Variety (Jun 1929)

W«dn«sda7«; jMne..l(,. 1029 FIEM REVIEWS VARIETY IS onsSiorts BABY ROSE MARIE "fhe Child Wonder" (Songs) VITAPHOKE NQ.8P?. ,, . . , Winter Gardonjr N(»w jork. Baby Bose. M«irle~iB.'&UIed''-*lTiei Child "Woridep^,. TJtet^ aro 4,00.0, others of tli^. carefully trained Uds. But th'ejjr all don't" get'on the: Bb6rt9. Most of'them'are pulled out ' of bed at tHree In the in6rnlher' by. soused guests'- to do their, parlor Btuft. This .Bhp'rt will; please ohll- dren and wp^.eri,: with .-the women wondering why they didn't get one lite that. Child, looking sbo\it eight, sings' - three songs. All gestures.are simi- lar, from coaching, and some single singers appetir to have t^en'the'.pat-. terns. I" gestures the little''girl 1^ Itmny. With. "eye" tor tomei In fhej l3Tlc, she sh^y, touches-her eye aa the Indicator,-but reachei the eye' a full line befpre'the.'word, this oc-' ' ourring twice. " Final numljer, "Don't Be Like That," much' the best as she'did It In the vo-do-doi-wajr for a child. ■Though but a kldlet, she seemed to' have an Idea .of .her. own In It. . Worth playing. Sime. ■ -'- JACK WILSON and Co. (2) COLUMBIA'SHORT -11 Mine. ; v/;-- -'•.: ; Embassy, NeW;york'i ,. > ■ - One of a quep^tet'of . shorts'intro-^ .ductory to pretrtlere of.'JFather and .Son'' (Columl^la). Directed by Basil 9mlth and. recorded .on - 'W'estem '.■;BIectrlc dlskjby Sooy. Bi-os. ' Jack Wilson'ls_ In wliit;e 'face sup- ' ported by hls'.vaudevUle co-workers, ■.■^Kiith Wheeler and- Warner'Gault. '.-■What they .'use is really In sub- stance the familiar blackout of the . rounder who gets his pal's girl friend to bring along another girl, the klclL.comlng..^en she calls the ltounder'.s> home phone number; At that W;ltson makes It consist- ently amusing, what with his own brand of flip wise crack and fast repartee, usually with a spicy 're.fr . erence. Tag Is good for a laugh, . but what gives .the subject Its r$al value.Is the sustained fun of busi- nesii. and'gag lines. 'VV;llson> Is unflagging, .in his brisk handl|j||j|k'of fast .stuff and short Is a coitUHous giggle punctuated with pleiity^f 'haw hawi' throughout: Futi. Is good for the .wise mob" and for the'i^iieaBants; aUk^, ■ low comedy business rirolng' with - the subtly "blue" talk. Any .aho'rt that makes,'em laugh Is priceless. This does'that. ■ 'flush. ! HARRY HOLMAN (3) "Hard rBolliMl Hampton" RCA>P>tOTORHONE. 16 Minai;:! Comedy Sketch Strahdf t1«w Vorfe This, sketch, origltaally. done In vaudei .by Ilaiery Holman, has bee^ efCectlvely transferred to the talking screen ad a two-reelef by Oeo'rge Le Halre. .-It-holds plenty of laughs for ih^ average, picture house audience. Even the old "Schenectady-Troyf' gag as pulled by Htolman got a full 'quota of chuckles here, despite Its general release years ago. Holman, els ' the hard-skl'nned, finicky old lawyer who Is continually on the squawk--with his employees. Whips his, comedy .lines across In. easy fashlon,'ably assisted by three girls. All of the girls play straight for Holman. 'A bit of heart interest ' Is added when tlie third girl who comes to his office reveals herself as his daugl)ter.-ln-law. - The son he dl3lnherlt!6d„h.avlng besn killed. In France, the hard-boiled gent turns human and promises to take care of the girl and her baby. Holman uses the phone for com- edy chattel? all of It more or less familiar to vaude regulars, but. his fine delivery and ch'aracterlzatl.dn sells it all over again to screen audi- ences. This one can be spotted on any program of shorts, with good results assured. HARRY HORLICK & A. & P. . GYPSIES VITAPHONE 763 10 Mins.; Orchestra • Strand, New York A popular radio group composed of 11 instruments and one vocalist, all male. Set Is a rustic scene, the players sitting outside a little house from which the singer emerges to- ward end, doing one number. Or- chestra leader plays violin, all the members In velvet jackets and flow- ing black bow ties. Five violins, one cello, bass viol, xylophone, cornet, flute and one player, whose instrument is not fa- miliar, hidden In rear. Outfit plays ^^Liy'^laasical touch, but has a rep- :en6lre~'or^'II53™vOTcK~slfflTrTnr their layout. Have moments of highly finished work and lapses Into- heavy string effects. Xylophonist featured for ten seconds. 