Variety (May 1928)

Wednesday, May 16, 1928 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY 3T PALACE (St. Vaude) They could have used Frank Fay impression aU the way. Judicious CHRYSTAL HERNE eiiltinff with an eye for "big time" | Dramatic Sketch 13 Mins.; Full oJass miRlit help Sally Fields, next to closing with I blia^ /e«. v\ ore songs, added tp an already ^' !^cdy" oils'wlek^'Tli; VliPlacked I f^^^^^j^^, eondition. Miss Fields at- . Chrystal Heme, last soen in legit Jnmedy color and a few other in- tacked the limp customers with her Lcircles as "Craig's Wife. ' and last. SSients that used to make the and brought Irecor.ded in Variety's ttlos as a fSace"Slls stand out George Sid- t,ack„\o a^^^^^^^^ j,: ^^^^ l^'^the'flrltTa'lf'^^^^^^^ Sum-bek ' a Roc^^^^^^^^^ an Edgar Allan Woolf l^'^^fnS anS Ann Cod^^^^^^ number. A sergeant of sketch. "The Woman in Black." iJ^'l^Sk Orth.lladthela.sUaif .as-^'^^^^^^^ "P a basket of | Woolf. one of the most prolif5c "'^IdlS? wS'e5?e^*?^^<^arty recep- L^;^ ...... .^...- have ^a"?,^^«^,afne ^ s^^^^^ the Kikutas Japs was like a sworn to keep away from her son. f*",^!: a 'iiow fitaA G^or^f drLced ^^P^^y^' * ^pt hig:ht. The Kikutas but after 20 years makfes herself audience and onto the rostrum. Pats, senior aiid junior, did some hoofing and Marlon Bent took a bend. Sidney had previously shown an excellent waltz clog imitation of Pat. "Whltey and Ed Ford, the deuce act, also Included an imita- tion of Pat Rooney which gave the first half of the bill a decided I bunch of guys that do back somer saults ease of a notorious adventuress. , I Act lackig,sincerity and the dialog ts ..with, the .usual N,ppj)hese ^^^^j^^^^ ' ^ ■ raucous speaking voice didn't fall any too soothingly on the vaude 6ars and her Intense einbting in the one scene between mother and son I^ft some' of the front row cus- BROADWAY (Vaudfilm) . A fair bill at the Broadway wit- llooney tinge. The Sidneys and the nessed by a good-sized attendance tomers a trifle damp. Booneys at the Palace wore a clean- Monday night, for which mild U Don Dillaway gave a convincing up. matinee and night. weather and Lloyd's "Speedy" was perfdrjnance as the son stnd Julie The Norman Thomas. Quintette | mainly re.sponsible. . . | Heme had the one bright line, as acterization. kno;wn over here for a I co'^Panlon and secretary of the dozen or more years; is still a high- ^comtesse. Serves as a once around grade piece of work. . excuse for Miss Heme's vaude tour Hunter and Perclval copped com- but won't catch a brass ring, edy honors. Th^ man had . them | , Con. giggling from the start with, his wop dialect, while the girl foils heatly (New Acts), a hot colored combo, with a steaming drummer, warmed things up nicely for the. former ex- ponent of Busy Izzy. Chrystal Herne (New Acts) fol- lowed in a one act Edgar Allen Woolf special that will provide no .Inspiration for titie writers. There was a rumor arbund Monday after- The balloon dance finish is the high -l^ORMA.N THOMAS QUINTETTE Songs, Dancing, Music 14 Mins.; Full (Special) Palace (St. V) • A. hot colored quintette of piano player, drummer, two dancers and ia baritone, the litter' probably noon that George. Sidney had pur- I .spot of the turn chased IQO ducats for his friends The Lowe and Sargeant Revue, and Woolff got panicky for fear .they fla&h act with five pCaple,'practically would get up and walk out on the all. of whom hoof, scored. The Weil sketch which followed. Miss Hearne, sistersi and Johnny Lee are feiatured, recently legittlng as Craig's wife, the iatter.showing some hot Riissiah closed the first half. . stepping, while an adagio team, un- . After, intermission Robert Chls- programed, also 45d well. The turn I Thomas. The drummer steals the holm, the Australian baritone from is well mounted with several sets act His footwork around the •'Golden' Dawn/' ^gave the Janes a. ahd^jl| 0PS that are eye filling. drums and traps Js a revelation. He few thrills Avith his romantic pipes William A. Jones and Al Rea, m a « k^^* or,»v r.invc and appearance. His Legion song, rube turn, got little with their com-I "«ver. misses a