Variety (Jan 1929)

44 VARIETY NEW ACTS Wednesday, January 30, 1929 MAE MURRAY (7) Song, Dance, Talk 13 Mins.'; Full and One Hippodrome (V-P) Here's a name for porsonal ap- po.iranoos. Mae Murray as a pic- tun' st;u' Is one celluloid celeb who ciiu t disappoint in the flesh be- causi- Ihc trip little personality's .proi'o.<sional career dates back orig- Inallv to the stage. She went from ZieVicUlian glorification in the "Fol- lies": into the .flickers, where she Bcbri'd signally. One of her best known screen BUCcessrVs was "The. Merry Widow," hence ' The Merry. Widow Waltz" as the musical them? of her stage act. She opena/In soloi going Into , the waltz) double with William Moffa", dance partner. ' The Royal Muriin'/a Band :of six backs them up. ■ Miss Murray Intelligently ex- plains the signlflcahce of the tango as a dance creation, stating that, unlike any other dance which per- sonifies the spirit of insouciance, the tango—Miss Murray pronounces It "tong-go"—is a terpsichorean piaradox, Illustrating the moroseness and despondency of the South Atiicrlcan gauchb (cowboy). This leads into her tango, fdllowing which Miss Murray ballyhoos a popularly appealing little Polly anna spiel, her fan mail, etc. It's done in so nalVe a manner that all la forgiven. ,. Miigs Murray Is not particularly hew as a variety presentation. ; She has been around, before, before and aftei? her extended career in Holly- wood, but without the marimbas. Under .her present Keith tour an . unusual booking arrangement guar antees the star what is said to be a record high individual salary, since the office pays for everything elsei including the dance partner, band, transportation, etc' Miss Murray is a proven drawing card. Ahcl, ALLEN PRIOR CO, <2) SongS'. ■. .14 Mihs.; One Riverside (V-P) . Allen Prior, Australian tenor, has heen dividing his time between pip lure houses and production. For Vaude he makes the' grade nicely, assisted by Dorothy Janice , at the jpiano. Several things In Prior's favor besides his voice. He permits Miss Janice to sing with him, and she can slrfg. Numbers rendered proved : most acceptable. . On a short act bill at the Rlver- sldia Prior and Miss Janice proved a strong asset. Mark. Kenneth McKENNA & Catherine WILSON (3) 1. Sketch 15 Mins.; Three and One (Spectal) 81st St. (V-P). Featured duo in this one are from legit. Their vslude appearance is sponsored by Rosalie Stewart wlio has equipped them with a likable skit that iits. Usual domestic row with back- ytago setting and principals mar- led leads of small town stock com- pany. They have been hooked up seven years and . at^ still carrying along their first battle With neither winded. Plenty of filp repartee of the u.sual domestic wrangle sort, some, funny and some not so funny, with apparent knockout looming when cued to go on in an abridged version of vcamille," which they're giving for a benefit night. Latter is planted in one, well hoked up and efCeptlve for laughs through the couple carrying along their former combat when opportunity presents and this getting the laughs. Back to the dressing room for some more wrangling and presenta.- tion by the mayor :Of ia .loving cup describing them the. most devoted married couple in the town with the dame socking the guy. on the bean for tag. . McKenna is perfect as the small town harri with Miss Wilson ren- dering adCQuato support. Uhbilicd male capably handles the remaining bit;. ' . Liked. No. 3 here oh Sundny.*i/6a. JEFFERSON (Continued from page 43) her nit coniPdy in a pleasant little skit, "Love Lessons," Supported by mixed team. Miss Rlano got plenty of howls as the ugly duckling appliCan' at ; the s'^hool, and spotted rilfty acrobatic dancing as well. Tfle sup- porters filled in nicely, with The man doing a great foil tor Renle as the love teacher. A hokey act they'll eat up all around. ■ ^ - ■ . ijllly Glason, next,, sustained the comedy vein with talk and songs, ile gave them everything, sewed it up and had to beg off. - Raymond Fagan and Band closed and held them;. Fagan, pla.nist- dlrector, has surrounded himself with a versatile ..bunch of 12 boys. Under his direction they offered an ear-tickling routine of symphonic kzz sufficlehtly Varied to avoid mo- notony. The boys had five number.