Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 10, 1928 VARIETY 59 YARIEH'S CHICAGO OFFICE HAL HALPERIN in Charge Woods Bldg., Suite 604 Phones: Central 0644-4401 CHICAGO Professionals have the free use of Variety's Chicago Office for information. Mail may be addressed care . Variety, Woods BIdg.r Chicago. It will be held subject to call, forwarded or advertised in Variety's Letter List. Palace Tougli that the new era of vaude- vllie KO billed in the prot,'rani, opened Sunday to one o£ the small- est audiences the.Pailacc lia.s ever had. Tough because If the Keith offlce bad used the riiffht sort of exploitation to bring in now busi- ness, the New Ura might haye cre- ated a fe^v more regulars; ■ With Clayton, Jackson and Du- rante in next-to-closing .Mnd Jack pearl to close, the rtnst. half of the bill was assured a good reception: Pearl is a holdover and changed his material froni "The Intorpretor" to '■'The Flirt.". He has used both turns in revues, and both iire livugh routines. Charles March, Hilly Har- ris and Winifred Pearl assisted. ■ Those three boys aie something new for this burg, and a lowdown hit Durante's three big comedy numbers, "Can Broadway Do.:With-. , ut Me?" "Far Away in Rockiiway" •.".d "The Well Dressed Man," ac- complished a mopup seldom seen since vaudeville started to breathe hard here. Th6 samo for Clayton's sandy-foot hoofing, and Jackson's southern accent. They carried an ^ight-piece orchestra for steady ac- companiment to a-hything that hap- pened to be said or done. A great qtct for vaudeville, and it should have been given plenty of adver- ^aing here. LaSalle and Alack, cphilc acro- Ijats who go heavy on tuaibling, were good pace setters in opftriini: 9Pot. Lew Murdock and Mildred Mayo, eccentric dancers, caused a ^etdo^vn in the d'euce and went off ^0 mild applause. Third was Charles T. Aldrichi 'pioneer^ quick-change artist, who can have a place in vaudeville as long as . he can stand on both feet. His turn would be new and worth while in picture houses. ■ Fourth held Polly and Oz, mixed lieam acting out. a series of comedy lyrics with no restraint and getting across here easily. Keal vaudeville Pearl followed. • Opening the second half was I Yvette Rugel, prima donna,. with Ernest Charles assisting vocally and at the piano. Miss Rugel has wisely irtcluded a majority of quality pop numbers, enhancing them con- siderably with a voice trained for eperatics. Alvarez and Kadamova not In sight for the nrjatinee, with Nolan, juggler, substituting. "Pathe News" and "Fables" completed. Binff, State* Lake . Colored flags and buntings spread ever the broad marquee of the State-Lake proclaimed that a new era of, vaudeville was rising over the Keith Circuit. Ih any event, a celebration is in order this week. It may be that things will begin to happen from now on. Perhaps that which has been missing, ifor a long time; better acts and proper exploitation^ No reason why the. State-Lake, a.t ppp prices with its location, can- not be whipped into a money get- ter. But. with all the celebrating going on, this week's bill is far from anything to go into raptures about. Nothing in the show that means a quarter in the till, although aver-, age in entertainment. ■ Harry Burns, next to closing, Vi'as the biggest applause getter. Short- age of laughs on the bill cinched it for him. Burns . gave a good per^ formance, assisted by a classy look- ing blonde who is all face and fig- ure, and a dependable str.alght man. Leading off were Evers and Greta, Wire act good for the ante on any bill. Evers doe.s the tricks on the taut wire while his femme partner displays enough In strolling around "~tb: "catcih "the eyev Following were Sam Berk and Juanita Saun in a hoofing orgy with some lyrics ihtiftr- speraed. Miss Saim carries the turn. Berk, does some nice .stepping but Is not strnnsr enough for his part- ner when I " tries for comedy. Gertrude Moody and Mary Dun- can, harmony .singers with a dash of light comedy, got over in the hext position but can do better. . A Juggler with a sen.se of humor is Paul Nolan, around for years. Nolan clicked legilima.t«'ly with hi.