Variety (Nov 1928)

42 VARIETY FILM HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, November 21, 1928 brigands clean out thie lone resildcnt on provisions and llfiuld, refreahr mentfl. It then fades into a, pirate flhlp with the band's plundor turn- ing out as musical Instrurnents. Idea good and so is the act. They eave plenty of encores. "The Cop" (Pathe) on scrc-f-n. . j'Jdba. JEFFERSON . (Wired), (Vaudfilm) . . Keith's most downtown stand found a life, saver in the tallvinij screen; Until pictures, began to tal.k the Jefferson -was taking , it plenty from Fox's Academy, a blocK away and wired. In. addition to Its corking. vaude. , . Jeff is now equipped and playmg thfem with sound. To sound must go credit for the turnaway attend- ance Sunday night. . Sounded fea- ture, "The Cop" CPathe), sounded Pathe newsreel, find a sounded phort, Brox Sisters (Talking Shorts). All projected over. RCA Photophono EMPIRE (Wired) (New) (LONDON) , . J.ondoii. XiiV, 9. This new Mi'iro-CJoldwynrMayor (Loew'sj on Loicostm-SQuare oin-ncd kist niglit wltli a type of program and presentation new to this side. A 40-i)i('CC orchestra on a. .sinKing- pit, which al.so-riirrics a Wurlitzer console, was used for the first num- ber with Don Albert. Koyal Con- servatoire. Naples, u.sing the baton something fierce. "Cavallerla Rus- tlcaiia" and "Lon>ly . Vagabond, were' both, excellently well done, with organ interpolations by Reg- inald Foprt. Fox Movietone dedication of the house by tbe new Lord MayOr. Of London, Sir Kynaston Studd, who takes ofTice today, was fair, his voice not coming well over the mike, but the bit of Hoover. speaklnS at Boston in the. jNIovietone ' News which followed compensated. A long series of glad hands ex- pres.sed vocally by M-G-M and Fox included Hayden Coflln, Robert Hale, Ivor Montagu and Hannen eguipmerit. \''aude section has two acts direct from the Palace, Harry Burns and ^. Lockett and Page.' Latter stopped g^j^ffgr, the record of the latter the show cold here against its fair amply avenging every actor Swaffer Impression at. the ace house. That j^g^g g^gj.'panned, should be excellent information for- some more on the same ■ the act and for,bookers. Sure-fire Betty Balfour, Estellc In the intermediates.,Jt is a cl^^ssy jjrody, Dorothy- Cumming, Milfes looking turn for such theatres as ^^^^1^^. .^^^^^^^^^ ,j,^o^j^s and John the Jeff. . qfnart made at ElStree without a Burns' , spaghetti was feet for ftuart,.^maue a down here^ Okay anywhere, but ^^HU"/S?V°he plummf and muffled -J^- sound. But these shots registered Hal Neiman, veteran tramp nion-I v . „ . ologlst and vocalist, had It all ! .-.Own way - in:ihe .deuce, . devotiiiK.i rr^;-.^.pri*. Virettv eood, most of his time to the medley of t^^e^^f^ were pretty g^^^ pop tunes, with special lyHcs. The I A Hol^wood. "Greetmg. . 4one by brief talk session before^ the spec Ernest Torrence, JoJ^lf^ viloert Y song" meant little, 'and the closing K. Arthur. ■ Norma Shearer, Lewis Bong about as much. Neirtian might Stone and Joan Crawford, was a try closing with the medley*. It also pip. Clear as a bell every STllabl^, seems he is not spending as niuch and nicely shaped for some l-ngiisn time with talk as heretofore. laughs. ■. • • Nat "Chick" Haines, with his ' organ version of "Ole Man River" familiar musical skit a pushover on from Sandy MacPherson, New Em- 14th street,.was third, between Nei- pj^e organist, was well put over man and the Rubin Beckwith-Clarke but too long for a crowded bill, Morrell clasiS musicaT turn. Beck- and a; series • of M-G-M and Fox with, pianist, and Morell, teiior, are Kjovletone shorts closed to the in- a neat combination and have, that terinisslon a first half which held big -time touch. too much sameness owing to crowd- Burns and Locke tt and Page were I ing so many sound Alnis together •^'"pSSa"-l?