Variety (Nov 1928)

40 VARIETY FILM HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, November 14, 1928 vatidc house, the fur show cramped the. rest of the hiyout and 'left It for Budv an<i Bubbles to save the bill. They mopped, copped and Stopped, but they were only one act. in five. . ' ... Since leaving IS'aziirro, for whom they wei«mere stoojfos, Bu'clc > nd .Bubbles have beeome tlie best .'col- ored two-act on the white stage. Buck's danqins Bubbles' piano playins, and their combined cross fire "gain for them that status. . . It wasn't bad va^iide from one to : three, but nothing ,like the pace Jie 8l3t atreei.hns maintained so far : this soasph.; If the booker, when booking, had in ihihd only the fur . shdw and the feature film, "Moran of .the Marines" (.Par), he. muffed • , a chance by forgetting Other essen- tials,- .' Reading- from right to left, the fur show chased Buck and Bubbles . and Thomas . P. Jackson preceded. Jackson has revived his old "Once a Thief '- sketch, with a woman (Jean Russell) in the role originally played by ^ a man.; Olllce set. Plot has the" woman answering an ad- for a stenog. siie confides that she recently served a year for copping • $500 from her ex-employer, but is honest at heart. Jackson tests her with ah offer of ?1,000 providing, phe steals a secret formula from a, nearby office. She turn-s him down, preferrfrig • to go straight,. .Jackson' recognizes her hone$ty . 'and invites her out to lunch. Upon which, the pseudb-stenbg 'reyeala herself as a private detective en- gaged by his -wife to track dow^i a ■ rumor that he (Jackson) has been feeding strange women. That laugh finish wasn't possible in the past . with a man in, the part. Pattl Harrold and Myrtle Leonard (New Acts) deuced In their refined mixed singing turn. Large and Worgner, mohopedists* were an extraordinary opener. Their hand-to-hand work is ex- cellent in Itself, and doubly .so con-, elderlng they ar-e single-shafted. B. R. O; top and bottom Sunday — -.. " : liUje. ■■ ■ . ■- ■ . « ■ 125TH STREET (Vaudfilm) A lot here this first half to re- mind of other days, and most of it fK)esn't"look.as good now as then. Back to nature right at the, out- set with Clayton and Cla;yton, mixed drawing act in which the man handles the chalk and the woman sings. It's a veteran turn, around for yiear$, but one of a type rarely iseen today. The artistic half keeps up a'steady lin^ of chat- ter, mostly comment, while drawing and still has one fault in talking with his back to the audiehce. He makes a stab at comedy once, get- ting a laiigh. in his only try. ; Wilson, and Kepple (Ne\i^ Acts) following, ate old babies in romp- ers. They have dropped their, for- mer straight attire for hut make- up and changed their dance rou- tine to conform with the present arrangement. Sweet looking girl dahcer, rnbre sweet than a dajtcer, is also new. Mathematically, Jack Ryan In oorigs, stories and funny sayings, belonged In the deuce. His recop tlon in the trey failed to alter tha,t figuration. Ryan now works islngly without the former piano accom- paniment. Voice still unmusical, forcing reliance upon story telling "With a good tale or two, Ryan might pet over, for he spina 'em pleasantly. But he shouldn't say ."Really, folks" before each g;ig, be caiise the gags were not actuated by reality,, of course. And that Ho bokon ferry story is a. Spanish war relic. . Two New Acts—one new In ma- terial only—were fourth and sixth, With Anthony and Howland, stand- ard wop, comics, in between, The Anthpny-Howland style was per ; feet for this house and .audience, '• "maiiily Italian. They were on per hapfi five minutes longer than ordl- narily through/ Anthony unvvindlrig : plenty of extra spa.ghetti aifter find Ing out just what the mob wanted They Wanted wop, that's whot they got, and they belly-laughed for f.alr The team ' could, play stock at the 12Bth St., -iand thit should bo th'e tip-off tor the booker Pair of new ones were Chisholm and Breeh in a f rail .comedy sketch marred somewhait when caught by an unruly gallery but still frail, and '•Albany. Night Boat," ^closing. Lat ter is, a girl band In a novelty, set ting, jiut hot of big time calibre "Moran of .the Marines" (Par) Unsounded filrh feature! Bige, PARAMOUNT (Unit—"Volcano") (Wired) New York, Nov. 10.. ; .With the dailies playing up Mt. iitn.'i's pcuiition, the vivid color ef- fects achieved on a backdrop in the. last two minutes', of ".Volcano;" de- viacd and staged by PauT Oscai-d, Won the general acclamation of a packed arid overflowing Sunday night a;udience;: both for realism and timeliness. Me».'iUng .similar, reaotlon. were the full stage projeCr tibn of war shot&, dissolving into a livlnig tableau of gold and silvier, as pai't of. Jesae Crawford's organ re- cital on "Memories of France." The', if en jou picture, '-'llis Private Life," evok<5d only general interest; the audience seeming to be as bored as the star; Comedy sequences of this hitrhiy illogical and compara- tively colorless .them6 eyoked laughter in .spots. Such humor was largely egged oh by sub-titles. Cast, however, carried it. through. .Will Mahoriey scored in his Fox talking- short, -which ran, for about 11 njinutes; ' An unusually well turned out iCrazy Kat cartoon, "Beache.