-< tricks, using hat-s nnd balls mo.'^tly. Works easy and look.s clfon c\n. Carries a girl assis.t;int and usf^ licrr ,£or one or tw o gags. "piistlc of lorciimsi" with Mas.-n and LiinKsuy, another .'^ttuidard and a corking: fla.'ih. Xiirl dancer is » whiz of a stepper but shouldn't sin.;:. This turn hns been playing ,'iroiiud for .s^!Vl'ral ycar.s and looks good to continue. Boy hoofer':is an oui- slandcr. Neat a|)pi'arjug tenor \vitl\ fair pipes aiid .sofohdary malo dancer eompleto th.e. oxitlit. Foii rteen '. Brick' .Tbi)s (formoMy Parisi.'in Hodlieads) ' ar the Pulafc a few. weeks ago, . «.'h).S"'l.- . Krd head.ed gal.s were a .sure hit Jind d»!- .serving. . Picture, Chester Conklin in "Taxi 13" tFBO). Progressive biz Sunday noon. Loop. out ihi' musical poliL'y with Hudolph ;ind A. Leon liloom, director o£ the orclicsiru at the local house. Aficv a delay ooca.ssitmed by dif- liciiltii'S with the nuisii'ian".s \inion, IviJicoln, II'rf-'at States liou.'^t- at De- catur, .will open with va\idevilk' l'>i)iik( d by Keith Western. Sept. IC. auer li. {<z K.'s new I'aradise th.i- atre. Ti. <S.' K. units .starting fro)n the Oriental are .set until Nov. JO. While not .'ill of the units have been titl«>d, the shows are nearly.' completely cast. Line\ip includes "R.alnliow.'i," opening Sept. 22 with Eddie llilL Suzette and Jose, Lydia Harris and The Harlequins; "Touchdown,"' with Lvicky Boys, Johnny Payne, Cliff Nazarro and Stanley Twins. Next Unit (Oct. 6) has Grace and Marie Ellne, Harm and . Nee, Walter and Russell and Boyd Senter. ITni{ for Oct. 13 holds Wallie and Zella, Ly- tell and F.ant, Jack Lavier and Keena Girls. Oct. 20—Bernie Bros., Ford and Whitey, Richie. Craig and Anita • La Pierre. Oct. 27—Iloriiay Bailey, Three Diamons and Si Willis. Nov. 3—Hetrmanois Williams, Nat Specter and Vera Van. In the final unit, Nov. 10, is DuBois, Ro.sette and Griffin,. Agnes Gilroy and Wally Jackson. Nat Phillips, in association willi Greemvald and Weston, has built six unit productions under prepara- tion with about a half-dozen others to follow. Among these are "Cap- tain Kiddo" by . Jack Lait, with Jimmy Rbseii, Sylvia De Frankie, Ernie Holden and the Day Sistex's; Pat Daly & Co. In "Sugar Jane," with Jess Phillip.s,, Arthur Searles, Dolly Deece and Genevieve Daly; "King of Patagonia," with Snooze Kinneard and company of five; flash act starring "Charles ' and company of five. Other acts going into re hear-sal are "Miss Melody" and "No Tomorrow." Phillips has already put out four units since reentering th producing field In Chicago. These are "The Four Husbands," "Girl jWanted," "Desperate Sam," and ''Visions,'' another Lalt opus. Q ; Picserktaholrv Co5tume.s CI- L^' !