Variety (Jan 1928)

84 VARIETY REVIEWS Wednesday, January 25, 1928 ellck , here the way It should, pos- •Ibly due to the. colored quartet backinff Miss Holman. Altogether, music, lyrjcs, cast and ireneral manner .of handling indi- €^ates the opening of a new field . tor the riiUsicals that wJU bring consideirable money to those inter- ested,, besides giving the picture houses a real bargain. Other, than the revue', the Palace show consists of an . overture, '^Faust," the M-G news and the feature, :"Love and Learn" (Par.), playing the allotted two hours at-' most to the (lot. . Mcakin. STATE (BOSTON)' Boston, .Jan. 24. . Another capacity last night, and once again the picture did .the trick. .Last: week's tefislng trailer on "The Lbyes of Carmen ' (Fox) did part of it arid piibllcltv did the rPst. Lobby chatter after both shows was plainly favorable by the younge. element, while the old folks did not care for it. In fact,, a few octoge- narlan spinsters told- Manager Bren- nan they thought . Carmen a ..siri- ful woman. But the rest of the week is all set, the velvet ropes and the brass posts are already in place in the lobby, and it looks as If Fox may get. another voluntary premium check from Mr. Sohcnck. Supporting Bill was thin, f odder,, -comprif-ing Meehari and Newhian in a singing and dancing bit in "crie'' and (the Revue Ca:sino De Paris), which "just missed going over big through lack of sho>vmanshlp and the absence of comedy. This girlie revue featuring. Amelia Allen could well be the subject of an experi-. merit that might make it a wow of a novelty at the present time. En- semble numbers/. especially the opening number with the girls iii tights, spangles, helmets and shleld.s, so closely resemble the burlesque routines ftf 1902 to 1905. that they could be staged as such to a legiti- mate laugh. One modern blackbot- tom. or night club r9utine . added •^Ith proper explanatory slides would make one of those. "From Olden Days to Now" ideas that should click it could easily .be tried some week, especially when all that is needed is a modern day finale arid some chatter about what father saw on the stage 26 years ago. The news reel had the only laugh of the show in'a shot of Cobl- . idge in Havana, which is a dead ringer for Will Rogers. The com- edy topics was laughless and may have been one of last year's released by error. .; lAhltey, As ho stand.H ho is diff:>fi.>nt frpm tlio conventional jazsc maefjt.ro. Cliorniav.sky seoms pos.soa.sed of .suHicient innate .showmansliip. to kriow wherein lies his groat box ofllce appeal. Otherwise the Colony bill is a .straight fihii program, (liyersillccl and generally plea.sing this week. The Laura La Plante-i; feature, .•'Thanks for the Oupsv is nothing to get excitci .about; , .ut. it is engaging froth, suitable for any daily , pr-ograhi. . There Is.a Stern Bvotliers-UniU'c-r- .sal Telea.sed slap-sticker, Mike and ike' ddiao.dy. titleid . "Taking, the Count," and; another U short subject, "The Ol' Swimmin' Ole.' aniiriuied. cartoon. The riews reel arid .E. A. riovd.osven's organ stuif rouiid it out. The console work is nothing .sen.<3atlonal, niissing on thci familiar pop stuff, although the usual the- jiiatics are adequa^te with, no remi- niscent air to guide one.. The Cherniaysky Colohians dou- ble as the trench accomi'an.ii?t:s( and as the presentati'jn fealure. Ahcl, BROADWAY (r>ORTLAND, 6rE.) Portland, Ore., Jan. 19. If Fanchon and Marco are to keep «p their reputation with the local customers better presentations will have to be the rule at this house The last few bills have been off form, acts being saved by the show manship of OUie Wallace, m. c. This week the "Harvest Idea" featured the.Welsh Gleemen. The presentation seems to lack punch. Not enough, diversion is the. chief drawback. The Welsh Gleemen have excellent voices, but improve ment in stage deportment .would be a help. The natural hit was "Jellybean" Johnson. This colored dancer has everything when It comes to shuf- fling his propellers. Next was an accordion trio, made up of two barid boys and Wallace, who reeled off some pop numbers to a solid wallop. Welsh Gleemen (16) followed and - found favor. Wallaxse and