'Vocalist's merits lies In his enunciation. Toung chap with artist finish. ^ Organization features "ChlquUa," March of the Toys" and "Gypsy I-ove Song." Their first number Is best. Well applauded. The group has class. JULES BLEDSOE COLUMBIA SHORT 8 Mins. Embassyf.New. York .. - " . -.' Pne.-ot a group of shorts siippte' mentlng premlfere of Columbia's dliilog feature "Father and Son.'? Negro barlto&e of "Show Boat'; does two' numbers In an appropriate background, and how he does, them t A really great fragment of sight sound material, particularly-on'the audible side. ' .' . Plantation shack In background, with Mammy and Pappy watching the picks stepping. Bledsoe as, the son enters carrying. firewood smd at Mammy's Urging sings "Old Man- Trouble." Here Is a spiritual sung as only a negro could flliig It, 'and probably only';-Bledsoe -amprig -he- groes. Musical quality escapes de-. scrlipflpn, but 'its' appeal "Is'Ines- capable. ■ . - • Promptly after end of song he' goes Into another spiritual, "Wadln"- in the "Water," perhaps not-so im- pressive as the first, but still a fine bit 6f voc&lizing..' (Juallty.' of this - performance fas'clnates'' and dwarfs the staging. Which to tell'ttiei truth detracts rather ihan -lenrlcbpsi: '.Ree^ardless. of<'this s'urroim'dlngs,. Bledsorls sure fire anywhece^i-^Httre it was the outstanding, sh'oft of' the. quartet. . " Jtush. LEO' REISMAN and Hotel Brunswick Orchestra VITAPHONE NO. 770 7 Mins.. . i Winter, Garden, New Yvrk , Ordinary. orche§tra. in ordinary music, without any of .the recent pop soiig favs.' '. ■, . ■ A bit of novelty tlirb'ugh' some of the. playing done by the orchestra in silhouette, but once as good as 60 ttnies for that. A^ evidencing the waste of tiiiae with an orchestra anywfiy on -the shorts, as long as the. niusic Is heard', some library stuff, of faat running rapids Inserted to stop the monotony. Ij'V) Rejsman at one period started to do a'vloUn solo, nicely made up and canfera conscious, but they shut that off In. a hurry. "JUet i short. , 'i: ' ' Simil. BRENOEL anfl'BERr - . , ^' "iBeaii NiohP'''.(Coinedy) VITAPHONE NO. 739 to Mine. . Winter- Garden, New York. , Muri;ay. lioth is slide credited as having' directed this comedy short which ends too abruptly, as though someone liad tired of the messy slap stick In It before finishing. .Good epoiigh' though where low comedy la'u^h Is needed for a sound pro- gram. - . El' Brendel, with the team from vaude and El in pictures for a year pr more now, is calling on hie girl, Flo Bert, at her home. He's 'wear- ing a'gag suit so new the tag re^ mains on It Starting to rain,: she prevails upon him to remain over night In the guest room. He goes home for his night shirt and is soak- ing wet when returning. Then, the mess starts. Every time his. shruken clothes are touched, water spurts In a stream. Brendel Is using a bulb for the expulsion but should - have cabled Ten Icchl and got the proper trick. This water streaming is the remainder of the short - Some dialog and side business, but nothing here of value.. It's In the pie'throwing family. Sime. "MEMORIES" COLUMBIA SHORT 9 Mine. Embaiuy, New York Routine,-^sentimental song subject whose chief value Is as a filler. Old man and old woman, latter playing piano, harmonize on the old songs—"In the Gloaming," etc. He asks her -if she remembers and opens a scrap book with an old play bill. Business to convey they were once variety team and cut-back shows them doing their old act in costume of the 80's. They s|ng "Sweet Rosle O'Grady" and '/Side-; walks of New Tork" and 'do a "Bowery spiel" dance, neither par- ticularly good and not too well photographed. Simple filler, sloppy in its senti- mental hoke. 