Variety (Apr 1930)

56 VARIETY BURLESQUE Wednesday, April 23, 1930 5 Stocks Now, 25 More Figuring Forecast Bonanza for Troopers A nunibff of Mutual shows will have ostpndeJ seasons this summer tlirough increased activity in stock burlesque and with practically en- tire companies engagred for the stocks. The engaging enmasse an- gle has solved the casting problem for the stock producers, who, un- decided as to whether they'd go for stock this summer, were caught napping and when ready to engage companies found most of the talent signed up for Mutual operated stocks. Ed Ityan has installed his "Girls From the follies" in stock'for Billy Watson at the Orpheum, Paterson, N. J., with Ryan also retained as producer oC show's which change weekly. Ann Corio and supporters ill ''Girls in JBlue" which winds up on Mutual this week will form the nucleus of another stock at the Cayety, Cleveland. The American Music Hall, Irving Place, and Xew Columbia, all in New York City, are also grabbing entire ti-oupes for their stocks, some changing casts weekly through ability to grab talent between time and wheel shows close and before comics and others begin on prev- iously signed stock engagements out of town. So far there are 25 stocks set and if others now contemplated materize there will be twice that mark opera- ting over the summer, which is more than the number of wheel houses th^t pliiy Mutuals in season. With the 25 current stocks each •parrying 10 principals and 16 girls those already in operation are pro- viding employment for nearly 700 perfonners and choristers and if the other stock? in the offing come through later it will provide a bo- nanza season for burlesque players. Wheers Two Last Shows Call It Season May 3 The iwc. Mutual circuit shows, "Night Ciu'j Girls" and "Burlesque Review," closing weelc Jfay 3, arc the last survivors. Shows operative week April 21 In- clude "Girls From Ilappyland" (O. M. Producing Co.). '"Get Hot" (J. Catalno), "Hollo, Paree" (Hon. Nickels), "N'ight Club C.lrl.s" (Jake Potar), "Biulesque Revue" (John Jermon) and Ed Daley's Black and White Show (not a Mutual regular this year but organized a few weeks ago). "Night Club Girls" closes May 3 at the Star, Brooklyn, and "Bur- lesque Revue" in Bridgeport, same date. CHAIN CALU VICE SOC. RAP POLITICAL DODGE COLORED TABS IN PROV. ■ Providence, April 22. Empire theatre, old burlesque stand in this town, dark since last fall when Mutual burlesque was transferred to Modern theatre, re- opened last Saturday, playing all colored tabs. Sam Rice, house burlesque man- ager In this town for years, takes the house over until lease expires ne.xt fall from Albee estate, lessee. Burlesque Stocks Stock burlesque will follow in Mutuals at the Hudson, Union City, N. J. next week (April 27). Company includes Hap Fryer, Jack Montague, Joan Collette, How- ard Hall, Jean Vitale, Howard and Gug Flaig. An Illuminated runway will be Installed. Max Fields, burlesque producer, has leased the Westchester, Mt. Vernon, N. Y. and will Install musi- cal stock May 12. While emphasizing the fact that the stock is not burlesque its prin- cipals will be recruited from bur- lesque r^nks. Columbus, April 21. Stock burlesque went in at the Columbia this week. . Company includes Mickey Marl* wood, Danny De Marr, Harry Fields, Thelma Lawrence, Marlon La Mar Marie Devere, Billie Bayliss, Smith and Ralon. Stock goes In at the Stran Emerson, N. J., next week (April 28) with Frank Carr operating and producing the shows. Company Includes Kathleen Ma- honey, Jack Sullivan, Ruth Moore, Eileen Polk, Frank Rafferty, Lewis Post, Frank Graham and Jack Han- ley. Mutual's Own Stocks Stock burlesque throughout the country in which the Mutual of- fices pre interested both in house and co-operation Includes: West—Garrick, St. Loiiis; Em- press, Chicago; Gayety, Milwaukee; Mutual, Indianapolis. East—Hudson, Union City, N. J., (opening this week); Orpheum, Paterson, N. J.; Gayety, Brooklyn (directed by Harold Raymond); American and Irving