Variety (Jul 1930)

ITedilesdty, jfaly 30^ 1930 riLM HOaSE REVIEWS vAxnsrr ri FOX, SEATTLE • fieatUe, July 19. ' finatm huA Its nearest mpinroach , i^VHoUywood ptemleiw last nletat. Il« ^HeU'B Angeto," the Howard ^Shes BUper-thriHer of the air, ^Srrt » run to capacity and Uved mto^ tremendons b^yhoo. -»<oi Harlow, teaturod alongr with HenL^on and James Hal}, eave the - ^Slrwood color by helmr on hand ' taiwtfson. Shealrplaned 1*om Call-* ~ '^mSi. bnt with. J. B. Alexander, -■MStoi»iti'<>^>''»^^ *-^ the controls, S«d^o make a, non-pnblldty forced fiSiiig in A field near Taconu^ ZTtotaklng on .poor gas at Port- Tben a truck and finally a ear brooght the star to Sttttlei where the Initial reception ^^^^ iaeld In the afternoon. >:^jV«ty planes were In the air, and with blUbbardfl. newspapers, store vlBdows and banners all prodalm- . w the Hughes super, the campaign ' diSdld any evoT' known here. Be- : ■ tiw* the doors opened the gang had M|M»t 120,000. pauch going Into tho : bM«d: 18,000 Into advertising, with ■i::'Sa»Vox standing $5,000. Badlo was 1^ the ballyhoo In a big ' way. . WAynr Bdwards made the opeiilng : jmee<^ extremely laudatory of Miss iSrto w. whom he CTeete d earlier in ■ wltE~taree kisses. The ' -' Mayor told the audience naively "that Jean had kissed blm a few, but 'tli« little star came back with: ^he .' Mityor Is wrongi he kissed me." . ijUiyhow the 'audience liked the reilMUlcie. • Owen Sweeten and band, In the ■ -pltj^rbse to the martial heights de- . uanded in keeping with the spec- ' tMuIar drama. The band boys sang bits-of "Cheer Up" as a starter. : J?Q»thy Orodvig, lyric soprano, sang .. "A Dream Comes True" very well. It:-Is a composition by Claude ''Sweeten, of the band. A rousing march and the band sank out of sight as tfie short showing Governor Tquiig of California bidding Miss .Hiirlbw good-bye on her,trip to the ' SeatUe premiere, came' on. Fox ' ■ Jfsws nejrf. "Hen's Angels** opeAed and soon got plenty warm. Its realism, stark and sans tawdry heroics, soon " gHpped the stylish first nighters. Trep. CAPITOL ("Good FeUowa" Idea) ■ Chicago. July 25. fimti of the sweetest units put - ktothls house by f . ft M. since the Csstoh circuit dropped local pro- •dnettois and connected with the cottt producers. '"Good Fellows" rolls right along 'liirltK > a male chorus of 16 good . votiiiet^ substantlar and colorful pro- 'dttcflon that has a European village 'mC. and nice talent. ■ - A-few quiet sjpots are the "Stein -;SMig-,**' for a Swiss eCtect, and extra '■ ^acopative touches here iand there, ,:bat not serious deficiencies. ■■ Based on the chorus being cadets, /With colorful uniforms, their sing- •ing continuity paves the way for an talent except one act. Mixing r ttf right are Helen Burke, a chubby >baek dancer, and Lucille Page, ecro danseuse, a pip to look at and a 'good trooperr / For Gom^y, Seven and Eleven, nude blackface team doing a comedy dice 'game routine, were lost right for this house, and a Pttnch right along. '^Only weak moments were spe- Cttlties by a quartet called the M-G-M Pour, nobody knew why. A strong finale. In which a castle tower gate is let down and a blonde ^1, gorgeously attired, crowned queen to spirited music, then mounts stairs to a sunburst drop siirrounded by eight posing girls. QB a small scale this sort of thing dpne exceedingly well. : "Unholy Three" <M-G) and Pox news; business fair on a rainy night. STANLEY ("Moenbeaihs"—Unit) . Pittsburgh, July 25. * this week is not °°*t> but personal appearance Of Bemice Claire, former legit Vjayer, who is also oh the screen with Joe E Brown in "Top Speed." AJJis girl, last here on stage in legit iJesest Song" with Alexander J»ray, who is also in pictures now, rates ace high as a performer and Bnould be able to hold her own with wo best of them In pictures, vaudo- ^pi^ musical comedy. of a sweet soprano 0 captivating stage pres- ^^^^ Claire tJoes three num- ws, one a duet with Dick Powell, f^lar m.c, and tied up the show tI^Sv **eht today that Eddie *«ni)€rt, waiting in the wings to go ?Xf«clded to wait a bit. Claimed fti<«r v'®'' **"t movie house appear- firt* 1.5"* prima donna handled her- "Ite a real trouper. -^Sifo^uced by Powell, she wisely 5;I™"ed from any of the usual nSSr-* *J hokum, but im- ^wuately went into "If I Were on 2" Stage" and "Kiss Me Again," Nil? Modiste." which First i;|ational has JuSt finished as MioT^ Legion," and in which "Wau^^iS*"^* ^ co-featured with ■»5h1S«^^««°"' Followed this up giJL^e* |or Two," from stage and *ween "No. No. Nanette," with Powell for a finish that brought big returns. With