^upe (New Acts),. six I • "Trelawney of the Wells-Hlled the tutnblers, opened. Not a flop act in the lot. Good show, good audience, c^pac Ity. Bige. KEITH MEMORIAL (Vaudfilm) rest of the bill, but (maybe owing to the late hour) did not keep them all seated. It is overlong and slow for a West End house, despite its many nice: touches A well appreciated feature yras the use of a four-handed trumpet fanfare by a quartet of skilled play- ers dressed in Horse Guards uni- forms, while. a couple of Tower of ~ . « ,1 u*^A ««« o-i-niin for here Nice appearing the! rest of appearance on the stage, eettlng 1- tastefully "e^*'**"'| P^^^h 1^^^^^ pretty well but door ind set. . , I ^iJi^,!lri'/q ^hft'^'^tpoqpntatro'n'm a Une I Pairaniount show on Ilome-Towners - talker, drew oi^^ned the PrjJ^"gtatWn l^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ unit, and ...aty well but not startling. Som^ K''""'Jf' "^^^"^^^^ figures. he has little support. . comment heard on Its crudenes3,al- and Show^^^^^^ . _ though Doris .Kenyon sprang Into ^,,7.," jqu^s and clicked with aero- at this house, is not given much to te popularly as^ a ^talker, out by John^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ere he could have been usi-n William Oscar <ijrected^the Stanl^ey j ^ Wallace formerly was of | to ^bolst_er_ up^ a. ^stage^presejitaUon immediate popularity as. a talker. - le S( St age-and-pit orchestra. In VLucIa Eddie Peabody, In his final week this house, is not given much to do Where he could have been usi-yI to bolster up a stage presentation She is now | badly in need Of it. Peabody in a for a bullseye. Movietone neWs. reel and Hy Gels organ-lzing ended a long program. V , No ; silent screen at all proves novel. . ^^^'^ EASTMAN (ROCHESTER) Rochester, N, T., Nov. 1«, (irLammefmoor" which , also went T^^""^ ^Ji^^f^^^^ agile and likeable pcr- „ v...n.„„- T^-.,MnfnT,^ •npwa re^l I wi^th her sister, . v>iim»^^ former. Merely leading. the stage . Baby type gal, Identified only as orchestra, he., pulls Jaughs . .and a ^ Jeannie played up to Johns in a short banjo recital clinches his solo oooing ' number, all v spotlight for efforts. • _ ' , . ^ Tr^hnq The j?irl could have. done Lyndon and Farman in a comedy more bv herself, if permitted, She Apache 'dance, preceding Rubinoff, ^ar^e withTolins f^^^^ St. Louis. are. lightweights In, the laugh de- Another St Loulsian was Arthur partment. For next - to closing a Nealy whom Johns Ihtroduced as a team of balancers, Evans and Perez, former cop. Regardless, Nealy Is are used. The boys are very smart i.-v,ot:uco(.ci, X., ^ivT. I ^ust a ballad yodeler and not so and draw exceptionally well, but not . The Eaistman theatre has gained J":". grown and Bailey, two neat suited for the spotting in a house of more than local note since its incep- K,-„g' vaye bang up hoofing, but this type.'' Maureen and Sonny,, song tion six years ago by cultivating an glrrie chatter than can-be cut. They and dance couple, filled in early, atmo-sphere of classic beauty ^on't need it That brings the list of talent to repose, refusing to be drawn Into Wj^^q^ cra\vley topped everything completion, with: the exception of noisy and bizarre effects, ^^ile . andwas easily the applause the Gamby-Hale Girls for ensemble quality of films selected is often be- ' crawley Is versatile but his numbers, with the stage orchestra in low the standard expected In a , * .^^gj. jg ^j^g Does tricks the backgi'ound. Jerry Ryan, vocal^, house of Its standing in the commu- ... ^^^g:instrument, while getting. 1st, appears with the gW^^ nity, programs as a whole are '^e- . j^^^j. tunes from it. Show opens with , a lengthy 6r- quently top notch. Musical accom- johns wound up with a couple of chestra feature by the . Paramount paniment to the screen by the 70- Ujanio selections that did not call for pit musicians playing brief passages piece orchestra Is superb. Acts hy | ^^^^^^.