Variety (Mar 1930)

.46 VARIETY VAUDE HOUSE REVIEWS ,Wednesdayif Jdarch .5/1930 PALACE (St. Vaude) . .Quit© a letdown after last week's picnic. In holding over Ted Healy .and his pack of comical stooges, at $6,000, the house is giving Healy much credit and little support. Healy, Henry Santrey's Band and the Tiller Sunshine Girls (lG>"are the . names in big type. L.ayoul • leaves Impression that the Palace , lacks box "office drag. Even Healy . is no certified packer-in Z>>v a .sec end week with practically the same material. Besides stooges, the bill is full of booking boners. Tiller Sunshine Girls, pony line duplicating every thing that has been seen before In general content, are billed as large as anything on the bill. And this is a house where three real names often (ail to draw. Palace bill never received a better start than the current one with the Eiazeed Demnati Troupe of Arabs —nine men and two women—In pyramids and ground tumbling. It's brief, fast and furious, and after the speed the strongest of the men tops it by supporting the other ID simultaneously, Ewing Eaton Is back again to show lier -versatility. No. 2, again filling the spot satisfactorily. Harry White and Alice Manning, with their own comedy dancing, and straight stepping assistance from the three Samuels brothers; were a hard hitting trey spotter from their turn proper to the nut stuff used as encore. Healy made' his first -^rl4iaani;i^_q.t-J^i1g j^nint fnr a hU, \lf\ty\ •'the boys, garnering a swell jreeep tlon for himself," then j>introduced ■ Clifford and -Marion ias the first part • liext-to-closers. Laughs Hiealy grabbed in his few irioments up ahead had their effect on the mixed comedy team, and it seemed to surprise CliflEord and Marion to find themselves starting BO slowly. Pair finally "got them far enough from the finish to start •a strong run down the stretch, but then Miss Marion unthinkingly dampened the works by returning for a straight vocal encore in decol- iejte. " Santrey's band music and special- ty corps, held together by Santrey's excellent stage • showmanship, gave the first part a hot finale of nearly 40 minutes. Seemed to run less than 4t did, because it's a sock vaude- ville act. Tiller Girls' two' numbers and a pair by Michael Tripp, dancing solo- ist of the act, were separated by bits of Healy's routine. These two turns comprised the entli'e second part and soroe^ng was missing. Tillers did no.f^VioIate the confi7 dence that Is always placed in th© name and snapped over two per- fectly done precision dances. Boy got a -hand for his whirlwind ec- centric. But the girls used the the-r atre's familiar black eye with red or purple lights, making the hang- ings a dirty shade of grey. In ad- ditioix to .the fact that pony lines can be seen .in any presentation the- atre, they are. given a sightly back ground In the picture, houses. For one of his first part inter ludes Healy walked on. with Joe Mendl, the chimp,- foi^ some great comedy biz. Office cancelled the monk elsewhere to bring him here for the bit on Healy's request and worth it. Previously Healy had his own shepherd dog on for more laughs. In the second part he re- hashed most of last week's ma- terial and added a few new items, Another new one, and funny, had Healy on a ti-apeze. The boys walk- ed away with the ladder. Shemp Howard, a natural comic himself, and his two partner stooges; col ored boy dancer, little girl dancer, blonde singer, "Pansy," the laugh gi-abblng pantomimic xylophonlst, mandolin soloist, and two 'boys who slap each other's faces, were the gang, besides Mendl. AH there last week excepting the colored kid. Healy was "accidentally" stripped to the waist on the trapeze and Shemp Is again losing all but his und rdrawers. Not so much blue in the lines this week. Bige. ford, of the veteran Lockfords- act, was the starter. Large number of kids gave him extra returns, hia act got especially liking the burlesque and clowning. New and good part ner is Lili De Muthe. Joe Thomas Sax-O-Tette opened and Le.slie Strange was spotted sec ond. Former held own nicely in a class musical offering, tastefully presented an executed. Except for the talk interlude toward the close, which i.