her smile and per- sonmUty, as well as a voice far above average, this gal could easily qualify as a singing vaude ainete any time. " That the Stanley mob knew her was brought out . upon her entrance, when applause lasted fully a min- ute; In addition to her current "Top Speed," she also appeared in "No, No Nanette," "Song of the Flame" and "Spring Is Here." She works in middle of "Moon- beams," preceding Lambert, who «Iosea With his hoke stuft and good for plenty of laughs. Unit above recent Publlx average here, with Ma© Wynn and Buddy scoring solidly with their excellent tap dancing and Dorothea Berke selling a classy tango. Ashley Paige's xylophone number with six sticks also a highlight, and Senorita Carlta got over in a couple of vocal numbers. Dave Broudy's overture features Bemie Armstrong, house organist, as piano soloist on stage in one; Madelyn Ward in an attractive yOcal solo, and Harry Azlnsky, first violinist, also in a solo—one of Broudy's clever audience tries and surefire out front. Biz capacity. Cohen. PARAMOUNT ("Noah's Lark"—Unit) New York, July 26. A particularly notable bit of stage band producing and a snow that has everything, including that rare quality of blending into a blng-blng show. Laurels go to Its producer. Boris Petrofr, who has assembled a lot of captivating specialty ma- terial, a generous amount of flash, couple of interludes of genuine comedy and a punch act in the adagio bit of Berllnoff and'Eulalie. After Petroft got it assembled he laid it out for 100% effectiveness. Presentation runs close to' 40 min- utes and isn't dull a minute. Show backs up the current Par feature "Sap From Syracuse," starring Jack Oakle, which looks like a popular success on the strength of its comedy; The fastidious picture- goer may not like its strong-arm brand of fun but the generality will love it. Stage is set with a futuristic and comic version of Mr. Noah's yacht, the stage band being tucked In under the over-hang of its prow. . Dancing grpup Is described as Fred EiVans' "Bluebirds," 12 in num- ber and a whirlwind coUection of stepping, girls, strong in. several kinds of dancing, particularly a pretty staging of the toe ensemble with the girls, all dressed as blue- birds-forrhapplness, made the basis of a trimly staged and beautifully executed classical dance routine. Girls also haye an unusual frameup for unison tap bit, with the femmes dressed in brightly colored rags to represent shoe-black gaminnes. With Rubinofr leading the orches- tra they use Billy Farrell as a sort of free lance m. c, doing little In the announcing way, but working in his really great dance bits with others and finally going into one of those father-and-son competitions with "Dad" Farrell, a swift bit of specialty embroidered with touches of smart cross talk between the younger and the senior Farrell, cli- maxing with the announcement that the elder is beyond 70 years and followed by the oldster's astonish- ing acrobatic stepping. This was a. riot in the Paramount, where the audience doesn't often lose control of Its enthusiasms. The comedy wallop, however, is the antics of a prop horse. Billed as "Pansy" without programing of the two men who handle the panto under the prop exterior. They de- serve billing, for they have some new quirks to an idea that is far from new. but almost audience proof. Margaret McKee, pretty blonde girl, acts as the trainer of "Pansy," getting plenty of laughs and then, with the exit of the ridiculous "ani- mal" furnishes a surprise by a neat dance duet with young Farrell and then springing a neat specialty of whisUing bird calls. Girl also sings agreeably. The BerlnoCr-Eulalie adagio is strikingly Introduced as a logical sequences to the "Bluebirds'" toe number, the girl of the team enter- ing elaborately garbed as a bird, while her partner appears as a hunter with bow and arrow. Girl's costume is stripped, leaving her with very little on and they go into their sensational poses, working with the acme of acrobatic form and the girl displaying in her poses some of the most arresting con- tortion work observed around for a long time. Finale comes on swiftly following the Farrells* frolic. Ensemble is Just one of those final groupings for the finishing flash, until Berinoff and Eulalie give it the punch twist with the girl making a long leap from the Ark to a catch and pose. It was exactly the detail needed to round out a capital bit of stage production of the presentation sort. Jesse Crawford gets away from his usual novel handling of pop medleys and cycles, running to bits from "Cavallerla