Variety (Dec 1929)

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'Wednesday. December 25, 1929 NEW ACTS VARIETY 41 RICHARD BENNETT and Co. (3) «<A Box of Cigars" (Sketch) 23 Min».: Full • Palac« (St. V) Awful. Author, Ij. K. Devendorf, Is much less at fault tlian the stager, William B. Morrla, and the four- person cast, Including: Bennett, Mor- ris, John Burkell and Angela Ben- nett. AH about English Eddie, a cuta- way-wearing gem thief who outwits the hulls, Bennett, centre stage and elaborately elegant, is pompous rather than isuave, and his support would have difnculty passing^ mus- ter at the Star theatre, Pawtucket. liittle excuse for a thing like this. SIDNEY'S PROLICKERS (19) Orehflttra Fiaah 33 MIns.; One and Full (Special) Met, Brooklyn'(V-P) With running time pared a little. Jack Sidney's new production with nine specialty, people should shape ais thoroujghly. suitable ' material, Sldneyj. former m.c, has a band of nine pieces and a collection of spe- cialty artists who, With liimself, provide a varied, rather novel and almoist always entertaining program of stuff. Act opens before io, drop of stage entrance in "one*' with the specialty people goIn|r into the " theatre and Sidney following, getting a , note telling him- m.c.'s are through and he's the first to go. This idea car- ried out in A small way later, a "red hand" warning him every time he^goes •m.c.lng'. Specld,lty. teams .and singles in- clude Corlnne and Antoinette; per- sonable 'lister team, who work in unlsoa and well, doing two num- bers; Irving and Fisher, mlxted twain of dancers, in comedy rou- tines and but jTair;.Catherine Lewis, contralto, two numbers, and who could advantageously replace "Kiss Me. Again";- Lascelles Brothers, contributing a very surefire bur- Ifisqued adagio; Bobbie Iiondoh, ex- cellent In f9st acrobatics Including walking'' oq mitts and headstands, and '£Ye^die<. . Byron,, eccentric dancer^ who includes acrobatics and novelty bits In his . routine. Ah in all, the nine specialty art- iats are a fairly able crew, but some of their stuff could be reduced to ivhlttlet. down the running time. Opening, while) novel, could have a couple minutes chopped off, also, but the train effect finish building up "Going Home Bliies,^' Sidney himself singing the number backed by. hla colleagues doubling as a chorus, shouldn't be touched at all. Band number as an impression of the Dempsey-Tunney. .Chicago fight now old stuff .and done by bands before, but the patrons here went for it favorably.-. Sidney's turn closed fourract bill here on a Saturday and got over well, with a small audience. Char. Four CARLTQN Bros. Dancihg io Mins.; One Academy (V-P) The Carlton youths, probably from picture houses, have four good sets of dancing feet and a pretty good Idea of a dancing", turn. in "one." Apparently at present they; have a lot to learn about' routining that type of vaude act. This one needs staging and work, - and ..deserves bo% Boys repeat themselves too often end burden their best moments with superfluous efforts which don't be- long. The Rudy Vallee bit is all wrong;, tbo smart, without being funny, and (should come out pronto. Chair dance number could stand shortening. Some tightening up between each Item, and no bowing, stalling or waiting for applause In the lulls, would be the best routine for the Carltons to hit upon. Open in outfits and with a style that recalls the Ritz Bros. Biffe. BRONSON and GARDNER Comedy sk!t 14 Mins.: One (Special) Jefferson (V-P) What starts like a dud turns out to be a surefire little comedy skit, with both Bronson and Gardner hn-' proving as they go along. Their material also improves ais the act .chops off minutes,, and. the. crying bit about the middle that develops the girl into an annoying questlon- asker gets it under way as a hit. While this act done by mixed pair of youngsters is far from the- strongest the Jeff has ever had in next to closing, it Is by no means a nop in . that spot. The ~ eccentric dance and special song double topped by another dance at the fin- ish and nicely in toto despite faults. Special house drop with practical entrance used. Char. VAN LANE and VERONICA. Sand-Artist, Songs B^Mihs.; Three Mth 8t^ (V-P)^ • . ■ ""'Man ~artIsl'~^"d"^oma^ hiched in "Variety" files. Using two oblong frames about four feet by three centered on . stage, he Bkctches three successive scenes With colored sand while his partner .yodels trio of tunes—one for each scene. Old time stuff, but still good novelty. Right spot i& opener. Technically act can stand one im- provement. Singer should cut lad closing song to softer bal- JACK and KAY SPANGtER and Co. (2) Song,and Dance Skit . 