Variety (Jun 1930)

Wednesday, June 4, 1930 FILM HOUSE REVIEWS VARIETY 57 CHINESE (Presentation) Los Angeles, May 28. Sid Grauman marks his resump- tion of stage activity by Hsuratively renting his own house for $2,000 a week to screen "Hell's Angels" and put on a 57-minute prolog to the feature. Literally, Howard Hughes is paying that two grand for the four walls and splitting 70- 30 with Fox West Coast over $23,000 lor the flrst eight weeks. The lessees, of course, get the 707o. Opening night it was a 9:43 over- ture and the .picture broke at 1:03 a. m. The windup'to the $100,000 ad- vance campaign had the crowd.s breaking through police lines,to al- most completrly obstruct Hollywood boulevard and some people spent well over an hour reaching the the- atre. Many claim their cars stayed In one spot for at least a half hour. Hence, that late start. The hectic preliminaries were strictly on the level. So much talk going around about Hughes not let- ting anyone see the picture that a. lot of people became suspicious that It was a publicity gas.. But Hughes's concern' over his film, for which he repeatedly changed screens, kept Grauman and his en- tertainers out of the theatre so that the final rehearsal was- held in the Roosevelt hotel. At six p. m. they were still screening the film. And if it hadn't been for Georgie StoU, band leader at Loew's State, borrowed for the occasion, there might have been no stage show opening night. Stoll is given credit for whipping the orchestrations and 25 men In the pit into shape. At one point things were, so chaotic that scouts were out to re- cruit Cddie Cantor as a pinch hit- ter, in case there waS' no stage show. This emergency angle finally wound up with Frank Fay back stage to step out to klddirlr^ly fill in any stage waits. Cantor couldn't make it because he was working at the studio that night. At that. Fay only had to hop on once to kill time after starting the evening by introducing Lieut. Colonel Turner who had left New York that morn- ing and broken the air record to L. A. The flyer had his lion cub with him which made this inter- lude surefire outside of the timely interest. Stage end ran minus the stair- case finale planned. In fact this closing hurrah Isn't on yet. Idea was to have the Ragch and Abbott f^irls (46) prancing on two Inclines. No connection between the prolog and the picture, Grauman having selected "A Garden "Wall" and "The Jungle" as the main scenic items. Meanwhile, the wallop was sup- plied In "one" by Mitchell and Du- rant next to closing. Previous spe- cialties were Bi-engk's Golden Horse, Mosconi Brothers, Jacques Cartler, mixed sextette doing a satire ■ of "Lucia" to "Piccolo Pete," Fortun- ello and Clrlllino, and Adler and Bradford's adagio Interlude. Glancing over that lineup indi- cates a danger of similarity due to the acrobatic tendencies In four of the acts. And Mitchell and Durant had to follow three of 'em. This pair, doing about 10 minutes, are making their Coast debut with the present routine and were "in" after the flrst two minutes, "^hich should count for something as those who think a Hollywood first night audi- ence is a cinch should play Syra- cuse to get in shape for the main event. . The Abbott Girls (14) are prac- tically doing the same schedules they unfolded in the last "Scandals" back ea.st, a toe-tap salvo by 13 of them being top in the series. Rasch group (32) worked well, uncorking one ef- fective exit formation besides some picturesque movements in the Jungle scene during which one miss stepped out of the line for about 20 seconds to send the initiated in the audi- ence into raptures. This girl is go- ing somewhere, Jacques Cartler, doing his drum dance, suffered from ineffective hghtlng. This same number as done at the New York Roxy was one of that theatre's stage highlights for the year. But calling for a mam- moth shadow effect Cartler wa.- re- stricted by a limited back eye and few present know yet what It was all about. Presumption is that it was to be an atmospheric advance for the jungle thing. Members of the aforementioned .sextet doubled '" warble the interpolated son hp. of which there were two. Fortunello and Cirillino, an excel lent act, worked' normally but could speed up in a spot which calls for pace. The Mosconis. Louie and ^'^arlie, remain lightning, while Adler and Bradford may be a bit Slower but are always doing some- thing. -Brengk's Golden Hor.