Variety (July 1929)

Wednesday, July 10, 1929 NEW ACTS VARIETY 36 WALDORF-ASTORIA Hon Room Oreh. (8) 16 Mine.; Full I»iUco. (St. Vaude) Qroub of eight string mueiclans under the direction of Billy Artzt ^ho a'8° fld^l"' ^^"l,*^.- billed as manager. On here Noy z probably with the booking. Idea that a string orchCBtra would be, nn agreeable variation from the steady diet of syncopation and jazz nvp- pUed to vaudeville audiences. ^ It turned out to be exactly that. For the No. 2 spot between a pair of acrobats and a rough and tumble mixed comedy pair, it served its purpose nicely. Frame up is four violins, bass viol, cello, piano ana reed organ. . Cyele of selections comprised a Victor Herbert medley. Hungarian Fantasy. "Sweet Mystrfy of Life; and a medley from the "New Moon score, featuring "Lover Come Back to Me." All music in the spft-and- low style with Just a bit of syn- copation at the finish. Class act. Waldorf-Astoria name •worth something In the hinterland maybe. Fitted nicely here. . Zittel, the manager, is publisher of fl Times Square weekly. Rush. (2) Perry CRANDALL and Co. (4) "Royal Flush" (Sketch) 16 Mins.; Full (Parlor) Ehgteweod, Chicago (V-P) It took a stock troupe to teach vaude acts a lesson. Two new acts In two weeks! J^obody can sqUawK about old material. It's a pity relther of the acts Is good as It weakens the lesson. But It the first neW act had been any good there wouldn't have been any second: new act. And no lesson. For over two years,'as mentioned last week In the New Act review o£ "Dream Dress," the National The- atre stock player^ held forth around the comer from the Pnglewood un- til heat and back rent kicked theni out Apparently they can be booked Into the Englewood as long as they can think up new acts. Neighbor- hood considers the troupe members of the family, and it is believed they brhng a little extra business. "Dream Dress," dlscArded, had Delia Deshon. "A Royal Flush," which may also be discarded by now, was written by and features Perry Crandall, the National's for- mer-leading man. With him are three men, two of them from the National company. Two burglars enter the living room of Lord Whoozis in search of an $80,000 necklace. They llnd it. attached to the butler's' garter as they give him the billy and tie him up. At that moment a guy in tux and monocle enters and announces himself Lord Whoozis. Unperturbed,' maybe even bored, he Informs the yeggs the place is surrounded by cops. After much nasal dialog he consents to show the burglars how to escape in return for the necklace. The burglars blow and the monocled gent starts to do likewise. Just as the butler revives. "You," excla4Tne the butler, "are not Lord Whoozis! He wears his monocle in the other eye." "I know I ain't,"' jargons the gent, "but I got de polls." And he laughs a cold, dry laugh as he screws de Joint. Crandall Is all right. His support was rather poor, especially the young robber who stuttered for comedy. Not much chance in these lean booking days. Bing. CASTING CAMPBELLS (4) Casting and Trampoline 7 Mine.; Three State (V-P) The Campbells, four men. haVe about everything a casting act needs and do. about everything casting act should. They do most everything well, and often sensa tiohally. Two catchers and two flyers, one «f the latter a comic in eccentric get up and working the trampoline more than the air. The other Is straight flyer and excellent. Comic's slow swings around the support bars, usual stuff, is ex- ceptionally well done. His best stunt on the net is the series, of. 25 or 30 somersaults, one to each full beat of two choruses of "School days." Find out how many beats in that song and you have the number of twists. Straight flyer features full body twisters in flight and a couple of daring foot catches. Sige. POLLACK and 0UNN and Co. Songs and Dances 30 Mins.; Three y Palace (St. V.) Pair of song writers, Le'w Pol- lack and ,Henry Dunn, with popu- lar songs' the world ■ has been -whistling for years,' £6me to vaude- ville ready made. Nothing is quite so sure fire for the fan reguliars as personally conducted songsmlth. The records show them as naturals from Paul Dresser up to date. This pair h^ve addeiL shrewd showmanship to the sure thing hoke of the typical act. They start fast, maintain Interest at