Variety (Dec 1929)

42 VARIETY VAUDE HOUSE REVIEWS Wednesday, December 18, 1929 PALACE (St. Vaude) A good show all the way at the Palace this week,. Ted Lewis and Clowns kUl them with rhythm; Madge Kennedy scores favorably • with her skit, "The Red Hat" (New Acts); Jim McWilliams, pianuttlst, ■rolls 'em with his piaiiologue. These are the outstanders, with Lewis outdistancing all Monday, night. FelOvis, male European juggler, pace made and scored with a some- what different juggling routine. •Dixie Four,- colored male quartet, got things going in next spot. The boys work like dynamos, everything in a Harmony and hoofing way. ".ChiQeg^-Slipw Boat Revue" also lilt for class and laugha with a diverting flash, colorfully mounted. McWilliam? got a chance with his nut piano stufC. He plants plenty of wisecracks in opener and then goes into his one man opera travesty, which he has been using right along but still works it for roars. • Miss Kennedy followed, supported by three others. Somewhat fluffy skit but Miss Kennedy can. make them take, it in vaude. Reception for star but liehter for the act. Barry and Whitledge,: mixed duo, whammed for corriedy, on after in-^ termlsslon. Miss Barry planted'two numbers in recitative style with both interspersed by rapid exchange of nifties between her and partner. All intimate and they ate it up, bringing .the duo back for. sever.il recalls. • But the piano was gone and team bowed off. • ■ - ; The annunciator announced Ted Lewis and pandemonium broke, loose. • Lewis wanted to quit when the turn ended but they wouldn't let him. He came back for a chorus of the theme song froni his rocent film, "Is . Everybody Happy" and cr M * *i it a night. T*hey wouldn't tft him go iiiittt-attet .1 curtain speech In which he a'.inounced he's holding over and. will dp request numbers next week. . Kato and "Wiley, nJxod, closed with a clever ii^utino Of gymnastics v^nd balancing atop an elevated ^(and. Act has class and held most In. Edba. Herb Williams scored solidly In his riotous guffaw-raiser, nearly stopping the Saturday mat show. Audience went strong for Doris Ewing, who did a little more here than when a few weeks ago at a RKO (Vaudfilm) * Los Angeles, Dec. 18. , House Is now putting emphasis on quantity rather than quality. Five Brooklyn split. Routine otherwise | ^cts ran 82 minutes that on merit should not hav^ ^one over 68. With feature picture and other film fare, show over three hours. DeMarcos' dancing closed the vaude lineup and gave the bill eye remains the same, with Williams building his act to a climactic hang- 'em-on-the-chandeller flnlsh. Glenn, and Jenkins preceded the two-act having changed position in billing, and mopped with their appeal. Couple do a Spanish dance station Droonv-sweepmg oarrage oi ^nd two ballroom numbers, one cos- gags, broken by a few dance steps tuj^g^^ange filled by a duet be- and a vocil-gmtar specialty by a | j-gg^ tj^^ ^wo pianos accompanying. Hal Jerome and Gloria Gray held next to closing fot 22 minutes of loosely strung bhatter. Probably will be knit more closely during the week. Mildred: Hunt, boosted as a WEAP soloist, works . through a third member of .act, unbilled. While the added number about mid- dle of the act Is acceptable. It has a distinct, tendency toward retard- ing the fast pace set by this team. Former sure-fire material has been ''''V^ol^J^t fk^li WnS frtr mike behind a scrim; Loud speaker and Jenkins puir for a^^ front for radio effect. Three *^«ff™^4m5™^«nV^h« ^^^^^ solos. Two men. as college duo. Between Williams an«J the Weav- alternate. Brem-Fitz and Murphy ^'LV,^®^*^.^?"^ '^t^^^ h»« o^^i^S Brothers strung out the deuce spot Venlta Gould, who has added to ^^j. jninutea slapstick with pansy touches, ice Chevalier from 'Innocents of hrhev lauehed but 'wav over on Pai'is." paramount-talker, as . well | ^^"/^^^^^^^ theVcSord{ Ruinous. Singing STATE-LAKfe (Vaudfilm) • Chicago, Dec. ,14. Lineup was Just right'for the audience at this house. Offering a variety of good eleniehts. Opened with Joe Mehdl, the monk, who satisfied the mob that-he could do a lot of things other monks can't do. Although this trainier sells him ais practically civilized, monk almost hit the guy's arm oft at the first show Saturday. Mary Marlovfre followed with character impressions;. .Clever, ho doubt, but the mob at this house didn't get some of it She'll have to put it on thicker with the nite club entertain er and. the musical comedy Ingenue bits. More in line with local , under- standing were the shop girl and Irish housewife telephone conversa- tions. Miss