Variety (May 1929)

Wednesday, May 22, 1929 NEW ACTS VARIETY 45 JOHN CHARLES THOMAS (1) Baritone 17 Miin.5 Three ■ Palace (St. Vaude) John Oharlea Thomas hasn't been In vaiidevllle since 1922. He's been in a Krltz Kreisler-VIctbr Jabobl op- eretta since,' also a.pioneer T^atner Bros. Vltaphone songster;. In con- cert chiefly, also reth-ed for a stioll, followinigr' a society marriage. Mean- while his Brunswick records have been his sole public contact. Returning to vaudeville, although still contracted to the Metropolitan Musical Bureau (F. . C. Q6pplcu8' aigency) aa per billing, Thomas In collecting |4,S00 a week for a Keith vaudeville route. As a name he may have value in other channels, but for vaudeville, plus his unsatisfac- tory Yepertolre, Thorny Is ffen«i:a11y disappointing. -Had he doAe . the "Win Tbu Remember?" (''Sweet- heart" waltz from 1 "Maytlme") or ^ny of the "Apple Blossoms" balladr. Ithe. Jacobl-Krelsler operetta re- ferred to),' Thomas would have reg- Intercd more handliy than v/^th the concei't ballads, the Italian aria and the now' hackneyed "Tommy Lad." » 'lie started slowly and stayed that way for the first three numbers. Uls rich baritone- Is undeniably worthy. His personality Is llko- wlse Impressive. The threatening paunch of Vltaphone memory was greatly reduced ana Thomas was effectively attU-'ed In Va. double- breasted blue business suit whirl) "was some relief from the tinual he- tuxed songsters. Thomas drew some customers judging by the enthusiastic salvos greeting the Introductory notes by XiCster Hodges, his accompanist Ht the Stelnway grand; although there were moments when this sounded Bu.iplclously clacquey. 'Thomas announced that he would change his programs for each show, perhaps a come-on bid for return trade. It would be wise to rearrange his scheme so that he offers a staple Vaudeville sequence, away from the concert platform style. Abel WILSON, CROWLEY and Co. (3) Comedy Sketch 13 Mins.; Three (Parlor) 6th Ave. (V-P) Wilson Crowley Co. is not to be confused with Wilton Crawley, col- ored jazz entertainer, although the man in the Wilson Crowley Co. act essays blackface. Locale Is in the office of Berry & Plant, undertakers, with the two women In nurse outfits filrlng a new colored boy. Usual funnylsms, with the superstitious negro quitting every other minute, scared stiff by the corpse In the adjacent embalm- ing room. It's one of those sophomoric themes, also generally home made In Its creation, and relies on a ques- tionable flnale for Its comedy cur- tain. The colored hired boy gets stewed on embalming fluid and emerges from the adjacent room dragging the efflgy of the pseudo- human upon whom he was perform- ing post-mortem rites after him. Uot some elemental laughs, more mechanical than natural, such as those produced by the eye-bllnklng ef a prop statuette. Abel. RODION DANCERS (6) 13 Mine.; One. Two, Full Academy (V-P) 'J'he Kodions are billed as danceir and 'live up to the billing. They don't sing, as other dancers In flasii acts; mostly likely because they can't. While other dancers who can't but do Just think they can and belittle their dancing. Hodions are ~ Immediately com- mendable for sticking to business. They are really fine dancers. A rare combination. Two girls and a man, adaglolsts, recalled as picture-house turn with the same name, and probably own- ing the act and title. Three boys have been added since. The two teams of three work by themselves and never together. Adnglo trio opens with a waltz and closes the act with a whirlwind toss and catch, the man swinging botli partners at the llnlsh. Boys buck and wing at both ends. In between two of them are on for a drunk dnnce, while the third is a comedy soloist. Play It on any bill. rsioe. THE REVELERS (&V Vocal and Piano 19 Mint.; Three Palace (St. Vaude) The Revelers, are radio and rec-; ord-famed. They are exclusive Vic- tor recorders and also "can".for the other companies under various nom- de-dlsks. On tlie radio, as NBC fea- tures, this quartet with Frank Black at the plane, Is one of the ether's staple favorites. James Melton, Lewis James, El- liott Shaw and Wilfred Glenn com- prise the quartet. B'lack, the ac- companist, is also the arranger of those crack harmony versions and might be styled the brains of the combination. A personable combination, as the Revelers evidenced in their various talking short productions for'~Vlta- phone, etc., they ore decidedly okay for " il"! J^.'i^^T'^t " .