Variety (Sep 1928)

40 VARIETY NEW ACTS Wednesday, September 29, 1928 MARGARET ANGLIN and Co (4) ^Smarty's Party" .(Playlet) 27 Wins.; Throe (Parlor) Palace .(St. V.) Rosalit^ Stewart is prcsoiitinf? the dramatic, star aKain in. vaude- ville ill :U (ioorj^e Kelly i)laylet, •Harry Moore as an adopted son of Kereiofore. unknown illi'gitiinate pa)'ontage; l^otty IJarlow as. ins nowiy-brlde and ATary Glldea . as the maid cohipletei the cast. It'."^ ohq' of those too realistic Kelly sketches, not pa.rticularly pat for the varieties and certainly not a,' del'ihitely sympathetic thenio, Marjjaret Anelin is the widow who has been hurt, that her son hiai'ried a plcbian girl unknown to her. Intended as a harmless sur- prise, the mother renounces the en- tiro affair, discloses her pseudo- son!s dubious heritalge and thus ar- bitrarily washes herself of an un- plea.sant mes.s just.because her feel- ings were hurt that the. bo J' did not take her into his confidence. Somehow one looks for the happy ending, a milder-and an easier way oiit of a situation like this, pretty harmless excepting that a proud ■womari'.s feelings were hurt. . In- stead she is satisfied to leave her- self' bereft of the son she had grown to love and had even regard- ed, as her very own, so much So that,she didn't even bother with the legar ritual of formal adoption. The girl- too, for all of her lowly background^ explains it was not a case of "being forced to do It," and Kelly, just to soften the arbi- trary situation, has the girl flarfe Hp in a Woolworth brogue and snappy spiel. .Yet,, despite these discrepancies, Kelly i.s realistic. . No questioning but that such situations find their counterpart in real life almost every flay. Headed by a . capable star, the cast accounts for itself 100 per cent. Kut it'^ not good vaudeville. ; Abet. McKINNEY'S COTTON PICKERS Roseland Ballroom, N. Y. This colored dozen of torrid ja^zapators hail from Detroit where Jean .Goldkette, automobile city's .musical entrepeneur, sponsored ,them fpr over a season at his Grey- stone ballroom. Goldkette thought so Avell of the Cotton Pickers that he got them on Victor records as well. It i^ tho first time east for Mc- Kinney's heated daiisapation mer- chandizers and maybe those boys can't sell their "blues"; not much! Additfonally they vo-do-de-o and hotch-chu-cha in the latest rhythmic style and it's only a pity their field Is . limited to straight. dance work, With the stage eliminated. Looks like the variey field won't accept sepia jazzlsts unless with a colored fl.ash act which couldn't af- ford MoKinley's Cotton Tickers. They look nice collectively in busi- ness suit, almost academic in en- semble, and far from jazz-mad as some of the trick outfits on some of the colored aggregations would have one believe. They impress the more with the seriousness of their studied "l)lues" artistry, getting all possible out of their straight dance work, and also ringing the bell with their vocal interludes to d.ance tempos. At Kosciand ballroom, tliey are the in) ported guest stars for the reopening of the season festivities. They will probably take advant.age " of tlie . opport"utiity~rf^p--T^iyrdinlR- purposes at the Victor's local labo- ratrtrioii. Ahch PEDRO RUBIN and Co (5) Dance Revue 15 Mins.; Three (Special) Palace.(St. V.) Pedro Kubin is not new to v.aude- ville, but now from "Kio Kita." Ho hiis a now Irame-up featuring the Triana Sisters, dancer.s, Naomi Pitta, vocalist, and Gulllerino Plaza, piani.st. Rubin Is billed "JTexIco's foremost dancer." It's a colorful flash act, bit too long, With Iluliin doing two.out- stunding solo numbers, tambo spe- cialty and his toreador cape rolitine put of the Ziegfekt show. The Tri- Jina Sisters each accept a qouplo of solo opportunities as does Miss Pitta, the sdngtress, , handling her native serenade better than the Tin Pan Alley "Chiqulta." Act unfortunately spotte(l to close.. It merits a better