the peak with neatly managed comedy and mix In plenty of sex' appeal arid sprightly dancing by their two aids, Alice Weaver, fast stepping blonde and Doris Walker, "pony type dancing brunet with a knack of foiling for comedy duets. Diinn does, most of the. singing, reeling:off thf familiars Pollack has turned out from "Ylddlsher Mom- me" to "Angella Mia" and selling them with a world of effectiveness. Pollack presides at the piano. Fre- quently he registers the impulse to go Into "Madame, I Kiss Your Hand," but Is suppressed In time for another Pollack familiar. This sort of joshing breaks up the succession of numbers. Pace is further changed by in- terpolated dances and comedy busi- ness of the two girls. For the finish they leave It to the audience whether it shall be "Mean To Me," or "Yiddisher Momme," and then sing "Momme.'' Whole business Is smooth and easy as though act had b^n well tried and tested and worked In by playing. Not an in t stant Is lost and they pack vast niatter Into running the time. Still with no appearance of striving ^for It's a first class showmanly act, and top grade entertainment. MILLER and PETERSON Sohg, Talk, Dance 12 .Mine.; One Academy (V-P) Bill Miller and Nat Peterson formerly had their own band revue n vaude. Now they are by them- MY£3i-8Ln£lnJuA%lhlnE»,,da'nclng,^,all a. a cbniedy manner untirtKe legTt' hoofing finale. Big Aacedmy seemed a hond.icap for the mugging and the boys had to yell when^gagglng, but the com- edy -was strong enough despite the , strain, while the dancing made it an easy hit, . Both in big clothes until the final .dance, when a quick change brings them back in tuxedos. Very much above the average two-act.' Bige, BLAIRE and BREEN (3) Song and Dance 10 Mine.; One Slat St« (V-P) Good-looking act because its youthful ■ principals are good-look- ing, particularly the girl. There Is a goodly supply, of polite singing and' dancing ability Involved. Ltft to this one that big time can use. Blaire and Breen, boy and girl, are musical comedy types, as their pianist (man) announces in the l3rrical Introduction. Latter Is a,n accompanist only thereafter. Songs and dances,'i all In brief manner, alone and together, are neatly executed. There is no stall- ing and no time-killing attempts, as the 10-minute running time of the act clearly shows. Feminine half can step Into any spot on loveliness alone. Bige. Ray and Ellis LARUE and Co..(4) Dancing 12 Mine.; Full (Special) State (V-P) - Adagio trio and an eccentric dance soloist (man) in a hoofing flasft that's somewhat different. The adagio trio routine, not a little over- done by this time, Is handled ex- ceptionally -well by the I.a Rues and much of It can pass as new. The flash scene; called "Under the Sea" and built up by a slide on the screen, Is worked on a special full stage set behind a gauze scrim, giv- ing the effect as near as possible of an underwater location. Bears great resemblance to a similar idea in the recent Fox "Follies" (film), but of course not nearly so elaborate. The trio open In an adagio waltz thojt looks good enough to close the average flash.. The marine scene, Including a prop octopus lowered "by wires and a 10-foot catch of the girl by one of the two men. Is a smash flash. .. In. between is the solo dance by a loose limbed fellow who can place his hands on his hips and knock his elbows together in the front Try It. Girl' of the act is a 90-pounder and perfect for tossing around. Bige. (3) JULES HOWARD and Co. Comedy 13 Mins.; On« and Two State (V-P) Jules Howard has discontinued using his flop version of the Avon Comedy Four fire house bit. He is now with two supporters In a comedy act comprising two revised burlesque Ideas and a running finish. Finish is strong enough to sell preceding moments along with It self, and Howard comes In as a good Intermediate comedy team. He can thank the girl, playing straight, and the straight man, singing tenor, for much of the eftectlvenes.n. SffOgK's "vbcal"«ilo'19-the-Tiearest thing to a Wallop In the .13 min- utes. From hia red nose up and dowT> Howard is a burlesque comedian, whether he's ever been in burleycue or not. He talks his stuff through a mouth of mush, an Individual de- livery as Howard does It. He plays a I<eystone cop in the three scenes, remalriinfr