'Value questionable, except as a makeshift. Nothing original In it. Rwh. "THE MAN HIGHER UP" (2) M-G-M Movietone 20 Mins.; Dramatic Loew's 116th St, New York An absurd attempt rather than an accepted fact. Interesting enough material for a sketch, 'but botched. Hobart Bosworth and Robert Ede- •son*3oreen-and--spe'ak«wellr. . But the dialog passed evidently uncensored, so it sounds like a Ho- boken revival. As a result the cus- tomers in this house began to laugh and never stopped until the piece finished 20 minutes later. Dime novels don't come any betr ter tlian this one. No chance with any except for- oiftn Language audiences.- Others will kid it. Jfori. FOX MOVIETONE NEWS Reel 35—A, B, 0 Z7 Mins.; Projeotion Room, New York Not so many laughs this week, and at a time when the sound news reels have made it their business to pack more, comedy than two-reel shorts built expressly for that pur- poas.'- '. ■..',' .' .... ■-..' • .•..'.'. .-Thp'wdy some'of the soimd. and sight boys have been staging 'thein shots makes them 'almost - eligible for- megaiphone' wielding on the lot -propPTi Olv'e a news team a couple of. b'argalning natives In a foreign market. place, and they'll plant a laugh In high comedy manner. Or a' four-yearrOld kid recite "Mary Had a'' liHttle I,amb," preferably' a girl who lisps. Or a society' woman who'll p'bsia' In "pajeunas ' and say, "Pajamas are out.of style except for beach' 'wear,'" just to get her map on. the sheet' Or a Eu'rop'ean king' who, thinks' the-U. S. Is one grand spot, b'ut'hls' o'wn country a better one.- Or . millionaires', sons who work for a. living, telling how really, hard.tliey work to pay oil their- owii debts via soUnd camera, when It's jiist an-' pther; flotation coming. - Or the! many other geigs they've pulled in the past and may use again in the future. The comedy boys must ha,ve .had an off week.. ..They're too .serious In No: ^6. . When Queen'Marie .says, in' Reel-A,-Hhat'iah6'd'"16v'«' to'cpm'e over 'hcir&agalnMt's.alaugb only to t-hose v^ho -rem'emlier .thpJlaat time.' r; '■, •' ■., ■. .'A '.;' .:' , , King George lis 'welcomed home to Wln'ds6r after' convalescing- .at th.e Sto' sh6rer Filled streets aiid parade stuff. No close one' of the monarch,! but a peachy -shot 'of the road lead-. Ing to the castle, cheering .masses, along; the .sides,-top to-bottom.-Theyi love - their. king. -. And unrestricted! wine. . Many over here would take oiie to get the other. Squire, camera; Mann, sound.' Queen'Marle doesn't get the entire, shot allotted 'tP' Roumanla. The 8-year-old king of that land. Marie's grandson, Is caught reviewing a parade, and later in the garden with granny. A pair of kings In A. Pebal, camera; Lopez, sotuid. Bill TUden, Francis Hunter and Helen Wills In tennis matches In France. Usual court shots enhanced by actual sound. Fesneau, ' camera; Wentworth. sound, - OregPn girts log-rolling in bathing suits...., Thiy. scream when they fall. .3^he' btitfltis are best at first, the log". fplUng'.'.getting Interesting toward the'eh'd'. ..' .. " , ■ , " .'. . Hall,.'C.amera;; Forem^, sound. ; The >' ictfampton ' Coluinbia -. 'orew, taking h on"the chtn 'Sr^ His^^i in the Menley;-Talo;:-Pehnsj^lvanlif' and Princeton In 'the van. Noisy and active. ' ' Painter and Davis, camera; A. Tice and Powley, sound. B Pope Plus' personal army, the one that guards-the 'Vatican, in a drill on thCi grounds. . Bright uniforms and- ''dear Impression of rythmid footbeats. 