Variety (Jul 1930)

VAIIDE ll«MISE IIEVICWS Vc^nesday^ ^ -Julf ^ 2^ 1930 PALACE (St. Vaude) A very good vaude blU on paper and on the stage was badly slowed Up. . it not ■ hurt, twice Saturday afternoon by useless and unrequired encores. The iflrst happened in Pepito's turn, No. 2, and the next In Gus . Edwards* revised act, opening after Intermission. At least the Pepito encore lyas pro:>ably re- moved. Don't the R-K-'O bookers see these acts? Or if they don't, don't the office scouts who do make recom- mendations as to changes for the Palace playing? A blind boy could have told the Pepito encore was misplaced for any house, while Gus Edwards rang In a lousy mouth organ r>y a boy mace up in the amat^eur night style. That might be ah encore where Gus is giving the entire show or closing a bill. About three sets , of claquers in the rear ,of the orchestra Saturday afternoon. None was necessary. The overdone-encores hurt two acts, Lou Holtz, next to closing, and Maddpx and Clark, two girls, No. 2. Both .qvercame their, handicaps, the irlrls very neatly, and H;oltz, through 'sheer work and head work, for that encore mess up just before Holtz, and tlie way It was done could have made an ordinary performer walk on with a grouch, if he did not walk out.. Especially a'single coming on at 4:46, for the show was pro- longed beyond its normal length by the two pushed-In encores. Another return and another hit of. the bill score, for;. Bill Robinson. He was next to closing the first h.alf.\ ..fhe super tapper went into the Edward^ act. later, to help out Xna Ray, whonfi Gus call's his "latest find,'.' in her. dance Imitation of Bill. •The girl doe's the taps "nicely„ but is • too heavy on; her feet, which the feathSry, fooled B^-yeai-old Bill , ahoweii' up when dkhclng with her. Closing «the first , half is . Ruth • fitting, a "sweetheart" Chicago lost at $225' a weiek, fpr t"he Palace to take lier td'its heart this week als thehjadHner at |3,000.'' Perhaps as XwCs'^lsplaying the difference be- twoeh'New York-and'Chicago In" other ways, .l^iss. Ettlhg had two pianists, and did around six songs, .vrlth bttr pei'sonallty hot the least in the solid success this handsome girl ; alwajjri^ lel^ves behind at the Palace. Holbs is doing a dandy turn. It tnust be the same single he did .ire- .cently at.lhe. Palace,. Chicago, when tlie report from there said It was Ills b6st :act.., It is. He tella stories, sings, travesjtids and kids. .None can tell a Yid story better than he : in accent, and Holtz' hit was heavy •In the late 'spot,- de'dpite every- thing!' A .-stooge iised ori the stage (or a moment is a big laugh. Edwards has revamped the turn he had a couple of months ago at the Palace. He has thrown out the . chaff and put in wheat. It makes all the difterehc« in'the world, be- • Bides this' time the act is wholly played upon the stage where it al- . .ways belongs. : Alice "Weaver, but lately recovered from a spinal injury that held her pfC the stage for nine months, does prettily with diflicult toe work, while .Madeleine North way, now a blonde, land Charles Sabin, ballroom dancers, ' etve much class to the Edwards turn. Besides Gus, who contributes to any act he's in more showman ship than he is usually credited with. Here again he evidences it, hot too much, but enough tb keep . the act lively and make it likeable. With good people as now, it is all the better, for Armlda remains. fThat sprightly little girl is fast de rveloping into a corking performer. .This nearly new Edwards act can hold a spot or a show anywhere, for it's now all entertainment. Even ; the mouth organ boy would be all right in his place, which should be in the body of the act. Gus Is fool ish to close with this. boy stuff as he did with the dance imitator be fore. Let them remember Gus Ed wards, not a kid who can wash up any time. That might be good judgment In a turn not there—this XSdwards turn Is there, and 75% jbetter than his former act. _ Gus and "Will, two boy acrobatic dancers, opened the show In "one," .unusual, with Pepito No. 2 with .. full stage, his contract reported .calling for "a spot." Pepito is . doing excellent work and Is what .. may be called a newer clown of the old school. Sure fire for children and ehough for the adults. His en- • core is entirely wrong excepting the cryljtt bit that could go in the act ; proper as it was before. Rest of the encor^ may be thrown away. It has to do with a player-pfano as a gag, and the clown singing In falsetto. Jean Maddox and Florence Clark V pushed themselves over after this. It was the comedienne's hard work, aifd she never