Variety (May 1929)

40 VARIETY VAUbE HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, Hay 89, 1929 PALACE (St Vaude) A very good stralffht vaudeville bill ihl3 week at the Palace. There should bp a very good show at the Palnce every week. 'When a houae Is willing to spend from $10,000 to $13,000 for eight ot nine acts, it's no trick to put on a good bill. The trick in booking vaudeville is to frame a show of moderate cost so it means some- thing at the box ofllce. There are houses on the Keith chain that If they played to the total capacity of from $12,000 to $16,000 could hardly break even under their present load of overhead. Over 100 Keith houses other than the Palace, New York. Those are the houses where the booking skill should be thrown. At one time in Us career the New York Palace netted as much as $800,000 a year. Now If its nets $300,000, that's top. It doesn't net any more with its $13,000 shows than it did when Raying not over $8,000. The difference in the cost ap- pears to eat up the extra gross. That's probably so everywhere, since the bills on Broadway with the Palace perhaps now used as a show window for the Radlo-Kelth-Or- pheum officials and stockholders, have their reflection in salaries on the shows of the out-of-town and smaller houses, whether three-a-day or not. But as R-K-O Is said to have 7,000 lay stockholders, that show window may not be so bad for general morale. On the trend of straight or big- time vaudeville and for the informa- tion of Messrs. Brown and Plunkett (Godfrey knows this), there has not beeen a single change in the manner of presenting these big time bills In 20 years. Not a change. Booked the same and played the same Sunday at the Palace as Percy O. 'Williams did 20 years ago. And another little point; for $13,- 000 there should be a novelty some- where. Something different. Five names on this program and no novelty. If there's no novelty In American vaudeville, how about Eu- rope ? But two European standout JKfs over here in three years: Will Fyffe and Frakson. Another book- ing trick that appears to have been overlooked. It's a year since the "old meth- ods" were supposed to have passed out in Keith's, but what new' or more modem method has been brought to bear? U so it doesn't evidence Itself. ■ In all of Amerlcd there Isn't a music hall. Not one theatre operated in anything approaching the music hall style. U Keith's Is contem- plating a big time cirout next sea- son of 16 or more bouses, why not place them in the music hall class; call them music balls In their titles and give something different in this stereotyped vaudeville of now that will at least excite a little curiosity locally? Under the muslo hall name murder can be committed. Anything novel or freaky, end smoking. Don't forget smoking. Women smoke, too. And It the muslo hall atmosphere can be created with a lively bill, mostly comedy , with some novelty, and no sketches, big time will have a chanc«. So if big time or vaudeville Is to come back, $13,000 shows at the Palace won't do it. For Broa^ way draws from 6,000,000 people. And Sioux City has gone all sound. Whatever the reason was that kept the Herman TImberg tab out of t^e Palace this week, its absence kept the current bill from going over $13,000. In Tlmberg's place were the Carter DeHaven family (New Acts), and Joe Browning. Irene Rich (New Acts) Is another name, Bill Robinson another, Aaron son's Commanders, and Ruby Nor ton others. If the bookers are In terested they can read the New Act notice in this Issue on BUI Robinson. His applause reception at the Pal- ace lasted 29 seconds by a stop watch, longer than the entrance re- ceptions given all of the other acts on the bill together. Including Miss Rich's. Two women in the entire show, and both leaders of their acts, other than DeHaven's young daughter and Mlacahua, the wire walker, opening the bill. For $13,000? And no women! One of the unison girl acts would have been great here today. Possibly the TImberg dis- appointment the reason for so few girls. Two or three real hits. Miss Rich .ol^west, left a nice Impression, Her curtain speech Is the best expressed appreciation ever heard in vaude- ville. And Miss Norton's new act Is one of the smartest things In the varieties. 