Variety (Sept 1929)

Vredhesday, Sept«nb«r U. im WOM EN'S PAGE VARIETY 65 Dncommon By Ruth Morris , At.rtpxy'8 ii^S^with a Wszt Rhapsody, p ^^frid "Ballet pf the Mist." fail. tn live up to the beauty prom- : £^'Sy S tUle. one lovely effe^ fthe^whit^ eye "1.846 ^mlsty with lipert llghtihg-the rest is a inix- vJ?e of too-bright costumes.; ejgar S^dStns ana rocks ■ that look fike eum-dri)P9. Patricia Bow- S'fl work very nice.,. .George B. "l^S Standing for "Buddy" since his ftiovie debut), talking about :SiflS>^ the Mpvle^ne^nd^per^ ?itly delightful..Repetition of iSt-killlnr ^Skeleton. Dai^e;'.. r. Hieh School Cadets-52 . of 'em-- ioSnt -em.v.:erand cbstuniing and StIons.;.:^'BiiE Tlme^aieiange. Opera Burlesque with the sing- era'grWei in a bowl as ingredients • of a combination salad; Vinegar and oil bottles OA either side.. Aw- iully cute. Montedorq. .must ha,ve fiad lots of fun planning that.,,, ..^ Li Ho ChangV in gorgeous Chines^ tobes and feats of maigic, not least of which is pi:6ducing the Rpxy- ettes as rabbits put pf a large: silk . hat....Nice show.: .;. • • -''Big 'Tiinc" inakes a,: .swell' tin>e out of small-time. Of • all back- ^ ^^tage Stories. produced . ..on the Screen it is the best, .because it tiikes a-worn, tritte theme ■ artd, with - put cluttering it up. with, masgivp ' jirodu'ction numbers;. worHs.:; it into- i. simple story, true and cpmpellinff. The direction is excellent; tlao writing of. the . eJieapV small-^tinie dialog grand. The: chief charm of ■. the picture;,- hbw'eyer, , is bMried, in . the performancies of Hae . Clarke, •and lice Tracy, as dai'Iing and true a' pair ..ias have ever hitched up. foi* a happy ending.: Daphne Pollard, ;>Josephine JDuhn and ^ the ebpii- faced Stepin .Fetchit are others who help. . JFat-Fiaping Sobbie y Covering - the ^legeht hrst neces- • BltateS . finding out just where the Begent is. That fact deterniined, ' the Variety reporter bade farewell to^ all her. friends, tdok an pver . rilght ease' ■ filled with - a, basket ■ lunch/, and, ..with taxi-flag, flying; valiantly set put for .116th Street Pulling up ai the curb, f ushing to greet her wete at least two .dozen tiny .tots as. joyful .ias the. night be- fore ..Chfistmas With a rich r^lative In town. Repbrter .decided to scat- ter a few. patrbni.zihg.: remarks iand coppers to her seething admirers "My dear pubiid," she started ■ But at this point lurtlicr utter- ance- was stemnied by .a youngster who held up a bright and' shining quarter,' ''Lady," he begged, "buy us, a ..ticket, will yer ?" ' Like a flash the situation dawned , oii the reporter; She's quick, that . Slightly: crestfallen Over the fact that this was no •' fail -derrtbnstra tion, she marshaled her brpod of 20 . or more bright and dirty, faces and i led them up. to the box-olflce.: ' Saturda:y afternoon is evidently the day when the smart younger set of Seventh. avenue turns put. fpr :its vaudeville, ifpr : inside the theatre Were hundreds of more kids, run ning up and down the aisles^ hid . Ing under seats and otherwiise ere ating kindergarten whoopee. They're a grand audience, those youngsters, .Sittiflt; paliehfly. througTi, the 'act^ : just for the; f.un they have trying to put-clap each ether at the end. : ■ ' VaLt'iety arrived, indoors . just, in „ time to see the end of a short of Hbliywood , faivprltes at - home. Geqrgfe Banciroft and. Hoot Gibson received the. greatest' i-eceptioh among the nien, ahd just the .sight .;of Joan ,6rawford!s"face had young thihga leaping with delight/ . Then , came .Howard. Emerson's Band, dis- , pensing i)retty itwful music and ushering on a. dance octette, i*. tap trio, Rpphey and Hughes (cute:pair in, real vaudeville" chiatter, written with a rubber stamp) ; Joe Wong, grand Chinese vocalist;, and Besser " and Balfour,-the comedian of which team iH": really funny. The kids . ^ould have liked him,. even if he hadn^t been. .V W.hat .