a cop to play the return- ing husband in the mid-soene, blackout Bige. HARLAND DIXON With Audrey Singing and Dancing 22 Mins.; Two Palace (St. V) it will take another date and other surrounding circumstances to give Harland Dixon and his new stepping partners a fair test of this specialty frameup. Two from: closini; on" .this' Palace bill, going on after 6 with a polite song and dance routine to follow two hours of boisterous comedy, left them stymie. No polite entertainment could have made any progress'agalnst the situation. This pair didn't. They got an Indulgent reception and rather perfunctory applause on their exit. No concealing tfie one time dancing tornado was out of luck. They open with a mild song, "But We Don't Dance," going into step- ping at the end. Miss Audrey is a Willowy blonde girl and a stepping whirlwind. Nice, mild voice, too. Dixon's stepping sessions went nicely, but . hlB uncertain ventures into gagging not so successful. Mild opening, spirited middle sec- tion of dancing and a finish with- out a punch left them rather- out of the running. Rush. "UP IN THE AIR" (Unit) Fanchon & Marco Revue Academy The bookers of the bill surround- ing Fanchon & Marco's "Up in the Air" unit (closing the show) seem Ingly did their best to toss in as much conflicting 'material possible before the unit The placing in preceding spots of so jiuch similar entertainment not only violated every sound principle of vaude booking, b'ut slipped the unit's re pe'ating specialists a handicap hard- ly overcome at ,the finish. ICnot for its sheer novelty anfl talent power, "Up in the Air" would have-been little more effective here last half ,thaa just another full stage girly flash act But still an excellent piece of entertainment. "Up m the Air" gets Its Utle from the finale with the entire ballet (18) on- graduating stilts. Opening also utilizes stilts. Three girls are on them, high enough to cause, some comment^ and from under their large hoop- skirts the rest of the girls make their entrance. Ballet work is the Important de- partment The girls. In this unit show the results of skilful Instruc tlon, just as biva the Fanchon & Marco unit girls who preceded them east Pony stuff, which always looks about the same, no matter how different the routines might be, probably because of the exact'pre cision, doesn't get much of a break, from F. & M. - They stage 'em as ballets should be Jtaged, apparently, with the girls allowed freedom of. the rostrum, and making the most of It. One simply number of grace- ful dancing, by. only six girls, Im pressed as much as som4 of the 20-glrl lines on other picture- house stages. It was light In Idea and number, but It wtts there because of training and staging. A good look by other coaches at a few of the F. ,& M. "ideas" now playing east, and'should enough of them play east, is bound to change the ballet style In the picture houses around New York. Most of the coaches in the east have the arm waving bug, taking the girls off their feet for hand drills. That's going to go the. way of everything else through over-use. A slight tap dancing girl and toe dancer are excellent among the principals. Soprano is on often during ensembles and does well enough. Trick bicyclist with a peach of an Idea and an effective comedy style has a "one" spot to himself and the single comedy chance of the unit. After this unit he's due for some healthy vaude playing; he's prob ably done it before, without finding himself before Joining the unit Or maybe he's a famous bike rider In disguise, in "Up In the Air" just for a lark. You can't tell these days, when even the ambition of children is to go with a unit Liest the parents forget the kids should be tipped off to ask for billing. When they fail to they'll get into "one" without billing, like the bike rider in "Up in the Air," who registered the hit, unknown. Bige. WEST COAST NOTES (Continued froip page 21). -sisters, in- "Sisters" for CHECKER CABBIES Orchestra (18) Band 18 mins.: Full (Special) 68th St (V-F) Latest of the broadcasting outflts to double In vaude and belongs. Men are capable Instrumentalists, mak- ing neat appeanin.ce and go In heavy for symphonic Jazz. A male enunclator as radio an- nouncer Introduces the band .in the opener for a pop medley. AI Carp, leader, comes on and clowns through his baton wielding for the remain- der-of-the-aet-wlth„Ballafyil!e^ft; feet; Carp plants a comedy vocal, "My Sex Appeal," giving way to Mildred Adams, who contributed a baby- voiced rendition of "Do Something," with Girp clowning through the sec- ond chorus for laughs.