Variety (Nov 1929)

Wednesday, Kovember 13, 1929 FILM HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY V57 AMPHION New Tork, Nov. H. Here's where » nickel goes a v,^iva. distance and has to. For !«Jv five cents aeposited at the mSv little box office that threatens Jo fail over on the sidewalk any <nute there must toe value received ^^j, 3 o'clock; and how smart this «^ isl . i 1 is! Answer: would know Imme- Anvthlng goetJ, and all the nickels aiately that they were playing ' «nnt are returned in a two-hour | hoblcev from school. /i« s\vell diversion, no matter •S^^enribTe ttie stuff might he. The ^ 5, Jflt kind of a two-reel comedy Uho butcher ghope, ^°I"»ii«nf. the-sort of thing you jr ^a.* sleens t) colored people depend upon It for a couple of hours relaxation but not many. Every Western talker made will get In here unless worse than ter- rible and even then might be booked with the kids daft over this type of galloper. Big play in the after- noons from the children, but man- agement doesn't let 'em in until af silent, the sort of thing you . . . Wouldn't elyo.f'^^Y.}^ }h^^^^!!^,tf,l^r^^^^^ small lobby, and the Am- A cat sleeps peacefully in the Stre; actually gets a lot of laughs! piji^n j^ it wanted, could claim it JSrtm the Amphion crowd. was just such houses as it that iTow the «!ortimon, ordinary Amer- p^^ye^ a large part in making the «nnn enjoys his pictures here .would picture industry what it is today. Ke a Phllsopher dizzy.. But^U^e ^,^11 it a "dump'' is treason! top for the evenings is^to these AWrlcans a lot of money to spend A»er>canB H. ^._g-i„i,y if there are 90C top for the evenings is^to these ^- -rtcans a lot of mor-- «npnd ^ * ^'tSt^ 1>?fSuKr more chil i7en in fhfhousehold crazy, about ORIENTAL (Presentations) ^ , I Chicago, Nov. 8, the flicJ^ering shadow^^^ _ the af- First Cutie: "Say. fresh Buy.-take . Mothers bring the k^^^^^ my foot. What ternoons wl>en adI^lssio^ is a ^ blacksmith shop?" and together they make "P the^bulk .^^ ^^^^^ "Whassa mat er - SffieVn^ c^5r U^elr^es sr^^^ Ke ain't gotta *'"'%helr nighf o'^t at 'the ?hea- chanot. Lou Ko.sloff. ,s my pash " "Smya pash> too. Sea? the telephone booth box of- | he^' . • flee. Gee, Ain't HIPPODROME New York, Nov. 9. Occasionally this theatre gets a first-run picture. This week it has Radio's latest on release, "Night Parade," an adaptation of the play, "Ringside," and as good entertain- ment in the talker line as the the- atre's fans will demand. Stage presentation idea recently installed here, originally w-ith Horace Heidt's band and now with Art Landry-and his recording orchestra, much ihore in keeping with mam- moth house. Pati'ons who try to compare the stage show given here with those in Broadway de luxers. Without com paring prices, give Hipp short end of the opinion. Landry has an IS-piece orchestra and 0n6 that fits in perfectly -v^rith what's wanted here, but booking of acts to work in front of the band needs much Improvement. No stage show Is good without real acts in front of tha permanent or- chestra no matter how good Landry or anyone, else placed here might be. One of the acts booked in for this week, Meehan's Dogs, was taken out after the first show. Not altogether because it wasn't a strong attraction. It simply didn't fit, -w-lth things badly jammed up Miners, however, still hold a mort- STANLEY ^-fhis house, from being, one of the (Presentation) most picturesque, is now the flattest Pittsburgh, Nov. 8. kind of a grind picture theatre, T)ick Powell's second without character in appearance or Beginning of UicK i-owe be performance, operated under lease week here as m. c. makes him loojt by a firm of Greek exhibitors—at gg^^ powell offers a refreshing per- least "Vai-iety" takes it they're sodality that should go a long way Greek from the speech Of the guy J^"J%.