16 Mins.; Full Stage (Special) Lincoln Sq. (V-P) A skit idea, but knitted together to show off dancing expertness of the Spanglers and a male duo of comedy hand balancers in hoke rou- tine. Talk throughout not so much; act carried by the aforementioned specialties.' A hotel lobby is shown with Jack Span^ler the fly <:lerk. Miss Span- gler enters and asks for room.' Usual cl'ossfire between the two and a line of gagging with the use of telephone. Company has three men who double as guests before appearing for specialties. A redrheaded, stocky chap did some fast hoofing a la R.ussian; not bad. Other men givia an amusing impression of how expert hand balancers would rough-house a routine awkwardly. It's not a new idea but thi$ pair do it cleverly. . Misa Spangler has several dancing solos, graceful and skillful. .. A corking high.-kicker, front and back. Jack Spangler sings a little and also is nimble on his feet. He fiits in and out like a musical juv and does his best to keep the hotel idea t>uzzing. At the Lilhcoln Square the act made good. Mark. SIR CECIL ALEXANDER Tramp Comedy 10 Mins.:: One Jefferson (V-P) Tramp comedian on the type of Joe Jackson, with material (taJk and songs)., that gets across well enough to pass act for the better class the- atre. Sir Cecn Alexander opens with a monolog, goes'into a medley parody and Closes by reading telegirams to the audience. The material for the close packs a couple of laughs, but is weaker than what precedes, and if worked into routine somewhere earlier should have the tendency to strengthen Alexander's act. Song matter Is ideal for the close. Over moderately well here, play- ing fourth on a seven-act bill. Char. REVELS OF 1930 (8) Dancing and Singing 18 Mins.; Full (Special) Jefferson (V-P) A weak dance flash burdened with an anchor of a weaker' attempt at warbling. Jimmie Verdi, only male in the turn, featured with Dolly Kobock, who couldn't be identified, Girls are gopd lookers but way off on the hoofing. Mainly work with five as the chorus and two do- ing specialties. Numerous costume Jimmie Verdi la subordinated among all the femmes. On Inter-^ mittently for vocal and legmania, mainly the latter. Tall blonde femme just lukewarm in dance spe- cialties. Outstanding performer of the troupe was a diminutive acro- batic brunette. . Act badly framed on the whole and lacks sybstance, ADOLPHE, GLADYS and EDDIE Adagio 8 Mine.; Three and Full (Special) , Hamilton (V-P) Two men and a girl, one of the men limited to single dancing. Nothing new—nothing novel, except that the single bangs out a dance tune to the clapping, of a couple of soup spoons instead of castanets. Pop opener is best bet, as here. This act might Churn Its way into rating cla^s by acquiring showinan- ly rhythm in presenting numbers and consequent speeding up which is the basic essential of any turn, especially a dance act. Act rhythm is co-operative tempo contact between participants, send- ing the actors into their cues auto- matically and giving consequent polish. . _. This" act hasn't got it. 5 DANUBES Trampoline 6 Mins.; Three (Special) Riverside (St. V.) While .Five Danubes (four men, one woman) include in their routine of conventional trampoline casting stunts some that are satisfactory for house above the small time rating, the act plays slowly, having some bad waits, and is without the looks. The men could profit considerably by a little make-iip, their beards even showing up when caught. Act a little circusy, but unlike most from the sawdust rings doesn't glut audiences with bows. Best stunt and closing an over- throw and catch. Girl gets tossed about once. Opened seven-act bill here. CJiar. BERTRAM and RALSTON (2) TaJk and Songs 17 Mins.; One an J TKreV (SpecialJ Engiewood .