«e caught applau.se although with 57 minutes minus the unused finale is •n a tough spot. Adler and Bradford are now a joursome, two extra boys sharing in the handling of the girl for the aaaglo pyrotechnics. Act is thereby improved and ranks with the best jn its class. The girl is taking a wrific pounding in completing one ana a half and double twists as .she'.« lossod from man to man. Actually unfair to judge the show as a whole at the premiere in view of the obstacles which had to be overcome. There's a lot of talent floating on and off displaying action and laughs. When the wrinkles are out it will undoubtedly mean more than it does right now, and the reg- ular customers aren't squawking as it stands. Opening night the pic- ture Immediately followed the pro- log with the first intermission fol- lowing an hour later. The second night a newsreel was added to pre- cede the stage end. Acts under contract for this pre- sentation are engaged for 10 weeks with it figured the salary li.st for the performers is near $8,300. Count- ing in everything, including rental, about $14,500 seems to be the "rtut" after which the house can start pay- ing off on that $100,000 advance splurge. Hughes has placed six extra horns behind the screen to emphasize the picture's aerial effects and is twice using a wide angle projection lens. The normal sheet is given as 18 x 26 and with the spread 26 x 40. The engagement has started out by going "clean" nights with a healthy advance sale for the evenings. Mat- inees show an inclination to be less than "Rogue Song." Advertising on* the picture to date has only empha- sized Its spectacular side, its cost and time spent in the making. This is said to be because none of the boys were permitted to see the film. Whether bearing down in "copy" on the romance and sex tangents (the picture has plenty of the latter in- gredient) is going to help is prob- lematical, but It certainly won't do any harm. Grauman retains his strong local popularity and his name is a by- word and an endorsement out here. Where a certain faction of the local public resents paying $1.50 for a picture minus a stage show they can have no such complaint in this case. It's a -good show that's going to be better, and between the stage and the screen there's no reason to doubt that the present occupants of the theatre will linger around 14 weeks. Any variation favors a longer so- journ, despite that the Hughes- Grauman combination is openin.^ up in a period when business is gen- erally off. SW. PARAMOUNT, N. Y. Review on the current Par- amount, New York, bill will be found in the foreign news de- partment of this issue. UPTOWN (Presentation) Chicago, May 30. For the week commencing Me- morial Day, an ennui-proof show In this deluxe neighborhood house on the North Side. Our nation's ban- ner and Insignia fioated in newsreel and prologue. On the screen it was "Caught Short" (M-G), distinctly for family reaction, and on the stage a hokey production, "This Is the Life." Late afternoon Deco- ration Day found a capacity down- stairs audience and plenty of pay- ees upstairs, and this is a large theatre. Martial prolog was neat. Bands- men, all khaki clad, offered a med- ley of patriotic airs that blended Into a soft "Roses of Picardy" finish vocalized by a girl trio in church choir dress. "This Is the Life" is a summer and golf show and a production which originated at the downtown Chicago, but with different talent. Built for Farrell and Sarazen, who got $4,400 for one wieek of driving puffballs Into the audience, it now has Chester Horton, the pro, and Johnny Small, comedy golfer. These two have a routine on golf rhythm which includes driving with the eyes closed, trick shots, and a ra- dium effect finifh, driving luminous balls to a green outlined- in phos- phorescent glow. Other talent In the show were Ray Conlin, ventriloquist, and Pansy, the prop horse. Conlin en- gaged in some light comedy with m. c. Al Kvale, but failed to give his -dummy enough life. His best was u.sing Kvale as a make-believe dummy. Pansy, the horse, formed by two men with a girl directing, started strong with comedy move- ment, but sagged. . Interspersed were three sprightly numbers by Ainsley Lambert's 12 girls of the line, and a comedy band number by ni. c. Kvale and cohorts. Ran 45 minutes, and dragged only in slow exchange of gags at the outset. lA)op. LOEW'S STATE (Presentation) Los Angeles, May 30. Fanohon & Marco present Ted Healy and his racketeers this week, which is not an "Idea," but is ^a. swell idea, is doing his usual vaude act. Three assorted blondes, a brunette warbler and a girl tapper, arc also included. Everything