Rusticana,' Crawford-handling the operatic score with the same distinction he gives to everything he touches. Ruah. ORIENTAL (Presentation) Chicago, July 25. Initiating himself into the Ori- ental as m. c. was no soft job for Harry Rose. The wisecracker had to hop around, rnn into the aisles and nearly climb trees to hold to- gether a sloppy production. At this house lately, the produc- tion dept. has been neglecting one of two things: one week the talent, the next week the production. This week, for "Sand Witches," it's the latter. Even with a brand new set. double' decked, showing a Miami hotel, there was no production, no continuity, no hanging together and no proper pacing. The boys in the back row smile and say it's a good show. They are kidding themselves. The alibis of the production dept.: new show, no break-ins, few rehearsals. Just alibis. Stage show opens hi "one" before a Hawaiian drop, and the. 12 line girls are doing a hula while a tenor singa Suddenly there's an ama- teurish .and unfunny switch to a cooch shake. Rose runs out, .ahooes them off, ste ps in front of thia main "travelers" which swish out behind him, and talks the audience into go- ing from Waklki to Miami. The "travelers" pull back, and Miami! Harry read some telegraiqs, asked for much applause, tired them out with applause, and between a couple songs shows off the talent. Morgan trio, three girls, excep- tional acrobatic routine team with some clever and rhythmical back bends and flips. Then the Rhythm boys, three colored chaps. Th^y are •Just another hoofing team because triple precision work is not triple precision work if one or two or three lag. On specialties, great-rliut tOo long. Following which Harry sings and the line girls show up in 1890 bathing costumes, but merely march on, have no production to follow out the idea aiid reappear in white swimming trunks for a very ordi- nary routine. Then another idea, which flopped, a white scrim drops hastily, the ^rls* arms and heads protrude, and with a film flashed on they're swimming In the tmrU shrieking like burlyque soubs. After which Rose had a weak gag on songs on colors, a song for every color, with the band executing. AaA. got It over. Final talent was the class act, bat didn't click with an uneasy audi- ence. Armand. and Perez, tho two acrobatic sailors, with their light comedy, deft hand-to-hand. Finale has a few spinning lights. 'All this took 60 mlnutea Not a solid, socking comedy effect In the whole show, with the pantomime of Armahd and Perez too, late to help. On the screen "Let Us Be Gay" (M-6), taken over from the Chicago, and news shots. A Henri Keates organlog, and something new, a house orchestral prolog. On first trial it did not crash exactly wltti a bang. Business good. Loop. LOEWS STATE ("Wiid and Wooriy"—Unit) Los Angeles, July 24. Answering the challenge of War- ner stage shows downtown, Fanchon & Marco continue to go after spe- cial a;ttractions and "names." Budget system has. been let down by West Coast for this purpose, and F. & M. is out to grab every feasible attraction. This week, on a last-minute booking. Louis Armstrong, colored trumpet wiz,< doubling from the Cotton Club, was brought into the State in conjunction with the regu- lar show. As an attraction any- where Armstrong is a cinch. This colored lad, feature of "Hot Choco- lates" in New York last year, blows more trumpet in a minute than all the others do in a-week. The notes he hits are almost freakish. Spotted on the tail-end of the show, Arm- strong supplies the punch it needs, preceding a pip finale. One set serves the layout of this unit, carrying out a cowboy at- mosphere with all the spangles. With Georgie Stoll and the house: band holding out in th^ pit all^^^e way, the stage provides plenty room for the 6.'>-minate frolic that can and probably has by now been cut down. At the first Oaoyt (Thurs- day) the unit didn't look in shape, but with a little fixing will be ready to go on the route okay. Opening is a departure from the usual girl lineup. Curtain goes up on an ensemble vocal number which could be made better by boosting the tempo. Eddie Davis of Davis and La Rue, mixed dance couple, might forfeit his early spotting to Aussie and Czech, standard vaude whlp-cracklng turn, through the latter's faster pace. To better ad- vantage Davis could at least do one number together with his partner, which he doesn't, tliisa La Rue, an ingenue type, comes out for bnt one principal specialty, leading a num- ber and taking a spot for some tap work. Chorus of steppers In this unit is from Bud Murray's school. Just 