beat and plays "Riambna," .a,nd a third completed edy. Rea's niethod of mouthing his an interesting cycle. Chisholni word.s soon grew tiresome, could have had them close him In . Buddy Doyle, assisted by Peggy In one before the house drapes after Hoover, filled the two spot accept everything including taps on the stage and scenery. Thomas his a commanding pres- ence .and. art excellent baritone GEORGE SIDNEY Monolog 25 Mins.; One Palace (St. V) George Sidney, who has been busy making faces at the one eyed monster in Hollywood, is back on the speaking stage for a brief so- joui-n.' Sidney opened his act with a very funny trailer. Titles an- nounced that: crowds were . dow.ri at the- station, in IjOS Angeles to see George off. Shots of a huge mob followed, but Jack Denipsey wa.s the object. . More ' Comedy shot.<j were a title /showing Kansas City fans.ru!?hing to see Sidney and then a shot of a flock of steers running down the platform to a loading pen. Lindbergit's reception at the Whit? House arid otliei' popular events were interpolated for comedy. One that pulled a roar was a title "Mr. Sidney Reaches Chicago," and then a .shot of trench.Avarfare with ma- chine gunners popping away. Sidney's riionolbg consisted .of some spotty material and a. couple of^pioems- Talk at the opening was familiar and not funny. . George got them despite it and made a decided impression with a burlesque Varsity Drag. He fplloTred this with some more talk and an imitation of Pat Rooney in which he surprised the customers by his agility in a waltz clog. . The entire Rooney family joiried him on the stage stringing out the turn for another 10 minutes. With. the proper material George would stand out among contempo- rary vaudeviilians. He "retains the personality and delivery that, made hirn popular as "Busy Izzy". and a comic years ago. One of the two recitations should be dropped. Sec- ond one has most merit. They liked Sidney, at the Palace, and it's Obvious that his sojourn in pictures didn't hurt him. C6M-. his opening number, despite the fact ably with songs and gas^s that h.ave voice. His ''Mammy" item regis- that a special drop is good back ground for his Foreign. Legion unit; Nitza. Vemille (New Acts) fol- lowed C.hisholm in a colorful danc- ing turn. "Rhythm and Melody," Charles Collins, a sweet hoofer, and Arnold o's Gypsy Quai'tette, were in support. Ann Codec and Orth next goaled a laugh starved bunch. The rough handling in their standard been heard around considerably. The Ruby Trio, piano and dance, opened, and Heer and Minotto, acro- biatic turn, closed. STATE (Vaudfilm) "The Crowd" (M-G) "^'ent two „„ 1 . 4.U T .. I Ways at. the . State Monday night mu'^^ v."^"l^^u "^''^ Plenty of railbirds in the house, up- went better. They had to beg off. Utairs arid down. Margaret Stewart, assisted by | Five acts, all establi.shed, were I in" any • company tered strongly. Dancers offer three liioutines all of which stand out, but with . the drummer. cutting up behind them the edge was dulled a bit. Pianist is a pip box worker and. contributes a solo that pulled individual re- turns. Act is new around New York and is billed as from South America. It's a fast turn that will stand up •Number three Boulan and Blanche Stewart closed perfectly spotted to^make a good i ._a took one of the hits of the In what remains one of the classiest vaude show. No riots but . good ' "t"® hits o£ the ?°fi"fv'^^*® vaudeville. Tori poses vaudeville. Mitkus Duo, rtixed bill. Con. held the house unusually wcJl con Siderably after 11 p. m. Business healthy but not capacity. Con. team, opened with a conventional line of balancing that held the .spot. ACADEMY ^ (Vaudfilm) Roll call Monday night at Mr, Fox's concert hall counted 46 per- Man is understander for steel ladd.ei- in No. 2, but show took on aninia- braced on shoulders, with woman tion and pep In next turn. Fielder, doing trapeze stuff atop, Romaine Elliott and Hamilton, a natural, [and Castle, two men. offered a nilx' Dave Harris Co. of five scored a ture of comedy chatter and songs small riot with their neat dancc'and that, clicked in the next niche. Pian- music flash. Then lntermis,sion, ist ■works in tan and comic works as opening second half Bry.