- Another girl planted a heat acro- batic dance. Band followed with "St ..Louis Blues" and all on for fast dancing finish that sent. the act over with a bang. actually Col, Lilyan Tashman added to ~"Hold Everything," -WB. Trem Carr to produce "Bride of the Desert" at National studios. Le Roy Mason and Alice Calhoun In cast Bubbles Crowell added to "Words and Music," Fox. Gertrude Astor added to "Jungle," M-G. Veda Buckland added to William DeMille's latest, untitled, M-G. Mary Doran added to "Tonight at Twelve," U. Robert Wayne, Myrtle Btcdman, Martha Mattox added to "Woman on the Jury," FN. William Bakewell, opposite Alice White In "Playing Around," FN. Lon Young's first of eight talkers will be "In Old California." In work July 21 at Tec-Art studio. Lois Wilson, co-featured with Jack Mulhall in two tiilkers for FN, Dark Swan" and "In The Next Room." Blllle Dove will do "Give The Little Girl A Big Hand" FN. Starts July 24. Alice Gentle added to "Golden Dawn," WB, Kay Francis, added to "Behind The Makeup," Par. Charles Sellon, William Sheridan Phillip Sleeman, Bob Roper, added to "The Mighty," Par. Winifred Harris, added to "Love Doctor," Par. Stxuiley Smith, male lead in 'Sweetie," Par. Norman Trevor and Don Douglas, added "Tonight at Twelve," U. Alan Hale and Eddie QuiUan, co- starred In "Up and At 'Em," musi- cal, Pathe, James A. Creelman, Jr., made su- pervisor bf Radio writers. In "The Golden Bridle," U, are Kathryn Crawford,- Gino Corrado, J. P. McQowan and Frank YaconelU. ' Leonard Fields, eastern scenario editor for U, appointed story super- visor at Universal City. Bert Roach added to "Young No- wheres," FN. Alice Day has replaced Sally O'Nell in "Little Johnny Jones." FN.; Rex Bell, added to "They Had to See Paris," Fox. Frederick Oraliam, added to "Hurdy Gurdy," Fox. . . Will Jeffries, added to "Love Pa- rade," Par. Henry A. Barrows and Lee Kohl- 'ihar, added to - "Kibitzer," Par. Paul Hurst, added to- "Sailor's Holiday,'^ Pathe. . Title of "Joe College" changed to "Sophomore,''- Pathe. Fox has renewed option on Owen Davis, Sr. Kay Hammond, added to "Her Private Life," Par. Nina Quartero, added to "The Virginian," Par. William Austin, added to "Sweet- ie," Par. Jack Benny, added to "Road Show," M-G. Madeline Seymour, added to "Olympla," M-G. Dorothy Brown and Stepin Fetchit added to "Big Time," Fox. June Collyer borrowed from Fox to play opposite Richard Dlx in "The Love Doctor," Par. Melville Brown directs. Luplno Ijane In "The Golden Da-wn."' Sally Blane and Jeanne DeBard for "Very Idea," R-K-O. Don Alvorado added to "Rio Rita." R-K-O. Eduardo Cansino in "Golden Dawn," W. B, Marion Schilling added "Kempy," M-G. Eugene Pallette and Arthur Hous- man added to "Fast Company," Par. Gregory La Cava, long term con- tract, Pathe. Charles Sellon has new long-term contract. Par. Rita La Roy added to "Delightful Rogue," RKO. Milton Holmes for unnamed talk- ing comedy, Sennett Shep Camp, Lloyd Ingrahnm add- eJ to "Masquerade," Fox. Robert Ede.on added to "LI(He Johnny Jones," FN. Arthur Housman added to "Side Street," RKO. Leila Hyams added to "The 13th Chair." M-G. Gustav von Seyffertlt3 added tc "Olympla," Al-G. Al Martin, writing dialog for series of U shorts. Harold Beaudine to direct. Harvey Gates writing "Forward Pass," football yarn, for Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Loretta Young; John F. Goodrich, adaptation and dialog of "The Woman on the Jui-y." Dorothv Mackalll; H. E. Rogers, adaptation and dialog on "No, No, Nanette"; Adele Commandlni, adap- tation of "Playmg Around"; Gene Towne, adaptation and dialog on "Loose Ankles." "l?weir"i:ee~bTJfiwed^by*Par-from M-G for "Fast Company." Hugh Trevor added to "The Very Idea," Radio. Eddie Cllne signed by FN to di- rect First to be"Forward Pass." Florence Oakley opposite Will Rogers. , Russell j; Birrtwell has finished his first, "Masquerade." Next, "The Lost Waltz." • •- Pat O'Malley lead In "Help Your- self to Happiness," RKO. Story br Eugene Walter, who