^ „^ ^n indifference who acknowledged grudgingly that with a mob fed up on he was tlie manager—and a type of and*lack of talent. It's his singing show that has no more character yp^cg ^liat gets 'em. Through a than the house. r . meg those soothing top notes are in a home-made fcard in the box- sinking. His announcements cpmu olfice window), they had as f^atur^ imDrove in clarity, and since Ite'S United Artists' "Piisoners," with ^ *vne to id lib Avith the au- Corinne Griffith, Vitaphone shP^t npt^the^type to f^^.^^",]^^^^^ with Montagu Love doing Fagin in ^ e 9e .^^^ ^ena the scene before the hanging frpm P^i"-^^^ tougher each "Oliver Twist," Pathe review and a Seewis to eett.ng tougn^r e^^ Stern silent short involving the ad- Juh^he F^^^^^ a basis, of price and without any acts .are brought in at th6 last regard for the tastes of the.clientelei I minute. , But tough on Lou, m. c, this w€ek, to the with the stage show knifed to the Any exhibitor who booked "Prison ers" into a Greko-Latln community was working blindy the picture be- ing a delicate romance of an -Aus This week's presentation, labeled "On Parade," is typical. One act went out after the first show; an- other was chopped from 20 minutes trian • girl and the story without to eight, and a_ third was eliminated comedy. This mob sat through it in after the evening Per^o*^™^"^®'.. a state of contented semi-consciousr the second show the ingredients seem to be there, but it .was uneven & 2*t S^alS^ S\ "^t's the waythey reacted to the and-chpppy. ?^nJrv'wrs\lndtcaS^^^^ S?e wlo^Tb'iirwiVh^l^^'YingTe'-rxceptio^ ""prrtty'opening has^Sylvia Froos i'^J^^^^f^^m s^^^ carrying of the "Buster Brown" subject, singing in front of line Birlf. Q"^ hands from both ^loes cai rying stirred them to laughter by section in red, other in white, and wanted to know B « stan, coioriui, '"'^i'*'/. Shapiro ana kj xvimivy, mw^^^j nnor cj„b1pct at best- but here it mental snecialtieis. sounded great, iflt wouldn't be effective, with talent keen and pull- ,g^^,^3^„d c,/.nnfoi. snTn(>. hner encores. - tVi a. other acts. Former is noKe turn -^ '^ ' ^ •Daiio •D«ia . Tnhnk<»v Act. the other acts. Former if "o^® tura. -'^"i,—^^^-^^^^ to the scaffold I when' La Belle'Pola. mOnkey act, of a ^type common.in vaude, mateWal for a foreign mob immediately followed. Pola's trainer ticodter, so frani the manager nd cutting m g „^ falls. :^ . , ter by the way—and this one i - . - . of making ngn. v- —J-l^ The Digltanos feature .^anc^^^^^ wfl^na the typical American girls in front and band on platform ,ream^ * tain climbers on Mt. Ranier, burdens Of tne xyp v* against ivy walls, behind scrim, dec-K,pgning, that mlxes^^ To manage a house like the Am.- orated with pennants. College mea- ballroom work, and later a com^ reporter Introduced hi««... , xug o.-.^-.a. «hlon Freeman has to make things ley with, girls in mixed routine, cos- Apache packing J^aughs ana thO manager, who was nailing up l but this femme has oodles of per- . ^ romfdrtable for his patrons. Not tumes harmonize, girls in rea p^nch. Other member pigUanos ^ ^jro^en lobby frame. He went on sOnality and knows how to sell. Her of making light the worries fcts In this capacity, ferreting Lnk football jerseys; ^^nd wearing combining acrobatic work and pir second week here and could be bulU^^; out seats for his customers. variegated jerseys and headgears, ouettlng. Peoo!rcome"irt 8wrater3,""macki- I and Kosloffi in'referee's outfit. _ I ' r-K-o Dancing Girls. <12) .^P , naws^ leathS jackets and most any [ Band specialty drags^ bnt^shpw | pear three times" and moderately |^^^ What do your people like bestr' up. Pat Henning next to closed sol- he was asked, to break the icef. idly. His Russian jazz dance and Who knows?" replied the man- mandolin specialties standouts. Al- ' . though billed as Pat Hennlng Co., "Well, what gets most money," only Pat showed his stuff. The Co. wav-they want, so long as they're snaps up on Wonder and keeps the impress. v«o « o-^nri I t^^" ~- i — Sfortable In "\e audience there pace with the blonde pip, Madeline Landry works nicely, has a gooa insisted the visitor—certainly a (ma and pa) were slashed after the nlentv of bald heads and a lot McKehzie, who sings. Heavy re- .