<5on, col- lormers -partlcinatlnlr Tn" the'-son^^^ I t^°^X^ .doing a sort of un- ored hoofer, was rather light. Bry- dancS and fSts of laririff^ D?ess- T^^'ll^*'** ^^^^^ at times which son formerly worked in a two act Ing rrom sitSion with this gathlrl k^?-^^^ Plenty of laughs, also ban- .^nd his remarkable stepping car- inl of Slint muJl, hive bein ac^^^^^ The^oSed? aymlke-'lJp ^"^Medl f J""^^'' It wasn't miieh of a hill roncsid- -® pomeoy ana niaKe-up ticKied u^orking entirely straight and mix- •rfd ls a fiilT aUhough thhS?^^^ Jan^t of France held her talk with his true . specialty, ual tulns were okay Pr^^^^ rated this spot. Talk i.s reduc"eT frorc?sfomar;°ST Tc^ JJSLc^ ^ith'-'M^ ^^^f'^^P*"! Is of. the best to six because of two S5-minute Z^^^^ «'ivn^^.^^^^ Man, in J^ciich, bringing the best partner and if he must talk' this returns at this showing. line needs fattening, James J, Corbett and.Bobby Barry Eddie Clark offers one of the were comedy aces next to shut, fast disappearing comedy talking Contrast between the towering, for- gj^etcj^^es. This one called "Blood's mer champ and the_pipt sized comic rrhlcket Than Water" and is paced got them ^rom the go off. with Ujong quaint comedy lines in the utes and with Bennv Davis then I s."^s«,9"®"t clowning and ..TopHtsky" manner. Clark plays a ♦V«*+4^» ■^v^^ .r; . ,r Co»"bett's mauling of the frail part- --uiiogonhieal Hebe nestered with trotting on his mob of 20 specialty ner working uo for nlentv of howls Pi. ;P*. ^ pesierea uitn people the a«!<!PrhhlPfi TiPle-lihnr«! 5 *u i m the relatives whom he has to em- ♦JviYirii ' assernoiea neignoors at the get-away. Paul Tison and L.^™ i_ y,,- v,„_iT,*.Ri, tvipv imf nti found the unremitt ng bombard- orchestra Russian L'rine orchestra Pi ^ t. - ,? ? L inent of Rincine^ mfl ^inPinfT fnn '-'j cncsira, ttussian t ring orcne&i.r<i Yi\m and he flres them all. Just then "f"L°l_^*?5A"J^. .^"^ six, closed with a repertoire of.L gympathetic relative from Aus- Interludes by Earl.Lindsey's Revue and Benny Davis' Gang, not to men- tion Al White's generous allocation of time to himSelf. The bill flopped in failing to pro- vide sufllcient diversity of material. First three acts consumed 05 min 4«,^® }° :fatigue rather than en- I ear-delighting melodies SSinm?n?Van\?nd^^^^^ augmeTited with a femm. .......^na hires the . relatives all bacR. Sfi L^'"''® ^ ^"^^^ as long '-^s natcd as spacers between ..the melodic S,^^^^^^ the average presentation it was not | s^i^.tions. Good act. class and over Not as g'^^fal th^ American as it would :be where a Jewish clientele gathers, but even a success even Considered as pres «ntatlon. .. Prank Work (New Acts) opened and was a frost. He has only a JKeleton of an act. Lindscy's Revue lOllowed, This act is ragged around the edges and needs a good 12 mln wtes slashed. It lacks sock " big. Edba. at the American they liked the .sin cere work of Clark. Company of 1 four lii support, Sim Moore and Pal (latter billed I as Charles Charla;nd)' Is a new part MILTON WATSON Songs Paramount (Pet.) New York Milton Watson is a young niah, a tenor, who sang but two songs at the Paramourit, Monday evening, the u-sual quantity for a picture house unit show. Watson was greatly liked by the audience, on his pleasing appear ance, deportment ; arid, of course voice. • He sang "Ramona" and en cored with a. tricky bit called "LUac Tree." He seems young enough to start vocal training if he is not al ready doing it. 't's a vocal impedi- ihent naturally to be under the pressure of four or more per forniancos dally, but his voice h^.s- a; certain quality that could easily stand coiaching or culluring. Mr, Watson has been with Paul Ash for some time and probably, under Ash's tutelage. That ac- counts for his stage bearing and poise. In the picture hou.ses or with Ash. he's over before he's through his first song. For vaude he looks and sound^ good enough to do a single with a pianist, while a role in a musical even though a small show just now might give him valuable experience, for stage and voice. AMERICAN (Vaudfilm) Even without the eliminatlbn „. icu^Jn.