-? a little dragged out, here's a turn that merits anything except opening spots. Cornet and sax en- semble numbers, with comedy dress- ing, spells entertainment that sells. Leslie Strange, with his able characterizations of Lloyd George, Premier MacDonald, George Arllss and others, found the going smooth, but closed to a light hand. Prolonged bit in which he contrasts an Ameri- can with an Englishman In an- nouncing a prize fight may be the reason. It might even work out better to use the radio bit in the middle of the act and close with one of the characterizations, pos- sibly that of the British working man a la Will Fyffe. Pathe Sound News, usual trailers and the 81st Street Ensemble under direction of Jules Lenzberg, com- plete the show. Char. HIPPODROME (Vaudfilm) One of the largest attended Sat- urday matinee shows this house has played to in some time. Both the o rch and first balcony well filled, very act" olfftlre^ll—went-ovei Murahd and GrrtbiirUoy and girl; shoved of with pep. Beginning of the turn Is devoted to acrobatics, mainly ground work. Later .the girl shows a variety of bike tricks. Miss Patricola in the deuce, and voice and fiddling sent her into two en- cores. Comedy novelty turn Jim, The Wrestling Bear, proved Interesting and holds quite a few laughs. Adults liked it as much as the kids. Colored couple, Danny Small and Co., held in fourth spot. Small has a strong pair of tonsils. He has omitted . a few songs previously done in foreign tongue, and filled in with stronger material. Girl is a great hoofer. Bayes and Speck, with a variety of nut patter, were a laugh hit. Boys appear to be Improving every year. Gags were fresh and surefire. Lane, O.sborne .and Chlcco, song and dance turrt of the class style, closed somewhat weakly. Lester Lane formerly took the billing alone, although with Ethel Osborne in the act. He has added a rhixed couple who support at piano and harpsi- chord. Louis Chlcco apparently th^ man in this duo. Miss Osborne vocals in sugary manner, but Is pri- marily an actobatlc dancer. Lane's outstanding routine is his mixture of Russo-stetjology with kicks and whirls. Tiffany's "Lost Zeppelin" feature. Also Pathe Sound News. 86TH ST. (Vaudfilm) Putting Dotson, Havel Brothers, Jimmie Savo and Will Osborne in a neighborhood Keith bill crowded out the femme vaudevilllans almost completely. Gents whammed com- edycUcks and did right well on the dancing and musical end. Several women on the bill, but in the back- ground. On the screen were Pathe Sound news and a Pathe feature, "Officer O'Brien." Osborne, radio muslcker and Rudy Vallee's aggressive competitor, is gettlngf the billing display. But diminutive Jimmie Savo was the show stopper. Savo, in next to clos- ing, preceding the Osborne band, got such applause that, despite flashing of the Osbo.rne name, he had to come back for an encore. Biz not capacity Saturday after- noon, although the show warranted it. It has been slow work building up t^e mats in some of the uptown Keith houses. Show opened with the Clifford Wayne Sioux Indians act, which depends almost entirely upon the work of young Carlisle Wayne in slpging, dancing and acro- batics. Act has novelty. Dotson, second, has-been dancing like a house afire for years. This colored hoofer has taken on weight, but he still sells It. The Havels, Arthur and Morton, were good com- edy relief. They show teamwork and mSke their kidding and hoke stuff collegt a lot of laughs. Skit is a boildown from their show, "Just a Minute." Savo mugged, inlmed and sang for -swi'efi^i-e-Hti^:—-A-udieh«e-^woMWnlt^ ler hiwi-go. —■—. .... .. - Will Osborne closed. He has aug- mented his band, and It is in better shape now than it has been since he started as a commercial plugger on WMCA. Nothing stagey aboiU the band and Osborne takes hia bows modestly. H^ has a pleasing stage appearance. IK ark. 81ST STREET (Vaudfilm) Outside of the picture name of Esther Ralston, there's nothing In the billing out front to draw big. Screen feature is "Ofilcer .O'Brien" (Pathe). Little more than a half house Saturday matinee, and plenty of kids aniony 'em. Apparently new Qixposiition from Warners' Beacon, (iown Broadway six blocks, ha.s dug into this RKO neighbor. Also there's the Itiverside, just thrown into a vaudlihn policy. Besides being a name from pic- tiu-p.s, lO.sther Ralston has a oorUliVR act for vaudo. H(»ailing th'i" bill, but (in third instead of next to rlo.sing, hAciiiisc hcv orrci'inK works in fcll- .'•lusv, AHss Kalaton's there. 'J':v,Ni (lancer numher Is her b(>st, iind tlio iceman cliiiraclcr hoi- woaU- (•sL. l..iLier might easily ho r(.'