'While to those Who re- member, DeHaven and his flne-look- Ing children are a most pleasant group and entertaining. Aaronson's Commanders still -maintains-tt8-leading-po8ltlon.among. versatile dance orchestras, Aaron- son's was the flrst In vaudeville. A now travesty ballet by eight of the 12 boys, pip for laughs. That Red Stanley of Aaron's always had com- edy In him, and his work In'the bal- let carries It Just a ballet skirt over their thiglis while wearing the usual band clothes and each carry- ing an Inflated balloon. I>fothing new but well done, though a trifle lengthy. Jo« Brownhg, No, 4, In usual monolog with many laughs and his "Hallelujah" song flnlsh that prob- ably win be Identified with Brown- ing for the rest of his vaude life. Did extremely well. His monologis- tic style of delivery is fast parallel- ing that used so long by Jim Thorn- ton, Irving Grossman, lobby-billed as having been with the Molly Picon Yiddish company on the east side, is full of ballads. With each ballad Is verse, so that when Grossman isn't singing his songs he's talking about them. First was of "Mother," and next about "Madelon." Good thing Wlnchell wasn't there Sunday mat. Grossman said, "Your mother and mine" sobbing over mothers in the verse. Wincheil would have sworn that was a cop with Mother substi- tuted for Broadway. Otherwise Grossman Is all wrong OS a vaudeville single with his bal- lads. And with the spot light, too. For "Madelon" he used the red spot. Finished with the Howard Brothers' sad song, crediting them. He left the Nos. 1 and 2 spots without a laugh. Mlacahua as a tight wire walker is showing something new. She does the fast-swinging on the tight wire, completely turning around while doing It, swinging as fast as any walker does on the slack wire. This turnaround J\aa never before been seen by, any wire walker on tight or slack wire. Girl Is okay In the opening spot but might be built up and open after Intermission. Her only fault is a mistaken Idea of dressing at the opening, a long flow- ing affair, probably needed to square an abrupt entrance but looking a bit foolish. Thereafter she's dropping feathers out of her short costume while on the thread. Comedy balance In this bill un- usually good. And don't mjss Ruby Norton Impersonating Soph Tucker. She does It Biz not so good Sunday attei-noon, in perfect outdoor weather. Bime. LINCOLN SQ. (Vaudfilm) 'What a pushover audience for the acts at this 'house I Almost any kind of a turn here goes big and- any kind of hoke comedy knocks 'em for a row. A IltUe of the blu« stuff in the lyrics of songs hits the upper tiers between the eyes and the boys up there are dupes of the old American shelf crowd. A five act bill with an H-G-M talker, "The Voice of the City," which might have been some part of the draw Monday night Biz pretty good; Zelda Brothers opened. The two men look alike as peas and flash nifty contortion that got a big hand at the close. Qns man does a circus thriller-by a .back bend and dive to the floor, picking up a handker- chief In his mouth , as he passes the table below. A lonj; drop, too, for a feat of this kind, which looks tricky. A pleasing- turn of Its kind. On second was 'Violet McKee. The girl and. her style of numbers have been around for some time, yet In this house she sc.ored emphatically, Much of her talk Is tame and ap- parently a time killer, yet the crowd seemed to get a kick out of It Morley and Anger found an easy spot and made the best of It This pair dwells on the kidding of the woman by the man as to her avoir- dupois. Never misses In the old neighborhoods. The usual gag crossfire and facial gymnastic routine by the man; a vocal flnlsh that gets them oft nicely. Cole and Snyder were a comedy hit with their two-man patter and the picture flnale with the comic directing the antics of Charles Chaplin In an old time comedy film. Just the kind of hoke to goal 'em at this house. For the vaude flnlsh Lester Liane and Co. (New Acts) did nicely. No dancing ahead and that helped this turn all the more. ilarh. ACADEMY (Vaudflim) Three acts carry the burden of the entire program, giving the stage, show a rating of more than average and making up for the weakness of the picture. Six acts with "Trent's Last Case," (Fox), silent detective drama of mild appeal, as the fllm feature. "Flashlights" (New Acts), Is _ conventional song and dance revue, opening. Clifton and Brent deuclng it, doing the same routine for long while to Indifferent scores. Aside from Hall this act holds three other fine performers, nice little dancer, effective vocalist who plays straight to open, and a com- edienne who climaxes with some fast stepping. Preceding was Kate Smith, for approximately 12 minutes of vlru lent song.. Also scored heavily. "Tiny Town Revue," midget pro- duction, No. 3, with Hall and Miss Smith, complete the trio of sure- flrn tiirn3-..The midgeta.