band, with a novelty group of "hick" numbers, the members all being garbed as farmers,, went, over thun- derously. .Sunkist Beauty Chorus, ensemble dances, could stand the constructive advlce of Fanchon. ''Mari,"Womah^aW^ picture attraction. Paramount Newsreel arid Melville Ogderi, re cently Imported organist,.both liked. Coh&n. COLONY (NEW YORK) New York, Jan. 22. .Colony, Universal's Broadway house, has been making a feature of Josef Cherniavsky and the Colo nlans, different type pit band com bination which has inspired "raves" from' the iriipresslonable feminine reviewers on the dailies. Such may hav^ been the case last week or the week beforpi but the current week Cherniavsky only suggests what might be his possibilllied. In the "Turkish Cafo" number featuring a jazz paraphrase ar- ranged by. Arthur Lange, Chernlav sky exacts, a wealth of novelty from thei Oriental composition. Tiie eerie reeds and staccato brasses, with ^^the=:tflmrJtpnLj>l ^th e^ d.rJlEL^"^'' ^I^ ^'" ® for an atriiospheric "jasiiz ridt fieara atround generally. That is Cherniaysky's greatest appeal. As soon as he Introduces a •ong plugger, as is the case this week, Cherniavsky becomes ordi nary. The band leader's ti-aining and 'experience in "the downtown and outlyirifir neighborhood picture houses, and his musical expertness with recordings for the export de partment of the disk makers, qua! Uy him as a novelty for Broadway HARDING (CHICAGO) Chicago, Jan. 19, Business at the Harding n. g. at the evening perfot-mance, despite fair weather, "Underworld" (Par.), Al Belasco's "Hello 1928" presen- tation, Ed Mcikel's organ club, newspaper advertising and plenty of lighted Mazdas. '' Entesrtaiumerit up to sniiff, and those there, had a great, time. •■ • Following the last flicker of the cinema, an opened curtain revealed .the Gould Girls' Ballet in front of a. transparent drop, on which was emblazoned a huge calendar, of the current year. Lights up, then, be- hind the drop—revealing Belasco's gang of music niakers, "hard at. it" The (^ould Girls, as always, gbing through their paces niftiiy. With the departure of the ballet, the scrlrii lifted and Pauline Gas- kins, dynamically introduced by the impressive Belasco, proceeded to. do her stuff. PauUrie, let it be . said, here, might appropriately be terriie'd "hot stuff." Supplementing youth and- lier share of beauty, .with, some nice dancing and voice, this young, woman registered. Two rather weighty femmes, Heinz and Leonard, were identified as ."California's Humming Birds." They didn't, hum, but they did sing. •and nicely. They tempered their offerings with humor, effective ex- pression, arid one knew her piano. They went over^ a.nd came back. ■ Following another appearance of the Gould Girls In aibbrevlated. mili- tary garb, dancing to martial, airs, a youngster of seven. Master Gilbert, was the kid. sensatiori. Chicago presentations at'e going pretty heavy on the kid stuff.. This boy sang cliaverly for his years, danced and led the band, with Belasco's baton. Ned Norworth, infectious, yowl- ing, howling, growling, inane, bflt furiny fellow, introduced as a nut, admitted and proved it. As usual, the show closed with everyone on the stage. specialty, rounded out the show. Kalin's own "You Don't Like It, Not Much" song hit was recognized as was the author, and accordingly acknowledged. Kalin is making 'em llke,hlm from the start and he'll bo right at home with. the Brooklynites in short order. Kahn. is bound to command attention for Broadway for the ■ame reasons, Atel. ART KAHN (MARK-STRAND, BROOKLVN) Brooklyn, N. Y., Jan, .8. Art Kahn, for eight years the presentation feature and master of ceriemonies at the Senate, Belmont and Harding theatres, Chicago, is now a metropolitan fixture at the Mark-Strand. Brooklyn, as master, of ceremonies and conductor of the 18-man orchestra. That Kahn is a personality and strictly a personality draw is Im- mediately patent at a flash of his performance. His heated style of conductorshlp, with the "person- ality" In his back and his general physical deportment, is an asset in Itself. As a piano soloist Kahn ,1s a cinch, click. He stopp|ed the show for two extra helpings arid was