** as their orchestral contributions, Verne Cervet, tap dancer; Wally Hewlet, legrtianla specialist, and Jayne Fagan, songstress, spotted specialties that helped plenty,' with Fagan also doing a piaholog. Act is there from a look and listen slant and the mob liked It. Fagari hasn't been around for a while, and that helps, too. V ■ "Shopworn Angel" (Par) on screen. Edha. GUS and WILL Dancing 9 Mins.; One Palace (St. V.) Two boys lately with the musical "I'blly,'' which has closed. For the early spot as here assigned, perfect They have an unusual. stepping style, mixing , acrobatics, taps and fast eccentric routines with plenty of speed. They do -only nine minutes but work all the way, and the turn is done without a spoken word or note of song. That alone commands attention. Pair have an odd knack of getting comedy pantomime into their stepiplng, done In an artless way that gives It point: Open in acrobatic unison routine wearing collegiate sweaters and. trousers in broad black and white stripes. Go then into comedy bit, sort of burlesque on Toy Soldier, the comedy boy doing grotesque knock- about and ending with sliding exit making sound like a motor cop'.s siren. Back for fastest kind of acro- batic stepping for hot finish.. No. 2 here and gave the spot some- thing it dodsn't often get Could have miade a speech on the rftturns but didn't, another JavorAbie ^puni at the Palace. ' J7ws7i.^ RUSH and JERRY Rope Spinning), Comedy 10 Mins.; One Lincoln Sq/ (V-P) . Nifty ganaS.glve this mixed dub sej. appeal and booking value. I)am6' doesn't do anything worth mentibhing but on figure and a nice smile adds the icing to otherwise plain cake. Man doesn't develop cither his rope spinning or his incidental banjo strumming to a degree where •he can be classified, at either. He could stand some brighter chatter. Act,moves fast, holds the Interest and should find employment.. Did nicely second. Land. MURPHY and WILSON Comedy 16 Mins.; One Lincoln Sq. (V-P) ""7^MKn"and-^oman=ownlikable per- sonalities. Man gets a lot out o.f his gaga, some far from new. Woman has a high range soprano • voice and takes a high without making a speech. She dresses quite amartly In bh\ok velvet with rhine- stones doo-dads. Turn is able to plea so the pro- letariat while showing and main- taining .1. certain atmosphoro anil d(;meanor of rcfinemont nnd cla.ss. They should get atnbitlDiis for bi.i;- giii- and bctt'T thlngK. Cleaned up next to shut. Lnnd. HADJI ALI Co. (2) Freak Act 12 Mins.; Full (Drapes) 86th St. (V-P) A freak side show display, dressed lip and transplanted ff-om the dime museum. Its value for anything but the least pretentious small timers is highly problenriatlcal. Nothing but; testing will prove whether: it has any merit away from the carnivai lot. Lecturer appears in one with a bally for Oriental Miracle Man Opening is couched in crude laa- guage and lecturer is distinctly gas house district in.diction and manner Drop flies revealing full stage pret- tily draped. , Ollve-skinried woman Is dipping water out of a three gallon, glass fish globe into a flock of drinking glasses. .HadJl AU, dark niah in regal Hindu satins, appears and proceeds to drink scores of glasses of water. Lecturer says he gets away with two, gallons. HadJl stands about four feet away from a ba^in and makes Ifimself a human fountain, a stream of water gushing from his mouth into the container, He then goes through the motions of swallowing 30 hazel iiuts and oh top of that one almond. With aid of lecturer he engag'es to restore any number of hazel niits and then the almond. This he does, ending, the performance with drinking more water and a flagon of kerosene as a chaser. He spouts the kerosene into a sort of furnace, which thereupon byrsts into flame and then puts out the Are with the water. Performance may intrigue the wide-eyed l?oobs, but will, only revolt any-intelligent crowd. Rush. Convention of the National Board Revl'SW at the Waldorf heard many speakers against screen cen- sorship, among them Mayor Walker. of Franclne Larrimore, who has not appeared in New