-aslde-irom the freak angle, are a group of well trained song and dance artists. One of the girls Is a cultivated dancer while a two-foot songster, with a Dutch accent singing "Annabelle Lee" Is a paralyzer. That Dutch boy should cut the comedy attempt he follows with and stick to singing. Closing was Joe Fcjer's Ensemble (New Acts). Mori, HENNEPIN (Vaudfilm) . ° Minneapolis, May 23. If the natives fall to fall In. pay ing numbers for the fare liow being offered. by the Hennepin-Orpheum the only conclusion to reach Is that they've gone anti-vaudeville In their entertainment tastes. The second bill under the two-a-day reserved- seat policy held everything that be- longs to a classy big-time layout— co'medy, dancing, pleasing singing and music, acrobatic thrills and flrst-rate acting dispensed by top- notchers whose names should mean something. Strangely enough, how- ever, the word-of-mouth .boosting failed to build up an appropriate box-office response. Like the opening show, this bill took a hefty chunk out of the thea- tre's bank account. Natacha Nat- tova. Little Jack Little, Claiborne Foster and Herb Williams repre- sented a real dough outlay and also should have spelled box-ofHce strength. It looked like an Ideal patronage-pulling array — 'Williams to lure In the vaudeville-wise gang. Little to corral radio and record fans, and the Misses Nattova and Foster to provoke word-of-mouth comment to offset their names' lack of considerable box-otBce value here. This Is omitting from consid- eration the M-G-M sound feature photoplay, "Tide of the Emplce." which, featuring Renee Adoree, might have been counted upon for appeal to the fllm fans. As things developed, however, trade was any- thing but forte at any time. 'With the aforementioned quartet of headllners providing the finishing four acts, the blir proved fast mov- ing from the number three spot on- ward, never dragging for an inaUnt In the opening position the Rooneys, with their Bft-repeated routine of perilous trapeae feats, were good, and got the show oft to a satisfac- tory start Handicapped by poor material, O'Punn and Day, girl and boy com- edy team, deuce spot, had tough going, but made fair progress on the strength of their youth, personality and hard work. They are new faces and, as such, welcome. The act runs largely to patter, with the fern doing the feeding. Much of the crossfire stuff. Including the gags, stories and Jokes, Is of ancient vint- age. The boy's avowed determina- tion to provoke laughter and "make good" and his expressed dlsappoint- nients at the flops help to land a response. It Is a way of coaxing laughs in pleasant contrast to the sandbagging methods. The couple's singing and dancing will not carry them far. Little Jack Little, on number three, was the flrst real smash. He recelved'.a h'ea'vy hand on his en- trance and exited to a gratifying applause after whispering three pop melodies and extracting several tunefully tinkling numbers from the piano. For an encore he did his popular Imitation of a barroom me- chanical piano. Unknown here despite her Broad- way rep, Claiborne Foster, missing a reception when she came on. In- stantly captured auditors by her charm. Her playlet "The Marriage Recipe," an act out of "Saturday's Children,"^ lends Itself well to her talents, and, although a trifle slow in tempo and somewhat talky, seems oiieh for vaudeville. Returning with the best of his old material and some new uproarious comedy business. Herb 'Williams was the usual scream. He appar- ently grows funnier with age. and. needless to say, kept the audience continuously convulsed with sure- flre hokum and buffoonery. An ap- plause as well as a laugh riot. If there is any adagio dancing act excelling that of Natacha Nattova, Minneapolis has yet to see It Such (Trace and daring are rare In the theatre. Her leeps and swings had patrons alternately gasping and ap- plauding. A great wind-up act. "Tide of the Empire," feature photoplay. Is nicely produced but weak In story value and. in this in- stance, probably of little box-offlce account There also was Pathe sound news. Patronage Thursday night was very disappointing, considering the lateness of the week. By that time the excellence of the bill should have percolated through the town. There were many empty seats on the lower floor, and the balcony was less than half fliled. This week has Florence Moore, Lulu McConnell and Co., with Rob- ert Hyman, former Bainbridge stock leading man and favorite here; Jeanette Hackett Joseph E. How- ard, Walter "Dare" Wahl, the Three Whirlwinds and William Haines In "The Duke Steps Out," for 7Bc! Reea. RIVOLI (Vaudfilm) Toledo, May 26. Local Pan house, playing six acts and pictures, booked out of New Yorlt by Ed Milne, Is the only va- -rlety.'house'heFe-aud-doing-good-bizr The Rivoli Is on a full week policy, opening Sundays, and getting the vaudeville play now that Keith's