Place, New York; Gayety, Baltimore; Troca- dero, Philadelphia (opening this week) and Howard, Boston (open- ing April 28). Musical stock has flopped at Fox, Jamaica, L. I., after a three weeks' try with house going dark this week. . Policy followed the regular Mu- tual eeason and never got going. House may reopen later with dramatic stock. INCORPORATIONS NEW YORK Cerin Operating Corp., Buffalo; the- atres; 110,000. Rudolph Inderbitzen, WlUliim C. Gehrlng, Byron A. Inderbit- zen. MasoB Amusements, Manhattan; the- atrea. Jack Mason, l<'rleda GoldrloK. Harry Import. Motion Picture Screen Corp, Manhat- tan; picture screens. Benjamin Kaut- man, Robert H. Epstein. Georee Gar- funkel. Blow Booking Corp., Manhattan; }20,- 000. Elizabeth R. SeKelbaum,- Howard J. Coopcrman, Jeanctto Phillips. Sonny Productions, New York! theatres; $10,000. Harold Cooper, L. E. Warren, Charles H. Keslcr. Atlantic Sonnd Becording Corp., Man- hattan; sound recording mnclilnes; J20,- 000. Stella Maynler. Marlon Fielding;, M. E. Fielding. Day and Night Golf Corp., Manhat- tan; amusement resort; 400 shares no- par, Paul C. Wanaer, Henry C. Bon- nar, Nell A. MacMillan. Jullnna .'\muaeiiient Corp., Kings; the- atres, parka; $S,000. Majorle Rubinstein, Rose Blccker, Milton Sehrler. E. J. W. Theatre Corp., Syracuse; the- atres; l!i0 shares, SO preferred $100 and 100 common no par. Ernest J. Wolte, Genevieve E. Wolfe, Lyle AV. Hornbeck. Change of Capital Fox nim Corp., Manhattan: 1,000,000 shares no par. 6,000,000 shares no par. Filed by Rushmore, BIsbee and Stern, New Tork Clly. Statement and Designation Sniltli AniuftemenlH, Inc., Del.; operate parks; New York ofllce, ICO Broadway, .New Yoric City. OcorKe P. Sniitli, Jr., president. $3r.,000. Filed by S. V. Ryan, Alban.v, N. Y. Committee of H, flanked by Society of Suppression of Vice Is focusing attention of stock bur- lesques in New York with idea to attract official attention to shows and demand a clean up on dialog and dressing of girls. The first to receive attention Is the stock a:t the Irving Place, New York, which Investigators from the reform bodies claimed was running wide open on everything. Police dept. has been watching the shows since complaint was made, but no arrests to date. District Attorney Thomas Craln has been also drag- ged Into the controversy again through being Joint owner of the Irving Place with his two sisters by inheritence from his father. Crain characterized action of reform bod- ies as mere political mudslinging, stating he'd prosecute if any tangle evidence that house was giving im- moral shows was brought before him. Crain added that stipulation of the leasee require shows be kept clean on pain of lease forfeiture. He has directed the realty company handling his affairs to see that this is adhered to. Investigators from Grain's office are said to have re- ported the shows okay. The City stock came out victori- ous after a tilt with agents of the Vice Society who found nothing of- fensive in the shows but summoned management because of life sized semi-nudes in the lobby ballyhoo. Latter case was thrown out and the photos remain. Police action on complaints of both Committee of 14 and Vice Society have investigated but claim to have found nothing In the shows to warrant a pinch. With the crusade on now the stocks have toned down consider- ably. PARAMOUNT, B'KLYN (Continued from page 62) vaude before talkers claimed pair is pulled word for word,- and rather well done. Miss Green is a clever young en- tertainer and possessed of a stage presence that is out of ordinary for kids. It's too bad the girl couldn't sing and dance, It being explained the law won't allow her to do that. Stopped sliow nicely aa It was, that leading to explanation about prohlb on singing and dancing. Packed house at 9:30, wth lobby having fair crowd of standees. Par Newsreel projected on wide screen, magnified from lens. Char. Burlesque Changes Another shakeup in the personnel 1*6" of the stock at the New Columbia went in this week (April 21). Edith Palmer, Ruth Osborn, Will Kramer, Al, Snyder and Hugh Fla- herty closed last week with Al Fer- ris, Frank O'Rourke, Sonny Brown, Yvonne and Joy St. Claire going in. Charles Leroy takes charge as producer of shows; Chat Goi-man will be a feature ai the City, 14th street, beginning April 26. Vic Geslle, dancer and singer, added .o the cast of the City, 14th street. Judy Butler, singer and violinist, is another feature to be added to the cast of the City, 14th street, be- ginning April 2fi. Theatres Proposed riiarlolte, Midi.