York for two years, will open Feb. 18 at the Little thea- tre in Rachel Crothers' play, "Let Us Be: Gay," produced by John Golden. : "Baltimore," negro actor, ^as killed during the performance of a minstrel show in Havana when, a projectile from what, was supposed to be a prop cannon struck hini. Police believed it was accidental. ROCK and BLOSSOM "Take the Air" (Skit) 14 Mins.; One (Special) 58th St. (V-P) Clarence Rock and Ildith Blos- som's skit is titled "Take the Air," with a painted prop airplane on an aviation field olio as the" scenic background.'' The pseudo-plane has a practical entrance, permitting for Miss Blossom's trial flight resulting in the stereoptlcon effect of a take- off and the subsequent smash. Roclc is the correspondence school aviator yet to make his maiden voyage and does so with his partner for company. ■ -TAgainst this- the tca,m dispenses song and dance specialties, include ihg sorhe effective comedy business. Both are seasoned performers, with the . girl possessed of obvious phys- ical assets; . Deubed nicely at the fiSth. AJ*el. LINCOLN (WiredrVaudiRIm) Good entertainment buy Monday night.. M-G-M's "Dream of Love" as feature, Fox sound news, and a well-blended flvie-act bllL Certainly a fair swap for four bits. Olvera Bros., pip hand and perch balancing twosomie, opened and commanded respectful attention with frequent applausd. Bush arid Jerry (New Acts), rope-splnnlng banjo strumming cowhand In; .showthanly comibo with a sprightly damsel in tights, did very neatly in the deuce Frank Dixon's skit aboiit the mugg who took bis lass to the automat to dine, was the sort of comedy the Lincoln Squarltes ap predate. Lots of laughs. Murphy and Wilson (New Acts). acconi plished the twofold task of being rather swanky without irritating the gallery which, at this vaudfllm par- lor, is quick to resent dressed up or ultra turns. They got across snap- pily. :■. . . Truce and Boreo Revue, dance flash.^mlsses pretentiousness but is okay because of Its virile adagio team. ■ Biz very good. Land. MARRIAGES In Paris, Jo6 Walter, down at ■the Cirque d'Hlver,. to Mile. Bll lard, non-pro.- Mile. Germalne Manteau (pro- fessionally, Franvllle), in. Casino de .Paris'revue, to Rene Bellgond, mer-^ chant of AshieriBs, near Paris. Dorothea Fugazy, daughter: of Humbert J. Fugazy, sports' im- presario, to Edmund J. (Pat) Flaherty, music iriaii, now with De Sylva, : Brown & Henderson, sud^ deniy last week, following elope ihent. Jennie St. George (Callahan and St. George) to Jipe Hyland (vaude) Jan. 29. Miss St. George is the for mer wife of George Webster, Chi- cago vaude booker. Mort Downey to Barbara Bennett, in New York, Feb. 28. O'NEIL and MANNERS Comedy Skit 14 Mins.; Full (Special) American (V-P) Corking frameup by Bobby O'Neil and Miss .Manners. Former is seasoned, worker, sings well and takes care of his nonchalant but flip lines effectively. Miss Manners has It, holds her oWn on dialog and dances airily. / Entire skit, both In song and Lliome, especially written; a light frivolous bit of stage life, expertly handled by the duo. Emphatic hit here and colored the show. Clean bit of comedy. Mark. evi J ACK. SY L Vl A!S^G A M B.O-LS_^ Song and Dances 14 Mins.; Full American (V-P) To all appearances Sylvia denlly spent most of his past as a single; lu; affCL-ts the style of a song and talk Irish monbloglst. Flashes this single ability when he appears alone and does a bljdy that rorked Act al.Mo holds three women and ;in ajiile, • youthful male stopper Sylvia lias (Hio ual who gof-i^ in for ii (-I,\.'-.>:ii'a! rmilino. hard workinu nii;;.