well night drowned out by the ap- plause In the beg-off speechlet be- fore permitted to proceed. Kahn has a good band with him also, augmiented by stririgs and utility men from the regular, pit orchestra. It is an elastic aggrega- tion, but not intended for versa- tility, relying on Kahn for its in- dividuality, augmented by the sur- roundirig stage show. In line with Edward L. Hyman. the Brooklyn Strand's managing director's assignment to handle ah Integral circuit of four Stanley houses, the prograrris built around Art Kahn are rotated Into the Earle, Washington. Stanley. Balti- more and Richmond, following the Strand. It is a take-off on the Pub- llr scheme of things with their units breaking In at the Olympla, New Haven, . and thence to the Paramount, New York, and ao on; ==--Ar-t=.=-Kah n=^ at--h i s--openin g: .-week was featured in "The All-Night Club," giving big play to the jazz- Ique, th£. unit bHng variation of the tried and true syncopation program idea. Kahn had with him the 8 Night Club Boys,, a hoke trio who weren't It for' the fact the picture houses are a more lucrative source of revenue, would go ereat in the cafes. Madeline Wlilte, hotsy- totsy songstress, and Gypsy Byrne, the cute male Imper.sonator, and VassllU and Kllster. with an Apach* FOX (NyASHIN<3T0N, D. C.i Washington; Jan. 21. Lot of entertainment here that runs somewhat too long, with the cutting easily . accomplished by boiling (Jown the minstrel first part. Biggest response of this, part went to a quartet, Piccadilly Four, the boys actually stopping proceed- ings, ■ Le Maire and Rex .Van, here just a few weeks ago at the Keith house, did their regular routine prior to the. minstrel setrup to rinuch laugh- ter. Murray Parker was introduced ais the "Ukulele Ike of the South" and registered well. Another ex- ample of odd bookings hereabouts was that of Al Lloyd arid Lew Bryce, a couple of actually funny comedy acrobats. They were down the streeit at the opposition house just a couple of weeks ago. They clicked here, too. A girl acrobatic dancer, impossible to identify, dis- closed some new material and was a highlight. Show proper starts with Adolph Kornspan directing the Meyer Davis syriiphony. This got everybody set right with a Jttediey. of operatic numbers supported by the mixed chorus from the stage. Combina- tion is an asset, giving class all around and is a good reason for the higher scale than the house's com- petitors. A hash from the Alexander Oumansky ballet followed and got big return.s. Girls are excellently trair''' nnd have developed into an excel'."*: stock feature. Fox Movietone, beating every- thing in town with the record of the Havana conference, was given plenty of time and proved interest-: ihg. As Iri the recent Con.gress shots, lighting again was terrible. . / Minstrel part followed, with praise due Jack Stebbins, produclne: the presentations for ' hiia unusual set. It got applause.. Only criticiam is too much show, a good 15 minutes over the usually allotted two hours. "The Wizard" (Fox) on the screen. : ' /Meakin. UPTOWN (TORONTO) Toronto, Jan. 22, It was lucky for George Danbury and his sister, Lois, that Jack Ar- thur, manager of this P. P. house, Is a Scotchman. George and Lois have a Scotch act In one or full This is the anniversary of Bobbie .Bums' birth, so Jack rang, them in as headllners. Perhaps that Is why opening biz was off. Honore and Leurette call their dance number Adagio. It had the advantage of smart staging before a brilliant scarlet back drop, but stuck to conventional lines. Ten minutes of Fox News and two short Alms were run in before the band got down to work. The shorts were the second in the series of Canadian government shorts, "Know Your Country." Shots of winter sports, in Quebec and the Columbia screen snapshots, largely snaps of film: celebrities at the open- ing of Syd Grauman's Chinese the- atre was the hit of the evening. The band, under the chief's own eye, did a smart job on "Rio Rita." The banjoist tried a vocal refrain. Word was around that censors had clipped rashly froni "Helen of Troy" (P. N.), but It didn't show arid thejilm ran 90 mjnutes. With the therrriometer "ardurid zero they couldn't coax them to line up out- side, so biz was slightly off. SiTiclair. HARVEY and CONLON Revue Dance 13 Mms.; Three and One 5th Ave, (V-P) Female quartet in aesthetic rou- tine opens.