^J aiid Screams" got a lai-ge share of the evening's laughs. The thing is a wierd cpnglon;ieration with a- can- operter g.ig used in connection with the subways. A prelude of the regular order, was played by the Paramount brr chestra with Edward, Paul conduct- ing. Paramount newsreel was aug- mented by, over six minutes de- voted to a ttailer on the new Brook- lyn house and by a talker teaser on "Interference." In the unit, '.•Volcaho," other than the eruption scene, where, a mountain on fire and red lava Siz- zling in a lake effect are realized, i;he divertissements are conven- tional. The unit is bomposed of nine humbers, opening with a baUet, the Foster Girls, in bright feathery cos- tume5j, against Eddie Peabbdy and. the Paramount orchestra, who are backed by a tropical drape. Just precedirig this is a tenor soloist in naval officer's attire before a fili- gree drop in blue tones,/ ■ Ted and Jack Dale, as "Two Stranded , Sailors" give •' instru- mental and, song interpretatlonsj along cfazy rhythm linea. They are tireless . and win by their vocal agility. ■ Foster Girls In a novelty called Festival of the Totem Poles," The. costumes are tiie new angle, long totem pole effects about 16 feet in height which completely engulf the girls except, for their pina, Frank . Meliho and. Co. In '■'The South Sea Tornadoeis" furnished good comedy with their wise cracks and caperings, although this turn is hardly relevant to the theme of the uTilt. Several of the dance numbers are based on themes made popular by "Black Birds," Even the colored company'a music is used. iPeabody. flits in and out of most of the numbers, . His general un- assumptioh made a. hit with the audience, almost as much as his vigorous tangling on the banjo, which he usea to advantage again, this week. Another number which held Its own in the Unit was the sprltely rendition of a jazz lyric, "The It From Tah-It-I," by Gogo DeLys. Tl'n'/z/. AMERICAN J, (Vaudfilm) 'iLIke the guy who would have been u, half-wit had he one brain the first half bill here, would- have hepn a one-punch vaude show, had "It-^iohS^^^TniTich^actf Business off, too. Rainy and chilly oulsiile. Probably too much of a handical) for "Our..Dancing ,Daugh'- ters" (M-G),.'red hot film. No doubt it'll tow them'in after Monday-. It'll have to, for the vaude Avon't Six New Acts, out of eight. The two : familiars were Ja?k iDohnelly's song and d.ance fla.sh an Violet, llay and Norman, acrobntl turn, dI.<!guiHed as a novelty mu.slcal Offering. Pi.'iguige Is pretty bad. The acrobadcs are excellont. They waste more than half their allotted like house is set to go over the top in gro.sses and with Considerable overhead eliminated. For the past, two and a half years, since the house opened, a split week vaude policy has been the tiling here with business'dubious., Quite a ballyhoo spread over the neigh- borhood to announce the opening of the new policy, with the business men's association back of it. For its first full length sound film, house booked "Women They Talk About" (W), not a torch bearer, but a first run in this vicinity and so okay. On the shbrt subject end there were three Vitaphone acts; an "Our Gang" comedy in Movietone soUnd, and Fox Movietone News, Van and Schenck were the first Vita record heard and did not do as well aS it should, perhaps because the boys are not familiar to this neck of the town. The record has four num- bers, "Me Too," "Hard to Get. Gertie," "Because I Love You" and "She Knows Her Onions." ■ Martinelli, opera tenor, struck a popular note, getting the most ap- plause, and appears to be sure fire. Third Vita act waa Abe Lyman ahd Orchestra also in an early cahhing. Outfit sounded great. Movietone newsreel car-rled six chps, somewhat late in news value. The pit orchestra: has been dis- pensed with, but house is retaining Louis Lehman and featuring his organ specialty. This :tlme Loh- man's topic was apropo.s.of Armis^ tice week, "Memories Of France." Loop. STATE (Wired) ; • v