is (lark. Latter house tried two-a-day, went Into a grind and lotterly a split, finally closing early for ' the summer, Howard Piegley Is the manager with Charres Mohr ftKSlHtlnp;. IIouHe seats 3,000; scale 36-50 weekly; 75c top for loges on week ends, with 60c for downatalm chairs, unre- served. . ' Six acta opening today-were Just six acts. Smile'tta Brothers, flyers, so-so. Cholet and Jones flashed one of those exaggerated oldrmaldy get- ups on thd woman where one ex- pected her to do a. metainorphosis Into a rejuvenated flap. It never happened. She worked hard enough' but generally blah. Man stralghted In mediocre manner. His wheezes died. Novelty Four, colored quartet, with standard yodeling and calliope harmonics, registered nicely. They do everything from pops to spir- ituals. Marie Allyn and Co. was saved by the "Co."—the three kidlets, Eva Saunders, Kin Dare and Claire Lacey who contributed specialties. The toe worker Is especially good. Gene Davidson at the Ivories ac- companies orthodoxically. Miss Al- lyn's vocalizations laid In the aisle. Clayton and Leonard, with Tom Jones doing the late tiennle's straight role, picked It right up again. The "English soda Jerher and American nut sundae patron" routine made for a flock of laughs. Radio Fun, electrical act, closed. Usual plant laughs supplied by the shill and the committee. Man an- nounced his assistant as Miss Bon- nell. She flashes a she-devil getup for the electrical demonstration, all of which Is lent a timelier touch by the radio label. Katherine Hubbard Is the organ- ist. House buys pictures on the open market, playing independents and any of the local circuit house's prod- uct With the new Toledo Par- amount recently opened, the RlvoU still gets Par pictures. Currently flicker (silent) was "Trent's Last Case" (Pox). House gets wired in the fall. Everything else locally is wired, In- eluding Loew's Valentine, Par- amount, Warner Bros. Temple. Em- pire (burlesk) Is dark; Wright Play- ers at the Palace winds up a stock run of one and one-half years this week. Abel. STATE (Vaudfilm) Six-act layout at the State this week, topped by Joe Laurie, Jr.; "Desert Nights" (M-G-M) on the screen and selection of "Miss New York" for the Galveston beauty pageant, all combined to make pos- sible a capacity houae Monday night Show measures up to the usual av- erage here, lacking any particulai- distinction, but pleasing the regu- lars. Liberal fllm program had "Our Gang" comedy with dialog. Fox Movietone and the entire M-G-M newsreel. In addition to the feature. Bob, Bobbie and Bob opened. Two comedy club Jugglers with dog. Turn Is speedily routined and well liked. Fein and Tennyson, mixed couple In songs which run mostly to the classic and operatic. Both trained voices that blend nicely. Got.neat applause returns. Jordy and Aleer have a flash turn, "Study In Blue," last caught under the latter title and the same per- sonnel, a female singing trio and a couple of hoofers In addition to the adagio dancers, whose names the turn now carries. Running time has been speeded to its advantage. Pair of hoofers and the adagio exponents are the keystone, the suppressed harmonizing of the three brunets grouped about the baby grand and miniature upright being just so-so. Turn is well mounted (tnd dressed and raUs the trey spot In the Inter- mediates. Laurie Is dispensing his snappy chatter about his father, mother and relatives for consistent comedy laughs. Laurie's monologing strikes a responsive chord, his remarks hit- ting home. Good results. Stuart and Lash, male duo, next to closing with slapstick comedy and dancing, appear In the closing turn with the Cavaliers, stage band In a half hour revue, offering spe- cialties along with two girls In the picture house presentation manner. Revue has been framed as a car- bon copy of Rudy Vallee's picture house turn, with Stuart announcing his flrst number as his conception of Vallee singing one of his pop tunes. Stuart uses a megaphone a la Vallee and employs all his best numbers In singing with the band for fair results. Lash sticks mainly to hoke comedy, while one of the girls sings mildly and the other offers a good acrobatic dance spe- cialty. Band supplies modulated Jazzapation, with a harp, piano ac- cordion and xylophones employed In addition to the usual strings to get away from the usual eight-piece combo. Turn will please In the intermediate houses which won't see Vallee. Christie making two-reel comedy, " A Hin t to Brides," from play by ■KenyotrNlCHolson;'" Al' Z^TIeTearce directing. Cost^ohnny Arthur, Ruth Taylor, Martie Martell and Lawrence Leslie. RKO has changed titles on three more pictures. "Ringside" will be called "Night Parade," and "49th Street" is to be sold as "City .StrectH." "Boarding House Blues'! is to be released as "Jazz Heaven." ORPHEUM (8t Vaude) Los Angeles, May 26. License of the Btage and. liberties seem to be the unwritten privilege' of some acts which play this house' from time to time. 