'ViUani, camera; Jordan, sound. Helpn Meany fancy diving In a natural pool In Bermuda. In slow motion to give ybii an Idea how it'S done. Between each stunt Miss Meany napies the next one. Beauti- ful backgrojind. Hammond, camera; Walz, sound. One of those staged market place arguments, this one set at a cattle fair in Macroon, County Cork. Two side-whiskered boys who put on verbal battle over sale of a mule and sound like a pair of old-time Irish comics In cross-fire In "one." Later on another pair hold a con- versation in Gaelic, spreading on the personality grin for the cameramen. Gelsel, camera; Woolley, souiid. ' Lieut Tomllnson of the navy traveling at 176 miles an hour in race over the Potomac. Natural roar .6f an airship Is surp-flre sound material, alWaysI -In this scene also' the obvious rate of speed. Pergola and Waldron, camera; Upton and Cummlngs, sound. West Point parade In honor of President Green of the A. F. of L. Usual, but for Green's address. Davis, camera; Powley, sound. C Re-enactment by the 2d Corps Area. (Stateo Island) of the battle of .Cantlgny;- thrilUnig. stuff, though a strain on the camera's tin ears. One long round of gun fire. Men falling realistically. Camera facing the smoking guns, best Brace, camera; Rein, sound. Air flight" over New Tork City, with a commercial air line given a plug. M M. McCloukey Is the pilot -and talking guide. Prangley, camera; Grignon, sound. Goat farm In New Mexico. Baby goat business of the sort generally classified as "cute." Cubs, puppies, kittens and babies always reliable newsreel subjects. Herbert, camera; WlkIng, sound. Winner of the national debate be- fore U. S. Supreme Court, Ben SwniKo£d,„Kaaaaa-i3iljr«_fieU£gi?)._a few of his smartest cracks. His diction perfect, but mugging terrible. Waldron, camera; Cummlngs, sound. Indian residents of New York observing the birthday of Buddha on, a city rooftop. Chanting and rituals, so facetiously done to dispel doubts as to staging. C.amori probably caught them before or after the private cerem.on7. Closing ON WITH THE SHOW (ALL DIALOG) (With Songs and Technicolor) Warner Bro3. production and release, En- tirely In Technicolor. . Directed by Alan Crosland. I>ances and numbers staged by Ijanr Cebelloa. Cameraman, Tony Oaudlo. Story by Humphrey Pearson; adapted by Robert Lord. -Songa by Harry Aksc and Grant Clarke. Western jSlectrlc (Vltapbone) process. Opening May 28 at Winter Gar- den;' New'TorlC'-twlce dally-rua-at %i top. Running time 2 hours. JNltatVBotty Compson Sarah • Louise Fazenda Kitty '. ..'....;6ally O'Nell Ike -. :'...Joe E. Brown Sitm Bloom Pumell B. Pratt Jimmy ..".wnilam Bakewoll Twins Fairbanks Twins Durant ...;Wheeler Oakman Jerry ". .- .'Sam Hardy Dad Thomas Jefterson Pets - Lee Moran Joe Rarry Orlbbon Harold.... Arthur Lake Harold's tlancee Josepblne Houston Father Henry Kink Ben..... otto Hoffman Bttel Waters ....Hthel Waters Harmony "4 Quartette.. .Harmony Quartette Fo'ur Covans Four Covans Angelus Babe Angelas Babe Plenty of - entertaininent and other things In Warners' "On With the Show." Principally .of the other things are drama, m'elodrama and the romance of the story all going Pn backstage while the picture pre- sents Its see and hear sight of a musical cornedy on the stage. This leaves the talker as a whole over- loaded with, each, including~-t^' tPo -heavy-coloring-at times. This too much makes the film too long in running. Whoever tackles' the cut- ting job of reducing its-two hours for- the regular houses is in for no 'picnic';'. - ' Rating! this picture' as ■ a clncb -for' ftny', picture house and prob- ably, due tox a run.at,the Winter .Garden - at . Its $2. -top- on the strength of the novel natural color- ing alone, that alt' coloring gives the film Its leading topic of notice. Warners are tile first of the talk- ers.