\vi.th one thing and another, a^swcli en tertain mertt. . -, horse-cars, hansom cabs an<i tan- dem bicycles, beerTgardens and har- rppm.s. tP revive; a past day*, The plipiy is a. complete style picture with, its large pancake hats tppped with Nellie's fa.mpus birds and os-r .trick feathers; its white: kid and pa.tent lea;ther high-^ijiice. boots; its poliia dqtes, lihgcrle. dresses and Striped; taffeta, mutton sleeves. Even the ShpCking "bloomer girl" iS rep r | reisente^a.- As iriighthaVe been expected, Hblen ,Morgan ov.erwprks- her so\y-r^ but it*s a iiice sbi), in a yplcb. that's velvet.; Hers are lovely qostuhnieS; one, paiticularly becpming. is Pf black taftetai with pWrky jacket, billowing sleeves aind tiny blue bows trimming ai nqcik-inset of lace. Hat worn ispf the poke variety in black taffeta,With blue plumes drooping oyer: the brim. "The whple> cpm- bined ■ W^itli the iMorgan .beai;ty,, makes a w.irispmerpicture: Ariother is tho>White lawn yacht injg dress ;with Sailor collar and flar- ing: skirt edges braided, in- marine blue. For more dressy, mornents there itre a daringly low-cut. flanxe silk,, and. a. IPwn^of iail-cver black sequins" combined with an ..6rmin,e, wrap; red. silk lining pf w^hich- ;^^ it trim pf ermine tails,'" .: Irbne Frahklin'si perfprmanbe is a delight iand her, material,: apd ccS -tumes di.t'td, dittP. . Other women in the cast contrlhutje nicely, including Sally-:,.Bates,,, who ; makes a- grand, straight-laced person out of Charlie Biitterwbrth's maiden aurtt..:. "She wear.s a really lovely gbwri in the pale blue; .shades,: /'combined with .what was. knpSvn.ih the nine^ a boa. . . ■ ■• '■ ■ A griahd rehearsal .scene;-.brihgS the first act curtain dowm It is' the high-light;bf the piece, in which Willie Ha.mmerstein',s.; little , boys have added, ;tp.;;aV,deiightfuily \bld- fasliib,ned~ ' 'spectacle'," all ^the . hu- morous, excitement and calamities of a dress , rehearsal. .'' r It's grand. . Two Kinds of Clay Hollywpod, Sept. 10. After devoting his entire life to the art of sculpture,. Dr. Jpsif Ginsburg has found after his stay here ef less than a year, that plastic : surgery Is mpre, prpfitable.. . ; . Doc has ' performed ,'on. a. lavge number of the stage and screen celebs and uses : thq same theory in reshaping ..the features of h'uman ;beihgs aS he would clay: mp^els.. •'. Clothes and Clothes By MQllie Gray III -I Yeah, a Bit Sweeping Campus Knights" depends for its comedy on -the resemblance Pf twin borthers; one, a night-club rounder, the' other a college profes sor, and both acted (if that is riot too sweeping a statement) by Raymond McKee.' ; There, is sweet confusion foi: as many reels as deemed necessary and then it ended. Endings are always happy at the New York—to the feviewer.. "Sweet Adeline"—Grand' "Sweet Adeline" stands with its 'ect firmly planted In the twentieth Ccntui-y and fopuscs a' long teles- cope on tlie frills and foibles of the nineteenth. It's a lot of fun in .apots, and in others develops the .heaVy^lifinded manner of other big, llamnur.sttin productions. It has Shop Talk Jay-Thorpe's fall op.enin g Many Patoumodels—almost all trailing the ground . .. /Knockabout gbld-brocade,. gently swathing the figure and drooping.into skirt.full- ness. Combined with three-quarter Jacket dipping in back (favorite trick this season), trimmed at col- lar, cuff and jacket length with sil- ver fox. Another in a smudged dahlia shade (Patou's gone simply dotty over those purplish flo\yer Shades), with large flower pattern. Trimmed With mpnPtpne. chiffon strips, crossing in frbnt and fasten- ing onto a Squared back neck-line : -^reversing overall treatment, Lovely black velvet, with intricate dressmaker detail hut great sini - plicity of line. Street ensemble in the darkish plum velvet which brunettes should shuh. ., . Prize of the Norman Hartnell's a ■ brownish mulberry velvet bf the usnal Hart- nell moulding and skirt fullness at-, tached in diagpnal scallops, corre- sponding to treatment, of self-iriate- rial kerchief, which ties jauntily at left shoulder.. . .Cunning- thing i" black taffe.tta, with moulded hipS and skirt fullness to ankle .length. BPurided: decblletage extending, to deep. V in back, trimmed with roll- back layers of bine and flesh chiffon. Most youthful looking of models shown--others all, dignified and stately. . . .Goupy trying to put over a brown ensemble with white cara- cul trim. ■ Most unattractive. Aw- fully nice brilliant blue satin with gentle moulding and two-toned blue hip-bow its only trim;... Gomg to be an expensive season. .Fur, in abundance, on e v ery th in g---- Tweedy dresses for town "wear, fea- turintf • lobse novelty weaves fend ^f5a:tcr=Blfh't=lengt:lv.