^ a^J^JT^ In'this I Aiffht 6f bathing beauties, the fem- day of arbitrarv salarv maximums Mnlne contingent had niost of the nership with the old comedy acrO- • H's unusual to I?e eight choral honors of the bill and the sex pre- batic work and talk JWoore used Kirls In vaude and the old line (dominated throughout. Only two to be of Mpor6 and Mitchell. Knock- looked good. The femmes may ob- all-male turns in the running, Ery- about fun of hand-to-hand bur- iect to- that chorus girl description son. colored .solo hoofer, openirig iri- le.sque is laughable and the talk as they all step out for specialties termi.ssion, and Sim- Moore and Pal, serves fairly well for this grade of However, the best part of the turn travesty acrob.ais and dapcor?. next t^ine- \ ^r- ' • , iB the chorus numbers From a to clo.sing. Otherwise it wa.s an all- Fay, Elliott and King are just a inezzanine lege the babes looked en^ Eve garden. . . rathj weak "boy" singer and two tlcing as they flapped elbows in-ap.- Mostof the girls were lookers and dancing girls, right up to the sur- Provod varsity stylo • | sprightly dancers and the frameup I prise finish when, the di.selosure Act .spill running ■Work up ample of Forever" rietles in •=hSf^?h^^HplFelir^^ LENORE ULRIC AND CO. (3) "A Legend of London" (Dramatic) 16 Mips.; .Full Stage Palace (St. v.), New York Supported by Sidney l'.I.u-kme«v Reginald Goode and F, '(..Jutonby . Bell. Lenore Ulric is good vaudeville in this Michael Arlon. playlet ai over sophisticated Londoners. She plays a blase, pa;ie but inter- esting, wife who is having a clan* destiric love aifair 'W'ith. her hu»" band's best friend. The cuitain risefl upon a duolog between husband and wife, in which/the woman makes It obvious that she is bored stifi: with her consort. iJisgusted at the trend of the conversation he loaves th« room for his study.. . , After phoning her lover aiul dis- covering he Js not at his i;lub, she follo\ya her husband, rolurning a moment later, gi-eatly hon ilied and agitated. It develops she disoov.eredi him dead in the study; The lover arriveis. His oonsciertoe h.as been bothering him; lie Is de- termined to end the affair. She sneers at the conventional and pleads with him to take her. . Finally she tells him of her discovery. The ' lover upraids her for her oallous- riess in wanting him to love her while her husband lies dead. He leaves . after a bitter denunciation in which he tells her he is through. The husband walks In- after, the lover ha.s left.; He tells, her lie wanted to show her that his rival was jealous. - . • ■ Pretty thin plot, but the impor- tfince of tire cast and the excellent; playing save,It from baniillty. Ar- len overdoes: the sophistication at times, making the woman an artl'^ ficial creation •who rie-vcr existed In fact or fiction. Miss Ulric and. Blacluner . are nanies" for vaudeville: The "ar* rangenient with David Bolasco," which the program heralds, is also a faniillar touch of class, but in the final an.alysis It Is Miss ITIrlc who. lifts the sketch into an entortalnlng- vaudeville turn for the remaining first class hou. . « They lilted the act. at tbo Pa lac©. Con. NITZA VERNILLE Music and Dancing Revue 16 Mins.; Fiill (Special) Palace (St. V) . Miss VernlUe has.. Improvod her, former vaudeville turn 100 per cent. She. is supported in her new turn by Charles Collins. and Arndldo'i Gypsy' String Orchestra. Gpciiing In.ia fetching blue.costumf^ .she of- fers a graceful kicking and bending novelty waltz number. After a number by the Gypsy's shf\ and Col- lins do a double dance t}.ingo, received. Another instrumental and she returns for a solo that clIol:ed. Collins next, in ari eccentric taft put himself-away as a big league hoofer. "Tenderfoot Stoinp/' an- other .song and dance don>)le witll a Varsity Drag routine, ,soi>ved as a strong clo.ser. Miss Vernllle has personalitj^ looks and is a versatile dancer. Hei; new offering is classlly produced and class for any bill. Con* „ - , as Confedoratti . . . , ,. ^ soldi*.r.s, the other in blue, the two one of tho. "pirls" doffs a blonde jnales as .blTioer.s, the contortionist wig t.o diSTlose a . boy's rToripr-d l<haki and the prima donnii in I head. tbc gfirb of the R(vl Cro.'