- DlncO'l, it Mi.ss K.ilston insists on doing ii hoyden. Dance windiiii as- sures a strong exit. N'ext to clo.sing were Lubin, Larry «nd Andre (New ArtsV. comliininK blackface comedy, singing ;md (lancing of averugo calibre. Over a Lie bolter than fair. Naru l.ocU- LOEW'S MET. (Vaudfilm) Good show all the way, evenly balanced and playing smoothly. Biz a sellout Saturday night. Layout held five acts and "New York Nights" (UA). Six Rockets, femiiie sextette, opened and satisfied with a zippy mixture of acrobatics and posing. Good returns; Eddie Miller and Henriette followed and clicked with a song routine. Miller delivered four numbers, with "Old Man River" getting the big results. Henriette accompanied on piano, and in windup uncorked a good impresh of Ann Pennington. Nat "Chic" Haines and Co. were assets in the laugh division with a comedy skit. Haines niade merry throughout as the gay boy stray- ing from family hearth to bask In the sunshine of a youthful siren. Comic supported by two men and three women. Spacing Haines' clowning, a mixed team handled song and dance numbers acceptably. Emile Boreo held down next-to- shut assignment to perfection with nifty clowning and songs. French and Russian numbers sent him off to a solid hit. Ralph Olsen and Co. closed with a classy dance revue packing lots of pep. Nine girls ap- pear in support, with eight handling precision numbers and the other assisting Olsen in ■ a couple of doubles. Neat act, and over big. mba. AUDUBON (Vaudfilm) Even with "The Show of Shows" (Win l)i55 at this uptown Fox stand, Saturday, was not no hot. Slump attributed to the dose proximity of the new I,oow theatre at ITfith. l''eiitnre runs over two hours and just about swiiinps the vaiule. Alex Hyde and his Modern ISlnid- ens' turn ojKMied, with the fenimes making a colorful tilii.i;e iucttn"(^ as well .as pleasing with their music. Hyde has the . girls getting good vohiuic out of the brass. Ituck and IJiibbles piled up the l;ui!?hs with their dancing and piano miscellany. "With no other comedy in the vaud.-' it was a pu.'^hover for th(> colored l)oys. A(ld(.'d c'Miiitei.lion Vn Hie neitrh- borhood K-.honU; indutte the Audu- bon to brighten its fr(\iit. ilail: 58TH ST. (Vaudfilm) Ordinary vaude setup here the first half, but substantial enough for the neighborhood. Not many present to witness the supper per- formance Saturday. • Pretty flash turn. Garden of Roses, opened. Act carries a sprightly pony chorus of six, mixed dancing team, and a tenor. Grand and Sylvia, the team, do adaglol ballroom ind a short whirlwind number. Miss Sylvia, who cramps the style-by persistently looking at the audience. Stan Kavanagh, juggler-comedla^n. deuced and didn't warm up unti{ the finish. Incessant patter drew no response. He's adept at hat and rubber ball Juggling, but the clinch- er was manipulation. of Indian clubs.- Hetty Happy, femme, assists intermittently for attempted comedy crossfire with Kavanagh. Odette Myrtil held feature billing capably. Violin work was better appreciated than her singing, al- though she has a fine pair of tonsils. Her classical skit, laid In the crino- line period, and wherein the lover expresses her moods and emotions with violin, was Immensely liked. Mitzl Klsh, Jules Waldeck and Vlad- imir KayalofE are in support. Hoke comedy turn, Eddie Hanley and Co., fair for laughs. Hanley is assisted by "Personality Boys" working in ludicrous attire with deadpans. Helen Tejan, only girl in tlie turn, diversifies with leg- mania. Colored turn, Norman Thomas Quintette, was a strong finisher. Thomas is very proficient at the Ivories, and his Atarled support is excellent. Pathe's "Officer O'Brien" feature. his picture work precedes. the, stage interval.. He was lilted. LaBell'e Pola and Co., third. Is a monkey turn enhanced by the danc- ing of a pretty brunette and the presence of another pretty girl as- sistant. Male trainer m. c.'s. La Belle' Pola, chief monk, plays an or- gan pumped by a second monk, and also dances. Monkey orchestra trio accompanies. Act is a dandy nov- elty. Billy Tlchenor, fifth with her re- vue, comprising two other girls and three men, drew good returns. Girls chatter, sing and dance with numer- out set changes on a "Cinderella Theme." Pleasant and done with care. Herbert and Robey, male duo, use familiar gags and stoop to a blue spot. Laughs gained mostly from the robust comic's continuous chuc- kling. Straight sings in a squeak but went over big here. Played middle spot and took a bow. (New Acts). JEFFERSON (Vaudfilm) "Officer O'Brien" (Pathe) .was dragging 'em in Saturday. House claimed spore biz than on Washing- ton's birthday. Bill okay and sprin- kled with laughs, and every act took its bows unhurriedly. Acts in oirder of presentation were Maryland Collegians, Johnny Downs, La Belle Pol^ and Co., Herbert and