Minneapolis, Nov. lb. State this week had Zdarsky 'from the St. Paul Capitol theatre as giiest conductor of its 18-pIec© pit orchestra,. and he will remain for a brief interval, while Ingram, regu- lar State director, Is at th6 helm in St. Paul. -. Zdarsky's Initial orchestral presen- tation consisted of .an effective ar- rangement of Schubert melodies, in- cluding excerpts from,„. "^Blossom Time." Curtain arose on an elab- orate and colorful garden setting, with a 'trio of male musicians in colonial ,cbstumei oii a veranda. The trio comprised a violinist, 'cellolst and pianist, with the first named heard as a soloist and the three giv-, ing a beautiful rendition of several Schubert numbers. The wind-up had a man and woman singer, also In colonial costumes, offering "Tlie Song of Love" as a duet. Zdarsky proved to be agreeable in looks and persoilallty. His inter- pretation of the Schubeit numbers and his arrangement left hothing to be desired. Good results were ob- tained from his'musicians. There wore both Kinograms and Movietone News. The length of the feature photoplay, "Tempest;" lim- ited the program to one other short reel, a collection of radio wise- cracks. "Tempest'' moderately well liked. Business big. CONGRESS (Wired) Chicago, Nov. 10. This Is the second L. &.T. neigh- borhood do luxe, house to switch from stage to straight sound policy. The other house is the Senate. At the Congress today (Saturday), in- auguration'Qt Vitaphone and^.Mpyje_- tone brought out hear capacity. The two-bit bargain matinee turned out the neighborhood kids en masse. House was thrce-c[uarters filled, with children all afternoon. Looks time on aCcprdlon, and harmonica, solos by the understandev; <acro- -batic dance by the other lad and a poor song by the girl. They should bill themselves twice, for the closing gymnastics look like two other guys. Donnelly's merry- go-roiind Is too sirhilar to others of the type to draw particular praise and without anything In the indi- vidual talent department tO: lift It above the rest; There seems to be a place for this sort of ttirn in every hill on the boards today, so Don- nelly needn't worry, if he did, so would a lot of others. Best of the new entrants ap poared to be 'T)ouble Exposure," light comedy skit with songs. Two girls and a man, none bill<?d. Gent haa-bcfn peon b eCtn-.e, and ,rom.iuna a "pleasant worker, " Villa'and Strlgo. from tiie west, .lpca,l(;d a'soft spot in the-hearts of the Aniorican'3.'wolves, "Avith their "Steel giiltaV.s, as did .I^oss and (ill'-, bert with songs. Willie . K.arle and Sister, equili brisLa, were a ivi.s.salilo opiiner here and should prove ditto in like houses. • IVtelvin Sl.<?tora, linrmonl.>;ta, and Brown .and \Voil.«<, onuiios, com- pleted the necessary eight acts. diUie, ORIENTAL (Wired) Chicago, Nov. 10. With the farewell walls of three ballad criers ringing In his ears, Paul Ash says good-bye to Chicago In the "King for a Day" unit at the Oriental this week. It's iehough to make a guy cry out loud.. Jack Laughlin produced, helping Ash load on the emotionalism \,ith stage effects designed for heart throbs. The start shows Ash sit- ting on a throne as king for a day, and the finish has liini on the rear end of a train headed east, waving farewell to the crowd that made him a sensation diiring his first stay. He leaves to open the Para- mount in Brooklyn, •Three of the original Ash pro-, teges are in the lineup, and they're the . trio that do the weeping. Johnny Perkihs, a fat comic,- who nevertheless must have his ballads, put oyer a song trahsltion in which ho hoped Ash would come back to the Oriental weary of heart. Then Johnny sang'"Big Parade" and tore down the hou.se with It. After Johnny there was George Dewej' Washington, colored singer, who y/as surrounded by a Kosloff ballet and a symphonic orchestral ar rangement for a noteworthy presen tation of "Spell of the IBlues." George came back to help Ash with his overcoat and sing a grieving farewell -as the maestro stood nn the train's observation car. while movie landscapes whizzed. ast Third of the wake attendants was Paul Small, who had Ash at piano while he sang about how much the audience loves Its, redhead. Early portion of the presentation held Doris Roche, who sings pop ditties \v1th a Swiss liip movement jjnMeajl x»f- _wayiT^^ Tha t aipne should put her ovorT '"WiTTiTd Du Bois, French juggler, has two innjpr tricks—hall manlpula.tlon and halivhclng- ,,WQrk with;, a .'gttisg of liilliard ciie and • t'rl.an.gle ra^'k. Wont over we'll.. Caffery and Miller, acrobatic team, use the id \i df comic attempting the stralclit's tricks and