is in front of thf band, no scene chango.s. a steady stream of " hoke with ocoaslona) blackouts and some hoof ji<))(>s. It runs 41 minutes and they love it. .Some gags are indigo but nobody was offcndfd. Photograph gallery blackout with Hcaly mistaking a femmf's long .skirt for the black cloth over thf- back of the camera is so quick it doesn't get a laugh but couldn't be longer without g'-tting a raid. Six news clips but about 10 min- utes of frailf-rs. ^v.aturc is "The Arizona. Kid" (Kox). I'a'ked biz aMemorial Day. STANLEY ("Dude Ranch"—Unit) Pittsburgh, Mav 31. There shouldn't be any trouble here this week. Clara Bow will bring them in with "True to the Navy" and "Dude Ranch" will keep them in. Par picture an average Bow product, but stage is better than average, Chai-les Davis, unit's regular m. c, .shares the honors this week with Dick Powell, house m. c. Powell lirst broke into the show bqsiness with Davis back in Indianapolis a couple of years ago and lets the audience in on the secret with the result that the affair takes on the aspects of a reunion of the class of "12. Boys get together for flock of reminiscences and Powell says he won't sing unless Davis accompanies him at the picino. So Davis goes to the keyboard, Powell sings. It's all too nice for words and everybody's happy. Slow start is quickly remedied once the unit's two stellar t\irns, "Jazzlips" Richardson and Burns and Kissen, .•slip into the spotlight. Riehard.son, here at $3 only two months ago with Connie's "Hot Chocolates," tied up the .show tighter than a Scotch knot with his wow hoofing. For trick stuff, few can cornpare with this dusky leg artist. Not many recall it but Rich- ardson was a spot turn with an ordi- nary flash band kct that played this house just about 18 months ago. Since then he's gone ahead both in salary and hobflng. Burns and Kis- sen still singing hoke parodies, a mixture of some of their old stuff and quite a bit new, and over solid from start to finish. This afternoon they took four encores. Remainder of show composed of Darling Twins, pleasant song-and- dance team, and only femme prin- cipals on stage; and the Rangers, harmony septet. Show could have stood a little more sex appeal. If it~vas only a fev girls draped about the stage for atmosphere. Dave Broudy's overture, "Memorial Day Tribute," gave backstage crew another chance to use their prop cannons in one of those over the top finales and great, as always, for working up audience enthusiasm. Bernie Armstrong organlog and news reel, half sound and half si- lent, comprised remainder of pro- gram. Biz capacity. Cohen. NEWARK (Stock Tab Presentation) Newark, May 30. Adams Brothers have made a break and introduced a policy which hasn't been used here for years. They have dropped vaude- ville and brought up the Bert Smith musical comedy from Baltimore, of- fering musical tabs in connection with the pictures. For the opening week the com- pany gives "Making Whoopee" which turns out to be not a musical comedy at all but presumably an old farce upon which the curtain Is dropped every few minutes and specialties introduced in one. The farce is a slow and old fashioned version the "Taming of the Shrew" theme, played without dis- tinction and at many times bur- lesqued, but the company gives evidence of ability to do better. Why this was selected for the open- ing bill with "Sally, Irene and Mary" underlined Is a mystery. The stage show opens with the chorus in "one" consisting of 16 girls, nice lookers and okay in songs and dances. The specialty inter- ruptions have many good spots totaling better than an average vaude bill at this hou.se. High points are the singing by a male quartet and the personality of Vi Shaffer, leading woman. She puts songs over effectively with good comedy. Three unnamed steppers also help. Two ordinary sets are used for the farce with the same drop serv- ing for all the acts In "one." The nearest to a flash came with a "Web of Love" song with spider and fly stuff and the chorus bunched for a .silver web. Chorus costumes changed several timf.'S, always neat, abbreviated but alibied by opera lengths. Small house warmed up to show after a dead 15 minutes. Kan 05 minutes. The real musicals should make good but this sort of thing will not. Feature "Soldiers and Women." ."-lound marred by poor reproduction. New.