=N<)(*j'n^|^^ :At> the Studios '■'Sunnyslde : Up's'^ hot number,: "Turn ph the Heat;'* is plann^d^ W :6, thought, in fact, a lot pf thought, a^ to timing, pace, and climax. First sbt is the ice bit Alaska/ Snowmen arid igipps dress/ the stage.. Girls, led by Sharon liynn,. are dressed a^ Eskimos. 'As they" dance faster. a:nd faster the - snow starts tb, melti ^ a water curtain rises, hiding the stage, to permit to heconie the torrid. ;trpp- Ics; The giHs pull bff ; their -itur^ ib ehierge; lightly dressed in fig'; leaves", iiahcers get hotter than hot, u set bursts' into flarie, licking at the heels .'pf the "hpuris,.-; till ^he-y. dive headlong into a, pool of.'water in front of the set. - Water Sizzles into steani .as the girls plun in, the sbt dissolving into a cloud. We've seen raih. ' This is heat. Janet Gay nor, the good little girl in ''Sunyyside. Up," is appropriately wistful 'in .a dress pf pale pink souffle, inspired by a rose. : Long full skirt and_ bertha, collar are be pettaled iii a deeper shade. Hose lesfves tbo are painted on the skift Dress is form number tliree as seen on the stage, at the first act finale when the wrbngfully accused hero- ine chokes back her sobs, to a med ley of the first act numbers "The Beloved Rouge" has still an other Basch ballet. Thiis time they dance in, a .garden, which has arti ficial dahlias, reuses and daisies grbwing strangely side by side in the grass, and clambering up the garden wall as well. Girls are in ballet s-wan. cbstum.es—utterly back less bodices etiibiroldered with scrolls of brilliants,, and tulle skirts that have ostrich flues waving over either side. Clbse fitting headdresses made of white feathers with long curled cock's feathers on the sides and brilliants over the fbrehead give the costumes chicJ They are Smart- ly becominig to all the girls, for no hair is allowed to show, helping them.: tp look as the designer hoped they .wouldi. Lillyan Tashman is smartly nauti cal in a yachting costume which she wears in "The Children," PUra mount's picture. Suit is white, coat lined with navy blue. Blue angora blouse has a white hand appliqued wit' blue y lla.t's, crown dotted -with blue stars, is pulled through the brim over each ear to tie in a scarf under the chin. Neither wind nor. gale can yank that hat off.; It's a becoming effect, and a grand id^ea. :;;:t;'rriost remarl-','^; rf .all'Is the At The Palace Dandy shpw af the Palace, not a wasted moment nor a dull . one. "Princess Pat" must be the heaviest feminine Act, weighing 350 pounds, but much of her pppvitarity ist due to .heir trainer, Bert Nelson, who hai :a -way. with him. " In fact, the Palace, .seems all set for* a: ";Mr. America" contest this week. Hordcc lieidt and liis Californians make' bne wpnder: why mpre girls' .haven't taken th;b advice of another /Hbrace-^Greeley, about going West. The stage might haVe been. a mu- sical museum y^ith that display bf' instruments and what they did With them is every band's busihessV Vo- cal numbers cpuld niake any Glee Club-look to. its harmonies. Num- hers Staged with a tingle, too. Little girl dancer got both heels und^r her chin and still kept herself together, Wonder if anybody eybr said ^'Oh! Horace*; to Mr. Heidt—more than ortce? :•'■:. • ' ^ . Molly Picbh jviBt ,as delightful as on het former visit, .her pew num- bers all very gppd hut for the encore VSniavty," which wasn't ftt.all in the. class with her bther ,material. That Lonesome Bby'r of. her former selection' ry>buld, :have been finer. Miss Picon- wore.: a . .dainty white chiffon frock and cape cpllfir whose - skirts were -flecked with velvet pet- als in pastel shades, th.e hack longer, a diartibnd shoulder pin and brace- let and.pihk slippers with flat; boWs. Solly Ward worited like a ppliti-. .biaii just: before 'election and ■ W'^s properly rewarded. Many laughs in • a scenb that was familiar to proba- bly ritost people. Marion Murray's ertse.ihble hacV the. lining' of the cape slee-Ves on thb long coat of the sariie green satin as her blouse and slippersrtan cloth used for skirt and coat. ■ .. . . .