•< WEST LAKC ST CMICaOOILL |~1 < D EXCLUSIVE CREATIONS , ■ '. PRINCIPALS ■ ^S'l ^roRSALC ' MAOC Toonocn -ro'n ncNT -^^S;' . Qtto Cllne, with Greenwald and Weston Agency, Chicago, ill with the grippe. C. Ci Christiansen, assistant man- ager of United Artists theatre, Chi- cago, 111 at his home.. Eddie Michaels of Chicago "Good News," out of the show with an in- jured foot. Gene Sharon replaced. . Orchestras will not be used in five of the smaller National Playhou.ses this year. Straight pictures, with organ accompalniment. The West Englewood and Grove theatres will use orchestras. on Saturdays and Sundays to take care of the week end vaiJde. Charles Hogan is now using the. West Englewood as a showing house for acts wanting the National time. Dictators of Harmony, male quar- tet, go with Brunswick for record- ings. — A. J. Biilaban Is leaving here this week for a tour of the eastern Pub- lix houses to look over the^tage units. . " Jay Ward, .elected "Typical Amerr lean Boy" and mascot for the Amer- ican Legion convention in Paris last year, will again be mascot for the legion at their convention in San Antonio,, Tex., Oct. 9. He is the son of Ward and Dooley, vaudie team. isdyth Diedrich, physical cultur- i.St and reducing expert, has ju^t completed a tour of the Great States theatres. She gave ladles' matinees in each Great States town. Miss Diedrich has just been signed for the Liibliner and Trinz circuit, a B. .& K. subsidiary. Harry D. . Buckley, of T.'nited Arti.sts circuit wa.s In Chicago con- ferring with William Rudolph, Chicago manager, on. pictures for coming season. Hugo Kies('nf"M stopped over long enough to. work Oi.-.t-at States tlif'atrcs art> putting Sunday vaudeville into the Valley tlicatre at Spring Valley, 111., to take cire of the overflow Sunday liusines." from the Alaje.stic. at La Salle.: The Majestic has been turn- ing away Sunday biz on tne strennth of. its vaudo. The Valley theatre at Spring Valh-y is just across the city liiie. Several managerial switches have been made by .James !•>. Coston in some of the National Playhouses' tlu-atres. Lee Eastman becomes Walter nou.i^las of Donaldson, Douglas &■ (.Junihle, is.in Chicago Willi Willie Horowitz, tiie Urm's Chicago nian;ig<>r; ArniiVgenient.s.fur a localolilce liavc lieou cntupleted, SAN FRANCISCO Imperial Another good vaude bill at tht Iniporlal. bearing out Jicia Lcvy'f i>romis(.' at, two hit.'^, IUkmucss i-'.or- r<-s|ioivdin;.;ly up, with tlie Sliiula\ night inlake setting a new house rociH'd, ■ 1 louse is now in seventh week of its vaudlilm policy. Roshin's Dogs, open for five niln- utos' of novelty. Frefiuently ap- phuaied. Josselyn .and Hyde,, rnan and wo- man, do ciiattei-, song and danc() that won favor. They have track drop in One with ■ gal attendant at a news stand. ; Both can hoof, with the gal doing some exceptionally high kicking; I'lcasihg turn and went ovci' nicely. Kruia C'.ates and four Sunshine 1244 N. DEARBORN, CHICAGO. SUPERIOR 4980 Swimming Pool—Gymnasium-—Rehearsal Kail Rates Weekly il'rbSi?|io°5o'M'l?i°o« We |>ay your Iniiisportiition l>y tuxl from nny stntion In (hp city C O R R E SP OND ENC E All matter, in CORRESPONDENCE refers to current weeU unless otherwise indicated. .... The cities untfer Correspondence in this issue of Variety iire as follows and on oaaesi ALBANY BOSTON ,...... QRONX •'••««•••< BUFFALO ..... CHICAGO CINCINNATI .. CLEVELAND .. DULUTH ...... INDIANAPOLIS JERSEY CITY.. LOS ANGELES. MEMPHIS ..... 63 62 61 60 59 63 61 60 61 63 62 60 MINNEAPOLIS ... MONTREAL NEW ORLEANS... OAKLAND PORTLAND, ORE. ROCHESTER ...... SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE ........ SYRACUSE TOLEDO TORONTO WASHINGTON ,. 60 60 60 61 63 60 59 60 60 61 63 61 in Sydne.v, Au.^traliii, ari'ived here on the Sojnona, aceonipuuied by Mrs. Carlton. (.)'Bri«'n and jVlack Sister.s .-md Lampini, who liave heon playing f(U' William.son in. Austra- lia were also on tlie "Sonoma." Mack and I>'iRue, roller, .skaters with "Tlio Spidci'," joined the cast that will produce the-mystery play inOakland for . Occu-ge Eliey, the coast company, closing here at tlio (Jeary, Sept. 15. The act sails Feb. 12 for - a lour of the Williaiuson cireuit in Ausiralia. .Aiiollio.r do luxe straight .pii'ture hi>use tueighVorhood) opened. Sept. 1\ when Ackernian, Ilai'ris Op- pen opi.