- Ha,rvey an<fConIon fol- low with ballroorri routine. Another ensemble number, a la Tillers but not so good.,. His stooge dance is the best thing in the act. Her solo specialty with the chapeau props is an attempt at something and misses at whatever it is. ' Gallop finale to "Stars and Stripes." Didn't help 'em. Abek NEW ACTS LARRY RICH and FRIENDS Band, Songs and Dances 68 Minis.; One and Full (Special) Broadv^ay (V-P) While the main feature is the combined ■vV-ork of Liarry Rich and the band (11 in all), the "friends" Include a talented array of vaude talent that help Rich put over a corking .act, '. ; . Prior to tile iritroductiori of the band Larry Rich appears with Cherie in "one" for an excharige of gags leading up to the billing of "Down ■ Below," with a devil ap- pearing and introducing Cherie as Cleopatra, and then mere man as Rich. Larry, in ttix, and a breezy, nori-' chaiant manner, registiers with his vocal efforts. . He Is bandmaster, m. c, clown, singer, daricer, arid works admirably with ; Cherie in Several song nunibers. But there are the Dean Twins, youthitul, sprightly, attractive . girls, whio can dance: Fulton and Mack, physical expo- nents of the balancing type, who get out of the ordinary routine by pulling some neat lifts and swings, and Roy Shuster and his Bill Robinson style of tap daricing. Sweet hoofer, this boy. Froni the acts ahead he had Bobby Rowland, Frank ' Farron, Alice and Sonny LaMont. This one can't, miss; hais every- thing, and is a . relief from the stereotyped ; band routines. It should get all the work it rieeds. Mark, GWYNNE and Co., (2), Magic 12 Mins.; Full Riverside (St. V). Gwynne does conventional magic and Illusions, but should be wel- comed In the east for* the simple reason there hasn't been much of this sort of thing around.' His cab- inet illusion, paper tearing, .palm-, irig, appearing and disappearing props, and all the other tried-and- true, and always effective feats of magic, are snappily reeled off with a quiet impressiveness that gets over; Two comely girls assist One is used for the finale cabinet Illu- sion. . ^^othing particularly startling about Gwynne's stock magte, but he does It well and were he to develop something original In illiislons, or effects, he'd mertf spotting beyond the opener. Abel. BOBBIE ROWLAND Feitiale Impersonator 12 Mins.; One ^rj^^wa^ (y-P) . Bobbie RoWlari"d"l3"b1re"oF"tTie"few female impersonators who comes close to owning a pair of pipes that puts him In the shouters' class. At the outset, Bobbie seemed so hoarse It looked as though ■ he would have to bow out of the bill. He fools 'em, no question about that, and once he steps out In for- mal fem attire he looks the part. Rowland, on voice and Imperson- ations, will do.' Mark. ALICE ZEPPILLI (i)f Prima Donna 10 Mins.; Two 8l8t St, (V-P) The program says Alice ZeppIlU (s former prima donna of the Chi- cago Opera, alaio Opera Comlque In E*aris. At the 81st St., on fourth, she was a, little too cultured for some of the boys, but with other and more prominent, looking cus- toriiers. she registered heavily. That's a straight tab on her worth for vaudeville, indicating, beware of the round haircut houses. To a guy raised on 50c.-75c. pipes, It's plain her's undoubtedly have something the others haven't. Also she's made a gesture to pop prices in Including a couple of every-day ballads in her collection. For the Palace places, okay, "FESTIVALS-OF_1928'l (6) Dance Revue 15 Mins.; One and Full (Special) Academy of Music (V-P) Fast dancing flash featuring male brace of hoofers with four girls backing and all combiriing to make the offerlrig a peppy affair that got oVer well ] in o'pener. herie. Solo and ^double, dancing by the men are chief mainstays with a toe tap dance by one of the girls also cleaning up. Remaining fem. trio work in ensemble with two of the girls offering buck double. A couple of vocals handled by the boys and a d^t. by. boy and girl spaces the dahce i-p^itines and strikes an even balance. . Good for oipener or closer.' Edba> CYNTHIA and CLAIRE Songs . 