^jj^^^ and seems to get across nere. Qj.egi^ p^^^^ react one way or opener. Pat offers a fast and meaty " ^ T,i<rv,+ I rwriontiil ftudlcnce on I QgQygie Taps, sax player in tne| ^j^^ ^j^j^^p ^j^g .^q^^j ..^ongy ». bit alone. " X 5 shoulders. Powell closed with a couple of his they come, meg^ ballads, and finale had girla civp-awavs witn lis DasKeio oi Bi"- | uses' a- oagpipe .uui*caviu»> ":v i m oruiieouo' au».w»..o, —- — ii,, i oumctimco i.iix3y .uv»i <- A^omfe. Guess walking downstairs to frpht stage, Seg'and fruits to holders of lucky orances into one to finish on his La,ndry can be sure of, appearentjy. depends whether they've got beating drums as giant American ceueaanuiiu . . ...^ I pi* . o^+o i.rerentlvl_ » ' eagle descended from files. Flashy. ticket stubs. A little girl Is recruited comedy crystal gazing. a,,,, Better supporting acts urgently Unpney." uv.v.„^i,««t to pick out the numbers. Last seven minutes of unit dull, j^geded. ^. . ^ . _ Seemed reasonable, although, not There are eight people. Including though colorful. Band costumed as p^ed Kinsley, Hipp organist, has <jeep. Picture, "The Mighty" (Par), with Bernle Armstrong's organlog and a . Free, lan and the operator, . on the kindians. xed-whlte-and-blue pliim- ^ake his announcements to the House Is W. E. wired and Its few silent newsreel clips completed. ♦h^ntvA'B stAff. but the candy and «„d ballet likewise. Two Indians Audience through, amphfiers, house reproduction is first rate. Floor gij, capacity downstairs. Cohen. . theatre's staff, but the candy and ^gg and ballet likewise. Ice crieam cone butcher . diligently U,Qised on faked watei--~. -.r-j--w .| is u^^. "^Jr",r '^xurm \'"C" "rr" ' ,7 — . i i^ivlnt iin and down the aisle is ^uief skvwater Solos in front. p and Jlmmie Walker's WillU^here the sailors used to toss kisses SoiS^rthe go thah ^tny^^^ else. |f^ll'-[''^^nishes with Indian fantasy. ^"0^^ Love Me In December fi'J*'" and badinage to the girls of: the He has this Is a concession here Pj/,!5^g°%est effect through. long, m May?" as a timely selection, ^ggtern^burlesque wheel are still Sid.IS-reported cleaning _up,, the J IgJl^f spear., each kids going in heavily ^especially on ^ygij^ggg excellent opening day, Satardays and Sundays for his 1 Loop. toothsome wares. ^,1 — __ Only one operator in the hooth. . ^p«r»C LEXINGTON working the whole shift from 12.30 1 LUE-W O l-CWii^v* * w to 11 at night and running five ehows a day. New York, Nov. ll. About the. only things new here The Amphion Installed talkers a ^j^e manager and organist.. E, couple of weeks ago and" has the „ Crawford, after six years as neighborhood all excited. With con- "v. jg now at the helm, while Ted slderable silent product on its hands -J- yjggQ^gg a new fixture at BtiU to play, it can't yet go into ^ jg an all-sound pollo^r for every day n otherwise the Lexington is still of the week, bu't on such outstand- along with straight sound ing talkers as '^Alibi" (United Art- ^J"Rf ' three shifts a week— Ists) on exhibition today and to- S,,;^gaav Thursday and Saturday— pacity. morrow, It wavers from its old and M^ doine a whale of a biz. Mon- . . . ' t,„«h. wnrrv 1 0-,,.. „v,„„n,^„ land **°;^jgt,ce night, looked like a Miner's 8th Avenue, built by Harry] ■ . " 5 ' tfoTwiPes i_ »on'a -mViPn Miner was LYRIC Tuckahoe, N. T., Nov, 7- blUeVsinger does a'brief solo while! brightened up. There's a marquee 1 score and more of years after Kinslev Is on, with a dull rose spot ©ut front with good light ^splay, peddlar Palmer and Terry McGov- not helning her. but no purpose In the lobby <|itPiay. ern made this little burg 'famous, •Two-reel comedy, "Rubeville Nlte They just take in bulk the accesp- the Lyric came Intq existence. At Club" (Pathe), and Pathe Sound i-ies the distributor sends 'em and Uj,at time the theatre and the tele- News are current filler. plaster them around. . phone company w^rothe only struc- c;aturdav matinee far from ca- House ought to be a gold mine, U^res On the main thoroughfare ' ' Dense foreign population packed boasting red brick. With