^3 the banjo was much from . modern, masters, including. publicised and tied up with Johns, RachmanlhofE.Paderewskl,. Gram the reception it got was not so eh- Kreisler and Sousa. .. ^ . couraging. Preston Seller.^ had a Paramount Newsreel, Including, a novel arrangement of popular. sortgs' KinOgram shot, follow«d^ for approx^ on the organ and worked In a few Irnately 10 minutes, and then Jesse trood words for the new m; c. Audi- Crawford with three selections,, one ^ ■ • - - . .. - — consisting Of a poem of gratitude to four I his audiehc'e. . ■ Feature film was "Homecoming" (Ufa). MorL the Eastman theatre company usu ally are gems. Number this week provides more than modicum of both musical and visual beauty. Called "Southern Melody," It consists, of 14 girls in. white crinoline seated In single! line | g^ce responded tO the songs before dark bluia Velvet curtain Paramount newsreel; had draped back to reveal pillars of co- ghort clips. -Picture, "The Outcast" lonial mansion. Dim lighting adds /jf. jq- to effect of Southern evening. Girls | No sound stuff of any kind on the sing "Wake Miss Llndy" with soft melody-and excellent orchestra ac- companiment, Dorothy Drakeley and Kathryii Lynch then take spot for - "Louisiana" with Emma Ens- worth at the piano and the ensemble humming the refraihr This song high point, of the act. ]finsemble continues with "Ma Lit- tle Banjo," girls suggesting the In- strument with voice and arms. Mil- dred Mlttoh singa "Swinging Vine'' prograrti. - Healtiiy biz all day Saturday, de- spite rain. Loop. UPTOWN LOEWS STATE (Wired) (TORONTO) Toronto, Nov. 16. Jack Arthur builds his stage show, as a prolog to the picture "White Shadows of the South Seas" (M-G- M) and calls it "Blue Shadows" reviie this week.. It fails to click (Wired) . (Los Angeles) . Los Angeles. NOV. 17 One of Fanchon and Marco's best largely thrOugh coa,rse work on'part . ^ , ^ , , offerings of the season, "The Chick- of Mack (Red) Carter, who. is en- in^^deep rich contralto, orchestra | gj^ g, la King" idea nosed into the tirely out of his element as niaster i_ J State this'week. I of ceremonies. Will King, coast favorite, was pTJehs with routine curtain speech starred, and drew the laughs. Three of revue type with Carter trying to tab^, or burlesqiie skits, presented be funny, stumbling over words, by him and his fell* Lou Dunbar, perhaps suitable-iCor stag banquet tickled the crowd. to visiting firemen but not for fam- a "slave block" ily picture house. Dozen dancing softly accompanying and girlis join- ing In on the chorus, "Goin* Home," by thie ensemble, provides closing melody. Act is uri related to screen feature, but de lightful In Itsislf. Overture, 'II Guff rany," by the Eastman orchestra, with Guy Fraser Harrison conduct- ing, opens program. Lon Chahey in "While the City Sleeps," chief film attraction, falls to click. Eastman current events and short "Thar She Blows," completes program. Boston, Nov. 16. 1 . ^— a tv^ Business held up well through the London Beefeaters uncovered the third Week of the new house thanks screen. to the exploitation of Ted Lewis I The house seats 3,500 and Is gor and his Musical Clowns. geously decorated and equippfed, es The management patted itself on peclally suitable for its location. STATE scene, with Oscar Taylor, baritone, girls follow in smart l^laok and who Vas held over from last week, white number before all black drop, the revue got off to a smooth start. Costumes s^'^Pje ^^f,';'?^ ^^.^ For the flash of the bit, the twelve fresh. Plenty of snap to Lloyd Col- S^gSbed a" ""s^^e^'glHs! 1.