—$50,000. Cocliian street. Owner, C. R. Beechlor. Archi- tect, R. V. Gny. Policy not given. Clilcugo—$500,000. Also stores. West- ern avenue. Owner, Balabah & Katz Corp. Architocl, .T. li. O. Pridmore. (jenevu, N. V.—Also stores and odlccs. Owner, Srhine Chain Theater Corp. Ar- chitect, V. A. Rigaumont. Site not given, <ienern, O.—$60,000. Also stores and oniccs. Main street. Owner, F. Ilaller. Policy nnd iircliiteol not stated. Juckson. O.—$50,000. Main street. Owners, Jones & Jenkins. Arcliitects, Miller i.t Reeves, Croluinbus, o. l^olicy not given, Peru, Ind.—$50,000. AI.so stores and offices. Fourth street. Owner, care fi. E. Alger. Architect and policy not given. Sioux City. Itt. — $.'!00.000. (Add.) Owner, A. Sanford. Architects, Rapp & Rapp. ^\^«u^ t'nion, O.—$25,000. (Motion pic- tures.) Also stores. Owner, Adams County Building & I^oan Co., Architect, W. P. RIdenour. York, Pa.—$20,000. (Scenlc.'i George and Mason streets. Owner, Nathan Ap- pel Enterprises. Architects, Gemmlll & Blllmeyer. Youngstown, O. — $1,000,000 (motion p'lcture). Also olllce. building. 2GZ W. Federal street. Owner, Warner Bros. Aii'hltecls, C. W. * 0. i.. R!«pp. Loew's Foreip Ideas (Continued from page S) to speak lines in French or Ital- ian or Spanish or German, Arthur claims. Good Pictures As to the second point regarding the foreign market. Loew and Laudy Lawurence, his special rep, as well aa Allen Byre, the local ex- change head, and the rest of the Metro bunch, are certain that in- creased French talker product, which wIU boost gross receipts gen- erally, will In turn Increase the gen- eral market The population Is here; economically everything Is not too tough. Theatres are fewer, but if the pictures do business the mer- chandising channels, i. e„ the the- atres, will come of their own accord. It will be the usual cycle. Loew cites "Variety's" own reports of the sensational business by "La Route est Belle" for five weeks at the Capitol, Marseilles, to prove the point that pictures will always do business If the public gets what It wants. No. 3, Is the French market big enough, is answered by the above. As for Italy, Loew thinks it tops France in its potentialities. As ^las been previously pointed out, the large Italian colonies in Brazil, where it's a pipular language, aside from the mother country and its own legal possessions, suggests Italy as a big market. Re Bob Kane's idea of producing locally as an agent for Paramount as well as others, including Metro, Loew says there's not a chance. Yes, they might use the Kane studios as a test spot for a personality they might want to bring to Hollywood, Just as they've done with other French producers' studios, but Loew is not in favor—^for the time being, anyway—of transfering foreign pro- ducing to Europe. Think it can be done bigger and better under sea- soned Holywoodian supervision. £Air£'S FLOOR SHOW Paul Kane, burlesque producer, will install a new floor show next week at the Queensland, Brooklyn, cabaret. Principals recruited from bur- lesque include Harry Hart, Mona Reld, Cookie Seidel, Peggy O'Neal, Kay Norman and Frances Welsh. Conductor on 7th avenue trolley car calls out: "Roxy; %M\x Street," but not on payroll. LOEWS STATE ("Good Fellows"—Unit) Los Angeles, April 17. Stage show this week goes Heidel- berg, with a male chorus of 18 giv- ing the F&M Idea a different twist. Usually the girl lineups predomi- nate. Passing the buck to the boys this time, the producens