- othei> ci*e'dlts d'ue.aVe a first also for: operetta- as with "The Desert Song" and now again an- other first for Its Initial' all-colored musical "On With the Show." . So the Warners continue. leading -with talking Innovations. Ajibther'knbwn first remains, that to 'be' the ex- panded screen for a full leiig:th 'fea- ture. All color as gauged by this .'War- ner film Immediately b.ecp.mto' Im- portant. That coloring, is ;dbmlnat- ing for musicals was >roiight.:out in the single scene holdlrigr it 'In Metro's "Broadway Mejodyi'^ QJltW- Ing continuously as a rule tf'nd any way.in the dramatic dr-'8tra;ii£E'^'lc^- i-tUre stories,, siich' aS'..were -oolered- .hl;. the 'slle'nts; becomes wearisome, i&'kinto^an eye strain. I>^p.t .so^hera, '1i6'w'eve'c,.'eX£ei;ktlhgL.perlutps 'ftmlilio .heayXj^ sliadln?.., given toulse ■'"^a.i jzep'(ia.;^i^dOhiBr'i-ed mvp. Flesh colj^ 6rin^l$i)so at times too prominent perhaps due to makeup. Saying that the talkers are young enough to be advanced by expert mentation of engineers or directors Is true, for-here is the coloring, a decided^ stept Place "On With the Show" with Its color on an extended screen and It muse* be a whale of a picture. That m^y be. visualised by anyone \who, saw the il. C./'A., Photophone's demonstration of- the George Sppor huge screen in New Tork a couple of weeks ago. This picture Ideally suitable for the ex- panded screen, as tt ls (mostly of large ensembles in the stage playing portion. Spoor's device screen extending across the entire proscenium was of glass. Just how that could be contracted Isn't known, if It could be. But the huge screen that may stand expansion or contraction, to take in the groupings or extended for closeups. of from one to five persons in their scenes, or In other words adapting an elasttcally built screen to the story, will give the talkers another Impetus. "On With the Show" would have been a-magnificent plcturizatlon on: the big sheet. It could then have avoided the too numerous rangy- shots now existing on the standard size. They keep; the stage -peopl'e at too long a distance on the .'film, and in a picture house where the majority of the patrons are far re- moved from the screen as It Is. Tet with its drawbacks and Its length, the film is Impressive, both as an entertainment and as -a talker. It. was talking' a chance to throw Into It as much extraneous matter as has been done, the Inner story angles backstage. They are con- tinually moving in and out of the picture Itself. That IS one of the obstacles to the cutting. Were a staged number bit to go out here. It would carry with it a portion of the Inner story continuity In dialog, without any spot, left.-whpre. that particular allotment of story dia- log could be fitted. This becomes evident as the mostly melodramatic tale unfolds In the wings or dressing' ropm. . It starts with a musical on Its break in date and flat. The backer has walked. He was on the make for is a line-up of the feminine de- votees. One might get by on the Columbia runway. 'Vaughan, camera; J. P. Gleason, iound. War canoe races among the young women of a Mas^achusetto.s seml- r..ir.v. Morp sri-cnming.' ' Filler. L. Ellis, <jamer'j,; A. Jone**, .-ioiind. Jiij'. the coat room girl, the court rodm girl and chief usher (boy) being shoved into the plot Intertwined the hold up of the. box olfice on the only night It held any real money, with everyone sus- pected by a comedy dick. Thief finally disclosed as the old doorman, whose daughter is the coat room girl, with the entire Broadway house staff of the theatre seemingly traveling to the out of town date In their customary places. ImmaterisU though to lay audiences. With another twist the prima donna, unreveaied wife of the backer, refuses to go on in the sec- ond act unless her two weeks' $1,600 overdue salary Is paid forth- with, an ' impossible feat on any break in date. With the prima donnalng wife then discovering her Iiusband-angel started everything because the coat room girl turned him. Meanwhile the stage show is pro- ceeding, the entire action occurring during it, enough to give Chris Mor- ley a couple of more old-fashioned meliers. The stage portion Is mainly num- bers. More than customary doses of girls, with' several.'songs and a specialist without part In the plot. Ethel Waters, colored. Miss Waters has . two song^,- "I'm Blue'-'. -and "Bimilngham Bertha." Preferred is the 'lBlue" song" for that sounds like i" selling hit, though Harry Askt, who ■ wrote in ' collaboration with Grant Clarke on the lot prefers "Bertha." These two writers wrote all of the numbers, Warner-Witmarlt publishing. A couple of. the other songs sound quite good, especially what is probahly the theme song, and "^fwo LlpS" as sung by Henrj- Flnk is a good general number, with Mr..