^^^; ""car^r? J^an Hemsworth artd. Pete h'ey'^ Thtf gathermg S female pu?: Raiidair do an old blackout of hus- chritude Is a very sightly ensemble, band, off^on trip, knock^^^ door They work well together and have with goodbye for man liymg^^^ a touch of class .that many other room. Geprgla^Watt gets the bene- groups of girls in these parts seem fit of colorful staging to^feather fan to miss. May Packer In a slave aance (Wired) Minneapolis, Nov. 17; Zdarslcy had his orchestra of 20 I t"! """"•^"^^^^ to life with a burlesque on pieces on the.stage for the first time "^^^^^^ ^V^r ^1 n^?nrTJ cowboy hero of a western quickie a. musical outfit has been at the | ^ Evans and Weaver, male colored^^^^g^^^^ follows it up with satire on the back all week with a screened m-G-M should be proud '^^^Ing "^"-^v;*' v^^ The tall one, I^J'^^gt';;^".^^^ announcement that the new theatre I the best movie shop-window ^ in | State >^;jy^|f °J^th^«;^^^^^ Is "a $5,0.00,000 gesture of friend ship to the lovers of Keith vaude vlUe in Nevv England." The pro grams announced that Fannie Brice''would be the next feature, but It is the fact that the Publix Metropolitan gets Fannie Brice Nov. 23 with the Keith Memorial eubstituting Grace Hayea and Ne- ville FleesOn Apart from Ted Lewis did not mean much of a London; STANLEY (Wired) Jersey City Jersey City, Noy, 17. l ately for Armistice Week, the or-| wun a loose juinteu, j^uiso tv.=,o..i6 jjjg j^g^,, ^nd "Nuts I^^ chestral presentation took a patrl- ^it, drew plenty piauaits. soriie ponderous hoofing good for otic form. The orchestra played Working. fi-om the piano top in laughs for his best number. Miss "March of the Toys" as. a starter the pit, June Clyde, petite blonde, Hemsworth warbles a couple of pops and then excerpts from numerous voiced two pop comedy numbers tojin one and curtain opens on South, soldier songs popular during the Al Lyons, m. c, and got over great. Sea scene similar to picture. Dozen A King skit, familiar to all tab I bare foot hoppers do snake dance fans, has the two seasick comics in skimpy Hawaiian setup with pair arguing oyer seasickness, getting of soloists carrying "Blue Shadovvs" plenty of laTighi^. melody. Murray Peck, tenor, with "My I The band, always an ace in the' world war, Julian Neville, tenor, and a quar tet of male voices pro.vlded the sing , Three minors click in a major ing. . An effective bit was the flash- ^urrav ±'ecic tenor wim my 1 i no nana aiwava an acB m L.io , the bill way this week and an m. c. who mg of the Dounemont cemetery on .^1^^^.,^^'^^^ splash in debutted In the racket two weeks a scrim while Neville recited a poem S^vtMnl but Love'' sune to May Sut nen Intt tKc?omo^^^^^^ Boston during the week, the feature ago has all the verve of an old ap- about the heroes buried there. The Packer 5nd the U^lve girls S if minutes Fol aSd ptth? news picture being Bebe Daniels In Lfause-puller In the current stage orchestra furnished an appropriate r ^"'* ^""^ ^^^^^^ K^^^^^ "Take^Me home" (Par.) apd the show here. ^The kids are three musical accompaniment for this bit. ^"^^-^ovel laugh bit done by King housS irwIrlJ Clarke"and McCul- supporting vaudeville comprising members of the original Our Gang The screen feature was "Sunrise," and Dunbar, assisted by June Clyde lough were good in Movietone short, Lang and Ifaley. George Dormonde _.