(V-P), Chicago Straight femme arid comedy-clia- lect man In a generally weak turn, meant only for the lenient trade. Gags not. so. funny, and several blues will be cut.. Trouble with this team in clown- ing is that once they grab a gag they drag it out for long minutes. If they delivered the punch-line and then let the matter drop, they'd get better results. F. and M. "SPEED" Idea (24) 27 Mins. Academy (V-P) Fanchon and Marco's "Speed" Idea derives its title from the grey- hounds used in Jumps at'the open- ing and on a treadmill at the finale. In between "Speed" is never ex- traordinarily fast, at times slow enough to suggest that preceding F. and M. units in the east have been more deserving of the- title. Hardly possible, for any 27-bilnute turn of 4his sort to be actually slug- gish, with all of the youthful talent in it .to maintain a pace. It's the youth and the talent which keeps "Speed's" head out of the resin. Full^stage set, in which the turn opens suggests , nearly enough a race track. Center section of the back piece appeared to be a stage bandstand. with no band on it. Probably away from the Academy, where the musicians stay in the pit, this is a stage band show. A class of greyhounds guided by a man take the big Jump, the last leap the high* est, and' sending the action to "one" and a time step routine by the 12- glrl line. Return to full brings on a sing- ing quartet, doing three numbers. Four boys are unbilled, but remem- bered from the picture houses. Dancing line is back again -for the next, a novelty having, six pairs of two girls attached In three-legged red pants. This Is the production number of the unit, in routine and idea, and stands out as the produ^ cers' best contribution. Cute and small girl In. blue rompers follows in a brief tap dance. Sloweist momehts are then insert- ed by an acrobatic pair" who 4o: legitiniate lifting' only, but mix, it with comedy attempted through "accidental" falling of coins and Other objects from PQckets of the topmounter. Work down close on the apron and look rather over- dressed in golt suitis. But remember the pockets. In any .other spot a pleasing and different . acrobatic item, but not In line here with the try for "Speed." ' ^ Quartet of colored hoofers start out siirprislhgly slow In a unison routine and then pick up a gait in individual hock and fancy stepping, ending with all on for ttunbling. Entrance of the girls In becoming white shorts accompanies raising of the rear curtain,., revealing three greyhounds on an elevated tread- mill. This one will satisfy a not too particular appetite, but won't excite the interest other F. and M. Ideas have in this section. Bige. JULES ALBERTJ and Co. (16) Band, Sohgs and Dances 22 Mins.; Three Engiewood (V-P), Chicago Band of 10 pieces, assisted by a mixed vocal trio and a colored song and dance team, with Albert! man- aging as . m. c. and soloist, in act that will go Over only in the family houses. This Alberti outfit has been sup- plying the dance musio at Coli- simo's and it remains a :dance or- ganization on the stage. Not an especially good band to listen to, since the boys present ordinary pop stuff in an ordinary manner, with nothing attempted to make it stand out. Billy Barry and the Listrom Sis- ters make up the song trio that holds the ace spot for audience ap- peal; managing a couple of vocal numbers that got the turn's best results. The colored boy who sang and danced with Ethel Waters in "Oh With the Show" repeats his bit here. Over big anywhere, espe- cially with his strut stuff. Colored femme has an awkw'ard hoofing bit which is hopeless and should be cut. Four FLASHES Dancing 11 Mins.: One and Full 86th St. (V-P) Straight hoofing by mixed couples, rating in the featherweight class. Ultra-collegiate opening, plus youth- ful and neat appearances gives this turn a sappy start, but res"t Is me- diocre. Not strong; enough for big houses. • Accentuated collegiate style Is aptly put over, with light comedy antics and good treadmill flash. Then boys double up on ordinary precision taps and buck, while girls do acrobatic and more buck. Finish .is tame affair of military routine; Just nice. . Went tepidly closing the show here. Span. CLARK and SMITH Songs and Piano .10 Mins.; One Lincoln Sq. (V-P) Male duo who In appearance look like well trained song pluggers. Good pop act. Played deuce on five- act^ bill at this pjease-ea-sy and Tcnocked"''em" f or" encdf - — Turn gets faint comedy kickoff from exce.ss weight of the standup singer. Attempts to Inject the weight angle into turn persistently becomes borcHome. Singing mild but