« fom'-dy. and other .short s. self hoarse over the antics of Marie Dressier and Polly Moran in "Caught Short," Apollon continued to wow 'em. His .sense of humor puts com- edy into everything, and he walked off this afternoon with one of the biggest hands the I'enn rc;;ulars have ever passed to a stranger. AjioUon has surrounded liimsolf With an array of tn-illiant talent, and handles the acts in such a show- manly manner that they profit im- measurably through his guidance. There Is Hetsy Hoose, whose jazz toe-tap on a flight of stairs sent Pittsburgh legit reviewers into eost.asies here over a year ago In "A Night in Venice," or mavbe it was "Pleasure bound.". Now the .same . girl, .a looker, too. Is doing the same stuff and It's as big as ever. There's that cla.'?sy adagio by Ryrnes 'and Swanson, Danzl Oood- cU's novel shuffle and the string and vocal specialties of the Royii.1 Filipino orchestra. Add to these Apollon's own specialties, especially his burlesque of a classic dance with the g.al In the Byrnes-Swanson act, and a couple of good-looking Chester Hale routines and you have a unit that can't miss. This one couldn't and didn't. Apollon's whirlwind Russian dance for the finale gave "Uusslan- tics" such a flash finish that the customers here this afternoon were still working their hands after the curtain had been down fully a min- ute. Dick Leibert back at organ this week after long siege of sickness, but announces on s'^rcen he leaves next week for month's vacation to recuperate. Still looks pretty sick. Holiday biz capacity, with lobby lines and plenty .standing In aisles. ■ Cohen, PENN C'Russiantics"—Unit) 'Pittsburgh, May-30. 6 .After this one,'Davf Apollon can come back as often as he likr-s. .Standing out is the versatile Rus- sian vaudevillian. Whatever it take.«, Apollon has. From start to fininh hr-'.s a person- ality to be reckoned with. A fresh delivery, far and away unlike the ordinary run,' he makes "Russian- tics'' sparkle and gleam. Today, after a mob had already howled It- CAPITOL ("Russian Echoei"--Unit) New York, May 31. The stage show, "Russian Echoes," produced by Arthur Knorr, weaker than the average. Although It con- tains some excellent choir work by the Russian Symphonic Choir, In addition to clever routines by the Chester Hale- Girls, it fails to leave anything but a mild Impression. Something Is wanting throughout. Unit is staged differently and Is more unvaude-like than most, with two specialty dancers, Nina Oginska. and Sammy KrevofE for bits. Neither is a stand-out here. Only one setting and that typi- cally Russian, with its bold coloring of everything in the Russian type done in vaude and picture houses. That alone gives the presentation the effect of a vaude flash act and overdone. The Chester Hale Girls open in a military number, carrying sword.s, and remain on to the end. The choir. Including 20 men and women, are grouped on a moving platform that Is moved downstage for three numbers and then slid upstage again to permit the Hale contingent and the specialty people to take the feature spot. Nina Oginska appears twice, once in a toe number and again in a pea-sant dance. She does little to distinguish herself. The same Is true of Sammy Krevoff, who de- pends on flash and speed, rather than novelty and specialty punch. The finale brings the flrst sem- blance of real flash and effect to the unit, with some of the Hale Girls dragged In for the finl.sh in gorgeous oostunies; Strains of Tchalkowsky mu.slc used for finale effect. This is one of the shortest stage shows the Capitol has ever had. It runs only 20 minutes, which Is le.ss than many flash acts In vaude consume. Feature on 78 mlnute.s. Spare time allowed for all the usual trimmings, plus a two-reel comedy, "Hay Wire" M-G-M. This Is one in the Laurel-Hardy serials and packed with laughs. As appropriate for the occasion, orchestra overture was "Decora- tion Day Memorle.s," with Yasha Bunchuk conducting the Cap grand orchestra with his cu.stomary eclat. Ilearst-Metrotonc N<'ws and trail- ers on next week's show filled out the two hour and 17 minute pro- gram, f.'lirtr. They Mni Siamese (Continued from page 1) swered, "we were showing a pair of .Siamese twins. JJut, reully. Judge, they're just hooked up to make 'em appear .Siamese-like, The public don't know the difference, see, and all's oke until a couple of bulls knock the .show off, see?" "I '.see,' alright," the Recorder .said, "but what's the ide.-i of faking the freaks?" "Aw, Judg"e, you don't fo*'. It's this way, h<.-<: Th<- fu,j, „( Sinrne.se, the reg'lar kind, l.s poor, .So we gotta use Ingenuity." "WeJi, I'm u.sing ir)genuiiy now. It will cost you H<:e'/" Altnian replied. "The twins were bally- liooert (i.u .Slarnefie sind they ap- r)e;ji(.