the deveU five stories high for nearly half ^Xo^ment of the village the Lyric has square mile around, and no oppo- faded. It now has an unkempt ap* eltlon except the Grand opera gg^j.j^jjc€ house (vaudfilm) within 10 blocks. Long lobby carelessly smeared . , Thls^nlght It was^well filled with ^jth prints, old and new. Is enough Not a theatre in New York with a an audience .quiet to point of I ^ away the ultra-respectables. Sfintrr^tlL history than this glumness, except for a dozen crying Lj,^ speakeasies,do the rest. This more Interesting msiory m^n , J babies. RuaTi. I burg is literally dotted with them. One of the community's best absorb- ers figures there's 50 within a square mile of the r.r. station. Top this off with talker competition afforded by Bronxvllle, Mount Vernon, and White Plains, and an Idea of the CHELSEA 'New Tork, Nov. 8. house, none other than the old established policy of daily changes. ^"^J Armistice night, looked liKe a 1 Miner's sin Aveiiuc, uu^i. m., ^—■ MAPRRO Wednesday the house has "The JfX;i„JaTlon here. With standees Miner in the 'SO's. when Miner was MAKISKU Badhelor Girl" (Columhia) for one mooj^JJ. That speaks well for this ^ ■ , ^f "Buffalo Bill" and (Presentation) wr- £ ^ ™- ""^'ToSS '• , lent, "Montmartre Rose" (Excellent em in ^J"^" ^^jon. Refined class of today. In case you ve forgotten ^^^^^ Publix-B. & K. took this break the Lyric Is getting can be Co.); Saturday an all-talker. "The ^gre from all over town just ifg at 8th avenue and 26th street, house over last week It Issued a obtained. Plying Fool" (Pathe) and Sunday cornea " ^^^^ ^^^^ Marcus Loew statement to all employees that the policy Is a regular grind. It's a another all-talker, "Father and inoks class in atmosphere, . ,_,_,„y,x the show house would continue to be oper- dime and double for young and old Son." L,,^ althoS here for many years, got his first msignt inw^^^ rjake ated without a single change In on mats. While evenings top goes to The see^and-hear pictures, as ana aunuug i _ ^f the features business, one of a coterie a** i^^^^^^^j ^ ^j^^. ^^^^g^ f^^ the a quarter. One day a week they thfey choose to call '^ffl here, 'f^ave sim r^ja ^o^^^^^g^j^^^j.g^gjjj &TBt \ Lubln was treasurer and a big shot | Marbro Is a smooth Working hoUSie. j double fieaiture. That'fl Friday, and around the | best of them. Splendid business | not yet been given the acid test in I P""^?^? if"'^Ag'an example, the inner | „p'iErhborhood politics and social I For efficiency It can stand with the I the fare hoists another dime, the opinion of the management, but DU^^^^ li&hted and eathered " ^- '^ -^ . the folks seem to cater to 'em, with Mp^^^'.^ ^^Tmi lounging space and life) who^ gathered a full house and a few standees pressed, .with table in t Monday night. ' perioait^ja „ v,r«ak I „*n„^ «ir«rtat ni An orderly few at the last show. last night, as standees In the lobby 1 Young piano player with old-fash- for the supper show, remarkable in loned trill system liked. Feature a family neighborhood. was "Wonder of Women" (FN). Stage show opened with Benny Educational short and Fox newsreel Meroff, m. c, on a 15-foot plat- fl"ed out. .„m„ ooVa-w tA ei-xt lu. » »-o — - , | w.v V A T,«|form; with the chorus stepping a House *1 »<>,w ^no^tly «a*erl"^^^^ A two-hour screen program In y^gj^g . (the guy ^ who-helped Jay ^ routine beloW. At finale Italian and colored patrons.^^ If^^^^ ^ . ^ * ^^„„a I all with ''Sweetie'' (Par) the^main e^juia to ^reck the Erie) had ^^^^^^ leaps Into a firemen's net Lyric would take a tonic it could phonograph contraption, but serves ^"' 7"" ^ seemingly a potent one. ^ Grand opera house at 23d street, ^eld bv the^ pais hold on nicely. Management is now the purpose all right and no one even^^^^^^ ^ patriotic Lj^e Roxy of the'8 O's. Flske parked I jfe^ boofers^ with the sound proposl- ^ * wnA one-reeler in sound filled in approx- bis girt friend, Josie Mansfield, on p ance and over nicely. Most tion. May put It In and may jipt, ^When Installation of the f-^LelHor t^^ An