10 Mins.; One "American^'Rbof""( V - P)""^^"=""^^^^ Two girls with pleasant singing voices and a jcnack of harmony that hits. Costumed in semi-evening gowns, they open with double, alter nate in solos and close with a med ley double, incorporating a number of yesteryear comic opera hits Latter is the wallop. ' Went over , in deuce here Monday night, and can hold that spot In present company. jEJdbo. PRICE, NORTON Revue (8) Dance Production . 16 Mina.; Three and Full American (V-P) Another In the endless processioni of dance productions, neither bet- ter than the average, nor worse. Makes a fair flash, has some accept- able specialty material and the four girls In. the line look well and dress attractively. . Open wlthi male singer in Indian ■ongr and flye girls backing in cos- tume. Dim lights blur any positive effect except the singing; Lights come up and girls get a chance to fill the eye. Fifth girl, turns out to be principal dancer, jgoing into .acrobatic, routine which'is excellent. The girl herself is a sweet looking young person, which lis]enough in Itself; BOy and girl In play ! clothes on for one. of those kid things; no bet- ter than fair. Biaritone solos again, leading to girls', dance In futurlstio costunne and another acrobatic rou-. tine by princliial woman stepper, involving bends, roll pverA and splits. Team oh -again for a Bowery darice with comedy accessories and. ROriie rather funny burlesque ada- gio. Try too hard to make woman's falls funny and .In consequence they're not. . Baritone in masquerade cOsturia« of black and white yodels and they build up to an ensemble dance all' dressed In the black and white out- fit, with the flicker effect fOr the Jazz dance flnale. Nothing to dis- tinguish the whole business from a mob of flash turns built for the small time with ho expectation to get out of that grade and no merit to war-j .rant such a consumriiation. Rush. \ HALE arid D.ERRY Sohgs and Music ' 15 Mins.; One Ofphetim (St, v.), Karisaa City Kansas City, Jan. 6. With this team, known to thou- sands of radio listeners, from WDAP, Kansas City "Star's" stu- dio, It was the boys' first appear- ance before a vaiide audience. They should go fan A classy looking pair, with per- sonality as pleasing as their voices. Given th» fourth spot on the six- act bill,; they appeared before 4 drape in one and withoijit ostenta- tion started crooning. The applauss at the finish was as hearty as after the first number, bat the-boys final- ly bowed out. They play their own accompani- ment on . banjos,. producing sonM real music instead of the strum- ming chords. A clever pair of. hannonlzers, and Manager Fred. Spear has mads a find for his circuit. Huohet. HENRY ROGERS Revue (5) Singing, Dancing 15 Mins,; Full (Special Set) 68th St, (V-P) If hemstitched around the ragged edges this might become a flrst- rate act in Its department. Present- ly it Is minus. Less speed and mors swank would run up the rating. Specialty talent is clever but In a_mechanical way. The deft touch., ana pretty graces that can maks a flash stand out have not been at- teiWted ' Tenor has nlde pipes. but Is still -in- the_high. school, .auditorluiri. In handling his airms and legs. Drops, props and dressing yery so-so, but act la serviceable and will probably be acceptable becauss of its fast tempoi SMITH and HADLEY Dancing 12 MirisL; One , Academy of Music (V'P) Male twosome Of cor<king good dancers accentuating their clever foot work with . eccentric coriiedy stuff and registering heavy.. Both are fast steppers oif the acrcA>atIo. school, angling and getting laughs In. their eccentric doubles and topping this with legitimate stufC In the solos. Went over big In No. 8 on this bill ietnd set for the best of them. ... Edba.i.! SHARP AND KIRK (2) 'Acrobats"'"""^""'" """"^-'""^ 5 Mins.; One Academy. (V-P) . ; ; . , Five minutes of eccentric coriiedy tumbling delivered in godd style and calculated to get, more than the usual returns . awarded openers. Falls are okey for laughs but the turn still needs polish. Efforts all register with applauss light at the finish due to the lack of an appropriate clincher. Mart,