stopped, getting something for all of her low comedy, which Is far superior to the cross . fire. Some of the talk holds a little glselOi Comedy end sets the girls, . -however. ..While Bill Robinson was taking tJd fltfit bow, ushers carried down a ■ ItUrge floral horseshoe. It was oke . liecause Bill went right to the card. Later he mentioned that "I must be living right," looking at the flowers. and again-stated the conservatory '.,came from the stage hands' union of Uevf York. That bespeaks bene- fits, but whatever it is, the stage crews never pass tributes that way unless they think an awful lot of a fpUow, And Bill is colored. It was pretty nice. ' Little better than usual Sat. mat trade; orchestra about 90%, Sime. S8TH ST. (Vaudfilm) Poor attendance for this house Saturday afternoon, but a good showing In comparison with the rpst of the slands In New York for that day which invited everybody outdoors. Ho name and no local favoritts on the bill, house depend ing upon "The Big Pond" (Par) for House being used as a summer break-In spot In consequence the program a bit scattered and uneven. Only two real comedy turns on the six-act layout which Is short meas- ure. The laugh makers were Pauline Saxon, Reed and Kenny, dependable hoke clowning by Miss Saxon and neat specialty by het man and worn an assistants; and Joe Marks in his old skit strongly flavored with the! burlesque bit idea in material and style, but amusing enough- for this clientele. Two new acts In Furman, Shar- key and Lorraine and Louise Ben- stead and Co. of six. Running or- der was Alberta Lee and Co., Fur- man, Sharkey and Lorraine, Saxon, Reed and Kenny; Lucille Benstead and ' Co.; Marie Marcourt and Marks, which arrangement spotted the available comedy in about the right places, although more laughs wotild have helped the show vastly. Alberta Lee sounds like' a woman prln<iipal, but it turns oiit to be an upsid6-down man jugglei*' with a womitn aid . who appears only for an instant and then hands- out' props from behind- a screen, falling evein to appear for final acknowledgement; Turn Is rather slow, consisting of series of - Juggling feats by man standing on .his head atop a fu- turistic sentry box.. Impressionist setting batcks the turn up and the finish has the juggler, still in re- verse, playing banjo, drum and bugl& in. that order. Marie Harco.urt was in a tough spot No. 6, an unusual berth for a straight violin playing woman sin- gle. At that she. did well with this group of customers and in a more appropriate position ought to make a really good impression. Statu- esque, chestnut haired girl with a captivating, dimpled smile. Opens in evening gown for straight violin number, announces series of "Im* pressions" oC. vaude violinists: In- cluding Patrlcola, which is., as ETOod art' excusb as any for two . brief straight numbers in self-accom- panied song, displaying art agree- able light voice. Then she strips the long skirt and Is reveialed as a shapely Juno in opera lengths for a lively finishing nuihber with mere suggestion of swaying- steps. Music is agreeable, girl's class and suave audience ap- proach 'helps and the ravishing shape turns the final trick. Ruah, ALBEE, BROOKLYN (Vaudfilm) ["Dangerous Nan McGre.w" (Par) and five acts comprise a good combl nation value for 50 cents. Show is serviceable If undlsiinguished. It plays in standard form. Clifford Wayne Co., now a sextet, is its usual Indian novelty. A neat re- vuette and good opener for the grade. Carr Bros, and Betty twlclng are more Carr Bros, than- Betty. Latter just serves for the Intro- ducer. The boys' burlesk hand-to- hand stuff is the mainstay. Gloria Foy, Alan Edwards, Alan Davis (New Acts) are thus evenly billed. Class routine. Johnny Burke next with his standard comedy sol- dier monolog, as effective as ever for laugh returns. Don Azplazu and his Havana Ca- sino orchestra closed. Here'si a genuine novelty in stage bands which might be further enhanced If more skillfully presented. Program note compares the native Cuban rhythms with the modernistic American tempos and further likens the "rumba" dance with our own shimmy. The "rumba" programed Is now eliminated for some reason; mebbe they deemed its cooch a bit too torrid for the family customers. Antonio Machin, parenthetically billed as "Rudy in Sepia," is a sym- pathetic enough Cuban warbler, if no "Vallee in personality or style. That's carrying a suggestion too fan Special trailers further intcoduce the band. Its chief appeal are those, gourd and other pebbly ryhthm in- strunients. .They are at their . best playing their own native tempos. They