<s^^^^^ Lowry, Mary Kornman Ujghly praised by all the critics and and Murray Peck, "the W & Co., the Hauington Sisteis, and Und Johnny Downs. And the baton- not so well liked by the cash cus- wife leaving each other and meeting Business opened to S. R. O., which the Palette Dancers. swinger is Benny Ross, whom Uomers. The Fox Movietone news at the train gate," while not draw- • The house has not gone audible they're raving over over here. scored, as usual. There also was a hng the punch laugh at the fln- yet. the house orchestra and Earl | j^g f^^^ the kids go, it was all Pathe short depicting various thrill- ish, as it should, was sprinkled Skooter's" show. This little fel- | ing occurrences. The same quartet | throughout with titters Weidncr at the organ carrying the pictures. Across the street is the jgj..g got audience appeal and a used in the stage presentation sang has been common occurrence since house wired. Sinclair. Kclth-Albec-Boston playing vaud film in a wired house and the draw of those two hou-ios pitted against each other-and both pitted against ■the mammoth Metropolitan is. re-, suiting in the public becoming super-critical in the mtltter of acts and pictures. . The front of the house at the .Keith*-Memorial is not running as smooth as projection or .itage and if bookings fall off in the first month or two. the draw for the $1 floor evenings will be mainly, on the basis of its being an art museum and a pop hou-so where it is posulble to • get a reserved seat except on Sat urdays, Sundays and. holidays. INCORPORATIONS N6w York Tox NorlbciisJerii .nnylio«s<>«, Inc ^New Yoric; motion plr(Ures, jiliiya; 100 shares, no par value; .Gt<o. Ulnko. .Nelll* Barger, I.oula M; AVeUor. riloU by S. S. . _j. Rogcra, 850 Tenth.avonuR, New York. . f^- NDh T. Gntiihiiul, Inc., New York; the fttrlcal nnil motion pleluro booklngr agency; Jfi.OOO.; non.ilrt J. Flaum, Nils T. aranlun<1, Moses ItolTenaon. Kllcd by Thoa. Kooh'h, 233 Kro.-\ilway, Now York Soiinrt Shorl."*; Im^., New York; moving —.^ fLTid. talking- -plcturi? 3 - Of n il-klnd.-i.; .1.0.0^ iiharc.<<, no par v.aluc; Joseph' Stark, • Irene Epstein. Jes.xle Ohisllng. Flletl by Jerger llorllner, 215 "\Vcat .42nd street New York, ji'os Intorstu^ "IMuyhoTisofi,'.Inc., New York; motion pictures, concerts; 100 Khare.i, no t>ar value; Geo; lll.'ike,. Nelllo Ilarber, I.oui.i M. Weber, i'lled by S- 13 . Itoger.s, fiOO Tenth ivveniie, New York SUuilcy Ileeorillng rt>HU>""y of Amcr leA, ■Tue,, Alanhatlan; nioiion plctiire.<i, tulkliig pielure.s; JC.OOO; AV. , "Wirl.Hhiifer, Jacob MttnTi Oua .Ko.'.-enblit. I'lloJ by Murray K Bai-on, 14S7 Uroadway,*Now York.. helluva lotta talent to match it. He while a collection of radio wise swaggers and sings and hoofs and cracks in a novelty reel were being clowns like a trouper who's played flashed on the screen. Business not the one, two, three, four and up-a-| so satisfactory, day since Adam was a tibv Mary Kornman. got by merely on ■. l^OHrMTAl her sweet face. A bit clumsy, not V't^'tl-«il i AL« especially strong on voice, and yet ^Wired'^ retains that cuteness that seems to v»»ixcu/ put a fenime over—whether she's I ("Dancing .Along" Unit) 12, as Mary is. or four times that, • Chicago, NoVi IT. Johnny dOos more, being fairly agile Oriental has a new m. c. and band as a hOoCer. but falls down in that leader, Brooke Johns, a six-footer, he tries to imitate the big bozos too plenty talkative. Johns came here much. Act Is Introduced with al- from the Missouri, St. Louis. He leged director and cameraman on- has been in a Ziegteld show and stage taking shots of the kids off- also vaude, graduating from caba- stage. Then they come on and do rets, where , his activities may have the songs and dances. It's a good been bright, but on the Oriental presentation act, but it will prob- stage it is considerably dimmed, ably be better in the Stanley-Fa- Doubtful whether the Orientalitles blan two-a-day houses, where it win go far for Johns. His forward hits next. • ness In working Is stretched to a Ross has it all his own way when point of overbearance, while his singing "Tliat's the Way I Feel personality is tinged with ego. About Tou,". good for halting thel It was reported that at his first proceedings. And, then he con-1 show -(Saturday) Johns made a tributes a pi.ano solo, "Just a Mem- creditable showing. When caught ory," In a way that: makes It just in the next frolic he did iiot do as that. Beatrice Hoffmian, down for well. It would have been more to "impov.'