Books › Musical Courier 1927-06-16: Vol 94 Iss 24, 1927 › scan 27
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Musical Courier 1927-06-16: Vol 94 Iss 24, 1927
78 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1MUSIC AND THE MOVIES
2MUSICAL COMEDY AND DRAMA
3By JOSEPHINE VILA
5CAPITOL BALLET WELCOMES LINDBERGH
6The Capitol Theater was represented in the official welcome to Col. Charles Lindbergh when he arrived in New York last Monday morning by a group of the celebrated Chester Hale Girls dressed in the aviator costumes of the "Lindy Special" ballet number which they are doing this week at the theater. They were invited to participate in the official Maritime Parade which went down the bay as the first part of the city's welcome. The girls boarded the S. S. Thomas E. Moran at Pier 9 and joined the fleet of ships headed by the Macon, standing at salute as the youthful hero approached the city.
8DeFOREST PHONOFILM AT CAPITOL
9Special arrangements were made by the Capitol Theater with the De Forest Film Company to secure the exclusive release of the scenes of Washington's reception to Col. Lindbergh, which were rushed to New York and shown at the Sunday noon performance, continuing all week.
11LINDBERGH AT ROXY BENEFIT
12When the spectacular benefit for the mothers of Coli and Nungesser was held at the Roxy Theater on Wednesday night, June 15 (after the MUSICAL COURIER had gone to press) Col. Lindbergh and his mother were scheduled to be present.
14GEOFFREY O'HARA IN MUSICAL COMEDY
15Geoffrey O'Hara, well known composer, will appear in the forthcoming musical comedy, Half a Widow.
17GIGANTIC MISSISSIPPI FLOOD BENEFIT
18On Saturday evening next, when six benefits are given at various New York vaudeville houses for the Mississippi Flood sufferers, a brilliant array of entertainers will appear.
20KING OF KINGS HOLDS FAVOR
21It is indeed gratifying to note the public's deep appreciation of the beautiful in The King of Kings, De Mille's masterpiece now being shown in New York at the Gaiety Theater. When the picture was announced it was thought doubtful whether the subject would appeal to the general public because of its seriousness and religious nature. But De Mille handled the "Greatest Story" with such a master hand that when it was shown, everywhere the critics outdid themselves in praising it. Anyone who has missed the King of Kings is only "his own loser."
23SEVENTH HEAVEN A SUCCESS
24Another of the recent new pictures to register an unqualified success is the William Fox feature, Seventh Heaven, now firmly ensconced at the Sam Harris Theater, where it will undoubtedly enjoy a long run.
26THE FIRST AUTO COMING
27Prominent in the list of features announced by the Warner Brothers is The First Auto, which deals with the advent of the early gas buggy and traces the development of the automobile down to the present day. When The Missing Link closes at the Colony Theater, The First Auto will open there on June 27. Barney Oldfield, veteran of the racing car, will take part in the picture in his old car, 999. Patsy Ruth Miller, Russel Simpson and Frank Campeau are in the cast.
29PREMIER OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO A BENEFIT
30When the Warner Brothers' Old San Francisco, starring Dolores Costello, has its premier on June 21 at the Warner Theater, the entire proceeds of the performance will be turned over to the New York Hebrew Orphan Asylum for its fund for the building and equipment of a gymnasium and recreation center for its numerous little wards. Miss Costello will attend in person.
32GUEST PIANIST WITH CAPITOL FAMILY
33Those who listened in on the regular program of the Capitol Theater Family last Sunday night heard a new little artist, Dorys LeVene, who is scarcely out of her teens. She is the 1925 Stadium winner and her talent won for her the Juilliard Fellowship to study with Josef Lhevinne. In addition, she has appeared with the Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Van Hoogstraten. Her numbers last Sunday night, when she broadcasted, were Juba Dance by Nathaniel Dett and Seguidillas by Albeniz.
35PREMIER OF WINGS
36The premiere of Wings, in San Antonio, Tex., under the auspices of the Fort Sam Houston branch of the Second Division, netted $5,500 for a memorial to the members of the division killed in the war.
38WILLIAM BOYD TO APPEAR IN THE WEST POINTER
39It has been announced that William Boyd, who was liked so well in The Volga Boatman, and more recently in The King of Kings, in which he appears as Simon of Cyrene, the Cross Bearer, will come East within the next six weeks. Douglas Z. Doty, scenarist of his new vehicle, is preparing the ground for him at West Point. The name of the film will be The West Pointer, a story of the United States Military Academy from Major Alexander Chilton's fiction. West Point locales will be used exclusively for both interiors and exteriors, through the courtesy of Secretary Davis of the War Department and the Commandant at West Point. It will be released through the Producers' Distributing Corporation.
41VICTOR McLAGLEN EXCLUSIVELY WITH FOX
42Victor McLaglen will not appear in any pictures but those made under the Fox banner. He is under contract and will appear exclusively for that company. His big hit was in What Price Glory and soon he will be seen as the Toreador in Carmen. It is said that many other companies have asked for his services, but he will not be available even as a loan.
44THE CAPITOL
45As was to be expected, this week's program at the Capitol began auspiciously on Saturday with the huge audiences bent principally on hearing—and seeing—Charles A. Lindbergh. By means of the Movietone the much heralded reception in Washington was shown and the speeches of President Coolidge and Col. Lindbergh were plainly audible. Need one add that the applause was deafening? Here is one more proof—although proof is not needed—that the young aviator has truly won the hearts of all Americans, young and old.