Marlowe has a fine set of t)ipes and should hulld up .the vocal part of her turn. "Stop, Look and Listen/? featuring Loretta Gray, proved a fair flash, with an oversupply of hoofing. Some nice chorus routines by six gals, the best being a stair dance bit with canes, giving each gal an extra tap. Man tosses off couple of dance specialties between sets. Miss Gray stars with toe tap numbers. Charles Ray, another of the long procession of picture names hitting his house, followed, and actually did an act. Weak In dramatic vo- calizing, but his comedy songs go big and should be given the spot- light. Four Camerons were cleanup following comparatively quiet turns. House went "for the hoke. "Shannons of Broadway" (U) feature. , Loop. < time. Tv,T,<=i rniiirt M^se^^rs. Boys, should get some , u!Lr - I chalk behind their ears. Screen feature, "Song ot Love' as one of the hot scenes from "The Little Show" (Stage) did well before a gmall house, 5^T!nll (Col.). Comedy short and Pathe song act as kids, held No. 2, dpinff gound news also on bill, four numbers and stirring more i''"V'"" than the'usual enthusiaSni. Opening act, Five Danubes (New Acts), trampoline casting turn that : ncludes some satisfactory work but plays awfully slow and needs a lit- tle polish even for theatres .less im- portant than this One. COLISEUM (Vaudfilm) Neighborhood competition in New York Isn't stagnant. Vaudfilm houses have shown an. Inclination to Vaude show's entire running time I freshen'„the fronts and brighten the two h9urs 25 minutes. stages. At Keith's Coliseum plenty ' With the Rudy Vallee picture, of proof. . 'The vagabond Lover" (Radio), Saturday mat drew 'em. House current, in the Greater New Tork had the Rudy Vallee picture, "Vag- Keith houses, the Riverside Orches- abend Lover," a draw by itself, tra, under direction of Dave Mor-. Flocked to the house early last decal, this week plugs principal Saturday. Long before vaude started numbers froni the talker, with the fdr the one show only in the after- sax playgr in the pit doubling for noon house filled downstairs, a vocal solo. All seats reserved; Different from Audience here seems to like Mor- the competing vaudfilmers uptown, decal and his pit, organization and coliseum starts an early afternoon so much so that applause followed with. the feature, then runs the Saturday afternoon's overture. BUt vaude and the pictures again; See- the Valine film failed to show draw- ond show at night Picture plan is Ing pQwer here opening afternoom to attract 'em early anyway. Pathe News (silent) and poor. An Idea as to the entertaining sandwiches, orchestra and vaude strength of a four-act show with bill. . any balance at all wa.s exenj- Flrst floor less than half filled, pnfled here Saturday. It is under- with women and children predom- 3tood that the four-acter is going to inatlng. Excess of kids due doubt- hit the road. The way the Coll- less to kiddle prizes given to lucky Ueum bill with , the Rose Kress Trio stub holders (boy and girl) imme- of roller skaters, singing trio of dlately following the show. Good hposter, Fagan and Cox (New Acts), Idea around Christmas time and will TInova and Balkoft's dancing turn, probably prove better draw during and Ken Murray with his little cojna- week than on Sat. Cttar. Ipany of funmakers. with the Murray monkeyshlnes and fol de rol given greater strength by the participation of the Foster, Fagen and Cox combo, sized up was to the. mustard. It should run. juSt as smoothly on the road with sufficient comedy packed JEFFERSON (Vaudfilm) Lengthy bill here the first half. Total running time almost three ^ ^ ^ hours and a quarter. Vaude alonel^ear th^e'flnrsh^by'Mu'r^ajT," ran to 96 minutes. Good all-around The Kress outflt Is a nifty roller bill, with turns nicely spotted and fl^sh. TInova and BaikofE are effec each well received. Audience for Uiy^ .^jnh adagio routine. The third supper show a bit above par, iwob- jngmber of the act gOes in for a ably due to Radio s vagabond Lj^^ni^ bit. ^^ly satisfactory as a Lover.' „, , . . s ^ filler. The fiddling director in the Jose and Edythe (New Acts) drew deserves a bow. Phil Frabello's men have replaced the former Coliseum orchestra. Murray closed. Apparently Mur' the opening curtain. Dance and 1 string orchestra flash. Keith Wil- bur, second; drew a big hand with his .varied vocal imitations. Mlm-i ^ay has a terrible memory. Some Icklng of birds, animals and musical ^he jokes censored by the Keith instruments appealed. Harry Hay- ..y^^ mustn't say that" board are den and Co. (New Acts) in a new kjgg^ ^y Murray without