stuck strictly to voices; no hoofing. While this is a Fanchon & Marco unit. It was staged by Jack Laughlln, who returns to activity on the coast after two years in the East for Publix and others. Economical with this show, LaugliT lin didn't get the opportunity .to spread it on, but still tiirned out a flashy production. It's long on color schemes and ■ scenic effects- but short on talent. Three principal acts are by Harrison and Elmo, blackface team; LucUe Page and Helen Burke, both dancers. Male brigade holds the unit to- gether. This is the same bunch of boys who were In the'"Whitemah picture, singing the theme num- ber. AVith the house band and Georgie Stoll retained in the pit all the way show is a fuUstage af- fair, opening with a drinking song by the chorus in a patio set. Miss Burke, a Pennington type, hits some taps off amid the whirl of this num- ber, followed almost directly byMiss Page, another dancer and excellent with a waltz-acrobatic routine. Page girl looks like a find. Quartette out of the chorus gets a solo spot to fair results, then Harrison and Elmo's specialty drops unconventionally in the midrlft, throwing the Idea out of >line a bit. Blackface boys, from vaude, do well- after a slow start. Best Is the crap- game business, a laugh getter. Finale is a military narade by the chorus, all lusty voices, with good appear- ance. What women there are In the unit are rung In for the curtain in a drawbridge stair layout for a nominal flash. Ran 35 minutes first performance (Thursday), with the house packing 'em In. Feature, "Devil May Care" (M-G), grabbed most of the sched- ule with 95 minutes, allowing no shorts on the program. Novarro picture getting its first nop-price view In town after being shown for $2 at the Carthay Circle. , Span. FOX, BROOKLYN ("Far East"—Idea) April 19. Position the Brooklyn Fox now occupies as the result of recent situ- ation is bound to offer a tough Job for any new regime. Nearby Par- amount (presentations) and Albee (R-K-O, vaudfllms), are weekly out- classing the Fox in stage show value, the former especially so. This week "The Three Sisters" (Fox) as film feature and Fanchon & Marco's "Far East" Idea, the stage unit. Peculiarity of the F. & M. productions in the east Is that when one is draggy and slow mov- ing, like "Far East," it looks bad in following the high speed tempo of others. "Far East" is replete with color in background and dressing. In mo- tion, however, it is not sufficiently swift. For one-number specialty people must have a speedy pace made, for them, as they always did, in F. & M. Ideas, but in this produc- tion they do not get it. Conse- quently there is no saving speed to help the team of comedy acrobats, nor to aid the three solo dancing girls, one a Chinese, so far as to make them appear to be more than mere piclcout members of the line. The line itself (12) lacks-the usual F. & M. peppiness, being more dec- orative than active and weighted down most of the while by heavy trimmings. House chorus of equal sizes blended in with the traveling group, but without adding any punch. To the unit's, own specialists the theatre ' for this week adds two turns. On Wah Troupe, excellent family contortlonistic Chinese youngsters, and Nee Wong, who de- scribes himself as the "oriental Cllfl! Edwards." Copping gags not lim- ited to white comedians, apparently, for Nee and the m. c. of a vaude act, "Chinese "Vyhoopee Revue," both start with the same crack, with both Chinamen guessing wrong, for the gag Is terrible. - On Wah troupe did several min- utes less here than when recently caught in regular vaude and the benefits were apparent. Yet there I'emalned some slow and unneces s.iry moments. If the owner of this turn would realize how bad th© commonplace items look against the many unusual stunts, he would trim out the draggy stuff and greatly Increase the value of his act. Punch turn of the "Par Ea.fL" Idea's own crew was the couple next to closing the bill, in a Java- nese Buddha dance. They create