do, contemporary :Jazz well enough, but If some announcement were made of how. the. same fox- trots would sound under Cuban or- chestral arrangement and treat- ment, the effect would be enhanced. Marlon. Sunshine, staged and pre- sents the act. Don Azplazu has a novelty which can play anywhere in America or internationally. Their music Is dif- ferent .and so authentic in its local color it carries wlth .it a dlstlnc- flion all o^n. Bajnd is currently at the Central Park Casino, dishing up the tangos, and even from the stage a surefire dance-provoker. It comes from the . Grand hotel, Ha- vana, where Azplazu is well known t6 tourists. Abel. RKO (Vaudfilm) Los Angeles, June 21. At )3,000 for the four acts, this Is one of the cheapest units to hit the Coast since the new policy of four-act bills started. Without a vaude' name on the bill, it still proves not only go6d entertainment, but class. The acts as arranged approach perfect vaude. Ray HuUng and his seal, for general entertainment and appeal to the kids; Reynolds and White, music and hoke for low an9 high; Ledova, for the real class, and Fred Llghtner, new here, goes lowdown to show-stopping results Ledova likewise tied up proceed- ings just ahead of him. Reynolds and White opened with their hoke musical work on trumpet, sax and fiddle. Act clicked from the opening to a surprise finish, when Miss White, working as a male tramp, pulled off her cos tume revealing a white evening gown. 'Very well liked. • Ray Huling, in the deuce, worked his seal to good returns. The seal seems to have a fine understanding of what's wanted, with the high spot Its control of voice; especially In the vocal numbers wnere- it noias the pitch with the orchestra. Ledova, with a male dancer, two pianists and. a colored choir of eight. In next-to-shut got off to a slow start. This is probably due to the heavy black hangings of the act, out of tune with her dancing. It's getting too hot for black around these parts. But the act has real class throughout, Ledova displaying a technique rare in vaude. Colored choir sings three spirituals, sub- dued and effective but could oe bettered if the soprano would shdirpen her ear. Fred Llghtner started slow with a special number and plenty of mugging. He failed to hit until the girl, Rosetta, came on. Then he built up to a smash close. Five bows, then a speech In which he announced that he was out here to visit his sister, Winnie Llghtner. House filled for the first show. '.'The Fall . Guy" (Radio) and news reel completed. MILLION DOLLAR (Vaudfilm) Los Angeles, June 26. With all the major theatres fn the city going toward stage shows, this houffe has. .been using vaude successfully for several > months how. At the preseAt time, - and with a 50c top, customers are with- out a doubt getting their money's worth. While the house doesn't draw the class trade, due partially to the Fox West Coast and Publix houses running the features at least two times before they hit here, it has a good steady patronage. Opening this week's last half are Bardo and Cunningham, a .couple.of hoofers with fast tap routines. A military tap used as an encore sent the act olC nicely. Mora and Frances started by pull- ing a string of small violins out of a carrying case, crying for their mother. Some guitar and banjo playing followed, with a few songs by the girl. The act was liked. Flash number of the bill in the trey spot. De Lara Lollta and Com- pany, all Spanish, showed some clever «tangoes, instrumental work and singing. An apache had the outfit called out twoce for bows. Burns and Kane, in next-to-clos Ing, provided pure hoke and sailed across In fine style. Closing the bill was Phenomena, a mystic, who passed the regular sheets of paper for questions and gave advice to all seeking his comfort. While doling out the answers put in several plugs for his $1 booklet. Feature was "The Texan" (Par), with a newsreel and sound novelty filling In the 2% hours. House was packed opening night (Thursday). STATE-LAKE (Vaudfilm) Chicago,. June 28. With the Twelve O'Olock Revue and Johnny Downs, another one of the growlng-up "Our Gang" boys, .as co-headllners, this house lacks the name punch this week and suf- fered in gate receipts opening day Vaude bill of five acts ran 80 minutes, short show for the State Lake. It was too heavy on the hoofing withojuome repetition, but the easy-going patrons liked It. SamaroCf and Sphia, clever act In which four dogs follow their master In acrobatic routines, was a good opener all the way after the woman's Russian dance was over, but was clipped to -five minutes when they could do 10. Johnny Downs, boy from the silent pictures, held the deuce. Kid at least Is different from the rest of his gang with a growlng-up ap- pearance. He seems to haye the makings for something, with nat- ural i>ersonallty and a hoofing de- livery which, if not flashy, at least has plenty of character. He pleased. Manny King and Co.