will direct dia- log. Bert Glennon to direct. - Karl Dane on new term contract with M-G. ^ ■ Esther Ralston opposite George Bancroft in "The Mighty" (Par). ' liella Knrnclly added to -"Holly- wood Follies," Fox. ArUiur Stone added to "Frozen Justice," Fox. Andy Rice, Jr., added to "Foot- lights and Fools," FN. Tenen Holtz added to "Three Live Ghosts," UA. Bela Lugosi added to "The Thir- teenth Chair," M-G. Sally Blaine, Don Alvarndo, lEva Rosita, Fred Burns, Sam Nelson and Charles Stevens added to "Rio Rita," Radio. George Schnelderman, In charge of cameramen on Joh:i McCormack picture, Fox. Leo McCarey with Pathe on new long term contract. To direct noth- ing but talkers. Alexander Gray, featured by FN In "Song of the Flame." Robert Edeson added to "Most Immoral Lady," FN. Wheeler Oakman and Donald Reed, "Little Johnny Jones," FN. Fin Darsoy, French player, new arrival from New York at Fox, p}ays In "They Had to See Paris." 'Aggie Herring added to "Kathleen' Mavourneen," T-S. Paul Powell to direct "Treasure Girl," Pathe. Edwin '^ - " e has new long term contract Fox. Neil I: »i. Jean Arthur and David Newt-!!, utlded to "Darkened Rooms," Par. Eugenie Besserer, John MllJan, Mary Forbes, long-term M-G con- tracts. Felix Young's "Top of the Hill," opening with Helen Mencken at the Mayan July 3, has added Andrew t,awlor. Mrs. Al Woods Is on the Coast for the summer. 8otH STREET (Continued from page 34) Miller and Kelo, males, one straight' other comic. Latter with red tie and brown suit Other in knickers and cap. Flounder around with each other for laughs, the straight doing medloc tricks, which the other tries to Imitate landing full length for -i rise out front. Wind up, straight blindfolded and set for back somer- sault, which it he executed as 'the other planned would result In his landing in the orchestra pit Jumps forward for the thrill, wlllch Isn't thrilling. Fairly well received. Tony Shayne's AU-Glrl Show shut effectively. Breezy atmosphere In this peppy vaude unit Opens in nice drape with band of 11 girls led by a tall female violinist and intro- duced by an over-enthusiastic femme m. c. In formal male attire. Latter does few eccentric steps, the only forte. . . Change of pace amplifled by Mary Lou Webb, m.- c. doing a drunk. All the girls go into har- monica ensemble. Unit done show- manly and has the right girl in Jean Rankin, leading the band. M. C. at times annoying, but can dance. Her "Glad Rag Doll" was less than lamentable. Forty minutes of good entertainment Screen: "Mother's Boy" (Pathe). S8TH ST. (Vaudfilm) Good show for first half and good attendance at the second perform- ance Saturday. Six acts and "Mother's Boy," fllm. Tl^e latter waa a pushover in this Irish neighbor- hood with enough grandmas turn- ing out for the Mort Downey sob- ber to qualify as "Grandma's'Day." William Desmond, pictures, top- ped the vaude in billing, but not in results. In a tame affair "The Right Man," supported by Mrs. Desmond and Harry Shutta. It's a theatrical story and away from what the pic- ture cowboy did when last around. ° It gives him but a brief flash in his cowboy togs at opener. Action Is set in a producer's officb with the producer up a tree for a type lead- ing man. Desmond comes back in white wig posing as his father and swings the r--*. S\iBt a conventional build up for Desmond, who handles his stuff'well, but a trifle Chautau- qua for even the smallles. Recep- tion great for star, but finished mild In trey spot Ranbow Trio, two men and wom- an, opened with fast gymnastic stunts. For tag the woman, heftl-..^,^ est of the trio, picked up her male supporters and carried them off to plenty of applause. Good opener. Three Little Cops, girl trio In blue satin uniforms rang the bell in follow up with some fast danc.* Inpr, mo.stly clog, spaced by songs. All handled with snap delivery that got 'em. O'Dunn and. Daye, miied team,.. •follawcil-'the-DeBmond-Bketch-*and™<- cleaned heavy for comedy. Man doeq comedy well, works a la Ted Healy, while his partner makes an attrac- tive-feeder. Although taking' some few minutes to get the mob set they - he;4 and tickled 'em.' Checker Cabbies Radio Orches- tra, M-piccc male orchestra led by Al' Carp- with male 'announcer and doner. (New Acts,) "Mother's Boy" (Pathe) on screen.