position. AVcl. ■ RAYMOND BOND & CO. (1) "A Matrimonial Mirthquake" (com' edy) ^ 18 Mins.; One - DO and FijII Stage (Bedroom) 5th Avo. (V-P) Another sketch for Raymond Bond, \yith his u&uai boob charac- ter and his bride here, a bigger bumpkin from the sticks than he. They are in a large city on their wedding night. Front of a hotel is. first shown and Immediately after a bedroom with twin beds. Interruptions while they speak of retiring, mention of taking a bath which the bride presumably, .does, other chumpy stuff and lastly an- other phone, call to say the hotel is on fire. It's one. of those ho\v-far-can-we- go-and- what-can - we - get - away - with. The niost they, got away with here was both finally in their night clothes. Bond wore a cpniedy pair of pajamas and his stage wife an, old fashioned night shirt. In dialog, clean enough for the situation and with two or .three walloping laughs. For fiudienoes of the family sort, sure fire; for sophisticated vdude audiences, just a repetition In gen- eral lay put. Bobby Higglns pilayed a similar sketch around for a couple of seasons or more; That wouldn't injure this turn, however, for the family a,nd balcony trade it must depend upon. Raymond has drawn quite a neat rube picture, in make up, gestures and voice. He's the town's slicker chap. Girl is awkward, too much so, and an ungainly walk which is so unnatural under any circum- stance it ruins her impression. As a comedy turn this, has a place. - ■ Sime, HAROLD (RED) GRANGE Co. "No. 77" (Sketch), 17 Mins.; One and Full (Special), Audubon (V-P) For vaudis Grange has a troupe of three, two girls and a boy, and a «kit that dovetails . Grange's grid- iron process into a little; romance. Doesn't matter who' authored the Grange skit. It's one of those .«?tage affairs that cou'.a be written for any high school. An exterior of a college building is . shown . with, ■■ Myrtle (Harriet llutchins) exchanging some chatter with a boy in collegiate garb (Billy Hutchins). The conversation re- veals it's two hours before the big game and Grange has been barred because of studies. Then Gladys appears; Glad Is Rod's heavy arid the three talk iintll Red appears, lie's in a green sweater, sbcks and white knicks. And the "Ghost" surprises by doing a double number with Gladys, even to walking a dance. • Red might haye been taken seriously here hadn't he paused for a fnorhent and given a disdainful shrug as if to verbally exclalni: "I don't know what it's all about!" In siibsequent scenes Grange is shown in his famous 77 toggery as he sits berating his absence from the game which is being played outside the window. Trainer ap- pears for a moment to help Red do his dramatics; A. short inning here and then to the picture sheet, lied, with the scor,e 20 to 0 against hl,g team, is permitted to play. The film , shows a real game with one of the backs doing some fancy open field running. While, not recog- nized by the audience it Is sup- posed to be. Grange in action arid probably is. .Finale corned with Red. "Gladys, Jimmy and Myrtle in a little love, scene upstage., Several songs and the Hutchins duo (brother and: sister) do an en- tertaining comedy song and dance. With the football season here. Grange ought to draw in the neigh- borhoods. His personality and ap- pearance arje In his favor and. a talk at the close on his Hollywood ex-" perlehce had the audience forget- ting the thin act. If they can in- duce Grange to lecture before city high school squads it ought to in- crease his b.o, value. Mark. JERMAIN, FARRAR and CANTOR. Comedy Song and Dance Rev. .15 Mins.; One and FulK Proctor's 86th Si. (VrP). Roy Jormain, France^ Farrar and Nat Cantor, aided by two (lancing girls, Dee Rice and Tillie Tillis. Jer- main and Miss'Farrar ai-e acrobatic .. dahcor.s, while Cantor does ilcbe comic. T^ayout has some novelty, prhici- pally emj)hasi3 on the comedy side which takes it out of the dance ilash clas.M. Cantor does