12 gals In line and enough in this particular Idea. Bud Carlell, con- versing .roper, is properly spotted In the middle, with some effective tricks and a pleasing personality. Gags not so hot. Another suitable Item Is the vocalizing of the Yostonians, male bunch, with hefty voices and good delivery. While showing previous experience, this group appears new. Likely local products. Neat ensemble dance number by the girls and Jolane, toe soloist, brings out a couple of new twists in routines' and creditable to Mur- ray's schooling. Girls all measure up In looks. For a finale with plenty of fiash fmd color there Is a forest fire tableau. Newsreel and a Laurel and Hardy comedy. "Below Zero." For the main event, "Wild Company" (Fox). Mat trade good. ROXY (Pre'tentatlon) New Toi^ July 25. In all departments the ehow for the final weelc this month stands but as of unusual entertainment value. W ord' of mout h advertte i ng . oogjit to h«lp exploit the bill After the first day or two. Presence of empty seats up to 0:30 Friday night can be no criterion of what the Roxy might and ought to do. Fea- ture Is '*Good Intentions" CFox). ;a fine programmer of the upper un- derwortd. Apparently regarding the call tor stage flesh more than a beckoning. Roxy goes In heavier, with, five units to current bin and through that giving It a real variety touch. Perhaps RoaQr Is trying out Ideas ha advance of the opening of the va- riety house Ih the RCA-Rockefeller theatre development on 6th aveniie. Notable featin-e about the ^ow Is the Indusion of a satire on tele- vision that openly bids for laui^ Rarely has the Roxy ever attempted comedy, palpably because the house le so lurgo, bnt In what It chooses to can "Mlcrophobla," It tries tar nothing else. Betting is that of an art gallery, with large frame In the center bodied by a mixed team In a com- ical pofitur^ The scene gets A hand at 'first throug!) Its clever reproduc- tion of. the real thing; but with Ray- mond Enlgbt sfeppiag to the mllce to announce & television program as It may be but probably won't. It's the kind of comedy that ielbi best at the Palace. Knight, - who ought to draw through his' popularity over thei alr^ has somO plenty sureflre material and gets It across nicely, the mike he performs to carrying the voice .through the house. Rhet^ Stone, George Klddon and Paul Paulas, that including the two In the lec- ture who do a race on a treadmill to beat a storm (it's all wholly silly), work with Knight "Prairie Echoes," with cOwbby at- mosphere and "The Pastel daHef." in which simplicity and color rim riot, are the most ambitious of the presentations. Some of the rou- tines are built along novel lines and probably more, through thai than anything else occasionally look clv>msy. With a few of the girls now and then seeming out of kilter. To allow for change of stage, with three units in a row, Beatrice Belkln, another Roxy standby, does a coloratura solo In one, singing "Carnival of Venice" with under- standing and beauty. Miss Belkln has stepped ahead to the point where she Joins the l^et next sea- son. In "Pralvle Echoes" an honest at- tempt has been made to catch west- em atmosphere, with cowboys and girls, plus others cluttering up the set, but the house has done better in getting faithful pictures of what it wants to paint. One of the cow- boys, first on with a solo,, has an affected swagger Or else Is far from home en the Roxy stage. He falls- to maheHhe Impression that an- other nea,rer the finish does with the ctlbrus aiding. Combined vbic^ on" the first may have given a dif- ferent eihswer. "Prairie Echoes" features David W. Guion, a native of Texas, who is responsible for many American cowboy and Negro songs. Others In the presentation are Lew Fink, Jack Harwood, Har- old Van Duzee and John Gumey. Roxyettes still here and probably will be for long. The gals work like nicely-oiled machines In a novel number in which the line breaks many times only to come together agnin. The permanent group of 82 nearly cop the "Prairie Echoes" unit through a number In which they emulate galloping broncs. From the overture, a 13-mlnute special arrangement of Wagner music by Maurice Baron, down through the "flesh" fare. Its a 68- minute bill. Picture consumes 70 minutes, that making the Roxy show in .entirety only, counting newsreel, 126 minutes with what seems like a (our-hour show crowd- ed into that through the diversity oi ic ghar. CAPITOL ("Under Sea Bailef—Presentattonr New York, July 2C. At 1:30 Saturday. Just before the start of the first de luxe show, the $1 customers, who paid