-Fink reputed Pne of the- busiest ghost lingers in Hollywood. Here, however, he is singing in- person under a character dls'guise and must do a little bit of acting. Sally. O'Nellv has .the" sympathetic Ingenutsh part .a^ thp coat room girl who won't go .-wrong',- wants to act. and 'IS; In love with the ushering boy.' He wants to marry her wher the - coat rpom' holds. 60 hats mor« than usual. ' Mies O'Nell got hei chance just as they copped the old man copping the -dough; She sang the theqrp.-song- and her voice didn't souqd greatly different than when Betty Cq5(ip5pn,. the. burn up wife also sang ;the.number.' IiUss -.^pmpson does very well -aS the prima whp,..4^ows how tc- han^e .a produper.' Miss Fc^zends '^et8,a;.taugh np'w.and>then, as doe^ |iMJe^S.•'BrpTOi,J.'wttti .iftrbwn's role and laughs' llitilted 'W the script. Arthur Liiee^ilS-ithe)-'tishw, rattier :g6od lait tlln'es'when he's'.- Arthur •■■Iiafee,|.:. K-ii. • > ' ','VLee;:MoTa!h as Pete, "I<rops," It riefht at the:top for work, with Sam Hardy giving a first-class perform- ance aa the harried producer. In the show proper the Fairbanks Twins dance nicely and also have some rough twin stuff back stage with dialog. They talk all right Cast very evenly balanced, a strong factor in the good average per- formance in front and behind. Larry Ceballos did a lot with the numbers, thPugh the jumble of the long shots does not bring all of the movements out as they should be. His stair starring ensemble of notice Alan Crosland has done a class A' directorial job. The way he speeded up the action with the Inserts carries the many stories In a manner not to hold sight on any one moment too long. Considerable of the front stage matter could have been boiled down though, and cutting would not have Injured several back stage scenes. These are the spots likely where the cut will go for the regular house length, with that handicap of how to cut With' dialog preserved still entering. "On With the Show," with its coloring and potentialities for talk- ers, will give anyone understanding pictures lots to think over. Sime. FATHER AND SON (6Sf»/. DIALOG) Columbia production and release. Directed by Erie C. Kenton, starring Jack Holt Sound and dialog on Western Electric disk Story by Elmer Harris; dialog written by Frederic and Fanny Hatton, continuity by Jack TowTiley; cameraman, Teddy Totzloff Musical. scpr«: .by Constantlne Bakalelnl- kpff. '. Theme Bong, "Dear Little Boy of MInS," published by WItmark. Runnlnjr time, er minutes. At the Embassy, New Tork, June 3, tor a two-a-day run. Scale $1.B0. Prank'Fields jack Holi Grace 'Moor«'. ; Dorothy Revler Jimmy Fields Mickey McBar Mary "White Helens Chadwlck Anton tiebau Wheeler Oakman Significant picture for a number of. reasons. Okay for first runs, easily. Oho reason is that it is among the early important contrlbutlon.<- to the new sound technique by an independent; another is the distin- guished writers who are concerned in its creation. But more than these, the production is the first that comes to mind that could not have been scre ened without the use of 'sduTuF=nigr~lr't o Bay , " the u rtlu u- ^- late screen is the only medium tliat could have given this particular story its present treatment. This circumstance is Important Most of tlje really effective sound and dLilog pictures so far have been taken over bodily from the stage and their screening has been largely a straight transcription of tlio £oot- (Coritlnued on page 29)