Robe-y, Billy Tlchenor and Co.. Hai'- ris and RadcliflT, and K. T. Kuma. Except for Herbert and Robey, not listed In Variety files, the turns are all familiar. Harris and Radcliff, colored duo winding up the act with a third boy, went off after 15 minutes with the customers still wanting them. Much better impression than their usual habit of hanging around. IC. T. Kunia, Japanese illusionist, closed with trick clo.sets and cab- inets. In one spot he brings out a girl singer and dancer for specialty. IMa.f's in full with speci.nl drop, and carries a couple of assistants. Over nicely. Maryland Oolleginns band opener. Usual chcerin.g ninnbcr for intro. lapsing to female iniiiersonatlon that's not so hot, and then songs ard dances. Band is in orange sweaters, black flaunty trouser."? and black suspenders—quite collegiate. Music plenty hot. Johnny Downs, grown kid, who for- merly played in "Our Gang" come- dies, uses that angle for his stage plug. Sings, chatters and dances, with dancing best. Film trailer of RKO (Vaudfilm) Los Angeles, ireb. 28. . Not .more than 30 minutes of entertainment in the current two- and-one-half-hour RKO bill. Joe and Willie Mandell furnish the 30- minute period. Joe Mandell gets plenty of chance to show his wares on this bill^ which holds four acts instead of the usual five. After their regular routine the brothers fill in during a scene set-up with ad-lib chatter, using Dick Nash of Nash and Fately. Joe'a big moment is his travesty of owen MTi GiveiieyS —pret-eany-the- old' four-cfiaracter Bill Syices-play- let staged in a skeleton set to let the public see how it's done.' The protean act itself gets by on its give-away angle; then Mandell travesties it for 10 minutes and makes a howling finish to the stage program. Dick Nash and Midgie Fately, tall youth and a tiny partner, make ^ nice start with chatter and contrast comedy. Act sags when the man attempts a rope monolog. Flash opener Is Pavlev-Oukansky ballet. Opening ensemble with girls as fiowers Is pretty, but not hot. General performance okay. Gypsy closing ensemble, nine girls and a man. Is nice. Feature is . "Grand Parade" (Pathe). RrVERSIDE (Vaudfilm) Business still terrible Saturday matineesi Can't drag 'em in on any terms or with any policy seemingly. Where the kids in the neighborhood go IS a problem for • oiie of thos^ Hoover commissions. ' Fair to middling bill as follows:' Joe Niemeyer, Spence. and True, Florence Richardson, Joe PhilllpB and Ledova. Universal's "Out of the Fog," feature. Too much dancing. Niejneyer, ex- clusively a stepping turfi; special- ties In the Richardson band acti girl hoofer with Joe Phillips and finally the Ledova revue. Spence und ' True are .given to pratt falls with reverse English. There's a place open In the trade's vocabulary for those front flops to an ear pyramid. Fairly funny de- spite need for bright chatter. Florence Richardson did nicely. Edna Sedwick has proficiency of ex- ceptional merit, both with taps and toe work, an unusual dancing versa- tility. Sonny O'Brien, Irish tenorj wins the shamrock wreath for per- fect diction. Every word is a word and not just a. sound. That' alone sets him apart from those who are merely tenors. After a load of Joe Phillips it's apparent this fnnny fellow needs, more than anything else, a good straight man. Pi-ovided by nature with a comic personality and a great feeling for 'hokum, he needs some- one to bring out his talents. His blonde assistant, Carlotta Tyan, has a peachey soprano and can bowl a 10-strIke In any theatre. Land. ACADEMY (Vaudfilm) Draw bill and good biz marked the Saturday turnover, slated for a full week instead of the usual split. This is due to the feature "Show, of Shows" (WB), running 127 minutes. Only three acts: Bee and Ray Gorman Revue, Joe Termini and Nina Olivette. "Weak feature of presentation was that the opener and closer turrs were flashes, both using tunes plugged plenty in the feature. Nina Olivette in closing saved the vaude. Miss Olivette has switched from the iiingle I'oute to surround herself with a band of nine boys, and two additional male dancers. But she'.