■■■.''.; • Lottice Howell charmed the eye and ear.. Her songs are as- out bf the ordinary as she appeared to be, herself. Her gown pf stiff taffeta was flowered in dark, grey on a; beige backgrPund and unlincd, just the print showing through when she spread th.e, fullness: for her many bows. Though extremely Simple in fronts the back showed a panel; of frcsty tulle In beige and a bow at the waist. Her slick hair parted in the middle arid coiled over both ears; ' and front with bead.s, a wide b.nml of white fur hemming the;:fircular. skirt, her hat a' tricky little coral velvet and long ostrich plume the-., same shade. Another, gown was of cerise crepe whose ■do.uh]ie;skn;t was. edged its irregular length with .w'liite, "white, also showing as the underskirt. , : She- has: very ; pretty hair* ■'• : . ■ A strangely undccprative show this week..; "Dr. Fu Man elm" giving the audience the creeps from the Screen. : Maidieris Ever Alike If- anyhody- hopes "Our Mpdern ':.; Maidens" hWe chJ^nged any since the last exposure of their lives—^ ; according to Hbliywpbdr.-let them not look to this film tp prove it. Drinking, dancing, gambling, etc., .and. '^crificini^. themselves.for some ohe else. This includes a Paris .. divorce before the happy ending ; j if that brings it uii to date. Joan Crawford, Alice White and Josephine Dunn are the trip. Miss • Cir.awfGrd the wi.se, Mi.ss .White the ihiiocent, . MISS Dunn the catty, settings :uitra;uitra. A most ispipn-; ;;. difereus ./wedding- .staged- ; like a . pageant, the bride in white velvet, her veil like a halo, carrying calla iillies, bridesmaids, page boys and - flbvver .girls, ,.everythihg..Varty • Wed--^ .dirig-..evei:.,'ha,cl but twice a's/Tnany. -. . Miss Crawford's "^g^^^^^ ;' Was light; rippling with :a slightly darker fur, sleeves 'below the elbow ftir. trimming,, of black velvet as was one lapel. ..Her, hat then was .inost unbecoming, .and a large transparent .bnc worn earlier wasn't for her either In fact she looks better-hitiess; Her, dance costume, . vf&s a striking affair in zebra stripes, .-r a. short cape and long skirt and ; not rnuch' else.: ., ■■ '-. ■ , ~' :-:..•■,'•; [■ .'. One fro.ck - pf Anita Page's uSed the narrow fringed edges', on scat* ' collar,- girdle and In. tows on the.';, sleeves. Miss Dunn was Just as vihdictivfe in her frothy bride- maid's gown. as in her Simpler frocks. ' ' . ; Douglas Fairbanks Jr., imitated his dad among others. _ than four inchc^s below the knoo. Tested Farce ; "The Hottentot" is a good f{xror>. It would be news if it weren't, since it has already proven its mettle by way of the siieriJiing stage and Silent films. Talking picturOH fact that, here is a deliberately j ai ■ rpstum'e ■withbiit an anywhere. give it a perfect cpmbinati.oh-T-maV- irtg possible not only, the roHickihg dialog but racing scenes. "' . It's ah arrtuslhg picture, thanks chiefly tb Edward .Everett Horton. Patsy Ruth Miller/plays the girl 'well, looks trim in riding togs and wears ■ various eyening gowns;/at-, tractively. ' • / Wait Roesner's Welcome Capitbl is . welcoming back Walt, Roesner. full dress, white lined cape and top hat, yrith a nice receP- tiPn by the audience ;and a stand- ing one by the stage band.. At the second show it lost Its spontaneous value arid becaine just, .stage busi- ness that looked foolish. A new overture "Glory of Russia" was splendid until the brass broke loose, three large bells (impprted from Russia by Morris Gest) were ele- |,vated and added their Voices to the riot and the finale could have wakened . the permanent residents of Calvary