extraordinary effects with their arms. It's an interesting specialty. Adagio quintet, three men and tw'J girls, finish up with what is now pretty ordinary stuff. The flights and catches have lost much of their sensationalism. "Far East" ram 40 minutes, but seemed longer. There Is enoufsU strong material In it. If run consec- utively, to make a fine vaude flash act, with the same scenery. At least twenty minutes of solid enter- tainment could be derived. Rube Wolf led the stage band on an elevated platform in the rear and made an announcement in "one" during a change. Slightly more than half downs!airs, not very Im- pressive business for a Sattirday afternoon. Jfiar. . TIVOLl (Presentation) Chicago, April Jli. The flaps have been dizzy the.se last five weeks legging it from one house to the other trailing their army of pash m. c.'s. Five m. e.'s In one pill, and easy to swallow for the pash fiends. Publix-B. & K. took a chance on the five m. c. stage show in an effort to plug the hole in the' Oriental's waning trade. One week, with a . blizzard that wrecked show busi- ness throughout the city, the Orien- tal took its highest figure in weeks and the loop lead. The B. & K. big shots said: "Well, swell," and shipped the m. c's up to the Up- town, where they carelessly broke the house record. Then a fair weeU at the Paradise. Here at the Tivoli, on a mean, rainy day, w.ith none too strong picture on the ecreei., they were holding them out In the lobby at the supper show. The m. c.'s on the show are Lou Kosloff, Al Kvale, Mark Fischer, Frankle Masters and Benny M'eroff. Aided by Doris Bobbins, warbler, and the Lambert chorus, plus the house band. Show as a whole is weak and gets its strength on the pash names, each m. c. drawing his own following, thus giving the house a composite draw. Opens with "meet the boys" and a song and dance from the chorus. M. c. of the occasion was Lou Kos-. loff, since m. c.'ing is Kosloff's only stunt. He speaks fairly clearly and can wave his baton in time with the band. As an entertainer he is not so forte. Kvale managed a couple of tunes on'his sax and clarinet, and demon- strated his comedy personality. Kvale is a natural clown and never misses on the easy laugh. Masters on next for a song and a band num- ber, plus a little dancing with the girls. M^6t«rs has a great m. c. personality and can hoof, sing and clown. Meroft took the spotlight of the show, delivering a one-man vaude act that was a solid sock. ■ Opened with a one-man band idea, tossing off tunes on a dozen iristru- ments. Then a bit of comic panto- mime; then swung a drum major'.s baton, delivered some Juggling tricks with balls, clubs and top hat, and closed with a hoofing bit. Mark Fischer closed with a song, being the only warbler In the lot. Fischer shows excellent possibilities as ii singer. "Sally" (FN) feature, and Para- mount sound and silent news clips. NEW ACTS George Mayo and Oharlotle Woodruff, songs. Hayden and Chester, dancers, 10 ■ bM< and one man, dancing act. Kathleen O'Hanlon (formerly oC O'Hanlon and Ziimbuni), new d.mc- ing turn. Pauline Garon (pictures) and Co., of four in "Lawful Larceny," sketch. Al B, White, single. Kelso Brothers open in a new act for R-K-O in Philadelphia Satur- day (26). Will have for support the Three Aristocrats, Gallagher and Cox, Jean Wa,lters and Ed. Qulgley. Turn will run 40 min- utes, produced by C. B. Maddock. The Lees Divorced The Kenneth Fuller Lees, spectac- ular marksmen, haye disagreed. Mrs. Lee was granted a divorce at Augusta, -Me. •. They were married May 4, 1917, and separated several months ago. It was the Lees who passed two years in the big woods of Maine, through the black fly season of the summer, and the mountain high snow drifts of two long winters. They took ample supplies, radio, guns and cameras. Lee, besides be- ing a sharpshooter and holder many records and ribbons. Is a widely known nature and sport writer and la an associate editor of "Forest ami Stream Magazine." There are no children.