> the yId sissy comedian with violin case, two other frien and'' lMra ' gIrls-jJafrt In- nocent" boy'In a ba* night"club^ were restful on s'ongis,' but' finally got a warming 'oh'Manny'fl wrestling i with ■ a huge hulk, " of blonde femiinlnity, alias love-making.' Mart May, the lazy comedian, followed, with the ^ongs he never finishes and the musical Ins.tru- ments he never quite gets set with. Type of hoke liked In this house. Jeanne Carroll, fast doricer and on looks good, as foil, helped. These two combined with the "Twelve O'Clock Revue" of eight girls and two men in the closing act. Flash proved draggy even with Mky as m. c, and the fellow doing a dumb waiter didn't crash with^ the laughs he could have gotten. In the last 10 minutes, specialties by the various girls, all good- dancers, put on a rouslng< finish that held. One danseuse In an ec- centric toe number and another who does a leg-control acrobatic dance are invaluable assetis to this On the screen "Notorious .Affair" (FN) and Pathe Review. STATE (Vaudfilm) This week's vaude layout presents stronger competition against R-K- O's Palace, one block up the street, than many, a week heretofore. .Six acts, all recognized standards, but one and 'running to a bit over 90 minutes. With Par's "True to the Navy" on screen and the Three Sailors also on the marquee, Mon- day night's house was well nigh fined. Besides the Three filers, Count Bernlvicl and Girls and Josephine Harmon and Franklvn Ardell. Three Sailors were a cinch. They tried to. bow ,off after but 12 min- utes,, biit. the house < wouldn't let them go. Vardeil .brothers, acrobats and stuntsters, opened with, a. , snap. Acrobatic routine, hand-to.-ihahd and body^ lifts were oke, but tl^e standout was In the stunt wlierein one mem- ber of the duo slid dqwh a small curved chute oh his chest and stomach, turned in the air and was caught in a leg catch by his partner hanging from a bar at the other end. ' Both -wore leg protectors. Stunt .looked plenty dangerous and thrilled. ' Empetors" of Harmony deuced in fair fashion. Quartet of colored boys, all -vocalists. Franklyh Ardell and Co., the "And Co." being a miale audience plant and a femmie assist, treyed, and were liked from the start. Ardell's fast comedy patter got results. Idea Is that of a comic swamp salesman who r hires a deaf and dumb secre- tary only to find that she 16 black- mailing him. It's Ardell's patter and chatter with thei gal that's the act. Josephine Harmon, the femme of Amazonian prbportlons, possessing a voice which befits her size, had no trouble whatsoever. Using more talk when last seen around. It Is mostly of the self-kidding variety, delivered in the .form of cross-fire with her male pianist, and gets laughs. Uses two comedy songs. Count Bernlvicl and Girls closed— and did that with class. Turn color- fully mounted and framing good. A "Miss Dusty," warbler, was strong for single honors. HIPPODROME (Vaudfilm) Well laid out and well balanced bill for current week with sight rather than sound features again dominating the stage show and counting for tops. Two dancing flashes in the six-act layout, Irene Vermillion and Co. in trey and "Flowers of Seville," Spanish dance revue in closer. Elg;ht Blue Devils, male Arab troupe,, opened and got over with tumbling and pyramid stunts. Es- mond and Grant, mixed team, reg- istered with chatter, singing and dancing, with Grant's hooflng the mainstay. Neat act for deuce. Miss Vermillion, with male pianist and girl violinist, was heavy clicker in next niche, and her acrobatic dancing dressed up in production style. Numbers well done and re- ceived accordingly by the out- fronters. Bert Hanlon had the comedy end practically alone, getting over In a big way. Some of Hanlon's fly stuff was over the heads of most but after playing down to them, re- sults were different. , ~Slm Moore and Pal, male two- some, also got their share of laughs with a travesty acrobatic routine and .small talk. After clowning half way the team went Icgit on stunts and cleaned up. . "Flowers of Seville," Spanish danco revue of one man and nine girls, delectable eyeflller in get- away, through attractive mountings and colorful costuming. One of the cflrla works with man for a couple of doubles with the others In en- semble numbers. Girl's