^r^^' vamp has a nice voice .and whether picture house or vaudeville They're new to the latter, but have been In pictures and also making personal appearances elsewhere at private engagements. Like many another radio and rec- ord name, the Revelers are In a position to refuse regular vaudeville work. The fancy prices which the NBC commands for their services at clubs, societies, etc., coupled with the two or three hours weekly on the air, and the disks, give them enough worl{ abundantly to satisfy each member of the quintet. Mel- ton, James and Shaw individually are well-known recording soloists, as any disk buyer will recognize, and Black, too. has or has had a dnnoe recording combination which kept him busy in spare moments. Obviously, only a flgure like $3,500 could Interest such an embarraased- .wlth-rlrlies combination. Tliey had asked Keith's for $4,000, and only because -of the RKO alliance com- promised for a flil-ln. That's part of Keith's idea of calling on the NBC radio names for new attrac- tions to nil the void left by the'In- roads of the talking pictures, pro- ductions, etc., oh the available stel- lar talent. Tlielr's Is a thoroughly satisfac- tory repertoire. They sing those special Black arrangements In great style. They oi-e chiefly recreations of their Victor recordings. What's more, they have plenty more to call on. As an encore, or for a second week holdover which a turn like the Revelers can stand, they still have "Dinah," "Valencia," et al. to offer. Among their present highlights Ik "I Know That Ifou Know"' from "Oil, Please"; "Nola," "Old Man River," "Oh Mi.ss Hannah," "Comin" Home" and "Sweet Mystery of Life," with which they open. Tliey are In Impeccable formal at- tire. They look smart and have the essential stage presence and, in combination with their talents, a|] this explains why they registered as the individual highlight of the current Palace show. Vaudeville can use them well. Abel. Sup BACLANOVA "The Farewell Supper" (Playlet) 23 Mine.; Three Palacp (St. Vaude) Bacianova, from pictures; I§ dolus a Vaudeville flyer for fotu- weeks, 'presented by Harry Weber. Her vehicle Is "The Farewell Supper," by Arthur . Sciinltzler, actually a con- densation of Schnitzler's "Affairs of Anatole." Principal male cliai'acter is Nicholas Sbusjsantn, who la ac^ corded bllUng.wlth the star. 4-iPast Is completed by. Paul Pecker as 'Max, the mutual friend, and Ivan Marr, the waiter. ., Bacianova Is not as poor vaude- ville as Is her sketch. Having had those four-weeks' vacation from, the Paramount lot, as she announced in her curtain si>«ech following the floral offerings, Bac could have done worse than essay a planolog. The can tickle the Ivories, as she-dem- onstrated in such .plctui'es as "Wolf of Wall Street" (Bancroft) and tlie: current "A Dahgei-ous Woman" at the Paramount, New Tork. Next' week, at the same tlieatre, .£ac is also in a Far flicker, so her picture tie-ups break well for hen With a fairly , decent' act,., the linguistic shortcomings would have been the least of her troubles.. For an artist who has been but two and a half years in America, as she also announced, she does choi'miugly. Had she done some of those Rus- sian airs, perhaps an American 1>allad, certainly that closslcrefraln, "Black Eyes," tind iBaclanova would have been good vaudeville. As it Is, the cast, with its monot- onus Russian dialect, in a 23-mInutc bore. Bac has her own Individual moments. Soussanlp la atmos- pherically picturesque as Anatole but it all gets on one's iierves after a while. That's why they rang In Paul Decker In place of Michel VI3- arofl at the last minute, but It didn't help—much. Baclonova's getting $2,600 on her rep and a poor offering. She could make it very worth while by for getting the sketch, at least this Schnitzler opus. Abel. AL MOORE'S WHOOPEE PARTY (19) Revue 32 Mins.; Full (Special) 86th Street (V-P) ' Another production act of the night club genre. Like the majority of Its predecessors. It is shy on art, polish or nuances, but still good fare for the average vaudfllm houses, and particularly the neighborhoods. Nothing but a series of specialties, some good, some n. s. g. Between times a 10-piece stage band gene- rates pleasant melodies. There'-s an interruption from the audience by Jack Cameron, who never gets very comical, either then or later. Sally Had, Dorothy Tllner, Hazel Glad- stone and others not Identified swell the membership to 19. As most of them remain on the stage pretty consistently, act will not fail to leave behind at least a memory of volume. Acts of this type deserve scant