-ned their new Ama'^son, in the Amazon-Crocker ' residential district, out Mission Way. I^w Xeweomb, former manager for Uio firm's Casino, is in charge of the new house. Little Theatre of the iTnlversity of California presented "Meet the \V'i.*e," as opening play of new sea- son. Michael Kaffetto directed. The fair season of the dramatic council of. Stanford . University is scheduled for Oct. 12 with a repie- tition of Robert E, Sherwood's comedy, "The Queen's Husband." Entbargo put against the San Francisco Bulletin a week ago by practi<'ally every theater in town, following the boosting of advertis- ing rates to a par with the Ex- ajiiiner, which has about double the city circulation, came to a close Sept. 17, with the newspaper resum- ing Its old rate. Diu'ing the week the Bulletin's theatrical advertising' dropped about 95 percent. Gino Severl, musical director at the California, is featured with a stringed orchestra every Tuesday night at the KYA-West Coast we(;kly broadcast. ' manager of the Englewood, sup- pLanting Harry Miller. Jess Hogan, former manager of the Stratford, has been transferred to 1:he Jeffrey, where he replaces Con Cooney, while Hogan's post at the Stratford has been taken by William Donald- son. A. L. Burks, director of publicity for the United Artists theatre here has returned to his desk after a ■week's illness. Monty Brooks is acting as m.c; for the United Booking Agency's show at the Indiana theatre, Indiana Harbor. Henry, Stickelmaler, Great Stateig Theatre representative at Peoria, 111., has been appointed general dis- trict manager of Southern Illinois. Sam Byfleld, president White City park, is converting his Fun House this winter, into a basketball arena, and will stage professional games. Alex Swidler, local manager Bert Levey circuit, starts booking the Allen, Racine, Wis., Sept. 23 with five acts and a band on a split week basis. Levey office also booking the Kgyptian, National and Granada theatres, Milwaukee and the Roose- velt, A''ogue and Butterfly theatres in Kenopha. Lucille Luttrell has come from New. York to handle the advance sale of the Theatre Guild's season. Gussie Oscar, lessee, Auditorium. Waco, Tex., has left Chicago to complete arrangements for the p.pejilng there Oct. J of Paul White- •man's orchestra^ . - Dick Saschsel' has taken office space with the National Booking Offices and , is putting on amateur nights in Chicago houses .or Keith We.stern. Margaret Felch .(Felch; Booking office) is organizing a girls' band, which will be the official femme or- chestra of the World's Fair of 1933. It will travel under the name of the fair until the exposition opens. Henry Shapiro, Midwesco booker, has added the Orpheum, Kenosha, Wis,, to hi.'^ lint. House plays pic- tures and full week five-act vaude, Joe Wallace (Wallace and Cappo) has announced his engagement to Iris Carll of "Take a .Chance Unit" (Publix). Girls have nice singing and dancing revue, with each femme showing ih- dividual talent. One, especially, who warbled an Italian aria, clicked solidly. The act is timed to a fast I)ace and registered. • Applause honors copped by John- son and Mcintosh, two colored boys. Johnson plays a low comic and evokes plenty of belly laughs. Also he is an eccentric hoofer. Mcintosh Is proficient on the banjo. What makes the act the more satisfying is that the boys are original. Closing spot held by Ricardo and A.shford, man and woman aerialists. Earned everything they got. Vaude pruned down to 42 