^.s, Old ^'ory 1.^ diily o.xhibitod before flu curtain. Tlio largo hU'inbership of Tionny i^aviR' act wa.s discourfiging rather inan encouraging after the. notrtoo not Lind.seyotles. Unquestionably ine act's reception was dulled on that ficcount. Davis has fxccllfnt ''wOnt with him and made a good I amply After that, Terry Turnr-r .«u<'- ceeded In getting tho audlrncf- to pick two girls from group of a ^■•'■•'■ire or ieo, •who ■will take part , in Xhr- finals later this week at Ih'- State. For crisp stage management Ten-y handled a difficult asFignment' •w.itlj tact and expedition. Film feature dune In is "Legion of the CJondomned" (I'ar). bill nice Business capacity out.'jide of the Jane arid "Ginger " Rcs-^r.'; roof boxe.«. the nelghhorhofid be.mty <New Art«,», duir .^pot 1 contest figuring In this. Jiwh. RUBYE KEELER Song and Dance One or full stage Paramount (Pet), New York Rubye Keeler came in with the flood of tap dancers and is one of the few survivors. At the Para mount this week, especially engaged for the stage unit surrounding Paul Ash on his oflening week in New Yo rk. Misg . Keeler is not called upon for extended work. After singing a .song, she did one tapping dance, but that was enough to catch the bouse. In a picture house stage sliow what she is now doing is plenty and guarantee her. For vaudeville, Miss Keeler might, require a partner or to be placed In the centre bf .a vai:de revue or ensehible turn. ,*}he has been in a niu.sical production, A good-lbokirig girl arid a cork- ing tap stepper, Miss Keeler at the Par.amount has the additional ad- vantage of much local fame and popularity to and in Times Square. Her. show re(;ord has been unique in. many ways and she Is very well, thought of as a hard-working, de- serving girl. That she has added a song and Improved, her voice for that purpose is another credit mark for ]\or. Arthur a.Tul IDarlihg, opening, is tho familiar frog rontortloni.^t rou- tine eliil'iirated with scenic .scttin«,'s, light effect.'-- and supplemented with a woman d.'incer working a novelty in a butterfly bit done on a dark stage with the wings lumlnou." paint. Gave stJirt Sister pair Sister Act 12 Mins • One American (V-P) Crniple'(if girl newecnners offering a colorle.ss trio of harm on i zed num- berK, one of theni playing the piano aecompfiniment. !Nlee looking girli;: who haven't m.U'h of a chance. ;;'' Just a pair without tho profes- KioTial touch and nothing to. snggef^t that fbey will att.-iin it. No. 2 here PAUL REMOS' MIDGETS (2) Acrobatic One or full stage , Paramount. (Pet), New York The Paul Remos Midgets look like a foreign turn. No record ot them is In Variety's New Act fllee. An understander and two midgets, one quite small, comprise the turn... At the Paraniuunt •the man entered, carrying a satchel, and whispered to Paul Ash a.s though bootlegging. A.sh waved him away when the man opened the grip, with the ■ midget, in bellhop uniform, jumping out. The other midget w.as simi- larly dressed, near by. The understander started doing lifts •with the smaller one, who, though, very short Is quite pudgy. He picked him up In the conven- tional Continental acrobatic man- ner, balancing him aloft on one hand, doing a head-to-he.ad with him and also the extended arm lifts. The other midgut did some acrobatics also, but his portion was on the porch. A tall perch, single '.li.-k- with a cradle on top, really an .n;. Inphone on whleh the smaller )<"y played wliile the other wa.s pei•.^inning, lis held by the undersfaniler from his shouid''i'~ "l'hi«^"^WGiM<^--rr''ei- proeeeds .slowly for a pi>'iiii e liouse .show. T.iit as present t'laUK d, the turn would be okay for Urn vaude hou.ses. There is a slight' bit of • e.r)nu«ly here ;iiid-t.hf re. Xo'Iiing big that way', V^nt wh.'it I.s di-ne .-ould be ea.'-'ilv added to. N().<l.iinK ni.u.sual but-'a ii.i'l;^.'t act Of' tiiis. .sort has not been .around in ;"n.'e \ear,« and this oii- ."-hould fit In.