attention appraised by showman standards. Yet the records show they work and managers testify they please. So that removes any occa- sion for finding fault. HILL'S "TURKISH NIGHTS" (22) Revue 23 Mins.; Full (Special) 58th St. (V P) . Revue designed for joint booking with single turn of Eddie Hill, ro- tund singer of comedy songs. Hill next to closing here with revue fol- lowing. Combination is logical and serviceable for this spotting on family time. Nothing distinguished at any point but sufficient specialty strength and hokum to get laughs and by. Drapes suggest Ottoman caliphate with Johnny Brown's 10- Pieco band in fezes and Hill, tur- baned and sashed, as the sulta n. ■^'TlIae'WyW.'conlorTfonBtTe^'ireg^ Bllga Sable, blues slnser; Dare and Yates, comedy acrobats, and Frank Miller, as a goofy eunuch, and six chorus girls complete with Hill tlie quantltively Impressive roster of 22. Less size and more cla.ss would have been better. Land. Fanchon and Marco have en- gaged Sam Kaufman, vaudo m.c, for five weeks in.Portland, Ore, Land. John KURUCZ and Lily OROSZ Songs a/id Piano 14 Mins.; Four 86th St. (V-P) John Kurucz, Hungarian pianist and composer, and Lily Orosz, Hun- garian .soprano, have a little pro- srum that smacks of the typical concert arrangement, barring one number more of the present day vaude stripe, Mr. KurUcz and Miss Orosz demonstrate they are gifted musically. Mr. Kurucz can play a piano beautifully; technique, ex- pression and class. Miss Orosz has a fine voice, of high range. Musically 0 pleasing combination. At the SCth the artists scored. Jforfc. LONDON TILLER GIRLS (8) Dances 16 Mins.; Full Stage 86th St. (V-P) .„-WU1)—this - .smart—and—CQlsirXu.1 stepping ensemble of Tiller Girls are two good boy hoofers. The st.nndout Is the work of the Tillers. The clglit girls go through with precision. Those Tillers have some of that almost-Zouave like stuff that keeps the girls on edge all the woy. Not p.isy routined stepping but frii'ky nnrt Intrlonte, I Art Is dre.s.sy, animated and en tertalning. Can't miss in any yu Irieiy house; Mark. THEODO.RA.ENRICA and Co. Dancing lOoMins.; Full (Special Drapes) 81st St. (V-P) Dancing act'which packs a punch In its adagio routine, body tossing being handled with neatness and dispatch,: Miss Enrlca's grace and agility stand out. Turn Is the soi't that looks sensational on a night club floor where the limited spa.ce reacts to the- advantage of the girl swinging! and catching business. Opening ihds Theodore and'£nrica In a novelty waltz of no Special merit, foUjawed by Rex Mara In exaggerated I tux- outfit singings a garbled version of a pop nimiber in Dutch dlhleot - and :then going into some eccentric hoofology that com- mands attention. Finale has two men and; the girl on. for the body manlpulatl0n)9. . . Men wear . long uoggy Turkish outflts and girl strip ping down to one-piece suit'^for some daring, catches and difflcult throws. 'Feature of the act is a swinging b|lt in which the girl's kne$ Is Interlocked with each of ber part- ners' elbow. I Act rateb deuce spot- ting on any i>clghborhood' house bill mainly because of its speed.- SULLIVAN and TYRELL Comedy 12 Mins.; One 6th Avfl. (V-P) Joe Sullivan was of Sullivan and Blair, as straight for the latter Bookers and agents picked on Sulli- van to go comic, relying on the funny pan as a natural starter. With an eccentrically rouged schnozzola Sullivan now cuts up w,ltli the, cute Alice Tyrcll. Latter Is wife of Jack Allen, who ipianologued for Ada May Miss Tyrell has been around and is said to have Just come out of a pro ductlon. As a brand new combo It has potenlialitles. The girl is a ICoker blonde, shapely and very much ot the preferred calibre. Sullivan is at the ivories, but breaks away for the hoke business with his partner. One osculation bit has Tyrell oil the baby grand gbliig through anatomical con- vulsion .wlilnh, under .the ■clinch cir- cumstancesi . struck the 5lh Ave nooers as altogether authentic. Sullivan's semi-boob character is capable of considerable embellish ment and development. With the talented anil beauteous Alice Tyrell thev have the maUln's for fast com pany. ' Abel. DICK FABER and Girli (4) Skit 21 Mins.; One, Two, Three (Specials) 5th Ave. (V-P) , Faber was formerly of the three Fab'er Bro.s. This skit, wilh four girls in supports, listens like a home-made Vehicle. Faber , advertises as- ILonesome Harrj. Tfhe Lonesome cruhJVjnime quarte't ore alF wUn"n'if'"fo~leam up. A condition is that the girls must be fond of babies. F.amlliar hoke eventuates. Some flip ■wheezes In- fluded. but tHiil's part of the gen-. ur;il picture. ' . . ' Oal.s contrihule spcclullies an-l al.s-o e.s.say disllric-tivc cliaracleristli; roles. One's a cnvc-nian lover, nn- othf-r a o.Tve-wi)in;in (ype, tlie tlvii'il demvtre. etc. . It dfcuccd hero brishlly. Abel, "SKYSCRAPERS" Revue Unit . 