minutes- Fea- ture picture "The Divine Sinner" with News and comedy. Edwards,. What may be a record for con- secutive employment "back" In the same town Is probably held by Walter Sachs. Starting with May 20, Sachs has "counted up" here at the Geary for five different attrac- tions, for four different concerns. LeOng Sue, Chinese actress, known as "the phonograph girl," has joined the cast of the company playing at the Mandarin, coming hei-e direct from. China. Another Is Jong Shew Gum, male impersonator, the first of her type to appear In this country. H. c; Holmes arrived here from New York to arrange for the local premiere of the Martin John.son Af- rican hunt pictures at the Columbia, being "road-showed" for three weeks. After 12 weeks on the coast "The Spider" c:oinr).iXny, brought here by Belasco '& iBulTer, jOrtrfred' back to New York. Henry Duffy will show on tour "Tommy," which winds up 12 week."? at the Alcazar Sept. 22. It will tour three or four weeks pending com- pletion of the new Dufwin, Oal^- lahd, where It is figured for. a run. Jack Retlaw, formerly with West- co as a territorial manager, is now handling exploitation for United Artists pictures on the coast. A thief broke Into the Green .Street theatre and stole clothes be- longing to Bob Chapman, Juvenile v.'ith Sid Ooldtrce's "Easy for Zee Zee." Naana Wortov.a . replaced AH"-' Worthington as lead of "lOa.sy for Zee Zf'(-" at the Green Street. Sid Wrmser fSam Herman, of- j-, -Woodward's "The Play's flee) is booking ki.ldie nit'lHs mto q-y^,. rhinf.'." .-larring (;uy P.ates i:i) 1 i 1 A::,^JimiL^CoMjm^U<Lj-^^":u J 'Ms t _jv,ri a r*aeifie C'/ast tour, opens tional theatn: circuits. i SeptTTniVer I'VTTr^^fomWfrrrjTin^-tllTiTI-' ~~: I eoTi."-t! to th'; C'api'ol lie'ro for a A\sii'iiit-'s of .shops in ihe Wo':ds,imi. Kdward Se.liillii;;? is per."--'))]'!t tlioatn- eaui-'l.t fire la-t week, and '. re.p:-f -( ntalive for Woodward, with the fire deij.irlm'-nt conge-cted ill" Iclfjt:iard Olc ; lr" f an hour. as agent. Hal Girvln's Hotel Oakland or- chestra hx'oadcasts over KGO every l''riday night. Unable to find a downtown the- atre the Temple Players, are resum- ing at their playhouse. Lake street and Arguello boulevard, Oct. 29, with S. An-Sky's mystic play, "Th© l.>ybbuk" as the opener. Irving Pichel, of the School oif the Theatre, (Pasadena Community Playhouse) will play the lead. Nahum Zemach, founder of the Habima of Moscow, Is directing. , Sell.s-FIoto billing brigade got po- lice permission to "post" 15 banner locations with the understanding they were to be taken down the minute this olrcus was over. Ordin- arily bannering is prohibited In the city limits. ■ When in Chicago Visit The$e Hits SELWYN Mata Thura. and Sit. .SCHWAB and MANDEL Brlnu .You THE SKW COM.EGIATIS MUSICAL COJIKUV "GOOD NEWS" with on \i.l-ami;ricam team of platers forty flarpek i'rebiiiiss %nE LYMAN <HimReir) & RIS ORCD. FRl ANflFR ■WEr.>NKSDAT and g^,j,u^jj^Y math. GEORGE M. COHAN Offers a New Comedy BY REQUEST . .By. J,_ C.^NaB:ent and Elliott NuKent ■ with' ■ ' :—• " ■ ELLIOTT NUGENT A. n. WOODS' ADELPHI iiATBi "WED. t^nd SAT. A. H. WO0J>S' "The TRIAL OF MAEY DUGM" By Bayard Velller with ANN nARUINO and Orlglnttl New: York C»Ht STUDEBAKER Mat. Today )^1AnT TJASTTj Violet Komple NASH EATHBONE COQPEE STEPHENSON FBUr^IXAND GOTTSCHALK A.sHltitod l»y Orlpinul Cast In tlio ConlinenUil Conicily .S4>n.sutl»>ii The Command to Love .Stanley Felcli, now as.sistant man- Jf;il '.'.-It I'Mii, m-'iTi.'ijcc-r r.f thf' Prin<'e Hdw.-ird (.1. C, Williamson; SAM II. HXITR I S^^heatYff- N0\V= AKTMl H irOI'KIN.S rrcsonlM A COMEDY ENTITLED "BURLESQUE" With HAL SKELLY and BARBARA STANWYCK