-< still the works, and how! ria.vs in full.and kayos thorn with comic steps and twists (Xow Acts). Bee and' Hay CJornian Revue suf- fers from commonness. Turn opens hopefully with a toyland idea, with dancers as dolls in ai)j)roiiriate routines. After that, despite fancy drops and costinnes, things slow up. Girl conductor Is in the pit. Joe Termini and hi.s usual dumb violin, banjo and guitar numbers, took an extra bow hero. Termini works dumb well, and has some good hoke with a trick stiff shirt front. PALACE (St. Vaude) Chicago, March 1. Frances Arms and Phil Baker divide a show hot much beyond Prances Arms and Phil Baker. Baker's act was the merriest; Miss Arms, the finest from stand- point of performance (new acts). What the Palace needs to enliven its bills and its box-office Is more singles who can entertain like that blonde lady. Miss Arms, opening after Inter, mission, could have done 30 min- utes Instead of 20. Slie responded to one encore and they were clam- oring for another at 4:30, with two acts yet due. Baker, next to closing, worked with his fatman plant in an up- per box and a riot with his gags, but failed to do enough accordion work. They liked Phil's extempo work and fresh, intimate chatter. He proceeded to make the closing act, too, by working with Joe Bonomo, the chain-breaking Iron man, in- jecting some light comedy that staved off the usual walkouts for a long show. Too much flash and not enough talent in the five acts, proceeding Intermission, which jammed to- gether did not pack the entertain- ment carried by Arms and Baker. Edith GrilTth opened with her song and dance skit, "Love in the Ranks" with six boys. Its a beau- tifully staged affair with her danc- ing men In their brocaded whit© military uniforms and went nicely. Miller and Wilson, tumbling ■comed- y team ,— h/pva a f^n?'p rl3e in the deuce- but overdid after raisijig the show-to the top in five minutes by an unnecessary blindfold somer- sault and a poor hoofing finish. Third, Roger Imhof with Mar- celle Coreene and an unbilled man, good for the usual number of laughs in that prop skit, "The Pest House." With such shiny chaps as Bob Albright wore, some of the seat- holders ■ guffawed his Oklahoma, reputation, but settled back to give him good applause on "Ole Man River" even though Albright apoli- gized for a col(J. He then rang in the two girls at the two pianos, but what gave his act a big finish was an unbilled stooge hoofer who caused enough furore for an en- core. Russel Markert's American Rock- ets. 12 in the line and two specialty girls, closed the intermission with an act of Palace merit for cos- tumes, but hardly otherwise, and unable to sliine as against the opening fiash, although that was a male afifair. The girls save the act wltli an excellent doll routine, and a colorful plume fan dance. Specialties n. s. g. Business above average for Sat- urday matinee, good indication of what a good bill like the one tl^e preceding week can do for. next week. Loop. STATE (Vaudfilm) . Van and Schenck, toplinincr. romped away with honors of the show without a struggle Sat- urday afternoon. After a couple of enctores the boys called it an act and left the mob happy. Grace Smith and Four Buddies, colored quintet, opened and scored in a fast song and dance routine, with dancing the act's mainstay. Le Grohs followed, and clicked as usual, with clever gymnastics and acrobatics. Cole and Snyder, male duo with Cole doing Dutch comedy, tickled them plenty with a nifty line of repartee. Cole topped off with a motion picture bit, supposedly di- recting an early Chaplin one-reeler from the stage and getting plenty of laughs^with the.gab. Van and Schenck followed and cleaned up. Boys got a great re- ception on entrance and a loud send off. Sent across five numbers, mostly dialect and handled by Van, then tried to quit. Mob wouldn't have It. Tracey and Hay, mixed dance team, closed and satisfied with a dance production. Acrobatic and Apache routines the standouts. "New York Nights" (UA), screen feature. Edba. Theatres Proposed Clilt'airo.—(3) $6,000,000. . .SItPS not s(?- lectod. Owner, Hadio-Kelth-Orphcuni. Architect not nnnied. Clnchumtl.—$1.600,000. Wnlnut Hill.s. Owner, eoinpony fornilng. Architects, Unnp & Uapi). Dftvonport. lu.—$1,000,000. .<iit(» nut selected. Owner, Rjvdio-Kcith-Oriihcuiii, .\rchltect not nnined. I'Vunkfort, . Inrt.—SITfl.OOO. Columhi.x nnil -Wnshinplon .<itreels. Owner. Ci'iliim- bla Theatre t'orp. Architects, George & Zlinniorniun. rullc.\- not (fivc-n. IndinnnpnliN.—$1,000,000. Al^<o stores. N-orlh imrt of city. Ciwn-r, eon>p;in>' fornilmr, care oC C. II. Mote. Architect. 1). Oruliain. AVIlkoh-IIiirre, !•«.—$S(iO,OUO. Al.-o Mtor-!" ;ind apiirtiiicnis. Southen.st r«:- ner Public .sfiunre and East Jfarl,i-f street. (.Iwnev, (lomerford Aniuscnien' Co. Architect, I.eon Leinpcrt. Eddie Hill departs for the coa.'^': for a new F & M unit in L. A. H'V- leaves Wednesday with Ca.'stleton and Mack, al.«!0 for F it M place- ment.