the talkin.g, 'hinuiiing indifferent dialect talk ma- terial fairly well. Jermaln and ■ Fiu-rar's four stepping bits save the turn. . The best Js a burlesque adagio bit. '==T^TO=^gi^la;^who =fiiK-i ii-^gaps^--b,er= tweon principal dance numbers, are excellent, the aerorRussian steps of one really notable. Principal dance pair finish with novelty adagir, us- ing a semi-dark stage with dull cos- tumes and trimmings in luminous pink. Feature of the routine being girl'.s plunge from pedestal to a calcli. Worth a spot on intei-mediate bills that can stand the cost. Rush. HELEN WEHRLE Dancing 3. Mins.; Full (Special) Capitol (Pets) New York . Helen Wehrle la unusually cos- tumed for the picture houses, her fir.st number being as undressed as the cops will allow. Form display la softened by heavy blue floods from the front, a thought which erases tho vulgarity in these big auditoriums. Miss Wehrle unwinds in a num- ber of limber bends which are close enough to contortlonistic work. But ..^ihc's .smart enou.gh not to make it too grotesque because of the scanty attire. Her value lies more in salesmanship than the actual rou- tine of the dance and she did well here in an eai-ly spot diirin.sr a regu- lar weekly unit. One or two. control Meps^aFe"~inrf ITI dt'd::"'— A later appearance was before a group of house ballet girl.s. Miss Wehrle emphasizing kicks. Tall and of good appearance she I.s a .stage asset if properly spotted. Did hic(b- ly. Std ■ FRANK HAMILTON AND CO. (1). Songis and Piano. ' 19 Mins.; One. 5th Ave. (V-P). In their way Frank Hamilton and Ills male pianist do a sm.all time Van and Schenck turn. However this couple .ire quite passable on harmony. That's about all they have. The pianist joins in on the harnumy thingi . It's effective, but tlio iiiano plixyer Vainly .struggles with a ballad that .says hi.s business besides piano playing is. strictly harmonizing. ^Ihnnilton's best In the audience wftynriTd'^oj)Ty'"t1iYtt^\v^ teriiig song in which he tries to knock himself out several times. It's pie for the family type house, Loney Haskell should e.ilch this turn to see how he kxtked frojn out front ."^o many year.s ago wtien do- ing the same thing and much bet- ter. For neighborhoods and interme- diates, okay. aivK}. GORDON AND SQUIRES Songs and Talk, 15^ Minsl; One; Audubon (V-P) Bert Gordon, erstwhile teammate of his brother, Harry, now doing, a double with lioulse Squires. And with Miss Squires proving an adept foil for Bert's wisecracking re- marks, dressed as a cowboy and mincemeating the»English language with his "Yid dialect, this frameup looks solid for vaude. Miss. Squires is a blonde with a strong soprano voice who never leLs Gbrdon'.s unctious drollery slip for a dud. She is a pi: straight for this comic who has many a nifty gag. Corking good comedy act and :i solid his at this uptown house. Mark. MARINO.and MONA REVUE (7) Dance Flash 18 Mins.; Full (Special) State (V-py Once in a while in this day of fla.sh-on-every-bill there emerges out of the crowd something worth while.. This is a something, da,nce Jind~inusical~flashv" highbrow In a peppy way. Includes a string quartet, mixed dance team and a prima whp works in shorts. Instruments are pianisl, girl violinist and two girl harpists. The violinist© also dances while playing, thoiJgh without suffioient exertion to detract from some sweet fiddling. Dancers appear thrice; adagio, tango and in a whip number that from appearances must be the Spanish apache. , Baggage, costuming and perforni- anco are first rate. Closed very nicely at the State. JiUjr. EDDIE BORDEN AND CO. (3). Comedy,. Musical 23 Mins.; One and Three Palace (St. V.) Eddie Borden works semi-nut, opening ' with a flip non.senso few minutes in "oilo" which set him right. Had he m.aintalned the pace he'd, be the wow he suggests him- self capa.ble of bDlnr. But from ther. on* something .go js awry. Borden has I>ot Brown, shapely accord ionis,t, and