castanet and cymbal dances were neatly handled while the man's toreador solo also brought plenty. Tam- bourine dance finale with all on and dancing at breakneck pace sent th** .ict over with a hang. "The Soclfil Lion" (Par) on screen. • Edba. PALACE (Vaudfifm). ' • • 't:hl<iago, June 28. , -It 'woiiild be 'a great break for the acts if somQ way were figured out to start the first show 45 minutes later than a,t present. First variety shoMr how going on about 12:30,» with house pitifully small. Acts on at that time don't get a fair chance, having a difficult time warming up the crowd. However, by 1:30 the house is filling rapidly, with the bigger house showing its efCect upon the closing acts' recep- tion. • Leading off were Myers, Lubow and Rice, eight person dance flash; two men and girl specialty dancers and five-girl chorus. Routine stuff, except for the excellent semi-doll dance, and the man's Itmberlegs comedy bit. Act makes nice ap- pearance; set nicely. Yvette Rugel depended almost solely on classical and seml-classi- cal material; with her warbling getting recognition in spite of the small attendance at the time. XiCster Allen and Nellie Breen had' to use a lot of showmanship to over- come poor material. Comedy songs are weak with the ideas meaning- less. 'Best bit was Allen's closing Imitation of John McCormack giv- ing an Imitation of Lester Allen. Allen appears in the following act with William Halllgan In a weak four-person skit. Idea is how two hotel muggs buy some real hooch but tosp ' it out, when the porter, whom they try it on, passes but: only to learnt later the porter- was a fit hound. Obvious and only laughs ate from ad lib buslnesis. Jack McLallen, with Sarah .and- one other man, cleaned up in cloa-. Ing. Had everything for the mob here. "SoliJIera and .Women" (Col) feature. Also, a patriotic trailer, with vice-president Curtis' letter. Business weak at opening of first show but they were coming in nicely at the close. Loop. ACADEMY (Vaudfilm) Stage band policy supplanted reg- ulation vaude bills here this week, with Jack Roth and the Academy ' Jazzmaniacs on stage. . V&ude bill is draped around to make for more-' of a presentation .policy than a i straight vaude bill. ■ . n- Despite the: Switch the show isi vaude, with the- acts doing their stuff before, the band. Roth and tho .; boys give a gopd. account through out. Caught Sunday night, with extra, shows causing; plenty of juggl' around, the bill ran even and got results. Roth and the boys open with some lively Instrumentation stuff, giving way to Goldman, Hess and Vallee (not Rudy), two fellows and a girl In fast acrobatic dancing, getting over for tops. John Irving Fisher m. c.'d well and spotted his own specialty later down. Fl&her mopped. Marjorle Burke had her song rep. getting in some clown stuff with Fisher that tickled and sent her away to good results. Roth and band spotted instrumental program as spacer, with Grace DuFaye, acro- batic dancer, taking things up and uncorking an acrobatic dance that was nobody's business. ''Daisy," horse impersonation, with two fellows under the skin and girl trainer, provided laughs with an act that rang the bell. Jans and Whalen were the clean- u , chaps on comedy, goallng them with their familiar nifty nonsense. From all slants a good layout, with Roth coming In for plenty of credit w.' i the band boys. "Mammy" (W. B.) screen feature. Edba. 86TH STREET (Vaudfilm) Simple, Inexpensive bill, injured by lack of variety in type of ma- terial. Practically a stag program. Not a woman appeared on the stfige until the closing turn, when the Lee Sisters and their eight line girls tried to make up for lack of femme Interest In preceding four turns. No names and no stage show box office magnet. Probably figured a draw wasn't necessary with the screen displaying Chevalier In "The Big Pond" (Par). Good reasoning at that. Business off at this matinee as mlghL be expected, same condition applying to every theatre in town including the Times Square film de luxers. Chevalier ought to do the trick as four-day engage- ment of picture progresses. ■ Absence cf femininity affected the show, giving it monotonous same- ness, even if the man acts had no sameness. Opened with Freddie Craig. Jr.. the trick mental novelty, which did nicely. Feats of memory and novel number calculations have lots of novelty. Craig has opened a new line for this style of work. Material Is strikingly interesting and the young man helps vastly by his per- sonable handling of talk and black- board te.its. Nice returns. Carrol and Gorman, two young (Continued on page 76)