harmonious; piano playing fair. Pair de.serve credit for knowing how to pull au- dience songs. Finish has fat boy doing a couple of flip-flbps and even standing on his nut, as though It fitted the act. LOEWS STATE (Continued from pa^e 40) augmented by the Meglin Wonder Kiddies as a' holiday feature. \ The F. & M. "Desert" idea is cut down to 22 minutes this week on account of the supplementary kid revile. Ed and Morton Beck are outi but r^>Jpin the unit next Nveek at San Diego.. "Emphasis of the "Desert" Idea Is all on the Carla Torney girls in foui: well-dlsc|plihed unison num- bers. Setting has a massive three- tier Indian cliff-dwellihg at upper right, with the girls, emerging wrapped in blankets. Shed the blankets and come down the lad- ders with tableaux pauses for the opening line-up. During the preliminaries Manuel .Lopez in 2ulexican costume. delivers a solo to blond Muriel Stryker. Lopez has another song leading Into the finale, at which time Miss Stryker does a strip dance with a large scarf. The house band In cowboy get- hp works tinder the shadow of the cliff house. Cropley>and. Violet, rope-spinnlhg western adagio team, is attractive in dress. and poseures, but has nothing exciting in rope technique. .Mid.dle number Is a pueblo ralrt incantation, the girls socking rhythhx with rattles during the symbolic growth of two stalks of corn. Then Into a dance In which brightly plumed headdresses of the girls are waved effectively in maneuvres. Three kid tappers and a couple of kids singing a pash number , go in next in place of the Beck spe- cialty. Tiny comedienne carries the vocal stuff and encores with Georgie Stoll for partner; very cute and clicks. Carla Torney's dancers come out In glimmering golden ankle skirts, brasrieres and wide-brlmmed hats tinkling with little bells, for a Unison eye-ful. After the strip solo these smartly trained girls Mne up again minus the hats for a hectic finale with volcanic light effectis on the rear drop. The "Wonder JClddles" are better than the title sounds. Their num^ bers keep to one, two and three minutes, taking, the cursei off" the plethora of baby cuteness. STANLEY New York, Dec. 19. . The last on Broadway ahd.one of the last run houses in the country, to go sound. But what a difference talk has made In the clientele! Famous even outside New TOrk as a sleeper, spot, hot a head waa nodding during the current program, all dialog*, from two shbrte to the U feature, "One Hysterical Nlgllt." Probably In few former sleep havens has wiring made such a change In the patrons. Those of the old faces tliat used to close and snore until the colored boy had to resort to sole whacking, were bright and alert, A lot of new folk, better dressed and spoken, were In evidence throughout the house. They've taken down the all two- bits sign. that for years dangled across the sidewalk and have re- placed it with a new paliit Job eulogizing the talk. At the same time they've slipped another dime on the tax. George Terhune, who has managed the theatre for the past three years, reports receipts have Jumped up about' 30% since RCA finished the installation Job last October. . Increased overhead na:turally eats Into this. Contrary to the impression de- rived from the name, the house Is Independently operated by William Penn Amusements. That outfit Is holding on to it. The 644 seats cost an. average yearly rental of $100,000, but the Stanley has always been a gold mine, Sound just gives the projectionist a little more bother and worry. Waly. PARADISE ("TOytown"-Unit) Bronx,-'Dec. 21. Piling -em in and standing 'em up. That's literally what this Loew pICr ture-presentatlbn house Is doing to the patronage. Week-ends here have crowds, as large as those of the Broadway houses. This Is the only presentation hou!5e in the Bronx and is regarded as the ace house, of that district. Feature films are sec- ond run,q, • usually played concur- rently with .Loew's State. Units play here direct from the Capitol. House, which wa.s opened but a few months ago, is built on a lavish scale with the peiling resembling an GOLD and RAYE Dancing 6 Mins.; One Jefferson (V-P) _ ~ Tast~"aariclng'"^et'" wIthout"^any-" thing to relieve the straight hoofing, but Avith running time down o. k, for the average No. 2 spot in vaud- fllm houses such as the Jeff. This was position assigned here. Opening