?onatlohs," does one of his advantage If, for the first week Fanny Brice and a couple of other at least, he showed better judgment -fair rscx= clowns aml=goc3=ovcr.'-==But- nnd^kept^hImsel^^^ she still needs more finish. When | The jumplng-jack antics Johns cm- she has that arid develops som.e ploys are not going to be a riot mugging in her own right, she's set with, the patrons .of._thl3. house. It for the big time. might be the thing somewhere else Verna Hayworth does imitations but not here, of Pat Roonoy aniVsome jazz steps Lou McDermott produced this —on her toes.. Ana"Cully" Culpep- unit, titled "Hello Brooke." It will per. S'odeler, does that for a couple be later known ns "Dancing Along of bows and, some encores. Not an expensive show with not a."? "Skonter"' is brought out for a re-, much scenic effects as McDermott peat fini.'^h and a girl, in a wlieel usually gets In. Another, new set gets hers to closo Hie show. Out-1 of chorines, Alton Girls, look like a Al Lyons and his stage band with a novelty niimber, "It Goes Like This," with Al and his accordion and Neal Casteagnola with his clarinet doing the comedy, was oke. The-^Oriljr boresome "feature to the bill followed—Taylor's flag waving rendition of "Sonny Boy." repeated from last week, ahd It was done the week before by some one else. Just overdone hoke. COLpNY (Wired) New York, Nov. 18. . ■. Dandy program, this , week., th« last one of Ben Bernie's engage- ment; . Benny Rubin opens next Sunday for a limited engagement as m. c. Bernie's li.-' ' ^ kidding style well Leading up to a finale. Will King adapted^ to'a^^^ . absque radio broad- and the principals Indulged In a cast "v a WOK at the request of vamp and champagne" skit, laugh- WEAF." Four Nightingales, all able despite Its apparent age. blondes and splfCyi close harmony- A flash before the curtain closes, ine aotto voce, were liked. Ray with the girls," garbed as the vari- Covert, tenoring drummer, and Mll- ous Ingredients of Chicken a la ton Spiro, vtolinist, stepped out in- King, parading and dancing oh a cUvldually from the band. They, semi-circular stair set. leaves a too, were liked. In fact, everyone good impression. was liked Sunday afternoon, and "West of Zanzibar,'' starring Lon deservedly, Chahey, a talkie newsreel and a Dugan and Parker, two men, have Stan Laurel comedy complete the some new ideas in eccentric step-, bill. I ping. Some of their ideas are still in germ form but they can take heart .in the ^knowledge that they D A D A li/irkT TMT I 0" the trail to a funny style, • rAKAMUUIN 1 a golden asset ' * (Wired) Lillian Gordon, vo-de-o-ing with ,,(e+^»^.F 11 -AA special and. seemingly superfluous ( stars -unit) credit to Helen Kane. Miss Kane New York. Nov. 18. Is good. Miss Gordon Is good. Paramount's Second Anniversary Neither was the first to do baby Week progi-am starts "the hotigg Off talk in Jazz songs. ' : on its third , year with a limp. It's A wow on the-bill was an ani- a weak, unhealthy lineup from every matpd . cartoon, "Steamboat Willie" angle. A bad picture uiid an unin- synchronized, with sound effects -by vlting stage unit, credited to John htCA'Photophone.- It was a lauglu- Murray Anderson. Sure fire. David Ilubinoff, featured in Pathe sound news confined to one "Stars," easily merits tho rating, item, Harry Fay, prize fighter, fl<'- Ilublnoff is a Violin soloist with a .scribing his experience on the ill- specialty that hits for the .strongest fafort Vestris. returns r)n every count. An addi- Business very good Sunday. iivtt. tlonnl credit is that this boy, once "Gang War" (FBO) feature attr;if.- ho scores, stays thtit way solid for) tlon. J/m!'/.