Cemetery. "Atop o' New York" .staged well, opening showed evening clad girls entering an elevator, "Boys" In full dress doing a number meanwhile. Next the penthouse arid a pajama number, the girls in really' attrac- tive sets followed by members of ihe band in a burlesque, their pajamas In "wild colors. Chester Hales in a poorly rehearsed line up, all In yellow and prange pajamas, the intrbduction better than the number. Girls appeaired in whilte dance frocks very pretty, a, black and silver drop, brought down the pajamas. and then took back the. gbwns they had removed, novel effect spoiled a bit by twp gowns missing like tecth out. . Allan Rogers, minded the Stage band until Mr; Roesner tpok it over and later sang several of .his favorites. Ormonde Sisters doing their- •vaudeville act. Paris Clocks ' Paramount eritertairis with canned muSic from back of the cyrtains . during the first.; house filling, not a bad idea, rigr was the enlarged . screen' fpr' newsreel shots of a race . of sailing vessels, . jilade a ;gre^ iftipresslon. "Jazz Clock «hop" naturally called for curtain fuir of clocks, none yeiT' remarkable, - the cuckoo the largest. (Girls', first number in combdy' costumes in green arid blue,' high, hats, tight -trousers, p.itched and spats. , ''Weather House" was a ; nice novelty, the couple. in .the , barpmeter singing' passably 'while ; the dances, both tap and toe per- formed in Swiss co'stumes very prettyr . Tiffany Twins had no '. change of costume from the effec- tive pale green velvet striped ^'with silver dbwn arm and leg. Finale was groups of. three girls as orna- mental clocks, center ene holding the face,. with a nicely posed gold French clock filling back stage. . Abe Lyman received a cool re- ception. Not So Tempting , "City of TemptatlOii'.':...Drama pf :Rlls,slfiri refugees in Cbn.stantin- ople.;.....P r e t t y , awful. ^. .Heroiiie prefers hard lines tb easy virtue.... gets job as a danger in nite club. ....Villain still pursues ner wim a ria.sty looki.'. .Things look had for virtue for a while-• • •i^"t herb; re-^ turns in time..'.. Jullane Johnson plays hfroinc.. ,;.01ga ; ChockoVa, heavy villaincSs',- sufigf-sts by hor manner and .attitudinizinp",- hefty fjorman , f!opraiio. about to Bint' ••.SiC'glindc," State's Scant Style State • has : ''Eboriy .. Scandals'' which did not live up tp the danc- ing ex;pccted from the ancient order, of sun tanners. One girl, in pale pink, did a "tired" number that .wa.s ciever and funny hut beyond that all was' a blank. C;ostume,s of ex- hausted ostrich and hozy lace very kindly hidden most of the time by colored lights. ===Wnu»yt rt^num beP=br-=li n gu i week, Wilson Brothers spouti,ng Gorman all over the place, . Ann Codoe . French, .and (icrman. • aiid Kruhk-Conville Now y<>rk. Ann codec .still cxocls in nian-^ agement and again wears une of her favofitx" .'itylo. gownf-', the mili- tary lined White satin, paneled back ... "Those..St, Louis . Blues^. ; .. "St.: Louis : Blues'* is no new fall , cbloi;—rather old ;fall. Cast is en*. '' tirely dark and leaves that kind pi ; taste in the mputh. ., ' ; ' A big hiisky wpman crying; int* ,, her . beer :pver, ari unappreclativ.« gentleman friend yas. ludicrous but . anyone in th'e audience feeling sorry for her was even more so. : ; ; Those chprai arrangements made I the St. Louis Blues soundXalmost:; like a hymn, ju.st an added insult especially. considering the subject ■and the Svaty it is pircsented., iSinging top good tP ■waste on such trash ari<l' that goes; fbr the whole; ■picture,. , •.• '■:■■■". ' ■ .• V. Watching Ants tJFA must; hav(i some .( {imora- >v';onifn on; its .staff,, .tlify'v found some moi,(; ■'.'S(!CTCt.s of. N-iturt'." A^iid niiturf'. iiinlX .«b >rrari(l, su^nc- =t iirrefir=f4l=lv W;f=Ant,f^i=a M d==0 Kocrts 'gcrttlng dnnik on, Iho. sap of an dak troo an?! thir pooiv ti.sii are not above ri'pr'oaV'li, Nature evon. ha,« its* ni. c.. thr- (•atcrplllar. known hk; tilt- -.Master of Canifuifla.^ro. <.'lr;V(T ■ phi)l').tirii'r'li,v and titles in lij-'lit/r \v'n pass th'S for en- . tcriuinmcuU