with a soft-shoe dance, boys go Into a number to the tune of "Wedding of the Painted Doll" and without any wait dive into the third, alternating with singles. Got over o. k. when seen. Char. evening sky. Twinkling stars and clouds rolling by. Around the upper sides of the walls is Roman Statu- ary. ■ ■ ,. ^■ I^elghborliood patronage is much easller to. satisfy and more lenient with the entertainment than that of the main stem cathedrals. "Toy- town" unit, staged and. devised by Chester Hale, is exactly the same as at . the Capitol lastweek, with per- sonel Intact. Entertainment, as a whole, was well relished by the audi- ence. Included are Fortunello. and CIrlllino, comedy acrobats; Carlton Emmy's Mad Wags, dog act; Ivan Triesault, pahtomimlst m. c; Aileen Clark, singer, and MUc; Paval, toe dancer. Enoch Light's band In the background, Chester Hale girls troiiped on and off with the choral legology. Best of these was the "wooden soldier" number. Organist, "Wild Oscar, features a novel idea in his "School of Broad- casting." Appears as thouigh con- ducting an Impromptu radio hour by speaking throtigh mike placed on the Console and milmlCs the usual ether announcers. Drew lots of laughs. Film program had M-G-M'a "Un- tamed" and silent news, Metrotone News, and a Pictorial Magazine. . SO-Tear^o Minstrek ■ By Fred J. Be&man Said the flip youth of today, "What did you old birds have to live for away back In the $0's or the 70's without gQlf, bridge, automO- biles, radios, motion pictures or the talkers?" • "Believe me, kid, we were not en- tirely without our dally reckoning of enjoyment. ''We did have a regular Indoor spoirt~whIch consisted of getting to^ gether of an evening and discussing . his or her favorite actor or actress. We lived then—as • we do now—in what ii^ known' as. 'the sticks' and while 60 years ago we were only a city of 16^000, now boasting 1(6,- 000, we are more cut Off from the drama how than when we were a struggling town. "We were privileged to have seen and heard those who now live only in. the memory of the old -timer. "Forty-five or 60 years ago In the 'trouper days,' , the cities of 16 or 20,000 Jiad happiness bestowed upon them by yearly visits of. niany of the stars at the top i^rlce of $1. ^ ■*T» would lo.ye to picture In cold type from time to time brief no- tices of thesei dead ^ow nearly forgotten artists who made It .pos;^ sible for the small time city dweller to see them at their best; to speak of. the plays In which parts they, gave their best efforts to please and satisfy, also to touch lightly Dpon the people who. supported In minor parts the stars of that period, and who. In later years reached , star- dom in. their own right. * "Those were also glorious min- strel days.. Tou have never seen an old-fashioned minstrel troupe pa- rade dow^ the street and you never will see them for they havo dis- appeared like the top buggy with its whip-socket. That<;her, Prim- rose and West, came usually once a season. George Primrose was billed as "the poetty of motion." The graceful and debonair Billy West who officiated so elegantly as the Interlocutor. Comedians and singers who supported this black- face triumvirate In the flrst part and olio were Billy Bice, rotund wag with his dilapidated scrap book; Barney FsLgin, the . clog dancer; Happy Cal Wagner and Willis p. Sweatnam; Chauncey Ol- cott, who in the flrst part sang 'Don't Leave Your Mother Tom'; Banks Winters warbling . *White Wings,' and Jose with his 'Silver Threads Among the Gold.V "And tbe Barlow and Wilson Minstrels, famous in the 70's aiid 80's. Milt Barlow as the old south- ern darkey, with his wooly wig,, cane and inimitable limp—greatl There never was a bigger favorite . In coi-kdom than George Wilsonii,'j<',| There was a troupe known as Mc- Nlsh,. Johnson and Slavin, burnt cork 'artists who played the one nighters at $1 for a number of glad- some years. And Frank McNish In his great specialty, 'Silence and Fun .' Carrol i J ohn3on . : w a3.^bIg.^^- handsome and graceful, with a voice and a soft shuffling "pf feet. And Bob Slavin, last, but not least of this notable trio, -was the drollest minstrel that ever shook a tambo. "Where are they now, those black ed-up entertainers? Gone, the most of them. While they are not with us now we were born soon enough to have "seen and heard them." i