apologies, comedy skit about a downtrodden Und surefire laflf getters. Murray husband who finds his proper place ^^^j^^^ eccentric couple for In the marital household through ^ ^ j^^j^ comedy stuff, the medium of a fixer, treyed. Pur- } " ported to be the world's smallest midget. Major Mite (New Acts) Ijsupport they possess. Team has added a lot of polish, and while re- cently out of a "dirt" musical ("Broadway Nights"), hasn't brought any smut back. , Harry Jana is still getting dynamite out of his uke trummlng to Whalen's hotrfooted stepping. Together they release a load of smart comedy patter, and for a nice touch have Lillian Shade, blues warbler, • doing personality stuff. Miss Shade was seen around earlier this season in the Hilda Fer- guson unit. In the middle groove was the Brown Derby Band. Youthful agr gregation, featuring Frank and Milt Brlttoui OrvlUe Knapp and Ida Shipley. For a nine-piece combo, this outfit showed up nicely and with versatility. Directly ahead were Gordon and Walker, two men comedy workers of the lighter va- riety and using-'a girl foli; Material Is neither bright nor . new, but well delivered in burlesque style. MUr- ray'Gordon has the heavier assign- ment iahd warbles a fair song on the side. Walker's forte is his hoofing, and when, this pair' get tired of chinning they can make an easy song and dance gp of It. Young Chlpa, Occidental juvenile troupe of mi)ccd acrobatics, opened to good returns. Five boys and a girl who is just an assistant go through various formations and rou- tines, Including contortions, equi- librium and plate juggling. Might speed up' a bit in going into num- bers. Regular, pit overture a popular Item here; house; orchestra of 20 men capably • dispensing topical tunes with favorable dirrangements. Also these pit boys are no slouches when playing for acts, which is quite Important. "Nix on Dames" (Fox), the fea- ture. Fo:^ ; silent and Movietone news clips completed. Near capa<ilty for the first show Saturday. ■ Span. GRAND O H. . (Vaudfilm) . Good layout for first half here, with Will Morrlssey drafted from rehearsals of "Hoboken Hoboes" to hop in and iin. c.ahd later hooking lip his own act with MIdgle Miller. Only three acts Instead of the usual six-act brace, because of screen feature, "On with the Show" (W. B.) consuming over 90 niln- tites. Picture was ostensibly ' the draw and packed them In plenty Saturday afternoon. Louyle Trio, male, opened with a fast line of balancing and perch stuff that got over big. - Pierch stuff is the outstandfer. Will Morrlssey. grabbed up from then on, making appearance in a plug hat, walking through the.audir torlum and getting friendly with the mob. They atis It, After planting himself solid with the cash custom- ers, Morrlssey called Midgie Miller out for some snappy repartee. Miss Miller uncorked a neat tap that took 'em. Hit for show stopper without a struggle; with the muggs getting all of Morrissey's smart stuff. Eighth Avenue knows Its onlonis (Of a sort) as well as Broadway. Virginia Rucker and Co. closed with a neat dance flash that held Revue enllstied three men and three women. Jack Lerack shared under billing,, with Miss Rucker alternat- ing as warbler and dancing partner. Good, fast dancing act, pepped up and building to a smash finish. Vallee on the screen and a Pathe sound news that, wasn't so hot. The house gave ^way about 12 featured and exploited here and held pj.ggg„tg^ ^^^^ the spot nicely ■««• - I- » J i^To.^n„ for the girls, via drawn nUmber ^"^"^J^^^r. ^«Jf^1«,, ""^nv/ thim procedure! and that also accounted sprang on next and gave them' - RIVERSIDE (St. Vaude) Though lacking variety and that once .allr.essentlal commodity, flash, new bill here is the .sort that might arouse response for the return of two-a-day at this uptown house on a paying basis. While vaude would never be vaude without comedy, too ' much of. it is like two steaks and no des- scirti That's what the bookers don't seem to agree on in favoring, the laugh acts ' strong and thumbing .