crashing. Acrobatk' tinge of the act Is thinly disguised by several moments . of hoofin.g t^pottod late and clicked here. Tjaughlin'.i production work was very effective In maintaining the high-strung routining of this pres- entation. ' Opening full stage . set was massive, concentrating on a center stairway leading to the Ash throne. Ballet routine in the "Blues" bit was a siUiouette efEect, with the dancers appearing black against & white and blue futuristic drop on the . high, backstage plat- form. Finale illusion of tlie mov- ing train also drew appreciation. Considering the production cost, limitations under which ho worked, Laughlin achieved : commendable results. Screen program of "The Crash" (F, N>) and Paramount news was \viith pit accompaniment, although the house is .wired. Preston Sellers' organ solo, an audience songfest, included a farewell plug for Ash. The m. c.'s return engagement lasted seven weeks; .During that time be was below his former box office mark, but easily outclassed the m. c.'s who followed his first departure!. Brooke Johns comes 4n Saturday with very little advance exploitation. Main floor near capacity Satur- day afternoon. Bing. ROXY (Wired) . New York, Nov. 12; The greatest blending of color In thfe most elaborate costuming pre- vails at the Roxy this: week, in, "Variete Russe," sufficieritly sug- gestive to be classed as part pro- log to the feature! "The Red Dance," Russian folk dancing and singing with the Roxy ballet and chorus in addition to Russian instrumentalists and performers carry through Xhe 18 minutes of this number which is inspiring In its symmetry and rainbow blaze. Stage show opens with a series of tableaux in commemoration of Armistice Day in which . Geoffrey 0'Hara*g ; song "Guhsl' is' rendered by soloist and dual chorus. On a full stage given a dim effect with blue toned: lights at first, are depicted men in a trench. Orchestral ac- conipaniment for battle scene with kettle drums in forte. Then blue, is replaced by gray be&nis showing white crosses. Enti.re, stage is hoc revealed until pink fioods ace streahned on chorus of women in white. ■ In the Russian, number singers enter by stairs and boxes, wehding their way to stage where, on drop in ohe!ls fantasy'of Russian village. Folk songs in chorus with baritone .solo bits are openers. A pair of comedians, as Russian peasants the worse for vodka, burlesque the i^orig. They are joined by a woman with powerfur pipes, for comedy. Darkening, ' action goes into two, theatre scene with chorus seated on triangular .stands on each side of stage and Russian Balalailca orchies- tra in center. Roxy ballet occu- pies front of stage, with frequent change of costume. Finale finds them in white trimmed with red. Iridescent passementerie adds con- siderably to brilliance' of effect. . Fox Movietone newsrefel contains library clip of church bells. Bells always show the talker off to great advantage. Hoover reception after election, promise of (Governor-Elect Roosevelt to follow Smith ideals and acceptance by Felix M. Warburg of donation by boys of Hebrew Or- phan Asylum to Jewish philan- thropies are followed by Fox, Par- amount and. Pathe silent hewsreels. Business was good Monday night with a lineup at the box office, and standees Ih the lobby as on a holi- day. Seats after 7:30 were filled in orchestra and balcony but choice .spots were then. available in the loge. Incidentally persons sitting in the rear rows In the lege are an- noyed by' the organ played in the lobby while a talker orchestra Is performing in the theatre pit. Thl.-^ was niost apparent during- the pro- jection of the feature. "Red Dancer" (Fox) feature. LOEWS STATE (Wired) Los Angeles, Nov. 10. One of the snlartcst Of Fahchon ahd Marco's works graced the State bill in the hot "Mother Goose" Idea. An opening set, that. of Mother Hubbard's famous shoe, clicks on the spot. Mother Goose (Rose Valyda) introduced by a trio of kids Crom the Sunshine Beauties, In turn Introduces the remaining girls| each representative of one of the charac tprs of the nursery rhymes. A snappy chorus bit. and as Simple Sirtion, Bert Prival hops Into a stifl occentric'. Three (jlrl Friends, vocal 'trlo, got by okay. Al Lyons, m.c, introduces his stage band concealed in the depths^ of the wooden shoe. The stage band novelty number ■lTfD-=of-^a-man=^froin-.erfidl?