Arm- 23d street hear Sth avenue (house ^PP**^^^^^^/^^ challenge dancing, all according to outcome of book Sfce W^^^ taps. : juggling. . The 300 seats and dlffl- redecorated somewhat and sound- if"°f A^^f^^^sonted In rather novel f_o„ the street and fronted with an ^ ^ >,nd Mois< in the manager's „ - , . „ J 1 K"wanrto"rest'oTwait fo a break I office almost nightly RCA Photophone was Installed r^Ihe show. Not a new or exclu- j ,t j,ay the Chelsea neighbor along with a non-sync, device, latter t^^f^jaea? but still a feature of bood wae medium swank. Just be to teke Place of organist. Probably g^Jit*;j5"a ^neighborhood stand. ^ ?ore K 8th Ave. was^ built, Jim dead and burled by now from the ' «- ' . ^ "noise menace." A little tinny, that fixed; Reproduction, as result, sat Isfactory, natrick. presented in rather novel 1 fj-om the street x^u-ue-^^ ..--.---r - . ^ , . form of clay molding In relief map Iron fence 10 feet high). for laughs on a non.senfllcal piano Local boy, Walter Leonhart,' I^ — J' -. J, . c'l'vit^ AccomDanying uiov-u"'"" jNeignoornuu Accompanying discourse I " Neighborhood was^ solid resiaen- i "Bfnging'routine."'Mlfised 'here. | meeting the bills. - - of the comiortaoje BadRpr and MeUseler try hard cult acoustics add to the problem. ■ - • ' ^— -nT-ix— T hart,' "Waly. ^ "Alibi,".. s«n,.B«^|{»^sgj*8.^ safari- : .ilffirssr^'^^s^srail f^-^.*^.'^ i-'.- two-reeler'of the old-school, en titled, "Fly Cops"; newsreel and a - short In the Walter Futter Curl ositles series. Pathe hews only booked. . .Five hundred seats Phion, 150 of this total in. a small ==^^_-_balcony.^=^-'Auditorium-" of^housfr^a^ but interestingly deiiverea. miucue ciass, aim « icv» d.-.^^.^^ j^^^ , Another sound novelty in an ani- retain some shrCds of their^ancicni ^ surefire bit wa.s con-, mfted .song ^Ilde titled V^^^^'^aps. high e.^tate. tributed .by the .stage bamL ;ff'o"r;Hnn that Mr Ko.ster, the n?w I their pHo. Their children now prob- ■ r---_„tbinff" Slmnle waltz-clog but I Complete cast, "uome uut oi attentiQn..lML,Mr^^^^^--pj^^j^^ s straight Island. , l nere ju mi-aiiL v . ■n.^.o-i^o TTcrrv but lacks Later on the district was given tlty other over to tenements, finst^populated *v*ci* OI me time m case tney worry i o-mj- ""i/— -7-;-- >,;;„n^nheric bv second generation Irish and Ger- about sleep or the baby's t^^" ^«Ss?eel (S Now it's almo.st solid Italian hangs to the aide of the screen in M-G ne^fj^^.^.lJ,^"*^^^^^^ Movietone and Greek to the west; fur bUBines.s at the foot- But when for an en- semble tap routine they stopped Yhez Seabury In "Paris Green" with Louise . Fazenda and Bert Roach (Chrl.sfic short). ■ Phillips Holmes, "Only the Brave," Par. Paul Lucas, "Young Eagles," Par. Cbmpleto cast, "Come Out of the perfect oblong, with only one a sle ^o"^?/?'j^^^, f Sme. His straight I inland. and that In the center. A rather by notjioing the .^^^^^ ^^^^^ I ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ was arge clock to give customers an playlng^is fair enpug ^ other over to tenements, finst^populated idea of the tim^ in rase thev worry any impoitance or fi'";^' ,y . „ „„««r,ri o-nTiPmflnn Irish and Ger- At thrpo n\r Meroff introduced Toomey: "charles Juggles Harry a kid saxophonist. Just got by. | Green, Zazu PlA^s^, Jobyna Howland. full over it. Theatre located on 9th. between terestlng completed^ Marion Austin warblfid a soft tune Wesley Buggies directing «r„«,*,. ^^^5Tbir=e n^sT^^^ o j^^l^^^XJ^r^^^ rl^os to direct "The I>evir Vi;w"witT\n clectric^^buib I bel.a-tojl new.s items and Movietone with five, a bit mi"-' ctween terestlng, complex dismal thing from the Fox camera^was eople. I attempted assass Some • Crown Prince Hu 43rd and 44th streets In a sort of - section—to some Orawg from all around. the. from the possession of the Miner ations dismal thing from tbe^jo'^ cau.cia »<.^^^^^^^^ estate, sold to a firm of operators, "S K^J^l'A ^"r.^??lnr/HSSSeri^n°y4^ I ich' now has l.ased , It. The I ture Say It With SOnqs" (WB) foa- Loop. (U). Guy Oliver to "Street of Chance" fPar.).