. Tk^^^^^ ^^''^1 Musical 8to?k com- prant the permits, but threatened pany In Portland and Seattle, has 17n«7HlV''i;ii^''.r/»^t^™A''l^^*^^^^"®^ ^ icng-term contract with tion that WiU come to his attention. Bob White, general manager of the "■""■^ Universal - Multnomah theatres. Winthrop Ames* Ollbort and SulU- Smith will be master of ceremonies vnn lipht opera productions are at the Bagdad theatre, coming out here sometime next May I —- to appear at either tho Maaoa or I Walter Tobbetts. who la erecting Biltmore. The company will start |th'- iontal, which involves an In- on a road tour from tho east Jan. 9 Frank Perry, former manager of the Gayety (Coluinbla). is conduct- ing the Buffalo Palais Royal restau* rant. I I TRIP Theatre. San yranclaco i^wrvic Majineea Wed. and Sat. lillXIAN ALBERT80N Frearnta wHh TIiarBNT yorMANs "HIT THE DECK'' Tha <'H«lMujah Show" ^.L'lX^olU^r^^ and MARCO COSTUME CO. WiU return to New York. | Desigrnert and Creaton of Special Show Girl and Chorus Coslumes Superior Judge Bush held Ralph I many of thc motion plcturc producen and all Fanchon and spence, writer, not liable for dcbu Marco West Coast presentations. These costumes for rent to respon- co'^TfheVajJst^c^rffea"^^^^^ "Wc mu.ical stock and tab show companies at reasonable prices. Western MaJesUo Theatre Co. sued I FANCHON mud MARCO COSTUME CO. Spence for IMSMf, aOeging ho Ml So. Olivo Stroot LOS ANGELES, CALlr*