-- \v!io has a double li;u'k -kioK News From the Dailies This department contains rewritten theatrical news items as pub- lished during the week in the daily papers of New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Los Angeles and London. Variety takes no credit for these news items: each has been rewritten from a daily paper. NEW YORK coaster concession. Suit was bi-ouglvt for injuries sustained by Victor Mix, son of the plaintiff, who foU from a .speeding coa.iter on top of a trestle. Edwin Carewe suffered a broken ankle when ho slipped from a cliff wliUe directing a scene at Del Monte, Cal. George M. CJohan reported defcir- Ing production of two plays origi- nally intended for this seasbh. One was his own play, "The High Sign," and the other, untitled niuslcaL He has : put on four productions: since September. . New York Yankees! American Baseball League, players will wear numbers this season, like coUeg.? football teamis. \ Reported that Marshall Nellan and his wife, Blanclife Sweet, have sepa- rated. Miss Sweet is said to have gone into seclusion and the couple'.i home in Beverly HUls is vacant. They were married In June, 1922, in Chicago. Tom Mix's daughter Ruth was severely criticized by Superior Court Judge E. y, Rosenkranz when' she appeared - in court seeking her monthly allowance of $225 from her father. Jurist said "this girl should be declared incompetent as a com- mon spendthrift," and disallowed her claims In favor of creditors -w-ho had secured numerous judgm.ents. Feature of sale of Jerome .Kern's library . at the Anderson Galleries was disposal of a rare flrst edition of "Gulliver's Travels," called the finest copy In existence, for $17,000. representing, a profit to the com- poser-collector. Sale is still on, with a total near $2,000,000. Win of Richard A. Hudnut, manu faeturer of cosmetics, named Na tacha Rambova one of the trustees of his estate, estimated at $60,000 but said to be much more valuable/ Miss Rambova is the widow of Ru- dolph Valentino and step-daughter of-testator. . Clifford Warren Smith, who mar ried Claire Luce, Zlegfeld girl, was cut off in his mother's will with be- quest only of silver worth $300. Es- tate estimated at between $500,000 and $1,000,000. Smith's mother dis- approved of his marriage. Tabs miade much stir over report Ogden Goelt, millionaire, would marry Louise (iroody. Both made formal denlaL LOS ANGELES Hugh Allen, picture actor, and Catherine Hoffman, Miami, Fla hew:spaper writer, announced their engagement to wed in June. J. Boyce-Smlth, vice-pres. of In- spiration, elected president of newly organized Columbia University Alumni Club of Los Angeles. Jack Mulhall bought the property at Southwest corner of Wllshlre Blvd. and Oakhurst Drive. Price reported at $150,000. that's a pip. Other women team for a .tap. , Outstanding wais. the hoofing specialty of the boy. Young: and bears watching. Did well closing Intermission here. Mark. JACKSON and TAYE .Songs and Talk 11 Mins.; Orie American (V-P) Goupla boys who slngi or try and make you believe it, at the .open- ing. Go in for a glib exchange and clown around; a routine of hokum that built toward the end with the first part, not, so hefty. Youthful act of nut type were liked here. ■ Marh. MORIARITY and BURNS Revue Dancing and Singina 10 Mine.; Full Englewood, Chicago (V-P) Two girls and two boys concCn trating o.n various styles of tap hoofing and knocking It o;f well enough to spot them in family houses. AU four have appeal In youth and appearance. Routines include collegiate, straight tap, acrobatic and Irish Jig. Gals sing lightly plus . several wardrobe changes. Sincere workers and Improvement la,cer.tain._,Meanwhlle,,the y dcsj?rve bookings. Bing. MADELINE PATRICE Singing Violinist 12 Mins.; One State (V-P) As a single, Madeline Patrice vocal violinist,. h«T.s elaborated her share of a former two-act, Patrice .and Sullivan. She has looks, pres once and talent but needs material One special number might suffice In present form the girl is a .-^nfo Intormodlato No. 2. Bi/jc. viola Dana, screen actress, filed suit for divorce' 'against Maurice B (Lefty) Flynn, former Yale football star, charging'habitual drunkenness Couple were married four years ago and separated last September. W. J. German, vice-president and general mapajg^er of J. E. Brulatour, Inc., of New York, is due here Feb 1.0 for a stay of three weeks con- ferring with Edward Blackburn of the BruiatoTir California bffffipaiiyr Max A. Fluker,. film actor, freed of assault :and battery charge in Municipal Court when Claire An^ derson, actress, failed to press charges. Tlie gal alleged Fluker had given her a black eye on Christ- mas Eve. Morals charge against Val Ken- nedy, manager of the Blitmore, in