40 Mini.; One and Full (Special) Jefferson (V-P) Billing, g^■l^fes no producer.- Per- sonnel counts 24 persons, including a lO-pieco stage band which titso gets^no billing, and eight girls de- scribed as the "Broadway Flappers." Specialists afe ftuddy Page, m. c; Jack and Kiiy Spangler (from pro- duction), dandy song and dance mixed team; Ray Colman, tap and aero dancer; ' Cooper and Clifton, acrobatic comedians; and Anne VTood, blues singer. Revue belongs to a type common in this era of over-production of such units. It has first-rate specialty material, which does not go for full value because of loose staging. It Isn't easy to point out deflnitely- where the staging misses, but the effect of such a lack is definite. For one thing, the pacing doesn't build, and for another the finish and opening are routine. Buddy Page Impresses as a comer, somewhat In the manner of Jack Osterman five years pr so back. The youngster has cleverness in many directions. He can sing, dance,, has knack of flip talk and' pldys a variety of Instruments. Here he overdoes with a blah talk. For In- starice he does preliminary an- nouncement stalling that runs for six-minutes in. "one" before the re- vue proper opens. Thot tends to use him up for the running time. Specialty material splendid. Jack and Kay Spangler are.a whirlwind stepping couple, the girl with a re- markable style of slow legmanla and the boy with everything a Juvenile should ha"e. They have three .ses- sions, and are great In all of them. Ray Colman again is a top-notch dancer In a variety of stylos, best his' acrobatic buck and wing toward the finish. Cooper and Clifton sup- ply all the luw comedy with their acrobatic grotesque, one of those tumbling burlesques thi^t can be done properly only by finished acro- bats. They have one novel twist that's a low comedy riot. Here the be-^nioustached top mounter does an awkward fall from hand-to-hand, landing In.slde the understander's wide trousers. Time this perfectly and finish It at exactly the right Instant. Anne Wood is another of the fast- growing army of op-pop-popplty Imitators of Helen Kane, style which may serve her and the re- vue makers for a while, but is bound to kill Itself off. This girl looks as though she may develop along llne.s of her own. Just now -a likeable blues warbler and nice looking. Act worked at a disadvantage he^e,. following on four small time acts of mediocre qu.ality and badly blended. If this Is the break-in, the ^evue has possibilities in better knitting of good material. It it is regarded as set in this form. Just another revue. Hush. "SOLD DOWN THE RIVER" Nearly Dramatle^ Friars' Frolic 26 Mins.;-Full. Stage Met. O. H. Sunday night at the Friars' FroUc held in the Metropolitan, was a tid- bit in the form of a playlet, really satirical of the present aituuMon'of grabbing legitimate ..lient for talk- ing pictures. Keen, wits wrote tlie act—Bert Kalmer, Harry Ruby, Irving Caesar and Morrie Rysklnd. They know the picture people and ought to know the legits even better. The scene was supposed to be a slave auction block in the bad old days when they sold slaves 'way . down South. The auctioneer looked like SImmIe Legree and was capl-: tally acted by George LeMah-e.'-lThe- - slaves for sale were pop song com- posers and lyricists, they in the dungarees tike poor ole Uncle Tom. On either side of the auctioneer,was a group of bidders, the legit pro- . ducers facing tiie picture nabobs. . In no case did the legits' win a ■ poor composer—tliey couldiv't bid as . much as Adolph Zukor, done, by Al Shaw. Zlegfeld, played by George Leonard, went as high as 300 grand for a songwriter, but Zukbr topped that, too. In addition to the. first - three named authors, the other slaves were George Whiting an)l . Lew Pollack. Each sang one of Ms hits. The legits did plenty of raving but it was no good. Caesar begged . not to be sold to Zleggy because he feared the chorus girls. Somebody wanted to split Kalmtr and Ruby, chained by the ankles. But Zukot* bid 'em in for half a million and gave OS much for the field—a bunch, of prop slaves who were reol chorus-, men. And that's why all the Broadway writers tire going to Hollywood and-', the talkers. Ibce. MAXON and WOOD Eouilibriits 6 Mins.; Two (Special) 58th St. (V P) Man and woman hand balancers working-on the top of a grand piano. Act derives interest and unusual- ness from woman, acting as undcr- stander. 