^.the nose hard at flashes. Riverside *nt>Ill an example of the new trend in booking, with three of the sdven "acta 'Strictly in the comedy cate- gory. ■ These are Herb Williams, Glenn and Jenkins and the Weaver Broth- er.s, Last mentioned combined with "Homd Folks," which is billed as a separate act but-lstt'tr-addition of Elvlry to Weaver team and 13 others for gatirlo song and dance stuff having built the Weaver act up into a production rui>nlng 35 minutes. I Weavers closed the show, taking up next to cldslng and closing spots. The attraction, in spite of the small audience Saturday after- noon, registered better than in a larger house where recently caught, th© tipper West. Side patrons going Wor the "Arkansaw" atmosphere. Billed, third but going on fourth, varied and good acrobatics and leg mania. Femme members of the family are all lookers and talented Hit was the semi-comedy acrobatics of Maurice, aided by his brothers Springboard leaps were topped by Colleano's double somersault from the floor. for an overflow of the juves. Still get a kick out of getting something for nothing. Mark. ACADEMY (Vaudfilm) Fox house on. 14th street took the Low comedy of Weston and Lyons I Play away from the burlesk stand supplied much to laugh at, and the next door Saturday with N. T. G.'s house was generous with laughs. MIdnlte Revels (New Acts). Flock Mugging and clowning of Miss of femmes sported in the revue Lyons helped considerably. Latter would make any runway look sick Is also a neat Solo warbler. Fnlshed Nils GranlUnd, radio announoer and effectiviely With a hoke drunk bit. floor show conferencler, surely Whirlwind trick roller skaters, knows how and where to - pick Robblns Trio, closed and rounded beauts. After that he unleashes out the bill nicely. Two boys and them on ..an audience with just one femme. enough Intimacy to get the gray Three Pathe shorts completed. [beards going and the sheiks n.rln' Girl show on the tall end of CqTH SITRPFT I well assorted flve act bill gave the 0OAn t^MSKtUK^i Academy^s flrst half a nifty and (Vaudfilm) peppy layout, only that the N. T. G P. g. biz at B8th St., with R. Val- frolic ran 'way oVier what It should lee In "Vag Lover" (Rad) showing going 70 minutes. Hardly warranted draw. that stretch even in this house, No.. 1, Harriet Nawrot and Boys, where patronage is made to order girl knd 2 gents on skates, clicking for the limb and torso stuff. In with whirl rout. One gent Works other houses 70 minutes Is out of comedy, taking ^p. f.'s for o. k. the. question. That's not taking laughs. . anything away from Granlund and Deuce, Joe E. Howard, yet com- his personally conducted femme poaer=and..vaudei.sInger,...mIxlng=hls- 4our,^but.^a.grfiat._ dBaLol.Jt -ca own past hits with new dramat condensed tear-jerkers. Took enc. Academy- bills of late have been 3, Roger Imhoff, >Iarcelles Coreene lagging behind standard. As many and Co., old-time hoke sketch with as seven acts on some of the bills Imholf getting bellies out of aged holding out quantity but usually not prop furniture In cheap flop joint, quality. Current layout with flve Kane and Ellis, next.-to-shut, not so turns looked much better and prob fancy with crossfire, ably figured about the same In cost Closer, LIna Basquette; (New Even If costjng a bit more It's worth Acts), with 7 boys In hoof act. Ml5?s | It Basquette back fi'om filcker work on coast and In classy shape. Who thrun that 3-em dash? Banff. 86TH STREET (Vaudfilm) Sophisticated hoots, simply deluxe editions of plebian razzberries, pre dominated at the $2 showing of Rudy Vallee in "Vagabond Lover" at the Globe. They are remembered because they again prove that re suits on Broadway at $2 have little effect on. what follows in the neigh borhoods: and Main Streets at pop prices. VaUee's plctUre, to judge by audible reactions at the 86th St., Is very good stuff. And business was above normal Saturday after- noon. Its. draw was discernible despite the complicating Infiuences of pre Christmas slackening and the pba slble. draw of Agnes Ayres In the vaude. Miss Ayres, but of pictures for several years, is teamed with Arman Kaliz, who may be recog- nized by lecture customers at sight but not by name. They are doing a sketch with songs; :a bit of Egyptian drama highly burlesqued. Act is not to be regarded as a per- sonal appearance affair, because both Its players have, been off the screen too long for that, but as an entertaining "name" turn with pos- sible mild draw.. Bill Qpiened with Martinet and Crow, clown illusionist and a crow which catches small balls in Its bill a.s^the clown juggles them. That's the -Surfi_flnish^.