«=to^gi'ave; i.s amusing. Only bi-eak In iti; ploasantnes.s is one of those tear .icrkl.ng "motlier" songs done by Al himself dyring the-In terin) when the mah about whom the boys'are play- ing Is supposed to be in the trendies ready to go over and slaughter few. enemies. .Remainder of the h.nnd's work is comedy, and this bit of henrt-thmbbing does not dovetail into the spot. Carolyn and Ruth, two petite tap too dancers, sock It In. At the blow- off, Mother Goose again vocalizes, and after Dorothy Dixon executes a sweet acrobatic, the Beauties conio on with a novelty bell-ringing piece. Goes'great. . Oscar Taylor chants "Sonny,Boy," Instead of waving the Aiherlcan'flag. Dorothy and Harry Dixon^ with a wow comedy eccentric acrobatic dance panic, stop the mob the sec- ond time. For a bang-away finale, scrihi is cast In front of the Shoe set, and a cloud effect thrown up with a projector. Sprlm pulled out, dis- covering the girlies draped all over the shoe, and the black "eye" that had screened as a background Is raised, disclosing the Beauties hung over the backing on flying swans. A smash. . "Show People," starring Marion Davies and W;Hliarh Haines, and Fox Movietone News and a short fash- lon reel fill the bill.- CAPITOL (Wired) New York, Nov. 10. Hiaving completed a solid year on Broadway this is the farewell pro- gram of Walt Roesner, who came from San ■f'rancisco last November to inaugurate the stage band policy at the Capitol. , Walt has done wyeU on the main stem with the hahdicap of a new policy, new Organization, theatre not easy to work in, and a public not acquainted with or sold on ertage bands. ; He has the satisfac- tion of having stayed longer on Broadway than any other master of ceremonies. "Dave Schooler from. Milwaukee is to follow him. Some conversation audible., last week anent Harry Rose having achieved a lot of laughs ■ at. the Capitol. ' On the strength of those giggles his .aervices have been ex- tehded' two additional wieeks. Get- ting laughs with talk is no cinch at the Capitol, where they react best to things they can see, . ThiS; week Harry is telling a lot of rid- dles, peddling a couple, of carols, and ringing up a sale on his per-; Bonality. , RItz Brothers knotted the Satur- day matinee quorum; Agents wail over lack of specialty turns for big shows. The picture palaces have no trouble digging 'em up seem- ingly, y Couple of girls in the stage ahow, "Jazz Holiday." Jane Overton, stepper,, and Mildred ,LaSalle, vo- do-de-o singer, cute. Sylvia Miller, soprano, appeared with the pit oveirture earlier blending With Wil- liam Robyn, tenor. Grand, staircase above band shell used for coUple of' expensive cos- tunie displays by Tiouse girls. Care- lessly staged. After creating the momentary [ optical: effect, produc- tion departmerit was all a-flouhder for ideas. How to get "action" into an eye picture was their problem arid they flopped, badly. M-G-M Movietone short of George Dewey Washington, negro baritone, sounded good but George failed to provide a good camera face.u He was semi-inviaible. News- reel included talking clip from Fox movietone and Franklin Roosevelt thanking voters. "Show People" (M-G-M) on screen. Big biz Sunday. Land.-. EASTMAN (ROCHESTER) ■ . Rochester, Nov. 9. . Grrotesqueries and exaggerations of modern jazz find full expression in stage apt at Eastman theatre this week, hot prelude to "Our Dancing Daughters." It Is called "A Jazz Nightmare," and bears out its title. Opens with Marion TefCt as the. Dreamer in scanty white high up on crag. Striking setting in reds, blues and greens in modernistic design. She descends to be wooed by Jazz (Ivan Trieso.ult). She repulses, him and. Jazz calls in Lost Souls, East- man theatre ballet..' in black and white: pajamas with huge hands and moon-like faces. Marian McKepn dances as a wailing spirit and Thel- ma Biracree dnd Martin Vogt as grotesques. , The Dreamer flees up to the heights, where she is surrounded, by hideoUs Demons, with flashing elec- tric eyes, members of Eastman the- atre ensemible on stilts. . Followed by Jazz, she is forced to leap into; smoke and. fire pouring up . behind the craggy heights. Act is sttlged by Gayne Ralph Bunker and dances arranged by Ivan Trlesault. Gershwin's "Rhap- s,ody in Blue" Is musical accompanl- m.cnt. . • Eastman theatre orchestra opens with overture. "Merry Wives of Windsor." Current events and sportllght: "Muscle Marvels" com- plete the bill. ' Hrcord. UNITED ARTISTS (Wired) Los. Angeles, Nov, . Good presentation of varied t;il- ent(>d people spots the U..A. offi.'r- Ing in the Al. clasis ht J;hls. wril-iufT< Policy"of giving the,audience a lit- tle bit of everything, disregarding big names in favor of young talent •seems to be'.'showing results. Following Will Prior's orchestra rendition, the Rangers. 10 male voices, break in i)ie stage show. Costumed in tarns and sinocks, the (Continued -on page -41)