Arthur Kaye, straight, in support. Borden Is billed .as by "courtesy of the United Art- ists Studio" and Miiss Brown and Kayfe respectively have M-G-M names. This would indicate a Hol- ly woodian experience unless Bor- den's, ratlier eilaborato billing arid program comedy intends this to be some form of subtle comedy. For instance the secpnd scene (on the matter of alleged coniedy iirogram addefnda) has "a sure cure for incessant mouthing hypnotism, no relation to Rheum" appended. It's a hoke s\yaml scene with Kaye put-, ting Borden*s wife into st non- speaking, trance; When the seer boasts that no living .pers.on but himself can get her but of the trjince, Borden assassinates him. Quite a popular blackout nowadays. Miss Brown accordloned a specialty fiashlng her gems 'neath - a peek-a- bop gossamer dress that left nothing to the imagination. A .finale hoke scone about the pianp Is MOiat/Jets the act down and out. .Borden's o\vn hoke registered as did the rest, of it b«jt it shaped up as one of tho.se hit-arid-misu in- terludes and cpuntei against the gross returns. Also detailed credits for scenes t6 Chuck Reisner, Albert Austin, Walter Weems, Al AUstIn and Ernie Young. A.case of too many cooks? Any one or all. Borden has the makin's; always did 'vvja.y back as a Moore & Megley revue actor but needs act editing. Abel. VERNON RATH BONE t CO. (3) Saxophones 12 Mins.; One 5th Ave. (V-P) Family group. Father, mother and two young boys. JGlders probably playing in vaude for years. Boys look nice. Play well, and a pleasant turn for early spotting on the time where they have, been appearing. Vernon Rathbpne is one of the boys. He is thrown forward top muchly. At least a duet with .the. other and younger son should be arranged, if the parents do Insist in remaining in the background as at present. The elders might also duet by themselves, it's evident the group compose a family and why ■not allow the audience to know that all . can play the sax. other than as accompanists to Vernon? Main fault here the melodies. Not sufficiently up to date. More mod-- ern tunes and act rnight advance in position. Sax Is admittedly popular but not enough In vaude. to ..throw one boy out in front with. It for 12 con- tinuous minutes. The better way to attract attention to Vernon is by making him stand out. That could be done by the others doing solos r>r duets. With other and newer music, turn qould stand re-routining, Sime. SALLY RAND and Co. (9) "Sally's Boy Friends" (Song and Dance) 20 Mins.; Full (Special) Palace (St. V) Sally Itand, froni pictures, has been playin.g on the west. coast breaking her jump east with a £cyr dates and ho is quite well schooled in what she doe.<), even if what she dPGs isn't the . resounding bell- rlngor the 3-cornered bllllns for. herself and Margaret Anglin and Jack Pearl M'oiild indicate. Jack and .Bob Crosby, danc'e team, and Harvey Karels are featured ifi support, tho boys doing speclaltie.H and Karels doubling with Miss Rand in an adagio. A dapper male octet are the . "boy friends" of the pro- gram blliing, looking youthful, smart, handsome and sartorially and picturesquely sufficient excuse for the entire idea. With the pretty young blonde as the femrn© cameo against this male setting, it's all .very easy on the optics. It's a scheme often .utilized before for weak-kneed femmes. •: The octet does its stuff in unison for a couple of strong interludes. One number, a hoke pantp pn "Wpn- der What's i?ecome of Sally," par- ticularly clicked.. Some more Sally propaganda via songs was dragged in to plug the star's name, even unto a parody on "Llla." The Crosbys' tap double ih naval costume was satisfactory, and Miss Rand on toes fared well with her adagio specialty. ^ Act is a flash arid class for Just a.bout the. spot It's in at tiie Palace —trey—lacking strength tor riiorft. important position but pPssessln^ .<jotne moderate name value arid fortified with youth and appearance. It's reception was Indifferently plca.sant here. AT?