^=Boy.d_.Senter,=;who^plays. many instruments, was second, as sisted by a pianist and boy dancer Senter gets torchy jazz out of his musical list. Pleasant deuce mate rial. Senter In midwest picture houses Is almost a "name." Han-y Can-oil's Revuette" (New Acts), followed the Ayres-Kaliz sketch and closed the bill. Carrqil has a rearrangement of his ou.itom Jans and Whalen, back In vaudp arlly good vaude ejitertainment after musinal produdtions, may have j Spven girls and two men in support nicked the budget, but the hoys held ' Heigh-ho tlxe f.rst half, and boop up a spot here In need ot punch boop-a-doop the last. BaHy, PALACE (St Vaude) Chicago, Dec. n. , This week's bill» with the Duncan Sistera held over from the prevloyg week, has the sisters and Junlap Durkin as its only worthwhile en- tertainment. Otherwise it does what the riiarket did. While the Duncan Sisters are top- notch show-women, their, act is not a topnOtch turn. They have -re- tained a part of the material used In their impromptu act of the pre- vious week, aiid ad llbbing still took most of their time at the first show TO their credit, they were forced to work more than 30 minutes, and Effectively stopped the. show. . Seven Nelsons, acrobats and turn- biers, opened hesitantly, with the boys fumbling one of their main tossing stunts, but closed to cheer. Ing returns. Charles Harrison and Sylvia Dakin held the deUce weakly -with, rehearsal traVesty oh a musical comedy. Could not fire them' with Harrison's songs, and-did little more with rube band flnlsh. After the children failed to laugh ^ at these two. Junior Durklh gave them their throbs and just dues I'li his skit, "The Little Vagabond." Boy played exceptionally, artd ran his sob scene to a keen pitch. Why Healy and Cross took an encore after 15 minutes of dull har- mony could not be fathomed. Edna Torrehce helped ■ save the, section before intermlsslpn from a complete washup with her dancing,, particu- larly her bit from "Desert Song.'* Brother is' not much help"with hla soft-shoe work, but Mary Dunn's two songs and dancing wejre worth while. • ■ Duncan Sisters, after Intermissloh, changed their act from the previous week, to a fast start, with a colle- giate motif, but had to resort to prop "diplomas" as part. of the scheme, from which they read jokes and songs. Another spick burlesque and "The Strange Interlude" fanta- sy were the high spots. A flock of walkouts started and, continued through the' weak me- lange of Charles Timblln. and - Co., two blackface- boys In crossfire. Australian Walteg, closing, not caught. A most disappointing bilU Loop. STATE , (Vaudfilm) ' State Is ,the third Broadway stop ■ for Par's "Applesauce," and Satur« day biz here Indicated the Heleii Morgan film retains its draw kick. No shortage of entertainment in the vaude section; with the acts making it snappy and cutting wh^e It hurt the least. No stalling, no superfluous efforts and all encores out While the case holds good here only on Saturday and Sunday, when quick turnover: Is sought, speed in a vaude bill is bound to be orthodox eventually. If the acts on this bill didn't know It -was the picture that counted, they should, and the theatre's time limits showed them how to work under a drawing film. Joe Laurie, Jr., tVPlcal New Yorker and rare monologlst, went so fast In the next-to-close he was almost double talking. Gabbed him- self Into the usual land. Bill's other single, Zelda Santley, a solid scorer No. 2. In looks, performance and selection of Jiumbers Miss Santley. of late has been advancing rapidly. She now seems ripe for any pai*t of the big time. Her edge Is that vaude needs single women of her abilitj'. Clean-cut hand-to-hand balanc- ing of Prosper and Maret, per- formed In "one," was a starter extraordinary. On the other side of Miss Santley, the full stage comedy skit of Frank Dobson and Co. It's "The Love^ Doctor" turn Dobson has been getting the Intermediate's laughs with for several seasons. Longest Stay was that of Alex Hyde's girl band act, Modern Maid- ens, on for 22 minutes In the clos- ing spot and pleasing most all of the way. : . Newsreel (M-G-M, silent), only filler In the fast show. Overture,, organ solo and shorts all dropped. Bige. HIPPODROME (Vaudfilm) A completely filled lower floor early Saturday afternoon^ probably the Hip's idea of heaven, made the, big place seem less gloomy and huge than ordinarily. It was .Rudy Val- lee'a "Vagabond Lover" (Radio) all the way. The way Included a six-, act vaude bill that started fast and finished terrible. Better acrobatic openers than .Carr Bros, and Betty are seldoia found^. Ahd while far from_hoiTie.ii> nfe^deUtieTPSpltorBie^^ illustrated, the proper way to . "Old up any old spot. More Spanish, later contributed by O'Hanlon and Z.am- buni, with the fiesta separated by Tabor and G'^een. Wackface song and talk team. Tabor and Green spend 22 minutea on the stage ana half of It is w.asted In idle chattel-. Their home-made gab is so to the singing, it seems delivered-'^y two other fcll-Dws. What surc-firos Tabor and Green could be were Ui«?v (Continued on page -13)