that fee after 1 p. m., when the 35c morning bar- gain scale went off, squawked about the lack of good seats. The Satur- day early birds at the cut-rate had the choice vantage points and the outside barkers' ballyhoo of "600 seats remaining on the lower floor" found these flanking the sides and the buck customers mildly squawk- ing. With nothing to be done about it. That the squawlJers were an elderly people might be indicative of Louis Mann's draw In "Sins of the Children," for this feature is cer- tainly a cinch for all parents and for the family trade in generaL Show starts with Don Albert as guest conductor In "Midnight Sum* mer Sketches^** orchestrated by*WU- licoi Schultk of the music staff, and also giving Baldwin pianos a ey^fXl adv. on the introductory trailers. Albert never becomes effective^ nor does the composition Itself get any attention, until the novelty screen projection showing Albert (in even- ing dress dothes). conducting the pit bunch from the screen, with all "th«nBKaiest«fl~e1tectB~synchroitianar well with their maestro's film like- ness. Albert. In the pit, and in In- formal summer whites, stood by during this Interlude. ^Following the newsreel and trail- ers of "Our Blushing Brides," which has been doing heavy trade through- out the country and due In next Friday, the "Under Sea Ballet," fea- ture presentation, followed. Ray%. Eniis and LaRUe. adagio threeEome^ are featured. Ray Collins and C. J* Lindemann are minor support. - Presentation.' credited to Arthur' Knorr 'under Louis K. Sidney's supervision, is an effective cheato; This «ct,' plus 'the Capitol Ballet Corps, • are utilized to fill the pre- sentation spot. Flash is dressed op with gossamer and steroptleon undersea effects and Is quite padfie in Its general tempo until the climaxing couple of miiiutes. Capitol otheiwlse Is having a ma of good Metros, at last "Let Us Be Gay," "Caught Short," the current "Sins.** "Blushing Brides" next; others before that and a promlsins program in the near future, places this house .in an exceptionally fortunate spot AMI EBiBASSY (Neyirtreel) New York, July 28. This week's idiow contains a fblr. portion of general materlat More entertaining, hbwever. than .. pre- vious bill and., pa more diverting. Fox and Hearst got busy on viarious events. suOi es bike endurance eon*' teats, tree-slitlng. etc.. with that giving, program- good variety.. Monday night's business a' Uttle up, with sadden cool weather prob- ably more responsible than any* thing. Just .a sprinkling of empty seats at the t o^clock show. Takhig precedence ias most Im- portant news Item and opening mo^ gram is President Hoovei's dgn* ing of naval tireaty and reiiriarks about it Covered by Fox-MoyfO' tone, which also thoroughly newseft up the Paris celebration of BastlDe Day. with, dancing In the street, merrymaking and parade to top ti ott. a . ■ ■ With the recent heat timely staff; Fox also shot New York and Paris kids cooling off by courtesy of the two citiet». - Hardly warranted spotting third, but with the way programs are being routined ber«^ it proved good-lead Into kid Qrcling endurance and tree-sftting stunts In New Jersey. Also had a couple girls in the Bronx In a see-saw en- durance contest Back to President Hoover, he and the First Lady stage a party for war vets at the White House, with an accompanying shot of the chief exec's wife talking to some kids at a Rapldan river school in the mountains. A little mountain kid with an accent starts^ to explain some things to Mrs. Hoover and un- wittingly draws laughs. Little news value in this but. entertaining, with singing topping rest Visit of Zaro Agha, 156-year-eia Turk, to America; some gab la Turkish'-and attempted comic trans^ latlon into Bngllsta^ next . With the Turk here now more than two weeks,'this news item arrives on Broadway a little late. Sports follows on the newsreel table d'hote^ including football games In Australia and Sweden; pacing race at Kalmazoo (excitii« and novel); race at Arlington tradt near Chicago; Georgia Coleman, champ diver, In exhibition at Long Beach, L. L; outdoor attractions at Steel Pier, Atlantic City; motor- cycle attempt to climb high Cali- fornia hill; mechanical golf machine to show proper swing and .Spain's celebration of Bull Fight day. Last mentioned both interesting and funny, with wild bull going through a large crowd in a free-for- all manner. With summer and sports here, tt looks as though the Embassy can be expected to include more stuff In this wide fleld than any other. Bet- ter variety this week than has been (Continued on page 79)