€l. ENRICO CARUSO, JR. and Co. (3). Singing Sketch. 24 Mins.; Full (Special). Proctor's 86th St. (v.-P.) Loose sketch structure, sadly bur-, dened by talli, makes this one tough going for the son of the Met. song bird, who needs the best of .sur- roundints to appear to advantagd. Young Caruso has little stage pres- ence, a baritone ..voice of no great appe.al and at this stage of his career, a sad lack of poise. Only asset is the Caruse name and its publicity ppssibilitie.s. Turn ppens with Caruso and Lc- Rpy Kent in dialpg abput their mempries of "Dear Old Culver," leading/up to refere'hce to Caruso and the boy's confession that he has not inherited hlis father's gpldeh voice, prily a deep love for tlie operas his father glorified. Orchestra goes into "Cavalleria" and cabinet at back discloses drop of church with sppranp singing the aria. In like manner numbers frpm pther standard' grand eperas are sung by Senerita Carlita and Rich- ard Lewis, tencr, with iriterpplatipns of mpre talk between the twp bpys. Caruso takes part in, ."Miserere" briefly and for the finish one of those Grand Opera vs. Jazs? bits, all: four taking part. Talk is pretty blah, sketch idea upon vvhich to hang series of opera ai-Ias cumbersome, and the cpmed.v of the two boys is rather awful. Doesn't belong in vaudeville bill as Jiere constituted. Rush. FOUR WALTONS Risley, 5 Mins.; Three, Kenmore, Brooklyn, N. Y. This llislcy quartet goes through a snajipy five minutes. Feature Vvm-ir^fcVOl VGS=7ab0u tr^he=agiJ mounter who Is caUipulted from a springboard In double and 2^! som- ei'saults to chair ,ind .should«?r catches in one and two-high forma- tions. Last portion of the running time Is a thrilling flash. Act builds, up well for best rctums. (M>ened strong here and pke .any- where. AbpJ, CHARLES CARRER Juggler 7 Mihs.l' Full (Speciaiy = —^ ^ 81sl St. (V-P) Superlative.. ■ dreJit juggling act, smartly dressed and mounted, speedy in tempo, continuously engaging with, a varied assortment of juggling tricks. . P,T.r.aphernalia unique: and unusual, all equipriient being nickle plated. Carrer dresses in walking isuit, cutaway, white spats. Does not permit a single ->ausc in routine. 55ip and go all the way. Land. KiT-KAT FOUR (4) Dancing 7 Mins.; One ! Hippodrome (V-P) Peppy' and almost all novelty stopping that gets applause. Four colored boys crowd a lot of deliv- ery into seven minutes, three doing solo ,h 00fjng JP ^ addition to the. opener whci-e alFripFcaf; y One of the hoofers has a wing tap and tumbling specialty, another does some difficult acrobatic danc- ing and tumbling, while the other contributed a soft-shoe . number that clicked from the start. Can be used farther down the line and make the grade. In No. 2 here. Mori. LANG and HALEY, Mixed. Comedy, 1"> Mins.; One, \cademy (V-P). '^Particiiranls are vaude vets but are not in Variety's files. It's a man ..ind . woman comedy combo starting slowly with pi dialog built. around a variation of the ancient "What have you got under there?'* stuff, team using "Who is Who?" Man!s .whistling accompaninrient to straight woman's .singing helps' and leads to a "second and infinitely better se.ssicm of gab that sells the team. Should do well for them- selves. Bige. ; KIT KAT TRIO ' Singing and Piano i 10 Mins.; One American (V-P) Three boys, one at a iii.ino, neafy dressed in dark coal.? and .'stri)>((l trousers offering pop.s in. .sclos, duos and trios. Snajip.v. Oi\i-. of tho boys, tenors a ball.'id nieely, but mi.ght tone down his- make-up. Oilier wn'blTT'=^srU s^a-=e<vrruu'i y~it uiul:ij;JL^ which has .limmy Wallcer as its subject. It's,from Ja'ik Lait's con- tiibution to a dinner tvivcn to hiK honor last year by the Friars: Okay around New! "STork. Trip wind up with a medley of rain song.s. While offering nothing out of the ordinary they deserve rating as next dcKc ih .spot material this type, pf house