connection with arrests growing out of alleged salacious performances by cast of "Gay Paree," Shubert. revue, dismissed by Municipal Judge- George Bullock,, at request of city prosecutor's oflfiCe. Insufficient evi- dence to hold was admitted. Mem- bers of the cast arrested. had pre- viously iforfelted 160 bail «ach upon their failure to appear in court. Accused of having taken a fur coat and Jewels valued at $500 from Mrs. Frank Kelly lalst December, Juariita Montanya, Spanish dancer and screen actress, was arrested for burglary. V Some time ago she filed a suit for damages against Wallace. Beery, charging him virith being the father of her child. Prosecution of the charge was reciently dropped. Marshall Neilan and Blanche Sweet deny reports current that they have separated. Richard Arlen and Fay Wray will support- George Bancroft In Par- amount's "Thunderbolt," starting in March. Direction of Joseph Von Sternberg. Following disagteement bf a Jury in a suit for $111,000 against the Los Angeles Railway Co. by Maude Leone,, actress, her attorney filed a notice for a new., trial. Jury before Superior Court Judge McLucas decided that Martha A. Burkman was not guilty, of fraud, and held that Dorothy Devore, screen actress, must go through with a contract for payment of a home In Hollywood. Complaint charged that there were holes in the roof and other de- fects in the home. Jury upheld the contention that the holes were caused by too many windows In the house. Ferainznra-P. E£F16.^^ffIsl and "plc^ ture director, made defendant In suit for $180,000, charging seduction and breach of promise to marry. Brought -by Dolores Salzer, 22. Lowell Sherman has brought suit for divorce against Pauline Garop in superior co>ijrt, charging desertion after -18 months of married life. Complaint says that Miss Garpn left herj husband, and despite Ws Pl?^ did not return: .Understood a prop- erty settlement has been effected outside of court and no defense will be made to the action. Alma Rubens created excitement on Hollywood . boulevard when she stabbed Dir. J." ,C. Meyer with a small paper knife as he: was taking her to a private sanitarium. Piedes- trlans at Hollywood boulevard and Bronson street were startled when they saw. the woman leap from a small car and ran wildly down the street. The physician pursued and . upon apprehending her wa.3 severely, but not seriously cut in the shoulder, the knife penetrating twice. ■ Miss Rubens was taken to Rose- mead sanitarium, where she was registered as Genevieve Driscoll. Police Insist the. woman Is Miss Ru- bens. She recently flgured In a court action when neighbors daused her arrest on charges that she pried into windows and corners, using a flash- light. Leonard SIsson, picture operator, severely burned in an explosion in the projection room of the Pike the- atre, Long .Beach. At the Seaside hospital it was said the burns were not fatal. Vera Reynolds and Robert Ellis. .<5tiipe and screen actors, announced their marriage, which took place May 26, 1926, In Paris. Superior Judge Willis ruled in favor of defendants In a suit for Snn.noO instituted liy T-Terhert H, Mix against the lIlBoy Coaster Co., roller Llta Belle Wichart, 22, stunt ac^ tress, killed Instantly In. a 2,000-fopt plunge from a biplane when ber parachute failed to work near New- hall. She was doubling for Ruth Elder in the Hoot Gibson picture, "Winged Horsemen.^ Investigators have not been able to, account for her failure to open the parachute oy pulling the ring. Miss Wichart was with her hus- band, Floyd Bowman, and Tommy McLaughlin In the picture.^ ^'"1*1^ ' Arthur Rosson was directing tor Universal. . . - McLaughIin-=a=few^jnliiutc3_Jt>rf>'!^^^ ously took off in the same plane piloted by Jim Grainger and niaae a leap, landing in a tree top ana bruising himself severely. It waa figured Miss Wichart may have baa a temporary fainting spell when Hio hurled herself from the plane ana was unable to clash the ring a.^ i"« parachute when examined latCfi' a as reported In perfect condition. ,I3esIdes her husband, h<«r ih'^'/'-.^' Mr.s. Lulu b; Montgomery, of Lia ongo. siirvlven. The body is b''"-'-B , shipped to her home there.