47David Mendoza opened the program with a stirring rendition of Liszt's Second Rhapsody, and later, during the showing of the Lindbergh pictures, played George M. Cohan's new song especially written for the hero of the day. It begins with snatches of old Cohan hits, always favorites, and ends up with a very melodious and singable chorus.
49The weekly revue was called The Pirate's Frolic and presented Richard Hale, baritone, for the first time, the Capitol Male Ensemble and the Chester Hale Girls. Mr. Hale has an agreeable voice but it was difficult to understand his words at first. Undoubtedly he will soon accustom himself to the huge theater. The Ensemble was fine as usual, and the Chester Hale Girls were cleverly trained. Caroline Andrews sang the Hymn to the Sun from Le Coq D'Or while Joyce Coles and four of the ballet danced to Rimsky-Korsakoff's music. Later Miss Coles appeared again, with John Triesault, in a series of dances called Bird Capers; the little "Chicks" were especially pleasing.
51The feature picture was The Unknown starring Lon Chaney, who is always to be regarded as a star of the first magnitude. This picture, however, failed to hold the same interest as some of his earlier offerings. Nevertheless, the actor's skill in using his feet in place of hands is remarkable. Joan Crawford and Norman Kerry were also very good in their parts. Beside the feature picture, there were also the usual magazine, comic and organ solo.
53PARAMOUNT
54Paul Whiteman and his orchestra opened their second week at the Paramount Theater, presenting Ruslina. Dressed in Russian blouses of yellow, the orchestra's appearance was quite picturesque, while Paul himself, in a flaming red coat, looked like a Cossack. There is never a dull moment in a Whiteman hour, and after playing several light numbers interspersed with attractions such as Charles Irwin, Ruth Etting and the Paramount Dancing Girls, Whiteman chose as the finale, the 1812 Overture specially arranged and conducted by himself. This piece brought enthusiastic acclaim from the audience, and indeed it shows the capabilities of the serious Whiteman as he led the combined Paramount and his own orchestras. Next week Paul and His Pals promise lots of fun in a navy program called U. S. S. Syncopation.
56The prelude by the Paramount Orchestra, Elegie, by Hand, was well rendered and the cadenza solos by Eugene Dubois, concertmaster, and Gaston Dubois, cellist, ran through it and a beautifully portrayed film with a moral called The Elegy.
58The Jesse Crawford Organ Concert, with Mrs. Crawford at the stage console, consisted of three popular pieces. They were accorded their usual fine reception.
60The feature picture, W. C. Fields in Running Wild, was a screaming comedy in which the principal was ably supported by Mary Brian, Claud Buchanan and Barney Raskle.
62ROXY'S THEATER
63A condensed version of The Mikado, with up-to-date touches, is the feature at Roxy's this week. Well sung, the cast includes Frank Moulan, the Gilbert and Sullivan specialist; Gladys Rice; Harold Van Duzee, he of the really beautiful tenor; Marion Keeler, Celia Branz and Dorothy Pilzer. Of musical import, also, is the artistic rendition of The Doll Song from Tales of Hoffman by Beatrice Belkin. The 1812 by Tchaikowsky is a welcome overture by the orchestra, with a special arrangement for chorus. This was done previously with the same stirring effect. Maria Gambarelli is charming in a Japanese dance, and the Roxy Jazzmanians are a contrast to the rest of the program, which is up to the high Roxy standard. The Secret Studio, featuring Olive Borden, is not particularly entertaining.
65THE MARK STRAND
66Van and Schenck are holding forth at the Mark Strand this week in new and old songs. This popular pair are making their first appearance at this theater and at the first performance received a well earned reception. They put over their songs in an easy and agreeable fashion that pleases the youths and grown-ups. Joseph Plunkett has revived his always entertaining frolic this week with the return of Margaret Schilling, singing with refreshingly lovely voice with the ballet corps. Joe Thomas and his Capitol Saxotette are another feature. Mr. Plunkett and Mr. Edouarde, the musical director, are a happy combination who invariably show taste and judgment. Charlie Murphy and George Sidney, in Lost at the Front, another war picture, provoke many a laugh with their antics as the German saloonkeeper and Irish policeman, who meet on the Russo-German front.
68DO YOU KNOW THAT—
69Rough Riders closed last week, and Beau Geste will soon do the same at the Rialto when Emil Jannings' first American made film, The Way of All Flesh, replaces it on June 20. A new kind of sea camera is to be used in the filming of Twelve Miles Out, the Metro-Goldwyn picture, in which John Gilbert will be starred.
71Seventh Heaven will open the new Fox Theater in Washington on Labor Day.
73The much discussed film version of Carmen, another Fox production, will be released in August in this city.
75Audiences at both the Sam Harris and Roxy Theaters were thrilled two Saturday nights ago to see the Movietone recording of the take-off of Clarence D. Chamberlin and Charles A. Levine in their Bellanca plane, Columbia, from Long Island earlier the same day.
77Ted Lewis and his famous high hat celebrated last week the tenth year of their constant association. When Lewis was appearing at Rector's Restaurant ten years ago, he is said to have matched an old Negro driver of a sea-going hack for the head-piece, which is "supposed" to have lasted all these years.
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