'They figure that If there is a celebrity In the audi- torium the audience! must meet them and the celebrity must join In the festivities gratis.: One of thei most obvious targets picked from- the stage Is Al Jolson, who pays for his seat, which generally Is back lo or 12 rows, and who likes to get entertainment for his money. Every now and then some actor has the habit of calling upon Al. The latter does not cherish the thought and is generally embarrassed when this Is done. At tonight's show Al Herman, billed as ^'The assassin of grief and- remorse," back-fired upon himself when he chose Jolson. This was after Herman had Introduced other players In the audience and had got- ten Frank Richardson to sing one ' of his hot numbers. The mob. wanted more and Herman began to Insist Jolson do something. The latter, after qutetihg. thunderous applause, remarked, "I paid for my. seat and came here to enjoy my- self;" Herman was persistent, with Jolson replying that It looked as ' though Herman was the biggest hit of his life, but sUU the blackface boy on the stage demanded a story . from Al. The latter got up and said' he did not want to do his routine from the aUdience, as he ex- pected to have some of It left when he. played the house and got paid for It Finally he told his bread story and made his getaway. Al was burning.' H4 burned two years ago in the- 'house when called upon from the stage and remained away t /.for awhile. It now looks, after ■whkt happened tonight, that Jolson ma>. deprive the Orpheum of the regular- $1.60 seat every Sunday night for' another period. Herman, who Is a comic with ability, really had no reason to call- tor outside help, as he has enough on the ball to stop a show anytime he gets back of the lights. . He closed the flrst peut with Bobby Gross, local song seller, putting over a ballad from an upper box. Seems as though Herman, who Is vaca- tioning here for the summer and possibly an emergency booking, fig- ured that others could work and he would cop. Irene Franklin was to have topped the bill or divided honors or some- thing with Sylvia Clark. But 24 hours before the opening matinee she called up, said she did not like the way she was billed and asked to cancel. It was okayed. Ward and Van were In town and filled the Franklin spot with their harp and fiddling. Opening were Al Gordon and bis comic canines. Dogs are well han« died, have novelty and trick routines and with the spinning roulette for a finish made the opening spot stand up. Mickey Lewis and Jimmy Win- throp, young lads who have a quar- tet of tap dances, came next with their click being on the final toe and ballet eccentric tap routine. Following .came Ken Murray, m, c He did a few gags and made way for Kenneth Harlan, aided by Wil- bur Cox and Evelyn Humes, In the old Aaron Hoffman sketch, "The Honeymoon." Harlan and his aides Just telked their lines and let it go at that. Audience got It. It Harlan figured this skit would give him an opportunity to sell the talking pic- ture producers; It'Is likely he drew a blank. Opening second part was Sylvia Clark with her quartet of original character songs. Pushover tor this chic comedienne, who has a faculty of selling her wares In reliable fashion. For the flnlsh with Bobby Kuhn strumming steel guitar and chanting It was perfect harmony blend with comedy Interspersed that tied up the show. Murray trotted forth with the Charlestons, Helen and Milton, and gave them 18 minutes of entertain- ment which they had seen him and the duo do before, but they loved it. Nevertheless, Murray was bit below par on his blue gags, which was gratifying. Closing were the Lee Gall en- semble, consisting of tieon and Jean Lee Gail, and two. other mixed couple. This sextet have one of the best framed terpsichorean routines with an outstanding apache, one of the roughest and most realistic of the knockabout type. They also have great adagio number, with two girls in act. Tumbling and toe step- ping like little cyclones a lad In the Jtitr,n_doM_thej;ainlllar..RusalmJie5!u and acrobatic Russian routines that remjinds one of Maurice Dlamoni^ some 15 years ago, when the lat.ter was master of this class of work. Turn held them In tight to Its fin- ish, with the silent Pathe News on screen for those who wanted to linger after 11. Trade cnpacltv on lower floor, with about two-thirds filled on the upper shelf. Ung>