'While not as smooth or certain musculal-ly as men equil- ibrists, the woman displays strength and agility and the act rates as strong on novelty angle. Woman dresses becomingly In lace blouse, trunks and tights. A luce drop harmonizes nicely. Speedy and generally favorable impression. Land. and 04. FRANCOIS-DENSMORE (4) Novelty Act 10 Mins.; Full (Special) Riverside (St. V.) Variety (fct. recalling other days and a standout opener through In- dividuality. Runs overly long at present, containing a slow moment here and there; seven-7hlnn^aj,act. that runs over 10. '^JT- " Players are two mixed couples. : One feminine member do^s the bulk of the work. "Varied rcjiutln.e.. lOr eludes straw - hat toeslngi: tumbllnj^ and dancing. On one pticaslon a. freaky-looking dog is brpught- on.. It has all the marks Of a poodle, yet it's nearly a great dane in else. Announcement stated U Is dlfBcOlt to teach dogs tricks to a dog of ttiat breed, without Identifying ithe breed by n.ame. Old-fashioned-flash flnale with the tumbling woman In liand^rlngs tp the rear of a prop inferno; and tlM men di'essed as Satans. "rhis form., of flash Is quite as old as Hell itr-' self. : BIno. ,4' MYERS, CUNEO and DOOLEY Songs and Talk 15 Mins.; One 86th St. (V-P) Of the new crop of male lrlo« this one goes In for that type of comedy byplay which has the strolght starting the act by announcing his partner can t appear, when there is an Interruption in the audience. Plant Is a wop comic who liocs up on the stage to sing. He also says a friend is with him and tite third man dashes down uMle and onto stage in eccentric makeup. The third also effects an Jtallan accent and helps along with Uie comedy. For the flnl.sh the trio sings, doing some of the barber shop chords th.tt the general vocal male combos hit without any trouble. The act apparently successful here; nothing new or novel and similar to some of the comedy sing- ing duos and trios in vaude for years. Mark. LYONS and WATERMAN "Koo-Koo Kapers" (Skit) 14 Mins.; One. 6th Ave. (V-P) M^nn Holiner in billed as authoi- o£."Koo-Ko6 Kapers," which has to do. with ah .extendcd diatribe by thy woman against her Ima ginary as 'BallantT*'7rire*'inah or"ni'e*'acl can*r see his partner's imagined odver sary, but gets into the spirit of the non.sehso- for more or less familial' development. In between thoy do some sonjr and dance. In toto they shaped up as the most finished oC a H.«l)ess arrav of five now act.s at the ."ith .^ve. liike OIrk Fnl)er,.ilhr iii.-m )iri-e ii)'> relied on the padded billy I'oi' ih" knock-out top-ofC. Abel. . DON HUMBERT Songs wilh Guitar, Dancing 9 Mins.; One' . ' 5th Ave. (V-P) Pop songster to self-gultar accom- paniment. Dioes first three numbers straight, the last with d. t^natch of Charleston dance accompaniment. Routine encore Is a soft shoe solo. , ' Monotonous sameness throughout vocalization. As a crooning sere- nader, his voice possesses no dis- tinction. Stepping Is iordinary. General calibre and presentation -Is that of a talented amateur. H» needs a routine and showmanship,. Weak opener at the Bth Avo., his nine minutes appearing to be muc^i longer. Abel. REO and RICH Songi and Talk 14 Mins.; Two Greeley Square (V-P) . ... Two women. One goes in for comedy as a flippant, wisecracking, phone operator. Other . does the straight. Danpe or t'wo and a mu- sical imitation were stindTViched In between the gags. The girls also do a double tap number at the close. Eff^cstive. Hard-Working duo, fiHdlng the Greeley Square audience' ■to It* liking. '.Mark. . , PANT and LOCKWOOD . Comedy Talk and Songs 12 Mins.;.One . . „ Greeley Square (V-P) • Two men. Each, does .an old boy character. Kidding and usual, old age dudads productive of lau.gliter, Turn amusingly received. Some danclxg and a yod^ling flnLsh. Act similar to others of yester- year, but well, framed as a whole.- Types splendidly done and in nierly in the neighborhood bits. MarJi. LEFT CARNIVAL FLAT (Continued from page 1) ed to Cliai-lestoiir W. Va., they were "stranded «h6w girls" or gamble on the hitch-hike scheme. While the girls ai'^ not showSiet- erans, two but 18, neither are; they dnmhhells. When they .pot the situ- ation .'Sized, it was the hitch-hike that appealed, thrtiigh that may have hcen a terrible slani tor the jozKing sheiks left flat also.