(l ,'jH SlameHe. .<.:o Siamese tliey are ;m f;ir as I'm cfincerned." Ain't Siamese At this p^'int atlfji'riey foi (lie NEWSREEL New York, June 2. t'sual variety of shots, practlcall.v shared equally between Hearst and Fox oameranu'ti, with more ooniing iii the classification of "news" than in the average program. Piilitics are in for a heavy play. AVickersham, the attorney, pleads for . I'nited States entering the World Court, while Senator John- son (Calif.'), raps arnu\ment ideas as aired in London. MiissolinI Is shown on his favorite horse before he spouts linguistically from a balcony in a manner as forceful as that which the English titles de- scribe as "bellicose." President Hoover presents some more medals.- Pertaining to religious and phil- anthropic matters, FoUx Warburg inaugurates the latest Jewish chari- ties drive by accepting a book tes- timonial for his previous deeds. The Eucharlstic Congressional meet of the Catholics in Africa deals with a parade and part of the mass ritual. Raymond Duncan's pub- licity pilgrimage to the Battery for salt also comes under the heading, if the Gandhi Is Included. The Hearst publications seldom let. the reel unwind without in- cluding some kind of a personal plug; This time Red Cagle, West l^oint football star, is the ballyhoo, as a New York "Evening Journal" journalist, and lauding his city room. Getting Into the trend of nature, the screen has sheep, seagulls In Oregon and a frog race In Cali- fornia. Latter quite a novelty for New Y'ork. In the sports, Bobby Jones' vic- tory, of course. The kiddles' boat race in Central Park, youngsters entertained by the N. Y. "Tele- gram," with Babe Ruth cracking a wise one; colored soldiers real devilish In Arizona; Knute Rockne putting his Notre Dame boys through the paces; Sonnenberg do- ing some tough wrestling in Bos- ton—are the others. Prize flghters In Formosa, where kicking and everything goes in the ring, are a novelty In this cluster. Sousa leading a nigh school band In Flint, Mich., reviews the famous' march number. Gold Star mother.! ai-rlving in BYance; D'Annunzlo, the poet, entertaining at a 'niusicale^. new type of mast for the zep as - demonstrated in Los Angeles are followed by what the woman should wear upon meeting England's King. Waly. PARAMOUNT ("Keep Moving"—Unit) San Francisco, May 31. Stage shows are back In Para- mount-i^ubllx' Paramount theatre here with Harry A. Gourfain's "Keep Moving" the first unit to In- augurate the new policy. Initial show last week 'went over smoothly and made a'favorable Impression. After a week here it will move on to Portland, Ore., and then to Se- attle. Gourfain will travel with unit to two northern towns to supervise. Units will travel Intact save for girls. Each house will have Its own Individual line of. steppers. "Keep Moving" has Al Mitchell as master of ceremonies and wleldcr of the baton over a Jazz stage band. Mitchell, save for a slight nervous- ness, acquitted himself okeh with the customers, who liked him and his music. Band especially deserv- ing: of a hand for Its smooth rhythm. Clyde Hager doing a street spieler monolog and wise cracking with Mitchell was one of two featured acts. He made his entr.ance from the audience with the usual spiel- er's layout, worked fast with some sure-fire gags and stepped off loa-'lng them laughing. Al Norman, dancer, w.as the other headliner, nimble worker who Ir-ft the crowd clamoring for more. Intersijersed hlH dancing with few ga!,'H and Imi- tations, the latter especially going over well. Marie Sweeney doing a slack rope act plea.sed as did Peggy Curtis with her warbling. The Suzette .steppers, twelve In the line, were comely, fast .and well drilled. The costumes, -while not pretentious, proved effective. It is quite evident that not a great deal of money is being spent on these units but (Jourfain has done his Job well and they look likely to win a following. Rivert. girls, Madeline and Adeline de Puynter, 16, and attractive. Inter- posed. -J "But they ain't Siamese," the lawyer yelled. "They are .Slamesr-," answered the Recorder as he told the ciei-k to collect the $25. As the twins nejired the <loor leading from the couriroorii, M;ide- llne turned back arid, sn'iiling at ' ^ the Itecorder," said: "Rut we ain't .Siamese." In a wuy, obsf^rves Walter Wln- chell, m;iybe it's no harm tliat .lune and the kids are on the coast for a 1 few wc<-k«. Now they can't '■(ly his I wif(^ write? hl.sv .--tuff, adds the ■ te/ii,t(;iini'jit;il di^';cr. -i